Paul Baglyos, Baltimore, MD

Warm-up Questions

• How many different meanings and uses of the word “grace” can you think of? 
• How many definitions of the word can you find online?

Alpine Angels of Grace

Seeking safety, refuge, and opportunities for a better life, people fleeing conflict and oppression in various parts of the world sometimes brave the extreme hardships of crossing the Alps from Italy into France.  Some of them perish in the effort.  All are wary of encountering hostile border patrols intent on repelling their movement.  Lately, however, some migrants have been astonished to encounter a different sort of presence in the Alps.  Networks of volunteers  greet them with provisions of hot tea, warm clothing, food, safe passage to shelter, and offers of transportation.  Beyond all differences of race, nationality, culture and politics, these volunteers and the migrants they meet in the mountains encounter one another in a shared humanity of hardship and hope, compassion and care, dignity and dreams.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever made a deep personal connection with someone from a very different background, circumstances, or culture than your own?  If so, how, when, where and why did that happen?  What made it easier or harder for you to form a connection with that person?
• Have you ever received unexpected comfort or support from someone you had not previously known?  If so, share that story with your group.

Second Sunday of Christmas

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

John 1:[1-9]10-18

(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

The word “grace” appears several times in this passage, twice in the phrase “grace upon grace.”  The biblical and theological meaning of grace is “love freely and generously given without obligation and beyond all expectation.”  Grace, in this sense, is the character and activity of God in relation to human beings.  The most profound demonstration of God’s grace is the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, in the flesh and blood of humanity.  God’s participation in our humanity, by sharing our life in the world, testifies to God’s desire for deep personal connection with all human beings.  This is grace, says the gospel writer John, “grace upon grace.”

Discussion Questions

• Which Christmas hymns or carols suggest the meaning of this  passage from John?  If you had to choose a Christmas hymn of the day to accompany this gospel reading in worship, which hymn would you choose?
• John writes, “The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory.”  How, when, and where have you seen the glory of Christ?

Activity Suggestions

Decide what you might do as a group for someone in your congregation or your community that would demonstrate “grace upon grace.”  What ideas come to mind as you consider the story about the migrant aid volunteers in the Alps?

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, you gave us your only Son to take on our human nature and to illumine the world with your light.  By your grace adopt us as your children and enlighten us with your Spirit, through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.  (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 20)

There is no Faith Lens this week

“The true light that enlightens every person was coming into the world…”

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

Share a song that you really love and say why you love it.

Magnifying Lens

Chances are you are looking at these words on a screen or that you looked at them on a screen prior to printing them out. According to a study released by the JAMA Pediatrics in November 2021, screen time for teenagers has increased during the pandemic from 3.8 hours per day to 7.7 hours per day. The 7.7 hours per day is for recreation (gaming and videos) and social interaction (social media and texting).  That does not include online schooling, which can represent another 5-7 hours per day.

With increased screen time, comes the potential for an increase in other problems. According to some studies of adolescents, an increase in screen time correlated with an increase in stress and worry, along with a decline in the ability to cope with stress and worry.  In addition, large amounts of screen time can impact sleep patterns and an individual’s eye health.  For example, a study of 120,000 children 6-8 in China indicated that myopia (nearsightedness) had increase at a rate in 2020 that was 3 times higher than in previous years.

Given the extraordinary number of screens in the world and the continued need to connect digitally because of the pandemic, it seems unlikely that levels of screen time will returning to pre-pandemic levels.  So how should we respond?  Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School suggests “increasing non-screen time throughout the day. This could happen at the dinner table, while doing homework, and especially during sleeping hours.”

Some experts noted that there are simple steps to preserve the eyes, such as having good lighting at home and following the 20/20/20 rule when using electronic devices.  That means taking a break every 20 minutes to look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 consecutive seconds. While it will take years of study to determine the exact impact that increased screen time is having on our lives and our health, the initial studies certainly seem to indicate that managing our screen time more actively is an excellent idea.

Discussion Questions

• How has your screen time changed over the last two years?
• What steps have you taken or could you take to create a healthy balance between screen time and non-screen time?

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:2-5a

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-45 [46-55]

(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

If you have ever worn glasses or looked through a magnifying glass, you know that magnification often makes images clearer and easier to see. The image being magnified does not change, of course, but an outside magnifier makes a big difference in our ability to understand what we are seeing. 

We live in a time when problems are increasingly magnified on all of our screens. For example, issues around COVID-19, racial injustice, and social inequity leave some people feeling hopeless and helpless.  But what if we had an outside magnifier, so that instead of hatred, anger, sadness and despair,  we see the peace, mercy, joy, and hope which God desperately wants for all God’s people?

When Mary, the mother of Jesus, first meets the angel, she struggles to see clearly what God is doing in Jesus.  But by the time Mary reaches Elizabeth, Mary’s life is becoming a lens which magnifies God’s love and makes God’s vision for creation clearer and sharper.

In response to Elizabeth, Mary boldly proclaims, “The mighty one, has done great things for me . . ., his mercy is for those who fear him . . . . He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty” (Lk 1:49-53).

 Through Mary’s eyes, we glimpse a promised future very different from Mary’s present and from the present many people know today.

Through Mary’s eyes, we discern the possibility that God works through the unexpected, the unlikely, and the lowly to bring extraordinary change and hope to the world. 

Through Mary’s eyes, we see God’s vision for a kingdom where the lowly are lifted up, the hungry are fed, and all receive justice.

Her joyful, confident words help us see what she sees.  Hearing Mary’s song doesn’t change our situation, but her faithful witness magnifies God’s love for the world and brings into focus God’s vision of a world where all people enjoy a life filled with peace, mercy, justice, and hope.

Discussion Questions

• Mary goes to see Elizabeth for support during a difficult time. How do you find support and help when you are worried or anxious?
• What does it look like for the lowly to be lifted up in today’s world?
• If you were singing a song about God’s presence in the world today, what style of music would it be? What would the title of the song be?

Activity Suggestions

Possibility 1: Mary’s song is often called the Magnificat. It has been interpreted and set to music countless times across the centuries. Search for ‘The Magnificat’ on YouTube or talk to the musician at your church and identify 3 or 4 different version of the song in different styles. Listen to each version and invite to group to share:

• Which version they enjoyed most?
• What made that version the most enjoyable?

Possibility 2: Download a set of extreme close-up pictures. Here’s an example from Reader’s Digest: https://www.rd.com/list/everyday-objects-close-up/. Show the pictures to the group and invite participants to try and guess what each picture represents. As a part of the discussion during the game, invite participants to consider how the magnification helps change the way one sees an object. 

Closing Prayer

Open our eyes, O God, to see your love for the whole world. Inspire us to reflect and magnify your love through our words and our actions. Help us to know that you are with us in the ups and downs of life and to help to see the ways you call us to serve you in the world. Amen.

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.