Kris Litman-Koon, Isle of Palms, SC

Warm-up Question

Have you ever known someone who has experienced a loss of permanent housing, even if just temporarily?

In the World, but Not Known

December 21 is the winter solstice, the date when the northern hemisphere receives its longest night. The winter solstice has been marked in various ways by countless cultures throughout the ages, yet a more recent observance is Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. It is a day for local communities to come together to remember those in their midst who died during the previous year while experiencing homelessness. These local observances are coordinated through the National Coalition for the Homeless. The winter solstice is an apt date for these observances because brutal weather is often linked to these individuals’ deaths and because the long night symbolizes the fact that unhoused residents are often relegated to life in the shadows of society. 

By having a Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, one might assume that we know the number of annual deaths or that we know the names of those being memorialized. The truth is that we don’t know those things for certain (here are some statistics). There is no standard in this country for reporting these deaths, and in some circumstances the person’s identity is never known. Similarly nebulous are the reasons why families or individuals have lost stable housing. Too often society treats homelessness as a personal failing, even though it is commonly the result of an unexpected job loss, exorbitant medical bills, poor health (injury, illness, or disability), other factors, or a combination of these.

Discussion Questions

• Does your local community have an observance of Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day? (A search of your local news’ websites may yield the answer.) Is this observance something you might attend or help lead?
• On a single night in 2018, there were an estimated 552,830 individuals who were experiencing homelessness in the United States. That number is very close to the total population of Wyoming (estimated population 577,737). Had you ever thought that the number of unhoused people on a given night is equivalent to a state’s population? Considering the temporary nature of some homelessness, try to imagine how many people living today in the United States have ever experienced homelessness.

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

In verse ten of today’s gospel passage, it says, “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.” Without giving thought to who the “he” is, try to visualize what each phrase of that verse says. To put it lightly, this verse of scripture is a paradox. When we consider the verse’s implied birthing imagery, it would be as if the mother is located in her own child. That’s paradoxical enough, but the final phrase adds to that paradox by saying that the child did not even know the mother in her. 

The paradox takes on a different light when we consider the subject: the Word of God made flesh, Jesus Christ. Various faiths have a belief that the physical universe came into being as a result of divine action, yet Christianity clings to this paradox: the divine then entered the physical universe. To top it off, the physical universe did not fully know that it was the divine who took on physical flesh. The world overlooked this individual, who is the one through whom the world came into being. 

The Incarnation (the belief of God taking on flesh) is a paradox, yet it is also central to our Christian faith. We shouldn’t, however, leave the Incarnation as an interesting concept for us to ponder. Note that verse 10 finishes with “yet the world did not know him.” This should remind us that the incarnate Word identifies with those whom the world does not know. Namely, those whose humanity often goes overlooked, like unhoused individuals. Centuries ago, Christians saw beggars as those who were closest to God, hence the mendicant response upon receiving gifts of food or money — “God bless you” — was something that Christians actively sought to hear. Although that viewpoint has been lost in time (see Fear of Beggars by Kelly Johnson for why this happened in the church), perhaps finding the incarnate God in unhoused individuals is something inherent to our Christian faith.

Discussion Questions

• How do you respond to the idea that the phrase “God bless you” bears more authority when it comes from the lips of someone who is poor and marginalized than when it comes from the lips of a pastor or bishop?
• John’s gospel doesn’t present a story of Jesus’ birth, although it presents a story of the world’s birth through the Word. In the traditional Nativity story (i.e. Luke’s gospel), what are some elements that depict God’s openness to the poor and marginalized?
• “Yet the world did not know him.” What is it like to be overlooked and not known? Do you find solace in knowing that God is present with you in that experience?

Activity Suggestions

• If your community has an observance of Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, discuss how you might become involved with it in the future. 
• If your community does not have an observance, what organizations or agencies might you turn to for names of those neighbors who’ve died while unhoused? How might you or your congregation honor their lives?

Closing Praye

Almighty and gracious God, help us to see the needs of the people on our street, in our community, and throughout the world. Kindle in our hearts a love that radiates sympathy, kindness, concern, and generosity to all humans. Amen.

Amy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Question

If you or your parents decided to move to another country, how would you feel?  To where would you like to move?

