![]() Weekly Prayer Resurrecting God, you conquered death and opened the gates of life everlasting. In the power of the Holy Spirit, raise us with Christ that we, too, may proclaim healing and peace to the nations. Amen. Weekly Reading John 20:1-18 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. All readings for the Week Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6 Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24 Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43 John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10 Focus Questions 1. Why do you think Mary Magdalene, rather than, say, Peter, was chosen to be the witness to the resurrection? 2. What do you expect from life? What do you dare hope for? 3. When have you been caught off guard by "unbelievably" good news and unforeseen joy, something "too good to be true"? 4. Were you hesitant, or eager, to share what you experienced? 5. What evidence did you need in order to trust in the good news? What did you need to "see" in order to "go tell"?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorHighlighting the Christian Education programs of First Congregational United Church of Christ, Spencerport, NY Archives
February 2020
Categories |