February 23, 2020, Luke 11:1-13 – Post 3 – ISSL Reflection

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VIII.
Do you know how to leave your routines to be Jesus for others?

Do you know how to leave your comfort zone, when Jesus puts someone or something in your path he wants you to fully see and be with. Not just notice but recognize as your time to embody Jesus’ love and service.

It seems for me routine can get in the way of my noticing what is going on and what is needed, even when it is right in front of me. I can go on doing what I usually do and be blind to those really around me.
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IX.
Where has Jesus called you to be his disciple this past week?

Look back over the last week and see when you have not just said the words of “The Lord’s Prayer,” but have lived the prayer.

X.
We may not know what tomorrow may bring our way, but do you think Jesus can be with us then?

Why not offer his prayer as your acknowledgement that he walks with you into the future?

Charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

February 23, 2020, Luke 11:1-13 – Post 2 – ISSL Reflection

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IV.
Let’s look to the words of Jesus that follow his prayer.

He gives several images that I suppose he hopes will help us understand the life that can grow out of the way he shows his disciples they can pray.

V.
Luke 11:5-13

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

VI,
Which of the images holds your attention the most?

Why? Are you already following your prayers with this way living into being Jesus’ disciples? Can you think of times you have been in that place?

VII.
Or, maybe it grabs your attention because you sense this a place you need to grow?

I can’t know the answer for you, but it’s probably a good place for you to spend time giving your thoughts to Jesus.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

February 23, 2020, Luke 11:1-13 – ISSL Reflection

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I.
We closed last week taking note of a short “commentary” that follows the recording of the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel of Matthew, and open this week looking at the Prayer in its context in the Gospel of Luke.

We want to spend time this week with the prayer and also with the words of Jesus that precede and follow the prayer.

Let’s begin by fully pausing, and clearing our minds so we can pay attention deeply to this Scripture.

II.
Luke 11:1-13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

III.
Let’s start by noticing what leads into the prayer – on this occasion we find Jesus praying, with his disciples near, maybe near enough to see him in prayer (do you think they heard him?). The disciples acknowledge that other of God’s prophets taught their disciples/followers how to pray. They ask Jesus to teach them to pray.

Do you think they ask because they might have wanted to tell others, “This is how WE learned to pray FROM JESUS …” Maybe with even some arrogance in their voices?

Or, did they see something in how Jesus prayed that they wanted to come nearer to in their prayers? Had they begun to glimpse a way to come near to the God and Father of Jesus?

What about us?

What do we need to learn of prayer and praying and the lived experience of prayer from Jesus?

Let’s stop for a few moments and name the places we need Jesus’ help in learning to pray. Ask the Father to help you see and name where Jesus can help you. Take your time, don’t rust, wait on the Spirit.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

February 16, 2020, Matthew 6:9-15 – Post 3 – ISSL Reflection

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IX.
Today let’s return to the prayer and also once again to the brief words that follow it and give it our attention.

Matthew 6:9-15 King James Version (KJV)

After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

X.
As you take time to reflect on the prayer, notice the words that follow “Amen.”

Would call those words a footnote or maybe even a commentary on the prayer?

Does it suggest we are not to leave the prayer in the sanctuary but take it with us into our daily life?

Are we expected to not only pray about forgiveness but to actually practice forgiveness?

XI.
Take a few moments and look back over the prayer and give some reflection to other aspects of the prayer we might be called on to take with us into our daily life.

Now might you and I make this prayer a reality in our lives today?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

February 16, 2020, Matthew 6:9-15 – Post 2 – ISSL Reflection

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VI.
Let’s take time to again approach Jesus’ prayer slowly, paying attention as you pray through it and notice what draws you in.

What do you find most freeing as you offer this prayer that Jesus gives us?

VII.
Matthew 6:9-15 King James Version (KJV)

After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

VIII.
What is most freeing to you as you offer the prayer Jesus has modeled for us.

Maybe it gives you a better and more secure place from which to offer praise.

Maybe it helps you connect with God in a deeper way, and with more assurance of his nearness.

Maybe it begins to convince you forgiveness and life is really and fully open to you.

Maybe it opens you to trust your felt needs are important to God and can be met.

I’m sure if we gave this some time we could think of other ways this prayer opens us to life, but for now find what is most freeing for you today.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

February 16, 2020, Matthew 6:9-15 – ISSL Reflection

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I.
We move to this week to reflect on probably a very familiar passage, “The Lord’s Prayer.” Or, should we call it “Jesus’ Model Prayer”? And given most folks familiarity with it is as it comes to us from the King James Version, I will offer here that version. You can visit a site such as http://biblegateway.com to see other translations.

That brings me to maybe the most serious problem with this passage, we are “too” familiar with it. We hear the first phrase or so, and we “know” what comes next. And many folks can quote it from memory so well and so fast they don’t have to think about what they are repeating.

I once saw an interview with Dallas Willard in which when asked about his practices, he said that each morning he “worked through” the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm. Notice, he “worked through” this prayer. That suggests to me he took time to thoughtfully consider each phrase, petition, in the prayer and I suspect make the prayer his own.

So as we begin our reflections this week on this prayer, let’s enter the prayer slowly, with intent to own the words as our very own prayer.

II.
Matthew 6:9-15 King James Version (KJV)

After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

III.
First, after you prayed this prayer several times as your own prayer, what was hardest for you to pray?

What words does your spirit stumble over the most?

