a workbook for personal study and devotion

a workbook for personal study and devotion.

Weeks 1-4

James A. Harnish

with Kendra Lee and Deborah Richards

Week 5

R. Brandon Harris

Material for weeks 1-4 excerpted from reCONNECT, by The Rev. Dr.

James A. Harnish. © 2009 by Hyde Park United Methodist Church. Used by

permission.

All Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are taken from the New Re-

vised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian

Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United

States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted (THE MESSAGE) are taken from THE MES-

SAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,

2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations noted (KJV) are taken from the King James or Author-

ized Version of the Bible.

I Will

a workbook for personal study and devotion

© 2011 by Avondale United Methodist Church

All rights reserved.

Table of Contents:

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3

How to Use this Workbook .................................................................................... 6

Week 1 ................................... 7

Week 2 ............................ 27

Week 3 ............................... 47

Week 4 .................... 67

Week 5 .......................... 86

3

Introduction

Whenever someone desires to join the United Methodist Church, the pastor stands before the con-

gregation and asks that person the following question:

As a member of this congregation,

will you faithfully participate in its ministries

by your prayers, your presence,

your gifts, your service,

and your witness?

This is at the same time a profoundly personal commitment. To say I implies that no one else can

make this commitment for me! But, it is at the same time a deeply communal commitment. To

lived out in an esoteric spiritual quest, but rather will be lived out, or incarnate within the life of a

people who have made the same commitment to follow the same Lord. This is why every time

someone joins the church, the receiving congregation responds to their new brother or sister:

As members together with you,

in the body of Christ

and in this congregation of the United Methodist Church,

we renew our covenant

faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church

by our prayers, our presence,

our gifts, our service,

and our witness

that in everything God may be glorified

through Jesus Christ.

In the simple statement above, we discover and rediscover the essence of what it means to be a

being participating in

five essential ways: prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. These commitments that bind us

together reflect that being a disciple of Jesus is as much a flesh-and-blood venture as a spiritual one.

4

Connecting Pastor Jim Harnish of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Fla., helps indicates that

the practices named in our membership vows are not just isolated practices, but rather essential

disciplines that connect us to one another and to Christ.

you wait; the page is stuck and you have to take action to get your computer going again.

Our membership vows suggest that sometimes our life in Christ is like this. We cannot expect to

have a life-giving, fulfilling, exciting connection with God unless we are actively and participatively

working to nurture that relationship.

Even those of us who have been in church all of our lives will occasionally feel disconnected. This

what God longs for. The Bible says that our searching for a connection with God is the result of

Treasures of the Transformed

Life, p. 8).

within us a great hunger and thirst for deeper and stronger connections with one another and with

the Lord through the vital practices of Christian discipleship.

May God bless us on this journey,

Brandon Harris

Kingdomtide 2011

Acknowledgements: The material in this study guide is largely excerpted from a study offered at Hyde Park United

Methodist Church in Tampa, Fla., called reConnect (used by permission), which was written by

pastor Jim Harnish and a writing team from his congregation. Hyde Park published this material

before the 2008 United Methodist General Conference added witness to our membership vows, so

I have developed the material to help us explore the fifth dimension of our vows.

6

How to use this workbook The I Will devotional workbook is an adaptation of a study titled reConnect, written and developed

by Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. It is a resource that will help you ex-

plore the commitments we make as United Methodists and how those commitments help us to

connect with God, one another, and our community.

.

Choose a time and place where you are able to focus. In addition to your workbook, you will need a

Bible, something to write with, and possibly a highlighter to underscore words that resonate. Some-

times, our tendency will be to breeze through the lesson, but slow down and savor it. Let God work

on and through you during this spiritual experience.

The I Will workbook is divided into five weekly sections. Interviews with some Hyde Park mem-

bers are incorporated into weeks one, two, three, and four. Take time to learn about these indi-

viduals and how they have grown in their faith and as disciples, for they are wonderful examples of

discipleship in our United Methodist heritage.

There is also a weekly Psalm. Read the Psalm each day before beginning to study, asking God to

open your heart and mind to the passage. Let the words speak to you. Then, review the commen-

tary. Be honest with yourself and with God when answering the . The work-

book is for your eyes only.

quotes from faithful Christians, prayers, connections for you to

make, and ways to dig deeper into your faith.

The purpose of this daily study is spiritual growth and discipline, not perfection. All or some of the

everything you are feeling in your workbook. After all, discipleship is a personal journey, even as it

is one that we take together. It may be one of the most important ones you ever take.

As you proceed, you may want to make notes about what these commitments mean to you person-

ally. At the end of this experience, you will be asked to make commitments in the practices of

prayers, presence, gifts, and service, and witness. You will be provided with a commitment card

that outlines our spiritual commitments and allows you to indicate your prayerful decisions.

7

PRAYERS: OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD’S POWER

Week 1

dead. We all know how it feels to lose our connection. And we know how it feels to get recon-

nected.

Have you ever felt that way about your relationship with God?

and the rotation of the planets. But sometimes we have a hard time feeling connected. We question

whether the same God who reigns over creation is present within our lives. The writer of the 62nd

Psalm must have felt that disconnect when he cried out,

For God alone my soul waits in silence;

For God alone my soul waits in silence,

For my hope is from him.

(Psalm 62:1, 5)

by which we experience our connection with God is through prayer.

I heard about a country church that was disturbed when a bar opened up across the street. The hot

-

Lo and behold, one night the bar was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The bartender

sued the church for the destruction of his property, claiming that his loss was the result of their

prayers. The church denied that they were responsible, though they did acknowledge that they had

prayed for its destruction. The judge said that one thing was obvious: The bartender believed in

Many people say they believe in prayer. It bears witness to our innate longing to be connected to

something or Someone larger than our own human resources. But do we believe it can

Week 1

8

curling up in the lap of a cosmic Santa Claus in the hope of getting what we want?

side and the confusion, anxiety and doubt that was on the inside, my guess is that their praying was

more than a polite pastime or a quaint religious tradition. It was the kind of soul-stretching, heart-

New Testament scholar Walter Wink described the creative power of prayer when he wrote:

piles of others. We are engaged rather in an act of co-creation, in which one little sector of the uni-

Engaging

the Powers, p. 304).

This week we explore the basic disciplines by which we experience our connection to God through

prayer. We will see the way Jesus teaches us to pray in the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus teaches us the purpose of prayer. A frightened soldier dove into a fox hole where he found the chaplain huddled in the corner. The

ent-child relationship. The primary purpose of prayer is to engage us in an intimate, growing rela-

tionship with God. Prayer is the discipline by which we share our life with God, and God shares life

with us.

If the purpose of prayer is to develop an intimate relationship with God, it means there are a lot of

things prayer is not.

Prayer is not magic, although there is mystery to it. Prayer is not ritual, although it is formed

Santa Claus to get what I want. Prayer is the way I allow my life to become what God wants.

come aligned with the reign and rule of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Jesus calls us to the practice of prayer.

disciplined practice in our lives.

Week 1

9

When Don Shelby was the pastor at First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, California,

he wrote:

Prayer is not only quiet contemplation, it is also hard work ... Prayer is not always like a clois-

plane in an emergency, and amateur writer sometimes turns an unforgettable phrase. But to

win the British Open, to command a transcontinental jetliner or to garner the Nobel Prize in

literature takes more than an occasional experience and natural ability. It requires prac-

Jesus invites us to find a place for prayer. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus tells us to go into our room and shut the door. The Message paraphrases that

-play before God. Just

into that place, we know that we are focusing our attention on God. My place for prayer is an

Jesus describes a pattern for prayer When I began working out at the YMCA, my trainer assessed my condition and laid out a pattern

the same.

tern for prayer:

We name the One to whom we pray: Our Father in heaven.

earth as it is in heaven.

We name the essential needs of our lives: Give us this day our daily bread.

our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

We confront the reality of evil and temptation: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us

from evil.

and the glory forever.

Week 1

10

Jesus calls us to trust the promise of prayer.

given for being a star pupil. The reward of prayer is not a result of our performance, but the prod-

Week 1

11

Reflection Questions:

Day 1

Acts 2:1-21

Week 1

Prayer: Our Connection with God’s

Power

Settling In—Psalm 25:4-7

One compelling aspect of Pentecost is the inclusive nature of God

followers present. No one was denied the connection to God.

be attained to commune with God and for God to work through each

of us. God can speak through us no need to be a spiritual giant.

Pentecost also demonstrates that God can reach everyone. People

demand that we all understand the same rhetoric. He is willing to

reach us where we are, in a way that speaks to us. The Spirit reaches

people on their own experiential level and God uses us as the conduit,

1. When the followers began speaking in tongues, some mocked

them. Do we fear being mocked for our faith?

2. Do we believe God can interact with us in this way? Why or why

not?

3.

Week 1

The interior must

become the main

power of the exte-

rior.

Mother Teresa

We work from the

outside in; God

works from the

inside out. We

try; God trans-

forms.

Richard Foster

12

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

with whom I can experience a new connection with you through

prayer. Amen.

