Change Of Heart - November 7, 2021

Bible Study “Change of Heart”

Share:  Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.

 

You are invited to be on the lookout for all the blessings found in the ordinary – to see God at work here and now. And be compelled to share your blessings with others.

The Pharisee in each of us wants to "get it right." In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is concerned that we "get it." So Jesus takes the ordinary things of life, from washing hands to attending to a child, and meets us where we are and helps us to "get it," finding blessings in the ordinary.

 

Opening Prayer:  Loving and patient God, thank you for bringing us to this day. Help us to hear your words and come to know you more as we meditate on your word. Amen.

 

Please open your Bibles to Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23 and read or read the scriptures below. 

Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

7 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])

5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;

their teachings are merely human rules.’[b]

8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Reflection Questions:

  • What stands out for you in the reading?
  • As we begin the story today, The Pharisees are following the letter of the law and being very careful with how they wash cups and even pans.  What do you think Jesus finds wrong with this? (The Pharisees, who are the leaders of the Hebrew people, are focused on the details of the washing, and they complain that the disciples are not following these rules. The Pharisees do not notice the more important things that they are doing that are wrong.)
  • Do you know what defile means? (To defile is to make dirty or pollute.)
  • What do you thing Jesus means when he says "the things that come out are what defile"? (He means that the actions we take and the things we say are what matter.)
  • Have you had a time in your life when what you said really mattered?
  • Are there times you can think of that what you or someone you know had done or said has had an impact on others?

 

Click here for the young learner’s lesson

 

Videos (Click on the words or url)

Pentecost 14B Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwuxHN_55ho

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Authentic Religion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3rid2W9DQk

Overview: Mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGHqu9-DtXk&t=240s

Activities:

Poster:  Take a piece of construction paper and markers and draw rules of behavior in you classroom and home that you can do and say that will help everyone work together.   Some rules might be “How about ‘Listening to each other’ and ‘Share with each other’”?  “What can we do when we goof up?” Suggestions, “How about if we say, ‘I'm sorry’?"

Bible Bookmarks:  Design and create a bookmark that you can use when we explore the Bible.  Following are two url’s that will help you design a book mark.

You will need 4 different colors of construction paper cut into half inch wide the length of the paper for each color

       How to make a simple & easy paper bookmark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIie2yt4fEU

 

You will need 3x7 piece of paper and paints

       DIY Bookmark – Bible Verse – Minimalist Design Using Watercolor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2sIaVWUvho

 

Word Search:  https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/2944778/change-of-heart/

One of the ways we live as a community is to share our concerns and our thanksgivings with others.  Pray for someone you are concerned about and thanksgivings for someone who got well or if you received a happy surprise.

                                                                 

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for being in our midst, for sending Jesus to show us the way, and for giving us each other as we continue this journey together. Amen.