Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Question

Who are some of the people who have had a positive influence on your life?  What was it about them that was so meaningful to you?

A Time for Leadership

On Friday, January 25, President Trump signed a bill temporarily re-opening the federal government after a partial shutdown.  The 35-day shutdown – the longest yet in U.S. history – not only dominated recent news headlines but has negatively impacted the lives of many in our country, most especially the 800,000 federal workers who were either furloughed or required to work without being paid.  Initial estimates by the Congressional Budget Office indicate that the permanent cost to the U.S. Economy will be around $3 billion. 

Leadership will figure heavily in the days ahead when it comes to how, or if, this issue will be resolved.  Congressional leaders have until February 15 to reach a compromise on the Republicans request billions of dollars to be allocated for a border wall which, up until this point, Democrats have refused to fund.  Failure on the part of these leaders to work together to successfully navigate competing priorities and the current political landscape could potentially lead to another shutdown.

Discussion Questions

• What is leadership?  How do you define it?
• Who would you say are some of the greatest leaders in modern history?  Why?
• When it comes to choosing who to follow, what qualities do you look for in a leader?
• Who inspires you?

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 6:1-8 [9-13]

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Luke 5:1-11

(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

Recently, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary.  Like most everyone we know, we had no idea exactly what we were getting into when we said, “I do.”  We only knew that from that moment on our lives would never be the same.  There would be new demands and challenges, new joys and surprises, and a journey together filled with moments we’d never even dreamed of.  I wonder if, somehow, Simon Peter and the other fishermen-turned-disciples of Jesus didn’t also feel the same.

We are by the Lake of Gennesaret this week, also known as the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus’ teaching, preaching, and acts of power have begun to draw large crowds.  People are pressing in on him, so, making the most of the geography and the water’s effect of providing natural amplification, Jesus has a couple of local fishermen, including one Simon, take him out in their boat.  What did Jesus say to the crowd?  Were the fishermen hanging on his every word?  Luke doesn’t say.  Yet, whatever their experience of Jesus, it must have made an impression because, despite their knowing better, they follow his next request to put out into the deep water and let their nets down for a catch.

Now just imagine the scene.  Simon Peter is initially reluctant to even bother because he knows that this isn’t the right time of day for fishing.  Not only that, but, when Jesus first showed up, they were right in the middle of cleaning their equipment after a long, fruitless night of catching nothing. What Jesus’ asks seems pointless, but perhaps we are meant to hear echoes of other stories Luke has already told about the intersection of human impossibility and divine power, stories like that of Mary and of Zechariah and Elizabeth.  For, in their obedience to Jesus’ word, Simon and his partners find themselves knee deep in such a huge catch of fish that their boats begin to sink.

It is clear this is no ordinary moment.  Shocked and amazed by what he has just experienced, Simon Peter’s response to being in the presence of the Holy is to beg Jesus to leave him, for he knows that he is not worthy.  Yet the good news for Simon Peter, and for us, is that his lack of holiness does not disqualify him.   For the same power that brought him to his knees now lifts him and the other fishermen up.  “Do not be afraid,” Jesus says to them, “from now on you will be catching people.”

In the end, Peter and his companions leave everything to follow Jesus. Their lives will never be the same. They have no idea where this journey will lead. They only know that, if Jesus isn’t worth following, then nobody is!  

Discussion Questions

• Read through this passage again.  Along with the miraculous catch of fish, one of the big surprises is who Jesus calls to be his disciples – uneducated fishermen.  What are some of the other surprises that you see?
• How do you feel about Simon Peter and his companions’ response? Why do you think these men dropped everything to follow Jesus?  
• What do you think it means to follow Jesus today?  What does it look like to be a disciple?  Is it difficult to follow Jesus? Why/why not? What might we need to leave behind?
• When it comes to “catching people,” what do you think the church/your congregation/your small group needs to be doing at this point in time?

Activity Suggestions

Video: For further discussion on the sheer grace of being called to follow Jesus, watch Rob Bell’s short video, Dust (Nooma series).  Though not specifically about this passage, he presents a great take on what being called by a rabbi to “follow me” meant in Jesus’ day, and how Jesus’ invitation to Peter, James, John, and the rest would have been most unusual.  Talk together about what it means that Jesus calls us to be his followers.  What does it mean to you that Jesus believes in you?  Does this change the way you see yourself as a disciple?

Remember Your Baptism: As part of your concluding prayer this session, invite participants to remember their baptisms as a connection to the calling we receive to be followers and disciples of Jesus.  This could be as simple as having a small bowl of water in which you invite them to dip a finger and make the sign of the cross on their own forehead.  Or perhaps have them bless one another.  Especially instructive are these words from Evangelical Lutheran  Worship (pg. 227) with which the presiding minister addresses the assembly during a baptism:

In baptism our gracious heavenly Father frees us from sin and death by joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are born children of a fallen humanity; by water and the Holy Spirit we are reborn children of God and made members of the church, the body of Christ.  Living with Christ and in the communion of saints, we grow in faith, love, and obedience to the will of God.

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, before we could even think to seek you, you have come seeking us. As your Son was revealed to Simon Peter and the others through a miraculous catch of fish, help us to see the many ways that you act in our lives, and to praise you for the grace that you give to us day by day.  Empower us by your Spirit to follow, lead us to be living signs of your love, and give us the courage to invite others.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen

Herb Wounded Head, Brookings SD

Warm-up Question

Would you consider yourself an honest person? Would you say that your friends are honest people? 

Who Are You?

