Pilgrim The Commandments: A Course for the Christian Journey
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Pilgrim The Commandments: A Course for the Christian Journey
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Overview
Pilgrim is a teaching and discipleship resource that helps inquirers and new Christians explore what it means to travel through life with Christ.
A Christian course for the twenty-first century, Pilgrim offers an approach of participation, not persuasion. Following the practice of the ancient disciplines of biblical reflection and prayer with quotes from the Christian tradition throughout the ages, Pilgrim assumes little or no knowledge of the Christian faith. Individuals or small groups on the journey of discipleship in the Episcopal tradition can use Pilgrim at any point.
There are many different aspects to helping people learn about the Christian faith. We have taken as our starting point Jesus’ summary of the commandments. We are called to offer our lives to God through loving God with all our mind, soul, strength, and heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Learning about Christian faith and growing in Christian faith is about more than what we believe. It’s also about the ways in which we pray and develop our relationship with God, about the way we live our lives and about living in God’s vision for the Church and for the world.
Course 3. The Commandments: Following Jesus is about the way we behave as well as what we believe. So how should Christians behave and how should we live? This part of Pilgrim explores that question through one of the core texts of the Christian faith: the Commandments. We look in Session 1 at the two commandments Jesus uses to summarize the whole of the Old Testament law: the call to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In Sessions 2–6, we explore the Ten Commandments themselves.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780898699432 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Church Publishing |
| Publication date: | 03/01/2016 |
| Series: | Pilgrim |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 72 |
| File size: | 166 KB |
About the Author
Sharon Ely Pearson a retired Christian educator, editor, and author with 35-plus years of experience in Christian formation on the local, judicatory, and church-wide level. Known for her knowledge of published curricula across the church, she has written or edited numerous books. She is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and a lifelong Episcopalian. She lives in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Read an Excerpt
The Commandments
A Course for the Christian Journey
By STEPHEN COTTRELL, Steven Croft, Paula Gooder, Robert Atwell, Sharon Ely Pearson
Church Publishing Incorporated
Copyright © 2016 Stephen Cottrell, Steven Croft, Robert Atwell and Paula GooderAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-89869-943-2
CHAPTER 1
SESSION ONE:
PRIORITIES
In this session we explore Jesus' summary of the law as the foundation for the way a disciple is called to live.
Opening Prayers
Your word is a lantern to my feet
And a light upon my path.
PSALM 119:105
You laid down your commandments,
that we should fully keep them.
O, that my ways were made so direct
that I might keep your statutes!
Then should I not be put to shame,
because I regard all your commandments.
I will thank you with an unfeigned heart,
when I have learned your righteous judgments.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
PSALM 119:4-8
Almighty God,
We thank you for the gift of your holy word.
May it be a lantern to our feet,
a light to our path
and a strength to our lives.
Take us and use us
to love and serve all people
in the power of the Holy Spirit
and in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Conversation
Without looking, how many of the Ten Commandments can you name as a group? Which are the most important and why?
Reflecting on Scripture
Reading
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32 Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; 33 and 'to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,' — this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question. MARK 12:28-34
Explanatory note
At the time of Jesus, a scribe was someone who, in a largely illiterate culture, was able to read and write. As a result, scribes are thought to have been the people who read and interpreted the law for others. It is possible that the priests from the temple were scribes when they were not on duty in the temple.
The word "teacher" is important here as the scribe is acknowledging Jesus' authority as a teacher. The original word used was probably "Rabbi."
Whole burnt-offerings (otherwise called Holocausts) and sacrifices were how God was worshipped in the temple. Here the scribe is acknowledging that what you do is even more important than how you worship God.
• Read the passage through once.
• Keep a few moments' silence.
• Read the passage a second time with different voices.
• Invite everyone to say aloud a word or phrase that strikes them.
• Read the passage a third time.
• Share together what this word or phrase might mean and what questions it raises.
Reflection
ANDREW WATSON
Living well
"He never did anyone any harm." It was the most generous tribute that an elderly woman could pay to her husband after 55 years of marriage. The context was a funeral visit, so my next question remained unspoken. But there it was, lingering at the back of my mind: "Yes, but did he ever do anyone any good?"
