discussion

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I  am  doing  a  new  thing  Bible  Study/discussion  

  Opening  Prayer     Gracious  and  Holy  God,     Give  us  wisdom  to  perceive  you,  diligence  to  seek  you,  patience  to  wait  for  you,  eyes  to   behold  you,  a  heart  to  meditate  on  you,  through  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  our   Lord.  Amen    (St.  Benedict)     Dwell  in  the  word  –  Isaiah  43:16-­‐19     (Spend  a  few  minutes  centering  in  the  Scripture  passage.    Read  the  passage  slowly,   surrounded  with  silence.  Ask  people  to  listen  to  the  text  and  notice  images  or   impressions  that  come  to  them.  Consider  reading  the  text  twice,  with  time  in  between   for  reflection,  using  two  different  versions.)     16Thus  says  the  Lord,  who  makes  a  way  in  the  sea,  a  path  in  the  mighty  waters,  17who   brings  out  chariot  and  horse,  army  and  warrior;  they  lie  down,  they  cannot  rise,  they   are  extinguished,  quenched  like  a  wick:  18Do  not  remember  the  former  things,  or   consider  the  things  of  old.  19I  am  about  to  do  a  new  thing;  now  it  springs  forth,  do  you   not  perceive  it?    (NRSV)     16-­‐19This  is  what  God  says,          the  God  who  builds  a  road  right  through  the  ocean,          who  carves  a  path  through  pounding  waves,   The  God  who  summons  horses  and  chariots  and  armies—          they  lie  down  and  then  can't  get  up;          they're  snuffed  out  like  so  many  candles:   "Forget  about  what's  happened;          don't  keep  going  over  old  history.   Be  alert,  be  present.  I'm  about  to  do  something  brand-­‐new.          It's  bursting  out!  Don't  you  see  it?   There  it  is!  I'm  making  a  road  through  the  desert,          rivers  in  the  badlands.    (The  Message)     What  do  you  notice  listening  to  the  prophet’s  words?     What  do  you  hear  God  calling  you  to  do  through  this  passage?  (Pause  to   take  some  responses  if  offered)     Are  you  familiar  with  those  reality  clean-­‐house  TV  shows,  where  a  team  of  experts   helps  a  family  cope  with  their  clutter?  Maybe  you’ve  seen  an  episode  where  the   professional  organizer  spends  as  much  time  helping  a  person  understand  their   attachment  to  things  as  he  or  she  does  reorganizing  them.      

Perhaps  you  are  one  of  the  1  in  5  American  families  that  rent  a  storage  unit.  The   storage  business  is  growing  even  during  the  recession,  with  revenues  that  exceed   that  of  Hollywood!  We’re  a  culture  that  would  rather  rent  new  space  for  our  stuff   than  cut  back  or  part  with  it.     When  organizers  on  “Clean  Sweep”  or  “Enough,  Already!”  try  to  help  people   organize  their  first  step  is  to  clear  everything  out  of  the  room  and  spend  time   sorting  it  into  piles  of  things  they  will  keep,  things  they  will  donate  or  sell,  and   things  they  will  simply  trash.       Our  church,  the  ELCA,  and  all  of  our  synods  and  congregations  are  going  through  a   similar  sorting  process.  While  God’s  mission  and  Christ’s  presence  with  us  haven’t   changed,  decades  of  decline  topped  by  the  Great  Recession  are  teaching  us  that  we   can’t  just  keep  going  as  we  have…  There  are  things  that  we  have  to  let  go  of  to  make   way  for  the  new  treasures  God  is  giving  us.     With  all  of  the  challenges  the  21st  Century  Church  faces  to  be  a  vital  and  relevant   Gospel  witness  in  word,  worship,  and  service,  how  do  we  clean  out  the  ecclesiastical   attics  and  the  basements  and  the  drawers  and  closets  to  make  room  for  the  Good   News  of  Jesus  Christ  and  to  clear  away  the  clutter  that  may  make  seeing  Gods   activity  difficult?     Lets  see  if  what  the  Prophet  Isaiah  wrote  to  the  People  of  Israel  has  significance  for   us  today.    When  this  passage  was  written  the  People  of  Israel  were  in  exile  and   bondage  once  again,  but  this  time  it  was  Babylon.  They  yearned  for  their  old  familiar   way  of  life  and  comfortable  rituals  of  faith.  Isaiah  reminds  the  people  that  God  saved   them  with  mighty  acts  before,  and  rescued  them  from  bondage  in  Egypt.  God  will   do  it  again.  This  is  God’s  Promise  to  God’s  people.  Earlier,  in  v.  13,  God  promises:  “I   work,  says  the  Lord…  and  who  can  hinder  it?”       The  imperative  “do  not  remember  the  former  things”  is  loud  and  clear.    This  is  a  call   to  God’s  people  not  to  limit  their  vision  to  their  current  misfortune,  but  to  trust  in   God’s  power  to  turn  the  situation  around.     What  might  “former  things”  be  in  our  context?  What  gets  in  the  way  of   being  open  to  what  God  is  doing  around  us?  (Pause  for  some  quick   answers)     The  prophet  Isaiah  doesn’t  tell  us  to  reject  everything  old  and  embrace  novelty  for   its  own  sake.  But  it  is  a  caution  not  to  be  so  focused  on  looking  back  that  we  can’t   see  what  God  is  doing  right  in  front  of  us.       “Do  not  remember  the  former  things,  or  consider  the  things  of  old.”  The  prophet   warns  us  not  to  be  so  preoccupied  with  our  memories  that  we  neglect  seeing  what   God  is  doing  now.    

