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February 14, 2014, Lead Me Not Into Temptation

Erik Ullestad, Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without for a month?

Lead Me Not Into Temptation

The hit television show The Biggest Loser is wrapping up its 17th season. The premise of the show is simple – a group of people compete in a contest to lose weight. Different challenges and mini-contests are introduced throughout a given season. Most often the group is secluded in a boot-camp setting, removed from the distractions and bad habits of their normal life. This season’s theme is temptation, which means contestants will spend more time off-campus than in previous seasons. They will learn to deal with temptations and indulgences of daily life, ranging from food to money to electronic devices.

shutterstock_350734811-1  Critics of the show throughout the years have expressed concern that the producers put entertainment ahead of health. Former contestants, like season three winner Kai Hibbard, did not appreciate some of the tactics employed by the show. “It was the biggest mistake of my life,” Hibbard confessed. Another former contestant, Suzanne Mendonca from season two, believes some of the style-over-substance approaches don’t help contestants in the long run. “We’re all fat again,” she lamented. The producers of Season 17 hope that bringing the gap between the Biggest Loser gym and the real world will help contestants navigate the many challenges that can be stumbling blocks to living a healthy lifestyle.

Discussion Questions

  • Have you ever watched The Biggest Loser? What do you think of the show?
  • In 2014, Gallup indicated that 27.7% of adults in the U.S. are obese. What factors do you think contribute to such a high obesity rate?
  • The people on The Biggest Loser face significant temptation to eat unhealthy amounts of food. What unhealthy habits tempt you to do things you know are unhelpful?

First Sunday of Lent

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Romans 10:8b-13

Luke 4:1-13

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

Jesus begins his ministry in a rather strange way. After he was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days. Throughout those six weeks, he was tempted by the devil. At the very end of this fast, the devil tried to take advantage of Jesus’ extreme hunger. The devil poses three tests — turn a stone into bread, worship the devil, throw himself down from the temple — as an attempt to demonstrate his power. Jesus rebukes the devil each time. So the devil goes away. And Jesus returns to Galilee.

There is a lot happening beneath the surface of this war of words between Jesus and the devil. One of the fascinating aspects of their duel is that they both quote Scripture. Jesus references Deuteronomy in Luke 4:4 and 4:8, and the devil invokes Psalm 91 in Luke 4:10-11. This is a cunning attempt on the part of the devil to bait Jesus into doing something he shouldn’t do. It seems that Luke wants us to know that there’s more to knowing Scripture than simply reciting it. The devil uses Scripture for an inward, selfish purpose, whereas Jesus realizes that Scripture compels us to a life of obedience and self-sacrifice.

This story ushers lectionary-minded Christians into the season of Lent. It is no accident that Lent is forty days long; the same number of days Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. People often observe a Lenten discipline by fasting from something (candy, soda, social media, etc.) or by starting a new habit (writing a daily thank-you card or giving money to a good cause). Sometimes people refer to this as “giving something up for Lent.” The purpose of these disciplines is not to show how holy a person is or to draw attention to oneself. The goal of a Lenten discipline is to follow Christ’s example of humility, self-denial, and reflection.

Discussion Questions

  • What’s the hungriest you’ve ever been?
  • How did the devil try to tempt Jesus?
  • Have you ever gotten into a Scripture-quoting argument with someone? How did it end up?
  • What do you think is the purpose of a Lenten discipline?

Activity Suggestions

Develop a Lenten discipline for your group. Solicit input from everyone to come up with something that will be attainable and meaningful for everyone. Perhaps you’ll all decide to read from the Bible every day. (There are lots of good Lenten reading plans online.) or encourage daily prayer. The group may want to commit to giving time or money to a local organization that fights hunger. Whatever you decide, encourage everyone in the group to participate earnestly and honestly. Having this kind of accountability can add a sense of camaraderie among your group and may help breathe new life into the season of Lent.

You know about Advent calendars, right? How about making a Lenten calendar. The season of Lent is the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, not counting Sundays. Individuals can make their own Lenten calendar by using two pieces of cardstock, an exacto-knife, and a glue stick. This simple craft will help people observe a ritual of daily walking through the journey of Lent. It might help them with a Lenten discipline as well.

Closing Prayer

Holy God, we give you thanks for the witness of your son, Jesus. Help us to fix our eyes on him as we journey to the cross. Turn our thoughts from selfish desires toward your will for our lives. Help us to love others as you have loved us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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40 Days of Giving Together

Lent is around the corner, and I am considering how to spend my forty days. There is a tradition of giving up something during Lent and marking the time by abstaining from indulgences, like sweets or meat. Then there is another newer tradition of taking on a new discipline like journaling or an attitude change to mark the six weeks. The questions remains: how do we mark the penitent time of Jesus venturing to the cross? Do I give up my favorite treat? Do I take to heart, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”?

ELCA World Hunger invites congregations to participate in “40 Days of Giving” and spend this penitent season with a focus on generosity. When your congregation registers to participate they can choose to get a daily devotion sent to their email created by thought-leaders throughout the church. There are also six weekly sessions that accompany the devotions that dive deeper into the themes of Lent that are perfect for adult study.

Bethany Lutheran Church in Colorado has taken a familial approach to Lent with an intergenerational devotional. This congregation places hunger relief at the top of their outreach ministry, so when they were asked to participate in the ELCA World Hunger “40 Days of Giving” challenge they answered with a resounding YES! Alongside the resources offered by ELCA World Hunger Bethany created a supplemental household devotion that brings families together to read scripture and discuss reflection questions throughout the six weeks of Lent.

The devotional walks the participants through Lent with reflection questions, Bible verses, prayers, blessings, and service opportunities. There are four aspects to this devotional and each provide a different emphasis: “Faith + Connect” is about connecting the scripture to daily life, “Faith + Serve” provides an opportunity of service, “Faith + Pray” presents a prayer for the week, and “Faith + Bless” offers a blessing for the week. Each aspect of the devotional is grounded in the scripture that guides the congregation through Jesus’ journey to the cross. The “Faith + Connect” section lifts up a couple of the readings from the previous Sunday to focus their attention on a few verses each day. The structure is easy to follow with reflection questions and small activities each week.

