by the Rev. Amy E. Reumann

Today the 116th Congress is sworn in to serve our nation.  

Before members get down to the business of government, many mark the opening of a new Congress with a bipartisan and interfaith prayer service at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill. This tradition shows a different side of Washington, reflecting the rich pluralism of our elected representatives and their respective faith traditions. The bipartisan spirit was evident as Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., and Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., teamed up to lead the music and congregational singing of “Here I Am, Lord” and “Prayer of St. Francis.” They joked that they hadn’t practiced and needed us all to sing loudly to cover any mistakes.

This year, current and new members shared readings that expressed yearning for wisdom in their leadership and for their service to be a blessing to others. Selections included the Old and New Testaments (Genesis 12, Psalm 33:12-22 and James 3:13, 16-18), the Bhagavad-Gita, an Islamic Prayer, a hymn by Edna Dow Cheney and a reading from Thomas Merton. The Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the Rev. Patrick J. Conroy, S.J., encouraged new members as they leave their former positions and “start over as freshmen.” To seasoned members, he counseled that they continue to serve with honor and faithfulness. Prayer petitions were offered by members, lifting to God the work of government, the Supreme Court and work of justice, Armed Forces and veterans, and people who are displaced or facing difficulty or struggles.

As I left the church, I overheard someone joke, “We’ll see how long this bipartisan spirit lasts. I’ll give it two hours.” Yet this moment, though fleeting, encourages me as a new Congress commences. It represents a hope that when we come together in our diversity to pray together, to sing and to hear one another’s faith testimony, bonds of understanding and community are built.

Cooperation and communication across partisan lines are more common than is reported. Shared work together built on faith commitments to justice, equity and compassion doesn’t make headlines, but it can and does open doors for compromise on issues we care about. This morning’s service and prayer prepared a foundation for the work of the 116th Congress.

Dennis Sepper, Rosemont, MN

Warm-up Question

Have you ever looked for something you lost and found it in a very unlikely place? 

Home for the Holidays

Raleigh, North Carolina, December 17, 2018 – Twin sisters A’nina and Zoe Pasco, members of their middle school’s cheer squad, thought it odd that there so many reporters at the school’s basketball game.  Then at halftime when the school mascot came onto the court, the dolphin looked a bit taller than they remembered.  What they didn’t know was that their father, a U.S. Air Force Sergeant, was the reason for both of those unusual observations.

Finally, the mascot removed the costume head and the twins couldn’t believe their eyes.  A’nina and Zoe dashed into their father’s waiting arms (fins?)  The reaction of the twins was worth the whole surprise which the school administration approved.  To see the twins’ reaction, follow the link below for a video of the reunion.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article223226275.html

Discussion Questions

• Do you like being surprised?  What’s the best unexpected surprise you ever experienced?
• Why are unexpected surprises so special?  (Outside of the obvious fact that they are unexpected!)
• Have you ever been the person doing the surprising?  How did the reaction of the person you surprised make you feel?  Was it worth all the secrecy and planning?

Epiphany of Our Lord

Isaiah 60:1-6

Ephesians 3:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

(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

January 6^th is the festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord on the church year calendar.  It is the 12^th day, the last day, of the Christmas season.  The day is remembered as the day the wise men arrived to pay homage to the baby Jesus.  The gospel writer Matthew includes the story to remind us that Jesus is not only the ruler and savior of Israel but of the entire world.  The wise men represent all the gentile world as they come to worship Jesus.  

When the “wise men from the East” saw the star announcing the birth of Jesus, they did the most logical thing; they headed to Jerusalem, the capital city, and to the palace of King Herod.  They were looking for the “child who has been born king of the Jews” and it made perfect sense to them that the king would be born in Jerusalem. However, when they arrived and asked King Herod about the birth, it seems Herod knew nothing about it.  Herod had to call together the priests and scribes to ask them where the child was to be born.  It was a surprise to everyone there that it was noted the child was to be born in Bethlehem, a city far more insignificant than Jerusalem.  It is also worth noting that while the foreign wise men knew of the birth, the religious leaders had missed the clues that Jesus had been born.

With this new information, the wise men set off to Bethlehem.  The star reappeared and guided them to the place where Jesus was.  Matthew tells us that the wise men were overwhelmed with joy that they had found Jesus in this place they didn’t expect.  Once there the wise men offered Jesus gifts befitting a king…gold, frankincense and myrrh.

