November 17, 2023

Scripture: Colossians 2:16-23

This week, we will be reading and discussing a portion of Paul's letter  to the church at Colossae, in which he warns the believers there against  strange practices like new moon festivals, angel worship, extreme  asceticism, and unorthodox rituals. On the face of it, these may not  sound like things that the church of Christ in our own time needs to  really worry about. But in some ways, might we not be tempted to add to  or adulterate the Gospel as we have received it? Join us this Sunday to  explore this question!

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Fra Angelico, Sermon on the Mount, 1437, fresco, Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13;

Romans 13:8-10

What is love? The definition changes as we age, as we mature, as we  experience life, as we prepare for death. Irving Stone's biography of  the Lincoln's marriage posited that "Love is Eternal," but the faithful  know that only God's love never ends, and it extends to all living  things, not just to Christians, not just to humans. How do you  experience love, in good times, in difficult times, in times of despair?  When the world seems devoid of love, how do we respond? In this lesson  we will seek the signs of God's love in the moment. . -Bill Furry

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, 1847, daguerrotype photographs, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois

Scripture Galatians 3:23-4:17

his  week's reading Galatians 3:23-4:17 points out similar concerns we have  discussed in prior Sunday school lessons on how the law and  materialistic pursuits in life can distract us from our connection to  God. Our lesson will explore what it means to be an heir of salvation  and clothed in Christ by faith. We will discuss how we can be better  connected to God and his purpose through loving our neighbor. -Emily Krall

This week's bible study lesson also appears in the October issue of Messenger magazine.

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: John Sloan, Red Kimono on the Roof, 1912, oil on canvas, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Scripture Galatians (3:23-4:7)

It takes faith to embrace freedom. Courage to move  into the unknown, to try something big and new, comes from knowing God  is by our side. As we continue our series of lessons from Galatians  (3:23-4:7), we learn Paul is all about freedom in Christ. He opposes  anything that gets in the way – even our own stubbornness. “For freedom  Christ has set us free,” Paul writes. “Stand firm, therefore, and do not  submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Emily Krall will help lead our discussion. If you  like the sound of freedom, discuss with us, 9-10 a.m. Sunday, at the  meetinghouse or by Zoom.– Fletcher Farrar

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Aaron Douglas, Harriet Tubman, 1931, oil on canvas, Bennett College for Women Collection, North Carolina Art Museum, Greensboro

Scripture Galatians 2:1-10

Paul was running into opposition to his teaching  that baptism was the only outward symbol required before Gentiles could  become Christians. So he set up a meeting in Jerusalem with church  leaders who were teaching that Gentiles had to become Jews first before  they could become Christians. With the help of Peter, who had been on  both sides of the issue due to peer pressure, was able to work things  out. He and the Jerusalem Christians were able to come up with a win/win  solution that moved the church forward.

Plenty to talk about here. Have you ever  experienced someone acting one way with one group of people and another  way with another group? Why do you think people sometimes do this?

Here’s another question for discussion. Have you  ever been part of, or tried to become part of, a group that seemed  reluctant to welcome outsiders? Are there ways the church does this?

By grappling with such questions around the round  table, we learn from each other what scripture is trying to teach us.  Please join us 9-10 Sunday morning, at the meetinghouse or online. Come,  let us grapple together. –Fletcher Farrar

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Aelbert Cuyp, Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch, ca. 1642-43, oil on canvas, Menil Collection, Houston, Texas

Scripture Romans 7:1-12

P“These are not simple matters,” writes the lesson  author. Then she carefully explains Paul’s argument to a Jewish audience  that new life in Christ offers a different relationship to law than  religious people had before Jesus changed the rules.

As Christians, we might respond, “But it is a simple matter.” Christ’s mercy set us free from the laws of sin and death.

As freedom-centric Americans, we might answer a third way. We live in a free country, where no one is above the law.