Seeking Safety

Our Bible reading centers on the story of a family having to flee their homes to find safety in another land.  This is still a familiar story for many families today.   Those of us living in the United States are aware of the crisis at our southern border as migrants travel here seeking safety, but all around the world

people are forced to leave their homes hoping to find safety in a foreign land.  The UN reports that in 2019 the number of international migrants reached 272 million.  It is hard to imagine a number that large, let alone realize that large number represents real people, all in need of a safe place to live.  This number has almost doubled in the last ten years and about one in seven or 38 million of these refugees are children under the age of twenty.

Of course, there are many reasons that people flee from their homes—war, persecution, and violence—being among the top reasons, but in one way all people leave their homes for the same reason.  They are risking their lives for the desperate hope that they may find a place to be safe.  It is almost impossible for a child to feel safe without having a place to call home, so in our world right now there are at least 38 million children who are unable to feel safe.

Discussion Questions

• What helps you feel safe in times of fear and worry?
• What emotions do you feel when you think of the migrant crisis?  Guilt? Anger? Confusion? Helplessness?
• Why do you think it is so important to have a place to call home?  When you have been away what do you miss most about your home?
• What makes your home special?

First Sunday of Christmas

Isaiah 63:7-9

Hebrews 2:10-18

Matthew 2:13-23

(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

We have moved quickly from Christmas night and the innocent scene we often imagine when we think of Jesus’ birth.  Jesus is not yet two and he is already facing death threats.  When King Herod meets with the magi and hears they have come to visit the baby born King of the Jews, he is greatly disturbed.  Who is this baby who threatens to take his title of king?  Herod was a ruthless leader who would do anything to keep his power and he became determined to kill baby Jesus before he can be a threat.

An angel directs Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to flee their home and find refuge in Egypt.  The rest of the the male babies in Bethlehem were not as lucky. Herod orders that all male babies under two be put to death in hope of wiping out this baby who may someday become King of the Jews.

During this joyous Christmas season, this story reminds us that things might have been otherwise.  Had it not been for God’s divine protection, fear and violence may have been the end of the story.

There are so many reflections of our world today in this story.  In Jesus’ family traveling to Egypt we see the story of so many displaced people searching for safety.  In Herod’s violent actions, we see the story of so many of our world leaders who are led by fear and make decisions out of self interest that hurt others. In the death of the innocents, we see the story of so many children who have lost their lives to war and violence. Yet, in Jesus’ survival and return to Nazareth we see the beginning of hope for a new story.  We continue to put our hope in our Savior who changes the stories we know: lifting up those who are marginalized and bringing down those who rule with fear.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think Herod is threatened by Jesus even though he is only a baby?
• When have you made decisions out of fear?  How did that situation go?  When have you made decisions based on hope, how were the results different than decisions made in fear?
• In this story we see God actively taking care of Jesus and his family.  When in your life have you been aware of God’s activity?

Activity Suggestions

• Watch the documentary Warehoused together.  The movie gives an intimate look at the plight long-term refugees face.
• Every community has children who don’t have a safe place to call home.  Look into the services your community offers for children in need of shelter and find ways you can support the work they are doing.

Closing Praye

Loving God,  We give you thanks for the safety and comfort you provide for us.  Empower us to share Christ’s comfort with others.  Amen.

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up 

Tell the group that today they are going to learn a magic trick.  Pick one of the simple tricks from these websites or share one you know.

https://www.care.com/c/stories/4051/easy-magic-tricks-for-kids/

https://www.lifehack.org/323348/8-easy-magic-tricks-for-you-show-off-parties

When the Impossible Happens

When the men’s basketball team from Stephen F. Austin arrived in Durham, NC on November 26, 2019 to play the number one ranked Duke Blue Devils, no one outside of Stephen F. Austin’s players and fans expected the game to be close.  According to the experts, Duke was a 27.5 point favorite in the game.  For the Duke fans gathering that night, it was supposed to be an opportunity to see their team extend their 150-game winning streak at home against non-conference opponents.  For the Stephen F. Austin fans, it was supposed to be an opportunity to see their team play in a historic arena.  What fans of both teams witnessed, however, was far from what they expected.

