Readings for November 13 2011

Hello Everyone – Grace and Peace to You,

I am a week late on posting this to my blog. I apologize and here it is:

First, we will have Thanksgiving Eve Services on Wednesday, November 23. Worship will be at 6:30 PM at Peace United and 8:00 at Grey Eagle UMC.

We are nearing the end of the Church Year. Our final two readings in Matthew and our lesson this week in Thessalonians concern the return of Christ and our proper relationship to it in the mean time.

Judges 4:1-7 – This is only the beginning of the story which takes up all of chapter 4. Chapter 5 is a longer song of the same story. Who is the “Judge” in this story? Does it surprise you that it is a woman? From which two tribes are the army gathered? Who is the commander of the Israelites? What does he need from the judge? What is the name of the general of the Canaanites? What is the outcome of the battle (verses 12-16)? Where does the general go and who ends up killing him (verses 17-22)

Psalm 100 – A psalm of praise. How should we worship the Lord? What has God done for us?

Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 – What is coming? Who will be caught by surprise? What will that day be like? What will save the people?

Psalm 90:1-8 (9-11), 12 – What do the people seem to be going through at that time? What is God’s time like? What is the length of life for humanity? What does the psalmist want God to teach them?

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 – How will the day of the Lord come? When people become complacent what will happen? What should believers, children of the light, do? What two pieces of armor should believers put on? What is our destiny? What should we do?

Matthew 25:14-30 – This is the third of four parable that started at the end of chapter 24. To whom does the man entrust his fortune while he is gone? How much is each given? One talent is equal to about 6,000 denarii and one denarii is a day’s wage. At $10 an hour and a 10 hour day of work, one talent is worth $600,000. When the man returns, what happens to the first two servants and why? What happened to the third and why? What is the third servant’s excuse? Note – this man did nothing that was not expected in Jesus’ day. He was only obligated to the save keeping of what was entrusted to him and to return it whole, which is what he did? Why the punishment? What is this parable about? Diligent and fruitful use of what is entrusted? Or, perhaps, we get the master we expect?

Have a great week in the Lord, serving the Lord by serving neighbors.