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July 29-August 5, 2009 – Signs of the times

Contributed by Pastor Seth Moland-Kovash
All Saints Lutheran Church
Palatine, IL

Warm-up Question:  What is your favorite billboard that you’ve ever seen? Why did it catch your eye and why do you remember it?

Signs can be literal things that have words and pictures on them to give us a message. They may be billboards advertising a certain store or product. They may be political signs telling us who we should vote for. They may be signs at your church telling you about the next big event.

But signs can also be metaphorical. They can be things that happen that give us a message. We sometimes talk about things as signs of the times. For instance, it is a sign of the times that you probably do not have a record player in your bedroom. It’s a sign of the times that major world events sometimes get reported on Twitter before television.

Whenever there is bad news (economy, war, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina) we obsessively look for “signs of recovery.” For example, this story about Hurricane Katrina recovery talks about the rebuilding of houses in New Orleans on raised platforms. Some homes are being rebuilt with the first story being all garage or something else before you get to any actual living space.

These rebuilt homes are a sign of recovery for New Orleans.

Discussion Questions

  1. If you traveled to New Orleans for the Youth Gathering, what were signs of recovery and new life that you saw there?
  2. What would be signs that would make you really say that New Orleans had recovered from Hurricane Katrina?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday,  August 2, 2009.

(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

The crowds that gathered around Jesus wanted to see a sign. They wanted something they could look at and they’d know what it meant, just as clearly as we see the golden arches and know what that means.

They followed Jesus to watch all that he did, all his healings and all his teachings, and tried to interpret the signs. But just as it is hard for us to sometimes interpret the signs (Has New Orleans recovered completely, still recovering, or not recovering at all?), it was hard for them to understand the signs they were seeing. They missed the point. They asked for more.

In the Gospel of John, the things that Jesus says are sometimes hard to understand. He isn’t perfectly clear all the time. In this case, he wasn’t either. He didn’t explain all the signs to the crowds. He didn’t tell them what the signs meant. In fact, he kind of acted like a sign. Like a sign on the road points the way to an exit or to a gas station or a restaurant, Jesus pointed. Jesus pointed to God. He said that it was God who gives us the bread and everything we need. It’s God who makes it so we are never hungry or thirsty again.

Jesus used his teachings and his miracles, and the way he lived his life, to point the way to God, like a sign. Who and what do you point to?

Discussion Questions

  1. What do you think Jesus was trying to point people toward?
  2. If your life were a sign, where would it point people? Toward God? Would people know about God if they looked at your life? What does you life say about your Creator?

Activity Suggestion

Use your youth group to become a human sign. What do you want to show the rest of your congregation? Think of a message. Perhaps it’s something about being grateful to God. Perhaps it’s something about service to others. Then SHOW them. No words allowed. Be creative. 

Closing Prayer

Good and gracious God, use our lives as signs to point the world toward you and your love. Amen.

July 22-29, 2009 – Abundance or scarcity

Contributed by Angie Larson
Clive, IA

Warm up Question: What would you trade for one red paperclip? Do you think someone would actually trade for one red paperclip?

Kyle McDonald of Belcarra, British Columbia, Canada successfully traded one red paperclip up to a house within one year. Kyle, tired of delivering pizzas, planting trees, and paying rent, got the idea from a childhood game called ‘bigger and better’.

He announced his quest to trade up on Craigslist. Quickly after, he traded his paperclip for a pen shaped like a fish. He traveled to Vancouver, BC, to make the trade in person. From there he went to Seattle, Washington, to trade the fish pen for a handmade door knob.

The trades continued with everything from a generator to an afternoon with Alice Cooper to a snow globe. Finally, one year from when his quest began, the chamber of commerce of Kipling, Saskatchewan, traded him for a two-story farm house.

On the day he received his house, he proposed to his girlfriend. Now married, they live in the house in Kipling in front of which the city has placed the Guinness Book of World Record’s largest red paperclip. Kyle has now written a book called One Red Paperclip and is working in sales.

Discussion Questions

  • What would your initial reaction be if you were one of the first to read Kyle’s proposal on Craigslist?
  • Do you think that any small thing could be compounded to create a big thing? Would it work with ideas? How?
  • Do you think that this experiment could work for helping other people? If so, how would you do it? 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, July 26, 2009.

(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.

