John Hougen, Elkins Park, PA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever changed your opinion of someone after you got to know them? If so, was it because you found out the person had more or less in common with you?

Compassion For Our Own Kind

Recently, I was on a retreat where the leader combined two different meanings of “kind” to make the point that compassionate attitudes and actions can be motivated by a recognition of what we have in common with someone who, at first, seems “different” from us.

Kind (as an adjective) is defined as: “The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” But, kind (as a noun) means: “A group of people or things having similar characteristics.” When we recognize that we “have similar characteristics” with someone who appears different, we are more likely to become “friendly, generous, and considerate” of them.

Today’s reading from Hebrews teaches us that as members of the human family, we all are brothers and sisters. We are “of the same kind,” and Jesus shares our “human-kindness.”

Hebrews 2: 14 -18 – “¹⁴ Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he (Jesus, the “pioneer of their salvation” vs 10) himself likewise shared the same things…. ¹⁶ For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters^[f] in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.”

Jesus’ compassion, according to this passage, was due in part to his becoming human, becoming one of us, able to identify with those who needed his healing, his teaching, his saving grace. In Matthew 25: 31 – 46, Jesus teaches us that when we feed, clothe, or visit someone in need, we are feeding, clothing, and visiting him—further emphasizing his identity as one of us: one who loves, suffers, finds courage, feels pain. He is part of the human family. Both today’s reading from Hebrews and verses 8 – 9 from the first reading (Isaiah 63) make God’s ability to identify with and relate to humanity the basis for God’s compassion and mercy towards us. Perhaps it is our ability to empathize, to identify with other people, that enables us to act compassionately toward them.

Discussion Questions

Do you believe that all members of the human family (all of humankind) are sufficiently alike that you can have compassion for them when they are in need? Or, are some people just too different to understand, too different to be treated with compassion?  What differences, if any, disqualify someone from receiving your compassion?

First Sunday of Christmas

Isaiah 63:7-9

Hebrews 2:10-18

Matthew 2:13-23

(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 Massacre of the Innocents Pacecco de Rosa. Purchased with the John D. McIlhenny Fund, 1973; The Philadelphia Museum of Art, www.philamuseum.org

Baby Jesus was a refugee.

Jesus was born into a part of the world plagued by terrorism: it still is. Matthew 2: 16 – 18 (from today’s Gospel reading) reports events that are paralleled in the same region of the world today.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a small town in Israel. The king of Israel, Herod, heard that a newborn was being called the “King of Israel.” Herod was afraid this child would grow up to be a threat to him and his royal family. When the Wise Men refused to identify this infant destined to be king (see Matthew 2: 1 – 15), King Herod ordered all the infants in and around Bethlehem to be killed. For the king, no atrocity was out of the question if it would save his throne, his power and his privilege.

Aleppo, Syria is only 330 miles north of Bethlehem, less than the distance from New York to Richmond or from San Francisco to Los Angeles.   Children in Aleppo are being slaughtered by bombs and troops sent by infuriated despots eager to stamp out threats to their power. The Bible story and today’s news are horribly similar.

Just as millions of Syrians have fled the civil war which has taken the lives of so many in their country, so too, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled the “Massacre of the Infants” ordered by King Herod. Matthew 2: 13 – 15 tells how the infant Jesus escaped King Herod’s slaughter: Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt. He did, taking Mary and the Christ child to safety. In the first months of Jesus’ life, he became a refugee, finding safety in a foreign country. In our times, this scenario is echoed in the news day after day, year after year: refugees from one conflict after another seek safety in foreign lands.

Discussion Questions

• Do you know anyone who has been or is a refugee? From their experience or the experience of others you have heard about, share what you know of the challenges refugees face: in the homeland they left, during the journey to their new homes, and as they adjust to living in a strange land.
• Do you think welcoming refugees into your community is risky? Discuss; then go online to find: Infographic: The Screening Process for Refugee Entry into the United States. This website outlines what is done to reduce the risk to your community. Is this information surprising to you?