In the first week, the household is given a central theme for the six weeks of Lent: generosity. The participants are asked to consider generosity in terms of their relationships with others and with God. “Where did you experience generosity today? How did you offer generosity today? Where did you see God’s generosity?” We do not usually think about generosity during a season of restraint, but it provides the opportunity to consider Lent in a new light. Bethany has embraced the idea behind ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving by asking the question: what does it mean to be generous?

This central idea of generosity is the undercurrent of this devotional, but the foundation is centered on faith. Connecting faith to our reality is the daily reflection and Bible passage, but faith also grounds the weekly service in “Faith + Serve”. Faith is undoubtedly the basis for the weekly blessing and prayer in “Faith + Bless” and “Faith + Pray”. Yet placing the word “faith” before each of these components is a constant reminder that faith encompasses all of these aspects. Each person has a different faith journey and awakens their faith through different practices.

Bethany is providing a way to explore faith intentionally with our households throughout a season that can become very individualistic. We find what we each want to give up and go through Lent relying on God and willpower. Yet many churches like Bethany are finding ways to create community during this somber time alongside ELCA World Hunger.

The “40 Days of Giving” challenge provides the opportunity to participate in a community effort to end hunger. We know that 1 in 9 people go to bed hungry, and that it seems as though hunger is an insurmountable evil to overcome, but the resurrection teaches us that nothing, not even death, gets the final word. Lent provides us time to consider Christ’s journey to the cross and meditate upon on our mortality as we begin this season with ashes on our forehead. Yet we continue to see the resurrection and the shining light of resurrection throughout this season, so we know that hunger, despair, and even death, do not have the final word.

If you would like to participate in ELCA World Hunger’s “40 Days of Giving” challenge visit elca.org/40days to sign up. Due to popularity the flip calendar devotional are no longer available, we encourage you to sign up for the daily e-version of the devotional and downloadable version is available upon request by emailing ELCA World Hunger at hunger@elca.org. If you would like the Bethany Lutheran Church’s household devotional, follow this link to download a copy.

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Reconciliarse con la felicidad – por Elizabeth Eaton

Es una cuestión cultural, para nada la alegría de encontrarse en el Cristo crucificado.

En su libro Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World (Sonríe o muere: sobre cómo el pensamiento positivo engañó a América y el mundo) Barbara Ehrenreich escribió sobre la incansable presión que enfrentaba para ser optimista mientras se sometía a un tratamiento contra el cáncer. Cualquier interrupción de la actitud positiva proporcionaría ayuda y consuelo a las células cancerígenas que atacaban su cuerpo y ella sería, de alguna manera, responsable del fracaso de su tratamiento. ¡El pensamiento positivo conduce a resultados positivos que, inexorablemente, llevan a la felicidad!

La búsqueda de la felicidad se ha vuelto obsesión en la cultura estadounidense. La incomodidad, la intranquilidad y la enfermedad deben evitarse si es posible y debe lidiarse con ellas de manera firme con la ayuda del analgésico apropiado —ya sea médico, emocional, social o religioso— si es necesario. No se debe tolerar la tensión en las relaciones o dentro de uno mismo. El alivio se convierte en el bien mayor.

Nos hemos convertido en una sociedad que no soporta el dolor, anestesiada. Creemos que todo es justo y tal como es. O, al menos, creemos que todos los demás llevan una vida modelada en una familia perfecta, y encuentran la felicidad y la plenitud en una vida profesional increíble mientras hacen trabajo voluntario merecedor del premio Nobel de la Paz, investigaciones aptas para una disertación en su afición por estudiar la historia rural de la Francia del siglo 19 y trabajan en un huerto orgánico sustentable en su tiempo libre. Todo ello sin esfuerzo. Y si no estamos viviendo esa visión de la buena vida, entonces necesitamos ponernos las pilas.

En este sentido, la felicidad, tal como se define en nuestra cultura, está sobrevalorada.

Hay momentos en nuestras vidas en los que debemos pasar por el dolor. Hay momentos en los que la tensión no se debe solucionar con demasiada rapidez. Hay momentos en los que debemos de pasar por dificultades. No estoy defendiendo la dureza de “cuando tenía tu edad caminábamos cuesta arriba para ir y volver de la escuela entre la nieve mientras masticábamos pintura y nos envolvíamos en asbestos”. Al contrario, lo que externo es la posibilidad de que esa “felicidad” que evita toda incomodidad es una ilusión desesperada y estéril. Amortigua la vida y puede convertirse en una especie de cautividad, una búsqueda agotadora de un alivio que, significativamente, lleva a una vida en la que nos consumimos. Acabamos siendo desesperadamente felices.

La vida en Cristo ofrece una alternativa. El gozo. Ésta es una participación activa, viva, en el amor misericordioso de Dios, demostrado en la muerte y resurrección de Cristo. La crucifixión no fue un evento carente de dolor. La Pasión fue el intento deliberado de Jesús de desligarse de cualquier cosa que mitigara o suavizara la agonía del pecado y la muerte que atacan a la vida y el amor.

“La actitud de ustedes debe ser como la de Cristo Jesús, quien, siendo por naturaleza Dios, no consideró el ser igual a Dios como algo a qué aferrarse. Por el contrario, se rebajó voluntariamente, tomando la naturaleza de siervo y haciéndose semejante a los seres humanos. Y al manifestarse como hombre, se humilló a sí mismo y se hizo obediente hasta la muerte, ¡y muerte de cruz!” (Filipenses 2:5-8).

Este acto supremo de presencia y vulnerabilidad radicales por parte de un Dios apasionado nos da vida, esperanza y un futuro, incluso y especialmente, frente a todas las cosas feas y mortales que la vida nos lanza a la cara. Esto se opone diametralmente a una “felicidad” que nos encierra en una comodidad vacía. Éste es el verdadero gozo.

