Youth and adults from across the ELCA joined together in Houston this summer to celebrate Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and to state boldly, “This Changes Everything!”

At the ELCA Youth Gathering this year, we had the chance to be part of that change in the lives of smallholder farmers through ELCA World Hunger’s Global Farm Challenge. Together, our church raised more than $1.1 million to provide animals, seeds, tools, training and more to our farming neighbors around the world. Thank you!

ELCA World Hunger’s Global Farm Challenge Field Experience track gave youth and adults the chance to walk through one season with smallholder farmers and to learn about the challenges – and opportunities – they face.

Now, you can share this experience with your congregation.

The guide has everything you need to lead your own track. It has instructions for each of the stations on the track, tips from ELCA World Hunger staff and printable copies of the signs you’ll need to host your own “Field Experience.” The guide is available for download for free at ELCA.org/hunger/resources.

Farming communities face a lot of challenges, but farmers also have a lot of opportunities. Together, we can learn from our farming neighbors and be part of what God is doing to end hunger for good.

Want to stay in touch with ELCA World Hunger? Sign up here and receive news, information and the latest resources from ELCA World Hunger.

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever attended or participated in a wedding?  Which elements of the wedding were the most memorable?

Taking Marriage Seriously

Have you ever heard someone say, “50% of all marriages end in divorce?”  While that statement is frequently made in discussions about marriage and relationships, the research today on marriage suggests that this widely accepted statement isn’t true.  According to University of Maryland sociology professor Philip Cohen, divorce rates have dropped by 8% from 2008 to 2016 driven primarily by a declining divorce rate among millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996).

“The change among young people is particularly striking,” Susan Brown, a sociology professor at Bowling Green State University, said of Cohen’s results. “The characteristics of young married couples today signal a sustained decline [in divorce rates] in the coming years.”

In fact, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control, between 2006–2010, the probability of a first marriage lasting at least 10 years was 68% for women and 70% for men. While broken relationships and divorce are still a painful part of life in the world, statistics suggest that for those choosing to get married in 2018, the chance of divorce is far lower than it was 40 years ago.

Discussion Questions

• Statistics and data can be interpreted in a variety of ways. How often to you factcheck statements you see online like “50% of all marriages end in divorce”?  What sources of information do trust?
• Are you surprised to hear that divorce rates are declining among millennials? Why or why not?

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

(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

After hearing Jesus teaching in Mark 10:2-16, it’s safe to say that Jesus isn’t afraid to address controversial topics.  Instead of giving a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to the question of the legality of divorce, Jesus uses the question to offer a much broader teaching which addresses the brokenness and sin in the world and reminds us of God’s desire for people to live in healthy relationship with one another.

Whenever the word ‘divorce’ enters into a conversation, particularly a religious conversation, some people are instantly transported to a place of personal pain or strong emotions.  Some people will no doubt hear Jesus’ words as a condemnation of their actions while others will hear his words as support for their personal beliefs.  Jesus’ conversation with the disciples and Pharisees, however, is less focused on answering the Pharisees’ question and more focused on lifting up God’s desire for God’s people to live in a healthy, lasting relationship with one another.

Look carefully at how Jesus responds to the question posed by the Pharisees.  They ask, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  Instead of answering ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ Jesus acknowledges the tradition and current practice and then expands the conversation to a discussion of a healthy relationships.  Divorce, the official ending of a relationship, Jesus acknowledged, was permitted by Moses, because of the hardness of the human heart.  In a perfect world, once two people are joined together in marriage, nothing would be able to separate them, but sadly, we know that some relationships are irreparably harmed by the choices individuals make.  Because of the sinfulness and brokenness that exists in our imperfect world, divorce happens. It happened in Jesus’ time and it happens today, but divorce it is not the desired outcome of a relationship.

