Bethel's 12 Scriptures Summer Series Introduction

This week we begin a new sermon series for the summer based on Bethel's 12 scriptures project.  At the encouragement of our denomination, Mennonite Church USA, we spent several weeks this spring discerning what 12 scriptures have been the most formative for us as a people.  This was not about favorites, though I'm sure that inevitably played a role in the discernment.  This was about naming the ways that scripture has formed us and which passages have been most significant to us, not because they are "better" passages or more important than other passages; but because we have experienced God working through them in our lives and are able to testify to God's work through those passages.

Our process began by inviting individuals and/or families to discern their 12 scriptures.  From there Sunday school classes and small groups were encouraged to share their lists with each other, stories of why those passages were so significant and then discern which 12 scriptures of those were most formative for the class or group.  Then on the first Sunday of May during a joint Sunday school time, we took a look at the combined list.  9 passages received affirmation from 3 or more groups and formed the beginning of our list.  We read those passages together to have them fresh in our minds.  7 passages received affirmation from 2 groups.  We also read through those 7 and shared why they were significant.  We ended with time in prayer and then "voted" by allowing each person to use two "sticky dots" to identify their choices for the remaining 3 to be on our list.

Now we will use this list as the basis for our summer sermon and worship series.  Each week, we will focus on one of these passages in the sermon and worship.  Children will create bulletin covers.  Women in the congregation will create a quilt block.  And people will be invited to share of their formative experiences with this passage.  Here's our schedule...
  

June 2	: Gal 5:22-23
June 9:	Rom 8:28-39
June 16:	John 3:16
June 23:	Micah 6:8
June 30:	Ps 23
July 7:	Is. 40:28-31
July 14:	I Cor 13
July 21:	Phil 4:4-13
July 28:	Matt 5:1-12
August 4:	Matt 5:43-48
August 11:	Matt 6:25-34
August 18:	Matt 22:34-40

 May God continue to form us as we dwell more deeply as a body of worship with these passages.