Take the lead

your faith in a conversa-

tion with a loved one

today. See where the

Spirit takes you.

13


Day 2

Acts 4:23-31

Week 1


Power


Speaking the Word of God with boldness can be a challenging task.

out our seemingly small voices. It would be easier to join the crowd,

to look after our own self-

our gifts, talents, and time for God to work wonders and signs. But

for these things to happen, we must establish a connection with God.

.

1.

and to allow them to perform signs and wonders in the name of

Jesus. When have you experienced power like that?

2. What would it mean for you to pray for that kind of boldness?

3.

Week 1

If I do not spend

a reasonable

amount of time in

meditation early

in the morning,

then I feel physi-

cal discomfort

it is worse than

having forgotten

to brush my teeth!

Desmond Tutu

14

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom

every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that,

according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be

strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being

rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to

comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and

height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses

Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-20)

Be Bold


tion with an acquaint-

ance today. See where

the Spirit takes you.

15


Day 3

Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 5:15-16

Week 1


Power


Jesus spent a lot of time alone in prayer. Prayer was not something

reserved for his time in synagogue; it was an intimate part of his con-

nection with God.

When practiced frequently, prayer is both a discipline and a desire.

to establish a connection that is there whether life is treating us well

or battering us around. Prayer is a discipline, a focused time with

God. But prayer is also desire. The closer we draw to God, the more

we desire that closeness.

Why is prayer sometimes treated as a sort of bonus activity that we

.

1. What are some barriers to establishing a personal prayer connec-

tion between myself and God?

2. What kind of discipline can I establish that will help build that

connection?

3. What misconceptions might I have about prayer?

Week 1

Our prayers are

the proper test of

our desires; noth-

have a place in

our desires which

place in our

prayers: What

we may not pray

for, neither

should we desire.

John Wesley

16

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

seems good in your sight; only let me love you with all my mind,

soul and strength. Deliver me, O God, from too intense an applica-

tion to even necessary business... I know the narrowness of my

heart, and that an eager attention to earthly things leaves it no

room for the things of heaven.

Deliver me, O God, from a slothful mind, from all lukewarmness,

and all dejection of spirit. Give me a lively, zealous, active and

cheerful spirit, that I may vigorously perform whatever you com-

mand.

Above all, deliver me, O my God, from all idolatrous self-love. I

know, O God, that this is the root of all evil. I know you made me

not to do my own will but yours. Let your almighty arm so estab-

lish, strengthen, and settle me that you may ever be the ground and

pillar of all my love.

By this love to you, my God, may my soul desire what is pleasing in

serve you with all my might; and let it consume in my heart all

Amen.

John Wesley

X it out

Write down one barrier

which keeps you from

praying. Eliminate that

barrier.

17


Day 4

Matthew 6:1-4, 16-18

Week 1


Power


We want to do things the right way. We want to focus on God, in-

forgive and allow ourselves and those who have wronged us to heal.

the need to be private about our piety.

Although it is natural to want the respect and admiration of those

around us, it is hypocritical to use acts of charity to draw attention to

ourselves. Charity is an act of living prayer. Fasting can intensify con-

nection to God. Looking for outside rewards only weakens the inher-

ent rewards in each of these actions.

.

1. What makes us want to look to others for approval, even when

we know what we are doing is right?

2. What holds us back from being more charitable with our gifts or

our time?

3. Why is fasting not a regular part of our faith experience?

4. What will it mean for me to develop a personal pattern of

prayer?

Week 1

Christian spiri-

tuality has to do

with the forma-

tion of the self by

the Spirit of God

into the likeness

of Jesus

Christ...It is

countering and

transforming our

sinful selves into

the self we were

meant to be Co-

ram Deo, before

God.

Dietrich

18

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

unuttered or expressed,

that trembles in the breast.

O Thou, by whom we come to God,

the Life, the Truth, the Way:

the path of prayer thyself hast trod;

-James Montgomery (1771-1854) The United Methodist Hymnal

Give Yourself Away

Give an anonymous gift

of yourself today. Thank

God for the opportunity

take pleasure in not tell-

ing a soul about your act.

19


Day 5

Matthew 6:5-15

Week 1


Power


Ever wonder about the admonition to avoid praying like the Gentiles?

knew which God to address and had been raised in a life that ideally

centered on serving God.

approached God in prayers. We have a connection with God. There

is no need to grandstand and act pious. God hears us wherever we

are. God accepts our petitions and asks us to call out our needs to

God. Then we must step back and allow God to address them.

.

1.

not enough to just pray for the kingdom; we must help create the

you take to bring action to your prayers? What small step can

you make this week to begin bringing about the kingdom?

2. Why do you need to pray for forgiveness? Is there anyone that

you need to forgive in order to reestablish your connection with

God?

Week 1

It would be well

for us to consider

that our Lord has

taught this prayer

to each one of us,

individually, and

that He still

teaches it to us at

this very moment.

The Master is

never so distant

that His disciple

need raise his

voice to be heard.

On the contrary,

He is very near.

Teresa of Avila

20

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

that bear me evil will, and would me harm, and their faults and

can devise, vouchsafe to amend and redress, and make us saved

souls in heaven together where we may ever live and love together

-St. Thomas More (1478-1535)

to your children or

friends. If they can work

the TV remote, they can

learn this prayer.

21


Day 6

Luke 24:36-53

Week 1


Power


Ask, search, knock. These words focus on the active nature of

much of a pursuit at all, if it only happens on Sunday morning. God is

directing us toward a meaningful prayer relationship in which we

approach him consistently and with purpose.

one thing (healing for a loved one, lifting of our own depression, the

reconciling of a relationship) and the outcome with be the opposite of

what we asked for. Does that mean that something got lost in trans-

lation?

We ask God to intercede with the recognition that God may choose

like a horrible outcome from our viewpoint, may be more merciful,

more blessed, more right in the long run.

trust that He knows how to do so.

.

1. How often should we pray?

2. How do we make that prayer time meaningful?

3.

4. How honest can we be with God? Can we ask for the wrong

thing?

Week 1

Therefore pray or

be a prey a prey

to your impulses,

to the last hap-

pening, to your

surroundings.

The man who

prays overcomes

everything, for he

is overcome by the

most redemptive

fact of the uni-

verse, the will of

God.

E. Stanley

Jones

22

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health that I might do greater things;

I asked for riches that I might be happy;

I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;

I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;

I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for,

But everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;

-An unknown Confederate soldier

Be Bold


tion with an acquaint-

ance today. See where

the Spirit takes you.

23

Connecting to God through Daily Prayer Amelia Lubrano Farrell

How does prayer connect you to God?

that so literally that I worried as a child that God would see

me naked. I believed and still do that God goes everywhere

with me and is always listening. So I talk to God like he is

better. I can also be mad at God. I know God has a sense of humor. When I fell down and skinned both

When I found a wallet with a hundred dollar bill in it, I would never have kept it, because God would

You mentioned you like talking to people but God really listens to you.

you soothing stories or facts about their lives, but it is hard to know the meaning behind those words.

mother in Darfur or a soldier in Iraq. I do feel that God should be asked for strength to face adversity,

courage to go on living, and peace for war-torn countries. God should be thanked for what he provides,

ers. I want him to soothe and comfort me when I feel like I cannot cope, to give me the courage to go on

Was there a time when you felt disconnected from God? How did you handle it?

-year-old brother committed suicide without any warning, I felt disconnected - like God

had dealt me a raw deal - no warning, no preparation, no time to help him. I felt God let me down. I felt

Week 1

24

like God was not who I thought he was. I felt like a pawn. I was angry at God. My brother was my best

How do you hear God answer your prayers?

spiritually,

psychologically, emotionally and physically that pain was. Every cell of my body felt his death and loss.

My mind was asleep in that twilight time right before waking up, when I had the most glorious,

peaceful, wondrous experience of my life. I immediately knew that it was the feeling of being with God. I

knew God gave me that feeling so I would know two things: My brother had that feeling instead of the

pain of his life and that eventually I would be there with him to share it with those who were with God. I

lost my fear of death at that moment and was then able to be the caretaker to my youngest brother, who

until she took her last breath. The peaceful look on her face again reassured me that she was experienc-

ber 2007 at the age of 34, I had the strength to be his caretaker and help him die peacefully because of

my past experiences with God. We talked often about his dying, and he was not afraid. I told him about

same way I pray to God. I ask them to help me understand loss, why I have been spared, what my pur-

pose here is. I ask them to look out for my parents and my younger brother who are also now with them.

My entire family was wiped out except me and one son and of course four lovely granddaughters. I tell

need help with. Tell God what you are grateful for, share your fears and successes, and ask him to re-

a way to approach God. But if he is going to be in your life every day and you will be praying everyday,

talking is what you have to think of, since not everyone can quote the Bible or can sound like a pastor.

Week 1

25


Day 7

Matthew 26:36-46

Week 1


Power


Even in his anguish, even though God was still not granting his re-

prayer. Amazing. A much more natural response would have been

-or-

stinct must have been excruciatingly strong. Yet, Jesus pushed down

whatever anger he may have felt, quelled his need to spare his own

For many of us, prayer gets pushed to the back of our minds and

God before all else?

