Samantha Johnson, Jacksonville, NC

Warm-up Question

Have you ever made a surprising connection with a stranger? 

Unlikely Friendship

When Detroit Police Officer Marcus Harris II got a call to check in on an individual sleeping at an abandoned gas station, he found far more than he ever expected. 

At first, Corporal Harris went through the motions, offering the man, Adrian Hugh, a bus ticket back to California. Offering one-way bus tickets is a common strategy that cities use to cut down on the number of homeless people living on the streets. 

But after taking time to talk and get to know one another, Corporal Harris and Hugh realized that there was more they could do together than apart. Hugh explained that before Corporal Harris came into his life, he was at his lowest point, ready to give up. But Corporal Harris went above and beyond, helping Hugh get the services he needed right there in Detroit, including replacing his stolen ID cards, finding emergency shelter, applying for housing, writing a resume, and even finding a job.

They found an unlikely friendship in one another, restoring hope for both men. 

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever learned something new from a police officer or a person experiencing homelessness? 
• It is easy to list the ways that Hugh benefited from his friendship with Corporal Harris. What do you think Corporal Harris might have gained from his friendship with Hugh?

Third Sunday in Lent

Exodus 17:1-7

Romans 5:1-11

John 4:5-42

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

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

Gospel Reflection

I think it’s safe to assume that both Jesus and the Samaritan felt unsure about how their interaction would go when they first encountered one another. 

Many of us who have heard this story before, come to it with some assumptions about the Samaritan woman. John Piper, a popular preacher and prolific author, describes her as “a worldly, sensually-minded, unspiritual harlot from Samaria.” However, a careful look at the text in its cultural context reveals that these are not among the assumptions Jesus makes. 

It is more likely, therefore, that her five husbands came and went due to factors outside of her control. Perhaps she was a widow, or maybe her husbands divorced her for being infertile. It is even possible that her husbands divorced her to marry someone else. Maybe her many marriages were the result of a combination of these possibilities. The truth is that we aren’t given an explanation for why she was married so many times, but it’s more likely that she was a victim than a harlot. 

With this fresh perspective on the woman, we can see that what Jesus recognizes in her is not a sinful past in need of redeeming. Instead, Jesus recognizes in her is a kindred openness to God’s word, determination to discover the truth, and boldness to proclaim the gospel to all who will listen.

The woman never would have found the freedom of the gospel if Jesus had maintained the status quo. But the gospel never would have reached so many Samaritan saints if the woman had not been open to Jesus’ invitation. Their unlikely friendship changed the lives of all those involved and continues to inspire us even today. 

Discussion Questions

• How do you think Jesus expected the conversation to go? Do you think it went as he expected or do you think he was surprised by the unlikely friendships he found among the woman and the people of the city?
• The woman learned about the freedom and everlasting life that Jesus promises his followers. What do you think Jesus gained from his friendship with the woman? 
• Assumptions keep us apart but conversations driven by curiosity draw us together. Whether it is a specific person or a type of person, who are you feeling called to engage in curious conversation? 

Activity Suggestions

Homelessness carries a great deal of stigma. Many people, even Christians, assume people who are experiencing homelessness are lazy or deserve to be on the streets. Challenge yourself to play this game to learn more about the difficult and risky choices people in poverty are facing every day.  

Closing Prayer

Jesus our friend, you came among us out of love in order to know us more, show us your way, and bless us with your love and grace. Empowered by your spirit, send us out with open minds and softened hearts so that we may bless others with that same love and grace you have shown us. Amen.

Steven Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever been in a seemingly hopeless situation, then been given a second chance?

Survivors

When a building collapses, there’s an estimated 48-hour window during which trapped victims might be rescued. More generous estimates expand that to five or six days, maximum. Beyond that, the odds of survival decrease significantly. But after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey on February 6^th, rescue teams were still pulling survivors from the rubble nearly 10 days later!

One 13 year old boy, Mustafa, was trapped for 228 hours. “I have no clue how he survived,” said rescue worker Uğur Sevgin. “Because as the excavator was in operation, there was more debris falling all around… Then from the rubble, we got him out, digging him out by hand.”

Rescue worker Özer Aydinli added, “When [they] said, ‘We found a person alive,’ we thought, ‘No, they must be hallucinating.’ We couldn’t believe it. But it is a miracle. The only thing we can say is that this is a great miracle.”

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think rescue workers have been able to find these survivors so far past the 48-hour window?
• Do you think the survivors’ lives will be different going forward? How do you think Mustafa and the others will choose to live, having so narrowly escaped death?
• If you were trapped somewhere and feared there was no hope of rescue, what would you regret not doing? What’s the first thing you would do once you were rescued?

Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 12:1-4a

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

John 3:1-17

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

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

Gospel Reflection

This has to be one of the most familiar passages in the Bible. John 3:16 is one of the first verses most of us learn and we can recite it by heart. But what does it really mean? More importantly, what does it mean in the context of the rest of the passage? Well, there’s a reason why it’s become one of the core teachings of Christianity: because the stakes are life and death. 

When Nicodemus comes to Jesus, hoping to learn from him, Jesus tells him something puzzling: “You must be born again.” An old man can’t go back into his mother’s womb, can he? But Jesus clarifies that this new birth isn’t a physical one, but one of water and the Spirit. Nicodemus remains confused, but to us, the message is clear: Following Jesus means much more than just seeking guidance from a wise teacher. It means having an entirely new life.

Jesus continues the new life imagery in a different way when he references Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness. In Numbers 21, God sends venomous snakes into the Israelite camp, as punishment for their latest round of blasphemy. Many are bitten and dying.

But then God tells Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Any of the Israelites who look at the bronze snake won’t die, but will instead be healed. In using this analogy, Jesus demonstrates the stakes  to Nicodemus. Without being born again of water and the Spirit, we will surely die.

The good news is that we don’t have to. Just as Moses lifted up a snake on a pole to save the Israelites, Jesus was also lifted up—on the cross. And if we look to the cross and believe in him, then we too can be saved from death. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Discussion Questions

1. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. In light of how some Pharisees viewed Jesus, what do you think it meant for Nicodemus that he went to seek guidance from Jesus? Do you think visiting him was a tough decision?
2. Part of being given new life means leaving your old life behind. What are some aspects of your old life that you need to leave in the past, in order to follow Jesus?
3. Like Mustafa and the other survivors pulled from the rubble in Turkey, how will you choose to live going forward, knowing that you too have escaped death?

Activity Suggestions

Read the story of Moses and the bronze serpent in Numbers 21:4-9. Make a list of the ways the story mirrors our salvation from sin.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, help us to turn from our old lives and fully embrace our new lives in you. Grant that we may always look to the cross, so that when death comes to us, we can be assured of eternal life. Amen.

Grace Heimerdinger-Baake, Pearl City, IL

Warm-up Question

Have you ever had to stand against the norm to honor and respect your values? How did you handle the temptation to conform to the norm? 

Stand Firm

Students of all races at Collingswood High School in South Jersey recently protested two straight days over allegations of racism in their school. During the peaceful demonstration, students protested racial profiling, lack of inclusivity, and how their Black classmates are disproportionately disciplined. 

In a recorded statement student Abygail St. Louis shares her frustration and why it has come to protesting for equal rights for her and her classmates. She says she would rather be in the classroom. 

The superintendent of the district expressed concern over the students’ allegations and applauded the organization of a peaceful protest to share their concerns. In conversations with the students, Superintendent Fred McDowell shared that “in order for us to find a path forward, students have to be at the table” to do the work and find the solutions. 

Discussion Questions

• The students at Collingswood High School protested two straight days before steps were made to address the allegations of racism. Are we truly listening to the members of our communities who go against the norm and speak up?
• If you were a student at Collingwood High School, would you have been tempted to joined the protest or stayed in class? Why?
• The activist who helped the students organize posted on his Facebook page, “They can’t stop up. Let’s show then we not gonna be silent anymore.” In addition to racism, what other social justice issues are we being silent about? 

First Sunday of Lent

Genesis 2:15-17

Romans 5:12-19

Matthew 4:1-11

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Immediately following Jesus’ baptism, he is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. While in the wilderness, Jesus is isolated from his friends and family, fasting for forty days and nights.  Talk about a challenge of faith! During his time in the wilderness, Jesus is approached three times by a figure who temps him to stray from God’s path. 

Jesus is hungry. The tempter attempts to convince Jesus to turn the stones into bread. Jesus stands true to the scripture and responds, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3).’” 

The tempter tries again with something a little bit more difficult. He suggests that Jesus prove that he is the Son of God by jumping off a cliff.  The devil quotes Psalm 91:11-12, implying that surely God will protect Jesus by sending the angels to catch him. Jesus replies, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test (Deuteronomy 6:16).’” 

Finally, the tempter takes Jesus to a very high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms of the world. All Jesus has to do, the tempter says, is bow down to the devil, and he will rule all the kingdoms. Jesus rejects this path, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only (Deuteronomy 6:13).’” 

