Today’s post is from Peg Schultz-Akerson, Pastor at Lutheran Church of the Master, Los Angeles, CA.

The Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32, also known as the Nunc Dimittis) continues to shine in these latter days of the season after Epiphany. Christians live “according to the word” made flesh in Jesus through whom “salvation is prepared in the presence of all peoples.” Jesus calls us to all peoples with the glorious promise: “When you welcome the stranger, you welcome me!” (Matthew 25:38-40)

How awesome and extraordinarily available is this promise in these days when more people are immigrants or refugees than since WWII. (See Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services.)

My eyes see this promised encounter with Christ every Sunday where I serve as Interim Pastor with the people of Lutheran Church of The Master, Los Angeles. Our church is blessed to be located in the Little Tehran neighborhood of West Los Angeles where Santa Monica Blvd is the busy stretch also known as Route 66.

Ours is an historic road and we do historically vital ministry as we welcome all who come to neighboring streets. Our church sign along the boulevard makes clear our “Welcome” in Persian, Arabic, Spanish and English. God loves you is also written in these four languages on our Facebook page, because it’s true. God loves us all.

Welcome!

 اهًلاوسهًلا (Arabic)

 خوش آمدید (Persian)

¡Bienvenidos! (Spanish)

God loves you!

 الله يحبك (Arabic)  
خدا شما را دوست دارد (Persian)  …
¡Dios les ama! (Spanish!)

Herb Wounded Head, Brooking, SD

Warm-up Question

Were you ever in or have you seen a natural disaster (fire, flood, hurricane, tornado)?  Describe the experience.

Down from the Mountain

Perhaps you have heard about the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) project and subsequent protests. There’s plenty of controversy surrounding DAPL and plenty of questions surrounding what’s happening in North Dakota near the Standing Rock Reservation. People have come from around the globe to protest or support the project. Many people think that the Native leaders from the Standing Rock had plenty of time to respond to the proposal. Others have said that only certain people had been approached and that the informational meetings were not made widely available to the tribal members.  Proponents believe the pipeline is necessary and a safer way to transport oil than additional trucks on the road.

Arguments against the DAPL include protecting clean water, respecting tribal sovereignty, and even protecting the creation as a whole. But did you know that the very first protest of the DAPL was from a group of High School students? Standing Rock youth launched a petition called Rezpect our Water, and in mid-July set out on a 500-mile relay run to Washington, DC to deliver a petition of 160,000 signatures. http://billmoyers.com/story/need-know-dakota-access-pipeline-protest/

This isn’t the first time that the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River tribal peoples have had disagreements with the government over land and water rights. In 1944, Congress approved the Pick-Sloan Plan for flood control and navigation of the Missouri River, which cuts through the heart of North and South Dakota. The plan involved the construction of four dams, which impacted twenty-three Native reservations. As a result, one thousand Native families were forcibly displaced. Many Native leaders charged that the project selected Native lands rather than non-Native lands while also ignoring tribal sovereignty, Indian law and treaty rights.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick%E2%80%93Sloan_Missouri_Basin_Program

This is a complex story which began long before the current controversy. Natives have had difficulty dealing with government entities since before the days of colonization in the United States. When we come with much baggage and hard feelings, working together can be impossible. It’s almost as if the two parties have such a scarred relationship that they are unwilling to listen to one another’s needs and wants, let alone be able to work together.

Discussion Questions

• What do you think about the Dakota Access Pipeline? What are some of the larger issues at play?
• Have you ever had troubling coming to an agreement with someone in a group project? How did you resolve that issue?
• What sort of baggage are you carrying that you need to recognize?

Transfiguration of Our Lord

Exodus 24:12-18

2 Peter 1:16-21

Matthew 17:1-9

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

The Gospel reading from this week is commonly called “The Transfiguration.” It can be a confusing text to read, because we simply don’t have a way to easily describe what’s going on here. The text is pretty clear, but what actually happens and what it means is kind of confusing. Matthew writes, “Jesus was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.” That’s pretty remarkable. Jesus’ true heavenly self is revealed, and he is not alone; Elijah and Moses are there as well.