God’s desire is that God’s people will live in healthy relationship with one another.  God’s desire is that when two people choose to marry then nothing will be able to divide them.  God’s desire is that God’s people would know the joy of having healthy, loving relationships in their lives.  By not simply answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the Pharisees’ question about divorce, Jesus invites us to recognize the complexity of human relationships and to consider not simply what is legal, but how we can participate in the whole, healthy life that God desires for all God’s people.

Discussion Questions

• Share the characteristics or practices you feel contribute to a good marriage or healthy relationship.
• Divorce is a painful and difficult experience for many people. How could you share God’s love and support with someone whose parents are divorcing?
• Where do you go to find answers to the difficult questions you face in life? How might scripture or faith help you find answers to those questions?

Activity Suggestions

Interview a couple that has been married for 40 years or more.  Ask them to teach you the characteristics of a good marriage/relationship.

Identify and share with your group memes or emojis that might be shared in a healthy, loving relationship.

Closing Prayer

Abundant God, your love for us is unbreakable.  Give strength and support to those dealing with the pain of divorce and help us all to build whole, healthy relationships in our lives.  May your love for us be reflected in the way we treat others.  Amen.

The Word

Isaiah 55: 1-5

Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
⁴ See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
⁵ See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

A Place for You

I have to constantly remind myself, “There is a place for you within the Church.” A few years back I was entering a suburban Lutheran church for worship. I had never attended that church before.  I didn’t know anyone, and I did little to no research. I only knew that close to where I was staying there was a Lutheran Church and service started at 9 am. As I made my trek in this seemly normal Sunday I was confronted with why I have the reminder: “There is a place for me.” As I arrived at the threshold a congregant informed me that this wasn’t the Baptist Church, and the Baptist Church was not located far away. I assume my dark melanin skin warranted this halt and questioning of my place within their space.  I kindly informed the person I was aware that this was a Lutheran Church and I was indeed there for service. I took the bulletin and sat down repeating the mantra I learned to grasp close in times of adversity, “There is a place for you.”

While our experiences vary, feelings of inadequacy, uncertainty, trepidation, and unwelcomeness hit us all at points when we cross the threshold or sit in the pew. I am here to tell you, “There is a place for you within the folds of the Church.”  The Church is not a set of independent buildings, but an assembly of ALL Gods People. The Church is a place for the people on the margins peering in.  The Church is a place for the people whose identities don’t necessarily coincide with what is “normal”.  The Church is a home for everyone with a fire and desire to walk through the doors.

A Place for All

The 55^th chapter of Isaiah boldly invites everyone who is thirsty, hungry, and poor not only into the Church but to the waters of abundant life. This inclusive invitation is given to seemly normal people who come from all walks of life, whose hunger is deeper than the pits of their stomach, whose thirst cannot be quenched with mere water, and whose lack of riches is not monetary but spiritual. This invitation is extended to people regardless their color, sexual orientation, gender, socio-economic status and political preference. The chapter is the covenant made between Christ and us.  It is a display of God’s unyielding grace and compassion.

Jesus’s arms are outstretched for all who are weary, discouraged, broken, thirsty or in need of something more. There is a place for you even when we don’t think there is. The Church is made on the pillars of sinners, saints, believers, skeptics, and everyone in between. “There is a place for you,” because Christ is the place. Christ invites a shell of a person with their stuff, their baggage, and their brokenness. We are then called to carry our stuff to God and unload because then we are forgiven. Regardless of where we are in life, who we are, what we do, and how we act there is a place for you. You are perfectly imperfect and you are a child of God.

An Open Invitation

So, the next time you are confronted with difficulty, uneasiness, and doubt I want you to know that you do not stand alone. Behind you stands the Assembly of the Church, a kaleidoscope of hues and shapes that are the People of God. I want you to know that the doubt will pass with the waves of life and calm will prevail. I want you to know that nestled in the book of Isaiah there is an open invitation to come to worship God as you are. I want you to know that “There is a place for you.” Just as I found my place in that pew unapologetically so many years ago, I hope you find yours.