Perhaps the key take away from this passage is how Jesus resists temptations. In all three instances, Jesus’ answers Satan with scripture. Alone and hungry, Jesus clings to the Word of God for support and guidance.

Both the gospel lesson and the story of the students at Collingswood High School give us a glimpse of what is possible when we stand firm in our convictions.  We can speak out against the injustice our neighbors face in communities throughout the world. The walk of faith and the fight for justice are never easy, but Jesus is with us as we confront difficulties and opposition. 

Discussion Questions

• Jesus relied on Scripture to stand true during his time in the wilderness.  What Biblical passages do you rely on for support and guidance during difficult times? 
• What is the easiest part about being a Christian in your life?  What is the hardest part?

Activity Suggestion

• Create a collection of verses focused on strength, consolation, and guidance. Write each verse on a Post-It and place them on the bulletin board or wall in your space. People may take a Post-It to refer to whenever they need strength to face a challenging situation. 

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, we thank you for your guidance and how your Word offers us direction. We thank you for Jesus, who offers us inspiration when we face temptation. And we thank you for your love, which calls us to action. Help us to stand true and do hard things. Amen. 

Brian Hiortdahl, Sacramento, CA

Warm-up Question

What activity or pursuit do you stick with even though it is difficult for you to do?

Already

Dr. Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was a celebrated poet, author, teacher, filmmaker, and civil rights activist, among other roles and accomplishments. When interviewed upon being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Angelou reflected:  “I’m always amazed when people walk up to me and say,  “‘I’m a Christian.’ I think, ‘Already? You’ve already got it?’ I’m working at it…”

http://bingenow.com/video?vidid=1755

Discussion Questions

• What point do you think Angelou is making about being a Christian?
• Do you consider yourself a Christian? Why or why not? What does “being a Christian” mean to you?
• What aspect of Christianity are you working on … or, perhaps more accurately, how is Christ working on you?

Transfiguration of Our Lord

Exodus 24:12-18

2 Peter 1:16-21

Matthew 17:1-9

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

Not long before they ventured up the mountain, Peter confessed for the first time that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) This insight, which Jesus credits to his Father, is now validated by the Voice from the cloud. There is further validation from the presence of two legendary witnesses, Moses and Elijah. (For more about the importance of two witnesses, see: https://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/january-8-2016-real-fake/.) The details of the scene—radiance, Moses, Elijah, cloud, mountain, voice—combine to present an overwhelming testimony to the unrivaled authority of Jesus, which will be reinforced after his resurrection (Matthew 28:18).

Why now? Immediately after Peter’s confession, Jesus states for the first time that he must suffer greatly and be killed. When Peter protests, Jesus scolds Peter, who goes from “Blessed” to “Satan” in only 6 verses! Peter’s subsequent attempt to confine Jesus, Moses, and Elijah to permanent mountaintop glory reveals that he still doesn’t get it.

Peter is experiencing what Maya Angelou talked about. Understanding, accepting, and following Jesus is not easy. He says so many difficult things. Consider:

+ Turn the other cheek … give your coat also … go the second mile (Matthew 5:39-41)

+ Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)

+ Do not judge (Matthew 7:1)

+ I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16)

+ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37)

+ If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24)

You get the idea:  it’s crazy hard.

Perhaps that explains why the Voice from the cloud said “listen to him!”  The Greek verb communicates continuing action: “keep listening to him!” It’s not a one-and-done; it’s an ongoing assignment and commitment. Martin Luther understood this. The first of his ninety-five theses states it clearly: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent,” [Matt 4:17], he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

At this turning point in the gospel, it’s especially crucial for God to overcome Peter’s selective hearing (and ours) about what being the Messiah means, so God sets off extra fireworks to get our attention. God is making sure we all get it: keep listening to him! Don’t resist the cross. Don’t tune Jesus out when he says what we don’t want to hear. Don’t quit when it gets hard. Stick with it. Stick with him. And as you struggle along the difficult way of Jesus, keep listening to one more thing he says: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:12)

Discussion Questions

• What saying of Jesus is the hardest for you to accept and to live?
• What daily practice helps you to “keep listening” to Jesus?
• When have you been overwhelmed by glory? What did you learn from that amazing experience?

Activity Suggestions

• Learn more about Maya Angelou and/or other Black saints and witnesses during February (Black History Month). Groups can create a list of names, assign one name to each participant, then have each participant share a brief biography and a quote from that person.
• Read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and select one sentence to post in your room on Ash Wednesday (February 22). Read that sentence every day in Lent and let it work on you as you work on it.

Closing Prayer

Open our ears, Lord. We want to hear Jesus, especially when we don’t. Amen.

