Jason Fisher, Champaign, IL

Warm-up Questions

• How do you decide what you will wear each day? Has this changed since COVID?
• Would you wear something different if you knew you were getting your picture taken?

Who Are You–Really?

Photographer Libby Oliver has a portrait series called “Soft Shells” which explores people’s personalities through the clothes and accessories they wear. Instead asking them to pick out their favorite outfit and then taking their picture, Libby asks subjects to collect every piece of clothing they own and then photographs them underneath their huge pile of clothes! Instead of glamorous pictures of each person you gaze upon what looks like a heap of laundry. In all the photographs the person’s identity is completely covered up.

Libby’s photographs ask us to decide whether the things we own make up essential parts of our personalities or cover them up. She likes playing with the idea that we sometimes use the things we own as masks under which we  hide our insecurities from the rest of the world. In a statement from the artist, Libby says that her series “Soft Shells” speaks to human vulnerability, trust, and power. Clothes can be excellent at communicating which brands we trust, or showing others our own influence or power. Libby’s art is a stark reminder that, if we are not careful, our identities  get covered up or lost underneath the things we buy. Instead of being confident in who we are created to be, we hide our vulnerable selves under layers and layers of products.

Discussion Questions

• What would it look like if you were covered with all of the clothes you own?
• In what ways do you hide behind particular brands or products?

First Sunday in Lent

Genesis 9:8-17

1 Peter 3:18-22

Mark 1:9-15

(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 reading from Mark today is a very condensed version of many of the stories we know about Jesus. What, in other gospels, takes six or severn paragraphs, Mark covers in seven verses. Yet packed within this short reading is the crucial pattern of what happens to all of us throughout our faith walk with Jesus. Jesus is called away from home, baptized, and tempted. Then he spends his life sharing the Good News of God. 

The ELCA talks about this pattern by saying we are Called, Gathered, Enlightened, and Sent Out. Another way to think of this pattern is language from Henri Nouwen’s book Life of The Beloved. Nouwen says we are Taken (Chosen by God), Blessed (Called Beloved by God in Baptism), Broken (Tempted), and Given (Sharing the Good News of God with the world). Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Given. We see this cycle in this short text and God invites us into it over and over again throughout our lives.

According to Nouwen, the life of faith hinges on God’s words spoken at baptism. Jesus would never have left home, been tempted in the wilderness, and then followed God’s call to share the good news (knowing it would lead to the cross) without a deep sense of his “belovedness.” Nouwen writes; “We ARE the Beloved and must BECOME the Beloved, we ARE children of God and must BECOME children of God, we ARE brothers and sisters and must BECOME brothers and sisters.”

Knowing our true identity is in God’s love for us is the key to fighting the battles against Satan, who tempts us to believe lies about ourselves. Nouwen says that we are most likely to be tempted away from our baptismal identity as God’s beloved when we believe one or more of these three lies:

• I am what I have.
• I am what I do.
• I am what others say about me.

Jesus went through horrific physical and mental pain: The people from his hometown thought he was a joke. The religious leaders told him he wasn’t being faithful to God. His friends ditched him in his moment of greatest need. On top of that, people constantly challenged his identity: “He eats with sinners. He has a demon. What makes you so special? That’s not the right way to do things.” Had Jesus listened to these voices, he would have traded his identity for a lie. The voice he kept in the forefront of his heart and mind was his heavenly Father’s, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Discussion Questions

• Which of the three lies do you most often listen to?
• How might Libby Oliver’s artwork relate to this passage of scripture?
• Where are you right now in the cycle of being Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given?

Activity Suggestions

• Make a pile of all of your clothes, or all of your physical possessions, and then take a picture of it. Keep it as a reminder that you are much more that what you have.
• According to a recent survey, the average person in the United States will have 12 different jobs in their lifetime. We are much more than what we do. Write down a list of the qualities or gifts that God has given you that you will share with others, no matter what job or career you might be called to.
• Reflect on the lies that others have said about you. Using colored markers write those lies on a piece of paper. Then take a brush and brush water over the lies until they melt away. After the paper has dried write, “I am God’s Beloved child and with me God is well pleased.”