The widow's tribute reflects an approach to living shared by many: that provided we don't hurt anyone, we've lived well. As an approach it has its roots in the various "you shall nots" of the Bible that we'll be looking at later in this book —" You shall not kill," "You shall not commit adultery," and so on. As an approach too it fits in well with our legal system, which adds a large number of "you shall nots" of its own —"You shall not drive at over 70 mph on the highway." And a Jewish teacher called Hillel, one of Jesus' contemporaries, expressed it all as clearly as anyone: "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Law ..."
When asked much the same question, though, Jesus gave a rather different response. The greatest commandment, he says, is to love: to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
In one sense it wasn't a very original answer: both commandments are to be found in the Old Testament (in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 respectively), and the call to "love the Lord your God" was part of the so-called "Shema," a passage of Scripture that orthodox Jews still recite each morning and night. But it's probable that no one before Jesus had brought these verses together quite like this as a summary of what these commandments were about; and it's certain that no one before Jesus had so brilliantly modeled this more positive, proactive approach to godly living, truly practicing what he preached.
The "you shalls" of Jesus, of course, don't replace the "you shall nots" of the Ten Commandments. We love God by not cheating on God, by not taking God's name in vain, by honoring God's holy day; we love our neighbor by not stealing from her, not lying to her, not coveting what she has. But recognizing that love is at the heart of God's Commandments puts a quite different complexion on them, and on the way we're called to live. Not doing anyone any harm is just the start. Actively doing good is now the order of the day; and in Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan it's clear that doing good, loving our neighbor, applies not just to our nearest and dearest but to everyone whom God brings across our path (see Luke 10:25-37).
How are we to love?
There is another difference, though, between Jesus' answer and that of Hillel, which is relevant today: because for Jesus, the first commandment was to love the Lord our God with all that we are and all that we have. Only then did he call us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Loving God and loving neighbor belong together, and the best, most fruitful life is lived in loving communion with our Creator, as well as with our fellow human beings. "Lord, you have made us for yourself," as Augustine famously put it, "and our hearts are restless til they find their rest in you."
How then are we to love? That's a big theme in 1 John, one of the shorter letters towards the end of the New Testament. In chapters 3 and 4, John teaches us that love is about the way we act rather than what we say or how we feel; he emphasizes that love drives out fear; he goes on to remind us that love of God and love of neighbor belong together; and finally, two great statements: first, simply, "God is love" (4:16), and then, "We love because he first loved us" (4:19).
We receive, we give — that is the secret of a life that earns a different kind of tribute: not just "he never did anyone any harm," but rather "Well done, good and faithful servant: come and share your Master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21).
Concluding Prayer
Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
The first commandment is this:
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength."
The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
There is no other commandment greater than these.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Eternal God,
the light of the minds that know you,
the joy of the hearts that love you,
and the strength of the wills that serve you:
grant us so to know you
that we may truly love you,
so to love you that we may truly serve you,
whose service is perfect freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
AFTER AUGUSTINE (354–430)
Sending Out
During this week reflect on what you have learned and explored in this session. How can your life reflect these two priorities of loving God and loving neighbor? What will that mean for the ways in which you spend your time?
These readings may help you in your reflection:
The reason for our loving God is God. God is the initiator of our love and its final goal. He is himself the occasion of human love; he gives us the power to love, and brings our desire to its consummation. God is loveable in himself, and gives himself to us as the object of our love. He desires that our love for him should bring us happiness, and not be arid and barren. His love for us opens up inside us the way to love, and is the reward of our own reaching out in love. How gently he leads us in love's way, how generously he returns the love we give, how sweet he is to those who wait for him! BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX (1090–1153)
In the evening of our lives, we shall be judged by love alone. JOHN OF THE CROSS (1542–91)
To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, and irredeemable. C. S. LEWIS (1898–1963)
CHAPTER 2SESSION TWO:
REVERENCE
In this session we explore the vital importance of reverence and worship for God, and the danger of making idols of what we love.
Opening Prayers
Your word is a lantern to our feet
And a light upon our path.
PSALM 119:105
How shall a young man cleanse his way?
By keeping to your words.
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commandments.