A young man was caught using Alexa to cheat on his homework. The mother caught him using Alexa to do his math homework and posted a video on social media to show what he was doing. The boy simply asked Alexa, “What is 5 minus 3?”  The boy seemed unaware that he was doing anything wrong.  He was simply using a tool with which he was very familiar.  The incident raises the deeper questions of how we learn right from wrong and where we are to draw the line between cheating and simply using a new technology well.

A lot of this has to do with our sense of identity and integrity. Identity is your understanding of who you are and what you’re about. Integrity is that you do what you say you’re going to do. It’s important for us to know who we are in order to have a sense of what’s right and wrong. Usually, we are taught at a young age our sense of ethic and the difference between right and wrong. 

When we get older, we often have to re-evaluate what this sense of ethic is depending on circumstances and depending on the situation we find ourselves in. If we don’t constantly evaluate our sense of right and wrong, we may do things that are unethical, even though they may seem harmless decisions, they can change our sense of identity and integrity. So we have to ask ourselves who we are and whose we are from time to time in order to enter our baptismal lives with a sense of integrity and a solid sense of identity.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever cheated at anything? What was it? Did you get caught?
• How did you feel after cheating?

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Jeremiah 1:4-10

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Luke 4:21-30

(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

Oh how things can change when we’re honest and prophetic with people. Jesus starts out in this passage in a positive light and ends the passage with the people willing to throw him off a cliff. All because he interpreted scripture for them in light of revealing his own identity to them. Jesus knows his prophetic and honest words to them will be met with rejection. Jesus has a very clear sense of who he is and how expansive his ministry will be. Jesus is rejected because he announces that his ministry is meant for outsiders, not those who feel a sense of entitlement or privilege just for being on the inside. 

This isn’t an anti-Semitic message, the congregation in the synagogue is not unique in feeling entitled to special favor from God.  Rather, this is also a message for us who are on the inside: the baptized and the churched. We need to understand and grasp that ministry is for those who have been shut outside the church’s walls and ignored and cast out by society. Jesus is with the widow and the leper, bringing them healing and wholeness and it’s our calling to bring healing and wholeness of God’s grace in Christ to the world outside.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think Jesus’ says his ministry is for outsiders?
• When have you felt like an outsider?
• What word of God’s grace have you heard today?
• Who are the outsiders in our world, the ones we are tempted to forget, treat as invisible, or place beyond the circle of God’s concern and care?

Activity Suggestions

Needs: A roll of toilet paper

Ask people to remove as many tissues as they think they will need (don’t tell them why) After everyone has finished, have them count the number of squares they have taken. Have them share as many fun facts about themselves as squares they have taken.

Closing Prayer

Holy and gracious God, you come to us new, each and everyday. Help us to see your face in the outcast, the downtrodden, the lonely, the poor and the sick. Give us faith to see and ears to hear your word of grace and love in our lives. Amen.

We Show Up

In November I attended the first ELCA Young Adult Discernment Retreat. This retreat was an incredible opportunity to find a rare space of reflection, prayer, and worship with peers, and a space to be ministered to. With what feels like decreasing numbers in the ELCA young adult demographic, it may be surprising that young adults have an interest in gathering together to discern in community. I have some news for you: young adults show up! With over 50 of us in attendance and the wait list in the hundreds, young adults throughout the ELCA sent a message: If you make the space, we will come.

The Word

…When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”…(Esther 4:12-14)

A Season Of Hope

When I heard this reading for the Second Sunday of Advent, I reflected on my time at the Young Adult Discernment Retreat and I was filled with so much hope. Each of us, like Esther, came to our position “for such a time as this”. And like Esther’s faith community, the young adults of the ELCA came together in support of one another in holy community for the sake of the world. The peers I was surrounded by are ready to be leaders. The space to discern our next most faithful step was vital to stewarding those gifts of leadership. If we remain silent, change will come but we won’t be part of it. We were created on purpose for this moment, in this time, in our unique positionality, and we need “Mordecais” in our life to remind of us of our call. My hope is rooted in the sound of this reminder resonating with the 50 young adults I was surrounded by and our peers around the world.

Savanna Sullivan, the Program Director for ELCA Young Adult Ministries, addressed the attendees of the retreat as “prophetic young leaders”. This was my first “Mordecai moment”. God is speaking through young people and it’s time to listen. The second came as another attendee shared her writing during our final worship together:

When I think about call, I think about Hagar
the runaway slave-girl turned single mother.
The most vulnerable in her community
When the angel of the Lord comes to call her he asks her two questions.
Where do you come from and where are you going?

So I asked myself, where do I come from?
I am standing on the shoulders of those who stood up for me.
Ancestors, mentors, teachers, friends.
I am standing on the shoulders of those who stood up for me.

So I asked myself, where am I going?
I am called to stand tall so others can stand on me
because like Hagar in Genesis 16:13,
I have seen the One who sees me.
(Claire Embil)

A Season of Action

My identity as a young person in the church has been particularly salient to me lately. It’s hard not to feel strength in identities that hold less power when reading Claire’s words. Young people need a place in our church and we need young people to be in positions of agency to create those spaces.

Last month I was nominated for a position on my congregation’s Vision Team (Church Council). This is my opportunity to ask “Who’s not at our table” and take steps to create opportunities for all people to show up as their fullest self. This doesn’t stop with age. As I looked around our retreat, I saw a room full of God’s people across all identities that are ready to be “prophetic young leaders”. I have to trust that God is preparing our church to be ready for us.

Discussion Questions:

1. How did the season of Advent bring hope into your life?
2. How can you better ask “Who’s not at our table”? What’s the best way to invite them?
3. Who are the “Mordecais” in your life? What are they saying?
4. How can you better create space to listen to young people share new ideas?

