The Uniform Series text for Sunday, April 29 is Revelation 5:6-14. Here are some questions we might (or might not) want to consider in class:
In v4, John weeps because no one can open the scroll that we understand to contain God’s plan for creation. Why, do we think? Would we (or do we) want to know the details of God’s plan for creation? Why, or why not? Assuming we had (or have) them, would we (or do we) understand them, do we think? Why, or why not? What kind of divine information do we want to have? Why is that?
In v6, John sees the figure of a Lamb; earlier, John saw the figure of “one like the Son of Man” (Rev. 1:13); we understand both these images to be images of Christ. What other images do we have of Christ? (e.g., “baby Jesus,” “Christ on the cross,” “Christ knocking at the door of our hearts” from Rev. 1:20, other …) How do the images we have from this part of Revelation compare to those other images? (e.g., do they give us different information? Do they give us different feelings about Christ? …) How do they affect our understanding of Christ? How do we feel about that? Why?
In v8, John shows the twenty-four elders holding harps and golden bowls full of incense “which are the prayers of the saints.” What does this image suggest to us about prayer? About our own prayer? Why?
In v9, the “new song” in the liturgy refers to “saints from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Does this sound to us like an image of “the church”? Does it sound to us like an image of our own particular church? How might this image relate to “the communion of saints” in the creed? How might it relate to calls for “inclusiveness” in the church? Does this image have any implications for us today – why, and what are they?
In v12, the heavenly liturgy says the Lamb is worthy to receive “power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” What do we think that means? Do we have any idea of how the Lamb receives these things? What is that idea, and where does it come from? What else might this mean? What does it have to do with us, do we think?
Revelation 4 and 5 present worship as something ongoing and continuous in heaven, and as something that involves “every creature” in creation. Does this affect us? How? Why?