People Grumble- Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending August 2, 2009

Purpose: To discern how disordered desire can lead to complaint and dissatisfaction

Scripture Text: Numbers 11:1-6, 10-15 (NRSV)

Numbers 11:1-6, 10-15
(1)Now when the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled. Then the fire of the Lord burned against them, and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. (2)But the people cried out to Moses; and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire abated. (3)So that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned against them.

(4) The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! (5)We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; (6)but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.’

(10) Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased. (11)So Moses said to the Lord, ‘Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? (12)Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child”, to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors? (13)Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, “Give us meat to eat!” (14)I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me. (15)If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favour in your sight—and do not let me see my misery.’

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

Many Bible scholars complain about the “Old Testament”, they feel it is not relevant and is too harsh for consumption by today's Christians. I liked what the current head of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church had to say in a recent article. In an E-Review commentary by Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker on July 14, 2009 (1046), I quote “Our study of the Old Testament causes us to pay attention to what God is doing in history and God’s call to us to practice righteousness, justice and peace. When we just hear God’s Word in the New Testament, there is a tendency over time to overly spiritualize our understanding of the Christian life and ignore our responsibility to be a responsible participant in history.”

In our text for this lesson the people of Israel were only three days from Mt. Sinai, and already they wanted out of this relationship. Today we see that same cowardice attitude, in many aspects of our lives. We want happiness, now, not later and certainly we are not willing to suffer or give up anything to obtain it. If we are not happy in our marriage, we want out, if we are unhappy with our church, we want to either change churches or change pastors.

The great Germany Lutheran pastor that was killed by Hitler in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his book "The Cost of Discipleship" about what he called “cheap grace”. He said “Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian 'conception' of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins.... In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the living Word of God, in fact, a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God.

Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. 'All for sin could not atone.' Well, then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world’s standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin....

Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

As I read our text, I find God's anger a proper response to the complaining, grumbling, ungrateful Israelite's. They had been redeemed from slavery, but they were more than willing to turn back to that life, than to persevere for a better life. They had no desire to follow God's commands now that they had won their freedom, now they wanted the riches of Egypt without working for it or living in obedience to the one that redeemed them.

How many of the Saints of the Church can you name that did not suffer? The grace that God extends to us is not “cheap”. It cost, a cost He was willing to pay, but we must react to His grace with our obedience, not for His sake, but for ours. We must be willing to be a missionary to His creation, point others towards the “Creator God”. Disobedience expressed through ingratitude and grumbling has consequences.

In today's world, some of our state and federal leaders think the lottery or gambling is the fix for our budget shortfall. That is a short sighted solution. It has been said the lottery is a tax on stupidity. What do you think? Are there quick solutions to our problems today?

God Calls People to Jubilee

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending July 26, 2009

Purpose: To acknowledge that all we have, all we make, and all we accumulate is really God's – and live accordingly

Scripture Text: Leviticus 25:8-21, 23-24(NRSV)

Leviticus 25:8-21, 23-24
(8) You shall count off seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the period of seven weeks of years gives forty-nine years. (9)Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; on the tenth day of the seventh month—on the day of atonement—you shall have the trumpet sounded throughout all your land. (10)And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family. (11)That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you: you shall not sow, or reap the after growth, or harvest the unpruned vines. (12)For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat only what the field itself produces.

(13) In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property. (14)When you make a sale to your neighbour or buy from your neighbour, you shall not cheat one another. (15)When you buy from your neighbour, you shall pay only for the number of years since the jubilee; the seller shall charge you only for the remaining crop-years. (16)If the years are more, you shall increase the price, and if the years are fewer, you shall diminish the price; for it is a certain number of harvests that are being sold to you. (17)You shall not cheat one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.

(18) You shall observe my statutes and faithfully keep my ordinances, so that you may live on the land securely. (19)The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live on it securely. (20)Should you ask, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?’ (21)I will order my blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it will yield a crop for three years. (23)The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants.(24)Throughout the land that you hold, you shall provide for the redemption of the land.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

The year of jubilee was an amazing concept initiated by God, to enhance the life of every member of the nation of Israel. The Lord had initiated the Sabbath, from the beginning, now as the Children of Israel were about to enter a new stage in their life, and were progressing to a land God had given them, He offered even more standards and rules that would help them become a greater nation than the world had ever seen.

