Alex Zuber, Harrisonburg, VA

Warm-up Question

When have you had a real “wake up call”?

Happy Advent You Brood of Vipers

It’s been nearly two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Many have grown weary and complacent as the global crisis wears on.  But our challenges are not over; just this week a new variant, dubbed “Omicron”, has been identified by South African scientists.  In an address to the nation, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “The emergence of the Omicron variant should be a wake-up call to the world that vaccine inequality cannot be allowed to continue.” 

While many have grown weary, President Ramaphosa calls on the world to wake up, seek equity, and build up one another in the struggle against this virus.  Lack of access to the COVID vaccine will affect the poorest of the global populations first.  Ramaphosa argues that shutting down travel will only hurt the physical and financial health of nations who are beginning to see the Omicron variant, many of whom need support in producing the COVID-19 vaccine.  This disparity in vaccine distribution will cost lives.  While inequity may not be on the list of COVID-19 symptoms, it can be just as deadly as the virus itself.  It’s easy to focus only on physical disease symptoms.  But after all this time, we may need to wake up to the other crises of inequity and injustice which make this pandemic so deadly.

Discussion Questions

• Did you know about inequity in vaccine distribution worldwide?
• What other deadly challenges do you see alongside COVID-19, and who is being most affected?
• How can you work for equity in access to healthcare in your community?

Third Sunday of Advent

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Isaiah 12:2-6

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

(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

Right off the bat we see why Hallmark has a robust industry in Christmas cards and not Advent cards.  “Happy Advent, You Brood of Vipers” might not sell too well as a holiday card, but these words are certainly a wake-up call for the audience of John the Baptizer.  

With this abrupt beginning, it seems weird that the reading ends with “So, with many other exhortations, [John] proclaimed the good news to the people.” What part of brood of vipers is good news?  Biblically speaking, calling someone a descendent of the treacherous serpent of Eden is no compliment.  The blow is not softened by the following lines, which proclaim wrath, judgement, and the people’s need to repent.  This is strong language, meant to grab the people’s attention and wake them up to their sinfulness and the suffering in the world around them.

It’s a wonder that John was such a popular preacher.  He essentially begins his sermon with “SINNERS!  Here’s how you’ve got it all wrong!”  Nevertheless, John grabs our attention, and then unquestionably shares the good news. (He really does!)  After this weird viper start, John lays out God’s bold vision for the world.  In this world resources are shared, the wealthy aren’t predatory, and the powerful aren’t violently coercive.  The poor are uplifted and the powerful are humble and responsible with their means.  This is good news!  

The gospel critiques power.  The gospel turns the world upside down and lifts up the lowly.  We who hear this good news are meant to bear witness, so that the gospel holds communities, individuals, and political powers accountable to God’s way of justice. good news, or gospel, is a bold statement from its very inception.  It has deep cultural, personal, and political ramifications which turn everything upside down. 

And isn’t that exactly what John does? Those with possessions, tax collectors, soldiers, you and me…  John doesn’t let us get off easy. He asks great things of those who hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. John turns our self-centeredness upside down. 

This text may seem heavy and out of place.  Here we are, in a season of  hope and joy, expectantly anticipating Christmas.  Today is even called “Gaudete Sunday” across the church, meaning “Rejoice Sunday.”  Yet Advent is more than the run up to Christmas.  John’s message calls us vipers and asks a lot of us.  Still,  this reading gives us reason to rejoice.  Even as John gives us a challenging wake-up call, the Good News is that there IS Good News—even for vipers.

Discussion Questions

• Has there ever been a situation in your life that woke you up to injustice?  If so, share that story and describe what you did, why you did it, and what happened in consequence.
• Have you ever felt challenged rather than comforted by the words of the Gospel?  If so, share how that experience changed your perspective.
• John offers very clear guidance to the tax collectors and soldiers who speak to him. What instruction do you imagine John the Baptist might offer you regarding your own repentance?

Activity Suggestions

Find a friend, neighbor, or member of your congregation and have a one-on-one conversation with them about what concerns they have in their life or their community.  Practice “active listening,”where you summarize their statement with “I hear you say…” or “what I think you’re saying is…”.  Do not offer commentary on their reflections, rather ensure that they are being heard and that you are aware of the needs around you.

