1 Peter, Lesson 3 and Lesson 4

This week's posting includes notes and links from our last two sessions during which we discussed 1 Peter, chapters 3 and 4, Lessons 3 and 4.  Now that we're all caught up, we're ready to move on to Lesson 5, which covers the final chapter of Peter's first letter.

In addition to the notes for each lesson, I am also including a couple of links that I had promised...

The first is a book recently made available on the FORMED website in preparation of the Lenten season. The file is available for download in several formats.




Meditations for Lent







The second is a link I had provided once before, but the subject came up in conversation again, and I wanted to make it easy for everyone who hasn't had the opportunity to watch this program to do so.  It is a recording of the program, Faith and Reason, out of Franciscan University.  The episode is called "Islam and ISIS" and features Robert Spencer, the director of the organization Jihad Watch. This panel discussion is extremely informative, and I promise will be an eye-opening experience to the very real threat we face and yet seem, as a country, to be unable to speak truthfully about out of a fear of seeming intolerant, I guess.  If you watch it, please let us know what you think.

"Islam and ISIS"

And finally, here are my notes from Lessons 3 and 4.  I am also including some extra notes that I had taken from various sources for Lesson 3 regarding the meaning of the word "submissive."  I knew that the discussion about 1 Peter 3 would focus on the opening passage about the relationship between husbands and wives, and I wanted to be prepared!

Lesson 3
Lesson 3-Notes on "Submissive"
Lesson 3 Conclusion and Lesson 4
See everyone next week as we conclude 1 Peter!

1 Peter 2:4-25

We all seemed to agree that this was a difficult lesson.  Maybe it was the lesson.  Maybe we all have those mid-winter blahs that can make it hard to concentrate!  After our discussion, I think that we all have a better idea about what Peter is trying to convey to his readers in this early chapter.

We concluded by agreeing on two things:
1. As part of a spiritual and literal house of God, we truly must be living stones!  (Of course, we can only be like living stones, as we fall far short of the Living Stone!)  If we are part of a structure where one building block leans upon the next to make a strong whole, we must do our best not to be the weak link.  And we must be forever reliant on the strong foundation of that cornerstone--the real Living Stone, Jesus Christ.  That means that we have a real relationship with Jesus, that we are active members of the community of God--in worship and prayer, and that we be continuously present for the rest!
2. As citizens of a country where we are free to practice our faith--to worship freely--we must do so!  The sad truth is that there are people in the world who still face arrest, torture, even death for their Christian faith.  The inspiring truth is that there are many people in the world who believe it is worth it to take that risk.  It's such a common thing for humans to take for granted their freedoms.  Let's not be those people who take for granted the freedom we still have to live as Christians.  Will we be ridiculed?  Perhaps.  Will we be mocked, thought fools, perhaps even verbally or physically attacked? Maybe.  Most likely, however, the only stumbling blocks to our fully living the faith will come from within.  Let's not let those voices win.

In case you missed class or are simple interested in having them, here are the notes I made for this week's lesson:
Lesson 2, 1 Peter 2:4-25.

Don't forget, we have next week off.  We will be back together on February 16 to discuss 1 Peter 3.  See you then!