Mary Ellen Helms, Loveland, Ohio

Warm-up Question

Describe your favorite food as best you can without naming any of the ingredients.

A Matter of Taste

The science of taste is fascinating, perhaps because food is a universal part of our daily lives. We eat to live and, for many of us, sharing a meal with others brings a whole new sense of joy to our daily lives. Food tells stories and we use the flavors of food to experience it in all sorts of different ways.

The five most common flavors detected by humans are salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. Once it was thought that these flavors were only tasted in specific parts of our tongue, but that myth has been debunked through science. Our tastebuds are covered in receptors that receive multiple messages and help us to enjoy some flavors and dislike others.

While every flavor may not appeal to us, most of us are drawn to at least a couple of flavor profiles.  Salt is particularly interesting because it is a naturally occurring element that helps our bodies do the daily work of living. Salt does multiple jobs, but when it comes to food, the main work is preserving food and enhancing flavor. Though basic in its make-up, it is pivotal in its power.

Discussion Questions

• What flavors are you drawn to? What is it about that certain kind of food that you love?
• What are some ways that adding salt (or other flavors) makes a recipe better?

Fifth Sunday After Epiphany

Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12]

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16]

Matthew 5:13-20

(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 Matthew 5:13-20, Jesus preaches his famous Sermon on the Mount.  Many of Jesus’ most famous teachings come from this part of scripture-– think the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, and teachings on adultery, divorce, and other aspects of the law. What is interesting about this particular section of the Sermon on the Mount is that it is just as much about how we are to be as it is about what we are to do. We are not just called to be followers of the law – we are called to be SALT and LIGHT (descriptors of our identity in Jesus).  

What does it mean to be salt?  In Jesus’ time salt was an everyday commodity which had more importance than just being in a shaker on the table.  It was used to preserve foods and keep them safe for consumption.  Salt was common, but also special and necessary. People hearing Jesus preach knew that he was calling them to preserve, protect, and enhance the world around them. 

What it means to be light is even more obvious.  All of us have experienced some sort of darkness and felt a sense of relief when a light came on. Our fear of the dark is innate; darkness may hide the dangers around us. When he calls us to be the light of the world, Jesus reminds us that we are to bring goodness and truth to dark places. 

We are light and salt when we live out  God’s life-saving mission in the world. We are called to be people who illuminate, enhance, and preserve the world – not darken, decrease, and destroy that which is around us. When we are in the light and when we are living with “saltiness,” we are bringing God’s kingdom into the world.

Discussion Questions

• If Jesus were telling parables to us today, he would surely use recognizable elements like salt and light. What images might he use instead of salt and light?
• When Jesus calls us to be salt and light for the world, he reminds us of our identity (what makes us us). How do we live out that identity today?

Activity Suggestions

• Research food from Jesus’ era and culture and try them out. Describe their tastes.
• Take a night hike with your youth group. Describe how it feels to be in the dark and how it feels to enter back into the light. Consider times when you have felt darkness all around you, but received light from someone else.

Closing Prayer

God of light, you have called us, your children, to be bearers of the light and salt of the earth. Help us to follow your commandments in ways that bring glory to you through our very being. Protect us from darkness and help us enhance the world around us with your flavor. Guide us as we seek to follow your laws and rejoice in the saving power of Jesus. Amen.

Lisa Hoelscher, San Antonio, TX

Warm-up Question

• Which teacher has made the biggest impact on your life, and what did they teach you? The person could be a school teacher, a parent, or someone else. 
• Do you see yourself as a teacher to anyone? What are you teaching them? 

Clash of Values

At the beginning of this month, the U.S. House of Representatives elected a new Speaker. Typically, electing a new Speaker occurs rather quickly, needing only one vote, but this time the situation was different. While Representative Kevin McCarthy (Republican from California) was the early favorite, it took fifteen votes for him to be elected Speaker. This is the first time in 100 years that the election for Speaker took more than one vote. 

What took him so long? A group of Republican members who are considered to be “far right” had a very different view of how they wanted the role of Speaker to function. Essentially, this group has different values than their peers, and they wanted to see those values become part of the regular order of business in the House. The vote to elect a Speaker became a clash of values. 

Within each of the two major political parties in the United States (Republicans and Democrats), there is a diversity of values, viewpoints, and beliefs. No one party can encapsulate the entirety of a person’s values, which is true for both voters and our elected officials. But, the difficulty seen in the most recent election for Speaker of the House of Representatives indicates that the values of elected representatives are often at odds.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever voted in an election? It could have been an election at school, in an extracurricular group, or a municipal, statewide, or national election. What was your motivation for voting or not voting?
• In the run-up to an election, did you have an opportunity to voice your opinion and ask questions of the candidate(s)? If so, what was that experience like for you? If not, how did you learn about their platform?

