Contributed by Dennis Sepper, Tacoma, WA

Warm-up Question

What is the most expensive gift you ever received?  Who gave it to you?  How did it make you feel when you received it?

Extravagant Love

Nine-year-old Henry, of Newport, Kentucky, is currently battling Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  The Make-A-Wish Foundation will provide Henry an escape from his medical treatments as he meets with his heroes.

Henry’s wish is to see the cast of his favorite television show, Animal Planet’s “Tanked”.  Tanked is a program that features two Las Vegas businessmen who build wildly imaginative tanks and aquariums.  Henry will meet the stars of the program, Wayde King and Brett Raymer, and get a behind the scenes look at some of their work.

Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana fulfilled 865 wishes in the last program year.

(Contributor’s note:  If you have a local Make-A-Wish story or even one for your state, I would suggest using that story instead of Henry’s.)

Discussion Questions

• What were you thinking about as you read the story of Henry?  How did you feel?
• According to their website (www.wish.org) the Make-A-Wish Foundation “grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”  Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes.   What do you think about organizations like Make-A-Wish?  Is their work helpful and meaningful?
• Is it possible that the dollars spent on fulfilling the wishes of the children might be better spent on, say, cancer research?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, March 17, 2013 (Fifth Sunday or Lent)

Isaiah 43:16-21

Philippians 3:4b-14

John 12:1-8

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

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

Gospel Reflection

While I am a huge fan of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, I have to admit that I understand the point Judas makes in regards to this Gospel text from John…at least at first.  As you heard or read, Mary took a pound of perfume costing some three hundred denarii and anointed Jesus’ feet with it, so much so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  To put the cost of the perfume in perspective, my Bible has a footnote which says that a day’s wage at the time of Jesus was one denarius, so Mary’s 300 denarii perfume would be worth almost an entire year’s wages.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau the median household income in the U.S was just over $50,000 in 2011.  Now just imagine someone going out, buying a $50,000 bottle of perfume and then pouring it over someone’s feet.  It just doesn’t make sense!  It just isn’t right!  Certainly the money could have been used for the poor or some other good cause.

However, consider the context of this act of Mary and one can see how she may have been moved to not count the cost of her perfume.  Just one chapter earlier (John 11:1-44) Jesus had raised Mary’s brother Lazarus from the dead…from the dead!  At this dinner in Jesus honor we are told that Lazarus was at the table with Jesus and Mary and Martha.  How could Mary not look at her beloved brother who was once dead and not feel a very deep and abiding love for the one who raised him from the dead?

What is more, we are told that this dinner took place “six days before the Passover.”  That may seem insignificant but in John’s gospel it is on this Passover day that Jesus is crucified.  This meal is Jesus last supper, not with his disciples, but with his best friends.  We also know from the Gospel writer Luke that Mary was a very good student and disciple of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42).  Perhaps Mary connected the dots and knew that Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem and that things could go badly there.  It seems that Jesus thought so when he said “Leave her alone.  She bought it [the expensive perfume] so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.”

It was out of an extravagant love that Mary poured the expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet and then wiped his feet with her hair.  It was a custom of those times for the women to anoint a dead person with perfume.  Mary’s great love for Jesus caused her not to count the costs.

And Mary was right.  For six days later, Jesus would show extravagant love for the world by giving up his life on the cross.  In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus you and I have been forgiven and set free from sin.  We have been given a new life in Jesus Christ.  How can we possibly give rightful thanks for all that God and Jesus have done for us?

So, while indeed Judas may have a point concerning the expense of the perfume, Judas couldn’t grasp what was going on in the moment.  Judas had no understanding of the depth of Mary’s love for Jesus or of the love Jesus had for all people.  Sometimes we have to do the extravagant even when it seems crazy by worldly standards.

