May 14, 2014
ARE WE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?
Some Sadducees tried to pull Jesus into a religious debate concerning the resurrection of the dead. The question they were asking involved a hypothetical woman who lost to death seven husbands. So the religious leaders asked Jesus, “In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her” (Matthew 22:23-28). The Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead asked this hypothetical question as a way of trying to make belief in the resurrection look nonsensical.
One can only imagine the inane and insane debates that must have transpired between religious leaders of the day concerning how they might or might not work out this resurrection conundrum. “But Jesus answered them, ‘You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’ And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching” (Matthew 22:29-33).
Jesus amazes me in how he can take what looks like an intractable debate and cut through the chaos of controversy and chaos to an enlightening answer. I am incredibly jealous. Yet we could all learn something from how Jesus does and does not respond to controversial questions. For instance, if I understand Jesus’ response correctly, then there are some questions that ought not to be asked in the first place. Some questions reveal the ignorance and/or the evil intentions of the one(s) inquiring. Not every question deserves or is worthy of an answer. According to Jesus if we know the Scriptures and the power of God, then there are many controversial questions and issues that simply do not arise.
Jesus did not answer the Sadducees question according to their assumptions concerning the resurrection from the dead and marriage. Jesus essentially challenged these religious leaders to check their thoughts against the Scriptures. The Word of God was not the controlling document in how these particular Sadducees were thinking about resurrection and marriage. The erroneous thinking of these religious leaders appears to be driven by their own cultural, sociological, and psychological desires. Jesus takes for granted that the Word of God can correct such faulty thinking and thus curtail unnecessary questions.
In our upcoming seminar this week we will be dealing with a number of controversial questions centered on human sexuality. We will be dealing in large part with same-sex marriage. But what are questions we ought to be asking? What would the Scriptures and the power of God prompt us to ask, think, and do in regards to sexual relations and marriage? Are we asking the right or wrong questions? Are we embroiled in unnecessary debates dictated to us by those outside the Body of Christ? Please come join us this week as we seek out the right questions to ask concerning human sexuality and the marriage covenant.
– Terry
Blurred Lines: God, Sexuality, and Marriage, Part II -- You are invited to attend this upcoming seminar on May 16-18 at the building. Some talking points for our discussion for this session will be:
* God designed gender distinctions.
* Reframing the debate in a non-religious culture.
* The church’s response to homosexuality.
* Plus much more...God had a plan all along...Let’s discover it.
Please come join us May 16 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. On May 17 we will meet from 5:45-9:00 p.m. with dinner being served at 5:45 p.m. On May 18 we will finish up during our sermon time. Child care will be available both evenings.
Tuesday Morning Ladies Class -- Next Tuesday, May 20, will be our last Ladies Class before we take our summer break. We will not have a potluck luncheon on that day, but will be planning for a Tea Party some time in June. Contact Barb Viera if you need more details.
Sunday Morning Teacher Needed for the K-1st Grade for the summer quarter only. Please let Denise Beeks know if you are able to help. Thanks!
Vacation Bible School -- July 21-25 -- July may seem a long way off, but it will be here sooner than you think, so we need to plan ahead and be ready for it! Our theme this year is: Kingdom Rock - Where Kids Stand Strong for the Lord, and is for kids who have finished Kindergarten through 6th grade.
We will need teachers, food items, help with set up and clean up, carnival booth help and prizes, help with the gift each child will receive and much more. If you need more information please contact Denise Beeks.
Coffee Servers are needed for June and July. If you can help, please sign up on the list posted in the hallway by the stairs. All help is greatly appreciated!
Prayer Requests . . . . For Severta Shipley as she continues to improve at home - she is under eight hour-a-day care now, but would love company - please call first before going to visit her...K Li requests prayers for her son, George, to come to Christ and for Thomas to the get the contract that he needs...For Jenny Way to be able to get done all that is planned for her...Kathy York asks prayers for safe travel this week as she goes to visit her grandchildren...For Leslie, a co-worker of Colleen Abbott’s, who is struggling...Quinn Drew asks prayers for a teammate whose father passed away a few weeks ago - prayers for comfort and for the family to find their way to God...For our President and all of our military men, women and families.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! -- We would like to thank everyone who helped in any way with our camp fund raiser dinner last week. We appreciate all the auction items that were donated, the help with food preparation, set-up, clean-up, etc. We thank you for your generosity – over $14,000 was given toward our camp!!! That is a record and we are humbled. One more thing we would like to ask of you is to keep all of our campers and staff in your prayers while we are at camp June 29-July 5.
CAMPERS: Remember to turn in your registration form ASAP. They are located on the information center in the courtyard. Registration Deadline is June 15!!!
Graduation Receptions – May 18 -- Don and Zana Walker will be hosting a reception for their daughter, Tabitha, at their home from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at 790 Cherry Street, Medford, 541-779-1595; and Stephen and Diane Liles will be hosting a reception for their daughter, Rachel, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at 425 Sunrise Avenue, Medford, 541-941-2264. Please come join us as we celebrate their graduation!
CONGRATULATIONS TO: 8th grader, Courtney Denn, who tied the District Record for the 800 meter run in 2:28:00 (twice around the track)! She is going on to the State meet!
Prime Timers Picnic -- All West Main Prime Timers and their guests are invited to celebrate the coming of summer with a potluck picnic on Thursday, June 5, from noon - 2:00 p.m. at Holmes Park on South Modoc Avenue in Medford. More details will be coming or you may contact Joan Tisdel for more information.
Calendar of Events
May 16-18: Blurred Lines Seminar
June 5: Prime Timers Picnic
June 29-July 5: CAMP
July 21-25: VBS