.

1.

for help?

2.

3.

Week 1

The real problem of

the Christian life

ment you wake up

each morning. All

your wishes and

hopes for the day

rush at you like wild

animals. And the

ing consists simply

in shoving them all

back; in listening to

that other voice, tak-

ing that other point

of view, letting that

other larger,

stronger, quieter life

C.S. Lewis

26

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

O God, give me strength to follow your way, even when that way is

hard. Give me the strength that comes in praying for your will to be

done in me. Amen.

Give Yourself Away

Give an anonymous gift

of yourself today. Thank

God for the opportunity

take pleasure in not tell-

ing a soul about your act.

28

PRESENCE: OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD’S PEOPLE

Week 2

The African concept of ubuntu

the biblical foundation for his struggle against Apartheid.

In African traditions, ubuntu captures the essence of being human. It means that we are people

-

oxymoron. I am who I am because you are who you are.

We see the spirit of ubuntu he consistently uses plural pronouns to refer to the followers of Jesus, culminating in the beautiful

description of their life together in Acts 2:43-

scription of the church as the body of Christ. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews challenges us

-25).

The Christian Century, June 12, 2007, p. 23).

Two disciplines maintain our connection in the body of Christ. Corporate worship in the gathered

congregation and Christian community in small groups have been the essential elements in every

major movement of the Spirit of God in Christian history. They establish the non-negotiable pat-

terns of spiritual discipline that connect us with each other and with the Spirit of God.

Woody Allen said that 80% of success is showing up. But in the body of Christ, being present in

worship and in community is more than just showing up. It means showing up in the spirit of

ubuntu with the full expectation that our presence really matters!

We are connected by our presence in worship.

If I returned to my hometown, folks would say the same thing about me. Worship on Sunday

Week 2

29

morning was the ordinary pattern of our family. Realizing how unusual that pattern is for most

families today only makes me more grateful for it.

John Ed Mathison described a Sunday when there was an ice storm in Montgomery, Alabama. He

was amazed when he saw an elderly woman making her way across the icy street toward the

church. When he told her that he was surprised she had decided to come to worship that morning,

Treasures of the Transformed Life,

p.111).

At the conclusion of this experience, each of us will be invited to make a commitment for the num-

think together about why our presence is so important.

Worship connects us with the rhythm of the sabbath. -speed,

hyper-active, high-achieving, high-stress, high-anxiety world, the break we most deeply need is

done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work

-3).

If Jesus deserved a holy break from the work of ministry to renew his relationship with God, why

do we think we can get along without it?

we are able to notice, to attend, to listen, to assimilate this comprehensive and majestic work of

Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, p.

110).

good thing to do, too! Worship is essential to the sabbath because it is the way we enter into the

sacred interruption in the chaotic pace of our lives during which we reconnect with our Creator.

We are connected by our presence in community.

Week 2

30

For most of us, holding fast to hope can be a tall order. Being present in worship and being in com-

faith of others can hold me.

John Wesley gathered thousands of people together to hear the gospel. But he said that the key to

the Methodist revival that swept across England in the 18th century was the way he organized his

Whatever name we use to describe them, these small communities of faith always include intensive

Bible study, mutual sharing, personal accountability and communal prayer. Friendships are devel-

oped, faith commitments are sustained, and ordinary people are formed as disciples of Jesus Christ

as we are connected in Christian community.

-12).

Your smile may bring joy to a person who is in pain.

Your singing may lift someone whose heart is too heavy to sing.

The consistency of your presence could result in new commitment for a person who is strug-

gling.

Your presence may be the presence of Christ to someone else.

meeting in Aldersgate Street in London. He went unwillingly, but he showed up. He was present.

-warming experience ignited a spiritual awakening that swept across England

and became the Methodist movement around the world.

Can you imagine what might not have happened if Wesley had not been present that night?

there!

Week 2

31


Day 1

Acts 2:41-47

Week 2

Presence: Connected to God’s

People

Settling In—Psalm 84

their faith. Those baptized became part of a community focused on

serving God and following Christ. Baptized followers devoted them-

selves to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. Each of

these activities steeped them further into a sense of oneness with God

and unity with each other.

In our busy lives, sometimes church becomes another once-a-week

obligation. Pay your respect to God, shake hands with the preacher

and go about your day. But what would it mean for church to be for

ism or the insular-nuclear family model that most of us have experi-

world, we should model our church (and our lives) after the spirit of

1. Baptism is an important ritual, welcoming new believers into the

when you were a child or do you have with your family now and

that help you feel connected?

2. Why do you believe baptism is important?

3.

the way Acts describes? Does the joy described in Acts 2 perme-

ate our lives?

Week 2

The church is not

primarily a place

where we go, but

a people we

promise to be.

The church is the

community where

people through

baptism are initi-

ated into a way of

tism begins must

be constantly re-

hearsed in wor-

ship.

Paul J. Wadell

32

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

God of grace, who in the water of baptism has washed away our

sins and drawn us into the new community of your love, unite us in

the Spirit of Christ, that we may be his body in this place.

Amen.

Plan Ahead

What is it really going to

take to get yourself and

your family to worship

this week?

33


Day 2

Acts 5:12-16

Week 2


People


I saw two children playing a game recently. They called it Evangelist.

or if God really does heal people through those who are in fellowship

with him.

The community of believers in Acts is strong and attracts attention.

People are in awe of the works that the apostles are doing. That awe

physically, but emotionally and spiritually), invite other people to

experience the presence of God?

1.

than the way the church is perceived today?

2. The church reached out to people beyond itself. Is the role of the

up the hope of salvation to those outside the church?

3. How have you seen or experienced some kind of healing through

the church?

Week 2

The Jesus way wed-

ded to the Jesus truth

brings about the Je-

sus life...A Chris-

tian congregation,

the church in your

neighborhood, has

always been the pri-

mary location for

getting this way and

truth and life of Je-

sus believed and em-

company of praying

men and women

who gather, usually

on Sundays, for wor-

ship, who then go

into the world as salt

and light.

Eugene Peterson

34

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Lord, there are times when I would like to go it alone times

your Word and feel your Spirit and know that by myself I can do

nothing, but that in community with others, I can participate in

your healing work in the lives of others. So, Lord, bind me together

with your disciples in your body, that I may share in your transfor-

mation of this world into the kingdom of God. Amen.

Reach Out

When you come to wor-

ship this week, introduce

yourself to someone you

35


Day 3

Romans 15:1-7

Week 2


People


people. Each person brings his or her own thoughts, feelings and cir-

cumstances with them. Every person brings joy and pain, disappoint-

ment and rejoicing. Each person deserves attention and acceptance.

Sometimes we encounter people who appear to be weaker in their

faith than we are. They need encouragement, not judgment. There

will be people who we do not believe are making the wisest decisions.

They need prayer, not criticism.

God calls us to strive for acceptance and unity with each other. Cre-

ating harmony in a diverse community requires being humble enough

where we wish they could be.

1. How do we accept those who are not like us?

2.

change and when is it none of our business?

3.

4. What do I do when I sense that someone in the church is going

to disagree with me?

Week 2

Sunday feels odd

without church in

time in the week

when we take our

bearings, and if we

following our noses.

Garrison Keillor

36

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Jesus, united by Thy grace,

And each to each endeared,

And know our prayer is heard.

Help us to help each other, Lord,

Invite

Ask someone to come to

worship with you. Show

them where to park, sit,

connect. Make it easy for

them to feel at home at

your church.

Touched by the lodestone

of Thy love,

Let all our hearts agree,

And ever toward each other move,

And ever move toward Thee.

-Charles Wesley, The United Methodist Hymnal,

37

Cold and Clinical Dulcinea Cuellar

A runner in the Gasparilla Road Race led Dulcinea

ning pace placed her right behind a man wearing a neon

Dulcinea was 29 at the time of that race. She was going through a divorce, working a new job that

Park United Methodist one Sunday morning, she was searching for a connection.

bers when the call came to stand and greet one another, no one said hello to her.

After the service the pastors reached out to Dulcinea asking her about her life and putting her in

But she did go back the next Sunday and says slowly it got easier. She involved herself with the

This past year her new Tampa family helped Dulcinea take care of her own family. Her father had

a cancerous tumor removed, and Dulcinea needed to be in Texas to take care of her parents. While

Week 2

38

she was out of state, her strength came from her Hyde Park Disciple Bible Study class.

Today Dulcinea believes her presence at Hyde Park United Methodist reconnects her to God.

-absorbed and get in my own little world during the week. Going to church

helps me evaluate my past work week and helps me re-

connection that only the church, the building, the people, the chapel, and the community can give

Week 2

39


Day 4

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Week 2


People


Although there are basic tenets that we, as Christians, hold, there are

Some spend time sifting out what works for us, what seems true and

real. Others leave the whole theological conversation alone, sticking

with the tried and true beliefs.

Some questions have little bearing on the way we live our lives or the

way we experience God.

a Christian community. But, for the community to have fellowship in

Christ, there are truths that we hold in common and a vision for liv-

encounter.

