Contributed by Dennis Sepper, University Pastor, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA

Warm-up Question

How many friends have you checked in on today by text, Facebook or cell phone?

An Unexpected Message…

A couple of months ago and email showed up in my inbox.  When I opened the email, the message read, “Are you the Pastor Dennis Sepper who lived in Cincinnati?”  It was from the former organist of the church I served there.  I have to admit that it felt good to know someone was thinking of me and searching for me on the web.  That unexpected email led to a renewed connection with someone I cared about but our paths just led to different places and we lost touch.

About a month ago the student congregation at my school received a postcard from a group called the Gideons (these are the folks who leave Bibles in hotels and who may handout small New Testaments at your school or church).  The postcard stated that the local Gideon chapter prayed for our church’s mission and ministry by name and they wished us well.  The students of the congregation were touched to think that the Gideons would care enough that they would remember them by name in prayer.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever received a message or a Facebook friend request from someone that you didn’t expect?  How did it make you feel?
• Has anyone told you that they prayed for you by name?  If so, how does knowing that fact affect your day or your life?  Does it give you more energy?  Does it make you more hopeful?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, June 5, 2011 (Seventh Sunday of Easter)

Acts 1:6-14

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

John 17:1-11

(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 you may have noticed, our Gospel this week is really a prayer.  It is a prayer spoken by Jesus, directed to God, right after Jesus had eaten this last meal with the disciples and right before the passion and crucifixion of Jesus begins.  Also, you may have noted that Jesus uses the word “glory” quite a few times in this prayer.  You should know that in the Gospel John whenever the “glory” of Jesus is mentioned it is a reference not only to the resurrection of Jesus and his ascension to heaven, but it also includes Jesus’ suffering and death.  In John’s view the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension is how Jesus is glorified and how Jesus gives glory to God.  There is no way our experience can be the same as Jesus’ but we know what it means when, to experience a success, we have to work hard to achieve it.  Sometimes we have to “suffer” for a greater good.  As Christians we are a resurrection people but we walk the way of the cross.

In this final prayer, Jesus’ character is revealed and it is consistent with what he has shown throughout his life.  Jesus prays that God be glorified (verses 1-6), he then moves on to pray for the disciples (verses 6-19) and then Jesus prays for us! (See verses 20-27 which are not a part of our text this week but it’s only fair to look at the whole prayer of Jesus.)

What Jesus asks for in this prayer is that the close relationship that God and Jesus have that this closeness might now include the disciples and the Church throughout the world and throughout the centuries.  What is more, Jesus wants us to experience the love that God has for Jesus and Jesus has for us and Jesus asks God to

Prayer is a truly amazing thing.  God has given us the privilege to talk to God directly anytime we want or need to pray.  We don’t have to address God with special words, we don’t have to pray through a pastor or anyone else and there are no special rituals we have to perform to get God’s attention.  Our prayer can be as simple as saying “God, I need you.”  Prayer is one of the ways we stay connected to God.  Like texting or using Facebook to stay connected to our friends, prayer is how we stay connected to God.

Think about this: Jesus knows he is headed to his suffering and death and yet Jesus takes the time to pray for his disciples, who will deny and abandon him, and Jesus takes the time to pray for us.  Like that person who sent me an email or like the Gideon folks praying for the students at my school, it is a little bit of unexpected grace that Jesus prays for us that we might experience the love of God and Jesus and share that love with others!

Discussion Questions

• How do you view prayer?  Do you see it as a privilege or as an obligation?  Why do you feel that way?  Do you see your personal prayer as an informal conversation with God or as a formal thing?
• What do you think about the fact that just before his suffering and death Jesus prayed for his disciples and us?
• Do you pray often or only when you need something from God?
• If prayer is difficult, what would make prayer easier for you?

Activity Suggestions

Think of someone who might be surprised to hear from you.  It could be a grandparent or a distant relative or a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.  Then write a note, ask to be their friend on Facebook, or text them and let them know you are thinking about them.  Better yet, let them know that you have prayed for them.  If that unexpected grace feels good for you, imagine how it will make them feel.

Closing Prayer

Abba, our heavenly Father, you are indeed worthy of our praise and worship.  We thank you for Jesus who was so loving that he prayed for us before his suffering and death.  By your Holy Spirit help us to glorify you in word and deed as we walk the way of the cross following Jesus.  Help us to love one another, along with the stranger, that all the world might know your love.  To you be the glory and the honor forever and ever.  Amen.

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

Warm-up Question

Have you ever spoken up for someone else? Maybe it was for a younger sibling to your parents… maybe a new student to a teacher?