Discussion Questions

1. What time have you felt that you did not belong? How did you handle it? Did you leave the situation?
2. Where is God amidst this trial and tribulation?
3. Where do you see your place within the Church?
4. How can you tell others they are needed in the Church?

Blog author Ralen Robinson is a Seminary student at United Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia seeking a call to be an ordained minister. She is currently interning at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion and offering chaplaincy at major hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Ralen believes faith and a good pair of heels can take you a long way.

Jocelyn Breeland, Sunnyvale, CA

Warm-up Question

What is your congregation or community doing to help the poor?

Priority of the Poor

In 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) launched the Poor People’s Campaign, a multiracial effort to address the causes of poverty in America and achieve economic justice. Dr. King was in Memphis, Tennessee to support the sanitation workers strike – a major element of the campaign – when he was assassinated in April of that year.

The campaign continued after his death, advocating an Economic Bill of Rights, eventually erecting Resurrection City, a shantytown where thousands of people lived on the National Mall in Washington, DC while demanding economic justice. Resurrection City lasted six weeks. The campaign did not achieve adoption of the Economic Bill of Rights, but did result in some lesser victories such as additional funds for free and reduced school lunch programs and Head Start.

Fifty years later, Rev. William J. Barber and Rev. Liz Theoharis have launched a new nationwide effort called The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. (You can learn more by visiting their website here.) The new campaign’s website calls out the “distorted moral narrative” that perpetuates systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and militarism.

Earlier this year, the campaign held rallies and organized groups of supporters in communities across the country, believing that many of the solutions can be achieved locally. More recently, the campaign has added a focus on voter registration. The founders are committed to non-violent action to finally achieve Dr. King’s vision. Like the original, this new campaign is a multi-faith, multi-racial effort.

Discussion Questions

• King, Barber and Theoharis are all ministers. Do you believe it is appropriate for religious leaders to engage in local and national politics?
• What does your faith suggest can or should be done to end poverty and economic injustice?
• Our nation’s leaders have historically been overwhelmingly Christian. According to the Pew Research Center, more members of the current Congress consider themselves Christian (91%) than do American’s as a whole (71% of US adults). Serving the poor is such an important part of Jesus’ ministry, why do you think it is so difficult for Christians to make more progress on alleviating poverty?
• Can Christians disagree about how to solve the problems of the poor and still remain faithful?

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

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

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

Gospel Reflection

The disciples were surely special people. They were chosen with care to provide important support to Jesus’ ministry, and were essential to spreading the gospel after his ascension. Today’s scripture suggests that, at times, they are a little too impressed by just how special they are. In verses 33-37, the disciples confess they’ve been discussing who among them is the greatest.

Jesus calls the disciples to focus on what’s really important – doing the Lord’s work. And he reminds them that others, even some unlikely individuals, have a part in God’s plan. Casting out demons in Jesus’ name will be rewarded, even if you’re not a follower.

He also warns that even followers can commit errors that cause them and others – like children – to go astray. But it’s not just children who can stumble, and Jesus goes on to encourage the disciples to be ruthless in rooting out anything in their own lives that might distract them from fulfilling God’s purpose.

The language is harsh, but it’s balanced by a message of comfort. Because it’s clear that a necessary part of doing the Lord’s work is caring for his people (v. 41), it is a particular joy to be part of a Christian community where we are blessed to offer and receive support and comfort in Jesus’ name.

Discussion Questions

• What are some modern equivalents of those who cast out demons in Jesus’ name, but are not followers?
• If even those who do not follow Jesus will receive their reward, what is the value of belonging to the community of followers? Are we special?
• Hand. Foot. Eye. Why do you think Jesus chose these particular body parts?
• What does Jesus’ caution mean to you? What are some of the ways a hand, foot, eye – or something else – might cause you to fall?