Jen Krausz, Bethlehem, PA

Warm-up Question

Would you say you are proud to live in America? If not, where would you like to live instead?

From the Heart

A new poll by Morning Consult, released in January, showed that only 16% of Generation Z adults (ages 18-25) said they were proud to live in America. 

Looking at all adult age groups, 52% said they were proud to live in America and 73% of the oldest generation, Baby Boomers, said they were proud to live in the U.S. Even millennials, the next closest age group to Gen Z, saw 20% more of its members saying they were proud to live in America, although still a minority at 36%. 

Pollsters cited COVID-19 lockdowns, social unrest, and a focus on inequality and police brutality as some possible reasons why our youngest generation might have lost a sense of what they call American Exceptionalism, or the feeling that America is a country that they can be proud of.

Many in the younger generation now seem to group America with other nations that “regularly repress civil rights,” and they have a lower degree of trust in U.S. government institutions than older generations. 

This change has taken place in only about the last ten years. In 2013, 85% of Americans said they were “extremely or very” proud to be American. It was only in 2016—7 years ago—that the percentage dropped below 80%. 

It is possible that most young people just don’t know what the rest of the world is like. They may not realize how good most people have it here in the U.S., despite its problems.

It’s also possible that they hold an impossibly high standard for the kind of country that could earn their patriotism. Perhaps the youth of today are simply absorbing too many of the negative messages put out by the media, their teachers, and some of their parents about America, and have decided that it’s not such a great place after all.

Discussion Questions

• Is the media too negative in how it portrays the news? Do you think negative news is bringing people’s opinions about America down?
• What kinds of positive news stories would you like to see covered in the place of the negative stories? How might stories about people helping others or doing what is right help Gen Z feel better about their country?
• In what ways can America still be seen as a beacon of light to other countries? What more could America as a country do to help people around the world?

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Matthew 5:21-37

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

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

Gospel Reflection

In this Gospel lesson, The Sermon on the Mount moves from the hopeful-sounding Beatitudes into a more difficult portion of teaching. The Ten Commandments are hard enough to keep—does Jesus really have to make them harder? 

Jesus has two main goals with his teachings about the requirements of the law, which state that even thinking about doing something wrong to another person is just as bad as doing it.  First, he wants to relate the law to people’s hearts. If you feel malice (anger, bitterness, jealously, or any negative emotion) toward someone but you don’t act on it, what does that do to your heart? What does it show about your heart?  Jesus’ point is that there’s often something wrong with our hearts even if our outer actions seem okay.  Our negative feelings can alert us that we have more work to do before the love in our hearts can be the dominant force in the the way we act toward others. 

Second, Jesus wants to show everyone that they need God’s grace and forgiveness, because they can’t keep God’s laws perfectly. Jesus is not just imposing an impossibly high standard here, he’s exposing the truth about why God gave laws to the Israelites in the first place. 

He wants us to know that we can never please God by merely keeping the letter of the law, because, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). 

As in so many of Jesus’ teachings, he is showing people that God doesn’t just desire obedience, God desires to be known by us, and for us to know God at a heart level. 

We follow God’s laws imperfectly like all who have come before us, all the way back to Adam and Eve. God knew this would happen. In Jesus, God makes a way for us to be reconciled and transformed by focusing on what’s happening in our hearts and how that impacts what we say and do.

Discussion Questions

• What was the hardest part of this teaching by Jesus? Why was it so hard for you to hear?
• Think about a time when you had negative emotions in your heart toward someone else. What happened as a result? 
• Choose one of the following responses to Jesus’s teaching in these verses and explain to your group why you reacted that way:

1. 1. I give up. It’s impossible to keep the 10 Commandments the way Jesus describes, so I’m not even going to try. 
   2. My heart isn’t always in the right place, and I’m going to pay more attention to that as I follow Jesus. 
   3. As long as I don’t get angry with anyone or wish them harm, I’m doing everything right. 
   4. I reject all rules and laws; I’m just going to live life my way. 

Activity Suggestions

• Choose an activity your group can do to support your country in some way. For example, attend a parade together, bake cookies for a military veteran, or offer to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at a local sporting event. You don’t have to love everything about America to show support for your homeland. 

• Write a short prayer of confession you can say when the state of your heart isn’t what you know Jesus wants it to be. Don’t forget to thank Jesus for forgiving you and ask him to help you change your heart to be more loving to others. 

Closing Prayer

God of grace, you care about our hearts because you know they lead us to you and to loving others. Thank you for forgiving us when we fall short of your holy standard. In Jesus’ name, Amen.