Contributed by Rod G. Boriack
Chicago, IL

Warm-up Question:  Have you ever spread some ‘news’ about someone or something only to discover later that it wasn’t exactly true? What was the not-so-true truth you helped spread?  

The King of Pop Michael Jackson… still alive? Who wouldn’t read a little more or stay tuned to find out more, even as crazy as it sounds.

Rumors, stories, online video clips, photos, blogs, so-called proof and eye witnesses, and entire Web sites refuting Jackson’s death have been popping up since the moment we the tragic news this past June 25th. Shades of the King of Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis Presley, who some people say is still alive and well.

Among the latest rumors being spread online is that of a video of Jackson supposedly hopping out the back of the coroner’s van. Nearly 2 million people have viewed the video clip online even though it it’s not very clear and doesn’t show the person’s face or the licence plate number of the coroner’s van.

Other stories and claims of Jackson’s being alive have include an odd assortment of photos, witnesses, theories, and “evidence” of Jackson crossing the border into Mexico, Jackson lounging poolside chatting with friends, faking his death to escape financial problems, hiding out in a bunker to escape the public, and secretly working for the CIA with other supposedly deceased celebrities.  

On the flip side of life, there have also been many instances of false stories or rumors of celebrity deaths spread via social networking sites and user-generated news communities. In almost every instance, the rumored dead celebrity just happened to still be alive to refute the rumors being spread. News — true or not — has never traveled so quickly as it has online, in news communities, or via cell phone techn0logy.

As the no-longer-living (1835-1910) humorist and writer Mark Twain put it, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”  In today’s world, Twain’s comments might have included debunking Tweets, text messages, and viral videos.

Michael Jackson’s burial took place on Thursday, September 3.

Discussion Questions

• OK, just to clear the air, who among you believes Michael Jackson is really dead? (raise hands) Who believes he could still be alive? (raise hands) On what do you base your belief or opinion?
• Who do you trust most when it comes to getting news or information about what’s going on with friends, your school, the community, the world? Are you ever curious enough to check out the facts for yourself, even when your trusted sources have given you the scoop? Why?
• What would be the fastest way to start a rumor or story? If someone spread an untrue or confusing rumor about you, how would you fight it or persuade people to accept your word and truth?  How might the stories or inaccuracies effect your life in not-so positive ways?
• We consider ourselves to be relatively smart and thoughtful human beings, as creatures go. Why then, no matter how wild or inaccurate the rumor or conspiracy theory, are there always people willing to believe or follow? (e.g., believing the earth is flat or that all the moon landings were faked.)  What might people be looking for, questioning, or hoping for?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, 13, 2009.

(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.

• Isaiah 50:4-9a
• Psalm 116:1-9 (9)
• James 3:1-12
• Mark 8:27-38

Scripture Reflection

“Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.”  (Mark 8:27-30)

Don’t tell anyone about me? What’s up with that?

And what about in James? “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters…” (James 3:1) The writer’s not much of a career coach or recruiter. He goes on to say how easy it is to mess up what we say or how we speak to others.

Words are very powerful things, as are the many other ways we communicate with lightening-fast speed in today’s world. In a few seconds, minutes, or hours you can spread news, your opinions, or misinformation — with photos and video — worldwide. What a gift we have (truly)! In Jesus’ day, spreading the word to a very small local area would have been measured in days (very speedy), months (still speedy), years (pretty fast), or even centuries. Think about it… the printing press wasn’t even around until almost 1,500 years later. The camera? 1,800 years later. Internet for the general public? Try almost 2,000 years after Jesus spoke to Peter!

And with this wonderful, technological ability to communicate instantly comes great responsibility. More responsibility than ever before in history.

The messages in Mark and James aren’t meant to shut us down, shut us up, or turn the good news of God’s love for us into a secret. They do, however, say something about how important the gospel is, and how important it is to live, act, and speak in ways that are consistent with our faith and the gospel. We don’t have to be perfect about it — as humans, we can’t be — but we do need to be careful, thoughtful, and responsible with what we say and do because our witness will travel instantly far and wide. And there will be people who will listen, watch, and believe.

The gospel message is important. Studying the Bible, prayer, taking in the witness of others, and talking with each other are all important in developing a deeper sense of what God is doing in the world and what we need to share freely with everyone around us.

Taking this responsibility seriously, what will you say? How will you say it? 

