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By Kendrick Hall, Hunger Advocacy Fellow, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Minneapolis, Minn.

I am still pretty new to the Lutheran faith tradition when it comes to Lent. But I am learning that Lent is a time for education, for cleansing through fasting, and connecting with people through prayer and fellowship.

As children of God, I believe it is important to be educated. Education can come in many different forms: institutional schooling, self/home schooling, speaking with family and friends, traveling the world, and entering new environments and people. How could we not take education, seriously? I know that when I am in school I will not be educated on how to live in a country other than the United States. I may hear about other countries, but will not know what it is like to live there unless I travel. Lent to me amplifies the importance of education.

I have observed that prayer and fellowship are important during Lent season. Prayer lets us know that people need healing and reassurance. Martin Luther once said, “Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Christian weapon.” Education leads us to pray that we may get closer to people we would not normally be connected to or we would learn about a certain topic we may not research ourselves.

Lent also encourages us to travel into a space, to engage in learning and to look at the world with a new lens. Fellowship encourages us to forge relationship and confront the chaos. It is a time to learn and get to know someone who may live differently than you, talk differently than you, or even think differently than you. Fellowship opens our hearts and mind to appreciate one another’s uniqueness. Fellowship encourages us to learn from one another, rather than judge one another. Lent offers a space to bring these things to light.

Lastly, Lent to me is about cleansing one’s being, which includes fasting and cleansing the body but also cleansing the mind and soul. Education is important because we are limited to what we learn while in school, we are limited to what we learn from our parents and sometimes the things we learn from school or our parents are not always true. This is where we cleanse our mind, body and soul to receive a new perspective and way of life; releasing the old way that has kept us limited and closed-minded. Cleansing, I believe, is the most important part of Lent which also can come in many forms.

Lent has been short in my Lutheran life, but not in my human life. I believe these aspects of Lent have helped me deepen my work of advocacy. Lent has encouraged me to not only educate myself, cleanse, pray and commune with fellowship, but to also move into action. This fire that has guided me in wanting to move into some action has led me to being employed as one of four Hunger Advocacy Fellows with ELCA Advocacy.

Surprisingly, Lent, nourishes the work I not only do as an advocate, but what partner organizations do as well. We are educating and being educated, we are praying and communing in fellowship, and we are cleansing our minds to see how we should move forward in the work around housing, hunger and homelessness.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-they will be blessed in what they do.”

James 1:22-25, compels us to not only listen and learn from each other and the Word of God, but to do exactly what we have learned and been taught to do. It is up to us to do that and when we do, we are blessed.

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ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, Director                                                              ELCA.org/advocacy

MARCH 21, PRAY. FAST. ACT: The March day to #PrayFastAct is Wednesday, March 21! This month we focus on international programs that support women and girls overseas. Although the U.S. government has historically been a leader in funding programs that address the needs of women and girls globally, there are indications that such initiatives are in danger of being significantly reduced or eliminated.

We are all one in Jesus Christ, and, therefore, must work to dismantle structures and norms that allow gender inequality to thrive. Studies show that when women and girls are meaningfully included in all aspects of decision-making, countries are more likely to be peaceful and prosper economically. Let us take action by asking Congress to protect programs that address the needs of women and girls around the world. ELCA Advocacy and The Episcopal Church will share resources and ways to take action later this month.

CLEAN-POWER PLAN REVISION: The ELCA submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on proposed state guidelines for greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. This rule will be the replacement for the Clean Power Plan rule. We asked for a common-sense rule that is protective of the environment and considers the needs of those whose livelihoods depend on the electric generation sector.

An EPA representative responded immediately to discuss ways for collaborating on environmental justice issues. ELCA Advocacy will continue to work toward developing plans around a celebration of Earth Day.

JOIN LUTHERANS AT ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS: Now is the time to register for the 2018 Ecumenical Advocacy Days! Ecumenical Advocacy Days, an annual weekend-long conference, will be April 20-23 in Washington, D.C. This year’s gathering theme, “A World Uprooted: Responding to Migrants, Refugees and Displaced People,” will offer ELCA leaders an opportunity to worship and learn together,  while honing their advocacy and organizing skills. Lutheran participants will have opportunities to connect at an ELCA reception at the Saturday evening denominational time and at our ELCA Advocacy exhibit booth. You can register for Ecumenical Advocacy Days by clicking here. We hope to see you there!

DACA: In February, the Senate voted down multiple immigration bills that would have provided a pathway to citizenship for people without legal status who were brought to the U.S. as children, also known as Dreamers. There are no current plans to bring additional legislation to the Senate or House floors before the March 5 deadline when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program ends. However, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision not to rule on a lower court’s decision, young people who have DACA status can continue to apply for renewal beyond the March 5 deadline.

GUN CONTROL POLICY: A number of gun control policies are being proposed from all corners in response to the deaths in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 14, Ash Wednesday. We continue to track these efforts and are working to advance ELCA support in both legislative and public opportunities as developments unfold. In response to the ELCA Synod Bishop’s Statement of Support for participation in the March on Our Lives, we will offer a gathering opportunity for Lutherans in advance of the Washington D.C. event on March 24th. Follow our social media for details.

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: The Department of Agriculture released a notice of proposed rule making that would affect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. We are soon releasing resources to support and engage Lutherans in the comment process (ends April 18) and to encourage Congress to mitigate any negative effects people in the program.

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Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

GLOBAL COMPACT ON MIGRATION: Formal negotiations finally got started last month toward a Global Compact on Migration to be adopted by year’s end. Additional rounds are scheduled to occur monthly from now through July. Statements by member states on a “zero draft” put forward by co-facilitators Mexico and Switzerland varied considerably from strong affirmations of the human rights of migrants to warnings that the text not impinge upon national sovereignty or set international standards for migrants’ identification and documentation.  The draft sets forth 22 proposed objectives for safe, orderly and regular migration and an outline for implementation and follow-up.

WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK: The United Nations observed World Interfaith Harmony Week during the first week of February with midweek worship at the Church Center for the United Nations sponsored by the Committee of Religious NGOs of the United Nations.

Participants were welcomed by the Rev. Dionne Boissière, Tillman Chapel chaplain, and worship was moderated by Swami Parameshananda and Richard Jordan. Faith tradition representatives included the World Peace Prayer Society, the Holy See, Judaism, Won Buddhism, Shinto, Baha’i, the Episcopal Church, Aztec Conchera, Hinduism, Islam, Mennonites, and the Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family. A reflection was offered by Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, high representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Music, dance and choral song from diverse traditions rounded out the afternoon.

