Theology of the Cross Course Description

Today, on the Feast of the Epiphany, I'm moving right along with my proposed Lenten course...

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:2
A theology of glory imagines a view of God's essence and activity that parallels human aspirations to obvious, spectacular and excessive displays. A theology of the cross builds upon God's own self-revelation – particularly in Christ crucified – and seeks to discover God's characteristically hidden and frequently paradoxical, sacramental presence in the commonest things, situations and people.

This 6-part Bible study series will explore what it means to be a people who live under the cross of Jesus Christ for the world God calls us to serve, and particularly ways God leads and enables us to be a crucified – and risen! – people here at this church and in our families, neighborhoods and places of employment.

We will begin by contrasting the ever-popular theology of glory of immediately apparent divine intervention and activity with God's most typical manner of self-revelation in unassuming and concealed ways. After an overview of parallels and similarities found in the Hebrew Bible, the class will look at reading and interpreting several texts in the shadow of the cross of Calvary and through a cruciform lens. Weeks two and three will focus on the Cross in New Testament writings of Paul and Mark, in Reformation documents, and in more recent persons and situations. Some ways cross and sacraments are connected and intertwined will comprise the fourth week. Finally, the last two classes will be a time for the participants to discuss "what, then, are we to say about all of this?" What does this information and this manner of interpreting scripture, sacraments and our daily lives mean for each of us, for this church community and for the world we live in? In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul says "Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." How about us? What's our take on all of this?

In addition to a printed course outline and related passages of scripture, I will bring a few short articles from various sources and even some things I've written myself!

© Leah Chang 2007

Theological Essentials

A few summers ago I proposed this for Adult Sunday School but one of my other options got picked instead. Nonetheless, I'm posting it here for safekeeping.

01. Hebrew Bible Introduction

02. New Testament Introduction

03. The Bible is canonized

04. Early Creeds

05. Augustine, Aquinas, the Late Medieval Church and "pre-reformers"

06. The Reformation and Reformation Confessions

07. England and Scotland

08. Continental Anabaptists and the Radical Reformation

09. Puritans, Pilgrims, the New World and Zion

10. Enlightenment Thought and Influence

11. The 100 Years' War

12. Schleiermacher and his progeny

13. Fundamentalism, Dispensationalism, and Restoration Movements

14. 19th Century Reason

15. Great Awakenings, Revivals, and Frontier Religion!

16. Barth, Bultmann and Brunner: neo-orthodoxy

17. Barmen Declaration and denominational confessions

18. Process Theology

19. Neo-Evangelicalism

20. A flurry of factions!

21. The Jesus Seminar and its offspring

22. Ecumenism and Ecumenical Theology

23. Interfaith Dialogue

24. Wrapping it up!

Lent 2007 Study Outline

6-part Series for Lent 2007 – Bible Study Outline

Theology of the Cross | Leah Chang

1 Corinthians 1:20-25

²⁰ Where is the smart stuff of this world? Where are the world's heavy thinkers?... ²¹ Since in God's wisdom the world did not know God through their worldly kinds of smarts, it pleased God through foolish proclamation to save anyone who trusts Him. ²² Jews demand signs and Greeks crave wisdom, ²³ but we proclaim Christ the crucified one, a scandal to the Jews and moronic nonsense to the gentiles: ²⁴ But to those called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ--God's living dynamic power and God's kind of wisdom. ²⁵ Because God's foolishness is wiser than humanity's intellectual cleverness, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength!

1 Corinthians 2:2

² For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

God is here! As we God's people meet to offer praise and prayer...
Here are symbols to remind us of our lifelong need of grace;
Here are table, font and pulpit, here the cross has central place...
—Fred Pratt Green~ © 1979 Hope Publishing Co.

Theology of the Cross: what does this mean for the Church's and this congregation's (these congregations' in the case of OSLC) life and mission?

