More Than Hearing

Greetings!! This week we’re looking at come very familiar texts about situations that are unpredictable. That is, no one could have seen that coming. Abram could not see what was in store for him when he left Ur but something in God’s promise compelled him to leave. Paul reminds his Roman readers that Abraham simply trusted God and that it was counted as righteousness. Who expects such grace or such trust? In John, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night to try to unravel some of the mystery of what has been happening and discovers even more mystery. Isn’t this often much like our own lives of faith? We may be enlightened on the way, or we may find ourselves going down paths that are difficult and full of harsh opponents. It’s all very unpredictable. We cannot know what awaits when we set out, but God’s promise to be with as we go is enough to motivate that first step.

Four verses. That’s all we have to work with this week. Four verses. At first look, this seemed meager pickings, indeed.  Then, we thought about what this long journey was like. We don’t get any detail in these four verses (or in the verses that follow) about road conditions or emergencies or delays, but we know from our own road trips how things can go off the rails. We consider the unpredictable nature of journeys with illustrations and special effects in Eye, Body, and Music Smart. This story is a call to an individual and like all the call stories in Scripture, the one called must make a decision to respond. Abram decides to trust and obey, and we explore the implications of obedience in Word and Self Smart. 

Often we read Scripture passages with the intention of distilling the one nugget of truth it contains that we then may pocket and go on about our business, safe in the knowledge that we have our talisman or treasure in a safe place. This is nothing new for our age as Paul seems to be calling his readers to task for doing this very thing with their understanding of Abraham. In this section of his letter, Paul is encouraging his readers to go back to their source material and give it another look – they might be surprised at what they find! I thought of misheard song lyrics as a Word Smart illustration and we have some links for a special effect. After readers go see the account of Abraham’s faith and notice where their understanding has been blurred, Paul then urges them to adopt a different perspective, which we look at in a Math Smart illustration. Paul was writing to two distinct groups of believers who he wanted to unite as one so he used the phrase “our ancestor.” I have a story about how this can be misunderstood in People Smart. Finally, we have some questions about spiritual ancestors for consideration in Self Smart.

We are back to stories about traveling with the Gospel passage. In Eye Smart, David illustrates the confounding nature of not seeing well in the dark (like Nicodemus). We have an idea for demonstrating this with a simple special effect. We stick with Nicodemus’ confusion with two Math Smart illustrations and wonder if being plagued by questions about Jesus’ identity is what kept him up late at night in Body Smart. The discussion Nicodemus finally has with Jesus is nothing that he could have expected and looks very much like two people talking past one another; Nicodemus is operating on one level of understanding and Jesus is dimensions away from him on another. We consider how missing out on the basics can make deeper appreciation most difficult in Music Smart. 

Image Credit: via Giphy.com

Greetings!!  The season of Lent is upon us. Lent, that penitential season, it starts with “L,” and that rhymes with “Hell,” and that’s where you’re gonna go! Unless you turn back and foreswear your foolish ways! Well, that’s how a lot of us have heard about sin. It’s what you do that you shouldn’t and don’t that you should, and God’s gonna get you for it. Except that really isn’t what we find in our passages this week. Rather, we find these poor humans, made in the Image of God, tricked, trapped, and enslaved by a power, a system that is rebelling against God. No slave revolt will overthrow the system of Sin, but only the battle for supremacy between this awful power and the Christ sent by God! As we say in our segment on the Romans passage, we may think of sin like the raccoon that gets into the garbage, but in reality it’s SIN, the monster knocking down buildings and eating trains in Tokyo (or Cincinnati)!

So in Genesis, the trap is set, and we fall right into it. In Romans, Paul shows how Christ undoes the damage done by Adam’s weakness. And in Matthew, we find Jesus in his own personal battle with the System, and he comes out on top.

As yet unnamed Adam and Eve appear in the text here, and as we said above, they fall for the trick that gets them trapped. We play with some fields of translation for some of the key words in Word Smart, and that brings some new richness to the old, old story. In Math Smart, we use a mathematical metaphor to show how gullible humans can be. We suggest some instruments and tunes to score the scene in Music Smart. Then in Nature Smart, we invite congregants to meditate on our original call from God to be gardeners and stewards.

This passage is an epic back-and-forth description of the fate of all humanity. Paul talks about the twin terrors of Sin and Death unleashed on the human world through the failure of Adam, and contrasts that with the hope and victory unleashed by Christ. We suggest a few visual SFX in Eye Smart and reflect them in Body Smart to keep track of the pendulum swing between Life and Death. We also consider how our limited understanding of Sin is like a cinematic trick to bring wide screen to the small screen. In Nature Smart we employ the above-mentioned House Pest Vs. Giant Monster analogy (No city is safe! Cast of millions!). Then in People Smart, working from a quote that insists that salvation in Christ is a communal event for a large cause than your eternal wellbeing, we invite your members to discuss together what the social impact of this salvation might actually look like.

Lent always starts with the story of Jesus fasting for 40 days and being tempted. That’s where the whole idea of Lent gets its 40-day shape and many of its traditional practices, including fasting. So no great surprise, here. But with the texts that we hear so often, it can be useful to try coming at them from different angles. That’s why we’re here! This year we noticed the spatial movement in the story and explore that with a few Eye Smart ideas. We explore that movement and also fasting in Body Smart. People Smart includes drama, so we suggest a Readers Theatre for Matthew 4 and also a skit interviewing Jesus. The time-tested spiritual discipline of journaling finds its way into Self Smart, focusing on temptations especially.

Image credit: Copyright: joebakal / 123RF Stock Photo; used by permission.

Greetings!! The Transfiguration of the Lord is one of those weird Sundays where the Western mind just cocks its head to the side, furrows its brow, and stares for a while, trying to make sense of what might be called mystical experiences described in the texts. In the OT and Gospel narratives we have talking clouds on top of mountains, people glowing with unearthly light, and long-dead prophets appearing for conversation. In the epistle lesson, we have someone using such an experience as reassurance of his credibility. These sorts of things just don’t happen to “normal” people in “these modern times.” Do they? Regardless, as preachers we have the fun job of making it relevant to those cocked, starring heads. This is one of the reasons we do this show, because sometimes religion and transcendence need more than a verbal bridge.

Moses gets a call to come up the holy mountain. He goes up and up and up, and stays and stays. In Word Smart we hear verbal echoes of the creation and other prehistory stories. There are so many repetitions of phrases they are natural cues for some Body Smart motions. Quick – think of a song with mountains in it! If you can’t, we have a list in Music Smart. The Self Smart in us all needs some time for spiritual retreat, time away with God, as Moses was having. When was the last time you took that time?

The author of 2 Peter insists that the experience on the mountaintop was not only legitimate, but a strong case for Jesus’ claim as Messiah. In order to maintain the the urgency of proclamation, he encourages readers to allow this message to illuminate their own lives, shining like a bright light in a dark place. We offer some examples of this in Eye smart. Yet, eyewitness testimony can be problematic which we discuss in Math smart. The author also encourages the faithful to hold onto this illuminating trust until Jesus’ dawning at his return. We have some thoughts about dawn in Nature smart. And finally in People smart, we wonder if folks in your congregation have ever been called on to offer eyewitness testimony – or testimony about Jesus.  

As David says in the introduction, what are we to do with this story? Glad you asked! Beginning in Eye smart, think about how dazzlingly bright Jesus’ appearance was for the disciples and then ask your congregation to express it in art or craft. Don’t just talk about it – do it! We have referenced Dr. James Loder in the past, but his work on transformation is entirely appropriate here in Math smart. The passage says that Peter, James, and John cowered in fear at the change in Jesus and the sudden appearance of Moses and Elijah; we discuss some of the fear response in Body smart. Sticking with the idea that this experience is difficult to tell, we suggest using Music smart to express it in poetry or song. And David has written a wonderful readers theater script for People smart. Let us know how this goes if you try it! (Also, how to get hold of a fog machine, because how cool would that be?)