Discussion Questions

• Imagine that Jesus turned to you right now and asked, “Who do you say that I am?” How would you answer him?
• Who have you been reluctant to share your faith with? What holds you back or discourages you? When is it difficult to find the “right” words or actions? When do words and actions of faith flow most freely for you?
• We all have unique gifts and personalities, including in how we communicate with others and express ourselves. How do you prefer or feel best equipped to communicate with others? (Including different media and artistic means. E.g., public speaking, talking with others one-on-one, photography, music, using social networking sites, being quiet and sensitive, advocacy, drawing, Web design, video, listening, physical work, talking on the phone, email, writing, etc.)

Activity Suggestion

Make a list of what you believe are important truths or beliefs of the Christian faith. Do the same for our Lutheran faith tradition. Emphasize that Lutherans are Christians. Create the lists side-by-side. You can also do this in small groups and then bring the lists together to compare and discuss them.

• What are the relationships and connections between the two lists?
• How can these lists guide you in sharing your faith?
• What do you have questions about, want to learn more about, or would love to have some “lively” discussions about? (You could do this as a group by going down each item on the lists and moving along a continuum line from one side of the room to the other, by a show of hands, etc.)

Closing Prayer

By your word, eternal God, your creation sprang forth, and we were given the breath of life. By your word, eternal God, death is overcome, Christ is raised form the tomb, and we are given new life in the power of your Spirit. May we boldly proclaim this good news in our words and our actions, rejoicing always in your powerful presence; through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.

(Prayer for “Spread of the gospel,” Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 75.)

Contributed by Sylvia Alloway
Granada Hills, CA

Warm-up Question:  Think about a person you admire very much, living or dead. Suppose you were called upon to write a tribute to that person’s life and accomplishments. What would you say? 

Senator Edward Kennedy

Senator Edward Kennedy, the last son of what was once called a “dynasty,” died August 25th after a year-long battle with brain cancer. He was 77. Like his slain bothers, John and Robert, Edward, nicknamed Teddy, was known for his charisma, his strong opinions, and his far-reaching political influence. He was re-elected to the Senate nine times by Massachusetts voters and once made an unsuccessful attempt at a presidential nomination.

The Senator’s career spanned the time between the idealistic years of JFK’s presidency and the disillusionment that followed the Vietnam War. He considered it his mission to maintain and advance the progress in civil rights, relief for the poor, fair wages, and equal rights for women begun by his brothers. His most recent efforts were directed at the passing of President Obama’s healthcare bill.

For all his accomplishments, one large blot remains on Senator Kennedy’s record: the drowning death of a young woman in a car he had been driving when it crashed through a bridge. Rumors persist that he used money and influence to avoid charges of negligence in her death.

Friends and relatives gathered for a “Celebration of Life” at the John F. Kennedy library, which included speeches by Senator John McCain, Vice President Joseph Biden and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. President Barack Obama will deliver the eulogy at the funeral Mass at The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Boston, where the service for Kennedy will take place. 

Discussion Questions

• In your opinion what qualities make a person admirable and worthy of praise? Which of these qualities do you think Senator Kennedy had? Which did he not have?
• When a person dies, should we talk only about the good things they did, or should we include their mistakes? Why do you think as you do?
• If you had great political power, what would you use it to accomplish? Why? What would happen after that?
• For more mature students: Can putting in place the right political institutions (assistance for the poor, universal health care, etc.) help us to become better citizens? Why or why not? If they can’t, what can?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, September 6, 2009.

(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.

• Isaiah 35:4-7a
• Psalm 146 (2)
• James 2:1-10 [11-13] 14-17
• Mark 7:24-37

Gospel Reflection

The Gospels portray many sides of Jesus’ ministry and personality. In today’s lesson, we see Jesus the celebrity. But he is not like other public figures. He does not seek or want fame or fortune. He has none of the trappings — no money, no style, no ego, and no fancy mansion. He is simply obeying his Father — the one who sent him (Mark 9:37) — fulfilling the destiny predicted for him (Isaiah 35:5-6a).

But word gets around, even when Jesus warns those he has healed not to talk about it. His fame has spread among the Gentiles and a Greek woman comes to him for help, seeking the healing of her daughter possessed by an unclean spirit. She proves herself more willing to receive Jesus’ message than many Jews, correctly perceiving the scope of his mission. She is persistent and pushes back at Jesus with a sharp response that even the Gentile “dogs” (a slur used by observant Jews at the time) can receive attention and healing from the Messiah.