From the opening tip, the older, more experienced team from Stephen F. Austin played with confidence.  Each time that Duke got a lead, Stephen F. Austin’s team rallied to keep the game close.  Duke held a five-point lead at halftime, but as the second half began, it quickly became obvious that the young Duke players were feeling the pressure.  Missed shots and missed free throws came in bunches.  The teams traded baskets and with 19 seconds left in the game, Gavin Kemsmil from Stephen F. Austin made a basket to send the game into overtime. In overtime, both teams struggled to score, but with the game tied 83 to 83 and 15 seconds left, Duke had the ball and a chance to win the game.  In the previous 150 straight games at home against non-conference foes like Stephen F. Austin, Duke had always made that shot that they needed and won the game.  On this night, the shot bounced off the rim.  The rebound slipped onto the floor and rolled to a Stephen F. Austin player who threw it to Matthew Bain.  Bain raced the length of the court and laid the ball in the basket right in front of the Stephen F. Austin bench just before the clock struck zero.

As the final score appeared on the scoreboard, Duke fans stood in stunned silence and the small group of Stephen F. Austin fans and players erupted with joy and amazement.  This team of junior college transfers and players most people had never heard of pulled off the biggest statistical upset in NCAA basketball in the last 15 years.  They defeated the number one team in college basketball.  They ended Duke’s 150-game home winning streak, a streak which began in 2000 when Duke beat Stephen F. Austin.  As the season continues, both teams will have their share of wins and losses, but on that night in Durham, NC, the players from Stephen F. Austin proved to themselves and to others that sometimes the impossible really is possible.   

Discussion Questions

• How do you think you would have felt if you had been on Stephen F. Austin’s team at the end of game?
• Share a time that you were able to accomplish something that you didn’t think you’d be able to do.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 7:10-16

Romans 1:1-7

Matthew 1:18-25

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

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

Gospel Reflection

For Joseph, the news that Jesus was to be born of Mary was not particularly good news.  Since Joseph wasn’t the father of the baby, you can imagine that he might be hurt and upset by the news.  The Gospel of Matthew says that Joseph was a good man and that he decided to handle things quietly and make this uncomfortable mess go away.   A dream, however, changed his mind.

Many folks today ignore their dreams or at best find their dreams to be a curiosity that provides reflection on their life, but when an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, he didn’t ignore it.  The angel said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:20-21).  Joseph heard God’s Word revealed in this dream and he listened.  “Joseph awoke from sleep, [and] he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him” (Mt 1:24).

Joseph listened.  Joseph believed the unbelievable.  Joseph heard the angel speak to him in a dream and accepted this unexpected news about Mary.  He couldn’t prove what the angel told him was true.  He couldn’t double-check or verify the information.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, he believed, based on his experience of God that night, on his knowledge of what God had done in the past, and on his understanding of what God was doing and had promised to do in the future.

Now to be sure, there are folks in this world who will say the whole story of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus is impossible to believe, but sometimes what seems impossible and unbelievable is in fact possible and believable.  Sometimes the 27.5 point underdog wins the game.  Sometimes there isn’t a logical explanation for what happens and sometimes God speaks to us in unexpected ways.  

In our world where it can be hard to know what is true and what isn’t true, Joseph’s faithfulness offers a helpful example of what it looks like to believe when believing is hard.  We may not receive a visit by an angel in a dream, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we, like Joseph, can respond to God’s Word with belief.  We, like Joseph, can draw on the stories of God’s presence with God’s people in the past as examples of God’s enduring faithfulness to us.  We, like Joseph, can take a leap of faith and believe that God is active in our lives and in the world.

Discussion Questions

• How do you think you would have responded if you were in Joseph’s place?
• Other than the story of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, what other Bible stories help you to see that God loves and cares for God’s people?  
• Where have you seen God active in your life or your community this week?

Activity Suggestions

• Invite someone from the congregation or community to share their faith story with the group.
• As a group, talk about Joseph’s response to his dream and his openness to listening to God in his dream.  Work together to write an evening prayer the group can use before going to sleep.  Share the prayer with the congregation.

Closing Praye

Open our hearts, O God, to experience your love for us.  Open our eyes to see the ways you are active in the world around us.  Open our ears to hear your call to be your heart, hands and voices in the world.  Helps us to know that you are with us in all that is and all that will be. Amen.

