Skip to content

ELCA Blogs

October 12, 2014–Take the Invitation

Stephanie Opsal, Albuquerque, NM

​

Warm-up Question

How do you choose what to “like” or “follow” on social media?

Take the Invitation

How many times every day on Facebook are you asked to join a group, answer a friend request, or play the latest online game?  Perhaps today more than ever, we are bombarded with invitations.  Some are very significant, such as a family member’s wedding announcement, but many are very trivial:  “[Insert name here] has invited you to play a game of Words with Friends.”

shutterstock_193013642editEvery request to which we answer “yes” implies an investment.  When we choose to invest our time in a new friend or game we show what values are important to us.  Do you spend all day playing online games?  If so, you reveal that you enjoy and value those activities.  Do you actually communicate with the “friends” or “followers” you have on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?  If not, why did you say yes to their invitations?

In the same way that we are cautious about what personal information we reveal online, we need to be aware of how many different events, causes, groups, and friend requests we accept.  “Likes” and things we “follow” reveal our personality and help form the identity that we represent to the world.  Do you want to be known as a gamer?  A soccer fan?  A Christian?  A supporter of cancer research?  A follower of a famous actress? What you say “yes” to says a lot about your character.

For some games and applications, you have to sign contracts or consent to license agreements and stick to the program’s terms.  When you’re in, you have to play by the rules.  Think twice before automatically signing “yes” to every invitation that comes your way.

Discussion Questions

  • Discuss some of the people you follow, things you support, or games you play on social media websites, such as Facebook or Twitter.  What things do you check the most?  Why?
  • Do you ever “like” or “follow” something that you do not truly care about?  Why or why not?  Do you think this hurts anything?

Lectionary 28

Isaiah 25:1-9

Philippians 4:1-9

Matthew 22:1-14

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

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

 

Gospel Reflection

In our Gospel story, Jesus tells a parable about a wedding feast.  A king is throwing a banquet for his son, but the guests he had previously invited now refuse to come.  Twice he sends servants to the intended guests, telling them it is time to come to the celebration.  Instead of jumping on board, they go off on their own way.  Some even brutally attack the messengers.  The king destroys those murderers and burns the city.

The king tells his servants to go out to the streets and invite everyone they can.  The servants bring in many new people, of both good and bad reputations, and fill the banquet hall. Though many are poor, dirty, or stuck in sin, the king gives them a place at his banquet table.

Happy ending, right?  Not quite.  One new guest does not put on the wedding garments.  In this historical context, the host always gave guests specific garments that were to be worn for weddings.  This clothing was free and readily available for all guests.  All were expected to wear them.  A guest who chose not to wear the garment would come across as arrogant, as if he or she was too good to wear the standard dress.  The guest would suggest that he or she did not truly want to take part in the ceremony.

The unfortunate fellow who did not wear the wedding garments was tied up and thrown out of the feast.  The issue was not that the newly-invited man from the street could not afford the right clothing, but rather he was given the proper attire as a gift and yet chose not to wear it.  He  thought he could do whatever he wanted, when he actuality needed the son’s covering to receive his place.

This parable is a beautiful illustration of God’s story of saving you and me.  The book of Revelation talks about the Son of God having a magnificent wedding feast to reunite Christ and his beloved bride, the church, at the end of time:

 

“‘Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns.  Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!  For the wedding feast of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.  Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ Then the angel said to me, ‘Write:  ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”  And he added,  ‘These are the true words of God.'”–  Revelation 19:6B-9 (NIV)

Jesus offers an open invitation to his eternal wedding feast, but people have to come ready, clothed in his fine linen, which is Christ’s righteousness.  When Christ died on the cross for all the world’s sins, He made His people clean, covered by His righteousness.  They need only they believe that it is true and accept that righteousness.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The parable suggests that Jesus invites everyone to come to His feast, both the religious people you might expect to follow God and the broken, weary, sinful, sick, poor, and dirty people.  All are welcome in God’s house.

Two conditions prevent the parable’s potential guests from enjoying the banquet.  The original guests say “no,” quite possibly more concerned about their own money and well-being than God’s desires.  As a result, the king declares, “Those invited were not worthy,” (v. 8).  The improperly clothed man got a free invitation but spoiled his chances by not wearing the required, yet freely available, attire.

What does this mean for us?  Christ offers all an invitation to follow Him.  He loves us so much that he keeps offering open invitations.  However, we cannot get into the party by our own merit.  We are saved by his work, but we do have to accept the gift.  Otherwise we will be left, like the invited, no-show guests at the beginning of the parable or the unprepared man at the end.

Give your life to following God.  Accept that you need Christ’s forgiveness of sins to receive heaven.  This is one invitation you cannot pass up.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Why would the first invited group of guests refuse to come?  Why do people choose not to follow Jesus and accept His gift of eternal life?
  • Do you think it was fair that the improperly dressed man was abusively kicked out of the banquet?
  • Discuss what you think the final verse (v. 14) means:  “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
  • Can we follow Christ half-heartedly as we do with many of our social media interests?