Image Credit: Mountain Scenery from Clipart.me

* Just the title. Not really bonus material. This time.

Greetings!! Welcome back! As I was poking about online looking for a reason why some texts were paired with the other texts in the lectionary, I came across this article written by Gail O’Day at Ministry Matters. Ordering our worshipping life together has some pretty long roots – even though the current design for readings goes back only to the Second Vatican Council. What got me to wondering is that sometimes, we really scratch our heads as to why certain texts are paired with others. If I were a liturgical sommelier, there would be some weeks I would drop everything and cower in a closet rather than try to make a pairing. Other times, the texts co-operate fully and work together. I think this Sunday is one of those times. In Leviticus, Moses is giving the people a bit more muscle for the basic bones of the commandments. In Matthew, Jesus is still preaching his sermon on the Mount and is exercising those muscles and giving them strength and definition. In the Corinthians passage, Paul is encouraging the believers to consider the types of materials they will use to build the temple of their lives in which God’s Holy Spirit will dwell. Sort of a spiritual gymnasium for working out, if you will. So each of the texts is providing the faithful with bonus material to build up the spiritual body for the good of all, or a way of thinking about what good materials they should be using to build their lives of faith.

The music and rhythm of Torah is on full display in these verses, which we think could be fun to explore in Music Smart. In Nature Smart, we learn that gleaning is an ancient practice that benefits both the landowners and those who need food. Did you know it is still practiced here in the United States? We have a link below to the United States Department of Agriculture that outlines some gleaning projects. Our special effect in People Smart could be a lot of fun, so we highly recommend it! And in Self Smart, we consider the dangerous effects of enacting vengeance on one’s own. NOT recommended.

Paul wants the Christians in Corinth to think carefully about the type of life they are building around the faith he has conveyed to them. He uses the image of a temple to focus their attention. So in Eye Smart, we wonder how images of different worship spaces might get our own thoughts rolling. Paul tells them to choose wisely because their materials will be tested in the fire of the judgement day, which we think could be a very interesting special effect. Using the same idea of the body as a temple, we have some ideas to play with this in Body Smart. In Nature Smart, we stay with fire and the ignition temperatures for various materials (see links below) and think inviting a firefighter to speak would be an awesome special effect. And may happen anyway if you choose to do these burns in worship and things get out of hand! And finally in People Smart, we have a question about leadership for an illustration and encourage you to go find the blueprints for your own building.

Jesus continues his sermon and re-interprets – or fulfills – some points of the law. He is telling the people nothing new. As a matter of fact, what he is teaching has been around for a while and has likely become just background noise. So in order to get the disciples’ attention, Jesus takes old ideas and reinvigorates them with fresh language, which we look at in Word Smart. We have an interesting suggestion to try the same thing as a special effect; if you try it, please let us know how it goes! The logic of loving your enemy involves adding infinity to the equation which we do in Math Smart. Body Smart has several possibilities including throwing fake punches, imagining sporting events where personal fouls do not happen, and a link to an article by Walter Wink (see below). Jesus is serious about this loving your enemies stuff, and we have a suggestion to try it out in a Nature Smart special effect.

Image credit: Copyright: aquir / 123RF Stock Photo. Used by permission.

Hey everyone! Welcome back! Whenever our family goes out to eat, we always send our server away at least twice to give David plenty of time to decide what he wants to order. We will make our choices, drink water, talk, laugh, and generally ignore how hungry we are as we wait for him to make a choice. To say that this is a defining characteristic of my husband is a bit of an understatement. I have already told him that when he dies, I’m inscribing his headstone with the question: What are my options? The passages for this Sunday urge decisions and coming to terms with one’s relationship with God. Moses gives one final address to the Hebrews before they cross the Jordan into the land promised by God. Paul continues to correct the Corinthians presumptions and assumptions about themselves, and Jesus gets very pointed with his interpretation of the law during his Sermon on the Mount. In each passage, people are presented with an option to make a decision about how they will live as God’s people.

