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March 3, 2013–Cut It Down!

Contributed by Angie Larson, Clive, IA

 

Warm-up Question

How do you feel about failure?

Cut It Down!

shutterstock_51067822editLolo Jones hasn’t had the easiest life.  Known now as an Olympian, her roots portray a life of difficulty, failure, and struggle.  She was born the child of a single mother who moved frequently, forcing Lolo to regularly be the ‘new student’ in her ever-changing schools. Her father was in and out of her life, being in the Air Force and then later incarcerated. At one point her family lived in the church basement of Des Moines, Iowa’s Salvation Army congregation.  She attended Roosevelt High School in Des Moines.  Showing promise in track, she had dreams of being an Olympian.  When her mother was expected to move again to another town, the community at Roosevelt surrounded Lolo.  Her track coach and other mentors arranged for her to live with four different families through her senior year. They didn’t stop there.  They arranged for her to be part of the Des Moines Youth Track team, got her braces, and made sure her grades would allow her to be college bound.  She attended Louisiana State University and worked odd jobs while running track in college.

In her professional career, Lolo Jones is best known for clipping a hurdle in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in an event that she was expected to win. She came in fourth at the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 meter hurdles.  On her website, (www.runlolorun.com) she writes, “I’m inspired by failure. “The process of defeat – picking yourself  back up again is the hardest thing in the world.”  After her Olympic dreams of medaling did not come through, Lolo hasn’t given up.  In October of 2012 Lolo was invited to be a part of the National Bobsled Team.  This January her Bobsled team won Gold in the combined bobsled-skeleton team at the world championships. Where will this road lead Lolo to next?

 

Discussion Questions

  • In the quick read over of Lolo’s life, what do you think was the turning point Lolo?
  • How has Lolo defied expectations?
  • When you fail, how do you recover?  What has been a failure that you have had to pick yourself back up from?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, March 3, 2013 (Third Sunday of Lent)

 

Isaiah 55:1-9

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Luke 13:1-9

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

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

 

Gospel Reflection

In the parable of the Fig Tree Jesus challenges us to look for the fruit.  The Vineyard Owner comes out looking for three years (which could seem like a very long time) looking for expected, awaited, longed for fruit.  However there is none.  He is disappointed, dismayed, and proclaims, “Cut it down!”  He wants it to no longer even take up space in his vineyard.  He sees it as no good and a waste.  However, the gardener sees it differently.  The gardener asks the vineyard owner for one more year.  The gardener will tend to the fig tree, feed it (fertilizer), care for it, and hope that it bears fruit for the next year.

Often we are like the characters in the parable.  The Vineyard Owner:  We are frustrated with failure; it irritates us so we just want to give up.  Whether it is our failure or the failure of others, we would just as soon be rid of it so we can replace it with something else.  Perhaps something isn’t going our way, so we decide to give up and try something else. The Fig Tree:  Sometimes we take up valuable space and yet don’t produce anything. We’re waiting, we’re learning, perhaps we need to be fed.  We are called to bear fruit, but maybe we just can’t for some reason right now. The Gardener: We see hope.  We look at the tree not as a waste, but as something that just needs a little extra love and care.  We are patient, we don’t see the lack of fruit as failure but just as something that needs time and nurture.

Jesus is the Gardener.  He offers us hope even if we cannot see it ourselves.  We are not dead or scrap wood, but we are just in need of some care.  He meets us in our barrenness and tenderly feeds and cares for us.  He reminds us that we have hope and purpose in Him.  In his care and protection we want to bear fruit, for we are grateful he didn’t cut us down.

Discussion Questions

  • Today, what character in the parable do you see yourself as?  Have you seen yourself as the other characters?
  • What does it mean to you to think of Jesus as the Gardener?  Does it make you want to bear fruit?
  • How can you offer hope to others who are struggling with it?

