Homiletics Acts 1

 ** No, it's not Saturday but because I will be away from my computer this Saturday, I decided to be early (I know shocking!!!) and go ahead and post my homiletics.

Acts 1:1-26

Content:

1.  In previous book, author (Luke) wrote about Jesus up to ascension. vs. 1-2
2. After suffering death, Jesus appeared to and taught followers for 40 days. vs. 3
3. Jesus told followers to stay in Jerusalem awaiting promised Holy Spirit. vs. 4-5
4. In response to disciples "what's next question," Jesus says timeframe of God not for them however promises power of Holy Spirit. vs. 6-8 
5. Jesus ascends into cloud and angels appear promising one day Jesus will return in same manner. vs. 9-11
6. Returning to Jerusalem, disciples gather in upstairs room to pray. vs 12-14
7. Peter leads group in discussion regarding Judas who betrayed Jesus and  killed himself. vs. 15-19
8. Peter uses Old Testament to determine another apostle should be chosen from followers. vs 20-22
9. 2 men Justus and Matthias proposed. vs. 23
10. They prayed Lord show us your chosen vs. 24-25
11. Lots cast and fell to Matthias. vs 26.

Divisions:

1. Following resurrection, Jesus teaches and prepares disciples before ascending into Heaven. vs. 1-11
2. Peter leads disciples in choosing replacement for Judas who killed himself after betraying Jesus. vs. 12-26

Subject Sentence:  

• Disciples witness Jesus ascension, await Holy Spirit, and choose Matthias.

Aim: 

• TCMT (to cause me to) trust the empowering of the Holy Spirit to witness for Jesus as I seek to follow him

Application:

1. Is there some future event that I am worried about and how I will respond? Do I believe and trust in the empowering of the Holy Spirit when the time comes so that I can rest today?
2.  Do I seek scripture for guidance in moving forward? Do I ask God to guide my decision making trusting he will do so?

Today's Tip - Content

Typically a content list will have 10 to 20 points in the list. One of the tricks I use in determining how detailed to make the content list is to come up with an average number of verses per list number.  I take the number of total verses in the passage and divide by 20 and then 10. In Acts 1 there are 26 verses.  Divide by 20 and its 1.3. Divide by 10 and its 2.6.  So I know this list can be fairly detailed with an average of 1 to 3 verses per point.  This isn't a rule, just a guideline that is helpful to me, particularly with longer passages.

Tuesday Talk - Mama's in Uganda

I am on "vacation" this week as the Preschool is closed for the church's VBS.  I have been using the time off to "flip" my house by purging, painting, and re-purposing the inside.  Its fun.  It will be an ongoing project this summer but excited about what I am getting done this week.  Plans are for Peter, Mom and I to take a little trip over the weekend.  Several stories have emerged in my house projects today but I have decided it is more important to share a little update from my friend Isabelle and ask for prayer for her ministry to moms with preemie babies, Mama Tulia.

According to Isabelle today, Uganda has had an increase in Covid cases with many deaths and the country is shutting down again, she said for 42 days! No church and no schools, they can't meet in large number and public transport has been hiked.  This becomes a big issue for most all people  because the majority don't have stocked fridge, freezer and pantry.  They buy to eat, day by day. Also "working remote" really isn't an option for the majority of livelihoods in Uganda. Therefore, not working means no money for rent and food.  Isabelle said people are desperate to leave Kampala for the village as they can not afford life in Kampala without work. In the villages they can live off the land easier. 

This greatly affects the mamas and preemie babies that Mama Tulia serves because without the transportation and ability to gather, it is hard for Isabelle's team to get food and supplies to them. These moms and babies already live in an extremely traumatic state, the lock down just increases it.  I would ask that as you peer into your well stocked fridge or order whatever you think you "need" from Amazon for the next month, would you please pray for the people of Uganda, especially these mamas and babies as well as Isabelle and the Mama Tulia team who seeks to help them.

Homiletics, the basic Recipe

Way back in the beginning as a class member of BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), I often wondered what "Homiletics for Leaders" meant at the bottom of the BSF lesson.  When after a couple of years I became a children's leader, I finally learned what it was.  Part of our leadership prep was doing Homiletics on the scripture passage for the week.  It would then be briefly discussed during Leader's Meeting.  I soon learned from conversation with others, that it tends to be like fruitcake, you loved it or your don't.  And just like Fruitcake, I loved doing Homiletics.  It is this tool that I used as the basis for writing lectures while as a Teaching Leader for BSF.  Since leaving BSF leadership 14 years ago, I had kind of abandoned the practice until my Aunt Sue suggested I teach it to my  bible study group.  With the revival of using this tool I realized it really is one of my favorite ways to study the bible and discover application of biblical text.  (For clarification,  Aunt Sue isn't really my Aunt but my beloved mentor and friend who is a BSF legend and wise, God-centered woman.)

