Jocelyn Breeland, Sunnyvale, CA

Warm-up Question

What stresses you out?

Healthy in Mind and Spirit

October 10 was World Mental Health Day, sponsored by the World Health Organization to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health. Millions of Americans are affected by mental illnesses every year. 

Mental illness among young people is particularly concerning. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among Americans 10-34 years old. A 2018 Pew Research Center study found that 70% of teens reported signs of depression among their peers. 

The teen years are stressful for many reasons, including a desire for greater autonomy, pressure to conform with peers, increased access to and use of technology, and exploration of sexual identity. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased these stress factors. Many young people are physically isolated from their peers, dealing with family financial anxiety due to lost employment, or engaging in difficult (but necessary) conversations brought on by the national reckoning with race and lack of equity.

One goal of mental health organizations is to destigmatize mental illness, to remove the barrier of shame which keeps many from seeking treatment. Mental illness is not a personal failing; it is a medical condition for which there are effective medications and other treatments. In one awareness effort, celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Brad Pitt, Gabrielle Union, Katy Perry, Jay Z, and Mindy Kaling  took to social media to share their mental health challenges and their decisions to seek help. Their message is clear: You are not alone.

Another goal of Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of national and local mental health resources. Young people who think they might need help can start by discussing their feelings with their parents, another trusted adult, or a health care professional. If none of these is an option, here are some places to get help:

• Note:  If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800.273.TALK (8255) or 911 immediately.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine 800.950.NAMI (6264)
• The Society for Adolescent Mental Health website includes a list of online resources, websites, apps and guides here.

Discussion Questions

• Which of the stress factors noted most affects you right now?  Why?
• Is there a stress factor not mentioned with which you find it hard to deal?
• Stress is often associated with a sense that one has lost control.  How has COVID affected your sense of control?  What might you do to feel more in control–or at least lower your anxiety when there are circumstances beyond your control?
• What ways to reduce the stress do you find most helpful (for example, regular exercise or prayer)?

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost/ Reformation Sunday

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Romans 3:19-28

John 8:31-36  (Reformation)

Matthew 22:34-46  (Pentecost 21)

(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

What is the greatest commandment?  Jesus stands before the Sadducees and Pharisees as the wisest and most patient teacher, explaining something which should be obvious to men who have dedicated their lives to studying God’s word.   Of course, Jesus knows they are not really on a quest for insight. They’re trying to trick him into exposing himself as an imposter.

Jesus’ answer to their question is perfect. The greatest commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Love for God is the guiding principle for all believers. This establishes our relationship to God. The second, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” shows how we respond to God’s love in all aspects of our lives. 

Our instruction is pretty simple: love God and share that love in relationships with others. Keep these two commandments and obedience to the other commandments follows naturally. 

Reformation Sunday is this week, a time to consider the message of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses (Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences). Luther argues that God’s favor is not something that we can earn or purchase. Like Jesus, Luther focuses on our relationship to God. We are loved and, therefore, we respond with love.  Obedience does not put God in our debt; it is what we offer to God out of gratitude for what we have first received. The good news of this day is that salvation does not depend on how much money we have, what we eat, what we wear—or even how perfectly we keep the commandments. It comes from a right relationship with God. Yet, having received the gift of God’s care, it is our joy to love God and neighbor.  Jesus is our guide, the light and the way.

Discussion Questions

• Of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-17) which is the hardest for you to follow. Why?
• Many have said that the commands to love god and neighbor are not so much two different commandments as two sides of the same coin.  What does that mean?  Do you think it is possible to love God without loving one’s neighbor….to love the neighbor without loving God?
• What is the difference between being obedient out of a sense of duty or hope of reward and honoring the commandments out of gratitude for God’s love?
• Jesus is clear about what he regards as the greatest commandments.  Do you think most Christians act as if those these are the greatest commandments?  If not, what do you think they regard as the signs of a faithful Christian?
• In verses 41 – 46, what is the meaning of the series of questions Jesus asks the Pharisees?

Activity Suggestions

Together, make a list of ways you – individually or as a group – can support mental wellness. What can you do to help yourself or others relieve stress? How can you establish meaningful connections in the COVID-19 era?

Make plans so that each member of the group can initiate one of these ideas in the next week. 

Next week, compare notes. What went well? What activities would you like to make ongoing projects?

