News: June 2016

Free DVD to test-run The Storykeepers

by Amelia Boomershine

The Storykeepers is a wonderful resource for teaching the stories of Jesus and the early church in a way that is both faithful to the biblical tradition and engaging for children. I plan to show an episode every week in Children’s Worship this summer.

GoTell now distributes both DVDs and supplemental books of the 13-episode animated series. If you would like to check it out, let me know via email and I’ll send you a “Marcus Box” which has the first two episodes in both English and Spanish.

Doing Good for Your Enemy: Taking Jesus Seriously

by Tom Boomershine

“Fulfillment” by Cortney Haley (Inspired by Luke 4:21-30)

According to Luke, the climax of Jesus’ first sermon was the telling of two stories from Israel’s prophetic tradition: the feeding of a widow at Zarephath in the land of Sidon, and the healing of Naaman, a Syrian general. In both instances, Elijah and Elisha saved the lives of persons who were their nation’s enemies.

This was an example of Jesus’ later teaching: “Love your enemy and do good for those who hate you.” The people of his hometown Nazareth were so angry at Jesus that they wanted to kill him.

Jesus’ teaching on loving our enemies has been no less popular in the history of Christianity and in contemporary culture. In movies, politics, and religion we all are taught to hate our enemies. This is both conventional wisdom and government policy.

But the wisdom of Jesus’ teaching is easily identified in the history of the twentieth century. After World War I, in the Treaty of Versailles, the Allies (France, England, and the U.S.) sought to punish Germany and impoverish its people. This retributive policy led to the rise of Hitler and World War II.

In contrast, following World War II, the U.S. implemented the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan facilitated massive reconstruction of America’s former enemies, Germany and Japan. As a result of that policy (following Jesus’ recommendation), Germany and Japan became U.S. allies and partners in the pursuit of peace. There has been no global warfare for sixty years.

People should take the stories of Jesus more seriously.

The Story Inside

Bishop highlights importance of taking Bible into penal institutions

by Amelia Boomershine

On May 11 Bishop Gregory V. Palmer gave the Episcopal Address at the 2016 General Conference of the United Methodist Church. The address was scheduled during the time I should have been at the jail leading Sacred Stories. But I was home sick.

I was well enough, thou gh, to watch the address live, which I was eager to do since Bishop Palmer is my bishop with oversight of West Ohio. I knew Sacred Stories was in good hands with other members of the Seeds of Grace team leading in my absence.

06_seedsofgrace After lifting up the United Methodist Church work on Imagine No Malaria and clean water, Bishop Palmer highlighted the importance of going into penal institutions with “the Bible and the Word that it bears.” I thought, “How amazing! Even as he says these words, Roberta and Sharlyn are going into the jail downtown to tell a biblical story and then help the women learn it by heart.”

The current theme for Sacred Stories is “Women in Luke.” The story for May 11 was about Mary delivering her first-born son and laying him in a manger. Afterwards Roberta told me that, of the seven women who came to Circle that day, four had never heard this story before. Another amazing thing: over half the women had never heard the story of Jesus’ birth! But now, thanks to Roberta, Sharlyn, and Seeds of Grace, they have.

For more about Circle of the Word and the Sacred Stories class, visit www.circleoftheword.gotell.org