Activity Suggestions

  • Look up your own most-used social media profile page, such as Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, or Pinterest.  View your page objectively, as if you had never seen it before.  How would you describe yourself, based on the things you see written on the page, causes you support, and people with whom you interact?  Think about what your page says about your outlook on life, values, attitude, faith, friendships, and identity.  Is your page an accurate representation?  If not, why not?  Decide what image you want the world to see.  Are there some things you would like to change?  Change things, delete things you no longer commit to, and refresh your social media identity to be who you want to be.
  • Draw a picture of a “wedding garment” or make a list, and write or draw things about yourself and God that you want to represent to the world.  What are some qualities of Christ’s righteousness?  Search your Bible for Jesus’ character traits, and write things that you want to increase in your life, (e.g. love, forgiveness, kindness).

Closing Prayer

Jesus,

We praise you for teaching us about yourself and your ways through  parables.  Lord, we want to follow you whole-heartedly, know your love for us, and sit at your heavenly wedding banquet.  Help us to live in your way and invite others to know you.  We love you.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Share

Ministerios latinos de la ELCA

La comunidad latina de la ELCA está unida en la abundancia de su diversidad. Somos una comunidad que confiesa su origen e identidad en la obra creadora, redentora y santificadora de Dios. La gran diversidad que nos caracteriza es un proceso de continuo mestizaje biológico y cultural y nuestra unidad reside en Jesucristo, quien nos reúne alrededor de la Palabra y el agua, el vino y el pan. Nuestra base es el amor y perdón de Dios, estamos equipados para vivir y servir aquí y ahora, en el mundo, con toda su diversidad, complejidades, tensiones y ambigüedades.

Los Ministerios Latinos de la ELCA afirman que formamos parte de la más amplia comunidad de santos y santas, de la iglesia de Cristo. La comunidad cristiana latina es parte integral de la iglesia, que incluye a gente de todas las naciones y todos los idiomas. Nuestra tarea no es la de clasificar, dividir, categorizar o excluir siguiendo prejuicios raciales, clases sociales o diferencias de género. La comunidad latina es una fuente de abundantes valores culturales, tradiciones y espiritualidad. Estos dones reflejan la experiencia histórica de nuestra fe y vida, y enriquecen la más amplia historia de la ELCA unidos a las contribuciones de otras comunidades.

Contamos con aproximadamente 147 ministerios latinos en Estados Unidos, desde el estado de Washington hasta Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes de Estados Unidos. La gente a la que sirven suele utilizar el idioma español como lengua materna y nació o tiene sus antepasados en México, Centroamérica, Sudamérica y el Caribe. Nuestros ministerios están creciendo gracias al trabajo de líderes fieles que trabajan arduamente a lo largo de la iglesia, líderes que crean y facilitan programas y eventos para apoyar a nuestros pastores y pastoras y líderes laicos. Su trabajo, y el de nuestras congregaciones y ministerios, sirve para compartir las buenas nuevas de Jesucristo, fomentar nuestra unidad en Cristo y promover los valores cristianos latinos que unen a la comunidad latina de la ELCA como una “comunidad de comunidades”.

Se está revisando el Plan de la Estrategia Latina de la ELCA, pero le invitamos a visitar los recursos que la ELCA tiene a su disposición en línea y a leer el documento actual en forma de recurso descargable.

Asociación de Ministerios Latinos de la ELCA

Somos un cuerpo en Cristo, llamados a vivir una fe y un bautismo. La iglesia de Cristo está compuesta por personas de diferentes culturas, tradiciones e idiomas y, como comunidad cristiana latina, no funcionamos de manera independiente de los demás ni nos aislamos del resto del cuerpo de Cristo que es la iglesia.

Dentro de una diversidad de culturas como ésta, debemos luchar y trabajar por la unidad de toda la membresía de la ELCA. Es por eso que nos reunimos como asociación, con el Espíritu Santo guiando nuestros esfuerzos para trabajar unidos por el reino de Dios con el propósito de:

  • Fortalecer el acto de compartir las buenas nuevas de Jesucristo
  • Promover la inclusividad sin asimilación, y la diversidad sin segregación
  • Combatir el racismo en la iglesia

La Asociación de Ministerios Latinos alcanza estas metas al hacer crecer la comunidad latina luterana, al ayudar a la ELCA a entender mejor la diversidad cultural del pueblo latino, al promover los valores cristianos latinos, al ayudar a la iglesia a reclutar y apoyar a pastores, pastoras y líderes laicos para el ministerio latino y más.

Si tiene preguntas adicionales sobre la Asociación de Ministerios Latinos, por favor, comuníquese con su presidente, el pastor Alberto Cifontes por correo electrónico.

– Vea más en: http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Ethnic-Specific-and-Multicultural-Ministries/Latino

Share

Iraq: Assistance for Displaced Populations

Megan Brandsrud

​Iraq has one of the largest populations of internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in the world. Recent dramatic events have seen armed groups take over large portions of the north and west of Iraq, driving many people from their homes and into the Kurdish Region. While the Kurdish Regional Government has received these IDPs, there are simply not enough resources to go around. Food and water have been identified as urgent needs of most of the IDPs.

Christian Aid meets with displaced families to discuss their needs and the benefits of previous aid distributions at their temporary home in Chamchamal on September 9. The families have recieved food parcels and non food items from Christian Aid partners. This is the Alyaz family, from Tikrit. They are now in Chamchamal, Iraq. Christian Aid is a member of ACT Alliance.