Closing Prayer

Wake us up, Lord, to the needs all around us.  As we trust that you hear the cries of our hearts, turn us from our viper-ish ways, and rouse us from our complacency to serve you in thought, word, and deed.  Give us hearts full of rejoicing, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany

Warm-up Question

When did you have difficulties getting in, on, or around some thing or some place?

Barrier-Free Love

Two years after the original projected date of completion, the Minoru Centre for Active Living in Richmond, VA is open. It’s not every day that a community gets a new center for events with indoor swimming facilities. It’s also not every day that such community centers win international prizes for their accessibility. The Minoru Centre, however, is one such place. The award was presented in Cologne, Germany by the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, and International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities. Over 80 architectural projects from all around the world competed for prizes in various categories. The Minoru Centre is a wonderful example of how to make a facility accessible for everyone. 

Pam Andrews, herself someone who faces various mobility issues, sits on the city’s design advisory panel. She brings a needed voice for the principal of universal access – for people of “all ages and all stages” of life. Universal access embraces the design vision that all aspects of a building can be accessed and used by everybody. 

Some of the accessibility features at the Minoru Centre for Active Living:  barrier-free front doors, accessible reception centers, ramps and “gentle steps,” as well as mobile lifts into the pool. Andrews’ advice for designers is that they should be, “focusing on universal design, focusing on one fit for everybody, no matter what their age, no matter what their needs, no matter what their abilities.” 

Discussion Questions

• When have you noticed someone struggling to get into a building? In and out of a vehicle?
• Where have you noticed people getting help from service animals (seeing-eye dogs, etc.)?
• What are other things you have noticed related to accessability–or the lack of it?

Second Sunday of Advent

Malachi 3:1-4

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

(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

Luke’s gospel is a story about the good news of Jesus. Luke wants us to know that Jesus is the Lord that the prophet Isaiah was talking about when he said, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” And, John, son of Zechariah, is the one preparing Jesus’ way. 

John is out there preaching, baptizing,  and inviting people to turn their lives around to meet the Lord, who is on his way. The prophet Isaiah paints an amazing picture of how extreme this preparation should be. “Every valley should be filled. Every mountain and hill made low. The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth.” Any barrier for the Lord should be removed. Jesus’ way is barrier free. 

This image is about making it easy for Jesus to get where you are now. This image is not just about little changes. It is about big things, too. Every valley, that means even the Grand Canyon. Every mountain and hill, that means the Rockies and the Alps and even Mount Everest. Crooked, straight. Rough, smooth. No twisty-turny roads to get lost on. No bumpy stony roads to stumble on. Easy access. And this access is a two-way street. If Jesus’ way to us should be made barrier free, then the same goes for our access to Jesus. Nothing should stand in the way of getting to Jesus. John the Baptist’s task, according to Luke, is to preach forgiveness for all who turn to Jesus, no matter where they find themselves in life.  

Many things in our lives get in the way of hearing God’s word of forgiveness in Jesus. Sometimes it is the voice whispering in our ears, words of unworthiness. Perhaps it is the memories of traumatic things which keep us from believing that the way to Jesus’ love is easy. Maybe it is teachings we’ve heard which suggest that God’s love is not meant for us because of how we look or who we love. So we think God’s forgiveness is not meant for us. 

Isaiah’s words are about extreme, barrier-free love. That seems too good to be true. God couldn’t possibly love me or him or her or them. Or could God, indeed, love any of us at any time, all the time? How many people do we know who find themselves living in a wilderness of their own making, desperately needing to hear a voice crying out into their wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”? God’s love constantly breaks into the world and Luke points to it. Isaiah points to it. Others around us point to it. We, too, can point to “barrier-free Jesus, for ourselves and for others in the world around us. 

Discussion Questions

• Where do you sense barriers to God’s love in your own personal life?
• When have you experienced easy access to God’s love? Who helped prepare the way of the Lord in those situations?
• When have you sensed when the church has put up more barriers than been barrier free in its preaching and teaching?
• Where do you think you can work to “fill valleys and flatten hills” to prepare the way of the Lord?

Activity Suggestions

With the group, check out your own church’s accessibility. Here a few questions to help you assess your own church: 

• How easy is it for people with walkers or wheelchairs or stroller to get into church? How about getting into a pew or chair?
• Can someone in a wheelchair easily participate in leading worship?
• What about those with challenges in hearing and seeing in your worship context?
• How barrier-free is your church’s online presence?
• What steps does your church take to make sure that everyone can understand the sermon and participate fully in the worship experience?

