For this second lesson of three in September, we will continue to talk about the Bible and the story “The Story and the Song” found on pages 12-17 of The Jesus Storybook Bible (Free copies of this book at church or buying online).
     You and your family are invited to think, learn, read, and pray around our selected story.
     Children: As I said last week, “The Story and The Song” is a celebration of the Bible and how important it is to us.
     Please start this week by orally reading the story out loud, alone or with a family member or friend. Check out the pictures (illustrations) as you read. Pictures add lots of information. You could draw your own illustrations!
     The Old Testament is a collection of thirty-nine books about the history of our religion, which is called Christianity. The main message of the Old Testament is the prophecy, or prediction, of the coming of a messiah (a savior) to redeem mankind from sin. In short, the Old Testament is about the coming of Jesus. The Old Testament was Jesus’ only Bible and makes up 75 percent of our Christian Scripture, our sacred writings and beliefs.
     The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven books about Jesus’ life on earth. The main message of the New Testament is about Jesus’ earthly mission to do the will of God. The will of God is that all Christians should love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind” and also to “love our neighbor as yourself.”
     Our one and only God is in both the Old and New Testaments. The book of Hebrews (Old Testament) begins: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,” but in these last days (The New Testament) He has spoken to us by his Son.
     The very God who spoke through Old Testament prophets like Moses and Isaiah spoke through Jesus too!
     If you have any questions or comments, please share with Pastor Steve through this blog.
     Adults: Biblical references for this story are Psalm 19 and Hebrew 1.
     As promised, our discussion about the Bible will continue, this time with a closer look at the New Testament.
     The New Testament reveals Jesus in the flesh to us. We learn in the book of John that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. God is revealed in a new light to his people and that is as a father. In the New Testament we see the children of God (often called Christians) which are now Jew and Gentile receive the Holy Spirit.
     There are 27 New Testament books. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation.
     The New Testament Canon (A canon is a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine) can be sorted into four main categories:   
     The Four Gospels - The first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, make up the Gospels. Each of these books shares Jesus’ ministry, life, and gives a different viewpoint on events that occurred. These books were eyewitness testimonies of the life of Jesus Christ.
​ The Acts of the Apostles - The Acts of the Apostles is one book written by the apostle Luke that follows right after the gospels. It gives an account of the growth and spread of the early church.
     The Epistles - There are a total of 21 epistles (this word means "letter") in the New Testament. These are epistles or letters written primarily by the apostle Paul, who wrote fourteen of them. Each of these letters Paul writes has had an impact on the body of The Church whether it has influenced culture in an area or has been an encouraging letter to another believer.
     The Book of Revelation - The Book of Revelation is a book at the end of the New Testament written by the apostle John. The book was written through prophetic visions that John received about the return of Jesus Christ and the end times.
     As with the children, Pastor Steve will respond to anyone’s comments or questions.
~This week’s prayer: Thank you Lord for the gift and love of your sacred Word, the Bible. Amen
     Next week there will be one more online lesson for this month about the Bible. Sunday School will meet in person on September 22, 2024, after church services from 11am – 12 pm. We will enjoy a snack, oral read and discuss the story, and end with a craft. All ages are invited to attend, so put it on your calendar. J
Enjoy the mellow weather,
Margo Greer