I treasure your promise in my heart,
that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O Lord;
instruct me in your statutes.
With my lips will I recite
all the judgments of your mouth.
I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees
than in all manner of riches.
I will meditate on your commandments
and give attention to your ways.
My delight is in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
PSALM 119:9-16
Almighty God,
We thank you for the gift of your holy word.
May it be a lantern to our feet,
a light to our path
and a strength to our lives.
Take us and use us
to love and serve all people
in the power of the Holy Spirit
and in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Conversation
Describe, if you can, a time in your life when you have been moved to worship. It might be in a church service or in a different place.
Reflecting on Scripture
Reading
O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, "The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity."
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. PSALM 96
Explanatory note
"The nations" is a shorthand term for everyone who doesn't live in Israel.
Ascribing glory to God involves recognizing God to be who God really is and declaring it loudly!
It is worth noting that the Psalmist thinks that everything that God created should recognize God, including the sea, the fish, the fields, and the trees.
• Read the passage through once.
• Keep a few moments' silence.
• Read the passage a second time with different voices.
• Invite everyone to say aloud a word or phrase that strikes them.
• Read the passage a third time.
• Share together what this word or phrase might mean and what questions it raises.
Reflection
VICTORIA MATTHEWS
Icons and idols
Between 2010 and 2013, the Diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand, where I am Bishop, suffered more than 12,000 earthquakes and aftershocks causing death and destruction. Tens of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed with the ground being compromised due to liquefaction and changes in the water table. The biggest challenge for the city and the nation, however, was the damage to the Christ Church Cathedral, the most visited church in the nation. Beginning on December 26, 2010, and worsening with every subsequent seismic event, the Cathedral was slowly but surely rocked to bits. When we announced that further deconstruction was deemed necessary for the sake of safety and for the retrieval of artifacts inside the ruin, lawsuits were brought to bear and public protests raged.
The question confronting the Christian community is when does a church building, consecrated to the glory of God, cease to be an icon and become an idol in the life of the community? An icon is a creation, an object that you gaze upon in order to glimpse God who is both ineffable and invisible. An idol is an object that is beautiful and often seductive in so far that an idol draws us away from the true worship of God.
Psalm 96:4 reminds us that it is the Lord who is worshipped. "For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods."
Christians are called to lead lives that worship God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to acknowledge God first. The Old Testament call for a tithe understands that it is the firstfruits of our lives that are for God, and not what is left over at the end of the harvest. Reverence is one way we pay homage to the Lord but whereas the tithe is a tenth, the New Testament clearly tells us that we owe all to God in Christ. We are called to acknowledge God first and not to replace our adoration of God with either activity or other objects of affection. If we wish to evaluate our life's stewardship, we would do well to examine how we spend our time and money.
Practicing the presence of God
An additional insight from the earthquake experience here in New Zealand is that people quickly learned to worship in different spaces and places. The fortunate moved into their parish hall, but many found themselves in schools, funeral homes, and libraries. One year almost all Christmas services were held outside because the three earthquakes on December 23 did not allow enough time for buildings to be made safe for Christmas services. We now know we can worship anywhere and can rise to the occasion when thrown into unusual surroundings. People sit closer together by necessity and find they enjoy the enhanced sense of community. But what we do miss with the loss of dedicated sacred space is the possibility of slipping into church for prayer and quiet reflection. Gone are so many sacred spaces. Each space is used by many organizations. University lectures, community meetings, and 12-step organizations meet when and where they can. It raises the question, where does exclusive reverence for God happen? We can worship God anywhere, but does reverence for God suffer if a designated place for God is removed?
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Commandments by STEPHEN COTTRELL, Steven Croft, Paula Gooder, Robert Atwell, Sharon Ely Pearson. Copyright © 2016 Stephen Cottrell, Steven Croft, Robert Atwell and Paula Gooder. Excerpted by permission of Church Publishing Incorporated.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Welcome to Pilgrim,Introduction to The Commandments,
The Commandments,
Session One: Priorities,
Session Two: Reverence,
Session Three: Rest,
Session Four: Respect,
Session Five: Righteousness,
Session Six: Reliability,
Notes,