Isaiah gives way to Torah for this week’s Old Testament reading, and in it we join the story of the Exodus as it concludes. The people have travelled about on the other side of the Jordan River long enough forget to be slaves in bondage and learn how to be a free people following the God who saved them. It’s been a bit rocky, and Moses takes the opportunity to remind them, one last time, about what God has done and how God will continue to be with them and bless them and give them long, prosperous lives. In Eye Smart, we suggest using an either/or prompt as a visual aid. Moses’ plea for the people to choose God reminded David of countless ballads beseeching the beloved to choose the suitor, and so we have a link to such a song in Music Smart. Once again, the earth is called to take part in a court case, but this time as a witness and as evidence of our choices. Finally, in Self Smart, we wonder what kinds of images might help individuals remember to dwell in God.

As the letter to the Christians in Corinth continues, Paul pushes them both 1) off center by challenging them to look closely at the nature of their discipleship, and 2) to make some changes in their self-perception and Jesus-perception. I imagine this did not go over well with some members of the congregation, but it may have been just what others needed to truly grasp the meaning of the cross. Paul points out that he wants to give them deep insights into the nature of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, but they are not ready because their understanding is still not mature. He informs them that his teaching is like mother’s milk; easily digested for undeveloped digestive systems. Playing off this idea for Body Smart, we suggest bringing in some food “stages” – a bottle of milk, toddler friendly snacks, and adult food. Paul again brings up various allegiances to different teachers and blows that factionalism out of the water with a gardening allegory. We pursue this in Nature Smart. We have a suggestion for examining factions in your congregation in People Smart, and in Self Smart, we have some questions about autobiographies and diets.

Last week, Jesus told his disciples that he had not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. In this passage, he gives four examples of the law with a fuller, deeper interpretation. In Word Smart, following Jesus’ lead, we look at the power of words. Jesus teaches that one can kill with angry, abusive language, and we have an idea for a special effect demonstrating it. For Eye Smart, Jesus’ teaching is like sharpening a pencil to a dangerous point or being superfluous with lens uses. To illustrate the logic behind Jesus’ teaching, we have a formula in Math Smart that shows how a mere one degree of variation can have huge consequences. Jesus wants his disciples healthy, and we offer some ways to illustrate that in Body Smart. Finally, in People Smart, Jesus’ instruction to be reconciled is put to very good use by Delmer Chilton’s story about an Appalachian worship practice. It sounds really powerful!

Image Credit: Copyright: kbuntu / 123RF Stock Photo

Welcome back! “As if!” If you saw the 1995 movie Clueless, you know this phrase. The Online Slang Dictionary defines the complexity of these two simple words as “an exclamation which connotes a derisive assertion that whatever is being talked about is impossible or very unlikely.” In each of the passages for this Sunday, we have an “as if” situation. Yet, rather than being something that is not at all possible, each situation is fully possible, but only if God is in the center of it. God speaks through the prophet in Isaiah to tell the people that their worship, while meeting the proper form, is lacking in depth. They need to refocus their hearts and minds on what God desires from them. Paul knows that it is possible for the Corinthians to understand him and his message better if they allow the Spirit to work in them. In Matthew, Jesus tells his followers that they are salt and light and that by living like they are, they fully occupy their place in the kingdom.