I would think that if I saw something like that, it would leave me speechless. It’s almost like Peter, James and John are seeing something like a natural disaster. Our first response to such a sight is shock and awe.

One person, is so moved by this awesome experience that he wants to spend time in the moment.  Peter proposes that they build tents, or places to stay, there on the mountain for all three people—Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Seems like a smart thing to do. Stay put in this heavenly, awesome moment and soak it all in.

But then a voice interrupts Peter and makes the proclamation of who Jesus really is.  “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.  Listen to Him.”

This is an important moment in the Gospel of Matthew, and it echoes back to similar elements from Jesus’ baptism.  A voice from the heavens says pretty much the same thing, “This is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” This transfiguring moment makes the connection between the Old Testament prophets, and who Jesus is.  Jesus further develops what God has done in the stories of Israel.

Jesus continues to show the world is doing in and among the people that he loves.  Jesus is and will continue to be the fulfillment of the hope for redemption for the people of Israel and the whole world. A big moment indeed, but that means there is work to be done. Jesus and his disciples cannot stay on the mountain. They must come down, even to work among and with the people who are beginning to not like this Jesus and what he is about. But now, these three disciples know that Jesus is the Son of God, and as Jesus’ disciples, they must answer the calling to continue to do the work of God, even if it means doing things that they do not wish to do, like come down from the mountain.

Discussion Questions

• When have you experienced an awe inspiring moment? When have you experienced something that took your breath away?  Where were you?
• Studies on the brain have shown that awe-inspiring moments are spiritual experiences which, if repeated, make it easier for us to think and work with our thinking brain.  Do you think there are ways to cultivate awesome experiences?  If so, how might you do that?

Activity Suggestions

For this activity, you will need a gym-type ball (a mid-sized dodgeball works best, but a basketball or volleyball will do) and a space large enough to do a relay race without running into any obstacles.  Divide your group into two teams and have each team member find a partner. The object of this game is to carry the ball from one end of the space to another while holding the ball with only your foreheads. Once one team finishes, they pass the ball to the next pair, continuing on until everyone is finished. If you’d like an extra challenge, if time allows, you can also carry the ball only using your back (no locking arms!)

• What was it like carrying the ball that way? What gave you the most success?
• How can this activity help our day-to-day lives?
• Who do you need to listen to and work with this next week?

Closing Prayer

God of reconciliation and hope, you inspire us each and every day to see the world as you see it, as a place bursting with love, and care for each other and creation. Inspire us to come down from our mountains of isolation into the midst of your world’s greatest needs to be the voice of those we can’t hear, and the hands of those who need your compassion. In the name of our revealed Lord and Savior, Amen.

Today’s post is by Leslie Scanlon, Pastor at Grace Lutheran in Chesapeake, VA.

It was a cold winter morning (normal by New England standards), there were a couple inches of snow piled up on the side of the streets and sidewalks, and I was lugging a little table, a plastic box of supplies, and a sign to the local commuter rail station.  That is where the people are; that is where the gospel—“remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”—needs to be heard.

In 2014 I collaborated with two ecumenical colleagues in town to provide “Ashes to Go” at the train station.  We received a variety of reactions to our presence—avoidance, questions, intrigue, and thanks.  Most commuters did not take us up on receiving ashes and prayer, but the first time of anything new can be intimidating.  So we resolved to try this public witness again next year.

In 2015, the temperature was lower, the snow was higher, and more colleagues planned to join me, but ended up not making it.  I started again with my table, sign, and ashes at the train station with similar interactions.  However, later I moved over to the local university, where I was serving as the Protestant Campus Chaplain.  The Dean’s office provided me with hot beverages (coffee, cider, and hot chocolate) to hand out while also hawking my ashes, which was a great way to break the ice and start conversations with passersby.  Again though most did not end up wanting ashes or prayer, I had many staff and students thank me for being there since they did not think they were going to be otherwise able to participate in the ritual that day due to scheduling conflicts.