Activity Suggestions

Plant a seed or two.  Hope for them to grow.  Talk about the promises that are in a seed and how you never know if/when/or how they will grow fruit.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for being patient with us.  We know sometimes we need extra care and nurturing.  We thank you for saving us.  Help us to see our failures as hope for the future, to use them to help us to learn and grow. Assist us in being patient with others failures.  Thank you for being in our hearts. Amen.

February 24, 2013–Daring Danger

Contributed by Erik Ulstead, West Des Moines, IA

 

Warm-up Question

What’s the most heroic thing you’ve seen someone do?

Daring Danger

shutterstock_90565891editFirefighters are often called into dangerous circumstances.  Typically, they are asked to rescue people from burning buildings and fiery explosions.  Earlier this month, local firefighters in Kokomo, Indiana found themselves trying to extract a dog from a partially frozen creek.

Like most dogs, Chancellor (or Chance, for short) loved to chase squirrels.  “He’ll chase anything with fur or feathers, but he always comes back,” remarked owner Jimmy Prestler.  Chance pursued the squirrel to a nearby park and onto a patch of ice.  “I’m guessing the squirrel made it across the creek, but the dog didn’t,” said Dave King, battalion chief with the fire department.  A person driving through the park saw the dog fall through the ice and stopped to help, but he was unable to save Chance and called the fire department.

Firefighter Derek Pounds was given the chilly task of rescuing Chance.  After a few minutes Pounds was able to slide across the creek pull the dog out of the water, with the aid of a cold-water rescue suit and an ice sled.  Chance was shaking violently and had icicles frozen to his face.  Pounds wrapped him in a blanket to warm and dry the dog.  King said the dog likely would have died if he’d been in the creek much longer.  “It’s lucky someone saw what happened and called,” he said. “Had he not seen him, the dog would have frozen to death.”

Prestler expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the rescue.  “I think I would have to get therapy if he didn’t survive,” Prestler said.  “Whenever I come home, it’s like seeing my brother after five years.  Chance just goes nuts every time.  They not only saved his life, they saved mine, too.”

 

Discussion Questions

  • When have you seen public servants (firefighters, police officers, road construction workers, etc.) in action?
  • What do you think about the owner’s comments about his dog?
  • Have you ever been asked to help someone in need? How did you respond?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 24, 2013 (Second Sunday of Lent)

 

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Luke 13:31-35

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

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

 

Gospel Reflection

There’s a lot going on in these few verses in Luke 13.  Jesus had just wrapped up a teaching and healing spree in various communities outside of Jerusalem.  With each stop along the way, the crowds grew larger.  Everyone wanted to see this Jesus they had heard so much about.  However, not everyone was a fan of Jesus.

Herod, the ruler of that region, recently beheaded John the Baptist, Jesus’ friend and mentor.  Many Pharisees (the nice ones, not the mean ones) were concerned that Herod would come after Jesus next.  They told Jesus to leave Jerusalem and go into hiding.  However, Jesus was defiant, insisting that the work of casting out demons and performing cures was too important for him to hide.

He also pauses for a moment to express his dismay for the whole city of Jerusalem.  Jesus is sad for the way Jerusalem has treated the people God has sent there as prophets and ministers.  Furthermore, he knows that he will suffer a similar fate when he returns (for what we now know as Palm Sunday).

We learn a lot about Jesus in this passage.  First, it’s clear that Jesus is one who protects and heals people who are sick or broken.  Second, we see that Jesus is committed to complete the tasks to which he was called.  Finally, we discover that, regardless of their past, Jesus still has concern for the well-being of the entire community.  Through all of this, Jesus reveals that God has a heart for particular places and times.  God cares about your town…your school…your family…your church.  Like a mother hen covering her chicks, or a firefighter rescuing a dog,  Jesus seeks to protect us – and calls us to shelter others in need.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think the Pharisees are warning Jesus about Herod’s plot?
  • Did Jesus make the right choice to stay in Jerusalem?
  • Who are some people God is calling you to protect and care for this week?