Of course, maybe you have so come to a place that your deepest spirit moves as one with this prayer. If that’s the case, do recall noticing when that happened? What did you notice in yourself when you entered that place of prayer and openness with your Father?

Let’s spend some time there and get back together later.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

February 9, 2020, Matthew 6:1-8 – Post 3 – ISSL Reflection

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VII.
In our passage for this week Jesus gives us much to guide our reflections on how we pray.

He mentions pitfalls that await if we think prayer is about being seen or about being heard.

He even tells us, “… your Father knows what you need before you ask …” which might lead us to think there is no reason to pray.

But his next words are, “Pray in this way …” and then he gives us a model for how we can pray (more on that next week).

VIII.
What correctives do you hear Jesus offer you for your praying?

Can you recall times when you prayed with too many words? Why? Do we not trust that God knows our pains, needs and wants? Are we uncomfortable resting in silence with God? Or, maybe we are trying to justify ourselves in God’s sight?

Maybe Jesus words, “… your Father knows …” should give us confidence that God hears more than we can ever speak.

Likewise, Jesus warns us that there is no reward to be gained by “showing off” in our praying. We might be tempted at times to show others (or even God) how well we can pray. But praying is not a contest to be won by having our head bowed correctly or our hands folded in the exact right way.

IX.
Oswald Chambers writes, “The purpose of prayer is get ahold of God, not of the answer.”

What are you hoping for in praying?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

February 9, 2020, Matthew 6:1-8 – Post 2 – ISSL Reflection

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IV.
Let’s go back to the question from Monday, “… what definition of piety do you come up with?”

Does your definition sound like one of these?

  • “the quality of being religious or reverent”
  • “a belief or point of view that is accepted with unthinking conventional reverence”
  • “reverence for God or devout fulfillment of religious obligations”
  • “devotion to God or to religious practices”
  • “a strong religious belief , or behaviour that is religious or morally correct”

What do you notice in these definitions that gives a positive view of “piety”? What in these could lead you to consider “piety” negatively?

V.
Let’s look at this from another perspective.

Each week I’ve taken our Scripture from the New Revised Standard Version, but how do other translations* handle this?

NIV – Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them
ESV – Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them
CEB – Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention
CEV – When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off
NASB – take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them

… and before we leave translations ….

The Message – Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.

VI.
“…. piety … religion … righteous deeds … righteousness … good deeds … trying to be good … “

What do you think? Are we only to be thinking about the correctness or incorrectness of religion and/or actions done in the “name” of religion? Or do we extend our thinking to include “good deeds”?

Or, do we make our first mistake by thinking Jesus takes a narrow view of piety or righteousness that limits us to thinking about what many think “religion” includes and leaves untouched a great deal of our living?

What part(s) of our living does Jesus have in mind?

Charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

*
NIV – New International Version
ESV – English Standard Version
CEB – Common English Bible
CEV – Common English Version
NASB – New American Standard Bible

February 9, 2020, Matthew 6:1-8 – ISSL Reflection

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I.
This week we hear Jesus give some practical and concrete examples of what he thinks “religion” is about.

We hear him mention “practicing your piety.” I guess “piety” is about religion? After you read through this passage several times what definition of “piety” do you come up with?

II.
Matthew 6:1-8

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the GentilesWe hear him mention “practicing your piety.” I guess “piety” is about religion? After you read through this passage several times what definition of “piety” do you come up with? do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

III.
Here’s a thought, well actually some “homework” for you. Take a sheet of paper (it’s ok if it takes several sheets of paper. Draw a line down the center and label one column “Do” and one column “Do Not,”

You know what comes next, don’t you?

Based on what Jesus said (and you can include what he strongly implied here, but let’s keep it to this brief passage) put in each column what you Do (and should Do) and Don’t Do (and should not Do) when you put your piety into practice as Jesus outlines here.

Now that I think about that again, this could be four columns or maybe you could color-code you reflections, and/or use highlighters.

What do you hear Jesus speaking to you today?

chales
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

February 2, 2020, Matthew 4:1-11 – Post 3 – ISSL Reflection

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VII.
We began this set of Scripture lessons in December and spent the first nine weeks listening to and watching first David and then Solomon. A major focus in each lesson was the Temple. But each week we went beyond considering a physical building and were lead to reflecting on worship and prayer as aspects of our relationship to God. This week (and the next three weeks) we move from the Hebrew Scriptures to the Gospels.

Our reading in Matthew again mentions the Temple but doesn’t make that a main focus.

And, come to think about it, we have not left the Hebrew Scriptures behind, have we? We hear words from the Hebrew Scriptures spoken both by Jesus and by the Tempter.

VIII.
I asked the other day “What resources do you call on to help you stay faithful to God’s call on your life?”

Given this reading, it is not unlikely our first thought might be that we turn to Scripture.

And that is not a bad start.

But, it is not the mere repeating of Scripture verses sustains us in the long run.

Our acquaintance with Scripture must serve to lead us to an encounter with the God and Father of Jesus and there we find the encouragement, nourishment and strength to follow Jesus.

IX.
Take some time and notice what Scripture(s) come to mind that deepen your sense of God’s presence and leading.

Don’t rush – let this happen as the Spirit rests with you.

{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}