In 2016, after moving back to Virginia, sunrise on Ash Wednesday was warmer (not that my Southern blood allowed me to really appreciate it).  The congregation I serve in Chesapeake, Virginia does not have a centralized gathering spot for commuters, so I simply stood outside the church, again with my little table, ashes, hand warmers, and sign.  Some parishioners stood with me to pray with those who stopped by, and more stopped since they would not be able to make either of our worship services that day.
Providing “Ashes to Go” is not going to bring droves of new members through your door.  It is about meeting people where they are, showing that God is present in the hustle and bustle of daily life, and preaching the gospel even if people look at your sideways while you do.

To learn more or “share your site” visit http://ashestogo.org or check out the movement on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Ashes-to-Go-320854664624542/).

Today’s post is from John Weit, Program Director for Music in the ELCA.

On Feb. 19, many congregations will sing “Oh, Praise the Gracious Power” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, #651) in response to the readings from Paul about Christ as our foundation (1 Cor. 3:10-11, 16-23) and Jesus command to love our enemies (Mt. 5:38-48).

Through the stanzas of Thomas Troeger’s hymn we give repeated praise to Christ described as “persistent truth,” “inclusive love,” “word of faith” and “tide of grace.” The beginning stanzas go on to show that Christ “gathers…strangers,” “eases…prejudice,” “claims us” and reveals “visions of a world at peace.” The assembly bids a common refrain: “We praise you Christ! Your cross has made us one!” The assembly sings the constant reminder that it is through the cross that Christ does these things. These words set to music and put on our lips are one way we respond with praise and engrain it in our hearts.

The hymn text and tune were both written in 1984 and many Lutherans began to learn it when it was included in “With One Voice” in 1995. The tune, CHRISTPRAISE RAY, is by composer Carol Doran, who has collaborated with Thomas Troeger on several hymns. Paul Westermeyer notes in the “Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship” that the tune represents a cross in the melody as the first line descends and the second line ascends. At the beginning of each stanza we sing “Oh Praise” with an ascending melody, then at each refrain we ascend to sing “We praise,” then again to “you Christ” and one more time to a climatic note for “your cross.” Musically, the cross of Christ stands at the center of not only the text, but also the music.

If this hymn is not a part of your repertoire, I highly encourage learning it! The “Musicians Guide to Evangelical Lutheran Worship” aptly suggests that the assembly may simply learn the refrain first with a choir or soloists singing the verses. Then having the assembly sing the verses on subsequent occasions. Once the assembly knows the hymn, it could be sung in alternatum (assigning different stanzas to different voices, such as higher voices, lower voices, pulpit side, font side).

Jen Krausz, Bethlehem, PA

 Warm-up Question

Who do you consider your enemies?

Love Your Enemies

A group of prominent conservative voices that loudly opposed President Donald Trump’s candidacy are now fearful that he might take revenge over their lack of support now that he is president.

It may seem a little paranoid to be worried about the President of the United States coming after you, but Trump has talked frequently about getting revenge on people he feels has wronged him and even written about it in some of his books. “My motto is: Always get even,” he wrote. “When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.”

When asked about his favorite Bible verse last year, he said it was “an eye for an eye.” “The question is not whether he’s vengeful,” conservative columnist Ben Shapiro told The Atlantic. “The question is how willing he is to use the levers of government to exact that revenge.”

Shapiro was a columnist for right-wing Breitbart News, but he quit last March when he felt the site had become a place where Trump could not be criticized. Shapiro said he has installed a state-of-the-art security system in his home and purchased a shotgun in case anyone tries to harm him.

“They can fight very ugly and very nasty,” he said of Trump and former Breitbart boss Steve Bannon who is now a Trump advisor. “And they do have power now, where if they feel like destroying you, they can.”

Conservative talk show host Glenn Beck says he has received multiple death threats from Trump supporters and now travels with two bodyguards to protect himself. “It is not fun,” Beck said. “I don’t cherish it, but I value the truth more than I’m afraid of retribution.” Beck has said that Trump is putting some “disturbing people” in his inner circle and that his treatment of the press is alarming.