Speaking Up

An advocate is defined as “a person who pleads for or in behalf of another.” In other words, advocates speak up about something that isn’t directly about them. Usually it means speaking for someone who couldn’t speak for themselves. Lawyers are advocates. Most people do not have the training, expertise, and knowledge of the law to speak for themselves in court.  Lawyers advocate for them.

Your church (the ELCA) is a bunch of advocates. We have advocates who work in Washington, DC, in state capitols, and even at the UN.  They speak for peace, the environment, or fair budgets for the poor. Advocacy (speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves) is part of our calling as disciples of Jesus. For instance, you can read at http://capwiz.com/elca/issues/alert/?alertid=46674501&type=CU about a “season of prayer” for the people of Sudan leading up to the planned independence of South Sudan on July 9.

Discussion Questions

• What faith-connections do you make with public or political advocacy? What biblical stories or ideas come to mind?
• What is an issue or cause that motivates you? Why?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, May 29, 2011 (Sixth Sunday of Easter)

Acts 17:22-31

1 Peter 3:13-22

John 14:15-21

(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

Jesus promised his disciples that he wouldn’t leave them alone forever. Jesus was talking with them before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion about leaving them… but not alone. Still, his disciples were getting afraid. They weren’t sure they would know what to do, what to say.  So Jesus promised them an Advocate. This Advocate (which we call usually call the Holy Spirit) will be with God’s people forever and is called “a Spirit of truth.” This Advocate will help us find the truth, will help us live the truth.

Discussion Questions

• Do you ever feel the Holy Spirit’s presence with you? Is it comforting?
• What truth or truths would you like the Advocate to help you find?
• What things would you like the Advocate to advocate for you? With God? With someone else?

Activity Suggestions

Visit the ELCA’s Legislative Action Center at http://capwiz.com/elca/home/ to find out about the things that need your voice in advocacy. Or, you can “like” ELCA Justice Town on Facebook.

Closing Prayer

Good and gracious God, we thank you that you have sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us and to advocate for us. Inspire us, by your Spirit, to speak for others as you give us the ability.

Contributed by Jocelyn Breeland, Fairfax, VA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever had a lucky break, a time when you “beat the odds?”

Sole Survivor

The sole survivor of the recent Afriqiyah Airways plane crash in Libya was a 10-year-old Dutch boy.  Last year, the sole survivor of a Yemenia Airways plane that crashed into the Indian Ocean was a 12-year-old Parisian schoolgirl. In 2003, the sole survivor of a Sudan Airways crash was a three-year-old boy.

 In the last forty years there have been 16 crashes with a sole survivor, and half of those survivors were minors. Is there something about children that helps them survive air disasters?  You might be forgiven for thinking so.

 The reality is that the survival rate for accidental airplane crashes is over 95%, and based on the statistics, survival has nothing to do with a passenger’s age.  What’s more, although fear of flying is among our most common phobias, the National Safety Council reports the odds of dying in a plane crash (1 in 5,862 over your lifetime) are much smaller than the odds of meeting your end doing something less fearful like being a pedestrian (1 in 623) or riding in a motor vehicle (1 in 85).

Perhaps each of these survivors simply experienced a very lucky day.

Discussion Questions

• Are you afraid of flying?  Does luck play a role in surviving a plane crash? 
• Can faith help you survive a plane crash?
• Imagine what it must be like to be the sole survivor of a disaster such as a plane crash.  Would that be easier or more difficult for a child?
• Do you believe that these survivors were saved “for a reason?”
• Would surviving a plane crash change your faith in any way?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, May 30, 2010 (Holy Trinty/First Sunday after Pentecost)

 Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Romans 5:1-5

John 16:12-15

(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

Contemporary Christians tend to accept the concept of the triune God long before they understand what it truly means.  It’s in the hymns we sing and the creeds we recite.  So, it can be difficult for us to comprehend the attitude of the disciples as they hear the words in today’s Gospel.  Christ was explaining to them things that would take place after his crucifixion and resurrection; things they couldn’t really understand until those events had come to pass.The disciples were about to experience Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, events that would change their lives and their understanding of his mission on Earth.  These events were so far out of their realm of expectation that they couldn’t even contemplate them until they occurred.  And once they did happen, Jesus knew the disciples would feel lost without him to help them understand and move forward.Few of us are able to predict the paths our lives will take.  Like the disciples, we will probably experience a number of unforeseen circumstances—good and bad—that will change how we view ourselves, the world, and God’s plan for our lives. It’s likely that, even if a prophet could warn of those events ahead of time, our understanding of them would be incomplete until we experienced them for ourselves.  And it is likely that we will experience fear and uncertainty from time to time.But, like the disciples, we have the assurance that God provides for our needs now and in the future.  We know as they did, that as God’s plan is revealed to us, we will have the Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us.  In times of trouble we, like the disciples, can recall Christ’s words and know that God has provided exactly what we need to cope with whatever trials each new day may bring.