Scripture Reflection

In the Gospel text Jesus takes five loaves of bread and two fish and performs a miracle to make it into enough to feed five thousand people. The text states that he knew it would be enough. In the 2 Kings text, Elisha also knows that there will be enough food. There is not only enough for many people, but much left over.

We live in a world that becomes consumed and obsessed with scarcity. We fear we won’t have enough, that we won’t make our goal, and that we won’t be enough. The economic situation of this year creates fear, despair, and worry. Our surroundings tell us that we live in scarcity. God tells us the opposite; we live in a world that is abundant. We can give knowing that God will take care of us and our families, just as Christ knew that there would be enough to care for the coming masses. It takes an amazing amount of trust.

There is enough. You are enough. Where you are weak, God is strong. It is in weakness and scarcity when God can come in and fill in the blanks. God makes things bigger and better and whole.

Nelson Mandela summarizes the human battle between scarcity and abundance beautifully:

“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Discussion Questions

  • Do you live in a world of scarcity or abundance? Explain.
  • How do you tend to react during times of stress and need?
  • When in your life do you forget that you are blessed by God? How do you respond when that happens?

Activity Suggestions

Play the game Bigger and Better to benefit a social ministry. Challenge the group to trade a small item for a larger one. It could be anything, from a paperclip to an egg. Ask them to go door-to- door to get a larger item, anything larger in size. Instruct the group to then trade that item for a larger item. See how big the items can get. You’ll be surprised with what you can get! Contact Lutheran Social Services for refugee programs or a homeless shelter needing the items you have to donate.

Want to see how much more you can maximize the items you’ve received? Use the final items as part of a congregational silent auction. Use the proceeds for a social ministry.

Closing Prayer

Blessed Savior, we thank you for blessing us in everyway. We know that you are continually working in our lives to remind us that you are in control. Please use us as you desire to let our light, and your light, shine through our actions. In your wonderful name, we pray.  Amen.

July 15-22, 2009 – Private grief in the limelight

Contributed by Pastor Claudia Bergmann
Eisleben, Germany

Warm-up Question: What’s so scary about speaking in front of a crowd?

“Every since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine and I just wanted to say that I love him so much.” These few words spoken by eleven-year old Paris Jackson at the end of her own father’s memorial service brought tears to millions of people’s eyes around the world. What a remarkable witness to a loving relationship, many thought. And what courage it must have taken to step up to the microphone and make your own grief public.

But ever since the event, the Jackson family has also been criticized for pushing Paris into the limelight. Some witnesses claimed that they had overheard the little girl crying and screaming backstage as she was trying to refuse getting on stage. When she did appear, family members surrounded her and held her, one person even making sure that the microphone was adjusted correctly. Yet, child psychologist Linda Blair believes that the family made a “bad judgment”. She says: “This is a girl who has been shielded from the media her whole life. When a child is in shock, as Paris still will be from her father’s death, the most important thing is to keep everything as normal as possible. But the opposite has happened here.” Blair expects “potentially traumatic results”.

In light of the psychologist’s assessment, the images of Paris speaking look a bit different. A wall of adults surrounding one little girl… all of them hiding their vulnerable faces and their grief behind sunglasses. The only one who had nothing to protect her face and her teary eyes from the public was the most vulnerable of them all: a little girl who had just lost her father. Is a family known for dragging children on stage doing it again to the next generation?

Discussion Questions

  1. Would you ever consider speaking at a loved one’s funeral?
  2. What do you think are the right things to say at a funeral? What should remain unspoken?
  3. For those of you who watched the event at the Staples Center: Do you think that it did justice to Michael Jackson’s life and work? Why? Why not?
  4. Have you ever thought about your own funeral service? Would you want to have a say on what is said, what music is played, what lessons are read?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, July 19, 2009.

(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 just wanted to be left alone for a while; go somewhere away from the crowd. Rest. Eat. Be in a quiet place with his selected few. So they left in a boat to what they thought was a deserted place, maybe across a lake or to the other side of a river. But people followed them on foot, the Gospel of Mark says. They must have hurried, getting there even before Jesus did with his disciples. Imagine, crowds of people running on the shore of a lake, anxiously looking at the boat and trying to gauge where it would come ashore. People wading across a shallow spot, breathing heavily to make it to the other side. Women bringing their little ones in their arms. Older people supporting each other. Groups of youth carrying the sick with them. And when they finally pull the boat onto the shore, Jesus does not have the heart to send them all away and rest. He teaches them as a good shepherd of his people would, and he comforts and heals the one who have need of compassion and healing.

