Danny Stone, Marion, IA

Warm-up Question

Share a story from a wedding you attended? Extra points for heart warming, amazing or face-palm worthy.​

Marriage

Wedding ceremonies and celebrations are a beautiful mix of private and public. At its simplest, a wedding requires an officiant (clergy, clerk, judge, justice of the peace, ship’s captain), the couple getting married, and witnesses. Couples have been married in hospital rooms, canoes and a replica Tardis (see Dr. Who). A wedding can be simple, stress free, affordable and private. The shenanigans multiply as the once private wedding becomes a public event – maybe even a public spectacle.

Entertainment Tonight and the tabloids blast the details of celebrity weddings in the same way ESPN broadcasts playoff scores. A small, private wedding in Hollywood is nearly impossible. Some were private ceremonies; others were lavish galas, besieged by buzzing helicopters. Heaven help the celebrity marriage that crashes and burns. Break-ups get more invasive coverage. There is always a headline about private details in the checkout line.

Better pray that you don’t end up with your wedding on America’s Funniest Home Videos. You might get lucky and have Maroon 5 use your wedding for a video shoot. You can watch My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, Bridezillas, Four Weddings, My Teenage Wedding . . . I am a survivor of a failed marriage that began with a wedding worthy of reality TV. My forever marriage is getting close to its 6^th anniversary and began with a wonderful wedding full of stories worthy of telling the grandkids and not being broadcast on cable. That’s how it should be.

I asked my extended community to submit real – and brief – stories from their weddings that did not make the tabloids. Enjoy the amusing wedding stories from non-celebrities.

Edith—When my cousin got married, her husband said “I do” every time the priest paused to breathe… At least five times.

Peggy—When choosing the date for your wedding the second time around, make sure you clear it with your future partner first…..it may just be the same date that she married Mr. Wrong!

Linny—My dad looked at me as we were about to go down the aisle and said, “If you don’t want to do this, we could always go take over a third world country instead…”

Lori—Try to encourage guests to NOT fill the bridal couple’s vehicle with sawdust until the horn honks interrupting the receiving line…. Thankfully it was my sister’s wedding and not ours.

Sarah—I started crying at our wedding the moment I saw my Dad waiting to walk me down and proceeded to cry throughout the ceremony. The first opportunity my groom had to say anything to me was during the lighting if the unity candle, when he whispered “suck it up. SUCK IT UP!”

Heather—When the grandfather of the groom was being escorted down the aisle, he says very loudly, “Where in the hell are we sitting? I am three sheets to the wind, so I don’t know.”

Timothy—A friend of mine was getting married. The bride chose the opening of deer hunting as the date for their wedding. The groom, an avid hunter, questioned that choice. The bride said, “But wouldn’t you give up deer hunting just this once so that we can get married?” He said, “Of course I would give it up this once. But are you going to want to spend every anniversary thereafter alone?” They got married January 1 instead.

Liz—My favorite thing about going to a wedding with Ruth is when they do the unity candle she whispers under her breathe….Don’t blow your individual ones out. Keep and shine together as well.

John—While still in college, with a couple of weeks to go before the end of the semester, the bride and groom got married. In attendance were a few of their professors. In the greeting line, one professor congratulated them both and said, “Will I be seeing you in class now that you’re married.”

Ruth—I was in my brother’s wedding, standing on the bride’s side (for this wedding). It was July in Rock Island, IL, and fricking HOT. My Dad and his BFF/brother’s Godfather were officiating the wedding. I was wearing something close to a spaghetti strap type dress, and I could feel the sweat running down my back in material that had never heard the word breathe. When sweat started rolling down my face, I took the occasion to blow on a sweat bead, which sailed upwards towards the Pastors right at the moment my Dad looked towards me….and I got THE LOOK.

Traci—We had to delay our rehearsal because someone had just knocked off the bank down the street and fled on foot. Police were searching the church. Good times!

La Vonne—My husband to be and I planned a small wedding. I shopped for my dress and found a cocktail dress that was nice but it had a tie that was supposed to make a knot over the front bodice of the dress. On my wedding day, I wore my dress backswards, intentionally deciding that it looked much better with the bow in the back and a square neckline in the front.

As I was dressing for the day, I realized that I had forgotten SHOES! My friend canvassed the dormitory and found one girl that had a pair of white pumps, size 10 that I could borrow. Having a size 8 myself and having not worn heels much, I struggled and almost came right out of the shoes as I knelt down during the service….

Suzy—We did communion at my wedding, but at the rehearsal dinner we hadn’t actually talked about what you say when you are doling out the bread and wine … I drew a total blank and panicked…luckily my dad was one of the first to come up for communion so I secretly asked him what to say when people dipped the wafer…I found out later that the man I married, however, was gleefully telling the guests in his line, “One dip only!”