The all wise God was trying to teach a nation about conservation, giving, forgiveness, sharing, and stewardship, and many of the other qualities we attribute to the character of God. The concept was fairly simple and logical. First they were to rest the soil every seventh year, by letting it lay fallow, they should not plant or harvest, but rather they should use the time to rebuild their homes and furnishings. The crops that came up by their own seed, or what we would call volunteer crops, were to be harvested by the poor and animals. God promised a three fold crop in the sixth year of each cycle. This promise would also require faith in God's ability to provide as He promised. God further requested that after seven of these Sabbath years they should celebrate an additional year of the Jubilee, so every fifty years or one half a century, the Jubilee would be celebrated.

When the Children of Israel entered into Canaan, the land was divided by lots between all of the tribes of Israel. Each member of a tribe was given an area where they could farm. Since the land was considered to be Gods, they could not pass title for the land, but in fact were only the caretakers of what God had given them. During the Jubilee year everyone was to return to the land they had received, regardless of who was tilling it now, or who had leased it from them, the rights all reverted back to the original owners. In addition, all debts were to be forgiven, and everyone was given a new chance, in effect they were able to redeem themselves every fifty years, regardless of how wasteful or unfaithful they had been.

You can imagine how this would effect the loaning of money in the latter years of the fifty year cycle. It also affected the price one would pay to lease ground, knowing it would revert back to its original owner in the fiftieth year. As we look back on the Sabbath years and resting the soil, it makes a lot of sense. Before commercial fertilizer was so readily available farmers would practice crop rotation and cyclical farming and rest a portion of their ground each year. In more recent times the federal government became involved and paid the farmers not to plant a field, sort of a mandatory Sabbath.

If the nation of Israel had kept the seven year Sabbath and the Jubilee every fifty years, they would prosper, and the poor and enslaved would receive a new start at least every fifty years. They would be a benevolent country, and their crops would produce more in six years than others could produce in seven. Imagine the witness to the rest of the nations.

The nation of Israel practiced this policy up until the time of the exile into Babylon, although it is not clear if it was followed completely. The statues did not apply to homes within the city walls; it applied only to the land that was cultivated.

God was attempting to teach the importance of taking care of what God had given them. The land was the Lords, they were the caretakers. They would also be responsible for those that had less than they, or had lost what they had through no fault of their own or even because of their own foolishness. The lesson was one of obedience to God, and respect for each other and for the land that the Lord had given them.

As you can imagine the year of the Jubilee was well liked by the poor and enslaved, while the rich were less favorable. It says a lot about what God considers justice. We should remember some of the very first words Jesus spoke when He began his ministry in Luke 4:18: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free".

God expects His Church to continue the work he started, and carry-on protecting this earth, and it’s poor. Why do you think God is so interested in social justice? What does being a good steward of the possessions God has entrusted to us, mean?

How does this lesson apply to the teachings of Wesley? What did he mean when he said “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can?

God Calls People to Special Service- Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending July 19, 2009

Purpose: To explore the meaning of ordination within the ministry of the baptized

Scripture Text: Leviticus 8:1-13 (NRSV)

Leviticus 8:1-13
(1)The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: (2)Take Aaron and his sons with him, the vestments, the anointing-oil, the bull of sin-offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread; (3)and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (4)And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. When the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting, (5)Moses said to the congregation, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.’

(6) Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward, and washed them with water. (7)He put the tunic on him, fastened the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He then put the decorated band of the ephod around him, tying the ephod to him with it. (8)He placed the breast piece on him, and in the breast piece he put the Urim and the Thummim. (9)And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden ornament, the holy crown, as the Lord commanded Moses.

(10) Then Moses took the anointing-oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. (11)He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its base, to consecrate them. (12)He poured some of the anointing-oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him.(13)And Moses brought forward Aaron’s sons, and clothed them with tunics, and fastened sashes around them, and tied head-dresses on them, as the Lord commanded Moses.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

Two important things to remember when you read this passage is the way the first verse begins and the way the last verse ends. It was the Lord that was in command of this service of ordination.The other interesting aspect of this service, is it was done after the erection of the tabernacle and after Aaron and his sons had been performing these tasks for a long period of time. The ordination comes closer to the end than the beginning of Aaron's reign.

So what was the purpose of the ceremony? I think God was trying to instill in the nation of Israel a couple of truths. First, they themselves had been called by God to be priests to the rest of humankind. And they will be a priestly nation, that is the priest will teach them the commandments and teachings of God. If they obeyed there would be no need for a king or other secular leader. God wanted them to be a holy nation.

