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August 26-September 2, 2009 – Festival traditions

Contributed by Jay Gamelin 
Pastor of Jacob’s Porch, ELCA campus mission to The Ohio State University

Warm-up Question:  What is a tradition in your family you would love to see continue? Perhaps think of holidays or vacations or eating dinner together. What is a tradition you wish would go away? Perhaps how mom always asks you to recite the Gettysburg address every July 4th, even though you’re not 8-years-old anymore.

The traditional -- and very messy -- tomato food fight of the La Tomatina Fiesta of Buñol (Valencia), Spain.

The traditional -- and very messy -- tomato food fight of La Tomatina Fiesta of Buñol (Valencia), Spain.

The world is the canvas and festivals are the paint. Every year, people gather in campgrounds, state fairs, amphitheaters, back yards, city streets, and parks to celebrate culture, music, and tradition. One thing you can count on — each festival maintains its own identity by highlighting the fun, local, and sometimes downright weird. Here are a few unusual festivals occurring around the United States and abroad.

The Wooly Worm Festival of Banner Elk, NC, celebrates tiny wooly caterpillars that come out in droves each fall. The highlight of the festival is the wooly worm race in which contestants race their own segmented caterpillar up a piece of string against other worms. The winner leaves with the pride of their worm being the fastest of the festival.

And what is a festival without a certain amount of saliva hurled at great speed? The Rossville, KS, Tall Corn Festival highlight is a corn kernel spitting contest. The Blenheim Cherry Fest (Ontario, Canada) includes a cherry pit spitting contest. However the most serious about the art of spitting seeds must be the people in Luling, TX, in the Luling Watermelon Thump festival. This is the home to the world championship of watermelon seed spitting, the record being 68 feet, 9 and 1/8 inches by a local man in 1989. In addition to the watermelon spitting contest, the Luling Watermelon Thump includes a watermelon carving contest which would not be so unusual if it were not a requirement that the carving be worn like a hat.

In Tibet, on their annual new year festival, Buddhist monks pay tribute by creating enormous colorful sculptures from yak butter. Sculptures of the Buddha, flowers, birds, ancient people, and homes attract 150,000 people annually. Sculptures can take anywhere from a few days to a month to create.

Some other unusual festivals include the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling Contest in Gloucester, England, the Frozen Dead Guy Days of Nederland, CO, which celebrates all things macabre, the Australian Darwin’s Beer Can Regatta where competitors build boats of beer cans, and the famous La Tomatina Fiesta of Buñol (Valencia), Spain, which hosts the world’s largest food fight. More than 90,000 pounds of tomatoes are hurled about the town square resulting in one fun, gooey, sticky time. Remarkably, within hours of the event, the town square is back to normal. The smell however takes a few days and a perhaps a few rainstorms to get rid of.

Discussion Questions

  • What traditions does your town, school, or state have that one might find unusual? Try to see them from an outsider’s point of view and describe the tradition.
  • What sort of traditions does your church have that you think are important to your identity as a parish? Make a list of some of the studies, programs, and events your church does regularly. Would you call these unique to your church?
  • How would you describe your worship? Traditional? Contemporary? Mixed? Something else? Describe the traditions within your service that would make it recognizable as such.

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, August 30, 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

Tradition is a beautiful thing. It helps ground us in our history. In a way, it is how the ancient continue to teach us today, by handing down ideas and thoughts and habits through our traditions. Tradition’s roots are to be honored and adored and truly respected. But what happens when we begin to lose sight of these roots and begin to focus on tradition itself? What happens when we begin to honor the tradition rather than what tradition points to?

In our lesson today, the Pharisees confront Jesus for not holding to ceremonial washing traditions. These traditions probably come from important reasons; ways to keep hands, food, and dishes clean so that diseases do not get passed on. Or perhaps the traditions help ingratiate the washer with thankfulness toward God who has provided the meal, the dishes, the time, and everything to put a meal together. The tradition comes from holy roots, roots designed to teach us about ourselves, God, and how to care for one another’s health. However, the Pharisees have focused so much upon the tradition that they have forgotten the reason. Tradition existed for its own sake, to be done because it was “supposed” to be done, not because it pointed beyond itself.

