Angie Larson, Clive, IA

Warm-up Question

If you found a bag full of cash, what would you do with it?

With You Always

A Washington state homeless man, Kevin Booth, was shocked to discover a  paper bag full of cash outside the Sumner Food Ban, where he was waiting in line to receive food. “At first, I was like, what the heck is that lying on the ground?” Mr. Booth said in an interview with the local newspaper, the News Tribune. “Of course, I sniffed it to see if it was real. Then I was like, do I take off or do I stay?” Mr. Booth waited another twenty minutes for the Food Bank to open and then brought it to Anita Miller, the food bank director. Inside the bag was $17,000. Anita and Kevin called the police to see if there was an outstanding reason for the bag of cash and filed a report.  

After ninety days with no claims on the cash it was decided that the $17,000 would be given to the Food Bank and a ceremony would be given for Mr. Booth.  The police remarked that “not everyone would be as honest in this situation”. The staff at the food bank worked to get Mr. Booth warm shoes and a warm jacket for the cold Washington winters, as well as some gift cards as a reward, but he refused more and has appreciated Sumner Food Bank.  The food bank was able to purchase a much-needed walk-in freezer so they could further support the needs of the community with the found gift. Ms. Miller refers to Mr. Booth as “a very honest man. For his part, Booth told the News Tribune: “There are a lot of people who would have taken it. I’m just not that person.”

Discussion Questions

• How did Kevin Booth’s actions differ from what you would do with the money?
• What do you think of how he handled the bag of cash? What do you think would be difficult about that decision?
• If Kevin Booth kept the money, how do you think his life would be the same or different?

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Isaiah 43:16-21

Philippians 3:4b-14

John 12:1-8

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

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

Gospel Reflection

In this passage in John, Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus was his friend and the brother of Mary and Martha. They are so grateful they throw a dinner in Jesus’ honor. Martha serves the dinner and Mary takes out a jar of very expensive, fragrant ointment to pour on Jesus’ feet. She lavishes his feet with the gift and wipes it with her hair. One of the disciples, Judas, is astonished that such an expensive gift is wasted on feet. He suggests that the ointment should have been sold and the money used to go to help the poor. He does this because he is responsible for the group’s money purse. His intentions are not noble, but selfish. Jesus responds, “Leave her alone, it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

It seems, in Judas’ eyes, that Mary is squandering the ointment by using it on Jesus’ feet; that she is somehow wasting that precious gift by using it on dirty, sandy, grimy feet. No doubt this looks like an act of love and devotion to some and a waste of precious resources to others. 

If we’re honest this Lenten season, Mary’s act looks like the crucifixion, it looks like Jesus death. Jesus uses his life up, his precious giftedness to pour out his blood in the same way the precious ointment was poured out for feet. He takes us from our dirty, sandy, grimy lives and wipes them clean with his work on the cross. He squanders his life to bless ours, to free us from death and the grave. To some, like Mary and Martha, it looks like love and devotion. To others, like Judas, who just don’t see it yet, it looks like a waste of precious resources. This story foreshadows Jesus death on the cross and our freedom in the resurrection. It also points us to the neighbor, reminding us that we have the poor now and we get to “squander” and use our resources for them. 

Discussion Questions

• How would you react if you saw someone using something expensive in what seemed like a wasteful way?
• What are some ways we waste our resources instead of helping the poor?
• Are there ways in which we can look at our lives and make changes to help the poor?

Activity Suggestions

Squander something. What is something you’ve been saving for a special occasion? Use that something to bless someone else. 

Closing Prayer

Blessed Savior, We thank you that you gave your whole life for us so that we can be free and to help our neighbors. Help us to see ways to bring your kingdom to earth in service of our neighbors. Forgive us when we err and guide us to care for the least, the lost, the lowest, and the lonely in our communities. Direct us to use our resources for others. In your name we pray, amen.

Today’s post is by Virginia Cover, Senior Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

Have you ever noticed that attendance of families with young children tends to be sparse on Good Friday? As a pastor, I have certainly noticed this, especially in our congregation where these same families readily attend worship. I have a few guesses for this absence. For starters, the Three Days has only recently been recovered and has not been talked about frequently where I serve. But there was more. I asked a few young parents why they stayed away from Good Friday in particular. They told me about services with loud crashing sounds, extended periods of silence (at 7:30p.m. with an over-tired child), and detailed and gory depictions of the crucifixion. One of them told me how they tried to read the story of Jesus’ death from the children’s bible to their young son and he wouldn’t let Dad finish. He physically retreated from the book—the book he normally longs to read from. No parent wants nightmare-central on Easter weekend, and no worshipping community avoids confronting death either. What to do?