Discussion Questions

• How do you react when someone says something negative about you or does something against you?
• What are the pros and cons of keeping an “enemies list” or looking to get revenge?
• Can a politician always afford to be “nice” to everyone?

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Matthew 5:38-48

(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

Jesus turns President Trump’s favorite scripture verse on its head in this passage. Instead of “an eye for an eye,” Jesus says we need to give up our right to get back at someone who wrongs us. In Old Testament law, these rules were a deterrent that kept people from hurting each other, because they knew they would receive the same hurt as punishment for their actions.   In addition, “an eye for an eye” was a limiting factor—one could exact no more than an eye for eye.

In the Kingdom of God, however, grace reigns—unmerited favor shown to us by God that we then show to others . Think about it: if Jesus’ commands were followed by his people, they would really stand out as different from others in the extent of their love. And that’s the point, isn’t it? Elsewhere in scripture, Jesus says that his followers will be known by their love for others.

The command to love your enemies is one of the hardest in all of scripture. It goes against every grain of our nature to love our enemies. And it’s even more difficult to show love to someone when you expect you will only get more hate in return. What if your enemies take advantage of your kindness? What if they hurt you even more? Loving makes us vulnerable, and that’s scary.

Our leaders have a responsibility to protect the people as well as they can. Are they supposed to make the whole country vulnerable by not acting against our enemies? They doubtless wrestle with the best way to treat those that have made themselves enemies. But Jesus wasn’t preaching to leaders or governments—he was talking to individuals that want to follow him.

On a personal level, we are called to show God’s love in radical ways. If we make ourselves vulnerable, rather than reacting angrily or seeking self-protection, we need to trust God to be our protection. God may have purposes which we do not understand in the present moment. Operating out of self-protection may seem logical.  We don’t need to put ourselves in harm’s way unnecessarily, but we do need to follow God’s call to love our enemies even when it scares us and makes us feel like we might be in danger.

Discussion Questions

• How do you think the world might be different if all of Jesus’ followers obeyed his commands in this passage? Use your imagination and really dream here.
• Have you ever reached out in love to someone who’s hurt you—maybe someone you consider an enemy? What was the result?
• What are some concrete ways you can love your enemies—in school, at home, or in your neighborhood?
• Is there a difference between what leaders and we as individuals are called to do in response to Jesus’ command to love our enemies?

Activity Suggestions

Random (or Not-So-Random) Acts of Kindness:  As a group, decide on a day to perform random acts of kindness, focusing specifically on people who have mistreated you in the past or who you might consider an “enemy.” Pray for each other for strength to complete the random act and report back after that day to talk about how it went.

Closing Prayer

God of us and of our enemies, help us to love those who persecute and mistreat us. Soften their hearts toward us and our hearts toward them, so that we may find ways to reconcile and seek your peace together. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Today’s blog post is from Richard Graham, Bishop of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod.

The year after I graduated from college I had a Fulbright Fellowship to study in France. I was a student that year at the Faculty of Protestant Theology of the University of Strasbourg. Far away from home, I spent the year in classes with people who knew they wanted to be Lutheran pastors. Over the course of that time I realized I wanted to be one as well.

I was blessed with great worship experiences that year away. The beautiful cathedral of Strasbourg was warm and welcoming when I visited. I worshiped nearly every Sunday at St. Thomas, a medieval parish church that became Lutheran early in the Reformation and where Albert Schweitzer had played his earliest Bach-revival organ concerts. Most of my friends in Strasbourg spoke Alsatian, a German dialect I never mastered. But the public worship was in French, which I understood well enough to know I was hearing the gospel powerfully preached and prayed and sung by people who treated me with great kindness.

I also worshiped that year with the English-language community that gathered once a month. Strasbourg was the home of the Council of Europe, a big deal in those days. There were diplomats in town from Britain and Ireland, along with people there to do business, students like me and the occasional tourist. We met in the chapel of a local Roman Catholic religious order. Laypeople preached or one of my theology professors, who had studied in New York. We prayed and sang, and then chatted and drank coffee, in the language that was closest to my heart. People were very kind to me there too.