Week One

1. Theology of glory vs. theology of the cross
2. Hebrew Bible roots/wellsprings
3. Reading and interpreting scripture through a cruciform lens

Week Two

4. Paul, Mark and Jesus of Nazareth
5. Mark, Paul and Jesus the Christ

Week Three

6. Saul/Paul of Tarsus; Martin Luther
7. Some familiar theologians of the cross: Bonhoeffer; Dorothy Day; Gandhi; MLK; Desmond Tutu; Mother Teresa; us! Who else comes to mind?

Week Four

8. The cross and the sacraments:
          a. A theology of baptism and
          b. A theology of the eucharist

Week Five

9. What does the cross mean for each of us as individuals?
10. What does the cross mean for this church community?
11. What does all of this mean for our nearby neighbors?

Week Six

12. What does the cross mean for the world in which we live and serve?
13. The cross of Jesus Christ: Foolishness to the Greeks and foolishness to us?
14. Concluding questions, observations and loose ends

© 2006 Leah Chang

Lent 2007

Sundays in Lent 2007 Bible Study Proposal: Theology of the Cross | Leah Chang

1 Corinthians 1:20-25

²⁰ Where is the smart stuff of this world? Where are the world's heavy thinkers?... ²¹ Since in God's wisdom the world did not know God through their worldly kinds of smarts, it pleased God through foolish proclamation to save anyone who trusts Him. ²² Jews demand signs and Greeks crave wisdom, ²³ but we proclaim Christ the crucified one, a scandal to the Jews and moronic nonsense to the gentiles: ²⁴ But to those called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ--God's living dynamic power and God's kind of wisdom. ²⁵ Because God's foolishness is wiser than humanity's intellectual cleverness, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength!

1 Corinthians 2:2

² For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

God is here! As we God's people meet to offer praise and prayer...
Here are symbols to remind us of our lifelong need of grace;
Here are table, font and pulpit, here the cross has central place...
by Fred Pratt Green © 1979 Hope Publishing Co.

6 Sundays in Lent – adult Bible study

Theology of the Cross: what does this mean for this church's life and mission?

Preliminary Ideas:

1. Theology of glory vs. theology of the cross

2. Hebrew Bible roots/wellsprings

3. Paul, Mark and Jesus of Nazareth

4. Mark, Paul and Jesus the Christ

5. Saul/Paul of Tarsus; Martin Luther

6. Some familiar theologians of the cross: Bonhoeffer; Dorothy Day; Gandhi; MLK; Desmond Tutu; Mother Teresa; us! Who else comes to mind?

7. The cross and the sacraments:

a. A theology of baptism and

b. A theology of the eucharist

8. What does this mean for each of us as individuals?

9. What does this mean for the community here at this church?

10. What does this mean for our nearby neighbors?

11. What does this mean for the world in which we live and serve?

12. The cross: Foolishness to the Greeks and foolishness to us?

© 2006 Leah Chang

God's Most Important Law, Love

This may be the last of the saved(!) Release Time lessons I'd kept over these many years, so I'm wondering what'll be next on this blog?

Mark 12:28-31

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Luke 10:27

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.

Because God loves us and wants the very best for us, he has given us laws, rules and guidelines to help us live our lives I the best way. A long time ago, long before Jesus came to live among us, God gave commandments, or laws to his people. God also began showing them in special ways through some of his leaders how he wants people to live.

A lot of times we get confused about the right way to do something. The people in Jesus' day also got confused. Some very sincere people had the idea that God's way was too simple, so they added hundreds of rules of their own to God's rule. Following these human-made rules became so important and difficult that they forgot God's most basic commandment: to love God, your neighbor – or other people – and yourself.

So that everybody, everywhere, could live their lives together according to God's way, God came into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus to teach and show all of us how to live. Because of Jesus' birth and life among us as one of us, his death on the cross of Good Friday and God's raising Christ to new life on Easter Sunday morn, we can be forgiven if we break God's law. When we are forgiven for doing something wrong, it means we can make a brand new beginning.

