John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

If you woke up from a 30-year coma and turned on the news, what do you think would surprise you most about the world today?

Working Together Despite Disagreement

On Tuesday, November 8, Americans will go to the polls to vote elect a new president.  Whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is elected, chances are that at least 40% of the country will be bitterly disappointed with the result.  Sadly this election season may have set a new record for mean-spirited exchanges, dirty tactics and vocalized anger.  Instead of offering solutions for how we might feed the hungry, lift up the poor, or work for peace in the world, the campaigns have focused on personal attacks, on lifting up negative news about our country, and on reinforcing partisanship.  If one estimate is correct, our country will have spent $5 billion dollars on this campaign season which has sowed seeds of division and highlighted the worst traits of our political system.

Regardless of who wins the election, there are real issues in our country which need to be addressed.

• How do we provide assistance to those who are unemployed or underemployed?
• How do we lift up those without a voice who are left out of mainstream life?
• How do we work for racial equality and erase socio-economic segregation?
• How do we create safe communities for all citizens and safe working conditions for those who serve and protect others?
• How do we prioritize governmental functions like protection, infrastructure, and social services?
• How do we care for those who are sick in mind, body, or spirit?

The answers to these questions and hundreds of others will be hard to find, but one thing is sure, they will not be found without cooperation and compromise.

The campaign we just experienced and the last 30 plus years of political discourse have created an “us verses them” mentality in the political realm, but regardless of which political party you support, you and I are each citizens of the same country, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.   We may not all agree about tax rates, military budgets, or health care, but if we commit to working together, to showing love to our enemies, to offering kindness in the face of hate, and to treating others the way we want to be treated, then despite our disagreements we can began to seek the common good and build up the whole community.

Discussion Questions

• Would you ever consider going into politics? Why or why not?
• If you could change one thing about our political system, what would it be?
• If you had 5 billion dollars to spend to make the world better, how would you invest it?

All Saints Sunday

Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18

Ephesians 1:11-23

Luke 6:20-31

(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

During his ministry, Jesus encountered plenty of opposition.  Some religious leaders saw him as a threat and disagreed with his teaching.  Some political leaders worried that he might start a rebellion.  Some neighbors were stirred to anger by his words and refused to hear him.  In his place, you or I might have given up on our mission, but not Jesus.  Jesus continues to speak God’s Word in the face of opposition – lifting up a vision of God’s kingdom and calling God’s people to faithfulness.  Jesus words may not have always made him friends, but they provided hope, inspired introspection, and offered a better way forward for the world.

For those who were struggling in life, the hope Jesus proclaimed was undeniable. “Blessed are you who are poor,” Jesus said, “for yours is the kingdom of God.”(Luke 6:20)  In that time, kingdoms weren’t for the poor.  Kingdoms were for the rich and the social elite and if you weren’t born into money or status, it was virtually impossible to change you station in life.  Jesus, however, makes it clear that God’s kingdom welcomes the poor and the outcast, not just the rich and well-connected.  God’s kingdom is a place where all are on equal footing and welcomed to God’s table of grace.  For the poor, the weeping, the reviled, and the excluded in this life Jesus is essentially reaching out with loving arms, embracing them and helping them  know they are loved by God.

For those who are rich and prosperous, Jesus’ words invite introspection and repentance.  “But woe to you who are rich,” Jesus says, “for you have received your consolation.” (Luke 6:24)  In that time if you were wealthy, it was thought to be a sign that God favored you.  Jesus, however, offers a different interpretation.  Wealth, Jesus seems to be saying, is fleeting, so if you have invested your whole heart in simply accumulating and enjoying the riches of this world, then you have invested poorly.  Instead of investing your heart in worldly wealth, invest in building a relationship with God and in sharing the gifts you have been given.  The abundance of God eternal kingdom far exceeds what you can accumulate for yourself in this world.

Interestingly, Jesus follows his words of hope and his call for repentance by offering advice for all of God’s people to help them live more effectively in relationship with one another.  Love your enemies,” Jesus says, “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. . . . Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:27-28, 31).  Worldly kingdoms and political parties may try to eliminate their enemies, may speak out against those who disagree with them, and may strike back against those who oppose them, but God’s kingdom is different.  Whether you see yourself on the “blessed” side of the equation or the “woe” side of the equation, Jesus suggests that the way forward in life is love, not hate; generosity, not selfishness; prayer, not retribution.

