Weekly Liturgy : May 5-11
- John
- May 5
- 3 min read
John 10:22-30
NRSV Version
At that time the Festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me, but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.
“My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all else, and no one can snatch them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one."
REFLECTIONS
Thoughts from John:
In the preceding two chapters, John’s Gospel is really interested in the blindness and deafness of the religious elite around Jesus. Now it’s winter and the nation is celebrating Hanukkah. This is a festival about light and darkness. It commemorates the Maccabean revolution, the last time a would-be messiah rose up against the occupying empire.
So the religious officials corner Jesus and ask: Jesus are you going to fight Rome or not? Are you really the Messiah? Wouldn’t this festival be a great time to start the war?
And Jesus replies: You’re idiots if you think that’s how God plans to save Israel. If you want to know how God is rescuing you, look at how I treat people. That’s the blueprint.
Because God and I the same. God is like me.
May our world in 2025 know the difference between the warrior God we hope for and the God Revealed In Christ we have. And may we who follow Jesus have the courage to name that difference.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Are you a to-do list person? This week, on each to-do list you create, add three items that meet the needs of an other person.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
The next time you experience a negative emotion, ask yourself: what’s missing that, if it were present, would satisfy my need? How can you advocate for that ‘missing thing’ without placing blame on the another person?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Enthusiasm: Celebrating and praising God’s goodness.
Keep a gratitude journal this week. Write 3 things, every night, for which you are grateful.
Questions for Reflection
How do you most often wish God would solve your problems? Is God inviting you to see God’s plans differently?
What attributes of Jesus encourage you the most about God’s character?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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