As a parent of two young children myself, I began to consider a Good Friday service especially for kids. Another congregation in town was doing a “footsteps of Jesus” kid-friendly event on Good Friday, so why couldn’t we? But the more I planned a Good Friday for kids, the more I rediscovered that nothing is as powerful as the church’s own ancient way of enacting the Three Days: washing feet, eating the meal, stripping the altar, adoring the cross, praying for others, lighting a fire, inscribing a candle, sprinkling water, singing psalms, reading from scripture.

There’s power in the Three Days when we hold them together. Children cannot hold the empty tomb in their minds while singing “how pale thou art in anguish/in sore abuse and scorn” in complete darkness. The adults weren’t holding it together either because the Three Days were so new, and they didn’t yet realize that missing one service meant leaving a hole in the story fabric.

We now have a service every year on Good Friday designed especially for children, yet it involves adults, too, and holds the Three Days together. We lay out a “highway” story map with items representing the high points of the church’s liturgy around the Three Days, telling the biblical story and the liturgical story together as we place each piece on the roadway. Then we spend some time floating through stations that go deeper into each day’s elements: a play dough mat connects the Last Supper to other special meals, a Good Friday sad touch and feel table (nails, rough hewn cross, crown of thorns) with a reflection sheet and coloring page of the Inside Out(Pixar, 2015) character Sad, an art project that when finished reveals a surprise (like the women discovered when they came to the tomb), and so on. One station is dedicated to putting the story in sequence to take home and tell again, either in the form of “story eggs” or watercolor paintings. We close with a taste of Easter in song, scripture and food—we eat “resurrection rolls” put together earlier at one of the stations—a sweet, Alleluia ending to our Three Day exploration. You can read more about the service here.

What I have loved the most about this experience is how the children teach us the important things. To date, the most popular stations are not play dough or art projects but the foot washing. The children know what to do by heart: hold the heel, pour the water, wipe the feet—and they wash and are washed with eagerness and joy every year.

This Maundy Thursday our congregation will be getting out the tubs and towels for the first time together in our main sanctuary. Someone asked if I was nervous about how it would go, since we have never had foot washing in the service before. “Nope!” I replied, “Because the children know what to do. They can teach us!”

Photo above from the Spark Story Bible (Augsburg Fortress: Minneapolis, 2009), 476-477. Illustrations by Peter Grosshauser and Ed Temple

Bryan Jaster, Winchester, VA

Warm-up Question

When was the last time you were at a party?   Why was it happening?  

Party Time!

In the beginning of November 2018, fires devastated many communities in California.  More acres burned than had ever been recorded due to the wild fires.  On November 8^th, Paradise, California, was entirely destroyed, with 15,000 homes burned and 85 people killed.  It will take decades to recover.  

The Ballejos family, from Paradise, fled the fires and lost track of their dog, Kingston.  He is a 12-year-old Akita, and during the evacuation became frightened and ran away.  The conditions were too dangerous for his family to go after him.  

However, the family is quoted as saying that they never, ever lost hope in Kingston returning home safely one day.  Thankfully, after 101 days on Thursday February 21^st, they were reunited!  Even though Kingston smells a little like skunk he likely ate to survive, they are celebrating being together again. 

Discussion Questions

• View the video of the family reuniting with Kingston.  Would you have given up hope?    Act out your reaction if a family pet would have gone missing for 101 days.  
• What is something you have lost that is valuable?  Did you find it?  If not, do you think you ever will? 

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Joshua 5:9-12

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

(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

Who will join the Father’s party?

Our story from Luke’s gospel story starts with the scum of society (tax collectors and sinners) coming to listen to Jesus.   The religious leaders (Pharisees and scribes) grumble and mumble about Jesus eating with such scandalous types.  They don’t like the shady company Jesus interacts and eats with.  They don’t like Jesus’ kind of party. 

I get them a little.  In a world where we are judged by who we hang with, they judge Jesus by who he eats with and knows. 

The reality for Jesus is that God is throwing a party for outsiders like these.   So Jesus tells a three stories; our lesson includes the third in Luke 15.)

Jesus tells about a father (God perhaps) who is despised by his son. When the younger son asks for his share of what will belong him as an inheritance, he is saying, in essence, that he wishes his father was DEAD!  A dead father equals inheritance now.  The father complies with the request of his son.  He just freely gives away half of what was his to his demanding son.  Crazy.  Perhaps Jesus is saying God the Father is willing to be identified as a hated and seemingly unwise father.  The son takes the money and flees.

