Archive: Questions for 2021-2022
Week 5/1/22 - 1 Corinthians 14
1) Rev. Kristen argued in her sermon that increasing American individualism and the quest for greater autonomy, authenticity, and emotional safety has meant that we increasingly live in our own private, well-managed worlds, even when it comes to issues of faith and our participation in faith communities. How have you observed this playing out both in the world at large and in the church?
2) While the church is undoubtedly messy, it is also a gift that exists to build up believers in the faith and to extend Jesus’ love to the world. How have you seen this play out in the churches you have attended?
3) Rev. Kristen stated that “long before modern western individualism, followers of Jesus in the Corinthian church fell into the trap of focusing more on themselves and their personal experiences in worship rather than focusing on being a blessing to others in their community. They were prideful of their spiritual gifts and enamored by their spiritual experiences. Have you seen this dynamic play out in the modern church?
4) What has been your experience of the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophesy in the church. If you have experienced these gifts, have they been in line with the definitions that Rev. Kristen gave?
a. All the gifts are directed towards love – either increasing intimacy with God or the building up of the church.
b. Tongues – 1) Words spoken in a language that you don’t normally speak – allows hearers of another tongue to hear the Gospel in their native tongue. 2) Prophetic word spoken in a heavenly language that is interpreted for the benefit of all. 3) Private love language between God and believers that deepens their intimacy with God. It is a beautiful gift, and thus in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul encouraged the community to desire it.
c. Prophesy: gift that benefits everyone in the congregation. Prophesy, which is not necessarily a word about the future (although occasionally might be), is a word of wisdom, insight, and teaching in line with the Scriptures, which comforts, admonishes, convicts, guides, or provides revelation for everyone gathered in worship. Prophesy is not a word spoken willy-nilly as one simply feels “moved by the spirit”, but is a word that comes through careful listening to the Holy Spirit and prayerful meditation. Those who have the gift of prophesy cultivate this gift over time, and when they prophesy, others with the gift of prophesy test this prophesy. In this way, so-called self-proclaimed prophets are prevented from pronouncing their own personal agendas and inspirations on others.
5) In this passage, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to pursue the gift of prophesy over the speaking in tongues in corporate worship because the Corinthians were misusing the gift of tongues in the context of worship, spending large amounts of time speaking words that no one understood. The Corinthians made corporate worship all about themselves rather than about blessing others. That is why Paul encouraged prophesy because through prophesy, the whole congregation could be built up. In her sermon, Rev. Kristen gave several modern equivalents to the Corinthians misuse of speaking in tongues.
a. Staying home to have “me and Jesus” time rather than coming regularly to Sunday worship.
b. Using our leading, preaching, singing, prayers, or leading of worship music as a means to prop up ourselves rather than to draw people to the Lord and build up community
c. Insisting on our preferred music or prayer style or liturgy without considering the desires of others and what might actually be best for leading people into deeper worship, spiritual growth, and community.
d. Whenever we come to church on Sundays and get our spiritual fix but spend little to no time interacting with our brothers and sisters that morning or throughout the weeks – especially the people who we don’t particularly like.
e. Whenever we notice the new ones among us on Sunday mornings and do not welcome them into our community. And whenever we approach Sunday worship simply for what we can “get out it” or how we can be entertained rather than how we can bless our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ
Do you agree? Would you add anything to this list?
6) Ultimately, gathering for Sunday worship is about growing in love – love for God, love for each other in the Body of Christ, and love for the world, and not love in some abstract way but love that looks something like Jesus’ love. How can we as a church better love those in the fellowship of our local church?
Week 4/2 - 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
1) In their practice of the Lord’s Supper, the Corinthians would often host meals, but they would exclude people, even letting people go hungry in their midst. Paul critiqued this divisive, uncaring practice, even going as far as to say that the people bring judgment on themselves when they share the meal in such an undiscerning manner. In your time in the Church (at large, not just at Mission), have you witnessed (or even participated in) any practices or actions that unnecessarily cause division rather than bringing about unity and demonstrating love and care? What were the causes of these divisive practices and actions?
2) What does it mean for the Church to exist for the sake of others?
3) Discipleship/Spiritual Formation in the American Church is often a “me and Jesus” kind of experience, time with God “for the sake of me.” What would discipleship/spiritual formation for the sake of others look like?
4) Fr. Dale said that the church is often marked by apathy and atrophy when it comes to the poor. What did he mean by this? Do you agree? What is the Church’s role when it comes to the poor? How could the Church (our church) be better about caring for the poor/preaching the Gospel to the poor?
5) Who are the poor among you? What kinds of poverty are these people facing?
