Daily Dip into Mark (Week 3)

At Vineyard Church, we're reading and studying through the Gospel of Mark together. A resource we're sharing is this "Daily Dip into Mark", a guide to experiencing the text.

You can download a pdf copy of Week 3 by clicking here (it's also copied below).

Please let us know how this week's reading hits you by adding your comments below!

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Introduction
Begin each day with a simple prayer asking God to speak to you today through the story of Mark’s Gospel.

If you have a couple minutes at the end of your time each day, come back here and consider using these prayers as a guide this week:

Prayers Appointed for the Week
(from the Divine Hours, edited by Phyllis Tickle)

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that I, who have been born again and made your child by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through my Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Monday
This week we are looking at Mark 2:13 - 3:6. If you have time, start back at the beginning of Mark and read from the beginning through chapter 3, verse 6. If not, just read this section.

Which parts catch your attention? Why?
What comes up a lot in this section?

We are only a few chapters into Mark and Jesus’ murder is already being plotted. Why did people react so strongly to Jesus?

Tuesday
Re-read Mark 2:13 - 3:6.

Come back and focus on 2:13-17.
Who does Jesus consider good company and why?

If Jesus came to your town, who are you in the story? One of the sinners he hangs out with? Or one of those outside puzzled by the way he seems to condone such immorality?

Wednesday
Re-read Mark 2:13 - 3:6.

Come back and focus on 2:18-22.
Again Jesus faces criticism about the “appropriate behavior” of a religious movement. What strikes you about the way Jesus responds to his critics?

What do you think Jesus is saying with the illustration of a “groom and groomsmen”, “clothes and patches”, and “wine and wineskins”? This may be a great time to consult a commentary or Bible dictionary if you have a few minutes for research...

Has Jesus done anything yet in Mark that kind of offends your sensibilities? How would he answer your offenses?

Thursday
Re-read Mark 2:13 - 3:6.

Come back and focus on 2:23-3:6.
Jesus crosses a huge line here: the Sabbath (one of the 10 commandments, remember!) How does Jesus’ understanding of “lawful vs. unlawful” differ from that of his critics?

Without answering them yet, list as many questions as you can related to this section.

Friday
Re-read Mark 2:13 - 3:6.

Taken as a whole section, what in this passage hits you personally? What has God been showing you this week?

Merry Christmas!

Hi friends,

Week 3 of our "Daily Dip into Mark" will arrive on Sunday 12/27. We're taking a week off from the blog to celebrate Christmas.

Be blessed in the remembrance of his coming!

-Tim

Daily Dip into Mark (Week 2)

At Vineyard Church, we're reading and studying through the Gospel of Mark together. A resource we're sharing is this "Daily Dip into Mark", a guide to experiencing the text.

You can download a pdf copy of Week 2 by clicking here (it's also copied below).

Please let us know how this week's reading hits you by adding your comments below!

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Introduction

Begin each day with a simple prayer asking God to speak to you today through the story of Mark’s Gospel.

If you have a couple minutes at the end of your time each day, come back here and consider using these prayers as a guide this week:

Prayers Appointed for the Week
(from the Divine Hours, edited by Phyllis Tickle)

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Monday

Start back at the beginning of Mark and read from the beginning through chapter 2, verse 12.

Which parts catch your attention? Why?

At the end, the people exclaim “We have never seen anything like this!” Which parts of this story so far contain things you’ve never seen anything like?

Tuesday

Re-read Mark 1:16-2:12.

Come back and focus on 1:16-20.
Jesus is beginning to handpick his students, in training to “fish for people”. What reasons (pragmatic or deep) could Jesus have had for choosing these fishermen to be his full-time students?

What is surprising about the fishermen’s responses?
What do we see here about Jesus himself as a fisher of people?

In this little section is a calling for disciples/apprentices: to fish for people, that is, to draw people into the Kingdom of God. But there is also an invitation: to learn this skill by following Jesus, who is the master fisherman. Jesus doesn’t even expect professional fishermen to already know how to fish for people. But once they have been trained by Jesus, they will be sent out to successfully do it. How does all this impact the way you think about your own calling to fish for people?

Wednesday

Re-read Mark 1:16-2:12.

Come back and focus on 1:21-39.
This is the snapshot of a day in the life of Jesus, during his early Kingdom campaigning. What is revealed about Jesus during this day? (Pay attention to repeated words and ideas in the section.)

“Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus is getting popular. How is fame impacting Jesus?

If you were Simon or one of the other students of Jesus, what would you think of him so far?
If you were you (you are you, just in case you didn’t know that already), what do you think of Jesus thus far in Mark’s story?

Thursday

Re-read Mark 1:16-2:12.

Come back and focus on 1:40-2:12.
Without answering them yet, list as many questions as you can about this section.

Friday

Re-read Mark 1:40-2:12.

Where does this passage hit you personally? What has God been showing you this week?

Daily Dip into Mark (Week 1)

At Vineyard Church, we're reading and studying through the Gospel of Mark together. A resource we're sharing is this "Daily Dip into Mark", a guide to experiencing the text.

You can download a pdf copy of Week 1 by clicking here (it's also copied below).

Please let us know how this week's reading hits you by adding your comments below!

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Daily Dip (Week 1)

Introduction

Begin each day with a simple prayer asking God to speak to you today through the story of Mark’s Gospel.

If you have a couple minutes at the end of your time each day, come back here and consider using these prayers as a guide this week:

Prayers Appointed for the Week(from the Divine Hours, edited by Phyllis Tickle)

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Grant us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Monday

If you can set aside 1 to 1.5 hours, try to read all of Mark in one sitting. (If you prefer to listen to an audio version, I'd highly recommend "Mark: The Bible Experience" available from iTunes or Audible.com for a few bucks. It runs about 1.5 hours.)

As you are reading through Mark, don't stop to analyze. Just go for the overall story. It would be a good idea, though, to put a dot or a check next to the parts that jump out to you. You can come back to these later.

Tuesday

Finish reading Mark if you weren't able to get through it all yesterday.

What do you notice about the book as a whole? What themes come up over and over?

Pick a character and note how they change over the course of the story (their arc, so to speak). Jot down your thoughts.

- Jesus

- Disciples

- Religious leaders

- Crowds

Wednesday

Come back to the beginning of Mark and re-read 1:1-15.

What catches your attention in this section?

This story is all about Jesus, but he shows up out of nowhere, an adult, in the middle of this section. How has Mark prepared us for the arrival of Jesus? How does he connect the story of Jesus with the bigger story of Israel's history?

Thursday

Re-read Mark 1:1-15.

Without answering them yet, list as many questions as you can about this section.

For example:

- Why start with an Old Testament quote?

- What is up with John's clothes and food? And why does Mark describe them?

- Why did the Spirit send (drive) Jesus out into the wilderness?

Take it from there and write down as many questions as you can think of…

Friday

Re-read Mark 1:1-15.

Where does this passage hit you personally? What has God been showing you this week?

Questions from Luke 4 application

Hi everyone, here are the reflection questions from the end of the sermon yesterday...

I also uploaded photos of the art, poetry, and questions that came up as we studied Acts 2 last week. You can see those HERE.

Do we have the audacity to claim that Jesus' statement about the fulfillment of God's future is true? The Spirit of the Lord is upon us. And God's future really is breaking into the present. What about you? Is God calling you to trust him for more of this reality in your day to day experience?

Do we put ourselves in the position to need the power of the Spirit to back us up? Or do we only step out as far as we know our human effort can take us? What limb is God calling you out onto today?

As we grow in our conscious cooperation with the Spirit of God, are we willing to endure the hardship that seems to come along with following Jesus' agenda? Are we prepared to lean in upon the Spirit to help us persevere when the most difficult challenges come? When we encounter failure? When we experience doubt? When we find ourselves tempted by Satan to bail from our course? When the people we love the most don't get what we're about? When we find ourselves bumping into evil at every turn? Where are you hedging your bets, staying cautious with God, in order to shield yourself from potential pain? You know, it's a part of the package of being attached to the messiah that we are called to endure suffering for the benefit of others. That's what Jesus did, it's what we do too. But the Holy Spirit is our comforter and our advocate, who can give us the strength beyond ourselves to make it through those things, just like he empowered Jesus to endure what he did.

Haiku?

Snapshots of the haikus, art, questions, and insights collected on the clothesline from our excursion into Luke 4:14-30 are posted on the Vineyard Church facebook page. Follow this link to peruse them:

Click here to go to facebook photos!

