Description
These resources are adapted from the material originally made available as part of the Holiness and Humanness series. Designed to be used over six weeks, the Call to Worship, the Holiness and Humanness song and the Interactive Prayer of Confession are the same for each week (nothing wrong with intentional repetition when it comes to gathered weekly worship). The extra resources for each week focus on Creative Bible Engagement.
The book of Hebrews can be tricky to read. It’s not like the gospels in which Jesus’ stories use lots of everyday things like seed and salt and sparrows and soldiers. Or like Paul’s writing which has down-to-earth work-a-day images from the lives of city slaves and their families. The book of Hebrews takes all the things that the Jewish people had lost and were sad about and missing and gives them a different story, God’s bigger story. A story in which the good life-giving Word of God replaces the violent armies. Jesus – who knows all our weakness – replaces the corrupt priests. God’s everlasting grace replaces the harsh judgements of the emperor.
The book of Hebrews reminds God’s people that the only authority, the only King, the only power that matters is God’s and – unlike the emperors, priests and judges they knew – God’s throne is a throne of grace….
– A throne that doesn’t judge but brings forgiveness and restoration.
– A throne of judgement looks at something wrong and says ‘That’s terrible – out you go’.
– A throne of grace looks at something wrong and says ‘Come closer – let’s make this right again’.
God invites us – even in difficult times to bring our prayers boldly – because the throne of grace offers ‘come closer – let’s make this right again’. May we gladly, obediently and boldly approach God’s throne of grace.