Activity Suggestions

Today’s Gospel is a warning about the ways our bodies, and other parts of our lives, can distract us from God’s plan and lead us astray. Now, though, focus on ways these same things can be part of serving our divine purpose:

• List a hand, foot and eye in your life and, for each, list a way you can use it to act on your faith in the next week.
• Share this list with the group.
• Next week, begin your time together by sharing the results of putting these plans into action.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you every day for this community of faith. Help us always to share your love with each other, and as important, with those outside our community. Deliver us from evil, Lord, and make us ever diligent so that our hands, feet and eyes do not lead us astray, but are instruments we use to serve you. We delight to do you will; in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Applying for citizenship or the right to extend your stay as an immigrant in the United States has never been the easiest process, but it’s about to get much harder for many families. This week, the United States Department of Homeland Security proposed a change in the way visas and green cards are handled. The proposed change would alter the definition of what constitutes a “public charge” and may have significant effects on our immigrant neighbors in the US.

What is a “public charge”?

Under current policies, immigrants seeking to come to or stay in the US and non-citizen residents must demonstrate that they are able to sustain themselves financially. The “public charge” rule is designed to exclude immigrants who are likely to become “public charges,” that is, who may have to rely on public assistance to support themselves and their families. Participation in certain programs is understood to be evidence that someone is likely to become (or already is) a “public charge.” Under the current policy, these programs include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, which provides a modest cash benefit to people in poverty), government-funded long-term institutional care, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI, which primarily goes to people with disabilities.)

What is the proposed change?

Under the proposed change in “public charge,” participation in many other programs will be included as negative marks against applications for admission into the US and for the extension or change in visas. If enacted, immigrants who have used the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly food stamps), non-emergency Medicaid, and housing assistance (including Section 8) in the 36 months prior to application can be deemed a likely “public charge” and have their application denied. (This will be in effect after the rule is implemented. People who have used these programs prior to the rule change will not be affected.)

What will be the effects?

The consequences of the rule change could be vast. What is likely to happen is that immigrants who need the support of programs like SNAP, Medicaid, or Section 8 will not use them out of fear that it will hurt their chances at extending their visas or renewing their green card.

What is important to remember is the wide swath of residents this applies to. It’s sometimes easy for US citizens to forget the broad diversity of immigration statuses, including student visas, employment visas, and families with citizen children and non-citizen parents. Individuals and families in any of these groups potentially could be impacted by the change.

Who uses SNAP?

SNAP is one of the most reliable federal safety net programs for helping people facing food insecurity get through tough economic situations. About 11.7 percent of people in the US rely on SNAP, according to the US Census Bureau. Contrary to rhetoric that suggests people receiving public assistance don’t work, about 79 percent of households receiving SNAP in 2017 had at least one person working in the year they received benefits. By contrast, of the households which did not receive SNAP in 2017, about 86.1 percent had at least one worker. The difference is far from huge. Often, households rely on SNAP to supplemental insufficient income or to pay for food when there is no work, such as during seasonal down-times.

In terms of citizenship status, in 2017, 11.2 percent of native-born US citizens relied on SNAP, while 17.1 percent of foreign-born non-citizens received SNAP. It’s important to remember that undocumented immigrants are not eligible for SNAP benefits, and most documented non-citizens working in the US pay taxes that fund SNAP.

Learn More

As people of faith, we are called to remember our own migration (Deuteronomy 10:19) and to treat other immigrants with the same concern we would show citizens: “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:34). This proposed rule change will directly harm our neighbors as they work to build new lives in the US.

Join ELCA Advocacy and ELCA World Hunger for a webinar on Wednesday, September 26, at 3 PM ET/2 PM CT to:

• Understand Public Charge and the repercussions of the proposed rule change for immigrants;
• Hear why Lutherans are engaged on the issue; and
• Learn how you/your ministry/congregation can submit public comments.

Register for the webinar here.

Today’s post is by Philip A. Gardner, Pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Sandusky, Ohio. 

It was to have been “the war to end all wars,” but that was a dream that didn’t last long.

