I have been attending a local church for the past year and a half. I have become active in my church through teaching Sunday School, assisting with Youth Group, participating in Bible and Spirit Studies each week, crocheting for the Prayer Shawl Ministry and helping with a few church activities when I can. Through these activities and attending services regularly I am continuing my journey to strive for a closer relationship with the Lord and to try to live my life as a good Christian.
I am currently participating in a Spirit Study were we are reading and studying the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver.
We meet this past week and were introduced to the book and given our assignment for next week. The goal of this study is to "Develop a deeper relationship with God and others" The book relates around the scripture of Luke 10: 38-42 which reads:
"At the Home of Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,”the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (New International Version)
Some questions to ponder before getting into the reading of the book are:
1. What preconceived ideas do you have about Mary and Martha? Which woman do you relate to most- Mary or Martha? Explain your answer.
2. One woman told me, "My life is like a blender--- and it's stuck on frappe!" What inanimate object best describes how your life currently feels, and why?
3. Read Matthew 11: 28-30. What do Jesus' words mean to you?
PERSONAL INSPIRATIONS:
Through starting this spirit study I decided to read the entire scripture of John. After reading the first chapter of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World and our first week discussion I came across the following scripture in Luke and was inspired by how true it is and how much it relates to the concept I feel Joanna Weaver is trying to portray. The scripture is from Luke 8: 4-15:
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. (New International Version)
EXTRA: Below is a YouTube video of a Promo Video for Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World Curriculum. I tried putting the Youtube video on this post however it wouldn't find it so I had to link the URL and I also put the share code below that. So hopefully one will work.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The same invitation Jesus made to Martha is the invitation He makes to us: "Come spend time with Me...Allow my Life to fill your life so that I can spill you to the world!" (Having a Mary Heart in a Marthas World Study Guide)
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