So often we look for Jesus in places that seem to make sense…in church, in the Bible, when we are doing our devotions.  The wise men remind us that sometimes Jesus shows up in unexpected places and surprises us with God’s presence.  When we discover Jesus in those unexpected places we too can be overwhelmed with joy and we can return our praise to God.

Discussion Questions

• Can you think of a time when you ran across Jesus or God in an unexpected place (outside the church and the Bible)?  Where was that place and how did you feel when you sensed Jesus’ presence?
• If you were giving a gift to Jesus like the wise men did, what would that gift be?  Why did you chose that gift?
• There are many traditions surrounding the wise men and their story that are not mentioned in Matthew’s account.  Read the gospel again carefully and answer the following questions:

1. How many wise men were there?  Tradition says there were three
2. Does Matthew tell us they were kings as is often depicted and sung about?
3. Where do the wise men find the baby Jesus?  In the stable and the manger?

Activity Suggestion

There is a very old tradition surrounding the day of Epiphany of blessing one’s house or the church building for the new year ahead.  Take a piece of chalk and over the door of your house or the church (please get permission first!) write the following; 20 + CMB + 19.  In this inscription you will see the new year, 2019, two crosses and the letters CMB which stand for the traditional names of the wise men, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.  Once you have written the inscription you can pray this prayer from Sundays and Seasons (Copyright © 2018 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.)

O God, you revealed your Son to all people by the shining light of a star. We pray that you bless this home and all who live here with your gracious presence. May your love be our inspiration, your wisdom our guide, your truth our light, and your peace our benediction; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, we thank you for revealing Jesus as the Messiah to the wise men showing us that your love, grace, mercy, and peace are meant for all people of every nation.  By the power of the Holy Spirit assist us to share the good news of Jesus with everyone we meet through word and deed.  We ask this in your most holy name.  Amen.  

Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany

Warm-up Question

What is the best thing you like about when you come home from being away for a while? 

Discovering Where He Belongs

It’s beginning to look a lot like the Christmas Nick Schneider dreamed about much of his life. He just recently took advantage of new Indiana law which just made possible the release of more than 50 years of adoption records, including Schneider’s. He was one of those fortunate children who was adopted as a baby by two loving parents. They raised him with love and care and provided him all the things that one hopes for in life. Shirley Williams gave Nick up for adoption those many years ago when he was just one day old. She was a 17 year-old, unwed mother. In that time, that was rather scandalous, so she was sent to a place away from her home in order to give birth in secret. 

Schneider found out that he was adopted when he was 12 years old. Reporting to local news sources Schneider said,  “There was always a void. I just needed to know, I wanted to know where I came from. I wanted to know my roots.” In recent years, he started trying to find out about his ancestry through an online DNA test. That led to identifying his grandfather and finding a picture. A television station ran a story on him and when they showed the picture of his grandfather a biological cousin reached out and eventually connected him to his mother.  This has been a been a dream come true in the making. 

Shirley and Nick met last September and, at last report, were planning on celebrating this Christmas together for the first time. 

Discussion Questions

• How many generations can you trace back in your family?
• What is your experience with adoption?
• When have you ever looked hard for something and found it?
• If someone adopted grows up in a loving home, why do you think they still go looking for their biological parents?

First Sunday of Christmas

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

Colossians 3:12-17

Luke 2:41-52

(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 of Nazareth in Galilee, still technically a boy in the eyes of his community but on the brink of being seen as an adult (this was at the age of thirteen), is traveling along with his parents. They are traveling in the security of friends and family and go to Jerusalem for the Passover, one of the most important religious festivals in the Jewish tradition. Jesus has parents who care.

Just last week, we relived the story of this newly betrothed couple away from home with no place to give birth to the one promised by the Archangel Gabriel. Now he is all grown up. Mary and Joseph seem to have done a good job. Jesus is twelve years old, healthy, and…lost! They lose Jesus in Jerusalem, a city full of thousands of people from all over the region. How worried must they have been? Apparently, these loving, adoptive parents didn’t need to be worried at all as they come to find him in the temple.

