Dennis Sepper, Burnsville, MN

Warm-up Question

Can you name one famous person (or more) who came from your hometown?

From Small Beginnings Come Great Things

Can anything good come out of Swartekill, New York?  That was the birthplace of Isabella Baumfree who became known as Sojourner Truth.  Sojourner Truth was sold into slavery at the age of nine for $100, which included a flock of sheep.  Later she escaped with her infant daughter and went on to be a prominent abolitionist and an advocate for women’s rights.

Can anything good come out of Hodgenville, Kentucky?  On February 12, 1809 Abraham Lincoln was born there.  Abraham’s father was a determined pioneer who worked the land.  The family was forced to move several times eventually ending up in Illinois.  Lincoln was elected to the state government of Illinois and then as the 16^th President of the United States.  President Lincoln is best known for the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves in the north and for his Gettysburg Address where he declared that the United States was “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Can anything good come out of Tuskegee, Alabama?  Rosa Parks was born there in 1913.  One day, weary from work, Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery Alabama bus.  Rosa Parks was arrested and her act of defiance sparked the Montgomery bus boycott.  Participating in that boycott was a preacher by the name of Martin Luther King Jr whose day we celebrate this weekend and Monday, January 15^th.

So often our perceptions and geographical prejudices can make us believe that nothing good can come out of certain towns, regions of our country or the world.  However, there are hundreds upon hundreds of examples of people being called by God to change society and the world.  The vast majority of them come from places we’ve never heard of or believe to be a place which could not produce a world changing personality.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever underestimated the abilities of someone because of where they were born or based on what their parent did for a living?  Why do you think that happens?
• Have you ever experienced someone underestimating you because of where you are from, or what high school you attend, or what your parents do for a living?  How did that make you feel?
• What can we do to stop ourselves from judging people without really knowing them?

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

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

Gospel Reflection

In today’s gospel text Nathanael is a bit like you and me (if we are honest with ourselves).  Philip had an encounter with Jesus and had answered Jesus’ call to “follow me”.  Excited that Jesus was the Messiah of God, Philip shared the news with his friend Nathanael.  However when Philip shared that the Messiah was “Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth” (vs 45) Nathanael was not so sure.  In essence Nathanael responded by saying “Nazareth?  Really?  Can anything good come out of Nowheresville?  Son of Joseph, the carpenter?  Really?”

Nathanael’s sight was obscured by the expectation that the Messiah should come from an important city like Jerusalem and from an important family.  How else would the world take notice of this Messiah?  What kind of political power would Jesus have coming from such a small town?  But let’s give Nathanael some credit; when Philip invited him to “come and see” Nathanael went to see and meet Jesus.

What happened in verses 47-48 we can’t be sure.  Perhaps Nathanael was doing something under that fig tree that caused Jesus to say “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”  Whatever happened, once Nathanael encounters Jesus, face to face, his opinion of Jesus and where Jesus came from changed radically.  Nathanael becomes the first disciple to recognize Jesus as the Child of God and King of Israel.

Inviting Nathanael to come and see Jesus for himself was the best thing Philip could have done. So often our misconceptions about people fade once we meet them and engage them.  It is in that relationship that we come to see people for who they really are and what their lives are really about.  As followers of Jesus we are called to welcome all people and treat them with compassion, mercy and love.  Further Jesus teaches us to lift up the downtrodden and let each person know that they are loved and valued by God.  This Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend is an appropriate time for us to remember and recommit ourselves to these specific teachings of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever had your opinion of someone change once you met them face to face?  What happened?  What caused the change?
• Think about who invited you to come and see Jesus.  Was it your parents?   A friend?  Your Pastor?  How did they put out that invitation?  What happened when you heard the call to come and see?
• Has your experience of who Jesus is changed as you have grown in faith or read Scripture?  In what way?

Activity Suggestion

Think of someone you admire and google their name.  Where were they born?  What was their background growing up?  Share what you learn with others in your group.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, understanding Savior, send your Holy Spirit upon us that we may see others through your eyes and come to know them for whom they are called to be.  As your faithful disciples may we be lights to the nations inviting all we meet to come and see you and there to find acceptance, forgiveness and hope.  We ask this in your most holy name.  Amen.