Mary Ellen Helms, Loveland, OH

Warm-up Question

What is something relatively small in the scheme of things that you are anxiously anticipating?  What is something big that you are anticipating?

Living Here and Now

“Don’t go wishing your life away.” I can remember how hard my eyes rolled when my mom said this to me for the umpteenth time. She was driving me home from driver’s ed and I was laying out my life plan with clarity and ease. I was sure that once I had my driver’s license the problems of 15.75 year-old me would go away completely! Isn’t that how it works? Driver’s license = freedom and freedom = doing whatever I wanted! 

I’ve come to find out there was some wisdom in what my mom was saying. She was concerned about how often I was focusing on what was coming up while ignoring my current reality.  I was so focused on what was coming, I forgot that I could be living the life I wanted right then and there!

Our community recently screened the film, “Look to the Sky” by Brett Culp.  This documentary told the stories of many young people who were not waiting until they had the resources, time, or drive to change the world – they were doing it right then and there. These were young people with great challenges who met the world with eyes of hope and joy – not ones who wanted to rush through the current state and get to adulthood. I loved the story of Violet, a young girl who had a rare form of cancer. She bubbled over with enthusiasm and shared that joy with others in big and small ways. Instead of focusing on what was surely a life filled with a lot of ups and downs, she took her superpower of love and spread hope and joy for others to see.

Discussion Questions

• What is the best thing about being your age? What is the worst thing about being your age?
• Why is waiting so difficult? When is looking forward to something helpful? When does it hurt?
• How can you use some of the current things in your life that some could perceive as negative to positively affect someone or something else?

Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 35:1-10

James 5:7-10

Matthew 11:2-11

(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

In this section of the Gospel, Jesus had sent his disciples to spread his message of God’s kingdom throughout Galilee.  The message made its way all the way to John the Baptist who was in prison.  He had been sent by God as a messenger to prepare the way for Jesus. Because of this, it is not surprising that he is focused on what is to come.  He asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (11:3). Jesus’ coming is marked by an “already but not yet’’ dichotomy. During the season of Advent we focus on both living in the now and expecting what is coming, especially the Second Coming of Jesus.

Much was broken when Jesus walked on earth, prompting some to ask whether God had forgotten the people. Jesus’ life and ministry began answering that question – the blind saw, the lame walked, the deaf heard.  Jesus’ life on earth was the answer to the important question that John and many of God’s chosen people were asking at that time – are you the Messiah?  In this scripture, Jesus points us to the signs in the present that God’s kingdom is breaking in! We see that John is the messenger (not the messiah) and that Jesus is the real deal – living in the now and bringing God’s kingdom to a broken world.

This can be a tricky thing for us to understand because clearly the world is not free of the pain and brokenness into which Jesus entered.  Instead of focusing on how perfect life will be when Jesus comes again, we are called to focus on the present. We are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, not centering our lives on the end times or what heaven will be like, but instead on how we can see and be pieces of God’s kingdom on earth in the here and now.

Discussion Questions

• Where do you see signs of brokenness in the world today?  Where do you see signs of God’s kingdom breaking in now?
• Why do you think most of the season of Advent focuses not so much on looking forward to Christmas but on looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus?
• How can we take part in the ministry of Jesus even though we are separated by over 2000 years?

Activity Suggestions

• Look up the documentary “Look to the Sky” at www.risingheroes.org and watch a few of the stories. Discuss which of the people in the story gives you hope for the future. How can you be nudged to look to the sky in your own life?
• Jesus spoke of some of the signs of the kingdom of God that were evident through his ministry with the disciples (the blind see, the lame walk, people are cleansed). Do a service project benefiting one of the groups Jesus names in verses 4-5. Continue to do kingdom work today:  remember, the time is now!

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, we give you thanks that we have the gift of your presence right now. Help us to focus not too much on what is to come but on feeling your love and doing your will in the present.  

Danny Stone, Marion, IA

Warm-up Question

When was the last time you participated in an emergency drill – fire, storm, intruder?

Canary in the Coal Mine

In the 1880’s, Scottish-American naturalist, John Muir, lead an effort to protect Yosemite from encroaching agriculture and development.  Muir inspired our nation to establish a system of national parks, refuges, historic sites and recreation areas that would preserve “America’s Crown Jewels.”  Muir founded the Sierra Club, which is still a leader in environmental movement.

