For Sunday May 18, 2014 Easter 5A:
- John 14:1-14 - Knowing the Father through the Son
- Acts 7:55-60 - The stoning of Stephen
Episode 63: Not What Dylan Had in Mind or Easter 5A
Opening: Nick Eberhardt, Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35 Cover (Bob Dylan)
For Sunday, May 18, 2014
Episode 63
Welcome to the Pulpit Fiction Podcast, where two local pastors discuss the lectionary reading for the week.
Well, they'll stone us when we were trying to be so good
They'll stone us just a-like they said they would
They'll stone us when you're tryin' to go home
Then they'll stone us when you're there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned
This is episode 63 for Sunday May 18, the fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A.
John 14:1-14 - Knowing the Father through the Son
Acts 7:55-60 - The stoning of Stephen
Introduction and Check-in
- Episode is brought to you by Rev. Bridget Fidler.
- Nigerian Girls
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- Honor, pray for the victims AND the kidnappers
- Do not circulate full names!
- Honor, pray for the victims AND the kidnappers
I participated in a conference call with members of the Nigerian community last evening and grassroots organizations like Trans Africa and Transatlantic Roundtable. Ironically, the discussion came up about the names of the Nigerian students that have surfaced and is being circulated on the web.
There is a concern about the names being published as it presents a danger to the lives of the girls and their families. From a cultural outlook; when these girls are returned; they risk being isolated and stigmatized because of the sexual violence that may have occurred. Also, because the protests and demonstrations are observed as "not cooperating" with the government; it endangers families or create risk for arrest.
I have noticed many UCC congregations plan to do prayer vigils this Sunday by calling out the names and many have already begun to publish the names. After this conversation with this group; I no longer believe this is a good idea and write to share this information with you for your discernment and decision to publish names. While the names are already circulating; it is a matter of if the UCC wants to contribute to that circulation or help raise awareness about the dangers of disseminating the list.
Thank you and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.
Peace,
Waltrina
Rev. Waltrina Middleton
Minister for Youth Advocacy & Leadership Formation
United Church of Christ National Setting
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
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- Indian Elections
- Indian Elections
- Featured Music: “If God’s Alive,” by Brian Sirchio. Found on Crosswind music.
Primary Scripture - John 14:1-14 - Knowing the Father through the Son
- Initial Thoughts
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- How to live now that Jesus is gone
- Funerals
- Part of Jesus’ farewell discourse
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- Typical of ancient literature- Socrates, Moses, etc
- Typical of ancient literature- Socrates, Moses, etc
- How to live now that Jesus is gone
- Bible Study
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- Troubled Hearts
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- Detail focus - when and where
- Worry and anxiety
- Do not fear- “if you know me” I will take you to me
- Jesus prepares to die, the Disciples must prepare to let go of their pre-conceived notions of who the Messiah is and accept a Messiah that will be crucified
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- “When their hopeful visions for a just and peaceful messianic kingdom melt in the crucible of crucifixion, the hearts of the disciples will be diseased—and their anxiety will be blinding.” (Shannon Michael Pater)
- “When their hopeful visions for a just and peaceful messianic kingdom melt in the crucible of crucifixion, the hearts of the disciples will be diseased—and their anxiety will be blinding.” (Shannon Michael Pater)
- Believe in God and believe also in me
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- Luther asks what it means to have a God and answers that God is what you hang your heart upon. The heart that is troubled is a heart not hung upon God but hung rather on all the things the world peddles to soothe a troubled heart.” (Cynthia Jarvis)
- Luther asks what it means to have a God and answers that God is what you hang your heart upon. The heart that is troubled is a heart not hung upon God but hung rather on all the things the world peddles to soothe a troubled heart.” (Cynthia Jarvis)
- Detail focus - when and where
- Where?
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- Can we follow God without knowing where?
- Preparing a place
- What do we know?
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- God will be there
- Jesus will be there
- Follow Jesus’ Way
- God will be there
- Nothing can separate us from Jesus or God - words of comfort
- Can we follow God without knowing where?
- v. 14:6a - I am the Way the Truth and the Life
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- WAY
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- People of the Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22)
- Journey of faith:
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- Abraham to Canaan
- Israel to Promised Land
- Back from Babylon
- Disciples following Jesus
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- Journey from Galilee to Jerusalem
- From the Baptism to the Cross to the Empty Tomb and beyond
- Journey from Galilee to Jerusalem
- Abraham to Canaan
- People of the Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22)
- TRUTH
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- Main theme of John’s Gospel
- Prologue: Grace and truth (1:14, 17)
- Spirit of Truth will come after Jesus to guide the faithful (14:17, 15: 26-27)
- Main theme of John’s Gospel
- LIFE
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- Theme of eternal life
- Not what is coming next but what happens when you follow the Way of God
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- participation in God = eternal life (cf. Jn. 10:28; 17:2-3)
- participation in God = eternal life (cf. Jn. 10:28; 17:2-3)
- Theme of eternal life
- WAY
- 14:6b - Exclusivism
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- Can exclusive claim be made- YES
- Is this only exclusive? - NO
- Message of comfort (see 14:1)
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- Who is Jesus talking to here? The believers and disciples
- Is Jesus message consistently exclusive or inclusive?
- Do not fear and do not worry
- June 2010 Sermon by Eric
- Who is Jesus talking to here? The believers and disciples
- Cynthia Jarvis
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- God’s initiative- NOT ours
- “What we know of God in Jesus Christ is that God has chosen not to be God without us. In this is love (1 John 4:10), the love that is God.”
- God’s initiative- NOT ours
- Can exclusive claim be made- YES
- vv. 14:8-14
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- See God - we see God in Jesus
- According to John - Jesus reveals God
- Greater works
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- Carrying the message to the Gentiles?
- Carrying on the message without the physical presence of Christ?
- Trusting in the power of love and grace over the power of pragmatism and domination?
- Carrying the message to the Gentiles?
- See God - we see God in Jesus
- Troubled Hearts
- Preaching Thoughts
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- Where do you hang your troubled heart? On God and Jesus or on the details and our own strength?
- God’s house has many rooms - God always has room for us, do we have room for others in our life?
- How do we reclaim 14:6 as a text of comfort and grace not a litmus test for faith or a gate to salvation
- Where do you hang your troubled heart? On God and Jesus or on the details and our own strength?
Secondary scripture - Acts 7:55-60 - The stoning of Stephen
- Initial Thoughts
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- Stephen’s story begins at 6:8, when he stands out among the believers. Opposition quickly rises against him. They bring charges against him. He is being tried for "We heard him insult Moses and God." Stephen’s testimony begins at 7:2. His defense is actually aligning himself and Jesus within the Moses tradition.
- Introduction to Saul , who would be converted in chapter 9..
- Stephen’s story begins at 6:8, when he stands out among the believers. Opposition quickly rises against him. They bring charges against him. He is being tried for "We heard him insult Moses and God." Stephen’s testimony begins at 7:2. His defense is actually aligning himself and Jesus within the Moses tradition.
- Bible Study
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- Why was Stephen stoned?
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- Tells story of God’s saving actions, with people’s unwillingness to follow.
- Connecting Jesus to Moses - just as the people rejected Moses, so they rejected Jesus.
- Stephen preaching reform - of the Way of Jesus as being rightly Jewish over the Temple and the Law
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- “For the contemporary Christian audience, it is crucial to observe that in his speech, Stephen is not pitting Christianity over against Judaism as though they were two distinct religions. The debate depicted by Luke in Acts 6-7 is an intra-Jewish struggle over identity and the continuing role of Temple and Law; to label it otherwise is anachronistic.” Mikeal Parsons, Preach This Week
- “For the contemporary Christian audience, it is crucial to observe that in his speech, Stephen is not pitting Christianity over against Judaism as though they were two distinct religions. The debate depicted by Luke in Acts 6-7 is an intra-Jewish struggle over identity and the continuing role of Temple and Law; to label it otherwise is anachronistic.” Mikeal Parsons, Preach This Week
- When Luke/Acts was written, the Temple had been destroyed, and the church was under persecution.
- Tells story of God’s saving actions, with people’s unwillingness to follow.
- verse 56 Jesus is “standing at the right hand of God.”
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- John Calvin claimed this was a minor detail and nothing should be made of it.
- Ambrose observed: “Jesus stood as a helpmate; he stood as if anxious to help Stephen, his athlete, in the struggle. He stood as though ready to crown his martyr. Let him then stand for you that you may not fear him sitting, for he sits when he judges” Mikeal Parsons, Preach This Week
- “He sits as Judge of the quick and the dead; he stands as his people’s Advocate”
- John Calvin claimed this was a minor detail and nothing should be made of it.
- What does the ugly violence of this act mean to us today?
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- “Death is not dead yet, neither is evil or pain. They may be doomed, but they are still very pervasive realities, with which men and women must deal daily.” (Beverly Gaventa, Texts for Preaching, Year A, p. 293).
- Not all good works are met with joy and grace.
- Death of Stephen though, is not one of evil triumphant.
- Grace and forgiveness of Stephen has been a source of inspiration for two thousand years
- “Death is not dead yet, neither is evil or pain. They may be doomed, but they are still very pervasive realities, with which men and women must deal daily.” (Beverly Gaventa, Texts for Preaching, Year A, p. 293).
- Stephen’s and Jesus’s death parallels in Luke/Acts
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- Jesus: “Into your hands, Father, I commend my spirit.”
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- Stephen: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
- Stephen: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
- Jesus during trial: “The Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the Father.” (Lk 22:69).
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- Stephen culminates his testimony; "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" (Acts 7:56)
- Stephen culminates his testimony; "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" (Acts 7:56)
- Jesus on the cross: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
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- Stephen being stoned: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
- Stephen being stoned: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
- Centurion watching Jesus, “Surely this man was innocent.” (Lk 23:48)
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- Saul watching Stephen (Acts 7:58)
- Saul watching Stephen (Acts 7:58)
- Jesus: “Into your hands, Father, I commend my spirit.”
- Why was Stephen stoned?
- Preaching Thoughts
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- Response to Peter’s sermon is explosive growth and building of community.
- Response to Stephen’s rise is jealousy, culminating in an ugly, violent act.
- Response to the gospel is not always positive.
- Jesus is placed in the same arc as Moses and the prophets, as the culmination - not as the replacement.
- Response to Peter’s sermon is explosive growth and building of community.
Other Texts for Easter 5A
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
1 Peter 2:2-10
CLOSING
TY listeners
Shout outs:
- Brian Kirk left a great comment on episode 62 about listening to the whole show, and letting lay people know about the show too so that they might be better prepared to discuss sermons. www.rethinkingyouthministry.com
- Katey Zeh and the Healthy Families, Healthy Planet project.
- Jenee Woodard- going in for surgery - please keep her in your thoughts and prayers
- Brady Abel’s facebook comment
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