Closing Prayer

Triune God help me to remember that I am your beloved. Remind me that there is nothing anyone can say or do that changes the fact that I am loved by You. Help me to see that before I owned anything you gave me everything I needed. Guide me to see that I am not my work, but that my work is found in sharing the love of Jesus Christ with others. Amen.

 

Grace Heimerdinger-Baake, Ankeny, IA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever transformed garbage into precious pieces of art? If so, what have you made and what did you use to craft the masterpiece.If you have not, what is stopping you from turning trash into treasures? 

Transformation

A recent article tells how a visitors’ information center in Kathmandu, Nepal is collecting trash from Mount Everest and is transforming the waste into art. Foreign and local artists transform the used oxygen bottles, torn tents, ropes, broken ladders, cans, and plastic into unique masterpieces. 

The information center displays the art with the hope of not only raising environmental awareness, but also generating employment and income. Proceeds raised from the art gallery will go towards conservation efforts in the region. 

Discussion Questions

• How would you transform the climbers’ waste into art? What waste materials would you use to craft the unexpected treasure?
• What other solutions exist in safety disposing the garbage from the climbers?
• How can you up-cycle the waste you and your family produce? 

Transfiguration of Our Lord

2 Kings 2:1-12

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Mark 9:2-9

(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 B at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

This Sunday is the story of the transfiguration of Jesus. Leading up to this important event, Jesus has been very busy. He finished feeding a multitude of people, cured a blind man in Bethsaida, and had a deep conversation about his upcoming death with his disciples. 

After all that, Jesus goes on a hike with three of his closest friends, Peter, James, and John. One might think this is a chance for Jesus to rest. Instead, Jesus transfigures (changes in form and appearance). Not only does Jesus’ appearance change, he is joined by Moses and Elijah. And then, God speaks, “This is my son, the Beloved; listen to him.”  

Peter, James, and John have just observed their friend transform into something unimaginable. It is only rational for Peter to express the desire to make three homes, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. He wants to preserve what he had just witnessed.

We know what the disciples may not have known at the time: the man who they went up the mountains with is the same man with the dazzling white clothes. Although Jesus’ appearance had changed, he was the same man, the same man whom the disciples witnessed feeding people, healing the sick, and walking on water. The transfiguration gives the disciples and us a new way of seeing and hearing Jesus.  

After coming down the mountain, Jesus commands his disciples to tell no one (including the other disciples) what had transpired until “the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” 

Mark’s gospel continues on from the transfiguration with additional accounts of Jesus teaching, healing, and foretelling his death and resurrection. The transfiguration simultaneously leaves Jesus changed and unchanged. 

The mountain waste in Nepal undergoes a transfiguration similar to that of Jesus. It begins as something ordinary, having served the needs of climbers, and acquires deeper significance and beauty.  The physical appearance is altered and the transfigured items provide for the needs of the native people. 

Discussion Questions

• When you hear the story of the transfiguration, what images jump out to you? 
• As the disciples and Jesus hike down from the mountain, Jesus orders them not to tell anyone what they have seen. Why do you think Jesus wants them to keep it a secret until after his death and resurrection? 
• On the mountain, the disciples are told to listen to Jesus. How do you and I listen to him? What role do the gospel stories play in shaping how we listen to him?

Activity Suggestions

Option 1: At the Transfiguration, the disciples are reminded that this event isn’t the end of the story; more is to come and they need to continue to listen to Jesus. A fun activity about a story’s continuation, and about our listening skills, is called One Word At A Time. This activity is best played between 2 to 8 people. 

Introduce the activity by telling the players they are going to create a story that’s never been told before, and this story will be created one word at time. Ask a player to share the title of this story and begin with the first word of the story. Continue going around the room with each player adding a word to the story. It is important to stay focused on the story as a whole while remaining relaxed and ready for your turn. 

Option 2: We don’t need to see new things. We need to see the old things with new eyes. Gather and clean waste items and transform the items into something useful or into art. While transforming, keep in mind that the milk jug you are using, is still a milk jug. You are just seeing it under new eyes.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, you led Jesus and his disciples up the mountain for his transfiguration, and there you commanded the disciples to listen to him. Open our ears and our hearts to always listen to Jesus.  May we be attentive to the cross as we prepare to embark on the season of Lent.  Amen.

