Faith Lens

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Question

Who are some of the people who have had a positive influence on your life? What was it about them that was so meaningful to you?

A Time for Leadership

On Friday, January 25, President Trump signed a bill temporarily re-opening the federal government after a partial shutdown. The 35-day shutdown – the longest yet in U.S. history – not only dominated recent news headlines but has negatively impacted the lives of many in our country, most especially the 800,000 federal workers who were either furloughed or required to work without being paid. Initial estimates by the Congressional Budget Office indicate that the permanent cost to the U.S. Economy will be around $3 billion.

Leadership will figure heavily in the days ahead when it comes to how, or if, this issue will be resolved. Congressional leaders have until February 15 to reach a compromise on the Republicans request billions of dollars to be allocated for a border wall which, up until this point, Democrats have refused to fund. Failure on the part of these leaders to work together to successfully navigate competing priorities and the current political landscape could potentially lead to another shutdown.

Discussion Questions

What is leadership? How do you define it?
Who would you say are some of the greatest leaders in modern history? Why?
When it comes to choosing who to follow, what qualities do you look for in a leader?
Who inspires you?

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 6:1-8 [9-13]

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Luke 5:1-11

(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

Recently, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. Like most everyone we know, we had no idea exactly what we were getting into when we said, “I do.” We only knew that from that moment on our lives would never be the same. There would be new demands and challenges, new joys and surprises, and a journey together filled with moments we’d never even dreamed of. I wonder if, somehow, Simon Peter and the other fishermen-turned-disciples of Jesus didn’t also feel the same.

We are by the Lake of Gennesaret this week, also known as the Sea of Galilee. Jesus’ teaching, preaching, and acts of power have begun to draw large crowds. People are pressing in on him, so, making the most of the geography and the water’s effect of providing natural amplification, Jesus has a couple of local fishermen, including one Simon, take him out in their boat. What did Jesus say to the crowd? Were the fishermen hanging on his every word? Luke doesn’t say. Yet, whatever their experience of Jesus, it must have made an impression because, despite their knowing better, they follow his next request to put out into the deep water and let their nets down for a catch.

Now just imagine the scene. Simon Peter is initially reluctant to even bother because he knows that this isn’t the right time of day for fishing. Not only that, but, when Jesus first showed up, they were right in the middle of cleaning their equipment after a long, fruitless night of catching nothing. What Jesus’ asks seems pointless, but perhaps we are meant to hear echoes of other stories Luke has already told about the intersection of human impossibility and divine power, stories like that of Mary and of Zechariah and Elizabeth. For, in their obedience to Jesus’ word, Simon and his partners find themselves knee deep in such a huge catch of fish that their boats begin to sink.

It is clear this is no ordinary moment. Shocked and amazed by what he has just experienced, Simon Peter’s response to being in the presence of the Holy is to beg Jesus to leave him, for he knows that he is not worthy. Yet the good news for Simon Peter, and for us, is that his lack of holiness does not disqualify him. For the same power that brought him to his knees now lifts him and the other fishermen up. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus says to them, “from now on you will be catching people.”

In the end, Peter and his companions leave everything to follow Jesus. Their lives will never be the same. They have no idea where this journey will lead. They only know that, if Jesus isn’t worth following, then nobody is!

Discussion Questions

Read through this passage again. Along with the miraculous catch of fish, one of the big surprises is who Jesus calls to be his disciples – uneducated fishermen. What are some of the other surprises that you see?
How do you feel about Simon Peter and his companions’ response? Why do you think these men dropped everything to follow Jesus?
What do you think it means to follow Jesus today? What does it look like to be a disciple? Is it difficult to follow Jesus? Why/why not? What might we need to leave behind?
When it comes to “catching people,” what do you think the church/your congregation/your small group needs to be doing at this point in time?

Activity Suggestions

Video: For further discussion on the sheer grace of being called to follow Jesus, watch Rob Bell’s short video, Dust (Nooma series). Though not specifically about this passage, he presents a great take on what being called by a rabbi to “follow me” meant in Jesus’ day, and how Jesus’ invitation to Peter, James, John, and the rest would have been most unusual. Talk together about what it means that Jesus calls us to be his followers. What does it mean to you that Jesus believes in you? Does this change the way you see yourself as a disciple?

Remember Your Baptism: As part of your concluding prayer this session, invite participants to remember their baptisms as a connection to the calling we receive to be followers and disciples of Jesus. This could be as simple as having a small bowl of water in which you invite them to dip a finger and make the sign of the cross on their own forehead. Or perhaps have them bless one another. Especially instructive are these words from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pg. 227) with which the presiding minister addresses the assembly during a baptism:

In baptism our gracious heavenly Father frees us from sin and death by joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are born children of a fallen humanity; by water and the Holy Spirit we are reborn children of God and made members of the church, the body of Christ. Living with Christ and in the communion of saints, we grow in faith, love, and obedience to the will of God.

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, before we could even think to seek you, you have come seeking us. As your Son was revealed to Simon Peter and the others through a miraculous catch of fish, help us to see the many ways that you act in our lives, and to praise you for the grace that you give to us day by day. Empower us by your Spirit to follow, lead us to be living signs of your love, and give us the courage to invite others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Herb Wounded Head, Brookings SD

Warm-up Question

Would you consider yourself an honest person? Would you say that your friends are honest people?

