READ PSALM 23

Few of us have ever seen a shepherd.  Yet this pastoral imagery lives on, conveying to our minds our creator's concern for the individual person: for a person's welfare, development, guidance, discipline, and lot in life.  God still provides the green grass and the calm waters; God still calls us to come to him for renewal.  Isaiah added this to the picture of the shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep" (Isaiah 40:11).  And in John's gospel, Jesus calls himself the good shepherd (John 10:11-16).

Which metaphors of Jesus are most meaningful to you?
Why is the term pastor used for clergy?

PRAYER: "Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care; In thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy folds prepare."

READ 1 SAMUEL 16:14-23

Of all of David's remarkable achievements the poetry ascribed to him is the most enduring.  From the depths of his soul he was able to give artistic expression to the faith that sustained him.  The strength and courage he has imparted to countless millions over a period of 3000 years is perhaps unequaled in history.  Is there any poem to compare with "The Lord is my shepherd" (Psalm 23)? Or Psalm 8: "What are human beings that you are mindful of them?" Or the 51st: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me?" Or "God is our refuge and our strength" (Psalm 46) To be sure, there is more excitement in the Goliath story (1 Samuel 17), but not as much healing.

What is your favorite Psalm? Poem? Hymn?
What are your favorite musical instruments?

PRAYER:  O Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits to me. - AMEN!

READ 1 SAMUEL 3:1-21

Samuel is considered Israel's 1st prophet.  He began a new form of ministry.  The older form, the priesthood, emphasized worship through offering sacrifices that were often expressions of repentance.  Prophecy emphasized the "word of the Lord,' that creative, redemptive voice of God that speaks on specific occasions.  It may come as judgement.  It may inspire change.  It may breathe faith and hope.  In various ways it relates religion to daily life.

These two functions - the sacrificial and the prophetic - are still characteristic of religion.

What do we need most of all from God?
Should children be encouraged to surpass their elders?
What sacrifices does Christian discipleship require?

PRAYER: - Help us to keep our religion relevant to the needs of the world, O God, by attuning our ears to hear your Word. - AMEN!

READ NUMBERS 6:22-27

Aaron, brother of Moses, was high priest of Israel.  He was responsible for developing new patterns of religious practice among the people.  his purpose was to unify, stimulate morale, improve morals, and inspire cooperation to make converted, sustained action possible.  it took Aaron 40 years of desert-dwelling and numerous mistakes (Like the golden calf) to develop a religion and a people capable of entering and settling the land of Cannan.  His significance is not so much in the particular form of worship he developed but in the noble and lofty conception of one God expressed in his familiar benediction.

What is the chief purpose of the church?
What is the value of religion in today's society?
Why did Aaron permit the golden calf?

PRAYER: Almighty God, the source and goal of all life, Care for us as you did for ancient Israel. - AMEN!

READ EXODUS 20:1-17

People have tried, at one time or another, every conceivable way to live.  Some groups have lived as pirates, some as cannibals, some as slaves, some by enslaving, some in castes, some in communes instead of families.  In other words, people live in the kind of society they build.  The lasting greatness of Moses is not his emancipation of slaves; rather, it is the basis that he provided for a society in which people acknowledge their responsibility for their neighbor as a commission from God.  People can break the moral laws, but when they do, certain consequences are bound to follow.  As St. Paul and others have put it: "As you sow, so shall you reap."  If we want others to respect us, we likewise must respect them and their property.

Which commandment do you count most essential?  Why?
Why do we reap what we sow?
To what extent does God forgive?

PRAYER: We thank thee, Lord, for People like Moses who are able to break through barriers of injustice and lead us into a better society. -AMEN!

READ GENESIS 37:1-36

The coat that Jacob made for Joseph was a princely symbol.  It showed the sheik's choice of a successor. That was bad enough for his eleven brothers, but when the young lad lorded it over them with his dreams it was more than they could take.  The second dream was even more offensive because it meant that the sheik himself would bow down before Joseph. Did this imply that Joseph would rebel against his father? No wonder the others were suspicious and wanted to get rid of him.  Later the dreams came true. In Egypt he rose from being a slave to the highest position next to the pharoah, and when his kin came to Egypt for the food they had to obtain it from this brother they once despised.

What are some causes for his family feuds?
What comes from boasting?

PRAYER: Help us to learn to live together in peace, O Lord, and keep us from provoking others to jealousy. - AMEN!

READ ISAIAH 9:2-7

Long before Jesus was born, Isaiah the prophet declared or prophesied that God would send a Savior to the world.  We believe that Jesus fulfills this prophecy.

Many names have been given to Jesus, and many symbols are used to convey what he means to us.  In the Bible, light symbolizes the intervention of God in the world.  We use candles on our altars to remind us that Jesus himself is the light of the world.  When we know him as our Light we know that God is with us and for us.

The symbol of the rose reminds us of Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 35:1) that the desert shall blossom as the rose at the coming of the Lord.

How many names for Jesus can you recall?
What does each name tell us about him?
What light does Christ give for dealing with other people?

PRAYER: Wonderful Conselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace: we praise and bless your holy name.  Son of David, branch of Jesse, Immanuel, Good Shepherd, Light of the world: guide us and help us, we pray. - AMEN!

READ GENESIS 27:41-GENESIS 28:22

Jacob and Esau were twins.  The contest between them was for the leadership of Issac's extended family.  Which one would become sheik when father died?  Esau was in Disfavor for choosing a wife unrelated to the family.  To make sure Jacob didn't repeat the mistake, his parents sent him away to live with an uncle.  Filled with thoughts of inheriting his father's position, Jacob had his famous dream.  God was smiling on him.  When Jacob returned years later with his own family and flocks, father Issac was still alive.  And Esau, well established in his own right, offered no resistance to Jacob's inheritance. One of the finest of ancient stories is the reunion of the two brothers in Genesis 32 and 33.

When can we put stock in our dreams?
How can we make our dreams come true?

PRAYER: Put in our minds, dear Lord, noble thoughts and worthwhile desires.  Let them not die in our minds, but cause us to work for their attainment.- AMEN!

READ GENESIS 22:1-14

Faith is the convistion that "the Lord will provide" even when all the evidence contradicts this conviction.  Abraham loved God, but he also loved Issac.  Did he love God enough to give up his son?  The Greek Scriptures (New Testament) answers this awful question by turning it around.  God loved us enough to give up His son.  On the strength of no more than assurance, we are challenged to believe as Abraham did on the edge of despair that "the Lord will provide."

Faith is easy when life is easy.  But when life becomes hard and we need health or freedom or hope, we may receive nothing beyond the promise that God cares and the signs of that care.

Do health and happiness make it easier to believe in God?
Do you trust God only when things go well?
How does God encourage us to live for others?

PRAYER: "What can I give him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part,
Yet what can I give him? Give him my heart"
                -Christina Rossetti

READ GENESIS 12:1-7 AND GENESIS 13:2-18

Migrations of people are caused by many factors.  Abraham and his large following were called by God to move to a new land that God promised them.  Although we are not told how Abraham became aware of this call and promise, we are told the result of this awareness in his life: "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8).

His exceptional generosity in the division of the land with his nephew Lot s further evidence of his faith.  Many must have thought that Abraham was foolish, but he had his own reasons for his generosity.

Can a person's decisions always be reasonable?
Was Abraham wise or foolish to give Lot first choice of the land?
Should we ever limit our generosity?

PRAYER: Help us, O God, to count the need rather than the cost, in our actions for others. - AMEN!