 

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California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy                                                                                          loppca.org

2018 BALLOT MEASURES: The Lutheran Office of Public Policy–California endorsed the campaign for Proposition 68, a parks and water bond on the June ballot. $725 million is earmarked for parks in underserved communities. We also joined the campaign for a $4 billion housing bond on the November ballot. Several other measures on the June ballot, as well as initiatives in circulation for the November ballot, will be discussed at the March 17 Policy Council meeting.

CARE FOR CREATION: LOPP-CA joined an updated coalition letter supporting legislation to establish a fee to fund programs that provide safe, affordable drinking water to disadvantaged communities affected by contamination, drought and financial inability to build or connect to public water systems. LOPP-CA was a co-sponsor of the Green California Summit and Reception, which featured a plenary panel on the Me Too movement and sexual misconduct and discrimination and harassment (including gender identity concerns) in the Capitol community.

RACIAL JUSTICE: LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson was invited to give the opening prayer at a birthday celebration for Rosa Parks on the west steps of the Capitol. We worked with the Belfry Lutheran Episcopal Campus Ministry to arrange for their St. Augustine lecturer, the Rev. Robert W. Lee IV, a descendant of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s family and critic of displaying Confederate monuments, to give the invocation at a Senate floor session. We also hosted a coffee for faith leaders, toured the Unity Center and classroom at the California Museum, and provided some meditative moments in the Civil War Grove in Capitol Park that has trees from sites like Arlington, Gettysburg and Appomattox.

 

 

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Colorado

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

LUTHERAN DAY AT THE LEGISLATURE: More than 60 Lutheran advocacy leaders gathered at the Capitol on Feb. 15 for the Lutheran Day at the Legislature. Attendees met with representatives, senators or their staff. Overall, they contacted over half of our 100 legislators.

Colorado Lutherans gather on the steps of the state Capitol on Feb. 15 before meeting with their legislators to talk about hunger in schools.

The group asked legislators to support Senate Bill 18-013, a bipartisan measure that would

expand an existing state subsidy for reduced-price lunches  through middle school, allowing kids to receive hot meals without worrying about the copay. Many families struggle to regularly pay the copay, leading kids to receive different meals or to not eat at all. This leaves kids hungry, ashamed, and not ready to learn. The bill passed its first committee and is awaiting an appropriations hearing before going to the Senate floor.
Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Jim Gonia addressed the attendees in the morning, lifting up the importance of “incarnational advocacy” and the value of showing up in person to give a face to human needs and concerns. “For us, advocacy is not optional,” Bishop Gonia said of the Lutheran Christian witness: “It’s in our DNA.”

Attendees also heard from state Rep. Susan Lontine about her journey into public service. “I always wanted to help people,” she said, a personal commitment that led her into public policy and ultimately to elected office.

 

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota                                                tammy@lcppm.org

HOMES FOR ALL COALITION: Lutheran Advocacy-MN has been working with a subset of Homes for All Coalition members on our legislative agenda. Now we need your and your congregation’s help to make it a reality! Contact us for ideas, information, sample letters and talking points!

$150 million to provide Minnesotans with safe, stable and affordable housing

• $110 million in housing infrastructure bonds to create supportive rental housing, preserve housing and promote home-ownership
• $30 million in general obligation bonds to make improvements to the state’s public housing
• $10 million in the budget to prevent and end homelessness and promote affordable housing

UPCOMING EVENT:

FAITH AND CLEAN ENERGY CAMPAIGN: Lutheran Advocacy-MN with the Faith and Clean Energy Campaign is working on several non-partisan church and faith events. Would you like an event in your neck of the woods? If so, please call Tammy (651-238-6506). We need lots of action! (We need more signers on the faith campaign letter to legislators).

JRLC Day on the Hill (We are a sponsor!)
Tuesday, March 13 (8:30 a.m. – affordable housing session).
Central Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, Minn.
More information: jrlc.org/day-on-the-hill/details /
Registration: jrlc.org/day-on-the-hill/registration  
First-time attendee? Contact LA-MN to participate for free(get code)

Southwest Metro Forum on Faith and Clean Energy
Thursday, March 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Hosted by: Grace Lutheran Church
7800 West County Road 42, Apple Valley, Minn.

Renewing Energy: People, Planet, and Promise
Saturday, March 17, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
St. Andrews Lutheran Church
Grand Rapids, Minn.

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North Carolina

GeoRene Jones, Coordinator for Social Justice and Advocacy Ministry NC Synod

REDISTRICTING: Energized by recent U.S. Supreme Court actions regarding redistricting cases in both North Carolina and Pennsylvania, we are encouraged for state advocacy in efforts against legislative and judicial redistricting, as well as removal of executive branch authority with respect to our State Board of Elections. ELCA Lutherans appeared at court-required public hearings, voicing strong support for discarding proposed House and Senate maps drawn with the intent to impede voting by poor and minority residents. The 2017 legislative session stripped North Carolinians of their right to a primary election for judicial candidates. Legislative leaders continue to pursue judicial redistricting efforts that remove from office elected judges and district attorneys. Through our partnership with the North Carolina Council of Churches and non-partisan voter rights groups across the state, we are increasing the prophetic witness against discriminatory practices in public policy.

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New Mexico

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

2018 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: The 2018 legislative session is over, and bills are on the governor’s desk for action by March 7. LAM-NM’s work again focused on both funding and budget issues as well as legislation. There was some breathing room for the appropriations process since oil and gas prices have risen. New Mexico is overly dependent on the volatile oil and gas market, which makes state budget development very precarious. There were some increases in funding for affordable housing, child-care assistance, our state SNAP supplement, services for human trafficking victims and Medicaid. An effort to reinstate the death penalty was rebuffed as well as an effort to enact a right-to-work law. Unfortunately, the push to place a constitutional amendment that would greatly increase funding for early childhood education on the fall ballot failed to pass the Senate after passing the House. Action by the governor, who has line-item veto authority, on the state budget bill is expected during the next week.

ADVOCATING CONGREGATION: St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Albuquerque was recognized as an “Advocating Congregation” as LAM-NM Director Ruth Hoffman presented a certificate to the Rev. Joe Britton and Ann Donahue on Jan. 25.

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Ohio

Nick Bates, Hunger Network in Ohio                                                                                    Nick@hungernetohio.com

REDISTRICTING: Redistricting reform to May’s ballot! Please remember to vote May 8. Fair districts improve policy and foster service over political ideology. You can read our testimony here.

Ohioans will finally have the opportunity to improve the redistricting process for congressional seats. Every 10 years, states redraw congressional districts. In Ohio (and many states) the party that has legislative power can draw the districts to benefit it.