There was something powerful that year about worshiping in ways that required me to pay close attention. My French was never good enough for me to let my mind wander. And it was powerful, too, to worship in the language that let me relax. I hope this experience has made me more sensitive to the refugees and immigrants who come to this city, where so many worship in English somewhere in the morning, then gather to praise God in the afternoon in the language they brought from home.

And I hope that the welcome I received wherever I worshiped that year in Strasbourg is a welcome that everyone can feel in any of the churches for which I’m responsible. I pray that this is so.

By Ruth Ivory-Moore

“We can’t grow by repeatedly following prescriptions.  We can grow only by making new choices.  We are the sum total of the choices we have made in the past.  We can change what we are in the future through the choices we make today. Think about that. Who do you choose to become?  What do you choose to accomplish?”¹  

This quote from Nido Quebein (President of High Point University in High Point, NC where the slogan is to “Be Extraordinary”) resonated with me on October 7, 2016.  I had just left a Care of Creation Retreat at the serene, peaceful setting of Luther Glen  located in Yucaipa, CA.

What Choices were made?

After leaving the retreat, I was among a number of members of the Lutherans Restoring Creation group who visited the Lutheran Mission (henceforth Mission) in San Bernardino, CA.  At the Mission, I was awestruck by the level of poverty, high unemployment, and crime rate in the area. This is a city rich in history and cultural diversity, with influences of Native Americans, Mexican settlers, Spanish missionaries, and Mormon migrants. President Lyndon B. Johnson was an elevator operator here. The Rolling Stones played their first U.S. concert here.

As we talked with staff at the Mission, I was very surprised to learn about what appears to be an apparent disparity in water quality among area residents. The Hispanic staffer spoke of the water in her faucet being cloudy in San Bernardino, while water in the home of the white staffer living in Riverside—was clear.  I ask pointed questions to get answers regarding accountability, but no satisfactory answers could be given. How can this happen in the richest country in the world? What choices were or were not made in a place like San Bernardino. Notwithstanding these accounts, I learned later that San Bernardino is actually in a better position than others in the United States when it comes to clean water.

I also learned that an estimated 40% of residents living in the Navajo Nation (100 miles west of Albuquerque, NM) do not have access to running water. The area’s heroine is Darlene Arviso; she is known as the “Navajo Water Lady” because she uses her automobile to deliver water to other residents.  I invite you to listen to her story: “Navajo Water Lady”.  Ms. Arviso is a determined soul in this area of the country that is too often forgotten.

Let’s choose to not leave anyone behind

We are a nation of extraordinary people.  But, obviously, much work is needed. We must make choices that leaves no one behind. We must remember that when poverty affects one of us, it affects us all. We must resolve to take care of all and to help positively change the future of those who live in places like San Bernardino or the Navajo Nation.

We must remember to seek God’s guidance in all our decisions and choices to ensure that all people are taken care of and have access to clean water. Let us begin by praying.

“Sovereign of the universe, your first covenant of mercy was with every living creature. When your beloved Son came among us, the waters of the river welcomed him, the heavens opened to greet his arrival, the animals of the wilderness drew near as his companions. With all the world’s people, may we who are washed into new life through baptism seek the way of your new creation, the way of justice and care, mercy and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.” (ELW)

• Nido R. Quebein, Daily Motivation (Simple Truths, Naperville, Il, 2016), p. 363
• http://thesoutherncalifornian.blogspot.com/2015/12/15-fun-facts-about-san-bernardino.html

Bryan Jaster, Winchester, VA

Warm-up Question

What’s something that has happened in your life that has made you feel afraid or uncertain?

Love is Greater

The end of January has been pretty intense for the United States and likely for neighbors around the world.  The transition from one president to another is normally a time of leadership upheaval and of fulfilling promises made during presidential candidacies. In addition, at this time high levels uncertainty, fear, and anxiety have taken root for many.  Relationships with our neighbors in Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Mexico, and other communities around the country are stretched and strained.    Tension is high in the Congress.