Jesus found his way home to his first parent. “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” This statement is surprising and not surprising at the same time. If we have been following Jesus’ story closely, we know who he is and we know that Mary and Joseph know who he is. Maybe they forgot over the past twelve years. Maybe they knew Jesus was special but didn’t know if he knew. Whatever the case may be, Jesus knows who he is. Jesus lays claim to his divine heritage. Jesus seeks a home-coming of biblical proportions. He amazes the learned leaders gathered discussing God and God’s word. Jesus yearns to be in his Father’s house and comes into his own. It is three days after they notice him missing that they find Jesus.

How long was Jesus there in his Father’s house? Certainly long enough to be passionately engaged in study of scripture and theological discussion. We don’t know any of the other details of this experience like where Jesus stayed, how he got by, etc. All we know is that Jesus is doing just fine and Mary chastises him for “treating us like this” and “causing us great anxiety”. They didn’t notice he was missing but when they did, they were scared. They love their son, and like so many parents when their child goes missing, they were terrified something might have happened to him. Here the Gospel of Luke helps us see Jesus with new eyes. He is not just the baby in the manger or the lost twelve-year old. Jesus is not lost in Jerusalem but he lost in God’s word. No worries, Mary and Joseph. Jesus is right where he is supposed to be. 

Jesus, however, still has family responsibilities to his earthly parents. He is a good son to them despite giving them a scare. Jesus goes home with Mary and Joseph, even if it is very clear now how strong his connection is to his first Father. This divine child is a loving son to both parents, those on earth and the one in heaven. The next time we see Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, he is all grown up “in wisdom in earthly years” and ready to begin his ministry of preaching and being the good news. 

Discussion Questions

• When have you ever had the feeling of knowing you belonged somewhere or not belonged somewhere?
• Where would you like to be right now?
• When have you felt like you were old enough but others still treated you as a child?
• What are you passionate about? What kind of activities could you “get lost” in?
• Which bible stories or topics of the faith could you “get lost” in?

Activity Suggestion

A faith family tree: Have the participants trace all those in their family and their connection to the faith. They can draw this as a family tree or as a chart. Help the participants identify patterns in their faith family tree. 

Closing Prayer

O God our loving parent, we thank you for giving us the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and curiosity. Give us a spirit of passion for you and your word. Open our minds and our hearts to engage in conversations about our faith with our family, friends, and others who are interested. May we be examples of your love and may the world see us as your children. We ask this in the name of your Son, our friend and heavenly brother, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 

The guests sit back, satisfied. The plates are scraped clean. The utensils are carefully stowed for the next meal. Where do we go from here?

In the first session of this study, Babette’s guests had finished their sumptuous, if strange, feast, praising the talents of their hostess, if not the exact recipes she brought to life. The eponymous meal was not the end of the story, however. Thirty-year-old spoiler alert: At the end of the film, Babette informs the two sisters for whom she works that she has spent all her newfound wealth on the meal and so, rather than returning to France, will be staying on as their live-in servant. Almost as important as the climax of the meal is the denouement of Babette’s decision to remain in their service. The feast is not a farewell dinner but rather a celebration of transition — from the servitude she was forced into by circumstance to the loving service she continues by choice.

In the second session of this study, Martin Luther extolled the virtues of Abraham, whose radical hospitality created an opening — both literal and figurative — for Abraham and Sarah to hear the promise of God in their humble tent. It was a model of hospitality Luther commended to the church, that it might be a place of refuge for all who are vulnerable, for all the strangers-maybe-angels in our midst. The people of God are called to be church for the sake of the world — and this starts with the concern for the well-being of others that gives rise to hospitality.

In the third session of this study, Paul admonished Peter for creating tables that were exclusive rather than inclusive. Peter had refused to dine with Gentiles and, in so doing, had decided who was in and who was out based on the law rather than on grace. Paul also held the Corinthians to account for their treatment of people in need, chastising them for mimicking in the church the pattern of relationships already present in the world, where those with earth and power received the places of prestige, and those in poverty had to make do with scraps.

Each of these threads is pulled together in Luther’s teaching on the most important meal in the Christian church, Holy Communion. Calling Holy Communion a “blessed sacrament of love,” Luther writes:

The fruit of the sacrament is nothing other than love. As Christ gave himself for us with his body and blood in order to redeem us from all misery, so we too are to give ourselves with might and main for our neighbor…That is how a Christian acts.