On January 8, the Administration announced that it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 200,000 Salvadorans. TPS is a legal immigration status that allows citizens from other countries who are present in the U.S. during a catastrophe in their country to remain in the U.S. until it is safe to return home. As a church that affirms earthly peace built on the dignity and well-being of every person, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is disappointed by the Administration’s decision that will separate families and harm communities in the U.S. and El Salvador.

Through the AMMPARO Strategy, the ELCA strengthened our commitment to walk alongside children and families who are forced to flee their homes in Central America. We did this to respond to the suffering of thousands of unaccompanied children and families that are displaced from their communities due to violence, lack of opportunities and environmental issues.

Alongside the Salvadoran Lutheran Church (ILS, its acronym in Spanish), the ELCA has called on the Administration to renew TPS for Salvadorans because we know people still cannot live safely in El Salvador In fact, the ILS has witnessed the displacement of thousands of children and entire families from their homes. The Administration has already rescinded TPS for people from Haiti, Sudan and Nicaragua, and due to today’s decision, thousands more now face an uncertain future.

Children and family members of TPS holders, many of whom are U.S. citizens, will bear the brunt of this Administrative decision. We pray today for all who are suffering due to this decision and ask members of our church to join us in prayer and action. At the same time, we urge Congress to pass timely legislation that protects all TPS holders.

La oficina de Incidencia Política de la ELCA está profundamente decepcionada por la decisión de la Administración de terminar TPS para Salvadoreños

El 8 de enero, la Administración anuncio que terminara el Estatus Temporal de Protección (TPS, por sus siglas en Ingles) para más de 200,000 Salvadoreños. TPS es un estatus legal de inmigración que da la oportunidad a ciudadanos de otros países que están en EE.UU. durante una crisis en sus países de quedarse en EE.UU hasta que sea seguro regresar a su país. Como una iglesia que afirma la paz terrenal construida a través de la dignidad y bienestar de cada persona, la Iglesia Luterana Evangélica de America (ELCA, por sus siglas en inglés) está profundamente decepcionada por la decisión de la Administración que separa a familias y daña a comunidades en EE.UU y en El Salvador.

Con la estrategia AMMPARO, la ELCA fortifico nuestro compromiso de caminar junto a niños(as) y familias que son forzados a huir de sus casas en Centroamérica. Lo hicimos respondiendo al sufrimiento de miles de niños(as) no acompañados(as) y familias que son desplazados de sus comunidades por violencia, falta de oportunidades, o circunstancias ambientales.

Al lado de la Iglesia Luterana Salvadoreña (ILS), la ELCA hizo un llamado a la Administración a renovar TPS para Salvadoreños porque sabemos que todavía no pueden vivir seguiros en El Salvador. De hecho, la ILS ha sido testigo del desplazamiento de miles de niños(as) y familias enteras de sus casas. La Administración ya rescindió TPS para personas de Haití, Sudan y Nicaragua, y por la decisión de hoy, miles mas ahora se enfrentan a un futuro incierto.

Niños(as) y familiares de las personas con TPS, muchos quienes son ciudadanos estadounidenses, serán los más afectados por esta decisión. Hoy rezamos por todos los que sufren por esta decisión y le pedimos a miembros de nuestra iglesia que nos acompañen rezando y tomando acción. Al mismo tiempo, le insistimos al Congreso a que pasen legislación oportuna para proteger a todas las personas con TPS.

Learn more and join the ELCA Advocacy network by visiting ELCA.org/Advocacy

John Hougen, Elkins Park PA

 Warm-up Question

At the moment, questioning what is true and what is false, what is real news and what is fake news, dominates political and moral analysis in the United States. Let’s turn these questions inward and ask: what is the truth about who I am and who God is? For the warm-up, discuss this question: What do you believe is true in the Bible stories of Jesus’ birth; what do you doubt; and what do you not believe?

The Truth, the whole Truth … 

January 6 was the Christian holy day Epiphany, which literally means a revealing, an unveiling, a manifestation. Epiphany (aka Three Kings Day) commemorates the visit of the Wise Men (aka Magi) to the infant Jesus (aka the Messiah). God revealed His Son to the Magi. A truth was unveiled as they knelt before the manifestation of God’s Self on earth.