The problems in our world today are complex. The division between groups is deep, but if we can commit to following Jesus’ advice and treating others the way that we want to be treated, then perhaps we can start to make progress in building both healthier, stronger relationships with one another and a healthier, better world for all God’s people.

Discussion Questions

• When you are facing problems, where do you find hope and help?
• Loving your enemy is hard. What does it look like for you to love your enemy?  What does it look like for a country to love its enemy?
• How do you want others to treat you at school, at church and at home? Give one example of how you might treat someone in the way that you want to be treated.

Activity Suggestions

• Circle of Complements:

Option 1: Have the group sit in a circle and invite each person to offer a complement to the person next to them.  If the group doesn’t know each other well, you might need to prompt that you could offer one positive statement about the other person’s appearance.

Option 2: Have the group sit in a circle and invite each person to offer one positive statement about themselves.  Encourage the group to affirm and support the statements.

• Declare Random Act of Kindness Day:

Invite the members of the group to undertake one random act of kindness per day for an entire week. Encourage the group to be prepared to talk about what they did and how it made them feel the next time the group gathers.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, we give you thanks for your presence with us in times of joy and in times of need.  Be with our country as we prepare for the presidential election.  Regardless of the results, help us all seek ways to work together to build up the whole community.  Inspire each of us, by your love and by Jesus’ teachings, to care for one another and to treat others as we would like to be treated.  Amen.

Today’s post is from Mary Shaima, Diaconal Associate at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Encinitas, California. 

In early October, I cleared the decks for two days to travel to Denver for the first of the “Strong Center, Open Door” events commemorating the 10^th anniversary of the publication of Evangelical Lutheran Worship.  The event not only celebrated the anniversary – it also reminded us of our baptismal identity and how that continues to form and re-form us for service in the world through worship.

As a candidate for the roster of Ministry of Word and Service, I’m all about baptismal identity.  My diaconal project explored the question of how worship is one of the primary places God’s Holy Spirit shapes us to be sent to love our neighbor, and that all begins with our baptism.

One of the most useful aspects of our time together was the reminder to look and listen for those things that made a deep impression on us.  What might we take back to our own synods or congregations to put into practice?  We heard not only specific ideas, but broad concepts.  Here are just a few:

*Think of baptism not only as promise, but invitation – of/to a future that is already and not yet, just as water exists for us in an already/not yet way.

*What are areas of life together that could benefit from an affirmation of baptism?  Blessing for a mission trip might be one.  Perhaps a couple could incorporate some symbol of baptism into their wedding (Luther has a lot to say about marriage as vocation!).

*Think of the ordo – the order of worship, specifically Gather-Word-Meal-Send, as a skeleton onto which are added a variety of options (muscles, ligaments, fat).  Sometimes the resulting body is full and corpulent (Easter) and other times it might seem lean (Lent).  What seasons or events might suggest different “body types” of worship?

*What do the lessons say?  What images are in the day’s scripture?  How do those relate to our contextual environment?

The plenary sessions (“Strong Center”) and the workshops (“Open Door”) both emphasized the importance (and the fun!) of a deep examination of all the elements of our worship.  They also reminded us that while Evangelical Lutheran Worship is considered the church’s core resource, there are literally countless resources available online from all over the world that can be new wineskins for us.  This is reformation in its truest sense – holding what we know to be true, but holding it in the light of our context today.  We hold together as church our Strong Center in Christ.  What does your Open Door look like?

Registration is still available for the final Strong Center, Open Door event in Lansdale, Pa. Nov. 4th and 5th. Go to http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Worship/Evangelical-Lutheran-Worship

Ever wondered, “Why the water?”

Asperges (noun, pronounced ah-SPUR-jes) is the sprinkling of baptismal water upon worshipers as a reminder of their baptism. The ministers who are performing the apserges may use a pine branch or a special sprinkler called an aspergillium (often a bound bundle of straw that resembles a small broom). Sprinkling with water is an option in worship any time the assembly participates in an affirmation of baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ and it is particularly suitable during the Easter season.

To sprinkle the water, a minister dips the branch or sprinkler in the bowl of water then flings it over the heads of the assembly. It is helpful for the minister to use a large arc-type action with the arm rather than just flicking the wrist so that large groups of people can feel the touch of the water at the same time.

Some worshippers find it helpful to trace the sign of the cross on themselves as they are sprinkled as a way of reminding themselves that they have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection.