1. Is it a realistic goal to ask that we all agree with one another so

that there are no divisions?

2. What are the core beliefs that bind us together?

3. How can we be united in the love of Christ and allow for diver-

sity of personal conviction?

4. What holds us together as a church?

Week 2

Though we cannot

think alike, may we

not love alike? May

we not be of one

heart, though we are

not of one opinion?

Without all doubt,

we may.

John Wesley

40

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Lord, help us accept each other as you have accepted us in Christ.

Teach us to embrace one another in forgiveness and grace. By your

Spirit be among us that we might experience your acceptance and

discover the way you intend for your children to live. Amen.

Common Ground

We all know a family

member, neighbor,

beliefs from our personal

ones. Commit today to

41


Day 5


Week 2


People


Paul warns of the danger of becoming too devoted to a particular

pastor, teacher, writer, or theologian. The job of a pastor is to make

the Word of God accessible and real to the congregation. Pastors and

teachers are simply conduits for the message of Christ. Our leaders

serve to unite the community, but they are simply part of the com-

munity like everyone else.

Christians are committed to Christ above all else. To create a vibrant

fellowship, we must each play a part. We all have insights and gifts to

herd us, but all of our faith needs to remain in Christ alone.

1. Is it sometimes easier for me to put my faith in people instead of

in God?

2.

servant?

3.

Week 2

The greatest spiri-

tual danger for our

times is the separa-

tion of Jesus from the

church. The church

is the body of the

Lord. Without Jesus

there can be no

church; and without

the church we can-

not stay united with

Jesus.

Henri Nouwen

42

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Almighty God, who by your Spirit has built the church with Jesus

Christ as the chief cornerstone, grant that by your Spirit we may be

built together into a community of love in which your Spirit can

dwell. Amen.

+1

Plan for one other way to

be at church this month.

Fellowship dinner, new

small group, mission

project, choir. Your

presence makes a

43


Day 6


Week 2


People


Communion always takes me by surprise. I am pleased with this ele-

tense, but with awe and thanksgiving.

within the fellowship of believers. Jesus called us to experience com-

Communion be if we looked at those in our own community and ac-

-

name.

1. With what attitude do I approach Communion?

2. Why is Communion a communal event?

3.

to stay connected to other disciples in the church? How?

Week 2

If the Lord is to be

Lord, worship must

have priority in our

lives...Our lives are

to be punctuated

with praise, thanks-

giving, and adora-

we long to go where

God is going and do

what God is doing,

we will move into

deeper, more au-

thentic worship.

Richard Foster

44

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face;

here would I touch and handle things unseen;

and all my weariness upon thee lean.

Feast after feast thus comes and passes by;

yet, passing, points to the glad feast above,

giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,

Horatius Bonar (1808-1889), The United Methodist Hymnal

Reach Out

When you come to

church this week, intro-

duce yourself to someone

45


Day 7


Week 2


People


made for us. We are also reconciled with each other. Communion

fosters a sense of gratitude and unity. Everyone eats from the same

socioeconomic standing. As we come together before Christ, we are

presence, and we are all loved in Christ.

1. How have I experienced reconciliation in the body of Christ?

2.

worship? In a small group?

3. What commitment do I need to make regarding my presence in

worship and in community?

Week 2

We shall not have

access to God by

prayer, unless we

are joined together.

together, and be

bound in a bond of

peace, before we can

come nigh, and pre-

sent ourselves to

God.

John Calvin

46

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face;

here would I touch and handle things unseen;

and all my weariness upon thee lean.

Feast after feast thus comes and passes by;

yet, passing, points to the glad feast above,

giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,

Horatius Bonar (1808-1889), The United Methodist Hymnal

+1

Plan for one other way to

be at church this month.

Fellowship dinner, new

small group, mission

project, choir. Your

presence makes a

48

GIFTS: OUR CONNECTION TO GOD’S GENEROSITY

Week 3

Luke tucked an ugly story between two beautiful descriptions of life in the early church.

In Acts 4:32-

In Acts 5:12-16, Luke reported that the Christian community was held in high regard by folks out-

side of it. As a result, everyone found healing and wholeness.

-11).

Ananias and Sapphira never got connected. They pretended to be part of the community, but when

while secretly hoarding the rest. When Peter uncovered the deception, Ananias fell dead at his feet,

and some of the younger men carried him out to bury him.

lied about the gift. She, too, fell over dead, and the same young men carried her out to bury her

with her husband.

A crafty preacher might be tempted to use the story of Ananias and Sapphira to scare church peo-

sages together to demonstrate the contrast between the goodness of generosity and the foolishness

of greed.

The goodness of generosity -

Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you

Christ-

Week 3

49

grace in Jesus Christ. We get connected with the generosity of God at the foot of the cross.

Christian people are not generous because of what they have, but because of who they are as fol-

-followers measure generosity not by what

they give, but by what they have been given -

joy, not in what they hold, but in what they share. Christian generosity is modeled after nothing

The foolishness of greed By contrast, greed is foolish because it consumes the consumer in an insatiable desire for more. It is

sinful because it turns our hearts away from the self-giving love of an extravagantly generous God

greed is deadly because it turns life in on itself and breaks our connection with the life-giving gener-

osity of God.

According to the Bible, the only antidote for greed is generosity. The only way to reconnect with

the generosity of God is to practice generosity ourselves.

The practice of generosity

the poor Christians in Macedonia (2 Corinthians 8). Using the generosity of poor folks to motivate

- -

age of its impact on the life of the giver.

Everyone noticed the way the rich folks brought their gifts to the Temple. They could hear the loud

two small copper coins. But Jesus said that the poor widow gave more than the rest because they

gave a small percentage out of their abundance, but she gave a gigantic percentage out of the little

she had (Luke 21:1-4).

Jesus was not as concerned about how much the giver gave as he was about how much the giver

gift made to the giver.

The discipline of the tithe

The tithe is the spiritual discipline by which Christian disciples practice generosity. The Old Testa-

(Malachi 3:8)

But for those who have experienced the generosity of God at the cross, the law is only the begin-

ning. The tithe is the bare minimum below which we do not allow our generosity to fall. One per-

Week 3

50

son in our congregation says that the tithe is a good place for generosity to begin, but a bad place

for generosity to end. We are called to go beyond the law and to give in extravagant generosity in

response to the extravagant generosity of God.

The amazing thing is that when we practice generosity, we experience more of the generosity of

God. During our stewardship emphasis a couple years ago, I received an e-mail message from a

percent tithe. Then I subtract percent for savings. That leaves me percent, right? By the time I

subtract those expenses I have no control over: taxes, insurance...the 10-10-80 formula be-

comes 10-10-40-

Then I cut my personal expenses down to match what is left. Each year this gets harder and

amazing. In fact, it is a miracle! Each year God shows me that indeed he is faithful to me when

I honor his tithe. I used to dread this time of year, but now I look forward to it knowing that

God will once again teach me something new. Well, I guess I better get busy on my budget for

The promise of a generous God

Paul concludes his letter to Corinth with a bold promise.

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough

way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the ren-

thanksgivings to God. (9:8,11-12)

tude which we express through our generosity, which results in gratitude which expresses itself in

ment for the year ahead. May the Spirit guide us in our response to the generosity of God.

John Wesley (A Wesleyan Spiritual Reader, p. 32)

Week 3

51


Day 1

Acts 4:32-37

Week 3

Gifts: Our Connection to God’s

Generosity


During the initial growth of the church, the believers willingly share

all that they own. They take their possessions obtained through sweat

and striving, hardship and perseverance and they sell them. Their

material goods no longer have a hold on their hearts or minds; they

What freedom that detachment from earthly riches, from the con-

stant nagging desire to amass more, to hoard more, must have

Even more powerful is the fruit of their detachment: There is no

There is no clawing to get to the top. Instead, the followers share the

tenses and the material goods that so often we hide behind and look

each other in the eye equally, the way God sees us.

1. What is hardest for me to share? My money? My time? My ex-

pertise?

2. What is my gut reaction when I hear about tithing?

3. Would people outside the church realize I am a Christian on the

basis of my generosity?

Week 3

The way of the king-

dom of God calls

people to a higher

concern than self -

or national interest:

namely, concern for

the common good.

And for Jesus,

achieving the bottom

without concern for

the common good

uniquely not for

the heaven of the

Fortune 500 but

for hell.

Brian McLaren

52

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

O God, give me a generous heart; a heart that enables me to see

the way my own good is bound together in the common good for

all of your children. Amen.

used it, opened it in the

last year, give it to some-

one who can.

53


Day 2


Week 3


Generosity


The act of giving brings us closer to the grace of God. Perhaps that is

because, in giving, we trust God to take our gifts and use them in

places us in a position of vulnerability and reliance and reminds us

how much we truly need God.

God calls on us to be willing to give. This willingness, it seems, is as

ing that we have nothing apart from God. In that light, it makes us

seem a bit foolish when we question whether we have enough to give.

tribute some of those blessings in the way that God has instructed us?

tlement as the Son of God; he redistributed the blessings of his wis-

dom and his vision of a kingdom of God here on earth. If we truly

have been given? Jesus set the ultimate example in giving freely. Now

it is up to us to exercise our faith and learn how to give without reser-

vation.