The Day of Epiphany is the beginning of the season of Epiphany, a season of discovery during which we are invited to open ourselves to revelations about Jesus and revelations about ourselves. Maybe we won’t get to the whole truth; but, during Epiphany, our goal can be to get as close to the whole truth as possible.

Having a confidant can help you discover more of the truth about yourself and your beliefs. A confidant is someone to whom you can reveal the truth as you know it. If you don’t have a confidant, I hope you find that someone or that group sooner rather than later. You will know you’ve found trusted confidants when you are sure they will affirm the best about you and not reject you or judge you harshly for the worst. And, trusted confidants only reveal to others what you want them to reveal. Your secrets are safe with them.

As our confidants respond to what we tell them, we discover new truths about ourselves. Their responses help us uncover what is below the surface in our self-understanding. As we dialogue with sensitive others, we also come to know them more completely. The way they respond to us tells us important truths about who they are.

God is the ideal confidant. God listens when we pray, when we think, when we question. God knows us fully, seeing more deeply than we do into who we are and who we might become. God not only knows us fully, God loves us completely: forgiving our sins, lifting us up when we fall, and calling us to become a better version of ourselves. As God’s love becomes real for us, we discover more of the truth about God. Our dialogue with God reveals what is holy in God and in us: caring is holy; forgiveness is holy; truth is holy; love is holy.

Discussion Questions

• Without revealing any secrets, if you have a confidant, share with the group what it is about your confidant that enables you to trust her or him with the whole truth about who you are.
• Is God one of your confidants? Do you reveal yourself in prayer either in church or privately? If so, which of God’s qualities are most real to you? Is the God to whom you pray loving? kind? merciful? understanding? all-knowing? all-powerful? judgmental? distant? close? mysterious? something else?
• If you don’t pray, what thoughts or feelings lead you to choose not praying over praying?

Baptism of our Lord/First Sunday after Epiphany

Genesis 1:1-5

Acts 19:1-7

Mark 1:4-11

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Today’s Gospel reading is about two kinds of baptism: baptism with water and baptism with the Spirit. John the Baptist proclaims that he baptizes with water, but the one coming after him (Jesus) will baptize with the Spirit. In the Lutheran tradition and many others, the two become one. God sends the Holy Spirit into the water as the promises, prayers and pronouncements of the sacrament are spoken. Spirit, Word, and Water mingle as the baptizer speaks: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” In this moment, the one baptized is blessed with water and the Spirit, and promised that the Spirit will remain with her or him forever.

Three truths are revealed in Mark 1: 4-11. Three epiphanies related to baptism are unveiled, challenging us to ask: are they as true for us as they were for those who were with John the Baptist by the River Jordan?

First, in verses four and five, we are challenged to decide whether we are like the “people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem.” They made the trip from the safety of their homes into the dangerous wilderness to see and hear John the Baptist. Why? Because John was proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptism accomplished the cleansing the people longed for. People confessed and repented.  (To repent means to be turned around to face a new future.) With water and the Word, using John the Baptist, God forgave them and gave them a new direction for their lives.

We are challenged to ask whether it is the truth that inside us is a longing to come clean, to confess the whole truth about ourselves, and to be forgiven for the parts of that truth that are unholy. Is it true that inside each of us is a longing to be fully known and fully loved, and given a fresh start, a clean slate?

A second epiphany awaits us in verses nine through eleven. These verses report that Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan.  ^“And just as (Jesus) was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’”

We are challenged to ask whether we accept as truth that Jesus is Divine, full of God’s love, and the exemplar of how to please God. The Gospels confirm these assertions as true as they go on to describe Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection. At the same time, we are challenged to accept or reject the notion that we too want to please God, that Jesus is the personification of our deepest hopes for ourselves.

A third epiphany is ours if we understand that our baptisms reveal who we are as surely as Jesus’ baptism revealed who he was. As we come up out of the waters of baptism, the Holy Spirit descends on us and God speaks, “As brothers and sisters of my Son Jesus, you too are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

We are challenged to ask whether we accept the improbable Gospel truth that God regards us as God regards Jesus: worthy of love, worthy of intimacy, and worthy of resurrection to an eternal intimacy with the Divine.