Discussion Questions

• What was your first reaction to Mary’s anointing Jesus’ feet?  Was it okay for you or do you think the money could have been better spent?
• Has anyone ever sacrificed something for you (such as time, money, something significant)?
• Has anything motivated you to give more (time/talents/treasure) then you intended because you were so moved?
• What possession do you most treasure?  Can you imagine ever giving it away for another person?

Activity Suggestions

There are many stories of extravagant love in the Bible.  Choose one or more of the following examples and either act out the scene or create a contemporary version of the story.

• Abraham is willing to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18)
• The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
• The Widow’s Mite (Mark 12:41-44 or Luke 21:1-4)
• Joseph forgiving his brothers (Genesis 50:15-21)
• The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

Closing Prayer

All merciful God, as we come to this Fifth Sunday in Lent we begin to see Jesus’ determination to go to Jerusalem and to the cross.  Open our eyes and minds and hearts to the depth of your love for us.  We can never repay the debt we owe to Jesus but we can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, commit our lives and all that we have to showing forth your extravagant love to others.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Contributed by Jocelyn Breeland, Fairfax, VA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever depended on the generosity of strangers?

Craigslist Joe

In the 2012 documentary Craigslist Joe, a young man named Joe Garner decides to take a month away from his life and live entirely off the website craigslist.org. During that month, everything he needed – food, clothing, transportation, a place to sleep – would have to come from craigslist. He found a cameraman on craigslist and the two set off from Los Angeles on their adventure.

Over the course of the month, Joe traveled from Los Angeles to New York City and back, with numerous stops along the way. (There are apparently lots of people on craigslist who are happy to offer rides in exchange for some company on the trip or help with driving.) Joe met people from all walks of life: students, artists, businessmen. He did some unusual and interesting things like taking a breakdancing class, doing standup comedy, and sharing an evening with a family of Iraqi immigrants. In one city he organized a toy drive for needy children. In another he helped a woman with cancer reorganize her living space. He even made time to go on a date.  None of the dangers you’d imagine were evident; Joe didn’t meet any scam artists or criminals or psychopaths. Everyone was kind and generous.

When he finally got back to his apartment, Joe was welcomed home by family and friends. He said the realization of how we all take care of each other was “the most inspiring thing.”

Discussion Questions

• Could you do what Joe did, live for a month entirely off craigslist?
• Joe Garner is young, white and male. Do you think his experience would have been different if he were a different age, gender or race?
• We often hear or read about our society’s isolation, loneliness and lack of a sense of community in America. Does the story of Craigslist Joe challenge this conclusion?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, March 10, 2013 (Fourth Sunday of Lent)

Joshua 5:9-12

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-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

The tale of the prodigal son is one of the best-known stories in the New Testament. Perhaps this is because its principal message says something so important about God’s love for us: no matter how much we sin or otherwise wander away from him, he will always joyously welcome us back into his arms. The good news is not just that God’s love comes to us completely unearned, but that it remains steadfast even if we walk away.

This story also has important things to say about family relationships. How good parents allow their children to make and learn from their own mistakes, and these parents don’t hold those mistakes against them. How a sibling should understand that a parent can love his children equally, while not treating them the same. And how a son can approach a parent humbly and admit he was wrong.

There’s at least one more way to understand this story. Remember that this is one of three stories Jesus tells in response to criticism from the Pharisees and teachers of the law that Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. Jesus’ critics believed that a person who associated with sinners would himself become unclean. But Jesus counters with an example that makes clear that, just as God welcomes sinners, so should we welcome others. We shouldn’t distance ourselves from people who have made mistakes in life. Instead, we should welcome them into our lives, our congregations, our communities. If we are to truly love one another as God loves each of us, then we have to learn to accept the mistakes others make. We can’t hold grudges; we have to be willing to forgive. What better way to thank God for the love he shows us, than to share that love with one another?

Discussion Questions

• What one word describes what the story of the prodigal son is all about?
• Does the father in this story behave like a typical father?
• What attributes of God does the father demonstrate?

