Dave Dodson, Houston, TX

Warm-up Question

What ability do you have which you are most proud of?

It Goeth Before a Fall

It was a warm night in Springfield, Illinois on August 16^th when the rapper Twista took the stage to perform in front of hundreds of his fans.  The lights were up, the bass was cranked high, and the notoriously fast rapper was spitting bars in his traditionally rapid-fire style.  There was one thing visible that might have drawn attention away from the rapper, though: On the side of the stage stood a sign language interpreter.  Her hair was buzzed short on the sides, a fiery red on top.  Her clothes were all black (interpreters often dress this way to make their signs easier to read).  She was bobbing up and down with the beat and, to everyone’s amazement, keeping up with Twista’s rapid rhymes.

I think it would have been perfectly natural for Twista to have gone on with his concert without much notice of the interpreter.  After all, the fans had paid money to see him, not an interpreter whom no one knew.  But that isn’t what he did.

Purposefully, Twista strode across the stage, still performing, and stood beside and behind the interpreter.  He made sure everyone’s eyes were on her as he laid down the next few lines of fast rap.  Her deft fingers flew through the words, and she didn’t miss a beat as she signed his lyrics.  Still rapping, Twista gestured to the interpreter and led the crowd in a huge cheer for her amazing skills!

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think Twista chose to direct attention away from himself while performing?
• Think about your family and friends – have you ever been so proud of them that you wanted to show their skills off?

Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost

Proverbs 25:6-7

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Luke 14:1, 7-14

(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 cultures around Israel and Palestine, one of the most important virtues anyone can have is hospitality.  The willingness of a person to welcome all of those who would come into his or her home is one of the strongest indicators of that person’s character.  As Jesus gives this metaphor to his listeners, they would have understood that the host in the story would have been obligated to welcome his guests and allow them to sit wherever they pleased.

However, in the metaphor, the first guest makes a critical error: he sits at a prominent seat.  Of course, his host would not argue.  His host would never be so impolite as to deny his guest a seat.  But then, later, someone else arrives whose status is higher than the first guest.  What a disaster!  Now the host is forced to ask the first guest to scoot over, and the first guest is embarrassed in front of everyone else.  (Not to mention a host that is probably REALLY uncomfortable now.)

Even more than hospitality, this story is about pride and humility.  Certainly, we ought to take pride in many things: our family and friends, our faith, and those talents that we have been gifted with.  However, this story illustrates the disaster that can befall us when we seek pride of status.  Let’s take a closer look at the mindset of the guest entering the feast:

Let us consider the first guest, the one who entered and sat at the head of the table.  What was his thought process?  He must have thought, either explicitly or subconsciously, “I am important.  Surely I am the most important person that this host knows.  Naturally, I should sit at the head of the table.”  In this instance, the pride the guest feels is in direct contrast to how he feels about the host.

But what about the second guest?  This guest, the one who sat at the foot of the table, must have thought very differently.  “This host is wonderful,” he must have mused. “Certainly he has many amazing friends and guests.  I will make room for them.”

Often, our pride can make us put ourselves in front of others.  That is the tendency that Jesus is warning us about.  When we think of ourselves as better or more important that others, we cannot serve them.  And remember, Jesus told us that whenever we serve “the least of these,” we serve him.  We must put away our personal pride and take comfort in humility.  We can value others and lift them up.  Then God, our host, will lift us up as well!

Discussion Questions

• How does being humble make us better servants?
• Can you think of any other stories from the Old or New Testaments which show great leaders serving others (after all, the humility of great religious figures is an important theme in our faith)?
• What is the difference between being proud of ourselves in a healthy way and being proud of ourselves in a way that puts others down?

Activity Suggestions

Let’s practice the art of making ourselves humble and, perhaps, a little vulnerable.  Everyone in the group should sit in a circle with an index card.  Write your name on the top, then pass the card to your right.  On the card you receive, look at the name, then write one amazing or wonderful thing about the person whose name is at the top.  Then pass the cards right again, repeating the process until you receive your own card back.  You see, when we prize others, we find ourselves lifted up, too!

Closing Prayer

Heavenly God, your Son humbled himself as he washed the feet of his disciples..He submitted to the judgment of human beings  and let himself be killed by those who should have worshipped him as Lord.  Teach us how to be mirrors of that perfect humility.  Walk with us every day and show us how to serve and lift each other up, as Christ did for us.  In his name we pray. Amen.

Don’t despair.  Faith Lens is just on a Summer hiatus.  The next posting is scheduled to appear on August 27, for Sunday, September 1.

Kris Litman-Koon, Isle of Palms, SC

Warm-up Question

What is a plant or animal that fascinates you? Is there a place of natural wonder that instills in you a reverent presence?