Closing Prayer

Ever loving God, you made yourself more accessible to us in taking on our humanity in the person of Jesus. By reaching out to us, you have made it easier for us to reach out to you. Take away the barriers between us and you, and between us and those around us. When we turn away from you, call us back into your loving embrace. We ask this in the name of one who breaks down barriers with the most powerful love, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Jason Fisher, Champaign, IL

Warm-up Questions

•  Share about a situation that seemed like the end of the world to you, but looking back now, was a bit silly.
• What is your favorite apocalyptic novel or movie?
• What did that book or movie reveal about humanity, or about how you would respond in similar situations?

When Your Temple Crumbles

The apocalyptic movie 2012 came out with a startling trailer that featured a Buddhist monk high up in the Himalayan mountains ringing a warning bell, as an enormous wave of water was about to crash down on him and destroy humankind in a flood of biblical proportions. The movie itself was pretty silly in places, but revealed what was most important to a variety of people as they faced the end of their world. Sometimes things in our lives can feel like the end of the world, especially when what we have relied upon for so long is being challenged.

In his book, Silence the Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about two kinds of knots. The first knot is our notions, ideas, concepts, and knowledge. These things are not bad, but when we get stuck on them we miss out on the truth of life. If we don’t hold them loosely and someone challenges them, it can seem like the end of a world we have known and loved. The second knot is our afflictions, fears, anger, discrimination, despair, and arrogance. Thich Nhat Hanh believes that until these knots are undone we remain bound up and not truly free.

Thich Nhat Hanh writes; “These two knots, which are etched deeply into our brain and consciousness, bind us and push us to do things we don’t want to do; they make us say things we don’t want to say. So we’re not free. Any time we do things not from our desire but out of habitual fear or ingrained notions and ideas, we’re not free.”  

Discussion Questions

• What has you tied up in knots right now?  Is it some affliction, fear, anger, discrimination, despair, or arrogance?
• Have life experiences ever made you angry or biased? Share about those experiences.
• How can God, following Jesus, and being a part of the church help untie those knots?

First Sunday of Advent

Jeremiah 33:14-16

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Luke 21:25-36

(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

For many the season of Advent is a reminder of a time to prepare for the coming of dear, sweet, baby Jesus, not a time of distress, when people are fainting from fear. When we think of Advent we don’t typically think of apocalypse! The word apocalypse means “revelation.” So not only is apocalypse about the end of the world as we now experience it, but a revealing of a new world that God is creating. The season of Advent begins with a focus on Christ’s second coming, which can be terrifying for those who are unaware of God’s redemptive work and for those who cling to the things of this world.

The three sections of the text—The Coming of the Son of Man, The Lesson of the Fig Tree, and Jesus’ Exhortation to Watch—are all meant to be words of encouragement to believers whose world has been rocked by disaster. 

The Coming of the Son of Man

This passage from Luke was probably written 10 to 20 years after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, which, to the Jewish followers of Jesus, would have seemed like the end of the world as they knew it. Jesus encouraged people to repent and follow his kingdom way. The message of Jesus to Jerusalem wasn’t accepted and the Temple was destroyed in their lifetime by the Romans.  In the verses right before this text Jesus says the destruction of the temple will be ansign that Jesus has won and reigns at the right hand of God in heaven. New Testament Scholar N.T. Wright says that, “this passage is about the vindication of Jesus and the rescue of his people from the system that has oppressed them.” So while the world is shaken, they are encouraged not to shake, but, instead, to stand firm and look up, because their redemption now draws near.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

“Heaven and earth will pass away,” but the words of Jesus will not pass away. Some things are lasting and other things are everlasting. Seeing trees bud and bear leaves is a sign of new life in the spring. Jesus reminds his hearers that no matter how much their world seems to have changed, they should still look to those places where there is life and thus know God’s kingdom is near. Those who have not put their whole lives into God’s hands, but have instead trusted in lesser gods, will have a hard time seeing these small signs of life. They will be more concerned with what they have lost than with what God is bringing into the world.

The Exhortation to Watch

You can look around you today and find many examples of people who are frustrated with how COVID 19 has doomed their world.  They become angry, violent, and cynical. Jesus warns his disciples against this and tells them to guard their hearts. In crisis people may lose their faith in God and turn to a “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die,” mentality. This kind of selfishness and cynicism sneaks up on believers slowly. It might begin with a smirk at someone else’s misfortune or with a subtle comment like, “who cares?” But it ultimately ends with faithlessness and hopelessness in the midst of the disasters which surround us.