David Delaney, Salem, VA

Warm-up Questions

• In the United States, what day of the year do we most associate with freedom? It’s probably the Fourth of July. With election day coming up, some may also think about that.  Does anyone think of Easter Day or even Good Friday?  It’s nice to celebrate national freedom, but what about freedom from sin, or freedom from death?  And Reformation Day is all about those!
• It has been 499 years since the event that we remember as the symbolic beginning of the Reformation. What’s a good way to visualize that many years?  Compare it to the age of your house or of your town or city, or of the United States, or anything else that feels like it has been around a long time.
• On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in order to get the attention of professional theologians and start a conversation about salvation. What would you do today to get people’s attention and start a conversation about salvation?

You Will Be Free

Two different stories about freedom:

In late September, billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, announced a 3-billion dollar initiative for research aimed at eradicating chronic diseases, especially things like infectious disease, heart disease, cancer and neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and autism.  It may sound like a wildly irrational idea, but some influential scientists think that it’s not as unrealistic as it sounds at first, given how far the science of medicine has come in the last century.  The goal would be to make the human species “disease-free” by the end of the current century.

For more information:  http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/23/495184078/whats-the-prognosis-for-mark-zuckerbergs-3-billion-health-plan

Around the same time, the new president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duerte, announced that one of the major foreign policy goals for his administration was going to free the country from a “shackling dependency” on the United States for military aid, which some say brings with it a similar dependence on American business and political interests for southeast Asia.

For more information:  http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-10-07/rodrigo-duterte-wants-to-free-philippines-from-us-shackles-foreign-minister-says

Discussion Questions

• Freedom is a tricky idea.  What are some differences between these two kinds of freedom represented in these stories – freedom from disease and freedom from outside influence and control ?
• In yet another recent news story, Microsoft announced that its xbox360 subscribers would be getting two new games “for free” in October.  Which of all of these do you think is the most powerful version of the word “free”?

Reformation Sunday

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Romans 3:19-28

John 8:31-36

(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

Recall that in Jesus’ day, the Jewish people in Israel’s ancient homeland were living under political and military occupation by the Roman Empire, so “freedom” was a disputed concept for them.  For some, it had to mean ejecting the Romans from their country and reestablishing their own government, and for others it meant a defiant worship and religious behavior in spite of the Roman presence.  Either way, God’s people there thought often about freedom.

Here in John 8, Jesus is deep into an argument with Pharisees (a group committed to strict religious observance) and the official religious leaders (called “The Jews” in John’s gospel).  We get the impression that they are people who are really very anxious to have someone who is honestly sent from God and can lead them not only into deeper faith in God but also possibly answer this question about what makes for true freedom.  If one reads all of John 8 starting at verse 12, it becomes clear that they have difficulty understanding him.  And yet the bottom line that we have here in 8:36 is that the most important freedom one can experience is the kind of freedom from sin that only Jesus gives.

On every Reformation Sunday, we read this lesson along with a set of parallel lessons from Jeremiah 31 and Romans 3.  The readings help us recall that the ministry of Martin Luther had at its core the goal of getting the church back to its job of proclaiming God’s grace that sets us free from servitude to our sinful desires and enables us to stand against the large forces of sin that lead to the brokenness and injustice of this world.

Discussion Questions

• What is your definition of freedom?  Do you personally feel free?  Where in your life are you under some kind of unavoidable obligation or relationship?  Are there invisible or secret things in your life that have a kind of control over you so much that you don’t feel free?  What would it take for you to feel “free indeed”?
• Do you know young people who live with so few boundaries and restrictions that it seems like literally no one can tell them what to do?  Do they seem free?  What are some ways in which people who seem to have an outward freedom are still not free on the inside or whose habits and addictions are so powerful that they clearly have to obey them?
• How does Jesus grant true freedom?  One answer is to recall that his death and resurrection overcomes the first most powerful motivator in human life – fear of death.  Another is to note that his call to follow his word and orient our lives toward the will of God the Father overcomes the second most powerful motivator in human life – the fear of being meaningless and the  fear of being left out or missing out – and replaces that fear with a promise of a life filled with possibilities for serving others and inviting them to also share in the goodness of God’s will for us.