Activity Suggestions

Find out about an effort to resettle refugees in your area, and ask how you can help.

Closing Prayer

God – the Compassionate and Merciful: Give us the mind of Jesus, who did not count equality with You a thing to be exploited, but left his heavenly throne to become one of us.* As we, like Jesus, recognize our common humanity with those who seem different, turn our compassionate thoughts and feelings into actions. Give us a Jesus-like capacity to identify with those in need. Give us Jesus-like motivation and courage to reach out to them as we would like to be helped if we were in their shoes. In the name of Jesus, who became Someone like us … and like them. Amen.

*See Philippians 2: 4 – 11

Diciembre de 2016

Por la Revda. Elizabeth Eaton

Recuerdo mi hogar cuando era niña. Estaba en el lado oeste de Cleveland. Todavía sueño con él. Era un lugar donde me sentía a salvo, donde estaba mi familia. Y guardaba maravillosos recuerdos navideños. Después, cuando cursaba mi último año de universidad, mis padres se mudaron. El sueño de todos los residentes del lado oeste de Cleveland era vivir junto al lago. Y al fin lograron llegar a la orilla del Lago Erie. Pero mi hogar ya no estaba. De hecho, tuve que preguntar cómo dar con la casa de mis padres para visitarlos en las vacaciones de Navidad.

Todavía sueño con aquel hogar. Aún lo echo de menos. Todavía puedo ver exactamente cómo era. Y me doy cuenta que todos añoramos profundamente el hogar. En Navidad, creo que a la gente le resulta especialmente emotivo y profundo ese sentimiento. Muchos de nuestros villancicos y canciones hablan de estar en casa en Navidad y de lo difícil que es no poder hacerlo.

Luego recordé que María y José no estaban en su hogar para Navidad ese primer año. Estaban lejos de su casa, lejos de su gente. Se hallaban en Belén, lejos de Nazaret. Se debieron haber sentido muy desorientados.

Pero la verdad es que María y José estaban justamente en casa en Navidad porque el niño Dios estaba con ellos. Jesús es nuestro verdadero hogar. Esa es nuestra esperanza en Navidad y durante todo el año. Nunca estamos lejos de casa porque Cristo está a nuestro lado, tan cerca como nuestro propio aliento o nuestros propios latidos. Así que, donde quiera que se encuentren este año, querida iglesia, recuerden que Jesús está con ustedes y que están en casa esta Navidad.

¡Feliz Navidad!

Reverenda Elizabeth A. Eaton
Obispa presidente
Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América

There is no Faith Lens this week.

The Nativity story is challenging to wrestle with at times. Often we describe a peaceful birth scene, in a manger, in the little town of Bethlehem. The promised savior is born and greeted by an awesome host of angels, shepherds and wise men. Yet, this story neglects some of the historical realities of Jesus’s birth. His parents, Joseph and Mary, weren’t visiting Bethlehem for fun; instead by decree of the Roman occupying force they were forced to return to Bethlehem to be counted in a census. A near-term Mary probably wasn’t enthusiastic about her multi-day journey. And while the biblical narrative suggests that Joseph and Mary could have afforded to have stayed at the inn there was no room and they were compelled to rest in a humble stable. Jesus enters the world not with plush amenities, but to a stable, away from his parents’ home. Shortly after his birth, he and his parents are forced to flee to evade his killing. The Nativity tells the story of a Jesus, who comes to us marginalized by circumstances and under the domination of an occupying power.

Our church has affirmed that working for justice with people on the margins is doing God’s will. As a Christian, I view this as a moral issue—one that often hits the most vulnerable hardest. People with and without housing alike are a part of our church.  We know that congregations and shelter ministries perform amazing work in direct service and support in our calling to love our neighbor. Using our voices for advocacy and calling for public change is another way to serve that calling.