 

Chris Litman-Koon, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Warm-up Question

Working together, name some ways that the individuals of your group serve various roles within your community of faith. This could be official roles you have (e.g. acolyte, council member) or could be unofficial ways you contribute to the community (e.g. joy bearer, justice pursuer, peacemaker).

Dissonance and Resolve

Saint Peter’s Church in midtown Manhattan is a Lutheran congregation with a long history. In the local vernacular, it is often called “the jazz church” for its deep connection to the New York City jazz community and for its weekly jazz service. In the grand story of the congregation’s history, the years 2020 and 2021 will stand out as acutely painful.

The congregation has not met for in-person worship since the onset of the pandemic, yet at least 60 members of Saint Peter’s Church died from COVID-19 by the end of 2020. That in itself is heartbreaking for any faith community. Then on January 4 of this year, a municipal water main broke outside the church. This flooded the entire plaza where the church is located, and it sent water and mud a few feet deep into the main sanctuary and the lower level of the church. The damage to the building was extensive, including the organ, piano, and archival artifacts which include items once belonging to legendary jazz musicians John Coltrane and Billy Strayhorn. The leadership of the congregation has expressed appreciation for the various ways the broader community has rallied to support Saint Peter’s Church during this devastating time.

Discussion Questions

• In jazz music it is common to have dissonant notes that lead to resolution. Using that as a metaphor, Saint Peter’s Church is experiencing a time of dissonance; how might “resolve” be understood in their context? 
• Has your faith community ever experienced a time of tremendous woe?

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 40:21-31

1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Mark 1:29-39

(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

After healing a man of an unclean spirit in the Capernaum synagogue, Jesus and his four disciples (at this point) enter the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law has a fever, which was a more dire situation at that time than it is today. Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up, and then she began to serve them. 

It should strike us as odd that this woman — whose life was just in jeopardy — immediately begins to serve the men. Shouldn’t they tend to her? A narrow-minded view of gender roles is at play in this story. While we today are not bound to enact the social customs of a society which existed centuries ago on another continent, an understanding of those social customs can open our eyes to God’s activity in the story. People had certain and expected roles to fulfill in their Galilean communities, and it is safely assumed that the role of this woman was to serve others in this home, namely the men who entered it. However, the fever she experienced prevented her from fulfilling her role. 

Interestingly, the verb used by the gospel writer Mark is that Jesus “raised up” her. Mark later uses this verb to describe Christ’s resurrection, and the verb is used on several occasions in the gospel to describe Jesus’ healing of individuals. In all those circumstances, the person is restored to their community or to a close relationship. When someone is brought low by unclean spirits, illness, or death itself, Mark says Jesus raises them again to fulfill their valued role in the community.

This woman serves the men after being raised up.  That “serving” is the same verb that Jesus later uses to describe his own ministry in Mark 10:45. It is the word used to describe the disciples’ ministry: they are called to serve. The woman literally served the men food in her house. In a deeper sense, this woman is the first example of true discipleship in Mark’s gospel.  She has been raised up by Jesus, and that experience leads her to fulfill her valued role in the community, which is (for her and all disciples of Christ) a role defined by serving.

That deeper understanding is what Mark intends for readers to hear and apply. Christ’s activity in our lives reconnects us to a community where we can fulfill our treasured role, which always takes the form of serving others. When jazz ensembles perform, it is said that they are “in the pocket” when everyone is keeping rhythm together and the ensemble is truly one. Christ desires his disciples to be “in the pocket” with their community — listening to others and each member making contributions to the whole in their own unique way — and it is through this experience of community that our service finds its greatest meaning. 

Discussion Questions

• When Christ raises us up and restores us to the community, do you hear that as the faith community or as a broader community? Can it be both?
• How does or how can your service be an outcome of your role in the community?

Activity Suggestions

This activity can be done in the presence of others or it can be done virtually if everyone but the selected leader mutes themselves. 

Have the leader create a repeating rhythm in either 4/4 or 3/4 time, keeping a constant tempo. This repeating measure can consist of claps, finger snaps, thigh slaps, or table hits. (If an instrument like a piano or guitar is present, that can be used to add harmony to the rhythm with an improvised repeating chord progression, known as a vamp.)

If the activity is done in person, have people contribute something additional, one at a time, to this underlying rhythm, like a finger snap on the second beat. As more people contribute, see if your group can be “in the pocket.”