1. If our command is to follow Jesus, how do we become poor?

Does that mean volunteering until we are burnt out and end up

2. Is there a practical way to approach this self-

What makes us willing to give?

3. Can you imagine what an equitable world would look like?

Week 3

Gratitude becomes

contemplation, ex-

pressing rebellion

against the thou-

sands of advertise-

ments a year that tell

you to want what

not appreciate what

you already have.

Instead, gratitude

celebrates what you

ing, it bonds the

heart to the ultimate

source of the gifts

God.

Brian McLaren

54

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

O generous and gracious God, when I test the genuineness of my

love by the standard of the One who, though he was rich, became

poor for our sake, I realize how far short I fall of a fair balance be-

tween my present abundance and the need of others. Show me the

way to a measure of generosity that is in balance with your gener-

osity to me. Amen.

Give Willingly

Make good on your

pledge to the church.

55


Day 3


Week 3


Generosity


Our generosity should be willing and enthusiastic. We are instructed

to give what we have decided to give, not under compulsion but will-

ingly. But, if the outcome of our giving is the same, does the spirit of

our giving really matter? If, as I write my check for tithe on Sunday, I

am really longing for the new iPod I could have bought with that

The problem with that line of reasoning is that, by giving gifts grudg-

us for our generosity. These blessings may not be tangible. They may

be a shift in the way we see the world or the way we experience God.

God may choose to bless our generosity simply by making material

goods less important to us, thereby reducing their hold on us. But if

we are focused on what we gave away (be it time, money or skills),

how are we going to notice the blessings coming our way?

can result in thanksgiving to God. What better blessing than for

someone to see a glimpse of God because we gave something of our-

selves?

1. Can you tell when someone really wants to help and when they

are just going through the motions?

2. Do you believe the motivation behind our generosity really mat-

ters to God?

3. What blessings have resulted from your willingness to give?

Week 3

, n. -

A painful, conta-

gious, socially trans-

mitted condition of

overload, debt, anxi-

ety, and waste re-

sulting from the

dogged pursuit of

more.

, n.

1. The bloated, slug-

feeling that results

up with the Joneses.

2. An unsustainable

addiction to eco-

nomic growth.

Wikipedia

56

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

O Generous God, the Cheerful Giver who scatters abroad good

gifts and provides every blessing in abundance in my life, teach me

to sow bountifully that I may also reap bountifully. Make me a

cheerful giver that I may become like you in my giving. Amen.

Give Cheerfully

Pray about the amount

you can cheerfully give

this year.

57

PSSSSSST ... WANT IN ON A MONEY SECRET? Linda Grable

Hyde Park member Linda Grable wants to share her

many of us are worried about making ends meet Linda

tank, put milk in her fridge, and to repair her home. But

Linda admits it has nothing to do with her job as Assistant State Prosecutor. The State of Florida

Linda connects to God not only by signing her name on a check. Tithing, she says, leads to some

real conversations with him about money. While the concept of tithing for Linda is simple you

give 10 percent of your income to the church tithing does not mean she is free of complex

Tithing also connects Linda to her late mother, Emmalou Grable. Her mother tithed and encour-

Week 3

58

I got the bill from our accountant no kidding

what I usually receive for my tax refund and the refund I should receive this year! My needs were

Week 3

59


Day 4

2 Chronicles 31:5-10

Week 3


Generosity


For the Israelites, their giving meant that everyone had enough to eat.

For giving back to God, for establishing unity regarding what was to

you imagine if we all chose to do the same with the fruits of our la-

bor? What would the world say about us? What would our internal

and spiritual lives look like if we placed that much trust in God?

ble acknowledgement that all that we have is a gift from God. If we

approach tithing with that level of thankfulness, seeing our own pos-

sessions as gifts, our desire to cling to material goods wanes. If, as a

tion, what impact could we have on our community? What impact

could God have on us?

1. What are the practical priorities in my life?

2. How are they demonstrated by the I use my money?

3. What prevents me from tithing?

4.

my life and the ministry of the church?

Week 3

job not to tell people

what to do, but

rather to remind

them who they are,

in this instance,

agents, or stewards,

bounty...The goal of

Christianity is not

detachment from

material wealth, but

the loving use of it.

William Sloane

60

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Teach us, O God, to give not out of guilt, or fear, or mere obliga-

tion, but out of a spirit of joy and freedom, knowing that as we

learn to give of our means to you, we can give our whole lives to

you. Amen.

Give Accordingly

Have a discussion with

someone about tithing.

your tithe should be.

61


Day 5

Malachi 3:8-12

Week 3


Generosity


Malachi does not mince words: If we do not tithe, we are robbing

is nothing that we can do. When we cling to material possessions, we

rob God of what is rightfully his. We rob ourselves of the experience

of placing our hope and trust in God.

God promises that tithing results in great blessings. We are promised

abundance and happiness for the small price of giving back to God

what he has bestowed on us. Why, if the blessings seem so desirable,

1. Why do we acknowledge that certain cultural restrictions have

changed since Biblical times, but we still hold fast to the idea of

tithing?

2. -4, 19-

21)

3. Are you willing to give the tithe and trust God to guide you in the

wise use of the other 90 perecent of your income?

Week 3

Terry Parsons, stew-

Episcopal Church,

describes three kinds

dinary stewardship,

the day-in, day-out

giving of a portion of

your time, talent and

money. The second is

extraordinary stew-

ardship: the opportu-

nity to make a mean-

ingful one-time gift

because of a sudden

increase in your net

a spiritual adventure,

whereas ordinary

stewardship is a spiri-

last category is legacy

stewardship, leaving

10 percent or some

other portion of your

estate to the church.

-

62

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

O Lord, who has taught us that to gain the whole world and to lose

our souls is great folly, grant us the grace so to lose ourselves that

get ourselves that we may be remembered in your kingdom.

-Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

Give Graciously

What can you do with-

out?

63


Day 6

Mark 12:41-44

Week 3


Generosity


response? Is it relief that God is pleased with any amount, no matter

how small? Does the story give us license to skimp on our next

church? Or do we take solace in the understanding that God knows

stances may appear to others?

Unfortunately, giving can quickly become a forum to upstage those

around us. However, God knows what we have available versus what

allow God to teach us to depend on him instead of relying on our-

selves alone. We are promised great rewards for placing God before

ourselves. But in such a materialistic world, how do we learn to give

1.

2. What other characteristics stood out in that person?

3. What was my response to their giving?

4. What prevents me from giving a portion of my income to God?

Week 3

The only safe rule is

to give more than we

can spare. If our

expenditure on com-

forts, luxuries,

amusements, etc. is

up to the standard

common among

those with the same

income as our own,

we are probably giv-

ing away too little. If

our charities do not

at all pinch or ham-

per us, I should say

they are too small.

There ought to be

things we should like

to do and cannot do

because our charita-

ble expenditure ex-

cludes them.

C.S. Lewis

64

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

may we be making the subtle shift from our way to your way, from

apply this not only to our money, but also to our brothers and sis-

ters in Christ. Only through him can we try. In his name we pray.

-Peter L. Haynes

Give Cheerfully

Pray about the amount

you can cheerfully give

this year

65


Day 7

Proverbs 3:9-10

Week 3


Generosity


erous with the time we give to God each day. If he ends up with the

may begin to see other opportunities to give of ourselves. We need to

the time to take care of our daily tasks (and that may mean repriori-

tizing what is really important in daily life).

1.

check my banking account before church so that I can make

2. How can I learn to give willingly, gladly, the way that Christ

did

left over after chasing after my worldly pursuits?

Week 3

give because they

have received mate-

rial blessings.

Christians give even

when they have not

received material

give generously be-

cause they pattern

their life after the

example of Christ.

Mark Trotter

66

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Bless thou the gifts our hands have brought;

Bless thou the work our hearts have planned.

Ours is the faith, the will, the thought;

The rest, O God, is in thy hand.

-Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892), The United Methodist Hymnal

Give Graciously

What can you do with-

out?

67

SERVICE: OUR CONNECTION TO GOD’S TRANSFORMATION

Week 4

Jesus promised his followers that they would be his witnesses throughout the world, but no one was

more surprised than they were when it happened! The Book of Acts is the dramatic story of the

way their connection with the power of the Holy Spirit energized them to become the agents of

I suspect that many of us are just as surprised as they were to discover that through our prayers,

presence, gifts and service, we are connected to the same power that energized those apostles and

Our connection with the Spirit means that we are not here to sit on the sidelines, but to get into the

of the world. God has chosen to redeem this world through the church. Transformation happens

when individual disciples discover the unique gifts the Spirit has given them and release those gifts

Who? Me? A Minister?

you are! According to the New Tes-

tament, every baptized follower of Jesus Christ is called, gifted, and empowered to serve in the

for the year ahead. Every person is critically important to this ministry. Every gift of service makes

Week 4

68

Ministry happens through the church.

