TEACHING

SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2022
10:30 AM (livestream + in-person + kids + communion & prayer)
LENT 2022 - THE JOURNEY OF JESUS
In the 40 days before Resurrection Sunday/Easter/Pascha known as Lent, we are following the journey of Jesus from Baptism, to Wilderness, to Public Ministry in Luke 3-4:13.
LENT 4, WILDERNESS with Andrés Pérez
​THE TEMPTATION TO BE SPECTACULAR
The third temptation to which Jesus was exposed was the temptation to do something spectacular. In the words of Henri Nouwen, “Jesus refused to be a stunt man. He did not come to prove himself. Don’t put the Lord your God to the test, he said (ITNOJ, 41).
We explore how the example of Jesus should challenge the way we respond to the
temptation to be spectacular in a competitive and individualistic society.
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Online Notes:
0. Introduction
     0.1: Recap
      0.2: The Temptation to Be Spectacular: Luke 4:9-13
 
1: The Setting: A Culture of Entertainment.
    1.1: Do a Flip!: Yes, Another Meme
    1.2: The Gospel of Homer Simpson: The Super Being
 
2: The Plot: An Old Story
2.1: Back in the Garden: Gn. 3:1-4
2:2: Back in the Desert: Ex. 17:1-7, Deut. 6:16
 
3: The Conflict:  A New Ending
    3:1 The Illusion of Separation
3:2 A New Ending for An Old Story (Is. 7:14)
 
4: The Resolution: A New Way to be Human
4:1: A New Way to be Human
4:2: A Theology of the Ordinary
 
5: Conclusion
    5.2: The Spirit at Play
    5.1: An Extraordinary Benediction Upon Our Ordinary Lives
​

For Reflection and Discussion

  1. Have you ever felt the need to be spectacular? Think about a time in your day-to-day life or in a church context when you felt pressured to be extraordinary. Share with your group.
  2. Why do you think that Christians all over the world (even devout Christians) often hold a view of Jesus that looks more like Superman than the Jesus portrayed in the New Testament?
  3. During the Sermon we discussed how Jesus re-writing the ending of the Garden and Desert narratives. How does this impact our story as human beings? How does this impact our understanding of God?
  4. Why do you think human beings often feel the need to tempt/test God? Why is it so much harder to wait and trust in him?
  5. Read the following quote by Julie Canlis: ““With the coming of the Son, our ordinary existence is taken on, infiltrated, recreated, and redeemed. The Son inhabited all parts of human existence to transform then become the one from whom our ordinary lives can now be lived, this is an extraordinary miracle, and extraordinary benediction upon our ordinary lives.” Meditate on this quote for a minute (re-read if necessary) and then jump to the next questions.
  6. How can we live our ordinary lives through Jesus? What would this look like in practical terms?
  7. How can we become more aware of the Spirit's voice inviting us to let go of the extraordinary and to live into the beauty of the ordinary?

Location

6075 Inverness Street
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
​V5W-3P8
Phone: 604-301-1006
[email protected]
Gathered Worship at 10:30am Sunday
Pilgrim Church is located at the corner of East 45th and Inverness Street in south Vancouver, two blocks southwest of East 41st and Knight Street.
Our building is fully accessible from the parking lot. We have an elevator entrance from the parking/ground level that services the Upper and Lower floors and a fully accessible washroom on the upper/main level.
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Pilgrim Church acknowledges that we live, work and play in the unceded and traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
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