Resulta extraño y difícil que la cruz sea un símbolo de alegría. Podría resultar aún más extraño y difícil creer y confiar en que una vida conformada al sufrimiento, servicio y muerte de Jesús sea, de hecho, la buena vida. El mundo ofrece “felicidad”; Cristo da gozo. El mundo quiere lo “fácil”; nuestra vida en Cristo da simplicidad. El mundo promueve una vida anestesiada; la vida cruciforme hace posible que estemos completamente presentes. El mundo pregona el pensamiento positivo; nosotros estamos invitados a ser del mismo pensamiento que encontramos en Cristo.

Y por lo tanto, querida iglesia, ¿qué forma podría adoptar este gozo? Unidos en el bautismo hasta la muerte y resurrección de Cristo, podemos estar plenamente conscientes del sufrimiento —el nuestro y el de los demás— y no alejarnos. Al reconocer el dolor, nos vemos impulsados a llevar la sanación. Vivir en la tensión entre la misericordiosa voluntad de Dios y la desolación causada por el pecado humano para el que la cruz aporta un mayor alivio, podemos señalar la victoria de Dios al final, aunque tengamos dificultad para darnos cuenta en nuestras comunidades.

Jesús no murió para hacernos felices. Jesús murió para que su alegría pueda encontrarse en nosotros y que esa alegría sea completa.

Mensaje mensual de la obispa presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América. Esta columna apareció por primera vez en la edición de noviembre de 2015 de la revista en inglés The Lutheran. Reimpreso con permiso.

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¿Qué es ser “luterano”? – por Elizabeth Eaton

Tenemos una forma particular de entender la historia de Jesús.

Durante los dos últimos años, he organizado mi trabajo alrededor de estos cuatro énfasis: somos iglesia, somos luteranos y luteranas, somos una iglesia unida y somos iglesia para bien del mundo.

Deseo dedicar un poco de tiempo a pensar con ustedes lo que significa ser luteranos en el siglo 21. ¿Qué queremos decir cuando afirmamos que somos luteranos?

Un buen lugar para comenzar quizás sea preguntar por qué es importante y útil tener una identidad luterana. Algunos dirán que las denominaciones y la lealtad a las mismas son cosas del pasado. Tienen algo de razón, especialmente si nuestra denominación se define por la etnia y la cultura, y si nuestra lealtad se dirige principalmente a la denominación y no a nuestro Señor.

Hubo una campaña durante el movimiento por expandir la iglesia en la década de 1980 para deshacerse de cualquier señal que identificara a la denominación. Se suponía que la iglesia luterana St. Paul, en su imperturbable abandono, pasaría a llamarse algo así como “The Church at Pheasant Run” (la iglesia en la senda del faisán) ¡Qué evocador! ¡Qué maravilloso! Un simple cambio de nombre mataría dos pájaros de un solo tiro: dejar de espantar a los que se oponían a las denominaciones y atraer montones de gente. No lo hizo.

En un intento por ser más atractiva, se volvió genérica. Tener una idea clara de quiénes somos y en qué creemos no es un lastre, es un activo. Si estamos bien definidos y bien diferenciados, tenemos una mayor capacidad para participar en el diálogo ecuménico e interreligioso y podemos ser una voz clara en la plaza pública.

Pero, ¿qué es ser “luterano”? Nos reímos con la cariñosa caricatura que hace el autor Garrison Keillor de los luteranos. Sí, nos describe a muchos de nosotros, pero no a todos. Nunca repudiaría la herencia occidental y del norte de Europa de miles de los nuestros. Forma parte de nuestra historia. Pero también tenemos a miles de hermanos y hermanas de origen africano, asiático, latino, nativo americano y árabe y de Medio Oriente, algunos de los cuales llevan generaciones enteras siendo luteranos.

Y la iglesia luterana está experimentando su mayor crecimiento en el “sur global” (África, América Central y Latinoamérica y la mayor parte de Asia). Hay más luteranos en Indonesia que en la ELCA. Hay más luteranos en Etiopía y Tanzania que en los EE.UU. Hay más luteranos en El Salvador, en Japón, en India, en México, en Palestina, en Jordania, en China y en Irlanda. La iglesia luterana más reciente se está formando en el país más joven del mundo. Estamos trabajando con pastores luteranos sudaneses para establecer una iglesia luterana en Sudán del Sur. Las gelatinas en polvo Jell-O no suelen aparecer en las comidas de traje de estos luteranos. El factor fundamental de ser luterano no es la etnia.

Si la cultura y la cocina no nos definen, entonces debe hacerlo nuestra teología. Los luteranos tienen una forma muy particular de entender la historia de Jesús. No es un movimiento que transita de la libertad desenfrenada a la sumisión. Es, más bien, la historia de cómo Dios nos redime del pecado, la muerte y el diablo, liberándonos de las cadenas que nos atan al pecado de manera que, liberados y vivos, podamos servir a Dios al servir a nuestro prójimo. Y no es cuestión de nuestro esfuerzo, bondad o ardua labor. Es la bondadosa voluntad de Dios para ser misericordioso.

Pruébenlo en casa: pregunten a sus familiares o amigos qué deben hacer para tener una buena relación con Dios. Después del asombro ante esta pregunta, adivino que hablarán de guardar los mandamientos, ser una mejor persona, leer más la Biblia. No. El amor de Dios en acción en el Cristo crucificado crea una buena relación. Nuestra parte es recibir este don con fe.

Esto es una inversión sorprendente de la forma en que siempre ha funcionado todo. No tenemos una relación transaccional con Dios: si hacemos esto, entonces Dios hará esto otro. Es una relación de transformación. Nosotros, que estábamos muertos en el pecado, hemos sido renovados. Somos libres de responder a ese amor profundamente vinculante. Lo que comemos, los himnos que cantamos, los chistes que contamos, nuestros países de procedencia, el color de nuestra piel, las prendas que vestimos, nada de eso nos une o nos hace luteranos. Es la gracia de Dios. Y eso es una buena nueva en cualquier idioma.

Mensaje mensual de la obispa presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América. Esta columna apareció por primera vez en la edición de octubre de 2015 de la revista en inglés The Lutheran. Reimpreso con permiso.

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Si Dios es suficiente – por Elizabeth Eaton

Podemos liberarnos del apego a nuestros planes, voluntades y éxitos.