Activity Suggestions

Leaders, scour your local newspaper or online news ahead of time and collect a handful of stories that involve one person or group being wronged by another. It could be the victim and the perpetrator of a crime. It could be a politician abusing public trust. Maybe a business accused of harming the community (damaging the environment, sending jobs overseas). It could be any one of many stories of international conflict.

Divide the participants into small groups and give one of the stories to each one. Ask them to act out a reconciling conversation for that situation. Do this one at a time, so that the rest of the group can witness each scenario.

After each presentation, discuss as a group whether the conversation was realistic, then whether the participants reacted according to the lessons of the prodigal son.

Closing Prayer

Merciful Father, you have forgiven our debts, even though we have not always forgiven our debtors. Thank you for never, ever giving up on us. Thank you for being patient with us, and for always welcoming us home when we stray. Fill us with your reconciling spirit, so that we can embrace others – sinners like ourselves – and so they might know your love, through our actions. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Contributed by Angie Larson, Clive, IA

Warm-up Question

How do you feel about failure?

Cut It Down!

Lolo Jones hasn’t had the easiest life.  Known now as an Olympian, her roots portray a life of difficulty, failure, and struggle.  She was born the child of a single mother who moved frequently, forcing Lolo to regularly be the ‘new student’ in her ever-changing schools. Her father was in and out of her life, being in the Air Force and then later incarcerated. At one point her family lived in the church basement of Des Moines, Iowa’s Salvation Army congregation.  She attended Roosevelt High School in Des Moines.  Showing promise in track, she had dreams of being an Olympian.  When her mother was expected to move again to another town, the community at Roosevelt surrounded Lolo.  Her track coach and other mentors arranged for her to live with four different families through her senior year. They didn’t stop there.  They arranged for her to be part of the Des Moines Youth Track team, got her braces, and made sure her grades would allow her to be college bound.  She attended Louisiana State University and worked odd jobs while running track in college.

In her professional career, Lolo Jones is best known for clipping a hurdle in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in an event that she was expected to win. She came in fourth at the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 meter hurdles.  On her website, (www.runlolorun.com) she writes, “I’m inspired by failure. “The process of defeat – picking yourself  back up again is the hardest thing in the world.”  After her Olympic dreams of medaling did not come through, Lolo hasn’t given up.  In October of 2012 Lolo was invited to be a part of the National Bobsled Team.  This January her Bobsled team won Gold in the combined bobsled-skeleton team at the world championships. Where will this road lead Lolo to next?

Discussion Questions

• In the quick read over of Lolo’s life, what do you think was the turning point Lolo?
• How has Lolo defied expectations?
• When you fail, how do you recover?  What has been a failure that you have had to pick yourself back up from?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, March 3, 2013 (Third Sunday of Lent)

Isaiah 55:1-9

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Luke 13:1-9

(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 the parable of the Fig Tree Jesus challenges us to look for the fruit.  The Vineyard Owner comes out looking for three years (which could seem like a very long time) looking for expected, awaited, longed for fruit.  However there is none.  He is disappointed, dismayed, and proclaims, “Cut it down!”  He wants it to no longer even take up space in his vineyard.  He sees it as no good and a waste.  However, the gardener sees it differently.  The gardener asks the vineyard owner for one more year.  The gardener will tend to the fig tree, feed it (fertilizer), care for it, and hope that it bears fruit for the next year.

Often we are like the characters in the parable.  The Vineyard Owner:  We are frustrated with failure; it irritates us so we just want to give up.  Whether it is our failure or the failure of others, we would just as soon be rid of it so we can replace it with something else.  Perhaps something isn’t going our way, so we decide to give up and try something else. The Fig Tree:  Sometimes we take up valuable space and yet don’t produce anything. We’re waiting, we’re learning, perhaps we need to be fed.  We are called to bear fruit, but maybe we just can’t for some reason right now. The Gardener: We see hope.  We look at the tree not as a waste, but as something that just needs a little extra love and care.  We are patient, we don’t see the lack of fruit as failure but just as something that needs time and nurture.

