Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Questions

• Is there a time when your world was turned upside down?
• What words do we associate with such upheavals in our lives?  (Devastated?  Abandoned? Forgotten?  Ignored?)
• Is there a time when you were wanting or hoping that the world would be turned upside down?
• How would you respond to this statement: “Those who are comfortable with the way things are don’t want change; while those who are considered the ‘underlings’ often demand radical change”?

Change is Coming

Our lives can be upended in an instant:

• A friend tells of waking to the warnings that a (seemingly distant) wildfire might reach his area.  In January 2022 Louisville, CO, was practically obliterated by those flames.  In just a few short hours, his family went from thinking, “Maybe we need to keep an eye on this,”  to fleeing so fast they forgot to close the backdoor.  The flames skipped over the house; but the interior was buried in the soot which seeped through the crack of that unlatched door.
• In the lands where Jesus lived, loved, healed, and taught, war is now leaving children without parents and parents without homes.
• In Sunday worship service we pray for the thirty-nine year old whose life is upended by a diagnosis of throat cancer.  We pray that radiation and chemotherapy will push back the disease.

Political ads offer very little in the way of plans and programs to deal with such disruption.  They excel only at warning us how horrible life will be if the other candidate prevails.  How our lives will be “upended” if we allow “them” to be in control.

In most instances, we turn to the Church and to our Messiah, hoping they will shield us from the changes which might upend our lives.  We turn to God as a protection against any reordering of our common refrain:  “Lord, deliver your servant.” But, what if Jesus is the one who is bringing the change?  What if  the path on which we presently tread is a one which needs to come to an end?  How do we interact with a God who insists that all things be made new?

When Martin Luther washed his face each morning he saw this as a reminder that in baptism we have promised to see each day as a new beginning and a new start.  Change didn’t happen once, 2000 years ago.  It wasn’t something that occurred on the day of our baptism and never again.  As we wash our face, we emerge with the awareness that on this day God is calling us to something different from our previous days.

As we begin the Advent season, we speak of how different the world will be when God’s Messiah is among us.  The songs and lessons of Advent are petitions to God to “make all things new.”  Isaiah 64:1 will be read in many church services this Sunday. “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence.”

What if God isn’t the one who protects or prevents upheavals?  What if God is the one who brings it — and possibly requires it?

Discussion Questions

• Does your neighborhood have those signs along the road calling on you to “Repent”?  What does the word “Repent” mean?
• Some hold to the notion of “once saved-always saved.”  Do you share that belief?  What exactly does that mean?
• How many biblical references can you find in which Jesus tells the disciples  to believe a particular thing.  How often does he. merely tell the disciples to “follow”?  In how many of those stories were the disciples fully aware where Jesus was leading them?
• Is your relationship with Jesus one which holds you firmly in place?  Does it also invite you to move in new directions?
• What is the difference between standing firm in faith and using religion as an excuse to avoid needed change in ourselves and society?

First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 64:1-9

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Mark 13:24-37

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Mark 13 is written in the apocalyptic  style.  You are probably familiar with this type of literature from the final book of our New Testament,  Revelation. Daniel is an Old Testament book written in the same style.  In fact, many of the images we find in Revelation are repeated images from Daniel.  Our reading from Mark 13 includes at least four references to Daniel (Dan. 7:13, 9:27,11:31, 12:11.)  Mark’s instruction, “let the reader understand,” (v. 14) is another such reference.

Contrary to what we are often encouraged to think, apocalyptic writings are not intended to frighten or threaten us.  Apocalyptic writings are affirmations that God the creator and redeemer is always with us.   The world may be turned upside down, but that turning is the very thing which allows us to experience the world God prefers.

Apocalyptic writings affirm the faith community’s confidence that no matter how crushed we might be, God has not abandoned us.  No matter how hopeless we might feel, God’s gift of salvation remains.

As the words of Mark’s 13th chapter were being written, the followers of Jesus were experiencing hardships beyond our imagination.  Their communities were being destroyed.  They faced hunger and oppression for continuing with their family’s religious rituals.  The world in which they found themselves was harsh.  Religious and political powers threatened anyone who didn’t go along with the status quo.  

The faithful followers of Jesus joyfully anticipated the day when Christ would be among them and would right the wrongs they suffered.  They looked forward to the world being turned upside down.  They lifted their voices to God to ask for upheaval and a reversal of the way things are.

Let’s make sure to note that while Mark 13 expresses these affirmations, the gospel writer warns against trying  to predict the day or time when Messiah will come.  There is always a temptation to see events as indicators that the change we seek is about to happen.  Verse 32 suggests that even Jesus (the Son) doesn’t know.  The righting of systemic wrongs must be left in God’s hands.  Mark reminds his readers that there is no better place to be than in God’s hands.

We cannot – by our actions or even by our prayers – dictate the hour of God’s arrival.  Nor can we determine the contours of the New Earth.  Our role is to be ready.  Our call is to “keep awake,”  to dream of an upended world in which the way of Jesus is known and experienced by all of God’s children.  We must not shut our eyes to the way of Christ and the assurances of God’s justice.  Keep awake!