For Luther, Holy Communion draws those at the altar closer to God and closer to one another. To partake of the sacrament authentically, one must remember both dimensions — the presence of grace in the sacrament and the willingness to bear the burdens of the other people at the table. Holy Communion is a means of grace that forms us to be signs of grace to one another.

In Holy Communion, we are reminded of Christ’s sacrifice for us and are invited to give ourselves in like manner to one another. The sacred meal is nourishment for a sacred vocation. In fact, for Luther, the sacrament has no meaning without this: “For the sacrament has no blessing and significance unless love grows daily and so changes a person that he is made one with all others,” he writes. At the table, a community is fed and formed for service in the world. The sacrament’s significance does not end at the table where we eat but extends into the world in which we live — a world we shape by our witness to the hospitality of God, who welcomes all to the table. It is a somber meal of penitent reflection and a celebratory feast of new beginnings.

This season, as we have prepared for the arrival of Christ, it may be easy to see Christmas as the end, the culmination of what has gone before, rather than as the beginning, the inauguration of what is to come. But the coming of Christmas is not merely the end of Advent. It is the start of the life of the church in the world. Freed from sin and death by Jesus Christ, it is the beginning of the servitude we choose — service of the world in gratitude for the grace we have received. It is a celebration of the freedom to join with others at the table and the freedom to concern ourselves wholly with the needs of our neighbors. In Advent, the church is created to be part of the re-creation of the world begun on Christmas.

The “reason for the season” is Christ’s birth, certainly. But it is also the creation of the people of Christ, who are called into the world to “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

The guests sit back, satisfied. The plates are scraped clean. The utensils are carefully stowed for the next meal. Now, the work of Christmas begins.

Questions for reflection:

• What memorable meals in your life have brought you into relationship with other people at the table? How did dining together help you become closer to them?
• How does Holy Communion help nourish you for service of others?
• Where is God inviting you to be in the new year?
• How are you renewed for service of the world by the holiday season?

Prayer

Gracious God,

we give you thanks for the many ways you nourish us — with food, with family, with friends, with faith. In you, we are made new to be instruments of your grace in our world. Recall to us the many places of need in our world — places of injustice and violence, of hunger and poverty. Enrich us with love at the tables you set that we may seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly with you into the future you have promised.

In your holy name,

Amen.

Learn

To download this entire Advent study, click on the cover image below. To other congregational resources from ELCA World Hunger, please visit www.elca.org/Resources/ELCA-World-Hunger.

Give

Gifts to ELCA World Hunger are acts of love toward our neighbors living with hunger and poverty both here and around the world. This Advent, join ELCA World Hunger in working toward a just world where all are fed.

Give now

Connect

Sign up here and receive news, information and the latest resources from ELCA World Hunger.

Seth Moland-Kovash, Palatine, Il

Warm-up Question

 What are you most looking forward to right now?

Are you Excited?

Anticipation and excitement are two very powerful human emotions. We look forward to vacation, to time off from school or other responsibilities. We might look forward to family time, to Christmas, to gifts (giving and receiving). Simply the act of anticipating something releases powerful chemicals into our bloodstream which make us feel the joy – that’s what anticipation is.

Companies that try to sell products to us know this well. This is what advertisements and pre-release promotions are all about. The companies are trying to create anticipation in us so that we feel that joy and then want it more and more—and seek out the product they are promoting. Sometimes this is done through industry events like the Consumer Electronics Show. This event, held in January each year, is all about creating anticipation. The event is an opportunity for companies to tell us what consumer electronic products (mobile phones, televisions, computers and the like) they will be releasing in 2019. But the weeks leading up to the event are themselves about anticipation. Companies will tease what products they will be announcing at CES to build up the anticipation. As the linked article tells us, even before the official event starts on January 8, there are two “media days” where companies jostle for headlines and buzz – all trying to create the most excitement and anticipation they can for their products.

Discussion Questions

• Do you like to be the first one in your family or friend group to try something new? This could be a technological thing or some other kind of experience.
• Are there new technological products or innovations you are excited to see? 
• Have you ever experienced disappointment when you’ve finally gotten to do or see or use something that you’ve been anticipating?

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:2-5a

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-45 [46-55]

(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

Mary was excited and Elizabeth was excited. These two women were experiencing an anticipation that is a common occurrence for people throughout history – the expectation of the birth of a child. Each was excited to meet her own child and to see what would become of him.