As we read the Gospels and learn about Jesus' life, we see and read about God's most important law or commandment of love, which is kindness in action and attitude. Jesus showed us that:

1. Love has nothing to do with how we may feel at that moment;
2. Love means we try our best to see the other person and his/her needs clearly;
3. When we love, we sometimes have to forget about what we want;
4. When we love, we help bring about God's reign or rule on earth. We also show other people what God's love is like, and help bring them closer to him.

Let's talk about:

1. How does God want us to act toward each other?
2. What one word tells us God's most important commandment?
3. Why does God want us to treat each other this way?
4. Who showed us how to do this commandment?
5. Name some ways we can love each other.

Draw a picture that shows people helping, listening, being friends—showing each other God's love in some way.

Free in God's Kingdom

This may be the very last Release Time lesson, but at any rate, it's among the last. I love the Cosmic Christ of Colossians! In some texts indisputably by him, Paul of Tarsus is so into the Servant Jesus, while this deutero-Paul guy(?) presents us with the Pantocratur. Talk about phenomenally evocative imagery! In some ways this lesson is almost trivial, but again the longish scripture passage became an opportunity for words and Word to resonate.

Wordspin:

• Strong

• Power

• Rescue

• darkness

• free

• Death

• redemption

• forgiven

• kingdom

• image

• created

• visible

• dwell

• reconcile

• peace

Colossians 1:11-20

11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers--all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

What does it mean to be free? Can you think of a time you couldn't do what you wanted? Couldn't go where you wanted? Couldn't dress the way you wanted to dress? In some ways you weren't free at those times.

God tells all of us in his Word, the Bible, that we need to know him in his Son, Jesus Christ, if we really want to be really free!!! The Bible tells us that as long as we do, say, or think unkind and unloving things we are not living like people who know Jesus and are followers of Jesus. The Bible tells us that when we act unloving and unkind we are unfree because we're not acting in the way that God says is best for us and for those around us. If we don't try our very best to treat each other with kindness and love, people will be afraid and unsure of what's going to happen to them. They'll want to protect and defend themselves, which will give them little time for caring about others. Can we live together and trust one another in that kind of world?

• How do followers of Jesus act?
• Are we following Jesus?
• How do we act in different situations? Give some examples.
  

Jesus showed us how to live in this world so everyone is free because they've learned to live together in kindness and love. Jesus also gave us another very important kind of freedom; he gave us forgiveness of all our sin. Because we are forgiven, everything we've ever done wrong in the past is completely wiped out. It's as if we'd never done it, so we can live our lives right here and right now without even thinking about those parts of the past we'd just as soon forget.

Jesus gave us forgiveness by dying on the cross for us on Good Friday and by being raised from the dead to new life for us on Easter Sunday. In Jesus Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection God's plan for us to live close to him and to each other was fulfilled, or completed. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection we are free from the past mistakes and sins that separate us from one another.

When God forgives us and makes us free, we also become part of God's family, or Kingdom, the Reign or Rule of God here on earth.

• What is a Kingdom?
• Who is the Ruler or King in God's Kingdom?

New Life in Jesus Christ

Another Release Time offering; I know it's a l-o-n-g passage from Romans, but I figured it was worth it so the kids could begin to become familiar with the text.

Romans 8:1-11

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 Since the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

• Did you ever do something a teacher, parent or someone else in authority told you not to do? What was it? Why did you do it? Did that person find out about it? What happened? How did you feel?
• Did you ever do something against one of God's commandments? Why? What happened? How did you feel?

Because God loves us and wants the best for us, he gave us Commandments or guidelines for living. The Bible reading from Paul's letter to the church at Rome calls the commandments the law. Sin, or separation from God and others, happens whenever we disobey God's law. Whenever we sin, for us to be made righteous, or right again in God's sight, we need to be forgiven. In addition, God's holiness demands punishment for any sin or wrongdoing.

