Memorize & Ponder for Sunday Oct 12, 2014
Where did that come from?
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NRSV)
Do not say to yourself,
“My power and the might of my own hand
has gotten me this wealth.”
But remember the Lord your God,
for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth,
so that he may confirm his covenant
that he swore to your ancestors,
as he is doing today.
Throughout 2014, the Christian community at Brentwood Presbyterian Church is getting to know Jesus, the Christ, in a refreshing and transformative way. We invite you to listen for what the Spirit is saying in the text, then question how those insights might change the ways you see things and act in the world. Share your thoughts during the week on the meaning the Spirit creates for you in this text by posting a comment here.
A Provocative Pondering
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us provoke one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together … (Hebrews 10:23-25a)
We have been learning this year more about the context and content of the teachings of Jesus and about the ways in which God took flesh in Jesus, the Christ, to fulfil God’s intention of redeeming the world and reconciling humanity to the communal self of God.
In all of this, we have found Jesus drawing on his own Jewish heritage, especially on the covenant with Abraham and Sarah and the prophetic traditions that called on a neglectful and rebellious people to honour this covenant afresh.
Deuteronomy is a series of sermons or speeches that recalls Israel’s attention to the God of that covenant and its relationship with that God. Our Memorize and Ponder text this week, in the context of our celebration of Thanksgiving, is a reminder of who gives all that we have.
That’s it in a nutshell. Everything we enjoy in this life – the energy that gives us life and all that nourishes that energy – is a gift from God.
How does that attitude of gratitude change the ways you see life and act in life? As our text this week says, it is not our own power and might that got us the life we enjoy. It is God who gave us that power and we are stewards of the power in the building of God’s Commonwealth. How are you living out that gratitude and how can you do it even more faithfully?
What does this passage mean for you? Give it some thought this week and remember that you can start a conversation about this question right here in the comments section
Join us in our study groups and worship services to ponder together what the Spirit is teaching us through this text.