Jesus points out that cleanliness does not come from activity alone but from a place much deeper. What does it mean that someone follows all the rules of hand-washing but does not care for the other? (see the list from Mark 7:21-22) Cleanliness is not what we do, but is a way of life. Tradition is not the point. It is what the tradition points to, that is the point.

When we think of tradition in the church, we often think of worship. For many, traditional worship is a holy experience, a beautiful and transforming act that re-centers us in God and our community. In more contextual worship, or what you might call contemporary, they too come with their own traditions and ways of doing things, if done a little different from so called traditional worship. But isn’t it easy to go through the motions in either and not think about what we are doing? It isn’t like us to get so tied in what we are supposed to do that we forget why we do it? Isn’t the goal about “who” we worship and not “how” we worship?

Many of our own worshipping traditions have grown out of our theology, and also from our culture. Just like the festivals, worship is born of where they were grown. A wooly worm festival would not work in a place where there are no wooly worms. Butter carvings would melt in Arizona sunshine and some people just might find a Frozen Dead Guy festival too dark and depressing to attend. For their culture, it makes sense, but for others they may feel strange. So too, our worship reflects the culture from where they were born. For some, our culture is a white, western European, culture. This culture gave birth to what we may call “traditional” Lutheran worship. For others, they worship from an African American culture, Caribbean culture, Native American culture, or just about any culture you can imagine; these, too, are “traditional” in that they may be born of their culture’s traditions in worship.

This doesn’t mean that one group worships the right way and the others do not, it only means we can worship in many ways with many traditions and in many languages. God is present in all these places of worship, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable you are. The goal is not the act of worship but the God in and with whom we worship. This is the root of all worship, traditional and contemporary and cultural.

When we invite someone to worship with us, we invite them not to the “usual” but to the “unusual” of our particular congregation. We invite them into our own traditions and ways of worshipping. It is our hope to invite them into our traditions not as an act but as a way of pointing to God. Our hope is that we may not find ourselves so tied to the outside cleanliness of the act that we forget where our tradition points us, to an unfettered relationship with the Creator.

Quotables:

  • “Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.”
    Barbara Tober, president of Acronym, Inc
  • “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.”
    W. Somerset Maugham, English Playwright and Novelist
  • “Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can’t even describe, aren’t even aware of.”
    Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist
  • “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.”
    G. K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936), theologian
  • “Traditionalists often study what is taught, not what there is to create.”
    Ed Parker, Grandmaster, American Kenpo

Discussion Questions

  • Have you ever been to a worship service that made you feel uncomfortable or like an outsider? What was it that made you feel this way?
  • Do you think there is a wrong way to worship? Share your thoughts on why or why not.
  • Think about your church and the worship service(s). Imagine you are a guest to the church, you have never been to church before in your life and you have never heard of Jesus. What are things you do in your church, things you may call a tradition that a guest might find strange or unusual? Kneeling? Raising hands? What points to and describes our relationship with God?

Activity Suggestion

Resident Alien

Have the group walk through their usual worship service. Think of everything they do as a part of normal worship: standing, sitting, kneeling, how the pastor dresses, the songs that are sung, musical instruments used, confession, passing the peace, raising hands, laying on of hands, folding hands, bowing heads, languages spoken, how Communion is distributed, who helps lead worship, art and symbols, how you enter and leave worship, etc. Make a list of these things on a black board, newsprint, or just a sheet of paper. Now take a look at these things from an outsider’s point of view.

Discuss:

  • Describe how it may feel as a guest to encounter these things.
  • Discuss what you think the point or purpose of these acts may be. Why do we kneel? Why do we or perhaps just the pastor hold hands a certain way when praying? Why do we use some instruments and not others to lead the service?
  • What do you think your worship says about your church? What things would you say are important to your congregation, and are shown by what you do or do not do in worship? What does your worship say about you? What does it say about God? About Jesus? The Spirit?
  • Lastly, what would happen if someone tried or did something unusual in your service? How would people react? Are there good reasons for this reaction? What are they? How about negative reasons? What are they?