Obviously, it doesn’t go well for the younger son away from home.  I mean, have you ever thought pig slop looked tasty?!?!?  

In a moment of desperation, he begins to understand his actions have brought him to a situation (knee deep in pig slop!) from which he cannot free himself.  He returns, planning to admit his sin, not be called son, and become a hired hand.  While he is far off the father runs up and embraces him.  It appears the father was sleepless while watching, waiting, and fearing his son was dead, but yet hoping for his return.  God the Father waits with compassion to embrace the lost and resurrect the dead now.  

The son says he has sinned and is not worthy to be called son. Before he can continue, the father launches into full blown party mode, with robe, ring, sandals and fatted calf summoned to signal to all that “this is my son and I accept him.”  The son, by passing the “hired hand” status jumps from dead/lost to found/son!  Party time!  

But wait, the older son has been around the whole time.  He, the practical, faithful and serious older son, is angry and does not approve.  Maybe he refuses to recognize that he has only been going through the motions of being alive.  The younger brother was off with prostitutes (he assumes) and he never even got a young goat for time with friends.  Imagine the look on the older son’s face when the younger gets a fatted calf, whole community party with dancing and music. 

Discussion Questions

• Do you see yourself more as the younger or older son?  Why?  
• How does hearing about God acting unwisely, being hated, and throwing wild parties impact your understanding of who God is or what God does?  
• Can you imagine a teenage or young adult son wishing his father dead?  How would your father act if you asked today for half of all your family possesses?  
• What kind of parties does your church throw when someone who has hurting and lost has been found?   Do these parties offend anyone?

Activity Suggestions

• As a group, think of someone you haven’t seen in a while.  Maybe it’s a friend or someone who can’t leave home easily.  Make a plan to drop by their house with cake, ice cream, candles, music and anything party like.  Make a colorful banner with their name on it and a message of love.  Go!
• Write a note to your parent(s) or a trusted adult.  Talk about how glad you are to be a daughter or son.  Express thanksgiving, regret or whatever you might say trusting that their love for you reflects the Father’s love who would throw a party for you in a moment.  Be sure to give it to them!

Closing Prayer

God our party throwing Father!  Thank you for giving us the younger and older son characters all that you give us each day.  Help us to share you joy with all shady characters of the world and not withhold dancing, music and food.  Thank you for finding us when we are lost and bringing us life when we are dead.  Help us to join the party!  Amen. 

A Reflection on Reading The Cross and the Lynching Tree

I am a preacher. Like so many others I have been long convinced that Christ crucified is at the heart of authentic Christian preaching. So, when I first learned of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone, I was interested. I remembered the ominous words I had heard in graduate school about Cone’s “radical” critique of traditional Christian teaching (or rather, as I have since learned, what it was thought to be from a certain privileged perspective). Nonetheless I still thought I would learn something new about Christ crucified from a perspective that is not my own. So, I put it on my mental list of books to read … where it remained for several years.

Ironically what revived my intention last spring was news of death. A new memorial and museum of lynching and its legacy in the United States — the National Memorial for Peace and Justice — opened in Montgomery, Alabama. And then, just days later, I saw a report of Cone’s death.

Cone wrote that his book was a continuation of his earlier writing, all of it “motivated by a central question: how to reconcile the gospel message of liberation with the reality of black oppression.”  I’m not qualified to judge whether he was successful in that effort, and I don’t know that I gained the kind of insight into Christ’s crucifixion that I anticipated.

As is often the case, something else happened.  As I read, I began to realize how little I knew about lynching beyond what I had allowed myself to acknowledge — the bare facts of its existence and its brutality. I began to learn about the circumstances of actual lynchings, the real people killed, and the real people who protested at the risk of being lynched themselves. I learned about the horrific lynching of Henry Smith in Paris, Texas, and the courageous public advocacy of Ida Wells. When I discovered the county-by-county data about lynchings in the United States collected by the Equal Justice Initiative, I investigated what had happened in the counties where I grew up, starting with Anderson County, Texas, where I was born.

And then I learned about the Slocum Massacre. It was an appalling event. Over the course of two days in July, 1910, mobs of white people in Anderson County hunted and killed African-Americans. Newspapers initially reported 8 to 22 African-American victims, but later investigations discovered numerous bodies in swamps and other remote areas of the county. Estimates range up to 200 victims, all of them African-American. As happened later in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Rosewood, Florida, a thriving community of small businesses was destroyed and hundreds of African Americans who survived fled the area, abandoning their property and businesses, which were then claimed by white people.

