Download to Bible Study #3: MISSION

St JME Self Study
STEP TWO: Developing a Mission and Vision Statement
Bible Study 1: MISSION
Bible Study opportunities - Select ONE
DATE
TIME
FACILITATOR
MATERIALS
10:00am
Mark Youngblood
provided at the meeting
2. Wednesday 3/29/17 7:00pm
Pastor David Parsons
ditto
3. 3/26-4/1
Self
digital download / email
1. Sunday 3/26/17
______
SOURCES
This bible study has been adapted with minor changes from Manual for Congregational Mission Planning,
2013, SW Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA pp 6-8
Resource: Daubert, D. (2007). Living Lutheran: Renewing your congregation. Part of the “Lutheran
Voices” Series, Augsburg Fortress
Bible verses were retrieved 3/21/17 from
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4%3A16-30&version=NRSV;NIV
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
Understanding Mission
Opening the book of faith: Luke 4:16-30
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on
the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah
was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the
synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that
came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you
will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your
hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell
you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many
widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months,
and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except
to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the
prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they
heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off
the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Asking Questions
1. How does this passage specifically express Jesus’ understanding of the purpose
of his ministry?
2. How is this purpose statement of Jesus connected to the wider mission of God in
and for the world as revealed elsewhere in scripture?
3. Can you think of ways that Jesus worked to fulfill these purposes?
4. When did Jesus refer to this purpose statement during the course of his ministry?
Why and to what purpose? (See Luke 7:18-23).
5. How does Jesus purpose help us, as the body of Christ in the world today, to
form a “purpose for mission” today?
6. The people in Nazareth rejected Jesus and his message. Why? Does that stop
Jesus?
7. Discuss ways that seeking to participate actively in God’s mission might
disturb/anger members of a congregation today. Does that stop Jesus?
Food for Thought
Share and discuss the following quotes from Dave Daubert’s 2007 Living Lutheran:
Renewing your congregation, especially in the context of the above passage and the life
of our congregation:
“Life changing ministry begins when we help people to hunger for what God is up to
rather than simply settling for getting by with what we can do. It is God’s mission that
sparks everything else, even for those of us who have been in the church for a while.”
(Daubert, 30)
[Dietrich Bonhoeffer] dreamed of a church that did not exist primarily to serve its members but
to stand as Christ’s body, committed to being a part of manifesting God’s dream. ... [He]
wrote, “the church is the church only when it exists for others.” (Letters and papers from
prison) (Daubert, 34-35)
All Christian mission is grounded in the mission of God. In fact it must be remembered that it
is God’s mission, not ours. Claimed as the body of Christ for the world, the church is sent forth
as instruments of this mission. Each ministry must own the mission of God in its own context.”
(Daubert, 46)
Moving towards Mission
Read, pray, and reflect over the attached scripture.
Can you discern an overarching theme to God’s dream for the world?
Pray the Lord’s prayer together …
Respond to the following question with three specific ideas (Daubert, 48):
If God has God’s way with our congregation for five
years, what do you see in our future?
Bring these ideas with you on Sunday, April 2, when we will share our ideas
1.
2.
3.
Closing Prayer
Sovereign God, ruler of all hearts, you call us to obey you, and you favor us with true
freedom. Keep us faithful to the ways of your Son, that, leaving behind all that hinders
us, we may steadfastly follow your paths, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen. Prayer of the Day, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Year C.
Scripture … Break up into groups with a different person taking responsibility for one
scripture - that person then shares out with everyone else.
THEME ...
1. Deuteronomy 10:17-22
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2. Deuteronomy 15:11
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3. Isaiah 58:6
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4. Isaiah 61:1-2
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5. Micah 6:8
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6. Luke 1:39-46
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7. Romans 8:19-20
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8. Luke 6:17-49
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Deuteronomy 10:17-22 (NIV)
17 For
the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and
awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.18 He defends the cause of
the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them
food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves
were foreigners in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and
take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed
for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 22 Your
ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God
has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Deuteronomy 15:11 (NIV)
11 There
will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open
handed toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
Isaiah 58:6 (NIV)
6 “Is
not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
8 He
has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.
Luke 1:39-46 (NIV)
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 At
that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40 where
she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s
greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42
In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child
you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to
me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb
leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his
promises to her!”
Mary’s Song
46 And
Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
Romans 8:19-20 (NIV)
19 For
the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
20
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the
one who subjected it, in hope
Luke 6:17-49 (NIV)
Blessings and Woes
17 He
went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples
was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from
the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be
healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,
19 and
the people
all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20 Looking
at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed
are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed
are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice
in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that
is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
24 “But
woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe
to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe
to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Love for Enemies
27 “But
to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate
you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps
you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not
withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes
what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do
to you.
32 “If
you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those
who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that
to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect
repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be
repaid in full.35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without
expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children
of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36 Be
merciful, just as
your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37 “Do
not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you
use, it will be measured to you.”
39 He
also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40 The
student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their
teacher.
41 “Why
do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the
plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out
of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take
the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s
eye.
A Tree and Its Fruit
43 “No
good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.44 Each tree is recognized
by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man
brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out
of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
The Wise and Foolish Builders
46 “Why
do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to
me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.
48 They
are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a
flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
49 But
the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a
house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it
collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Children’s Study
The following website gives a good contextual frame for Luke 4: 16-30 and it has been
scripted for ease of delivery:
https://wordforlifesays.com/2014/05/08/jesus-mission-on-earth-sunday-school-lessonluke-414-21-may-11-2014-2/
I have put the links for the Wordsearch and the Crossword puzzle which I thought were
good resources for readers. I have copied a coloring page too, the children can color
while you tell them the story
Wordsearch https://wordforlifesays.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/jesus-missionon-earth-wordsearch.pdf
Crossword
https://wordforlifesays.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/jesus-mission-on-earthcrossword.pdf
Coloring Page (see next page)
http://www.sermons4kids.com/jesus-in-temple-ABDA-colorpg.htm
The page has additional resources you may want to use instead – feel free to be
creative!