Transformative Changes

Sobering news was released in May by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Using a team of 455 authors from 50 countries, IPBES spent three years reviewing 15,000 government and scientific sources to come to the assessment that one million species of plants and animals (roughly one in eight species in the whole world) are threatened with extinction, many within decades. The chair of the IPBES, Sir Robert Watson, explains; “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.” The driving factors behind these changes to our living planet are, in descending order of magnitude of impact: (1) changes in our land and sea use; (2) our direct exploitation of organisms; (3) climate change; (4) pollution; and (5) invasive alien species. All of those are the result of human activity.

The glimmer of hope found within the report is this: we can still avoid much of the worst consequences, perhaps nearly all of them. To do so, it will take “transformative changes across economic, social, political and technological factors.” For instance, a shift is needed in governmental and financial policies that will discourage actions that further this breakdown of biodiversity. Individual actions — like eliminating frivolous purchases and composting food scraps — are helpful in their ability to keep creation care at the forefront of our thoughts and practices. However, large-scale societal changes are needed to fully address the problems presented by IPBES. Ultimately what is required is a societal rethinking of our interconnected role within the broader ecosystems of this planet, followed by subsequent actions.

Discussion Questions

• When you hear news of an assessment like this, what is your initial reaction? Fight (“That can’t be true.”  “Someone else is more to blame.”) – Flight (“Quick! Change the channel!”) – Freeze (“If I do nothing, the problem will work itself out.”) – or something else?
• The IPBES assessment says, “Negative trends in nature will continue to 2050 and beyond in all of the policy scenarios explored in the Report, except those that include transformative change…” How old will you be in 2050? How old will your loved ones be?

Acts 2:1-21

Romans 8:14-17

John 14:8-17 [25-27]

(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

Acts 2:1 says, “When the day of Pentecost had come, [the apostles] were all together in one place.” The day of Pentecost (“fiftieth day”) originated as a Jewish celebration. The apostles and other Jews like them had come from places that spanned the entire Mediterranean region to Jerusalem in order to celebrate the Jewish version of Pentecost. This is commonly known as the “Feast of Weeks” or “Shavuot,” and it is held fifty days after the Passover. To this day, Shavuot primarily celebrates the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) as well as God giving the Torah (i.e. the Law) to the nation of Israel. In summary, Shavuot highlights God’s goodness and providential care toward them as a people, witnessed in an abundant harvest and in the gift of Torah, which itself gives life and leads toward life.

For Christians, Pentecost coincides with the fiftieth day since the morning of Easter. This festival day is when we celebrate the Holy Spirit being first given – and continually given – to the church. However, too often we leave the story there. We may adorn our chancels in red paraments, we may read of the uniquely spectacular miracle of wind and tongues of fire; in the end our collective response to it is basically, “That’s a pretty neat story.” The special effects of that first Christian Pentecost story can make it easy to forget that Pentecost has more to say about the natural realm than it does about the supernatural realm. After Peter’s speech, the “wonders and signs” performed by Christians are listed: they shared communal possessions, gave to those in need, worshiped together, broke bread together with glad and generous hearts, and had goodwill toward all people (Acts 2:43-47). Those wonders and signs are not supernatural; the Holy Spirit is of course supernatural, but the manifestations of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit are very real and very earthly.

In many ways, this part of the Acts 2 Pentecost story fits nicely within its Jewish roots. Those roots of Pentecost proclaim God’s goodness, God’s providential care, and God’s desire for life on earth to be filled with abundance. Yes, a miracle gave the first apostles the ability to speak in different languages, but that was not an end to itself. That miracle was a means to draw people into Christ’s movement; a movement that is best manifested in real, earthly ways (see again 2:43-47) that proclaim in word and deed God’s faithfulness and God’s will for humanity. One way of viewing this manifestation in verses 43-47 is that these Christians are now empowered by the Holy Spirit to daily embody the fullness of a Shavuot celebration.

What are the ways that the Holy Spirit is moving us today, during this Pentecost Sunday? If we hear that Pentecost has at its core a celebration of harvest, of God’s faithfulness, of God’s goodness and providential care, and if we also hear the pleas and warnings from a living planet that is suffering at our hands, then we must make a determination on how to proceed. God desires life, an abundant harvest, and a people who will prophetically proclaim and embody God’s faithfulness toward all. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is a power that we shouldn’t – but easily can – underestimate. This powerful Holy Spirit is moving Christians to come together to be voices and hands that are aligned with God’s goodwill and providential care in very real and earthly ways.