Activity Suggestions

  • Grab some craft sticks and glue.  Attempt to build a building that can’t be knocked over by someone blowing on it.  Talk about how different structures are used to protect people from bad weather or evil people.
  • Contact a local animal shelter.  Offer to bring your group to learn about the work they do.  Consider volunteering some time to care for animals or do repairs around their facility.

Closing Prayer

God, we thank you for sending your Son to care for us.  May we provide comfort, hope, and peace to the people we encounter this week.  In Jesus name, amen.

February 17, 2013–Standardized Test

Contributed by Seth Moland-Kovash, Palatine, IL

 

Warm-up Question

When was the last time you took a standardized state or national or school district-wide test?

Standardized Test

shutterstock_11411374editThe trend in the last couple of decades in education has been toward more standardized tests. They’re often controversial in negotiations between teachers’ unions and school districts, and in elections. Some people think that teachers should be assessed based on their students’ standardized test scores and some think we need many more factors in assessing how teachers are doing and how much they should be paid. There are more standardized tests given today than ever and lots more importance is given to the results.

One reason for this emphasis on standardized tests is a fear that our education system in the United States is not doing the best job that it could in preparing students. Studies are cited about the performance of American students when compared to students from other countries around the world. People argue about why those results are what they are.  Standardized testing is one of the reasons often cited for the difference and one of the solutions often given for fixing the problem. Here is one example: in this story  The education system of Finland (which is often cited as the best in the world) is also written about as having no standardized testing. One more piece in the argument.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Do you think there is too much emphasis placed on the results of standardized tests in your school? Too little?
  • Do you think teacher’s salaries should be determined (a little, or mostly) by the results that their students get on standardized tests?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 17, 2013 (First Sunday in 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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

 

Gospel Reflection

As we begin the season of Lent, Jesus is given a test. We cannot be sure if this was a standardized test that the devil gave to lots of people, or if it was only for Jesus, which seems much more likely. But the results were surely very important. Jesus was not tested on his knowledge of math or reading or basic geography. Jesus was tested on his faithfulness and his trust in God. Because that’s what faithfulness is all about. We sometimes talk about faithfulness and think it means knowing the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.  Maybe we think it means doing the right things and feeding the poor. Those are all important. But faithfulness is really about trusting God.

Jesus aced his test. He demonstrated trust in God in resisting the devil’s offer of bread, human authority, and doing an amazing trick. Jesus aced his test. This does not mean that we are always going to do the same. We are not always going to have the same kind of trust in God. And the good news of this story is that we do not have to. Jesus trusted God. Jesus resisted the devil. Jesus defeated the devil and all the powers of evil, so we are free. We are free to trust God. We do not HAVE to trust God in order to be safe, we are free to trust God. And, because of Jesus’ faithfulness, even when we do not, we are forgiven and loved by God.

Discussion Questions

  • Jesus had some tools that helped him resist the temptation. What do you think they were? How was Jesus able to resist?
  • How can you build your own trust in God?

Activity Suggestions

People do not live on bread alone, but God has given us much to share. Bake bread as a group and share it with a food pantry or shelter, demonstrating that you trust God to provide enough so you can share.

Closing Prayer

Good and gracious God, we thank you for the faithfulness and trust of Jesus. Help us to trust you more and more each day. Amen.

February 10, 2013–Transcendent Moment

Contributed by John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

 

Warm-up Question

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously said, “The only constant in life is change.”  Name three things in your life that have changed since the beginning of the school year?

Transcendent Moment

shutterstock_110592482editChances are that you or someone in your family was one of over 115 million people who watched the Super Bowl last weekend.  When the game was over, Joe Flacco was  named as the Most Valuable Player for the game.  Now to be sure, Flacco is still the same person he was before the game, but by shining brightly in the biggest game of the year, Flacco will now be seen in a different light by those around him.  People around the world will suddenly know his name.  Companies will ask him to endorse their products.  He’ll be lifted up by fans and celebrated as a hero in his community and eventually his team, or another team interested in his abilities, will probably pay him more money in his next contract.  Thanks to this one event on this one day his life will change.