Kathy—The Lutheran chaplain at KI Sawyer AFB who married us told us we’d be lucky to last three weeks. I guess we took it as a challenge since we celebrated our 50^th anniversary last year. Wish he were still alive so we could tell him!

Amy—We got married in rural WI and the tuxes were delivered via UPS…all except my husband’s tie! The groomsmen had ties of another color, but the groom and the ring bearer had the same color (silver). We called the company and they sent a tie express – 4 hours. It was time to take photos! So what did we do? The groom wore the 3-year-old ring bearer’s elastic, slip on tie! It was super long for a 3-year-old and short for the groom – but he buttoned his coat and no one was the wiser. His tie DID arrive in time for the ceremony!

Wilma—This bride and groom were married on a very cold June Day. It was so cold they had to wear topcoats! It was during the war years when there was rationing of many items including tires, gas, & food. The honeymoon was a single night at the Cedar Rapids Roosevelt Hotel. When we got there and unpacked, I realized I had forgotten my comb. I asked my new husband if he had remembered his……well he was a bald as a cue ball! As he unpacked his clothes, we saw that his pajama bottoms were sewed shut with big red buttons. Oh well, we got home to our little rented house and found that we had no lights in the bedroom and our bed had been short-sheeted by some practical jokers. But one of our best gifts was a 2-quart jar of sugar!

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think American media is so obsessed with weddings?
• List the phrases and euphemisms common and uncommon for “getting married.”
• What would make a great wedding? ceremony, reception, music.
• How have weddings and marriage changed since the time of your parents? grandparents?

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 62:1-5

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

John 2:1-11

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

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

Gospel Reflection

We forget that the Wedding at Cana is not just about Jesus’ first miracle. It is a story about hospitality. Running out of wine was a serious disaster!

The rules of hospitality in the ancient Middle East were a serious matter. Hosts were obligated to give travelers a place to stay, food, water and have a servant wash the guest’s feet.

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it”. – Hebrews 13:2

The traveler was required to accept all that the host offered – refusal was an insult. Host and guest would share a meal as a token of friendship. Hosts would even offer their daughters to an angry mob to protect the guests; remember the story of Lot and the angels.

Ancient wedding customs added more layers to the hospitality rules. Marriages were arranged, and had a long betrothal. A friend of the groom would chaperone the bride during the betrothal. The ceremony was held at the groom’s family home and would LAST SEVEN DAYS. Yes, seven days. Guests were given new clothes to wear, entertained, fed and given wine. Running out of wine was a serious infraction of custom and ritual. Running out of wine was a blemish on the groom’s family and was a horrible omen for the new couple.

Jesus’ miracle saved a family from embarrassment. They could again be hospitable.

Discussion Questions

• Is hospitality a dying custom? How have we changed?
• How would weddings look if families invited the poor? What if the couple tithed a portion of their wedding budget and gifts?
• What could we do (individually and as a church) to be more hospitable?

Activity Suggestions

• Invite elder members of your congregation to share the story of their courtship, wedding and life together.
• Have a recent bride or someone well along in the planning process share their bridal planning book.
• Fire up the smart phones and large sheets of paper – make a wedding budget.

Closing Prayer

Dear blessed parent, please help us to be more hospitable in our celebrations and daily lives. Help us to give generously and accept comfort and assistance. In your name we pray. Amen

ACTUALIZACION: El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en ingles) ha continuado a priorizar a niños(as) y familias para deportarlos(as) desde enero. Ayer, El Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos anuncio que planean fortalecer los esfuerzos para detener y deportar a niños(as) y familias vulnerables en mayo y junio. Aunque más información no ha sido publicada, como iglesia, continuamos solidarizándonos con iglesias y organizaciones a las cuales acompañamos para proteger a niños(as), familias y todas las comunidades vulnerables en Centroamérica.

Escrito por Alaide Vilchis Ibarra, Subdirectora de Incidencia Política

Este mes, el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en Ingles) comenzó operaciones para buscar y deportar a familias Centroamericanas que llegaron a EE.UU. después del 1º de Enero del 2014. Sabemos que por lo menos 121 individuos fueron detenidos en la primera semana y se han reportado instancias en las que niños(as) han sido sacados(as) de sus casas a medianoche.

Como iglesia basada en el mandato bíblico de respetar la dignidad humana de todas las creaturas de Dios, estamos fuertemente en contra de priorizar a niños vulnerables y sus madres para su deportación. Estas tácticas no honran nuestro llamado como comunidad de fe a amarnos el uno al otro ni respeta la dignidad de nuestro prójimo.

Además, nos unimos a Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) declarando nuestra preocupación por asegurar el acceso verdadero a la justicia para estas familias en EE.UU. quienes tienen que navegar un sistema legal complejo, muchas veces sin el apoyo necesario. Este Diciembre, nuestra propia Obispa Presidenta, la Reverenda Elizabeth Eaton, fue testigo de la incertidumbre y el estrés que niños y familias enfrentan en la corte de inmigración en Chicago.