Mark 1: 4-11 proclaims that it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth that the journey of the Christian during the season of Epiphany, (and throughout life) is marked by epiphanies of who we are:

• people who long for confession, repentance, and forgiveness,
• people invited to accept God’s love for us as his children
• and people who want to be more like Jesus;

and revelations of who God is:

• a God of infinite mercy,
• a God who loves us as much as God loves Jesus,
• a God whose Spirit empowers us to be like Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• At this time in your life, do you receive the three epiphanies identified in the Gospel reflection as true, maybe true, or false? They are
  • You long for forgiveness, a clean slate.
  • Jesus is God’s beloved Son, and you wish you were more like him.
  • God loves you as much as God loves Jesus.

• The baptisms performed by John the Baptist in the River Jordan were very dramatic. In order to be baptized, people overcame their fear of the wilderness and their shame which kept them from speaking of their sins. They were desperate to receive a baptism of forgiveness. When Jesus was baptized, the drama unfolded publicly as the Spirit of God became visible and God’s voice became audible. You can’t get more dramatic than that! How do the urgency and drama of these baptisms compare to the baptisms in your congregation? If you answer that they are similar, what makes the urgency and drama of baptism in your congregation obvious to witnesses? If you answer today’s baptisms have less urgency and drama, how might the life-changing revelations of baptism be made more obvious to those who witness them?

• The Bible teaches us that Jesus was without sin. (see e.g. Hebrews 4:15). If that is so, and John baptized people so their sins might be forgiven, and their lives turned around, why do you think Jesus wanted to be baptized by John?

Activity Suggestions

Look at the section on baptism in the hymnal your congregation uses. Copy the words that help you understand why water is used in baptism. Then, copy the words that help you understand what it means to be “baptized with the Spirit.”

Closing Prayer

Lord: help us to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day. Amen.

(From the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell – based on a prayer ascribed to the 13th-century English bishop Saint Richard of Chichester)

Tim Jacobsen, West Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Questions

What does a typical day look like for you?  When do you get up? Go to bed? What activities or commitments do you have? Do you feel too busy or do you need more to do?

Being Busy

Life is busy, there is no denying that, but do we as a society choose to make ourselves busier? In the movie, The Sandlot, a group of kids gets together to just play baseball, hangout, eat smores (smore what?), and just be kids. This seems so odd to us today. Why would they waste their time just playing?   What about all their AP classes, traveling teams, competitions, practices, church activities, and other commitments. How are they going to be the best at what they do, if they play just for fun?

Our culture puts so much emphasis on being busy. What is one of the first things you say to people when they ask how you are? Typically, it sounds like this, “I’m doing well; I’m just so tired and busy.” We even say we are busy when we are just going to sit with our phones or play video games. We need to reshape our definition of busyness and our priorities.

An episode of the podcast, On Being with Krista Tippet, discussed the “disease of being busy.” This disease of being “busy” (and let’s call it what it is, the dis-ease of being busy, when we are never at ease) is spiritually destructive to our health and well-being. It saps our ability to be fully present with those we love the most in our families, and it keeps us from forming the kind of community that we all so desperately crave.

Discussion Questions

• Why do we need to be busy?
• Why has our culture put such an emphasis on being busy?
• Do you feel too busy?

First Sunday of Christmas

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

Psalm 148

Ephesians 3:1-12

Luke 2:22-40

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Remember back to a time when things seemed simpler? I’m sure we can all recall those moments when life just seemed to flow, and everything was easier and simpler. Our Gospel for today has Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple for sacred rituals and rites.  This dedication ritual occurred at the temple and gave a sense of normalcy to the birth of the savior which was prophesied and had just happened.

In the midst of our busyness we have lost sight of rituals and the importance of these moments.  Our appreciation of religious ritual often extends little beyond Christmas and Easter worship or the occasional Sunday. It is something to check off the list in our busy life. Yet God is moving and speaking to us all the time. When we take time to slow down and partake in those spiritual moments we can really hear God speak and see God at work.