Discussion Questions

• What is it that Jesus has to tell the disciples that they cannot now bear?
• Based on this scripture, what is the relationship of the Spirit to the Father and Son?
• The disciples faced many trials after the Pentecost.  How might today’s Gospel have been helpful during those times?
• If there were a prophet available, would you want to know in advance of cataclysmic events to come in your life?
• Can your faith help you prepare for bad times?

Activity Suggestions

A mnemonic (ni-MON-ik) device is something that aids memory.  For example, “Roy G. Biv” helps us remember the colors of the spectrum.Design a mnemonic device to help you in times of trouble to remember and call on the Holy Spirit to show you the truth, reassure you of God’s love, and lead you when you’ve lost your way.  Perhaps it’s a phrase you can remember, an image, a piece of jewelry, anything that might help you focus when you need it most.  Use your imagination. Practice using your device. 

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we know that our futures, unknown to us, are known to you and are all part of your plan. You are in control.  We are grateful that, because of the sacrifice of your son Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we always have a guide and a comforter to show us your will and your way.  We thank and praise you for these and the many other blessings you have bestowed on us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Contributed by Daniel Wiessner, Tacoma, WA

Warm-up Question

To whom do you turn when you’re not sure what to do?

An (Increasingly) Open Book

Turns out everyone’s Facebook privacy is getting a lot less private all the time and, unsurprisingly, a few feathers are getting ruffled.

Ryan Singel at Wired noted the private interests which are unavoidably public via Facebook. He wrote, “I’d like to make my friend list private. Cannot. I’d like to have my profile visible only to my friends, not my boss. Cannot. I’d like to support an anti-abortion group without my mother or the world knowing. Cannot.”

The recent addition of Facebook’s new “instant personalization” is getting particular attention due to its sharing of your personal information with Pandora, Microsoft Docs, and Yelp, in order to help those sites tailor their advertisements to fit your interests. Users can opt out, but the process is apparently complicated and confusing. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), among other organizations, is rallying against Facebook with claims that “Instant personalization violates user expectations and reveals user information without the user’s consent.”

Mark Zuckerberg, the guy who started this crazy Facebook thing, stated earlier this year that  Facebook is constantly being updated “to reflect what the current social norms are.  A lot of companies would be trapped by the conventions and their legacies of what they’ve built… doing a privacy change for 350 million users is not the kind of thing that a lot of companies would do. … But we viewed that as a really important thing, to always keep a beginner’s mind and what would we do if we were starting the company now and we decided that these would be the social norms now and we just went for it.”

Main article from: http://www.mediapost.com/blogs/raw/?p=2351
Wired quote from: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/05/facebook-rogue/#ixzz0nbOC4ojY
Zuckerberg quote from: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebooks_zuckerberg_says_the_age_of_privacy_is_ov.php

Discussion Questions

• Are you on Facebook? (Show of hands, for curiosity’s sake.)
• How do you feel about these privacy changes? Does it really matter to you?
• Some people argue that Facebook is causing these shifts in social norms that Zuckerberg spoke about. Do you agree with Zuckerberg (that Facebook is just following the trend) or do you think that it is a driving force in the change? Why?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, May 23, 2010 (Day of Pentecost)

 Acts 2:1-21

Romans 8:14-17

John 14:8-17 [25-27]

(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

I’m afraid I can’t “tsk” Philip too harshly for his opening line in this week’s gospel lesson because, really, he and I have something in common here: We don’t always pay attention so well. Fortunately for the both of us, we have been blessed to hold the company of some very kind and very patient people who are willing to explain things to us again and again.

If you remember, Jesus is going to be leaving his disciples, Philip included.  Reading the rest of John 14 reveals pretty clearly that the disciples are uncomfortable with the idea. The disciples general response is “But-but-but.. Wait! Where are you going? We feel kind of low on definite instructions. Is there any way we could maybe text you if we have questions?”

Jesus calmly and patiently reassures his disciples that things are going to work out just fine. In fact, he even leaves them a number to call, so to speak, in case they get confused. Jesus promises another advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will “teach [them] everything, and remind [them] of all that [Jesus has] said to [them].”

In the same way, by reminding us of Jesus’s teachings and instructions, The Holy Spirit acts as our own divine guide. This is a great gift when our easily confused moral compass might mistake North for East.

With this promise of the “Spirit of truth,” Jesus closes this week’s lesson with some of the most wonderful, calming words we could ever hear from our Lord and Savior. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Amen, Lord Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• Go back and explore the rest of John 14. Think about how the disciples felt before and after this week’s Gospel lesson. What do you think your reaction would have been?
• Looking back at the news for today, do you think that Zuckerberg’s moral compass is confused? Or is the Facebook privacy issue a moral issue at all? Explain.