In this passage, two perspectives are presented regarding Israel’s state of being. The first two verses are God’s charge to the people – through the blasting voice of the prophet – to recognize their rebellion. Even though the people stream into worship daily “as if” their actions are righteous, God is skeptical. In verse 3, the people seemed surprised by this and come back with a claim that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, which God doesn’t accept. Using Eye Smart, we suggest illustrating this back and forth as a theater critic watching wooden actors on stage. For a special effect, bring in toys and see how well they worship just sitting there. For God, worship is part of an equation. In Math Smart, we illustrate this equation with a formula that requires non-zero factors if you want a non-zero product. Since God wants to grab the people’s attention with a trumpet blast, we have some links to just such a thing in Music Smart. God knows the people very well and can see their motivations clearly. In People Smart, I have a story that helps illustrate this kind of keen understanding, and we have some questions for groups to ponder for a special effect.

Paul begins this chapter telling the Corinthians that he did not first come to them speaking with lofty words of wisdom. Rather, he came to them relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit to act as a translator for him. In Word smart, we have two illustrations of translations, and for a special effect, bring in a lexicon. Paul insists throughout these verses that the Spirit allows for perception beyond the usual limits; seeing not only what is in front of you, but what is around you and what is motivating others. So we have an interesting meditation to try as a special effect in Eye Smart. Paul comes to the Corinthians with no preconceived notions about them, but rather with the intention to allow the Spirit to work in him to open his eyes to them. They will tell him who they are as he pays attention. In Nature smart, we have a way to illustrate this watchfulness. And in Self smart, I had a personal experience of seeing other people “as if” I were looking at them through God’s eyes. For a special effect, we wonder what life would be like if we intentionally looked at others in this way all the time.

In the first part of today’s passage, Jesus identifies qualities in his disciples “as if” they were salt and light. We have a link in Eye smart to illustrate what lots of lanterns might look like and suggest using them in worship for a special effect. In Math smart, we thought Jesus’ declaration of fulfilling the law could be illustrated with examples of basic functionality brought to a level of artistry with effort and care. Check out our suggestions for special effects! In Body smart, we wonder how we can reveal our salt and light qualities through our body postures, and in People smart, Karoline Lewis makes the case that our knowledge of God cannot stop in our heads. It needs to make the journey to our hearts and our bodies as we act out our theology in the world. For a special effect, gather your people together and ask them to brainstorm ways that might be possible.   

Image credit: Copyright: pavellysenko / 123RF Stock Photo, used by permission.

Here’s a little extra for you this week. Something about the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 got my Music Smarts going, and I came up with this rhythmic chant based on the NRSV text. We’re presenting this as a demo of how it might go. There’s an intro in the recording and then the chant itself starts at about [01:28].

If you have musically inclined folks, they can probably do a better job with it than I did. Here’s a pdf of the score for the chant, so you can have a go at it.

Let me know what you think! Leave a comment, or better yet, send me a recording of how you used it.

Image credit: Open Gift Box with Love Present from Clipart.me

This piece is connected to this episode:  Year A, Ordinary 4, 2017 – Flip Flop

Hey all! Welcome back! What was your first thought when you read the title of the episode? If you are in the depths of winter with ice, snow, cold winds, dry air, dark overcast days – I’m depressing myself – “flip flop” may make you think of lovely summer days at the beach or strolling in the park with friends and family. Or, you might think of “flip flop” in terms of its colloquial use here in the US to describe someone who changes their position on an issue frequently and often. In spite of the negative connotation, we’re using the second image for this week’s title because each of the passages for this Sunday has a reversal. In Micah, God is bringing the beloved people to trial! Paul insists that what the Corinthians value is not as valuable as they think. And in Matthew, Jesus offers blessings for people the world would consider quite unfortunate. However, God is always turning life upside down in order to bring grace, mercy, and a restored relationship.