Activity Suggestions

• Illustrate how crippling the power of bondage can be with a game where students wrap a rubber band (not too tight!) around their fingers and thumbs and then try to unwrap a piece of candy.  They may eventually get to it, but it will be difficult.  To make it harder, tie plastic shopping bags over their hands.  They may *think* their hands are free, but when it comes to trying to unwrap a piece of candy again, it is very difficult with the slippery bags on their hands.  Where else in life are we fooled into thinking we are free when really we are tied up?
• Luther’s 95 theses are easily found by doing a Google search.  Many of them require explanation based on the historical context, and if your group is interested in that, there are also many easy-access internet sites that can summarize their purpose.  Have the group read through those and identify any that still seem to make sense even without needing a lot of historical explanation.
• If the group were going to write “theses” to call the church to faithfulness today, what would they say?  You will probably not have time to get to 95, but maybe 9!
• In this anniversary year prior to October 1517, there are many resources available from the ELCA, from church publishing houses, and from synods and congregations that help us to explore the ongoing significance of the Reformation for ourselves.  Help your students locate some of those and consider undertaking a year of study together on one of Luther’s important writings (like the Large Catechism).

Closing Prayer

God of freedom, we are thankful that you have sent your Son Jesus to bring us freedom and salvation.  Make us good stewards of that freedom, not using it for our own self-indulgence, but embracing the opportunity to serve and support others, even while we enjoy the freedom to look at ourselves with true and honest eyes and experience the forgiveness of sin that comes from repentance.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Today’s post is by Scott Weidler, outgoing Program Director for Worship and Music in the ELCA. An excerpt from an article written for CrossAccent, the journal of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, it addresses the ELCA’s unification of diaconal rosters which was later approved at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly.

How, Weidler asks, does the concept of deacon as a minister of word and service fit with the vocational self-understanding of Lutheran church musicians?

Ministers of Word and Service

Clearly, the phrase “ministers of word and service” is parallel to the common descriptor of pastors as “ministers of word and sacrament.” While some musicians have had a hard time trying to understand how they fit on this roster, the benefit of positioning the ministries included on this new roster, including music, side by side with the Word and Sacrament roster in the ELCA constitution is significant.

Since “word” is also a part of the pastor’s description, our minds go immediately to preaching which is, of course, a significant part of a pastor’s call. For some deacons, preaching may also be a part of their ministry. However, I believe that Lutherans—perhaps more than any other Christian tradition—ought to easily understand musicians as among those who proclaim the word through song. Musicians proclaim God’s word regularly by leading congregational hymns and songs, directing the choir and instrumentalists, and often through teaching and perhaps, in some settings, an occasional sermon.

The “service” half of the phrase is usually further articulated as “service to the world.” Certainly, ministries of justice—like feeding the hungry and raising up the poor—are at the heart of a biblical understanding of diakonia, being a deacon. This focus on ministries in the world, beyond the walls of the church, are an important aspect of this newly emerging roster, just as it should be for all the baptized. Anyone serving in the church (including musicians, rostered or not) will, at their best, understand that their unique ministry has connections to service in the world.

This can, however, start to feel a little distant from our actual work. A document that supports this proposed change includes this statement:

it also includes service in local congregational and other gathered faith community settings through the proclamation of the Word in preaching, leading public prayer, teaching, and leading music as well as through leadership in such areas as education, administration, and youth ministry.

The connections between worship and service are clear in our Lutheran roots, especially through the German word for worship, Gottes- dienst (literally “service of God”), which connotes a multidirectional understanding of service from God to the worshippers, from the worshipers to God, and from the assembly of worshippers to the world.

The ALCM statement on the role of the cantor also affirms this broad understanding of the musician’s ministry: “The cantor’s work is a worthy service to God, God’s people, and the world.” I believe musicians can rightly understand their work as service to the church for the sake of the world.

The full article can be found on the ALCM web site.

Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Questions

Do we learn anything about another person if all they do is tell us how they compare to someone else?  Why are we so tempted to rank ourselves?  Why can’t we simply, honestly say where we fit in?

Suffering by Comparison

Regardless of the candidate you prefer for President of the United States, this has been a campaign season like nothing we have ever seen.  Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination without ever having been previously elected.  He emerged from a field of seventeen, many of whom had lots of previous political experience.  Hilary Clinton finally pulled away from Bernie Sanders.  Senator Sanders ran as a Democrat even though he was an Independent in previous election cycles.

This campaign has been notable for other reasons as well.  Many voters are frustrated that the Clinton and Trump spend more time comparing themselves to the other than telling us about themselves.  Polling experts are probably advising them to do so.  Saying how much “better” you are than the other candidate seems to result in more votes.