The same is true of His Church today.The Church of Jesus Christ is called to bear witness to the rest of humankind that being a Christian should make a difference, just as the nation of Israel was a testimony to the rest of the nations that were neighbors and enemies. We as Christians are called to be a priestly witness to both our neighbors and our enemies. A priestly witness or holiness living does not mean being an overbearing snob. Our call is to connect everyone with Christ, point everyone to Christ, a priestly witness should reflect Christ; when they look at you they should see the reflection of Christ in you.

The one commandment that seems to be the most ignored is the last commandment of Christ, “go and make disciples”. This is exactly the same point the Lord was trying to make to the nation of Israel at this most pious and holy ceremony. It would be almost impossible to witness this ceremony which lasted for seven days, and not be impressed with the holiness of the Lord, and the call to separate yourselves as a nation and as individuals to the ministry that the Lord wants to share with the rest of the world.

One thing I have no explanation for is the “Urim and “Thummin” that were placed in the breastplate. Over the years I have read and heard many explanations, but none have satisfied my curiosity. We know it was used in special circumstances to help in making decisions.

How can we better serve the mission that we have been called to fulfill? Why was this ordination service conducted in front of the entire congregation? What do you think is the best way to share God's mission in the world?

For a special blessing, please watch "The Great Physician." It is a wonderful slide show that demonstrates how God can use each of us to share God's mission to the world. Thanks to one of my high school classmates, Eleanor, for the following presentation.

God Calls People to Remember Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending July 12, 2009

Purpose: To experience the power of sacred memory expressed in ritual in shaping our life together as God's people.

Scripture Text: Deuteronomy 16:1-8 (NRSV)

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 NRSV
(1)Observe the month of Abib by keeping the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.(2)You shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock and the herd, at the place that the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his name. (3)You must not eat with it anything leavened. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it—the bread of affliction—because you came out of the land of Egypt in great haste, so that all the days of your life you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt. (4)No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days; and none of the meat of what you slaughter on the evening of the first day shall remain until morning.(5)You are not permitted to offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you. (6)But at the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name, only there shall you offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, the time of day when you departed from Egypt. (7)You shall cook it and eat it at the place that the Lord your God will choose; the next morning you may go back to your tents. (8)For six days you shall continue to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly for the Lord your God, when you shall do no work.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

Memories are an important part of life, not just our spiritual life, but our family life as well. In this passage God is re-teaching the meaning of Passover and how he wants His people to celebrate and remember it.

In our house there are special holidays that we celebrate as a family; those are primarily Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. By far the most memorable is always our Christmas Eve celebration. Because of what has happened in the past, and what happens each year it has become a very special holiday for our family. We no longer have all the excitement that comes from young children or grandchildren, nor is it all about the presents anymore. Now it is about remembering when our children and grandchildren were much younger, and enjoying the food and sharing stories of Christmas past. The house is always decorated like it was many years ago, the food consists of at least one special dish for each individual, maybe a cookie, a pudding, cake, shrimp, or chocolate fountain, or fondue. Everyone is looking forward to their special annual treat. But the thing that makes it so special is that in a family, which is now about twenty or so people, is this is one time when pettiness and sniping cease, and we truly enjoy the moment, maybe it is because of the Christmas spirit, that everyone makes a special effort to tolerate and enjoy a family get- together. It normally ends with a midnight Christmas Eve candlelight service at our church, not everyone can make that, but those that do enjoy that time of remembering.

I am convinced no matter how old my children and grandchildren get, the Christmas eve celebration will always be remembered.

That is sort of what God wanted from the people He had called out of Egypt. He wanted them to remember that night some forty years prior when He brought them out of slavery and into a promised land. In the Christian world today probably Passion Week, would be similar to the Passover celebration. We begin with Palm Sunday, and go through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter morning. Each service has special meaning, and gives us the opportunity to remember what Christ went through and the ultimate victory that was achieved on that glorious resurrection morning. We are also called to remember through Communion services, baptismal remembrances, and confirmation services.

When one studies the Old Testament and the different Holy days that God commanded for His people, you can really get a sense that God knew His creation was going to need times of celebration. He established three very important Holy days. In addition to the Passover, He established the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles; three distinct Holy days to mark the passing of time with God's saving work. God's creation needs time to pause and reflect, relax, and enjoy the presence of God in their lives. We must also continue to celebrate the rituals that have been designed for each of the special days we set aside to remember. The rituals are what separates us from the rest of the world, and gives testimony that we worship the Creator God, the Loving God, and the Redeeming God.

Are there old rituals you would like to restore, or new rituals you would like to see created? Why are rituals so important to our faith community?

Please visit "The Prayer". The slide show was sent to me by a friend, to share on my website and blog. Both the photos and the words are beautiful and truly moving. Enjoy!