Don't forget to read Wole's post below and give your two cents on his questions at the end!

Going "into" the scene from Luke 4:16-30

We studied the scene of Jesus' return to his hometown of Jerusalem on Sunday and the strange scene that happened at the synagogue. One of the bible study tools that can really enrich our understanding of a text is to first imagine being there. Think of the sounds, the smells...what would you be thinking if this scene played out right in front of you. So rather than trying immediately to connect what happened then to what is happening today or search for some modern application, let's take some time to go back there and envision what they felt.


Homecoming?

The synagogue meeting is common in this town of probably 1600 to 2000 people. We are just good Jewish people so most came that day. Yeshua was not considered a rabbi at this point in time, but on the Sabbath it was customary that any member of the synagogue could read the lesson…hey who better than Yeshua? He was, after all, the one who had the neighboring towns buzzing like crazy over miracles and food and wine and fantastic feats all around. This old backwoods town might actually gain a name from this one man? It was preposterously amazing for all of us. Imagine that, people are telling great things that came from Nazareth! So yes, of course we let Yeshua stand to read the lesson on the Sabbath. The little old lady from down the street who used to watch him play sat by in adoration. The young tradesmen watched proudly as their buddy from school stands up slowly. The anticipation was in the air, for sure. I think I even saw a glint of steely satisfaction from the eyes of the rabbi who handed him that scroll as if he was a runner passing the baton to the last runner. The star runner. The one who might just be able to win the race for the underdog.

And then alas…the first person passage in Isaiah! We had all heard this passage numerous times but when Yeshua spoke, this was different. It was clear to us that this was it. He was the one who with the Holy Spirit rested! He was bringing the good news to the poor! He had the key to the chains of those prisoners! The beat down and bruised would be released from this madness once and for all. He had it all and we knew it. And just like we heard from the neighboring rumors, he even had the power to give sight to the blind. As the words ricocheted off of the walls and sliced over the old faded tapestries in our little synagogue, all gazes were gravitating toward him. Then he announced it; the acceptable year of the Lord Yahweh. As it has gone one for ages since Moses, this was the year, just once every 50 years, that the debts were erased and all the servants set free. Then he stopped. There was a silence as most waited for the next part of the quote. Those who weren’t paying attention were now! With baited breath the scholars waited for the next part of the quote which said “and the day of vengeance of our God”. But he didn't say that. He just handed back the scroll and sat back down. A pause…then he turned and looked over his shoulder. It was almost as if he said it directly to me. He said “Today. Today this has been fulfilled by you hearing me speak it”. The synagogue was at capacity and a strange thing happened. As the tiny bubbles on the bottom of a cooking pot begin to shimmer and swell up and struggle to be free, so were the words of everyone present. This was our hometown boy made good! It was soon uncontainable. The old seasoned teachers upturned their faces to the ceiling with broad smiles rarely seen since they were children. The barrel-chested blacksmith elbowed his apprentice hard in the ribs and bellowed laughter. “Take a look at Joseph’s son! Har har…” The apprentice just grinned with silliness. Ladies began to bounce and dance in their seats. Everybody who was related to Yeshua was sure to tell their neighbor hastily all about it. I couldn’t catch the look on Yeshua’s face but I only saw joy and gladness swelling and overflowing all around me. It was unprecedented. Never had synagogue been like this, ever.

After a few minutes of family tree tracing and carrying on, he spoke up again. Hushes whooshed all around like pressure released from a hundred steaming kettles. A woman covered her jabbering sister’s mouth mid sentence when she realized he would speak again. The teachers regained composure, clearing their throats, pretending the previous outbreak didn’t really happen. Yeshua spoke, somewhat somberly and clearly “I know what you will say next…’Doctor, cure yourself’! and ‘What you did over in Capernium, do it here! We are your hometown folks!’ I know that’s how you feel”. Some heads nodded with lips pressed together. Some even began spying the closest route to this miracle-promising man. Others were still in a daze. He continued, reminding us about Elijah and the foreigners. And something about prophets who were rejected or something like that. Something was amiss. I began to glance around. Murmuring ensued and questions boiled below the surface just as the excitement had before. I admit I even lost grasp of what exactly Yeshua was saying midway through. All I could hear is the guy next to me sniffing and saying “So he’s saying he won’t help us. Are you kidding me?” Puzzled, I caught another piece of a conversation. “Oh so since Elijah and Elisha went to the heathens and healed them instead of his hometown people, Yeshua will do the same?” It was getting tenser by the second. And the murmur increased steadily. Movements became a little larger. Shoulders became a little stiffer. The eyes that were darting around from person to person were coming back to Yeshua, but this time was much different than after he read. Someone shouted “So that’s how it’s going to be?” The blacksmith’s apprentice just stared into Yeshua’s eyes emptily. Again, twice in one Sabbath, synagogue meeting had taken a previously unseen form.