We do not know why there are a few places in the Gospels where Jesus seems to want to be alone. Is he an introvert who needs to re-group and rest before dealing with yet another big crowd? Is it not time for his public ministry to start yet? Why does he ask people occasionally in the Gospel of Mark to keep their knowledge about his identity to themselves?

But we do know that attempting to keep away from the people and attempting to keep things quiet about his identity did not work. People found out who he was and they came to Jesus in droves. And Jesus himself could not stay away from them either. His message about the kingdom of God was just too powerful to stay a quiet, private affair. God wanted this message out into the public. And God still does.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think Jesus needs time away? Read Mark 1:35, 1:45 and compare it to Mark 6:30-34 and 53-56.
  • Under what circumstances would you wear a button that says “I am a Christian”? In school? At a baseball game? At a restaurant?
  • If we believe that faith comes to people through the Holy Spirit and through God’s grace, why should we even bother making disciples? Isn’t that the Holy Spirit’s job?
  • Do you think that Christians should be open and public about their faith? That your congregation should be more open about their faith? That you should be more open about your own faith? What hinders you to make your faith public? What could help you overcome your hesitations?

Activity Suggestion

Working with the text, twice
(a) Most scholars who study the Gospel of Mark think that Mark 6:34-44 and 8:1-10 are two literary expressions of the same event. Have your youth group read the two stories side by side. Compare and contrast them. Which elements remind you of the Eucharist?

(b) Did you know that Jesus was not the first to miraculously feed the hungry? Read 1 Kings 17:7-16 and 2 Kings 4:42-44 and compare them to the feeding miracle Jesus does in the Gospel of Mark.

Funerals
Invite a local funeral director and/or the pastor to your youth group and have them talk about all the preparation work that goes into a funeral service. Allow your youth to ask any questions that they might have.

If you know your youth group well, and only when you feel that it is appropriate for them, encourage them to write a few notes about their choices for their own funeral (hymns, music, lessons, speakers, etc.). Give them the option to keep the notes or give them to their pastor or parents.

Making (the congregation’s) faith public
Invite someone from your congregation who is responsible for advertising congregational events and such to talk with your group. Ask them to talk about what the congregation has done in the past to invite new members or to become better known in the local community. Then, brainstorm with that person and your youth group what they could do to make the congregation known to people who are not members, or to better serve the surrounding community.

Think about one creative activity that you can accomplish that day or at the next youth group meeting. (But make sure that your council and pastor approves before you start your advertising campaign!) Examples include:

  • Making a banner and placing it in the congregation’s yard
  • Developing the text for an ad in the local newspaper
  • Making buttons to hand out to people
  • Adding special features, videos, or photos to the congregation’s Web site
  • Planning a special event to invite the community to (job fair, pet blessing, social ministry effort, movie discussion night, etc.)
  • Etc.

Making (your personal) faith public
Talk with your group about the difficulties we all face in talking about our faith in public. Discuss strategies for how we can overcome this fear. Together, come up with one or two exercises they can do so that they can practice talking about their faith. Check in with youth the next week to see whether they tried their exercises and how they felt about it.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, we trust that you are our shepherd, our teacher, and the one who heals our bodies and our souls. We ask you to give us the right words to talk about our faith with others. We ask that you open our ears to the witness of others so that they might strengthen our faith. And we ask you to make us part of the long tradition of people who could not stay silent and hide their beliefs from the public. Give us the same courage that our forefathers and foremothers in the faith had. Amen.

July 8-15, 2009 – 107-year old man outlives savings — twice!

Contributed by Steven Alloway
Granada Hills, CA

Warm-Up Question: Did you ever have to give anyone bad news, or tell them something you knew they wouldn’t want to hear? How did you tell them? How did they react?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070103861.html?g=0

A long, healthy life certainly has its advantages — but it can also cause unexpected problems. 107-year old Larry Haubner has lived at the Greenfield assisted living center in Virginia for five years. Now the cost of living in the center is about to drain his savings, for the second time. Two years ago, Haubner’s money began to run out, so his friends at the center collected donations totaling $56,000, so that Haubner could continue to live at Greenfield, rather than have to go to a nursing home. They thought this cash reserve would last the rest of his life.