Daniel serves as a lay leader for children’s ministry at New Heights Lutheran Church and is an active member of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin – ELCA Youth & Family Ministry Network. He is a gymnastics coach, a substitute teacher and spends his spare time playing nerdy board games. Daniel has been a part of several different ministries’ strategic planning efforts and finds joy in dreaming with organizations about systemic ways to be radically welcoming.

Andrew Tucker, Columbus, OH

Warm-up Question

What does it feel like to come home after you’ve spent some time away? What does it feel like when people notice the ways that you’ve changed while you were gone?

Coming Home

Census researches report that more and more people are moving away from rural living and into urban and suburban communities. That’s true in our country, in  small town Warren, North Carolina. The reasons for such departures include the high volume of job opportunities, public services, and entertainment options in cities. The same is true of me, a child of small town Orrville, Ohio who currently lives in Columbus, Ohio and has lived in major metropolitan areas for most of the last decade. This trend extends far beyond the United States. It’s true across the globe, even as far away as Australia. Yet, as this last article details, there are people that choose to live the country life despite the trends toward metropolitan living, and even those who return home to country life after deciding to leave the daily grind of the city. While the trend is toward population centers, some are drawn to their more rustic roots to make major changes or undertake new initiatives, like beginning a new job or starting a family. 

Discussion Questions

• Would you rather live in the city, in the suburbs, in a small town, or in the country? 
  • How does that compare to where you live now?
  • Which one feels most like home to you?
• What might make you come back home after moving away? 
  • What in that is inspiring to you?
  • What in that challenges you?

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Luke 4:14-21

(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

Though the heading in your Bible might say something like, “The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth,” as it does in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), the reading we’re assigned today only introduces us to Jesus’s routine, his leadership, and his decisions at the very beginning of his public ministry. Any knowledge of his rejection comes later.

In our seven verses, we see Jesus come to Galilee from Jerusalem, which is a big change. Comparing Nazareth to Jerusalem is likely comparing a town with one stoplight to Los Angeles. Nazareth was a small place, relatively insignificant to most outside observers, except we know that it was Mary’s hometown and where Jesus grew up. Now, he’s back with some new news to share. But how did he get here?

Just before this, John baptizes in the Jordan River, near the Dead Sea. Then Jesus follows the Spirit into the wilderness for temptation before he eventually lands in Jerusalem. In other words, Jesus could easily have begun his ministry in the center of religious life, among the politically powerful and socially elite, with a huge audience to hear the message of God’s reign come near. For some reason, Jesus returns home to start a movement that will change the entire world.

Perhaps this was because it’s easier to start a new movement in familiar territory. Perhaps Jesus wanted to try his routine first with a smaller audience. Perhaps it’s because Jesus hoped to recruit people as disciples from among old friends and fishing buddies. We can imagine many reasons, but what the Bible tells us specifically is that Jesus came to Galilee under the power of the Holy Spirit and entered that synagogue on the Sabbath because it was his custom. Just as the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for his temptation, so too the Spirit leads Jesus into Galilee to begin his ministry. 

Jesus went home because God was there, calling him to something wonderfully new in a place that felt very familiar. Jesus, following the proclamation of Isaiah 62, proclaimed some radical changes to his family and neighbors and friends: “Good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor.” In other words, Jesus didn’t just return home for himself, but instead, followed the Spirit in a mission to bless all kinds of people, beginning with the people Jesus knew best.  

It’s important to remember that; just because Jesus knew them best doesn’t mean he liked them most. This is not a call to give good news just to your friends, to those like you. Rather, when we follow Jesus and return home with good news, we offer that gospel of liberation and divine favor to all people. Jesus’ return isn’t because of his affinity for the select few of Galilee, but because the seed of his word, planted in the Nazarene soil, will blossom with fruit that will feed all nations. 

Even though the hustle and bustle of Israel’s religious and spiritual life was centered in Jerusalem, Jesus announced the fulfillment of God’s promises in Galilee. Of course, Jesus eventually returns to Jerusalem, and sends the disciples from Jerusalem to the very ends of the earth. In other words, God’s good news is for all people, no matter where they call home.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think, according to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus chose to begin his ministry in his home region of Galilee? 
• How could you, like Jesus, do something profoundly new in the normalcy of your own home?
• In what way could you try to make a huge impact for God through a place or community that other people believe to be insignificant? 

Activity Suggestions

• Play a game with a home base, like capture the flag or kick the can, but make the home base an inconvenient or typically disadvantaged place in the game. Help the players see the value of home even if it’s not the most common or easiest choice. 
• Have participants write or draw on sticky notes what things they would like to have in life (house, family, job, recreation, and the like). Then, have them put each note on a map where it is most likely to exist in the way they imagine it. For instance, someone who loves public transportation and easy access to NBA games likely won’t find those in Idaho’s potato fields. But if someone likes stargazing, camping, easy access to ski slopes, and physical work, then rural Idaho could be just the place.  
• On your next youth group trip, whether to a church conference or serving learning trip, intentionally include rural, suburban, and urban experiences to help your people visualize the way their faith might come alive in each of these spaces.

Closing Prayer

God of our ancestors, we thank you for homes that raise us well, for homes that give us respite from abuse, dysfunction, or neglect, for homes that inspire us to journey into the great unknown, and for homes that receive us with open arms when we return. Wherever we make our home, guide us into a community that lives your favor for all people. Amen.

The third Monday in January is observed in honor of the birthday and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Efforts to designate a day to honor Dr. King began shortly after his  assassination on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. It took an act of Congress to pass the measure– with former President Ronald Reagan signing the bill into law in 1983. Institutions such as banks, schools, post offices and non-essential government offices close in observance of the holiday. Many of us will attend worship services, community events or volunteer in acts of service. However, if you live in Alabama or Mississippi, Dr. King and Confederate general Robert E. Lee’s birthday are combined in observance of the day. Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929 and Lee was born on January 19, 1807.  Dr. King gave his life to bring this country together against racial divides. Lee fought to divide this nation by preserving the enslavement of blacks in southern states. Just to be clear celebrating the birthday of Robert E. Lee as a hero is about maintaining a legacy of white supremacy.   Organized efforts are underway in Mississippi to separate the two days. However, no such actions are currently planned in Alabama.