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever heard the word, “apocalyptic”?  What more would you like to know about this word and this style of literature?
• Ask yourself whether you agree with the suggestion that God may be the one who calls for an upending of the way things are.
• It is very important to remember that the call for change among the early followers of Jesus was a comfort.  In what ways might God’s call for reversal be a comfort to you?
• Are you one who makes New Year’s resolutions?  On this, the First Sunday of the new Church Year, what “resolutions” might we make?
• Our Advent songs are more than a memory about something that God did once upon a time.  Our songs ask that God’s Promised One will come to us now, here.  Where in your life and world is there a need for Christ to be born?

Activity Suggestion

During Advent, many of our congregations make use of Marty Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer.  Experience the beauty of one of the songs in this liturgy,  “Annunciation and Magnificat.”  Lovely music, powerful affirmation of God’s favor.  But, do pay attention to the words.  Two options for you:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nABzv_TInaI has a printed copy of the words.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79GlnqXpp1Q is a congregation’s Advent service.  Discuss how Mary’s words might touch the upheavals those in your group are experiencing.

Closing Prayer

O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, enter our lives on this day and reshape us so as to reflect the people you know us to be.  Through the assurances of those who have gone before us, allow us to face the new day with the confidence that your will is being done.  With boldness let us embrace the change which will make your peace and your justice a reality for those the world would overlook.  All of this in your time, O Lord. Amen.

There is no Faith Lens posting this week

Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;
who, from our mother’s arms, has blest us on our way
with countless gifts of love and still is ours today.

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given
the Son and Spirit blest, who reign in highest heaven,
the one eternal God, who earth and heaven adore
for thus it was is now, and shall be evermore.
(Evangelical Lutheran Worship, 839)

Issue 90 of Administration Matters

Who would steal from us?

Misappropriation of church funds can engender a crisis of confidence in your congregation, so proper handling of donations is a critical responsibility. Keep a would-be thief out of the collection plate by developing the financial controls needed to prevent theft and embezzlement in your congregation. >More

Supporting our leaders with financial, emotional, physical and pumpkin spice benefits

Portico seeks to support its plan members’ whole-person health and well-being with benefit options for every season of life — including pumpkin spice season. This fall a dietician at one of Portico’s partner vendors, Burnalong, has provided recipes for three healthy alternatives to popular, crave-worthy but often high-sugar, high-calorie fall coffee drinks. Encourage your Portico members with ELCA-Primary health benefits to log in to Burnalong this fall and view the “Healthy Fall Coffee Drinks” video or participate in their choice of online fitness content to support their well-being.

Socially responsible banking supports our community of faith

Members of the ELCA Federal Credit Union enjoy many benefits, and membership is open to all ELCA staff, volunteers and congregational members. Spread the word by downloading and posting this flier.

Plan ahead for 2024 payroll withholdings

If you provide ELCA benefits through Portico and your employees changed their 2024 pretax retirement, supplemental life insurance or other voluntary benefit elections during Portico’s annual enrollment, you’ll need to adjust payroll withholdings for 2024. Starting with pay periods in January, the Payroll Withholding Summary on EmployerLink can help you determine how much to withhold from your employees’ paychecks.

Church Mutual offers armed intruder emergency service

Nothing is more important than the well-being of your staff, your volunteers and the people you serve. Protecting them from harm is your top priority, and the best way to do that is to plan for the unexpected. The new Pull for Police Armed Intruder Emergency Service, available at no cost exclusively to clients of Church Mutual Insurance, includes a device that, when activated, notifies local law enforcement of an armed intruder situation within seconds. >More

Questions to consider when writing a church job description

Employees go to work intending to do a good job, and knowing the specifics of their job helps them deliver. Ministries create systems to help manage employees, and the job description is part of that system. Employees must know what is expected of them and who to approach with questions or concerns. Job descriptions are essential tools that can guide employee performance and dictate daily activities. Churches have limited resources, so any salaried position must support the overall mission strategy. When writing a job description, answer the questions below to ensure that the job you’re creating truly supports the church’s mission. >More

Leslie Weber, Chesapeake, VA

Warm-up Question

What makes a thing valuable? What makes a person valuable?

Mattering

According to Dr. Gordon Flett, “mattering is a ‘core, universal human need,’ a necessary component for well-being.” Mattering is more than feeling like you belong or having good self-esteem, it is about feeling valued by others and believing that you add value to the lives of those around you.

Research shows all kinds of benefits for people who feel like they matter,  which lead to better relationships with themselves and with others. A “lack of mattering is associated with burnout, self-criticism, anxiety, depression, aggression, and increased risk of suicide.”

Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky says you can get a sense of how much you feel you matter by asking yourself just a few questions:

• Do you feel valued…
  • in your relationships?
  • at work (both paid and unpaid)?
  • in your community?
  • by yourself? (Do you matter to yourself, possessing a sense that you’re worthy regardless of what you accomplish or how you look?)
• Do you add value…
  • in your relationships?
  • at work (both paid and unpaid)?
  • in your community?
  • to yourself? (i.e. practice self-care)

There are steps you can take to increase your sense of mattering. You obviously can’t change your past or even some of your circumstances, but you might be able to change how they affect your current mental health and your relationships with others.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever heard of this concept/definition of “mattering” before?
• How much do you feel you matter? (use the list of questions above to help answer this question. Depending on your group you might do this individually or collectively.)
• What was the experience like to think about “mattering” in this way?

Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Matthew 25:14-30

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

Commonly referred to as “The Parable of Talents,” this passage is part of the section of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of Matthew that directly precedes the Passion Narrative (when Jesus is arrested, tried, murdered, and resurrected). It is sandwiched between the “Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids” and the “Separation of the Sheep and the Goats.” 

“The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids” begins, “the kingdom of heaven will be like this” (Matthew 25: 1, NRSV), but this parable starts off with Jesus saying “for it is as if” (Matthew 25:14, NRSV). So, is Jesus describing what the kingdom of heaven will be like (as in its predecessor) or is Jesus describing how the world currently functions, contrasting it to God’s reign? Either way, Jesus wants us to learn from this story.

I have commonly heard this passage used for Stewardship sermons. The word stewardship comes from the words “sty” (as in where pigs live) and “warden” (someone who oversees or cares for something). Today, we use “stewardship” to refer to how we use what has been entrusted to us by God (time, talent, treasure, voice, vote…everything).

With that lens in mind, the word “talent” in the story easily takes on a double meaning. We can hear it the way we tend to think about talents today—strengths, abilities, things you are good at. But in Jesus’s day, a “talent” was a large denomination of currency, worth about 15 years of wages of the average laborer. Think 15 years of working full time for minimum wage. Regardless of whether you are thinking about money, or all the other things that God has entrusted to you, the message seems to be same—don’t just hide them away…use them!

It is true that God entrusts gifts to us, each slightly differently, and calls us to use them to do God’s work in the world. But I hesitate to directly equate the man in the parable with God, because the loving God I know is not a “harsh man” (Matthew 25: 24, NRSV) who calls us “worthless” (Matthew 25:30, NRSV) and dispossesses us if we do not earn enough return on investment. In God’s eyes, our worth is not tied to our ability to achieve. We are each made in the image of God and that is what gives us our worth. It is inherent. It is eternal. There is nothing you can do to change it.

That is the law and gospel of this parable: God entrusts us with great gifts and hopes that we will use them to do things like feed the hungry, provide water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, cloth the naked, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned (see next week’s Gospel—Matthew 25:31-46), but even when we fail at that, our God given worth as beloved children of God remains.

Discussion Questions

• Which slave do you most identify with? The one with five talents, two talents, or one talent? Why?
• How do you use your talents to add value? Do you feel valued when you do?
• What difference is there between how society measures your value and how God does?
• How do you use the gifts that God has entrusted to you?

Activity Suggestions

• Do you feel like your youth group matters to your congregation as a whole?
  • If so, how do you know?
  • If not, brainstorm how you might use the steps in the article to increase your perceived value (identify your strengths/gifts, assess your place in the system, adjust your relationships, express grievances and practice self-compassion).
• Identify your strengths using this spiritual gifts inventory.
• Map your assets (either individually or communally).

Closing Prayer

Giving God, you made all things and called them good. You made us in your image and declared us very good. Forgive us for the times that we do not live up to that. Thank you for all the gifts you entrust to us.  Guide us in using them to care for creation and serve people, knowing that all are worthy in your eyes. Amen.

By Stephen Deal

With three traveling companions, we were nearing the end of a long drive from Santo Domingo (the capital of the Dominican Republic) to Dajabon on the Dominican border with Haiti. Our trip had been marked by delays: the morning rush-hour traffic as we left Santo Domingo, a major traffic tie-up at a toll booth where the electronic payment system was down, a herd of cows blocking the highway.

We thought the worst was behind us when we rounded a curve and came upon the scene of a recent truck accident. A large crane was just beginning to lift the container portion of a tractor-trailer out of a ravine. Both lanes of the 2-lane highway were blocked. We had no choice but to wait until the crane finished the job and the highway could be reopened.

Notwithstanding the midday heat and humidity, I decided to get out of our vehicle to stretch my legs. A small group of curious onlookers had already formed to watch as the crane went about its work.

Suddenly, an oddly-shaped white truck drove to the front of the line on our side of the accident site. At first, I only saw three men in the cab of the truck. My first thought was, “What makes them so special that they can go to the front of the line?”

When they got out, all three turned out to be Dominican immigration officials. In that moment, I realized that their vehicle was part of the fleet of vehicles used by Dominican immigration authorities to expel undocumented Haitians, or those suspected of being undocumented migrants, back into Haiti at border crossings such as Dajabon.

I decided to inspect the rear portion of their truck more closely. When I got to the back, I came face-to-face with the anguished, exhausted faces of men, women and children who had been packed into the truck’s cargo space. Inhumane doesn’t begin to describe the conditions in which they were being transported.

No one was seated, not even the children. They were packed in, shoulder to shoulder, so tightly that no one could move (or lose their balance). The only source of ventilation was the cage-like wiring across the rear of the vehicle. The people at the very back of that “mobile cage” could breathe, albeit with difficulty; those packed into the interior of the truck must have been suffering terribly from the heat and lack of oxygen.

Most of the motorists who had gotten out of their vehicles continued to pay more attention to the crane operation than the plight of the “human cargo” in the immigration vehicle, with one notable exception. There was a Dominican woman who was not going to stand idly by; she was determined to do something to alleviate their human suffering. I never got her name but I’m going to call her “Amparo”.