Yet God’s love for us breaks through all chaos in the person of Jesus Christ, for whom we wait patiently. Theologian Fred Craddock writes that, “Amid painful and prolonged suffering, when there can be seen on the horizon of predictable history no relief from disaster, faith turns its face toward heaven, not only for a revelation of God’s will but also for a vision of the end of the present misery and the beginning of the age to come.” Patience is essential and we cannot let the world’s cares bog us down. Instead we are called to stay alert and stay awake, to hold onto hope and hang on, for our redemption draws near.

Now, in order for that to happen, we may need to let go of some of the notions or images of the world to which we hold. Some of our ideas about how the world works and how God works may need to die in order for God to reveal new life.

Discussion Questions

• What for you are “the worries of this life?”
• How can you become trapped by those things?
• What keeps your heart from being weighed down by these things?

Activity Suggestions

Creating an Advent Wreath is a traditional ritual this time of year. With these apocalyptic texts about destruction and world-shattering events in mind , make  an Advent Wreath out of things that have been destroyed. Visit a thrift store or collect things that have been discarded on the ground. Wrap or glue them together to form a wreath and four separate candle holders. Maybe, instead of using new candles, find some old ones at a thrift store and add them to your redeemed advent wreath. Maybe this activity will reveal something new to you about what God is doing during Advent.

Practice the Ignatian Examen in the evening as a way to ‘be on guard’ and to ‘stay alert at all times.’ Begin by lighting a candle from your Advent wreath and give thanks to God for the world. Think about where you felt God’s presence during the day. Then think back on times when your notions, ideas, concepts, or knowledge were challenged by someone else, how did that feel? Did afflictions, fears, anger, discrimination, despair, or arrogance get the better of you? If so, simply acknowledge it and give it to God. Make an intention to work on that area tomorrow. End your time of silence with gratitude towards God. Try to repeat the process each evening in Advent.

Closing Prayer

Great Redeemer, we ask that you would help us to guard our hearts during uncertain times. Grant us strength to resist hopelessness and cynicism. Help us to look towards Jesus Christ that we might stand boldly with confidence and joy. Amen

Amy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Questions

• Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do?  How did you feel?  How did you react?
• What news have you heard lately that made you feel good?

Signs of the Kingdom

On Halloween night in the UK three children stopped to trick or treat at the house of Brenda Burdon, 86.  Brenda apologized because she did not have any treats ready to give out.  The youth replied, “It’s OK, because sometimes making people happy and getting a nice big smile is reward enough.”

They then decided they wanted to spread a little more happiness.  They returned the next day with muffins and chocolates they had purchased for her, along with a ten pound note and a card which they had decorated with pumpkins and doodles that read, ““Thank you for being so kind. Hope your life gets better as you go on… “  Brenda Burdon’s grandson visited her later that day and said that “She was just lost in happiness that total strangers could leave such a wonderful impression” and that it had been the best Halloween of her life.

Discussion Questions

• What was the best Halloween of your life?
• When have you experienced being “lost in happiness”?
• When has a total stranger brought you joy?  When have you shared joy with a stranger?  What moved you to share kindness with the stranger?

Christ the King 

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

Revelation 1:4b-8

John 18:33-37

(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 B at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

The kingdom of God is like…

Our reading today comes during Jesus’ last hours before his death.  Jesus has been handed over to the Pilate, the Roman governor, by Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest.  They tell Pilate Jesus is a criminal whom they want put to death, but Pilate is not sure of what Jesus may be guilty. (John 18.29-31)  So Pilate questions Jesus, asking if he is the “King of the Jews.” This is a political rather than religious charge. Pilate does not care about the religious infighting, but he does care if there is a new political ruler rising to challenge Roman rule.  In his typical fashion, Jesus does not provide a clear answer to Pilate’s question.

When asked if he is King of the Jews, Jesus replies, “My kingdom is not from this world.”  Jesus has a kingdom, but it is not here on earth.  The world has proved they are not ready for Jesus’ kingdom of serving the lowly, forgiving sins, and loving your enemies.  Because the world is not ready, Jesus is standing before Pilate facing death.  Yet, this is not the end of the story.  Jesus rose from the dead and promises to return with his kingdom.