Micah 6: 1-8  [01:59]  – Micah presents a juicy legal drama in these verses. God is perplexed by the people’s behavior and forgetfulness and has decided to get their attention by suing them. The first verses show the mountains and the foundation of the earth being summoned for jury duty and the people being directed to stand and plead their case. We wondered in Nature Smart if the mountains are simply a lovely literary device or if they refer to Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, actual mountains that are part of Israel’s history. As God presents evidence of God’s own great faithfulness and mighty acts of salvation on behalf of the people, Micah asks them what they could possibly offer as compensation for their misdeeds. In Body smart, we have a suggestion to use the rising and standing to plead one’s defense and the bowing to offer a sacrifice with your people in worship. We have a question in Self Smart about the difficulty of offering oneself to God and in Math Smart, we explore how God reverses the expectation of punishment.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 [14:25] – Paul expands his argument against the Corinthians in today’s verses. They have not only divided themselves into favored factions, but also they are chasing after values that run counter to the Good News of the cross that Paul had already proclaimed to them. It is not the first time, nor the last time that people would do such things. In Eye Smart, we look at the Vitruvian Man as a symbol of humanity’s tendency to center the world in the self. We think the reversal in this passage can be explored with some questions in People Smart. The pivot point of the reversal is the cross, and in Self Smart, we wonder what shocking item of humiliation would represent the ugliness of the cross for Paul’s audience in our day.

Matthew 5:1-12 [22:22] – God’s reversal is on full display in Jesus’ most famous sermon. What is blessed (or honored) about being poor in spirit or hungry for justice or persecuted for your faith? We have some charts to help understand this logic in Math Smart. For Music Smart, we have a few hymns and anthems using these verses, as well as a chant and choral reading. For People Smart, we have a homework project special effect, and in Self Smart, we have some questions that have a connection to Body Smart.

Image credit: The featured image is … wait for it… flip-flopped flip flops on a flip chart! – D2

Greetings!!  Do any of you watch Wheel of Fortune? I’ll have it on from time to time, and I always perk up when the Before and After puzzles come up in the game. The solution to the puzzle is a compound phrase that shares a middle word – {A Chip Off the Old [Block} Party], for example. Or, the title of this episode! As I read the passages for this Sunday, I see each of them presenting the kingdom of God approaching with images of hope and light. (Isaiah and Matthew are specific about that.) Then, the letter to the Corinthians and the Gospel passage take that coming kingdom and extend an invitation to be part of it. So, the Kingdom come on! Have fun finding a graphic for this one, David!!   

Isaiah 9:1-4   [01:59]  – The context of Isaiah helps interpret these four verses. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali have been conquered and the people who remain there are living in the ashes of destruction, much like the people of Aleppo today. Even though the sun rises everyday, devastation is everywhere and gloom settles like the dust of destroyed buildings and fields. To those people long ago, Isaiah speaks words of hope and light and reminds them of God’s mighty acts for them in their past. We have an illustration from Ed McNulty’s comments about the movie Amistad and an idea for a special effect in Eye Smart. In Body Smart, we have a link to an ancient carving that shows the bar of oppression, and we suggest what could be a rather risky special effect. Use your discretion for that one. The book of Isaiah shows up frequently in Handel’s Messiah, and we have a link to a performance of “Aria 11” (not to be confused with Area 51) and a recommendation for an article by Andrew Davies in Music Smart. Finally, in Self Smart, we have some questions to consider about the yokes and bars of our own lives and whether we can truly trust God to deliver us from them.

1 Corinthians 1:10-18 [10:21] – Paul doesn’t waste much time getting to the reason for writing his letter to the church in Corinth. He’s heard of divisions and factions (in a church?! Never!) and is determined to have a “come to Jesus moment” with them. He does this by bringing them to Jesus – specifically, his cross, where all divisions and factions come to die. In Eye and Nature Smart, we compare Paul’s examination of the Corinthians’ factiousness to a jeweler holding a diamond up to the light to find flaws. In Math Smart, we look at absolute values and give a link to charting them. And in People Smart, we illustrate how destructive unexamined contention can be using potter’s clay.