The League of Women Voters and others gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures to place their proposal on the November ballot. They accomplished this with an army of dedicated volunteers throughout Ohio. The Legislature – feeling the pressure – responded with a proposal. While the Legislature’s proposal is far from perfect, it is a much-needed improvement.

In 2001 and 2011, new data mapping software programs allowed very specific maps to be drawn to benefit one party by cracking communities into various districts. Summit County, for example, has four  congressional representatives! However, Summit County (population over 500,00 0) has no congressional representative from the county.

This process is known as gerrymandering and leaves candidates more concerned about primary challengers and currying favor with national donors and their political party. Redistricting reform will help place congressional priorities back onto the district.

If passed in May, Districts will continue to be drawn by the Legislature, but they will have rules to follow that will require districts to be compact and prevent numerous divisions. The new rules will also require minority party approval.

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Pennsylvania

Lynn Fry, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania                             lutheranadvocacypa.org

ASHES TO GO: LAMPa volunteers and staff provided Ashes to Go at the state Capitol on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14. Recipients expressed their appreciation for the opportunity for prayer and dialogue. Follow this link to Tracey DePasquale’s Lenten blog.

LUTHERAN DAY 2018: Preparation for Lutheran Day, Monday, May 21, continues. Keynote speakers for this annual event include: Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf, state Senate Judiciary chair; and Dr. Richard Alley, the Evan Pugh Professor of geosciences and an associate of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State.                   

ELCA WORLD HUNGER: Hunger leaders in the ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod are planning a retreat to re-energize and reorganize their synod hunger team. LAMPa staff is thankful to have the opportunity to assist with the planning and equipping these leaders with resources.

SYNOD ASSEMBLY: This year’s Lower Susquehanna Synod Assembly will focus on eradicating hunger one relationship at a time.  Tracey DePasquale is on the planning team.

ANTI-RACISM: LAMPa staff is working to share information and support synods’ organizing trips to the upcoming anti-racism events in Washington, D.C., April 3-5. For registration and bus transportation in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, click here. For the Lower Susquehanna Synod, click here.

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Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin, synod advocacy director for Southeastern Synod

IMMIGRATION AND APPROPRIATIONS: On Jan. 15, we joined with Lutheran Services of Georgia for a Martin Luther King Jr. service day; there were many activities that day. The synod Advocacy Team set up a room for participants to write letters to their senators and congressional representatives concerning Dream Act 2017, along with letters concerning the 2018 budget as it applies to hunger. We mailed over 300 letters.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM: On Jan. 17, we joined with Atlantans Building Leadership for Empowerment for a news conference raising awareness about poverty-based detention. On Feb. 5, thanks to the work of many partners, the Atlanta City Council voted unanimously to end poverty-based detention. On Feb. 26, several of us attended Justice Day at the Capitol. SB407 passed the same day.

WORLD HUNGER: On Jan. 20-24, three of us went to Washington, D.C., for the ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering and visited our senators and congressmen to talk about the farm bill.

CARE FOR CREATION: On Feb. 2-4,  we joined our Green Team and others from around the country at Lutheranch for a retreat on Care for Creation offered by Lutherans Restoring Creation.

UNTIL ALL ARE FED: On Feb. 10, we held our annual advocacy gathering at Redeemer in Atlanta with a focus on connecting our work with ending hunger. Pastors Karen Slappey and Jonathan Trapp wrapped our event in worship. Most inspiring was their use of Lectio Devina with Esther 4:1-17 and the discussion that ensued. Bishop Julian Gordy joined with Pastor Jonathan on guitars, and Pastor Karen led us in singing “Until All Are Fed.” Keith Gammage, Fulton County solicitor general, was our keynote speaker and spoke to us on his approach to restotative justice. Bishop Gordy spoke about loving our neighbor being more than acts of mercy, also being acts of justice by advocating for faith-based public policy. It was also our privilege to have John Johnson join us and speak to the group. Patti Austin spoke on domestic hunger, and Pastor Jonathan shared information from the World Hunger Leadership Gathering. We had a great lunch and welcomed some of our partner organizations. Pastor Ron Bonner spoke on current criminal justice issues. We closed with communion and “Christ Be Our Light.”

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: On Feb. 20, several of us attended the 2018 Anti-Sex Tafficking Lobby Day and talked with our state senators and representatives about proposed legislation. HB732 passed in the House on Feb. 23. HB293 passed on Feb. 27. Sb337 passed the Senate on Feb. 26

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Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin                                              loppw.org

CO-LEADING ON ADVOCACY: In February, LOPPW’s director co-led the second of two advocacy workshops with Bishop Gerald Mansholt. Bishop Mansholt focused on refugees, immigration and advocacy. The director used LOPPW’s new advocacy resource to discuss steps congregations can take to do advocacy. Between the Appleton and Waupaca trainings, more than 50 new participants were trained to be advocacy leaders in their congregations.

The Rev. Dione Miller added to the February event in Waupaca by talking about the power of stories. The director also met with the Global Missions in the East-Central Synod of Wisconsin team and a synod staff to discuss next steps.

NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE:  Our Church Our World: Partnering with God’s Mission

BILLS ADDRESSED: The director organized teaming up with two faith-based coalition members to testify on several public-benefits bills.

Media on LOPPW’s response to the proposed welfare reform included Advisory Council member Deb Martin’s letter to the editor published in Oshkosh and an interview with the director for a La Crosse radio station.

We also addressed a trafficking bill by contacting our constituents in two assembly districts and a bill related to wetlands.

 

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 Lenten Sermon on the film Black Panther

Good morning church.  During the peace I was hit with the “Wakanda forever”, I needed that. I was curious, did anyone else see Black Panther yet? (Yes’, echoing from the church). Great. Ok. Even better. Good, cause that’s what we’re talking about today. And if you haven’t seen it yet, I apologize in advance in case this spoils anything for you, but I encourage you to go out and see it.

 I also want to say, excuse me before I start, for everyone here who is under 30, thank you, thank you for being here. Thank you for existing in this church. You don’t understand how important you are. All of you. Bless up. That is so important. Thank you for worshipping.

  The Gospel according to Mark 1:9-15, (NRSV) “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee. And was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart. And the spirit descending like a dove on him. And the voice came from heaven, you are my son, the beloved. With you I am well pleased. And the spirit immediately drove him out of the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come here. Repent and believe in the good news.”