Housing and homelessness didn’t garner a lot of attention during the last presidential campaign. After such a rancorous and polarizing election, many of the issues brought to the fore of the debates now seem to be charged by partisan grudges and political gridlock. Over the next several years, homelessness and unaffordable housing will inevitably draw our attention because housing costs continue to rise sharply and many of us will be forced to struggle even more to keep a roof over our heads.

There is a good chance that you’ve noticed the rising costs of housing already. If you’re feeling really burdened by a sharp mortgage or rent increase, you’re not alone. The stability of our housing infrastructure is starting to fall apart around us. While the U.S. economy is still growing, spiking housing costs and leveled wages across the country are increasing instability for many hard-working families. This should concern us.

Affordable housing programs are often the best tools local governments can use to help people get off the street and back into a supportive community. They work remarkably well, and offer people with limited opportunity a chance to rise out of poverty. But housing programs are often the very last to see any increases in federal investment;   because of this, the cycle of poverty continues.

The support of shelter ministries by congregations is becoming even more essential for those struggling in the community. People of faith can also be instrumental in bringing leaders together. The people in our pews are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. In a time when polarization raises barriers and reduces bipartisan communication, religious communities are uniquely equipped to be a bridge between two sides. Lawmakers care deeply about the work and needs of centers of worship in their districts, and must hear from their constituents that poverty is a critical issue.

So what should we do right NOW? We can begin by committing to public engagement and bringing more people into public life in the new year. It is never too soon to get involved.  Here’s how:

• Write emails to your lawmakers and urge them to get ready for work on housing. There are several was the new White House Administration and Congress could make a difference by addressing housing issues in 2017—This can start by passing a national budget that supports the most vulnerable.
• Find friends in your congregation and encourage them to connect with their lawmakers. The more people who express to their lawmakers the importance of working to improve homelessness the more likely the impact.
• Stay up-to-date on housing and poverty issues as they come through Congress by joining the ELCA Advocacy Network.

At the start of the Christmas story, Jesus began his life without a place to call home. He was not only our Savior, but also a teacher and an advocate. Jesus comes this Christmas not just for the healthy, but for the sick and those who need his embrace most. As we renew ourselves this Advent in the message about the amazing power of God’s redeeming love, I hope together we can rediscover that strong Biblical tradition and reflect on what we are freed through Christ to do in the coming year. If you are interested in engaging further on this issue and connect with other advocates, contact us on social media, or at washingtonoffice@elca.org. In the meantime, I wish you a very blessed Christmas, and start of the new year.

“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 Hymn #258)

In this season of Advent waiting, we pray that God stirs up God’s power among us: embodying God’s compassion for each fragile human life, reminding the world of the longed for healing that only God can bring to earth, and we watch with joy and wonder as we draw closer to the promised Savior’s birth in the beauty of the nativity at Christmas.

We wish each of you a blessed season filled with hope, wonder, and joy! We pray God’s blessings of great joy and expectation in this New Year!

Blessed Advent—Merry Christmas—Happy New Year!

The ELCA Worship Staff

Kevin—-John—-BethAnn

This Advent season is an opportunity to reflect on what faithful advocacy means. Join the ELCA Advocacy in our Advent Devotions Series. Please share with friends and family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4w7cPM-Wjo&feature=youtu.be

This week’s devotional is given by Ruth Ivory-Moore. She works at ELCA Advocacy.

The lectionary readings for this Sunday are:

1. Isaiah 7:10-16
2. Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
3. Romans 1:1-7
4. Matthew 1:18-25

Blessings

Seth Moland-Kovash, Palatine, IL

Warm-up Question

How many times per week, would you estimate, that you make a choice of what to do or what not to do based on fear?

What Makes You Afraid?

Fear can be a highly powerful motivator. We can be afraid of consequences (from parents, teachers, coaches, school administrators) or we can be afraid of what happened last time we did that (a small child touching a hot stove). Some of us have phobias – fear of the dark, of spiders, of snakes (to name a few). Did you know that there is even a name for the fear of Santa Claus? Not surprisingly, it’s Clausophobia.

