Hey hey hey! It’s Friday! We made it! đ
How are you liking “The Last Supper on the Moon”? It’s been so interesting to learn about the moon and the race to get there. It’s been especially interesting to relate it all to Christ and His mission – the one to save us all. I love the uniqueness of this book and how the concepts are intertwined. Who knew there were so many coincidences surrounding the two?!
Ok, let’s dive into this week’s questions:
Chapter 1 Everyone is a Moon
*Levi writes that just like the moon, we all have a “dark side” that we try to keep hidden – those parts of us that have been damaged. Why do we tend to keep those parts hidden from others?
*God can bring change to your life right where you are today. What kind of change would you like Him to make in your life right now?
Chapter 1.60769 What the Heck?
*What comes to mind when you think of NASA and the space program?
*Have you heard the message of Christ so much that it has begun to lose its meaning? What do you hope to gain from reading this book?
Chapter 2 The Crowded Hour
*NASA had a purpose. Jesus had a purpose. Despite all the miracles and powerful sermons He preached, His purpose was the cross. How does knowing your purpose help you to be free to live it out?
**“The cure for the fear of missing out is eye contact with Your Savior” (pg. 17). Do you have FOMO (fear of missing out)? What do you think you might be missing out on?
Chapter 3 So This is What Elevators Look Like
*Do you struggle with wanting to fly before you are able to crawl?
*“You will never see your divine purpose become a reality if you insist on understanding exactly how things are going to work” (pg. 29). Do you feel that you might be limiting yourself (and God) by not stepping out in faith? How does needing to know the ending stop you from even beginning?
Chapter 4 There is No Moon
*How would you answer someone who believed there was no way to know for sure that Jesus existed, let alone that He died for our sins?
*Levi writes that just as space travel provided benefits for us (such as memory foam), Jesus’ death on the cross provided additional benefits for our daily life. What do you believe are the benefits for your day to day life?
Chapter 4.5 On Crucifixion and Centrifuges
*Being forgiven should lead us to being forgiving people. Do you find it easy to forgive the little indiscretions that happen? Or do they tend to build up until they overwhelm you?
*Jesus’s first words on the cross were a prayer, “Father, forgive them.” Why is this especially poignant?
Chapter 5 Let the Party Continue
*How have you usually approached Communion? Has it been a somber time or one of celebration?
*“When we lose our why, we lose our way. As Jesus’ followers, we aren’t meant to ever lose sight of what the living bread points to – the feast that is coming. What an honor it is to have been invited, and the obligation that is ours to let others know they, too, are on the guest list” (pg. 84) Have you been guilty of forgetting you are a part of the Party Planning Committee rather than simply a guest?
Scripture of the Week
Colossians 1:16-17
John 1:29
Matthew 6:12
Psalm 84:10
Matthew 5:3-6
Prayer of the Week
Father God, what an amazing world You’ve created! Thank You for the moon and the reminder that it is going to be for us. I don’t think we’ll be able to look at the moon the same way again. And thank You for the mission You determined for Jesus – sending Him to Earth to save us, to die for our salvation. We thank You for Your mercy and grace and we pray that we can live our lives with that knowledge always in our hearts and minds, knowing that we are forgiven people, unconditionally loved by the Creator of the Universe. Father, would You help us as we go through this next month to have open eyes to the good things You are doing? There is so much evil and heavy burdens surrounding us. Please encourage us and remind us of Your goodness and Your love. We can trust You and Your plan, knowing You will never leave us or forsake us. Help us to shine for You in our everyday lives, in our struggles, and to know You have a plan for our lives too. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For Next Week
*Read Chapters 6-11
For the most part, Iâm pretty easy to get to know and fairly open about who I am, what I like, how I enjoy spending my time, etc. I didnât really think about me being a moon – or even really having a dark side – until reading this bookâŚbut itâs all starting to unearth and become clear.
For me, I think the dark part of my moon is keeping up the appearance of having it altogether. The pressure to continually âperformâ the âway I have been and am supposed toâ definitely has been something Iâve felt (though only subconsciously until recently) most of my life.
I think we hide the dark parts of ourselves because weâre so desperate for approval and acceptance. We may think weâre independent, strong, and confident, but deep down all of us are 1) desperately wanting support; 2) silently asking for permission to be real; and 3) wrestling with numerous insecurities on a daily basis.
Discouragement starts to creep in when we donât start seeing things change. But letâs face it: This is the world we live in. This is how we exist, despite hoping for something better. So itâs only a matter of time that we get comfortable, even if things arenât how weâd like them to be. We get tired of making the effort and start forgetting why we cared in the first place.
I agree with Levi that âwe can certainly focus too little on the cross.â (Page 19) Whether itâs getting lost in our own drama or thinking about other (more appealing, less bloody, less attention-gettingâŚletâs face it) aspects or stories of God, we can easily overlook the power of Jesusâ sacrifice.
Initially I thought it was so ironic that we find it uncomfortable to talk about Jesusâ death. Itâs understandable that when you see those images they can make you queasy so that can deter people from looking at them and discussing the subject. But on a strictly conversational level, why the squirms? We didnât have to die, so why are we all bent out of shape? I believe itâs because, deep down, we know two things: it was wrong, and it should have been us. So weâd rather not talk about it.
Itâs too easy to compartmentalize our personal relationship with God – or Christianity for that matter. I believe itâs especially challenging for those whoâve grown up in church (myself included) to incorporate Christ into every area of their lives. Sure, God can help me read and understand the Bible and teach me how to pray, but we can handle the grocery shopping, parenting, bill-paying, and car maintenance on our own.
We donât know what weâre doingâŚ
This is the first time Iâve read Luke 23:34 like this. âFather, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.â Yes; I realize Jesus is talking about how the Jewish people are murdering Him, and Iâm not trying to be sacrilegious or add anything to the Scripture. I am, however, trying to highlight the obvious: we are clueless, flawed, and broken without Him. He knows what to do, what to say, how to be. All. The. Time. So instead of boxing Him up and only using Him for the things we consider âspiritualâ or what is âtoo muchâ for us to deal with, we need to include Him in everything – for He is our everything.