Christian Aid meets with displaced families to discuss their needs and the benefits of previous aid distributions at their temporary home in Chamchamal on September 9. The families have recieved food parcels and non food items from Christian Aid partners. This is the Alyaz family, from Tikrit. They are now in Chamchamal, Iraq. Christian Aid is a member of ACT Alliance.

Working with the Lutheran World Federation and other local partners, Lutheran Disaster Response is helping provide immediate assistance to displaced populations and their host communities in Northern Iraq. Securing water supply and food will help to relieve suffering and allow us to care for and walk with our brothers and sisters who are being impacted by this violence. Approximately 12,500 IDP families and their host communities will have clean and sufficient water supply, and 2,500 IDP families will have food security for two months.

In addition to providing assistance for physical care, there is also a need for emotional care. In the midst of or after fleeing the conflict, many of the IDPs experienced trauma, such as violence, rape or personal loss. Working again with our partners, Lutheran Disaster Response is providing psychosocial support to people who have been impacted by the conflict.

While the vulnerable populations who fled their homes still do not feel it is safe to return, we will continue to listen and walk with them to provide hope and healing. Join us as we pray for peace in the region and safety for all.

(Photo courtesy of ACT Alliance/Christian Aid)

Share

October 5, 2014–Symbols Matter

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Question

  • What are some of the most important symbols of the Christian faith to you and what do they communicate?  (For example, what meanings does a symbol like the cross convey?)
  • Can you think of any other important symbols in your daily life?

Symbols Matter

On September 18, 2014, the world watched as an historic vote unfolded in Scotland.  By a margin of 55% to 45%, with nearly 85% of registered voters casting a ballot, the Scottish people voted “No” to independence.  Their decision preserved a union between England and Scotland that has endured for more than 300 years.

shutterstock_71745394edit

Yet there was more at stake in this referendum than just the “United” in United Kingdom.  In the weeks leading up to the vote, as it became apparent that a vote for independence just might succeed, there was a great deal of anxiety on the part of many different parties.  Not only were there impassioned pleas from leading politicians on both sides of the issue, leaders from all over the world weighed in, as did many international celebrities and artists.  Questions were also raised concerning the impact of a “Yes” vote.  For example, what would Scottish independence mean for the European Union or for NATO?  How would a positive vote impact other countries like Spain who are dealing with their own independence movements?  Like a rock being thrown into a calm pond, the ripples of this event radiated far beyond the borders of Scotland itself.

In many ways they still do. Though the vote is over, the issues it has raised, the emotions and passions that have been stirred, and the political debates that have been initiated will continue to resonate for a long time to come.  At the heart of things is the question what sort of kingdom will this United Kingdom be?

Discussion Questions

  • Flags are potent national symbols.  The Union flag of the United Kingdom, for example, is composed of the St. George’s Cross of England, St. Andrew’s Cross of Scotland, and St. Patrick’s Cross of Ireland, symbolizing in its very design  both a union and unity.  For those of us in the United States, what do the different elements of our flag mean or symbolize?
  • Symbols can often impact us at deep, emotional levels.  Have you ever experienced a time when the sight or use of the flag stirred you emotionally?
  • What issues have threatened to destroy our own unity as a nation in the past?  What issues divide people today?  How are these issues the same?  How are they different?

Lectionary 27

Isaiah 5:1-7

Philippians 3:4b-14

Matthew 21:33-46

(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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

 

Gospel Reflection

Jesus’ “Parable of the Wicked Tenants” follows his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event we celebrate on Palm/Passion Sunday as the beginning of Holy Week.  The donkey and the route that Jesus takes in this procession are not accidental.  Jesus makes use of potent national symbols to make a statement about himself, as the gospel writer makes clear in Matthew 21:1-11.  Jesus then attacks the powers that be through “cleansing the Temple.” Among other things, his actions lead to the setting of this story, a series of confrontations with the Jewish religious leaders and authorities.  They challenge Jesus’ legitimacy and authority to do the things he is doing.  He calls into question, not only their legitimacy as leaders of the true Israel, but also their loyalties and motives concerning God and God’s purposes and desires for the people.

One of the well-known symbols that Jesus uses in these confrontations is that of a vineyard, long an image for Israel itself.  The prophet Isaiah’s “Song of the Unfruitful Vineyard” in today’s first lesson (Isaiah 5:1-7) is but one example of this symbol’s use in Scripture, and well worth reading.  The point of Isaiah’s message is Israel’s unfaithfulness.  What more could God have done?  God prepared in the very best ways, planting and cultivating a people through whom a harvest of faithfulness, justice, and righteousness was expected.  What God received was something else altogether.

Jesus’ parable follows a very similar plot.  Here a landowner prepares a vineyard and leases the vineyard to tenant farmers, expecting to receive his due – a share of the harvest.  They in turn are not faithful to their responsibilities, but instead treat the landowner’s representatives (and therefore the landowner, himself) with great contempt and violence.  Now given that Jesus’ opponents were also experts in the Scriptures, it is easy to imagine that they made the connections right off the bat.  The landowner is God, of course, and the tenants are the leadership of Israel.  The long-string of servants which the tenants mistreat are the prophets who were beaten, stoned, even killed for declaring the word of the Lord and pointing Israel back to her true purpose and vocation.  But who then is the landowner’s son in the story?  That is the question.