Closing Prayer

Merciful God, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to show us your love and to teach us how to share your love in our world. Be with us as we learn and grow.  Give us wisdom and strength, individually and as a community, to show compassion to others. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Leslie Weber, Chesapeake, VA

Warm-up Question

Have someone take some coins from their pocket/wallet/purse and talk about them as a group.

• What do you notice about the coins? What is printed on them?
• How often do you have coins in your possession? What do you commonly use coins to buy?
• What is your first memory of coins?
• If no one or very few people have coins, discuss why that is.

Coins Matter

Due to changes in shopping and banking practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, coin circulation patterns have been disrupted, which has led to many stores preferring exact change and electronic payments. Enough coins exist in the country, they just are not circulating in the same ways, since lockdowns began in March of 2020.  This seems to be the result of a combination of factors—businesses being closed, banks having reduced hours, and people avoiding touching public objects (such as coins) in order to slow the spread of the virus.

The Federal Reserve has formed a task force to “mitigate the effects of low coin inventories caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”  However, officials believe this to be a temporary issue that will resolve itself as restrictions lift and shopping patterns return to normal.

Discussion Questions

• The coin shortage does not affect everyone equally.  What populations/groups might might the coin shortage especially impact? (ex: people who do not have credit cards, people who use laundromats, the Salvation Army Red Kettle program, etc.)
• What are the pros/cons of our society becoming increasingly cashless?

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 45:1-7

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Matthew 22:15-22

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser.  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

The saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”  So, two unlikely groups join together “to entrap [Jesus] in what he said”. The Herodians are supporters of the Roman Empire, while the Pharisees are part of the Jewish temple leadership. They disagree about a lot, but one thing they can agree on is that they are not fans of Jesus. They attempt to put Jesus in a lose-lose situation with the question they pose to him. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor?”   But Jesus answers stealth-fully and ends up entrapping them in the process.  

In order for Jews to comply with the first two of the Ten Commandments (They should  have no other gods or make any graven images), all imprinted money was supposed to be traded in for temple currency before entering the temple complex. The Roman census tax, about which they are speaking, could only be paid with a Roman coin, Most Roman coins contained an image and inscription considered blasphemous by many Jews: Tiberius Caesar Divi Augusti Filius Augustus Pontifex Maximus (Tiberius Caesar, august son of the divine Augustus, high priest) [The New Interpreters Bible Commentary, Volume VIII, p.420].  Therefore, when they hand Jesus a denarius, they show themselves to be breaking the temple rules.  They are trapped instead of Jesus.

Jesus gives a non-answer.  By not giving a “yes” or “no” answer, Jesus avoids angering either those loyal to Rome or the Judean nationalists, who oppose Roman rule. Additionally, his non-answer drives home two points. First, it is lawful, according to the Torah, to pay taxes to foreign governments, like the Roman Empire.  But at the same time, everything is in fact God’s—the creator of everything.  Caesar and everyone else are just temporarily using what is ultimately and always truly God’s.

Martin Luther’s explanation of the Fourth Commandment in the Small Catechism includes “others in authority” (SC I 8) among those whom we are to honor. In the Large Catechism he equates rulers to “fathers of the nation” (LC I 158). However, Luther also charges such authorities to care for those over whom they rule, specifically by ensuring that they receive the daily bread that God provides for them.  

This is why Luther writes, in his explanation to the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “It would therefore be fitting if the coat of arms of every upright prince were emblazoned with a loaf of bread instead of a lion or a wreath of rue, or if a loaf of bread were stamped on coins, in order to remind both princes and subjects that it is through the princes’ office that we enjoy protection and peace” (LC III 75).

Jesus’s answer is really a “yes-but.”  It is our Christian call to participate in government, because it is one avenue by which God’s provision and protection can be distributed to all in need.  Yet, no government is above God, but is but one of God’s earthly tools.

Discussion Questions

• As Christians, should we pay taxes? Why or why not?
• How do you give “to God the things that are God’s”—in other words: How do you use what has been entrusted to you (time, talents, treasures) to do God’s work in the world?

Activity Suggestions

• Play a board game that includes using money (like Monopoly) but only use a portion of the total bills that are available.  This will cause players to have to get creative about how they save/spend.
• Asset Mapping—provide each person with a pad of sticky notes and have them write their assets (ex: talents, connections, physical stuff), one per sticky notes.  When everyone has listed as many of their assets as they can think of, have everyone place them up on the wall.  Sit back and appreciate all the gifts God has given to your group.  If time allows—categorize/group them and see if a service project idea emerges.
• Spiritual Gifts Assessment Tool—have each person complete the linked Spiritual Gifts Assessment Tool (https://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Faith-Practices/Spiritual-Renewal/Assessment-Tools). Discuss the results—what did you expect? what was surprising? etc.