Because God loves us, God did what we couldn't do for ourselves; God came into this world in the person of Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life, and took the punishment for our sin. Jesus died on the cross on the day we now call Good Friday to bear the punishment for everything that separates us from God and to forgive us, so we could live reunited with God, one another and all creation. On the first Easter Sunday, God raised Jesus from the dead to a brand new life. Jesus died on the cross so our sin and the cost of sin would be wiped out; he rose from the dead so that we could be right again in God's sight. Because God raised Jesus from death to new life, each one of us can have that new Easter life; no longer are separated from God and from one another, but we have been reunited or reconciled with God, our neighbors and all creation.

• What does it mean to be forgiven? (Hint: think of the word "give.")

When we believe that God loves us and wants to give us new life in his son, Jesus Christ, we become members of God's own family, the church. In Romans, Paul says we begin living "in Christ." We begin living as God wants us to live.

• How does God want us to live? Why?

When we believe God has forgiven us and given us new life in Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection, God's Holy Spirit comes to live in us. The Holy Spirit helps us obey God's commandments. The Holy Spirit also helps us receive God's free gift of forgiveness and new life we need whenever we disobey and sin.

• What does it mean to you to be forgiven?
• Do you believe God loves you and forgives you?

Miscellaneous Romans notes

Despite having a handful more of Release Time lessons for this blog, today I'm posting these Romans notes from a couple years ago. Most probably I've already posted them in long form on Desert Spirit's Fire, but I figured storing the short version here would be cool...as I'm listening to Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" on the radio. Does that song not relate well to the message of extravagant grace we find in Romans—and in Paul, in general?

Miscellaneous Romans notes

Romans 2

Neither gospel nor law - innocence

Habits of the heart – 3 "heart" references in Romans 2:5, 15, 29

God's Word imprinted on the hearts of all, in "an echo of God's personality." As usual, I'll say that's love, creativity, community, passion, risk – somewhere else I've made a long Pauline-style list of our in-God-createdness. God's reputation? People I formed for myself...

Anders Nygren: Romans is about the "inward heart, not satisfied with works."

Heart: center or seat of emotions; also, an organic metaphor and a spatial one

Romans 2:12-16 Imperial particularism—along the lines of the taxonomy that came from, did I ever mention I consider myself a revelatory particularist?

Despite a lingering sense of Jew/Gentile, in Paul, as in Christ Jesus, chosen-ness has expanded way far.

2:29 "mercy, not sacrifice"


Romans 3:9-26

Righteous; justified; account-able; apart from the Law?!

Romans 3:18; Psalm 36:1 Upright in heart = God-seeking

1 – consumer/material – artifacts and antiquities

2 – extreme athlete – does all the sports and does all the sports well, defying human limitations

3 - scientist – knowledge: think of technologies out of crisis

4 – philosopher – post-modern, nihilistic existentialist: angry, cynical and sarcastic

5 – Paul, the Christian – also a legalist! Paul, the Jew, has lived the commandments as well as anyone every could. Blameless as to the Law!

Choose Life!

One more Release Time lesson from ages ago. For anyone who didn't scroll back to where I began this series, these are lessons I wrote during the last century for 4^th and 5^th grader inner-city youngsters. By the way, the kids in the program who attended church were from the African-American free church tradition and most of them were excellent theologians, meaning great discussions for me as one of their teachers!

• Life! Life?! Life.
• What is it?
• Where is it?
• How do we get life?
• How do we know we have life?
• How do we give life?

From the first moment of creation, God has acted to give us life. God made us to be completely alive. Whenever God does something it's always in ways that will give us the very best kind of life there is.

From the book of Genesis in the beginning of the Bible, through the last book of the Bible, Revelation, we read about God giving us, his people, everything we needed for life to be complete. One of the most important facets of life we read about in Genesis is the very close relationship people had with God and with one another. After those relationships were broken by sin, there was no way in the world people could come back together with each other and with God. Only God could mend his broken world.

