Who do you see? What does God see?

  Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)  • Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18  • 1 Corinthians 6:12-20  • John 1:43-51

The lessons this week are about knowing, recognizing the truth, and recognizing the presence of God in our lives. Samuel recognized God's presence and truth with Eli's help, overcame his own reservations, and told Eli God's truth, as hard as it was. 

Beautiful Psalm 139 is a confession and hymn of gratitude to God who knows us all  our days, knit us together in our mothers' wombs, and is still with us. 

Jesus knew Nathanael before Philip called him, as an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.

Professor Alyce M. Mackenzie helps us be aware of God's presence in our lives in "Recognizing Jesus: Reflections on John 1:43-51." Debie Thomas, in "What Do You See?" asks what we see, and discusses how much seeing truth matters, especially in the darkness of alternative facts" and "fake news," in the wake of the consequences insurrection, loss, and instability. What do you see? What does God see?

Wild Water

  Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5  • Psalm 29  • Acts 19:1-7  •  Mark 1:4-11

This week, as last week, we visit Jesus' baptism. Click here for last week's lesson. 

I recall the story Methodist minister Howard Mumma told of one of my heroes, a freedom fighter against man's inhumanity to man, the author, Albert Camus, who once asked to be baptized, but privately. I love and struggle reading Camus' novels asking questions which wrench the soul in The Fall and The Plague. He asks the same questions Job asks, as does Christ on the cross when it seems like "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

I find not just comfort, but meaning in the life, words, and example in Jesus of Nazareth. Mumma told Camus to wait for baptism until later for reasons they both knew and understood. If you want, you can read Mumma's account of their conversations here.  

In his godblog article, "On Two Plagues: Bishop N.T Wright and Albert Camus," C. Fred Alford discusses the different, but also solidarity of the responses of Bishop N.T. Wright and Albert Camus to "the plague. " This followed Alford's article, "Did Camus want to be baptized?"

Why did Jesus ask John the Baptist to baptise him? Why should we be baptized and confirmed? I like, and agree, with the reasoning of Debie Thomas in her "Wild Water."