Lest we think the answer to this question is obvious – Jesus, of course — remember that the whole issue behind these confrontations and the increasing animosity towards Jesus centers around his true identity and by what authority and power he is doing the things he is doing.  In answer, Jesus points them to two places in the Scriptures, Psalm 118:22 (Matt. 21:42) and Daniel 2:44-45 (Matt. 21:44).  In the first, Jesus makes use of a play on words in the Hebrew language (the original language of the Hebrew Bible, what we commonly call the Old Testament) between the word for “son,” ben, and the word for “stone,” eben.  Though they are rejecting Jesus and his message, and indeed will ultimately reject him through the cross, God has something else in mind and will vindicate Jesus in the end.  The second passage from Daniel serves to underscore Jesus’ point.  Here again the image of a stone is used, but this time from an important passage in terms of the hope of a time – a messianic age – in which God would defeat all the opposing kingdoms and restore Israel.  God is doing that, Jesus claims, but not in the way that many, including his opponents, were expecting.

In the end, the chief priests and the Pharisees who have come to confront Jesus get the point.  They are the tenants in the story and Jesus is the son.  Enraged by such a challenge to their legitimacy and authority, they want to arrest Jesus, and eventually will.  For now they can only stand by helpless because of the crowds around them.

It is easy to read this passage from the perspective of being on the right side of things.  After all, we know who Jesus is.  We believe in him, unlike those stubborn, hard-hearted, and “bad” people who put him on the cross.  Sadly, the history of the church has been to do just that, to read such passages and find in them a reason to hate and persecute our Jewish brothers and sisters as “Christ killers.”  Yet if Jesus is indeed the Messiah (and I believe that he is), and if we are “joint heirs” with him of God’s kingdom as Paul says (Romans 8:15-17), then are we not also accountable to God for producing the “fruits” God expects to see?  Perhaps then the issue this passage calls us to think about is this, if indeed followers of Jesus have been given the kingdom as Matthew declares (Matt. 21:43), then what sort of “kingdom” is God calling us to be?

Discussion Questions

  • When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” what do you think we are asking?  What does God’s kingdom look like to you? What pictures come to mind?
  • If you talked above about the issues that divide people today, what do you think would be a Christian response(s) to some of the things you discussed?  Or if there are other issues, anxieties, or needs particular to your group or community, talk about how you might respond in ways which bring God’s love and light to bear.  Can you follow up your discussion with action?
  • In your opinion, is it important for Christians – particularly people your age – to express their faith through outward acts of service?  Why or why not?
  • If your congregation participated in the ELCA Day of Service, think about how your group might either continue or extend that service in your community or the wider world.

Activity Suggestions

  • Tour your worship space together. What symbols do you notice?  If your space has stained glass windows depicted biblical people or stories, for instance, why do you think those themes were chosen?  Does the shape of your worship space or the way that the altar is arranged communicate something?  Many older sanctuaries are built in the shape of a cross. Altars are often placed in the round.  What do these things symbolize?
  • Think about your worship service.  Make a list of all the symbolic actions or gestures you notice?  Remember that both worship leaders and the congregation engage in symbolic actions.  What do they “say?”
  • Together make a list of the sorts of things God wants/expects to see from God’s “kingdom people?”  Some passages you might investigate include: Isaiah 58:1-14; Micah 6:6-8; the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7).  What other verses, stories, or parables come to mind?

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us and claim us and make us your very own.  Thank you for the gift of faith, and for your relentless love that will not let us go no matter what.  Empower us by your Spirit to be the kingdom-people you call us to be, and lead us to be living signs of your grace in the lives of those around us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Share

Unaccompanied and Migrant Children: A safe and caring environment for refugee children

Megan Brandsrud

​boy on train tracks

During the past four years, the number of children migrating from Central America (mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala) to the United States has been steadily increasing. More than 60,000 children have arrived so far this year, and it is estimated that a total of 75,000 unaccompanied children will have crossed borders to arrive in the U.S. by the end of 2014.

Why are they coming? To put it simply, they are coming because they cannot stay where they are. A host of risk factors in their home countries, including drug trafficking, violence, sex trafficking, poverty and exploitation are compelling these children to flee. They are refugees.

Lutheran Disaster Response has been engaging partners, companion churches and congregations in the U.S. that are in the midst of this situation. As the church, we are called to love and welcome, and we answer that call when children who are running from hunger and harm arrive on our doorstep. Lutheran Disaster Response is helping provide shelter, medical care and schooling to children who are placed at one of Lutheran Social Services of the South’s shelter programs by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Lutheran Social Services of the South (LSS) has been working with the U.S. department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement for eight years to provide a safe place for unaccompanied migrant children. Working with LSS of the South, we will help support a children’s shelter, two transitional foster-care programs and the development of a new shelter site.

  • A children’s shelter site is for children ages 12-17. While waiting to unite with a guardian or sponsor, children live at these shelters, receive medical care, are connected with a case manager and attend school.
  • A transitional foster care program is for children younger than 12. Children in this program attend school at a day program and live with a foster family while they wait to reunite with a guardian or sponsor.