The deaf and dumb man, too, gets personal attention from none other than the Lord of glory. According to Isaiah, these actions prove that Jesus is the Chosen One through whom we see the power and presence of God. But in these same acts, we also see his caring heart and love for even the humblest of people.

Today’s Psalm tells us to “Praise the Lord (Psalm 146:1),” and “Do not put your trust in princes (Psalm 146:3).” Political leaders, no matter how well-known and well-intentioned, make mistakes, misuse their power, fall, and disappoint. The people who were healed in today’s lesson knew whom to praise and where to put their trust. Jesus did not fail them, nor will he fail us. As he has compassion on us, let us have compassion on others. As we put aside personal fame, attention, and admiration to help people living in hunger, poverty, illness, and injustice, let us show them the One in whom we trust and sends us — Jesus — so that they may believe and follow him, too.

Discussion Questions

• Go back to your list of admirable qualities. Which of these does Jesus show in today’s lesson?
• Are there any attributes you might add as you look at Jesus’ behavior?
• How can we develop these qualities in our own lives?
• Jesus did not seek personal accomplishment, fame, money, or power, the very things society and pop culture tells us are most worthwhile. We are to live like Jesus. What should our mission and goals be as we live out the Christian life? How can we attain them in a world that often does not understand or approve of gospel-centered actions and values?

Activity Suggestions

Activity 1:  Individually, or as a class, list the gospel-centered goals you talked about in question #4. Then list some concrete life goals (study law, write songs, marry and have children, travel, make pizza, etc.). Verbally or in writing, describe how spiritual goals connect with the practical, for instance, how might you practice humility as lawyer? Serve others as a songwriter? Etc.

• Check out the ELCA Imagine Yourself young adult Web site and what it has to share about vocation, life, and “being who God created you to be!”

Activity 2:  In groups, take the list of desired traits (the groups may add some if they wish) and rank them in order of importance in living a life of Christian witness and service. Discuss why you ranked them as you did. Choose one or two individuals from each group to report to the class on how they ordered the traits and why. This activity may also be done as a discussion with entire class. Note and respect the variations of opinion and decisions between groups or individuals.

Suggested Songs

• “Here I Am, Lord,” Evangelical Lutheran Worship, #574
• “Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love,” ELW, #708
• “Take My Life That I May Be,” ELW, #685
• “When the Poor Ones,” ELW, #725
• “One Bread, One Body,” ELW, #496

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, our Father, all we have comes from you and without you we are nothing. Re-form our desires and goals, so that we may live the abundant life you have for us — a life of selflessness, service, generosity, and joy. We pray this in the name of your blessed Son whose example we follow — Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Contributed by Jay Gamelin 
Pastor of Jacob’s Porch, ELCA campus mission to The Ohio State University

Warm-up Question:  What is a tradition in your family you would love to see continue? Perhaps think of holidays or vacations or eating dinner together. What is a tradition you wish would go away? Perhaps how mom always asks you to recite the Gettysburg address every July 4th, even though you’re not 8-years-old anymore.

The traditional -- and very messy -- tomato food fight of La Tomatina Fiesta of Buñol (Valencia), Spain.

The world is the canvas and festivals are the paint. Every year, people gather in campgrounds, state fairs, amphitheaters, back yards, city streets, and parks to celebrate culture, music, and tradition. One thing you can count on — each festival maintains its own identity by highlighting the fun, local, and sometimes downright weird. Here are a few unusual festivals occurring around the United States and abroad.

The Wooly Worm Festival of Banner Elk, NC, celebrates tiny wooly caterpillars that come out in droves each fall. The highlight of the festival is the wooly worm race in which contestants race their own segmented caterpillar up a piece of string against other worms. The winner leaves with the pride of their worm being the fastest of the festival.

And what is a festival without a certain amount of saliva hurled at great speed? The Rossville, KS, Tall Corn Festival highlight is a corn kernel spitting contest. The Blenheim Cherry Fest (Ontario, Canada) includes a cherry pit spitting contest. However the most serious about the art of spitting seeds must be the people in Luling, TX, in the Luling Watermelon Thump festival. This is the home to the world championship of watermelon seed spitting, the record being 68 feet, 9 and 1/8 inches by a local man in 1989. In addition to the watermelon spitting contest, the Luling Watermelon Thump includes a watermelon carving contest which would not be so unusual if it were not a requirement that the carving be worn like a hat.