De vez en cuando me invitan a celebrar el aniversario de alguna congregación. Es maravilloso ver a la iglesia en acción y conocer a miembros de diferentes partes del país.

También es interesante ver la variedad de tamaños y estilos arquitectónicos de nuestros templos. Mirar las edificaciones que se agregan a las iglesias es como estudiar los anillos de crecimiento en los árboles: se pueden apreciar los periodos de crecimiento rápido y de contracción. Por lo general, la primera unidad se construyó hace uno o dos siglos, la ampliación del santuario se levantó cuando el original se quedó chico y el ala dedicado a la educación se añadió a fines de las décadas de 1950 ó 1960. He visto docenas de iglesias así y recuerdo que mi última parroquia mostraba un patrón de crecimiento similar.

Con mucha frecuencia, sin embargo, la membresía de estas congregaciones se ha reducido. Un santuario construido para acoger a 400 personas, ahora sólo recibe a 50 los domingos. Las salas dedicadas a escuela dominical y gimnasio, en las que en otro tiempo resonaban las voces de los niños, ahora se encuentran vacías o, en congregaciones más emprendedoras, han sido rentadas a grupos comunitarios y organizaciones de servicio social.

En estas congregaciones, la celebración del aniversario tiene un gusto agridulce: durante un glorioso domingo, el santuario se llena de miembros actuales y exmiembros acompañados de sus hijos y nietos; se comparten historias de la época dorada de la congregación; hay energía y entusiasmo, y luego todo el mundo se marcha a casa. Al siguiente domingo, las 50 almas afables que quedan se reunirán en un santuario cuya soledad es ahora aún más obvia.

Se oye el sonido de un lamento en muchas partes de nuestra iglesia. Las poblaciones han cambiado y las personas se han alejado. Han cambiado las actitudes sobre la religión y la iglesia tiene un estatus menor en nuestra cultura. Eso nos llena de ansiedad y, en algunos casos, de desesperación. ¿Cómo podemos detener la decadencia? ¿Dónde está la siguiente generación? ¿Qué sucedió? ¿Qué significa todo esto?

Tengo una teoría. Estamos experimentando el juicio de Dios. No como si fuera una plaga de langostas acompañada de un fuego infernal, sino como una llamada tenaz, imponente y amorosa que nos lanza Dios a todos nosotros. La iglesia no nos pertenece. La iglesia no es un vehículo para nuestra conveniencia, estatus, éxito o consuelo. La iglesia es el cuerpo vivo de Cristo, al que le ha insuflado vida el Espíritu y que está llamado a una profunda comunión con Dios. Todo lo demás es, en el mejor de los casos, complementario y, en el peor, una distracción.

Dios podría estar llamando al pueblo de Dios a examinar qué es lo que merece nuestra atención. ¿De dónde se extrae nuestra energía?

Si la respuesta a nuestras preguntas desesperadas es cualquier otra cosa que no sea el amor íntimo y completo de Dios como se demuestra en Cristo crucificado y resucitado, entonces es que nos estamos apartando de la fuente de nuestra vida como pueblo y como iglesia.

Había un artículo provocador en la edición de diciembre de 2012 de la revista Christian Century sobre la “noche oscura de la iglesia”. Los autores del artículo sugerían que lo que yo estoy llamando un tiempo de juicio es, en realidad, la acción de Dios que nos libera del apego a nuestros planes, nuestra voluntad, nuestro éxito.

Los autores preguntaban: “¿Que está volviendo a aprender la iglesia sobre sí misma en su noche oscura? La iglesia está volviendo a aprender que su esencia no se encuentra en sus programas y logros, ni en sus actividades y las alabanzas que recibe, sino en la verdad de que ‘de toda la tierra, es ella la que tiene unión con el Dios Trino’ y que Dios es suficiente. Alcanzar este conocimiento significa desconectarse de la glamorosa cultura americana orientada a los resultados, con su producción, medición y crecimiento sin límites”.

Así que, amada iglesia, ¿es Dios suficiente? Si no lo es, entonces estamos condenados a seguir una travesía interminable, agotadora y vacía en busca del significado, la importancia y el propósito. Si Dios es suficiente, entonces tenemos todo lo que necesitamos. Si Dios es suficiente, somos libres para regresar el amor recibido y entregar nuestras vidas en aras del Evangelio y en servicio al prójimo. Si Dios es suficiente, podemos abrir nuestras manos y nuestras vidas. Si Dios es suficiente, entonces podemos soltar las riendas de la iglesia sabiendo que es la iglesia de Cristo, que no es nuestra.

Y si es la voluntad de Dios que haya un testimonio del Evangelio por parte de la ELCA, no existe fuerza sobre la Tierra, ni siquiera la nuestra, que lo pueda impedir.

Mensaje mensual de la obispa presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América. Esta columna apareció por primera vez en la edición de septiembre de 2015 de la revista en inglés The Lutheran. Reimpreso con permiso.

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February Advocacy Update

 

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

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Washington, D.C. – Amy Reumann, Director of Advocacy

www.elca.org/advocacy

2016 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES: Now that lawmakers have planned their legislative agenda for 2016, ELCA Advocacy is excited to share our policy priorities for this fast-paced election yeLOGUMar. We continue to strive for public policies that embody the biblical values of peacemaking, hospitality to our neighbors, care for creation, and concern for our brothers and sisters facing poverty and struggling with hunger and disease. In this election year, Members of Congress will want to pass legislation quickly and early to return to their districts in the summer to campaign with tangible policy results. Check out an overview our 2016 Advocacy priorities.

#ELCAvotes: We are called to conversation and prayer around our role as U.S. residents and as people of faith in ensuring our election systems promote dignity and respect for all. We are called to act by speaking out as advocates and engaging in local efforts to guarantee the right to vote to all citizens.