“But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:24 (NRSV)

Dr. King along with the collective power of grassroots leaders and national organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the  Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the interracial Freedom Riders, challenged the legal system of racial segregation. Their campaigns of non-violent action, voter registration drives, teach-ins and sit-ins–challenged racial attitudes; broke down racial barriers in employment, housing, education; public accommodations, travel and voting. Activist of the movement placed their lives and limbs on the line to do what they had to do for justice. Their bodies in action became a spiritual meditation, born out of a love for God’s people on a quest for justice. Selma to Montgomery marcher and activist, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was quoted as saying that civil rights marchers “prayed with their feet.”  Rabbi Heschel

marched with Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 in support of black voters’ rights.  The physical sacrifices and spiritual efforts of these movement workers were not in vain.  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 signaled major progress in ending overt racist segregation politics and polices. Yet, Dr. King believed the fight for freedom rested on building an intersectional, multiracial coalition of African Americans, white Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans that worked towards bending the arc of the universe towards racial and economic justice for all people.

Concerned for the living and working conditions of poor people in the United States, Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)  began to organize a campaign led by people impacted by poverty. The dream for the Poor People’s Campaign was born. The campaign was designed to take on the social structures that produced the oppression and suffering of people.  Dr. King said: ‘The dispossessed of this nation—the poor, both white and Negro—live in a cruelly unjust society. They must organize a revolution against that injustice, not against the lives of their fellow citizens, but against the structures through which the society is refusing to deal with the issues of injustice.’ Dr. King’s intersectional approach towards systems of oppression launched the vision for the Poor People’s Campaign.  Although Dr. King’s life was cut short by an assassin on April 4, 1968 — his vision for the campaign lived on. In May of 1968, the Poor People’s March was launched in Washington, D.C.

The days of racial segregation under Jim Crow laws may be over but the ills of  systemic racism and poverty are alive and well.  Racial profiling; extrajudicial killing of unarmed black and brown bodies by law enforcement; the disproportionate number of poor, people of color trapped within the criminal unjust system;  voter suppression laws and tactics that diffuse the political power of poor communities of color; the resegregation of school districts that shuttle poor Black, Latino and Native American children to under performing schools; and the gravity of nearly 41 million people in the U.S. living below the federal poverty line. A poverty line that cuts across race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, ability and geography.

Building on the dream of Dr. King and the movement makers of the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign; fifty years later the vision was resurrected. The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival co-chaired by and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharris and Rev. Dr. William Barber II, is a multifaith, multiracial  nonviolent coalition of our time. The campaign seeks to hold this nation accountable to  the democratic values of liberty, equality and justice. Grassroots activist of the Poor People’s Campaign have picked up the mantel of the Civil Right era. Across this  country, community leaders are showing up, speaking out, marching together by “praying with their feet” against the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation’s distorted morality.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s social statement, The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective,  proclaims that “this church is committed to defend human dignity, to stand with poor and powerless people, to advocate justice, to work for peace, and to care for the earth in the processes and structures of contemporary society. Lutherans teach that we are freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbor.

Disrupting and resisting the systems that dehumanize and oppress the most vulnerable within society is the work of followers of Christ. Systemic racism and poverty undermine the basic tenets of our democracy and human rights. As we remember the legacy of Dr. King, let us follow  the example of Jesus Christ by walking with our neighbors for justice and  “praying with our feet.”

Judith Roberts serves as the ELCA Program Director for Racial Justice. 

 

Our values are tangibly expressed when elected policy makers create laws and programs that support and protect vulnerable people in all our communities in times of great need. The current government shutdown is an impediment. Vital domestic programs that ensure food, housing, health, safety and more are stalemated. Global initiatives that bring sustenance and hope are interrupted. Civil servants across our land and low wage federal contractors who strive daily to carry out the work of our government are experiencing increasing strain as the shutdown elongates.

Federal programs that provide vital housing assistance to low income families, seniors and others are facing challenges the longer the government shutdown continues. Visit this interactive map published by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in which ELCA Advocacy is a participating member, to see how your state is effected.

God calls us to care and to act. See the Action Alert for suggested action to help move our nation beyond the current impasse.

Congress and the president should reopen government. The hard work of fixing the immigration system in the United States by ensuring a pathway to citizenship for members of our community without legal status in the United States and by supporting research-based border policy should follow.

Our opportunities to be heard are limited during this shutdown period. Currently the White House call center is closed. Tips to leave a voice message with your Senators and Representatives urging them to reopen government can be found in the Action Alert: “End the government shutdown.”

Today’s post is by Linda Witte Henke, an artist specializing in liturgically purposed art for congregation, synod, and churchwide settings (www.lindahenke.com). This is Linda’s second quarterly post providing suggestions and templates for use of visuals to enhance worship.

