Welcome to our second week of Learning Together for November. We will continue our discussion of “God to the Rescue”, which is the story of Passover.

This week I would like you to read the story from The Jesus Storybook Bible out loud to an adult or by yourself. How did God’s people feel after they were rescued from the Pharaoh? Think about a time when someone rescued you. What happened and how did you feel? Write or blog to share your thoughts. Pastor Mary will respond to your comments and questions online or in-person during the fourth Sunday time.

A prayer for this week, alone or with family, would be: Dear Lord, help me face life’s problems with the sure knowledge You’ll always be there. Amen.
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Have a good week,
Margo Greer

Welcome to November’s Learning Together! As with the first two months, you will be invited to listen and read and imagine and create and pray around one particular story.

Our story for November is the story of Passover called “God to the Rescue!” For this first week, please listen as a family to the story read out loud from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. As you are listening, think about how you would describe the Pharaoh and how he treated God’s people.

When you are done, please write down any questions you may have about the story. If you like, add comments below to send your question(s) to all who are participating. Pastor Mary will respond to all questions, and you are invited to respond to others’ questions and comments. It is hoped an online exploration of this story will happen!

During the week, you are invited to create a picture, in your choice of media, of Moses and the miraculous burning bush. Please bring your picture, any questions, and any projects to church on the fourth week to share!
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Finally, you are invited to pray together or alone the following prayer sometime each day of the week: Dear God, I pray that you give me strength to do what I need to do, no matter how difficult. Amen.

Enjoy your week,
Margo Greer

This month we have been looking together at the story of Adam and Eve and the snake in the garden of Eden.  It is a story to help us think about how the “very good” world that God created ended up with so much pain and suffering, ended up so broken.
In The Jesus Storybook by Sally Lloyd-Jones, she has these words in the story of The Terrible Lie:

        “Did you eat the fruit I told you not to eat?” God asked them.  Adam said, “Eve made me do it!”  “What have you done?” God asked.  Eve said, “The serpent made me do it!”  And terrible pain came into God’s heart.  His children hadn’t just broken the one rule; they had broken God’s heart.  They had broken their wonderful relationship with him.  And now he knew everything else would break.
        “You will have to leave the garden now,” God told his children, his eyes filling with tears.  “This is no longer your true home, it’s not the place for you anymore.”
        Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: “It will not always be so!  I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I’m going to do battle against the snake.  I’ll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here.  I’m coming back for you!”  And he would.  One day, God himself would come.

Can you think of a time when you have been caught doing something wrong and blamed it on someone else?  Why did you do that?  How did you feel?

Do you ever think about God being affected by your sin?  How do you respond to the phrase, “they had broken God’s heart”?  Do you think you can break God’s heart?

Describe or draw a picture of “home”.  What is included in that picture?

What does it do to a relationship when someone lies?  When someone says they are sorry?  Do you see a relationship between this and the Confession and Forgiveness that we do in worship?

This week, pray the following prayer:

All that we ought to have thought and have not thought,
All that we ought to have said and have not said,
All that we ought to have done and have not done,
All that we ought not to have spoken and yet have spoken,
All that we ought not to have done, and yet have done,
For these words, and works, we pray,
O God, for forgiveness.  Amen.

Pastor Mary

​This month our Bible story (Genesis 3) examines the origins of sin in the world.  How would you define “sin”?  Does the story of a snake tempting Eve and Adam to disbelieve God, help you make sense of how sin entered the world? Why or why not?

What do you find hard to believe about God?  Do you think of yourself as someone who depends on God more or yourself more?

Sometimes the church has taught that original sin is something that we are “born with” almost like a hereditary trait.  What if original sin is more like "I do not begin evil, I continue it”.  Does this help you think about the presence of evil in the world?

Make note of your insights and responses to these questions.  Please bring them with you to church on October 31 when we will spend worship and education time talking together about this important topic of “sin”.

Peace,
Pastor Mary

Our Bible story for this month is about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the snake who tempted them to disobey God.  This enemy of God—that is the meaning of the word, Satan,—plays a role in causing God’s good creation to “fall”.
What are three things that you see in our world that show you that the world is no longer all good?  Try and identify the causes of these three things.  How would things be different if God’s will was being done?

In The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, part of the story goes like this:

    Eve picked the fruit and ate some.  And Adam ate some, too.  And a terrible lie came into the world.  It would never leave.  It would live on in every human heart, whispering to every one of God’s children:  “God doesn’t love me.”

Are there times you feel as if God doesn’t love you?  What if this message really is a “terrible lie”?

This week, pray every day that you will be able to trust that God loves you.

Keep track of any insights or questions you have about this story and bring them with you when you come to worship and Sunday school on October 31!  There will be treats on this Halloween morning!
Add comments below!

Enjoy wrestling with this story!
Pastor Mary

Welcome to October’s Learning Together!
 Our Story for October is “The Terrible Lie”.

​For this first week of October I have included 2 versions of the story. The first one is read by Aidan and called the “Sneaky Snake” and the second one is the story taken from The Storybook Bible By Sally Lloyd-Jones. Please listen to both versions together as a family and do 2 things: 

• Talk about one similarity and one difference the 2 stories have. 
• Write down what you think is the most important part of the story and why? 

One of our greatest sins in life is wanting what we don’t have. This week, make a mental note of at least 5 things you are grateful for having. If you like, use the blog and share them. 
 
Finally, I found this prayer that would be a good one to pray together as a family: 
God, keep me focused today on the things that are of you. Amen. 

​Have a great week, 
Melissa Leighton 

Welcome to our 3rd week of Learning Together!  I hope you are enjoying the process of exploring the Creation story from many angles!

This week I would like you to write or draw your own creation story.  If you were the Creator and you had 7 days, what would you create?  After each day of creation, be sure to end with the phrase...and it was good.  Share your creation story-or at least some of your favorite “days” with our online community: who knows, they may end up as part of our worship service on September 26!
 
Also, spend some time thinking or talking with others about how we humans have hurt the good creation.  Think of something you can do to help restore the creation to health and beauty.  Please share that with the rest of us on our RLC blog!
 
I invite you to offer the following prayer sometime each day of this week:

Dear God: 
We love this wonderful earth which you have created, but we are worried about many things which are causing it harm. 
We understand that there are many problems with our environment. 
We ask you, God, to help us find ways to take better care of the earth. 
We know that there are many people working to help the earth: bless their efforts and lead us to also contribute to the well-being of creation. 
Amen.

​Pastor Mary

Welcome to the first month of Learning Together!  I hope you enjoy this new hybrid, intergenerational program for exploration of some of the stories of the Bible.  Each month, you will be invited to listen and read and imagine and create and pray around one particular story.  

Our story for September is the story of Creation.  We begin at “the beginning”!  For this first week, please listen to the story read out loud from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.  Try and picture in your mind what it was like when God did all that creating!  All members of your household are encouraged to listen together.

When you are done, please write down one question that each person has connected to the story.  Go to our  new RLC Blog and hit Chat and send your question to all who are participating.  I will respond to all your questions and invite you to likewise respond to others' questions and comments.  We hope to have an online exploration of the story!

During the week, I invite you to go for a walk outside and notice the creation.  Perhaps you can greet all that you see just like God did in the story: “hello flowers, hello birds”.
See if you can notice something you haven't seen before on this walk.  It may be something big or something small!  Share your observations on the RLC Blog throughout the week.

Finally, I invite you to pray together or alone the following prayer sometime each day of the week.

We thank you, God, for morning light
and peace and quiet through the night.
We thank you, God, for birds that sing.
We thank you, God, for everything.
Amen.
Pastor Mary