Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Question

How does the COVID vaccine work?

It Works!

Like most of you, I am eager to for my turn to come.  When either of the approved vaccines becomes available, my sleeve will be rolled up and ready.  These months have been lonely and life has been devoid of so many of the small experiences which make life such a joy.  

But, I have to admit that I really don’t know how the vaccine does what it is supposed to do.  Someone told me it gives me a mild case of COVID which allows my body to build up its own antibodies. (I am not really sure what antibodies are either.)  Seems I heard that the RNA of the virus tells my DNA what to do.  

What I do know is that getting the flu vaccine has protected me for years.  I remember making a trip to the school building for my polio vaccine (it was administered on a cube of sugar!)  So when the vaccine is finally offered – I will be ready to take it.

You might want to do some research.  Dr Cheryl Smith is a member of my home congregation.  She taught me to look for information in the right places.  I would suggest this one from the Center for Disease Control.  I also found it helpful to ask someone I trusted.  Christine worked in one of the university labs and she is great at helping me understand what I read in those journals.  

It is good for us to have some level of understanding; but in the end we may decide to take the vaccine based on the advice and recommendations of those whom we trust.  I trust Anthony Fauci.

Discussion Questions

• Will you take the COVID vaccine when it is available?

• Why do you think some folks have decided not to take the vaccine?

• Name one thing which you do even though you don’t understand how it accomplishes what you have been told it will accomplish

• Have you been baptized?  How does baptism work?

Baptism of our Lord 

Genesis 1:1-5

Acts 19:1-7

Mark 1:4-11

Epiphany of our Lord (alternate)

Isaiah 60:1-6

Ephesians 3:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

The practice of baptism began before the start of the Christian Church.  Hindu practice includes a ritual similar to the ceremonial washing experienced at the Jordan River by those who went out to experience John the Baptizer.  John invited his hearers to cleanse their bodies as an indication of the cleansing of their inner moral selves.  Some may have entered the waters without having first examined their hearts.  It is likely that some left convinced that their “bath” had made them clean.

Early leaders of The Way (what Christians were first called) continued the practice of baptism as an external mark of an internal alteration.  Our church believes and teaches that the water alone can do nothing, but when the water is combined with the Word we are truly made new.  The baptism event is important, it is sacred.  Even more significant is the way it acknowledges our identity and our relationship with God.  A Christian baptism is a baptism into the death and resurrection of Our Lord.

Those who are baptized by John may not fully comprehend the ways in which their lives are being transformed.  Yet, John is preparing them for the One who will come after him.  Other fiery preachers along the Jordan River spoke of the dangers of sin and sinfulness.  John’s ritual  offers more; it cracks open the gates through which the Messiah will enter.  John’s testimony is true, even if those who hear it may not completely understand how it all works.  “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  John does a wonderful thing for those who come out to see him.  But something much, much, much better lies ahead.

Discussion Questions

• Do you find it frustrating when adults say to you, “I don’t know why it is that way, it just is.”?  Have you ever thought, “Maybe they don’t have a good answer?”  Maybe all they have is a feeling deep within their hearts that this is indeed true, truer than anything they can explain.  How do you decide whether you can trust such feelings?

• Share an experience in which you were totally unable to convince someone of something you believe (we might even say which you KNOW) to be true.

• What is the process at your congregation for those who would be baptized?  Is there an instructional class?  Does the pastor make a visit?

• Our tradition welcomes infants to the baptismal font.  This is to remind us that God is the one who acts; we respond.  Do you have friends or family members who insist that only adults be baptized?  What do  you think they understand baptism to be?

Activity Suggestions

Pull out a copy of Luther’s Small Catechism and read the section on baptism.  Ask questions!  And remember that you get the best answers from those who don’t have all the answers.  After you have read the Small Catechism, look at the baptismal liturgy in the hymnal.  Take notice that there is very little for the one being baptized to say or do.  This is true even when the one being baptized is an adult.

Closing Prayer

Help us, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting.  Amen.  (From the funeral liturgy in Evangelical Lutheran Worship)

John Wertz–Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up

Invite the group to join you in the game, “Two Truths and a Lie.” 

Tell the group that each member of the group needs to come up with two truths and one lie about themselves. Try to come up with specific statements about yourself.  Avoid general statements that could easily apply to anyone like “I love pizza.” When it is your turn, you share your two truths and a lie in any order. The object of the game is for everyone else to determine which statements are true and which one is false.

Whose Word Do We Believe?