 I want to talk about the movie the Black Panther a little bit. It really is a movie for the culture and I am blessed to have seen that in my lifetime. I want to talk about one of the characters, Killmonger. I feel like many of us here are from the United States or have lived here for a good amount of time, correct?  I think in many ways; his character is so relatable to us. The black pain. The pain of being left behind. The pain of being disconnected in some way.  Killmonger, many of us can relate to him because of this. Because of this anger that has been built up inside of him. This young man who was half Wakandan and half American, grew up in Oakland, without a father. Even though everything might have said that he couldn’t have made it, he ended up graduating from college. He did his graduate studies at M.I.T. He even joined the military.  That motivated him to get him where he is.

 I want to look at Killmonger, as us. I want to look at this wilderness, as the African diaspora experience. I want us to look at the common things that we share, that we go through, as being in the wilderness. Because often times, during Lent, we do this thing where we talk about this individual wilderness, and we’re all so alone in it. And no one can relate, but maybe they can relate. But this experience, this American experience in particular that we go through, we are collectively in the wilderness. In addition to, all the other pieces of the wilderness we will experience.

 Jesus speaks to this struggle because he too has been there, in the wilderness. Which obviously plays a major part in a lot of our relations and the relationship with our ancestors. When they too were enslaved and they were going through their wilderness. Their journey through the underground railroad. Their journey to liberation. Their journey marching. Jesus did that too.

 What happens to us in the wilderness? Killmonger said, “The world took everything away from me, everything I ever loved.” This speaks to the pain of any of us. Cause maybe the world took everything away. Maybe the world took away a child of ours, a loved one, a place that we call home. Gentrification or displacement due to war. Maybe the world took away security, or finances, or even our freedom. Maybe the world took away your heritage and identity; the foundation for future generations. This world can be oh so cruel. This wilderness can turn anyone to be angry. That’s what I want to talk about.

 I want to talk about the anger that comes with being in the wilderness. I want to talk about the rage that sometimes can come inside of us just by living our everyday life. Seeing ourselves bloody on the street, on the news, every single day. Going home and seeing the next person evicted for whatever reason. Knowing that the majority of people in prison today look just like us with dark skin but did almost nothing in comparison to those who still walk free. Shout outs to Zimmerman.

 Let me ask you, what happens when we let the wilderness win? That’s my question for us. Because that’s what happens with Killmonger, right?  I think in many ways that’s what happens to a lot of us. This journey can be so much of a burden on us. The weight that we carry on all of our shoulders. Then sometimes we then tend to act out in spite. Or maybe we do work hard. We might actually work hard to degrade others and burn down our sacred spaces. To destroy bridges amongst each other and personal relationships. We can be so angry, but with what purpose? Because often times anger comes from a place of vengeance; anger tends to be a secondary emotion. That’s not always what we’re feeling, there’s something deeper inside.

 Jesus was led into the wilderness, being tempted by Satan and amongst wild beasts. Now sometimes, I think when we look at scripture, we look at how light and fluffy it is. “He was in the wilderness”, then we create these really cool metaphors about the wilderness. But, the thing is that the wilderness then, is very fierce. We’re talking about wild beasts. We’re not talking about homes and shelters and protection. We’re talking about living on your bare feet. The callouses. The harsh that’s done there. And you know if you’re in shoes for too long, that you don’t really feel comfortable in, already I’m done. I’m “I’m ready to go home.” What happens when I can’t go home? We’re talking about Satan tempting him.  At any moment he can respond with anger. At any moment, he can fall off his path that he was placed on….but he didn’t.

 To be honest, Jesus would have had all the right to become angry. Aside from the nonsense he had to deal with in society, let’s talk about being alone. Being threatened by the idea of being forgotten. Feeling displaced and at risk. Uncertain of his own survival. Something that I didn’t mention in my little bio, is that I was actually a trauma chaplain at Christ medical center in Chicago prior to my new position. And I’ve seen all of this. A lot of this by my emergency room department. Gunshot wound victims, who tend to also come from south Chicago, or northwest Indiana. I’ve seen the fear of being forgotten. The “hey, contact everyone on my list” or people outside waiting trying to come in. This anger of “this is not what I wanted for myself, but this is kind of what I ended up with.” This feeling of being displaced, because throughout their childhood maybe they had to go from foster home to foster home or mom just couldn’t simply keep a stable apartment. Again, these are many collective shared things that a lot of us may have experienced or witnessed others experiencing or having those cousins that have experienced it.

 But God. In that wilderness was God. Jesus felt God and trusted that he would be led through.  That is the message that we’re always going to hear when it comes to the wilderness talk. God’s there. God’s present. God was there for our ancestors. God was there for our parents. God is there for you. For me. For us. I want to ask us to reflect for a second, what’s in our wilderness? What are some things that might be taking us out of character right now? What are some hardships that we might be facing? At what point or where do we feel disconnected in our life today? Life is not a walk in the park.  How do we keep ourselves going?

 Killmonger used anger, spent years building hate before trying to actually heal, which led him to Wakanda. Using that same hate to instruct a military coup and trying to arm the oppressed globally.  That per say is maybe not a bad idea but, look at what he destroyed, trying to fix something. He destroyed sacred rituals. He destroyed sacred ground that people lived on. He destroyed other people; stability and comfort of those who lived there. That’s what happen when we leave the wilderness and we bring our anger with us. That’s what happens when we don’t take the time to heal. We become a destructive force. We become something that becomes so toxic in our environment, in our communities that people may not even want to be around us if by chance they get to survive.

 The reality is, we can come out of our trials and choose not to heal. But don’t be surprised when a lit match burns down your house. I can feed you the same line of “God is with you in the wilderness” and that is very much true, but I want to push our learnings today.

 Let’s say you’re out of the wilderness. What are you going to do now? That’s the message I want to pull up from here. What are you going to do now? When you get out, how do you cope with the trauma? I’m going to sidebar this real quick because the thing is that, as we’re talking about our history, I’m so blessed that ya’ll were talking about your history today, something else that we bring with us, that is literally in our D.N.A. is intergenerational trauma.  Maybe, those before us didn’t have the opportunities to try and heal. Maybe they didn’t have the time of day to try to work and keep themselves together, but right now you do. How are you going to heal? How are we going to share this healing with others? How are we going to undo a lot of the damage that has been done to us?

 We may have been like Killmonger. We may have left broken economies or homes that felt like prison. We may have found freedom after abusive relationships or financially stopped working in non-traditional methods. But just because we escaped, does not mean that we escaped the pain and the imprint that the wilderness leaves on our spirits. Do we want to continue to live in the pain so that the anger builds, or do we see peace in ourselves and God to learn to heal? That’s your decision. That’s your decision every single day. Do we even know what healing feels like? Has there ever been a time where you felt that you were healed?

 And I would say culturally, we never are really permitted to heal. From bouncing around from slavery, to Jim Crowe, to mass incarceration, human trafficking, the crack epidemic, when have we really even had the time to breathe? That’s right, I can’t breathe. In 2008, I know more names of black unarmed people shot by the police than the prophets in the bible. When have we ever had time to breathe?

  The message deep in this text is that we need to regain ourselves and our lives. Christ’s message is powerful because he leaves the wilderness. His mentor is arrested, and he can still find God. Cause if we know the bible pretty well, John doesn’t make it too long and that was someone who brought Jesus up in the faith. Who gave him this power, who passed over the torch to him. After suffering and knowing that his partner in crime will too suffer.  Being a stranger in his own home, he still was able to give glory to God. Somewhere in that time period, he was able to find healing and find peace in himself and in God. That’s a hard pill to swallow, because sometimes, these things are so rough, that I can’t even see where God is. Then God taps me on the shoulder and says, “Hey, I’m right here.”

 The example that Jesus set, is to find grace in the chaos. With that, I wonder, what if Killmonger was taken back to Wakanda? Or if he grew up with a father. I wonder, what if he wasn’t the truth that the king chose to omit? I also wonder, how many of us carry this pain too? What was the Wakanda that you needed?  Where can we invite Jesus into our pain?

 We are not alone in our wilderness. We’re not alone in our wilderness because we are a community. Whether we may be going through the exact same thing at the exact same time, there are journeys in our wilderness that intersect. That overlap. That are shared. They may look different but are still the same. In this wilderness we are not alone and like Jesus, we will persevere. Will we learn from Jesus, and seek the peace that is God? Or will we allow our despair to overcome us? That is the work that we are charged with. That is your duty ESPECIALLY in this Lenten season.

 I want to leave you with this, “Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than bondage.” Who are you? Are we our trauma or are we our healing? Maybe we’re both. Who are you after the wilderness? Who are you?

Amen.

Bio

Nicolette Marie Faison (Nic) is an approved candidate for ordination and graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. The Chicago transplant lives out urban justice and community healing through her work as the City Director for DOOR Network. When she is not quoting Marvel’s Black Panther, Nic spends time with her cat Penne debating which city has the best pizza. (It’s New York.)

 

 

 

Young Adult Ministry works to support and connect young adults and those who work with them.

Are you between the ages of 18 and 30? If so, the Young Adult Ministry of the ELCA offers inspiration, opportunities and resources for young adults like you and for people who facilitate young adult ministry in their communities of faith. We are a church that belongs to Christ. There is a place for you here.

Today’s young adults are a part of the Millennial Generation, those born between 1982 and 1995. In the most generous accounting of this generation, millennials are said to number about 80 million, which makes them the largest generation in American history. According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and their 2010 report, “Millennials: A Portrait of a Generation,” approximately one-third of those who are unaffiliated with a community of faith are under age 30.

Sylvia Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

 

Warm-up Question

If you were asked to give a message that would be heard around world, what would you say? Why would you say that?

The Message That Made a Man

If you were asked to give a message that would be heard around world, what would you say? Why would you say that?

Billy Graham, the Man with the Message

Christians argue over a lot of issues which they consider important. How much water should be used in baptism? What kind of music is truly worshipful? Would Jesus approve of current political causes?

For Billy Graham there was only one important issue: Jesus Christ. He loves you. He died for you. He forgives you. His single-minded focus on Christ’s saving work and his simple, intense presentation of the Gospel were so impressive his audiences numbered in the hundreds of millions world-wide. Known as “America’s pastor,” he was arguably the most famous Christian of the 20^th century. On February 21^st William Franklin Graham passed into the presence of his Lord at the age of ninety-nine.

So what was so special about this guy? How did he manage to make the “Ten Most Admired Men” list 61 times? When other evangelists were brought down by scandal, how did Billy stay on top? Was he superhuman or something?

(The teacher may play this clip https://billygraham.org/video/happiness-lexington-4-28-71/ as an example of Billy Graham at his height.)

No, he was not superhuman. He was super-faithful. His focus was on faithfulness to his message – the truth of salvation through Christ. Fame didn’t tempt him to put his public image ahead of his message. Money did not distract him from his message. For social and political missteps (and he made a few) he almost always admitted his fault, apologized, and continued to preach his message. As his audience increased, he grew in humility, not pride. Giving people God’s truth was a responsibility he took seriously.

“I have been asked, ‘What is the secret?’” Graham once said. “Is it showmanship, organization or what? The secret of my work is God. I would be nothing without him.”

In summing up his attitude towards death he revised a quote from D.L. Moody, an earlier evangelist whom he admired:

Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.

 

Discussion Questions

• Has the class heard of Billy Graham? What have they heard about him?
• Name some people you admire and tell why. What qualities do you admire most? Why?
• Go back to your answers for the warm-up question. Are there any of these messages worth focusing your whole life on? If not what kind of message would be worth it?

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Numbers 21:4-9

Ephesians 2:1-10

John 3:14-21

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

 

Gospel Reflection

Today’s Gospel lesson contains one of the most famous verses in scripture – a favorite of Billy Graham and many other Christians. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” It is said that this verse states the entire message of the Gospel. So what about all those other verses?

Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who sincerely wants to know more about who Jesus is. He has come to visit Jesus at night so that no one will know he has been talking to the man his fellow Pharisees oppose.

Nicodemus gets the message simply and directly. Jesus is God’s Son sent by his loving Father to offer eternal life to the world. Moses lifted up a bronze serpent so that the Israelites could look at it and be healed of snakebite (Number 9:8-9). When we look to Jesus on the cross, we will be healed of sin. No more condemnation, no more darkness – just believe.

It sounds simple – but there’s a problem. People don’t want to step into God’s light and be healed. They’d rather hide in the darkness clutching their sins to their hearts, thinking no one will see them. By refusing God’s salvation and hiding from his light, they have already condemned themselves.

Only in the light of Christ can we see the truth. Only by seeing his truth can we do what is true for all to see. This was the message to which Billy Graham devoted his life, the message that lit up his sermons and gave him the power to do what is true.

Eventually Nicodemus understood the message and openly declared himself a follower of Christ (John 19:38-42). Do we understand the message? Do we live it in our lives

Discussion Questions

• Look carefully at John 3:16 one phrase at a time. What part of the Gospel does each phrase describe? How do all the phrases work together to declare the Gospel message?
• Verse 21 talks about doing what is true. What does that mean? What are some examples of true actions in real life?
• That are some examples of spiritual darkness you see around you? What are some examples of spiritual light?
• What can you personally do to get the message of Christ’s light across to those around you?