Because of Jesus Christ's death on the cross of Good Friday and his rising from death to new life on Easter dawn, all creation can live in brand-new life. For comparison, here are three different translations of Deuteronomy 30:19-20:

Deuteronomy 30

19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. NRSV

19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." NASB

19 I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. 20 And love GOD, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that GOD, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. MSG

Choose life! In the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God already has given us life, but God doesn't force it on us. The Bible passage says that by loving and obeying God, we choose life. In God's Word, the Bible, and in God's Son Jesus Christ, we see and learn that loving and obeying God is something we do in our daily lives with one another. It means being kind, considerate, generous and thoughtful to other people. Loving God and obeying God also includes means being a caretaker of the earth and of all creation.

Since God gives us life, we are able to love God and obey him by loving other people. We give them life by being open to God's way and by walking the paths God shows us.

We Can Count on God's Love!

Release Time for today; This Time the narrative is so familiar. Nothing very imaginative, but the reality bears remembering. I usually wrote these lessons in less than an hour and tried to keep everything simple because I had about ten minutes to brief the other teachers and answer their questions before the actual classes met.

God sent Jesus Christ to live in our world so everyone could experience God's love and know how God wants us to be and act as the people of God. Besides acting in caring and careful ways toward people, Jesus told a lot of stories, or parables, about God and about life. One of the main reasons people listened to Jesus and followed him is that he not only told them about himself and about our Heavenly Father, but he also told them about themselves. We're all interested in hearing about ourselves!

We live in a big, modern, Western city. Jesus lived 2,000 years ago in a Middle-Eastern farming society. As we read Jesus' stories or parables, we notice the setting is different from ours, but the people are exactly like us!

Luke 15:11-19

11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."'

Sometimes we call this story "The Prodigal Son," sometimes "The Waiting Father." It is about a father whose son left home and began to waste his life by living in harmful ways. Although the story is about a son, we know that in Jesus Christ sons and daughters, men and women, are equal. In place of "son" we can read "daughter."

• What happened so far in the story?
• How are we sometimes like the son in the story?
• Why did the son decide to go back to his father

Luke 15:20-32

20 "So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe - the best one - and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. 25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' 31 Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

As you read, think of God in place of the father in the story. Think of yourself in place of the son. Leave your Bibles open when you finish.

All the time the son was gone the father missed him. Even though the son had run away, the father went on loving him. As much as he wanted the son, he didn't force him to come home. We need to know and trust that God's love and care for us has nothing to do with the way we act. God gives us life and everything we need as a free gift. We sometimes use the word grace for this gift.

• If someone offers you a gift, what do you need to do to receive it?
• How can we earn God's love?

The son and the father aren't the only people in the story. Let's look at the servants and the older son.

• What does the father tell the servants to do? Why?
• If someone has a birthday or graduation, how can you help him or her celebrate?
• What did the older son do and say? Why?
• How would you feel if you were the older son in this story?
• How would you act?
• What does the father mean when he says the son was dead, but now is alive?
• If you imagine God as the father in the story, what have we learned about God from this passage?
• From this story, what have we learned about the way God wants us to live with and acts towards each other?
• How does it show that we really can count on God's love?

Reminders of God's Kingdom

Release time again; only a few more to go.

Luke 21:25-31

25 "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

29 Then Jesus told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near."

In this passage from Luke's Gospel, Jesus is speaking to us about God's Kingdom of love and justice here on earth. Sometimes we refer to God's rule as the Kingdom of Heaven or the Reign of God. All those phrases mean God is in charge.

Jesus talks about signs in the sky and on earth. But first, where do we find signs and what are signs for? Some examples include street signs telling us where we are, house numbers or the name on a store. Logos that identify and represent products are a kind of sign, too. Doctors and nurses read vital signs to learn about the health of their patients. Jesus' talks about signs to remind us that he is King of all creation and Lord of the whole universe. Jesus also mentions these signs to remind us that, because he loves us, God prepares us for and lets us know something about everything he does.

God shows signs to us in our world and in other people's lives. Sometimes people have needs we can help take care of. God wants us to be very careful and watchful as we live among others. Very often we can be an important part of making's God's Kingdom come alive in another person's life. What are some ways you've been able to see and help with other people's needs?