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Micah 6:1-8

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Matthew 5:1-12

(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 the book of Matthew, Jesus’ first major teaching opportunity – known as the Sermon on the Mount – occurs in chapter five. Crowds have been following Jesus.  So he goes up a mountain, sits down, and begins to teach them. He begins his teachings with nine blessings, often called the Beatitudes.  From them we learn about Jesus’ values and the values of the kingdom of God. 

Jesus lived in a society that placed heavy meaning on actions which would bring honor or shame to your family. Things that brought honor included wealth, power, and high-status positions. Alternatively, things that brought shame included breaking social norms, illness, and poverty. Furthermore, males and females were treated differently when it came to matters of honor and shame. 

The crowds gathered around Jesus heard him speak these nine blessings and would have been shocked. Jesus was teaching them the values of the kingdom of God, but these particular values did not align with the cultural values of honor and shame in which they lived. 

The crowds grew up learning that wealth, power, and social status mattered.  They brought honor to your family’s name and were a sign of blessing. Now, they were learning that God values people who are poor in spirit and people who mourn.  God cares for the powerless (translated as “meek” in the NRSV), and those hunger for a right relationship with God, rather than for things that help them climb the social ladder. Who is Jesus that he would espouse these alternative values? 

While we have had the benefit of nearly 2,000 years to get familiar with the Beatitudes, Jesus’ audience was in a different position. How did they receive these teachings? There are no post-sermon interviews with the crowd to gauge their reactions, not even a quick five question survey to rate their satisfaction with Jesus’ teachings. 

But we do know that Jesus spoke to real people like you and me. He spoke to people who had chores and jobs and hopes and sorrows,  to people who had experienced hardship, trauma, and setbacks. He spoke to people whose minds occasionally wandered and to people thinking about their next meal or something they forgot to do. Jesus taught his alternative kingdom values to everyday people and showed them a way of life contrary to the culture of the day. 

We, too, are shaped by the culture around us, but we are also shaped by Jesus’ teachings which can be just as radical now as they were 2,000 years ago. 

Discussion Questions

• What do you think are the most important values in your community and the country as a whole?  Are they the same as those of Jesus?
• What matters most to your peers?
• Where is it hardest for you to follow the values of Jesus?

Activity Suggestions

• What’s important to you? Make a list of your top 3-5 values and make note of where you learned those values (family, church, public figures, on your own, etc.).
• Can you think of someone who is mourning the death of a loved one, someone who has been bullied on social media, or someone who is longing for a stronger relationship with God? Send them a text message or DM and let them know you are thinking about them and remind them that God loves them. 

Closing Prayer

Patient and loving God, you sent your Son Jesus to teach us the values of your kingdom. Give us hearts and minds that are open to your teachings, especially when they challenge the values of the culture around us. Help us to be life-long learners of your Word, and show us how we can teach others about you. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Angie Larson, Alexandria, MN

Warm-up Questions

• Who do you know that went through a difficult time, but now uses the experience to help people?
• Have you ever had a moment when your whole life changed? What was that moment like?

The Moment Your Life Changes

Nelly Chiboi grew up in Mogotio, Kenya in an impoverished village. “I know the pain of poverty,” says Cheboi, now 29.  “I never forgot what it was like with my stomach churning because of hunger at night.” Her mom ensured that despite their poverty Nelly received an education. Nelly worked hard in school and received a full scholarship to attend college. She graduated from the ELCA’s Augustana College in 2012.

Before attending school, Nellie hadn’t used computers, but in order to receive a math major she needed to take a required computer science class. In this class she fell in love with computer science and changed her major. Following graduation she began work in the software industry.  She noticed that when companies upgrade, they’d often throw away their old computers, which still have a lot of use in them. This was the moment her life changed. Nelly was shocked and decided to do something about it.

Nelly started refurbishing those computers and bringing them back to her home village. The work expanded and she began TechLit Africa, now supporting 10 schools, but with a goal to support 100. TechLit Africa is bringing computers to rural villages so children can begin to learn technology at an early age. Kids receive training and classes so they can work in the global technology market. Nelly used her education to educate others. 

Discussion Questions

• What skill do you have that could benefit other people?
• How do you feel about Nelly’s story?
• Why is it important to share resources with those who could learn from them?

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 9:1-4

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Matthew 4:12-23

(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

Jesus calls his first disciples, Peter and Andrew. They are two fishermen, minding their own business, when Jesus invites them into something new. Jesus says, “Follow me and I’ll send you out to fish for people.” Peter and Andrew drop their nets and immediately head out. 