World War I began in Europe in 1914.  Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson campaigned under the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” But that was short-lived. The United States entered the conflict in 1917, at a cost of over 100,000 lives before an agreement was reached on November 11, 1918, to end hostilities. Total war deaths are estimated at between 15 and 19 million.

Be it happenstance or serendipity, the 100^th anniversary of Armistice Day, November 11, 2018, falls on a Sunday. It seems a perfect opportunity for a commemoration of those who served on all sides in one of the most brutal conflicts in human history.  It also offers an opportunity to raise up the hope of peace even as other wars continue, notably those in Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan.

Our congregation worships at 8:00 and 10:30 am each Sunday, and I am planning a regular service at 8:00 using the appointed texts for the day (Lectionary 32). But, given the tradition of tolling bells at “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month,” we will offer a two-part worship opportunity at 10:30, with the bell toll in between.

The later service will open with a time of remembrance. Interwoven with Scripture and song will be snippets of the history of the war. Canadian Anthony Hutchcroft has written and performed a marvelous setting for the poem “In Flanders Fields,” having produced a video available on YouTube with dancing choreographed and directed by his wife Lee Kwidzinski. We’ll show the video as part of the war commemoration. Our congregation has also contacted our local American Legion Auxiliary to secure small paper poppies for all who attend.  While in the United States poppies have been more associated with Memorial Day in May, our British and Canadian friends have employed them on and around November 11, which, for them, is called “Remembrance Day.”

Our carillon will offer the sound of a tolling bell for a minute at 11:00 am (done at local time,) joining in a “Bells of Peace” nationwide observance.  See https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/546-events/bell-tolling/bells-of-peace/4558-bells-of-peace-concept.html for more information.

Then, indeed, we will turn to peace, using the texts suggested for “Peace” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 63). We have ordered copies of “World Peace Prayer” by Marty Haugen and Satish Kumar, intending to include it as either a choral or congregational piece.  Likely the single meditation/sermon will take place in the second half hour.  We will likely close with “This is my song.” (ELW 887). A peal of bell sounds from our carillon would be a fitting conclusion as candles are extinguished.

Additional resources for Veteran’s Day are available from the ELCA website. There will also be an interfaith observance on Sunday, November 11 at 10:00 am, at the Washington National Cathedral.  I’m told that the service will be streamed on the Internet, and will likely be available via recording.

Options are many, but the observance seems worthy of our attention as God’s people, particularly as we lift up the One who is our Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ.

ELCA World Hunger supports ministries around the world and here in the United States that are committed to ending hunger and poverty for good. Nothing quite captures the stories of God’s work in these communities quite like videos where viewers can hear directly from the participants and leaders.

Videos are also great tools for education forums, temple talks or Sunday School. To help with this, we have put together video discussion guides on ELCA World Hunger’s two newest videos: “Robyn’s Story” from Massachusetts and “Kanchan’s Story” from India.

Each guide features discussion questions and an outline of a “think-pair-share” model for conversation that can deepen your time together. Each guide also features snippets from ELCA social teaching documents that can help your group connect the stories in the videos with their Lutheran faith.

The guides are designed for study group sessions of up to 45 minutes, though they can be adapted for shorter sessions. The information in them can also be used to guide short temple talks to highlight the work our church supports together through ELCA World Hunger.

Robyn’s Story – Northampton, Massachusetts

Hunger and poverty are symptoms of a deeper brokenness within communities that leaves many of our neighbors without access to the resources they need. Ending hunger in the long-term means both providing food now – and restoring supportive, mutual relationships for the future. At Cathedral in the Night, a ministry supported by ELCA World Hunger, guests come together for worship, prayer and food to be fed spiritually and physically.

In this video, military veteran Robyn describes how the community at Cathedral in the Night has helped him rediscover and grow his gifts. In the process, he is able to meet his needs and emerge as a leader within the community.