Activity Suggestions

In groups or as a class have students work out a scenario in which a person can get the message of Christ’s light across to another person through words and actions. Have them act out the scenario for the class.

Closing Prayer

Loving Father in Heaven, thank you for sending your Son to save us and bring us into your marvelous light. May we spread this good news about Jesus in our words and actions that bring light to the people in our world.

 

 

By John Johnson, Director of Domestic Policy

I recently came across a meme on social media that made me think about this Sunday’s Gospel (John 2:13-22). The meme is an icon of Jesus Christ, whip-in-hand, chasing the money changers out of the temple. The heading reads, “If anyone asks you ‘what would Jesus do?’ This scene contains one of the most striking and animated depictions of Jesus of Nazareth cleansing the temple, written in three of the four Gospels. It is a reminder that flipping over tables and chasing people with a whip is within the realm of possibilities.

In John’s version, Jesus demands that the dove sellers “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”. John’s account stands out for how Jesus brings attention to both the sacredness of the temple and the foretelling his own death and resurrection:

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body.” 

These accounts show three distinct threads. The first thread is “out of the mouth of babies.”, the second is the body as a “temple.” And the third is “Angry Jesus.”

I can apply these threads to the tragic events on Ash Wednesday (February 14, 2018) when Nicholas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and used a legally purchased AR-15 assault rifle shot and killed 17 students and teachers and wounded 14 others. The worst high school shooting in U.S. history and desecration of a safe place of learning and development for the future our country, our world and the church.

With breathtaking speed and results, the students in the Parkland, FL community have effectively organized and are making their newly claimed voices heard on local and national platforms. Marches in Washington, DC and communities across the nation are being organized by these advocates. People across the country are dedicating financial support to these efforts. Policy makers are using the momentum that these young voices have galvanized to help push for better gun control policy.  Corporations are quickly distancing from the National Rifle Association (NRA), while these survivors face death threats for taking a stand.

Gun violence occurs daily. Mass shootings are a part of our history and our reality, and yet here stand these passionate voices; young survivors who push forward unafraid and hopeful for successful change for all. I think Jesus understood the fragility and sacred nature of being human. I think that was God’s intention in becoming truly human: to live and die as one of us, to celebrate and mourn all that life offers, to find joy, experience pain and sadness, and sometimes to be angry.

This church, Christians, people of faith and secular citizens watch with dismay at the staggering and preventable loss of life due to gun violence in our country.

• On an average day, 96 Americans die due to gun violence—seven are a child or teenager.
• 62 percent of gun deaths in the US, are suicides.
• In an average month, 50 women are shot to death by intimate partners in the U.S.
• Black men are 13 times more likely than non-Hispanic white men to be shot and killed with guns.
• On average there are nearly 13,000-gun homicides a year in the U.S. (Everytown for Gun Safety)

It is sobering… and it makes me angry, and maybe you are too.

A Jesus kind of angry.

A Jesus fashioning a whip of cords angry.

A Jesus chasing the money changers out of the temple angry.

A Jesus with a “zeal for your house will consume me” kind of angry.

A Jesus taking a stand where others do not kind of angry and passion not unlike the young people we see taking a stand today kind of angry.

For many years, I taught Sunday School to teenagers just like the ones who experienced gun violence in Florida last Ash Wednesday. What would I say to them if I could? I find myself compelled to confess and to apologize.

I confess my failure to do all in my power to protect so many of you in my care from the gun violence that has plagued our society for many years. I have expressed my grief of the senseless loss of life time and again, in particular, the murders of innocent students at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook and now Stoneman Douglas along with countless lesser-known school shootings too numerous to count. 

I am sorry for this, and I am sorry that our elected officials have failed to hear calls for common sense gun control efforts that provide protection for you and for all community members from those intent on using lethal weapons to kill and maim. 

I hear your cries and pleas for action. I support, validate and “bless” your claiming of your voices to urge our society and our elected officials to respond where I and others have failed. I encourage you to organize, to march, to bear witness, to tell your stories and to vote or encourage others to vote if not yet eligible. 

I commit to support you as you demand action and I pray for your safety, wisdom and vigilance. I also, give thanks to a generous and gracious loving Creator for each of you. Be bold. Thank you for your courage. 

These forty days of Lent began with a tragic reminder of the fragility and precious nature of our being created by God. Angry Jesus reminds us that we can do something about it. The children are showing us the way.

 

Ginger Litman-Koon, Isle of Palms, SC

 

Warm-up Question

If you were to qualify for the Winter Olympics, what event would you want to compete in?

Be Nice…Always?

In February, the 23rd Winter Olympic Games were held in PyeongChang, South Korea. Although tickets to the 2018 Games did not sell out, like they have in some years, nearly 1 million visitors, athletes, and support teams traveled to South Korea to participate. Visitors included guests from the 92 nations competing in the games, as well as spectators from non-competing countries. South Korea spent years preparing to host these Winter Games, including participating in high-stakes international talks with delegates from the hostile regime of North Korea, which resulted in the participation of ten athletes and 220 cheerleaders from the North. (Read more about the cheerleaders here http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42616982)

While South Korea was preparing to receive its horde of international visitors, travelers were preparing as well for the particularities of Korean customs. While the South Korean hosts are a gracious and welcoming people, attention to local etiquette goes a long way to help tourist-host relations. When planning a visit to South Korea, here are some things you might want to know:

Last names first. Traditional Korean names list family name first. So if you meet
someone named “Kim” or “Lee,” you should use a Mr. or Ms. in front of it.

Hands to yourself. Unless you have been invited to do so, do not touch your South
Korean hosts. Personal space is highly valued.

Please be seated. In some Korean restaurants, it is not uncommon to be seated on the
floor. But don’t worry – the floor may be heated!

No tipping, please. If you see a “No tipping” sign, don’t tip. Doing so could be
considered offensive.

Four no more. Similar to American unease about the number 13, it is considered unlucky
to mention the number four. Some Korean elevators skip the fourth floor.

Make a joyful noise! Often, after a traditional Korean meal, guests are invited to sing
Karaoke. Refusing to do so may be considered rude.

In addition to learning some traditional South Korean customs, some Olympic Games staff members received training on how not to offend delegates from North Korea. First and foremost, do not mention their leader, Kim Jong Un. And second, don’t bring up nukes! The presence of delegates from the North, including Leader Kim’s sister, Yo Jong, is such a highly sensitive topic, extreme precautions were taken on both sides to avoid adding fuel to the fire of nuclear-armed tensions.