La ELCA vive la llamada de Dios de mandarnos al mundo acompañando a niños, niñas y familias deslazados(as) en EE.UU. y en Centroamérica a través de nuestras relaciones de compañerismo con iglesias y compañeros en fe. A través de estas relaciones, recibimos una perspectiva crítica sobre las realidades que enfrentan niños y familias que son forzadas a salir de sus comunidades por la violencia (como trazamos en nuestro reporte, Nuestras Comunidades en Crisis).

Hoy, la violencia en los países a los cuales estos niños, niñas y familias serán deportados continua siendo intolerablemente alta. El Salvador está enfrentando tasas de homicidios que no ha visto desde su guerra civil en los 80s. La Iglesia Luterana Salvadoreña ha reportado que ha visto hasta 30 familias siendo desplazadas de sus comunidades en solo unos días. Honduras continua teniendo una de las tasas de homicidios más altas en el mundo, y en Guatemala, las Naciones Unidas reporta que dos mujeres son asesinadas cada día.

Como iglesia con compañeros en fe que trabajan con niños, niñas y familias deportados en El Salvador y Honduras, sabemos que deportarlos no sirve para prevenir que salgan de sus comunidades.

En una declaración por la Comisión de Acción Social Menonita (CASM),una organización compañera de la ELCA trabajando en un centro de repatriación de niños y familias en Honduras, explica que “durante este proceso de recepción [de niños(as) y familias], hemos visto las dificultades que [la deportación] ha significado para estas personas y sus familias, teniendo que regresar a la misma realidad de pobreza extrema, falta de oportunidades, violencia e inseguridad ciudadana que ha sido causa para emigrar fuera del País.”

A través de nuestras relaciones en Centroamérica y porque somos una iglesia con raíces migrantes, seguiremos apoyando a nuestros compañeros en la región y en EE.UU. a través de testimonio, acompañamiento, rezo e incidencia política.

“Debemos abogar con nuestros gobiernos y autoridades para el trato humano [de migrantes], y para [que se realice] una investigación real en los casos que necesitan las personas ser aceptados como asilados, no por políticos, si no,  para la seguridad y protección de sus vidas.” Dijo el Obispo Medardo Gomez de la Iglesia Luterana Salvadoreña en una llamada a reconocer los derechos y vulnerabilidades de aquellos que salen de Centroamérica hoy.

Nuestro socio, Church World Service, sugiere que usen los recursos siguientes para responder a el tratamiento de familias Centroamericanas:

Conozca Sus Derechos

Si tiene vínculos con congregaciones encabezadas por migrantes, es muy importante que las comunidades migrantes entiendan sus derechos. La información más importante es NO LE HABRAN LA PUERTA a agentes de Inmigración y Protección de Fronteras (ICE) o a cualquier otra gente que no tenga una orden firmada por un juez.

AFSC- Know Your Rights- Conozca Sus Derechos

United We DREAM Know Your Rights/Conozca Sus Derechos

Guía para compartir su historia de violaciones a sus derechos, redadas y deportaciones (En Ingles)

Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC2NgdEgD94

Reporte cuando una redada está pasando:

HOTLINE: 1-844-363-1423

MENSAJES DE TEXTO A: 877877

Hable a la Casa Blanca

La línea de comentarios de la Casa Blanca: 1-888-907-2053

“Soy de Ciudad, Estado, Congregación/Comunidad y como persona de fe, le pido al Presidente Obama a que PARE inmediatamente planes de deportar a niños, niñas y familias Centroamericanas. Estas personas están huyendo de la violencia y deben tener acceso a asistencia legal para que puedan solicitar asilo en Estados Unidos.”

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Question

• Have you made any New Year’s resolutions for 2016?  If so, what are they?
• If not, then are there any things you hope will be different in your life this coming year?
• What hopes do you have for the world in general?

Important Questions

Okay, I’ll admit it, this is yet another piece about “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”…sort of. Currently the film is just 12 days into its box office run, and already it has grossed over $1.2 BILLION worldwide.  As one who has seen the movie twice myself, I certainly understand the appeal.  It’s a great story; I find myself both drawn in and left wanting to know more.  For instance, I am intrigued – who is this new character named Rey, really?  Where does she come from?  Where is she heading?  As the storyline plays itself out in the inevitable sequels, where will the drama take us and what part will she have to play? Will my current speculations turn out to be true, or is there a twist awaiting?

