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When Worship Costs More than You Expect

by | 52 comments

Welcome to Week Four of Pursuing God’s Beauty: Stories from the Gospel of John. This summer, we’re digging deep into God’s Word and praying that with a word, passage, or story we will be wonderstruck by Scripture and fall in love with the Bible once again, or maybe for the first time. (Join us! Click here).

Here’s the homework for Week Four: When Worship Costs More than Expected:

  1. Watch Session Four (When Worship Costs More than Expected) on Your Pursuing God’s Beauty DVD (16 minutes) and begin working through the homework.
  2. Read John 12-17.
  3. Come back to MargaretFeinberg.com on Thursday, the same day you can enjoy the Midday Connection podcast on the session, to discuss what God’s revealing to you along the way. (To subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss a beat, click here).

If you have a blog, consider linking up with MargaretFeinberg.com each Thursday and share what God is teaching you through the Gospel of John!

Here are five things you must know before diving into John 12-17:

  1. The Greek word for “poured” also means “anoint.” The anointing of a king by pouring oil on his head at coronation was observed not only in Israel, but in other countries (Judges 9:8, 1 Samuel 9:16).
  2. Respectable Jewish women always kept their hair up in public. To allow one’s hair to flow freely was the sign of an immoral woman. Despite this cultural taboo, Mary lets down her hair with reckless abandon in this beautiful expression of adoration in John 12.
  3. John’s account of the Last Supper differs from the other Gospels. John notes the final supper is the night before instead of the night of the Passover. John doesn’t mention the securing or preparation of the upper room, but includes the scene of the foot washing as well as the account of Judas’ betrayal. In addition, John lacks the Eucharistic language or detailed description of Holy Communion found in the other Gospels.
  4. Shalom, the Hebrew word for “peace” used in John 14:27, communicates much more than a lack of conflict. Shalom suggests the idea of the blessing that overflows when one is in right relationship with God.

When Worship Costs More than You Expect5. Moses (Numbers 11:15), Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), and Jonah (Jonah 4:3, 8) all asked God to take them out of the world. God denied all of their requests. In John 17:15, Jesus prays that his disciples would not be taken from the world, but remain in it—set apart as God’s people and protected from the evil one.

FOR DISCUSSION: Answer the following questions as a comment to this blog post. Feel free to ask questions, reply to others’ comments, and post prayer requests.

  • What is the most meaningful gift you have ever received? Ever given?

Click here to download 20 Must-Read Passages from John’s Gospel Free PDF Download.

_______

Want to catch up on the online #SummerBibleStudy at MargaretFeinberg.com? Here are the links to the Pursuing God’s Beauty: Stories from the Gospel of John Online Bible Study Posts:

Session One: MONDAY | THURSDAY

Session Two: MONDAY | THURSDAY

Session Three: MONDAY | THURSDAY

Session Four: MONDAY | THURSDAY

Session Five: MONDAY | THURSDAY

Session Six: MONDAY | THURSDAY

52 Comments

  1. Carol McCracken
    Carol McCracken on June 24, 2013 at 6:50 pm

    Hi there:
    Help me understand some context…..Mary’s gesture was beautiful and done with reckless abandon…..but if it is like what an immoral woman would do, isn’t that cheapening it? Or is it more like when David took off his clothes and danced for sheer joy? Am I being too literal? Is it that Jesus knew her heart and realized this was real love expressed and not disrespect? Thanks, I certainly don’t want to go down the wrong road here….

  2. Margaret
    Margaret on June 24, 2013 at 10:53 pm

    Hi Carol, I think you raise great questions. It makes Peter’s reaction understandable when you remember that Mary was doing something counter-cultural, no wonder Peter scoffed at her. But I think you’re right. I think Jesus knew the heart behind Mary’s actions, as a sign of love and affection more than anything.

  3. Laura Reifschlager
    Laura Reifschlager on June 26, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    Aside from the spiritual gifts and redemption, I think the most meaningful gift I have ever received was the bedroom set given to me by my parents at my college graduation. I still have the furniture. I can’t part with it. Along with the furniture was the card, which I read again last week as I cleaned out some papers. The poem on the card was If for Girls. I cried all over again. The note from my mother, now deceased, was how proud she was of me and how hard it was to let me go but that she was sending me off with furniture. I think it represents everything my parents worked for and how they felt about me.

  4. Laura Reifschlager
    Laura Reifschlager on June 26, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    Oh – and part two. Meaningful gifts I have given. Not sure what the most meaningful gift was because I am a gift-giver. I love putting together special packages meant just for the person. I love putting together gifts representing my local culture. I just love giving unexpected gifts to people, bringing a coworker a cookie after lunch or bringing breakfast taoos to share. I have a gift shelf where I keep gifts on hand just in case! I just love giving.

  5. Laura Reifschlager
    Laura Reifschlager on June 26, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    Oh one more thing. Just have to jump in to Carol’s discussion. I love the story of David dancing with reckless abandon. Once, when my Sunday school teacher was discussing a controversial issue he was going to have to handle with the congregation, he asked for input from the class. I suggested he just talk about the time David danced naked before the Lord. That should put the other controversy in perspective. Got a laugh from the class and the teacher just shook his head at me. Do we sometimes over-think issues and not see the real joy people have in the gift? I think we should look past the outward and look at their intention. Accept that someone is doing something nice for you even if it isn’t done the way you think it should be done.
    Blessings.

  6. Margaret
    Margaret on June 26, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    What a sweet gift, Laura. I’m so glad you found that card and how meaningful to find that card. Cherish that forever!

  7. Margaret
    Margaret on June 26, 2013 at 10:46 pm

    “Do we sometimes over-think issues and not see the real joy people have in the gift?” Such a thought-provoking question. Where else in our lives and in our churches are we over analyzing one another or issues instead of rejoicing with each other? Thanks, Laura!

  8. Carol McCracken
    Carol McCracken on June 27, 2013 at 5:59 am

    love this discussion……sometimes people worship and “put us off”……who are we to be “put off”? I grew up in a very conservative denomination where you don’t clap hands and are very duty bound and respectful……not a lot of joy…..it was very freeing when I got married and we found different ways to worship……worship became a celebration instead of duty bound…..it still makes me nervous when people jump or raise hands and I have a fleeting judgmental thought that they are showing off……..who am I?????? Worship isn’t to please ME…….it is for the Lord and He knows our heart…that’s a comforting thought to me…gets right down to over thinking the issues….great thoughts Laura and Margaret!!!

  9. Margaret
    Margaret on June 27, 2013 at 2:12 pm

    You’re so right, Carol. God desires that we worship out of delight not out of duty– something that I need reminded of often! Thanks so much for the thought-filled discussion ladies!

  10. Laura Reifschlager
    Laura Reifschlager on June 27, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    There are different ways of worshipping. Our perception of what worship means is guided by our church culture. There are many verses where someone “fell down and worshipped.” What exactly were they doing? What did that look like? I did not grow up in a culture of “falling down and worshipping” yet there it is in scripture. I don’t believe there is a definition or an example of anything close to our current practice of worship in the New Testament. Makes for an interesting discussion doesn’t it? I think some of my most meaningful worship is on a beautiful walk with an iPod of worship music in my ears. Margaret, I think of your glacier experience in Alaska. –Laura

  11. Margaret
    Margaret on June 28, 2013 at 8:29 am

    You’re right, Laura. How often do we mute our worship compared to what we read in Scripture? So true– my most authentic worship happens when its just God and me, no onlookers, no fear of judgment. Love this discussion, Laura and Carol!

  12. kimberlee
    kimberlee on July 12, 2013 at 10:42 am

    I had to think for a long time about the most meaningful gift received. For some reason my memory short circuits on questions like these.
    I think a necklace a friend made me would rank as the most meaningful. I wear it everyday. She stamps into silver and stamped the names of my 3 children into a square and added a pearl when I was pregnant with my last child and we knew that she would not survive unless God healed her this side of heaven. The pearl stands for her name meaning.
    I also am a gift giver so I have a hard time thinking of what could be the most meaningful given. I always want the gift to be personal and not just something to give out of just giving. I sew tissue wraps and give them to people I know who are grieving. I have made them in fabrics of the favorite colors of the children that the parents are grieving. Details like that. Kleenex is something that grieving people use a lot.
    I like to think of this question as how God gives us spiritual gifts. I have seen my change over the past 20 years from shepherding and teaching to currently mercy and prophecy. The mercy gift is a no brainer to me. Like I expect to have it.
    And I have just gotten soooo much out of this John study, Margaret. I started the workbook on Sunday and just devoured it till I was caught up with Midday Connection’s Thurs airing. The Holy Spirit has been bringing so much to light in my life. I am really looking forward to enjoying the Genesis study!

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