Encounter with God: April–June 2021

By Andrew Heron, Mike Archer, Whitney T Kuniholm and 4 more

Encounter with God is Scripture Union's daily Bible reading guide designed to lead you to a deeper understanding about what God is saying to you and to his world today. You'll find its thorough and energetic investigation of the whole Bible inspiring and stimulating. And you'll discover that its biblical exposition is complemented by pastoral warmth from a strong field of writers and contributors. As well as daily content, feature articles provide insights into Christian spirituality, tackle contemporary issues, and profile teachers who inspire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scripture Union
• Release date: Feb 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781785068133

Andrew Heron

Andrew and his wife worked for almost 25 years as church-planters in France before returning to Northern Ireland in 2011. Since 2013, Andrew has served as Pastoral Ministries Associate in West Presbyterian Church, Bangor, Co Down.

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Contents

Editorial: The Small Details

The Writers

SU article: Forward in Faith

Using this Guide

John 18–21: Mike Archer

Haggai, Zechariah; Psalms 141,142,143: Andrew Heron

Romans 9–16; Acts 2:1–21; Psalms 144,145,146: Emlyn & ’Tricia Williams

Bible Unpacked: God, Israel and the Nations: John Grayston

Exodus 28–40; Psalms 147,148,149: Whitney T Kuniholm

Matthew 8,9; Psalms 150,1: Amy Hole

Job 1–3: Dan Christian

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About Scripture Union

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By purchasing this Bible reading guide, you are helping to support Scripture Union’s mission to reach the next generation with the good news of Jesus. All profit made from the sales of this resource are used to introduce children and young people to Jesus in a whole range of exciting ways. Thank you for the part you’re already playing in that.

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About Scripture Union

Scripture Union is a Christian charity, inviting children and young people to explore the difference Jesus can make to the challenges and adventures of life.

Through a wide range of activities and initiatives, we provide opportunities for young people to explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith. Having been established in England over 150 years ago, Scripture Union is now a global movement active in over 120 countries.

We believe every child should have the chance to discover Jesus. And, with an estimated 95% of children in England and Wales not part of a church, we’re working harder than ever to take the good news of Jesus beyond the church in exciting and culturally relevant ways.

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Editorial

The Small Details

Many people found that during lockdown last year they began to notice small things and invest them with a new significance. May we notice God’s deep care for us in the details of the Bible.

Our readings begin far into John’s Gospel, when we recall Jesus’ final supper with his friends and his washing of their feet – Maundy Thursday. In the UK, the Royal Maundy is a tradition thought to date back to

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600. The monarch used to give Maundy alms to the poor, but these days senior citizens who have offered outstanding service to their communities are invited to a church service and lunch. I knew two people who were received last year – they told me that they felt really special, and nothing was too much trouble on the day: every small detail was addressed.

This quarter’s notes were written just before our entry into a time of global pain, with every nation reeling from the effects of coronavirus. Since then, we have been further horrified by the death of George Floyd, from which event the Black Lives Matter movement has gripped the world. We are challenged to attend to the small details of our inner desires: what are our prejudices? Who is my friend? Whose feet are we prepared to wash?

We may know the events of Holy Week well, so I love the fact that Mike Archer asks us to slow down and notice the small details and the symbolism in John’s beautiful Gospel – and indeed we can take this challenge into all our readings. God’s Word is full of new meaning for us, each time we come to it with an open heart. The King has made himself known in small details: he takes a towel, pours water, washes feet and loves us until the end. Nothing, and no one, is too much trouble for Jesus, crucified, risen and ascended Lord. Hallelujah.

Sally Nelson

Editor

Angela Grigson

Senior Content Manager

ON THE COVER: John Grayston considers the development of Israel against the background of the surrounding nations (pages 67 to 70)

Image credit: iStock/Harvepino

The Writers

MIKE ARCHER is Vicar of Highfield Church, Southampton. He is married to Sarah and they have two children, Mims and Sam.

ANDREW HERON and his wife worked for almost 25 years as church planters in France before returning to Northern Ireland in 2011. Since 2013, Andrew has served as Pastoral Ministries Associate in West Presbyterian Church, Bangor, Co Down.

EMLYN & ’TRICIA WILLIAMS worked with Scripture Union for many years. ’Tricia has recently completed PhD research in the area of faith and dementia; Emlyn continues in a writing and speaking ministry. They are currently part of a lively Anglican church in Milton Keynes.

WHITNEY T KUNIHOLM is President Emeritus of Scripture Union USA, author of several books including Essential 100, Essential Jesus and Essential Question, and a speaker at churches and Christian conferences.

AMY HOLE is completing her ordination training for the Church of England at St Hild College, Yorkshire, while teaching New Testament Greek there and working part-time as a legal writer and researcher. She is married to Toby, an Anglican vicar, and they have three children.