If done virtually, everyone who is muted will only be able to hear their own contribution to the leader’s underlying continuous rhythm. Although this scenario limits the communal aspects of the activity, it might allow the muted participants to be more creative, perhaps changing things up as they feel moved.

As time allows, begin again with a new rhythm and possibly a new leader.

How does this activity add to your sense of community?

Closing Prayer

Loving God, you raise us up and call us to serve. Watch over all your servants, especially those who are facing difficult times. Raise up the Saint Peter’s Church community at this time, and may their help and hope be found in you. Amen.

 

Alex Zuber–Harrisonburg, VA

Warm-up Question

How do you respond to authority figures?  What does authority mean to you?

Chaos and Authority

On January 20th, 2021, Joseph R. Biden Jr. became the 46th President of the United States and Kamala D. Harris became the first ever woman, black woman, and woman of South Asian descent to be Vice President of the United States.  Inauguration Day is central to the peaceful transition of power in the US and showcases the authority to lead the nation.  In the midst of this historic day, a powerful voice rose above the rest, as Amanda Gorman became the youngest poet laureate to share her work at a presidential inauguration. 

In her poem Ms. Gorman reflected powerfully on the stark juxtaposition of this inauguration day and the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol just two weeks prior.  She said, “We will not march back to what was / but move to what shall be /A country that is bruised but whole, / benevolent but bold, / fierce and free / We will not be turned around / or interrupted by intimidation / because we know our inaction and inertia / will be the inheritance of the next generation / Our blunders become their burdens / But one thing is certain: / If we merge mercy with might, / and might with right, / then love becomes our legacy / and change our children’s birthright”

Ms. Gorman reminded us that we have witnessed the chaos of January 6th transformed into the authority of January 20th.  It was a powerful transformation, and if we hope to avoid again descending into chaos, authority must be rooted in mercy, goodness, and love.  We are moving past the pain of January 6th, but there is still work to do if we truly wish love to be our legacy.  This hopeful future hangs in the balance between chaos and authority.

Discussion Questions

• Who are authority figures in your life whom you trust?  Why do you trust them?
• Have you seen examples when chaos overcame authority?  Why did authority fail? 
• How do you think people of faith are meant to respond to chaos in our world?

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Mark 1:21-28

(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

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus enters the temple to teach.  He teaches with authority in a way that amazes the people.  But what is the source of Christ’s authority?  What  about his teaching is so incredible to his hearers?

Before we get an answer, a man suddenly appears who has been afflicted with an unclean spirit; in other places in scripture it is called a demon.  In many other places in the gospels we see that unclean spirits and demons are chaotic forces, driving a deep separation between people and their communities, seeking to dominate and destroy.  They are powerful forces, but seem to tremble in the presence of Christ.  This demon attempts to establish its chaotic power over Jesus by calling him by name—an ancient way of gaining power over another—but calmly and firmly Jesus casts the demon out of the man.

It is a dramatic scene, and the people once again rejoice at this “new teaching—with authority!”  But the heart of this story is in the foundation of Christ’s authority.  His authority is not found in being the biggest, baddest, most powerful force of all.  His authority is found in humility and mercy.  Christ sides with meek and humble humans, overwhelmed and cut-off from their community.  Jesus’ power lies in humility and his work is in restoration.  His merciful reign is not about asserting dominance, but about creating hope and restoration.  He is the redeemer of the people, subservient even to death on a cross, and it is this humility which  topples even the greatest evil forces.

There are plenty of demons in our world.  Seemingly insurmountable forces of demonic division like racism, white-supremacy, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and transphobia, seek to gain power over us each day and divide us from one another.  But through our baptisms we are one body with Christ. God makes us the priesthood of all believers.  Christ’s authority is rooted in hope, mercy, truth, and equity; in response to the grace we have received through Christ, God sends us out as disciples to work for these things.  Through our baptisms, we renounce the demons of our time and build up the Kingdom of God.  Christ shows us that we won’t defeat these forces through coercive power, but through his authority, rooted in his humility and love.  Through God’s grace, we’ve received the promise that this struggle is already won.

