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Jeremiah 8:18--9:1
We will never be sure of all the details. Separating fact from fiction may be nearly impossible. Determining what people really saw, only wanted to see, and pretended to see will require a great deal of discretion. So, we will take the events at face value.
It was New Year's Day 2009 in Oakland, California. At 2 a.m. a number of revelers aboard a mass transit subway got into a fight. Chaos ensued. The officers on board the train could not contain the fight, so additional officers were summoned. One of those new arrivals was Johannes Mehserle, an officer for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). He was directed to arrest Oscar Grant, a two-time convicted felon, who was resisting the other officers. Forced to lie prone, it appeared that Grant was reaching for a weapon and Mehserle fired in self-defense. He claimed he thought he was firing his Taser, when in fact he discharged his revolver. During the lengthy judicial proceedings Mehserle was portrayed in the extremes, from firing in self-defense to deliberately executing an individual. The court convicted him of involuntary manslaughter. The original incident and the verdict both caused race riots throughout Oakland.
Before sentencing Mehserle wrote a letter to the Grant family that was only made public after sentencing. The letter read in part, "I have and will continue to live every day of my life knowing that Grant should not have been shot. For now, and forever I will live, breathe, sleep, and not sleep with the memory…."
As mentioned earlier, we will never know the complete story, so we must side with the decision of the court. What is to be pointed out is not only is the Grant family in mourning but Mehserle is plagued with remorse.
Remorse is a common and very human feeling as we question our own actions and wonder about the behavior of others. In our lesson remorse is the feeling being expressed by Jeremiah as he wonders why the people of Judah have forsaken God, and in so doing are suffering so terribly. In fact, Jeremiah's mourning is so painful he asks, "Is there no balm in Gilead?" Is there no ointment to heal his wound and the wounds of his people?
Ron L.
Jeremiah 8:18--9:1
We spend a lot of our time ignoring big problems. It is not a new phenomenon. Many people refused to believe that Hitler held Jews and "social deviants" in concentration death camps. Americans like to conveniently forget the Cherokee Trail of Tears and the displacement of Native Americans in early US history. In modern times, we like to gloss over things like genocide in Darfur, civil war in African countries, poverty in countries like Haiti, and a lack of clean water in many developing countries. We don't want to think about these things because thinking about these things would make us like the speaker in Jeremiah: hopeless, despairing, and full of tears for our brothers and sisters of the world.
Leah T.
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Michelle knows first hand the power of prayer. She remembers the time when she was newly married. Soon after a visit to the doctor they learned that Tom needed a new kidney. "I prayed and prayed for several months," Michelle says as her husband became sicker and sicker." His condition required frequent visits to the local hospital and with each visit Michelle prayed that her husband would receive a new kidney.
Upon Michelle's insistence, the entire extended family began fasting and praying for Tom that he would receive a new kidney and his life would be spared. She involved other people from church and the community, encouraging them to fast and pray for her husband. They continued fasting and praying as they waited and waited. Later that month a new kidney was found and Tom's life was saved.
"I have learned that fasting and praying is one of the best ways to help me focus," Michelle says. "I definitely put things into better perspective when I fast and pray. I am able to do more for myself, family, and community by praying and fasting."
Timothy also knew first hand the power of prayer. "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone," Timothy implored his congregation. Specifically Timothy urged the people to pray for their government leaders and "all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity." It is important that we remember to pray for our local, state, and national leaders on a regular basis. It does not matter whether we like the individual leader or not when we pray that those in positions of influence and power would seek God's will.
Tim S.
1 Timothy 2:1-7
The Presidential Prayer Team (www.presidentialprayerteam.com) was started in 2001 to give Americans a unified voice in praying for their president. They are convinced that if America prays for its president, whoever is in that office would have divine wisdom to lead the nation, then all Americans would reap the benefits.
On the front page of their website is part of today's passage, a verse that has helped serve as their inspiration: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way" (vv. 1-2).
Craig K.