Next, Jesus invites James and John to catch his vision:  To make a difference in the world, to witness what God was doing, to go and share the good news of the kingdom, to expand the message of what God is doing through Jesus to others. Four fishermen to hundreds of followers. 

Peter, Andrew, James, and John could not fathom what God would do through them when they left their boats:  How the sick would be healed, the lame would walk, and those struggling with demons would be freed. How the mission would expand. Yet, somehow they felt compelled to follow Jesus. 

That’s what following Jesus does.  It leads us to unexpected places, doing unexpected things. Jesus heals our pain and uses our weaknesses with God’s grace. 

Discussion Questions

• What metaphorical boats would you need to leave to follow Jesus?
• When in your life have you had a moment where everything changed?
• What did you learn from that moment?

Activity Suggestions

In American culture, kids and students are digital natives (persons who were born or brought up after computers and the internet became a part of daily life). Older generations are digital immigrants. Invite some seniors in your context to your group time together and teach them how to do a Tik Tok. Have them share what it’s been like living through a fast-changing technological culture. 

Closing Prayer

Blessed Savior, you take one moment and change our lives! You show up in the messiness of our lives to free us, to love us, to be with us. Thank you for inviting us to follow you. In your name we pray.  Amen.

fAmy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Questions

In the gospel text, Jesus invites two future disciples to come and spend the day with him. What is the best invitation you have received to spend time with someone? Who was it? What did you do? What made that invitation special?

Come and See

During the first quarter of the Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, collapsed on the field after making a tackle. Medical personnel quickly rushed on field to administer CPR. Both Hamlin’s teammates and opponents were visibly upset as they looked on: some with tears in their eyes, others kneeling to pray. 

The NFL postponed the game and later that night the Buffalo Bills released this statement, “Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. Medical personnel restored his heartbeat on the field, and transferred him to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

I write this article the day after the football game and Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition. While Hamlin collapsing during the game was extremely hard to watch, it has been wonderful to see the outpouring of support for him and his family. Fans of both the Bengals and the Bills gathered outside the hospital to light candles and offer prayers. A gofundme page Hamlin started in 2020 to provide Christmas gifts for kids in need has received over four million dollars in donations, and players across the NFL have tweeted out support and prayers for Hamlin. Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman may have put it best, “The game is not important. Damar Hamlin’s life is important. Please be ok. Please.”

Damar Hamlin did not need a reminder about what was important in life.  His family, his teammates, and serving others are top priorities for him. I was hesitant to share this story because I do not know how the story of Hamlin’s injury will turn out.  Yet, after learning more about him, I felt his story deserves to be shared and discussed. 

Hamlin started his charity in 2020, before he was an NFL player. As a college student, he strove to provide presents for those children most impacted by the pandemic and has continued this work. Hamlin has been a supportive teammate and strives to enjoy every minute of the incredible experience of playing in the NFL. Hamlin has shared that he is very close to his family and his life revolves around them. He attended college in his hometown of Pittsburgh and picked the college in part so that he could stay close to his family and be a role model for his younger brother.

Discussion Questions

• Have you witnessed something scary or traumatic like Hamlin’s collapse? How did you react? Who offered you support during that time?
• In past interviews, Hamlin shared that his parents were his role models, and he strives to be a role model for his little brother. Who are the role models in your life? Who do you strive to be a role model for?
• What are ways you have seen your family, friends, or community come together to support someone in their time of need?

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 49:1-7

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

(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

In our gospel reading we have Jesus’ first conversation in the book of John. As we read it, it can seem disjointed. After Jesus’ baptism, John sees Jesus and announces to his disciples, “Look, the lamb of God.” The men wonder about this proclamation, so they follow Jesus. Jesus notices them and asks, “What do you want?” The disciples answer in a strange way. They ask, “Rabbi, where are you staying?”

The disciples are not just curious about where Jesus is living or sleeping. They want to know who he is and how he is living. They call him “Rabbi” because they want to learn from Jesus.  Jesus answers them, “Come, and you will see.” Come and see is an invitation Jesus offers to many throughout the book of John. Again, this is not an invitation to come and see the place Jesus is staying. It is an invitation to come and be with Jesus. To come and learn from Jesus. To come and do life with Jesus. An invitation to come and see how your life may be different with Jesus at the center of it.

Jesus gives us this invitation also. He invites us to come and see how our lives may be different with him at the center. When we do life with Jesus he invites us into God’s ministry for the world—caring for the creation, our neighbors, and ourselves. This is the call Jesus gives: Walk with me and care for the world. Hamlin’s accident reminds us to focus on what is most important. Amid busy lives, we are reminded to focus on Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• Share about a time when you saw Jesus at work in the world. What was happening? How did it feel to witness or be part of God’s ministry?
• Talk with your group’s members about the many different things that compete for their attention (school, friends, family, activities, work, etc.) How do they balance those priorities? How do they keep God as their center?
• Who might you invite to “come and see” by inviting them to worship or youth group? How can your group share Jesus’ love with others?