Jesus says sometimes people are afraid, especially when the weather seems out of control or the sun and stars are doing strange things. In Jesus' life and words we learn that because we are loved, we don't ever have to be afraid.

In verse 31 Jesus calls himself "Son of Man." Jesus often uses this name for himself. Son of Man reminds us that Jesus, God's Son, became a human person like us. Son of Man reminds us it is possible for us to live our lives the way Jesus lived his life because Jesus was human.

Jesus told a parable about a fig tree. A parable is a kind of lesson that uses images and signs. Around here we just don't see such trees. However, it was important for Jesus' followers to hear about the fig tree, because the fig tree was the sign or symbol of their country. The fig tree reminded them that God's plan for them included life on earth in a land that would take care of their needs for food, shelter, and clothing. This parable also reminds us that God takes care of our needs for housing, food, and clothing.

This parable is about Redemption or Salvation or Kingdom of God or Reign of God or Rule of God. These words are very close in meaning. God's Reign and Salvation are what we learn about as we read the Bible and as we live our lives according to God's rule of love. The Kingdom of Heaven is about everyone's life and all creation being complete, healthy and whole. Jesus shows us and tells us all of us can have salvation and God's Kingdom, or rule. Jesus tells us and shows us that Wholeness and Redemption belong not only to people, but to every part of God's creation.

Besides the types of signs we've already read about and talked about, the church is an important sign of the presence of God in the world. That means we, who are part of the church, are signs or symbols of God's presence to everyone we meet.

God came to us in Jesus as the Human One, or Son of Man, as a sign of the Kingdom of God. God calls us to be signs of the Reign of Heaven or Rule of God right where we are. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ helps us follow his way in showing Redemption and Salvation to the world.

How Do We Know Jesus Is With Us?

Another really really old Release Time lesson, needless to say.

Matthew 11:2-11

2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" 4 Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Sometimes we wonder if Jesus really is with us. Why do we wonder? Do we look for Jesus in the right places? Do we see the signs that tell us Jesus is there?

• Could Jesus be in: the house next door? The Ashmont train? A traffic jam? Our church? A burger place? The grocery store? The local Taco Shop? At your school? In the church on the other side of town? At home with your family?
• For each of these places, Why? Why not?

Back in Jesus' day, people had the same kinds of questions. God had already told his people about some of the signs that the Savior, Jesus, would be with them. These signs included a brand new way of being and acting. Like people being kind and thoughtful to each other, people feeling good about being themselves, people being able to see or hear again or for the first time, poor people being treated fairly. And especially the sign of resurrection—people being raised from death! That's something we celebrate especially every Sunday and in a most special way on the Easter Sunday.

• If you were going to find God, where would you begin to look? Explain.

In Jesus' day, people sometimes looked for God where they wanted to find him, instead of where God said. How about us?

But God already had come to them right where they were, right where they lived. God came to them in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. So when people ask Jesus if he's the Savior or the "One Who Is To Come" he says, "Look around! What do you see?" He tells them to look at all the signs of new life around them.

• Is there anything about your life you'd like to see changed or made new?
• Can Jesus change those things?
• Will you let Jesus change them?

God sends Jesus into our world and our lives right where and how we are. When we wonder about his promise to be with us he said, "Look around! What do you see?"

When we trust Jesus is here and see him in our everyday world, he comes into our lives and stays with us. Jesus Christ makes our lives new!

• How do we know Jesus is with us?
• What does it mean for something to be changed or made new?

The Name that is Greater than any Other Name

More Release Time...and I've got a bunch more to blog here after this one.

Philippians 2:5-11

5 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. 6 He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. 7 Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! 8 Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.

9 Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, 10 so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, 11 and call out in praise that he is the Lord of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. MSG / The Message

• What does your name mean?
• Why do you suppose your parents chose your name?
• Do you think your name fits you?