Discussion Questions

• The apostles were limited in number and were fearful/doubtful of what awaited them, but then the Holy Spirit empowered them to proclaim the good news of God in Jesus Christ. That has changed the course of history. Can you think of other examples of people who were faced with a daunting task, but the Holy Spirit gave them power to overcome their fears or doubts?
• When we acknowledge the scope of the earth’s biodiversity problems, we may experience anxiety or despair, with inaction often being the result. A productive method of getting over this hurdle is to find someone or a group who is willing to listen to our concerns and take them seriously. Who could you trust to listen to you? Could this be done within your congregation?

Activity Suggestions

• Think back to the warm-up question: a plant, animal, or natural setting that fascinates you. Resolve to learn more about this unique creation of God and what its place is within ecosystems. Is it facing any threats? Are there people who are active stewards of it?
• If you have the time and ability, have your group go outside together. Even if you are surrounded by human development, in what ways do you witness life in its various forms? Discuss how your group can take bold steps in being caregivers of this small corner of creation.

Closing Prayer

Lord God, on this Pentecost Sunday, stir your Holy Spirit that is within us. Light a fire within us and within your church across the world, that we may proclaim in word and deed your faithfulness, your will, your providential care, and your desire for life. Amen.

Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Question

• What makes you and your buddies, buddies?  What unites you or holds you together?
• Do you have a symbol for your group – a style of clothes or type of hats?

Being (Not) One

I was officiating at the wedding of two of our Clemson University alumni.  Their friends stood up to make remarks – all of which were glowing and emotional.  Some of these had gone to Clemson, so they included a “Go Tigers!” in their comments.  High school friends started noting their graduations from other colleges.  Then there was the admission from one that she attended a college in the SEC Conference rather than the ACC.  (College football rivalries are important in the South.)

These exchanges were good natured and humorous; some such exchanges are not.  College football is but one place where division and mistrust and hatred boil over into something ugly.  Our country seems to be in a phase were name-calling and belittling have ceased to be taboo.

This is surely a place where the followers of Jesus need to make known a better way.  In the midst of talk which sets one against another, Christians need to share our story and affirm our convictions.  The followers of Jesus have had differences of opinion, but we have a message of unity beyond our personal preferences and styles.

Discussion Questions

• Name the five persons with whom you have the strongest bond?  What brings you together?
• Identify at least two topics or ways of doing stuff which is different among your closest friends.
• Have you ever had to set aside part of who you are for the sake of someone you wanted as a friend?  What benefit did you experience by not allowing that one thing to push you apart?
• Do you think Jesus’ followers are “one”?
• What can you do (what can your group do) to best reflect the oneness we have as a result of Jesus’ ministry and his teachings?

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 16:16-34

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

John 17:20-26

(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

These verses are the closing words of Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse.”  Starting at 13:1, Jesus speaks words to his followers of how they are to understand his ministry and carry on with his mission.  It is clear that being “one” is important to him.

When Jesus speaks of being one with the Father (John 10:30), he means they are of the same nature.  They are one in the way that your foot and your hand are one.  They cannot be separated!  This is the oneness he wants his followers to have.

As is true for the times in which we live, the times in which Jesus lived were full of conflict and contentious parties.  Jesus understood the powerful blessing known as the simple gift of being in sync with those around us.  

To be “one” means we are so firmly connected that we can even risk the challenging work of honest speech.  The hand can expose the splinter in the heel of the foot (which will cause the foot great pain) without the foot lashing out –  “We are no longer connected!”

To be “one” means we know our lives and our futures are connected and so we will act in a way which ensures both of us will experience the fullness God hopes for us.  This is the prayer which Jesus offers.

We are one, with the Christians in Sri Lanka gunned down during Sunday worship.  We are one, with the inhabitants of Marshall Islands whose nation is being lost due to global warming.  We are one, with refugees caught in the cross fire of drugs and gangs. We are one.  Jesus said it was so.  And we will live as one, for the wellbeing of all the creation.

Discussion Questions

• When have you witnessed persons acting as “one”?
• What changes in behavior are likely to happen when we acknowledge the oneness of all God’s children?
• Do you think Jesus was limiting our “oneness” to those who belong to our congregation?  To our denomination?  To Protestants?  To Christians?

Activity Suggestions

• Identify persons in your community (maybe even your youth group) with whom you have had differences.  Speak to them of the oneness you share, regardless of what might seem to separate you.
• Make a list of those with whom you are one, and a list of those with whom you wish to strengthen an awareness of oneness.  Pledge to pray the names of these persons each day for the next two weeks.
• Watch one of many videos in which refugees share their stories.  Here is one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b5H7je4m1A

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, you have made us one through the words and work of your Beloved Son.  Living as one can be a challenge; living as one is a tremendous opportunity.  With your grace, support us in our efforts to bring to fullness that which you have given to us.  Help to be one, with all your children and with each of our neighbors.  Amen.

inspired by Sylvia Alloway, Grenada Hills, CA 

Warm-up Question

• When you hear the words “made well,” what comes to mind?
• Have you or anyone you’ve known lived with a disability?
•  The website for ELCA Disability Ministries notes, “All of us are disabled in some way as we stand before God.” How might we relate with a person with a disability in ways that honor their gifts and our own?
• What motivates us to help another person, their need or our desire to to feel good about helping?