She began going vehicle-to-vehicle, knocking on car windows and asking motorists to donate whatever water they could. I went back to our vehicle and collected all the water bottles we had, full or not. The water bottles that the two of us collected weren’t enough for everyone in the cargo space of that truck but it was enough for those at the very back, including the children. Their parents thanked us.

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Mt 10:42 – NIV)

It was evident that these detainees were not only dehydrated, but also hungry. “Amparo” and I decided to go back to the motorists in that line of cars to ask for food donations. As quickly as it began, however, this human drama ended. The crane finished its work, the highway was cleared, and traffic began to move again.
The first vehicle that got through was the immigration vehicle. In a half hour, maybe less, that truck would reach the Dominican-Haitian border at Dajabon to unload its human cargo and then return to Santo Domingo for another trip.

As Regional Representative for AMMPARO, there have been many occasions when I have witnessed the inhumane treatment of migrants by immigration authorities – along the U.S. southern border, along Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, on the Colombian side of the Darien Gap.
Nevertheless, the image of this group of Haitians (and quite possibly the children of Haitian parents born in the Dominican Republic), crowded into the back of that truck, will remain with me for a long time. Thankfully, so will the spontaneous and compassionate response of the Dominican woman who was moved to action.

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources and events from other organizations and institutions. These Lutheran and ecumenical partner organizations work alongside the ELCA to support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church.

Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

ALCM nurtures and equips musicians to serve and lead the church’s song.

Ponder Anew: a continuing education conference for church musicians, pastors and worship leaders
July 22-25, 2024 at Valparaiso University

With an emphasis on practical skill-building, you will be able to attend workshops and in-depth learning sessions on a variety of topics. This conference will also celebrate the 300th anniversary of the St. John Passion by J.S. Bach, which will be sung by the Bach Collegium Valparaiso and led by Christopher M. Cock, artistic director and conductor.

Additional information about the conference, including pricing, scholarships, and accommodations, is available on the ALCM website.

Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival

Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.

Introducing two FREE compositions from Lutheran Summer Music 2023 by Anne Krentz Organ: Holy Manna, for solo instrument with keyboard accompaniment, and Be Thankful, for SATB chorus, descant, keyboard accompaniment, optional: assembly, handbells (full or condensed). You can download the free sheet music at LSMacademy.org/resources.

Institute of Liturgical Studies

An ecumenical conference on liturgical renewal for the church today.

In its 75^th year, the Institute will turn its attention to “Creation, Not Commodity: The Church’s Liturgy in a Consumer Culture” and will be held April 9-11, 2024 (note start date is one day later than usual).  Sign up for registration updates and other news from ILS.

Journey to Baptismal Living (JBL)

JBL announces the launch of its new website journeytobaptism.org on Nov. 15. Founded as the North American Association for the Catechumenate in 1993, JBL remains an organization committed to providing training and resources for those who guide formation in Christian discipleship with individuals both unbaptized and baptized. The redesigned website offers insights and strategies for facilitating discernment, worship, instruction, and reflection, as well as advice on how to form a team and mentor sponsors. Primarily, the new website is a place to connect: to arrange for practitioner training and for ongoing development through monthly blogs and frequent community chats.

Music that Makes Community

Music that Makes Community (MMC) practices communal song-sharing that inspires deep spiritual connection, brave shared leadership, and sparks the possibility of transformation in our world.

As church pastors and staff move towards gatherings of gratitude and the busy seasons of Advent and Christmas, Music that Makes Community pauses its in-person programming.  If you’re still looking for ideas, songs, and resources for the upcoming season, you can purchase the recording from this year’s Advent Worship Planning workshop from September here and review past posts for Advent I (Hope), II (Peace), III (Joy), and IV (Love) on our blog.

Our hearts continue to ache hearing the news in Palestine and Israel and how it is affecting our friends, family, and community.  Here’s a couple of MMC blog posts from past Board members Nancy McLaren and now-saint Scott Weidler about their past experiences with paperless music in the Holy Land.

In December, Music that Makes Community is offering two online gatherings.  Monday Morning Grounding meets every week through December 11 and is a touchstone that includes singing, silence, sacred text, and community connection.  On Thursday evening, December 21, MMC Board members Revs. Breen Sipes and Nancy Willbanks will be hosting a Winter Solstice SING.

Programming for 2024 is getting finalized now so keep watch on the calendar page of our website for workshops, practice groups, and community events in your area.

Augsburg Fortress Events and Resources

Augsburg Fortress is an imprint of 1517 Media, the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Sundays and Seasons: Preaching, Year B 2024

Sundays and Seasons: Preaching is an annual resource in the Sundays and Seasons family that considers the sermon in the context of the assembly gathered around word and sacrament on a particular day and within a particular season of the church year. Sundays and Seasons: Preaching provides new commentary and ideas for proclamation, contributed by practicing preachers as well as scholars, together with succinct notes on each day and its readings.