A mystery of the Revised Common Lectionary is how the texts speak in fresh ways with each repetition of the cycle.  The Year C texts for Lent once again touched my heart and sparked my imagination.  I was especially inspired by how the prayers of the day in Evangelical Lutheran Worship speak eloquently in pointing to the very heart of the gospel and engaging our reflection on the gospel’s significance for our life/faith journeys:

• Lent I – Sunday, March 10-  Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness [Luke 4:1-13]

O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world toward the life you alone can give, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

• Lent II – Sunday, March 17 – Jesus longs to gather his brood [Luke 13:31-35]

God of the covenant, in the mystery of the cross you promise everlasting life to the world. Gather all peoples into your arms, and shelter us with your mercy, that we may rejoice in the life we share in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

• Lent III – Sunday, March 24 –  Parable of the unproductive fig tree [Luke 13:1-9]

Eternal God, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. Help us to hear your word and obey it, and bring your saving love to fruition in our lives, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

• Lent IV – Sunday March 31-  Parable of the prodigal father [Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32]

God of compassion, you welcome the wayward, and you embrace us all with your mercy. By our baptism clothe us with garments of your grace, and feed us at the table of your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

• Lent V – Sunday, April 7-  A woman anoints Jesus [John 12:1-8]

Creator God, you prepare a new way in the wilderness, and your grace waters our desert. Open our hearts to be transformed by the new thing you are doing, that our lives may proclaim the extravagance of your love given to all through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

 

These pairings of gospel texts and prayers of the day inspired creation of the visuals I offer for your consideration in planning Lenten worship.  This overview introduces the theme, visuals, and possible applications (to view, select “Open with -> MS Power Point Online,” then select “View -> from the beginning”).  As you begin to envision possibilities for your ministry setting, explore these specific resources:

• Full-color graphics suited for use on bulletin covers, as projected worship images, for incorporation in print and/or electronic communications, for developing printed fabric-or-paper banners, etc.
• Simple line drawings for use as coloring pages to engage children with each week’s gospel or as enlarged as posters used for an intergenerational coloring project that could provide Children’s Message illustrations or be mounted and displayed in worship.
• Sample worship bulletin covers incorporating the visuals in two standard bulletin sizes.
• Sample worship projection graphics linking the visuals with the prayers of the day.
• Sample postcard design to encourage participation in Lenten worship by those within and beyond the congregation.
• Sample electronic design to promote Lenten worship on your website and/or social media platforms and to provide members with a tool for inviting family and friends to participate with them in Lenten worship.
• Suggested reflection prompts on the links between the gospel texts and the Prayers of the Day.

I often use my home congregation to field test my work. They were inspired to use the “Prayers for the Journey” theme for both Sunday worship and mid-week services. On Sundays, we’ll use the visuals and prayers of the day to focus on the gospel texts; for midweek worship, we’ll use the “journey prayer” (ELW p. 317) as a lens for deeper exploration of how our personal journeys intersect with Jesus’ journey to the cross.  May your congregation’s worship planning be similarly inspired!

California | Colorado | Minnesota | New Mexico | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Southeastern Synod | Washington

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California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy                                                                                                             loppca.org

Mark Carlson and Regina Banks

A NEW DIRECTOR: The Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California is delighted to announce the appointment of a new director, Ms. Regina Banks, J. D.  Her background includes work as a legislative staffer and work in a legal clinic.  She is an alumna of Valparaiso University Law School.  Regina replaces Mark Carlson, who served in various capacities in the office since its founding in 1984.

Faith Leaders with Governor Newsom

A NEW GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE: Following holiday recess, the 2019-2020 session of the California Legislature reconvened January 7, Inauguration Day for Governor Gavin Newsom. The day started with a Unity Service hosted at St. John’s Lutheran Church, home of LOPP-CA, and organized by the San Francisco Interfaith Council.  Gov. and First Partner Jennifer Seibel Newsom, parents of four children, bring fresh energy, a new generation of leaders, and, among other priorities, a renewed focus on early childhood education and health.

A SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY: The 30^th Anniversary of the Cleveland School Shooting in Stockton, adjacent to then-Faith Lutheran Church, was observed at the Stockton Civic Auditorium on January 17. Pastor Alan Field, present at Faith at the time of the shooting, traveled from Tucson to participate.  Five elementary-age students were killed, and nearly 30 students (including a member of Faith Lutheran; others were mostly from Southeast Asian refugee families) and a teacher were wounded, by a troubled young man with encounters from childhood to young adulthood with child welfare, juvenile justice, alcohol and drug, and mental health services. The incident was the primary catalyst for the ELCA Social Message on Community Violence.

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Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Colorado                                                                                           lam-co.org

2019 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA: Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado has published its 2019 legislative agenda. You can read our agenda at www.lam-co.org. Our top-line goals are to ensure that people living in poverty can meet basic needs while addressing systemic issues that prevent people from earning a self- or family-sustaining income, with heightened concern for people disproportionately impacted by policy change in these areas. Below are several major issues we anticipate addressing:

ENDING THE DEATH PENALTY: We support the abolition of capital punishment in Colorado and anticipate advancing this issue in 2019.

SCHOOL LUNCHES: We will seek to expand the reduced price lunch co-pay through high school. This will build on our work in 2018, when we successfully expanded the co-pay from grade 5 up through grade 8.

CLEAN SLATE: Too many Coloradans experience unstable employment and housing situations because of a criminal record. We will support legislation to automatically seal the records of those with charges that did not result in a conviction after 60 days, as well as non-violent drug misdemeanors after 7 years. These offenses are already eligible for sealing under Colorado law, but an individual must undertake the costly and time-consuming petition process themselves.

In addition, we anticipate work on paid family leave, local control over raising minimum wage, source of income discrimination and warranty of habitability for housing. The Colorado General Assembly convenes on January 4, 2019, and will meet for 120 days.

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota                                                                   www.lutheranadvocacymn.org

 NOTE: Lutheran Advocacy-MN’s advocacy priorities were provided previously. Please check our website for details!