This story tells us of another level of excitement. When Elizabeth saw Mary, the child in Elizabeth’s womb (John the Baptist) “leaped for joy.” Elizabeth is sharing her testimony that even the unborn child she carried was anticipating and excited about the unborn child Mary carried.

We know the rest of the story – we know that John was a bit of a predecessor to Jesus in public ministry. We know that John baptized Jesus. We also know that Jesus would save the world through his life, death, and resurrection. It seems that John knew that too – even before birth.

Discussion Questions

• Can you relate to John’s excitement about Jesus? What excites you about Jesus?
• John shared his excitement by leaping for joy. How can we share our excitement about Jesus?

Activity Suggestion

Snap pictures of you and your youth group showing your excitement at Jesus’ coming. Get creative. Use props or facial expressions. Share your pictures with the world through social media.

Closing Prayer

Come Lord Jesus, and fill us with joy at your birth. Amen.

Are you daydreaming about summer as much as we are? Around the country, ELCA congregations are already making plans for next year’s Vacation Bible School, and ELCA World Hunger is thrilled to invite you to explore our new VBS curriculum for 2019, “Who is My Neighbor?” This curriculum is a free resource that is now available to order and download!

“Who is My Neighbor?” invites children and youth to re-imagine what it means to be neighbors in Christ. Based on the Good Samaritan story, this full, five-day program contains skits, games, crafts, snacks and intentional activities for children to enjoy and learn how our faith calls us out into the world to love and serve our neighbors.

The skits for each day introduce a new character in the Good Samaritan story, starting with the lawyer who asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Each skit shares an important lesson that directly relates to the theme and theme verse, which groups will practice at the start and end of each day.

Themes for each day:

Day One – God loves us (1 John 4:19)

Day Two – Let your light shine (Isaiah 58:10)

Day Three – No fear (1 John 4:18a)

Day Four – God loves everyone (Acts 10:34b-35)

Day Five – Building God’s neighborhood (Romans 15:2)

Based on your feedback, we’ve made “Who is My Neighbor?” more user-friendly for VBS planning teams by organizing each section by activity categories, rather than by days of the week. Organizing the sections in this way allows everyone on the team to be able to flip to the activities that they are assigned so that all of your leaders can find the materials and directions for their roles in one section. The program is organized in the following sections:

Each day begins with a large group opening, including a skit to introduce the daily theme and a new character within “The Good Samaritan” story. This is followed by “family time” – small group sessions to dig deeper into the theme and bible verse. Then, participants travel through five rotations: crafts, games, snacks, storytelling and a “simulation station” – an interactive and engaging activity to learn more about hunger and how our faith calls us to respond. The stories for each day are based on real stories from projects supported by your gifts to ELCA World Hunger. Not only will children, youth and adults hear about the work this church is doing around the world, but through “Who Is My Neighbor?” they will be part of the response!

Leaders will find schedule templates, theme song suggestions and options for younger (K-2nd grade) and older (3rd grade and above) participants so that you can adapt to the needs of your group! Each lesson is rooted in Lutheran theology, drawing on our church’s strong tradition of theology and practice in the world.

The VBS program is also flexible, so you can adapt it to fit your needs. Already have a VBS for this summer? “Who is My Neighbor?” can also be used for Sunday School, family faith formation, and children’s sermons throughout the year.

How can I get my whole congregation involved?

A month or two prior to your VBS, create your own “Who Is My Neighbor?” campaign! Set a goal for your congregation to meet before the VBS starts and raise funds for your neighbors here in the United States and around the world through ELCA World Hunger.

Look for free posters, certificates and additional pictures accompanying the Storytime section coming soon!

If you have any questions about “Who is My Neighbor?” or ELCA World Hunger’s educational resources, please contact Ryan Cumming, program director of hunger education, at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

Learn

Click on the image below to download “Who Is My Neighbor?” To see some of ELCA World Hunger’s other congregational resources, including confirmation lessons, interactive immersion experiences, stories and videos, visit www.elca.org/Resources/ELCA-World-Hunger.

Share

We want to hear from you! Share the story of your Vacation Bible School on social media, or email us directly at hunger@elca.org.

Give

Gifts to ELCA World Hunger are acts of love towards our neighbors living with hunger and poverty both here and around the world. Together, we are creatively and courageously working toward a just world where all are fed.