At their heart, these are more than just questions about the plot.  They are identity questions and questions about meaning.  And even though most of us live our lives on a much less epic scale, they are the same questions we all confront in one form or another.  Who am I?  Where do I come from and where am I going? What difference does my life make?  The answers we give help to shape and form us in many ways.  Yet there is a sense in which the options we have these days to answer such questions are more fluid than ever.  For a recent look at how these questions of identity been very much a part of the landscape of our news this past year, checkout a recent program from “On Point with Tom Ashbrook.”  You can find a link to the program here: https://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/12/23/culture-race-identity-politics-year-in-review

Discussion Questions

• How do/would you answer the question, “Who are you and why?”
• What impact do you think some of the following have on how we understand our identity: race, gender/orientation, friends/social groups, extracurricular activities/sports, careers/professions?
• Do the “labels” we wear or the ones others put on us truly define who we are?  Why/why not?

Baptism of Our Lord

Isaiah 43:1-7

Acts 8:14-17

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

(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

Identity Questions

A fiery young preacher appears in the wilderness region, and, with echoes of Israel’s own entrance into the Promised Land, he calls people to make a new start by being immersed in the Jordan River. His message is stark yet stirring, while the baptism he offers speaks in symbols both powerful and prophetic.  Like rumors of a map to Luke Skywalker, John’s appearance awakens the hopes and expectations of many people.  Could he be the long-awaited Messiah?

Who exactly is John, son of Zechariah (a.k.a. John the Baptist), really?  And who is Jesus, son of Mary?  These are the essential identity questions that swirl around our gospel lesson this week.  Part of this passage we have just recently heard.  Our readings from the middle weeks of Advent focus specifically on John and his call to repentance.  Furthermore, for those who have been following the story since Chapter 1, Luke has made clear that John’s roles are those of preparer and messenger (Lk. 1:16-17, 76-80).  Now, the people who are actually in the story hear from John himself what we already know: John is not the Messiah.  “I baptize you with water;” he tells them, “but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  Who is this coming one?  His name is Jesus.

The Baptism of Jesus

According to Luke’s chronology in 3:1-2, Jesus appears at the Jordan to be baptized by John as a man in his early 30’s.  Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke does not have the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus just as he is coming up from the water.  In fact, Luke doesn’t describe Jesus’ baptism at all.  He only says that Jesus had been one among many who had been baptized by John.  Perhaps this is due in part to a certain sensitivity about having Jesus partaking in John’s “baptism of repentance.”  Or perhaps Luke simply chooses to focus on two themes that will play important roles in all that is to come: prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit.

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.”

Throughout Luke’s gospel account, Jesus is shown to be a person of prayer.  What’s more, his life of prayer serves as an example and model for all who would follow him. We see this especially in Luke’s second volume, the book of Acts.   Likewise, the Holy Spirit is a very important character in the Christian story and the hallmark of the life of the church as Luke understands it.  Both of these themes will surface again and again in the year ahead as we hear the story of Jesus primarily from Luke, but for now the focus is solely upon Jesus.

Identity & Vocation

While Luke’s phrase that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus “in bodily form” asserts the certainty of the experience, it is the voice from heaven that affirms Jesus’ true identity: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  What we have heard thus far only through the voices of angels (Lk. 1:31-32; 2:10-11) is now confirmed by God.  And with this confirmation of Jesus’ identity there is also a foreshadowing of his vocation – how he will live this identity out.  The beginning part, “You are my Son, the Beloved,” comes from Psalm 2:7.  This psalm is a royal psalm that was used at the coronation of Israel’s kings.  The second part comes from Isaiah 42:1, one of several prophecies in Isaiah that speak of God’s redemptive activity through a servant who suffers on behalf of the people.  Thus, even at his baptism, Jesus – God’s Son and Messiah – comes under the shadow of the cross.

Discussion Questions

• God says of Jesus, “You are my Son, the beloved….”  What does this say to you about who Jesus is?  What difference does that make?
• When we are baptized, God names us as “beloved” and claims us as God’s very own.  What does this say about our true identity, who we really are?  What difference does this make?
• Look over the promises that are made during the Affirmation of Baptism. How can/does following Jesus shape your own life?

Activity Suggestions

• Jesus & Prayer – using a Bible concordance, or a Bible app on your tablet or phone, search for the verses in Luke and Acts which mention pray, praying, or prayer.  Split the results up among your group, and have them read and report back:
  • At what moments is Jesus shown to be in prayer?
  • At what moments are his followers shown to be in prayer?
  • What does Jesus demonstrate /teach about praying or prayer?
  • What do you discover in these verses about the place of prayer in the life of a Christian?
• The Holy Spirit – similar to activity above, search for verses in Luke and Acts which mention the Holy Spirit or Spirit.
  • What role does the Holy Spirit play in Luke?  That is, at what moments is the Holy Spirit active, and what does this Spirit do?
  • What role does the Holy Spirit play in Acts?
  • What sorts of things does the Spirit do in the lives of people in Acts?
  • Do you expect the Holy Spirit to be active in your own life?  Why or why not?  What assurances does Luke give us that the Spirit is present in our lives?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us.  As God’s voice affirmed and confirmed your true identity, send your Spirit upon us that we know that we, too, are among God’s beloved people. Guide us in our living that we may boldly follow where you bid us go. This we pray in your holy name.  Amen.

