Bible Study – A Log Cabin for the Lord
In your group share (please limit to 2 minutes per person!):
1. A specific place you saw heaven and earth overlap this week.
2. A specific person that you saw demonstrate a Godly trait you want to develop.
3. A specific person who needs to hear the Good News in a new way (first name only).
Look up the Baptismal Covenant on pp. 302 of the Book of Common Prayer. Now look at the necessary tasks of people in exile listed below.
• Tell Dangerous Stories, like the story of Jesus challenging the Empire and turning over the tables in the Temple. The stories are dangerous to the dominant culture, and therefore it is dangerous for us to tell them.
• Live into Dangerous Promises, being real when the world is hyper-real, serving others instead of ourselves, living with generosity and hospitality, work ethically in an lazy, self-serving culture. This behavior is dangerous to the machinery of wealth and empire.
• Engage in Dangerous Criticism of the dominant culture – fighting for justice and peace.
• Singing Dangerous Songs – glorifying only one God, casting down our idols. The songs have always been unnerving to tyrants. Can we sing them?
Questions to Discuss:
1. Which tasks of an people in exile are addressed in the Baptismal Covenant?
2. Can you find specific correlations?
3. Where are we as a church succeeding in these tasks?
4. Where do we as a church need to focus more effort?
5. If we are saved by baptism, why do we need to keep the covenant?
6. If the Kingdom is at hand, why do we need to do the tasks of an exile?
Baptismal Covenant:
Celebrant Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers ?
People I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
People I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
People I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
People I will, with God’s help.
Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
People I will, with God’s help.