Closing Prayer

Jesus, you teach us not to focus on the outside things but rather the inside deeper cleanliness you have given us through your death and resurrection. It can be so easy for us to be distracted by how we worship that we forget it is you to whom we give thanks and praise. Forgive us for claiming we know best, and open our hearts so that we may worship you with our hearts as well as in our holy traditions. Help us to remember the reasons for our actions. We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 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.

March 18-25, 2009 – Example of God’s love… on a bicycle

Contributed by Matthew R. Nelson
Walla Walla, WA

Warm-up Question: How do you share your gifts, talents, and time to reflect God’s love?
(From the ELCA News Service, “Lutherans Embrace Man Who Embodied Christ’s Love,” 03/04/2009)

John Breaux helped others using every opportunity possible. While he appeared homeless, he was known for his generosity. He would open doors for others, leave flowers randomly to cheer people up, and often brought food to people in need.

He seemed good natured and happy and rode his bicycle many miles daily, often picking up litter along the way to help keep Colorado beautiful, or stopping to pull weeds at someone’s home because it looked like they could use the help.

John was often mistaken as homeless in the suburban communities surrounding Boulder, CO. He had a bushy beard and often smelled dirty because he picked up and carried trash. He was missing teeth and slurred his speech.

Someone worried that a passing car might hit him, so they purchased a bicycle helmet for him. Others gave him clean clothes to wear for his comfort, which he gave away to someone he thought needed them more than he did. Once, he was handed a $50 bill at church. He put it in the offering plate.

Among all of John’s qualities and behaviors, his desire to be like Jesus stood out. He had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in his 20s according to a newspaper article.

Now, the communities he blessed with his giving are mourning his death. He had stopped to gather loose cans and pull weeds along a road and was struck by a driver taking prescription drugs for dementia. Nearly 2000 people attended his funeral. A memorial fund was set up in his honor. Said one local Lutheran woman, “We will miss him. He taught us that we can all be examples of God’s love.”

Read the whole story

Discussion Questions

  • Share an example of someone you know that uses his or her time, gifts, and talents to reflect God’s love… like John Breaux did. Why are they a good example?
  • What are some of the simpler things we can all do that reflect God’s love? What are some of the more difficult?
  • Does giving of your time, talent, and gifts seem like more of a burden or a responsibility? Does the giving we do require sacrifice every time?
  • How important is it to be recognized publicly for giving, or is it more rewarding to contribute and help others without recognition? Why? What are your expectations when you help or care for someone?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, March 22, 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

John 3:16. My Bible refers to this scripture as the gospel in a nutshell. It is not uncommon to see sports fans holding up signs with John 3:16 written on them, hoping that the poster might be seen by television viewers everywhere. It is a seemingly simple witness, recognized by many.

You and I are unable on our own to comprehend the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made on the cross so that humankind would be offered redemption. We are recipients of the gift of belief as the Holy Spirit guides each of us in our faith walk. The same Holy Spirit encourages us to reflect the gift of God’s love to others through our words, actions, decisions, and lives.

The news story recognizes John Breaux as someone whose identity was defined in several ways. While he appeared dirty and often smelled, he seized opportunities to give to others. While he seemed homeless, he made an impression in several communities and congregations that he visited, demonstrating servanthood to others. Children even referred to him as ‘Jesus’ at times.

Christ made the ultimate sacrifice, by dying on a cross so that through faith, we will have eternal life. But the cross is not the end of the story. Even before Christ was crucified, he exemplified God’s nature and desire for us through his actions in the communities and countryside where he walked, taught, preached, and healed. With every word and action, Christ called the people of his day to be God’s love to others.

With the guidance and motivation of the Holy Spirit, we receive the gift of faith which calls us to action. Like John Breaux, we have every opportunity to exemplify God’s love and sacrifice for the world. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.”

Who will the Holy Spirit lead you to touch with God’s love this week?