(Ephesians 4:1-16). At the center of ministry is the New Testament promise that every baptized

follower of Jesus is given a unique spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit. We believe that spiritual gifts are:

Special abilities that are energized by the Holy Spirit, discovered in community and

Given for the common good of the body of Christ and the transformation of the world;

To be used in alignment with the mission of the church and the passion God has placed in

our hearts;

Encouraged and supported by the equipping ministries of the church;

How ministry happens Within days of each other, I received two e-

in our parking lot ministry.

Every week he comes home pumped up about something. He can see that people really appre-

ciate what the team is doing. He can see the importance of creating a more welcoming envi-

The other message came from one of the leaders of our equipping ministry team.

gift of encouragement. When I am walking alongside someone in their faith walk and they are

deepening their relationship with Christ (or developing a new one), or when I am working with

feel great JOY.

Ministry reaches out from the church into the world. When Kirbyjon Caldwell was appointed as pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in

Houston in 1982, there were 25 members. Today, it is one of the largest United Methodist Church

growth is not to collect new people and cage them with church programs. The goal of church

health is not to fatten up church members for show...The church exists to equip people in order to

release them back into the world, grounded in truth and community, dangerous for the gos-

The Equipping Church, p. 9).

Week 4

69

through ordinary men and women who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, become the extension of

Wayne Cordero leads the New Hope Community Church in Honolulu. I remember hearing him

yers or teenagers. He acknowledged that God could send a preacher or a professional minister, but

-time, baptized servant minis-

When God wants to make his love real to teachers, he takes a full-time, baptized servant minister,

love to other teachers and students and to serve them in the Spirit of Christ.

When God wants to make his love real to business people, God takes some full-time, baptized ser-

vant ministers, dresses them up like business people, and sends them into the business world where

the witness of their lives and character becomes an unmistakable expression of the Body of Christ.

When God wants to let teenagers know that he loves them, he takes some full-time, baptized ser-

vant ministers, dresses them up like high school students and sends them onto their school campus

to demonstrate his love with other teenagers.

Our daughter, Carrie, majored in journalism and rose to the position of Executive Producer at the

in St. Petersburg which specializes in ethics in the media.

service agency near Charleston. She also spent two years as a short-term missionary with the

-time servant ministry.

Week 4

70

The people of God, who are the church made visible in the world, must convince the world of the

reality of the gospel or leave it unconvinced. There can be no evasion or delegation of this responsi-

bility; the church is either faithful as a witnessing and serving community, or it loses its vitality and

its impact on an unbelieving world.

The United Methodist Book of Discipline, ¶128

Week 4

71


Day 1

Acts 6:1-7

Week 4

Service: Our Connection to God’s

Transformation


How often have you watched the pastor on Sunday morning and

obligated to try your hand at preaching from the pulpit, regardless of

whether or not you had any skills or desire to do so? We might be in

for a lot of rocky Sunday mornings.

When each member of the church plays the role for which he or she

hierarchy of tasks that need to be accomplished in the church. Every

role is important. If church leadership took on every task, the minis-

try would become constricted.

In order to give our talents and our time, we must understand our-

selves well enough to know our gifts. God will nudge us in the direc-

tion we should go, but we have to be open to unique ways God might

choose to use our talents and gifts.

1.

lenge those assumptions?

2.

had originally seemed unattainable?

3. What else went into that process besides simply possessing a

talent or gift?

Week 4

The laity had come

to see, with a shock,

that they were the

front line soldiers of

the Church. They,

not the clergy, were

the representatives of

Christ who were ac-

tually present in the

factories, shops,

homes of the coun-

passion was to get

into those situations,

then they, the laity,

must be the channels

through which it

would come. If

be spoken, then they

must speak it.

-Stephen Verney

72

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our

Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the

eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that

you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his

sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Start Small

Serve someone a surprise

ter, or a lemonade.

Watch their reaction.

73


Day 2

Acts 3:1-16; 4:13

Week 4


Transformation


Self-doubt cripples the spirit. When we question whether we are

good enough to complete a task we feel called by God to accomplish,

we not only second guess ourselves, we second guess God.

tions to become an expression of his power that healed the crippled

beggar. Peter and John boldly proclaimed their faith in Jesus in re-

sponse to the awe that the healing produced in the crowd. Their faith

in Jesus made them conduits of the power of God.

God can use anyone to minister to and to serve those in need. God

to the possibilities and rely on our faith in Jesus as our guide.

1. Where has God been calling me to serve?

2. Have I been ignoring the call? Why? Does fear hold me back

3.

I believe I am not worthy?

Week 4

The Company of

Jesus is not people

streaming to a

shrine; and it is not

people making up

an audience for a

speaker; it is labor-

ers engaged in the

harvesting task of

reaching their per-

plexed and seeking

[brothers and sis-

ters] with something

so vital that, if it is

received, it will

change their lives.

-Elton Trueblood

74

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

We have voices, O Lord. They are yours. Empower us not only to

speak as Christians should, but to reveal the Christ behind the

Christian.

We have hands, O Lord. They are yours. Guide us to use them for

your Glory, in prayer and in compassion.

We have hearts, O Lord. They are yours. Help us to love you be-

yond our natural ability, and to do likewise for those who need you

in us.

All that we have, and all that we are, all is yours. May we become

was faithful to us. In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

-Peter L. Haynes

Grow in Service

Surprise a neighbor,

teacher, co-worker with

an act of service. Watch

their reaction.

75


Day 3


Week 4


Transformation


person is baptized by the Holy Spirit, he/she becomes ordained for

ministry. All followers of Christ are ministers and all have been given

cover our gifts and respond to the call that God has put on our hearts,

Gifts are given not to be left idle, but to be used in community, to

serve God and others. The spiritual gifts of followers of Christ are

ALL important. Every gift is needed to build the church and to create

other disciples. The body of Christ has many parts and many minis-

pose: to grow in relationship to God and others, to serve others and

to invite others into faith in Christ.

1. Have you discovered your spiritual gifts? If not, go to

www.hydeparkumc.org and take the spiritual gifts assessment.

2.

church?

3.

in the body of Christ?

Week 4

Service is not a list of

but a way of living.

Just as there is more

to the game of bas-

ketball than the rule

book, there is more

to service than

ing. It is one thing to

act like a servant; it

is quite another to be

a servant.

Richard Foster

76

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

God of community,

who calls us to be in relationship

with one another

and who has promised to dwell

By your Spirit you have graced each of us

Open my eyes, O God, to perceive the gifts

you have placed within me

Bless our hands, our hearts, our vision

to work together for the bringing in of your Kingdom,

in our embracing, love;

and in our risking, transformation.

-Jan Richardson

Find your gift

Talk to your small-

group leader about tak-

ing a Spiritual Gift As-

sessment.

.

77


Day 4


Week 4


Transformation


By contrast, it is comforting to know that within the body of Christ

we are all celebrated for our unique contributions and talents. Paul

calls for equality in the body of Christ. No gift is to be valued above

another; all are blessings from God to be used for the common goal.

This common mission allows us to share not only our gifts, but also

Unity of mission fosters community. In order to thrive, the commu-

nity must remain connected to each other and to God.

1.

2. Do I expect to be recognized for my gifts in the church? How

much of that expectation is pride driven?

3. Are there certain gifts I value above others? If so, why?

Week 4

One of the principal

rules of religion is to

lose no occasion of

serving God. And

since he is invisible

to our eyes, we are to

serve him in our

neighbor, which he

receives as if done to

himself in person,

standing visibly be-

fore us. God is so

great that he com-

municates greatness

to the least thing that

is done for his ser-

vice.

John Wesley

78

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.

-St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

Appreciate Service

Thank someone who

serves you at church.

.

79


Day 5

Ephesians 4:1-16

Week 4


Transformation


Christians are called to be humble, gentle and patient, to treat each

other with love. These traits can seem eons away when we are stuck

in a church committee meeting where everyone has a distinct (and

seemingly incompatible) viewpoint, emotions are running high,

nerves are frazzled and the exchange of ideas is terse at best. Should

we simply chalk up our reaction to each other as inevitable and stum-

ble forth the best we can? Or, as Christians, are we called to a more

sensitive, more intimate interaction with each other?

countable, and striving to work together in unity. What God does

ask is that we look at each other with compassion and understanding,

humility and love. The dominant paradigms that the world has estab-

lished simply do not have a place in the kingdom of God. Unity, un-

derstanding, patience and peace are the goals that Christ has estab-

1. How can we, as the body of Christ, reach out to a world that is

broken?

2. What will people see in us that will make them want to connect

with Christ?

3. How do we foster unity, a willingness to see problems and try to

solve them?

Week 4

alize that equipping

is really the Biblical

understanding of the

begin to see that the

church is a volunteer

body and every

member is gifted to

function in a certain

way, then that in my

mind makes it man-

datory

have an option to

be an equipping

way God has de-

signed the church,

-Vernon Armitage

80

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

O God, who by your Spirit has given to each of us unique gifts for

the building up of the body of Christ, give us wisdom to know our

gifts, courage to claim them, and power to use them for your glory.

Amen.