A recent executive order fulfilled the promise our new president made when he said, “We’re going to build a wall.”  This new wall is designed to keep America separate from Mexico so that fewer people come into America.  Regardless of whether this will be an effective strategy to stem immigration, building the wall would keep people apart.    See http://www.npr.org/2017/01/25/511619026/donald-trumps-moving-forward-with-his-wall-is-it-really-going-to-happen) for the story.  The president’s press secretary reported that Mexico will be forced to pay for this wall.

Many scientists are feeling the weight of fear and uncertainty.  Recently employees of the EPA and departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and the Interior have received notices to remove web pages and limit communication to the public.  See (http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-scientists-are-launch-rogue-twitter-account-to-defy-trump-2017-1).  These scientists and government employees have been ordered to post only public safety information and to avoid anything that might influence political or national policy.

In response, many of these agencies have setup “rogue” Twitter accounts where anonymous government employees or scientists post to respond to censorship.  They provide a space where scientific facts about climate change, information about swearing-in day attendance, immigration stories, and civil rights advocacy can be shared.  Persons post anonymously for fear of being disciplined or fired.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever been a leader of a group, a sports team, or a school assignment? What made leading difficult?  What did you learn from it?
• Why would being the president of the US be difficult? Would you want to be president?
• Do you agree with the orders recently made?  Why or why not?

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Matthew 5:21-37

(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

Matthew’s Jesus says you are given the fires of hell for being angry with someone?…that you should rip out your right eye and throw it away if it offends?…or cut off your right hand if it causes you to sin?

What?  Jesus, are you serious?   Jesus was all about cuddling sheep and blessing children, right?

Let’s take another look at this story.

There are four sayings in our reading and each one refers to another biblical story.  Four times Jesus says, “You have heard it was said…”   The stories referenced are from the Ten Commandments in Exodus.  See Exodus 20: 13, 14 and 7 to see what commands Jesus is talking about.  When Jesus talks about divorce he quotes from Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

These commands to which Jesus refers are central to what is often called “the Law of Moses”.  The Law is designed to keep good order and relationships between people in the world.  The prohibitions against murder, adultery (having sexual relations with someone you are not married to), and swearing falsely are given to ensure the health of relationships, as was the demand that a certificate of divorce be provided.

Back now to the fires of hell and the ripping and cutting off of body parts….Scholars think that rather than being interested in people becoming physically maimed, Jesus is caring deeply and passionately about our relationships.  Jesus uses hyperbole to emphasize that God loves us so much that God cares about how we treat each other.  God’s love is greater than our anger, our lust, our fractured marriages, and the words we use to hurt.

Think about murder.  Jesus wants more than the killing to stop.  He wants us to treat one another as God’s beloved and to not speak hate.

Think about adultery.  Avoiding the physical, sexual act isn’t enough.  We also do not make other people objects by lusting after them.

Think about divorce.  People aren’t like trash to be discarded with a certificate; instead we provide for and protect the most innocent and vulnerable.

Think about swearing falsely or lying.  Jesus urges us always to speak and act truthfully so that we don’t need to make oaths at all.

Jesus says these things because God’s love for us is greater than all the things that might rip us apart.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think Jesus reinterprets Moses’ law? Wasn’t it good enough the first time around?
• What is the impact on people of murder? Of divorce?  Of married people having sex with others?  Of lying to one another?
• Give an example of where staying connected in a relationship overcame something negative like hate, hurt, or deception? Is love really greater?

Activity Suggestions

LOVE IS GREATER DAY.  Today is February 12^th.  Tuesday is February 14^th.  Let’s turn Valentine’s Day into “Love is greater day.”  (See oldlutheran.com for tshirts, mugs and bumper stickers to spread the word).  Maybe sharing God’s love with the world is great than all that rips us apart!

In pairs or as a small group come up with some actions you can do to share God’s love. Some examples to get you started:

• Support Refugees and Immigrants around the world who need help. http://blog.lirs.org/5-ways-to-support-lirs-in-new-year/
• Visit your local police department and thank an officer.
• Get to know someone who has angered you. Who would that be?
• Pay someone’s bill at a restaurant.
• Write a letter or encourage a public servant like your congressman or representative.
• Talk to someone in person who disagrees with you about an issue of science, immigration or religion.