God's Word, the Bible tells us a great many different names for God. By reading the Bible, we can discover special names for God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Today we're going to look at some of the names for Jesus Christ, God's Son. As you think about and talk about these names, remember that any name that God calls himself always tells about Go; God's name always tells us who God is and what God does.

Here are some of Jesus' names, with a place in the Bible we can find that name. Look up the Bible reference and try to figure out why we call Jesus by that name:

• Son of God: John 1:34
• Lamb of God: John 1:29
• Messiah: John 1:41
• I Am: John 8:58
• Light of the World: John 8:12
• The Way: John 14:6; also "Truth" and "Light" in this verse
• Savior: 2 Peter 2:20; also "Lord" and "Christ" in this verse
• Jesus: Matthew 1:21
• King of Kings and Lord of Lords: Revelation 19:16
• The Resurrection and the Life: John 11:25

Which of these is your favorite name for Jesus? Why?

Did you know that each one of these names tells us something about the way in which God acts in and through his Son, Jesus Christ, in relationship to our everyday lives? What do these names for Jesus mean for us, in each of our lives? They tell us how Jesus acts in our lives as individuals and in our lives as the community of God's people, the church. They tell us how God in Christ changes our lives so we can be faithful to the names he gives to us.

In a later lesson on we'll talk about some of God's names for us, the people of God. Because Jesus was faithful to God's plan for his life, we're able to be faithful to God's plans for our lives.

The Lord Came Down in a Cloud

Release Time again.

Exodus 34

5 GOD came down in a cloud and stood there beside Moses and called out his holy name, GOD. 6 GOD passed in front of Moses and called out, "GOD, GOD, a Lord of mercy and grace, endlessly patient—so much love, so deeply true— 7 I keep my promise for thousands of generations, forgiving evil, rebellion, and sin. Still, I do not ignore sin. I hold sons and grandsons responsible for their parents' sins to the third and even fourth generation."

8 At once Moses fell to the ground and worshiped. 9 Moses said, "Please, O Lord, if you see anything good in me, please Lord, travel with us, hard-headed as these people are. Forgive our evil and sin. Own us, possess us as your own people."

Many years before Jesus was born in Nazareth, God's people, who later were called Israel, lived as slaves in Egypt, a country that was not their home. God heard their cries of pain and promised to take them out of slavery and bring them home to the land he had chosen for them. To help his people journey home, God chose a leader named Moses.

In between Egypt and their new home, the people had to trek through a wilderness desert. Moses followed God's leadership in leading the people out of slavery. But the people did not always obey. Just like us, many times they decided to do things their own way. Like us, they didn't trust that God's way is always best, even if it doesn't seem to make sense at the time.

1. Before Jesus was born, what was the name of God's people?
2. What was the name of the foreign country they lived in?
3. Who led God's people through the wilderness? (2 answers)
4. Does God ever make a mistake?

When his people disobeyed, God became angry. When this happened, Moses would talk with God and beg him to have mercy and forgive them. Time after time, God changed his mind and forgave. In the Bible passage we just read, Moses asks God for proof of his love and forgiveness. He asks God to go alongside them into the land of promise.

1. When God became angry, what did Moses ask God to do?
2. Do we get angry at God? If so, if that okay? Explain.
3. Do you ever try making deals with God?

God had been with his people all the time, and he continued to be with them as they went through the wilderness into the Promised Land. But many years after Moses, God came to be with us in a way that was even more real. God came into this world in the human person, Jesus Christ.

1. How did God come to this earth to be with us in a very real way?
2. Why did God come to earth in that way?
3. Is God still here on earth with us and in our lives?
4. Explain.

In Jesus Christ we can know what it means to be loved no matter what we do or who we are. In Christ, we learn God's love comes to us as a gift without any cost to us. Moses asked God to be with his people and to accept them for his own. In Jesus Christ, God indeed is with us wherever we are, in whatever we do. In Christ, we become the People of God.

1. If someone gives us a gift, what do we need to do for it to belong to us?
2. God gives us his love as a gift. How do we make God's love our own?