It seems to work, even though most of us say we don’t like it.  Is there something deep within us which moves us to compare one person to another?  Do we just naturally look around in order to know whether we measure up?  Do we need to denigrate others in order to affirm our own value and feel desirable?

Let us hope this isn’t the case.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think the Presidential candidates spend so much time comparing themselves to the other?
• Would we prefer to know who or what someone “isn’t,” more than we would like to know who they are?
• To whom are you inclined to compare yourself?

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Luke 18:9-14

(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

Who are you, a Pharisee or a tax collector?

In reading this parable, it is way too tempting to think of ourselves as the humble man who returns to his home “justified.”  And yet, if we are reading this blog or discussing the readings for Sunday we probably have more in common with the Pharisee.

Remember that the Pharisees were a group of folks who took seriously their walk with God.  They attended youth group, they went to summer camp, they took turns as acolyte and communion assistant.  They also responded well to the fall stewardship campaign.  When the Pharisee in this story speaks of his honorable actions he is not exaggerating.  Nor is he totally wrong in noting the transgressions of the tax collector.

Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were not merely employees of some Internal Revenue Service.  They oversaw no set tax rates or income brackets.  They schemed ways to collect the most that they could, taking their income from collecting more than the authorities expected.  The tax collector may have cause to think he had transgressed the 7^th commandment.  Luther’s Catechism reminds us that we break this commandment when we acquire our neighbor’s money or property using crooked deals.  We sin, according to this commandment, unless we help our neighbors improve and protect their property and income.

Neither the Pharisee nor the tax collector should be our role models.  Each is way too focused on himself.  When we enter the Temple, synagogue, or church our eyes are to be on God.  Instead of worrying about how we stand in comparison to those around us, we look to the one who justifies.  It is not our actions, nor our avoidance of particular behaviors, which makes us right in God’s eyes.  Rather, our salvation is found in the promise of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• Can you find reasons to admire the Pharisee in today’s reading? Discuss how our congregation might look were all the members to be like this man (regular in prayer, in giving, in studying scripture).
• Acknowledging our sins is essential to forgiveness being offered. Why do we find it easy to admit, even in the silence of our own hearts, the things we have done and failed to do?
• Is there a hierarchy of wrongful deeds; are there some sins which are worse than others?  Is the difference in how they affect others?

Activity Suggestions

• Using pencil and paper, make a list of the transgressions you committed in the past week. This is your list; no one will see it.  Now ask yourself: “Does knowing no one will see it allow you add other items to the list?”  A prayer guide asks God to help me with the sins I have labored so mightily to hide from others that I have hidden them from myself.
• Even before you think “Why,” write the name of someone in your community of faith whom you admire. Now, note the why.  What is it that they do, what is it they say, or how they live their life which has led you to think highly of them?
• The denomination sponsoring this blog (the ELCA) has a set liturgy for Individual Confession and Forgiveness [Evangelical Lutheran Worship, pages 243-44]. This is a powerful experience.  Discuss with your pastor the possibility of participating in such a service.
• Engage yourself in a political discussion. Ask those around you what they know about the Presidential candidates, and observe whether they use statements which seem to compare the candidates rather than say what they think of either as individuals.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, train our eyes to look to you rather than on the faults of our brothers and sisters.  Help us not to focus on what we have done but on what you have done on our behalf.  Amen.

Today’s post is from Tim Getz, Director of Music Ministry at Grace Lutheran Church in Palo Alto California.

Last week, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the publication of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and as the first of a series of Reformation 500-related events in our congregation, I led a “Hymnathon”: a sing-through of one stanza of every hymn in the book! We began (with the first actual hymn, #239) at 9 am on a Saturday, and proceeded through the hymnal in order. We took a 10-minute break every hour, and 40-minute breaks at mealtimes. Saturday evening ended, very serendipitously, at 9 pm with #753, Dona nobis pacem. We picked up where we left off on Sunday afternoon at 1 pm and finished the book at 3:45.

“Hymnathon”: a sing-through of one stanza of every hymn in the book!

About 60 people attended over the course of the event, usually about 8-10 people at a time. Some people stayed only 20-30 minutes, several stayed for several hours, and many others came and went repeatedly as their schedules allowed. I had braced myself for the possibility of being alone at times, and that never happened!

