ISSL Reflections June 11 2023 Isaiah 65:17–25 Post 3

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VII.
Let’s look once again at Isaiah’s words about the coming “new heavens and … new earth.”

Notice those words which describe the kind of life people will have in this Kingdom of God.

VIII.
Isaiah 65:17-25 (NRSVue)

For I am about to create new heavens
     and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
     or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
     in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
     and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
     and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it
     or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
     an infant who lives but a few days
     or an old person who does not live out a lifetime,
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
     and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
     they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
     they shall not plant and another eat,
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
     and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain
     or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
     and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
     while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
     the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
     but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
     on all my holy mountain,
          says the Lord.

IX.
What description of this new earth most brings joy to you?

I asked in the previous post, “What aspects of the Kingdom of God do you already notice dawning or even actually present?” What came to mind for you?

Do you sense a desire to work for some aspect of this “new earth,” this Kingdom of God, not already fully present but promised in the words of Isaiah?

What will be your role in helping to bring the Kingdom nearer and nearer to us all?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections June 11 2023 Isaiah 65:17–25 Post 2

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IV.
As you spend time with this passage once more, keep in mind the question that closed the last post –


What in this “new heavens” and “new earth” do you look most forward to?

V.
Isaiah 65:17-25 (NRSVue)

For I am about to create new heavens
     and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
     or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
     in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
     and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
     and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it
     or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
     an infant who lives but a few days
     or an old person who does not live out a lifetime,
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
     and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
     they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
     they shall not plant and another eat,
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
     and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain
     or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
     and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
     while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
     the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
     but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
     on all my holy mountain,
          says the Lord.

VI.
I seem to recall that John the Baptizer spoke of the Kingdom coming near. Likewise Rabbi Jesus spoke of the Kingdom being near, and of those who were not far from the Kingdom.

Take some time to read once again this passage and be on the alert for what speaks to you about the nearness of the Kingdom.

What aspects of the Kingdom of God do you already notice dawning or even actually present?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections June 11 2023 Isaiah 65:17–25 Post 1

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I.
Let’s look at two statements that begin and end this passage –

For I am about to create new heavens
     and a new earth;
…
They shall not hurt or destroy
     on all my holy mountain,
          says the Lord.

In this “new heavens” and “new earth” “hurt or destroy” have no part.

Look for what else describes this new creation.

What two or three characteristics stand out the most vividly.

II.
Isaiah 65:17-25 (NRSVue)

For I am about to create new heavens
     and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
     or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
     in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
     and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
     and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it
     or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
     an infant who lives but a few days
     or an old person who does not live out a lifetime,
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
     and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
     they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
     they shall not plant and another eat,
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
     and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain
     or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
     and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
     while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
     the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
     but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
     on all my holy mountain,
          says the Lord.

III.
What caught your attention?

The joy and delight that come to the people? The richness of the harvest? The health that both infants and the elderly can enjoy? A peacefulness that extends to animals?

Or maybe even, “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.”

What in this “new heavens” and “new earth” do you look most forward to?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections June 4 2023 Isaiah 52:7–12 Post 3

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VII.
The people are told to “Depart” and at the same time,

For you shall not go out in haste,
     and you shall not go in flight,

How are they to “ … go out …”?

VIII.
Isaiah 52:7-12 (NRSVue)

How beautiful upon the mountains
     are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
     who announces salvation,
     who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices;
     together they shout for joy,
for in plain sight they see
     the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth; shout together for joy,
     you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
     he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm
     before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
     the salvation of our God.

Depart, depart, go out from there!
     Touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of it; purify yourselves,
     you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

For you shall not go out in haste,
     and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
     and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

IX.
The messenger announces God’s reign, and announces “all the nations … shall see the salvation of our God.”

God’s reign and salvation is something to be heard and seen?

This passage closes with,

for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

So God’s reign is where God surrounds the people with … what?

Joy, shouts, presence, protection, peace?

When have you had a sense of God’s surrounding presence?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections June 4 2023 Isaiah 52:7–12 Post 2

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IV.
In the first post on this week’s focus Scripture, we focused on what “the messenger … [announced].”

Today let’s see what images he associates with God’s reign. After all he does tell us, “… in plain sight they see…”

What do you see?

V.
Isaiah 52:7-12 (NRSVue)

How beautiful upon the mountains
     are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
     who announces salvation,
     who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices;
     together they shout for joy,
for in plain sight they see
     the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth; shout together for joy,
     you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
     he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm
     before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
     the salvation of our God.