DAN CHRISTIAN is Associate Vicar at All Saints, Ecclesall. Alongside this, he teaches Biblical Hebrew and Old Testament at St Hild College, where he is passionate about seeing God’s Word come alive in Christians today.

JOHN GRAYSTON is now retired after 37 years on the Scripture Union staff; he still writes, teaches and preaches. He is on the leadership team at Tile Kiln Church in Chelmsford. When he can he escapes to his allotment, or the mountains walking or skiing with his wife Jenny.

SU Article

FORWARD IN FAITH

These are exciting times for Scripture Union England and Wales as we begin to implement our new strategy. The strategy builds on our renewed commitment to envision and equip local churches to engage with the 95 – those children and young people who aren’t engaged with church.

A key element of this strategic plan is the Faith Guide – a term we are using to describe people who are committed to building relationships with the 95 and journeying with them towards a vibrant, personal faith in Jesus.

Jesus invited his disciples to follow him – to walk with him, learn from him and become like him. Through Jesus’ interactions with Peter, for example, we see how this relationship forms, grows and empowers Peter to go on into further ministry.

In equipping and releasing Faith Guides, we are defining faith formation in four stages:

Connect: A relational opportunity, with a Christian identity and increasingly deeper explicit Christian content.

Explore: Time to uncover greater understanding from the Bible about Jesus, the Bible itself and the Christian faith.

Respond: Further exploration of the Christian faith and a clear invitation to respond to Jesus.

Grow: A culturally-appropriate, worshipping community that enables the faith of the 95 to flourish in their commitment to Jesus, embraced, supported and nurtured by the local church.

Connect

Peter is first introduced to Jesus by his brother, Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist. In John 1:35–42, John the Baptist introduces Jesus as ‘the Lamb of God’ and Andrew, convinced by the teaching he hears, runs home to tell his brother he has found the Messiah.

This initial introduction sets up the relationship between Jesus and Peter in an incredibly positive way. Both John the Baptist and Andrew have described Jesus in culturally significant terms – they obviously respect him and his teaching. These endorsements encourage Peter to meet Jesus with high expectations. Later, Jesus meets the brothers by the sea and invites them to leave their nets and follow him (Mark 1:16–20). The positive first connections between Peter and Jesus must surely have made the decision to follow much easier.

Jesus’ first reaction to Peter is just as significant. Jesus sees potential in him instantly, saying ‘You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas [Peter]’ (John 1:42). Right from the start, Jesus establishes Peter as The Rock – a name that even Peter would only understand in hindsight.

The first contact our Faith Guides have with the 95 is crucial too – it’s important that the children and young people respect them and want to know them. Recommendations from friends, positive experiences and the trust of other adults all help to establish the Faith Guide as a safe and valued person for each child or young person. Similarly, the Faith Guides will see the potential and value in each of the 95 right from the start.

The Faith Guides will see the potential and value in each of the 95 right from the start

Explore

Over the next few years, Peter has many opportunities to explore who Jesus is and the life-changing difference he can make.

Peter and Andrew experience Jesus’ power when he heals Peter’s mother-in-law while visiting the family home (Mark 1:29–31). Our research has shown that for children and young people to own their faith and allow it to shape them and the world around them, they need to see how Jesus connects with their world. Just as Jesus demonstrated his power in a tangible way to Peter and his family, the Faith Guides will have the opportunity to show Jesus at work in their own lives and the lives of the 95.

Later, Peter is one of a select group of disciples Jesus chooses to accompany him into Jairus’ house (Mark 5:35–43). This is an example of Jesus inviting Peter to participate in his ministry privately, as part of the relationship that they have. As the children and young people journey alongside the Faith Guides, they will have similar opportunities to see Christianity in action.

In John 16:17–33 the disciples are responding to Jesus’ teaching. From their questions, it’s evident that they are keen to learn and are exploring the things he says. The phrase, ‘What does he mean by…?’ (see v 18), shows their gradual realisation of the significance of Jesus and their hunger for understanding. It is our hope that through their relationship with the Faith Guides, the 95 will exhibit a similar hunger to learn, as they encounter him through the Bible.

The Faith Guides will bring challenge into the children’s or young people’s encounters with Jesus through the Bible

Respond

An important moment in any discipleship journey is the point at which a person moves from simply learning about Jesus to making a personal response.

After a busy few days of teaching and ministry, Jesus and the disciples are walking to their next destination. On the way, Jesus initiates a conversation about what people are saying about him. ‘But what about you?’ he asks, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answers, ‘You are the Messiah’ (Mark 8:29).

Convinced now that Jesus ‘has the words of eternal life’, Peter’s instinctive response to Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14:22–36 is to say ‘Truly you are the Son of God’. As Peter’s understanding grows, these moments of declaration bring clarity to his faith. The Faith Guides will be looking for similar opportunities to bring challenge into the children’s or young people’s encounters with Jesus through the Bible. Who do they say that Jesus is?

Grow

Throughout Peter’s discipleship journey there are points of