I provided coffee and bagels in the narthex at the beginning of the day, and invited my choir members to bring something to replenish the treat table whenever they happened to attend. There was never a shortage of break-time goodies!

The event wasn’t billed as a fundraiser, but the offering plates were out and I encouraged people to make games out of deciding what their offering would be. Some contributed whenever we sang a hymn beginning with the same letter as their name. Some looked for key words, such as “love” or “peace.” Some tried to guess what number we’d be on at the end of the hour. We ended up collecting about $1200 in offerings!

I encouraged people to make games out of deciding what their offering would be. Some contributed whenever we sang a hymn beginning with the same letter as their name. Some looked for key words, such as “love” or “peace.”

I did very little practicing for the event, although I quipped at one time during the weekend that I’ve been practicing for it for 25 years, since I consider leading assembly song to be the most important aspect of my ministry. I did make a list a week or so ahead of time of about 45 hymns that I had never played before, and looked through those a couple of times in advance. I did most of my playing from the organ, although I had an electric keyboard set up right behind me, and when a song came up that required piano instead of organ, I simply swiveled the opposite direction on the bench to play. I decided ahead of time to make very few verbal announcements, other than just the next number. So many hymns cry out for commentary, but I thought I could not afford the extra time in this context, and I also really wished not to play my hand as to which hymns I like or dislike. Several people commented that they wished we could have sung more stanzas: in some cases because doing one stanza only doesn’t make textual sense, in other cases because they loved the song and wanted to sing more, and in still other cases because they weren’t familiar with the song and wanted to practice. Again, time was the limiter!

People are still saying things a week later like “I felt like I was at a retreat,” and “It was so fun to discover all the different things that are in there.”

There was a lot of curiosity leading up to this event, and a lot of excited conversation during and afterward. People are still saying things a week later like “I felt like I was at a retreat,” and “It was so fun to discover all the different things that are in there.” I’m fortunate that my congregation is pretty adventurous about trying new things, and more than one person told me she enjoyed the sight-reading practice of the hymns she didn’t know!

I believe Evangelical Lutheran Worship  is a wonderful resource and a great gift to the whole Church. The variety and diverse content between its covers is a thrill to explore. It was an honor to engage it in this way and more fun than I ever imagined! I’d definitely consider doing such an event again. Having done it all myself as a personal challenge, I know it’s not an impossible task… although I’d be happy to share the job with another keyboardist or two next time. If you think this is something your congregation might like to try, I’d be happy to answer questions; email me anytime: tim@gracepa.org. I’ll look forward to hearing from you!

Today’s post is from Scott Weidler, ELCA Program Director for Worship and Music.

One of the things I’ve learned in these many years serving on the ELCA worship staff is that perspectives often vary between congregations and parts of the church. For example, a musical setting of the liturgy by Marty Haugen might be called “contemporary” in one congregation but be the most “traditional” music used in another. Worshipers speaking out loud the names of those for whom we pray is common in many communities but would be strange and unexpected in another. The lists can go on and on.

“When differing expectations turn to disagreement, it is a good thing to seize the opportunity to explore the diversity of music, art, and ritual practice within our own church.”

These examples, and a myriad of others, often reflect deeply held practices and traditions. It is a good thing that people have strong feelings and emotions about these things. This may mean that worship is central to their life as a Christian. Sometimes, when differing expectations turn to disagreement, it is a good thing to seize the opportunity to explore the diversity of music, art, and ritual practice within our own church, engage in healthy conversations and discover a creative curiosity of others and their ways to worship.

Recent arrivals at a church mailbox near you!

Can We Talk: Engaging Worship and Culture is a small booklet, a study guide of sorts, that has recently been mailed to all ELCA congregations as an encouragement to join this journey of discussion and experience about how worship and culture engage one another, and how we, God’s people, engage this sometimes challenging, but important, topic.

Drawing on the wisdom from the Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture from the Lutheran World Federation in the mid-1990s, Can We Talk provides contemporary commentary on the statement, along with suggestions on how to use this material in an engaging and helpful way in your congregation.

This is an exciting and timely topic. We hope that your congregation will dig in and join the conversation.

If you did not receive the paper copy in the mail, do not worry! Can We Talk is easily accessible at www.elca.org/worship. Click on the Can We Talk link to download the booklet. Even if you received the paper copy, you’ll want to get this electronic version so the many links to examples will be active.

