[media presentation below] GospelThink Wednesday, May 17 JOHN 16:12-15 The Spirit that I will send will instruct you. Prayerthoughts a. The apostles were not ready to hear the complete message of Jesus. I have the advantage of having the whole message. As I study the Christian message, what are the most  ]important messages and how do they apply to me? b. The Holy Spirit will guide us to truth, meaning the truth of Jesus. But speaking in general of truth, am I a truthful person always? What are the times when I am not truthful and honest? c. The Holy Spirit will guide us to the message of Jesus. What are the different guides to my life right now? The Christian message should be the most important guide, but is it truly? Who or what do I truly follow? d. Once we have received the Christian message, we will be part of the Trinity—God, Son and Spirit. Do my actions, say yesterday, show that I am truly part of God’s direction? e. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will list the different guides that I have in my life right now.
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH  + Paul, in a beautiful sermon in the city of Athens during the second missionary journey           – speaks of the God that Paul now makes known to the Athenians                      – it is the God in whom we move and have our being                                – that God was the God that Jesus talked about, his “Father” as he calls him in John’s Gospel                      – it is that same God who together with Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, as Jesus describes it in the Gospel  + If we really believe in this God, we can expect many things           – one of them would be guidance                      – specifically, Jesus says in the Last Supper discourse, guidance to the truth                                – Jesus saying that           The Spirit of truth will guide you to all truth.   + Our Christian mind will lead us to the question of just what is that truth that that Spirit will guide us to?           – Paul gives the fundamental theological truth in the sermon to the Athenians           – we must turn to the God who is now known to us, the God who is not made by human hands  + Such a truth is not only “theological,” but it leads to something quite practical           – Paul also gives that in his sermon to the Athenians                      – we must repent, that is, reform our lives according to the teachings of that God in whom we live and have our being   + As believers, we have accepted the truth—the God of the universe, as Paul describes him           – we have accepted Jesus and the Holy Spirit as Jesus describes it during the Last Supper discourse                                – acceptance of theology is not our problem           – our problem comes in the practical side of theology                      – repenting                                – acknowledging that we are sinners, and then attacking the sources of sinfulness that are part of our lives                                          – the anger, the words, the judgment of others, the bitterness, etc.  + We are privileged to have the truth, and believe it           – now we are called to live out that truth in practical spiritual lives.
MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Blinding Lights” — The Weeknd BLINDED BY THE LIGHTS The Gospel MARK 14:3-6 When Jesus was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head. There were some who were indignant, “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages and the money given to the poor.” They were infuriated with her. Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me.” Gospelthink: The lady who anointed me was seeking sorrow for her sins. Do I say “I am sorry” often to God? “I’ve been tryna call, I’ve been on my own for long enough. Maybe you can show me how to love. I’m going through withdrawals. You don’t even have to do too much; you can turn me on with just a touch. I said, I’m blinded by the lights, I can’t sleep until I feel your touch. I will never let you go this time.”  His friend in The Weeknd’s song “Blinding Lights” had left. From the song’s words, it seems as though the person in the song had made mistakes. He sings, “Maybe you can show me how to love.” His girlfriend seems to have told him that he is going to have to make a decision to say that he is sorry for what he has done. He says that he desperately needs her, and it seems that he is willing to say that he’s sorry so that the relationship can continue. We see many examples in the Gospels of Jesus forgiving sinners once they had said that they were sorry. In Mark’s Gospel at a meal, immediately before his death and resurrection, a woman came to Jesus and anointed him with sacred oil, an action reserved for the privileged class. The woman according to most Scripture scholars was probably a sinner. The people who were with Jesus immediately began to judge her–her action was too extravagant, she was a sinner, she should not have been touching Jesus. Jesus, interestingly enough, does not address the woman. He addresses the people at table with him, explaining to them that they should not be judging the woman, explaining to them exactly what she had done. “She has done a good thing,” he says. She had chosen to ask for forgiveness in as strong a way as possible. Admitting that we are at fault whenever we are is important in any relationship, romantic or otherwise. If the mistake is ours, then we must admit our sinfulness. The person in The Weeknd’s song, had a feeling of loneliness after the girlfriend left, and it was strong and almost unbearable. But feeling this way is not quite enough to initiate getting back together. There must be action or words that say that we are sorry. As one studies the song, we see that we do not know whether the girlfriend came back or not. In the Gospel account, Jesus forgives the sinful woman. But in the song, it is a good lesson to say that even if the girl does not return to the relationship, the man must learn to ask for forgiveness anyway. PRAYER Good and gracious God, Your Son taught us to forgive one another, and he was especially aware of those who acted out their seeking of forgiveness. Give me the grace to recognize when I should be more forgiving and then help me carry it out. Be with us, we pray. +++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: When we have done something wrong, we must say that we are sorry. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song “Blinding Lights” teach young people?   2. In order to show true forgiveness of others, what should a person do? 3. If seeking forgiveness is one of the actions of the definition of love, what are love’s other characteristics? 4. For a person to be sorry, do you think that it is necessary to say the words? 5. In our modern world, what are some actions that show that a person is sorry for past behavior? 6. What is the principal reason why people do not say that they are sorry when they should be?