Call to Allyship

How can churches do the work of becoming allies for the leaders they call? In belonging to a predominantly white denomination, ELCA members are called to listen and learn from its leaders of color to recognize the assumptions, biases, and harmful actions that result when congregations don’t do the work to become allies. Authors offer wisdom, storytelling, and concrete suggestions for churches preparing to call a leader of color. Call to Allyship is a must-read for call committees, church councils, social justice teams, and anyone prepared to do the work of understanding, welcoming, and celebrating these leaders.

Ashes to Action

After the world witnessed the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a passionate uprising erupted, with the intersection of 38th and Chicago at its epicenter. One block away stood Calvary Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation whose members had engaged in racial justice work for years.

In Ashes to Action, Shari Seifert provides her riveting first-person account of the events following May 25, 2020. Shari joined others in the Calvary community to show up, listen, and ask what was needed in the moment. As the lines between her congregation and neighborhood blurred, the way toward a faithful response because clearer. This personal narrative stays rooted in the context of community, immersing readers in the days, weeks, and months following the uprising.

Unscheduled Grace: 40 Reflections and Prayers for College Students

A collection of devotions and prayers. This book can accompany students through the changes, challenges, and joys of college living, including homework, relationships, stress, vocation, and more. Through all its entries, the authors assure readers that no matter what they face, their lives are blessed by the unscheduled grace of God. Authors Matt Marohl and Katie Fick are campus pastors at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Remind Me Again Facilitator Guide

Rev. Jia Starr Brown has developed 41 lessons based on Joe Davis’s poems in Remind Me Again. Each lesson helps you have meaningful discussions about Joe’s poetry as well as helping guide you to form more meaningful connections with your own community.

Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

An interdisciplinary study and ministry center that promotes the scholarly study of the theology, history, and practice of Christian worship and the renewal of worship in worshiping communities across North America and beyond.

The Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants Program at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship is designed to foster, strengthen and sustain well-grounded worship in congregations Grants to worshiping communities stimulate thoughtful and energetic work that will result in worship services that exhibit renewed creativity, theological integrity, and relevance. Learn more about Worshiping Communities Grants. Future dates for submissions include Feb. 15 and June 15, 2024.

Grounded in hope for a world where all of creation may flourish, 24 passionate young adults from Hawaii to New York and many places in between (including 15 synods!) turned to one other and resourced themselves with ELCA social teaching, storytelling and action planning to (as phrased by one participant) “see how these brilliant minds continue to make this Earth a better place.” Following is a reflection presented during worship at the close of the ELCA Fall Climate Summit held in October 2023. In it Savannah Jorgensen – who brings gifts including training in meteorology and faith-based advocacy practice – found in Isaiah 43 room to explore lament, God’s presence, and a spark for hope and action.

New Thing in Climate Justice

By guest blogger Savannah Jorgensen, Legislative Coordinator,
Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California

NOT DIMINISHING LAMENT

The first overarching theme I hear when I read Isaiah 43 is one of lament.

Isaiah 43 takes place within the context of the Israelites exile and captivity in Egypt. In the extensive exile period, people were understandably losing their faith and their way, which is pointed out near the end of the chapter in verse 22: “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel!” After enduring such hardships and strife, I can’t say that I blame them for losing their faith in some ways. The past few years have definitely tested my own faith.

Despite being here and talking with you all about faith in action, I’m not ashamed to admit that it’s still a struggle sometimes to see God moving in the world, in my life. Maybe you have felt that way too.

There are indeed many injustices in the world today: racial, gender, and in our context at the summit, environmental. Reading Isaiah 43 for the first time, I thought that the writer was telling us that God was angry at the Israelites for not turning to their faith and to God. However, after reflecting on the chapter further, I think that God is instead lamenting what they are enduring, the sins of the world, and that the injustices they’re witnessing and experiencing have caused them to lose hope and faith. We are certainly in a period of lament at this moment in history. We lament ongoing environmental injustices, pollution, the degradation of natural and cultural spaces, extreme weather, habitat decline and the continued denial of these realities by world leaders and their inaction.

Lamentation, grief and anxiety are normal emotions to be feeling right now. Let’s not diminish our emotions and our lived experiences, but rather, let’s move to the second major theme in Isaiah 43. Lament, but remember…

PROMISE OF PRESENCE

That God is with us even now, even through this, even when we forget and cannot see God. Verses 1 and 5 ask us not to fear. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” and “Do not be fear, for I am with you”. These verses are reminding us of who we are as God’s children. We are loved, and God walks with us in times of distress. Verse 4 emphasizes this point when it opens, “Because you are precious in my sight and honored and I love you…”

In the context of Isaiah 43, the author is telling the Israelites that God loves them and hears their prayers. God will bring their people together, and exile will end for them eventually. In our context, these verses can act as a balm for our anxieties.

Once again, we can’t dismiss the realities of climate change and the real concerns we have surrounding it. However, we can lean on each other and remind ourselves of our faith that God is in our corner and working through us to strive for justice.

Isaiah 43 also points out not to dwell on the past. This goes back to the first theme of lament and takes us to the third theme of my reflection this morning. We lament, but remember our faith and hope, so that…

SPARKED BY FAITH

We ignite a new spark and look forward to what can be! “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?” (v. 19). Friends, I’ve got news for you; we are all part of that new thing! The climate movement is part of that new thing. Young adult and youth advocacy is part of that new thing.