NEW ADMINISTRATION & LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Gov. Tim Walz and his Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan, took the oath of office January 7. The Walz-Flanagan administration is a reflection of their “One Minnesota” campaign theme. Nearly 20% of new department commissioners live in Greater Minnesota, and 50% grew up there. More than 20% are people of color, and women commissioners exceed 50%. [Learn about commissioners] On January 8, the 2019-2010 legislative biennium began. Democrats have taken leadership of the House of Representatives while Republicans retain control of the Senate.

CITIZEN ADVOCACY: Nothing is as effective as citizen advocacy! It is an easier than many people realize, and LA-MN staff are ready to help you set up meetings, supply you with talking points, help prep you for legislator conversations, and supply samples for letter campaigns. LA-MN Director, Tammy Walhof, is also willing to meet with church or synod committees, speak for adult forums or worship, provide workshops, and facilitate activities with youth groups. LA-MN wants to help you (and your congregation) live your faith in the public square!

Important committees for LA-MN’s affordable housing & energy work are:

House

Housing Finance & Policy Division chaired by Rep. Alice Hausman

Health & Human Services Finance Division chaired by Rep. Tina Liebling

Health & Human Services Policy Division chaired by Rep. Rena Moran

Energy & Climate Finance & Policy Division chaired by Rep. Jean Wagenius

Senate

Agriculture, Rural Development & Housing Finance Committee chaired by Sen. Torrey Westrom

Agriculture, Rural Development & Housing Policy Committee chaired by Sen. Bill Weber

Health & Human Services Finance & Policy Committee chaired by Sen. Michelle Benson

Energy & Utilities Finance & Policy Committee chaired by Sen. David Osmek

*(If bonding bills occur in the first year of the biennium, the Capitol Investment Committees will also be important. Usually, bonding occurs in the second year of each biennium)

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New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico                                                            lutheranadvocacynm.org

2019 ADVOCACY AGENDA SUMMARY: The LAM-NM Advocacy Agenda is adopted each fall by the LAM-NM Policy Committee. Since our beginnings, our Advocacy Agenda has focused primarily on alleviating poverty and hunger because New Mexico ranks among the states with the highest rates of poverty and hunger. Below is a summary and here is link to our full 2019 Advocacy Agenda document.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS:

• Support for the state Housing Trust Fund
• Funding for programs that assist people experiencing homelessness

FAMILY-SUSTAINING INCOME:

Policies & programs that assist people living in poverty to work toward family-sustaining income

• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
• Quality early childhood programs & childcare assistance
• Raising the state minimum wage with inflation adjustments
• Right of workers to organize & bargain collectively
• Restricting predatory lending
• Paid sick and family leave

HEALTHCARE:

• Outreach & enrollment of those eligible for Medicaid or the NM Health Insurance Exchange
• Increasing the number of people with health coverage by working toward a Medicaid Buy-in program
• Creation of the mid-level profession of dental therapist to increase access to dental care
• Increase funding for the DD (Developmental Disabilities) Waiver

HUNGER:

• Increasing funding for the state SNAP supplement program & removing barriers to SNAP enrollment
• Efforts to close New Mexico’s food gap & funding for food banks

TAX POLICY:

• Tax policy that is fair and provides stable, sustainable & adequate revenue to meet the needs of the our state, particularly the most vulnerable
• Effective oversight & review of state tax credits, exemptions & incentives

CRIMINAL JUSTICE:

• Ending solitary confinement for juveniles and people with serious mental illness in prisons, jails & detention centers; restricting the use of solitary confinement for the general population in prisons, jails and detention centers
• Working against efforts to reinstate the death penalty
• Supporting efforts to “Ban the Box” on initial employment applications so that felony convictions are not used to screen out applicants

 Note: The LAM-NM Policy Committee may add issues as opportunities might arise.

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NORTH CAROLINA

Deacon GeoRene Jones, NC Synod Social Justice and Advocacy Ministries (SJAM)

NC Synod SJAM policy priorities for 2019 are affordable housing, immigration, voting rights, and gun violence.

The NC Governor’s Crime Commission Special Committee for School Safety, specifically tasked with identifying resources and developing recommendations to strengthen school safety, graciously received from the ELCA Social Statement “Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor” (2003) and 2016 Churchwide Assembly’s Resolution, “Gun Violence Prevention.”

The Synod’s Legislative Advocacy Day, March 26, 2019, will begin with a Prayer Breakfast at the State Legislative Building. The day will include education workshops for participants and culminate in visits with State Legislators and their policy staff members.

The ‘A-Team’ (“A”=Advocacy) of Christ the King of Cary, NC meets with SJAM Convener Michael Jones, and Deacon GeoRene Jones and, to review the congregation’s peace and justice ministries. Says Pastor Wolfgang Herz–Lane, “[We are] so excited about how our congregation is working for the sake of the world.

Pastors Carol and Greg Yeager are leading the task force to host an ELCA/SJAM Tent at the 2019 Wild Goose Festival July 11-14, in Hot Springs, NC.  The annual 4-day event is a Spirit, Justice, Music, and Arts Festival, providing a space for those who want to connect faith, justice, and energy for fresh expressions of Christianity.

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Ohio

Nick Bates, The Hunger Network in Ohio                                                                                            www.hungernetohio.com

As we ring in the New Year, Ohio’s public policy office is excited to get back to advocating to end hunger by addressing the root causes of poverty!

WHAT DO WE EXPECT?

Governor-elect DeWine is well known for his passion around children’s well-being. Since November, HNO – along with coalition partners – has been trying to understand his priorities and how we can collaborate to invest in Ohio’s future. We anticipate a lot of dialogue over the next 12 months about our child welfare system, the opioid crisis, and school funding. “We just need a lot more money invested to solve Ohio’s biggest problems,” Deacon Nick Bates, director of HNO. We look forward to working with the Ohio Legislature in crafting a two year state budget that reflects our values as a state.

