Contents Acts of Worship ADULT LEADER’S GUIDE • DECEMBER 2014, JANUARY, FEBRUARY 2015 About the Quarter/About the Writer 2 UNIT I • In Awe of God December 7 Session 1 Worship Christ’s Majesty (Hebrews 1:1-9) 3 December 14 Session 2 Make a Joyful Noise (Psalm 95: 1-7) 8 December 21 Session 3 Glory to God in the Highest (Luke 2:1-20) 13 December 28 Session 4 In Awe of Christ’s Power (Matthew 14:22-36) 18 UNIT II • Learning to Pray January 4 Session 5 A Model for Prayer (Luke 11:1-13) 23 January 11 Session 6 Jesus Prays for the Disciples (John 17:1-26) 30 January 18 Session 7 Jesus Intercedes for Us (Hebrews 4:14–5:10) 36 January 25 Session 8 We Pray for One Another (James 5:13-18) 41 UNIT III • Stewardship for Life February 1 Session 9 The Discipline of Fasting (Daniel 1:3-5, 8-17; Matthew 6:16-18, 46 9:14-17) February 8 Session 10 Serving Neighbors, Serving God (Luke 10:25-37) 53 February 15 Session 11 Serving the Least (Matthew 25:31-46) 59 February 22 Session 12 Clothed and Ready (Ephesians 6:10-20) 64 Expanding Your Vision for Worship 70 Looking Ahead: Spring 2015 12 Evaluation Form 71 Writer: Rev. Brad Berglund Consulting Editor: Dr. Mark Hetrick Curriculum Editor: Ms. Marcia Jessen Copyeditor: Ms. Gretchen Nesbit Design: Ms. Crystal Devine Publisher: Ms. Laura Alden Chief Executive Officer: Dr. Aidsand Wright-Riggins III Cover: iStockPhoto About the Quarter The study this quarter is primarily from the New Testament. Its three units follow the theme of worship as it per- tains to human response to God. Unit 1, “In Awe of God,” has four sessions. These sessions explore the awesomeness of God in Hebrews, Mat- thew, and Luke. In Session 3, Luke’s account of the Christmas story recalls the praise and adulation expressed to God by both the angels and the shepherds. The four sessions of Unit 2, “Learning to Pray,” look at prayer as found in Luke, John, Hebrews, and James. The sessions reflect prayer as taught by Jesus, Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, Jesus as the intercessor for God’s people, and the need to pray for one another. Unit 3, “Stewardship for Life,” has four sessions. Each lesson examines some aspect of stewardship. These ses- sions from Matthew, Luke, and Ephesians are concerned with fasting, serving others, reasons for good steward- ship in our relationships with others, and how to fortify ourselves for Christian service. About the Writer Brad Berglund, a lifelong American Baptist, directs Illuminated Journeys,* an ecumenical ministry devoted to deepening the spiritual life of individuals and churches. He is a spiritual director and leads worship renewal work- shops, retreats, and pilgrimage tours around the world. Brad is the author of Reinventing Sunday: Breakthrough Ideas for Transforming Worship and Reinventing Worship: Prayers, Readings, Special Services and More (both pub- lished by Judson Press). He has been a pastor, church musician, and worship leader for more than twenty five years. Brad has designed, coordinated and led worship for Baptist celebrations around the world including the Centenary gathering of the Baptist World Alliance in Birmingham, England in 2005; the New Baptist Covenant event in Atlanta in 2007; and numerous American Baptist Biennial meetings and Mission Summit gatherings. Brad lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Rita. *www.illuminatedjourneys.com; [email protected]. FOR CURRICULUM AND RESOURCE HELP: 1-800-458-3766; www.judsonpress.com Vol. 27 No. 2 ADULT LEADER’S GUIDE (ISSN 0898-0691) is published quarterly as part of Judson Bible Journeys for Adults for $7.99 by the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., at 588 North Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406. Periodicals postage paid at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. POSTMASTER: Send address chang- es to Customer Service, ADULT LEADER’S GUIDE, Judson Press, P. O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851. Aidsand Wright-Riggins III, Executive Director of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies; Mark Hetrick, Con- sulting Editor; Marcia Jessen, Curriculum Editor, ADULT LEADER’S GUIDE. Address all comments and suggestions to Curriculum Editor, ADULT LEADER’S GUIDE, The American Baptist Home Mission Societies, American Baptist Churches, U.S.A., Post Office Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations in this publication are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1989 © by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. Some Scripture is taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Lessons based on the International Sunday School Lessons: The International Bible Lessons for Christian Teaching © 2011 by the Committee on the Uniform