Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Warm-up Question

• Do you have any personal heroes?  Any people in your life who have encouraged, inspired, or set an example you’d like to follow?  If so, who are they and why do you look up to them?
• Have you ever helped to teach, guide, mentor, or encourage someone else?  What did you learn from the experience?
• If you could snap your fingers and know that you couldn’t fail, what is one thing that you would do?

A Matter of Faith

[Note: As I write this, the case of Kim Davis, County Clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky, is very much in the news.  My intent is NOT to generate discussion around the appropriateness of same-sex marriage, but rather a conversation about how we, as Christians, can address together difficult and divisive topics.  You may find it appropriate to choose a different example for your own setting.]

Kim Davis, County Clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky has been very much in the news lately for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that legalized gay marriage.  Citing her Christian faith as the reason for being unable to comply with a court order to begin issuing such licenses, Davis recently spent five days in jail.  She has been released under an arrangement which allows her deputies to issue marriage licenses which do not bear her signature.

Though the case of Kim Davis has ignited a national furor, drawing people and groups from all sides of the debate on same-sex marriage, she is not the only county clerk in Kentucky having to weigh their personal convictions against the requirements of the law.  Some have joined Davis in refusing to issue marriage licenses.  Others have reached different conclusions.  You can read more about the tension they face here: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/religious-clerks-in-kentucky-follow-law-but-see-conflict/ar-AAej6u3?ocid=spartandhp&fullscreen=true#image=1.

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever had to defend or “make a stand” on what you believe?
• Do you believe that Christians can disagree, even on “big” issues, and still consider each other legitimate followers of Jesus?  Why or why not?  Are there any issues that you believe we must agree on?
• Try seeing things from a different viewpoint:
  • For instance, if you agree with the position that Kim Davis has taken, how have her actions and the subsequent responses from other groups been a stumbling block for some people when it comes to Christianity and following Jesus?
  •  If you don’t agree with Davis’ position, how has her willingness to go to jail for what she believes been a witness to faith?
• Is there any situation or matter of faith that you would go to jail for?  How about die for?

Lectionary 26/Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29

James 5:13-20

Mark 9:38-50

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

On the Road with Jesus

We are on the road again with Jesus this week as he and his disciples travel through Galilee.  Jesus is trying to keep his presence a secret, for his focus at this point is on teaching his disciples. Yet Galilee is more than just a place.  In Mark’s gospel especially, Galilee is symbolic of our home turf – the everyday places in which we, as disciples, live and work and play.  Thus, Jesus’ teaching today is not so much for the world at large, but for those who seek to follow him.

Whoever is Not Against Us

And what is it that Jesus teaches?  In part, today’s gospel is a collection of Jesus’ sayings that have been woven together around a chain of word associations.  For example, having just argued with one another of who is the greatest (9:33 – 37), the disciples are confronted once more with what it means to welcome Jesus.  This time, the “welcome” that is offered has to do with using Jesus’ name to cast out evil spirits.  The irony here is that the disciples themselves had recently failed at such an attempt (9:17 – 18), yet want to stop this un-named exorcist because “he was not following us.”  That is, he was not following in the disciples’ footsteps.  Of course, even in the church today it is easy to get hung up on thinking that Jesus somehow belongs to us – that the ways in which we believe and do things are the only right way.  Yet Jesus forbids them to interfere.  Aside from using his name to work deeds of power, if even those who offer the smallest gesture of hospitality to a disciple won’t miss out on the reward, then perhaps the family of Christ is much broader than we often like think.

Stumbling Blocks, Millstones & One-Eyed Christians

Is sin a serious matter?  Yes, and a deadly one at that!  “Stumbling” is the connecting idea in this section, as Jesus addresses both the things that we might do to cause others to sin and the things in our own lives that lead us astray.  The “little ones” here are not just children, but anyone who is “young” in their Christian faith.  Quite simply, we are to be careful in our actions and words lest we put up obstacles to people believing in and following Jesus.  Jesus’ image of being tossed into the sea while chained to a giant millstone is over the top, of course, but it makes the point in no uncertain terms, as do the images that follow.

Are there things in your own life – perhaps even normally “good” things – that cause you to sin?  Are there attitudes, thoughts, or habits that are leading you away from God?  Again, like the millstone image above, the language of chopping off hands, cutting off feet, and plucking out eyes is not meant to be taken literally.  However, it is meant to be taken seriously.  The stakes are high, and living as God’s people calls us into a different way of life.  Discipleship – following Jesus – at times demands the sacrifices of repentance and self-discipline.

Low Salt, No Salt

The image of fire (in this case, the fires of hell) provides the final connection in this week’s gospel.  Here, Jesus encourages us to live as “salty” Christians.  What does it mean to be “salted with fire?”  In the sacrificial system of Jesus’ day, salt was commonly offered as part of worship, so early on someone wrote in the margin of Mark 9:49 a quote from Leviticus 2:13.  Later copyists included this note into the text, where it still appears in some versions of the Bible today.  Nevertheless, salt, like fire, was seen as a purifying agent.  A very precious commodity in the Ancient world, salt was used to preserve food as well as to season it.  Yet it often wasn’t pure, and so could lose its taste leaving only a useless white residue behind.  In a similar fashion, those who claim to follow Jesus, but whose lives are not characterized by service, care for others – especially those who are “young” in the faith – or by self-discipline and mutual love, are like this no-salt – empty of any true flavor.

Discussion Questions

• It has been reported that the fastest growing religious groups in America are those who have no association with any particular church.  What are some of the “stumbling blocks” that make it difficult for people in our time and culture to believe in Jesus or God?  How might you address some of these issues?  What do you think – can the ways in which you live your life truly make a difference?
• Do we really need to worry about sin if we have grace?  Why or why not?
• To borrow a phrase from a popular brand, what types of beliefs, actions, and attitudes do you think should characterize a Christian “Salt Life?”
• In the Affirmation of Baptism we promise to:
  •  live among God’s faithful people
  •  to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper
  •  to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed
  •  to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and
  • to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.
• What do these things mean to you? Discuss how these promises can guide and shape us as “salty” Christians.  For example, what does it actually mean to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?

Activity Suggestions

• What are some of the things that cause you to “stumble” in your walk with God? As a group, brainstorm a list of things, attitudes, or behaviors that cause you to sin. If your list needs some expanding, consider the Ten Commandments as Martin Luther explains them in the Small Catechism.  Don’t forget to think about the positive things that we often leave undone.
  • Look over your list. How many are things that “everyone” does? Does that make these things less harmful?  Any less of a sin?
  • Are there things on your list that you might support one another in actively resisting or addressing?

• Be salt and let your lights shine:  What needs, issues, or causes do you feel strongly about?  Brainstorm some things that your group might do to make a difference in one of these areas, be it through prayer, advocacy, or direct action.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you call us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow you.   Help us to do so.  Give us eyes to see the many ways that you act in our lives and the grace that you give to us day by day.  Give us feet to walk in your way, and catch us when we stumble.  And give us hands to reach out in love and action that we may be living signs of your grace. This we pray in your holy name.  Amen

ELCA World Hunger

Dennis Sepper, Puyallup, WA

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Warm-up Question

Are you excited about the beginning of the school year and the competition it brings?  Yes or no and why?

We’re Number One!

USA Today—The air is getting crisp and some of the trees are showing signs of changing color.  Fall is in the air and the high school boys’ football rankings have been released.  You can find them at the following link:

http://usatodayhss.com/rankings/computer/boys/football/US/2015/1

Also, the Division 3 men’s football rankings are out and they include several of our ELCA colleges and universities.  This link can be found on the D3 website:

http://www.d3football.com/top25/2015/preseason

The beginning of school brings the beginning of various forms of competition.  Not a football fan?  There is the debate team, the chess team, the dance team, not to mention the competition for the best GPA.  I chose football because in most communities the interest in competition goes beyond the high school or college and involves the entire city/town/village.  There is within us a desire to be associated with winners and so we want our teams to be number one (I still look online to see how my high school is fairing and I have season tickets to my college football team even though I graduated years ago).

Competition teaches us some valuable lessons about working together and contributing to the team effort.  It sharpens our critical thinking skills and our physical skills.  Those things contribute to school spirit and a greater sense of community.

However, the drive to be number one can tempt us down paths not so morally upright.  There have been scandals in the Little League boy’s World Series and just recently in the girl’s Little League Softball World Series.  Every now and then we hear of a test cheating scandal at the high school and college levels.  And no matter how you feel about quarterback Tom Brady someone deflated those footballs to give the New England Patriots an advantage in competition.

As we will see even the disciples of Jesus were not immune to the temptation to argue that one of the twelve was the greatest and number one among disciples

Discussion Questions

• Are you a competitive person?  How do you resist the temptation to take shortcuts or cheat?
• You’ll notice that a number of the teams in the two ranking lists above are church-related.  Are those teams and their fans any different from the other teams?  If you answered “yes” what might some of those differences be?
• What role does social media (particularly Twitter) play in all of this?  Does it help nurture a healthy view of competition or does it feed the negative side?  How so?

Lectionary 25/Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 11:18-20

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Mark 9:30-37

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Ever wonder why the Bible never mentions Jesus’ childhood?  There is a rather large gap between Luke 2:21 where Jesus is brought to the Temple eight days after his birth as tradition demanded and Luke 2:43 where we are told Jesus is twelve years old.  What happened during those 12 years, nobody knows as the Bible is silent on the issue.  One might guess from the tradition of first century society that we don’t hear about Jesus’ childhood because children were “invisible” to the adults until that time children became an adult at around age 12.  It is hard for us to understand that fact given our society places a value on children (we don’t do it perfectly, but as a whole we value children by what we say and what we do…such as requiring car seats for children, labeling games with warnings about possible chocking hazards, and having height requirements for amusement park rides).  But, if we are to understand the meaning of today’s gospel text we have to try our best to read this story through the lens of those first century folks. More on this in a moment but first:

Today’s gospel has three parts.  First, Jesus makes a second announcement of his coming suffering and death.  After the first announcement (Mark 8:31) Peter stepped forward and rebuked Jesus because in Peter’s view the Messiah should not die at the hands of humans.  This time we are told that the disciples “did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him” (v. 32).  The Bible doesn’t tell us but maybe they were still wrestling with what it would mean for the Savior of the world to die at the hands of humans.  (If you wish to know, Jesus makes a third announcement in Mark 10:32-33).