The days following, nobody mentioned what we tried to do. People barely made eye contact with each other in the streets and synagogue was akin to a funeral service from then on. Some people up and disappeared altogether in the weeks following. I don’t know what happened to them just like I don’t know what happened to Yeshua. Once late at night after the candle had burned down to the nub, I simply asked my brother “How do you think he got away?” He rolled over and said nothing.

Some questions to discuss

Weigh in or just answer to yourself. Post more questions if you would like!

This is written from an "neutral" attendee's perspective. What would one write who agreed with the message? What would one of those who wrote as an objector to Jesus' message have to say? (remember: those in attendance were familiar with corrupt religious leaders and Roman oppressors.)

Why do you think Jesus didn't mention "the day of vengeance of our God" in his reading of Isaiah? Might this have made a difference in the violent reaction to his statements?

When it says that "all of the synagogue" spoke well, then "all of the synagogue" were furious, how does that sit with you? If you were there, would you be one of the "all"? Why or why not?

So, after we've spent some time "inside" the narrative and thought about implications, let's move towards application...

How do you think the mentality of the people attending this scene relates to the way we receive Jesus' words and messages today?

Restatement: This is an open forum for discussion or thought, all thoughts, ideas or objections are welcome!

What did you think of Ephesians?

Sorry I haven't posted in a while... had to focus on preparations for Easter weekend...

But before too much time goes by, I wanted to ask you all what you thought about our conversations in Ephesians. We spent something like two months working our way through Paul's letter, usually with a group study format (individual time, observations and questions in small groups, and whole group sharing). The whole thing was kind of an experiment. I've never heard of a church doing that type of thing for an extended time during their church services. So some feedback from you all would be really valuable! Can you take a couple minutes to write a comment?

Let us know:

1. What was something from our time in Ephesians that was personally meaningful to you?
2. What did you think of the conversation format?
3. Do you think we should continue to do this type of discussion from time to time?

Thanks! I'll begin posting some thoughts on "community" (our current sermon theme) in a few days.

-Tim

SPECIAL BONUS! Ephesians 5:15-20 (Alternative Fuels)

We are skipping over this paragraph in our worship gathering (for the sake of time). But I wanted to give you some of my thoughts. So for all you two-cents-ers, here's a special bonus blog entry. Bon appetite!

This paragraph really serves as a conclusion and cap on the end of the section we discussed last week. Last week we talked about the kinds of behaviors that build up community and the ones that break it down. Paul calls Christians to stop following the patterns of the wider Gentile world, and to live consistent with the new identity they’ve received from Christ: the people of God. Instead of imitating the damaging and self-seeking behavior of the world, Christians should imitate God.

Here, Paul sums that up by saying, “Don’t live like fools.” “Don’t act thoughtlessly.” “Don’t get drunk on wine.” In other words, stop being passive participants in your own lives! Don’t treat your life as if it was something cheap, something to let flow along with the current of the world. You are so valuable. So live “like those who are wise.” “Make the most of every opportunity.” “Be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

He’s not saying to not have any fun or do anything enjoyable (a common misinterpretation of Paul). He’s saying to live life to the full! Live full of joy! Celebrate! Sing songs of praise to God! And instead of filling your life with wine to dull your senses and pass the time, fill yourself with the Holy Spirit, with celebration, songs, and loving gratitude to God.

This reminds me of all the alternative fuels we’re trying to create: biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen-fuel-cells, solar, etc. There are many fuel options for our lives. What drives you? What octane are you using? Do you fuel your life with alcohol (Paul’s example) or drugs? Are you fueling it with work? With romance? With sex? With religion? With morality? Well (says Paul) what about fueling your life with gratitude? What if loving gratitude to God was the driving force in your life? Do you think that would make a difference?

