Easter Caim
April 27, 2025
Many Ways to Change the World
Communion
Hebrews 2 (NSRVUE): 6 But someone has testified somewhere, “What are humans that you are mindful of them or mortals that you care for them?”7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honour, 8 subjecting all things under their feet.”
Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, 9 but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.” 14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death
Discussion
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Feel free to make comments or ask questions from Jan’s story.
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Were you already familiar with the concepts we focussed on today? “The end of history” linked to the resurrection, “the world” as a corrupt force, and end-times as recurring themes linked to current events, history, and some form of ultimate fulfilment.
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How do the 1 Corinthians and John scriptures in the background materials for today inform your personal definition of “The World”?
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How do political and economic systems of exploitation inform your personal definition of “The World”?
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What are your thoughts on the 14 year old “Francis Fukuyama and the not-so-nigh end of history” article linked in the background materials?
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Should we be using the terminology of the bible to speak about what we see in current events (IE: Referring to Trump as an “antichrist”, referring to “the world” when we speak of corrupt and exploitive systems in politics and religion)? Have we ceded this language to wealthy, powerful religious groups that misuse it?
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Do stories steeped in metaphorical imagery connect with your personality and the media you frequently consume?
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How do we balance an unvarnished view of current events with the extra-historical hope and promise of resurrection?
Background Materials
25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards,[e] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are,
18 “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Slaves are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’