HNO will continue to push legislators to re-think how we use TANF dollars in Ohio. Currently Ohio has a $500million surplus of TANF dollars that could go a long way in helping families struggling to get by. We will also continue to fight for common sense criminal justice reforms that treat addiction as a healthcare issue and not a criminal justice issue.

HNO will also join in coalition with others protect Medicaid. Many members of the Ohio House and Ohio Senate are upset that outgoing Governor John Kasich expanded healthcare access through Obamacare to an additional 700,000 Ohioans. With a new Governor, fears remain that these hardworking families may lose their health coverage.

Our work in 2019 will continue to build up and educate our congregations so that they can advocate on the issues most important to them – including human trafficking, the environment, diversity, and much more.

We don’t do this work alone. We appreciate local congregations, communities, and partner organizations. As the body of Christ, we all have different talents and we look forward to working with all of you in 2019!

Please sign up on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hungernetworkohio or online at www.hungernetohio.com

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Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy – Pennsylvania                                                                 lutheranadvocacypa.org

In December, LAMPa received a ceremonial signing pen, certificate and copy of signed Safe Harbor Bill.  Photo credit: Bishop Kurt Kusserow

POLICY COUNCIL SETS 2019 PRIORITIES: LAMPa Policy Council met in December to set their agenda priorities for the upcoming term of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Following a thoughtful, engaging and lengthy conversation among those present the following priorities were identified: Hunger; Creation Care; Poverty; and the 2020 Census.

Hunger continues to be a central focus of LAMPa as everyone acknowledges the intersections between hunger, health, housing and poverty. LAMPa, along with synods and congregations, ELCA Advocacy, and partners will continue to provide education, resource development and advocacy on how to get fresh foods to local communities. LAMPa will continue to advocate for additional funds in the upcoming Pennsylvania state budget for the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) and the Pennsylvania Agriculture Surplus System (PASS).

Creation Care was deemed an additional priority for the coming year, as we seek to protect all of creation, especially the most vulnerable. LAMPa will work to promote emissions standards to mitigate climate change, including equipping congregations to make sound choices regarding their own practices, such as energy consumption.

To learn more about LAMPa’s 2019 priorities click here.

LAMPA ADVOCATES SHARE TESTIMONY: LAMPa advocates submitted testimony on proposed methane regulations for oil and natural gas operations in Pennsylvania at a hearing Dec. 13. LAMPa is encouraging its creation care network to continue writing letters in support of strong curbs on this contributor to climate change.

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Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin, Director

2019 PRIORITIES: It is really too early to determine the legislation we will be addressing. We will continue to watch legislation in our 4 state synod; our priorities remain to be Human Trafficking, Criminal Justice Reform, Immigration and Detention, Care for Creation, Education funding, Hunger, and Medicare Expansion. We know that Medicaid Expansion will be an issue in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Legislative sessions begin January 8^th in Mississippi and Tennessee, January 14^th in Georgia, and March 5^th in Alabama. By our 4^th Annual Advocacy gathering on Feruary 2, 2019, we should have a pretty good idea what legislation we will be supporting or opposing.

POLICY COUNCIL: Three members of our Policy Council have rotated off; and new members have joined the team. Fresh eyes are always beneficial. Our Policy Council meets via Zoom once a month to help maintain communication between the 4 states. Members of the Policy Council are taking responsibility to engage and mobilize people within each state. We are also checking with colleges to find an intern in each state to track legislation and communicate to the Policy Council. It has also been determined that we should re-focus on our Ready Benches; this is where we began and was very successful.

HUNGER FELLOW: Jordan has been a great addition. Jordan continues to meet with congregations, work with the Policy Council, develop brochures, and develop new advocacy partners in Tennessee and Georgia. He has a great passion for being present in the community. Jordan is currently tracking legislation as we move toward the legislative session and helping coordinate our annual advocacy gathering.

MLK DAY OF SERVICE: We are cosponsoring MLK Day of Service with Lutheran Services of Georgia. The day will kick off with exciting, intergenerational and interactive learning for all: Children’s Activities (grades K-5) will feature learning about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fearless Dialogues will feature learning for Youth (middle and high school) and adults. Following Fearless Dialogues, SES Advocacy will have a station setup for letter writing concerning current state and national legislation.

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Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network                                                                                                                                      fanwa.org

CONGRESSIONAL BIPARTISAN VICTORIES- FARM BILL AND THE FIRST STEP ACT: We are excited about the recent bipartisan Congressional victories. FAN and our advocates have been pushing for a good Farm Bill that protects SNAP, and a comprehensive criminal justice reform bill that not only addresses lowering recidivism, but also reduces the number of folks incarcerated in the first place. The passage of the Farm Bill and the First Step Act are encouraging.

INTERIM MEETINGS:As we are approaching the beginning of Washington State’s legislative session, Co-Director Paul Benz has been having interim meetings with elected officials. For many of the meetings, some of FAN’s advocates have been able to join as well. This is a good time to discuss with their senators and representatives what they would like to see happen during session. Pictured are Paul and advocates from Washington’s 38^th district with Representative Mike Sells at Trinity Episcopal Church.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION/FAN AGENDA: Legislative Session begins on Monday, January 14^th. This is a longer session in which we will set the biennial budget. FAN has been working on our legislative agenda, and our priorities for session. We have six different policy areas on our agenda, which include bills on advocating for a biennial budget that protects the poor and vulnerable, restoring justice in our criminal justice system, funding housing for all, caring for creation, protecting immigrant families and civil rights, and ensuring healthcare and mental health for all. If you are interested in taking a closer look at our agenda, you can find it on our website at http://fanwa.org/legislative-agenda/.