6) In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus closely identifies himself with the poor. What are the implications for this in our lives, in our relationships with others, and in our relationship with Jesus?
Week 3/27 - 1 Corinthians 13
1. Share your favorite song about love, whether its Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Gotta Do With It” or Stevie Wonder’s “Love is in Need of Love Today” or another one. Do the culture’s songs (or views) about love share any resemblance to the love that Paul talks about in his letter. How are how not? In your own words, how would you describe the love set forth by Paul?
2. Charles gave three points in his sermon. We will go through them one by one: Point 1. LOVE calls us to not make "Gifts" the main source of its existence (in other words, the gifts of the Spirit are not our main goal). Why is this? Aren’t gifts important? What things in our culture do we tend to prioritize over love?
3. Point 2: LOVE calls us to count the cost and commit. What kind of cost and commitment comes with love?
4. Point 3. Love calls us to a life of maturity and faithful living without having all the answers. What does a life of maturity and faithful living look like?
5. Charles used the phrase "what is being formed in you" when talking about the various characteristics of love that Paul talks about in his letter. What does he mean? Why is it important to think about what is being formed in us rather than just what we do?
6. If we allowed these aspects of love that Paul talks about us be formed in us, how would that effect the culture around us and how people view church and church culture in general?
7. Charles talked about love being in the business of rebuilding, redistributing, restoring, and making room for each other. Do you agree? What does it look like to do that?
Week 3/20 - 1 Corinthians 12
1) What are spiritual gifts? Why does God give us these gifts? What are their purpose? Do you have a sense of what your spiritual gifts are? [Note, spiritual gifts are not simply natural talents. If you want to review what some of the spiritual gifts are, look back at 1 Corinthians 12. Also, check out the list of gifts in Ephesians 4 and Romans 12.]
2) If we are a members of the Body of Christ, we are all given spiritual gifts to bless one other – every single one of us are given gifts. But these gifts are just that – gifts. As Fr. William says, they, along with spiritual experiences, are not the litmus test of spiritual maturity. They are not a reason for us to boast. What then are the marks of spiritual maturity in a person?
3) What has been your experience in the churches you have been a part of with spiritual gifts? Were they talked about? Ignored? Boasted about? Were there any gifts that your church seemed to emphasize more than others or to put on a pedestal?
4) What does it mean to be a member of the Body of Christ? How does the metaphor that Paul uses about the human body give us insight into the nature of our membership in the Church? Why do we need each other in the Church? (think of people in churches, different congregations, different denominations)
5) Discuss Eugene Peterson’s statement, “I am not myself by myself.”
6) What does Rev. Kristen mean when she says that “autonomy is an illusion”?
7) When Fr. William encourages us to be a double-jump church, what does he mean by this?
Week 3/13 - 1 Corinthians 10
1) Paul desired that the Corinthians would grow into spiritual maturity. What would it look like for the Corinthians to do so? How do we grow into spiritual maturity?
2) Are there any ethical situations Christians face in America today (that you face) that are like modern day versions of food sacrificed to idols? Can you give any examples of situations in your life where you have tried to navigate these ethical situations? How did they go, in your opinion?
3) Do you have any stories from your own life or the lives of others of Christians choosing to abstain from practices, even if they weren't sinful, in order to better love, encourage, or support a brother or sister in Christ?
4). What do you think N.T. Wright means when he writes that just as there is no casual sex, there is no casual worship?
5) In giving guidance on food sacrificed to idols, Paul stops to tell a story of the Corinthians’ ancestors, the ancient Israelites. Why did Paul tell this story? How were Corinthians like their ancestors and what lessons could they learn from their ancestors?
6) Why is it good for our pastors and mentors to tell us stories of our spiritual ancestors? How does knowing the story of our ancestor’s and the big story of God’s creation and redemption effect the way we live our lives? Do you have any examples of how your own perspectives have been changed by knowing the larger story behind your life?
7) Rev. Kristen said that it the stories we tell ourselves and allow to shape our lives our important. What stories (true and false ones) have we allowed to shape our lives?
8) Once we are baptized, we are members of the Body of Christ. What does it mean to be part of the Body of Christ? What responsibilities come with this this membership in the Body? How do we practically live out this responsibility in our lives? (While you are discussing these questions, you may want to consider Eugene Peterson’s statement , “In life as created by the word of God and life as experienced in history there are simply no private actions – everything is personal but nothing is private. Everything we do is connected with everything else.”
Week 3/6 - 1 Corinthians 8-9
1) Paul tells the Corinthians that knowledge puffs up where as love builds up. In this way, he lays out contrasting paths or ways of life that emerge when Christians pursue knowledge as a goal vs. love as a goal. What are ways you see the church at times unhelpfully living as if knowledge was the goal of our faith? What about you? Have you at times lived as knowledge was the goal of your faith? What did that look like in your life and in the lives around you? Why is it often easier to make knowledge rather than love the goal?