Simple or complex, there is plenty here to grapple  with as we work to understand the relationships between law, sin and  freedom as presented in Romans 7. Please add your voice to the  discussion around the table 9-10 Sunday morning, in person or online.  The Holy Spirit promises to join us. Will you? – Fletcher Farrar

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Jacob Lawrence, Another  of the social causes of the migrants’ leaving was that at times they  did not feel safe, or it was not the best thing to be found on the  streets late at night. They were arrested on the slightest provocation. (Migration Series 22), 1941, tempera on board, Museum of Modern Art, New York

Scripture Romans 2:12-24, 28-29

When the prophet Samuel encountered the eldest son  of Jesse, a strong, tall, handsome young man, he thought surely this one  would be God's anointed to be the next king of Israel. But God told  Samuel, "Humans look on the outward appearance, but God looks on the  heart." 

In our lesson this week from Paul's letter to the  Romans, Paul addresses the sense of spiritual privilege that the Jewish  Christians at Rome seemed to be demonstrating, and warns against  hypocrisy. How might we make our own spiritual walk more faithful in  light of these words from Paul? Join us this Sunday to discuss! 

-Pastor Bobbi

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Rembrandt, The Woman Taken in Adultery, 1644, oil on oak panel, National Gallery, London

Scripture Isaiah 51:1-6; Romans 11:33-36

Forgiveness is the promise of Jesus for those who  have sinned and are repentant. But how do we--who have sinned and are  charged to love the sinner as ourselves--share the promise of redemption  with others while we stand in judgment of those who disappoint us? Is  forgiveness possible without repentance? How do we accept forgiveness,  knowing that are own contrition might be flawed? Who is worthy of  forgiveness? This Sunday we will explore the challenges of walking in  the light. 

-William Furry

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Rembrandt, The Woman Taken in Adultery, 1644, oil on oak panel, National Gallery, London

Scripture John 7: 14-24

In our lesson this week , Jesus is  teaching at the festival when people begin to speak out. When faced with  questioning & accusation, Jesus replied “My teaching is not mine,  but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know  whether the teaching is from God or my own.”

How do we know when someone is giving God the  Glory, versus seeking it for themselves? When do you question authority?  When don’t you? How can we best discern God’s will in our day to day  lives? Join us this Sunday to discuss!

-Laura Lipscomb

If you are not able to join us for Sunday school, this week's lesson also appears in the current (September) issue of Messenger magazine.

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom.

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Rembrandt, Matthew 19 (The Hundred Guilder Print), ca. 1649, etching, engraving, and drypoint (2nd state of 2), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

I watched Romper Room on television as a kid in the  1950s. The character Mr. Do Bee taught the importance of doing the  right thing. In the days before seat belts Mr. Do Bee would sing "Do be a  car sitter; Don't be a car stander." I also remember "Do be a plate  cleaner; Don't be a food fussy." Our lives are full of do's and don'ts. 

In the text Luke 14: 1-6 the Pharisees accented  what was forbidden on the Sabbath. Jesus was more interested in what  could be done on the seventh day. This difference in approach to Sabbath  keeping caused real conflict. Do Be present in Sunday School for a  lively discussion. -Mary Jessup 

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom.

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi. 

etching, engraving, and drypoint (2nd state of 2), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Are we as good as we want people to believe? Do our words and actions align?

In our scripture study (Luke 11: 37-44), Jesus  reminds the Pharisee, quite sternly, at dinner that the appearance of  holiness isn’t worth much without justice and love on the inside.

We’ll discuss our practices & traditions. Are  they performative or do they enhance our spiritual life? Do we behave  the same when we don’t have an earthly audience as when we do?

If Jesus called out the Pharisees for their flaws,  should we call out others? Why/why not? Have you ever felt called out?  What’s the difference between calling out and calling in & where can  we find help in scripture discerning these things?

We’ll be studying the first week in the quarterly  lessons written by our very own Pastor Bobbi, so come on by to talk  through some of these things together. -Laura Lipscomb

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday, around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom.

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (September-November), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: James Tissot, The Meal in the House of the Pharisee, 1886-96, opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Brooklyn Museum

What’s life like after death? What’s death like after we die? Maybe nobody on earth knows for sure.