Jump In

Decide where you will

serve. Make the phone

call to begin.

81


Day 6

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Week 4


Transformation


God constantly works in us and around us, whether we choose to

notice or not. God has an advantage in cultivating our gifts and tal-

ents: God knows us completely. God knows exactly where our fears

and trepidations lie. God knows about our prideful moments and our

bruised egos. God sees the untapped potential that we all hold. If we

trust God, God will be faithful in nurturing us, drawing out our spiri-

tual gifts so that we can use them to contribute to the community we

skills, talents and gifts that we need; we must remain faithful in our

festation of our connection to God. When people look at your life,

can they see your connection to God?

1. What keeps me from being consistent in my service?

2. What skill do I have that I could ask God to nurture?

3. What immediate ways can I begin working on cultivating that

skill?

4.

Week 4

Be faithful in little

which will build in

you the life of holi-

ness, make you

Christ-

look for big things,

just do small things

smaller the thing,

the greater must be

our love.

-Mother Teresa

82

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

the things, good Lord, that I pray for, give me the grace to labor

for. Amen.

-Thomas More (1478-1535)

Start Small

Serve someone a surprise

ter, or a lemonade.

Watch their reaction.

83


Day 7

Romans 12:3-8

Week 4


Transformation


Over and over this week, it has become apparent how important

unity is in the body of Christ. We are reminded to celebrate our

Christians, on the emerging kingdom of God. God leaves no room for

pride. There is no one gift, no one person, that is greater than an-

other. Instead we are challenged to live lives of humility, compassion,

love, unity, peace and service to others. If we could really meet that

1. When do I feel myself becoming prideful?

2. Where is the line between self-assuredness and arrogance?

3. Am I focusing on being thankful for the gifts that each person

Week 4

your destiny will be

but one thing I

know, the only ones

among you who will

be really happy are

those who have

sought and found

how to serve.

-Albert Schweitzer

84

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

May the love of the Lord Jesus

draw us to himself;

May the power of the Lord Jesus

strengthen us in his service;

May the joy of the Lord Jesus

-Archbishop William Temple (1881-1944)

Grow in Service

Surprise a neighbor,

teacher, co-worker with

an act of service. Watch

their reaction.

85

Here I Am, Lord. Randy Adkins

When Randy Adkins talks about the church he grew up

Pulaski, Virginia, a tiny white building about 50 families

called their spiritual home. Randy remembers being 6

years old, old enough to help his grandfather usher, then

settling in a pew to watch his grandparents sing in the

hears those hymns, Randy is connected.

-doubt. It was not because he is a stranger to service. Randy

politan Ministries. When his career moved him to the private sector he took with him his belief

he wrote this e-mail to choir director Penny Walsh:

Randy simply worried he could not keep up with the voices he heard on Sundays. In February of

2008 Randy answered the call. Today he sings and serves Hyde Park with his voice.

their praises to God ... I not only connect to fellow members of the church, but feel a connection to

As he blesses others sharing the hymns he discovered, this service is a blessing to him. As he de-

Week 4

86

WITNESS: THE WORLD’S CONNECTION TO THE GOSPEL

Week 5

It has been said that the church is the only organization in the world that exists primarily for those

who are not yet a part of it. God has a church because God wants to continue the ministry of Je-

sus: to be a sign, foretaste, instrument and witness of the reign of God. This reign, or kingdom, is

take upon his lips (Mt 4:17). The advent of this reign is the gospel; it is the good news!

The idea of the kingdom of God can lead us to imagine a palace with a king sitting on a throne.

But, when the New Testament speaks of the kingdom of God, it simply means the force and effect

will is brought to fruition in out midst. When people are healed of their hurts, when their sorrows

are comforted, when injustices are set right, and when peace and love replace enmity and hatred,

the gospel is that

all creation is invited to share in this reign right now through Jesus.

not a big vote of confidence for the other religious leaders in Capernaum! While in Capernaum,

-in-law, and cured many others who

were sick with various diseases (4:33-

kingdom! As Jesus tries to leave Capernaum, however, the crowds follow after him. Luke says,

They wanted him to stay right there with them and heal their wounds, calm their spirits, and bless

their home. They wanted to continue to revel in the reign God, perhaps not even realizing that

others would be left without. Jesus knows that God has a broader purpose than this. He tells the

In many ways, we are not unlike those in Capernaum who were among the first to receive the good

Week 5

87

Christ, to come to church, share in our brotherly love, sing of our happiness and our salvation, and

then go back to our homes, our places of business, and our neighborhoods forgetting that there are

others who yearn for that good news, as well. We can forget that, like Jesus, we have a purpose

beyond just experiencing the divine reign; we are called to share it and proclaim it. Indeed, the

church is the primary means by which the world receives that good news. The church is the

our witness (i.e., my witness and your

witness). For, like prayers, presence, gifts, and service, witness is a personal commitment even as it

marily on the level of corporate-

lect few (e.g., preachers and evangelists), but it also (and primarily!) is the responsibility of each

one of us. Just before Jesus is about to ascend into heaven, Jesus looks his disciples square in the

have learned to hope; so, you are the ones who must tell others.

Witnessing Implies that You’ve Seen Something Being witnesses assumes two realities: (1) that we have experienced something, encountered some-

thing, seen something, or heard something ourselves and (2) that we are ready to give an account

of what we have experienced, encountered, seen, or heard.

Imagine being a juror in a court of law. What type of witnesses are you likely to find more credible:

those who were present at the scene of a crime and saw what happened or those who read about

actually present! In order to bear witness to the good news of the reign of God, it is important for

us not just to have heard about it, but actually to have experienced it.

not have a first-hand experience of the reign of God. We who have experienced the joy of salva-

tion, the freedom of life in the Holy Spirit, and the peace of a relationship with Christ know per-

sonally what good news the reign of God really is. Sharing this good news with others is the es-

sence of our ministry of witness.

Witness is More than Words, but Never Less than Words There is a statement attributed to St. Francis of Assisi that is popularly quoted in Christian circles:

these words. This statement was probably concocted by someone who was deathly afraid of ar-

ticulating his or her experience of Christ (or who, perhaps, had never had an experience at all!) As

it stands, this apocryphal statement implies that the gospel can be communicated effectively simply

by living a holy life, obeying the golden rule, or something like that.

Make no mistake: holy living is very important. This amounts to a kind of unspoken testimony

without which our verbal testimony to Christ is meaningless. Imagine if an obese friend said to

Week 5

88

whether that gym membership is worth the money! Similarly, the verbal testimony of those who

too) is a huge clue that a complete witness matches holy living with naming the One whose life,

death, and resurrection makes the joy-filled, Spirit-filled, hope-filled, holy life possible: Jesus.

Imagine meeting someone in the desert who is clearly thirsty. You have just come from the oasis

that is just out of sight beyond the sand dunes, where your own thirst was quenched and where you

over, by the way your lips are full and not shriveled and parched, and by the way you seem to be

moving quickly and full of life, the thirsty person can tell that something is different about you.

The thirsty person will be able to discern from these tell-tale signs that you are not thirsty. But,

that does not mean that the thirsty person knows how to get to the oasis to drink from that life-

giving spring.

Being a witness is about helping people find the refreshing, thirst-

not about recruiting people to your oasis, berating people for not knowing where the oasis is, or

get to it. Being a witness means that you even go so far as to go to the oasis yourself and bring

them water to drink.

You cannot expect people to connect the dots between your life of holiness, righteousness, and joy

(the kingdom life) and the true source of that life. Some might. But, those will be the exceptions.

Meanwhile many more will crawl about on the parched landscape dying of thirst. Therefore, wit-

ness is never only your words, but it is never less than your words.

Week 5

89


Day 1

Mark 5:1-20

Week 5

Witness: The World’s Connection

to the Gospel


ever led off with an Excel spreadsheet with facts and figures about

Jesus! Our faith consists of stories about what God has done through

Christ in our lives. So, sharing our faith involves telling about how

God has shaped us.

thorough understanding of the atonement, or to be well-versed in

riology means!) All you need is to have a story to tell about how

Christ has made a difference in your life.

Often, when we encounter the unchurched, we tend to want to pro-

vide answers. But, a story-formed witness works best within the con-

stories.

1. What difference has Christ made in your life? How have you

faithfulness been evident?

2. Who in your life can you share your story with, who might not

yet understand how Christ has made a difference in your life?

3. What, if anything, makes you reluctant to share your story from

Week 5

There are so many

stories more beauti-

ful than answers.

Mary Oliver

90

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

O eternal God...let me, in spite of me, be of so much use to your

glory, that by your mercy to my sin, other sinners may see how

much sin you can pardon. Amen.

John Donne (1572-1631)

Know your story

Write down the ways

that Christ has made a

difference in your life.

91


Day 2

John 1:1-5, 9-14

Week 5


to the Gospel


That is, God does not often snap the divine fingers to magically ac-

Human beings are inherently representative of God, enlivened by the

divine breath (Gen 2:7) and imprinted with the image of God himself

(Gen 1:26-27). Representing God is the primordial human vocation.

