Greetings to you on this glorious day that the Lord has made.

Well, the kids and teachers are back in school and have hopefully settled into a nice routine.  Routines help keep us balanced and balance is a good thing, so says my spiritual director.  I am a work in progress, but definitely making progress so all is good.  If it isn't good yet, then it is still a work in progress.Trinity has been a very busy place lately and that is good.  Last weekend we had a wedding for the Pedersen family and this weekend we will have a wedding for the Mosher family.  We had sewing this morning and will have Ladies' Aid tomorrow at Jo Rust's home at 1:00 p.m.  If you need directions to Jo's home just let me know.  Please note the time change.  All women of the of Trinity are welcome to join us. On Wednesday, the Bethany ladies will gather for lunch at Pizza Hut at noon and then do some Christmas shopping using a Thrivent Community Impact Card for Samaritan's Purse. Sunday, Trinity council will meet after worship on September 16thTuesday, September 18th at 6:30 p.m. Bethany council will meet.Please keep your council members in your prayers as they provide leadership for the mission of the church. Check out Trinity's updated website:  www.stoningtonchurch.org If you like to knit or crochet, please let me know if you would be interested in making prayer shawls.  You can easily find directions on the web or I can get you the directions.  There are several agencies that are in need of prayer shawls to distribute to those in need. The Conference Six Women of the ELCA Fall Cluster will be held at Immanuel in Escanaba on Saturday, October 6th.  Registration begins at 9:15 (EST)  It is sure to be a lovely morning of fellowship, worship, and, of course, good food for the body and soul. Please keep the women of the ELCA in your prayers as they meet for their convention this Friday, September 14th and Fall Retreat, September 14-16th at Fortune Lake There are many first time attendees this year and I am super excited for them to experience this time together at this place of grace. Conference Six "Walking Together" event will be held at Immanuel in Escanaba on Thursday, October 11th.  There is a sign up sheet for up to 10 members from each congregation.  Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. Here's your "Daily Discipleship" for your bible study.

Sunday, September 4-10 (B) – Mark 7:24-37

Living in Christ: Trust

Focus Question: How do my actions reflect my trust in Jesus?

word of life

“She came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.” Mark 7 25-26 (NRSV)

Read Mark 7:24-37

After the feeding of the five thousand and extraordinary acts of healings, Jesus could not travel without being noticed. Wherever he went, people heard about him and made great efforts to find him.

1. How did Jesus keep going with all the stresses of being a public figure?

2. Why didn’t Jesus turn people away and rest?

The story found in Mark 7 describes a Syrophoenician woman who left her ill daughter to come and ask for healing. This woman bows down, begging for Jesus to heal her daughter. There is a pause in the action of the story as the Gospel writer points to the Gentile roots of this woman.

3. What difference might it make to Jesus to heal a Gentile child?

4. What difference might it make to those observing?

Before Jesus heals, he offers a mystifying response. Jesus says, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” (Mark 7:27 NRSV)

5. Who are the children to be fed first?

6. What did Jesus mean by his reference to being “fair”? Fair to whom?

7. How do you interpret the reference to dogs?

This woman is not dissuaded. She continues to beg for healing for her daughter. Her trust is a daunting faith-filled direct response. “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (Mark 7:28 NRSV) This woman doesn’t need much. She knows even a morsel from the healing powers of Jesus will be sufficient.

8. What might a crumb from Jesus look like?

9. How does one obtain such deep trust in Jesus?

Jesus is moved by this woman’s faith and heals her daughter. The fact that she is a Gentile makes no difference. Amazingly, this woman returns home to find her daughter lying on the bed, but with the illness gone.

Then Jesus encounters a deaf man who has speech problems. The words are simple, “Be opened.” With those words, the man’s ears are opened and he begins to speak clearly.

10. What might it mean to be opened by Jesus?

11. How does an open spirit relate to trust?

word among us

The youth in confirmation class were divided into pairs and given blindfolds for a trust walk. Amid giggles and laughter, the blindfolds were placed on the eyes of one person while the partner prepared to guide the blindfolded person around the church lawn. Some of those who were blindfolded walked carefully, unsure of the trustworthiness of their guides. A few were able to walk quickly because they peeked through or under the blindfold.

1. Have you ever participated in a trust walk where one person is blindfolded and led by another?

2. If so, what was that experience like?

3. What lessons can be learned from such an activity?

Trust is a difficult trait. It’s one thing to trust a partner while blindfolded, especially when the leader lectures the participants about taking care of the blindfolded person. It is something else when we are called to place our trust in that which dwells outside of ourselves.

4. How do you define trust?

5. What are examples from the last week when you trusted someone?

6. What are examples when it is wise not to trust a person?

The Syrophoenician woman trusted Jesus to heal her daughter. She believed even a small portion of Jesus healing power would be sufficient. She wasn’t looking for Jesus to move a mountain or walk on water. She simply wanted Jesus to restore health to her beloved daughter. This woman believed Jesus was so powerful he could heal with the mere “crumbs” of his power.

7. How much of the healing power of Jesus do you need today?

8. At what lengths would you travel or upturn your life to seek that healing power?

It was the friends of the deaf man who intervened on his behalf. They pleaded his case. Like the Syrophoenician woman, these friends knew Jesus could heal. Jesus responded.

9. Take a moment to consider friends, family, and acquaintances that are in need of healing.

10. How might you serve as their advocate?

Jesus’ response in healing the deaf man was simple. “Be opened.” Close your eyes and reflect on your own life.

11. In what ways are you being called to be opened and to trust in Christ?

12. How would your life change?

13. What is the central message from this lesson?

Prayer

Christ, instill an open spirit and teach us to trust in you and you alone. Amen

Dig Deeper

Isaiah 42:5-9

last word

Write the word “trust”

on a piece of paper.

Look at the word and

prayerfully consider ways to

trust Christ more deeply each day.

blessings on your week!Hope to see you in church

Pastor Diane