Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar, and joined the each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go Podcast highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
by NPR
Questions:
1) Why was it important to remove and replace the Mississippi state flag?
2) Who's experience of the flag had not been taken into account until recently?
3) Who were the prophetic voices speaking the truth of this experience in the recent weeks and months to bring about this change?
4) What opportunities do you think this change offers for all of the people in Mississippi?
5) What truths of other injustices are now rising to the forefront of conversation in Mississippi?
Views and Qs: Are You Open Minded?
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) What patterns of thinking are you stuck in? 2) What strange or new ideas have you rejected recently? Could you turn back to those and see what new possibilities emerge?
3) What random activity could you do or place could you go that would challenge your thinking and lead to something new? 4) When in your life have you welcomed the unexpected? How could you do that today? 5) When the unexpected comes, do you get annoyed or do you get curious? How might curiosity help you in the world today?
Feast and Faith: Welcoming the Prophet
For this week's dinner discussion we will focus on Jesus' teaching to his disciples that they will receive the reward of the prophet if they welcome someone in the name of a prophet.
Prayer -
O God life: Deliver us from the spirit of sloth, idle talk, faint-heartedness, and lust for power; and grant unto us, your servants, a spirit of integrity, humility, patience, and love. Sovereign God, grant us the ability to see our own faults and not to judge another's; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.
(Daily Prayer for All Seasons, pg. 79)
Discussion -
This week are reflecting on Jesus' final words to his disciples before they go out on their first mission of preaching the Kingdom of Heaven to their communities. With these final words Jesus talks about the rewards people will receive for accepting the disciples and this new message, and that those who receive them in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward:
Questions -
1) What are some of the things you know about the prophets from Hebrew scripture?
2) What were some of the consequences for these prophets when they delivered God's message of truth to those in power or to their communities?
3) Who are the people in the world today that are speaking prophetically? Who are the people you hear in the world or in your local community speaking challenging truths to those in power?
4) Why might it be hard for some people to welcome the prophetic truths of these individuals, especially when they are truths about injustice or oppression?
5) What might it mean to "receive the reward of the prophets" if we welcome these truths spoken by the prophets in our world today? How might our lives be changed?
Final Nugget -
In these last months the prophetic truths of racial injustice in the United States have been proclaimed by an ever increasing breadth of prophetic voices. Often these truths are hard to hear, especially for those in positions of power and/or privilege. How are you feeling the call of the prophetic in your life? How might God be calling you to act through these prophetic voices and truths?
Stay and Pray: A Devotion for Families at the Close of the Day Each week we feature a way for your family to reflect and pray together. For families with older children this is an at home liturgy for your family to participate in together. It is a daily devotion for families adapted from The Book of Common Prayer.
Before you begin, take a few moments to decide who will read the scripture reading and who will read the collect and closing.
Read the Psalm and Lord's Prayer in unison.
After a moment of silence, begin with the Psalm.
Psalm 13
(read in unison)
1 How long, O Lord?
will you forget me for ever? *
how long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day? *
how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God; *
give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," *
and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5 But I put my trust in your mercy; *
my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6 I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; *
I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
Reading
(read by assigned person)
Matthew 10:40-42
Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Prayers for Ourselves and For Others (take this time to each offer one person/event that you would like to hold in prayer as well as one thing you are thankful for)
Dear God, tonight I ask your prayers for.......
and I give you thanks for ..........
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
(read in unison)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen
The Collect
(read by assigned person)
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: