People in Detroit are still talking about how well behaved – respectful, joyful, generous and kind – ELCA youth were. After 18 years working with the ELCA Youth Gathering I am no longer surprised by such comments. I have grown to expect that ELCA youth will represent themselves, their denomination and their particular congregation with infectious joy, respect and generosity.

Most people who comment about the behavior of ELCA youth seem astounded and perplexed, as if they assume all teenagers are aloof and narcissistic, and not trustworthy. When people who encounter youth at an ELCA Youth Gathering wonder how we have such great kids, I always want to say, “It isn’t rocket science.”

It’s mostly about the adults who value and invest in rearing children and youth in the faith. After all, if we want Christian children and youth, we need Christian adults who are authentic, available and affirming (“Triple A Adults,”  thank you Vibrant Faith) to accompany them not just in their faith journey but in their journey of living in 21st century North America.

I know that there are some dysfunctional congregations, but for the most part ELCA congregations create an environment within which children and youth learn how to organize their lives around their baptismal identity of being an agent of God’s mission in the world. That mission, in my opinion, inspires certain behaviors like self-renunciation (Philippians 2:7), service to others (Galatians 5:13), striving for justice (Jeremiah 22:3), advocating for peace (2 Corinthians 5:18), and loving all (John 13:34). Those are the behaviors that the citizens of the host city bear witness to when the Gathering is in town.

That being said, I am not saying that the message of the gospel is contingent on Christians behaving in a prescribed manner. As I leave my position as director for the ELCA Youth Gathering, my only worry is that during my tenure as director we communicated that certain behaviors exhibited by God’s people are a vehicle through which we participate in bringing about the reign of God.

The 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering was the first for which I was director. Prior to that I was in an assistant role but still had primary responsibility for the program content. The 2009 theme was “Jesus, Justice, Jazz,” and the tag line was “Love like Jesus.” That infers certain human behaviors. Because a major focus was serving the people of New Orleans that year, some young people may connect “loving like Jesus” to serving others, which is OK on the surface, but I worry that they will think their own agency and behaviors are the key to proclaiming the gospel.

In 2012, we taught young people that they were “citizens with the saints,” and tried to model that by teaching that serving isn’t a one-and-done kind of experience, that the behavior of accompaniment means we stay with people for the long haul. I don’t disagree with that on the surface, but I worry that it focuses on a behavior that is transactional.

Here’s the deal: The reign of God (or the kingdom of God) is not something we create or try to replicate by imitating Jesus or creating a world according to the values Jesus espoused in the Gospels. It is God who creates God’s own reign.

The danger of connecting human behavior with bringing about the reign of God on earth – which I fear I have mistakenly communicated more than once – has been a constant temptation for the church and an ever-convenient substitute for the gospel. Clearly, several of our neighbors, and we ourselves, think that doing good works is the church’s message. That may even be what some people think is the purpose of the ELCA Youth Gathering (or a mission trip). But, as I leave this position which I have been privileged to hold for 18 years, I want to reiterate again that the mission of the Gathering is adolescent faith formation. I pray that because of the ministry with the Gathering young people will come to know that we are justified by faith alone, saved by grace alone, and redeemed from our sin by Christ alone. Doing good works produces sinners who are (potentially) better behaved, but the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms sinners into the adopted sons and daughters of God whose gratitude compels them to serve their neighbors.

Lindean Barnett Christenson, Bozeman, MT

​

Warm-up Question

In what contexts have you heard or used these phrases? What do they mean?

“Ignorance is bliss.”
“I can’t unsee that.”
“I once was blind, but now I see.”

I Can See Clearly Now

Multiple aid organizations credit intense media coverage of the refugee crisis in Syria for record-breaking contributions to their relief work in September. One photo in particular, of a Syrian child who drowned and whose body was recovered on a Turkish beach, was widely distributed and commented upon.

Jane Martinson, head of the media desk at the Guardian, was quoted by NPR as saying of the photo, “It really did put a human face on this awful humanitarian crisis. It has the power to change the nature of the debate on what is happening and what our reaction should be and how we should deal with it.”

Violence, poverty, and political instability have forced millions of Syrians, Iraqis, and others to flee their homes, seeking safety and hope in countries that are not always prepared to welcome them. Radio, television, print and digital media have made it nearly impossible for many to remain ignorant of, or to ignore, the situation.

For more information:
Record setting donations in September 2015:
https://philanthropy.com/article/September-a-Record-Setting/233694

Consideration of media coverage of the refugee crisis:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/09/03/437336063/image-of-dead-syrian-child-shakes-up-media-coverage-of-refugee-crisis

The work of Lutheran World Relief: https://www.kintera.org/site/c.dmJXKiOYJgI6G/b.9206825/k.D21E/Europe_and_the_Syrian_Refugee_amp_Migrant_Crisis/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=dmJXKiOYJgI6G&b=9206825&en=4dIxEFPfG3JGKPMiF2IDILOsHnIKKKOpHbIFIMNmG9JKKPNqFrH

Overview of refugee/migrant crises around the world:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/06/09/world/migrants-global-refugee-crisis-mediterranean-ukraine-syria-rohingya-malaysia-iraq.html

Discussion Questions

• What do you know about the refugee crisis in Europe? How did you learn what you know?
• Did you see the photo referred to above? If yes, describe your reaction.
• Do you prefer to know about current events outside of your community? Why or why not?

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost (Some may observe Reformation Sunday)

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Hebrews 7:23-28

Mark 10:46-52

(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

At first glance, the story of Bartimaeus is a straightforward account of Jesus healing a blind man, restoring his sight. Upon closer reading, in the context of Mark’s whole gospel account, the healing of Bartimaeus calls to mind another healing of a blind man (Mark 8:22-26) and the healing of a bleeding woman (to whom Jesus also said, “your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34).  The answer Bartimaeus gives to Jesus’ question indicates that he had more insight into Jesus than disciples, James and John, when asked the very same question, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:35-45).

In addition to Bartimaeus and Jesus, an anonymous crowd has a speaking part in the story. In the span of two short verses, the “many” change their tune, from sternly ordering Bartimaeus to be quiet, to calling him to “Take heart; get up, [Jesus] is calling you.” What happened? Bartimaeus cried to Jesus with even more resolve, and Jesus stood still. He stopped walking out of Jericho toward Jerusalem, and told the crowd to call Bartimaeus to him. Perhaps, in seeing Jesus’ pay attention to Bartimaeus and then call for him, the crowd received new eyes to really see and appreciate the humanity of Bartimaeus. Thanks to the mercy of Jesus, Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, was not the only one whose sight was restored that day.

Many commentators note that in addition to being a healing story, the story of Bartimaeus is also a call story. Jesus told Bartimaeus to go, but Mark tells us that Bartimaeus followed Jesus on the way – the way to Jerusalem, the way to the cross.

Discussion Questions

• What shows you that Bartimaeus “saw” Jesus, that is, really understood him, before he received his sight?
• What might have motivated the “many” to sternly order Bartimaeus to be quiet?
• Describe a time when you weren’t really seen. Describe a time when someone really did “see,” or “get” you. What was that like?
• Describe a situation where you “saw” someone, but didn’t really see him/her.
• Who brought you to Jesus? Of whom might Jesus be saying to you, “Call him/her here?”
• How would you answer Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Why?

Activity Suggestions

• Brainstorm a list of hymns/songs that reference seeing or blindness. Use your congregation’s worship books, or invite a musician, to help you.  (To help you get started: Be Thou My Vision; Open the Eyes of My Heart;  Open Our Eyes Lord, Amazing Grace; Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty (check out verse 3)). What do you notice?
• Watch this YouTube video of Paul Baloche telling the story of how Open the Eyes of My Heart was written: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA9Tg2CK6ZA

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, it is easy to look without really seeing.  Give us grace to slow down and notice those who might be healed and uplifted by experiencing your love–and give us wisdom and compassion to be the instruments of that love.

ELCA News Service

CHICAGO (ELCA) – Some members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) affected by wildfires in Northern California said that their faith, family and friends sustained them during a difficult time.

“God and my faith and my family and friends got me through,” said Craig Waters, a member of Galilee Lutheran Church in Kelseyville, Calif., who lost his home in Anderson Springs, a community near Middletown. He said about 180 of the 200 homes in his neighborhood were destroyed. “The neighborhood is wiped out but the spirit is still there. There is definitely a resurrection feeling. All of our stuff is gone, everything is wiped out, but it hasn’t killed the spirit,” said Waters, whose family has been in the community for several generations.

Devastations caused by the Valley Fire

Two fires, which started days apart in September, burned more than 200 square miles and are estimated to have caused almost $2 billion in damage. Six people died and thousands of people evacuated from their homes. The Valley fire, located about 90 miles north of San Francisco, destroyed almost 2,000 structures including nearly 1,300 homes. In addition to Waters, two other families from Galilee Lutheran lost their homes in the fire.

Robert Hamilton, a lay leader from Galilee, said the congregation is helping out in the community by collecting money, donating their time at shelters and at workshops focused on surviving trauma. “It’s about us going out into the community and helping wherever we can,” he said. Hamilton said much of what is needed in the first few weeks is helping people regain stability in their lives. “A lot of kids are going to school in places that are not their home school, but they’re going somewhere. The bus routes are all disrupted. People are scattered everywhere. So just trying to get the kids stable and feeling like everything is OK again. It’s tough,” he said. Hamilton said an effort is underway to help provide students with backpacks, school supplies and athletic equipment – “things the students are used to having but now all that stuff is gone.”

On Oct. 11, the congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary. Plans for a celebration had been in the works for over a year and Hamilton said the gathering was “an opportunity to see that life goes on” and also a reminder of what means most to the community during this time. “The care of the spirit is something we hope we don’t lose once the tragic aspect of (the fire) goes away. People have really come together to help each other out,” he said.

Destructions caused by the Valley Fire in Lake County, CA

The Rev. Mark Holmerud, bishop of the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod, attended the congregation’s celebration and also toured the fire-damaged area. “Growing up in Southern California, I thought I had seen fire damage before,” wrote Holmerud in a Facebook post describing his visit. “But the Valley fire grew more than 50,000 acres in twenty-four hours, or 25 acres per minute. It was clear from the damage we saw today that there was no way to ‘stand your ground’ to protect your home, no way to drive to safety if you waited too long to evacuate.”

Mountain Ranch Lutheran in Mountain Ranch and Faith Lutheran in Murphys are two ELCA congregations located in the area of the Butte fire, which destroyed about 71,000 acres in Amador and Calaveras counties. Five families from Mountain Ranch lost their homes, including William Jungemann, who evacuated his home on Sept. 10. When he returned to the area one week later, he found that his home had been destroyed by the fire. “In the long run I got out of there with my life and we got all our animals out of there and everything else is a plus. We have something to go on with,” said Jungemann.

The Butte Fire burns everything to the ground near Mountain Ranch, CA

Rob Westerhoff, president of Faith Lutheran, said his congregation is assessing the situation and is ready to help wherever needed. One of the members is a real estate agent and is helping to find temporary housing for families in the community who lost their homes. On Oct. 15, Westerhoff and Holmerud traveled through the areas affected by the Butte fire. “Much as I saw on my tour of the damage caused by the Valley fire in Lake County, the damage from the Butte fire was almost too much to take in. We saw many burned out homes, cars, and other structures. The devastation this fire has caused to thousands of people was all around us,” wrote Holmerud in a Facebook post. “It will take 12 to 18 months – if everything goes as well as possible – for these families to rebuild their homes. Counselors and therapists are on hand at schools and community centers to help with the sense of loss, grief, depression and post-traumatic-stress syndrome counseling.”

Assistance is available from various levels of government for immediate relief but is often insufficient to address the needs of the most vulnerable ones in the long term recovery phase of a disaster

Lutheran Disaster Response is working with Lutheran Social Services of Northern California to provide care and comfort to those whose lives have been impacted by the fires, focusing on long-term need. “This process is about being the church and doing what we do best – being faithful and walking with people in need,” said Nancy Nielsen, deputy director of Lutheran Social Services of Northern California. “We need to be present, to listen and to respond thoughtfully. “We are in the process of transitioning from the response and relief stage to the recovery stage,” said Nielsen. “The recovery will be a very long process. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. It will take years, requiring a lot of patience and perseverance.”

Holmerud ended his Oct. 11 Facebook post asking for prayers. “Prayers for all whose lives have been forever changed by the Valley and Butte fires. Prayers for the firefighters and first responders who risked their lives to save many more homes than the number which were destroyed.” “I’m feeling the prayers,” said Waters. “I don’t know how people get through things like this without faith. I guess they do, but I don’t know how.”

Please consider supporting the response in Northern California by visiting the Lutheran Disaster Response giving page.

Follow Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook.

“Recently erected checkpoints in East Jerusalem have been holding up patients and staff on their way to several hospitals. “Currently, all of the hospitals within the East Jerusalem Hospital Network are experiencing challenges to their daily operations due to the placement of Israeli security checkpoints within East Jerusalem neighborhoods,” says a statement of the East Jerusalem Hospital Network.

Walid Nammour, Chief Executive Officer of Augusta Victoria Hospital, delivered the statement at a network press conference today. Augusta Victoria, which is operated by The Lutheran World Federation, is one of the medical facilities affected. A checkpoint was recently been placed close to the hospital entrance.

Deep concern about well-being of patients

“The checkpoints compromise timely access to our facilities. Ambulances and staff have been delayed, negatively affecting our ability to care for and serve our community.  This is aggressive and offensive to patients and their families, and escalates an already tense situation.  We are deeply concerned about the well-being of our patients who are particularly vulnerable due to cancer and other medical conditions,” Nammour stated.

The statement also voices concern for hospital staff, some of whom must pass through multiple checkpoints on their way to and from work. Both Augusta Victoria and Makassed Islamic Charity Hospital have reported the forced entry of heavily armed Israeli military personnel into their facilities within the last 10 days. Other health facilities report injuries to emergency medical technicians, staff and ambulances.

The East Jerusalem Hospital Network consists of six hospitals, which are the main providers of tertiary health care services unavailable in the West Bank and Gaza. The network has played a leading role in the development of the overall Palestinian health care system and the training of health care workers and specialists.

Augusta Victoria provides life-saving healthcare to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, including specialized treatment offered at its cancer, diabetes and pediatric centers.”

Above text from the Lutheran World Federation

I wish I could say that all the advice I have received has been profound and meaningful.  But the best advice I received in the late 1980s (indeed, the only advice I can remember from that particular time period) is “hoverboards don’t go on water.”  Needless to say, I have yet to find occasion when that little nugget might be useful.  But there was a time when my hope was built on nothing less than floating over sidewalks, self-lacing sneakers wrapped ’round my feet, while dodging holograms from every sign and marquee.

Still, not everything in Back to the Future II was that far-fetched.  We have Google glass, for instance, and video conferencing, and long-deceased rock stars performing concerts as holograms.  (Thankfully, $50 Pepsi is still a ways off.)

Today, movie lovers across the country will celebrate the trilogy that gave us Doc Brown, flux capacitors and the hope for flying cars.  Much has changed since Marty McFly first climbed inside a Delorean, but much has remained the same.  Here are some quick stats to see how far we’ve come from 1985, when Back to the Future was first released, and how far we still have to go as a nation.

Poverty rate in the United States

1985 — 14%

2015 — 14.8%

Poverty threshold-family of four in the United States (adjusted to 2015 dollars)

1985 — $24,300.91

2015 — $24,250

Federal minimum wage (adjusted to 2015 dollars)

1985 – $7.41

2015 – 7.25

Median household income (adjusted to 2015 dollars):

1985 — $61,332.76

2015 – $53,657

Children’s (under age 18) poverty rate in the US:

1985 — 20.5%

2015 — 22%

Income inequality

1985 – The poorest 20% of all families received 4.8% of total income. The wealthiest 20% received 43.1% of all income.  The top 5% wealthiest Americans received 16.1% of all income

2015 – The poorest 20% of all families received 3.6% of total income last year. The wealthiest 20% received 48.9% of all income.  The top 5% wealthiest Americans received 20.8% of all income

*Inflation-adjusted dollars were calculated online through the Bureau of Labor Statistics COPI Inflation Calculator.