As a human, Jesus perfectly fulfills our representative vocation. And,

in calling the church and filling it with the power of his Holy Spirit,

Jesus calls and enables us to serve as a present living representation of

God to the world.

Christ. This means that our witness cannot be disembodied. We

must enact our witness through works of love, mercy, and peace,

even as much as we pronounce these realities.

When in the power of the Holy Spirit we share the gospel and wit-

ence.

1.

love?

2. How do others encounter the living, breathing love of God in

you?

3. What in your life is inconsistent with your vocation to represent

God? How can you remedy that inconsistency?

Week 5

Churches have

turned their towers

into resorts and

amusement parks to

attract the wayward

back. They re-

painted, redesigned,

churches. They re-

crafted their mission

statements, replaced

their choirs, and

rewired their sanc-

tuaries. They have

redone this and that,

believing more in the

reincarnation of the

old than in the in-

carnation of Christ.

Randall Groves

92

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

O eternal God, you commit to us the swift and solemn trust of life;

since we do not know what a day may bring forth, but only that the

hour for serving you is ever present, may we wake to the instant

claims of your holy will, not waiting for tomorrow, but yielding

today. Lay to rest, by the persuasion of your Spirit, the resistance

of our passion, our indolence, or our fear. Consecrate with your

presence the way in which our feet may go; and the humblest work

will shine, and the roughest places be made plain. Lift us above

unrighteous anger and mistrust into faith and hope and charity by a

simple and steadfast reliance on your sure will. In all things draw

us to the mind of Christ, that your lost image may be traced again

and that you may own us as at one with him and you. Amen.

James Martineau (1805-1900)

Share your story

Talk with a fellow

church member or other

Christian about what

God has done in your

life.

93


Day 3

John 1:6-9; Matthew 25:30-46

Week 5


to the Gospel


the church it puts us

purposes include far more than the church. The right question is,

If we want to know what God is up to in the world, we need only to

God is present and working wherever hungry and thirsty people are

satisfied with bread and water, whenever the vulnerable are shel-

tered, and whenever the sick and the imprisoned are comforted. Lest

we believe that we are the light that brings hope and justice to those

dark places, it is important for us to remember that we only point to

the true light which enlightens every vestige of darkness.

1. Where is the darkness in the lives of your friends and neighbors?

Is it sickness, hunger, loneliness, depression, or joblessness?

light?

2. What about your ministry tends to point to yourself or your

church rather than the good news of Jesus?

3.

sending you to bear witness to the light?

Week 5

The church of Jesus

Christ is not the

purpose or goal of

the gospel, but

rather its instrument

and witness.

Darrel Guder

94

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

God, of your goodness, give me yourself; for you are sufficient for

me. I cannot properly ask anything less, to be worthy of you. If I

were to ask less, I should always be in want. In you alone do I have

all. Amen.

Julian of Norwich (1342-c. 1416)

Engage

Seek out a friend or ac-

quaintance who is hurt-

ing and seek to under-

stand their struggle.

95


Day 4

Isaiah 52:7-15

Week 5


to the Gospel


When ancient armies would go out to battle, sentinels would keep

watch at home, either from a mountain lookout or from a tall watch-

tower, for messengers returning from the battlefield with news. One

can easily imagine the sense of anticipation a sentinel would have

upon seeing the messenger quickly hurrying toward him. What could

the news be? Was it victory? Was it defeat? Who has fallen? Who

has survived?

It has often been noted that people today are desperate for good

news. In the midst of the battles of life, there is a profound need to

hear that the bills have not defeated us, that the cancer has not won,

there in the world are like the sentinels, looking to all the messengers

running their way, hoping for some bit of good news!

As one of the many voices that speak in the world, the church brings

tidings it brings news. But, are those tidings good? When people

we fail as witnesses.

1.

victory in some struggle in your life?

2. What would be good news for people in your life neighbors,

friends, co-

news for them? How can you share it?

3.

one who needs to hear good news?

Week 5

Psychologists tell us

that most people in

America are

Something deep

within us is still cry-

ing out for the real

deal. . . . Nothing

will feel right until

we get it

John Ed Mathison

96

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

You who are unchangeable, whom nothing changes! You who are

unchangeable in love, precisely for our welfare not submitting to

any change: may we too will our welfare, submitting ourselves to

the discipline of your unchangeableness, so that we may in uncon-

ditional obedience find our rest and remain at rest in unchangeable-

ness.

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

Bear witness

triumph in your life with

a friend or acquaintance

who may be experienc-

ing a similar struggle.

97


Day 5

Luke 10:1-11

Week 5


to the Gospel


Jesus never waited around for people to come to him (even though

people did come to him). He went out from place to place seeking

when Jesus commissions his disciples for ministry, he sends them out.

but ourselves and what Christ has done and is doing in our lives. In

fact, all the things we try to take with us can get in the way. Nothing

can really substitute for a personal connection with another person

around a table in which lives are open toward each other. This can

make us feel incredibly vulnerable.

1. Where is Jesus sending you? What is the field in which you are

called to labor?

2. What makes you feel vulnerable in proclaiming the gospel?

3.

that might be getting in the way?

4. What advice does Jesus offer if people reject your authentic wit-

ness? What would that look like today?

Week 5

To be sent out on

behalf of the reign of

God is also to gather

people into the reign

of God and, through

the guidance of the

Holy Spirit, to help

form each other into

citizens of the reign

of God, who can

preach, teach, and

heal in the name of

Jesus and can share

his suffering and

resurrection life.

Darrel Guder

98

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Dearest Lord, may I see you today and every day in the person of

your sick, and, whilst nursing them, minister unto you.

Though you hide yourself behind the unattractive disguise of the

irritable, the exacting, the unreasonable, may I still recognize you,

Lord, give me this seeing faith, then my work will never be mo-

notonous. I will ever find joy in humouring the fancies and gratify-

ing the wishes of all poor sufferers.

O beloved sick, how doubly dear you are to me, when you person-

ify Christ; and what a privilege is mine to be allowed to tend you.

Sweetest Lord, make me appreciative of the dignity of my high

vocation, and its many responsibilities. Never permit me to dis-

grace it by giving way to coldness, unkindness, or impatience.

And O God, while you are Jesus my patient, deign also to be to me

a patient Jesus, bearing with my faults, looking only to my inten-

tion, which is to love and serve you in the person of each one of

your sick.

Lord, increase my faith, bless my efforts and work, now and for

evermore. Amen.

The Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Go out

Go to someone you en-

counter often (e.g., at the

grocery store) and intro-

duce yourself; get to

know them.

99


Day 6

John 9:1-41

Week 5


to the Gospel


How often do we excuse our reluctance to share our faith by saying

much matter how educated or experienced we are, the only thing we

really need to back up our witness is the true experience of our salva-

tion.

Sometimes we may think our story needs to be fantastic, but it does-

power of salvation; we are going to want to tell people about it.

I once heard a story about a nonbeliever who had gotten to know a

Christian co-

Wanting a better understanding of his experience, he contacted his

co-

the man come to her office, where the man told the pastor that he

have to tell people about it. He wanted to keep his faith to himself

because he was afraid of what his friends, most of whom were athe-

ists, might think. So, the pastor told the man that she would make an

exception: in this one instance, he could give his life to Christ and

not have to tell anyone.

way home. As he waited at the bus stop, he began a conversation

day was ended, the man had told half a dozen others the same tale.

1. What excuses do you make for not sharing your faith?

2.

3.

tell others?

Week 5

The greatest discov-

ery I ever made was

the day I discovered

Jesus Christ.

James Simpson,

pioneer of anesthetics

100

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

Open wide the window of our spirits, O Lord, and fill us full of

light; open wide the door of our hearts, that we may receive and

entertain you with all our powers of adoration and love.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Listen

Ask someone else to

share about where they

have seen God at work in

their life.

101


Day 7

Mark 13:5-13; 1 Peter 3:10-20

Week 5


to the Gospel


describes someone who dies in testimony to faith, is a derivative of

ers for the eventuality that a faithful witness to the truth may mean

great suffering, even death, at the hands of those who are held cap-

Thankfully, not everyone will be called to make such a radical wit-

ness. But whether our witness is easy or difficult, safe or risky, it is

God himself who enables our witness by the power of his Holy Spirit.

And whether the situation is benign or threatening, witness always

involve nothing less than our complete selves

Even if we are not called to the ultimate witness, our witness will at

to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is

full, and bold our witness can be.

1.

hope? How can we get ready?

2. How do you react to the idea that your witness involves nothing

less than your whole self, and that it might require your very life?

3. How is suffering a witness to Christ?

Week 5

witnesses to the fact

that the only source

hope is God Him-

self.

William C. Weinrich

102

Your Space

Daily Prayer

Daily Connection

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction

Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying

that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the church's mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted,

knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference

between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.

Oscar Romero (1917-1980)

Remember

Look up the story of a

martyr like Oscar Ro-

mero. Give thanks to

God for their ultimate

sacrifice of faith.

Suggested Website:

http://

www.excitingholiness.org/

first-edition/m03/d24b.html

http://www.excitingholiness.org/first-edition/m03/d24b.html



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