First Word:
Genesis 12:2-3 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you,
and make your name great, so that you will become a blessing. I will bless
those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you and in you all the
families of the earth shall be blessed.
High Noon: John 3:17 God did not send his son
into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through
him.
Last Word: Acts 1:8 But you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Questions
and Reflections:
In Genesis, Abraham is
blessed for a purpose, that all the families of the earth might be blessed. How
are you blessed to be a blessing? How is
Resurrection blessed to be a blessing to the world?
In John 3:17, we learn
that God in Jesus is not about condemning the world, but saving it. How might
we bring this message of love and salvation to the world?
In Acts, Jesus tells his
followers that they are to go beyond their home base of Jerusalem to the ends
of the earth. Where might God be
calling Resurrection to go beyond our home base? What might be our “ends of the earth?”
God has a plan for you
and for Resurrection.
God also has a plan for the whole world and we are
part of the plan. God calls his people
to be his agents in our families, congregations and local communities. He also calls us to see the whole earth as
part of our place of ministry.
Through Lutheran World Relief, our congregation supports Lutheran
service work in over 20 different countries on four different continents. Through Feed My Starving Children we help
prepare food for children around the world. These are good and valuable ways of reaching
the world. Yet might there be other
ways?
Most colleges and universities now recommend that a student have an
opportunity to study abroad. The
opportunity to live and study in a foreign culture opens their eyes to new
perspectives and ways of seeing God’s world.
Students who have such an experience often are transformed by it. My daughter had the opportunity to teach in
Costa Rica for a semester. She lived
with a family and learned their customs and foods. It both affirmed her desire to teach as well
as opened her heart to all God’s people.
In today’s world, we can easily hop on an airplane and be
in a foreign land within hours. Minnesotans often fly south to Mexico or the Carribean
in the winter to escape the cold. What if such a trip had a service component?
What if we offered vacations with a purpose, the opportunity to meet God’s
children in a different country? Our St. Paul Area Synod has Christian
partnerships in Tanzania and Guatemala. What if we explored joining these
partnerships?
Might God be calling us to consider other forms of ministry beyond our
country? To be a blessing to some end of the earth?
Prayer Starters:
Almighty and Gracious God, you love the entire world. To what edges of the world are you calling
Resurrection? How can we be your
witnesses around the corner and around the world?
God of Peace and
Justice, we pray that peace might come to all the nations. We pray especially today for those nations
and people caught in violent conflict, especially . . . Guide us in how to respond.
Let God Lead Prayer - Lord Jesus, thank you for your
steadfast love for our family and our congregation. We ask that you would clearly lead
Resurrection Lutheran Church into the future you want us to have. Guide us to be your church for people far
into the future. You grace us and call us to a vibrant life of faith in Christ,
a life we are asked to share with others.
Take away our fear and give us courage and strength to trust that you go
with us. Holy Spirit, give us ears to
hear your voice, give us eyes to see your path, and give us faith to follow
you. (pause for silence and listening)
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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