Who Are You?

A young man was caught using Alexa to cheat on his homework. The mother caught him using Alexa to do his math homework and posted a video on social media to show what he was doing. The boy simply asked Alexa, “What is 5 minus 3?” The boy seemed unaware that he was doing anything wrong. He was simply using a tool with which he was very familiar. The incident raises the deeper questions of how we learn right from wrong and where we are to draw the line between cheating and simply using a new technology well.

A lot of this has to do with our sense of identity and integrity. Identity is your understanding of who you are and what you’re about. Integrity is that you do what you say you’re going to do. It’s important for us to know who we are in order to have a sense of what’s right and wrong. Usually, we are taught at a young age our sense of ethic and the difference between right and wrong.

When we get older, we often have to re-evaluate what this sense of ethic is depending on circumstances and depending on the situation we find ourselves in. If we don’t constantly evaluate our sense of right and wrong, we may do things that are unethical, even though they may seem harmless decisions, they can change our sense of identity and integrity. So we have to ask ourselves who we are and whose we are from time to time in order to enter our baptismal lives with a sense of integrity and a solid sense of identity.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever cheated at anything? What was it? Did you get caught?
How did you feel after cheating?

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Jeremiah 1:4-10

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Luke 4:21-30

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

Gospel Reflection

Oh how things can change when we’re honest and prophetic with people. Jesus starts out in this passage in a positive light and ends the passage with the people willing to throw him off a cliff. All because he interpreted scripture for them in light of revealing his own identity to them. Jesus knows his prophetic and honest words to them will be met with rejection. Jesus has a very clear sense of who he is and how expansive his ministry will be. Jesus is rejected because he announces that his ministry is meant for outsiders, not those who feel a sense of entitlement or privilege just for being on the inside.

This isn’t an anti-Semitic message, the congregation in the synagogue is not unique in feeling entitled to special favor from God. Rather, this is also a message for us who are on the inside: the baptized and the churched. We need to understand and grasp that ministry is for those who have been shut outside the church’s walls and ignored and cast out by society. Jesus is with the widow and the leper, bringing them healing and wholeness and it’s our calling to bring healing and wholeness of God’s grace in Christ to the world outside.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think Jesus’ says his ministry is for outsiders?
When have you felt like an outsider?
What word of God’s grace have you heard today?
Who are the outsiders in our world, the ones we are tempted to forget, treat as invisible, or place beyond the circle of God’s concern and care?

Activity Suggestions

Needs: A roll of toilet paper

Ask people to remove as many tissues as they think they will need (don’t tell them why) After everyone has finished, have them count the number of squares they have taken. Have them share as many fun facts about themselves as squares they have taken.

Closing Prayer

Holy and gracious God, you come to us new, each and everyday. Help us to see your face in the outcast, the downtrodden, the lonely, the poor and the sick. Give us faith to see and ears to hear your word of grace and love in our lives. Amen.

Andrew Tucker, Columbus, OH

Warm-up Question

What does it feel like to come home after you’ve spent some time away? What does it feel like when people notice the ways that you’ve changed while you were gone?

Coming Home

Census researches report that more and more people are moving away from rural living and into urban and suburban communities. That’s true in our country, in small town Warren, North Carolina. The reasons for such departures include the high volume of job opportunities, public services, and entertainment options in cities. The same is true of me, a child of small town Orrville, Ohio who currently lives in Columbus, Ohio and has lived in major metropolitan areas for most of the last decade. This trend extends far beyond the United States. It’s true across the globe, even as far away as Australia. Yet, as this last article details, there are people that choose to live the country life despite the trends toward metropolitan living, and even those who return home to country life after deciding to leave the daily grind of the city. While the trend is toward population centers, some are drawn to their more rustic roots to make major changes or undertake new initiatives, like beginning a new job or starting a family.

Discussion Questions

Would you rather live in the city, in the suburbs, in a small town, or in the country?
- How does that compare to where you live now?
- Which one feels most like home to you?
What might make you come back home after moving away?
- What in that is inspiring to you?
- What in that challenges you?

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Luke 4:14-21

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

Gospel Reflection

Though the heading in your Bible might say something like, “The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth,” as it does in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), the reading we’re assigned today only introduces us to Jesus’s routine, his leadership, and his decisions at the very beginning of his public ministry. Any knowledge of his rejection comes later.

In our seven verses, we see Jesus come to Galilee from Jerusalem, which is a big change. Comparing Nazareth to Jerusalem is likely comparing a town with one stoplight to Los Angeles. Nazareth was a small place, relatively insignificant to most outside observers, except we know that it was Mary’s hometown and where Jesus grew up. Now, he’s back with some new news to share. But how did he get here?

Just before this, John baptizes in the Jordan River, near the Dead Sea. Then Jesus follows the Spirit into the wilderness for temptation before he eventually lands in Jerusalem. In other words, Jesus could easily have begun his ministry in the center of religious life, among the politically powerful and socially elite, with a huge audience to hear the message of God’s reign come near. For some reason, Jesus returns home to start a movement that will change the entire world.