Bokenkamp class sm

In one year, LSS of the South serves approximately 6,000 unaccompanied and migrant children, which means they are serving approximately 10 percent of children crossing into the U.S this year.

“Lutheran Social Services of the South provides one of the best programs in the country to assist these children,” says the Rev. Michael Stadie, program director for Lutheran Disaster Response. “It only makes sense that Lutheran Disaster Response work in partnership with them.”

We will continue to work with our congregations, companion churches and partners, such as LSS of the South, to help provide education on this situation and ensure that children who are fleeing to the U.S. are treated fairly and receive the care they need.

If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work with Unaccompanied and Migrant Children, please visit the response page.

Share

Advocacy, Accompaniment, and HIV/AIDS in Colombia

Ryan P. Cumming

As many as 140,000 people in Colombia are living with HIV/AIDS, according to the United Nations.  The challenges they face are significant.  Because of the disease’s association with sexuality, many people who are HIV-positive face prejudice, fear and discrimination.  The stigma of HIV/AIDS in Colombia carries legal and medical consequences, as well.  Individuals can be denied disability benefits, scorned by employers or denied medical care for their disease.

Knowing the harsh reality of stigma and the consequences it carries, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colombia (IELCO) is committed to supporting HIV/AIDS-positive Colombians.  In addition to educating Lutherans about the disease, the Asivida ministry of IELCO supports Caminando Juntos (“walking together”), a group of HIV/AIDS-positive men and women who support each other emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and legally.  With the help of Rosemary Rincon, a social psychologist on staff with IELCO, Caminando Juntos has successfully advocated for the right to disability benefits and medical care for its members.

The ELCA accompanies its companion churches in many ways.  One important form of accompaniment is support for vital ministries within local communities.  Asivida – with its education, outreach, and support of Caminando Juntos – is just a part of the many ministries of IELCO, supported in part by gifts to ELCA World Hunger.  Together, we can be part of IELCO’s powerful witness and action in Colombia!

Watch the video below to hear Rosemary’s powerful story! (A transcript of the video is below for readers who do not speak Spanish.)

 

 

TRANSCRIPT:

My name is Rosemary Rincon. I’m a mom.

I’m a psychologist.

I’m a good daughter, a good friend, a good employee.

I’m a woman, I’m happy and I live with HIV.

We usually think, “It can’t happen to me. This may happen to others, it happens to other people, but not to me.” First off, I’m a housewife; I only have one sex partner. My boyfriend of eight years was my one and only boyfriend, my sole sex partner in my whole life… and I married him. It may affect loose women, sex workers, homosexuals, people who lead an immoral life, and the like, but not me…

And I entrusted my sexuality and my health to my husband, my partner. Perhaps my love for him prevented me from seeing myself in risk.

…I’ve been living with it for 14 years and it hasn’t tainted my life. Instead, I think you live with more intensity, with dreams. In my opinion, living with the virus is not disabling, quite the contrary. It’s a decision that changes your life but it should change it for the best.

We have an individual role to play in society. But we need to take the initiative and not just stay there like some people do.

Obviously, the easiest approach is to say, “I’ll die.” Then you also see that time passes by, because nowadays this is a chronic, treatable disease.

So, how much time will I have to spend waiting for death? It could be 10, 15 years… by the way, it’s the same time I’ve had it so far: 14 years. Had I taken a different approach, I wouldn’t be alive today and wouldn’t be enjoying the privileges and opportunities I’ve given myself and that life has also granted me.

I think that, in a certain way, God, and even the universe have placed the right people and provided me with the means to help me move forward. And I think he does this for all of us. We may live in the last corner of the world, but if we face life with a positive outlook and our dreams overpower our circumstances…

You should also start your own research, give yourself the opportunity…. that the virus is not transmitted by casual contact, that we need to take some precautions, that we need to be responsible, but also, the fact that being HIV positive does not restrict my entitlement to maternity, to love and be loved, and many other dreams. The means and the appropriate conditions already exist, see?

I gave myself the opportunity, just as any other woman with HIV could; the opportunity of becoming a mother… obviously educating myself…

There’s the support from the interdisciplinary team. They provided me with integral care and all the appropriate conditions… and here’s the result, my daughter. She’s now three and totally HIV free… and we keep striving just like any other family in our country.

Whether or not we are HIV positive, we are women in essence… and I think that this is what makes us valuable. It’s that difference.

It works the same for guys. But we make a perfect team, men and women. And we need to respect each other and love each other in spite of the differences.

Women with HIV or without HIV, we’re equally valuable.

VISUAL TEXT

I’m a mom

I’m a psychologist

I’m a good daughter, a good friend, a good employee…

I’m a woman, I’m happy and I live with HIV

“It can’t happen to me”

“I only had one sex partner”

“It happens to people who lead an immoral life”

“My love for him prevented me from seeing myself in risk”

Rosemary has lived with the HIV virus for 14 years. Her husband and only sex partner caused her to become infected…

“You live with more intensity, with dreams”

“Living with the HIV virus is not disabling”

“The easiest approach is to say, ‘I’ll die'”

“Life has given me privileges and opportunities”

“We have to give ourselves the opportunity”

“I can love, be loved, live”

“I gave myself the opportunity”

“My daughter is HIV negative”

LIVING POSITIVELY

Share

September 28, 2014–Who Says?