But these questions were important to the early  church, so Paul took a stab at explaining it in the scripture we’ll  discuss this week, 1 Cor. 15:20-28. First, “Christ has been raised from  the dead.” And then “all will be made alive in Christ.” At the very end,  Christ will destroy enemies and, “The last enemy to be destroyed is  death.”

The best way to deal with questions of death,  resurrection and the final destiny of the soul – what are called matters  of “eschatology” – is to discuss them in the light of what the Bible  teaches. What does our faith tell us? And how much does Christian hope  inform our view?

Please join our discussion group 9-10 a.m. Sunday,  around the table in the meetinghouse, or by Zoom. We’ll try to help each  other to a better understanding.

–Fletcher Farrar

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image:Mikhail Nesterov, The Empty Tomb, 1889, oil on canvas, private collection

As people of faith, we are “stewards of God’s  mysteries.” This opening line of this week’s scripture (1 Cor. 4:1-21)  reminds us that both the deep understandings and small lessons we have  learned from God are not only to be cherished but shared.

Here, for examples, are some mysteries. The  “mystery of the kingdom of God” shows up in Mark 4, portraying an  alternate universe, a way of thinking and being that is different from  ordinary life and history. The mystery of Jesus is in 1 Timothy 3 – how  God could become an earth person, “seen by angels” and “taken up in  glory.” Then there is the mystery of the church, which, according to  Ephesians 3, “by the power at work within us is able to accomplish  abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.”

Each of us has our own mystery story as part of our faith. We can be good stewards by bringing

those stories to share around the discussion table, 9-10 Sunday, at the meetinghouse or by Zoom.

–Fletcher Farrar

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas, Museum of Modern Art, New York

n this week’s lesson from Romans 14, we are taught  not to judge others. “Why do you pass judgment on your brother or  sister? Why do you despise your brother or sister?”

The example used is the dispute in the early church  between vegetarians and carnivores. We can see now that’s not a good  issue to fight over. To each her own, we say.

But are there examples from today that might make  us squirm? Politics maybe? Issues about which we have strong feelings  rooted in morality and faith? When does judging depart from justice?

Recognizing our own judgmentalism is part of  Christ’s solution. And the scripture offers another antidote, reflected  in the hymn, “Take Time to be Holy”: “Make friends of God’s children,/  help those who are weak,/ forgetting in nothing/His blessing to seek.”

Please join our discussion around the round table 9-10 a.m. Sunday. Help us all figure this one out.

–Fletcher Farrar

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Pieter de Grebber, The Parable of the Unjust Judge, 1628, oil on oak panel, Szépmûvészeti Múzeum, Budapest

Once I was privileged to meet with a group of  journalists visiting Springfield from what was then the Soviet Union. I  found myself bragging to them about the freedom of the press we have in  the United States. One of the journalists, whose work was no doubt more  difficult than mine, held up the current issue of my newspaper, which  featured a trivial story on the cover. “Yes, you have freedom of the  press,” he said. “But what do you use your freedom for?”

It is a searing question, raising the issue Paul  raised with the Galatian Christians about their freedom in Christ. “For  you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;” we read in our lesson  for this week, “only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for  self-indulgence. …” (Galatians 5:13-26). Instead, the scripture says in  many ways, we might use our freedom to love one another more.

Our church congregation is free, independent,  restricted in a few ways, but not many. What do we use our freedom for?  Let’s discuss the possibilities and opportunities freedom offers, while  we heed Paul’s warnings. “For freedom Christ has set us free,” he  writes. “Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of  slavery” (Gal. 5:1).

We meet around the table and the Bible, at the  meetinghouse or by Zoom, 9-10 a.m. Sunday. Please bring your voice to  the discussion. –Fletcher Farrar

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Aaron Douglas, Into Bondage, 1936, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCMúzeum, Budapest

Scripture I Kings 3:5-12; Romans 8:26-34

Each year during the annual summer visit to our  grandparents’ home in Oklahoma, we kids – my sister and I and our cousin  – would bury a treasure behind the garage. We’d put some stuff in a  cigar box and bury it so that we could dig it up when we came back next  year. I don’t remember what we put in the treasure box. I don’t remember  ever digging it up. What I remember is the excitement of hiding it in  the

ground so nobody but us knew where it was.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field,” reads one of the Matthew 13 mini-

parables in our scripture lesson for Sunday. These  parables of Jesus emphasize the “surpassing value of the kingdom of  heaven,” says the lesson commentary. There is plenty to discuss here,  about the nature of treasure, and what we treasure.