Poverty Awareness

Hi all, just thought I'd let you know I'm speaking on Friday (3/20) for WMU's Poverty Awareness Day on a Biblical perspective of poverty and justice. I speak at the 6pm gathering, probably at Kanley Chapel (they're still finalizing the location).

-Tim

Ephesians 4:17-5:14 (Vices & Virtues)

Well, this week we had a whopper of a text, and it sparked some great questions and discussion!

Paul urges his readers to shed their former way of life, their old nature, and to put on their new nature, created to be like God. And he illustrates this change in terms of vices to avoid and virtues to pursue. Such lists were common in letters of this type (inside the Bible and elsewhere in the Greek/Roman world). In this case, the lists serve to illustrate practically the kind of life described by Paul up to this point: what it looks like to live as the people of God.

The behaviors and attitudes to avoid are: controlling anger, harmful speech, sexual immorality, greed, and anything that would induce unnecessary division. The attitudes and behaviors to substitute in their place are kindness, forgiveness, helpful speech, etc.

One of the points we talked about the most was the off-putting nature of a list of do's and don'ts like this. We commented that our friends who aren't Christians would be nonplussed by a list like this (and maybe we are too)--that it would confirm their suspicion that Christianity is, after all, all about what you can and can't do.

But it's important to see this list (and the ones like it) in the context of the rest of the letter, and the rest of the Bible. When you look at the big picture like that, one of the things that immediately sheds light on this issue is that these commands are "back-end" commands, not "front-end" commands. They are not the behaviors we must conform to in order to be accepted by God, or to earn a spot in heaven, or to achieve the status of "good people". They just aren't! God accepts us by grace while we are still embroiled in rebellious behavior. It's only AFTER he saves us, and AFTER he gives us a whole new identity as his own children, making us heirs of his kingdom, that he says: "Now here's how to live consistently with your new identity." So the whole appeal here is for Christians to live and behave consistently with who they really are. It's a call to stop living a hypocritical life!

So the people we are afraid will be offended by the existence of such a list of do's and don'ts, often find themselves on Paul's side, saying to Christians: "Stop being hypocrites!"

The fear, of course, is that Christians will use such lists to point at non-believers and say, "You need to do these things to become like us!" But that's an abuse of the principle, because it turns them into "front-end" expectations. No, our message to "outsiders" is that God has shown grace to the world, and that they can enter into that grace by embracing Jesus as their Savior and the leader of their lives. Only after they have been welcomed into the community of faith, and have themselves entered into lives of following Jesus, do these commands apply directly.

I gave a few thoughts for reflection:

1. Where do you recognize inconsistency in your life between what you say you believe and what your actions reflect? Did one of the areas Paul mentioned (deception, dishonesty, anger, impurity, greed) highlight something you struggle with? These things show us how we haven’t taken to heart our true identity in Jesus. How can we strengthen our grasp of that identity? Or maybe we’ve never received that identity. Maybe a response for some of us is to receive Jesus as the undisputed leader of our lives. Where are you at?

2. What do you think about “doing good”? Is it worth it in light of our mixed motives? Is it possible to do good out of gratitude to Jesus, living in light of the identity he’s given us, and not end up with holier-than-thou attitudes, etc? How do we sort these motives out?

Okay, two-cents-ers. Pile on the pennies! Your thoughts? Your questions?

Ephesians 4:1-16 (Unity and Community)

We turned the corner in Ephesians today, from Paul's description of who we have been made in Christ, to his plea for us to "lead a life worthing of our calling." The big idea in this section was about living in the unity Christ has forged for us. We noted that the way in is the way on: we got into this life by God's sovereign grace in Christ, and we live it out by means of that same grace, through the same Christ. Christ teaches us to live as a unified community by giving us diverse gifts, causing us to depend on each other if we want to do any real good in his name. As we do the work of God together, building up the church together, we become more and more like Christ himself, and through us he fills the whole world with himself. There's a lot more going on in this passage, but that's the nutshell!

We took these thoughts into some discussion at the end of our gathering, and some really good thoughts emerged about how we foster unity, and deeper community, among the church. From simple things like being intentional about personally greeting and getting to know newcomers, to ideas about meeting the special needs of someone or a family in your community group... I liked the direction of the conversation.