Dave Delaney, Salem Virginia

​

Warm-up Questions

  • Either individually or as a group, brainstorm a list of everyone in your life who can legitimately tell you what to do.  Try to be specific.
  • Why do you end up doing what these individuals and groups say?  Are there different reasons in each case?  Which ones do you believe or follow or obey because they  can make consequences happen to you, and which ones do you believe or follow or obey because you are convinced they are right or you just trust them?
  • Another way of coming at the same question:  what is the difference between power and authority?

Who Says

Two high-profile public trials have recently ended:  On Sept. 4, former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen were convicted on charges of corruption after accepting money, gifts, and loans from businessman Jonnie Williams in exchange for special access to government favors.  Then on Sept. 12, South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was acquitted of premeditated murder but convicted for reckless homicide in the shooting death of his girlfriend.  And in a different sort of case, half-brothers Henry McCollum and Leon Brown were recently released after more than thirty years in prison because newly presented DNA evidence showed that they were not guilty of raping and murdering an 11-year old girl in 1983.

shutterstock_200338286edit

All of these legal decisions were made because someone – a judge or a jury – decided who was telling the truth and judged whether testimony matched the evidence.  Even in the example of the DNA proof, which we usually think settles the matter, someone had to decide whether to accept it.  All three cases and so many others highlight at least two things:  1) the challenge of figuring out whether someone should be trusted when they speak, and 2) the question of who has the authority to make decisions like this.  In both cases, we wonder where that authority comes from.

Each of us has to make these kinds of decisions every day – decisions as to whom we should trust and on what basis.  The more trustworthy the source, the more likely we are to believe it.  The closer the speaker is to the information, the more easily we can trust it.  If we are suspicious about something we hear, the first words out of our mouths are likely to be “Who says?”

 

Discussion Questions

  • In these news items authority depends on testimony being trustworthy and knowledgeable. Why do we believe what God says or has said?  Why do we trust what the scriptures say about God?  Why believe what our pastors  say about God and the world?  Is it only because of what others have told us about living life with God or also because of things that we have experienced?
  • In the midst of life’s challenges and doubts, how do we continue to listen to Jesus when he speaks and trust that he has the authority to do so?  What are the patterns and habits we can practice that will strengthen our trust in him, especially when faced with those who would say he was a liar or a fake?

Lectionary 26

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32 

(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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

 

Gospel Reflection

This passage is one of several in the gospels where the religious leaders challenge Jesus concerning whether he should be allowed to teach people about God and their lives in God’s kingdom.  It also reflects the remarks of Jesus’ hearers (Mark 1:22 / Matthew 7:29 ), who say he speaks “with authority” in contrast to their own religious leaders.  In other words, when they listen to Jesus, it sounds like he has first-hand knowledge of the subject of God and life with God!  He knows what he’s talking about and isn’t merely repeating things he has heard or surrendering to conventional wisdom just because that’s what had always been taught.

Time and time again, the people hear Jesus zeroing in on the core of what it means to experience the kingdom of God.  Jesus’ teaching strikes them not only as reliable, but also as offering something missing from the way they had been taught to understand and serve God.  The political and social pressures on the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day often forced them to give primary attention to stabilizing their relationship with the Roman Empire and fixing the boundaries of their religious community.   No matter how much they hoped to lead the people into an authentic faith in God, it took Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, to bring them into God’s own saving love.  It is good news for us that Jesus lives and continues to be present to us through faith, so that we to can follow his leadership into God’s kingdom regardless of what other distractions may come our way.

This text comes from the last week of Jesus’ life.  He has just come into Jerusalem to cheering crowds (21:1-11), cleared the temple of merchants and money-changers (21:12-13), begun healing the blind and lame (21:14-17), and taught about the power of faith (21:18-22).  In the midst of all these activities, he was headed toward his arrest and execution just a couple of days later.  So we see him speaking to the religious leaders in very stark terms about how things will soon change and why.  He first exposes their commitment to political, rather than faith and life, concerns with his question about John the Baptist.  Then he uses the parable of the two sons to lift up that God’s grace, which draws very unlikely people into God’s kingdom, will soon win the day over their political approach.  This is more good news for us, allowing us to stop yielding to the temptation to draw lines between “the righteous” and “the sinful.”  We can welcome anyone who seeks God because God invites all into the kingdom.