Mary and Joseph hear God through Simeon and Anna prophesying all the amazing things that God incarnate in Jesus will do among us humans.  God can and does speak through the seemingly normal routines of life. Love has come to us and dwells among all. God is speaking amid the busyness of life.  What would life look like if we really took time to slow down and listen?

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever heard God speak to you? What does it sound and feel like?
• What seemingly normal things in our lives do we do where we could share God’s love with others?
• As the new year starts, how can you adjust your life to take time to slow down and listen to God?
• Does making your faith growth and time with God make a difference? Why is or isn’t it a priority for you?

Activity Suggestions

Sometimes to start a new habit or routine we need to make a plan. Have students work in small groups or as a whole group to make a plan to take time to intentionally grow in faith and serve others throughout the year. Accountability can be a huge help in making faith growth happen. You might use a Bible app to find a reading plan.

Closing Prayer

Lord, I often feel overwhelmed by too many demands.  Help me rest in your love and never be too busy to seek your will for my life.  Amen

We are called to ponder mystery and await the coming Christ, to embody God’s compassion for each fragile human life. God is with us in our longing to bring healing to the earth, while we watch with joy and wonder for the promised Savior’s birth.

                                                                                         (Unexpected and Mysterious, ELW #258 v.3)

Through our Advent waiting to our Christmas jubilation, may we, indeed, embody God’s compassion for each fragile human life and healing to this earth that we call home.

We wish each of you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with hope.

The ELCA Worship staff

~Kevin, Jennifer, John and BethAnn

By Elena Robles, Hunger Advocacy Fellow

“All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him, Emmanuel,’ which means, “God is with us.”- Matthew 1:23

A common tradition in my family – And one that I have been witness to through my travels in America Latina— is that before a driver begins the journey they will whisper a small prayer: Emmanuel. A three-syllable reminder for all in the car that God is amongst us and will keep us safe on our journey. As I’ve grown older and begun to drive and travel alone, Emmanuel  has become my way of being grounded on journeys. A space to be still in the truth that I can be witness to this world without the constraints of this world.

La Ventana Abierta by Juan Gris

Advent is so pivotal as it serves as a space to celebrate the birth of Christ, the recognition of God’s presence among us, and a time to be in deep listening and reflection. A time to see what has passed, to be still and to prepare for the continued journey. This year has been filled with much grief, anger and disappointment in seeing how our world leaders have led, the ways we have upheld structural and physical violence, and how we have been complacent about its effects on our neighbors—locally and globally. I believe that this time can be an opportunity to move beyond what no longer serves us, to whisper Emmanuel :

“Dios se ha inyectado en la historia. Con el nacimiento de Cristo, el reino de Dios ya está inaugurado en el tiempo de los hombres. Desde hace veinte siglos todos los años esta noche recordamos que el reino de Dios ya está en este mundo y que este Cristo ha inaugurado la plenitud de los tiempos. Ya su nacimiento marca que Dios está marchando con los hombres en la historia, que no vamos solos.”- Archbishop Oscar Romero

“With Christ, God has injected himself into history. With the birth of Christ, God’s reign is now inaugurated in human time. On this night, as every year for twenty centuries, we recall that God’s reign is now in this world and that Christ has inaugurated the fullness of time. His birth attests that God is now marching with us in history, that we do not go alone”- Archbishop Oscar Romero

Let us in this truth, be strengthened and led to action. God is with us now –as they have been since the birth of Christ. They have held us, accompanied us in our pain and witnessed our shortcomings. By rooting ourselves deeply in them, we can move towards healing and wholeness.

Now is the time to set intentions for the year ahead that are centered in deepening our faith in God. Emmanuel.

While grief, anger, fear will arise, may we continue to do work that is centered in deep and unconditional love for this world. Emmanuel.  

May the spirit guide us to see and treat each other as sacred and indispensable. Emmanuel.  

May we— through stillness and deep love—act to bring forth a world that has Christ’s spirit woven in; where love, justice, peace and a deep respect for all dignity is upheld. Emmanuel.  