In Tibet, on their annual new year festival, Buddhist monks pay tribute by creating enormous colorful sculptures from yak butter. Sculptures of the Buddha, flowers, birds, ancient people, and homes attract 150,000 people annually. Sculptures can take anywhere from a few days to a month to create.

Some other unusual festivals include the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling Contest in Gloucester, England, the Frozen Dead Guy Days of Nederland, CO, which celebrates all things macabre, the Australian Darwin’s Beer Can Regatta where competitors build boats of beer cans, and the famous La Tomatina Fiesta of Buñol (Valencia), Spain, which hosts the world’s largest food fight. More than 90,000 pounds of tomatoes are hurled about the town square resulting in one fun, gooey, sticky time. Remarkably, within hours of the event, the town square is back to normal. The smell however takes a few days and a perhaps a few rainstorms to get rid of.

Discussion Questions

• What traditions does your town, school, or state have that one might find unusual? Try to see them from an outsider’s point of view and describe the tradition.
• What sort of traditions does your church have that you think are important to your identity as a parish? Make a list of some of the studies, programs, and events your church does regularly. Would you call these unique to your church?
• How would you describe your worship? Traditional? Contemporary? Mixed? Something else? Describe the traditions within your service that would make it recognizable as such.

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, August 30, 2009.

(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.

• Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
• Psalm 15 (1)
• James 1:17-27
• Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Gospel Reflection

Tradition is a beautiful thing. It helps ground us in our history. In a way, it is how the ancient continue to teach us today, by handing down ideas and thoughts and habits through our traditions. Tradition’s roots are to be honored and adored and truly respected. But what happens when we begin to lose sight of these roots and begin to focus on tradition itself? What happens when we begin to honor the tradition rather than what tradition points to?

In our lesson today, the Pharisees confront Jesus for not holding to ceremonial washing traditions. These traditions probably come from important reasons; ways to keep hands, food, and dishes clean so that diseases do not get passed on. Or perhaps the traditions help ingratiate the washer with thankfulness toward God who has provided the meal, the dishes, the time, and everything to put a meal together. The tradition comes from holy roots, roots designed to teach us about ourselves, God, and how to care for one another’s health. However, the Pharisees have focused so much upon the tradition that they have forgotten the reason. Tradition existed for its own sake, to be done because it was “supposed” to be done, not because it pointed beyond itself.

Jesus points out that cleanliness does not come from activity alone but from a place much deeper. What does it mean that someone follows all the rules of hand-washing but does not care for the other? (see the list from Mark 7:21-22) Cleanliness is not what we do, but is a way of life. Tradition is not the point. It is what the tradition points to, that is the point.

When we think of tradition in the church, we often think of worship. For many, traditional worship is a holy experience, a beautiful and transforming act that re-centers us in God and our community. In more contextual worship, or what you might call contemporary, they too come with their own traditions and ways of doing things, if done a little different from so called traditional worship. But isn’t it easy to go through the motions in either and not think about what we are doing? It isn’t like us to get so tied in what we are supposed to do that we forget why we do it? Isn’t the goal about “who” we worship and not “how” we worship?

Many of our own worshipping traditions have grown out of our theology, and also from our culture. Just like the festivals, worship is born of where they were grown. A wooly worm festival would not work in a place where there are no wooly worms. Butter carvings would melt in Arizona sunshine and some people just might find a Frozen Dead Guy festival too dark and depressing to attend. For their culture, it makes sense, but for others they may feel strange. So too, our worship reflects the culture from where they were born. For some, our culture is a white, western European, culture. This culture gave birth to what we may call “traditional” Lutheran worship. For others, they worship from an African American culture, Caribbean culture, Native American culture, or just about any culture you can imagine; these, too, are “traditional” in that they may be born of their culture’s traditions in worship.

This doesn’t mean that one group worships the right way and the others do not, it only means we can worship in many ways with many traditions and in many languages. God is present in all these places of worship, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable you are. The goal is not the act of worship but the God in and with whom we worship. This is the root of all worship, traditional and contemporary and cultural.