Discussion Questions

  • In the gospels, some who were utterly convinced that Jesus had authority to teach God’s truth liked what they were learning about God from Jesus, but balked when he called on them to align with the purposes of God’s gracious love.  Are there things that Jesus calls us to do or to be which might make us unhappy rather than joyful about his authority over us as his followers? (If you need help, consider Matthew 5-7, the instructions for the church in Matthew 18, or his commandment to evangelize the world in Matthew 28).  What are the hard things in those lists that might make us turn to Jesus and ask “Who says?”
  • When we receive challenges to the Christian faith, how can we have conversations with others that will let us know if they are perhaps truly curious about our faith and secretly wishing we could convince them that it is true?
  • Why do you think that Jesus did not just give the religious leaders a straightforward answer about who he was and that he was both the promised Messiah and the Son of God?  [We have to speculate, but some possibilities are:  1) There were lots of prophets and other self-proclaimed messiahs running around who claimed to be God’s chosen one;  just saying so would prove nothing.  2) Even if Jesus proved himself to them, he knew that they would use that information for their own political and social benefit (see his long criticism of them in Matthew 23) to exclude even more those whom they decided did not measure up.  3) Jesus knew that they were not really asking him this question honestly and so instead turned the challenge back on them]
  • Does the parable that follows Jesus’ conversation with the religious leaders (21:28-32) sound like it could come from your life?  Have you ever behaved like either one of the sons in the parable?    When we share faith with others or invite them to experience the joy of our church, which response would we rather get – an insincere yes from someone who has no intention of following through, or a cold reception from someone who ends up being devoted to Christ and his teachings?

Activity Suggestions

  • To experience what it’s like to see if someone is telling the truth,  try a variation on the game “two truths and a lie.”  The original game divides the group into two teams and they take turns having one of their own members tell the other team three things about him/herself, one of which is a lie, and the other team has to figure out which one it is.  In a revised version, the whole team has to come up with two statements about something any one of them has actually *seen* or *heard* firsthand (e.g., they’re going to tear up the interstate again, some famous musician has a new video up on YouTube, so-and-so dyed her hair blue, etc.) and then a third statement regarding something they only heard about but did not see firsthand.  The other team then has to figure out which one is second-hand information.   As the game goes on, start asking groups to include statements that might be considered matters of opinion, but some hold as very true and important!  What happens then?
  • Play a round of “telephone,” and at the end ask the group who would need to be asked in order to find out the original message.  The obvious answer is the person who came up with the original message.  Then the group can get a sense of how likely it would be that 1) God’s message might get distorted over time until Jesus came along and 2) why the religious leaders might actually have a good reason to care about where Jesus got his information.
  • Have three people role play the conversation between the father and the two sons in the parable and try to imagine what they would say to each other as each one of them is trying to prove that s/he is right.  Other members of the group should yell suggestions for things to say.  In a society like the one of Jesus’ day, where obedience to parents was a huge deal with a lot at stake, how might each of them reacted?

Closing Prayer

God of all truth and ruler of our lives, soften our hearts and minds with the ministry of your Spirit, that we may trust you for everything, be ready to receive your word with gladness, and open ourselves up to the real and powerful thrill that comes with living life close to you.  Guide us through the teachings of our Lord Jesus and help those who doubt him or care only for earthly things to turn to him, even though they have refused once or even many times.  In his name we pray.

Share

Acerca de la Obispa Presidente de la ELCA

Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton

Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton

La reverenda Elizabeth A. Eaton fue elegida cuarta obispa presidente de la ELCA en la Asamblea General de la ELCA en 2013.

Nació en Cleveland, Ohio, el 2 de abril de 1955. Eaton obtuvo la maestría en teología por la Escuela de Teología de Harvard en Cambridge, Massachusetts, y la licenciatura en educación musical por la Universidad de Wooster en Wooster, Ohio.

Fue ordenada el 4 de junio de 1981, y fungió como pastora asistente de la Iglesia Luterana All Saints en Worthington, Ohio; como pastora interina de la Iglesia Luterana Good Hope en Boardman, Ohio, y  como pastora de la Iglesia Luterana Messiah en Ashtabula. Fue elegida obispa del Sínodo del Noreste de Ohio de la ELCA en 2006 y fue reelegida en mayo de 2013.

En la actualidad Eaton presta sus servicios en varios consejos y comités. Es miembro del consejo del seminario Trinity Lutheran Seminary y de la universidad Capital University, ambas instituciones con sede en Columbus, Ohio. Es miembro del Comité de Coordinación Luterana Episcopal y también presta sus servicios en el foro nacional Domestic Ready Bench de la Conferencia de Obispos. También participa en la

Campaña contra la Malaria de la ELCA, el Ministerio Metropolitano Luterano, el Grupo de Trabajo sobre Filosofía de Prestaciones de PORTICO, el Consejo de Iglesias de Ohio y los Donativos Luteranos Planificados en Ohio.

Antes de su elección, Eaton fue obispa de enlace con el Consejo Eclesial de la ELCA y miembro del Comité de Memoriales de la ELCA para las Asambleas Generales de la ELCA en 2007, 2011 y 2013. Prestó sus servicios como delegada en la Asamblea de la Federación Luterana Mundial en Budapest en 1984 y en el equipo de revisión para los diálogos luterano episcopales en 1982. También formó parte de la delegación de los organismos eclesiales predecesores de la ELCA ante la República Democrática de Alemania en 1982.

El reverendo T. Conrad Selnick, sacerdote episcopal esposo de Eaton, es vicepresidente de desarrollo, promoción y relaciones eclesiales en la Federación Bexley Seabury. Tienen dos hijas adultas: Rebeckah y Susannah.