Discussion Questions

• Have you experienced “unclean spirits” or demons, i.e., forces which seek to divide, isolate, and diminish through chaos?
• What are ways we can take up Christ’s authority to resist the demons of our day?
• What kind of world would it be if all persons with authority took seriously the call to love, mercy, humility, and equity?  Is this world possible?

Activity Suggestions

• Read through the news this week.  Where do you see demons?  Where do you see the powerful dividing rather than working for equity?  Pray over these divisions and talk with a friend about the ways that you might work for peace.
• Visit the ELCA Advocacy, ELCA World Hunger, and Global Church blogs on the ELCA website to look for ways we are working together against injustice today.
• Read over the Baptismal Covenant (pg. 237 in ELW) and discuss with a friend what it means to live into these promises.

Closing Prayer

God of reconciliation, where unclean spirits still seek division, you knit us together into one body of believers through grace and mercy.  Send us out with the authority of your Son to work for justice, equity, and reconciliation in his name.  Amen.

 

Heather Hansen, San Antonio, TX

Warm-up Question

When have you had success getting someone to change their mind, selling them something, or convincing them of a new concept.  What helped you do it?

Inviting Not Selling

Relevant Magazine online recently reported a list of 11 statistics that paint a striking picture of US consumerism.  Here are a few of the 11, but to find the whole list, you can use this link:

1.  Nearly 40% of food in America goes to waste.

2. Nearly half the world’s toys are in America.

3. The average American household has more than $7,500 in consumer debt while the median household

income in the global population is just over $9,700 (as of 2013, according to Gallup).

In a 2008 video called “The Virtue of Kindness,”  one of the narrators shares a statistic which remains fairly unchanged 12 years later:  The US is 6% of the world’s population and we use about 23% of the world’s resources.

Just coming out of the Christmas season, how do you feel about consumerism?  Has Christmas become primarily a consumer cultural?  Is it hard to stay focused amidst all the advertisements and marketing?  I noticed this year that many commercials are about treating yourself, or at least treating yourself after you treat others.  But isn’t giving someone a gift at Christmas supposed to be a meaningful show of love, like God’s gift of Jesus to us or the wisemen’s gifts to Jesus?

In 2018, the top 200 advertisers spent a collective $163,000,000,000 on marketing, according to businessinsider.com.  Yes, you read that right.  One-hundred-sixty-three BILLION dollars on marketing in ONE year.  It’s no wonder we are such consumers.  We are bombarded with verbal and visual ads everywhere we look— social media, TV, radio, billboards, and print.  Consider what we could do with billions of dollars to care for the poor, the sick, or the stranger.  We could develop better care and programs for the mentally ill or persons with disabilities, or boost education…the list goes on and on.

Because of our consumer culture, it’s not surprising that many people look at participation in a faith community or church the same way:

-Which church fits MY needs or the needs of my family?

-Which church has a coffee bar?

-Does my church worship at a time that I would like to worship, or should I find a new one that does?

-We are “church shopping.”

Of course, none of these things are necessarily bad.   But how can we also make sure we aren’t merely “consuming” faith too?  How can we be sure that our churches are not “selling us” an experience, rather than inviting us to be disciples?  What does it mean to be a disciple?  How do WE invite others into a relationship with God and with our neighbors without manipulation or a sales pitch?  Because ultimately, Jesus isn’t for sale, and neither are our relationships.

Discussion Questions

• Based on these statistics, how do you feel about consumerism in America?
• Given what Jesus says in Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” what is God teaching us about consumerism?
• When is going to church a faith practice and when is it consuming?  In other words, how is participating in a faith community or church more than just filling satisfying our wants.  Is there a difference between what we want and what we truly need?  Is that difference important?

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Mark 1:14-20

(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 B at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

In Mark 1:14-20, Jesus calls and gathers his first disciples.   Jesus tells these men, who are fishermen by trade, that he will make them “fishers of men,” or in other words, “fishers of people.”  It seems like a relatively straightforward deal; I call you to follow me, and you call others to follow me (meaning Jesus).  We use this story as a reference to how God wants us to invite and welcome people into our communities of faith.  We use this story to understand part of the work of being a disciple of Christ.