Dave Dodson, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Warm-up Question

Is there anyone in your life whom you would consider a hero?  What is it that makes them heroic?

The Force With You

As I sit writing this lesson, I know that tonight the new Star Wars movie will be released at midnight.  Perhaps many of you will have seen this movie already by the time this lesson reaches you.  I hope it was magnificent!  I hope that it captured all of the heroic glory of the originals, drawing us ever into an epic tale of adventure among the stars.

Commentators on the original Star Wars movies commonly note that the story is actually a very old one.  In many, many ancient tales, a young hero from humble origins is whisked away on a journey to reach a destiny he could never have dreamed of before.  He is mentored by an old, but powerful figure, who teaches him how to maximize his potential in order to defeat a potent enemy.  Many of our films capitalize on this archetype – after all, doesn’t this same storyline fit adventurous heroes like Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen?

If it isn’t the basic storyline that has made Star Wars unique and beloved for four decades, then what is it?  Perhaps it is some of the mystique that comes with the Star Wars universe.  For me, the coolest part of the Star Wars story has to be the Force.

If you aren’t a committed geek like me, you may not know that the Force, in the Star Wars films, is a powerful, pervasive entity that is present in all life.  For those who know how to tap into it, it enables them to not only achieve great power, but also to be much more aware of their surroundings – and even able to feel and communicate instantly across wide distances of space.

It isn’t just magic, though.  The Force can be used for good or evil.  It is a mystical energy that even the Jedi, its strongest users, struggle to fully understand.  The Jedi are heroes not only because of their power through the Force, but even more so because of their wisdom and their commitment to use the immense power of the Force with restraint and a commitment to peace.

Discussion Questions

• What did the heroes you spoke about in the Warm Up Question have in common?  Do the heroes of our favorite films share the same traits?
• To what degree are we capable of the same greatness that our favorite heroes show?

Second Sunday of Christmas

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

John 1:[1-9]10-18

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

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

Gospel Reflection

This passage is a tremendous one to follow our study of the miraculous and inspiring setting of Jesus’ birth.  You see, the story of Jesus’ birth reminds us of the humble way that God chose to be born among humanity.  Jesus is born to the family of a carpenter.  At the time of His birth, there is no room at the inn, and so He is born among the animals in the stable.  The first dignitaries invited to the court of this newborn King are but humble shepherds, watching over their flocks by night.  (The magi would have arrived later.)

These themes are crucially important to our understanding of the Christmas story.  Our Christmas plays and pageants always focus on them, and many pastors are careful to ensure that their congregations hear the magnificent story of Jesus’ arrival through the lens of His humble birth.  It is an amazingly powerful story, and it reminds us of the tremendous love that our Savior has for us!

There is a problem, though: Sometimes, we are so busy telling each other about the humility of Jesus’ birth that we forget about the majesty of who Jesus really is.  This passage from John’s Gospel reminds us just who it is that came to live among us mere humans.

“He was in the world, and the world came into being through him…”

Though God the Son came to live among us, it was not the beginning of his existence.  The Son is part of the omnipotent Trinity that created our world, crafted our existence, and guided the people of Israel throughout the thousands of years preceding the Gospels.

“From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.”

It is God that enables grace, power, and beauty to be present in our lives.  It is God who is created us.  It is God whose infinite nature means that He holds the entire universe in His hands.  And it is God who deigned to be born in a manger.

As we celebrate the humility of Jesus’ birth, let us take a moment and try to imagine the awesome love that God must have to have put aside His majesty to dwell among us.

Discussion Questions

• The Hebrew people were known for calling God many names — Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai, and so on — to represent the many things God is to us.  We use many names for God as well.  God is the Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6).  What name might you add to this list of epithets for God?
• This text highlights the Trinitarian nature of God — God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all together.  How do you understand the Trinity?  How does one God have three personas? (*Note: While this question is germane to the text, it is a difficult one for teenagers.  Additional documents, such as “A Lutheran – Orthodox Common Statement on Faith in the Holy Trinity”, may help you prepare for this question.)

Activity Suggestions

Prepare for the coming of Jesus in the Gospels as if it were the release of a film.  One group of youth can design a movie-style poster.  Another group can write and record a trailer.  How will you capture the essence of this story for the release?