Learning about the Slocum Massacre helped me to realize the result of the way I held the knowledge I had of these and far too many similar incidents of violence against African Americans in the United States. I thought of them as isolated incidents, horrific and inexplicable in their horror except as outbreaks of demonic evil. How can such inexplicable outbreaks be anticipated and prevented?

But I already knew that in Jesus’ day crucifixion was not inexplicable. Far from it. It had a very deliberate purpose. Occasionally I hear that if Jesus had been executed in our day, the symbol of our faith would be an electric chair or syringe, not a cross, and I know there are racial inequities in the administration of capital punishment in the United States. But the public spectacle, the false pretense of avenging some fabricated wrong, the obscenely brutal torture, and the deliberate humiliation of a targeted victim as a way of intimidating and keeping an entire community in a subjugated place — what lynching did to African-Americans and other persons of color is everything that I knew crucifixion was intended to do two millennia ago.

Paying attention to the full reality of lynching, both in detail and in broad scope, helped me to begin to recognize how lynching was not so mysteriously inexplicable. And I began to recognize how it fits with other realities I was aware of but held as isolated pieces of information. I see more clearly now how lynching is part of a seamless history of violence against African Americans in the United States that continues today. After the massive crime of slavery was outlawed, lynching was used to enforce the Jim Crow regime that kept African Americans in subjection. In turn the illegal practice of lynching was replaced by abusive practices with a thin veneer of legality but still powerfully oppressive and violent — a racially targeted “war on drugs,” the racial bias in our criminal justice system most evident in mass incarceration of persons of color, and legalized practices of predatory lending that systematically rob economically vulnerable descendants of slaves from what little wealth they have been able to accumulate. Today restrictive voting laws target the African Americans who were promised full and equal voting rights. It is all one interwoven fabric.

Two decades ago, when I was watching the last episode of “The Civil War” by Ken Burns on PBS, historian Barbara Fields caught my attention with these words: “You can say there’s no such thing as slavery anymore, we’re all citizens. But if we’re all citizens, then we have a task to do to make sure that that, too, is not a joke. If some citizens live in houses and others live on the street, the Civil War is still going on. It’s still to be fought, and regrettably, it can still be lost.”

I am a preacher, and I’ve promised to tell the truth about Jesus, who was crucified and raised from the dead. One part of the truth is that while we may think the Civil War is over, that lynching is a thing of the past, it is not. The same hateful violence that crucified Jesus is still at work among us today. The other part of the truth is that those who have been joined to Jesus Christ in his cross and resurrection have a new life of freedom and the Spirit’s power. In that life, in Jesus’ name, there is healing, reconciling, liberating, life-giving work to do in service of our neighbors, especially those who continue to experience the regime of violent hatred that crucified Jesus.

To learn more about the work of the Equal Justice Iniative, visit eji.org.

Marcus Kunz is an ELCA pastor who serves part-time with the churchwide organization as Executive for Discernment of Contextual and Theological Issues and part-time in interim ministries, currently at Grue and Peace Lutheran Churches of Ashby, Minnesota.  He lives in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, with his spouse, Pastor Martha Halls.  They are the parents of two adult sons

Leslie Weber, Chesapeake, VA

Warm-up Question

How would you define the word “repentance”?  Does your definition change if you are defining it in church terms vs. non-church terms?

Changing Minds & Lives

An article on NPR.org (based on a piece heard on All Things Considered) tells the story of Clark Porter, who at 17 was convicted of robbing a post office at gunpoint and sentenced to 35 years.  After serving 15 years, he was released and radically changed his life.

While on probation, he attended Washington University in St. Louis and then boldly asked the Chief U.S. probation officer in his district, Doug Burris, for a job.  The article explains that at first Burris laughed, but eventually took it to the Chief Judge even though he expected her to find the idea even more ridiculous than he did and say “no.”  He was wrong; she agreed to give Porter and his idea a chance.

Through his work with ex-felons, Porter, has not only turned his life around, but has had a similar impact on countless others.  The 7-month program includes community service, job searches, and therapy, and has made it possible for other ex-offenders to resist the life they once knew and choose a new way forward.

It is hard work—to break the cycles of recidivism for the participants and break the systems of punishment that have been perpetuated for decades with less than stellar results—but Porter and Burris have become quite the unexpected duo.

Discussion Questions

• Identify all the instances of changed attitude or behavior that occurred in this news story. (note: there is more than just Porter’s and other ex-felons!)
• What do you know about the criminal justice system, parole/probation, and recidivism?