​     It is fall once again and time to begin the new 2024-2025 year of online Learning Together lessons and Sunday School gatherings. Welcome back! I hope you had a super-duper, safe summer.
     As before, each month this online program will explore a new Bible story with three weekly online lessons followed up by an in-person gathering for Sunday School on the fourth Sunday of each month, except for December, from 11 am. to 12 pm. During our gatherings, we will orally read and discuss the story, do a craft, and say a prayer to finish.
     Learning Together lessons include a children’s section and an adult section.
     You and your family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around a story from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Copies of this book can be found at our church for free or can be purchased online.
     Our story this month is “The Story and The Song” on pages 12-17. Please feel free to ask questions or give comments to Pastor Steve by responding on this blog.
     Children: Please begin by making yourself comfortable and listening to the story read aloud to you located at the start of this online lesson.
     Our story is a description of our God and our Christian religion. It is a celebration of the Bible, which tells the story of Jesus, from the time before he was born to the end of His earthly mission. It is a celebration that God loves His children so much that He came to our rescue by sending Jesus.
     The Bible is divided into two basic parts, the first part called the Old Testament, and the second part called the New Testament. A testament states a belief or gives some sort of direction to those reading it.
     The Old Testament reveals to believers the truth of God from the beginning of time to 400 years before Jesus stepped foot on the earth. The New Testament covers Jesus’ lifetime and beyond. This second part of the Bible was written during the time of the Roman Empire.
     Adults: Biblical references for this story are Psalm 19 and Hebrews 1.
     Here is what I found to be interesting information on the organization of the Old Testament. The books in the old Testament are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, ,Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
     The Old Testament canon can be sorted into five main categories:
     The Pentateuch is the name for the first five books - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
     Historical Books chronicle the events of Israel's history. These books are Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, and Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
     Poetry and Wisdom Books describe wisdom in terms of practical knowledge. These books are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
     The Major Prophets are books that emphasize the relationship between God and His chosen people Israel. These books are Isiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
     The Minor Prophets are books that emphasize the relationship between God and His chosen people Israel. These books are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Combined, these categories cover almost all of the historical events before Jesus' life and ministry on Earth.
     Combined, these categories cover almost all of the historical events before Jesus' life and ministry on Earth.
     The authors of these books are written by some big names, some of the traditionally accepted authors include King David, who was said to have composed many of the psalms; Moses is also credited with writing the first five books.
     Various prophets from both the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah, like Amos, Hosea and Micah have written books in the Old Testament as well.
     These authors wrote over hundreds of years about their own experiences and about God's direction for them and for other people. As a result, their writings form an essential part of Christian theology today.
    Next week we will take a closer look at the New Testament.
     ~This week’s prayer: I thank you for all the people over many years who were true to you and wrote the Bible. Amen
     There will be two more online lessons this September about “The Story and The Song.” This month’s Sunday School will meet from 11 am. to 12 pm. on September 22 after church services. All ages are welcome to join the discussion and enjoy a craft!
Have a blessed day,
Margo Greer

​     Greetings! Thanks for joining me for the second and last online Learning Together story lesson of this month and of this 2023-2024 year.
     Our story is “A Dream of Heaven” and is located on pages 342-351 of The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Our focus today will be about the life of John the Disciple who wrote the book of Revelation, as shown in the painting below. 

     Children: Read the story, either silently to yourself or out loud.  Remember to check out the pictures. Pictures tell us so much about the story events.
     John the Disciple is also called John the Apostle. An apostle is another name for a disciple or helper of Jesus.
     He was born about 6 AD (6 years after Jesus was born) the son of Salome and Zebedee, a successful fisherman. Together with his sons, James and John, and other hired men, Zebedee fished on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
     John and his older brother James were followers of John the Baptist when Jesus called the two to follow Him, which they did, immediately leaving everything. The two were close to Jesus throughout His life.
     John had been asked by Jesus as He was on the cross to take care of His mother after He died. When Mary died, John travelled to Asia Minor, preaching the Good News and living mainly in Ephesus, an ancient port city in modern-day Turkey. 
     He was arrested for preaching about Jesus and was taken to Rome where Christians were being persecuted by Roman Emperor Domitian. He was then jailed at Patmos, a Greek island, about 91-96 A.D. It was there he wrote Revelation. On the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and continued his work in Asia. It is believed that he died at Ephesus sometime after AD 98. He was well over ninety years old.
     Questions? Comments? Use this blog to contact Pastor Steve and he will respond.
     Adults: The Biblical references for this story are Revelation 1, 5, 21, and 22.
     For general information about the life of John the Apostle, please read the Children’s section above. I would like to share some additional things about John that I found interesting in my online research.
1. John was also called John the Evangelist and John of Patmos.
2. John is known as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23) John was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and was present for some of the critical moments of Jesus’ time on earth – witnessing the Transfiguration and the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and accompanying Jesus the night before His crucifixion in the garden of Gethsemane. He was also the only disciple to be present at Jesus’ crucifixion. During the Last Supper, John is described as having his head resting on Jesus, in a posture customary of the Eastern dining tradition and indicative of their close friendship.

​3. John and his brother James were the only people to receive nicknames from Jesus. John and his brother James’ fiery evangelical zeal and extreme reactions inspired Jesus to – rather humorously – dub them “the Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). When Jesus set out for Jerusalem and the Samaritans refused to receive him on his journey, James and John were incensed. “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” they asked. In both instances, Jesus rebuked them for their extreme reactions and unnecessary hostility.
4. In Galatians, Paul refers to John as one of the “pillars” of the church in Jerusalem. It is thus believed that John was present in Jerusalem for the apostolic council of Jerusalem (Acts 15).
5. Throughout his Gospel account and epistles, John emphasizes the significance of love. In John’s telling of the Last Supper, Jesus’ final lesson centers on love: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.” – John 15:9-12
6. John’s Gospel includes numerous minor details that are not seen in other Gospel accounts. For instance, he gives the names of minor characters like the high priest’s father-in-law and the slave whose ear was severed at Jesus’ betrayal (John 18:13; 18:10). John’s Gospel also stresses the role of the Holy Spirit, mentioning that the Holy Spirit is promised by Jesus (7:37-39; 14:16-17), shows truth (16:13), and enables believers to continue the work of Jesus (14:16), among other things.
7. It is generally believed that John was the last surviving apostle. He also was the only apostle believed to die of natural causes. The other apostles died as martyrs, except for Judas, who took his own life.
~This Week’s Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray I will be inspired in faith by John to have his heart of love. Amen
     Sunday School will gather one more time before the summer months next week on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 11 am-12 pm right after church services.  There will be a snack, story reading and discussion, and a fun craft. All are welcome!
 Have a safe, fun summer,
Margo Greer