Closing Prayer

Creator God, you made all things! Thank you for all the gifts that you have entrusted to us—our time, talents, treasures, and power. Guide us in using all that we have for the good of creation and the in-breaking of your kin-dom. Amen.

Amy Martinell, Sioux Fall, SD

Warm-up Question

• What is the most memorable wedding you have attended?  What made it so memorable?
• How have you gathered with family and friends in new ways during this time of pandemic?  What have been the advantages of gathering in new ways?  disadvantages?

A Place at the Table

On September 18th Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died.  The country is currently mourning the loss of a legend.  Throughout her career Ginsburg was a champion of gender equality and women’s rights.  Before being appointed to the court, she he argued six sex-discrimination cases before the Supreme Court, winning five.  On the Supreme court Ginsburg continued to fight for equal protection under the law.  In recent years she became famous for her strongly worded dissents, which  gained her status as a pop culture icon known as the “Notorious RBG.”

As we reflect on this parable about  who is in and who is out at the wedding banquet, we remember Justice Ginsburg who worked tirelessly to make room for all at our nation’s table.

Discussion Questions

• When have you felt something was unfair?  What did you do?  How have you spoken up to work for fairness?
• When have you experienced or witnessed discrimination?  How did it make you feel?
• Justice Ginsburg was a hero and role model for many.  Who is someone you admire?  Why?

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 25:1-9

Philippians 4:1-9

Matthew 22:1-14

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. You can find the calendar of readings for Year A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

This is a strange, parable, exaggerated to the point of ridiculous. A king sends out invitations to a wedding banquet, but no one responds.  It is curious that everyone ignores a royal summons, but it gets worse.  The king sends a second invitation, tempting them with the delicious food.  Some ignore the invitation, but many take it to another level.  They seize the king’s slaves, beating and killing them, simply for inviting them to a banquet.  It is quite the overreaction.  Not to be outdone in  overreaction, the king sends troops to destroy the murderers and burns their cities.

The king has set his own city on fire, but apparently the wedding banquet is still on.   Shrugging off his recent acts of violence, the king looks around and realizes he still has lots of food and empty seats.  So he tells his slaves, “Go out again, but this time to the streets.  Invite everyone!”  Soon the wedding hall fills, a great party forms.  As a rule, those on the outskirts and margins know how to party, much better than “proper” guests do.  Still,  the king can’t  relax and enjoy the party.  Instead, he spots a guest not wearing a wedding robe and again he is enraged.  He was Invited at the last minute, but the guest still pays a price for being unprepared.  The king binds the guest and shows him into the outer darkness.

This parable leaves us with more questions than answers.  Why do the guests refuse the king?  Why  both the guests and the king react so violently? Most of all, we wonder what this parable could possibly mean for our life. This parable does not have an easy, clear interpretation.   As scholar Amy-Jill Levine suggests, when we meet a complicated parable, we are better off thinking less about what the parable means and more about what it can do: remind, provoke, refine, confront, disturb.  (Short Stories by Jesus (New York: HarperOne, 2015)

How does this parable make us feel?  Does the disturbing nature of the parable help us recognize the places in our lives and our world where God’s presence has been rejected?  Does it cause us to confront the places in our nation where some are not given a seat at the table.  This parable reminds us that God calls us to live an abundant life.  The kingdom of heaven is a banquet, and Jesus calls us  to put on our party dress and revel in God’s grace.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever been invited to a party you didn’t want to attend?  What did you do?  Have you ever had a party and worried that no one would come?  How did that feel?
• Has God ever called you to a role you did not want to do?  What might God be calling you to now?
• What emotions did you feel while hearing this parable?
• Why do you think the man was thrown out of the wedding banquet?  What might it mean for us?  Is it a reminder to dress correctly?  To respond correctly when God calls us?  To worry less and enjoy God’s grace?

Activity Suggestions

During this time of Covid-19 we have not been able to gather as we did before.  Large wedding banquets or parties are no longer safe and we all miss gathering together in our usual ways.  Many people are suffering from loneliness and depression.  As a group brainstorm ways you could reach out to those who are feeling lonely.  You may want to send cards to elderly members of your congregation or make door decorations for your local nursing home.