Third Sunday in Lent

Isaiah 55:1-9

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Luke 13:1-9

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

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

Gospel Reflection

It is easy to get caught up in the image of the man in Jesus’ parable declaring that the fruitless fig tree should be cut down.  It can be frightening to think that you might be that fruitless fig tree in God’s eyes and, therefore, you will be cut down. It is easy to read the words “unless you repent” with that same terror in mind. Many Christians would read that repeated warning with its associated command as a work—something you must in order to be saved.

As a Lutheran, this reading makes me cringe.  There is nothing that I have to do in order to be acceptable to God and gain eternal life.  We are saved by grace through faith, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit—AND SO IS REPENTANCE!

If you google “repent,” the first definition shown is “feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.”  However, that definition is lacking when you look at the Greek word which we see used in Luke 13, “metanoia,” which Merriam-Webster defines as “a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion.”  “Metanoia” is a compound word of “meta” (meaning change) and “nous” (meaning mind).

In a letter from 1518, Luther talks about discovering this definition.  The Latin word he had always read in these passages had only meant remorse and the acts of penance imposed by the church. In the letter, he thanks his colleague for opening his eyes to the true meaning of the scriptures. He now understands “metanoia” or “repent” as “the transformation of one’s mind and disposition” (Luther’s Works 48 p.66) and “coming to one’s right mind and a comprehension of one’s own evil after one has accepted the damage and recognized the error.” (LW 48 p.67). He highlights that the Latin word misrepresents the true meaning of the Greek, because it “suggests more an action than a change in disposition” (LW 48 p.68).  Luther goes on to explain that “this change is accomplished [by] the grace of God” (LW 48 p.67).

Our feelings of contrition, the reorientation of our minds, and changing of our behavior are not things necessary for God to love us, but instead are a result of God already loving us.  Because Christ already died for us and the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are able to repent and “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8, NRSV).

Repenting is a daily discipline—an acknowledgement that God is constantly turning us back around to focus on Godly things.  It is not just a personal thing though; groups, communities, and institutions can also participate in repentance—admitting they have done wrong or fallen short and then take steps to prevent history from repeating itself—all by the grace of God!

Discussion Questions

• What are some things for which your worshipping community needs to repent?
• What might repentance look like in those cases (i.e. how do you/they make amends and change behavior in the future)?

Activity Suggestions

• Make time and space for personal confession, if time, space, and resources allow, you can have each person write their confessions (those things for which they repent) on dissolving paper, flash paper, or regular paper and have them dispose of them with water or fire.  No matter how you do the confession part, be sure to announce assurance of absolution; if you need help with that part—ask your pastor!
• Brainstorm a list of ways that your congregation might consider repenting (changing behavior for the future) and share it with the leadership.
• Play an epic game of pin the fruit on the tree!  Split into teams or work as one group against the clock to brainstorm acts “worthy of repentance” and write each one on a cutout of a piece of fruit.  Have participants, while blindfolded, try to stick them on a big picture of a tree on the wall.  If they fail, have the rest of the team help “re-aim” them.

Closing Prayer

Creator God, thank you for loving us even when we fall short and fail to bear good fruit.  Help us to turn our minds, hearts, and lives towards you.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Church of the Apostles (COTA) in Seattle, Wash., does church differently. Embracing the essential Pacific Northwest traits of exploration and self-expression, the church has been drawing in young adults between the ages of 20 and 40 (and now their families) since its beginning as a storefront new start in June 2002. A key part of COTA’s identity is its focus on connecting with ancient church traditions in creative ways to grow authentic relationships with God and each other.

COTA is a mission of the Northwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. It became an organized congregation in May 2017. Located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, the church reflects the broader arts culture of its community. COTA seeks to free people to grow in faith by sharing their artistic gifts, boldly, in worship and in life. “We are not about getting to God, but about finding ways for God to get to us,” said the Rev. Ivar Hillesland, pastor.

Church of the Apostles calls the beautiful and historic Fremont Abbey (constructed in 1914) its home. In 2005, the Mission Investment Fund of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America invested in COTA by purchasing it. COTA is currently on track to buy the building from MIF. “Without the support from both the synod and the ELCA we would never have been able to make it to our current thriving state and we are eternally grateful. Because of the support these last 15 years, we have also been able to be the springboard for at least 13 ordained clergy with 3 more currently in the ordination process,” said the Rev. Ivar Hillesland. Photo courtesy of JUMAYDESIGNS.COM and COTA.