Personally I approach homiletics much like I do recipes.  It provides the general framework of ingredients and steps but I take liberties to modify ingredients and procedure as time and supplies dictate. I find it helpful to my soul, not to be rigid about following it exactly.  People are different though, and I know some are more comfortable following recipes in detail.   Today I am going to present the basic recipe and will let you know places I tend to modify.  

Linda's recipe for Homiletics

Ingredients: 

• Bible, 
• paper (I keep a notebook) and pen.  (Paper and Pen can be substituted with some electronic devise)
• Commentary (OPTIONAL - for clarifying or enhancing after personal homiletics attempted.)
• Other Bible Translations (OPTIONAL - can be helpful for clarification)

Time: extremely variable; may take as little as 30 minutes, may take hours or even days

Procedure:

• Pray
• Read passage of scripture
• Read passage again this time writing as you go a list of 10 to 20 summary statements or sentences that summarize the passage. Follow up sentence with verse numbers it covers. This is called Content List *
• Looking at the summary list (and bible passage), divide the list into 2, 3 or 4 divisions, writing a sentence that summarizes each division.  Write down verse numbers the division covers. This is the Division List **
• Looking at the divisions and pondering the whole passage, write a 10 word sentence that summarizes the passage. This is referred to as the Summary Sentence. ***
• Considering all that has been discovered so far, write an aim based on the passage.  This sentence starts with To Casue Me (or the Audience if used for teaching preparation) to know (do) … This is the application. Basically you are answering the question, how does the passage change or inspire one's thinking or actions. This is known as the Aim ****
• Finally for each division, write an application question that brings action to the Aim. *****

Recipe Notes 

* Sometimes when impatient, I combine the first two steps, writing content list from the beginning. However reading the passage one or more times prior to beginning the list really does increase familiarity with the passage. I also often forget to start with prayer and find praying at any point and throughout the process redeems a rushed start.

** When stuck on knowing how to divide the passage, a short cut is to look at any bible headings your bible might provide.  Sometimes my divisions match this and sometimes they don't. Complete sentences are helpful here.

*** I was taught by people who believed 10 or less words was the only acceptable number of words in a subject sentence however correct grammar was not emphasized.  I tend to believe 11 or 12 words are just fine and often necessary.  And I will never be one to be a stickler for proper grammar (as my blog indicates.) 

**** I was taught to start with TCATK (To Cause Audience to Know) and then write out the Aim.  Recently Aunt Sue said Miss Jonson (BSF Founder) taught her TCATD (To Cause Audience to Do). I tend to interchange them now. 

*****As a teaching leader this is where I developed a principle for each division as well as questions to support that principle and bring it into action.  A biblical principle is a timeless truth about God or Man.  So now when I do homiletics, I sometimes write a principle or a application question or both.

I will conclude this post with this important thought. I view homiletics as very personal.  You are not looking for a cookie cutter outcome. What God speaks to you and me will often be different.  Personally I think it is important to go into the process looking and listening for God to speak to me and not to go in search of "the right answers."  Sharing homiletics with others is very helpful, insightful, encouraging, and stretching.  But comparing can be defeating and counter productive.

So for my next homiletics post I will share my homiletics on Acts chapter one to demonstrate what the process can look like on paper.

Tuesday Talk - Starfish

 “Once, on ancient Earth, there was a human boy walking along a beach. There had just been a storm, and starfish had been scattered along the sands. The boy knew the fish would die, so he began to fling the fish to the sea. But every time he threw a starfish, another would wash ashore. "An old Earth man happened along and saw what the child was doing. He called out, 'Boy, what are you doing?' " 'Saving the starfish!' replied the boy. " 'But your attempts are useless, child! Every time you save one, another one returns, often the same one! You can't save them all, so why bother trying? Why does it matter, anyway?' called the old man. "The boy thought about this for a while, a starfish in his hand; he answered, "Well, it matters to this one." And then he flung the starfish into the welcoming sea.”

― Loren Eiseley, The Star Thrower

The above poem from the essay of Loren Eisley was a "theme song" when I worked at the special needs school, Challenged Child and Friends (now SISU.)  It was often read to us or given to us on a token gift as a reminder of the value of our work.  It was just a story until a month ago.

While walking on the beach at Pawley's Island we encountered a large number of petrified starfish.  Honestly I was worried if they were really dead when I picked up one to take back to the beach house.  I heard another guest ask the house manager about it and he said he didn't know why but there were times when large numbers of starfish or even jelly fish would wash up on the shore.  The next morning when I went for a Sunrise Walk I encountered a patch of freshly washed up Starfish.  These were obviously alive by the movement of their tentacles and star points.  I was fascinated and overwhelmed by the need to rescue.  Much like the little boy in the story, I started picking up starfish and flinging them into the ocean.