Ellen Rothweiler, Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

What does persistence mean to you? Have you ever had to work very hard to do well at something? Have you ever given up when something was difficult? What made the difference between keeping at it and giving it up?

Faith and Persistence:  Winning Combination

Athletes work hard for many years to excel in their chosen sport. With practice and conditioning, working as a team and working on individual skills, they focus a lot of time and energy on this part of their life. Some have the benefit of natural talent and others must work very hard to compete with their peers. Persistence is often what leads to success for these athletes. Working hard day after day, never giving up, and believing that they can achieve their goals if they put in the time.

So what if the worst should happen? Injury? Illness? Not getting into that college? Was all that hard work for nothing? Where does that energy to strive for greatness go? In Ryan Brant’s case that spirit of persistence is what kept him going when the worst happened. Ryan was a top-ranked lacrosse goalie in college, but then suffered several serious injuries that eventually ended his lacrosse career. He was lost in pain and depression. “When I realized I couldn’t play anymore, it was a difficult time because I was dealing with a loss of self-identity,” Brant said.

Luckily Brant had the financial and emotional support of his family during this difficult time. However, he realized that many athletes in similar circumstances aren’t so lucky.  Universities are not required to pay for athlete’s medical bills. Brant took his spirit of persistence and poured it into a nonprofit foundation called Positive Strides. This foundation works with care providers to provide the support and care that athletes need for what comes next in life after injury. It’s a calling Brant likely wouldn’t have heard of if not for his injuries and his already having the skills to make something like this happen. “I didn’t give up because it’s not in my nature,” Brant said. “You have to dig deep down inside and find the sense of pride [and] identify who you want to be after athletics is taken from you.”

Discussion Questions

• Can you imagine what Brant and other athletes are feeling when they are no longer able to play? Have you ever experienced that feeling? Explain.
• What do you think of the way Brant turned his experience into a positive?
• Are there negative experiences in your life that could be made into a positive for others by sharing your story?

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 32:22-31

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Luke 18:1-8

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

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

Gospel Reflection

The widow in our gospel story today was persistent. While we are not told what justice she was seeking, she was relentless to the point that she wore the judge down and he granted her request out of annoyance! In verse 5 he says, “Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” The unjust judge was not doing this out of a sense of duty or honor, but because she was persistent. This parable ends with a question of faith. “…And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Did the widow persist in her pleas for justice because she had faith that one day her case would be heard? Did Ryan Brant believe he could help others because he had faith that his cause was just? Or did they have the character trait of diligence. Did both just keep going until justice was granted? Or is it a combination of both faith and persistence? Do people give up because of a lack of faith?

To increase your skill in any area it takes practice. Athletes practice and people of faith have spiritual practices such as prayer. For faith to increase we must be persistent in our spiritual practice, just as the widow in the parable was persistent in pleading her case. We must build our spiritual muscle and focus our hearts and minds on trusting that God is with us and is calling us to pursue justice in our own lives and the lives of others.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever gotten something you wanted by being persistent in asking for it?
• Have you heard the saying “practice makes perfect”? Do you think that is true? Does it apply to a life of faith?
• Have you ever thought about faith as something you had to practice? Why or why not?

Activity Suggestions

List some spiritual practices. Have students choose one that appeals to them and brainstorm ways that they can include that practice in their daily lives. Check back in with students in the weeks to come to see how they are doing with these practices.  (If your group needs help in coming up with spiritual practices, some are discussed in Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster.)

Closing Prayer

O Lord, we thank you for the gift of faith that gives us hope to keep going even when things are difficult. Give us the strength to be persistent in the things you have called us to. In your name we pray, Amen.

This October and November, join Susan Briehl, Matt James, Daniel Schwandt, Kevin Strickland and Scott Weidler in exploring the core foundations and new possibilities of the ELW family of resources. Strong Center, Open Door is two days of worship, workshops, music and conversation designed for everyone who plans worship in a Lutheran setting. Workshop topics range from “Worship as Faith Formation” to “Seasonal Worship Planning” and from “Navigating Sundays and Seasons” to “Singing the Word of God.”

Strong Center, Open Door is designed to give you experiences and tools to take home and share with your own worshipping community. Registration is open for two remaining locations: Minnesota (October 14-15, Rochester) and Pennsylvania (November 4-5, Lansdale). The cost is $40 per person including lunch both days. For full information and to register, go to the ELCA web site.

Come explore some of the many ways your congregation can engage Lutheran worship today!