But now at 107 years old, Haubner is still in good health and shows no signs of slowing down. A self-described “health nut,” Haubner exercises daily, eats right, is not on any kind of medication, and can lift his walker over his head. He never married and has no family of his own, but he is beloved by the other residents of Greensfield and their families, who have adopted him as their own, bringing him Christmas and birthday gifts. And of course, coming to his aid in his hour of need.

Now that the $56,000 previously raised is expected to run out in November, Haubner’s friends are once again rallying together to raise the funds to keep Haubner at Greensfield. So far they have raised $7,000. Carol Ewing, who holds Haubner’s power of attorney, has opted not to tell him that his funds are dwindling, and that he may have to move to a nursing home. “I don’t want to worry him,” she said.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do you think Larry Haubner is so well-liked at Greensfield? Why do you think so many people are willing to work so hard to help him stay?
  2. Would you donate money to Haubner to help him remain at Greensfield, rather than go to a nursing home? Why or why not?
  3. Do you think Haubner should be told about his financial situation, what’s being done to help him, and what will happen if not enough money can be raised? How do you think he would react? Would you want to be told if you were in his situation?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, July 12, 2009.

(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

This is a difficult passage to study. It seems fairly straightforward: the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist. How Herod was manipulated into cutting his head off, against his better judgment. But what does this mean for us? What can we possibly take away from this story, to use in our own Christian lives? To understand it better, we need to go to the Old Testament lesson, in Amos.

The different lectionary readings for each week often share a common theme or similar message, if you look for it. And sure enough, as we read about Amos, a pattern begins to emerge. Amos, like John, was called to deliver God’s message to the people of Israel. Both messages contained proclamations of God’s displeasure, which angered the kings at which their messages were directed. As a result, they had to deal with the consequences of preaching God’s message to unwilling ears: Amos was told to leave and never return; John was imprisoned and beheaded. But both delivered God’s message and refused to back down in the face of adversity and threats.

But the application to our own lives is still a difficult one. Delivering prophesies to evil kings and being exiled or beheaded for our trouble is not something that’s likely to happen to any of us. To get an even clearer picture of what these passages mean for us, as modern-day Christians, we need to turn to the New Testament lesson, in Ephesians. There we see, in verses 4 and 5, “just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Just like Amos, and just like John, we have been chosen by God to do his will and proclaim the gospel. Before the world began, God had a purpose for us. Now we need to fulfill that purpose and mission, and do whatever tasks and challenges are set before us.

The things God asks us to do are not always easy. They are not always enjoyable. And they may not make us particularly popular. Serving God can be a difficult, even perilous task.

But the Ephesians text contains something that the other two passages do not — the up side. We have the grace of God. We have redemption through Christ’s blood. We are forgiven all our sins. Though we can’t always see it from where we stand, we are a part of God’s work to unite all things in God’s kingdom in heaven and on earth. As God’s plan and promises are fulfilled, we can be confident of a divine inheritance as children of God — eternal life surrounded by God’s love.

So when things are rough and doing God’s will and desire for us seems daunting and difficult, remember that it’s all part of God’s plan. God is always in control. God is always with us and present, never abandoning us. The things of our life in this world are entrusted to us to use responsibly and generously to God’s glory, but they won’t last forever. God’s kingdom, though, is eternal.

Discussion Questions

  1. In today’s world, culture, and society, God isn’t likely to hand us a prophesy to deliver to the people, as God did with John and Amos. What are some things God might ask us to do in our own lives, and how can we do them? How can we spread God’s message of salvation, forgiveness, love, and justice?
  2. In today’s world, culture, and society, we also aren’t likely to face imprisonment or execution for doing the will of God, but persecution still exists. What are some ways we might be persecuted or ridiculed for doing God’s will? How can we find and have strength in the face of adversity? In what ways can we be faithful witnesses and at the same time respect other people and be attentive to the needs of others? How do we share the gospel in the face of opposition or discouragement?
  3. Living without Jesus in your life is like living without any savings or resources. No security of any kind, and the looming threat of losing everything at any moment. What are the blessings and promises of your faith that keep you going… that give you hope that stretches beyond life?

Activity Suggestion

Get into pairs or groups of 3 and practice telling each other about your faith. Talk about your belief in Jesus Christ. How do you understand God?

Come back together and talk about what seemed to flow easily from your heart and faith. What was difficult or presents a challenge for you? 

