September 25, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. - Please join us for our upcoming Scripture Reflection gathering, which will be held this coming Sunday, at 9:00 a.m., in the church library.
On this coming Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, we will explore a reading from the Gospel according to Luke. The Gospel lesson shines a light on the disparities between the rich and the poor of material wealth in this world, and the rich and the poor of spiritual wealth in the heavenly world, and how these two worlds are connected through God's mission of mercy. Reminiscent of the dream-visits to Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol," the advice to the rich man from Abraham is rooted in Jesus' words found in Matthew, Chapter 25: "when you do an act of mercy and love to others, you do so also to Christ." We will discuss how this important lesson shapes our lives and gives us the great commission to serve God.
Our Scripture passage is found in the Gospel according to Luke. You may find the Scripture lesson by selecting the following link: (Luke 16:19-31).
For continuing study, reflect on these questions (found in the study guide below):
Read the Scripture lesson for the week and reflect on the dynamics of the story. Imagine putting yourself in the role of each of the three different characters and reflect on the feelings you experienced.
After reading the "WHAT..." paragraph in the guide below, reflect on the following questions: in what sense does Lazarus' name describe him (Lazarus means "God has helped" in Greek); Why do you imagine Lazarus has a name in the story, but the other man is simply "the rich man?"
After reading the "WHERE..." paragraph below, reflect on groups in your community or in the world that are "invisible" today, and how does this invisibility contribute to their suffering? What is Jesus' lesson to us regarding our responsibility to help the forgotten ones in this world?
After reading the "SO WHAT..." paragraph below, reflect on initiatives that might help people to become more aware of the plight of the forgotten ones, and things that could be done in your community to help them receive God's grace.