In the process I broke off a star point of one.  I only helped a few in comparison to the large number presented.  I became discouraged that it really didn't make a difference or matter. I wondered if it really made a difference to that starfish as it was "just a starfish" And was I "messing with it's destiny" by my interference. I felt silly and foolish as other people simply walked by.  And I couldn't help but keep thinking of that poem. 

However in that process, I learned the better way to pick up the starfish and fling it into the ocean.  Meaning as I practiced helping, I learned the better way to help. The practice improved my throwing, thus my skill refined.  When I finished there were a few (a little few) squirming starfish left on the shore,. The act most likely had a greater impact on me than the starfish. My thinking about starfish and "making a difference " was impacted by my involvement.  And maybe, just maybe there is a starfish out there thriving at it's starfish life because I took time to pick it up and throw it back in.  And I am sure he would send a note of thanks if he had my address.

Blog Plans

So this is an informative post about the blog.  One is a change from Feedburner, who sends the emails and the other is my own effort to be consistent.

I am getting a message that Feedburner will no longer support email subscribers come July.  I am not techy but what I have concluded is after June, no longer will you get an e-mail with the post content once I have written something.  Considering my sporadic writing, that service has been extremely helpful.  So in response I am making a couple of changes.

If you are one of my loyal fans (bwahahaha) that doesn't want to miss a post, please send me a quick note with your preferred e-mail address to lkplants@gmail.com.  I will compile a list and when I write a new post, I will email you a link to the most recent post.  

The other thing I am going to do is try to be consistent.  I have created a schedule for myself.  (Thank you Todd and Kerri for that inspiration with your Wednesday Door weekly email.)  Even if it is just a few lines or a picture, I am going to try to consistently post something on Tuesday.  

In response to comments from a couple of friends and my need for accountability and consistency, I have decided to share my homiletics - pieces of it anyway through the blog on a weekly basis.  I started using homiletics, the great tool I learned as a leader in BSF in the fall to teach a little bible study.  When that ended, I continued to use homiletics as I worked through the Gospel of John.  A couple of people have asked me to teach them how to use it.  Today as I was working on homiletics for the last chapter of John, I had the thought to use this space as a place to share that process. I have decided to continue where it ends in the Gospel of John by doing Homiletics on the book of Acts, starting in the next week.  I will post homiletics (sharing the process and some thoughts from it) on Saturdays.  

Now its' out there.  I am committed.  Responsibility is a BIG motivator for me.  Since I told you I am doing it, it highly motivates me to do it.  If you are not interested, that's fine.  You can just ignore sending me your e-mail or checking in on the lookingforyonder.blogspot.com website.

Thanks for the encouragement and giving me a place to process thoughts.

Amazing Labor of Love

Here is a shout out to my friend Helen who is a pioneer woman and a master craftswoman.  She takes on some really big crafts projects (at least in my book) and creates amazing masterpieces.  One of these areas is in her quilting.  I shared her journey (via text) as she created two amazing quilts out of a deceased relative's massive tie collection for his children.  Therefore, I wasn't surprised when after my father died, she asked for some of his shirts.  From dad's shirts she made my mom this beautiful table runner.  Mom proudly has it on display where she sees it every day.  After giving her a stack of shirts, I was cleaning out and came across dad's falling apart, Airforce duffle bag and my brother's beloved Bob and Larry t-shirt.  I gave my dad (Bob) and brother (Larry) these Bob and Larry for President shirts back in 1996.  My brother wore both of them out.  I was sleeping in the last one following his death.  I got to the point it was time to part with it and the pieces of dad's duffle but couldn't just throw them away.  I sent them to Helen and said either she could make something from them or throw them away for me.  She has since said that the responsibility of that package was pretty heavy.  She also claims that the amazing one of a kind bag that she created from those 2 pieces and a couple of dad's shirts was all God.  When this gift arrived two and a half years ago, I wept.  There are just no words.

  

 

After this gift, I did not expect anything else.  So when she kept evading my question of "what you working on?" I did not suspect it would be this next treasured gem.  Upon arrival to the Sea View Inn, Helen gave me this quilt made from my dad's shirts.  It is a fringe quilt that she says will get only better with time as it is used and washed.  She used kitchen and plant themed squares as well as a cow (we originally bonded over a love of cows) and my beloved blue cat Pete.

Once again the love and workmanship that went into this gift is overwhelming.  I spent my weekend at the beach curled up in this quilt, thanks to Saturday's chilly breezes. It's warmth goes beyond the physical as the love of the maker and the reminder of my dad make this emotionally cozy.  As I write I am sitting on my front porch draped in my beloved quilt.  I am so grateful to God for a friend with such amazing creativity and talent as well as her love that prompted such a labor of love for me.