Read more ELCA Advocacy Advent Reflections by visiting blogs.ELCA.org/Advocacy.

By Ruth Ivory-Moore, Program Director, Environment and Energy Policy

“Action to counter degradation, especially within this decade, is essential to the future of our children and our children’s children. Time is very short.”

– A Social Statement: Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice

The village of Newtok, Alaska, a Yupik Eskimo community of 450 people, is in a battle for survival.  Time is working against them as the village faces certain annihilation from a slow-moving climate disaster.On December 6, 2017, residents of this village shared  brought their stories to the Wilson Center in Washington, DC where they served on a panel entitled, “Fleeing Change: Relocating the Village of Newtok, Alaska.”

The residents delivered vivid testimonies. They told of the village losing 70 feet of shoreline per year; people having to perform sleep watch duty because a shift in winds could have devastating consequences in minutes; floods that produce fertile breeding ground for black mold in structures resulting in respiratory health issues; and waste disposal issues. Images shared by residents are shocking, and powerfully represent the Newtok community’s experiences.

Fly-over of the current village of Newtok, showing the Newtok River to the left and center, and the Ninglick River in the background. (Photo by Sally Russell Cox, DCCED/DCRA)

The impacts of this slow climate disaster are visible in every facet of life. “The banks of the Ninglick River have been rapidly losing ground to erosion. In one year, the river took as much as 300 ft of land.” (Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/interactive/2013/may/15/newtok-safer-ground-villagers-nervous)

This photo shows how close the eroding bank of the Ninglick River is to homes and the Newtok School. (2013)

“Human waste, collected in “honey buckets” that many residents use for toilets, is often dumped within eyesight of the village. Historically, Newtok discharged its untreated sewage into the Ninglick River, but with the change in hydrology, the disposed waste has no place to go. When the village floods, as it does most years during sea-ice break-up, the water washes up to the houses, stinking of sewage and waste.” (Susan Goldenberg)

Photo: AP Photo/Al Grillo.

Once the [winter] snow melts, people make their way around Newtok on wooden boardwalks set down on the mud. But the melting permafrost no longer provides stable ground for village buildings or the boardwalks. The boardwalks have also taken a beating over the years due to increasing severe storms that bring flooding from the Ninglick River. (The Guardian)

Photo: DCRA/Alaska Department of Commerce.

The impact of environmental degradation is felt in every aspect of the Newtok residents’ lives. The community has no choice but to relocate, and the cost will be tremendously burdensome both financially and mentally. There is uncertainty about how relocation will be funded, which has heightened feelings of stress and anxiety among residents. However, the true losses go beyond financial demands.

Newtok Village residents are forced to leave behind a place they have called home for many generations; a place that has their culture and way of life woven into it. It will not likely be duplicated in a new village location.

Children at Risk. “Children jump over ground affected by erosion in Newtok. Natural erosion has accelerated due to climate change, with large areas of land lost to the Ninglick River each year. Photo by Brian Adams. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/interactive/2013/may/15/newtok-safer-ground-villagers-nervous

In Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream,” he stated: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” One wonders what is the dream of the Newtok Village parents for their children? Could it be simply to live, to survive? The time for prayer for guidance and hope could not be greater.

“Merciful God, when the storms rage and threaten to overtake us, awaken our faith to know the power of your peace.

Deliver us from our fear and ease our anxiety. Help us to endure the time of uncertainty and give us strength to face the challenges ahead.

Give us the assurance of your presence even in this time so that we can cling to your promise of hope and life shown to us through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.”

(© Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

 From the halls of power to the fortress tower,

not a stone will be left on stone.

Let the king beware for your justice tears

every tyrant from his throne.

The hungry poor shall weep no more,

for the food they can never earn;

These are tables spread, ev’ry mouth be fed,

for the world is about to turn.

      -Canticle of the Turning ELW 723

Mary’s Magnificat in the Gospel of Luke, paraphrased in Rory Cooney’s 1990 “Canticle of the Turning,” is a powerful testimony of the fulfillment of God’s promise to those for whom the current state of the world just isn’t working. It is a striking testimony to the depth and breadth of God’s love and the significance of God’s promise, a promise that includes not only eternal salvation but also justice here and now.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that there are nearly 815 million people who are undernourished worldwide. This is a tremendously positive change from the early 1990s, when more than a billion people lacked access to sufficient food.