Closing Prayer

God who loves us so deeply.  Help us to NOT murder, hate, divorce, commit adultery, lust or speak falsely but instead to love, honor, serve and support all people.  Help us to hold onto your love which is greater than everything else.  Amen!

We may be in a time of numerical decline among denominations, yet the church has a grand opportunity for spiritual deepening.  Now is the time to reclaim the traditional path of discipleship—through a faith formation process known as the Catechumenate.  This ancient/future way of learning and creating disciples invites us to hear one another’s stories in the light of God’s story.  It is a baptismal journey with Jesus that is life-giving and transforming—not only for individuals but for entire faith communities.

You are invited to experience this simple yet profound way of making disciples at a Training Institute being held May 4-6, 2017 in Arden, North Carolina.  The event for pastors, seminarians, and lay leaders is co-sponsored by Journey to Baptismal Living (NAAC) and the North Carolina Synod (ELCA).   Bring a team and be immersed in the movements and worship rites of the Catechumenate.  Every participant receives a training manual and free copy of Go Make Disciples: An Invitation to Baptismal Living (Augsburg Fortress) that will help you introduce this discipling process to your congregation.

The Lutheran Church of the Nativity in Arden—located near the Asheville airport—is hosting the training institute.  Because of a synodical grant, registration (including meals, program, and materials) is being offered at the low cost of $175 per person (or $125 to the first 25 people who register).  Housing is available at the discounted conference rate of $89 per night at the nearby Mountain Inn and Suites Airport Hotel—but rates are only guaranteed through April 4, 2017 by calling 828-684-0040.

Ready to welcome you in May are (left to right) Pastors Mark Fitzsimmons, Rachel Hoffman, and Greg Hoffman.

Full scholarships (including housing) are available for students/seminarians.  For more information contact Pastor Mark Fitzsimmons at mfitzsimmons@nativityarden.org or call 828-684-0352.  One can register online or download a brochure with registration form at the NAAC website: www.catechumenate.org.

Modeled partially after a similar activity hosted by hunger leaders in the Florida-Bahamas Synod, Rocky Mountain Synod youth participate in a “hunger meal” hosted at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado.

On a cold January weekend this year, the Rocky Mountain Synod was a buzz with 400 middle school youth, adults and peer ministers gathered for fun, fellowship and formation under the theme “Reform.” From participating in ELCA World Hunger’s “Act 2Day 4 Tomorrow” activities to sharing a hunger meal and food packaging, hunger was at the forefront of the Rocky Mountain “reforms.”

“We put on a hunger meal to raise awareness,” said Sophia, a sophomore and peer minister from Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado.

“The kids are divided into different groups with different social classes, and they get different amounts of food. As you go up [the classes], there are fewer people in each class. I was the cook for the meal,” said Anand, a classmate of Sophia’s at Poudre High School. “I volunteer at the foodbank a lot, and many times, even though they were getting food, it wasn’t always the best or healthiest. That inspired me,” Anand went on to share.

Sophia [left] and Anand [right] are friends from Poudre High School. Sophia is a peer minister and member of the Rocky Mountain Synod hunger team. She and Anand both used their unique skills to raise awareness to end hunger — together.

The youth also took part in packing food kits for local non-profits that help feed people experiencing homelessness and hunger in the area. Rocky Mountain Synod hunger leader Carol McDivitt from King of Glory Lutheran Church in Loveland did the pre-work of calling local agencies and cleared the local food packing projects to make sure the food was usable for the groups.

When asked what message she hopes the hunger meal conveys to the youth, Sophia responded, “I want people to realize that they can make such a huge difference, that they are making a difference. World hunger is being solved; it’s actively being solved. It’s important to remember that even if it does feel hopeless, it’s not.”

Two youth from Lutheran Church of Hope in Broomfield, Colorado, with the prepared packages.

Way to go, Rocky Mountain Synod youth! #untilallarefed