– Véase más en: http://www.elca.org/en/About/Leadership/Churchwide-Officers/Presiding-Bishop

Share

Ebola outbreak: “The church has to help”

Megan Brandsrud

​The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the largest and longest-lasting Ebola outbreak in recorded history. To further understand the scale of this disease, the Ebola outbreak is actually the first Ebola epidemic the world has experienced, as the virus has spread to multiple countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. More than 2,400 people have died from Ebola during this epidemic.

The spread of Ebola presents several more complications than just battling and containing the virus itself. People in infected areas have been quarantined to their homes as towns shut down to try to limit the disease from spreading further. As a result, people are not able to work, harvest fields or purchase food. Other countries that ship food to the region are afraid to dock their ships to deliver food for fear of contracting the virus. The lack of food has been a growing concern as people are now dealing with food security issues that have been exacerbated by the spread of Ebola.

“We need food,” says the Rev. D. Jensen Seyenkulo, Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Liberia. “Our workers from all across the country are being asked to take off work during the crisis. The quarantined communities and stranded travelers are crying for food and water. The treatment centers need food. There is a saying around now that goes like this: ‘If we do not die of Ebola, we will die of starvation.'”

In August, Lutheran Disaster Response committed $10,000 to assist Global Health Ministries in the shipment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Liberia. Lutheran Disaster Response is now committing $90,000 to assist with food distributions in Liberia and Sierra Leone and with Ebola sensitization and prevention in Liberia, the country that currently has experienced the highest number of Ebola cases.

Food Distributions in Liberia and Sierra Leone

We will work with our companion church, the Lutheran Church in Liberia, to activate food distributions in six targeted areas of Liberia that will assist 999 households with a month’s supply of oil, rice and fish.

In Sierra Leone, we will work with our companion church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone, to provide food assistance also consisting of oil, rice and fish to 3,000 individuals.

“With no way to buy food, the church has to help,” says the Rev. Thomas Barnett, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone.

Ebola Sensitization and Prevention in Liberia

Liberia has seen the highest number of Ebola cases since the outbreak reached the country in March. Since the disease presents a 90 percent fatality rate, raising awareness about symptoms and prevention is vital. With our partner, ACT Alliance, we will work with Lutheran Development Services and the Lutheran Church in Liberia to provide Ebola sensitization and prevention training to 4,500 individuals in Lofa and Bong counties.

In addition to the training program, we will work with our companions and partners to construct an isolation unit at Phebe Hospital and School of Nursing. This unit will provide significant contributions toward the containment of the disease and the ability to provide life-saving care.

Phebe hospital in Liberia

Please join us as we continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Liberia, Sierra Leone and the rest of the West Africa region who are daily battling with the risks of Ebola and the many impacts that come with it.

If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work in the fight against Ebola, please visit the Lutheran Disaster Response – Ebola Outbreak giving page.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Share

An introduction: Gina Tonn, Lutheran Volunteer Corps

Gina Tonn

​​Gina Tonn

September 17, 2014

 

Greetings, ELCA World Hunger blog readers! My name is Gina Tonn, and I am happy to introduce myself as the newest member of theBlog pic dynamic ELCA World Hunger team in Chicago! I will be serving as a Program Assistant for the next year through a placement with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC). I am honored to be the first LVC member to work with ELCA World Hunger and am excited about all the year has in store. I will be working with Education and Constituent Engagement.

In addition to my work with ELCA World Hunger, my year with LVC will consist of living in intentional community with four other corps members, learning about and working for peace with justice, and striving to live simply and sustainably. I anticipate embracing all the challenges and learning opportunities I will face this year.

I come to Chicago from Brooklyn Park, MN – a suburb of Minneapolis – where I have lived my whole life, with the exception of residing in Northfield, MN, for the last four years while attending St. Olaf College. I graduated from St. Olaf in May 2014 with majors in economics and religion. I sang with The St. Olaf Cantorei and participated in a variety of extracurricular activities, including working with the Student Activities Committee and the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations.

My commitment to social justice became more than an underlying inclination during the summer of 2013 when I interned at the University of St. Thomas Interprofessional Center’s Legal Services Clinic with the Immigration Law Practice Group. During my internship, I developed a deeper appreciation for how important it is to fight for justice by listening to other people’s stories and working in partnership to improve quality of life. My experience there is a large part of what drew me to a year of service with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps after graduation. I’m grateful to be with ELCA World Hunger because of the holistic nature and integrity of the work this organization does in relationships with companion synods and local partners. Furthermore, I believe in our baptismal vocation to love and serve our neighbors. I am energized by the opportunity to live into that vocation even more fully this year – in the workplace and in my intentional community.

Some fun facts about me:

  • While at St. Olaf I was a costume sewing assistant for our international dance troupe – I know my way around a sequin!
  • I’ve been a summer soccer referee for ten years.
  • My hobbies include running, photography, and singing hymns in four-part harmony.
  • I love to read. I especially enjoy popular non-fiction, like the work of Malcolm Gladwell or a good memoir.
  • One of my favorite foods is coleslaw. While on a road trip with some friends this past year I ordered coleslaw in just about every city we visited, so I like to think myself a bit of an aficionado!

 

Gina Tonn is a Program Assistant with ELCA World Hunger. This is her first post to the ELCA World Hunger blog and she looks forward to sharing many more stories with the ELCA World Hunger community over the next year.

Share