When we invite someone to worship with us, we invite them not to the “usual” but to the “unusual” of our particular congregation. We invite them into our own traditions and ways of worshipping. It is our hope to invite them into our traditions not as an act but as a way of pointing to God. Our hope is that we may not find ourselves so tied to the outside cleanliness of the act that we forget where our tradition points us, to an unfettered relationship with the Creator.

Quotables:

• “Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.”
  Barbara Tober, president of Acronym, Inc
• “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.”
  W. Somerset Maugham, English Playwright and Novelist
• “Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can’t even describe, aren’t even aware of.”
  Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist
• “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.”
  G. K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936), theologian
• “Traditionalists often study what is taught, not what there is to create.”
  Ed Parker, Grandmaster, American Kenpo

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever been to a worship service that made you feel uncomfortable or like an outsider? What was it that made you feel this way?
• Do you think there is a wrong way to worship? Share your thoughts on why or why not.
• Think about your church and the worship service(s). Imagine you are a guest to the church, you have never been to church before in your life and you have never heard of Jesus. What are things you do in your church, things you may call a tradition that a guest might find strange or unusual? Kneeling? Raising hands? What points to and describes our relationship with God?

Activity Suggestion

Resident Alien

Have the group walk through their usual worship service. Think of everything they do as a part of normal worship: standing, sitting, kneeling, how the pastor dresses, the songs that are sung, musical instruments used, confession, passing the peace, raising hands, laying on of hands, folding hands, bowing heads, languages spoken, how Communion is distributed, who helps lead worship, art and symbols, how you enter and leave worship, etc. Make a list of these things on a black board, newsprint, or just a sheet of paper. Now take a look at these things from an outsider’s point of view.

Discuss:

• Describe how it may feel as a guest to encounter these things.
• Discuss what you think the point or purpose of these acts may be. Why do we kneel? Why do we or perhaps just the pastor hold hands a certain way when praying? Why do we use some instruments and not others to lead the service?
• What do you think your worship says about your church? What things would you say are important to your congregation, and are shown by what you do or do not do in worship? What does your worship say about you? What does it say about God? About Jesus? The Spirit?
• Lastly, what would happen if someone tried or did something unusual in your service? How would people react? Are there good reasons for this reaction? What are they? How about negative reasons? What are they?

Closing Prayer

Jesus, you teach us not to focus on the outside things but rather the inside deeper cleanliness you have given us through your death and resurrection. It can be so easy for us to be distracted by how we worship that we forget it is you to whom we give thanks and praise. Forgive us for claiming we know best, and open our hearts so that we may worship you with our hearts as well as in our holy traditions. Help us to remember the reasons for our actions. We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Contributed by Matthew R. Nelson
Walla Walla, WA

Warm-up Question: Have you ever been discouraged enough to give up on an idea, project, or goal?

Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was convicted of violating her house arrest on Tuesday after an uninvited American stayed at her home. She is to serve an additional 18-month sentence.

Suu Kyi’s detention has already spanned 14 of the last 20 years, most under house arrest. The additional sentence will effectively remove her from contact with the public leading up to next year’s elections in Myanmar (Burma).

U.S. citizen John Yettaw swam a restricted lake to reach the home of Suu Kyi after claiming he had a vision of an assassination attempt on her life. He will receive three years for breaching her house arrest and three years for swimming in a restricted zone. He is scheduled to serve his sentences consecutively at Insein prison. (John Yettaw was freed on Sunday, Aug. 16, after international pressure and the visit of a U.S. senator.)

The maximum sentence for Suu Kyi was to be five years in prison or three years hard labor. By order of Chief Senior General Than Shwe, her sentence, as well as those of her house companions, was commuted to be served at home, a move the junta leader said would help maintain stability and peace.

South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu denounced the trial as illegal and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the trial should never have taken place.

International reaction has ranged from requests for a global arms embargo of Myanmar, to public statements from Amnesty International calling the sentence for Suu Kyi shameful legal theater since it comes just weeks before her current sentence was to expire.

Discussion Questions

• Can you name a person whose authority or decision making powers you respect? Has that person and his or her decisions always lived up to your expectations? If not, how did you express your feelings or opinions to them?
• Can you name a situation when peer pressure influenced you in your decision making? Did it help or did you feel uncomfortable with the decision you made? Why?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, August 23, 2009.

(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.

• Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
• Psalm 34:15-22 (15)
• Ephesians 6:10-20
• John 6:56-69

Gospel Reflection

The Gospel today presents a true crossroad and genuine question for those who follow Christ, both then and now. At the heart of the matter is not Christ’s identity, but our identity in and through Christ.

Crowds gathered around Jesus for all kinds of reasons: curiosity, healing, political and religious power. Today’s Gospel takes all of those and lays down the pre-crucifixion groundwork, looking for listening ears and willing hearts. “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” (vs. 56)  And, “…I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.” (vs. 57) Jesus’ words, body, and spirit bring eternal life. Yet even as he taught in the synagogue in Capernaum, his disciples complained and questioned him. Many left, and only the twelve remained. (vs. 65-69)

Suu Kyi is the daughter of Aung San, a hero who is credited with winning Myanmar’s independence from Britain. By keeping her under house arrest, the military can conduct future elections without her influence on the public. There is more control when she is controlled in this situation, even as international pressure mounts for her release.

The expectations surrounding Jesus provided political and religious division and turmoil soon after today’s lesson. Jesus did not bow to pressure from any side or faction. He continued to teach of God’s revelation of love through himself, and through those chosen to hear and understand his words. Ultimate control was not, and is not, in the hands of  humans. God’s love is revealed and exercised in and through Jesus’ words and actions no matter what we do, decide, or think we have control over.

God has chosen us to be participants in the fullness of eternal life through Christ. It is both invitation and gift — at the same time. What will our response be as we face political, religious, and social challenges in today’s world?

Discussion Questions

• What difficult choices do you think we face as modern day Christians and Lutherans? Are you more likely to participate in discussion and action or quietly sit in the background when it comes to these issues and choices? Why?
• Is there an issue in your community that you feel strongly about? Have you taken action about that issue? Why? Why not?
• Discuss how the ELCA and its ministries are active in the world. What does the ELCA’s new tagline “God’s work. Our hands.” say to you about our church and its mission. What does it suggest or describe? What does it say about you?

Activity Suggestions

The ELCA holds its 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minnesota, August 17-23, 2009. The theme is “God’s work. Our hands.” The issues being considered for action are: 

• Full communion with the United Methodist Church
• “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” a proposed ELCA social statement
• Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies
• Possible social statement on justice for women
• Funding of the HIV and AIDS strategy
• Lutheran Malaria Initiative
• Amendments to the ELCA Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions
• 2010, 2011 budget proposals for ELCA churchwide organization
• Memorials
• Resolutions
• Elections

(Learn more about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, its purpose and structure, who can attend and vote, and the issues and actions being considered.)

Study the agenda and pray for your congregation’s voting members at the Churchwide Assembly, and the representatives of our synodical and churchwide leadership. Once you’ve learned some of the background, discuss what opinions and convictions exist in your own group. 

• How would you vote on different issues?
• How do the outcomes and decisions effect your life?
• Knowing that there are many differing opinons and thoughts across the church, how can we work to continue living as a community of believers exercising grace, understanding, respect, honesty, and open conversation with each other?

Plan a class session to follow up on the voting results of the assembly.
 

Request permission to have a representative of your class attend a church council meeting and report back to the class the following Sunday (or whenever you meet). Note any opportunities to participate in the ministries of your congregation, both large and small. Choose a project or a way of being involved that the class or individuals can follow up on with the church council or congregational leadership.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, you have the words of eternal life. Bless our churchwide representatives as they faithfully discuss, consider, and make decisions on issues important in our lives, church, and society. Continue to motivate each of us to take action when called upon to do so, that your life and love may ever be glorified. Amen.

Contributed by Pastor Scott A. Moore
Eisleben, Germany

Warm-up Question:  What do you eat or drink when you need energy real fast? And, when you need long-lasting energy?

Once again, it is very cool to be a vampire.

The recent best-seller series, Twilight, with a second movie installment on the way, and the HBO series True Blood (adapted from the Southern Vampire Mysteries, novels written by Charlaine Harris) prove the public’s thirst for this most sanguine of themes.

These stories have not just filled the imaginations of many young people (not to mention quite a few older folk), they have also worked very hard to help us see the mysterious and supernatural in our hum-drum, everyday (read: boring) lives. Beautiful, interesting, and extremely talented vampires in our towns and in our schools… a much better sell than in the days of dreary Transylvania with a pasty-complexioned man wearing an old, dusty tuxedo who sleeps in a coffin and says, “I vant to zuck your bloooood” and then turns into a bat and flies away.