“I  am  about  to  do  a  new  thing;  now  it  springs  forth,  do  you  not  perceive  it?”    Jesus   told  us  not  to  be  overly  concerned  with  either  past  or  future.    The  present  moment   is  the  place  we  can  perceive  God  face-­‐to-­‐face  and  cooperate  in  God’s  mission:   “Repent  and  Believe,  the  Kindgom  of  God  is  among  you!”       The  tradition  we  grew  up  with  is  incredibly  important  in  the  way  it  has  formed  and   shaped  who  we  are  today.    But  it  should  not  limit  whom  God  can  shape  us  into   tomorrow.  Israel’s  mistakes  and  captivity  were  character-­‐building  experiences,  but   they  did  not  limit  how  God  could  bring  his  dreams  to  reality  through  them.     Then  God  says….    “I  am  about  to  do  a  new  thing.”  Don’t  read  “new”  in  this  case  as   “discontinuously  novel.”      The  “new  thing”  that  is  promised  is  in  line  with  the   trajectory  of  their  history,  but  it  is  not  boxed  in  by  the  specific  ways  that  they  have   understood  God  to  act  in  the  past.     Our  challenge  is  to  use  the  present  to  build  on  the  past  to  help  bring  about   God’s  future.       ‘Now  it  springs  forth,  do  you  not  perceive  it?  …  We  know  that  God  has  been,  is   and  will  always  be  present  for  us.    Psalm  139  promises  us  that  God  is  before  and   behind  and  has  his  hand  on  our  shoulder,  and  is  already  everywhere  he  calls  us  to  be.     Our  trouble  as  human  beings  is  that  we  are  not  always  open  or  equipped  to  see   God’s  action.    Sometimes,  as  with  the  religious  establishment  of  Jesus’  time,  it  is  not   in  our  self-­‐interest  to  see  God’s  new  thing.  Others,  like  Paul,  have  been  blinded  by   their  experience  and  learning  until  Christ  opened  their  eyes  to  a  new  vision.         Can  we  stop  and  make  some  time  to  perceive  what  God  is  doing?  Can  we  see  the   Spirit  at  work  in  Christians  and  non-­‐Christians  gathering?  Can  we  appreciate  the   worship  of  people  more  attuned  to  Bono  than  Bach?  Can  we  see  preaching  and   teaching  occurring  in  questions  and  discussion  and  story  telling  as  well  as  in   traditional  pulpit  proclamation?         As  we  think  about  the  sorting  we  have  to  do  as  the  church  and  as  a  congregation,  we   can  imagine  three  slightly  different  sorting  piles  –  the  Treasures  we  want  to  keep   central  in  our  life  as  a  Christian  community,  the  gifts  and  resources  we  can  Share   with  others,  and  the  things  that  hinder  our  proclamation  to  new  people  that  we   might  want  to  Trash,  or  at  least  set  aside.     Can  we  adapt  our  liturgies,  ideas  of  community,  serving  others,  and  notions  of   spiritual  leadership  to  be  faithful  to  what  has  been  and  also  open  to  how  they  do   their  work  in  the  real  world  we  find  ourselves  in?    Are  our  images  of  “worship”  and   “gathering”  and  “pastor”  stuck  in  a  place  appropriate  for  a  time  gone  by?     So  what  does  this  mean  for  us  at  _____________________________________  (congregation)  ?    

