October 5, 2014–Symbols Matter

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Question

What are some of the most important symbols of the Christian faith to you and what do they communicate? (For example, what meanings does a symbol like the cross convey?)
Can you think of any other important symbols in your daily life?

Symbols Matter

On September 18, 2014, the world watched as an historic vote unfolded in Scotland. By a margin of 55% to 45%, with nearly 85% of registered voters casting a ballot, the Scottish people voted “No” to independence. Their decision preserved a union between England and Scotland that has endured for more than 300 years.

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Yet there was more at stake in this referendum than just the “United” in United Kingdom. In the weeks leading up to the vote, as it became apparent that a vote for independence just might succeed, there was a great deal of anxiety on the part of many different parties. Not only were there impassioned pleas from leading politicians on both sides of the issue, leaders from all over the world weighed in, as did many international celebrities and artists. Questions were also raised concerning the impact of a “Yes” vote. For example, what would Scottish independence mean for the European Union or for NATO? How would a positive vote impact other countries like Spain who are dealing with their own independence movements? Like a rock being thrown into a calm pond, the ripples of this event radiated far beyond the borders of Scotland itself.

In many ways they still do. Though the vote is over, the issues it has raised, the emotions and passions that have been stirred, and the political debates that have been initiated will continue to resonate for a long time to come. At the heart of things is the question what sort of kingdom will this United Kingdom be?

Discussion Questions

Flags are potent national symbols. The Union flag of the United Kingdom, for example, is composed of the St. George’s Cross of England, St. Andrew’s Cross of Scotland, and St. Patrick’s Cross of Ireland, symbolizing in its very design both a union and unity. For those of us in the United States, what do the different elements of our flag mean or symbolize?
Symbols can often impact us at deep, emotional levels. Have you ever experienced a time when the sight or use of the flag stirred you emotionally?
What issues have threatened to destroy our own unity as a nation in the past? What issues divide people today? How are these issues the same? How are they different?

Lectionary 27

Isaiah 5:1-7

Philippians 3:4b-14

Matthew 21:33-46

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Jesus’ “Parable of the Wicked Tenants” follows his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event we celebrate on Palm/Passion Sunday as the beginning of Holy Week. The donkey and the route that Jesus takes in this procession are not accidental. Jesus makes use of potent national symbols to make a statement about himself, as the gospel writer makes clear in Matthew 21:1-11. Jesus then attacks the powers that be through “cleansing the Temple.” Among other things, his actions lead to the setting of this story, a series of confrontations with the Jewish religious leaders and authorities. They challenge Jesus’ legitimacy and authority to do the things he is doing. He calls into question, not only their legitimacy as leaders of the true Israel, but also their loyalties and motives concerning God and God’s purposes and desires for the people.

One of the well-known symbols that Jesus uses in these confrontations is that of a vineyard, long an image for Israel itself. The prophet Isaiah’s “Song of the Unfruitful Vineyard” in today’s first lesson (Isaiah 5:1-7) is but one example of this symbol’s use in Scripture, and well worth reading. The point of Isaiah’s message is Israel’s unfaithfulness. What more could God have done? God prepared in the very best ways, planting and cultivating a people through whom a harvest of faithfulness, justice, and righteousness was expected. What God received was something else altogether.

Jesus’ parable follows a very similar plot. Here a landowner prepares a vineyard and leases the vineyard to tenant farmers, expecting to receive his due – a share of the harvest. They in turn are not faithful to their responsibilities, but instead treat the landowner’s representatives (and therefore the landowner, himself) with great contempt and violence. Now given that Jesus’ opponents were also experts in the Scriptures, it is easy to imagine that they made the connections right off the bat. The landowner is God, of course, and the tenants are the leadership of Israel. The long-string of servants which the tenants mistreat are the prophets who were beaten, stoned, even killed for declaring the word of the Lord and pointing Israel back to her true purpose and vocation. But who then is the landowner’s son in the story? That is the question.

Lest we think the answer to this question is obvious – Jesus, of course — remember that the whole issue behind these confrontations and the increasing animosity towards Jesus centers around his true identity and by what authority and power he is doing the things he is doing. In answer, Jesus points them to two places in the Scriptures, Psalm 118:22 (Matt. 21:42) and Daniel 2:44-45 (Matt. 21:44). In the first, Jesus makes use of a play on words in the Hebrew language (the original language of the Hebrew Bible, what we commonly call the Old Testament) between the word for “son,” ben, and the word for “stone,” eben. Though they are rejecting Jesus and his message, and indeed will ultimately reject him through the cross, God has something else in mind and will vindicate Jesus in the end. The second passage from Daniel serves to underscore Jesus’ point. Here again the image of a stone is used, but this time from an important passage in terms of the hope of a time – a messianic age – in which God would defeat all the opposing kingdoms and restore Israel. God is doing that, Jesus claims, but not in the way that many, including his opponents, were expecting.

In the end, the chief priests and the Pharisees who have come to confront Jesus get the point. They are the tenants in the story and Jesus is the son. Enraged by such a challenge to their legitimacy and authority, they want to arrest Jesus, and eventually will. For now they can only stand by helpless because of the crowds around them.

It is easy to read this passage from the perspective of being on the right side of things. After all, we know who Jesus is. We believe in him, unlike those stubborn, hard-hearted, and “bad” people who put him on the cross. Sadly, the history of the church has been to do just that, to read such passages and find in them a reason to hate and persecute our Jewish brothers and sisters as “Christ killers.” Yet if Jesus is indeed the Messiah (and I believe that he is), and if we are “joint heirs” with him of God’s kingdom as Paul says (Romans 8:15-17), then are we not also accountable to God for producing the “fruits” God expects to see? Perhaps then the issue this passage calls us to think about is this, if indeed followers of Jesus have been given the kingdom as Matthew declares (Matt. 21:43), then what sort of “kingdom” is God calling us to be?

Discussion Questions

When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” what do you think we are asking? What does God’s kingdom look like to you? What pictures come to mind?
If you talked above about the issues that divide people today, what do you think would be a Christian response(s) to some of the things you discussed? Or if there are other issues, anxieties, or needs particular to your group or community, talk about how you might respond in ways which bring God’s love and light to bear. Can you follow up your discussion with action?
In your opinion, is it important for Christians – particularly people your age – to express their faith through outward acts of service? Why or why not?
If your congregation participated in the ELCA Day of Service, think about how your group might either continue or extend that service in your community or the wider world.

Activity Suggestions

Tour your worship space together. What symbols do you notice? If your space has stained glass windows depicted biblical people or stories, for instance, why do you think those themes were chosen? Does the shape of your worship space or the way that the altar is arranged communicate something? Many older sanctuaries are built in the shape of a cross. Altars are often placed in the round. What do these things symbolize?
Think about your worship service. Make a list of all the symbolic actions or gestures you notice? Remember that both worship leaders and the congregation engage in symbolic actions. What do they “say?”
Together make a list of the sorts of things God wants/expects to see from God’s “kingdom people?” Some passages you might investigate include: Isaiah 58:1-14; Micah 6:6-8; the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7). What other verses, stories, or parables come to mind?

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us and claim us and make us your very own. Thank you for the gift of faith, and for your relentless love that will not let us go no matter what. Empower us by your Spirit to be the kingdom-people you call us to be, and lead us to be living signs of your grace in the lives of those around us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“Tear the roof off” with praise and service

“To dream about painting and not also to work at it doesn’t ever bring about a painting. To dream about creating a new world that is not teetering on the edge of total destruction and not to work at it doesn’t make a peaceful world. So it is important that we are creative people working daily on the greater picture as well, bringing to it all our skills of imagination and making.” This quote from Sister Corita Kent’s book “Learning by Heart” struck me as representative of the spirit of ELCA youth who will be attending the Youth Gathering in Detroit.

ELCA youth are not unlike their peers in that they are people of action, and they like to take action alongside their friends. Friends are extremely important, often influencing the direction and quality of one’s life.

One of the stories from the Gospel of Mark that youth will enter into at the Gathering is the story of the paralytic being lowered through the roof by his friends so he can get close to Jesus. (Mark 2:1-5)

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ²So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them.³Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.⁴And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay.⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’

For the purpose of this blog I want to focus on the phrase “dug through it.” Some translations read “tear the roof off.”

I don’t know what you have pictured when reading this text, but I have, erroneously, thought it was some kind of thatched roof that the friends tore apart. But that was not the case. It is more likely that the roof was a mud clay (a lot like cement) roof with tiles. To lower the paralyzed man through the roof they had to do major construction and demolition to the roof.

The paralyzed man’s friends tore the tiles off the roof, tore a hole in the roof, and lowered him by a rope into the house.

Imagine if you’re in this house packed with wall to wall people trying to listen to Jesus. All of a sudden you start to hear some banging above you. Then the roof begins to fall in on you.

How would you respond? I’m guessing some of us would be angry because we are there to listen to Jesus. We thought ahead, got in line early, and earned our spot in the crowd. Jesus could have been in the middle of a life-changing sermon, and because of the chaos from above, we could have missed the best part. And what about the person who owned the house? The zealous friends were creating a huge, gaping hole in the roof of his home. Fixing it will be a major project, not simply a minor, cosmetic repair.

Now look at Jesus’ response. “When Jesus saw their faith …” Did you get that? The Bible does not say that Jesus “saw the paralytic’s faith.” It says that Jesus “saw their faith.” Jesus didn’t scold them and say, “Don’t you know how much a roof costs?” He didn’t say, “Have you ever heard of a door?” Jesus saw their faith and their lives were never the same.

The paralyzed man would have never gotten to Jesus or been healed without his friends, and their lives would never have been changed had they not acted on their faith. At the Gathering young people will ask themselves if they have friends who are willing to “tear the roof off” for them and if they are willing to do that for others.

In one sense, ELCA youth will be “tearing the roof off” for the people of Detroit by their presence and service in July and by their advocacy and witness when they go home. At the Gathering they will learn – experience – that Jesus replenishes our lives in sacramental community, which in turn offers us as individuals the opportunity to find and connect with Jesus’ regenerating impulse in our own lives. As the Spirit works in their hearts and minds, young people may feel emboldened to “tear the roof off” for their peers who need to be exposed to Jesus love, grace and healing. Young people may eventually connect that impulse to their vocational choices so that they can “bring to it all [their] skills of imagination and making” (see Sister Corita Kent’s quote above) for the healing of humanity and the earth.

Unaccompanied and Migrant Children: A safe and caring environment for refugee children

Megan Brandsrud

boy on train tracks

During the past four years, the number of children migrating from Central America (mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala) to the United States has been steadily increasing. More than 60,000 children have arrived so far this year, and it is estimated that a total of 75,000 unaccompanied children will have crossed borders to arrive in the U.S. by the end of 2014.

Why are they coming? To put it simply, they are coming because they cannot stay where they are. A host of risk factors in their home countries, including drug trafficking, violence, sex trafficking, poverty and exploitation are compelling these children to flee. They are refugees.

Lutheran Disaster Response has been engaging partners, companion churches and congregations in the U.S. that are in the midst of this situation. As the church, we are called to love and welcome, and we answer that call when children who are running from hunger and harm arrive on our doorstep. Lutheran Disaster Response is helping provide shelter, medical care and schooling to children who are placed at one of Lutheran Social Services of the South’s shelter programs by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Lutheran Social Services of the South (LSS) has been working with the U.S. department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement for eight years to provide a safe place for unaccompanied migrant children. Working with LSS of the South, we will help support a children’s shelter, two transitional foster-care programs and the development of a new shelter site.

A children’s shelter site is for children ages 12-17. While waiting to unite with a guardian or sponsor, children live at these shelters, receive medical care, are connected with a case manager and attend school.
A transitional foster care program is for children younger than 12. Children in this program attend school at a day program and live with a foster family while they wait to reunite with a guardian or sponsor.

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In one year, LSS of the South serves approximately 6,000 unaccompanied and migrant children, which means they are serving approximately 10 percent of children crossing into the U.S this year.

“Lutheran Social Services of the South provides one of the best programs in the country to assist these children,” says the Rev. Michael Stadie, program director for Lutheran Disaster Response. “It only makes sense that Lutheran Disaster Response work in partnership with them.”

We will continue to work with our congregations, companion churches and partners, such as LSS of the South, to help provide education on this situation and ensure that children who are fleeing to the U.S. are treated fairly and receive the care they need.

If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work with Unaccompanied and Migrant Children, please visit the response page.

Advocacy, Accompaniment, and HIV/AIDS in Colombia

Ryan P. Cumming

As many as 140,000 people in Colombia are living with HIV/AIDS, according to the United Nations. The challenges they face are significant. Because of the disease’s association with sexuality, many people who are HIV-positive face prejudice, fear and discrimination. The stigma of HIV/AIDS in Colombia carries legal and medical consequences, as well. Individuals can be denied disability benefits, scorned by employers or denied medical care for their disease.

Knowing the harsh reality of stigma and the consequences it carries, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colombia (IELCO) is committed to supporting HIV/AIDS-positive Colombians. In addition to educating Lutherans about the disease, the Asivida ministry of IELCO supports Caminando Juntos (“walking together”), a group of HIV/AIDS-positive men and women who support each other emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and legally. With the help of Rosemary Rincon, a social psychologist on staff with IELCO, Caminando Juntos has successfully advocated for the right to disability benefits and medical care for its members.

The ELCA accompanies its companion churches in many ways. One important form of accompaniment is support for vital ministries within local communities. Asivida – with its education, outreach, and support of Caminando Juntos – is just a part of the many ministries of IELCO, supported in part by gifts to ELCA World Hunger. Together, we can be part of IELCO’s powerful witness and action in Colombia!

Watch the video below to hear Rosemary’s powerful story! (A transcript of the video is below for readers who do not speak Spanish.)

TRANSCRIPT:

My name is Rosemary Rincon. I’m a mom.

I’m a psychologist.

I’m a good daughter, a good friend, a good employee.

I’m a woman, I’m happy and I live with HIV.

We usually think, “It can’t happen to me. This may happen to others, it happens to other people, but not to me.” First off, I’m a housewife; I only have one sex partner. My boyfriend of eight years was my one and only boyfriend, my sole sex partner in my whole life… and I married him. It may affect loose women, sex workers, homosexuals, people who lead an immoral life, and the like, but not me…

And I entrusted my sexuality and my health to my husband, my partner. Perhaps my love for him prevented me from seeing myself in risk.

…I’ve been living with it for 14 years and it hasn’t tainted my life. Instead, I think you live with more intensity, with dreams. In my opinion, living with the virus is not disabling, quite the contrary. It’s a decision that changes your life but it should change it for the best.

We have an individual role to play in society. But we need to take the initiative and not just stay there like some people do.

Obviously, the easiest approach is to say, “I’ll die.” Then you also see that time passes by, because nowadays this is a chronic, treatable disease.

So, how much time will I have to spend waiting for death? It could be 10, 15 years… by the way, it’s the same time I’ve had it so far: 14 years. Had I taken a different approach, I wouldn’t be alive today and wouldn’t be enjoying the privileges and opportunities I’ve given myself and that life has also granted me.

I think that, in a certain way, God, and even the universe have placed the right people and provided me with the means to help me move forward. And I think he does this for all of us. We may live in the last corner of the world, but if we face life with a positive outlook and our dreams overpower our circumstances…

You should also start your own research, give yourself the opportunity…. that the virus is not transmitted by casual contact, that we need to take some precautions, that we need to be responsible, but also, the fact that being HIV positive does not restrict my entitlement to maternity, to love and be loved, and many other dreams. The means and the appropriate conditions already exist, see?

I gave myself the opportunity, just as any other woman with HIV could; the opportunity of becoming a mother… obviously educating myself…

There’s the support from the interdisciplinary team. They provided me with integral care and all the appropriate conditions… and here’s the result, my daughter. She’s now three and totally HIV free… and we keep striving just like any other family in our country.

Whether or not we are HIV positive, we are women in essence… and I think that this is what makes us valuable. It’s that difference.

It works the same for guys. But we make a perfect team, men and women. And we need to respect each other and love each other in spite of the differences.

Women with HIV or without HIV, we’re equally valuable.

VISUAL TEXT

I’m a mom

I’m a psychologist

I’m a good daughter, a good friend, a good employee…

I’m a woman, I’m happy and I live with HIV

“It can’t happen to me”

“I only had one sex partner”

“It happens to people who lead an immoral life”

“My love for him prevented me from seeing myself in risk”

Rosemary has lived with the HIV virus for 14 years. Her husband and only sex partner caused her to become infected…

“You live with more intensity, with dreams”

“Living with the HIV virus is not disabling”

“The easiest approach is to say, ‘I’ll die'”

“Life has given me privileges and opportunities”

“We have to give ourselves the opportunity”

“I can love, be loved, live”

“I gave myself the opportunity”

“My daughter is HIV negative”

LIVING POSITIVELY

September 28, 2014–Who Says?

Dave Delaney, Salem Virginia

Warm-up Questions

Either individually or as a group, brainstorm a list of everyone in your life who can legitimately tell you what to do. Try to be specific.
Why do you end up doing what these individuals and groups say? Are there different reasons in each case? Which ones do you believe or follow or obey because they can make consequences happen to you, and which ones do you believe or follow or obey because you are convinced they are right or you just trust them?
Another way of coming at the same question: what is the difference between power and authority?

Who Says

Two high-profile public trials have recently ended: On Sept. 4, former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen were convicted on charges of corruption after accepting money, gifts, and loans from businessman Jonnie Williams in exchange for special access to government favors. Then on Sept. 12, South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was acquitted of premeditated murder but convicted for reckless homicide in the shooting death of his girlfriend. And in a different sort of case, half-brothers Henry McCollum and Leon Brown were recently released after more than thirty years in prison because newly presented DNA evidence showed that they were not guilty of raping and murdering an 11-year old girl in 1983.

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All of these legal decisions were made because someone – a judge or a jury – decided who was telling the truth and judged whether testimony matched the evidence. Even in the example of the DNA proof, which we usually think settles the matter, someone had to decide whether to accept it. All three cases and so many others highlight at least two things: 1) the challenge of figuring out whether someone should be trusted when they speak, and 2) the question of who has the authority to make decisions like this. In both cases, we wonder where that authority comes from.

Each of us has to make these kinds of decisions every day – decisions as to whom we should trust and on what basis. The more trustworthy the source, the more likely we are to believe it. The closer the speaker is to the information, the more easily we can trust it. If we are suspicious about something we hear, the first words out of our mouths are likely to be “Who says?”

Discussion Questions

In these news items authority depends on testimony being trustworthy and knowledgeable. Why do we believe what God says or has said? Why do we trust what the scriptures say about God? Why believe what our pastors say about God and the world? Is it only because of what others have told us about living life with God or also because of things that we have experienced?
In the midst of life’s challenges and doubts, how do we continue to listen to Jesus when he speaks and trust that he has the authority to do so? What are the patterns and habits we can practice that will strengthen our trust in him, especially when faced with those who would say he was a liar or a fake?

Lectionary 26

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

This passage is one of several in the gospels where the religious leaders challenge Jesus concerning whether he should be allowed to teach people about God and their lives in God’s kingdom. It also reflects the remarks of Jesus’ hearers (Mark 1:22 / Matthew 7:29 ), who say he speaks “with authority” in contrast to their own religious leaders. In other words, when they listen to Jesus, it sounds like he has first-hand knowledge of the subject of God and life with God! He knows what he’s talking about and isn’t merely repeating things he has heard or surrendering to conventional wisdom just because that’s what had always been taught.

Time and time again, the people hear Jesus zeroing in on the core of what it means to experience the kingdom of God. Jesus’ teaching strikes them not only as reliable, but also as offering something missing from the way they had been taught to understand and serve God. The political and social pressures on the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day often forced them to give primary attention to stabilizing their relationship with the Roman Empire and fixing the boundaries of their religious community. No matter how much they hoped to lead the people into an authentic faith in God, it took Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, to bring them into God’s own saving love. It is good news for us that Jesus lives and continues to be present to us through faith, so that we to can follow his leadership into God’s kingdom regardless of what other distractions may come our way.

This text comes from the last week of Jesus’ life. He has just come into Jerusalem to cheering crowds (21:1-11), cleared the temple of merchants and money-changers (21:12-13), begun healing the blind and lame (21:14-17), and taught about the power of faith (21:18-22). In the midst of all these activities, he was headed toward his arrest and execution just a couple of days later. So we see him speaking to the religious leaders in very stark terms about how things will soon change and why. He first exposes their commitment to political, rather than faith and life, concerns with his question about John the Baptist. Then he uses the parable of the two sons to lift up that God’s grace, which draws very unlikely people into God’s kingdom, will soon win the day over their political approach. This is more good news for us, allowing us to stop yielding to the temptation to draw lines between “the righteous” and “the sinful.” We can welcome anyone who seeks God because God invites all into the kingdom.

Discussion Questions

In the gospels, some who were utterly convinced that Jesus had authority to teach God’s truth liked what they were learning about God from Jesus, but balked when he called on them to align with the purposes of God’s gracious love. Are there things that Jesus calls us to do or to be which might make us unhappy rather than joyful about his authority over us as his followers? (If you need help, consider Matthew 5-7, the instructions for the church in Matthew 18, or his commandment to evangelize the world in Matthew 28). What are the hard things in those lists that might make us turn to Jesus and ask “Who says?”
When we receive challenges to the Christian faith, how can we have conversations with others that will let us know if they are perhaps truly curious about our faith and secretly wishing we could convince them that it is true?
Why do you think that Jesus did not just give the religious leaders a straightforward answer about who he was and that he was both the promised Messiah and the Son of God? [We have to speculate, but some possibilities are: 1) There were lots of prophets and other self-proclaimed messiahs running around who claimed to be God’s chosen one; just saying so would prove nothing. 2) Even if Jesus proved himself to them, he knew that they would use that information for their own political and social benefit (see his long criticism of them in Matthew 23) to exclude even more those whom they decided did not measure up. 3) Jesus knew that they were not really asking him this question honestly and so instead turned the challenge back on them]
Does the parable that follows Jesus’ conversation with the religious leaders (21:28-32) sound like it could come from your life? Have you ever behaved like either one of the sons in the parable? When we share faith with others or invite them to experience the joy of our church, which response would we rather get – an insincere yes from someone who has no intention of following through, or a cold reception from someone who ends up being devoted to Christ and his teachings?

Activity Suggestions

To experience what it’s like to see if someone is telling the truth, try a variation on the game “two truths and a lie.” The original game divides the group into two teams and they take turns having one of their own members tell the other team three things about him/herself, one of which is a lie, and the other team has to figure out which one it is. In a revised version, the whole team has to come up with two statements about something any one of them has actually *seen* or *heard* firsthand (e.g., they’re going to tear up the interstate again, some famous musician has a new video up on YouTube, so-and-so dyed her hair blue, etc.) and then a third statement regarding something they only heard about but did not see firsthand. The other team then has to figure out which one is second-hand information. As the game goes on, start asking groups to include statements that might be considered matters of opinion, but some hold as very true and important! What happens then?
Play a round of “telephone,” and at the end ask the group who would need to be asked in order to find out the original message. The obvious answer is the person who came up with the original message. Then the group can get a sense of how likely it would be that 1) God’s message might get distorted over time until Jesus came along and 2) why the religious leaders might actually have a good reason to care about where Jesus got his information.
Have three people role play the conversation between the father and the two sons in the parable and try to imagine what they would say to each other as each one of them is trying to prove that s/he is right. Other members of the group should yell suggestions for things to say. In a society like the one of Jesus’ day, where obedience to parents was a huge deal with a lot at stake, how might each of them reacted?

Closing Prayer

God of all truth and ruler of our lives, soften our hearts and minds with the ministry of your Spirit, that we may trust you for everything, be ready to receive your word with gladness, and open ourselves up to the real and powerful thrill that comes with living life close to you. Guide us through the teachings of our Lord Jesus and help those who doubt him or care only for earthly things to turn to him, even though they have refused once or even many times. In his name we pray.

Acerca de la Obispa Presidente de la ELCA

Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton

La reverenda Elizabeth A. Eaton fue elegida cuarta obispa presidente de la ELCA en la Asamblea General de la ELCA en 2013.

Nació en Cleveland, Ohio, el 2 de abril de 1955. Eaton obtuvo la maestría en teología por la Escuela de Teología de Harvard en Cambridge, Massachusetts, y la licenciatura en educación musical por la Universidad de Wooster en Wooster, Ohio.

Fue ordenada el 4 de junio de 1981, y fungió como pastora asistente de la Iglesia Luterana All Saints en Worthington, Ohio; como pastora interina de la Iglesia Luterana Good Hope en Boardman, Ohio, y como pastora de la Iglesia Luterana Messiah en Ashtabula. Fue elegida obispa del Sínodo del Noreste de Ohio de la ELCA en 2006 y fue reelegida en mayo de 2013.

En la actualidad Eaton presta sus servicios en varios consejos y comités. Es miembro del consejo del seminario Trinity Lutheran Seminary y de la universidad Capital University, ambas instituciones con sede en Columbus, Ohio. Es miembro del Comité de Coordinación Luterana Episcopal y también presta sus servicios en el foro nacional Domestic Ready Bench de la Conferencia de Obispos. También participa en la

Campaña contra la Malaria de la ELCA, el Ministerio Metropolitano Luterano, el Grupo de Trabajo sobre Filosofía de Prestaciones de PORTICO, el Consejo de Iglesias de Ohio y los Donativos Luteranos Planificados en Ohio.

Antes de su elección, Eaton fue obispa de enlace con el Consejo Eclesial de la ELCA y miembro del Comité de Memoriales de la ELCA para las Asambleas Generales de la ELCA en 2007, 2011 y 2013. Prestó sus servicios como delegada en la Asamblea de la Federación Luterana Mundial en Budapest en 1984 y en el equipo de revisión para los diálogos luterano episcopales en 1982. También formó parte de la delegación de los organismos eclesiales predecesores de la ELCA ante la República Democrática de Alemania en 1982.

El reverendo T. Conrad Selnick, sacerdote episcopal esposo de Eaton, es vicepresidente de desarrollo, promoción y relaciones eclesiales en la Federación Bexley Seabury. Tienen dos hijas adultas: Rebeckah y Susannah.

– Véase más en: http://www.elca.org/en/About/Leadership/Churchwide-Officers/Presiding-Bishop

Ebola outbreak: “The church has to help”

Megan Brandsrud

The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the largest and longest-lasting Ebola outbreak in recorded history. To further understand the scale of this disease, the Ebola outbreak is actually the first Ebola epidemic the world has experienced, as the virus has spread to multiple countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. More than 2,400 people have died from Ebola during this epidemic.

The spread of Ebola presents several more complications than just battling and containing the virus itself. People in infected areas have been quarantined to their homes as towns shut down to try to limit the disease from spreading further. As a result, people are not able to work, harvest fields or purchase food. Other countries that ship food to the region are afraid to dock their ships to deliver food for fear of contracting the virus. The lack of food has been a growing concern as people are now dealing with food security issues that have been exacerbated by the spread of Ebola.

“We need food,” says the Rev. D. Jensen Seyenkulo, Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Liberia. “Our workers from all across the country are being asked to take off work during the crisis. The quarantined communities and stranded travelers are crying for food and water. The treatment centers need food. There is a saying around now that goes like this: ‘If we do not die of Ebola, we will die of starvation.'”

In August, Lutheran Disaster Response committed $10,000 to assist Global Health Ministries in the shipment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Liberia. Lutheran Disaster Response is now committing $90,000 to assist with food distributions in Liberia and Sierra Leone and with Ebola sensitization and prevention in Liberia, the country that currently has experienced the highest number of Ebola cases.

Food Distributions in Liberia and Sierra Leone

We will work with our companion church, the Lutheran Church in Liberia, to activate food distributions in six targeted areas of Liberia that will assist 999 households with a month’s supply of oil, rice and fish.

In Sierra Leone, we will work with our companion church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone, to provide food assistance also consisting of oil, rice and fish to 3,000 individuals.

“With no way to buy food, the church has to help,” says the Rev. Thomas Barnett, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone.

Ebola Sensitization and Prevention in Liberia

Liberia has seen the highest number of Ebola cases since the outbreak reached the country in March. Since the disease presents a 90 percent fatality rate, raising awareness about symptoms and prevention is vital. With our partner, ACT Alliance, we will work with Lutheran Development Services and the Lutheran Church in Liberia to provide Ebola sensitization and prevention training to 4,500 individuals in Lofa and Bong counties.

In addition to the training program, we will work with our companions and partners to construct an isolation unit at Phebe Hospital and School of Nursing. This unit will provide significant contributions toward the containment of the disease and the ability to provide life-saving care.

Phebe hospital in Liberia

Please join us as we continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Liberia, Sierra Leone and the rest of the West Africa region who are daily battling with the risks of Ebola and the many impacts that come with it.

If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work in the fight against Ebola, please visit the Lutheran Disaster Response – Ebola Outbreak giving page.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

An introduction: Gina Tonn, Lutheran Volunteer Corps

Gina Tonn

September 17, 2014

Greetings, ELCA World Hunger blog readers! My name is Gina Tonn, and I am happy to introduce myself as the newest member of the Blog pic dynamic ELCA World Hunger team in Chicago! I will be serving as a Program Assistant for the next year through a placement with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC). I am honored to be the first LVC member to work with ELCA World Hunger and am excited about all the year has in store. I will be working with Education and Constituent Engagement.

In addition to my work with ELCA World Hunger, my year with LVC will consist of living in intentional community with four other corps members, learning about and working for peace with justice, and striving to live simply and sustainably. I anticipate embracing all the challenges and learning opportunities I will face this year.

I come to Chicago from Brooklyn Park, MN – a suburb of Minneapolis – where I have lived my whole life, with the exception of residing in Northfield, MN, for the last four years while attending St. Olaf College. I graduated from St. Olaf in May 2014 with majors in economics and religion. I sang with The St. Olaf Cantorei and participated in a variety of extracurricular activities, including working with the Student Activities Committee and the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations.

My commitment to social justice became more than an underlying inclination during the summer of 2013 when I interned at the University of St. Thomas Interprofessional Center’s Legal Services Clinic with the Immigration Law Practice Group. During my internship, I developed a deeper appreciation for how important it is to fight for justice by listening to other people’s stories and working in partnership to improve quality of life. My experience there is a large part of what drew me to a year of service with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps after graduation. I’m grateful to be with ELCA World Hunger because of the holistic nature and integrity of the work this organization does in relationships with companion synods and local partners. Furthermore, I believe in our baptismal vocation to love and serve our neighbors. I am energized by the opportunity to live into that vocation even more fully this year – in the workplace and in my intentional community.

Some fun facts about me:

While at St. Olaf I was a costume sewing assistant for our international dance troupe – I know my way around a sequin!
I’ve been a summer soccer referee for ten years.
My hobbies include running, photography, and singing hymns in four-part harmony.
I love to read. I especially enjoy popular non-fiction, like the work of Malcolm Gladwell or a good memoir.
One of my favorite foods is coleslaw. While on a road trip with some friends this past year I ordered coleslaw in just about every city we visited, so I like to think myself a bit of an aficionado!

Gina Tonn is a Program Assistant with ELCA World Hunger. This is her first post to the ELCA World Hunger blog and she looks forward to sharing many more stories with the ELCA World Hunger community over the next year.

September 21, 2014–Better Than Fair

Jen Krausz, Bethlehem, PA

Warm-up Question

Warm-up Question: How do you react when you think something is unfair?

Better Than Fair

College football season is in full swing. As with any group, some student athletes choose to break the rules set by their coaches or their leagues. Coaches must then give out punishments including suspensions, counseling, and extra hard practices.

Early in the season is the biggest time for suspensions. Colleges have had to discipline players for many different infractions, including failing drug tests, not going to classes, cheating in their classes, and even being arrested on charges like DUI or assault.

shutterstock_186023696edit Many different factors determine the punishments players receive. Former Texas coach Mack Brown describes it this way: “You’ve got to be consistently fair with your rules, understanding that there are so many inconsistent things that are thrown at you.” Brown once had three of his players get DUIs during one off-season. He disciplined them differently because two of the players had been causing trouble for a while, but the third had never broken a rule before.

Former Auburn coach Gene Chizik tells why he thinks the same offense may not always be punished the same way: “If the team knows you’re fair, you’re good. You want to be as consistent as you can be, but consistency is not always doable. Fairness can be.”

Houston Nutt, who coached at Arkansas and Mississippi, learned this philosophy playing at Arkansas under his coach, Jimmy Johnson: “Players who rarely if ever step out of line get leeway and second chances. Problem children don’t.”

Nutt also said coaches must take into consideration that their discipline measures might hurt the team, which may in turn put the coach’s job in jeopardy. It’s not an easy position for a coach to be in, since they are paid to win games.

Nutt once suspended his starting kicker for getting a DUI after Nutt had warned the players not to party before the game. The team lost the important game, and two weeks later the DUI charges were dropped. It was frustrating, but Nutt felt justified in suspending him.

“You have no respect for your team and coaches,” he told the player.

Punishments may not always look fair to observers, but sometimes the message can be communicated by what seems like a mild consequence. As Florida coach Will Muschamp said when he was criticized for reinstating players after suspending them from a game that was cancelled after ten minutes, “There are a lot of things that go into discipline. It’s about altering and changing behavior, which we’ve done here.”

Discussion Questions

Is there a difference between fairness and consistency? If so, what is the difference?
Do you think everyone should get the same punishment for the same infraction? Can you think of a time when that didn’t (or wouldn’t) work?
If a coach is unfair, what effect might that have on the team?
When a coach treats players fairly, what effect does that have on the team?