ELCA Votes is an initiative created in collaboration with ELCA Racial Justice Ministry, ELCA Young Adult Ministry, Lutheran Advocacy offices, and synods throughout the country. This is an initiative to:

  • Expand the role of the church in encouraging faithful and non-partisan voter participation;
  • Provide a framework for all Lutherans to understand and speak out about the intersection between voting and elections, and racial and economic justice;
  • Provide young adults the tools to understand and speak about what it means to be a young person of faith who is civically engaged; and
  • Engage with and equip ethnic specific communities to talk about voting rights and race, and their connection with elections today.

Sign up to join this effort! Find out how you can get involved and share what you are already doing locally!

DHS RAIDS: In January, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began operations to track and deport Central American families that arrived in the U.S. after Jan. 1, 2014. As a church with faith partners that work directly with deported children and families in El Salvador and Honduras, we know that deportation does not deter children and families from leaving their communities. We join Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) in our concern for ensuring access to justice in the U.S. for these families who must navigate a complex legal system, often without necessary support. Read more on the ELCA Advocacy Blog.

JUSTICE FOR FLINT, MICH.: Many residents in Flint, Michigan are unable to access safe water to drink, do their laundry, wash their dishes, or bathe. Lutheran congregations, volunteers, and local leaders are now working in Flint to help provide clean water for those in need. As ELCA World Hunger prepares to fund relief efforts, federal funding is critical to replace Flint’s toxic water pipes. Urge members of Congress to provide this funding through clicking here and find out more about Lutheran engagement at the Southeast Michigan Synod page.

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New York, NY – Dennis Frado​, Lutheran Office for World Community

lowc1IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL PATENT ARRANGEMENTS: In July 2012 the Global Commission on HIV and the Law published the report “Risks, Rights and Health,” which outlines, among many issues, the gap in medical treatment as a result of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements. Evaluating the effects of the increased power of pharmaceutical patent holders, this report notes that by the end of 2010, 77 percent of medically eligible children in low- and middle-income countries were not receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV and AIDS.

On Thursday, Jan. 14, Christine Mangale and Nicholas Jaech of the Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) participated in an international webinar regarding the timeline and goals of the High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, a group appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in November 2015. Within the realm of health technologies, this panel is addressing the current policy incoherence among the rights of inventors, trade laws, public health and human rights law. There is also an Expert Advisory Group, comprised of U.N. agencies and organizations, the public and private sector, and civil society. In March 2016, two global dialogues will be hosted (London, March 9-10; Johannesburg March 16-17) to provide key stakeholders the opportunity to provide their thoughts, ideas and inputs to the panel. There will be an official report to the U.N. secretary-general on global access to medicines, estimated by June so it is available for meeting on HIV and AIDS later that month.

THE HUMAN RIGHTS UP-FRONT INITATIVE: On Wednesday, Jan. 27, LOWC attended a briefing by the U.N. deputy secretary-general on the Human Rights Up Front Initiative. Launched in 2013, the initiative hopes to guarantee early and effective action on behalf of the U.N. system to prevent or respond to “large-scale violations of human rights or international humanitarian law.” The deputy secretary-general called for a “cultural change” of the United Nations to make sure that the staff understand effective prevention tactics – as well as an “operational change” – shared information between development, humanitarian and human rights agencies and organizations. The deputy secretary-general also called for further engagement with member states, encouraging them to adopt aspects of the initiative into their own national and foreign policies. While most member states that spoke during the briefing outlined their support for the initiative, some members had reservations about what they described as an encroachment of U.N. initiatives into national policies, especially concerning human rights.

lowc2FOLLOW-UP AND REVIEW OF SUSTAINBLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: On Thursday, Jan. 21, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a report on the global follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Most importantly, this report highlights ways to “fully use the potential” of the next meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, scheduled for July 11-20. This report suggests four parts to the forum: a review of the progress in achieving the SDG, including voluntary national reviews by member states; a specific review of Goal 17, as well as other global partnership agreements, thematic reviews and emerging issues. The report also outlines two potential frameworks for SDG evaluation at all forums on sustainable development convened over the next 15 years. The first is a comprehensive review of all 17 goals to be completed within one year. The second option allows for a comprehensive review but also an in-depth review of each goal, covering all 17 goals within a four-year timespan. According to both options, however, Goal 17 will be evaluated each year.

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California – Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

www.loppca.org

CARE FOR CREATION: LOPP-CA co-sponsored the Green California Summit briefing and reception, the latter attended by a bipartisan list of 18 legislators. The briefing included remarks from diverse legislators from disadvantaged communities, and there was a focus on the plastic bag ban referendum that has qualified for the November ballot. Grounded in the ELCA social statement on “Caring for Creation,”  LOPP-CA is part of the effort to retain the ban and a uniform state policy, facing what may be as much as a $50 million campaign to nip this trend in the bud.

ca2SENTENCING REFORM: Gov. Jerry Brown released his criminal justice sentencing reform initiative campaign for the November ballot, which was in the works for months. LOPP-CA has been part of a parallel legislative strategy development with an interfaith group convened by the California Catholic Conference, following Brown’s meeting with Catholic bishops a year ago. “Hearing the Cries,” the ELCA social statement on criminal justice, gives impetus to work to change costly policies that can cause further harm and reinforce institutional racism, rather than serve public safety and heal the wounds of criminal acts.

RACIAL JUSTICE: LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson was among a small group of Lutherans scattered among the 25,000 who participated in the annual MLK Walk in Sacramento. While Mark was chatting with a Sacramento Bee reporter, Pastor Todd Wallace of Good Shepherd, Sacramento, came up to greet Mark. Mark introduced the reporter to Todd and encouraged Todd to walk with them, and he was quoted in the next day’s paper on the remarkable interracial community-building among local pastors and congregations.

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Colorado – Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado

www.lam-co.org

 

co1

OPENING DAY: The first day of the 2016 legislative session was  Jan.  13. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado Director Peter Severson was on hand for the opening ceremonies and has been active in monitoring bills introduced in the first few weeks. Most of the major anti-poverty initiatives are expected to be introduced in February.

