You guys were kind of quiet today. Was it too much information? Did I miss you? I thought the lesson started off well with the questions about communion and Melany's story. People seemed to be connected to the idea that Jesus feeds us himself in Lord's Supper. After that, though, I couldn't really tell what was going on.
So, I look forward to your comments. Please tell me how the lesson impacted you, even if your post is brief (only a couple of sentences). Did you learn something meaningful? Were you confused? Did you never quite get the point that I was trying to get across?
If you missed the lesson, I just tried to post the handout to the web. Copy and paste the link below into your web browser and see if you can get to it. (Sorry. I'm not sure yet how to make links so that you can just click on them.)
http://homepage.mac.com/lmeadows/LordsSupperHO.pdf
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Saturday, February 11, 2006
What would Jesus serve?
I'm looking forward to being with you all tomorrow. I have a question for you to think about between now and then: If Jesus were preparing a feast for you and others of his chidren, what would it be like? Picture the kind of preparations he would go through, the kind of evening he would want it to be. We'll talk it out tomorrow in class.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
The Lord's Supper: Looking ahead
Just doing some study for this week's lesson as we begin looking at the Lord's supper, and it happened again! There, for a half of a millenium, the answer to one of my questions has been in print. The reformers had it nailed down, but I'm so thoroughly modern that I have ignored the answer until now. Did you realize the Westminster Larger Catechism tells us how to prepare for communion? I didn't. It's been laid out since 1648!
Here's what it says:
Question 171: How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it?
Answer: They that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.
I hope this helps you prepare for communion this Sunday at OMPC.
Here's what it says:
Question 171: How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it?
Answer: They that receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.
I hope this helps you prepare for communion this Sunday at OMPC.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Baptism: Looking back
We've covered our first topic in this series on sacraments and community. I hope you've learned something, somehow. I don't feel that things went really well--people seem to be all over the place. Maybe it's OK, though. I did see a lot of people thinking at least.
I guess the main point is that brief discussion we had at the end of yesterday's lesson. How does baptism make you love Jesus more? Oh, to think how we've been set apart, loved, cherished, saved, redeemed. To think that I, in all my sin, have been captured by this amazing love. In the midst of all of our (very good!) wrangling over the details of what baptism means, we must not miss the big picture that baptism paints for us. I've mentioned how the sacraments are to assure us. Take a look at the Heidelberg, Question 67: "Are both the Word and the sacraments intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation? Answer. Right! In the gospel the Holy Spirit teaches us, and through the holy sacraments assures us, that our entire salvation rests on Christ's one sacrifice for us on the cross." Pointing us back to Jesus again and again and again. I need that.
I'll be interested to see any thoughts the rest of you have about what you think God was doing among us over the last 3 weeks. So please, comment away. Also, I've started up a webpage giving you links to on-line versions of the confessions (see below). Hope you find it useful.
http://homepage.mac.com/lmeadows/reformedconfessions.htm
I guess the main point is that brief discussion we had at the end of yesterday's lesson. How does baptism make you love Jesus more? Oh, to think how we've been set apart, loved, cherished, saved, redeemed. To think that I, in all my sin, have been captured by this amazing love. In the midst of all of our (very good!) wrangling over the details of what baptism means, we must not miss the big picture that baptism paints for us. I've mentioned how the sacraments are to assure us. Take a look at the Heidelberg, Question 67: "Are both the Word and the sacraments intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation? Answer. Right! In the gospel the Holy Spirit teaches us, and through the holy sacraments assures us, that our entire salvation rests on Christ's one sacrifice for us on the cross." Pointing us back to Jesus again and again and again. I need that.
I'll be interested to see any thoughts the rest of you have about what you think God was doing among us over the last 3 weeks. So please, comment away. Also, I've started up a webpage giving you links to on-line versions of the confessions (see below). Hope you find it useful.
http://homepage.mac.com/lmeadows/reformedconfessions.htm
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Theology shocker
Last Sunday (Jan 29), I was really thrown off balance by how many people really seemed to want to talk about theology. I wasn't prepared for that. Could you tell? I expected people to resist theology. "Well, all I really care about is what the Bible says." Or, I expected them to be bored with the theology of the confessions. Instead, people really seemed to dig into the the theology of baptism.
The more I've thought about what happened Sunday, the more I liked it! First, it reminded me how much I enjoy teaching CHEERS. You guys don't look for the easy answers and then move on. You dig and you think. Also, you want to wrestle together over what God is doing among us. I love that from you! It's a privilege to try to ride herd on you as you talk it out, although often I feel on the verge of losing control. (Am I supposed to be in control as the teacher?)