However, isn’t it a little more complicated than what we hear in the gospel?  Jesus walks up to these fishermen, calls out, “Follow me.”  They lay down their nets and follow.  But WHY?!?!?!  If you were to walk up to someone in today’s world and tell them to just drop what they are doing and follow you, they would probably think you are crazy!  Even if they didn’t think you were crazy, they would not likely follow.  Moreover, in today’s cultural climate of marketing and consumerism, we’ve become particularly tuned in to wondering what people are trying to “sell” us and what’s in it for them.  “Why should I follow you?  What’s the catch?  What’s in it for me?  What’s in it for you?”

I’ve spent a lot of time in recent years inviting young people who do not go to church or have an interest in church to come.  I’ve often heard that they just don’t see the point.  These are exactly the people I feel God is calling me to invite into a faith community.  However, finding ways to invite them and not make it “too churchy” or sound like a sales pitch has proven hard.  Simply asking them to “follow me” doesn’t seem realistic either.

So I look to the gospel story and wonder, what does it mean to be a fisher of people?  And how can I be a fisher of people without becoming a salesperson?  A few things come to mind:

1. Jesus invites the disciples to follow AND tells them he will make them fishers of people.  When we invite someone to come to church, we should be clear about what we are inviting them to and why.  When you want to ask someone to share a special thing in your life, how do you ask them?  What do you say?  Developing a relationship with God different than just coming to church–and people need to know why.

2. The story doesn’t tell us is why these men just dropped their nets to follow.  Did they KNOW Jesus?  Was he an acquaintance?  A stranger?  Did they hate their jobs and see that Jesus offered something better?  Had they heard that Jesus was proclaiming the good news of God?  What would make someone in today’s world hear that the gospel is good news?  Does knowing a person and hearing about what they are doing that is unique or special make a difference in whether someone follows?

3. Jesus doesn’t make a big fuss or spend a lot of time on the invitation.  It’s simply an invitation.  Sometimes, when we work too hard to convince someone, we begin to sound like a salesperson trying to sell something instead of simply inviting.  Keep it simple.  Just invite.

4. Finally, a fisherman knows that some days you catch a bunch of fish, and some days you don’t.  And when you pull in the nets, some get away or never get caught in the first place.  If we apply this to fishing for people, we remember that fishing for people isn’t about catching everyone or catching anyone in particular.  It’s about the fishing itself, the inviting. God asks us to be faithful disciples and  fish, but God doesn’t expect us to always make a catch.  Additionally, if we get too caught up in trying to catch the fish we missed, we lose sight of those we’ve caught—and they may then slip away.  Fishing for people is not about making a catch or a sale.  It’s about  extending an invitation to something which is life-giving, nourishing, sustaining, and filling.  It’s about inviting someone deeper into a relationship.  It’s about sharing the opportunity to experience God’s love with others.

Fishing for people is not about selling something.  It’s not even about making a catch.  The point of fishing for people is to throw out the net and gather people in who want to know how God is part of our lives.  It’s about inviting people into hard, beautiful, merciful, forgiving, filling, comforting, beloved relationships; the things that being a disciple are all about.  In our consumer world, fishing for people can sometimes feel like just another marketing scheme, but it doesn’t have to be that.  After all, an invitation to a party is way better than an ad for another thing to buy.

Discussion Questions

• What’s the difference between inviting someone to follow Jesus and marketing your church or faith community?
• In today’s consumer society, why is it important to invite someone into a relationship with Jesus rather than “sell them Jesus”?
• What does it mean to you to be a fisher of people and why does God call disciples to be fishers of people?
• What are some ways you could fish for people rather than “sell them Jesus”?

Activity Suggestion

Role play a way you might “fish for people.”

If you need assistance, follow these steps:

a.  Determine why your faith or your relationship with Jesus is important to you.

b.  Think about a story you could share with others that describes why your faith or relationship with Jesus is special to you.

c.  Practice sharing your story with a partner.

OR

After answering the discussion questions above, you may have come up with some different ways to fish for people yourself.  Try these out in your role play. When you are finished with your role play, have your partner help you fine tune your invitation and explore other ways you might “fish for people.”

Closing Prayer

Jesus, our teacher, You have called us to follow you and made us fishers of people.  Give us the courage to become the fishermen you ask us to be, and the faith to know how to share your love rather than sell someone on why they should believe in you.  Equip us with the tools we need to extend your forgiveness, mercy and compassion to others, and gather in all those who are drawn to you.  Amen.