After hosting Rep. Faith Winter at the Office of the Bishop, an invitation was extended to have a representative of the Rocky Mountain Synod give the opening invocation one morning. Pastor Ron Roschke, assistant to the bishop, took the podium at the Colorado House of Representatives on Friday, Jan. 22, to offer a prayer of thanks for public servants. He also asked the assembly to remember God’s concern for the poor, hungry, sick and imprisoned. Peter Severson and ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal Director Dan Rift, from the ELCA churchwide office, were on hand as well.

CONGREGATIONAL VISITS: Lutheran Advocacy has been on the road in January, visiting congregations from Denver to Vail/Beaver Creek to Delta, as well as Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at the University of Northern Colorado.

FAITH ADVOCACY DAY: Colorado Faith Advocacy Day 2016, hosted by LAM-CO, will be Saturday, Feb. 20. The theme is “Income Inequality: Who Gets Left Behind?” All are invited to join! Register at www.rmselca.org/advocacy.

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Minnesota – Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy Minnesota

tammy@lcppm.org

BILLS INTRODUCED: Although the legislative session starts March 8, more than 230 bills have already been filed in the House. Several Minnesota Senate committees have also been meeting for several weeks.

ENERGY BILLS: Of the current House bills, four impact energy policy. Three were introduced by Rep. Pat Garafalo, Farmington, chair of the Job Growth and Energy Committee. This is the committee that tried last year to roll back previous clean-energy gains. We are still evaluating the bills with our partners.

TAX ISSUES: A rumored deal would allow proposals for significant tax policy changes. Thus far, 17 of the House bills are tax related. They include small tweaks, exemptions for special interests, and radical change including repeal of state/local property taxes. While taxes are not a primary issue for LA-MN, we could weigh in on equity concerns impacting low-income people.

LENTEN REFLECTION HANDBOOK: (from Minnesota FoodShare): See www.gmcc.org/file/lenten.pdf. The first reflection for Ash Wednesday, based on Isaiah 58:1-12, was written by LA-MN Director Tammy Walhof.

EVENTS: Feb. 11 – Exposing the Debt Trap: Ending Predatory Lending; Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2730 E 31st St, Minneapolis, 3:30-8 p.m.; light supper included. Planned by JRLC, LA-MN, Holy Trinity, & ISAIAH for Minnesotans for Fair Lending. Feb. 18, 23, 25 – Regional Days on the Hill; with JRLC; LA-MN is a cosponsor; See details; (Additional events in March)

Interested in being part of our Rapid Action Network? Send your contact information to LA-MN Director Tammy Walhof at tammy@lcppm.org or 651-238-6506.

Facebook  Twitter: @LuthAdvocacyMN

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New Mexico – Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran advocacy Ministry New Mexico

www.lutheranadvocacynm.org

STATE LEGISLATURE: The 2016 session of the Legislature is underway just as the latest Kids Count study reveals that our state now has the worst rate of child poverty in the nation at 30 percent. New Mexico also has the highest unemployment rate at 6.7 percent. To add to the situation, the state revenue projections are dire as the price of oil drops almost daily bringing the certain specter of budget cutting to balance the state budget. Adding to the background of the session is the fact that all 112 legislative seats are up for election this year. The LAM-NM 2016 Advocacy Agenda continues to focus our work on issues affecting people living in poverty and experiencing hunger.

SERVICE PROGRAMS: LAM-NM supports full-funding for Medicaid expansion. Over 250,000 low-income New Mexicans have been added to the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act and about 40 percent of New Mexicans are now enrolled in Medicaid, which reflects the pervasive poverty throughout the state. We are also working for a modest increase in the state-funded SNAP supplement program for seniors and people with disabilities. However, the revenue projections require joining with other advocates to try to avoid budget cuts to existing human services and other programs.

STATE BAIL: A constitutional amendment to reform the state bail system has passed its first committee hearing and moves on despite the opposition of the bail bond industry. Of particular concern to LAM-NM is changing the constitution so that non-dangerous defendants cannot be detained pre-trial solely because they lack the financial resources to post a cash or surety bond.

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Ohio – Nick Bates, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good

nick@oneohionow.org

Ohio’s Legislature has returned from their holiday break with a full calendar in front of them. The Legislature will work on a capital budget over the next few months to allocate resources for building projects. They are also looking at Ohio’s unemployment compensation system. HB 394 will cut benefits to those unemployed and limit many low-wage workers from qualifying for assistance between jobs. The issue of Ohio’s unemployment compensation system has to come to the Legislature’s attention, because we continue to owe the federal government for money borrowed during the Great Recession. HB 394 will hurt families struggling to get by and leave the system short on revenue. The Ohio Legislature should strengthen assistance for individuals and families who are in between jobs.

For more information about HB 394 or other legislation before the Legislature, contact Nick Bates, diaconal minister in the Southern Ohio Synod at Batesyep@gmail.com. 

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Pennsylvania – Tracey DePasquale, Interim-Director

www.lutheranadvocacypa.org

As Pennsylvania heads into its eighth month without a budget, LAMPa has been working with coalition partners around hunger, human services and education to develop recommendations for the upcoming budget year ahead of Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget address on Feb. 9.

Interim Director Tracey DePasquale attended Trinity Institute 2016, “Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations on Racial Justice” at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. She also attended a meeting of the Trauma Informed Education Coalition in Coatesville.

LAMPa is working with ecumenical partners to provide “Ashes to Go” at the Capitol in Harrisburg on Ash Wednesday as well as to put together a Glocal event and interfaith blessing of the waters the day before our annual day of advocacy on April 18. We are also engaged with the Lower Susquehanna Synod in planning for the Synod Assembly on the theme “Hungry for Justice and Mercy.”

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Virginia – Kim Bobo, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

Neill Caldwell, Communications Director

http://www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/ 

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy held its “Day for All People” on Jan. 20, with about 250 participants who heard speakers on various issues and then attended the General Assembly to meet with their legislators. Legendary preacher Dr. James Forbes was the keynote speaker, talking about America’s ongoing racial divide. Organizers were excited by the attendance of several student groups, including a group of Muslim students from a school in Richmond.

Because the Legislature is in session, Virginia Consumer Voices for Healthcare, part of the Interfaith Center, is busy attending hearings and advocating to “close the coverage gap.” Virginia is one of 18 states that have not accepted federal Medicaid funding.