Marine biologist, Rachel Carson, shocked the world with her 1962 book, Silent Spring.  Carson detailed the connection between increased pesticide use and plummeting bird populations.  Affected birds were some of the first to be added to the Endangered Species List that debuted in 1967.  With 50 years of improved practices, many species have moved from being “endangered” to “threatened.”  The use of pesticides, fertilizers and genetically modified species is still a contentious issue, but some bird populations have rebounded.  We no longer spray DDT, but scientists are now struggling to explain the dramatic disappearance of pollinating bees.

Today, many scientists see our changing weather patterns, diminished arctic ice, increasing ocean temperatures, 500-year floods every four years, mass extinctions, and forest fires as desperate calls to action.  Just a century ago, miners kept caged birds in the tunnels to warn of deadly mine gasses.  According to climate activists, nations and industries are ignoring the warning signs and heading deeper into the mine.

Like John Muir and Rachel Carson, a new generation of activists is rising to champion environmental causes.  However, the new activists are not just seasoned naturalists or veteran biologists; they are young adults, teens, and children.  Sixteen-year-old, Greta Thurnberg, has become one of the leaders of the youthful activists.  She began her solitary protests in front of the Swedish Parliament in 2018.  Within a year, her movement inspired thousands of students across the world to walk out of school and demand action.  This August, Greta sailed across the Atlantic to address to the United Nations. She railed against complacency, “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

Greta spent the fall touring the United States and Canada.  With every speech, she called for immediate action.  She spoke before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and urged Congress to take “real action.”  In November, she boarded a 48-foot catamaran destined for Madrid’s United Nations climate summit.  The 2019 UN Climate Change Conference summit begins on December 2 and will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Discussion Questions

• What climate change warning signs (if any) do you see?
• Do you think it is too late to reverse the course of climate change?
• What causes would inspire you to cross the Atlantic . . . on a sailboat . . . in November?

Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

(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 C at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

The Jewish community waited 700 years for their voice in the wilderness.  Isaiah promised a profit who would “prepare the way of the Lord.” Imagine the excitement in Jerusalem and the synagogues.  The wait was over.  The Messiah was here. If the Baptist was right, the Messiah was bringing FIRE!

Judea was ready for a revolution.  Four religious sects dominated Jewish life – Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and the Zealots.  We know the Pharisees and Sadducees from gospel stories and the song, “I Just Wanna Be Sheep.”   The Essenes are famous for their desert communities which hid copies of scripture in clay jars.  The jars were discovered in 1946, and the Dead Sea Scrolls include some of the oldest fragments of the Bible.

Zealots wanted FIRE.  The other groups wanted to free Judea from Roman occupation, but the Zealots incited war.  Their uprising eventually lead the Romans to destroy the temple and scatter the Jewish nation.  Today, the word “zealots” is synonymous with those who takes their beliefs to the extreme.  You can be a football fan – a zealot gets a face tattoo and names her first born “Bart Star (if she is a Packers fan).”

The First Century Zealots must have felt Jesus was a false Messiah.  John promised that Jesus would bring fire, but the Messiah did nothing to oppose the Romans and Herod.  The Zealots were blind – they could not see the true fire.  Jesus brought a fire that lives in our hearts.  It is a fire of love that burns away hate.  It is a fire that swept across the world and continues to spread love.

Discussion Questions

• If you were a Judean waiting for revolution, how would you have reacted to Jesus’ message of love?
• Like John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Greta Thurnberg, who are the modern voices in the wilderness?
• What are examples of social and political leaders that have become zealots?  Are zealots dangerous?

Activity Suggestions

With your group, tour your church building and look for ways your congregation is working to conserve natural resources.  Also, brainstorm ways your church could improve its conservation efforts.  Compile your suggestions, write a letter and ask your congregational council to implement change.Using your phones, research and discuss the National and State Parks in your area.  Share the history of the parks and the treasures they protect.

Closing Praye

Dear Heavenly Father, Blessed Mother and Creator of All, please guide your children.  Help us to follow the wise voices and avoid the vipers.  Help us to walk in grace and ignite fires of love.  In your name, we pray.  Amen.