​     Hello once more and thanks for joining me for May’s online Learning Together lesson one. May is the last month until September for Learning Together lessons and Sunday School gatherings
     There will be only two lessons in May rather than three, and Sunday School will meet on May 19, 2024, a week earlier than usual to avoid the big Memorial Day weekend.
     Our May story is entitled “A Dream of Heaven” and is found on pages 342-351 of The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. You and your family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around this selection.
     Children: As usual, I now ask you, and any family member you invite, to settle in comfortably and listen to “A Dream of Heaven” being read aloud to you. You could close your eyes and imagine the scenes being described.
     There are 66 books in the Bible. The book of Revelation is the last one and is a special message recorded by the disciple John, one of Jesus’ closest helpers (disciples).
     The definition of the word ‘revelation’ is the telling of a surprisingly and previously unknown fact. For example, it would be a revelation if I told you I am really a frog! Which, of course, I am not, but wouldn’t that be an unexpected big surprise?
     Jesus told His revelation by giving John a vision, a dream while he was awake, and told John what to write. First, John wanted his audience to know that this wasn’t his letter. Its real author was Jesus. John was more like a scribe, writing down what he saw and what Jesus told him to share with others. Jesus wanted everyone to realize what God wants us, His people, to know about what happens next, now that Jesus is back in heaven. Three of these revelations follow:
     1. The first revelation is that God sees us. He sees how we worship, the things we care about, and how we take care of one another. He wants us to live in a way that honors Him and follows His instructions. Jesus promises some awesome things to those who believe in Him - Our names forever in the book of life, our names confessed before God and angels, and to sit on Jesus’s throne with Him, among other things.
     2. Secondly, Jesus revealed that we all get to choose whose side we’re on, the sinful world’s or Jesus’ message! There is but one side we want to be on at the end of the world … Jesus’ side. It’s like going into the Super Bowl and getting to choose which team you’re on, except you already know who’s going to win. When we follow Jesus, we are choosing the winning side.
     3. Lastly, Jesus is returning, and we want to be ready. There’s a natural curiosity in all of us—kids and adults alike—to know if this world’s going to end and how it’s going to end. A lot of us would also like to know when it’s going to end. For many centuries, people have looked to the book of Revelation to find these answers, but this book does not give a clear, step-by-step version of the end of the world. It doesn’t tell us when or how it’s all going to go down. But, like all of God’s Word, it tells us what we need to know
     Jesus is coming back! That’s the great big good news of Revelation. He’s coming back, and He will set all things straight. No more crying or fear, no more injustice or conflict, no more sickness or death. Heaven will be beautiful!
     This greatest of all invitations to heaven comes from Jesus, who says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
     Adults: The biblical references for this story are Revelations 1, 5, 21, and 22.
     The Revelation of John is the one book in the New Testament that claims John as its author. By the time the writings that are now included in the New Testament were assembled in their present form, three letters and one gospel were also attributed to John.
     At the beginning of Revelation, John tells us that while he was on the Isle of Patmos, where he was banished because of his religious faith, he heard a loud voice telling him to write what he saw and then to send the writing to the seven churches in Asia. The purpose of the book was to strengthen the faith of the members of these churches by giving to them the assurance that deliverance from the evil powers arrayed against them was close at hand.
     The Book of Revelation often has been regarded as a mysterious book, quite beyond the comprehension of the average lay reader. Its many references to angelic beings, its elaborate description of Christ as he appears in the heavenly courts, its use of such mystic numbers as three, seven, twelve, and their multiples, the accounts of strange beasts, symbolic names, and definite time periods — all suggest some hidden and esoteric meaning that supposedly can be detected only by an expert.
     For these reasons, many people have ignored the book, feeling that any attempt to understand it is futile. Other people have taken an opposite attitude and have found in this book what they believe to be predictions of whole series of events, many of which have already occurred and the remainder of which are about to take place in the near future. The basis for these views, many of which sound strange and fantastic, is found in the elaborate symbolism used in the book. The use of symbols has an important place in religious literature, for there is no other way in which a person can talk or even think about that which is beyond the realm of finite human experience.
     The unique feature about Revelation is the particular occasion that caused it to be written. Toward the end of the first century of the Christian era, the attitude of the Roman government toward Christianity became especially hostile. Nero, the Roman emperor, charged that Christians were to blame for the burning of Rome. Although the charge was false, it was sufficient to cause many people to regard the new Christian movement with suspicion. Jews and Romans alike resented the fact that Christians condemned so many of the things they were doing, and they especially disliked the belief on the part of Christians that their religion was superior to the older faiths that had been honored for centuries. The Christians often held their meetings in secret places, and their critics imagined that they were doing all sorts of evil things. It was easy to circulate rumors of this kind, and along with other things, Christians were charged with plotting against the Roman government. As the opposition to Christianity became more intense, the followers of the new movement were asked to prove their loyalty to the Roman government by denouncing Christ and by worshipping the statue of the emperor. When they refused to do this, they were tortured and even put to death.
     Under these conditions, the Revelation of John was written. It would be difficult to imagine anything more appropriate for the members of Christian churches at that time. They needed encouragement and the assurance that their trials would soon be over, that the evil powers of the earth would be destroyed, and that the triumph of righteousness would be established in the world. The message of Revelation was intended for this particular time and set of circumstances. Christians familiar with the older apocalyptic writings would understand the book's symbolism, for practically everything John said to his contemporaries was said before to people who suffered under similar circumstances. It is a mistake to suppose that John was predicting events that would take place in the later centuries of Christian history. Writing to the people of his own day about events that would happen while they were still living, he states that Christ will return while those who put him to death on the cross are still living. The permanent significance of Revelation lies in the author's conviction that right will ultimately triumph over evil.
~This Week’s Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe in you and your love, and I want to be with you in heaven! Amen
     You are invited to join me in our second and final online May Learning Together lesson next week when we learn more about the life of Disciple John.
     Sunday School will be held after church services at 11 am - 12 pm on May 19, 2024, for a snack, story reading and discussion, and a fun craft. Hoping to see you!
Sincerely,
Margo Greer