2). What are ways you see the church at times living helpfully with love as the goal of our faith? What about you? Share your experiences with each other.
3) Are there any ethical situations Christians face in America today (that you face) that are like modern day versions of food sacrificed to idols? What are they? What questions would you ask Paul (if you could) about how we should respond to them? Can you give any examples of situations in your life where you have tried to navigate these ethical situations? How did they go, in your opinion
4) Do you have any stories from your own life or the lives of others of Christians choosing to abstain from practices, even if they weren't sinful, in order to better love, encourage, or support a brother or sister in Christ?
5) Do you agree with the statement "people don't care what you know until they know you care"? Why or why not?
6) What is the role of the Holy Spirit in helping us live a life of love?
Week 2/27 - 1 Corinthians 7:25-40
1) What "present crises" in our world today do you think could (or should?) impact the way we think about decisions to get married or stay single?
2) What (if any?) social pressures do engaged couples today face to go ahead and get married? What (if any?) social pressures to single people face to get married? What do you see as being either good or bad about these pressures? How could the church help alleviate negative pressures?
3) What do you think it means to live with undivided devotion to God as a single person? As a married couple?
4) What (if any?) anxieties has your life station ever caused you when it comes to pursuing your faith? How have you worked through those anxieties either personally or with your spouse?
5) How do you believe God is using you RIGHT NOW in your life station? What do you think it looks like for you to faithfully steward your NOW in Christ?
Week 2/20 - 1 Corinthians 7: 1-24
1) In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul responds to questions the Corinthian Christians have asked him about marriage, singleness, divorce, remarriage, and marriage between a Christian and non-Christian spouse. If you could write a letter to the Apostle Paul today, what questions would you have for him on these topics?
2) How do you think we as a church can take practical steps in creating a culture that honors and includes all life stages and stations fully within our fellowship? How can we individually work to foster relationships and include people of other stations in our personal lives? What might be a first next step you sense the Lord leading you to?
3) In these verses, Paul confronts many social pressures the Corinthians face concerning marriage, singleness, and life station. What social pressures do you think people (perhaps yourself) commonly face today both within the church and from the wider culture around life stage?
4) On Sunday, William quoted Tim Keller as saying, "one of the problems Gen-Y and Gen-Z face is that they've made autonomy and intimacy their 2 chief virtues in life." To what extent do you agree or disagree with Keller? Why? If you agree with Keller, what are the consequences of embracing autonomy and intimacy as chief virtues?
5) Have you ever felt pressure to change your station in life? Where did this pressure come from? How did you experience it? What resources have you found to confront or manage that pressure?
Week 2/13 - 1 Corinthians 6
1) Recap/To get us started with the conversation: In his letter, Paul was obviously upset with the Corinthians. Why was he so upset, and what kind of issues did he address in this part of his letter?
2) In his sermon, Brady talked about our proclivity to grasp at things that we think we need or want rather than resting in God’s goodness and receiving His good gifts in his timing and in His ways. What are the kinds of things we grasp at in our culture? In our own personal lives? Why do we grasp at these things? What would it look like to rest in God?
3) How does God want us to address disputes and divisions in the church? (If you need some ideas beyond the current Scripture text, perhaps see Matthew 18:15-19.)
4) This week’s Scripture and Sermon brings up some hard topics. In today’s culture, the typical response to hard topics is to either avoid discussing them altogether or to lob grenades at one another, usually through socially media. What is your typical response to hard topics and why? How can we cultivate space where we are able to discuss challenging topics together in helpful ways?
5) What does God say about the body in today’s passage, and why is the body important? How is the Christian view of the body different than other views of the body? How does this view shape our own particular Christian ethics?
6) In his sermon, Brady spoke about pursuing righteousness rather than our rights. First off, what does he mean by righteousness? By rights? And why would we pursue righteousness over rights? What would it look like concretely to do so? Why might this be a difficult (but important) conversation in our current American context? [Another way to look at this is through the lens of total service and total freedom or through the lens of responsibilities and rights. What does it look like to be responsible towards others rather than just demanding our own rights?)
7) In this part of Paul’s letter, he talked about Christians taking other Christians to court. This was problematic because it was well known that privileged and powerful Corinthians (pagans and Christians alike) would legally use the law system, but would use it in such a way that would manipulate and deprive other Corinthians of lesser status. Are there ways that we, either knowingly or unknowingly, use our privileges and status in the world to manipulate or deprive others?