Our faith at its core is one that longs for justice, which includes the stewardship of creation and mending of historical environmental injustices done to our neighbors. I think that’s what makes faith-based organizing and advocacy so exciting and so unique. We are driven deep down by that faith that things can get better, and that this is not how the world is supposed to be.

Through our faith we can speak and lead with love, compassion and hope. As verses 8 and 9 say in Isaiah 43, “Bring forth the people who are blind yet have eyes, who are deaf yet have ears! Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble.” I view these verses as the biblical version of a call to action. They’re basically saying to organize, and later in this passage, to be witnesses, which all connect to being a part of the new “thing” that God is doing.

Bring people together. It’s going to take all of us here, across the country, and across the globe working together to help adapt to and mitigate further climate change. I’m not saying it will be easy, but neither is Isaiah 43. We have the foundation, our faith and theology; we have each other; we have the tools; we have the lived experiences; we have hope.

DOING A NEW THING

That was a lot pieced together yet reflecting on Isaiah 43 is rich.

We should acknowledge the hurt and grief tied up in climate change and environmental injustices, but we can’t get caught in the quicksand of our lamentation. Remember our faith and the calling to strive for justice in all capacities. God is with us even in this. Remember and lean into it so that we can spark change and do the new thing that God is creating.

Take the conversations you’ve had at this summit with you, along with the tools and connections to make that movement a reality. Use your fear and anger and fuel it into collective action and advocacy for justice. Cling to hope.

PRAYER

Please pray with me:

God, our Creator,
Thank you for the gift of creation in all its forms, from the animals and plants to the oceans and our weather. It is indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.
Thank you for the charge you have given us to be stewards together of this beautiful planet and the life on it.
Help us to see and embrace that call to be stewards of Your creation.
Give us grace as we repent for our sins against our neighbors and our planet.
Send Your Holy Spirit among us and into our hearts as we look ahead with hope and determination to strive for justice as carers of creation and organizers of action.
In Your name we pray, Amen.

Josh Kestner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Questions

• What are some of the ways that you respond to difficult news stories? Do you pray? Do you research the context more deeply? Is it easier to try to ignore the news altogether?
• Where do you find hope in the world? How do you re-energize yourself when you’re exhausted? Who is someone in your life you turn to when you’re feeling weary?

Listening for Hope

There is no simple reaction or response to the terrifying stories that we’ve been watching regarding the war between Israel and Hamas. There are no easy answers to the questions we have about such a complex past and present situation. 

What is certain, though, is the pain and grief that accompany so much death and devastation. While it may be difficult to fully understand the who, what, when, where, how, and why of this war, it is necessary to condemn hatred and violence when we see it. We cry out with lament for those who have lost their lives, their livelihoods, their homes, their families, and their futures.

War is polarizing. Folks feel as though they must make instinctual choices to back one side or the other. We’re tempted to choose a “good guy” and a “bad guy”. But when it comes down to it, the evils of war are indiscriminate.

When we are faced with difficult news stories and discord in our societies, it is helpful to listen. Perhaps it is easier or quicker to demonize some and distance ourselves from what is going on. But listening to real stories from real people, who are directly impacted by war, creates empathy and enables us to respond in a meaningful way.  What has happened in their lives? How are they feeling? What are they afraid of? Do they have any hope?

Listening leads us to better understand the causes and consequences of conflict. And opening one’s ears before opening one’s mouth allows us to focus primarily on humanity of those involved and the ways that we can go about healing the wounds of war.

Discussion Questions

• What do you know about the history of the Holy Land? Where do you get most of your information and news? Do you have any personal connections to people who have been affected by the most recent war?
• What kinds of questions do you ask to better understand a difficult topic? 
• What does justice mean to you? What are some actions that you take to pursue justice?
• Evil is such an amorphous word and idea. What does evil mean to you? What does your faith teach you about dealing with evil?

Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Amos 5:18-24

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Matthew 25:1-13

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

The gospel for this week includes a parable. Jesus’ teachings often come in the form of a parable. Perhaps it was easier to explain things using stories and images like this. Folks often say that they resonate with sermons and other educational moments in church when they include relatable stories.

The story that Jesus tells in this passage conjures up some fears and anxieties. How would you feel if you missed out on a long-anticipated wedding banquet and were left on the outside? One of the most pertinent feelings the bridesmaids express in this story is exhaustion. 

Have you felt exhausted recently? Maybe from all of the things on your to-do list. Perhaps from all of the things you’ve been hearing and reading in the news. Maybe from a newly broken relationship or a disappointing experience at work or in class.

The messages we hear in our communities of faith are often sprinkled with hope and love. However, our daily experiences in the life of faith can make us feel hopeless and lonely. We, like the ten bridesmaids in this story, find ourselves overwhelmed by exhaustion. Our eyes get droopy as we search for glimpses and signs of God’s hope and love in our lives.

How can we stay ready, even with tired bodies, minds, and souls? 

This parable does not necessarily leave us with a happy ending. But it does get us thinking about how we cope with some of the realities we face. We might find ourselves frustrated by the lack of control we have over what happens around us – but we can find some solace in the fact that we believe in a God who hears our cries and works alongside us to bring love, joy, and peace into the world.