​     Hello again for the third and final Learning Together lesson for this month about Pentecost. The name of our story from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is “God Sends Help” found on pages 326-333.
     Children: I would like you to begin this lesson by reading the story out loud or silently to yourself, or you could be like one of Jesus’ helpers and read it aloud to an adult family member or to a brother or sister or cousin.
     There are three important ideas I would like to point out in this last Pentecost lesson.
     The first is, as our book says, that there were lots of people from faraway countries in Jerusalem at that time, and many different languages were spoken. God knew this would be a huge problem when His helpers tried to spread His word anywhere, so once more He came to the rescue. He enabled anyone listening to God’s message to be able to hear it in their own language! It was another game-changer!
     Secondly, at the very end of our story, we learn that one man named Saul was watching the spread of God’s love and becoming more and more upset with the growing number of helpers who were teaching about Jesus and God to anybody they could find. This Saul didn’t believe in God and caused many problems for those who did believe. That is, until God arranged a meeting with Saul and convinced him differently with temporary blindness. After that experience, Saul changed his name to Paul, and he became one of the best helpers ever for spreading God’s wonderful news.
     Thirdly, because of the Bible, we know there were many well-known Jesus helpers as time went on, but the biggest reason that our religion spread is that average, everyday people shared it with their family and friends.
     We can all be a helper of Jesus!
     Adults: The Biblical references for the Pentecost are Acts 1-5 and John 15.
     In this final mention of how Christianity spread throughout the world, let us take a look at a few future numbers. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, there were only an estimated 600 million Christians worldwide in 1910. This figure has increased enormously in more recent years, with an estimated 2.4 billion Christian followers recorded in 2012.
     The research center also predicts that Christianity will remain the world’s largest religion for the next four decades if these trends continue, with a projected 2.9 billion people practicing Christianity worldwide by 2050 and exceeding 3 billion thereafter.
     Christianity is expected to remain the largest religious group throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa, too, with more than 50% of each respective population practicing Christianity.
     The marked spread of Christianity across non-Western countries has significantly altered the distribution of Christians throughout the planet. During the 1900s, Christian faith was most prevalent throughout Europe and the Americas – claiming around 93% of the entire global Christian population. In 2010, however, only 26% of the global Christian population was located in Europe, with 24.4% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 12.3% in North America – a combined total of 62.7%. With the increase in the number of followers of Christianity in the past century has come a significant shift in their geographic distribution.
     Protestantism, in particular, has spread swiftly throughout the continents of Africa, Asia, and Oceania since the early 1900s. A lot of this growth occurred after World War II, during which Africa was decolonized and the strong restrictions against the practicing of Protestantism worldwide were abolished.
This Week’s Prayer: Jesus, bless all the people since the beginning   who have shared God’s message of love and peace with the world! Amen
     This is the last of the three April Learning Together lessons. This coming Sunday, April 28, please join our Sunday School gathering after church services at 11 am for a snack, story reading and discussion, and a fun craft.
Hope to see you soon,
Margo Greer