Give now

Advent is a season of anticipation, but this anticipation is not passive waiting. Perhaps a better way to describe it is as a season of preparation — we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Christ-child on Christmas. But more than this, Advent is a time for the church to prepare itself for the reign of God that “broke in” to human history on the first Christmas. It is a time to reflect on the year behind and consider the year ahead — and to evaluate both in light of the question: How well do the ministries of our church anticipate the coming fullness of God’s reign?

At a community meal at Unity Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, guests gather around long tables, sharing in the hot meal volunteers serve from overflowing warming trays. The room is full to bursting with families, couples and individuals. Among them are both neighbors dealing with hunger and homelessness and volunteers and visitors sharing in the evening experience. With the exception of the servers, it is impossible to tell at first glance who among the hundred or more diners is a member of which group. All dine together; every seat is an equal station in the room.

The situation in Paul’s Corinth was very different. The meal Paul writes about in his first letter to the Corinthians is a corruption of this kind of community supper. The early meal he refers to is a first-century version of Holy Communion, at which the church would share not just bread and wine but an entire meal. Historian Helen Rhee writes that this meal was a primary way the church served the community. The sacrament, while ensuring that each church member received the means of grace through the consecrated elements, also ensured that the community received the more mundane nourishment of food, particularly for those who were facing the first-century version of food insecurity.

But that wasn’t the way it was working in Corinth. The early church included both members of wealth and members in poverty, according to Rhee, and in Corinth, it appears that the former received their fill while the latter yet again were left wanting: “One is hungry and another is drunk,” Paul admonishes.

This isn’t the first time Paul has written about eating and drinking in the church. In his letter to the Galatians, by some estimates written in the year before the letter to the Corinthians, Paul recollects his brazen challenge to Peter, the apostle of Antioch: “I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned” (Galatians 2:11). Peter, who used to dine with both Jews and Gentiles, has begun to limit his gustatory activities to more exclusive parties, dining only with Jews. The reason for this, according to Paul, seems to be the presence of a group of Jews (“the circumcision party”) who felt that such intermingling was unbecoming of a Jew like Peter.

Paul disagrees — forcefully. Confronting Peter, Paul charges that his exclusive dining choices are a transgression against the gospel, which teaches that it is Christ alone who justifies and not circumcision. By refusing to eat with uncircumcised Gentiles, Peter is reverting to the belief that it is the law that proves a person worthy of a spot at the table and not the grace of Jesus Christ. And you thought choosing a lunch table in high school was hard!

For Paul, the table is a sign of the reign of God. The community gathered to eat and drink represents the community that will be gathered together in the full reconciliation of God’s coming kingdom. The church, witnessing to the “already-but-not-yet” reign of God, reflects not what is or what has been but what is to come — a banquet to which all will be welcomed and at which all will be filled. Peter’s transgression, like the error of the Corinthians, was to fail to see how the gospel they preached was to shape the life of the church here and now. For Paul, there was no clearer evidence of where the church stood on the gospel than where its members stood on meals.

Paul’s letters — and much of Scripture — invite us to think about the people who join us at our tables. But it would be too narrow a question to ask, who will dine with us this holiday season? For Paul, the dining table was a central symbol of who the church is, but there are so many “tables” at which we choose to sit — or choose not to sit. Our communities are filled with tables — places where we are invited to gather with neighbors, to stand with one another, to advocate for each other and to meet our common challenges together. Will we be like Paul, who envisioned tables as places of grace where all have a place and all are filled? Will we be like Peter, who abandoned the gospel by refusing to dine with unclean Gentiles? Will we be like the Corinthians, whose corrupted table perpetuated hunger?

The tables the church participates in reflect our beliefs about who the church is called to be and the transformation of the world God is enacting in our midst. As we look back on the year past and look ahead to the year to come, we are invited to reflect on the tables at which we sat — and the invitations awaiting us. Where is God inviting the church to be? Who is God inviting the church to be?

Questions for reflection:

• Read Galatians 2:11-21 and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. What problems did Paul see with Peter’s practices in Antioch and the Corinthians’ practices in their community?
• Where have we been invited to be present with neighbors in our community? How have we responded?
• Where is God calling your congregation to be in the next year?

Prayer

Loving God,

you sent your Son to invite the world to the heavenly banquet, from which no one will go away hungry. Remember us in our hunger for union with you and fellowship with one another. Inspire us to join with our neighbors at tables together, where we may work together toward a just world where all are fed.