Jesus is the Gardener.  He offers us hope even if we cannot see it ourselves.  We are not dead or scrap wood, but we are just in need of some care.  He meets us in our barrenness and tenderly feeds and cares for us.  He reminds us that we have hope and purpose in Him.  In his care and protection we want to bear fruit, for we are grateful he didn’t cut us down.

Discussion Questions

• Today, what character in the parable do you see yourself as?  Have you seen yourself as the other characters?
• What does it mean to you to think of Jesus as the Gardener?  Does it make you want to bear fruit?
• How can you offer hope to others who are struggling with it?

Activity Suggestions

Plant a seed or two.  Hope for them to grow.  Talk about the promises that are in a seed and how you never know if/when/or how they will grow fruit.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for being patient with us.  We know sometimes we need extra care and nurturing.  We thank you for saving us.  Help us to see our failures as hope for the future, to use them to help us to learn and grow. Assist us in being patient with others failures.  Thank you for being in our hearts. Amen.

Contributed by Erik Ulstead, West Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

What’s the most heroic thing you’ve seen someone do?

Daring Danger

Firefighters are often called into dangerous circumstances.  Typically, they are asked to rescue people from burning buildings and fiery explosions.  Earlier this month, local firefighters in Kokomo, Indiana found themselves trying to extract a dog from a partially frozen creek.

Like most dogs, Chancellor (or Chance, for short) loved to chase squirrels.  “He’ll chase anything with fur or feathers, but he always comes back,” remarked owner Jimmy Prestler.  Chance pursued the squirrel to a nearby park and onto a patch of ice.  “I’m guessing the squirrel made it across the creek, but the dog didn’t,” said Dave King, battalion chief with the fire department.  A person driving through the park saw the dog fall through the ice and stopped to help, but he was unable to save Chance and called the fire department.

Firefighter Derek Pounds was given the chilly task of rescuing Chance.  After a few minutes Pounds was able to slide across the creek pull the dog out of the water, with the aid of a cold-water rescue suit and an ice sled.  Chance was shaking violently and had icicles frozen to his face.  Pounds wrapped him in a blanket to warm and dry the dog.  King said the dog likely would have died if he’d been in the creek much longer.  “It’s lucky someone saw what happened and called,” he said. “Had he not seen him, the dog would have frozen to death.”

Prestler expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the rescue.  “I think I would have to get therapy if he didn’t survive,” Prestler said.  “Whenever I come home, it’s like seeing my brother after five years.  Chance just goes nuts every time.  They not only saved his life, they saved mine, too.”

Discussion Questions

• When have you seen public servants (firefighters, police officers, road construction workers, etc.) in action?
• What do you think about the owner’s comments about his dog?
• Have you ever been asked to help someone in need? How did you respond?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 24, 2013 (Second Sunday of Lent)

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Luke 13:31-35

(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

There’s a lot going on in these few verses in Luke 13.  Jesus had just wrapped up a teaching and healing spree in various communities outside of Jerusalem.  With each stop along the way, the crowds grew larger.  Everyone wanted to see this Jesus they had heard so much about.  However, not everyone was a fan of Jesus.

Herod, the ruler of that region, recently beheaded John the Baptist, Jesus’ friend and mentor.  Many Pharisees (the nice ones, not the mean ones) were concerned that Herod would come after Jesus next.  They told Jesus to leave Jerusalem and go into hiding.  However, Jesus was defiant, insisting that the work of casting out demons and performing cures was too important for him to hide.

He also pauses for a moment to express his dismay for the whole city of Jerusalem.  Jesus is sad for the way Jerusalem has treated the people God has sent there as prophets and ministers.  Furthermore, he knows that he will suffer a similar fate when he returns (for what we now know as Palm Sunday).