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, We give you thanks for calling each of us to the heavenly banquet.  Guide us to work to make our lives on earth better reflect your heavenly kingdom.  Amen.

Sylvia Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

“My boss owes me for all my hard work.” “The company is insured.” “Nobody will notice.”

These are some of the excuses employees make to justify stealing money, merchandise, office supplies, and more from their employers. Incidents of employee theft are on the rise. Do you think there is ever a valid excuse for employee theft? If so, what might it be? If not, why do you think more and more people are stealing at work?

Is It Really Stealing?

A 2019 survey revealed that 75% of those surveyed admitted to stealing from their employers at least once and 37.5%, at least twice. Why do they do it? Some can’t be bothered to buy the product. Some blame lack of supervision and poor enforcement of consequences or a sudden financial need Others believe the company can afford it. But the most common reason is employees feeling overworked and under-appreciated.  They believe they deserve more.

This sounds reasonable from the point of view of one person. But 75% of individuals taking what they think they deserve adds up. Almost a third of small and mid-sized business owners who declare bankruptcy say that employee theft was a direct cause. The more businesses fail, the more people are left jobless and unable to feed their families. Soon, the whole economy begins to break down.  Yes, taking an employer’s property really is stealing.

The Eighth Commandment says, “You shall not steal.” There is no “unless” – unless I’m not getting paid enough, unless I’m in terrible financial need, unless the boss isn’t paying attention. God wants Christians to fulfill our responsibilities no matter how we feel, no matter who is or isn’t looking. When God gives us a job, He expects us to give it our best. “So… whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NRSV). God’s economy isn’t based on deserving. If it were, no one would get anything but God’s wrath. Since Christians have received grace, let us behave graciously.

Discussion Questions

• If you are able, follow the links in the article above. Think again about the Warm-up Question. Most people would say that stealing is wrong. So, why are more and more people stealing from their employers?
• What do you think employers should do to prevent employee theft?
• What do you think it means to “do everything for the glory of God”?

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 5:1-7

Philippians 3:4b-14

Matthew 21:33-46

(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 is having another run-in with the religious leaders, the aristocrats of the Jewish culture. They challenge his authority. What right has he, humble carpenter’s son, to teach and preach to them, the ones who have studied God’s law all their lives? This upstart must be challenged!

As he often does when questioned, Jesus tells a parable, two in fact, and this is the second one. Both have to do with authority. We may think Jesus is using hyperbole, literary exaggeration, to make his point. How on earth could the tenant farmers of the story believe they’ll get away with beating and killing the owner’s servants and even his son? With stealing, not just a little produce, but the entire vineyard?

When the prophets of the Old Testament speak of a vineyard, they often mean the Jewish people, the ones God chose to hear and live out his words. So, as the leaders listen to the story, they can hardly miss the fact, that the keepers of the vineyard are them.  They are supposed to care for the people, using their knowledge of the law to help the people grow spiritually. 

At times, the Old Testament leaders did  beat, torture, and even kill God’s messengers, the prophets. They wanted to use their power as they saw fit. Instead of paying attention to God’s messengers, they abused and them. They thought they deserved the honor and power which belong only to God. So what if, for lack of someone to tell them the truth, the “vineyard,” God’s chosen ones, withered and died on the vine.

The ones hearing Jesus’ words are no better than their ancestors. Jesus’ words come true. They kill the Son rather than give up their positions of authority.  So who are the people who will receive the vineyard in the end? Those who, in following Jesus, do the work of tending God’s people, not for their own glory, but for God’s.

Discussion Questions

• Jesus tells a story about irresponsible leaders, who did not care for God’s people as they should. What would a good leader do? In what way would a good leader “tend the vineyard,” that is help God’s people to grow spiritually?
• The news article talks about how little thefts can add up and bring serious consequences. What wide-spread consequences for God’s people might result from an increase of selfish actions in the church?
• How did Jesus’ audience react to his parable? Why do you think they reacted as they did?

Activity Suggestions

• Have the class discuss and list what they think today’s leaders (political, school, or church) need to hear. Have them choose one idea and make up a parable about it.  A parable is a simple story with a spiritual meaning using two or three (no more) symbols to get a single point across. Act the parable out.
• In what ways, individually and as a group, can members of the class care for God’s people? Write down the ideas. Plan to carry out at least one of them individually and one as a group.