Sea View Inn or Bust

 A couple of years ago I met a man who made me promises then broke my heart.  Ok so that is the Hallmark version of what really happened. I highly exaggerate.  But there was a man who did tell me about this place at the beach, showed me the website and told me he wanted to take me there someday.  When this very short lived relationship busted up, I thought I was heartbroken.  Turns out I was just disappointed.  One of the things I was disappointed about was not going to the Sea View Inn at Pawley's Island.  So when a gift of money came my way, I decided I would take myself.  I would show him!!!  Ha!  So I made a reservation for April 2020 and invited one of my besties over in NC (whom I rarely get to see) to meet me there.  Did you catch the part about 2020?  Right it didn't happen last year but this past weekend my dream was realized and I got my weekend at the Sea View Inn.  And it was all I had hoped for and more. 

I bought I t-shirt with a list of  Top 10 Reasons to Stay at Sea View Inn.  I have modified the last three items on my list to reflect my own thoughts.

 1) Showering with your neighbors.  Though the rooms have a toilet and a sink, taking a shower means going down the hall or to the showers below the house.  I took one really cold shower at the end of the hall. 

2) No cell phones or television.  (phone and computer usage are discouraged not prohibited.)  However I turned my phone on airplane mode when I got there midday Friday and did not turn it back on until time to leave Sunday morning. Funny how the world didn't fall apart when I was unavailable by phone.

3) Dinner bells and Tuesday Fried Chicken.  I wasn't there for Tuesday's chicken but I had a lot of other yummy food. Since Covid, the Inn has gone from providing 3 meals a day to serving breakfast and lunch.  Each party has an assigned table and when the bell rings, no one wants to be late. Dinner options are available from nearby restaurants just across the causeway but we found on Saturday that breakfast, lunch, happy hour snacks and our own supply of snacks was more than plenty.

4) Bare Feet on worn wood floors.  Shoes are never required even for meals.  And the weathered wood paneling expanded from floor to ceiling providing a comforting backdrop.

5) It's not in Myrtle Beach.  Pawleys Island has been preserved from commercial expansion and is a delightful quiet place.

6) Happy Hour on the Front Porch.  People bring their own alcohol and stash it in the community fridge. The Inn provides crackers, dips, fruit and veggies for a little snack to be enjoyed in the evening.  It feels like something mom would put out when the family is all in town.

7) Pancakes for dessert at breakfast.  Breakfast was eggs cooked to order with grits, sausage and toast.  There are other cold breakfast items available. THEN they come around with pancakes.  I avoid processed wheat but that did not stop me from having my daily breakfast dessert of pancake and Nutella!

8) The view from the front porch rockers.  I would guess at least 50% of my waking time was spent sitting in a rocker overlooking the ocean.  Pure Bliss!

9) The Daily Quiet Time  The rules are few (and different from most establishments) but my favorite is the quiet time from 2:30 to 4:30 every afternoon. The request is during this time you reframe from making loud noises. I had a great nap Friday on my bed in our coveted (so we learned) corner room with the cross breeze and ocean sounds.

10) Sharing the experience with a like minded best friend. The Sea View Inn does not appeal to all. As one long time visitor said, "people tend to love it or hate it."  With no keys to your room, AC or Wifi, it is certainly not for everyone.  It is akin to sharing your great grandmothers less than modern beach house with a bunch of strangers (who mind you soon become friends.)  When I decided to make this journey, I carefully considered who to invite.  Helen was the perfect person to share it with! She appreciated the environment as well as refreshed my soul with deep conversation and great laughter.

I know it looks like I picked this friend up off a rack for the photo but honestly she's been my friend for close to 30 years and that hanger belongs to the flowers behind!  Not a very well planned selfie but the only one I have!!!

11) (I decided to add another one) Sunrises over the ocean.  My April challenge was to get up at 5:30 AM.  This trained my body to be awake before 6 Am just as the light was appearing on the horizon.  Thanks to great staff, there was coffee in the dining room and I could head out with my camera, coffee and quilt to watch the sun rise.  One day I viewed if from the porch and the other while walking on the beach.  Can't imagine ever tiring of sunrise over the ocean! I loved quietly enjoying this sight each morning.

There are many more great things as well as pictures that tell about my weekend at the Sea View Inn but I figure that this is enough for now. Perhaps there will be more pictures and stories later. I  have  booked a room for next April to make it an annual trip with Helen and started my Sea View Inn Retreat fund.\ Already looking forward to it.

I am so grateful to the "Ex" who told me about this place. I am grateful to the giver of the monetary gift that allowed me to go.   Most of all, I am especially grateful to God for refreshing my soul with this delightful place and time to simply be still.