Discussion Questions

  • What kind of freedom or restriction do you believe you experience through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross? Why?
  • John Breaux was stereotyped as dirty and homeless, yet he spent much of his time helping others or just being kind to people and his surroundings. Who have you stereotyped in the past? Did your stereotype of them prevent you from taking an opportunity to do something kind, or from leting them care for you?
  • What needs do you feel are not being met in your community or congregation? What should be done? Who should do it?
  • How do people outside of your worshipping community know that you are a faithful servant of Jesus? Do you conduct yourself differently? Why? Why not? What assumptions or impressions of your congregation do you think people have in your community or neighborhood?

Activity Suggestion

God’s love calls us to action as we reflect our faith in this world. Answer #1 individually, and then share your answers. Take a few minutes to do #2 individually.

  • “As a faithful servant, and with God’s help, I try to…”
  • Write an anonymous thank you card to someone you know (in your congregation) thanking them for the example they set for you. Mail them using the church’s address for the return address.Spend five minutes discussing needs that you think are not being met in your congregation or community. (Confidentiality might be in order if talking about your own congregation) 
    • Create a list following your discussion time. Title it: “Opportunities for Ministry.” Post it in your classroom or ask if you can print it in your church bulletin and/or newsletter.
    • If you ask to print it in your bulletin or newsletter, check with your evangelism & outreach committee or church council representatives to see if local organizations are meeting some of these needs, and whether they might need volunteers.
    • Make another list of the gifts, resources, and strengths your congregation and its members have to offer and put to use in serving the surrounding community. List the assets that your youth bring to the mix.

Closing Prayer

Close by praying the Lord’s Prayer together.

March 11-18, 2009 – Atheist ads on British bus

Contributed by Sylvia Alloway
Granada Hills, CA

Ariane Sherine, a British comedy writer, was shocked when she saw an ad on a London bus, placed by a Christian Web site. She decided that religious ads needed a “corrective.” She organized the “Atheist Bus Campaign” (link to BBC News article) and was soon joined by others who objected to religious sentiments expressed in public, notably famous atheist Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion.
Two-hundred thousand dollars later, this advertisement for atheism appeared on London buses: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The American Humanist Association took up the theme by posting an ad on a Washington bus with a picture of Santa Claus that read, “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.” Australians came up with “Atheism: Sleep in on Sunday mornings.”

While some believers are outraged by these notices and demand that they be retracted, others look upon them as a good way to start a conversation about God. Since most of the Western world grants its citizens free speech, it is unlikely that the “Atheist Bus Campaign” will die down at any time soon.

Check out the ELCA ad campaign developed for sharing our mission and ministry.

Discussion Questions

  • Do you think that city buses should run atheistic ads? Christian ads? Why or why not? Are there any kind of ads or messages that shouldn’t be given/sold public space?
  • Under what circumstances could a Christian use the same “stop worrying” ad language to talk about his or her faith?
  • Discuss the bus ads (both Christian and atheistic) in the context of free speech. Does free speech mean anything goes, for instance, ridicule or personal attacks on a person for their beliefs or racial/ethnic identity, or use of cruel, violent, or obscene language? Where do you draw the line? Who should make such decisions?
  • Think about the message, “Stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Would atheism really eliminate worry and make life more enjoyable? Why or why not?
  • Atheists say that there is no factual support for the message of salvation through Christ, or for God’s existence. What do you think? How would you respond to them? 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, March 15, 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

God’s will and law in both our physical and moral world has not been a popular idea throughout history. Yet the Bible is full of stories and admonitions that have to do with the truth and necessity of God’s law in all areas of life. In today’s Old Testament lessons, we have the Ten Commandments and a rousing picture of God’s sovereignty over nature (“The heavens are telling…”) and humanity (“The decrees of God are sure…”). But the New Testament lessons warn us that these laws are not obvious to everyone. In fact some will consider them foolish, while others will simply disobey when it suits them—believers and nonbelievers, alike.