Change is possible. But so much more work needs to be done.

For the first time in a decade, famine was declared this year, with more than 100,000 people in South Sudan caught in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. One million more people in South Sudan were at severe risk of famine. That’s not even to mention the other countries where the risk of famine is imminent: Yemen, Somalia and Kenya. Access to this most basic of needs – food – is rapidly eroding for many of our neighbors. At the same time, many others have been driven from their homes by violence, drought and fear, their arrival in refugee camps and on coastlines and borders challenging the depth of our commitment to hospitality for the stranger.

In Advent, we focus a lot on waiting, expectation and hope for the future. But for our neighbors who hunger, thirst and flee now, the church’s witness cannot just be about the future. And as Lutherans, we know it is not. The world is about to turn, certainly, but Advent is also a celebration that the world has turned, that the fulfillment of God’s promise has already begun.

Mary’s Magnificat is more than a song of anticipation. It is a song of invitation, inviting us to “magnify” the One who has “done great things…shown strength with God’s arm…scattered the proud…put down the mighty…exalted those of low degree…filled the hungry with good things [and] helped God’s servant Israel” (Luke 1:49-54). Mary’ song recalls Isaiah’s prophecy and points forward to Jesus’ declaration:

“Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

The Christmas season that the end of Advent ushers in is just the beginning of the work of God through the church in the world.

In the first session in this study, we began at the end, and now, we end at the beginning. Mary’s song invites us to carry the promise of God forward, to take with utter seriousness the task ahead, with faith that the world has turned, is turning and will continue to turn as God’s promises unfold. It is an invitation to see Advent as preparation for both the bright dawn of Christmas and the work that lies ahead.

Theologian and poet Howard Thurman in his reflection on Christmas captures this sense of initiation in his poem, “The Work of Christmas.”

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flocks,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among the people,

To make music in the heart.

We end at the beginning. Advent commemorates Mary’s preparation for a new life growing inside her, a life that represents the coming of a new era. This new life is a turning that brings hope to those who have lived in desperation – and brings anxiety to the powerful who have fostered injustice. Advent is also a story of God’s preparation of us, preparing our church to reveal the transformation of the world that again will offer hope to those who continue to live in desperation – and will again bring potent anxiety to those who continue to foster injustice.

Reflection questions

1. What does Mary’s Magnificat mean for us today?
2. Looking back on the past year, how has our congregation borne witness to God’s promise of hope for our world? For our local community?
3. How can or has our Advent journey prepared us for “the work of Christmas” year-round?
4. Reflect on each of the lines of the verse from “Canticle of the Turning” and Thurman’s poem quoted above. Which “works of Christmas” in Thurman’s poem highlight the church’s role in revealing the changes God is enacting in the song?

Prayer

Merciful God, you have filled the hungry with good things, remembered your people Israel in your mercy, and lifted up all those of low estate. Grant that we may be filled, remembered and lifted up this Advent. May the work of your promise within us inspire our work of Christmas within our world. Bless our efforts toward justice, peace and wholeness for all creation. In your holy name. Amen.

Hymn suggestions

Canticle of the Turning ELW 723

O Day of Peace ELW 711

Hark, the Glad Sound! ELW 239

To download this entire study, or to see some of our other congregational resources, please visit www.elca.org/Resources/ELCA-World-Hunger.

Bryan Jaster, Winchester, VA

Warm-up Question

What is something surprising you were asked to do in the past week?  What did you do in response to being asked?

How Can This Be?

Washington, D. C.  You likely know it as America’s capital and the place where our national government has its home.  Many visit to see the Smithsonian, explore the monuments, and go to plays or sports events.

However, not as well known is the large population of people who continue to live in parks, shelters, or moving back and forth between housing and the streets.   Thankfully, according to the DC Department of Human Services, the number of adults and children who experience homelessness has dropped 34% from 2009 to 2017.  One night earlier this year, there were 7,473 people unsheltered in an emergency shelter or in a transitional housing facility.