In your gracious name,

Amen.

Learn

To download this entire study, click on the cover image below. To see some of our other congregational resources, please visit www.elca.org/Resources/ELCA-World-Hunger.

Give

Gifts to ELCA World Hunger are acts of love towards our neighbors living with hunger and poverty both here and around the world. Together, we are creatively and courageously working toward a just world where all are fed.

Give now

Connect

Sign up here and receive news, information and the latest resources from ELCA World Hunger.

Paul Baglyos, Baltimore, MD

 Warm-up Question

When does standing by require standing up?

Standing By and Standing Up

Montgomery County, Maryland is considering a revamped proposal to allow public high school students to take as many as three excused absences a year to participate in political protests and other forms of “civic engagement” during the school day.  This would allow students to take part in marches, protests, lobbying, and other acts of political action.

Students feel that many current issues affect them and that students shouldn’t be punished with an unexcused absence for taking part in demonstrations so directly connected to issues affecting their lives.  “We’re taught about how important it is to be engaged in our world and community, and to be aware of what’s going on and to be a responsible participant in the democratic process,” said Ananya Tadikonda, 17, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School and the student representative on the Montgomery County Board of Education. “This proposal gives students an opportunity to exercise civic responsibility without being penalized for it.”

When it was introduced in September, the proposal required parental consent, the approval of the school principal and permission from the organization sponsoring the political activity or protest.  Excused absences would not be approved for spontaneous walkouts or protests. Students who leave campus without receiving approval would not receive an excused absence.  The final version of the proposal is still being drafted.

Public reaction to the proposal has been mixed.  Critics agree that students should have an opportunity to express their concerns, lest students feel their voices do not matter.  But they  express concern that students would be missing out on valuable school time and disrupting the school day.  “You are sending a message to the MCPS community that student protesting is more important than them being at school engaged in learning,” one commentator wrote.

Discussion Questions

• Do you favor or oppose the proposal discussed in the above news article?  What are your reasons?
• How would you respond to people whose opinions about the proposal differ from your own?
• How would such a proposal be regarded in your school district?

Third Sunday of Advent

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

(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

One way to understand and interpret the figure of John the Baptist in the New Testament gospel narratives is to regard him and the movement he generated as a protest against the status quo.  John’s fiery preaching arose from a holy impatience with human complacency toward the evils of injustice and oppression.  He called for repentance, which meant a change of direction in the ways of human behavior and society.  Many of the people who gathered around him were eager to change their own lives in accordance with his preaching and they asked him for instruction on how to do that.  They had, apparently, grown tired of their own complacency and become ready to make changes for the better, changes that would alter the status quo.

We can picture the kind of protests discussed in the preceding news article as similar in sight and sound and character to the gatherings occasioned by John the Baptist.  Both contexts involve impatience with the status quo and calls for change.  Students who might receive an excused absence from class in order to participate in a protest are eager to stand up for the better world they long to see rather than stand by in complacency toward the way things are.

The phrase “standing by” can mean two very different things.  In one sense, “standing by” can mean remaining detached and indifferent, uninvolved, uninterested and unengaged.  In that sense, “standing by” can mean accommodating the status quo.  But “standing by” can also mean remaining alert and watchful, expectant and ready.  In that sense, “standing by” can mean remaining prepared to take action against the status quo.  In Christian faith and practice, the liturgical season of Advent focuses on “standing by” in the second sense of that phrase.

Christians understand themselves to be on “stand by” for the coming of Jesus Christ.  The world’s form and future belong to Jesus rather than to any other person, power, or authority.  The fulfillment of all longing for a better world is assured by the life, death, resurrection and promise of Jesus, and this is the good news that Christians celebrate and confess.  Christians live on “stand by” for the culmination and completion of that good news and Advent is the season in which the church annually re-trains its “stand by” muscles.

But Christian “standing by” for the coming of Jesus (which is to say, for the culmination and completion of his good news, his gospel) does not mean remaining detached and indifferent, uninvolved, uninterested and unengaged.  In fact, the Advent call to repentance is itself a protest against the status quo and all habits of complacency.  To stand by for the coming of Jesus means to stand up for the better world that his coming inaugurates.  Christians are called to protest the status quo and to resist the habits of complacency because the coming of Jesus brings the extinction of the status quo and raises new life from the tombs of complacency.