The other thing I like is the importance we seem to be putting on theology. That's a shift for many of us who grew up in different church traditions, especially American Southern fundamentalism, that discourage deep thought. The discussion challenged my beliefs, though, and it exposed me. Do I really believe that theology is central to who we are as God's people? But, I'm thinking, "Yep!". I was reading Exodus this morning, marveling over God's absolute control over Pharoah and seeing all of these connections between the plagues on Egypt and the plagues in Revelation. Then, I realized I was making sense of what I was reading based on my theology: God is Sovereign, Pharaoh is vessel raised up for ignoble purposes, God was buiding the faith of the Israelites. Then, as I got to the final plague and saw the Passover, it hit me--the point is Jesus. That's the story that God is always telling. He's orchestrating history to exalt his Son! There's so much theology underpinning that, and I will read the Bible through the glasses of my theology, wheether those glasses are good or bad. So, theology is really good, right?
The more I've thought about what happened Sunday, the more I liked it! First, it reminded me how much I enjoy teaching CHEERS. You guys don't look for the easy answers and then move on. You dig and you think. Also, you want to wrestle together over what God is doing among us. I love that from you! It's a privilege to try to ride herd on you as you talk it out, although often I feel on the verge of losing control. (Am I supposed to be in control as the teacher?)
The other thing I like is the importance we seem to be putting on theology. That's a shift for many of us who grew up in different church traditions, especially American Southern fundamentalism, that discourage deep thought. The discussion challenged my beliefs, though, and it exposed me. Do I really believe that theology is central to who we are as God's people? But, I'm thinking, "Yep!". I was reading Exodus this morning, marveling over God's absolute control over Pharoah and seeing all of these connections between the plagues on Egypt and the plagues in Revelation. Then, I realized I was making sense of what I was reading based on my theology: God is Sovereign, Pharaoh is vessel raised up for ignoble purposes, God was buiding the faith of the Israelites. Then, as I got to the final plague and saw the Passover, it hit me--the point is Jesus. That's the story that God is always telling. He's orchestrating history to exalt his Son! There's so much theology underpinning that, and I will read the Bible through the glasses of my theology, wheether those glasses are good or bad. So, theology is really good, right?
Let the games begin...
I hope this works. Almost every Sunday after teaching CHEERS, I have all of these thoughts in my head: How did the lesson go? What did people learn? Are they getting the gospel? Was I too hard? Was I too soft? I want these thoughts out in a space bigger than just the private conversations in my head. (Lots of voices inside there, if you haven't already figured that out.) A blog seems to be the best way to get my thoughts out there where others can join in so we can better see what God is doing.
I'm curious to see how many people will join in. Probably, for most of us who are 40- and 50-something, interacting via a blog will be a new thing. I can't think of any better way, though, to keep the conversation going during the week. That's one of my biggest goals in this blog--keeping us talking. If you have a question, ask it. If you have a concern, express it. If you see something God is doing in CHEERS, tell us what you're seeing.
It's another way to live out community. The millenial generation knows how to build community on-line (http://www.educause.edu/IsItAgeorIT%3AFirstStepsTowardUnderstandingtheNetGeneration/6058). I guess we should find out what they already know. I look forward to seeing what you have to say.
Oh, want to hear something cool? As I'm typing this about trying new things, Steven Curtis Chapman's "All Things New" comes up randomly on my iTunes and starts playing. The key line is how our God is "making all things new." So, community via a blog, huh? Maybe it's a good idea.
I'm curious to see how many people will join in. Probably, for most of us who are 40- and 50-something, interacting via a blog will be a new thing. I can't think of any better way, though, to keep the conversation going during the week. That's one of my biggest goals in this blog--keeping us talking. If you have a question, ask it. If you have a concern, express it. If you see something God is doing in CHEERS, tell us what you're seeing.
It's another way to live out community. The millenial generation knows how to build community on-line (http://www.educause.edu/IsItAgeorIT%3AFirstStepsTowardUnderstandingtheNetGeneration/6058). I guess we should find out what they already know. I look forward to seeing what you have to say.
Oh, want to hear something cool? As I'm typing this about trying new things, Steven Curtis Chapman's "All Things New" comes up randomly on my iTunes and starts playing. The key line is how our God is "making all things new." So, community via a blog, huh? Maybe it's a good idea.
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