Recently youth from our community met two men in Washington D.C. who help lead an organization called Teens Opposing Poverty.  They told stories of living on streets for 10-12 years each. A small number of teenagers chose not to ignore them.  The teens fed them, brought clean, white socks, and got to know them as human beings.  They blessed them and the new homeless friends blessed back.

One day the teens asked “How can this be that you have to live on the streets and under benches?”  Hearing answers, these youth continued to stick around, offering hope and small steps toward living fuller lives.   As a result of the blessing from teenagers who loved them, these two men are both off the streets. They are employed and have families.  They are proud to lead groups of teenagers through Teen Opposing Poverty.  Youth get to know others who live on the streets trapped in the cycle of poverty.

Be sure to check out Teens Opposing Poverty at http://teensopposingpoverty.org.  Their mission is to empower youth to meet physical needs and offer hope, friendship, opportunity and encouragement to the poor, not just as an annual event, but as a regular part of their lives.  They know that teenagers have a unique voice give from God to transform lives!

Discussion Questions

• Do you know anyone who is affected by homelessness? Why do people in our country not have adequate shelter, food, or employment?
• How is daily life different for those who live on streets each day?
• What are some unique gifts that teenagers have to help transform poverty? How do you or teenagers you know share them?

Fourth Sunday in Advent

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

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

Gospel Reflection

“How can this be?”

It’s a reasonable question which Mary asks.  As this story begins in Luke we hear conversation between a messenger of God named Gabriel and a virgin whose name is Mary.  The angel messenger finds Mary in Nazareth and says, “Do not be afraid.”  Mary is perplexed by the words of this messenger.

Next, Gabriel tells Mary, that although she is an unwed virgin, her soon to be born son Jesus “will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign and his reign will be forever.”

This is an unexpected blessing from Gabriel to Mary!  Mary is blessed before she says yes.

To understand the surprising power of this blessing it helps to know that she would have been familiar with the titles being given to her unborn son.   The titles now given to Jesus (“Son of God,” “Savior of the World,” and “Messiah/Christ”) were previously given to Caesar.  Before Jesus was conceived, Caesar Augustus had already been proclaimed by Roman imperial theology as “Son of God” and “Savior of the World.”  Mary lives in the middle of the powerful Pax Romana reign where Caesar is given these titles and everyone knows them just as we might know the name of a president or king today.  Imagine her surprise when this visiting angel proclaims that her soon to be born son is the actual ruler and king to be given these titles, and not only of this land, but of the whole world.

Mary says, “How can this be?” Indeed!  How CAN this be?!?

The angel is persistent and says God the Most High and Holy Spirit will take over all of this.  And, oh by the way, your cousin also quite unexpectedly will have a son too because with God nothing is impossible.

Finally, Mary says, “Yes” and honors the gift of bringing this Son of God into the world.

Discussion Questions

• Read the story again. What parts now get your attention?
• When have you, liked Mary, said, “How can this be?” Was it in a moment like that of the teenagers in DC who encountered hurting lives and wanted to make a difference?  Or was it a time when you received an unexpected blessing?   Share stories with each other.
• What messages do you think God is trying to communicate to the world now, in December 2017, as we practice Advent together and listen carefully to God? Mary responded with “Yes, I’m a servant of God; let it come to me as you have said.”   Share some responses to what you think God may be saying now to grow God’s reign on earth today.

Activity Suggestions

Pull out your phones and research local organizations which respond to those who encounter homelessness in some way.   Perhaps find a place where food is given out and give food.  Find a way to offer help to those in transitional or relief housing.  See if there is some unmet need to which you can respond.  If you’re on Christmas break today, take time to help in the next few days if needed.  Perhaps you will find something in your community that grabs your attention when you ask “How can this be?” Be alert for something that blesses you and invites you to respond.

Once you have found a way to serve that fits your gifts, contact the leaders, schedule a time and show up and serve.

Closing Prayer

O God we, with your servant, Mary ask “How can this be?” in a world that is filled both with crushing poverty and unexpected blessing.  Help us to receive your messengers openly and be messengers of your great news and kingdom today.  May we respond with “yes” to your gifts and serve humbly.  Amen.