Saturday, February 8 – Human 2.0 – Stories of healing...

To prepare for worship tomorrow, read ahead through the fourth chapter of the gospel of John.  Jesus reveals more truth about who he is and gives a surprising offer to an undeserving person.

How do you, or those you love, need to be healed?

Read the whole chapter and answer the following questions:

1)  What word, phrase or image lingers in my thoughts?

2)  Where/How does this chapter connect with my life?

3)  What does God want me to do or be in response to his Word?

Friday, February 7 – True Worship

"My Samaritan ancestors worshiped God on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we should worship God." ²¹ Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the time will come when people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans do not really know whom you worship; but we Jews know whom we worship, because it is from the Jews that salvation comes. ²³ But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is."  --John 4:20-24 (TEV)

There’s nothing like worship practices to divide a group of people.  Samaritans and Jews were divided about place and practice of worship, so her question about worship was at the core of her identity.  She was exploring who he was and who she was with that question.

Jesus doesn’t opt for one over the other, but says that the spirit of our worship is most important.  We can’t truly worship without the power and presence of God’s Spirit.  When our hearts are open and love for one another is apparent, then true worship that God wants takes place.

Talk to God about worship.  We like certain music and familiar ‘styles,’ but ask what God is looking for from you... from us as a people...walking & working together in worship.

Thursday, February 6 – Spirit-ed description

the earth was a formless void...while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.    –Genesis 1:2 (NRSV)

And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.             –John 1:32 (NRSV)

“I would give you living water.”      –John 4:10 (NLT)

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit...  –Acts 2:3-4 (NRSV)

How do you describe something you can’t taste, touch, see, hear, or feel?  How do you describe the Spirit of God?

With metaphors:  Wind...breath...water...dove...fire.

And what’s left behind when the Spirit has been through town:  Love... joy...peace...patience...kindness...goodness...faithfulness...gentleness... self-control.

Holy Spirit, how are you and I working...together?  What’s the result?

Wednesday, February 5 – Ubuntu

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.  –John 3:16 (TEV)

“Ubuntu” is an ancient African philosophy that emphasizes we are all part of the human family.  We are brothers & sisters on a journey together.  It literally means “human-ness” or “human kindness” and can be expressed: “I am what I am because of who we all are.”  

A South African greeting illustrates:  “Sawa bona (I see you).”
“Sikhona (I’m here).”  And with this greeting they understand that they bring each other into existence by “seeing”/ acknowledging each other.

The conversation with the Samaritan woman was one of many ways that Jesus “saw” people, reaching across boundaries that segregate us from those we don’t want to deal with or understand.  “I see you.”

Talk to God about how we’re doing on getting the message out that God loves ALL God’s children, of each tribe & race, color, religion, language, and sexual orientation.

Tuesday, February 4 – I must decrease

“He must increase, but I must decrease."         –John 3:30 (NRSV)

John the Baptist’s disciples were noticing that people were starting to go to Jesus and his disciples more than they were coming to them.  They were losing market share.

John reminds them that this is precisely God’s plan.  He came precisely to lead the way...the ‘warm up’ for the main act.  Christ must increase in importance and attention from the people.  He must decrease.  He is doing nothing more than fulfilling the work God gave him to do.

The attention and importance we each have from others ebbs and flows.  And maybe that’s as it should be.  As we grow in Christ, attention on our own individual personality should give way to seeing Christ in us.  Our own personality is not wiped out by Christ, but his values and behaviors become more dominant.  In reality, as Christ increases in us, our true person shines through.  Christ increases...but so does our joy!

Talk to God about the attention you receive from others...and the ‘amount’ of Jesus they see in you.  Ask:  Am I afraid to see Jesus increase in me...or do I welcome it with joy?