We learn a lot about Jesus in this passage.  First, it’s clear that Jesus is one who protects and heals people who are sick or broken.  Second, we see that Jesus is committed to complete the tasks to which he was called.  Finally, we discover that, regardless of their past, Jesus still has concern for the well-being of the entire community.  Through all of this, Jesus reveals that God has a heart for particular places and times.  God cares about your town…your school…your family…your church.  Like a mother hen covering her chicks, or a firefighter rescuing a dog,  Jesus seeks to protect us – and calls us to shelter others in need.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think the Pharisees are warning Jesus about Herod’s plot?
• Did Jesus make the right choice to stay in Jerusalem?
• Who are some people God is calling you to protect and care for this week?

Activity Suggestions

• Grab some craft sticks and glue.  Attempt to build a building that can’t be knocked over by someone blowing on it.  Talk about how different structures are used to protect people from bad weather or evil people.
• Contact a local animal shelter.  Offer to bring your group to learn about the work they do.  Consider volunteering some time to care for animals or do repairs around their facility.

Closing Prayer

God, we thank you for sending your Son to care for us.  May we provide comfort, hope, and peace to the people we encounter this week.  In Jesus name, amen.

Contributed by Seth Moland-Kovash, Palatine, IL

Warm-up Question

When was the last time you took a standardized state or national or school district-wide test?

Standardized Test

The trend in the last couple of decades in education has been toward more standardized tests. They’re often controversial in negotiations between teachers’ unions and school districts, and in elections. Some people think that teachers should be assessed based on their students’ standardized test scores and some think we need many more factors in assessing how teachers are doing and how much they should be paid. There are more standardized tests given today than ever and lots more importance is given to the results.

One reason for this emphasis on standardized tests is a fear that our education system in the United States is not doing the best job that it could in preparing students. Studies are cited about the performance of American students when compared to students from other countries around the world. People argue about why those results are what they are.  Standardized testing is one of the reasons often cited for the difference and one of the solutions often given for fixing the problem. Here is one example: in this story  The education system of Finland (which is often cited as the best in the world) is also written about as having no standardized testing. One more piece in the argument.

Discussion Questions

• Do you think there is too much emphasis placed on the results of standardized tests in your school? Too little?
• Do you think teacher’s salaries should be determined (a little, or mostly) by the results that their students get on standardized tests?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 17, 2013 (First Sunday in Lent)

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Romans 10:8b-13

Luke 4:1-13

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

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

Gospel Reflection

As we begin the season of Lent, Jesus is given a test. We cannot be sure if this was a standardized test that the devil gave to lots of people, or if it was only for Jesus, which seems much more likely. But the results were surely very important. Jesus was not tested on his knowledge of math or reading or basic geography. Jesus was tested on his faithfulness and his trust in God. Because that’s what faithfulness is all about. We sometimes talk about faithfulness and think it means knowing the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.  Maybe we think it means doing the right things and feeding the poor. Those are all important. But faithfulness is really about trusting God.

Jesus aced his test. He demonstrated trust in God in resisting the devil’s offer of bread, human authority, and doing an amazing trick. Jesus aced his test. This does not mean that we are always going to do the same. We are not always going to have the same kind of trust in God. And the good news of this story is that we do not have to. Jesus trusted God. Jesus resisted the devil. Jesus defeated the devil and all the powers of evil, so we are free. We are free to trust God. We do not HAVE to trust God in order to be safe, we are free to trust God. And, because of Jesus’ faithfulness, even when we do not, we are forgiven and loved by God.

Discussion Questions

• Jesus had some tools that helped him resist the temptation. What do you think they were? How was Jesus able to resist?
• How can you build your own trust in God?

Activity Suggestions

People do not live on bread alone, but God has given us much to share. Bake bread as a group and share it with a food pantry or shelter, demonstrating that you trust God to provide enough so you can share.

Closing Prayer

Good and gracious God, we thank you for the faithfulness and trust of Jesus. Help us to trust you more and more each day. Amen.