This video discussion guide focuses on Robyn’s story and the challenges faced by many military veterans, who are often denied access to the services and support they need to thrive after their service.

Kanchan’s Story – Madhya Pradesh, India

Hunger and overall health are closely tied together. Without sufficient nutrition, children, especially, are at much higher risk of illness and death. Without sufficient healthcare, illness and injury can take time away from work and other productive activities, putting families at higher risk of hunger. Through Padhar Hospital’s Tripti project, healthcare professionals and community members are working together to end this cycle for good.

Kanchan, one of the participants in the project, shares how the project helped her get the care she needed for her son and learn how to best care for him. The video also features staff from the project sharing what their work means for the community at large.

This video discussion guide focuses on the connections between health, education and hunger by diving deeply into Kanchan’s story and the Tripti project – and helps study groups discern together the tremendous impact ministries focused on health can have.

You can find both of these guides – and other video discussion guides – at ELCA.org/hunger/resources#Stories.

For questions on the video discussion guides or other ELCA World Hunger resources, please contact Ryan Cumming, program director of hunger education, at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

Bob Chell, Sioux Falls, SD

 Warm-up Question

Talk about a time you saw someone in a group you were part of exercise leadership in a surprising and positive way.

Failing Up

In a post on the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) website, Colleen Wearn ponders whether we are raising a generation of students who are tremendously accomplished but terrified of failure.  In contrast to orchestrating student’s success from day one (and thus making it difficult for them to deal with failure down the line), she suggests that we would do better to encourage students to adopt a mindset around the paradigm of “try, fail, repeat.”  She says, “We need to let go of the urge to ensure their success, and instead create more opportunities for them to take on real challenges, with real possibility of failure.”

NOLS trains leaders along this model. It’s interesting that this non- religious group is utilizing the leadership method Jesus advocates when he says, “the last shall be first” or “pick up your cross and follow me.”

Discussion Questions

• If you were a part of this hike how would you feel about the NOLS leader when you arrived at the Swedish border? How about when you arrived at camp at midnight?
• How do you know when to let people fail when you are a leader?
• When has failing taught you a great life lesson?

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

(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

What does it mean to follow Jesus, to take seriously what he says about taking up a cross, loving one’s neighbor, being the servant of all? This is the question Christians have been asking since the beginning.

The early Christians were a squabbling group of folks! As they struggled to determine and discern just what it meant to follow Jesus: Did men need to be circumcised?  Could Christians eat pork or were they to keep Kosher and follow the Jewish dietary laws? Could Gentiles, non-Jews become Christ followers?

The book of Acts, which tells the story of the early church, is pretty much one big dysfunctional church fight. In its earliest days Christians sometimes worried more  about who’s in the kingdom and who’s out of the kingdom than what it means to follow Jesus day by day.

That’s not much different than today, when Christians argue among themselves about whether we should be baptized as children,  what faith says about sexuality and gender issues, when life begins, who can be a pastor, or which political candidate aligns with Christian values.

Focusing on these questions or the behavior of other’s allows us to avoid the things Jesus asked us to do; exhibit leadership by service to others.  It is easy to focus on sin,  particularly somebody else’s, when the sad truth is that none of us have done it all right. Jesus told the disciples they must lose their lives to find them and pick up their cross to follow him.

Now, having just heard that, the disciples are squabbling about who’s best. It isn’t until the end of the gospel story, when Jesus is crucified and then raised from the dead, that the disciples begin to understand what Jesus was telling them all along.

What they thought was the end was really the beginning. They finally began to understand who Jesus was, who they were, and what they were to do with the rest of their lives.

This is a place we know—when the bottom has dropped out, when our lives are a mess, when our faith is wavering and our hope is diminishing. From the first birthday party we weren’t invited to, through Mom and Dad’s arguing voices as we tried to go to sleep, to our own fears and failures in relationships, the classroom, and other competitions.  We’ve all experienced the deep pain of failure, whether it was our parent’s divorce, humiliation in athletic competition or failing grades.