*Statistics for 2015 are drawn from the most up-to-date data available, which in many cases reflects 2014 numbers. 

Ryan P. Cumming is program director of hunger education for ELCA World Hunger.  He can be reached at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

“The ACT Palestine forum has issued a statement voicing deep concern “about the loss of life and human suffering we experience across Palestine and in Israel these days,” in view of recent violence in Palestine and Israel, and especially around the city of Jerusalem.

The forum strongly condemns violent acts such as “the killing of both Palestinian and Israeli civilians, use of excessive force by Israeli police and army against protesters, extra judicial killings, collective punishment in the form of severe restrictions of movement, closure of Palestinian neighborhoods and punitive home demolitions in East Jerusalem.”

It is composed of local churches and church-related development and humanitarian organizations including The Lutheran World Federation.

“We are convinced that violence cannot solve the conflict,” the statement reads. The signatories, including the LWF member church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the LWF local office in Jerusalem, call upon the international community to open negotiations “that will bring an end to the Israeli occupation” and to take measures for the protection of civilians.

It also urges faith leaders to advocate for the protection and free access to Holy Sites in Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

The forum appeals to its partners and people of faith “to help carry the vision of peace, justice, hope, and dignity for Palestine and Israel, especially at times like now, when young and old alike are weighed down by despair and discouraged by the lack of a viable peace process.”

The LWF has been serving the needs of Palestinian refugees in the Palestinian territories for more than 60 years providing vocational training, scholarships and material aid. The LWF Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem provides specialty care for Palestinians from across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with services including a cancer center, a dialysis unit, and a pediatric center. Through its chairmanship in the ACT Palestine Forum, LWF is actively involved in advocating for justice, peace and reconciliation.”

Text above from the Lutheran World Federation

Read full statement here

Seth Moland-Kovash, Palatine, IL

​

Warm-up Question

If you had the opportunity to have lunch with any living person on Earth, who would it be?

Who Do You Hang With?

In a highly-publicized visit (to understate the case) Pope Francis recently completed a visit to the United States. He met with the President, he addressed a joint session of Congress (the first Pope in history to do this), he held a gathering of families in Philadelphia, he addressed the United Nations, and he met with countless church and national leaders. He had a very tight schedule. Following his historic address to Congress, he had been invited to lunch with Congressional leaders. He turned down that invitation to eat at a Catholic Charities’ center that serves the homeless in Washington, DC instead.

There were reports that, originally, the organization had wanted to invite major donors to the luncheon to meet the Pope. This is not a bad idea. It’s something groups do a lot – thank people who have given generously over the years. Instead, a few such dignitaries were there, but most of the crowd were the homeless who eat at this center on a regular basis. And the Pope met with them, sat with them, and ate with them

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think the Pope (and those who planned his visit) chose to eat at this center rather than with national or church leaders?
• What does it say about priorities of all those involved?

Lectionary 29 / Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 53:4-12
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:35-45

(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

We all have to make choices every day about who is important. We have to choose who is worth our time and our attention. Do we talk to this friend or that friend? Do we do homework for that class or this class? Do we join this team or that club? We make choices based on our own values, based on what seems important to us and also, what seems fun to us.

James and John wanted to feel important. They wanted Jesus to say they were important. They wanted Jesus to promise they would get seats of honor at any banquet table Jesus was sitting at. Jesus, as he so often does, flipped the table on them. He flipped what it means to be important in his kingdom. It’s not about having friends in high places. It’s about serving anyone.

Discussion Questions

• Who can you serve in your life? How can you serve them?
• What kind of attitude does Jesus want his followers to have?

Activity Suggestions

Serve together with your youth group is some way that serves the homeless or those in poverty in your community. It might be a homeless shelter, a food pantry, etc. Whatever it is – serve together.

Closing Prayer

Good and gracious God, we thank you for the example that you give us in Jesus’ life and teachings. Help us to serve others first. Amen.