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B-Sides

Holy Interruptions

Scripture: Luke 5:17-26

17 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19 but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the one who was paralyzed—“I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.” 25 Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26 Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”

Questions

What?

1) What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen this week?

2) How do you feel about Holy Interruption at DTC? 

So What?

3) When was the last time one of your plans was interrupted? It could be big or small. How did it make you feel in the moment? Did those feelings change later?

Now What?

4) Dawn writes “When Jesus gets interrupted, healing happens… stuck things change” Where do you need healing? Where are you stuck?

5) The scripture and sermon finish with the phrase, “We have seen strange things today.” How would you define strange? Can it be a good thing? 

Prayer God of interruptions. You interrupted a blank void with creation. You interrupted an enslaved people with an exodus. You interrupted a world crying out in pain with a Savior. Equip us to be aware of the interruptions in our own lives: The strange moments where we might feel your love, learn to love you, and feel the call to love one another more deeply. Amen. 

“We are interrupting ourselves...from our own agendas;
from our own plan; from our own worries and fears.

—Rev. Dawn Hyde

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Title: That's a Honeybun!
Scripture: Exodus 16:2-4, 31-32 (NRSV)
16:2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

16:3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.

31 The house of Israel called it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, in order that they may see the food with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

What
(1) How are you doing? Check in with your home group or call someone up and let them know what's going on with you.

(2) Dawn jokes about a picture of paradise including honeybuns that fall from the sky. What does paradise look like in your imagination?

(3) What do you think it was like to be an Israelite wandering in the wilderness for 3 months?

So What
(4) Manna is what feeds us spiritually. Dawn describes a few kinds of manna: communal worship, a baby coo, getting outside. What is manna for you?
(5) Why does it matter that manna direct you toward God?

Now What
(6) Now that you know what your manna is, where are you going to put it so you can see?
(7) What story will you tell when an unassuming stranger sees what is manna for you and asks you about it?

Prayer: God, you send manna for us today. May we get up in the morning and collect it. May it be our spiritual fuel for the day. May we not get confused about what is manna and what is a really great hobby. May we always return our thanks to you for providing not what we want, but very much what we need. Amen.

Quote: "For the person who has been cheated on, manna may be the cup of coffee shared in a breakfast nook. Not quite forgiveness, but a willingness to enter the day together." — Rev. Dawn Hyde

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B-Sides | 9.5.21

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-6

The Valley of Dry Bones
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 
He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 
The Lord said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 
I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Questions
What?
1) How’s everyone doing? Check in with the group. 
2) Why do you think God leads Ezekiel through the dry bones of Israel?
3) Why do you think God asks Ezekiel if the dry bones can live?

So What?
3) What dry bones are you staring at? 
4) Why do they seem hopeless?

Now What?
5) What would it take to look at those dry bones with new eyes?

Prayer
Lord God, there are dry bones in our relationships, in our offices, and in our city. We need you to help us see them with new life. We need you to breathe among them and make us as flesh. Thank you for always surprising us with new life. Amen 

“I speak these words to you today not as a hopeful wish for our community, but because I have lived it.” 
— Rev. Dawn Hyde

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