Closing Prayer

Father of All Good, we ask you to forgive us for the times when we have acted selfishly and hurt others. We thank you that we can be sure of your forgiveness because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Turn us outward to see others’ needs and help us to meet them when we can. May the people around us see the love of Christ in our words and actions. In the Name of your Son, Amen

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Question

• Take a few moments to check in with one another.  What have been some of the “highs” and “lows” of the past week?
• What is one thing you used to think or believe as a small child that you find funny now?

Another Alarm Bell

Recently, a massive section of Greenland’s ice cap broke off in the northeastern Arctic.  This section of ice, measuring 42 square miles, is a dramatic example of the accelerated melting of Arctic ice that scientists say is evidence of rapid climate change.  As one observer put it, “This is yet another alarm bell being rung by the climate crisis in a rapidly heating Arctic.”

In fact, the effects of global warming are so severe that they are reshaping the climate of the region. As one study in August concluded, Greenland alone lost a record amount of ice during a record-breaking 2019, resulting in a melt massive enough to have covered the whole of California in 4 feet of water.

Elsewhere, a rapidly warming climate is also being linked to conditions that make for more intense wildfire seasons in the American West, and more active hurricane seasons in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions.

For more:

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/dismay-huge-chunk-greenlands-ice-cap-breaks-rcna117

see also:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/climate/arctic-changing-climate.html#:~:text=The%20Arctic%20Is%20Shifting%20to,a%20new%20study%20has%20found.

Discussion Questions

• Despite an ever-growing body of evidence that our planet is warming rapidly, why do you think some people have a hard time accepting that climate change is real?
• Who has the most to gain from people and nations working together to address climate change?  Who might have the most to lose from the actions and policies that could be called for?
• Are you optimistic about the future of our world and our ability to successfully tackle the complex issues around climate change?  Why or why not?

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

(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 we head into the last weeks of the church year, our gospel readings jump to Jesus’ final days before his crucifixion.  Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and “cleansing” of the Temple (Matthew 21:1-16)  set the stage for his confrontation with the chief priests and elders.

“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”  That is the question put to Jesus by Jewish leaders who are obviously upset at what they perceive as an attack against both the Temple and their own authority. Yet, their question is not an honest one.  That is, they are not really seeking knowledge and understanding, but are looking to trap Jesus.  Indeed, they are well aware of what his actions imply – that he is the Messiah, God’s anointed one.  They hope, in answering this question, Jesus will give them something they can use against him.

Jesus  is wise to their ploy.  And while his counter-question hangs them on the horns of a dilemma, it is more than simply a clever way out.  This question concerning John the Baptist is a clue to the answer Jesus would have given, had his questioners been open to the truth.  If they truly understood what John was about (see Matthew 3:11-17), they would know where Jesus gets the authority to say what he is saying and do what he was doing. 

In sharing a parable about a man with two sons, Jesus goes on to underscore the fact that they have chosen to ignore John’s message and, therefore, Jesus himself .  After all, what does it say that even people whose daily lives seem to be  a big “No!” to God believe John’s message of repentance and renewal, when the religious leaders do not?  What does it say that even tax collectors and prostitutes “get it,” when those who should most welcome the Messiah refuse to see God at work?

This is not simply a story from long ago.  Jesus continues to challenge us to open our eyes to what God is doing in the world, calling us to view our lives through our “faith lenses”.  How we answer the chief priests and elder’s question as it pertains to Jesus is critical.  What does it mean for the church that Jesus is Lord?  And, more personally, what does his authority as God’s Messiah mean to each of us?

Discussion Questions

• What do you know about John the Baptist?  Read Matthew 3:1 – 17 together.  Who was John, and what was he about?  
• Think about what you know about Jesus.  What are some of the other pieces of evidence that point to who he is and to the authority that he has?  
• Why do you think the religious leaders and authorities had a hard time accepting Jesus?  What did they have to lose?
• What does the word “authority” mean to you?  In what ways does Jesus have authority in our lives?  

Activity Suggestions

One Small Change:  How do we connect our faith to the needs and challenges of our world?  Where do you see God at work, and what do you think he may be calling us to care about and do?  Explore some possible actions, activities or service projects that your group might do related to your conversation.  Choose one thing and go for it!

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, in your love you have given us gifts of abundance – ourselves, our time, our abilities and possessions.  Help us to say “Yes!” to your call to share these gifts in the work of your “vineyard,” that we may be signs of your gracious love.  Give us wisdom and reverence for our planet, and help us to work for a future in which generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty.  We pray this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.