​     I welcome everyone to the second of three April Learning Together lessons. Our current story is called “God Sends Help” and is found on pages 326-333 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. If you recall, the Pentecost story is the subject of this month’s posting.
     Children: You learned in lesson one why we Christians celebrate the Pentecost and what the Trinity is. It is time to review our story by listening to the “God Sends Help” oral read video once more.
     Now, let’s return to the terrified disciples hiding in their shuttered and locked upstairs room.
     Jesus’ helpers were freaked out for good reason: With the crucifixion of Jesus, they knew how dangerous it was to publicly support Jesus. At the same time, they remembered that Jesus, numerous times, had told them to spread God’s message of hope and love. What to do now?
     Despite the windows shut tight and the door closed and locked, the strong wind that entered their small room came through the walls, but before they could be surprised about that, the flames of light, which did not hurt or burn, appeared just above all their heads!!
     But the CHANGE the disciples felt from INSIDE was the most amazing part of the whole incredible experience. The Holy Spirit, God’s great force, had entered into the hearts of each of them in that room, and suddenly, they knew they had been given the gift of joy and courage and love and determination. Their hearts were now telling them that spreading God’s good news to as many people as possible was their mission in life!
     And so it was. Lots of new helpers and friends began to believe in Jesus and God’s plan to rescue everyone, and those new helpers and friends continued to share the good news with more and more new helpers and friends. The number of people grew, and today people who believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can be found everywhere around the world.
     Now you know how God sent His help. He can send the same help to YOU whatever your mission is!
     Adults: The Biblical references for the Pentecost is Acts 1-5 and John 15.
     How did Christianity go from a small sect in a corner of the Roman Empire in the first century, to the religion that the emperor converted to in the early fourth century? Its spread was greatly aided by the empire’s political unification and extensive road system, as well as the belief among many Christians that the religion was something anyone could adopt, regardless of regional or religious background.
     Five main reasons follow that explain the spread of Christianity during the Roman Empire days.
1. Everyday Citizens Spread the Word
     Missionaries like Paul, a major figure in the Bible’s New Testament, traveled around the empire with the intention to spread Christianity. However, most of the people who helped spread the religion did so just by talking about it with their neighbors, friends, and family members, says Edward Watts, a history professor at the University of California San Diego and author of The Final Pagan Generation: Rome's Unexpected Path to Christianity. “Missionaries are a part of the story, but most of the story is about regular Christians talking to regular people,” he says. “And that, I think, is the most important reason that Christianity emerges in the way that it does in the Roman world. It’s not mission activity by people like Paul so much as it is people whose names we don’t know.”
2. Early On, Christianity Coexisted With ‘Paganism’
     At the Roman Empire’s height in the second century, it stretched into Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. One key reason Christianity was able to spread throughout this vast empire was that many people viewed the new religion as something they could easily adopt without having to change their existing cultural and religious practices.
     In the first and second centuries, most people in the Roman Empire worshiped multiple gods at once. When they heard about Christianity, they didn’t necessarily think that worshiping Jesus Christ meant they had to stop worshiping their other gods, like Jupiter, Apollo and Venus. Rather, many adopted Christianity by adding Jesus to the group of gods they already worshiped, Watts says.
     The belief that Christianity was compatible with what we now call paganism helped Christianity spread through the Roman Empire. Although some Christians argued there was only one god and Christians shouldn’t worship any others, this wasn't how many people in the Roman Empire understood Christianity at the time, Watts says.
3. Early Christians Didn’t Present Themselves as an Exclusive Club
     Christianity also got a boost from the idea that it was a religion for anyone - not just people in a certain region with a specific religious background. Though some Christians debated this point, missionaries like Paul preached that a person didn’t have to obey Jewish laws around circumcision and kosher food practices to become Christians.“ This is a key change because it makes the bar to entry much lower,” Watts says. “If you are a male who wants to convert to Christianity, and there’s an assumption that first you have to convert to Judaism, it’s literally physically painful and dangerous for you to convert.”
     In addition, the fact that the authors of the Christian gospels wrote them in Koine Greek, a common language version of Greek, made the gospels accessible to more people in the empire. Unlike Aramaic, a regional language in Judea that Jesus spoke, Greek was spoken throughout the Roman Empire.
4. Early Persecution Wasn’t Widespread
     During the first and second centuries, persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire was sporadic and regionally - specific rather than empire-wide. The persecution of Christian martyrs like Ignatius of Antioch, who died in the second century, did not represent the experiences of most Christians.
     This didn’t change until the middle of the third century, when the emperors Decius, who ruled from 249 to 251, and Valerian, who ruled from 253 to 260, launched campaigns to promote traditional Roman values and customs like sacrificing animals to pagan gods. Officials documented these sacrifices with papyrus receipts for people to keep as a record of their sacrifice. Those who didn’t have these receipts and refused to sacrifice could be arrested and killed.
     Decius’ campaign didn’t target Christians, specifically, but rather anyone who wasn’t practicing pagan sacrifice. In contrast, Valerian’s campaign targeted Christians more directly. After this, the next major campaign against Christians was the Great Persecution. Beginning in 303 under the Emperor Diocletian, it led to the death of many Christian religious leaders and the seizure of Christian property.
5. An Emperor Converted - and Officially Recognized the Faith
     The Great Persecution was the Roman Empire’s most severe persecution of Christians - and also its last. This is because after this persecution, in 312, Emperor Constantine I became the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. A year later, he helped enact the Edict of Milan, which ended government persecution of Christians and made Christianity a recognized, legal religion within the empire.
     Constantine’s rule didn’t mark an immediate shift in the Roman Empire from pagan to Christian. However, “he starts a process that, by the end of the fourth century, will lead to the explicit restriction of pagan practices and the explicit promotion of Christian practices by the imperial government,” Watts says.
     Christianity continued to spread through the territories of the western Roman Empire after its fall in 476. Over the next several centuries, it became the dominant religion in the city of Rome as well as the European regions over which the Roman Empire had ruled. The Roman Colosseum, once the site of deadly gladiator battles, even became a sacred Christian site.
~This Week’s Prayer: Dear God, I thank you that I am your child and that You love me! Amen
     Next week I will conclude our discussion of the Pentecost story in Lesson 3. Please note in your calendar that Sunday School will meet on April 28th at 11 am.
Until next time,
Margo

​     I hope that you had a blessed Easter! Thanks for joining me for our first lesson for this month of April. There will be two more April weekly lessons posted, and, of course, you are invited to attend our fourth Sunday gathering for Sunday School on April 23 at 11 am after church service. Everyone is welcome to participate.
     Our story this month is called “God Sends Help” and is found on pages 326-333 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. (A copy is available at Resurrection Lutheran Church for free or online with a cost to you.) As always, you along with your whole family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around this selected story about a church celebration called Pentecost.
     Pentecost celebrates Jesus’ crucifixion (when Jesus died on Good Friday), His resurrection (when Jesus rose from the dead three days later on Easter Sunday), and His ascension (when Jesus returned to heaven, about 40 days after His resurrection). Most importantly for our story, it also marks the beginning of the Christian church’s mission of spreading Jesus’ message to the world.
     Children: Make yourself cozy and prepare to hear another amazing bible story. Please listen to the oral reading of this story that has been video-taped and posted above for you. As you listen, use your imagination to see the described scenes unfold in your head. Feel free to create your own illustrations if you like.
     This story tells us how some of Jesus’ helpers, also called His disciples, were given the gift of the Holy Spirit and how it changed their lives - from hiding in locked rooms and being afraid to speak out about Jesus at the beginning of our story to devoting their lives to openly teach anyone about Jesus and God’s love at the end of our story.  
     That is a huge switcharoo in their feelings! So what exactly is this Holy Spirit that the disciples were given? To explain the Holy Spirit, we need to discuss what is called The Trinity, the three forms that God can take. 
     The diagram below explains that the Father (which refers to Jesus’ father), the Son (which refers to Jesus himself), and the Holy Spirit (which refers to the non-physical part of us where our emotions and feelings live). These three are separate entities, but all three exist together in one as God.  I know that sounds very mysterious, but think of it like this: Any person, like myself, can be a daughter, an aunt, or a cousin, just different roles I play. Yet all together those three make one person - myself, Margo. 

​     The Holy Spirit came as the wind that entered the disciples’ locked room and created the flickering flames, which did not hurt or burn, above their heads. The Holy Spirit put love in their hearts for God and for their fellow beings and made them want to share the good news of God’s love.
     Remember, Pastor Steve will respond to any of your questions or comments!
     Adults: The Biblical references for the Pentecost are Acts 1-5 and John 15.
     As a religion, Christianity has been around for millennia. It has changed and transformed throughout time – both in terms of the principles and beliefs, the range of denominations it is comprised of, and the number of religious believers across the globe.
     Christianity certainly isn’t the only prevalent religion in the world, but it might come as a surprise to learn that, amidst Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and all other major religious schools, Christianity is the most popular.
     Global assessments conducted in 2012 revealed that the precise figures pertaining to the most-followed world religions were:

​     Quite clearly, Christianity exceeds the other four major religious/non-religious bodies by a significant proportion of 0.6 billion – overtaking Islam in number of followers by an astounding 9.1% of the global population.
     The figures have varied throughout history, though, and the number and spread of Christians worldwide has changed dramatically in the past century alone. In the next two lessons, our topic will be how Christianity spread throughout the earth.
     Pastor Steve will answer your questions or address your concerns if you submit them via this blog!
~This Week’s Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit lives within my heart. Amen
     Join me again next week for our second lesson about the Holy Spirit and the joy it can create within us.
Enjoy the spring weather,
Margo Greer

     Welcome to the last of three lessons for the month of March about Jesus’ crucifixion.  Glad to have you along!
     Our story, “The Sun Stops Shining,” comes to us from The Jesus Storybook Bible, written by Sally Lloyd-Jones, and can be located on pages 302-309.
     Children: Reread the story out loud or silently. You could also choose to read the story to someone else in your family.
     Before we get to the good news that I promised, I would like to ask a few questions and make a couple of comments to get us all to think (ponder) a bit deeper about Jesus and His crucifixion:
           * If you were the only person alive, Jesus would have still died
for you!  
           * How does that make you feel, knowing an innocent person was
willing to die for your sins?
           * How does it make you want to respond? To live your life
differently?
     And now, after all of Jesus’ suffering, we are ready to hear the GREAT NEWS! After the crucifixion on Good Friday, He was laid to rest in a tomb and a huge stone was rolled in front of the opening. The following Sunday, the stone had mysteriously been rolled away and the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb, but an angel was waiting there to explain that Jesus wasn’t dead anymore. He was alive again! He had conquered death for the sake of our sins, as He said He would! And that is the sweet joy of celebrating Easter.
     Questions or comments? Respond on this blog to Pastor Steve and he will enjoy a discussion with you.
     Adults: The Biblical references for the Crucifixion story are Matthew 27, Mark 15, and John 19.
     Here are some thoughts for my grown-up readers to ponder as this particular story ends:
           * By trying so hard to prevent any kind of fraudulent later claims  
              that Jesus was resurrected, His enemies did us the great favor of
            providing powerful evidence. In truth, the fact that Jesus was killed
            is as certain as any event recorded in history. 
         * Have you ever wondered if any of the Roman soldiers, Jewish
            leaders, or people in the crowd chanting for Jesus’ crucifixion were
            among those who saw Him in His resurrected form? Here’s one thing
            we do know, based on everything Jesus taught: If their paths did
            cross, Jesus offered them His unending forgiveness and grace. That,
            my friends, is the Good News! We can do nothing to separate
            ourselves from God — except choose to turn our backs on Him.
         * The deeper meaning for Christians is that Jesus Christ's crucifixion
            does not represent pain and suffering. Rather, because it was part of
            a divine plan to save humanity, Jesus' crucifixion represents    
            salvation and His miraculous resurrection. Christians believe that   
            through Jesus' death and resurrection, people are reunited with God
            and receive new joy and power in this life as well as eternal life
 
     If you wish to ask any questions or make any comments, please use this blog to online chat with Pastor Steve.
 
~This Week’s Prayer: I thank God for His gift of salvation and eternal life with Him. Amen
      This week, Sunday School will meet for this story’s reading, discussion, and a fun craft at 11 am after church services. Snacks will be available. I hope to see you!
Have a blessed Easter,
Margo Greer

     Hi to everyone! I am glad that you can join me for this, March’s second of three online Learning Together lessons.
     Children: This month’s story is called “The Sun Stops Shining” and can be found on pages 302-309 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. To refresh your memory, please listen again to the story being read aloud to you. You could follow along in your own book and check out the book’s excellent pictures (illustrations) or draw your own illustrations as you listen.
     The Bible is divided into sections called “books.” Four of these books, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, include the story of Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and His resurrection. (The good news resurrection is my next week’s lesson. Remember, I said things would end happily for everyone!)
     Not all four books agree on all the details of what happened that day. When people witness an event or series of events, today or two thousand years ago, not all would remember exactly the same details. All four gospels do agree with the main facts - that Jesus was on trial, was killed, and was laid in a grave on this particular Friday, and all four believe that Jesus rescued everyone in the world by dying on the cross for our sins.
    The church calls the day of Jesus’ death Good (meaning holy) Friday. Events of that day include Jesus’ trial ending about 6 am, His crucifixion began 3 hours later at 9 am, and He died 6 hours after that at 3 pm.
     If you have any questions or comments about this story, please feel free to submit them to Pastor Steve through this blog.
     Adults: The Biblical references for our Crucifixion story are Matthew 27, Mark 15, and John 19.
     The Romans knew that once the victim was finally hanging from the cross, it could take hours for him to die. As Jesus fought off suffocation, He was forced to take the next breath by laboriously pulling Himself up by His wounded hands and feet. “The pain was absolutely unbearable,” observes Dr. Alexander Metherell, PhD. “In fact, it was literally beyond words to describe; they had to invent a new word: excruciating. Literally, excruciating means out of the cross.”
     Adds Myers, “When air was so precious, and each breath so painfully won, Jesus still used that breath to communicate with people who were near. The first sentence, looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His garment, is ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’ In my mind, this is one of the most remarkable statements in all of Scripture.”
     Jewish law prohibited a crucified person from hanging on the cross during Sabbath, which is Saturday for them. So to hurry the process, Roman soldiers could decide to break the leg bones of the victim. The Bible tells us that the legs of the two thieves crucified with Christ were broken, but the soldiers did not need to break Jesus’ legs because they observed that He was already dead (John 19:32-33). Scripture tells us that it took Jesus six hours to die after being put on the cross.
     Pilate demanded certification of Jesus’ death before allowing His body to be removed from the cross. Only after four Roman executioners certified that Jesus was indeed dead, did Pilate give the order for His body to be removed. The executioners felt certain that Jesus was dead because when a great spear was thrust into Jesus’ side, both blood and water flowed out (John 19:34). Had Jesus been alive when the spear entered His body, strong spouts of blood would have emerged with every beat of His heart.
     As with the children, please feel free to ask questions or make comments to Pastor Steve on this blog. He would welcome them!
~This Week’s Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for suffering and dying on the cross for my sins. Amen
     Join me next week for the third and final on-line lesson about “The Sun Stops Shining.” Sunday School will meet on the fourth Sunday of this month, March 24, for story reading, a discussion, and a fun craft. Treats will be provided. All are welcome!
Have a great week,
Margo Greer

     Welcome to the first of three March Learning Together lessons. As always, you and your whole family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around one particular story.
     This month’s story is called “The Sun Stops Shining” and is found on pages 302-309 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. (This book can be ordered online, or a free copy can be found at our church.)
     Children: It is time to listen to the new story being orally read to you. The story is a sad one but remember that all turns out well for everyone in the end! It is the reason that Jesus was born into this world. It is all part of God’s plan and the Big Rescue.
     Many people in the world such as ourselves use a calendar that starts counting on the year of the birth of Jesus, which is called year 1. (This is because His birth was such an important event.) At that time, the Romans were a large group of people living in Italy who came to rule very large parts of Europe, the near East (where Jesus lived), and North Africa. The Romans, who ran the government, did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, and they treated people (early Christians) who did believe with incredible cruelty, as our story describes.
     Adults: The Biblical reference for our Crucifixion story is Matthew 27, Mark 15, and John 19.
     Crucifixion was not only one of the most disgraceful and painful forms of death, but it was also one of the most dreaded methods of execution in the ancient world. Accounts of crucifixions are recorded among early civilizations, most likely originating with the Persians, and then spreading to the Assyrians, Scythians, Carthaginians, Germans, Celts, and Britons. Crucifixion as a type of capital punishment was primarily reserved for traitors, captive armies, slaves, and the worst of criminals. Crucifying criminals became common under the rule of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC).
     In the Bible story of the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Jewish high council accused Jesus of blasphemy and decided to put him to death, but first, they needed Rome to sanction their death sentence. Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, who found him innocent. Pilate had Jesus flogged and then sent to Herod, the Roman Jewish client King of Judea, who sent Him back.
     The Jewish high council demanded that Jesus be crucified, so Pilate, fearing the Jews, turned Jesus over to one of his centurions to carry out the death sentence. Jesus was publicly beaten, mocked, and spit on. A crown of thorns was placed on His head. He was stripped of His clothes and led to Golgotha.
     A mixture of vinegar, gall, and  myrrhwas offered to him, but Jesus refused it. Stakes were driven through Jesus' wrists and ankles, fastening him to the cross where he was crucified between two convicted criminals. The inscription above his head read, "The King of Jews.”
     Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, died on a Roman cross. Christian theology teaches that Christ's death provided the perfect atoning sacrifice for the sins of all humankind, thus making the crucifix, or cross,one of the defining symbols of Christianity.
~This Week’s Prayer: I give unending thanks for Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice. Amen
     There will be two more online lessons in the next two weeks about the story of the death of Jesus. Sunday School will meet on the fourth Sunday of this month, March 24th, for story reading, a discussion, and a fun craft. Treats will be provided! All are welcome.
 Enjoy the beautiful weather,
Margo Greer