Matthew 4:12-23  [18:35] – The promise of light and hope in Isaiah makes a reappearance in this passage. After his cousin John is arrested, Jesus moves to the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, a working class enclave in northeast Israel. He adopts John’s message of repentance and proclaims the kingdom of heaven has come near. Since he himself is bringing it, that much is for certain, but Jesus wants others to experience it, as well. To that end, he went about the area healing people, which we look at in Body Smart. The connection with the body is obvious; what is less obvious is the reason for all the sickness. In his commentary at Working Preacher, Warren Carter goes into some of the reasons for illness and how devastating it could be. In Nature Smart, we encourage you to take a look at the countryside around the Sea of Galilee; either Google images, or Google Earth, or ask around for pictures taken by pilgrims you may know. As an added Eye Smart bonus, project the pictures as you read this lesson and preach your sermon! Finally, People Smart contains a bit of Word Smart in that the word translated “left” – as in “they left their nets” – can also be translated as “divorced.” The disciples divorced themselves from their usual life to follow Jesus. How does using this emotionally loaded word alter our understanding of Jesus’ call to them and to us?

Image credit: Somebody’s screen cap that I edited in GIMP

Welcome back! We’ve been in a new liturgical year for over a month now and according to Episcopalians, this is the second Sunday after Epiphany. Other calendars call it “Ordinary Time.” I suppose it just depends on what you choose to emphasize as you preach and lead worship. We have chosen to go with Ordinary Time even though the three passages all have some element of revelation in them. In Isaiah, God’s mysterious servant makes an announcement about his life and mission. Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians by reminding them that their gifts and successes come from the Risen Lord. In John, the Baptist points Jesus out to his disciples as the Lamb of God twice, prompting two of them to follow after Jesus and even bring family and friends to see him. The three passages all proclaim God’s presence and activity in their times. We have ideas to do the same!

Isaiah 49:1-7 [02:00]  – In this servant song, the servant speaks about his identity and mission for God and God’s people. Yet, even the servant, called and named while in utero, can misunderstand God’s intentions. Thinking he was going to be used as a secret weapon against God’s enemies, he grows discouraged for not having been put to use. But God (and the Good News always starts that way!), has other plans. In Eye smart, we have links to some fabulous pictures of sunlight taken from space to illustrate “light for the nations and salvation to the ends of the earth.” We have some examples to illustrate God’s plan for the servant in Body smart. The call of the servant follows some of the elements found in other call stories in Scripture. We illustrate that process and have some questions for consideration in People smart. And in Self smart, we wonder if you have ever found yourself ready to go but found God has kept you on the bench? You are in good company, apparently!

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 [08:57] – As we were recording the podcast and David was giving a characterization of the Corinthian congregation, I couldn’t help but think of our own hyper-competitive society here in the DC area. I’m not sure when we began to see all of life as a zero sum game, but I really wish we would stop it. [There’s my wish for 2017!] At any rate, Paul attempts to discourage a “me first” mentality in Corinth, which we explore with algebra illustrations and special effects in Math smart. Becoming strong disciples requires workouts so we look at how to illustrate that in Body smart. In Music smart, we offer two clips of a song about call. What songs do you know with a similar theme? We have questions in Self smart that connect with our observations in Word smart (see D2’s PEI below).

John 1:29-42 [18:22] – Biblical scholars say Mark’s gospel jumps in and hits the ground running – I think John’s gospel is a close second. We are still in the first chapter and already Jesus is gathering disciples. It helps that John the Baptist seems to be sending them his way, too! He doesn’t seem to mind that he “loses” a couple of them to Jesus, which we explore in People smart. We probably shouldn’t be surprised that Andrew and another disciple literally follow after Jesus, because John is not shy about stating who he believes Jesus to be. We look at how being direct and obvious makes a difference in Word smart. Many artists who have chosen to paint the Baptist through history portray him with his finger pointing – either at the “sons of snakes” or at the Lamb of God, so we suggest a video clip of other people pointing the way in Body smart. John refers to the dove he saw at Jesus baptism, and we can’t help but be amazed at how willing he seems to be to relinquish followers – we look at both of these in Nature smart.

Image credit: public domain via The Graphics Fairy