So bring your treasure stories. Or bring one of  your treasures. We’ll talk it over around the table at the meetinghouse  and by Zoom, 9-10 a.m. Sunday, July 30. At the end of these parables,  Jesus asks,

“Have you understood all this?” Maybe we’ll answer, “Maybe not completely, but better than before.”

–Fletcher Farrar

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Rembrandt (?) or Gerard Dou (?), Parable of the Hidden Treasure, ca. 1630 (?), oil on oak panel, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

Scripture Zephaniah 3:14-20

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the U.S. Department  of Justice ran a program called Operation Weed and Seed that offered a  two-pronged approach to high-crime neighborhoods. Law enforcement  agencies would work to “weed out” violent criminals and drug abusers,  while “seeding” the neighborhood with human services, community policing  and neighborhood revitalization. The program deteriorated when

there came to be more interest in getting rid of “weeds” than in planting “seeds.”

Is this what Jesus was talking about when he told the parable of the “Weeds among the Wheat”

in Matthew 13? At first the farmer said let the  weeds grow with the wheat, then separate them at harvest time. “The  weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is  the devil,” scripture tells us.

What does it do to us when we think of people as weeds? Is there another good interpretation

of the story? What do you do about weeds in your garden, or your neighborhood? Come to the

meetinghouse 9-10 Sunday, July 23, where we’ll discuss scripture around the table as we get to know

each other better. – Fletcher Farrarword of the Lord. 9-10 a.m. Sunday, June 25,  at the meetinghouse or at Zoom. –Fletcher Farrar

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Scripture 

Did Jesus tell parables to make things easier to understand? Or more difficult? 

This week our scripture discussion turns to Matthew  13 and the parable of the sower. Some seeds fell on the path and the  birds ate them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where roots couldn’t  grow. Other seeds fell among thorns, which choked the crop. Other seeds  fell on good soil and did fine.

The meaning isn’t clear at first. The disciples may  have been wondering why the sower wasn’t more careful where she threw  the seeds. Or maybe the sower was just trying to feed the birds. 

The disciples may have been a little impatient with  Jesus and these puzzling stories, so they asked, “Why do you speak in  parables?” The answer may have caused more consternation: “So that  seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they  understand.” 

Gather with us round the table at the meetinghouse  9-10 Sunday morning, or join us by Zoom. We’ll discuss the difference  between knowledge and understanding, and between understanding and  wisdom. Meanwhile, the closer we get to the heart of God’s word, the  closer we get to each other. –Fletcher Farrar

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Jean-François Millet, The Sower, 1850, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Scripture Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sometimes scripture is buried treasure found. The  Old Testament book of Zephaniah has been there in our Bibles all these  years undiscovered, unappreciated. Until now. Its three short chapters  are about to open up with joy for our church and

our lives. In chapter 3 even God shows up singing and dancing.

Please join our group at the round table as we  consider together the fresh word of the Lord. 9-10 a.m. Sunday, June 25,  at the meetinghouse or at Zoom. –Fletcher Farrar

You may also join via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: Jean Bondol and Nicholas Bataille, John of Patmos watches the descent of New Jerusalem from God,detail of the ApocalypseTapestry, 1377-82, Musée de la Tapisserie, Château d'Angers, Angers

Scripture Ezekiel 37:21-28

The world seems to be in turmoil and disarray. How  can life change for people who are scattered, separated, and have little  concern for one another?

Please join us in the meetinghouse or via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86536919799 . If you need a copy of the current book (June - August), please contact Pastor Bobbi.

Image: François-Léon Benouville, The Anointing of David by Samuel, 1842, oil on canvas, Columbus Museum of Art