Now it’s up to us, the followers of Christ, to wonder: What is this kingdom not of this world?  What does Jesus’ reign look like?  How do we welcome Jesus’ reign into our lives and our world?  We live in waiting, waiting for Christ to return and for Christ’s kingdom to come to earth.  But as we wait, we see glimpses of Christ’s kingdom right now.  When we follow Christ by loving and serving others, we bring God’s kingdom to others.

I have a friend who loves to share on her social media when she sees the kingdom of heaven break into our world.  She posts “the kingdom of heaven is like…” and then shares stories of places she has seen Jesus’ kingdom.  These stories include a competitive runner who helps an opponent rather than going for the win, farmers who come together to harvest their neighbors’ crops after tragedy, and a couple who spent their flight helping an anxious teenager cope with turbulence.

So, when it came time to pick a current event for this Faith Lens, I didn’t do what I usually do.  I didn’t look for a prominent news story that was on my mind.  Instead, I looked for a story that would give us a glimpse of a kingdom not of this world.  It took a bit longer to find this type of story, butI think this story of kids taking time out of their trick-or-treating to share some joy with a stranger gives us a great picture of what the kingdom of God looks like.

Discussion Questions

• Pilate questions Jesus to get closer to the truth of his arrest.  Jesus proclaims “I came into the world to testify to the truth.”  Are Jesus and Pilate talking about the same kind of truth.  What truth does Jesus point to in your life?
• What do you imagine Jesus’ kingdom is like?  Share a time when you experienced Jesus’ kingdom on earth?
• As Jesus’ followers, how do we live in a way that helps others see the kingdom of God?

Activity Suggestions

Divide into groups and search newspapers or news websites for stories that show us what the kingdom of God is like.  Come back together and share the stories you have found.  Discuss if it was  easy or hard to find “good news” stories. What kind of news stories got the most attention?  Brainstorm ways to share the stories you have found so others may hear what the kingdom of God is like.

Closing Prayer

Jesus our Savior,  we ask that you reign in our lives.  Help us to cast aside all the other things we would like to make our king and turn our hearts to You.  Send us out to share Your love and serve our brothers and sisters.  Amen.

Heather Hansen, San Antonio, TX

Warm-up Questions

What were you doing in 2020 when you first heard you would be out of school for an extra week because of a virus making people ill all over the world?  How did you feel at that moment?  When did your feelings change about COVID-19?

Birth Pains

It’s hard not to discuss COVID-19 in just about every area of life these days.  In fact, it seems to be a new conversation starter, just like,  “How about this weather?”  Now it’s, “Have you have COVID?” or “Have you had your shots?”  “Are you getting the booster?”

When COVID first became a thing, I remember thinking, “Well here’s another thing that people are going to go crazy about…we just need to wash our hands and be careful, the way we were with swine flu.”  When school was cancelled,  my kids were super excited for the extra week of spring break.  Then, school was cancelled for another week and people all over the world began reporting alarming numbers of sick and dead.  Finally came the point at which I knew it was serious…the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was cancelled, quickly followed by Fiesta in San Antonio. The Houston Livestock show is a million, probably billion, dollar event.  So, at that point, I began to feel the birth pangs of what would be a long year and a half of labor, so to speak, that’s still not  over.  Or maybe it is, and we just don’t recognize what life looks like with something new?

The pain of childbirth is great, but it doesn’t start out that way.  For people who give birth  without being induced, the pain starts slowly with larger cramping or contractions than usual.  You ask yourself, “Was this different?” The answer is, “Oh yes.”  Though you are scared, you also rejoice because this little person inside of you, who has grown terribly uncomfortable, is finally coming out!  Then, the contractions get closer together and eventually become much more painful.  Finally, the pain becomes unlike most other pains a person experiences…unless they pass a kidney stone.  It’s agony,  yet necessary for new birth.

I wanted to have my children naturally, without any pain relievers such as an epidural.  Some women have very good reasons for choosing these aids, but they were not for me.  I took classes designed to help me work through the pain and thought I was ready.  But I wasn’t.  The pain came and lasted longer than expected.  Those assisting the birth encouraged me to ease the pain, instead of helping me work through it.  When you are in that much pain, it’s hard to stay committed to what you wanted, so I chose the spinal block.  In the end, the epidural caused many difficulties and I wished I’d chosen what I knew was best for me.  With the second child I vowed I would deliver with no epidural, even though there were many voices telling me once again, “It’s OK Heather, just get the epidural…most people do…you’ll feel so much better.”  But this time, I knew what I truly wanted.  Fortunately for me, I had a nurse with a strong steady voice who stayed with me through the pain.

