Conversational Worship

February 3, 2010

The Gift of Word—Family Style Conversation

Looking Back:  Luke 4: 21-30

The Reaction to Jesus in His Home Synagogue

21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" 23 He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, "Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, "Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.' " 24 And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

What messages have we resisted?

The people assumed Jesus was talking about them having good news preached to them/being set free/given new sight. AND THAT IS TRUE, BUT NOT COMPLETE. NOT WHAT THEY WERE THINKING. They wanted the easy good news with nothing required of them. That would be like us saying, “Oh, aren’t we doing fine. We are good people, we go to church most of the time, we dress nice, we pay our bills, God loves us and that is that." Jesus is saying, NOT SO FAST. He had to remind them that their blood-line was not the bottom line, and certainly not the only line. They had the human tendency to be exclusive. Just as Jesus had to confront the devil in the wilderness, they have to confront the devil in themselves…and so do we.

PEOPLE DON’T CHANGE--

We assume we are the ones to hear the easy good news, not the hard good news. This was a slap in the face to them, and they didn’t think they deserved it!

What Is Your Experience?

·         Was there a time you had to/got to “perform” in front friends and family? Describe it. What was it like for you?

·         Was there a time when you “heard what you wanted to hear” in a conversation? How did that go for you?

·         Was there a time when you thought you ought to have special favors or better treatment than you got? How did you handle that?

·         Or turn it around: Was there ever a time when you got harsher treatment than you thought you deserved? How did you handle that?

Looking Forward:  Luke 5:1-11

A Carpenter Goes Fishing

1 Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5 Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

This is a “prosperity gospel” favorite passage: be obedient to Jesus and you will rake in the goods (whatever they are in your business/life—money, boyfriends, power, etc) could just as easily be that we hear the message in it: following Jesus will lead you to do some really improbable things that will require the aid of friends and will nearly ruin you, but will turn out OK in the end. 

Prayer

The Gift of Sacrament

Family Style Communion

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version 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.