Luke 16:1-13
Samantha likes to bribe people. She uses her connections to make sure that she gets switched into the best classes at college, to make sure that her friends invite her to parties, and to make sure that she gets the best grades. She is good at getting people to do what she wants them to do. Monica, on the other hand, works diligently and honestly. Instead of schmoozing the registrar to get transferred into an easier class, she takes the class with the hard professor. Instead of bribing people to write her papers or tell her the answers to a test, she studies hard and does her best. Monica may not have as good of grades as Samantha, but which student would you be more likely to trust?
Leah T.
Luke 16:1-13
Tom Monaghan needed money if he were going to study architecture at the University of Michigan and one day follow in the footsteps of his idol, Frank Lloyd Wright. Borrowing $900 from his brother, Monaghan bought DomiNick's pizza shop in nearby Ypsilanti, followed by the purchase of a second store in Mount Pleasant. In order to save sign making money, Monaghan simply dropped the "ick" from DomiNick and added an "o." Thus began the second largest pizza franchise in the world, Domino's Pizza.
The 53-year-old board chairman and founder at Domino's Pizza grew up in poverty, spending many of his youngest years at a Catholic orphanage. Monaghan credits his deep religious faith to the influence of that institution. He begins each work day with exercise, twenty minutes of prayer, and attendance at mass. In the briefcase he carries every day to the office are two spiral notebooks. One notebook is red -- like the devil -- where he records his material desires in life. The other book is blue -- like heaven -- where Monaghan writes the spiritual aspects of his life. Since his personal worth is estimated at $480 million, Monaghan wants to guard himself against becoming too materialistic. Tom Monaghan realizes, "God has been good to me. I feel obliged to give something back." A great philanthropist, Monaghan has often said "I've always felt the most important thing for me is getting into heaven. When I die, I don't think Saint Peter is going to ask me how many pizzas I sold." Therefore, he has set for himself a goal before he retires: to build Roman Catholic chapels around the globe, especially in the Third World. Speaking to this one ambition, Monaghan proclaims, "We have 5,000 pizza outlets. My goal now is 5,000 chapels." In gratitude to God, Monaghan wishes to build one chapel for each pizza shop he owns.
Tom Monaghan decided he would refocus his life from that which made money to that which enriched spirituality. Monaghan understood what Jesus meant when he instructed you cannot serve both God and money.
Ron L.
We will never be sure of all the details. Separating fact from fiction may be nearly impossible. Determining what people really saw, only wanted to see, and pretended to see will require a great deal of discretion. So, we will take the events at face value.
It was New Year's Day 2009 in Oakland, California. At 2 a.m. a number of revelers aboard a mass transit subway got into a fight. Chaos ensued. The officers on board the train could not contain the fight, so additional officers were summoned. One of those new arrivals was Johannes Mehserle, an officer for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). He was directed to arrest Oscar Grant, a two-time convicted felon, who was resisting the other officers. Forced to lie prone, it appeared that Grant was reaching for a weapon and Mehserle fired in self-defense. He claimed he thought he was firing his Taser, when in fact he discharged his revolver. During the lengthy judicial proceedings Mehserle was portrayed in the extremes, from firing in self-defense to deliberately executing an individual. The court convicted him of involuntary manslaughter. The original incident and the verdict both caused race riots throughout Oakland.
Before sentencing Mehserle wrote a letter to the Grant family that was only made public after sentencing. The letter read in part, "I have and will continue to live every day of my life knowing that Grant should not have been shot. For now, and forever I will live, breathe, sleep, and not sleep with the memory…."
As mentioned earlier, we will never know the complete story, so we must side with the decision of the court. What is to be pointed out is not only is the Grant family in mourning but Mehserle is plagued with remorse.
Remorse is a common and very human feeling as we question our own actions and wonder about the behavior of others. In our lesson remorse is the feeling being expressed by Jeremiah as he wonders why the people of Judah have forsaken God, and in so doing are suffering so terribly. In fact, Jeremiah's mourning is so painful he asks, "Is there no balm in Gilead?" Is there no ointment to heal his wound and the wounds of his people?
Ron L.
Jeremiah 8:18--9:1
We spend a lot of our time ignoring big problems. It is not a new phenomenon. Many people refused to believe that Hitler held Jews and "social deviants" in concentration death camps. Americans like to conveniently forget the Cherokee Trail of Tears and the displacement of Native Americans in early US history. In modern times, we like to gloss over things like genocide in Darfur, civil war in African countries, poverty in countries like Haiti, and a lack of clean water in many developing countries. We don't want to think about these things because thinking about these things would make us like the speaker in Jeremiah: hopeless, despairing, and full of tears for our brothers and sisters of the world.