Where the Twilight story is satisfied with living within its created fantasy world, the creators of True Blood have decided to work at blurring the line between that Southern fantasy world and the world in which we live. HBO, with the help of the marketing firm, Digital Kitchen, created 30 fake ads for products by real companies we all know, all geared for those blood drinkers living among us. This campaign is striving to create an air of authenticity in order to help viewers believe the story.

Discussion Questions

• Where you afraid of vampires as a little kid?
• What do you find intriguing or repulsive about the vampire legends in general?
• What do you appreciate about the particular vampire stories that are told in Twilight or True Blood?
• Why do you think there is such a huge interest in the vampire legends these days?
• What do you imagine living forever would look like? What would you be willing to do in order to achieve that? Where would you draw the line?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, August 16, 2009.

(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 at Lectionary Readings.)

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

• Proverbs 9:1-6
• Psalm 34:9-14 (10)
• Ephesians 5:15-20
• John 6:51-58

Gospel Reflection

In the first years of the Church, after Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples did what he commanded them to do. They made disciples by teaching and baptizing, they preached, and they gathered around the table and shared in that special meal Christ instituted for them known by a variety of names: the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist, just to name a few. Jesus says in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, “take and eat, this is my body… take and drink, this is my blood”. And here in the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”

The Jewish leaders in our Gospel story ask the question that has troubled believers and non-believers alike for centuries: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” How indeed? The idea of really eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood has bothered many for 20 centuries. It seems somehow really gross.

We don’t seem to be too bothered, however, by the idea of this kind of eating and drinking when we think about Edward Cullen or Jessica Hamby eating flesh or drinking blood (and yes, all of the die-hard vampire fans will say, “They only drink blood!”). It doesn’t seem to gross us out that much. We shy away from really trying to sit with the idea of what that means when we think about the miracle-working and eternal Son of God, who doesn’t need to eat and drink but instead gives himself for our consumption. Jesus is like the anti-vampire, who lives and gives his life for those who feast on him. It is easier to quickly think about Jesus words as a mere signs. He couldn’t have really meant what he said, could he?

A good question for those of us who celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus by sharing in this special meal might be: why do we believe and teach these strong and vivid words of eating and drinking Jesus if there isn’t something more going on than eating some bread and drinking some wine? Why would Jesus say, “this is my flesh, this is my blood… those who eat of my flesh and drink of my blood have eternal life… my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink”?

There are certainly many ways to twist and turn Jesus’ words in order to make them more palatable or easy to digest. We do know, however, that Jesus gave himself to us. Not only in the cross, not only in the words we share, but also in a meal. Bread and wine, broken and shared. Christ’s true body. Christ’s true blood. It doesn’t get more authentic than that.

Discussion Questions

(Information on communion in ELCA Worship’s FAQs. Some of these FAQs may be helpful background for your discussion.)

• What do you think about when you receive (or watch others receive) communion?
• Why do you think Jesus shared his body and blood with the world this way?
• What form of “bread and wine” do you prefer or think is best? (wafers, bread, wine, grape juice) Why?
• What different forms of receiving the bread and wine of Eucharist have you experienced? (at a rail, passing and giving to each other, separate small cups of wine, common cup, intinction, kneeling, standing, walking by a “station”, etc.) Which do you prefer or think is best? And why?
• How would you explain Communion/Eucharist/Lord’s Supper to a friend who doesn’t know what Christians do?

Activity Suggestion

Same-day activity
Learn how to set the table/altar for Eucharist. With help from someone in your congregation, see what your congregation uses for wine and bread. Find out what all the various things on the altar/table are and what they mean.

Few-day activity
Make a communion set for your congregation out of pottery or wood. There are lots of opportunities to talk about the meaning of the Eucharist during this kind of activity.

Long-term activity
Train and send participants either for a one-time experience or as permanent members on home communion visits. If you do not have this kind of ministry, talk about establishing one.

Closing Prayer

O God, who sustains and upholds us, we hunger and thirst for you in our lives. Feed us with your love, feed us with your truth, and feed us with the life-giving power of your Son, Jesus Christ, the Bread of Heaven. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.