As with childbirth, the pains of COVID came subtly at first.  Perhaps they were even joyful, because we had some time of rest and recreation which we don’t normally observe.  But then, the pain became worse.  Our lives started filling with disappointments, illnesses, deaths, depression, and anxiety.  We struggled with turmoil and division in our country and culture.  It was easy to listen to voices that led us astray and to think only of ourselves.  And, the pain grew stronger, the longer the pandemic lasted.

Are we finished with COVID-19 yet?  Has new birth finally come?  Or are we still working through the pain, waiting for final delivery?

Discussion Questions

1. What do you think?  Are we finished with COVID-19 yet or are we still working through the pain?
2. What has been most painful about living in a pandemic?
3. Do you think comparing the pain of the pandemic to childbirth is a good comparison?  Why or why not?
4. When has pain caused you to listen to the influence of voices you would normally not listen to?

Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Daniel 12:1-3

Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18] 19-25

Mark 13:1-8

(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 B at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

When you  research Mark 13, you find that this chapter is sometimes referred to as “a little apocalypse.”  What starts out in verse 1 as exclamations from the disciples about the greatness of the temple, quickly turns into a chapter fraught with destruction, war, and admonitions from Jesus to be prepared and ready.  Jesus declares that even this great temple will crumble completely to the ground.  In 13:8, Jesus tells the disciples that “this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”

One of the questions I ask myself when I read the Bible is,“What does this passage have to say to me about what’s going on in the world right now?”  Therefore, when I read this passage in Mark a few weeks ago, especially the words Jesus speaks about birth pangs, I immediately thought of COVID-19.  

Jesus spends all of Mark 13, after the disciples exclaim how great the temple is, describing something not so great after all.  The destruction of the temple, which is often seen as a sign of  Jesus’ death, is only the birth pangs.  Jesus also warns the disciples to be ready for many voices which will lead them astray.  He describes the pain that they will encounter, perhaps trying to prepare them.  But, as I think about birth, COVID-19, and all the hard painful things that happen in life, can we ever be fully ready for how they feel?

I wish I’d had  a voice to lead me through a natural delivery the first time I gave birth to a child.  I wish we could have seen how much pain COVID would bring, and how much we needed a strong voice guiding us through the myriad of other, less helpful voices.  And, I bet  the disciples wished they could hear the guiding voice of Jesus in person when they faced great persecution and trial after Jesus ascended into heaven.

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how pain and suffering will end in the same kind of joy and new birth that having a baby brings.  Even though having a baby or getting a COVID shot seem to be an end to the pain, we may find we still don’t understand and still have the pain.  When I first brought home my oldest child, I set her car seat down on the floor, looked at my husband and said, “What are we supposed to do now?” 

We may be unsure about what comes next. The good news is that Jesus prepares us if we listen.  Later in chapter 13, Jesus says listen to my voice and don’t be swayed by others.  Even when we are in great pain, the voice of Jesus is there, guiding us to new life.  So, when the birth pangs come, be ready for the pain and dig into how Jesus prepares us, but also be ready to listen and learn.  Jesus does bring new life.

Discussion Questions

• How do you feel when you hear Jesus say that everything will be destroyed?
• What things in your life have you felt were destroyed and brought pain?
• What helped you get through that pain to a new life?
• What does new life look like after something painful has happened?  Give some examples of new life born from hurt or pain.

Activity Suggestions

Watch a video of the Twin Towers in New York City collapsing.  Discuss the destruction, death and pain that came from that event.  Then discuss the following questions:

• What new birth came out of 9/11?
• Where do you think God was/is in that tragedy?
• What do you think got people through the pain of 9/11 and how can that help us today?
• What does “new life” look like to you, from a faith point of view?

Closing Prayer

Holy God, we sometimes struggle to see pain until it is upon us.  We see joy in the beginnings of birth pangs, but then realize the fullness pain once we are in the middle of it.  Guide us in these times to hear your voice and to respond to your will, even though it’s easy to go astray.  Continue to prepare us for the hard times as we read your witness in scripture and comfort us through it all.  Amen.