Leah T.
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Michelle knows first hand the power of prayer. She remembers the time when she was newly married. Soon after a visit to the doctor they learned that Tom needed a new kidney. "I prayed and prayed for several months," Michelle says as her husband became sicker and sicker." His condition required frequent visits to the local hospital and with each visit Michelle prayed that her husband would receive a new kidney.
Upon Michelle's insistence, the entire extended family began fasting and praying for Tom that he would receive a new kidney and his life would be spared. She involved other people from church and the community, encouraging them to fast and pray for her husband. They continued fasting and praying as they waited and waited. Later that month a new kidney was found and Tom's life was saved.
"I have learned that fasting and praying is one of the best ways to help me focus," Michelle says. "I definitely put things into better perspective when I fast and pray. I am able to do more for myself, family, and community by praying and fasting."
Timothy also knew first hand the power of prayer. "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone," Timothy implored his congregation. Specifically Timothy urged the people to pray for their government leaders and "all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity." It is important that we remember to pray for our local, state, and national leaders on a regular basis. It does not matter whether we like the individual leader or not when we pray that those in positions of influence and power would seek God's will.
Tim S.
1 Timothy 2:1-7
The Presidential Prayer Team (www.presidentialprayerteam.com) was started in 2001 to give Americans a unified voice in praying for their president. They are convinced that if America prays for its president, whoever is in that office would have divine wisdom to lead the nation, then all Americans would reap the benefits.
On the front page of their website is part of today's passage, a verse that has helped serve as their inspiration: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way" (vv. 1-2).
Craig K.
Luke 16:1-13
Samantha likes to bribe people. She uses her connections to make sure that she gets switched into the best classes at college, to make sure that her friends invite her to parties, and to make sure that she gets the best grades. She is good at getting people to do what she wants them to do. Monica, on the other hand, works diligently and honestly. Instead of schmoozing the registrar to get transferred into an easier class, she takes the class with the hard professor. Instead of bribing people to write her papers or tell her the answers to a test, she studies hard and does her best. Monica may not have as good of grades as Samantha, but which student would you be more likely to trust?
Leah T.
Luke 16:1-13
Tom Monaghan needed money if he were going to study architecture at the University of Michigan and one day follow in the footsteps of his idol, Frank Lloyd Wright. Borrowing $900 from his brother, Monaghan bought DomiNick's pizza shop in nearby Ypsilanti, followed by the purchase of a second store in Mount Pleasant. In order to save sign making money, Monaghan simply dropped the "ick" from DomiNick and added an "o." Thus began the second largest pizza franchise in the world, Domino's Pizza.
The 53-year-old board chairman and founder at Domino's Pizza grew up in poverty, spending many of his youngest years at a Catholic orphanage. Monaghan credits his deep religious faith to the influence of that institution. He begins each work day with exercise, twenty minutes of prayer, and attendance at mass. In the briefcase he carries every day to the office are two spiral notebooks. One notebook is red -- like the devil -- where he records his material desires in life. The other book is blue -- like heaven -- where Monaghan writes the spiritual aspects of his life. Since his personal worth is estimated at $480 million, Monaghan wants to guard himself against becoming too materialistic. Tom Monaghan realizes, "God has been good to me. I feel obliged to give something back." A great philanthropist, Monaghan has often said "I've always felt the most important thing for me is getting into heaven. When I die, I don't think Saint Peter is going to ask me how many pizzas I sold." Therefore, he has set for himself a goal before he retires: to build Roman Catholic chapels around the globe, especially in the Third World. Speaking to this one ambition, Monaghan proclaims, "We have 5,000 pizza outlets. My goal now is 5,000 chapels." In gratitude to God, Monaghan wishes to build one chapel for each pizza shop he owns.
Tom Monaghan decided he would refocus his life from that which made money to that which enriched spirituality. Monaghan understood what Jesus meant when he instructed you cannot serve both God and money.
Ron L.
