Our Sermon Round-table Team meets regularly to pray, plan upcoming sermon topics, share insights into scripture texts and possible sermon approaches, and give feedback. I value this team greatly and our discussions are always lively and fruitful. As we discussed the post-Easter sermon series topic over the last few months, I gave them a list of possibilities. One of them brought up the idea of preaching on Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. Then the Holy Spirit began to move. A retired pastor sent me a Youtube link to a lecture by NT Wright on his new book that unpacks Ephesians. Ephesians came up in several conversations I was in. It seemed as if the 'way was opening' as Parker Palmer says. So, this Sunday we will begin a new Easter season series on Ephesians, but with a new twist. I have always wanted to preach continuously through an entire book of the Bible. Ephesians has six chapters. We will start with Ephesians 1:1 and pick up the next week's sermon from where we leave off. Today we are reading and learning from Ephesians 1:1-6 in this introductory sermon. I hope the following questions will be helpful to you as you reflect and journal throughout the week. Please note that we have blank journals available to you in our church entry for just such a purpose.

Pastor Rob

1. Pastor Rob stated that at the beginning of any book or article, the author lays out their major assumptions. What are the major assumptions Paul shares in the opening verses of Ephesians?

2. Ephesians is a letter about the church and who we are called to be in the world as a community of people who follow Jesus. Write down both your positive and negative experiences with the church throughout your life.

3. We are reminded when we take communion on the first Sunday of the month: 'Take the bread individually as it represents your individual decision to follow Jesus. Then take and hold the cup until we are all able to share it together which represents being a follower of Jesus in community". Why is walking with Jesus not just an individual endeavor? How can you participate and play your part in the Body of Christ?

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