Closing Prayer

Holy God, in your infinite love, you came down from heaven and lived a life of peace and service to your humble creation.  Thank you for always continuing to be present and powerful in our lives.  Grant that we would always be inspired by your words and works among us.  In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Elyssa J. Salinas

 
One wheel with many spokes is how the Community Empowerment Project in Burundi acts – one project that supports many communities or “collines” as community members make their hope for the future a reality in the present. With support from ELCA World Hunger through its implementing partner, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), each colline focuses on a set of key issues related to the well-being of community members.  As the people take part in the activities, they develop the skills they will need to ensure long-term sustainability for themselves, their families and their neighbors.  These collines are “growing and growing” says Adela from the Musha colline the elected leader of the Musha colline’s self-help group. Her participation has helped her develop her own skills as she helps her fellow colline members. “As leader of the group, I have become more self-confident.” As a result of the program, Adela has seen an increase in food security and productivity. People in her town are now able to have meals three times a day instead of one, and they have extra funds for medical expenses and school.

Regina, a grandmother left homeless after the recent civil war in Burundi, is also a witness to the benefits of the project in Musha. With support from LWF, she received help she needed to build a new home and reclaim the swamp for agriculture. “I am able to get enough money to pay the school fees. I grow produce in the swamp – rice, bean and sweet potato,” she says.

Amina is from the Cendajura Commune and was a refugee during the later years of the civil war. In 2000, she left for Tanzania, traveling without food or water with her child until she got to a refugee camp. During the mobilization to return to Burundi, Amina moved from camp to camp, fearful of returning to a war-torn area. Amina is part of the Muslim community, but she thankful for the interreligious aid she is receiving in the form of a new house, “I am a Muslim, but I feel very well that it is Christians who help me.” She is slowly but surely gaining hope for her future as she is in conversation with LWF about a house for her family.

War, homelessness, and food production are not the only issues Burundians face, as community members in Mwiruzi well know. In this region, contaminated water has created a crisis.  As Oscar, a worker at the project site says, “For us, when there is a water shortage, we don’t have life. So we are fighting for life .” As with the activities at other collines, this project is community-initiated, and LWF is providing materials to aid in the building of wells and improved water systems.

Emile Nihende is a LWF facilitator, and is responsible for a colline where there are activities assisted by LWF. He spends only one weekend a month with his family and lives alongside the community he is helping. “I am here because I had the chance to be educated. Because I have been supported, now I want to share the fruits of this education with the community.” This perspective is key to the Community Empowerment Project’s sustainability.  As neighbors build their own skills and meet their needs together, the entire community can look toward long-term sustainable change together.

(A version of this post previously appeared on the Huffington Post Impact blog – http://goo.gl/L3MtiH.)

New reports suggest climate change could push more than 100 million people into poverty in just the next 15 years.  “Climate change hits the poorest the hardest,” says World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, “and our challenge now is to protect tens of millions of people from falling into extreme poverty because of a changing climate.”

The impact is a “two-way street.” Climate change makes it harder for farmers to grow crops, on the one hand, and some farming practices, on the other hand, damage soil, pollute water supplies, and create harmful emissions. But change is happening in small farming communities around the world, especially in communities of faith.  Here are three ways poor communities around the globe are adapting to climate change with the support of ELCA World Hunger.

Cleaner Cooking

Ramoni Rani and her husband, Nor Uttam Hawlader, live in the village of Rajakhali in Bangladesh with their two sons. Like many Bangladeshi farmers, Ramoni and Nor use wood-burning stoves to cook food in their homes. The cost for fuel is steep, and the continued need for it threatens the country’s already-depleted forests. Ramoni, Nor and their children suffered from respiratory illnesses and eye problems because of the carbon emissions and smoke in their homes. In fact, a 2009 profile of Bangladesh from the World Health Organization found that indoor air pollution contributes to nearly 50,000 deaths every year.

“Bondhu chula,” a more efficient cookstove, was developed to combat some of these problems.  But many Bangladeshis have been reluctant to use them, mostly because they don’t know how.  Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh has stepped in by working with over 250 women to help them get familiar with the cookstoves and the positive impact they can have.  For Bangladeshis like Ramoni and Nor, efficient cooking in the home means better health and more money for themselves and a path away from deforestation for their rural community.

In this picture, a man holds biomass pellets similar to those that will be used in the project in Padhar.

Cleaner cooking also makes good economic sense for families in Padhar, India.  To address some of the problems older cookstoves create, Padhar Hospital is helping households get access to smokeless stoves that use biomass pellets. The program will not only train the people to use the stoves but will also help them turn their biomass into profit by providing it to a processing plant.  Since no such plant currently exists in Padhar, one will be built.  Thus the program will provide cleaner stoves, help residents earn income, and create jobs for people in Padhar, all while protecting the environment.

“Green-er” Coffee

Farmers in the Rachuonyo District of Homa Bay County in western Kenya know the daily realities of climate change.  They see it in the shortened periods of rainfall, prolonged dry seasons, and increased flooding that washes away valuable crops and seeds.