Sometimes fear motivates us in ways we’d rather not talk about. Sometimes we avoid doing something we’d otherwise do for fear of what our peers might think or say. Sometimes we avoid trying something new for fear of failure.

For some people, these fears can be crippling. PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) and some phobias keep people from acting because of the strong painful memories and fears often associated with past experiences. Researchers in the United Kingdom and in Japan are working on techniques that might allow people to “re-wire” their brains and overcome those fear-filled memories.

Even if our fears are not extremely strong and limiting, fear affects all of us to some degree and can keep us from engaging in life to the fullness that’s intended for us.

Discussion Questions

• What kinds of fears do you have? What are you afraid of? Can you isolate why? Was there a specific experience that made you afraid?
• What are things you wish you could do but are afraid to try?

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 7:10-16

Romans 1:1-7

Matthew 1:18-25

(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

Joseph was afraid. He was afraid to take Mary as his wife, because she was having a baby that wasn’t his. He was afraid of what it would mean for him; he was afraid of what others might think. But he also was afraid to publicly accuse her of infidelity, so he wanted to send her away quietly. But the angel knew what was going on and told him not to be afraid.

Not only did the angel command Joseph not to be afraid but he told Joseph to name the child something that could combat fear. Emmanuel means “God is with us.” God is with us. We are not alone. Perhaps knowing this and trusting this can help to combat the fears that are inside all of us.

Discussion Questions

• When do you need a reminder that God is with you?
• Who do you know who might need a reminder that God is with them?

Activity Suggestions

Make an Emmanuel rock. This can be as simple as taking a small stone and painting a cross (or other symbol) on it. Carry the Emmanuel rock in your pocket. It can remind you that Emmanuel – God is with you. Make tw0 Emmanuel rocks – keep one for yourself and give one away.

Closing Prayer

Good and gracious God, come into our world as Emmanuel. Come into our world and banish fear. Come into our world and banish darkness. Amen.

Today’s post is from Jennifer Baker-Trinity, Organist and Choir Director at Beaver Lutheran in Beaver Springs, PA.

In this time in the church year, Christians wonder at this mystery: Christ becoming fully human, taking earthly form in a world full of joy and pain, of suffering and healing. We yearn for Christ’s coming, but do we recognize it birthed now among us? Do we marvel at how Christ’s birth transforms us to be like that bright star, guiding the nations to God’s light and love revealed in Jesus?

While much of the northern climates will be experiencing a snowy winter described in many Northern European Christmas carols, a worship event held in warmer Santa Monica, California offers another context for us to ask the following question:

How do we engage worship and culture?

Said another way,

How does the mystery of Christ’s coming to us shape how we experience God in worship?

This February 19-21, come to St. Paul’s Lutheran in Santa Monica to gather with others around this and related questions. All in attendance will have the opportunity to hear presenters flesh out the Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture, a helpful document that challenges us to see worship through four lenses: transcultural (common to all cultures), contextual (specific to a particular culture), counter-cultural (transforming the prevailing culture) and cross-cultural (shared between cultures) (For a fresh guide at how this statement calls us to worship renewal, see Can We Talk: Engaging Worship and Culture.)

Jesus’ birth calls forth praise from all the nations streaming to his light. Come to discover what in our worship transcends cultures and unites us as one people of God. At the same time, Jesus came and still comes to a particular people in a particular place. Come and reflect upon the aspects of worship that reflect your unique congregation and its particular gifts.

Christmas will come and go, but Christ continually comes among us. We hope you, too, will come to California for these days of renewal!

For more information see the Facebook event and watch for registration soon at http://www.elca.org/worship.

This Advent season is an opportunity to reflect on what faithful advocacy means. Join the ELCA Advocacy in our Advent Devotions Series. Please share with friends and family.

https://youtu.be/odxWPzTN5k4

This weeks devotional is given by Alaide Vilchis Ibarra. She works at ELCA Advocacy.

The lectionary readings for this Sunday are:

1. Isaiah 35:1-10
2. Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46b-55
3. James 5:7-10
4. Matthew 11:2-11

Blessings