Series. Copyright © 2014 American Baptist Home Mission Societies. Printed in the U.S.A. 2 JOURNEYS LEADER’S GUIDE • WINTER 2014–2015 SESSION 1 • DECEMBER 7, 2014 Worship Christ’s Majesty Jewish writings from 300 BC to AD 300 SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 1:1-9 that are not considered canonical. KEY VERSE: He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact Out of this diversity of expression imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by emerged the Rabbinic tradition, an ap- his powerful word. —Hebrews 1:3 proach to the Jewish faith that became SESSION OBJECTIVES: normative after the first century AD and • to explore what we bring to worship, how we experience worship, continues to influence Judaism up to the and what we do during worship; and present day. The Rabbinic tradition is based • to apply the concept of relationship and awe to our worship on the idea that God gave Moses both the experience. written law (Torah) and an oral interpreta- tion of that law. This oral interpretation was entrusted to the rabbis who in turn taught them to the people. Gradually, these oral Introducing the Scripture interpretations of the law became written Hebrews has always been a mysterious book. No one down and were referred to as the Mishnah, a word mean- knows exactly when or where it was written, or even who ing “instruction.” Many of the disputes that Jesus had its author was. On top of that, there are also significant with some of the rabbis and scribes in his day revolved disagreements about its audience and the reason it was around these oral interpretations of the law. written. With that said, Hebrews was likely written to- The approach of Hebrews may represent another ward the end of the first century AD, sometime after the option that was presented to the Jews: as the perfect destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its temple in AD sacrifice, Jesus fulfilled and supplanted the temple sac- 70 by the Romans in response to a Jewish revolt against rifices, making the physical structure of the temple and their authority. The loss of the temple made it impossible the killing of animals unnecessary. Using the traditions for Jews to continue the daily temple sacrifices. Reeling and Scriptures of ancient Israel, the author of Hebrews from the loss of their central religious center, many Jews argued for faith in Jesus as one way that faithful Jews must have wondered how to maintain their Jewishness could continue to maintain their Jewish identity in a without the direct connection to God that the temple new context. had provided. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave near Over time, because there had been so many groups of the Qumran site between 1946 and 1956, as well as the Jewish people scattered throughout the world for so long discovery of the Nag Hammadi library in 1945, have (the Jewish Diaspora, a Greek word that all contributed valuable primary source means “scattering”), many of them came material for scholars who attempt to re- up with alternate expressions of Jew- Jesus construct the immense diversity of Jew- ishness that did not include physically ish thought. Common themes in many participating in sacrifices at the temple. fulfilled and of these writings are sophisticated angel Many of these expressions can be studied supplanted hierarchies and the figures of Moses and through the remains of their synagogues Melchizedek. It makes perfect sense, (literally, “coming together places”) and the temple then, that the author of Hebrews was writings, some of which can be found sacrifices. concerned to show how much superior in the Pseudepigrapha, a collection of Jesus is to each of these figures. WINTER 2014–2015 • JOURNEYS LEADER’S GUIDE 3 SESSION 1 • DECEMBER 7, 2014 The overall structure of the book suggests that it may responding to Philo or to the writer of 1 Enoch, it is originally have been delivered orally (that is, as a sermon), interesting to think about them being in dialogue with and its audience (and its mysterious author) were likely each other within a shared context.3 urban, Greek-speaking Jewish Christians. The Egyptian The first chapter of Hebrews is written in highly po- city of Alexandria is one good possible setting for the etic language, with lots of alliteration and rhyming that composition of Hebrews, but the text itself gives few clues we lose in the English translations. It may even have been as to its audience’s location. While there is some evidence used as an early hymn of the church. This makes it an that Hebrews circulated with the Pauline letters in early especially relevant passage as we approach the topic of collections of Christian writings, it is certain that Paul is worship.