Activity Suggestions

• Look through local gofundme pages for a cause your group may want to support or create your own gofundme page to help address a need in your community.
• Play the game found here to discuss balancing priorities and keeping God at the center: https://juniorhighministry.org/youth-group-game-on-priorities/

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, you invite us to come and see. Guide us to come to you in every moment of our lives. Open our eyes that we might see all the ways you are at work in our world. Center us, so that we can keep you at our center. Amen.

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

When someone is baptized, the pastor uses the individual’s full name. Share your full name and a story about how your name was chosen or what your name means.

No Filter Needed

There is no doubt that digital platforms allow individuals with similar interests to find one another, help family and friends to share memories and stories, and connect individuals who might otherwise be isolated   Yet, society is still discovering how to create digital spaces which foster healthy and authentic interactions. In many cases, life in the digital world is viewed through a filter which either crafts a perfect online image—free from conflict, sadness, or imperfection— or automatically “perfects” the appearance of the individuals or places in the picture.  

In September 2021, a group called ParentsTogether surveyed 200 young people ages 13-21 on their use of beauty filters on social media.  The results paint a troubling picture of how filters alter the way that young people see themselves. 

Here are a few of the findings:

• “61% of teens say using beauty filters makes them feel worse about how they look in real life.” (pg. 2)
• “Teens who spend the most time online (18+ hours per week) are nearly twice as likely to dislike their appearance as teens who spend the least time on social media per week (less than 8 hours per week).” (pg. 2)
• “72% of teens think their friends use beauty filters most of the time.” (pg. 1)

One individual in the survey reported, “There’s no feeling worse than when I open my camera to take a picture, and the skin smoothing feature is pre-enabled, and I think I look great, only to notice that a filter is on, remove the filter and suddenly feel that by contrast I am absolutely hideous.” (p. 3)

Digital spaces are certainly not the sole cause of distorted self-image and poor mental health, but as this survey makes clear, the way individuals both present themselves and feel pressured to present themselves in digital spaces can have a negative impact on one’s self-image and mental health.

Given the reality that it is nearly impossible to exist in the world today without a digital presence, it is important for all of us to be aware of the filters we are using as we present ourselves to the world and to recognize the filters we encounter. While “filter awareness”won’t eliminate the impacts of filters, it can open the door to meaningful conversations and encourage more authentic interactions in the digital space. 

Discussion Questions

1. What digital spaces do you find the most engaging and why?
2. How does the survey on filters match with your life experiences?

Isaiah 42:1-9

Acts 10:34-43

Matthew 3:13-17

(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

As Jesus comes up out of the water following his baptism by John, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and a voice from heaven affirms God’s relationship with Jesus with one carefully worded sentence:  “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased”(Matt 3:17). 

Imagine how different this story would be if the voice had said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, and I love you dearly, but I really think you need to change some things about yourself.” Had the voice from heaven said those words, we might think God’s expressions of love are merely a mechanism to express criticism.

 Imagine how different this story would be if the voice had said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am often pleased because he can do some really excellent things.” Had the voice from heaven said those words, we might think that God’s love is limited to certain occasions or only connected to positive accomplishments.

Imagine how different this story would be if the voice had said, “This is my Son, the beloved, and once he signs this agreement to obey me unto death, then I will love him forever.” Had the voice from heaven said those words, we might think that God’s love is a part of a conditional agreement, to be given out only once certain requirements have been met.

Thankfully, the voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased”(Matt 3:17), reminding us that in the waters of baptism, God’s love is freely given with no strings attached.

In a world filled with conditions, strings, and filters; where we may hear, “I love you, but…” and  not nearly enough people hear someone affirm them for who they are, God speaks good news at Jesus’ baptism. God blesses Jesus, and through Jesus, looks at each of us and says, “I love you! I see you! With you I am well pleased!”

Discussion Questions

• Share a story you have been told about your baptism or a story you remember from a baptism.
• In the first part of the sentence, the voice from heaven says, “This is my son, the Beloved.” What does “being beloved” look like to you?
• In the second part of the sentence, the voice from heaven says, “with whom I am well pleased.” How would you show someone that you were ‘well pleased’ with them?

Activity Suggestions

Make a list of ways you could provide affirmation to someone else (i.e., handwritten notes, text, etc.). Pick one person in your congregation or in your life and use an approach from the list to share your affirmation with that person.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us as your beloved children and shower us with your love. Help to know that no matter how we see ourselves, you see us fully and love us completely.  Am