Most of the farmers in this region focus their attention and limited investment on subsistence farming, trying to grow enough food to feed their families but often not producing crops that they can use for income.  This leaves them with little savings to weather the kind of volatility that comes with climate change.  One bad season can mean a year of hunger for a smallholder farmer.

One group is working to change that.  Members of the smallholder famers’ collective group, APOKO, partnered with Lutheran World Relief (LWR) in 2014 to launch the Kinda Coffee project.  Farmers in the project learn how to maintain the nutrient levels in soil, prevent erosion and increase water retention at model demonstration plots.  This will not only help them increase their resilience to the droughts and flooding but will also help them protect the environment while earning a sustainable income.  Support for this project from ELCA World Hunger will continue into 2016 and will improve the quality of life for hundreds of households.

Smarter Farming

Thanks to the collective efforts of the last decade, over 90 percent of the world now has access to clean water.  Unfortunately, climate change threatens to undermine much of that progress. Longer, more intense droughts for farmers affect everything from what kinds of crops or animals they can raise to the yield they get from their fields.  When families are already teetering on the edge of poverty, these are serious risks.

But communities in Nicaragua and Bangladesh aren’t just waiting around for something to change.  They are adapting to the changes already sweeping their regions and doing what they can to steward their resources sustainably.

In Bangladesh, air pollution and deforestation aren’t the only problems.  The country faces huge disparities in access to safe water, and more work is needed to provide irrigation to the agriculture industry that employs nearly half of the labor force.  RDRS, a locally-run associate program of the Lutheran World Federation, is helping train farmers in Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), a technique that can reduce by up to 30% the amount of water needed to grow rice.  As a result, they are able to preserve groundwater and reduce risk of contaminating their crops with unsafe water.  And some studies indicate that AWD can actually increase the yields from rice fields, so the process is a win-win.

With an abundance of water on the ground and under the ground, Nicaragua seems like a place where there is enough to go around.  But a 2014 drought – the worst in the country in 40 years – reduced crop yields by more than 70%.  In the area of Somotillo, most of the wells ran dry, and the people worry about another drought down the road.  “In this place,” Pastor Gerzan Alvarez of the Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope (ILFE) in Nicaragua says, “we’re only able to survive.”

With support from LWF and ELCA World Hunger, ILFE is taking steps to manage the crisis.  Since the drought, the community has improved wells in the area, led trainings in proper water usage and management, set up irrigation systems, and planted yard gardens.  Pastor Emperatriz Velasques of ILFE says now, “Each day we’re learning about nature’s behavior, and we need to keep on working and teaching so we can grow our crops with the little water we have and keep home gardens with water from our wells.  This way, we can provide food for the households.”

Policy changes that reduce emissions and change the way we relate to the environment are necessary, long-range solutions to a changing climate, and the recent agreements about climate change and hunger give some hope.  But there is also a lot we can learn from those on the margins, in local communities throughout the world.  In Bangladesh, India, Kenya, and Nicaragua, families are doing what they can to protect their environment and make themselves less vulnerable to the changes that are still to come.

Ryan P. Cumming, Ph.D., is program director of Hunger Education with ELCA World Hunger.  He can be reached at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ELCAworldhunger

John Hougen, Elkins Park, PA

Warm-up Question

In one minute, how many examples can you list of underdogs beating the odds in sports or politics or entertainment? In the next minute, list unlikely heroes and contributors to the common good: people you know or have heard about who were thought to be ordinary, but then did something extraordinary, showing great generosity, talent, compassion, or courage. End by naming people you know who have “hidden talents,” people who have the ability to do something extraordinary, but are not yet recognized.

God’s Odd Choices

Today, the forces of evil (e.g. illness and death, cruelty, war, violence, hatred, and fear) seem to have the upper hand in our world, in our country, and in too many neighborhoods and homes. Those who contribute to the common good and give us hope that good will prevail, often emerge from obscurity, beat the odds with courage and tenacity, and surprise the world with their success. They are God’s odd choices.

Personally, I waver between pessimism and optimism that good will ever overcome evil. Keeping up with current events pushes me toward pessimism. The media is saturated with news of epidemics, poverty, hatred, and violence. Plus, everyone I know knows several others who are hurting emotionally or physically or are afflicted with life-shattering mental illness or addiction: problems that afflict the wealthy and the poor, strong families and broken families, children, youth, and adults.

My work pushes me in the other direction: toward optimism. I am blessed to be in contact with people and organizations that I firmly believe are God’s allies, inspired by the Holy Spirit (who, in my world-view, inspires Christians and non-Christians alike) to address the root causes of violence, overcome hatred with respect, and relieve suffering with acts of compassion. Knowing them makes me optimistic that the world will not spiral down into irretrievable chaos.