Finally, the center will have a new executive director starting Feb. 9. Kim Bobo from Chicago, a nationally known advocate for social justice and interfaith cooperation, who wrote a book on faith-based organizing, has accepted the position.

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Wisconsin – Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin

www.loppw.org

wi2HISTORY AND ADVOCACY TODAY: LOPPW Advisory Council Member Venice Williams is the main organizer of an annual celebration of the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Body & Soul Healing Arts Center in Milwaukee, where she is the executive director. 2016’s theme was “Coming out of the Shadows of Global Slavery and Human Trafficking. LOPPW’s director led a workshop at the event. To a crowd of about 200 people Venice said, “If the Reverend Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today global trafficking and sex trafficking would be at the top of his list.”

MORE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING: LOPPW/Cherish All Children’s team has set dates for conferences: June 25 in Wisconsin Rapids, at the edge of East Central, bordering La Crosse Area and South-Central; July 9 in Superior in Northwest; and Sept. 14 in Madison in South-Central for a statewide conference and rally.

The LOPPW director testified on two anti-trafficking bills.

wi1FEDERAL: Advisory Council Member Eric Larson has made the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act known in the Northern Great Lakes Synod. Most recently, Zion Lutheran Church in Marinette is making the legislation and their response to it using Washington, D.C.’s, post cards and the handout, Combatting Childhood Hunger, part of their emphasis during their hunger and poverty education and action.

SYNOD EVENT: LOPPW’s director gave a brief presentation on LOPPW and highlighted 2016’s focus on ELCA World Hunger at Lead and Learn in Milwaukee; she was also part of a panel on social justice.

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 What advocacy efforts are going on in your synod or state? We want to hear about it!

Contact us at washingtonoffice@elca.org ​​

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Sin glamour, pero fundamental – por Elizabeth Eaton

Nuestra relación con el dinero es una cuestión profundamente espiritual.

Una iglesia en el Sínodo del Noreste de Ohio se describe a sí misma como una congregación del “50/50”. Dona la mitad de las ofrendas recibidas. Una parte importante se destina al apoyo a la misión, pero la congregación también apoya ministerios y proyectos locales. Visité la congregación el día en que se iban a aportar ofrendas para un programa especial. Uno a uno, los congregantes con gesto serio se acercaban a colocar sus ofrendas en una cesta ante el altar.

En la parte de atrás de la congregación, me llamó la atención una niña, puede que de 5 años, sentada en el regazo de su padre. Forcejeaba y se retorcía hasta que el adulto le dio su ofrenda y la soltó. Recorrió el pasillo como un tornado, la cabeza en alto y una mirada como si hubiera ganado la lotería. Cuando regresaba a su asiento, señalé la alegría de dar representada en esta pequeña niña. Alguien de la congregación comentó: “No es su dinero”. Esperé un minuto y luego dije: “No, es el dinero de su padre”.

Tenemos una relación conflictiva con el dinero. Por una parte, aseguramos que no nos puede comprar amor o felicidad, pero por la otra medimos nuestro valor y seguridad según su escala. No nos gusta hablar de dinero en la iglesia. Hace años que hablamos de sexualidad humana en esta iglesia, pero no hablamos del dinero. Es totalmente inaceptable.

Recuerdo una entrevista con un comité de vocaciones donde pedí ver los informes del tesorero. Me dijeron: “Oh no, pastora, usted preocúpese de las cuestiones espirituales y nosotros nos preocupamos de las finanzas”. Pero nuestra relación con el dinero es una cuestión profundamente espiritual. Nuestra peculiar relación con el dinero puede mantenernos en una especie de esclavitud. Jesús lo sabía cuando se encontró con un rico que aseguraba haber respetado los mandamientos desde su juventud, pero que seguía sintiendo que le faltaba algo. Cuando Jesús le dijo que vendiera todo lo que tenía, que lo diera a los pobres y le siguiera, “el hombre se desanimó y se fue triste porque tenía muchas riquezas” (Marcos 10:17-22). Tenía muchas posesiones. Era esclavo de sus posesiones.

Dar es una disciplina espiritual. Es la forma que tenemos de aprender a vivir por la fe. Es una forma de participar de la generosidad y abundancia de Dios. Es una forma de ir más allá de nosotros mismos. Es también una forma de conectarnos los unos a los otros. En respuesta a la gracia y amor pródigo de Dios, expresado en la crucifixión y resurrección de Jesús, nuestros donativos son un acto comunal. Dar es tan espiritual como la adoración. Forma parte de nuestra vida unidos. No estoy hablando de los donativos de ostentación y publicidad de uno mismo contra los que advierte Jesús en Mateo 6:2-4, sino de la ofrenda intencional y, en su caso, extravagante de la viuda en el templo (Marcos 12:41-44). El suyo fue un acto público de fe y participación en la vida corporativa de la comunidad.

¿Con qué frecuencia habla su congregación del dinero? ¿En la campaña anual de mayordomía en el otoño? ¿En los foros de adultos? ¿Alguna vez? ¿Cuenta su congregación con educación para la mayordomía y con un programa anual de mayordomía? Sus obispos, el personal de su sínodo y los directores de misión evangélica están listos y dispuestos para trabajar con ustedes. Háblenles por teléfono.

Recientemente, el obispo James Hazelwood del Sínodo de Nueva Inglaterra encuestó a los miembros laicos y ordenados sobre el apoyo a la misión. Descubrió que aproximadamente el 10 por ciento sabía qué era el apoyo a la misión. Es el apoyo financiero que las congregaciones envían a los sínodos para posibilitar y promover la obra de la más amplia iglesia. Un porcentaje se envía a la organización nacional para apoyar la obra de la ELCA en nuestro país y en todo el mundo. Algunos sínodos envían hasta el 55 por ciento del apoyo a la misión recibido. Todos nuestros sínodos son generosos en sus donativos, incluso hasta el punto del sacrificio. Esta es una obra que realizamos juntos: ningún sínodo o congregación individual podría hacerlo solo. Y los sínodos también apoyan ministerios en sus territorios: seminarios, campamentos, universidades, organizaciones de ministerio social, nuevas congregaciones y mucho más.