Sometimes what we perceive as terrible endings are really new beginnings. Not wonderful beginnings, or exciting beginnings. In the news story for today the new beginning was born out of deep exhaustion. For the disciples it meant persecution and even death.

Jesus didn’t ask his disciples to quit sinning but to follow him.  He asks the same of us.

It isn’t a failing grade, defeat or divorce which prevent us moving forward. It’s the grief and guilt, the anger and resentment, the what ifs and the woulda, coulda, shoulda questions that lead us into despair.

Jesus is much more interested in what lies in your future than your past. And he promises to walk with you every step of the way, to meet you at the border when you’re five miles deep into the wrong direction.  And when our life’s journey is over we’ll learn again that what we perceive as an ending is actually the great beginning of what God has in store for us.

Discussion Questions

• Can you think of someone in the Bible who failed before they succeeded?
• Tell about a time you witnessed someone leading by serving.
• Can you think of anyone in the Bible who did not fail before they succeeded?
• What does it mean to you, and to your life, that it’s so much easier to find examples of failed leaders in the Bible?

Activity Suggestions

Think about a time in your life from the past when you were depressed or despondent. Did God meet you there? How did you get through that time? Was God part of the healing? If so, how? Share a part of your story with others in the group if you want to.

Talk, as a group, about why it is so difficult to discern God’s presence in our lives in those places we are currently struggling. Is this normal?

What does faith look like when our world is falling apart?

Closing Prayer

God, you know our deepest fears, our great regrets and how lost we sometimes feel. Help us to feel your presence in our hearts and not just in our heads. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. Give us confidence and courage when we are lost and guide us through the pain back to your promises. We pray in Jesus name.  Amen.

Issue 60 of Administration Matters

A statement from the ELCA presiding bishop addressing our call to care for creation

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) members pray and care for God’s marvelous creation every day. We also join the global Christian community each Sept. 1 to Oct. 4 to mark the Season of Creation. >More

Religion and politics

It is important for each congregation and its leaders to understand what political activity is permissible to maintain the congregation’s tax exemption. ELCAvotes is an initiative to expand the role of the church in encouraging faithful and non-partisan voter participation by providing faith-based resources around voting. As a leader in your ministry, make sure you know what to say and do to protect yourself, your congregation and your nonprofit status. Learn from an expert in the webinar “Religion & Politics.”

Hurricane season is here. Are you ready?

If there is any good news, it’s that hurricanes are one of the few disasters that come with advance notice. Take the time now to prepare both your property and congregation for what may happen. >More

Separate incorporation

When a mission entity operates as a body distinct from the church, it is a good idea to review the following list of potential reasons to separately incorporate that entity to protect both parties. >More

Leave roof work to the pros

Although a roof repair may look like a simple thing, and you may be tempted to save some money, it’s best to leave the roof work to the pros. That realization may save you and perhaps others from serious injury. >More

Jen Krausz, Bethlehem, PA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever had to give up something to practice your faith? If so, what was it? What is the most significant thing you can imagine being willing to give up for your faith?

Give it Up?

The Chinese government under President Xi Jinping has intensified pressure on Christians this year, demolishing hundreds of large and small Christian church buildings without notice to church caretakers, seizing Bibles, and removing crosses from buildings. In Beijing, 47 places of worship released a joint statement that they had faced “unprecedented” harassment since February, and some Christians have begun to hold their services in secret rather than in church buildings or known house churches, many of which have been shut down by local governments across China.

Some areas have banned Communist Party members and children from attending services, and one township has even encouraged Christians to remove posters of Jesus and replace them with portraits of Xi. One pastor said that hundreds of his church’s members were questioned individually about their faith. Others said their churches were raided or watched by surveillance, and members were interrogated by government officials.

Muslim places of worship have also had their crescents removed, and the Chinese government declared that Buddhist monks in Tibet could not reincarnate unless they had permission from the government before they died.