Discussion Questions

• What are the things that drain your energy the most right now? What fills you with energy?
• What kind of world do you hope for? What does it look like? What does it feel like? How might we make that world a reality?
• What do you do when faith is hard? What do you do when you feel like you have no hope?
• Do you ever get mad at God? Do you ever ask God, “Why?”

Activity Suggestions

Do you pray before you go to bed? Sleep and rest are reminders of our human vulnerability. We cannot do it all, and while we sleep we have to surrender at least a few hours of control in our lives. We have to trust that God continues to work, even while we are asleep.

Write a prayer to keep in your pillowcase. Find meaningful words to convey to God some of your fears and anxieties, things that are causing you stress, things that exhaust you. Write them down and ask God to give you peace while you sleep. 

On the other side you can write a prayer to read in the morning when you wake up. Find meaningful words to ask God to empower you and give you the courage to take on the tasks set before you that day. Write them down and read them when you get out of bed.

Closing Prayer

God of hope, we are tired. While we lean into the faith and love we have from you, we are exhausted by the realities that surround us. Heal our pain. End our neighbors’ suffering. Strengthen our bodies. Empower us by your Spirit. Move us to work with you to bring justice and peace to all of your creation. Amen.

This month we celebrate the third anniversary of All Creation Sings, the worship and song supplement to Evangelical Lutheran Worship. As you look ahead to the incarnation cycle of the church year (Advent, Christmas, Time after Epiphany), consider these resources to support your new or continued exploration of All Creation Sings.

Advent

Looking for a simple framework for your Advent midweek service? The basic outline of Service of Word and Prayer (ACS pp. 42-45) can be contextualized to fit your needs. This video gives help for using the service. If you are a Sundays and Seasons subscriber, visit the SSCOM library (Sundays and Seasons Resources/Seasonal Rites/Seasonal Rites for Advent) for Advent midweek services based on the ACS Service of Word and Prayer, including “Holy Darkness: A service of Word and Prayer for Advent” and “Pause, Prepare, Ponder: An Advent Midweek Series.”

Listen to “Filled with Hope and Gratitude,” a new setting of the Magnificat by Paul Damico-Carper.

Christmas

Teach a new Christmas hymn such as “Night Long Awaited/Noche Anunciada.” In addition to this blog post, there is a short description of this and every hymn/song in All Creation Sings through Sundays and Seasons. This Augsburg Fortress blog post describes the value of these brief descriptions.

Introduce your congregation to other new Christmas hymns through choral settings. “We Are Waiting” by John Helgen would be a great way to have the assembly learn this new hymn. Curious about what other ACS hymns and songs have anthem arrangements? This listing is a great help to church musicians.

Time after Epiphany

Incorporate “Lamenting Racism” into worship as the church recognizes Christ’s transforming presence for all peoples and nations (ACS p. 62-63).  This video gives context around the use of the rite.

Explore a new setting of the liturgy as you plan for the Sundays after Epiphany. A webinar from Augsburg Fortress is a good place to start learning about Settings 11 and 12. If you desire a briefer video snapshot of the liturgy settings, see these 5-minute videos. Audio recordings of Setting 11 and Setting 12 are also available to support your introduction process.

Several more teaching resources for many times and seasons are available at www.augsburgfortress.org/allcreationsings

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem (ELCA)

For many U.S. residents reading this blog post, our ability to think soundly about the Israel-Hamas conflict has been consistently interrupted by waves of conflicting images and emotions: stories of trauma and grief from Israelis impacted by the Hamas attacks on their homes, followed almost immediately by accounts from Gaza of deaths; both moments of horror followed quickly by a outrage and ambivalence gestated over decades by a binary debate over U.S. involvement in the conflict. We can certainly feel tired to act when we pile onto these emotions the ways social media and cable news saturate our lives with every world event.

When, on the edge of exhaustion, it can be difficult to consider a Christian response, but Bishop Eaton has laid down a challenge to Lutherans: “God has called us to be a people who stand with others amid suffering.” From the Hunger Education desk, this notion boils down to two key words: scarcity and abundance. Indeed, confronted with death around the world we often turn to comfort in distractions. This is scarcity, the limitation of our own opportunity to seek justice for the other. But to see and read about 2 million people imprisoned and besieged in a warzone, while we as Western Christians have the ability to turn away? This is indeed a sign that we have the resources to participate in full, abundant life with and for our neighbors.

Both concepts have found voice for me in John 4:1-26, a moment in our Christian story when political divisions over who belongs momentarily paralyze recognition of basic human needs for sustenance and care. Both the current political discourse in the U.S. and the historical conflict between ancient Jews and Samaritans, start from an understanding that the neighbor should be mistrusted. And a mistrustful stance toward others means accepting that they don’t deserve our resources, that our abundance is, in fact, scarcity. But here, in John’s Gospel and in Gaza, we find an opportunity to view the need of the other as precisely the moment to act in accordance with our abundant life.