Discussion Questions

• Did any of these Korean customs surprise you? Are there any you think you’d like to adopt here at home?
• Have you ever traveled somewhere with different customs? What were they?
• How important do you think being “polite” is? Why or why not?

Third Sunday in Lent

(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

A preacher once said in a sermon, “The Good News is not about being ‘nice’.” In a culture, where we teach children to get along, have good manners, be polite, and “be nice,” this may be a challenge. Certainly, putting the needs of others before our own is a Christian virtue, and adopting a servant-heart can very well result in being a “nice” person, there is much more to it than that. Being an active participant in God’s kingdom-work calls us to respond passionately to the needs and the injustices in the world, and sometimes being passionate does not equate to being polite.

In today’s gospel reading from the Gospel of John, Jesus does not exhibit good manners. Today we encounter an angry Jesus. Jesus comes to the holy city of Jerusalem, to the Temple of God on Mount Zion, and there he meets injustice face to face. Instead of serving the poor pilgrims of Israel who have come to celebrate the Passover, the religious authorities are exploiting them by selling high-priced animals to the pilgrims for their Temple sacrifices. And Jesus gets angry. He gets so angry that he weaves cords together to make a whip and drives the livestock out of the Temple court. He then upends the tables and pours out all the money that had been collected by the vendors and those charging a markup to exchange local currency. Jesus is so passionate for the sanctity of God’s house, seeing it turned into a money-making marketplace makes him seething mad.

We often hear about the “wrath of God,” or God’s “righteous anger.” And here, in this story, we see it in Jesus. Other times in the gospel story, he confronts the religious authorities with strong or harsh language, calling them a “brood of vipers,” “hypocrites,” etc.  It can be difficult for us to think of God’s anger, because anger in humans often originates from sin and also leads to sin. For humans, anger often stems from pride or jealousy, and it often leads to grudges, gossip, or a desire for revenge. But in Jesus’ case, his anger did not stem from sin, instead it is directed towards sin. Because Jesus cares so much about God’s children he cannot stand to see sin hurt them. God’s anger is often called righteous, because it stems solely from the seat of righteousness, not from petty or misdirected desires.

Even though it can be difficult for us to accept, Jesus’ anger can bring us comfort. It’s reassuring to know that our Lord cares enough about us to get angry when we are harmed, abused, or taken advantage of. Given the rampant sin in the world today, it’s probably safe to assume that God does get angry – at school shootings, at child and domestic abuse, at war, at world hunger. It’s ok if we feel angry too, as long as that anger comes from the righteousness of God, and as long as it directs us to positive action, not revenge. Today, it may feel hard to stay nice and quiet and polite. Instead, our passion for justice may call us to stand up, to speak out, and dig in our heels for God’s kingdom-work.

Discussion Questions

• What do you think it was like to be there when Jesus “cleansed” the Temple?
• Is it hard for you to think about Jesus getting angry? Why or why not?
• Do you ever feel “righteous anger” about things going on in your life? in the news?
• Can you think of positive ways to direct your passion? How can you turn anger into kingdom-work?

Activity Suggestions

Take a look at the illustrated emotions chart. Find the illustration that describes how you feel right now. Find an illustration that may have described how Jesus felt at the Temple. Which one illustrates how the money-changers felt? Pick one that shows how you feel when you read the news. How about when you finish a service project? Keep the chart to help you identify your emotions.

Closing Prayer

God of justice, ignite our hearts to burn with passion for the work of your kingdom. When we feel angry at others or at the world, ease our minds and hearts, and turn us again to you. When we feel angry at the hurt experienced by your beloved children, direct our energy toward serving, healing, and making a difference in our world for your glory. Amen.

Today’s post is by Shane R. Brinegar, a PhD candidate at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.

The church is not a building or a complicated bureaucratic structure, but an embodied community gathered around bread, water, wine and word—signs that bear the presence of the crucified and risen Christ for the life of the local assembly in that place and for the life of the world. Much ecumenical worship renewal in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries has been sparked by the writings of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), particularly as expressed in the Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy: “Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations… when the Church prays and sings, for He promised: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20) (SC 7). We believe that in word and sacrament, Christ is surely present among us.

 

This gathered body that is broken and has been redeemed is called to be a broken sign of the in- breaking of God’s presence in our midst. All of those gathered in the assembly testify to this presence, but especially those who are on its margins— the disabled and those who experience otherness and alienation of any kind— because the crucified and risen One whom we encounter disrupts the structures of power and greatness in our midst having himself experienced the ultimate alienation on the cross. Just as the Savior appeared under the form of the opposite as a suffering servant, the assembly that bears the mark of his cross is called to reveal his presence in the places we least expect.

What does that real, broken presence of Christ mean for how we welcome all to worship? First, we might continue to think critically about how the construction of our liturgical celebrations invites or dis-invites those who are disabled into “full, active, conscious participation in the liturgy.” For example, what does it mean to say that the whole assembly is a sign of Christ’s presence when those with physical disabilities cannot get to the place of communion distribution because of the way our spaces are constructed? I have experienced this first hand and spent a great deal of my life “on the back pew” because that is how the presider knew who needed communion brought to them instead of them being able to come forward. Congregations that are designing or redesigning worship spaces can be particularly attentive to how their space communicates welcome, but congregations wisely pay careful attention to all the ways in which they are embodying Christ’s presence to worshippers of all abilities.

 

(For more suggestions of resources on welcome, see the  FAQs, How can our worship services be more welcoming to people with disabilities? and How can we make our worship space accessible?).

 

By Elena Robles, Hunger Advocacy Fellow

This is the first year that I’ll be partaking in a Lenten discipline, as a part of exploring the many ways in which I can deepen my faith and understanding of Jesus. In being as transparent with myself as possible, I welcome this time before spring arrives to brush off some of the spiritual lethargy that I have allowed to set in. It’s easy for me to become consumed by the injustices of this world- systemic violence, wars, the persecution and rejection of many of our neighbors. While I do see empathy as an expression of my spirituality, it can be limiting when action is not coupled with it.

 Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”(New Living Translation, John 7: 37-38)

Jesus offers us the opportunity for a deeper transformation and deeper access to the divine fountain. Lent can serve as an opportunity to awaken to our shortcoming, our complacencies to violence, and can push us into a deeper connection between ourselves, our communities, the world and the divine. Personally, my lesson during this season is to focus on deepening my spiritual practices beyond merely being a witness in this world. Deepening faith will help me to live into what theologians like Kelly Brown Douglas refers to as the moral imagination:

“With a moral imagination one is able to live proleptically, that is, as if the new heaven and new earth were already here. This means one’s life is not constrained by what is. It is oriented toward what will be.”-Kelly Brown Douglas, Stand your Ground

We are capable of living out a world where the dignity of black and brown lives is valued, where violence is not a worry for children anywhere,and where the environment is not exploited. We are capable of building a better world,  one that acknowledges our short comings and yet seeks more. Moral imagination is this and more, it dares us to have vision, commitment, and to find redemption.  I know that in all of this, I need to work towards an inward transformation. I’m seeking to build a better relationship with God, so that while I can practice deeply listening, I can equally trust in the spirit to move us toward action.

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

 

Warm-up Questions

• (Activity) Give each person some Play-Doh or similar material and have them create a sculpture or a symbol that represents or relates to their faith. After a few minutes, have everyone share their creation and what it symbolizes.  Take note of how many people incorporate a cross in their sculpture.
• Who do you say that Jesus is? If you use words like “Lord,” “Savior,” “Messiah,” or “Son of God,” what do these titles mean to you?

Faster. Higher. Stronger.

On February 9, the XXIII Olympic Winter Games officially opened in PyeongChang, South Korea.  By the time the closing ceremony is held on February 25, some 2,920 athletes from 92 countries will have competed in 102 events. Along the way, there are sure to be many amazing, dramatic moments as some of the very best athletes in the world go for the gold.

Yet, even though those who compete come from many different countries, they all share in the drive and discipline it takes to become an Olympian.  What these athletes often make look so graceful and easy is the result of years of training, often for hours each day.  Their whole lives are oriented around the goals they pursue. Doubtless there is much that those who compete at this level give up in order to focus on their chosen sport.  And, even if they do not get to stand on the podium, their quest to compete has greatly shaped who they are.

Discussion Questions

• Have you been keeping up with the Winter Olympics? If so, what have been some of your favorite events or moments of the games?
• What sports or other activities do you enjoy doing? Have you ever been part of a team or group competition? What did you learn from the experience?
• Which do you think shapes who we are more, what we do – that is, where we spend our time, energy and attention – or what we claim to believe?

Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Romans 4:13-25

Mark 8:31-38

(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

“Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

We come this week to what is often called the fulcrum or “hinge” of Mark’s gospel account.  Not only is it the midpoint of the book, it also marks several important turning points in the story.  Geographically, Jesus has been working mostly in the region of Galilee, but now his ministry will lead him steadily onward toward Jerusalem and the cross.  Theologically several shifts also occur.  Up to this point, Mark has focused on who Jesus is as shown by his words and his works of power.  The conclusion he hopes that we, the readers of the gospel, will reach is the same one that Peter voices in Mark 8:29, namely that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.  But what does that mean?  From here on out the gospel will focus more and more on this question.  What does it mean that Jesus is the Christ, and, subsequently, how does that shape the lives of those who call themselves Christians?  The invitation that was extended to Peter and the other disciples when Jesus first called to them, “Follow me,” will, going forward, be furthered refined. At the same time, it will also be opened up by Jesus to “any who want to become my followers.”

So, what does discipleship look like?  What does it mean to follow Jesus? Another important feature of this passage is that it contains the first of three instances, three “passion predictions,” in which Jesus foretells what lies at the end of his journey to Jerusalem (verse 31).  Here, as in the other two instances (Mk. 9:30, 10:32-34), those closest to Jesus fail to understand what he is talking about.  Peter rather famously pulls Jesus aside, as if Jesus is the candidate and Peter the campaign manager, and he begins to rebuke Jesus for saying such things.  Jesus just as famously puts Peter in his place.  “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”  And here is the essence of the matter, it is not the disciple’s place to define what “Messiah” or “Christ” mean, for it is Jesus alone who gets to define these things.  The disciple’s place is simply to get behind Jesus, to take up her or his cross, and to follow.

Finally, what does it mean to take up one’s cross?  Is it simply to deal with the problems or troubles that come your way with as much patience, determination, and faith as possible?  We often hear of “bearing our cross” in terms of just such perseverance.  Yet Jesus has something else, something deeper in mind than getting through life as best as we can.  After all, the cross that awaits Jesus in Jerusalem is not an accidental event or circumstance for him to “get through,” it is a direct result of his own work to confront the powers of sin, evil, and death.

As many of us prepare for this summer’s ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston, I am reminded this week of the Gathering’s cross shaped logo and the theme: “This Changes Everything.”  The life-changing grace that flows from what Jesus has done in taking up his cross beckons us to follow, and, in following him, to discover who we truly are.  Jesus defined Messiah in terms of his identification with the outcasts, the forgotten, and the oppressed, bringing to them in word and deed the promise of God’s coming kingdom.  This has important implications for all who would be disciples.  “Taking up the cross means being at work where God is at work in the world to relieve suffering and injustice, to rescue the weak, and to bring peace and justice to bear in the human community.” ^[1]   Because God has gifted each of us with a unique set of gifts, talents, abilities, and experiences, each of us has a unique opportunity to take up our cross and participate in God’s redemptive work in the world.

[1] R. Alan Culpepper, Mark (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc. 2007), 288.

Discussion Questions

• One often hears that all you need to do to be a Christian is to “believe in Jesus.” How does such a statement compare with the things that Jesus says in this passage?  Can a person follow Jesus apart from believing in him?  Can a person believe in him without following?
• If you were either to paint a picture or to make a list of what it means to take up your cross and follow Jesus, what are some of the things that you would include? How do such activities shape who we are?
• We are currently in the season of Lent, traditionally a time for self-reflection and repentance. Yet Lent can also be a time for spiritual growth. What things in your life right now might you be willing to give up, change, or take on in order to grow as a follower of Jesus?

Activity Suggestions

• Lent is also an important time to reflect upon the meaning of Baptism. Examine together the Affirmation of Baptism service, and especially the description of our baptismal covenant (ELW pg. 236; LBW pg. 201). How is this a description of what it means to be a disciple?  Check out the ELCA website for some great resources that help connect faith practices and the gifts of discipleship.  Two helpful links:

http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Faith-Practices?_ga=2.15329526.198197125.1518492296-749132665.1442867431

http://www.elca.org/Resources/Faith-Practices?_ga=2.11143284.198197125.1518492296-749132665.1442867431

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us and claim us and make us your own.  Thank you for the gift of new life and for the invitation to experience that life in the community of your church.  Fill us with your Spirit, call deeply to our hearts, and lead us to more fully and faithfully follow Jesus.  Guide our thoughts, our words, and our actions, that we may be your hands and voice in a world so hungry to experience good news.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.