IFAD: One of our biggest events of the year is Interfaith Advocacy Day. On February 14^th, we will have hundreds of advocates join us at the State Capitol to participate in workshops on advocacy and policy, and meet with their elected officials about FAN’s legislative priorities. We are just starting to prepare for this enormous event.

 

Issue 62 of Administration Matters

Most (but not all) congregations can avoid new nonprofit employee parking tax

A little-noticed provision of the 2017 tax reform created potential tax liability for nonprofits – including churches – that provide certain transportation fringe benefits, including parking and paid public transportation. This article provides a summary of the changes and some suggestions for minimizing or eliminating the liability. >More

Legal Checklist for Congregations Webinar

Congregations can unwittingly create legal issues and liabilities through inattention to basic requirements and details related to corporate status, taxes, property, insurance and abuse prevention. Many of these issues can be prevented by using an ELCA-prepared checklist of key items for congregations to address. Join us for a free webinar where the ELCA legal staff will discuss the checklist and best legal practices for congregations. This webinar will be of particular interest to rostered ministers and lay congregational leaders and staff, including congregation council members and officers, and church administrators. Webinar date: Feb. 21 at noon CST. Register here. Registration deadline is Feb. 15.

Tax reporting can be complicated

Portico offers the set of annually updated Richard R. Hammar tax guides at no cost to pastors and congregations participating in the ELCA benefit program. Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches helps congregations understand federal reporting requirements. The Clergy Tax Return Preparation Guide gives special attention to tax-related topics relevant to ministers. Updated versions coming soon. To access, log into your Portico member or EmployerLink account.

2019 IRS mileage allowance

The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2019 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning Jan. 1, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) is:
• 58 cents per mile driven for business use, up 3.5 cents from the 2018 rate.
• 20 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, up 2 cents from the 2018 rate.
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.
The business mileage rate increased 3.5 cents for business travel driven and 2 cents for medical and certain moving expense from the 2018 rates. The charitable rate is set by statute and remains unchanged. For more information, visit the IRS website.

Low temperatures increase the risk of damage to frozen sprinkler systems and plumbing pipes

Contrary to what one might think, losses due to frozen pipes occur more frequently in climates that are not normally associated with cold weather, especially when unexpected cold fronts sweep through a region. >More

Slips and falls

Protect your congregation from the second-leading cause of preventable injuries by inspecting your facilities and identifying key areas that may contain trip, slip and fall hazards. Inclement or changing weather conditions can increase the chance of an accident. >More

2018 ELCA annual report cover

The ELCA covers for annual congregational reports in 2018 are now available to order. You can also download them for free. >More

Brian Hiortdahl, West Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

Who is your hero?

Hero at the Wedding

Just after getting married on the beach, newlywed groom Zac Edwards was alerted to a swimmer in danger drifting out to sea.  The former lifeguard and member of the Coast Guard interrupted the wedding photos to save a life:

https://ktla.com/2018/08/09/groom-rescues-struggling-swimmer-moments-after-beach-wedding/

Discussion Questions

•  When was the last time you were in an emergency situation?  What happened?
• What things are important enough to interrupt a wedding celebration?
• What one story from your life do you think you will tell your grandkids?  Why?

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 62:1-5

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

John 2:1-11

(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

Jesus wasn’t the groom at the wedding in Cana, and he didn’t technically save a life, but he was a hero.  In biblical times, running out of wine at a wedding was an emergency.  Wine was more common and safer to drink than water.  Wine was a symbol of joy.  Wine was also an expected gift from friends, who would provide it in advance of the week long wedding celebration.  To run out of wine at a wedding would bring enormous shame to the families involved.  It would be an indication that they did not have enough friends.  It would harm their social standing in the village beyond repair.  Jesus rescued a dire situation.

As usual with the gospel of John, however, there is also much more to the story.  John calls this episode “the first of his signs,” meaning the miracle points beyond itself to something more.  Clues are dropped throughout the story.  “The third day” not only reflects the Jewish custom of being married on Tuesday (because the third day of creation is doubly blessed by God calling something good—see Genesis 1:9-13), it also points to the resurrection.  Dialogue with his mother about his “hour” anticipates his crucifixion.  It seems likely that the wine is meant to allude to Holy Communion; the only other time empty containers are “filled” in John’s gospel it is with an abundance of bread after the feeding of the multitude.  And the quality of the wine from Jesus exceeds what anyone else provides, a theme which will recur throughout the gospel.

This story will become important background for the night immediately before the “hour” when Jesus saves flailing humanity with his self-giving heroics on the cross.  He quotes Song of Songs to his disciples:  “Rise, let us be on our way.”  It is what the groom says to his bride, inviting her to the vineyard.  He then says, “I am the vine” on his way to urging his disciples to “bear fruit” and “love one another as I have loved you.”  The point of everything he says is symbolized by the abundant wine:  “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”  The “sign” at Cana points to the gift of abundant life saved with love and overflowing with top-notch joy.

Discussion Questions

• How does the newlywed Edwards couple remind you of Jesus and his love?
• When and where in your life has Jesus transformed trouble into joy?
• Does weekly worship feel like a wedding reception?  Why or why not?
• Who has loved you, and inspired you to love others?

Activity Suggestions

• Sponsor and organize a First Aid/CPR training at your church.
• Write thank you notes to first responders or other local heroes in your community.
• Initiate or support the Souper Bowl of Caring™ or another resource drive (food, clothing, toiletries, etc.) to help those who do not have enough.
• Throw a party.  Bring enough soda!

Closing Prayer

Son of Mary and Son of God, come into our lives and turn our water into wine, our worries into wonders, our emergencies into blessings, our love into action, our scarcity into abundance, our stories into signs of your goodness, and our struggles into joy.  Amen.