Mistrust, Scarcity, and Abundance in John 4:1-26

John 4:1-26’s relation here is not incidental: while on a much smaller in scale to the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza, Jesus has a need for water—he had been traveling a long way and was thirsty (vv. 1-4). He asks a Samaritan woman approaching the well to draw water and she immediately draws the political battleline with a mistrustful interrogation: “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria”; and the narrator puts the difference in bold, with, “Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans” (v. 9). Jesus is in need here and this woman has what he needs. Political differences allow her to defer or even avoid sharing the resources of her home in a moment of scarcity. Helpfully, though, this narrative opens with Jesus exposing his own vulnerability and need, and the woman eventually showing hers, making space for a gift of life-giving water, water that will end all thirst (v. 10-15).

Without a moment of vulnerability and tension, one that allows for the painful past and power politics to be exposed, we can lose sight of the real issue: abundant water. To this end, Bishop Eaton’s challenge to Lutherans to hold “tension between two truths” highlights the actual need for those of us with the privilege of resources, voice, and time: “God has called us to be a people who stand with others amid suffering.” The Samaritan woman faces a choice, as someone in need is before her face, at her very well—her home—in need of merely a drink. She can reinforce the scarcity illusion or she can stand in solidarity with another created person who needs sustenance as much as she does.

Partisan back-and-forth, “both sides are to blame” narratives, and public vitriol benefit people in power, because these things require little material resources of us as citizens: we can protect our common good(s) while blaming the other. Complaint and blame demand little of us, as Christians, while advocacy and activism require use of our resources and focus. Retreating to traditional lines of difference and tired tropes can feel easy, like reciting a script, but doing so also prevents those with privilege from seeing and treating the needs of the marginalized, the thirsty, and the hungry.

In moments of tension and discomfort, as John’s Gospel shows, we find opportunities for justice where those truly in need are seen, where myths of scarcity are banished in favor of abundance.

Abundance, Imagination, and Faith

In times and places like Israel and Palestine at this moment, belonging and hope can feel scarce. Israeli families killed in the private and public comforts of their daily lives or meant to feel fear in the very places they find routine; Palestinians killed from miles away, already imprisoned in a patch of land, under occupation, and invisible to those of us who fund Israeli bombs leveling their neighborhoods. Like many of us, I have come to understand home as something more complicated than the walls of a building—it has something more to do with the relationships, memories, and meaning that form around a particular place.

As Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, president of Dar al-Kalima University of Arts and Culture in Bethlehem, reminds us, to call a place like Palestine home is fraught with mourning in this “battlefield for competing empires.”[1] That is, the bombs dropped on Gaza neighborhoods is both nothing new and the result of millennia of colonial ambitions in this area. Certainly, for those of us who live in relative peace and privilege, unconscious of the violence meted out by nation-states—even our own, funding decades of war in the Middle East—Rev. Dr. Raheb’s call might seem, at first, fatalistic and a call to give into scarcity.

Instead, Rev. Dr. Raheb calls back to the faithful imagination necessary to break out of the U.S.’s current stance of “managing conflict” in Israel and Palestine through Israeli military aid,[2] to the imagination called for by faith “to have life and have it abundantly.”[3] The current stance that prizes national security over the abundant life demanded by Palestinians under occupation is the same one that makes it acceptable to cut of 2 million Gazans from food, water, and energy—while killing thousands of people in Gaza. Scarcity means rocket attacks, terrorist killings, airstrikes, ground invasions, and imprisonment.

The Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives. Photo: Albin Hillert/Life on Earth

“Security” and its accompanying violence are parts of a scarcity value system, while belonging, memory, love, and care can exist only with abundant, imaginative, faithful life. There is always room for home. Ancestors “can worship on this mountain” and “in Jerusalem” (John 4:19). We can give water from a well and “water from a spring gushing up to eternal life” (4:14). When world leaders tell us, “Security first!” our Christian response must always start with life, and life abundantly.

And I hope you and your community can respond to the crisis emerging in Israel and Gaza with abundance—whatever that looks like. Here are some places to start:

The ELCA is curating opportunities to act with your abundance here. On this page, among other things, you can…

• Support Lutheran Disaster Response’ work on the ground with your financial gifts
• Join with other ELCA members and write to your representatives in Washington (head to this link), urging:
  • A cease-fire, de-escalation and restraint from all parties
  • That all parties to abide by the laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions, customary international law and international human rights law
  • Steps to secure immediate release of hostages and international protection for civilians.

Learning. We have numerous opportunities and a strong network of partners available to support your congregation’s reflection, discussion, and growth.

• Check out resources from the ELCA’s Peace not Walls network and begin the discussion about human rights and dignity in Palestine and Israel.
• Explore the work of our partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).
• Start a conversation with your congregation about adopting an abundance stance toward the economy and hunger with ELCA World Hunger’s “Hungering for Justice” study guide on Luther and the economy.
• Check out Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb’s book, Faith in the Face of Empire (the text I referenced above). It’s well-suited for congregational reading groups. Despite being written in 2014, reflecting on the Arab Spring, the book provides a prescient voice out of Palestine in this

Dr. Peter N. McLellan is the Program Director, Hunger Education with the ELCA’s Building Resilient Communities team.

[1] Mitri Raheb, Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible through Palestinian Eyes (New York: Orbis, 2014), 5.

[2] Raheb, Faith, 125. The 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly resolved that all military aid to Israel must be conditioned on the observance of human rights (CA16.05.15).

[3] Raheb, Faith, 129.