Circumstances are not Crippling

Most people have heard of Joni Eareckson Tada, the woman who’s arms and legs entered paralysis at 17 after breaking her neck in a diving accident. It is hard to imagine how a young athlete could deal with the fact that she was not going to be healed, but famously, Joni did. Rather than being physically healed, she learned to paint by holding the brush in her mouth. She founded “Joni and Friends,” a ministry that helps persons with disabilities and their families reach independence, physically, financially, and spiritually. 

Does that mean that Joni is spiritually more confident and that her disability no longer leads her to experience sadness or uncertainty?  Not at all. In a meditation she wrote on the 50^th anniversary of her accident she confesses her early despair and the ways she tried dealing with it: drinking and socializing with “dark companions” – and how the memory of those days still haunts her. The efforts of Christian friends, who studied the Bible with her, included her in their social events, and shared words of wisdom with her, saw Joni as a person with many gifts to offer the world and helped her see them in herself as well.

God does not allow personal suffering because he likes giving people pain. Yet God can miraculously bring beautiful results from difficult life circumstances, strength from weakness, and joy from sorrow. The trouble-free lives we sometimes wish we could live would only hinder us from becoming the strong, dedicated people our loving God wants us to be.  Most importantly, God is with us on our life journey through all our days, difficult or easy.

Discussion Questions

• Who are the people in your life who have helped you along your journey?
• What might have happened to Joni’s life if other Christians had done nothing but tell her to cheer up or assure her that “All things work together for good to those who love God,” rather than becoming a part of her life?
• Joni’s experience gave her the desire to help others with similar life experiences. Has anyone ever helped you through a hard time and how did they help you? Or have you have helped another person through a hard time and what did you do?
• Can you think of a way that God has turned a disappointment in your life or someone else’s life into an unexpected gift? What happened?

Sixth Sunday of Easter 

Acts 16:9-15

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

John 14:23-29

John 5:1-9

(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 C at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

The man in today’s Gospel lesson from John 5, may have felt like giving up. His paralysis is said to have lasted 38 years.  His disability had become a way of life.  We may think he had a right to his self-pity, but what good would come from that?  Jesus came and asked him if he wanted to get well. 

What was his response? “Oh, yes!” “Absolutely!” “More than anything!”  No. He answers with all the excuses he has been rehearsing for years for why he can not get in the pool, and not be healed, including blaming others.

Jesus sometimes healed people based on faith, their recognition of their need for him. But not this time. Jesus interrupts the man’s sense of not belonging with a strong command. “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” The man needed more than a healing of his body, a holistic healing was called for.  He takes his first positive action in 38 years. He gets up. He obeys Jesus’ command and he confidently walks.

Few people experience a life-long disability like Joni’s.  Yet we all have things we believe we are not capable of.  Joni’s friends encouraged Joni and she in turn has helped other people.  Yes it takes courage and sometimes there is risk. Our world would be a better place if we followed Jesus’ example and helped each other walk “well.”  And if we do this, the result might just be miraculous.

Discussion Questions

• What stood out the most for you in the scripture?
• How were you challenged?
• Do we ask someone before we help, as Jesus did?
• Why do you think Jesus healed the paralyzed man, despite disbelief?
• We don’t have Jesus’ miraculous powers, but we can promote and receive healing alongside others. Share some ways in which we can do this.

Activity Suggestions

• Ask students to create a challenge/s in which a friend or stranger might need help and someone else provides that help. Then act it out for the group. 
• Ask for situations in which a person with a disability might invite help from, or provide help to, someone else.
• Give each person a marker and paper plate/or piece of construction paper. Have them write their name in the center.  Take up the plates/papers and redistribute. Ask each person to write positive words of encouragement or a gift/s they see in that person.

Closing Prayer

Dear God, we don’t always understand why you allow your people to experience pain or the inability to change.  It is hard to suffer or watch our loved ones suffer.  Give us the assurance that you are always with us even as we endure difficult times in our lives. Help us to see the needs of others and share your love with them and bring to our attention examples of those who shine with joy even in their sorrows. Give us strength to follow these examples and give you praise for what you are able to “make well” in each and all of us.  Amen.