If pessimism is on one end of the spectrum and optimism is on the other, I am near the middle. I’m not wildly optimistic because the power of evil seems so great; but I locate myself slightly off center, toward the optimistic side, because I see so many people of good will helping others, doing their best to make flawed institutions better, and creating a better life for themselves.

Discussion Questions

• Do you agree that God’s spirit “inspires Christians and non-Christians alike”?
• Do you believe people from diverse races, cultures, religions, and socio-economic circumstances share the values necessary to work together for a common good?
• What are the chances good will win out over evil? What personal experiences have contributed to your optimism or pessimism?

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:2-5a

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-45 [46-55]

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Today we are considering God’s choice of Mary to be the mother of Jesus, and whether you and I might also be chosen to be God’s allies, to partner with God in saving the world. Mary was “perplexed” when the angel announced to her she was God’s choice to bear his child. She couldn’t understand how this could happen or how someone as young and insignificant as she was could do anything really important.

Luke reports that a few days after Mary “was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18), she went with haste to visit her relative, Elizabeth. The Lutheran Study Bible suggests that she went “with haste” because she was (probably) thirteen years old and (certainly) afraid she would be severely punished, even stoned to death, for becoming pregnant before she was married. She had to get out of town, and fast!

After Elizabeth greets her, Mary responds with the “Magnificat” (Latin for “magnifies”): “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

This is an extraordinary song because it was sung

• 2,000+ years ago;
• in the boonies (a “town in the hill country”)
• “of Judea” (a tiny territory at the far eastern edge of the Roman Empire)
• by one of the oppressed citizens in that occupied territory;
• who was a pregnant thirteen year old,
• running away from home.
  

In her song, Mary proclaims that, though she has no worldly status, (see bullet points above), God has “looked with favor” on her and “done great things” for her. She feels privileged and sings these words in spite of the fact that God’s odd choice of her to be the mother of the Messiah has brought shame to her family, alienated her fiancé (Matthew 1:18-19), and put her life in danger. We also know the rest of the story: God’s “favor” will cause Mary tremendous sorrow and suffering some thirty years later. Her beloved child will become a wanted man, a tortured man, a man dying a cruel death in front of her eyes. Life would have been easier for Mary and for many others called by God, if God had just left them alone. We learn from Mary’s experience that God’s favor does not shield us from suffering and pain.

Mary ends her song in Luke 1 verse 55 by stating her conviction that all God’s saving actions, including asking her to be the mother of the Messiah, are meant to fulfill “the promise God made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (God’s promises to Abraham are found in Genesis 12:1-2, and 28:13-15).

Mary thinks she will be remembered in the company of Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Miriam, David, Bathsheba, and Jeremiah. She believes that, just as God enabled each of them to rise above their situations in life to do something extraordinary, so she will be enabled to take on the challenges God sets before her.

Mary understood that if she did her part, did what God called her to do, God would find a way to make her contribution fit with the contributions of others, all working together to bring God’s mercy and justice to the world. Somehow, God would enable her to have a part in bringing down the haughty and the proud: those who have riches and power but lack humility and compassion. God would enable her to have a part in lifting up the suffering and oppressed. Somehow she would be involved in blessing the lowly both spiritually and materially, bringing them hope, freedom, healing, prosperity, and peace.

Discussion Questions

• Are you one of God’s odd choices? If not, what makes you less qualified than Mary was? If so, do you believe, as Mary did, that if you do your part, God will enable you to make an important contribution to God’s work in the world?
• What opportunities is God giving you (right now) to participate in bringing down the haughty and / or lifting up the suffering and oppressed?
• More than 40 years ago, Frederick Buechner wrote about “vocation”: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” (Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, p. 95) Ten years from now, what can you imagine you could be doing that would place you where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet?

Activity Suggestions

• Read the other texts assigned for this day (Micah 5:2–5a; Psalm 80:1–7; and Hebrews 10:5–10). Working in pairs, note which verses in these three texts make a point similar to a teaching in today’s Gospel reading (Luke 1: 39-55). Then, pair the pairs so you are now in a group of four, and compare your notes. Explain why you think these texts teach similar lessons (or why not).
• Write your own “magnificat,” (individually or as a group). Compose a song, poem, or prayer of praise and thanksgiving for God’s role in your own life. Include examples of how you have experienced “God’s favor” in spite of your “lowliness.” Include examples of the “great things God has done for you” or that you know God has done for others, recently and in the past.

Closing Prayer

A prayer attributed to Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Looking for Lenten activities for the home and the church? This is just one sample from 40 Days of Giving, a devotional flip calendar that features leaders in the ELCA reflecting on what it means to be Church in a hungry world. Accompanying this devotional is a six-week study guide that your congregation can use to dig deeper during this season of reflection, repentance and hope. Sign up at www.ELCA.org/40days. You can download the weekly sessions and other resources at http://www.ELCA.org/Resources/Campaign-for-the-ELCA.