It’s  time  to  spend  a  few  minutes  considering  the  treasures  and  gifts  we  have   received  as  well  as  the  stuff  that  has  accumulated  in  our  congregation  over  the   years.     • What  needs  to  be  honored,  affirmed  and  moved  to  the  center?   • What  gifts  do  we  have  to  share  with  other  congregations,  the  Synod  and   the  ELCA?   • What  might  get  in  the  way  of  people  in  our  community  coming  to  our   church?  What  needs  to  be  moved  aside  or  put  away  so  that  people  in   our  neighborhood  today  can  hear  the  Good  News?     Please  be  specific  about  this.  There  are  no  right  answers.  One  person’s  trash  might   be  another’s  treasure.  And  what  you  don’t  see  as  a  strength  might  be  what  can  be   shared  with  others.     (Allow  a  few  minutes  for  discussion  in  groups.  Then  call  people  to  attention  to  write   their  Treasures,  Shares  and  Trash  on  separate  cards  and  put  them  in  the  bins.)     (When  completed,  ask  if  anyone  wants  to  share  an  item  from  their  lists.  If  necessary   start  by  sharing  a  few  items  from  each  bin.  Ask  people  if  they  would  share  why  they   selected  an  item,  and  ask  if  anyone  has  a  counter  opinion.  The  goal  is  to  model   getting  ideas  on  the  table  without  argument  or  blaming.)     "I  am  about  to  do  a  new  thing;  now  it  springs  forth,  do  you  not  perceive  it?"     The  key  to  Isaiah's  message,  and  a  key  to  our  vitality  and  engagement  as   communities  of  faith,  is  being  on  the  lookout  for  and  perceiving  what  God  is   doing  –  not  just  in  ourselves  and  in  our  churches  but  in  the  people  and   neighborhoods  and  organizations  around  us.     We’re  going  to  practice  this  in  a  few  moments,  but  first  we’re  going  to  see  a  video   that  challenges  us  to  consider  how  we  perceive  things.     (Play  Perception  video  2  with  text.  Have  someone  read  text  as  it  appears  on  screen.)     Do  you  see  what  a  difference  the  angle  from  which  we  view  things  makes,  and  how   important  the  context  is?     So  now  it’s  time  to  consider  what  you  have  noticed  God  doing  here  in  the  church  and   out  in  our  community.  Think  back  over  the  past  few  months  in  your  life,  in  the   community  and  here  at  church,  and  ask  these  questions:   • What  has  God  been  up  to?   • How  have  I  (or  others)  joined  in  with  God’s  mission?   • Where  is  God  leading  us?  

•

Because  of  this,  what  do  I/we  have  to  share  with  the  community  and  the   larger  church?  

  Again,  there  are  no  right  answers.  This  is  about  what  you  perceive.  Spend  five   minutes  jotting  down  your  answers  on  the  forms  provided.     (5  minutes  for  writing)     (Ask  is  anyone  would  share  what  they  have  seen  God  doing.  Encourage  discussion   and  having  people  tell  their  own  stories.  Have  someone  chart  the  ideas/perceptions   on  a  whiteboard  or  flipchart.  Note  if  there  are  any  trends  among  what  people  are   seeing.)     Now  that  we’ve  heard  some  of  what  God  has  been  up  to,  let’s  look  to  how  we  –  as   individuals  and  as  the  congregation  –  might  accept  God’s  invitation  to  join  in  His   “New  Thing.”     • What  treasures  could  we  emphasize  and  highlight  to  help  new  people   hear  the  Gospel?   • What  ideas,  programs  or  expertise  could  we  offer  to  share  with  our   community  or  other  congregations?   • Is  there  anything  we  might  need  to  adapt  or  set  aside  in  order  to   connect  with  God’s  mission?     (Allow  time  for  discussion  and  idea  brainstorming.  Make  sure  someone  captures  the   ideas  generated.  Notice  if  energy  or  passion  seems  to  generate  around  any  specific   ideas.)     Thank  you  for  your  ideas  and  participation.  Unlike  a  reality  show,  de-­‐cluttering  and   re-­‐empowering  our  congregation  is  a  long-­‐term,  ongoing  process.  And  I  hope  you   find  some  peace  in  knowing  that  we  do  not  have  to  dream  up  “new  things.”  God  is   already  doing  them  right  here  and  right  now.  All  we  have  to  do  is  pay  attention  to   what  God  is  up  to  with  the  people  around  us,  and  figure  out  how  we  can  be  part  of   what  God  is  doing.     Close  with  prayer.     O  God,  you  call  your  servants  to  ventures  of  which  we  cannot  see  the  ending,  by  paths   as  yet  untrodden,  through  perils  unknown.  Lead  us  out  with  good  courage,  not   knowing  where  we  go  but  only  that  your  hand  is  guiding  us  and  your  love  supporting   us.  Through  Christ  our  Lord,  Amen.       Based  on  a  presentation  by  Bishop  Claire  Burkat  at  Southeastern  Pennsylvania  Synod  (ELCA)   conference  gatherings  in  Fall,  2011.  Additional  material  by  Bob  Fisher.