Closing Prayer

Lord, help me always to serve you and do your will, no matter how difficult it gets. Help me to spread your word and be a living example of your love and justice, even in the face of adversity. And help me always to remember your promise of eternal life with you. Amen.

July 1-8, 2009 – Celebrating progress, working for more

Contributed by Jocelyn Breeland
Fairfax, VA

Warm-up Question: Discuss a time when you were underestimated.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the landmark Olmstead decision, in which the Supreme Court said the Americans With Disabilities Act requires individuals with disabilities receive services in the least restrictive environment possible. As a result, thousands of Americans with disabilities have been able to move out of institutions to live in communities of their own choosing.

President Obama marked the anniversary by declaring a “Year of Community Living.” He has directed the Department of Health and Human Services to aggressively work to remove barriers that prevent people with disabilities from having meaningful lives in their communities.

In the nearly two decades since the Americans With Disabilities Act was passed, many changes have been made in schools, workplaces, and public spaces to ensure inclusion of people with physical and intellectual disabilities or challenges. Among the positive changes, technology, where it is available, has greatly facilitated access and inclusion. But much remains to be done. In most communities, there are long waiting lists for the services people with disabilities need to participate fully in the lives of their communities.

Perhaps the most difficult, and most important, barrier to overcome is attitude. Too often, people with disabilities are seen as disabled, broken, or incomplete. We need to value, celebrate, and use the contributions and gifts of people with disabilities in every community. With this state of mind, and commitment, all barriers can be overcome.

Discussion Questions

Statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
White House Statement

  • Are people with disabilities included in any of your regular activities? Are there barriers that make their participation difficult?
  • Is there anything you do regularly that could not be done by a person with a physical or intellectual disability, given a reasonable amount of accommodation?
  • Employment is important for people with disabilities, and the income from work makes it easier to obtain housing and other services they need. Why is it difficult for people with disabilities to get good jobs? Are any of these reasons insurmountable?
  • Within the disability community, it is preferable to say a person has a disability, rather than that the person is disabled, handicapped, mentally retarded. Why is this language important?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, June 5, 2009.

(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

It is easy for us to shake our heads sadly when contemplating the community’s reaction to Jesus. Don’t they know this is Jesus? Can’t they see his wisdom, his divinity? How could they be so foolish?

Imagine a friend, someone you’ve known for years, in church speaking knowledgeably about scripture. The next thing you know, someone is saying he’s a prophet. Where is the threshold of your skepticism? What would you need to see or hear in order to believe?

The sentiment in the synagogue seems to be that this Jesus is nothing special. How can he understand scripture better than everyone else? He’s no one important or specially gifted or skilled, just a lowly carpenter. And the same prejudice that keeps his neighbors from seeing Jesus for who and what he is can keep us from recognizing God’s presence among us today.

Here again, scripture reminds us that God does not shower his blessings only on the rich, the powerful, or the exceptional. Repeatedly, God shows his ability and preference for using the most humble, ordinary folks to spread the gospel message and demonstrate love, forgiveness, justice, and healing. We need to be on the lookout for times when God works in these ways — in ourselves and in other people. We wouldn’t want to reject God’s plan and intentions, like the Nazarenes in the synagogue rejected Jesus.

We might think it should have been easier for Jesus’ contemporaries to understand the miracle right in front of their eyes. But is it really any easier for us, knowing Jesus’ work, mission, death, and resurrection to see God’s work in our own lives? Today’s Gospel reminds us that God is indeed at work around us every day, and that we can see signs of God’s love everywhere — often in the most ordinary and unexpected places.

Discussion Questions

  • What would you say to convince Jesus’ contemporaries of the authenticity of his message?
  • How can you identify God’s action and presence in your world?
  • How is it that the disciples were able to see the truth about Jesus?
  • In verses 7-13, Jesus sends his disciples out into the world. What advice does he give for times when others refuse to hear his word?
  • What message does today’s Gospel have for us in our own ministry, and in responding to the ministry of others?
  • Jesus’ instructions suggest a level of poverty for his disciples. Why was this important? Is it still important today?
  • What does today’s Gospel say to us about the role of people with disabilities in our society?

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, as we gather to learn your will, we marvel at the many magnificent works you have done, and the many unearned blessings we have received. Remind us to seek the beauty of your creation in every place we go, on every face we see. And help us to show that same beauty, and love, to those we meet. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.