Introduction
The living room of the house I grew up in had a fireplace with built-in book shelves on each side. One whole side of the bookshelves contained my dad’s trophies from his days as a professional sportsman. One of them was two feet tall and emblazoned with the words “world champion”. In addition to the trophies were the stories of accolades on the football field and awards and recognition in business. Though I doubt it was intended, it set a pretty high bar to live up to. The other side of the bookcase was filled with, well, books. But not just any books, important books, books of politics and poetry, history and literature. This was my mom’s side but in many ways reinforced the message on the other side, it was a trophy case in its own right, one of education and culture. These symbols of success were important to my parents and I don’t fault them, they earned them. They both came from very humble beginnings and had to overcome serious obstacles just to reach the middle class. These books and brass trophies offered evidence of how far they’d come.
I don’t think competition in and of itself is wrong, but when we get our sense of identity, of our worth, tied up with it bad things happen. When it is used as a tool to separate and classify us, especially in a religious or spiritual sense, it’s toxic and destructive.
It’s one of the main things I think Jesus came to set us free from. Let’s dig in this week and see what we can find about this.
Grace and peace y’all,
John Ray and the teaching team
Reflection Questions:
- How have you experienced competitiveness as part of the Church or Church activities in the past? How was this concept introduced to you, and what role has it played in your faith story and development?
- Considering your experiences with competitiveness in relation to your faith and religious history, has it been healthy, harmful, mixed? In what ways?
- If you had been taught to think about competitiveness differently, do you think your faith and relationships with God and others would have looked different?
- Is there any part of you that needs healing because of how competitiveness has been used or presented to you?
Communal Confession for Vine and Branch
Rejoice, Grace Church this time culminates our Sabbath day, our gift of rest and renewal.
We rejoice in this time for worship and wonder.
God gives us Sabbath as freedom from and freedom for.
God is worthy of worship, our Creator, Healer, and Inspiration.
Hang on Grace Church, we were never promised an easy road.
Jesus bids each and all of us to take up our cross and follow Him.
We have the promises and person of Jesus with us every step of the way.
Because we have this we will endure, even though we struggle.
We have the testimony of those who have gone before us to encourage and enlighten us.
Because we have this we will follow their example and receive their encouragement.
We have been given each other to rejoice with, grieve with, grow with and work with.
Because we have this community and all these things we will not lose heart or be forever discouraged.
Grace be to you now and forever in the Name of our Lord Jesus
Lord’s Prayer
Christ, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