Jesus does not go easy on this latter group who know better but still choose to disobey. The moneychangers in the temple are not just disobeying God’s law, which they probably know very well. They are corrupting God’s temple and leading others into sinful behavior by reducing worship to the act of buying the right sacrifice for the right amount of money so that God will hear their prayers more clearly or treat them more favorably, rather than worship God as they are with what they have. But there can be no tolerance or compromise here. God’s law clearly describes what belongs in the marketplace and what belongs in the temple, and cheating people out of their money (Mark’s account of the same incident, Mark 11:15-17) is wrong in any place and at any time.

When Jesus mentions destroying the temple, the Jewish leaders think he is talking nonsense. Jesus simply leaves them in their ignorance, knowing that they want only to argue, not to learn. At this point, the gospel writer zooms ahead and reminds us that the disciples remember these words of Jesus, after he is resurrected, and then find that they make perfect sense. As believers and followers—imperfect as they are—the disciples have become more open and receptive to God’s truth and word, while others remain resistant or closed off in mind and heart to the truth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

How, then, can we be more Christ-like in the matter of God’s law? We need to study, know, and have faith in God’s word, and apply it boldly to every situation of our life. We must resist compromise or messing with the truth to break or bend the law for our own benefit. And we need the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us in our public witness with others and remind us of the great love and forgiveness that God wraps us in because we are imperfect and not always obedient.

The bottom line: We all need God’s mercy, even in our good works and obedience, because none of our actions are pure. (a paraphrase of Martin Luther)

Discussion Questions 

  • What specific modern examples can you think of in which people think God’s law is foolish, unrealistic, or can be ignored? What examples can you describe of people who claim to know and trust God, but act or do something contrary or seemingly hypocritical? (e.g., a minister scamming a congregation, TV evangelist preaching one thing and living another, a friend in youth group posting lies about someone online, cheating on a test or stretching the truth on an application because it could mean getting into a highly respected Lutheran college, etc.) How does God’s love, grace, and forgiveness enter into all of this?
  • In what way, or under what circumstances, might a bus ad influence a person to accept, reject, or want to know more about God?
  • You never know when you are going to have an opportunity to speak up for Christ, or when you might unknowingly be a witness. In what ways can Christians prepare themselves for such opportunities? Think beyond just spoken words and consider creative writing, videos and photography, actions, Web pages, relationships, decision making, etc.
  • A discussion for more mature students: Atheists claim that human beings can be truly good, caring, and generous without God’s law. What do you think? (Martin Luther talked about several different kinds or righteousness, one being a moral or “civil righteousness.” He described the possibility of people who are not Christian, in the context of obeying government and social laws and expectations, being good citizens who are caring, working for justice, good, and serving people in need. But he is clear in asserting that these works, no matter how good they are, do not earn us favor or salvation with God… that’s where the idea of “heavenly righteousness” or “righteousness of faith” comes in. We give ourselves over in faith that our forgiveness and redemption is God’s work and gift to us through Jesus Christ.)
  • Discussion Extension: Act out a few responses to the news article discussion questions 2 and 5. 

Activity Suggestion

  • Creating bus ads: Use art materials to make one or more Christian bus ads that respond positively (even humorously) to the “Stop worrying” ad or one of the others mentioned in the story. (Remember, the point is not to rip apart or smear the other ads or organizations.)
  • Work in your congregation or synod to use some of the media ads from the ELCA ad campaign. We have a message of good news, hope, and invitation to share with everyone.

Suggested songs

  • “Great is the Lord” (contemporary)
  • “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” Evangelical Lutheran Worship, #858
  • “O, Sing to God Above” (“Cantemos al Señor”), Evangelical Lutheran Worship, #555
  • “Earth and All Stars,” Evangelical Lutheran Worship, #731

Closing Prayer

Almighty God and sovereign Lord, we thank and praise you that your law and your saving grace rule every corner of creation. We need never worry or fear that you are absent or that you have stopped caring for us, your people, your creation. Keep us surrounded by and grounded in your love and will, God, and show us the true freedom that comes from obedience and trust in you. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.