Lectionary 25

Jonah 3:10—4:11

Philippians 1:21-30

Matthew 20:1-16

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

If you grew up going to church, you’ve probably heard the words of Matthew 20:16 before. You may have even heard them so often that they get on your nerves. They may have been used to make you feel guilty for rushing to be first in line, or as a consolation for being last. Your siblings may have thrown these words at you to compensate for their own feelings that they were being treated unfairly.

“The last will be first, and the first will be last.”

In all of history, only Jesus teaches such radical unfairness. Only Jesus possesses the grace to give those who worked for one hour the same wage as those who worked all day. How wonderful for those who received a full day’s pay for only an hour’s labor. May we all have been this fortunate at one time or another in our lives.

What about those who worked all day? Shouldn’t they get more? This is where our sense of unfairness kicks in. It just feels wrong to work all day and get paid no more than those who worked one hour. What a sour feeling to think you were first, and end up being last.

In this parable, the wages are meant to stand, in part, for forgiveness and salvation for believers. Forgiveness and salvation are available to us whether we choose to believe in Jesus when we are young or on our deathbed. It is the same gift to all believers.

Some believers don’t think this is fair. “I have believed and served God all my life,” they think. “I should get more than the person who lives a sinful life and only repents on at the very end of his life.”

In this parable, as in all his teachings, Jesus shows us that it isn’t about our efforts, how long we are a Christian or how great a Christian we are. Instead, we need to focus on God’s grace, which is the same for all, because we all need it equally. If we want to be truthful, none of us deserve God’s grace and forgiveness. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Although some of us are Christians just about all our lives, and some only come to faith very late in life, our need for salvation is exactly equal. This is the truth Jesus portrayed so well in this parable.

Discussion Questions

How does this story feel different if you focus on the people paid for one hour, than it does if you focus on the people paid the same for a whole day’s work?
Does Matthew 20:16, “The first will be last, and the last will be first,” give you a sense of comfort, or does it make you angry? Why?
Grace means “unmerited favor,” in other words, not deserved. Besides forgiveness and salvation, what have you received from God that you know you didn’t deserve?
What effect do you think conflicts about being first or last might have on a church?

Activity Suggestions

As a group, find an opportunity to serve a person or a group of people in need. Serving others is a way to put them first. Some ideas are providing a meal at a soup kitchen, raking leaves for someone, washing their car, etc. Afterward, discuss how it felt to serve in that way.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for your grace in forgiving us when we couldn’t do anything to deserve it. Thank you for the example of your justice in the world. Help us to be gracious toward others and willing to put them before ourselves. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Index of the September 2014 Issue

Issue 36 of Administration Matters

Health and disability contribution rates increase to meet community needs
Portico annually evaluates contribution rates for the ELCA’s self-insured health and disability plans. Due to higher than expected claims and projected increases in future costs, rates will increase for 2015. Sponsoring organizations can estimate their contributions online during open enrollment. >more

Youth Gathering registration to open Oct. 15
Is your youth group attending the July 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit? Registration for this event incorporating service, worship, study and fun begins Oct. 15! In preparation, Primary Adult Leaders may begin entering group information in the ELCA’s database on Sept. 15. Also this fall, congregations are invited to support the ministry of the 2015 Gathering by visiting the Giving Opportunities page at elca.org/gathering.

New Stories of Faith in Action
Stories of Faith in Action features images and stories of people whose lives have been touched by ministries of the ELCA. This resource shows how your regular congregational offering, shared with your synod and the churchwide organization, is changing lives. Order today | Find resources

How to communicate financial information to your church
This article from Christian Computing Magazine offers some points to consider when deciding why, how and when to communicate financial information to members of your congregation. The author offers suggestions for providing information on congregational giving, the congregation budgeting process, designated giving, biblical teaching on generous giving and family finance resources. > more

Keep boiler, furnace rooms clean and well maintained
Using the extra space in your boiler or furnace room for storage can quickly become a major fire hazard. Keep these rooms free of clutter and learn to identify signs of trouble. > more

Mission Investment Fund is the ELCA provider for loans for building projects
The Mission Investment Fund (MIF), the lending ministry of the ELCA, specializes in financing church building projects and land purchases for ELCA congregations and ELCA-related ministries. MIF understands ministry needs and works with congregations and ministries to help create mission-focused financing plans, and their lending staff is adept at guiding borrowers through the loan application process. Because MIF’s mission is to assist congregations and ministries in building and growing, it offers consistently competitive rates and a variety of loan terms. > more

ELCA Blogs

October 5, 2014–Symbols Matter

“Tear the roof off” with praise and service

Unaccompanied and Migrant Children: A safe and caring environment for refugee children

Advocacy, Accompaniment, and HIV/AIDS in Colombia

September 28, 2014–Who Says?

Acerca de la Obispa Presidente de la ELCA

Ebola outbreak: “The church has to help”

An introduction: Gina Tonn, Lutheran Volunteer Corps

September 21, 2014–Better Than Fair

Index of the September 2014 Issue