Do a quick search for conspiracy theories and Google will give you over 100,000,000 results to explore. Conspiracy theories used to be confined to rumors and small groups of ardent believers.  The internet and social media have given conspiracy theories like QAnon and those who believe them a feeling of credibility and a highly effective way to broadcast their beliefs to a larger audience. Thankfully, the internet also provides easy access to fact checking sites. For example, Snopes.com and FactCheck.org allow you to quickly learn the facts around common conspiracy theories.

While some conspiracy theories seem relatively harmless, like the belief that the National Basketball Association rigged its 1985 draft lottery by freezing an envelope to ensure that the commissioner gave the New York Knicks the first pick in the draft. Many conspiracy theories promote ideas which endanger others, like the conspiracy theories around vaccines which impede our ability to stop the spread of dangerous diseases.

When individuals are wrapped up in a conspiracy theory, the word of an expert in a field or the facts presented in a peer reviewed paper have no impact on what they believe. One of the great difficulties in addressing conspiracy theories is that “conspiracy theories are essentially irrefutable: logical contradictions, evidence showing the opposite, even the complete absence of proof have no bearing on the conspiratorial explanation because they can always be accounted for in terms of the conspiracy”

Sadly, conspiracy theories  create division, alienation, and conflict when family members and friends embrace them. So how do you help someone else to recognize and reject a conspiracy theory? Here are six suggestions from Dr. Jovan Byford, a conspiracy theory researcher.

1. Acknowledge the scale of the task – Be patient and be prepared to fail.
2. Recognize the emotional dimension – Be prepared for the conversation to get emotional and be prepared to de-escalate the situation if needed.
3. Find out what they actually believe – Don’t assume you know the details and depth of their belief. Ask questions and do research so you can discuss intelligently.
4. Establish common ground – Find points you can agree upon to build trust and relationship.
5. Challenge the facts, value their argument – Present appropriate facts to disprove the theory, but don’t demean the individual in the process.
6. Be realistic – Helping someone abandon a conspiracy theory can be extremely difficult. Often, the best outcome you can achieve may be to sow seeds of doubt about the theory.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think people believe conspiracy theories even when there are clear facts that show the theory is incorrect?
• What processes do you use to verify that the information you see online or hear from friends is actually true?

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 B at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

In a world filled with conspiracy theories, it can be difficult at times to know what to believe. Someone may say to you, “I give you my word that what I’m telling you is true.” Whether you believe them or not probably depends on how well you know the person involved, how much experience you have with them, how much of their story you know, and what you know of their character. In many places, simply saying “I give you my word” is not enough. In our reading, John reminds us that long before conspiracy theories flourished online, God said, “I give you my Word” and it was enough to bring light, grace, and truth to the world. 

Now to be sure, millions of people today would push back on the claim that God’s Word is enough. A few people would even suggest that God’s Word made flesh in Jesus is a “2000 year long conspiracy theory” since none of us can gave 100% irrefutable scientific proof of the facts of Jesus’ story. Yet, when you dive into the story of God’s Word and God’s relationship with God’s people across the centuries, the light that shines from the words of those stories gives you reason to believe.

“In the beginning” John says, “was the Word” (Jn 1:1) and from the very beginning, God’s story has intertwined with our story: 

• promising Abram and Sarai that their descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Genesis 15)
• delivering the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. (Exodus 5-14)
• providing commandments to help us relate in a healthy way to God and to one another. (Exodus 20)
• inspiring poets and artists to share their gifts to inspire God’s people and to help them express their sorrow and pain. 
• remaining faithful to God’s people regardless of how many questions were asked, commandments were broken, or harsh words spoken.
• giving prophets the voice to call God’s people to turn from their sinfulness and instead to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8)
• sending Jesus, born of Mary, to live and to teach, to love and to care, to die and to rise, that all God’s people might know the promise of eternal life.
• sending the Spirit to blow through the world as an advocate and a guide to strengthen, support, and inspire God’s people in their lives of faith. (Acts 2)
• calling countless people across the centuries, including someone in your life, to share the story of God’s Word so that others might know the enduring love of God. 

As compelling as God’s story across the centuries is, ultimately the way in which someone responds to the Good News is not something you or I can control. The best we, who know the grace and truth of the Word made flesh, can do is let our light shine before others.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who connect to our story may discover the good news of Jesus, who lived among us to bring grace and truth for all people. 

Discussion Questions

• How do you find answers to your questions about God?
• What scripture passage or story is your favorite?
• Where have you seen God active in your life or your community this week?

Activity Suggestions

• In-Person, Socially Distanced Option: Gather a random assortment of craft supplies and create a supply box for each of the participants which includes the words to John 1:1-18 printed on a piece of paper. Invite the participants to use their supplies to create an image that represents some portion of the reading from John 1:1-18.  Set a timer for 5 minutes and see what everyone can create.
• Digital Ministry Option: Use Wordclouds.com to create a Word Cloud using the text of John 1:1-18. Allow the group to try different shapes, fonts, colors, and themes to create the Word Cloud that best visualizes the words of this reading. 

Closing Prayer

O God, you have been present with us since the beginning, We give thanks that in the manager, your Word was born of Mary to bring your love, grace, and truth to all people. Help us to know that in our good days and in our bad days, in our doubts and in our questions, in our sorrows and in our joys, your love for us and your presence with us will never end. Amen.

In this year of…

• pandemic
• devastating wildfires
• upheaval over justice too long denied
• bitter political division
• economic anxiety
• social isolation
• private pain

“…the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Ellen Rothweiler, Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

Who is the favorite in your family?

Favorite

The holidays expose underlying family dynamics in many families. Time together, gift giving, and special meals can all offer an opportunity for favoritism among siblings and cousins, or at least the illusion of such. Also, you bear a burden if you are the favorite. More is expected of you.  You are the person in the family who is expected to fix things or take care of everyone. 

On the other hand, remember that song from the Sound of Music “My Favorite Things”? Singing about their favorite things made the kids and Maria feel better when they were afraid or worried.  Favorite can be a good thing when we are talking about colors, or foods, or songs. Somehow, when we talk about people it sets up rank in groups. 

Like so many things, the idea of “favorite” has both positive and negative consequences.

Discussion Questions

• How do you know when something is your favorite?
• Are you someone’s favorite? How does that feel?
• Are you not the favorite? How does that feel?
• Why do you think the idea of favorites in groups of people is divisive?

Fourth Sunday of Advent

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Romans 16:25-27

Luke 1:26-38

(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

We hear the story of the Angel Gabriel visiting Mary every year during the season of Advent. It is an important part of the story of Jesus coming to Earth to be Emanuel, “God With Us.” The angel greets Mary by saying, “Greetings favored one!” and “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…” Then the angel tells her she is going to have a baby boy, God’s son. Mary says “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

This is a strange thing to happen to God’s favored. Mary’s special treatment includes risking her marriage to Joseph, pregnancy, childbirth, fear, and danger. To this she says, “Here I am!” and agrees to be a part of giving this gift of Christ to the world. God incarnate. The Word made flesh. God chose Mary to bear this gift, and this burden. But Mary does not dwell on the burden of being favored, at least not in the account that Luke offers us. It is human to see the good and the bad in a thing, but Mary accepts this call and says, “let it be with me according to your word.” 

We can all learn something from the way Mary models being favored; Acceptance. Grace. Strength. She does not worry about her way; she goes God’s way and it takes her on quite the adventure to Bethlehem, Egypt and the cross. The angel does not say that since she is favored God has this easy thing for her to do, and she is going to enjoy every minute of it. Sometimes the most important things are the hardest. In these, and all things, God is with us…Emmanuel.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever been asked to do something hard and/or important? How did that feel? 
• Have you ever said “no” to something because it was too hard or too much? Do you regret it or do you think you made the right choice?
• How do you make those kinds of decisions? 

Activity Suggestions

Listen to the song “My Favorite Things”. There are many versions of this song out around Christmas. the lyrics to include your group’s favorite things. 

Closing Prayer

God of Love, in our baptism you claimed us and proclaimed us precious.  Give us joy in knowing you  favor us and courage in living out our calling as your servants.  Guide us, that we may go where you send us and be signs to the world that you are indeed Emmanuel, God with us. 

Tuhina Rasche, San Carlos, CA

Warm-up Questions

• How would you answer the question, “Who are you?”
• What are some of the identities you have? A child? A sibling? A student? A friend? Try to name all of the identities you carry within you. 
• Who are you as a follower of Jesus?

Who Are You?

“Who are you?” Isn’t that the easiest question in the world to answer? Actually, it can be one of the hardest. When someone asks, “Who are you?” how do you respond? Do you just give your name? Where you’re from? Who your parents are? What if you’re single? What if you identify yourself by the people you know, your friends, the organizations you belong to, where you work? Because when we get below the surface of, “Who are you?” There are a lot of ways we can respond.

I’ve really struggled with this question, and to be entirely honest, I don’t know quite how to answer it. There are so many parts of my life which make up the entirety of who God created me to be. I’m not just one single self.  A lot of different pieces form me into be the person I am today. I will always be a child, a sibling, a partner, a pastor, a writer, a sewer, a boxer, a prayer, a singer, and so much more. Yet there comes a time when one aspect of my identity is highlighted, while the others are still a part of me, but not at the forefront. Parts of my identity surprise people (it seems not a lot of people have met a female-identifying pastor who likes to box). Other aspects of my identity come as no surprise (a praying pastor seems pretty standard).   

 You may have asked this question of others, “Who are you?” How have they answered? Has it also been a list of identities, or a shrug of the shoulders, not knowing how to answer this question? Why is it so hard to have just one answer to this one simple question?

Discussion Questions

• Who are the people in your life who have pointed you to Jesus? How did they show you who Jesus is in the world? 
• When were you baptized? Do you remember the story of your baptism? Who was surrounding you when you were baptized? If you haven’t been baptized, who would you want around you as your elders and guides?
• Where in this time have you seen God present and active in the world? How could you tell it was God?

Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

John 1:6-8, 19-28

(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

Today’s Gospel feels like déjà-vu. Haven’t we been here before, with a guy out in the middle of nowhere baptizing people? This is the second week in a row that the Gospel spends time with John in the wilderness. Last week’s Gospel introduced us to John the Baptizer, clothed in camel’s hair and eating a diet of locusts and wild honey. John even uses similar words from last week’s Gospel, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.” 

Why in the world would those who prepared the lectionary give us yet another story of John just one week later? Perhaps it is because last week’s John the Baptizer is different from this week’s John. This week, we get to know John the witness. While he is still baptizing in Bethany, across the Jordan, there is something is different. This week’s John is “a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.”

Because of what John is doing, he’s getting attention from the religious leaders. It’s a big deal when priests and Levites go out to Bethany. They trek out to the middle of nowhere because they want to know who John is. They ask him twice. “Who are you?  Maybe Elijah? A prophet?”  John answers that he is none of these. John even tells them that he’s not the Messiah. The people in power want to know who he is and why in the world he is baptizing without the authority of leaders, if he’s not claiming to be the Messiah, Elijah, or a prophet.  John is comfortable with saying only who he is not. 

There could be many a reason as to why the priests and Levites ask John these questions and take the time to confront him in the wilderness. Maybe they’re frustrated that he isn’t following the teachings and practices of religious leaders in his baptizing and witness. They might be frustrated because they don’t know who John is; they can’t put a neat label on him. The priests and the Levites are uncomfortable not knowing who John is and why he is doing what he is doing. 

This Gospel lesson speaks directly to our time of Advent, our time of waiting and anticipation. We know, yet at the same time, we don’t know. John the witness tells us of Christ, but we have yet to see, meet, know, or touch Christ. We know Christ will come again; we just don’t know when. When Christ does arrive, then what? John tells the priests and Levites, “Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me.” 

This should make us think. Is this story our here and now? Is there someone among us whom we do not know? John tells us Christ is coming, not just in the following pages of the Gospel long ago, but here and now.  He is currently among us. 

 Do we know God among us? I am terrified by the question, “Am I so preoccupied with distractions that I don’t  notice the one who is among us?” God is here, yet we are also waiting for the complete restoration of the world to the way God wants it to be. We continue to wait, and this waiting is not easy. 

Discussion Questions

• Would we know if God is present among us? Where are the places and spaces we may miss recognizing Jesus in the here and now? How could it be easy to miss knowing that Christ is within our midst?
• Why are we so uncomfortable in not knowing, much like the priests and Levites being uncomfortable not knowing John’s identity? What are things we can do to keep us centered in the midst of unknowing?
• Why do we hear two different stories about John the Baptist, one from last week’s Gospel and one from this week’s Gospel? What are the differences between these tellings of John’s life? What are the similarities? What do these two Gospel readings tell us about John?

Activity Suggestions

• Part of Advent is keeping awake and being aware. This is an opportunity to be aware of the breath of God within each of us. It is through this breath we know Jesus is among us, especially as our neighbors near and far live and breathe. Breathe in one verse of Scripture, then breathe out. As an example, use “Make straight the way of the Lord.” When inhaling, think of “Make straight.” When exhaling, think of “the way of the Lord.” This is a way to pray along to Scripture and to be aware of your breathing. 
• Do you have an Advent calendar to mark the days of Christmas? Have you tried a reverse-Advent calendar? Contact your local food bank to figure out what they need. For each day of Advent, collect one canned item. When Advent is over, deliver the contents of your reverse Advent calendar to the food bank to make sure that Christ will be fed in our midst.
• Waiting is hard, especially during a pandemic. While you are in places and spaces of waiting, write a note to a loved one, text a message of encouragement to a friend, or take a picture of something near you that you find interesting and beautiful. 

Closing Prayer

Holy God, help us keep awake. If we are awake, we will know the one who is present among us. Hold our distractions at bay.  They keep us from knowing Jesus, who is present among us today. Gift us with the ability to take time, to slow down, to be still, and to be awake to you,  who is so common and ordinary, yet wondrously present. Amen.