Reclaiming the ‘de-churched’

Seattle and the neighborhood of Fremont, in particular, is well-known for large concentrations of unchurched, or “de-churched,” people. “COTA holds a particular mission towards those who are wary of, or direct victims of, the institutional church and the harms that have been caused in its name,” said Hillesland.

Church of the Apostles seeks innovative ways to replace the negatives with affirming alternatives. Church leaders continually reimagine the context and flow of worship services, finding new ways to build on ancient traditions. Hillesland says he is fascinated with figuring out new ways to be and do church. He thinks of the COTA ministry as a sort of church research and development lab. “We have tried to find as many ways as possible to let God speak through our worship and being, and we’ve had many failures along with our ‘successes.’”

In another nod to the past, the church’s home is the Fremont Abbey, a beautiful Lutheran church building constructed in 1914. The Abbey also houses the Fremont Abbey Arts Center, established by the COTA congregation to meet the community’s desire for a place to come together to create and experience the arts. COTA continues to partner with the center, currently under the leadership of an independent director, to integrate the arts into worship and community life.

Priesthood of all believers in action

Taking to heart the theology of the priesthood of all believers, the church strives to have leaders with diverse backgrounds and life experiences. The tasks of planning worship and preaching can be especially meaningful to those who have been unwelcome to use their gifts in the church because of their gender, race or sexual orientation. “Centering the voices of those traditionally marginalized speaks to our intention to expand gender and racial representation and experience, and it gives us a more expanded understanding of the imago dei, or divine image present in all humans,” explained Hillesland.

COTA members and friends come together Sunday evenings for worship—a mix of personal interaction, art, music, a message, and a time of exploration. Opening the pulpit creates space for varying perspectives and authentic reflection. Worship is also a time to experience the divine through creative expression of ancient liturgies. For example, worship music, often written by Music Director Lacey Brown, reflects “themes of ambiguity, expressed spiritual pain or longing, and expanded multigender metaphors for the Divine persons.” Brown also encourages musicians in the COTA community to create songs centered on specific themes or seasons, culminating in projects like the recently released Epiphany Songs.

In an ever-changing world, COTA grounds itself by connecting the past to the present in a way that is authentic to its identity and purpose. According to Hillesland, “As more and more things seem ephemeral, we find ourselves seeking ancient things, things deeply rooted in tradition that can anchor us in the turbulence while at the same time give us more freedom and space to creatively experience God.” It is this connection that inspires the people of COTA to go out into the world as people transformed in Christ.

by Kris A. Mainellis, Program Director for Communication and Events, Congregational Vitality

Issue 63 of Administration Matters

Two options for online giving for ELCA congregations (Tithe.ly and Vanco)

The ELCA churchwide organization has formed a preferred vendor agreement with Vanco, an eGiving software developer and payment processor serving more than 20,000 churches across the country. The agreement offers Vanco’s GivePlus suite of eGiving solutions to ELCA congregations. This announcement adds to the existing relationship with Tithe.ly, providing congregations and synods with a choice in their digital-giving provider. The ELCA has negotiated special pricing for congregations that sign up to use either vendor. Information on the Tithe.ly and Vanco solutions can be found on elca.org.

Reminder: The ELCA Yearbook is now paperless!

To access the most current ELCA directory, visit directory.elca.org with any web browser. Next, select a login provider and enter your credentials. Chances are you are already registered with one of our supported login-identity providers: Facebook, Google, Microsoft or Yahoo. If you have an ELCA login (ELCA community) account or an @elca.org email address, you can also use that to access the directory. If you are a rostered minister or represent a synod, congregation or other organization with a listing in the ELCA directory, now is a great time for you to review your listing to ensure that we have the most up-to-date contact information. Please notify us of any changes by emailing Conginfo@elca.org.

Let your plan members know you care

Remind ELCA-Primary health plan members that they can earn wellness dollars for using the groundbreaking 2019 Live Well tool to strengthen their physical, emotional, financial and spiritual well-being. This new online program provides nearly 100 guided activities and features a spiritual approach to wellness. >More

Split the tasks: How to keep money-handling aboveboard

One day, in the midst of leading a busy congregation, you discover that the congregation’s financial records don’t add up. It dawns on you that someone you deeply trust and have worked with for many years may be responsible. >More

Are voluntary donations to ministers gifts or taxable income?