Discussion Questions

• Has there ever been a situation in your life that stirred you to stand up against the status quo?  If so, share that story and describe what you did, why you did it, and what happened in consequence.
• Have you ever felt yourself stirred to stand up for something but did not do so?  If so, share that story and describe what held you back and what you learned from that experience.
• How does your faith in Jesus influence your decisions about whether to stand by or to stand up?
• What instruction do you imagine John the Baptist might offer you regarding your own repentance?

Activity Suggestions

Think of a person you know and admire as an example of someone standing up against the status quo.  Share what you know about that person and their actions, and describe how their example has influenced your life.

Closing Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.  Amen – from the “Serenity Prayer” of Reinhold Niebuhr

Issue 61 of Administration Matters

Inspire, thank and educate with Stories of Faith in Action

The newest edition of Stories of Faith in Action is out — and it’s packed with vibrant photos and stories to encourage giving! Mailed to ELCA congregations, synods and leaders in early September, this annual publication highlights the impact of Mission Support and the ministries it funds.

Visit ELCA.org/SOFIA now to:

• Order free print copies (all you cover is shipping).
• Download an electronic copy.
• View video stories, bulletin inserts and other resources.

How to complete a Pastor’s W-2 IRS Form

Year-end is quickly approaching and with it, the task of tax reporting to the IRS.  Different rules apply when dealing with clergy taxes and withholdings.  The sample W-2 provided will assist congregations in completing W-2 forms for clergy.  >More

Help pastors tap the clergy housing allowance

The clergy housing allowance allows pastors to exclude a portion of their compensation from federal gross income if it can be justified to the IRS as spent on housing expenses. If congregations don’t proactively designate a portion of their pastor’s compensation as a housing allowance, your pastor loses an important tax benefit. Sign-in at Portico EmployerLink required. >More

Don’t be left in the cold — inspect your heating boiler

One of the biggest risks with boiler heating systems is that a problem will cause the internal pressure in the system to escalate to a point where it causes an explosion. This not only results in major physical damage to the facility but can also be life-threatening if your members or employees are in the building. The risk of this occurring can be greatly diminished with proper maintenance. > More

New video: Managing ELCA Benefits 101

A new 22-minute video by Portico Benefit Services, offered on EmployerLink, covers the basics of providing ELCA benefits — key terms, answers to common questions, and action steps to take each year. It’s a great introduction for new treasurers, office managers, plan administrators and human resource directors, and a refresher for seasoned benefit providers. >Watch

Winter checklist

Whether your climate is snowy or mild, it’s important to protect your church property during the coldest months of the year. >More

Today’s post is by artist Robyn Sand Anderson.

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.

Luke 1:78

Copyright Robyn Sand Anderson

Tender mercy.

Those two words came to me the other night, when I wondered what I would write for this Advent blog. I let the beauty of those two words wash over me as I said each word with a pause after, so as not to rush the beauty that lies within them. Tender. Mercy. The tender mercy of our God. We don’t hear about that side of God very often and so this verse from Luke 1:78 stands out. It is hard to take in this extraordinary gift. We cannot fathom it, really. But then. A baby was born to a common, young girl named Mary. In this birth we are promised that “…the dawn from on high will break upon us.”

As I wrestle with all that is happening in our country, the anguish of those who have been separated from their children, the deceit and raw grab for power by some, the disregard for certain groups of people, the fomenting of hatred and violence, these words stand in deep contrast. Some equate the words tender and mercy with weakness. But here we see that in the midst of this turmoil, these words are strong with the promise that God so loved the world that God chose to speak to us of this Love in the form of a child named Jesus. And so we wait during this Advent season, and we open our eyes, hearts, and minds to what God is telling us in this place and time.

It is God’s tender mercy, not vengeful, not punishing, but a tender mercy that is bestowed on us in our misery, in our sorrow, in our mistakes and blunders. And that Light will guide us and will seep into our darkness from on high. For God so loves the world. We are not abandoned, but are held in God’s tender mercy.

As we turn to one another this season, where can we show the same to those we meet and know, to those who are persecuted now, to this beautiful planet that God has given us with all of its plants and animals? God promises we are not alone in this, but that God’s Light is in, under, and over us as we seek to speak a word of love, mercy, and justice in the name of Christ Jesus.

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.