Posted on February 13, 2022 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
All Access: Like A Child
By Meghan Hemenway
As a country we value independence. We value freedom. We write songs about it, we have national symbols of it, and we have a holiday all about celebrating it. We value our ability to make our own choices and to live free from dependence on anyone. When Jesus extended his invitation to be with him, to walk with God, he was making a genuine offer, but also presenting a challenge to what we value and how we see ourselves. We have to devalue our independence and our belief that we can take care of all our own needs to put our trust in a God who will care for us.
As a parent, my goal is to raise my kids to move from being dependent on me, to being able to move out into the world on their own. I want them to have learned enough skills and faced enough challenges that when they are adults they will have the self-confidence and experience to know they can take on new challenges. But I also want them to know that they can always come back home. I will always be in their corner and a place of rest or reprieve or encouragement for them. As I grow in my own emotional and spiritual maturity I am more aware of the paradoxes in life. The contradiction of being independent and dependent. While it is necessary for my kids to learn how to care for themselves to be able to move forward, true maturity comes from understanding that we do need others and that we are not failing as adults if we take rest in a safe relationship with someone who can care for us.
Ultimately I want my children to see God as a safe relationship that they can trust in and depend on. I want to be able to show them independence doesn’t mean being able to do everything on their own, but that freedom means we are free from the burden of trying to do it all on our own.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: It does not matter who we are or how well we are able to handle our own challenges, we will all go through periods of weariness. We will feel the burden of life and long for rest. God’s promise is to be an unending source of this renewal if we can rely on him. In what areas of your life do you rely on God? Who else in your life do you or can you rely on and what is the outcome? What are the burdens that make you weak and what are the ways you have your strength renewed?
{bible reading plan: book of hebrews}
For the next few months, we invite you to engage the Bible differently along with us. Each week we will be reading a book from Hebrews 4 times, in 4 ways, as directed below. Instead of daily verses, you are free to engage in the practice outlined below as a "choose your adventure". You might do this all in one sitting, or choose to do an exercise a day. We’d love to hear your feedback, just drop an email to Lisa Zulke.
For an overview of Hebrews, watch this 8 minute video from our friends at The Bible Project.
Read the passage slowly, sitting with it and allowing it to frame and fill your mind. Listen for a single word or phrase that catches your attention. Something you want to ponder further or hold on to.
What word or phrase caught your attention?
"I heard _____________________________________________"
The second time you read the passage, reflect on what you have heard. Use your imagination to put yourself in the story, in the context of this letter to the Hebrew people. What do you THINK or NOTICE? What do you SEE? What do you FEEL? What do you LEARN about Jesus? What QUESTIONS are you pondering about Jesus in this reading? Engaging our senses invites curiosity about what we have read.
"I saw, I felt, I noticed _____________________________________"
The third time you read the passage, listen specifically for a personal invitation. What am I being invited to consider? What am I being invited to do or try? Sit quietly and listen. Pray, asking God for insight into what he wants to share with you.
"I believe Jesus is inviting me to ___________________________"
After the fourth reading, respond to Hebrews 2 & 3. Read the chapters again, and noodle on what you’ve experienced and taken note of so far. What are you sensing or hearing from Jesus or about Jesus? Pray, inviting Jesus to nudge you in a decision: what am I going to do with what I’ve heard? How will I act on it? By taking decisive action? Sharing with a friend and discussing next steps? Continuing to pray?
"I will __________________________________________________"
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
Please visit us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and share what you are learning, questioning or experiencing. We love conversations!