Congregations should be aware of a recent U.S. Tax Court ruling on voluntary donations to ministers. In Felton v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2018-168, the court ruled that voluntary donations made to a minister in special contribution envelopes were taxable income, not nontaxable gifts. >More

Combat water damage with prevention

Water damage, whether from a natural disaster or plumbing issues, can ruin your floors, walls and ceilings. If you don’t get the place dried up quickly, you could face a severe mold problem and your furniture and other goods could be damaged beyond repair. Acting quickly and following the right steps can save your building from complete destruction and save your congregation from having to spend a lot of money on repairs. >More

National priorities reflected in the proposed budget by President Trump would impair many programs that reflect our shared values. The Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposed by President Trump would increase hunger and poverty in our nation and around the world, exacerbating root causes of poverty and heightening migration tensions.

If enacted, the budget would make deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Child Nutrition Programs (cut $220 billion from SNAP and $1.7 billion from Child Nutrition Programs), expand the ranks of the uninsured (cut $1.1 trillion from Medicaid), end or impair effective global health and antipoverty programs, and end programs that care for creation and combat climate change (make a 30% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency budget and eliminate essential global climate research funding). At a time when apprehensions at the southern border are at a historic low, maximized funding of a physical barrier at that border is not an effective solution to address border security.

The federal budget reflects our national priorities and promotes the collective common good. We urge Congress to reject this extreme vision for our nation and support a budget that reflects our shared values, as in the bipartisan budget enacted for 2019.

Drew Tucker, Columbus, OH

Warm-up Question

What is it like to rebuild something that has been broken or destroyed, especially something you care about? Think about anything from relationships to toys, from sandcastles to careers.

Rebuilding

After nearly two decades of war, Iraq is rebuilding. Cities like Baghdad are bustling with new fashions in clothing and old favorites in food. Mosul, formerly a stronghold of ISIS, is further behind the process but still showing signs of renewed vibrancy. Across the country, the landscape is scattered with rubble of the old and reflections of the new. This article details the difficult process, complicated by both political and religious divides, of rebuilding for the Iraqi people.

What’s clear is that natives loved this land. They lost homes, businesses, landmarks, mosques, churches, art, antiquities; and most irreplaceable, countless loved ones, to war. More than can be remembered is gone. The destruction, initially related to the U.S. led coalition’s War on Terror, was furthered by wars in Afghanistan and Syria, as well as political strife in Egypt and Turkey. Militants within and without led to the rubble, but the locals are the ones who rebuild life from the ashes. There’s a relentless hope to this kind of life after seemingly endless destruction. Rebuilding happens after woe.

Discussion Questions

• Imagine what it is like to rebuild life after a war. What kind of energy would that take? 
• When rebuilding is happening with conflicts still nearby, how should we balance the hope for a new life with a realism about the present dangers? 
• How can you connect your life experience with the stories of those rebuilding in Iraq?

Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Luke 13:31-35

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Jesus’s ministry happens in a conflict-laden Israel, and no place is more susceptible to that strife than Jerusalem. Jesus is warned by Pharisees, who are often religious opponents, that Herod plans to kill him. Herod, who claims Jewish ethnicity, is a puppet governor of Rome. Roman occupation of Israel began nearly seventy years before Jesus’s ministry, so few of his listeners would remember a time without an occupying army, religious zealots, and political factions constantly struggling for control. In the midst of this struggle for power, Jesus dared to claim Israel’s lordship and displayed divine ability by healing illnesses, casting out demons, and forgiving sin. So of course Herod would want to kill Jesus, who captured the hearts and minds of people Herod meant to control. 

Yet, in the face of that threat, Jesus refuses to run, continues his work, and laments the impending destruction. That’s an impressive, daunting disposition. Scripture tells us that Jesus eventually dies of this conflict. History tells us that the temple is eventually torn down by Rome as a punishment for continued revolts against the empire. That’s what the desolate house business is all about. Much like present day Iraq, 1^st century Israel suffered massive destruction due to the wars sparked by various powers vying for control. Jesus sees the end result of this conflict, and so calls out woes to Jerusalem, a city that he loves deeply, full of people he loves dearly.  Yet, he also sees a future time when rebuilding will happen, foreshadowed in his own resurrection. In the midst of this conflict, Jesus refuses to stop working for the good, even amidst the woe. Jesus refuses to run away, even amidst the knowledge that his life is on the line. Jesus’s penchant for life bears even the immediacy of death. Perhaps most striking is Jesus continued love for this place. Like the present day residents of war torn lands, so too Jesus knows what it is  to love a place wrecked by division, to love even a people who are a threat to his life. 