Activity Suggestions

Texting Treasure Hunt:

In this exercise, there is one leader and a group of hunters. (For youth groups, I recommend there be an adult leader acting as the “leader” as well as another adult leader in the group of “hunters.”) The leader of this exercise must know the surrounding area well. To assist in delivering accurate directions, it may be helpful for the hunters to have  a GPS-enabled phone  while the leader tracks them via Google Latitude or a similar service.

The leader tells the group of hunters that he or she will be waiting for them somewhere nearby before suddenly leaving them. The hunters then petition text messages from the leader in order to help find their way. The leader may be as cryptic or simple as he or she desires.

After the hunters find the leader, they should explore how they felt during the exercise. Was it unnerving to be unaware of where they were headed? Was it reassuring to know that they could ask and receive directions whenever they needed it?

Closing Prayer

Dearest Jesus, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us along your pathways. Thank you for the reassurance you give us every day, through the remembrance of your great sacrifice, that we need never let our hearts be troubled. Amen.

Contributed by Steven Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

How do you feel after you do something you’re not supposed to do? Do you worry about whether or not someone will find out? Do you worry about what kind of trouble you’ll get into?

Faking It and Forgiveness

Tatiana Khan of Los Angeles, CA paid an art restorer $1,000 to make a forgery of Pablo Picasso’s 1902 painting, The Woman in the Blue Hat. She then turned around and sold it for $2 million.

Then the FBI got involved. Khan first told the authorities that she had gotten the painting from someone else and didn’t know it was a fake. She also told the painter of the forgery to lie to the FBI, to claim he only does restoration work, not copying. But the truth soon came to light. Khan is scheduled to plead guilty next month to felony charges of witness tampering and making false statements to the FBI. Her crimes carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, but a plea bargain, based on her cooperation, recommends a maximum sentence of only 21 months.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you suppose Khan tried to sell a phony Picasso? Why do you think the art dealer went along with it?
• Considering that the charges Khan now faces do not concern the painting itself but her subsequent dealings with the FBI, why do you think she lied and tried so hard to cover her tracks, when she knew she was caught?
• If you were the judge, how would you sentence Tatiana Khan? Which sentence do you think is more appropriate for her crimes, 21 months or 25 years?  What sentence should the forger/art dealer receive?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, May 9, 2010 (Sixth Sunday of Easter)

Acts 16:9-15

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

John 14:23-29

(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

“Those who love me will keep my Word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” Familiar words from a familiar verse. But upon closer inspection, the interpretation becomes a little more daunting.

“…and my Father will love them.” But what if we don’t keep God’s word? Won’t he still love us? Because, try as we might, none of us can keep God’s word all the time. And what about the next verse? “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.” But we do love Christ! We may mess up.  We fail to keep his words the way we should. We may even flat out deny our relationship with Jesus, as Peter did. But that didn’t mean Peter loved Jesus any less, nor do we. Though we love him, we are prone to sin. So what can we do?

Well, Jesus covers that too. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.” God sent us the Holy Spirit to help us in our spiritual lives. He will keep us on the right track, be our help in times of trouble, and guide us when we stray from the path. Everyone strays from God’s word sometimes. The Holy Spirit is our advocate—someone who intercedes on our behalf when we fail to measure up, a reminder that God still loves us, even when we sin.

Jesus also gives us something else: Peace. When we sin, it can weigh heavily on our conscience and tear us up inside.  We worry about what we’ve done and wonder what others will think of us if they find out. But Jesus gives us his peace, so that our hearts need not be troubled. Knowing we are forgiven, that God still loves us, we can rest easy. But we do more than just rest. With the Holy Spirit to guide us and Christ’s peace to comfort us, we can get back on the right path, seeking to love God and keep his Word.

Discussion Questions

• Since we know that we’re forgiven and God still loves us, even when we sin, does that give us a free pass to sin whenever we want? Why? How would that attitude reflect on our love for God?
• What are some ways the Holy Spirit has guided you back to God’s path when you strayed?
• How is our situation like Tatiana Khan’s? How is it different? Do you think the FBI cut her a deal for a reduced sentence out of forgiveness or for some other reason?

 Activity Suggestion

Look in the Bible for other mentions of the Holy Spirit (The Spirit, Comforter, Advocate, etc.). Write about how the Holy Spirit is active in our lives.

Closing Prayer

Holy Spirit, watch over me in all that I do and keep me on the right path.  When I stray, lead me back to you. Give me your peace, so that my heart may not be troubled.  Help me always to love you more and more, that I may keep your Word. Amen.