Most of us will never play professional sports, but our lives often have transformational moments when our gifts are revealed to the world.  These moments may happen on a large public stage, like the Super Bowl.  These moments may happen in the quiet of a family room.  These moments may happen through a paper written for school.  We rarely know when these moments will occur, but when they happen, the people around us –our family, our friends, and our peers, begin to discover who we are and what we are capable of accomplishing.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Have you experienced transformational moment when you discovered something new about yourself or someone else?  How did you react?  How did the people around you react?
  • Can anyone in the group name the last five Super Bowl MVP’s?  What do you think makes some transformational moments lasting and others only temporary?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 10, 2013 (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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

 

Gospel Reflection

In our Gospel reading today from Luke, we see Jesus undergo a powerful transformational moment of his own.  Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him to the top of a mountain to talk to and listen to God in prayer.  In Luke, we see Jesus praying at his baptism (3:21).  We see Jesus praying the night before he calls the apostles (6:12).  We see Jesus praying following the feeding of the five thousand (9:18) and during his final days, we will see him praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (22:41) and on the cross (23:34, 46).  For the disciples, seeing Jesus in prayer would have been a fairly normal part of their faith and life, but their experience on top of the mountain with Jesus was certainly unique.  While he was praying, his clothing became dazzling white; his face began to change, and Moses and Elijah appeared in their glory.  Just as Peter appears to be getting a handle on what is happening, a terrifying cloud moves over them and a voice from heaven says, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”  Within moments, the whole experience was over.  Jesus’ face and clothing returned to normal.  Moses, Elijah, and the cloud disappeared.  The voice faded away, but the there is no doubt that the disciples and Jesus were changed by this transformational moment.

In this time of prayer on top of a mountain, Jesus’ true nature is revealed by God’s presence and power.  For Jesus and the disciples, prayer was not an afterthought or something you only did at meals.  Prayer was an important part of a relationship with God and a place where they expected God to be present and active.  The dazzling clothing, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the booming voice from heaven during this time of prayer affirm Jesus’ mission and ministry and make it clear to the disciples that Jesus is more than just a teacher, miracle worker, and prophet.  Now certainly every time of prayer in scripture is not accompanied by a dramatic transformational event, but the story of the Transfiguration reminds us that through prayer we can experience God’s presence in our midst and we can discover more about who we are and who God is calling us to be.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think Jesus took Peter, James and John with him to pray?  How is praying with a group different than praying alone?  How do you think you would have reacted if you had been on the mountain top praying with Jesus?
  • The voice from heaven affirms that Jesus is God’s Son, just as it did at Jesus’ baptism, but the focus of the overall message changes.   At the Baptism of Jesus, the voice says,  “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  At the Transfiguration, the voice says, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”  Why do you think the message changed?  What does this message at the Transfiguration mean for Jesus? for the disciples? for all of us?
  • Prayer is clearly a part of Jesus’ relationship with God.  How is prayer a part of your relationship with God?  What is one question you have about prayer?

Activity Suggestions

  • Try a one-word prayer.  Say a prayer by having everyone in the group say one word.  Pick someone to start and then have the person to their left add the next word.  For example, the first person might say, “Dear,” the second person might say, “God,” and the third person might say, “we”.  Have people continue to add words until you get a complete prayer thought.
  • If your congregation participated in the Super Bowl of Caring, find a creative way to share the story of how your donations will help fight hunger in your community.  If your congregation did not participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring, use their website: souperbowl.org to learn about this exciting ministry.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, we give you thanks for sending Jesus to be a light in the world and a model for ministry.  Transform us by your presence with us and inspire us to be your hearts and hands and voices in the world.  Amen.