Depart, depart, go out from there!
     Touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of it; purify yourselves,
     you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

For you shall not go out in haste,
     and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
     and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

VI.
I see folk “shout together for joy.”

I see the “sentinels” and wonder who they are and what they are saying.

I see people who “carry vessels of the Lord” and wonder what kind of vessels these are.

What expressions do you see on the people’s faces?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections June 4 2023 Isaiah 52:7–12 Post 1

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I.
With this week’s Scripture focus, we begin paying attention to a set of Scriptures which focus on the Reign of God/Kingdom of God.

We will first turn our attention to several of the Hebrew prophets, then to the New Testament Gospels and Epistles.

This week we look to words from the prophet Isaiah.

He begins by speaking of the “… messenger who announces … God reigns.”

As you spend time with this passage look for what the messenger associates with the announcement of God’s Kingdom.

II.
Isaiah 52:7-12 (NRSVue)

How beautiful upon the mountains
     are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
     who announces salvation,
     who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices;
     together they shout for joy,
for in plain sight they see
     the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth; shout together for joy,
     you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
     he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm
     before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
     the salvation of our God.

Depart, depart, go out from there!
     Touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of it; purify yourselves,
     you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

For you shall not go out in haste,
     and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
     and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

III.
What did you notice?

I heard the messenger speak of “peace,” “good news,” “salvation,” and “joy.”

What else do you notice?

Do you sense a “shout for joy” is to be part of our response to the messenger?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections May 28 2023 Acts 9:1-19 Post 3

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VII.
Today, let’s pay attention to the encounter of these two men.

What strikes you about them before their encounter with one another, then how they engage with one another, and then where they are after their encounter.

VIII.
Acts 9:1-19 (NRSVue)

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

IX.
In the scenes before us what kind(s) of power and resources do they have as we first see them.

Do you think they would have initially regarded each other as enemies? Do you think Ananias is the kind of man that Saul wanted to bind and bring to Jerusalem?

Ananias calls Saul, “Brother Saul.”

What did it take for Ananias to come to that understanding?

How do you think Saul hears Ananias when he calls him a brother?

Can you recall a time when you were surprised when someone extended such a word of acceptance and affection to you?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections May 28 2023 Acts 9:1-19 Post 2

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IV.
In the last post I asked you to pay attention to Saul and today I’d like us to focus our attention on Ananias.

What do you learn about him in this section of Scripture?

V.
Acts 9:1-19 (NRSVue)

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

VI.
First off, he is called a disciple and he responds to a vision with, “Here I am, Lord.”

How often do we encounter that phrase in Scripture? Who can you recall having said such or something very similar?

While we first hear Ananias acknowledging God’s call, after he has a few more details of his “mission” he seems somewhat reluctant to “Get up and go…”

Why? Are his worries and concerns about the character and resources of Saul well grounded or not?

What persuades him to accept the task God calls him to?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections May 28 2023 Acts 9:1-19 Post 1

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I.
This week we spend time paying attention to how Saul’s journey to Damascus was cut short.

Prior to this incident, we read in Acts that Saul was present at the stoning of Stephen, and consented to his stoning (Acts 7:58, 8:1) and that he was “was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.” (Acts 8:3)

Today, let’s notice the intention of his trip to Damascus and what stops him along the way.

II.
Acts 9:1-19 (NRSVue)

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

III.
As we first meet Saul, what impression does he make on you?

Is he an angry man? Is he a religious man? Do you think he believes he is on a “holy” task to stamp out the followers of “the Way”?

What do you think might lie behind these actions of his?

And then comes a light, a fall and a voice.

Do you think he might be beginning to realize he is not as important and powerful as he wanted to think he was?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections May 21 2023 Acts 8:26–39 Post 3

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VII.
What questions does the Ethiopian official ask of Philip?

VIII.
Acts 8:26-39 (NRSVue)

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south[a] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
     and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
          so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
     Who can describe his generation?
          For his life is taken away from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way rejoicing.

IX.
“How can I [understand] unless someone guides me?”

“About whom … does the prophet say this …?”

Many of us come to Scripture with questions and stand in need of some guidance. Philip was there for this man.

Who has been your guide to deepening your understanding of Scripture?

And then, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”

Since Philip baptized the man, we have to assume Philip’s answer was, “There is nothing to prevent it.”

Does it seem to you that Philip saw the Kingdom of God as a place for people to be included and not excluded?

How comfortable are you with a radically inclusive Kingdom? What brings you to that place?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}