Lent is a journey that recalls Jesus’s walk toward his own personal destruction, humiliation, ultimately his death. Yet, Lent is also a preparation for life after the woe. It’s preparation to rebuild. Rather than resign ourselves to the shadows of the tomb or the destruction of our city, we enter the disciplines of Lent to prepare for Jesus’s resurrection after the woe of his death. We build an ability to say “blessed is the one who comes in the Lord’s name.” We bear with the sorrow of death and prepare for the abundance of God’s divine life. 

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think the Pharisees were the ones who warned Jesus about Herod’s plans to kill him? 
• What does it say about Jesus that he refuses to run away from the conflict he’s facing? 
• How can we emulate Jesus’s focus on life in the face of division or destruction in our lives? 

Activity Suggestions

• Perform an upcycling project together. Use garbage or recyclables from the church to create something new and beautiful together around the theme of new life. Consider turning drink containers into planters, newspaper into papier-mâché, or a collage from magazine clippings. 
• Develop a compost heap or barrel with food scraps from food and other naturally compostable items from the church. Teach them about the power of new life that comes from the natural decay of once living materials. 
• Teach students how to make the ashes for (next) Ash Wednesday with dried palms or other plant matter. Check out this short video for instructions. Talk with them about the realities of death and the promises of resurrection. 

Closing Prayer

God of restoration, you love with a commitment stronger than the grave. When we encounter unimaginable struggle, remind us that you continue to work on our behalf. When we live through unspeakable suffering, remind us that you refuse to run away. When we fear the worst, remind us that you lived through the worst to bring us the very best of all, abundant and everlasting life. We pray this all in the name of Jesus: Amen.  

from the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, director

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE | YEMEN RESOLUTION | JUST TRANSITION | GENDER JUSTICE | ACTION CENTER NOTE | DATE NOTE

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FUNDING OUTCOMES: Congress has passed a budget compromise that includes spending levels for international affairs programs. These programs address food insecurity, poverty and other top international ELCA Advocacy priorities. Some programs focusing on poverty reduction saw a slight increase, e.g. global health programs and international disaster assistance.

YEMEN RESOLUTION IN CONGRESS: Last month the House passed a joint resolution calling for an end to U.S. military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where 51 votes are required for passage. ELCA Advocacy staff are monitoring the progress of the resolution, which could affect peace outcomes in the region.

JUST TRANSITION AND CLIMATE: ELCA Advocacy and the Franciscan Action Network are working with members of the Edison Electric Institute, which represents U.S. investor-owned electric utilities, to find areas of commonality in addressing the impact of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Together, the partnership is exploring two aspects of the problem—energy efficiency and just transition—and is trying to establish common definitions and principles for just transition. Faith-based organizations can complement the just transition process by addressing the social impact on communities where coal-fired plants have been closed in a manner that utility companies may not be equipped to help, as communities make the transition to a carbon-neutral resilient society where no one is left behind.

INTERNATIONAL GENDER JUSTICE: At the State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump announced a new initiative called Women’s Global Development and Prosperity, with the goal of advancing women’s full and free participation in the global economy. The initiative aims at building on programs that are already in existence. The initiative sets up $50 million fund for USAID to invest in new programs that will help women start their own businesses, overcome barriers to doing business, and find jobs. With the goal of reaching 50 million women by 2025; and requires interagency coordination among different agencies.

FROM THE ACTION CENTER – HUNGER DOESN’T WATCH A CLOCK: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a rule that would put time limits on food benefits for unemployed and underemployed people who can’t document a designated number of weekly work hours or job training. People who cannot meet the documentation requirement would lose SNAP food assistance eligibility after three months, regardless of how hard they are trying to find work or acquire job skills. This would lead to increasing hunger in our communities. Shortly after the rule was posted last month, ELCA Advocacy responded with an Action Alert opposing it. Advocates have until April 2 to submit comments to the USDA through the Action Center at http://ELCA.org/advocacy/actioncenter .

ON THE CALENDAR – ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS: The annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference, gathering hundreds of faith-based advocates from across the country, will be held April 5-8 in Washington, D.C. Early-bird registration for the conference ends Friday, March 9, so interested attendees should apply soon! This year’s conference focuses on the theme “Trouble the Waters,” drawn from John 5:1-9, and calls on God to bring healing to our nation and world. Advocate meetings with Congress will focus on a range of issues, from expanding voter protections to increasing meaningful public participation to realizing social justice in our communities. ELCA Advocacy will host a reception during the conference for Lutheran attendees visiting the city. Additional information for Lutheran attendees will be shared before the conference begins.

Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .