[media presentation below] GospelThink Wednesday, July 12 MATTHEW 10:1-7 I wanted my disciples to preach the Gospel first to those who were close to me. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus gave his Apostles authority to drive out evil. I must drive out the evil in my life.  Identify the evil around me and determine a way to conquer it in my own way. b. The Lord appointed specific people to be his Apostles. I am a person He has appointed in the sense that I am His creation. In my work, am I honoring the Lord who has created me by doing my work with love? c. Jesus chose Judas who betrayed him. In what ways have I betrayed Jesus in the past? Perhaps this is the time to renew my asking for forgiveness. (This is the task of the meditation.) d. Jesus restricts his Apostles to work only with Israel, the thrust of his ministry on earth. Most of my “missionary activity” will be with people whom I know. How am I treating those in my acquaintance whom I know best? e. Jesus’ first directive is to preach the Kingdom, that is, that God is present in our world. Do I show my belief in God as I go about my daily work? f. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will write a prayer asking for forgiveness for any sins of the past. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE KINGDOM FORETOLD AND ENACTED  + The Old Testament has many functions          – one of them—to pre-figure what Jesus did or said in the New Testament                   – here, great story of Joseph                            – this reading skips some lines                                     – you might want to read the whole story beginning with chapter 41 of Genesis and going over the next couple weekday liturgies  + In general, it says:          – the brothers of Joseph recognize their sin: “we are being punished”=really, we are punishing ourselves                   – so recognition of sinfulness                            – looks like no hope, but actually Joseph knows what he is doing                                              – a good ending, hope giving way to prosperity  + There is a parallel in Gospel          – not one person here, but twelve, who are symbolized by Joseph                   – they call the Israelites to be aware of their sinfulness                   – Jesus sends them to the “lost” sheep of Israel                            – and gives them hope                                     – specifically hope in the Kingdom  + In Matthew, Mark and Luke’s Gospels, the Kingdom is primary—          – the hope of humankind                   – if you accept the Kingdom, your life will be infinitely better on earth, and eternally happy in the Kingdom of heaven  + The application for us in the twenty-first century:          – we must try to develop the characteristics of the Kingdom that Jesus and his apostles taught          – this bringing about hope in our world today. MOVIE PRESENTATION Movie: “All Saints” — beginning session WHAT GOD WANTS AND WHAT I WANT The Gospel MARK 1:4-5 John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

Gospelthink: My friend John the Baptist began the announcement of the Kingdom. I live in that Kingdom; do I live well the teachings of the Kingdom?

Based on a true story the movie “All Saints” is filmed at the sight of the church with some local people even making up the congregation. After trading in his corporate sales career to become an Episcopalian priest, Fr. Michael Spurlock’s first assignment was to a tiny church outside of Nashville, Tennessee in the small town of Smyrna. It was to be an extremely difficult assignment. His bishop to whom he had promised obedience, ordered him to close the church doors and sell the prime piece of land in order to make up for the money the church had cost the Diocese. Michael and his family set out to follow the bishop’s wishes, but they soon attracted a group of Karen refugees from Burma led by Ye Win, one of the few who spoke English. Things began to change as the refugees and Michael and the people of All Saints, some quite reluctant, began to discover the will of God. The question for Michael however was one of pride: was what was happening God’s Will or merely his own selfish desire to be a “savior”?

He was popular. That in itself could have led to selfishness, one of the things that he was preaching against. As Mark describes it in his Gospel, the whole Judean countryside and all of Jerusalem were going out to listen to John the Baptist and follow what he said. But he also was doing the right thing. He knew that the people had to be reminded of their sinfulness and that they had to repent in order to receive the Messiah and the Kingdom of God. He understood the trap, however, and would not give into popularity or selfishness. Instead, as he showed by his life, he turned people’s attention to Jesus. One of the temptations that a popular person has is to be enamored with his/her own abilities. It becomes a sin when such a person refuses to consider the possibility that selfishness could happen. Michael Spurlock had a job to do in the movie “All Saints.” As things began to work out, he began to see that he could take things another direction. He believed that God had talked to him, and it seemed that his acceptance of what God said was exactly what he should do. He needed others to do it, of course, but they followed him and his dream. And the dream began to become reality. Selfishness is the destroyer of what God wants, even if the person is convinced that something is God’s will. As Michael in the movie, a person must continually check with God by prayer and serious conversation with others, before accepting praise for something that God has done in a person’s life. It is no easy task because at every moment the insidious notion of “I did this and no one else” can supersede even the highest intention. The person who is accomplishing something significant must question whether it is God’s Will or merely one’s own. John the Baptist and Michael Spurlock were able to accomplish it.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, You are the most important part of a person’s life. John the Baptist realized that fact even as he was very popular. Help us understand that selfishness can creep into our lives too easily. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: When someone is interested in helping others, one’s own selfishness can get in the way. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 50 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. What is your definition of “repentance”? 3. What is your definition of “pride”? 4. In your opinion, why is John the Baptist important for today’s world? 5. In your opinion, what is the best way to face the possible selfishness in your life?  6. Analysis: Do you believe that Michael worked out the possibility of “being selfish” in his life? Yes or no and why?