Lent 2004 - Cycle C - Revised Common Lectionary
February 29 through April 4, 2004
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. (Antiphon for Lent, Book of Common Prayer, page 81) And what if, during this season of Lent, we sought a deeper understanding of this amazing gospel of grace. Will that image of grace energize us to do the spiritual housekeeping we need to be ready for the "new thing" God is doing in Easter?
Third Sunday In Lent
March 14, 2004
Luke 13: 1 - 9
A notation for this week's Gospel
The age-old question: why are some people killed in bizarre accidents -- and others amazingly spared? It is not about good guys or bad guys. Our responsibility is to notice when we need to repent. Part II: A hopeful gardener spares a fruitless fig tree. Perhaps a bit of fertilizer will help the barren tree produce fruit. What "fertilizer" might help us be more fruitful?
Lesson Plans for Adults
Theme: Called to repentance
Before Class. You will need Bibles and at least one copy of the Book of Common Prayer.
Beginning. Our Gospel for today has two stories: the first story’s theme could be a paraphrase of the popular book, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? And the second story is about a tree that gets another chance.
Opening Prayer. Oh God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you. Amen. (Psalm 63:1)
The Scripture. Luke 13: 1 - 9. Since there really are two stories here, it might be good to stop and discuss the first, then read and discuss the second. The first story is verses 1 - 5 and you will need a narrator to read verses 1 - 2a, and Jesus for verses 2b - 5.
Some Questions.
What issue are people raising in verse 1 that Jesus deflects? (Measuring others' guilt - sometimes referred to as "confessing the sins of others.")
What is Jesus calling us to do? (Repent, as in stop doing the things we know need to be stopped, and, possibly, adding things we know we need to add.)
Luke 13: 6 - 9. For this part, we need the narrator (verses 6 - 7a, and verse 8a), the Owner of the garden (verses 7b), and the gardener (verse 8b - 9).
Some Questions.
What good stewardship is the owner exercising in his decision about the tree? (Responsible stewardship requires that good soil not be wasted.)
What good stewardship is the gardener exercising in his plea to the owner? (Responsible stewardship requires that a potential fruit-bearing tree not be cut down.)
Option. Invite the group to spend a little time, in silence, noticing good soil that is being wasted in our own lives with non-bearing things growing there. And also to notice what "fertilizer" is re-energizing us -- improving our ability to "bear fruit." Who, in our lives, by their presence in our lives, is currently creating space for us to grow?
Getting Closure. Invite anyone who wishes to share insights that have come to them during this class or within the last week. Perhaps they have read something recently that was helpful.
Closing Prayer. Read the Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent, Book of Common Prayer, page 218.