Han cambiado los patrones para dar. Entiendo que las personas quieran dar a proyectos específicos o a causas locales. Eso está muy bien. Sigan haciéndolo. De hecho, revisen Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA (Siempre siendo renovados: la campaña de la ELCA). Pueden designar para dar a ministerios vitales que lleven en el corazón. Pero formen parte de un apoyo a la misión que significa fe, liberación y creación de conexiones. Puede que no sea glamoroso, pero hace la diferencia.

¿Con qué frecuencia habla su congregación del dinero? ¿En la campaña anual de mayordomía por el otoño? ¿En los foros de adultos? ¿De vez en cuando?

Mensaje mensual de la obispa presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América. Esta columna apareció por primera vez en la edición de julio de 2015 de la revista en inglés The Lutheran. Reimpreso con permiso.

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February 7, 2016, Power Revealed

Jen Krausz, Bethlehem, PA

Warm-up Question

What is the last thing you asked Jesus to do for you? Did he do it?

Power Revealed

According to the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov), you now have a 39.6% chance of developing cancer in your lifetime. An estimated 14 million Americans have some form of cancer right now, including thousands of children and teens with leukemia.
shutterstock_69976633   Leukemia is a blood cancer. Instead of affecting a part of the body like the lungs or the brain, leukemia makes a person’s white blood cells sick so that they don’t work right. Our white blood cells help the body fight infections. People with leukemia get sick easily and can die from a simple infection if they don’t get help.
Doctors have found different ways of treating cancers, including chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Cancer cells multiply too quickly, which makes tumors grow and spread around the body. Many cancers can be put into remission or cured with the current treatments available, but some cancers are too advanced or aggressive. Scientists are looking for new ways to treat cancers that are easier for the body to handle and can work for even the most aggressive cancers.

In an amazing turn of events, some of the newest scientific advances use other viruses to kill cancer cells. Recently, scientists have exposed the polio virus to a cold virus, then used it to attack cancer cells in the brain where it is too sensitive to operate. Turns out the polio virus isn’t harmful to healthy cells once it catches a cold, but it appears to be quite harmful to cancer cells.

A new treatment for leukemia involves changing a donor’s white blood cells so that they act like an attack dog and go after the leukemia cells. Doctors tested this new treatment on a few patients who basically had no hope of survival even after bone marrow transplants, and they all survived at least 30 months with no new cancer activity. One even went into complete remission.

Discussion Questions

  • How has cancer touched your family or friends?
  • Why do you think so many more people are getting cancer today than 50 years ago?
  • Do you have hope that someone will someday find a cure for cancer? Why or why not?

Transfiguration of our Lord

Exodus 34:29-35

2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2

Luke 9:28-36 [37-43]
(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 surface, the two events described in the gospel lesson couldn’t be more different. In one, Jesus brings Peter, John and James to a mountain and lets them see his conversation with long-dead prophets Moses and Elijah, blowing their minds in more ways than one. In the other account, Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy after grumbling about his disciples’ lack of faith.
What the two events have in common, though, is that they both reveal who Jesus is in a miraculous way. In the first account, we see the glory of Jesus as he is supernaturally changed and is able to speak with heavenly figures. Not only does he speak with them, but they talk about what is going to happen in the future with his life and death. The Transfiguration shows that Jesus is God’s son and that he shares God’s glory and sovereignty (which means his power over the whole world).
The second account also shows the power of Jesus in being able to do what no one else could do, heal the man’s demon-possessed son. This showed that not only did Jesus have power over the heavenly realms, but that he had more power than the evil spiritual realms as well.
Both of these stories show Jesus’ power over the supernatural realm, and proved to the disciples that he was God’s son. The disciples often doubted and wavered in their faith even though Jesus showed them his power over and over again.
Even now, we find it hard to understand why things happen the way they do in our lives. Why does one sick person get better and another doesn’t? We seek God’s power in our own lives, with varying results. Through God’s word, we see the power of Jesus and we choose to put our faith in him. Then we need to put that faith into action in the world so that others can also see it and be changed.

Discussion Questions

  • What evidence do you see of the supernatural in the world today?
  • Compare Jesus’ power to the growing ability of science to treat and cure diseases. How does Jesus’ power still surpass anything that people can accomplish?
  • What ideas do you have for how to put your faith into action in the world?

Activity Suggestions

If your church doesn’t already have a prayer team that prays for the spiritual needs of the congregation, your class/group can collect information about those prayer needs and pray about them in your meetings. If a prayer team does exist, you can use the existing information about prayer needs to make a calendar for your group so that you can pray for each need on a different day. The calendar can also be distributed to the whole congregation if the pastor/leadership are on board.

Closing Prayer

Sovereign God, your power is displayed in our world today even as it was when your son walked the earth. We ask your Holy Spirit to help us put our faith into action so that your glory is revealed even more each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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New videos about life and ministry of the ELCJHL

BishopYounan ELCJHL videosThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) has new videos available online about the life and ministry of the church. You can find those videos here (we’d recommend that you save the link as more videos will be uploaded).  We are thankful for the work of videographer, Tim Frakes and the Rev. Eric Shafer for making these videos.

A couple videos that we’d like to highlight:

Video 1: The Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan, Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, extends an invitation for pilgrims from around the world to visit the Holy Land to see the living stones. (1:30)

Video 2: The Environmental Education Center of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) introduces Palestinian youth to their own natural heritage. The center helps Palestinian youth see themselves as future stewards and caretakers of the environment through conservation and environmentally-conscious lifestyles. (2:59)

Video 3: The Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan, Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and President, the Lutheran World Federation join in the celebration of the Armenian Orthodox Christmas and Epiphany at the Armenian Patriarch St. James Church in Jerusalem. (3:01)

Video 4: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Each year Christians from around the world reflect on Jesus prayer in John 17 “that they may be one, so that the world may believe.” This January, Jerusalem, the birthplace of Christianity, saw Christians from many countries and faith traditions gather at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer next to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to pray for Christian unity. (2:45)

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