That issue is dropped and they continue their walk to Capernaum to the house where they will be staying.  Once there Jesus asks the disciples what they were arguing about on the way.  The disciples are ashamed because they had been arguing about who was the greatest among their group.  Jesus knows this and calls them to his side.  Notice that Mark tells us that Jesus “sat down”.  That is a move a teacher would make when about to teach something important.  Once seated, Jesus does not yell at them but simple teaches by saying “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”  Jesus is teaching the disciples that the ways of the Kingdom of God are different from the ways of the world.  In the Kingdom of God Jesus will lay down his life for everyone and even the world out of mercy and love.  In the Kingdom of God service to others is valued more than being number one.  Take a moment at this point and read the words of James in our second reading (James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a).  It seems that even the most faithful followers of Jesus have problems getting this straight.  Because of that we shouldn’t beat up on ourselves or others if we put ambition and being number one ahead of our call to service and love.  We should simply read today’s gospel text again, ask for God’s forgiveness and for the strength of the Holy Spirit to set out again as disciples of Jesus showing forth the values of the Kingdom of God in word and deed.

Finally, in the third part of today’s gospel, Jesus illustrates what he is teaching by taking a little child into his arms and saying “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me”.  We might hear this story and sigh “Ah” at its sweetness or we may ignore it because it seems so sugary but remember that we want to look at this text through the eyes of the disciples and those first century folks.  They would have been thinking “whoa” because it was a very radical move and an even more radical statement.  But this is how serious Jesus is about our servanthood to all people, not just to people like us, not just to people we like, but to all.

Power, success and winning are not bad things in and of themselves but over the centuries they have been strong temptations to serve oneself first and ignore the needs of those right around the corner.  Over the centuries many have fallen into that temptation and things did not end well.  However there have also been powerful, successful Christian disciples who have used the gifts God gave them to serve their communities and others in the world.

Discussion Questions

• Think of a successful, powerful person who, in the midst of that success, used their talent for the good of others?  What do you think motivates them to do so?
• Name a person in your congregation who lives a life of servanthood in the Church or in the greater community?  What do you think motivates them to do so?
• Who might be the “children” of our day…those whom society generally does not see or value?

Activity Suggestions

Sportswriter Henry Grantland Rice wrote: “When the Great Recorder comes to mark against your name, he marks not if you won or lost, but how you played the game.”  Of course that is not the conventional wisdom of our day.  In our society most agree with former great football coach Vince Lombardi who once said ‘Winning isn’t everything, it’s the ONLY thing.”  Opposed to that conventional wisdom there has been for many years a group of voices who advocate for noncompetitive games.  Check out the website below, choose a game, play it and then discuss how it made you all feel.  Did you enjoy it or do you prefer to have a game be competitive?

http://www.partygamespond.com/tag/noncompetitive/

Closing Prayer

For our closing prayer today I offer you a prayer from Brennan Manning, a Franciscan priest, theologian and writer:

May all your expectations be frustrated, may all your plans be thwarted, may all your desires be withered into nothingness, that you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child and sing and dance in the love of God who is Father, Son and Spirit.  And today on planet Earth, may you experience the wonder and beauty of yourself as God’s child and temple of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Issue 42 of Administration Matters

​Serving on your Congregation Council
Looking for leadership position descriptions for Congregation Council and officers? Here are some suggestions that could be added to your congregation’s bylaws. They can also be presented as covenants to sign. >More

Don’t get burned by a roofing contractor
Need roof repairs or replacement? Be careful. Here are several important ideas for getting the job done safely and professionally. >More

Congregational mission planning
As people of faith, we trust that God is doing a new thing in the world and we long to be part of this work. Mission planning is the process of discovering how your congregation is called to live as the body of Christ. Equipping congregations to create mission plans is one of the highest priorities of our church. On this page, you’ll find resources that have been created across the ELCA as well as by other sources to help your ministry create a mission plan that fits your gifts and context. >More

Prepare for Portico’s 2016 annual enrollment
It’s time for your organization to consider which ELCA-Primary health benefit option to provide in 2016. Use your congregation’s Custom Comparison Report on EmployerLink to determine which option will best meet the needs of your plan members, your organization, and the ministry you share. >More

Church rain gardens help control flooding, improve watershed quality
Rain gardens are not only an attractive addition to your church property, but are also good for the local watershed. They mimic nature in places where pavement gets in the way and assist in keeping water away from church structures. >More

Make beautiful music with a well-maintained pipe organ
Pipe organ music can uplift a congregation, but the instruments are complex mechanisms that need regular maintenance. >More