China is estimated to have 67 million Christians, and that number is expected to become the largest Christian population of any nation in the next few years. Religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982, but various government administrations have used rules about development rights and patriotism to restrict those freedoms since then.

Xi’s current campaign seeks to merge Christianity and other religions with “Chinese characteristics” like loyalty to the Communist Party and to weaken suspected ties with the West.  International Christian Concern, a watchdog group, has criticized China for cracking down on churches. “Despite their best efforts to intimidate the Church with actions like this, the government cannot destroy the faith and resilience of Chinese Christians.”

Discussion Questions

• What aspects of Christianity do you think most threaten a communist government? Why is Christianity not compatible with a totalitarian form of government?
• What other consequences do you think Chinese Christians might face for practicing their faith openly?
• How does practicing their faith in secret square up against Paul’s words in Romans 13 about submitting to governing authorities? Do you think it is ever okay biblically to break the laws of your nation?
• How might American Christians support their brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted around the world? (One idea is below)

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 50:4-9a

James 3:1-12

Mark 8:27-38

(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 gives the disciples some bitter pills to swallow. Their beloved leader tells them he’s going to suffer and die in humiliating fashion. Then he says they should do the same if they really want to follow him. Don’t think for a second that your reaction would be much different than Peter’s when he tries to tell Jesus not to say things like that. Just about anyone would try to reassure Jesus that it can’t be all that bad.

In our American society, where any restriction of religious freedom is likely to come from peer pressure rather than from laws or governmental actions, it’s easy to forget that other countries don’t have nearly the same freedom to follow their Savior that we do.

Just as Jesus faced persecution and death for telling people how to know God, his disciples who took up the call to share the good news were also persecuted, and many of them were martyred for their refusal to give up their faith.

That persecution has caused Christians to suffer in some parts of the world ever since. We do not have to worry about much more than people making fun of our faith or, in rare cases, not wanting to associate with us because we are Christians. But we need to remember and pray for those who face the very real possibility that their church may not be standing tomorrow, or that they may be put in jail, tortured, or killed for their Christian faith.

But even though we don’t face terrible persecution, Jesus makes it clear that he asks us in some way to “deny” ourselves and take up a cross of suffering in order to follow him. That may not be a message churches preach too often, but it is a reality of our faith when we pursue it as God wants us to.

Chinese Christians know well what it is all too easy to forget in America: this life, our earthly existence, is not all there is, and our physical body in this physical world is not the most important part of our reality. If we don’t nurture our souls—and denying ourselves to follow Jesus is one part of doing that—we miss out on something Jesus considers essential to our lives.

It is significant that Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything that he did not do himself. When we do take up our cross, we are following him and living as he lived, which often involves serving others the way he served us. He asks us to do so because it helps us know him better and because we can help others know him through these experiences as well.

And whatever suffering we face for Jesus, as he promises in Matthew 28.we can be sure that he is with us always.

Discussion Questions

• How do these verses impact your desire to practice your faith? Does the fear of suffering make you unsure about following Jesus, or does the possibility of adversity motivate you to strengthen your faith?
• What would your reaction be if you woke up tomorrow and your church had been destroyed?
• What do you think would have to change for America to restrict religious freedom? Do you think that could ever happen?
• Does knowing that Jesus will be with you in times of suffering make a difference in your willingness

Activity Suggestions

Open Doors USA has a form on their site which allows you to write a letter of encouragement to a persecuted Christian somewhere in the world. Your group can write individual letters, work in small groups, or draft a letter from the group as a whole that the group leader can submit online or mail to the address on the site. Other organizations like Voice of the Martyrs also encourage letter-writing to those being persecuted.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, We pray for all those Christians who face real and terrible consequences for their faith. Please give them your peace as they face turmoil and danger because of their trust in you. Above all, give them and us the joy of knowing you are with us when we suffer in any way because of our faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.