So let's keep it going. I'm still interested to hear more ideas about how much a church like ours ought to voluntarily limit our individuality in order to "do life" with each other. How much do we get into each other's lives, and how much do we give people space? What about boundaries? How do we include families in community who have young kids (and therefore little free time)? How do we take intentional steps to get to know each other deeply, but still feel like relationships are organic and not contrived?

What are your questions about "unity" and about "community"? What are your thoughts about these questions, or about what we've seen in Ephesians, or about just about anything else?

Ephesians 3

In Ephesians chapter 3, Paul says more about this "mystery" that has been revealed to him. The secret is that Jews and non-Jews (that's all humanity) are the "chosen people". They are together, in Christ, heirs of the blessings, treasures, riches of being God's special people. And Paul marvels that he has been given the privilege of being a herald of this Good News. He tells his readers not to worry about the fact that he has been jailed for this message--he's under the impression that his suffering will not hinder the outworking of God's purposes for the world one iota. The fact that we are reading his words today is a good sign that his hunch was right! Paul rounds out this section by getting back to the prayer he had started earlier. And in reference to those "riches, blessings, and treasures" he prays that his readers would be given the power to grasp the unlimited dimensions of God's love that comes to us in Christ. And he praises God for his power to do more in and through us than we could ever ask or imagine...

We took some time on Sunday to talk about all this, and raised more questions than we had time or resources to answer. So let's work on some of that this week. Some lingering questions (feel free to add your own):

- What exactly are the blessings Paul keeps referring to?
- How does the "church" display the "wisdom of God in all its variety"?
- Who are the unseen rulers and authorities who are seeing God's wisdom in the church?

We had some questions for personal reflection too:

- In light of God’s unfolding plan for all of history, and our place in that plan as exhibit A, what situation, problem, conflict, or need can you entrust to God? Boldly enter God’s presence and ask him for the inner strength you need to endure or overcome.
- How real to you is the love of God? Do you need power from God to understand and experience its dimensions? Ask him.
- Imagine what the fullness of life and power that comes from God could empower you and us to do! Jot down some ideas, remembering that God can do infinitely more than we can ask or think!

So chime in with your two cents! Ask more questions. Take a crack at answering some. Let's see what comes of it...

Ephesians - getting up to speed

We've been in Ephesians together for a few weeks now. We've talked about all the "blessing" God has poured into us through Jesus Christ; about God's eternal plan to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under the authority of Christ; about the gift of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the inheritance in store for those of us "in Christ"; about how salvation is a gift from God, by grace and not by "works"--even faith itself is a gift; about how Christ brings peace/reconciliation to those who are separated (Jews & Gentiles) and gives us all our identity as citizens of God's kingdom, members of God's family, and the temple where God's Spirit lives.

From the past few weeks, what do you want to talk about some more? Or what new thoughts or questions do you have, that we didn't get to address in depth already?

An experiment in hermeneutical community

Hermeneutical Community
(her-meh-NOO-ti-kuhl ; cuhm-MYOO-ni-tee)

This is just a fancy and impressive way to say that we are becoming the kind of community that works together to understand the Bible and live it out faithfully. "Hermeneutical" is an adjective that means "interpretive", and "community" means, well, community. We want to try to understand the Bible together, and we want to put it into practice together as a community, and not merely as a collection of individuals.

We created this blog as one way to continue throughout the week the conversations we have on Sunday mornings. Each Sunday we'll post a summary of our conversation from the worship gathering, and then we can go back and forth by posting comments; our two cents. It isn't meant to replace face to face conversation, just to supplement it. As the comments build up, hopefully we'll get to explore some of the ideas raised by the Scripture in a little more depth than we are able to on Sunday mornings. Add enough of our two cents, and eventually we'll have a wealth of rich conversation.

So post your questions, clarifications, new ideas, rabbit trails, hypotheses, and thoughts on how we live this out together. And respond to each other's two cents. A couple ground rules:

1. Be real. There are no stupid questions here, and it's a space to try out any idea--if you're way out in left field we'll let you know, but not in a way that demeans your interpretive attempt. Wondering if a thought makes sense? Try it out. There's room for it here.

2. Be kind. Feel free to question each other, and dialogue about the ideas posted here. But treat each other with love and gentleness, keeping in mind ground rule #1. At least for a while, I'll be moderating comments to enforce this ground rule. I won't allow posts that are unkind.

So let's go for it. Let's be a hermeneutical community!