Perhaps this was because it’s easier to start a new movement in familiar territory. Perhaps Jesus wanted to try his routine first with a smaller audience. Perhaps it’s because Jesus hoped to recruit people as disciples from among old friends and fishing buddies. We can imagine many reasons, but what the Bible tells us specifically is that Jesus came to Galilee under the power of the Holy Spirit and entered that synagogue on the Sabbath because it was his custom. Just as the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for his temptation, so too the Spirit leads Jesus into Galilee to begin his ministry.

Jesus went home because God was there, calling him to something wonderfully new in a place that felt very familiar. Jesus, following the proclamation of Isaiah 62, proclaimed some radical changes to his family and neighbors and friends: “Good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor.” In other words, Jesus didn’t just return home for himself, but instead, followed the Spirit in a mission to bless all kinds of people, beginning with the people Jesus knew best.

It’s important to remember that; just because Jesus knew them best doesn’t mean he liked them most. This is not a call to give good news just to your friends, to those like you. Rather, when we follow Jesus and return home with good news, we offer that gospel of liberation and divine favor to all people. Jesus’ return isn’t because of his affinity for the select few of Galilee, but because the seed of his word, planted in the Nazarene soil, will blossom with fruit that will feed all nations.

Even though the hustle and bustle of Israel’s religious and spiritual life was centered in Jerusalem, Jesus announced the fulfillment of God’s promises in Galilee. Of course, Jesus eventually returns to Jerusalem, and sends the disciples from Jerusalem to the very ends of the earth. In other words, God’s good news is for all people, no matter where they call home.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think, according to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus chose to begin his ministry in his home region of Galilee?
How could you, like Jesus, do something profoundly new in the normalcy of your own home?
In what way could you try to make a huge impact for God through a place or community that other people believe to be insignificant?

Activity Suggestions

Play a game with a home base, like capture the flag or kick the can, but make the home base an inconvenient or typically disadvantaged place in the game. Help the players see the value of home even if it’s not the most common or easiest choice.
Have participants write or draw on sticky notes what things they would like to have in life (house, family, job, recreation, and the like). Then, have them put each note on a map where it is most likely to exist in the way they imagine it. For instance, someone who loves public transportation and easy access to NBA games likely won’t find those in Idaho’s potato fields. But if someone likes stargazing, camping, easy access to ski slopes, and physical work, then rural Idaho could be just the place.
On your next youth group trip, whether to a church conference or serving learning trip, intentionally include rural, suburban, and urban experiences to help your people visualize the way their faith might come alive in each of these spaces.

Closing Prayer

God of our ancestors, we thank you for homes that raise us well, for homes that give us respite from abuse, dysfunction, or neglect, for homes that inspire us to journey into the great unknown, and for homes that receive us with open arms when we return. Wherever we make our home, guide us into a community that lives your favor for all people. Amen.

Brian Hiortdahl, West Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

Who is your hero?

Hero at the Wedding

Just after getting married on the beach, newlywed groom Zac Edwards was alerted to a swimmer in danger drifting out to sea. The former lifeguard and member of the Coast Guard interrupted the wedding photos to save a life:

https://ktla.com/2018/08/09/groom-rescues-struggling-swimmer-moments-after-beach-wedding/

Discussion Questions

When was the last time you were in an emergency situation? What happened?
What things are important enough to interrupt a wedding celebration?
What one story from your life do you think you will tell your grandkids? Why?

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 62:1-5

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

John 2:1-11

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

Gospel Reflection

Jesus wasn’t the groom at the wedding in Cana, and he didn’t technically save a life, but he was a hero. In biblical times, running out of wine at a wedding was an emergency. Wine was more common and safer to drink than water. Wine was a symbol of joy. Wine was also an expected gift from friends, who would provide it in advance of the week long wedding celebration. To run out of wine at a wedding would bring enormous shame to the families involved. It would be an indication that they did not have enough friends. It would harm their social standing in the village beyond repair. Jesus rescued a dire situation.

As usual with the gospel of John, however, there is also much more to the story. John calls this episode “the first of his signs,” meaning the miracle points beyond itself to something more. Clues are dropped throughout the story. “The third day” not only reflects the Jewish custom of being married on Tuesday (because the third day of creation is doubly blessed by God calling something good—see Genesis 1:9-13), it also points to the resurrection. Dialogue with his mother about his “hour” anticipates his crucifixion. It seems likely that the wine is meant to allude to Holy Communion; the only other time empty containers are “filled” in John’s gospel it is with an abundance of bread after the feeding of the multitude. And the quality of the wine from Jesus exceeds what anyone else provides, a theme which will recur throughout the gospel.

This story will become important background for the night immediately before the “hour” when Jesus saves flailing humanity with his self-giving heroics on the cross. He quotes Song of Songs to his disciples: “Rise, let us be on our way.” It is what the groom says to his bride, inviting her to the vineyard. He then says, “I am the vine” on his way to urging his disciples to “bear fruit” and “love one another as I have loved you.” The point of everything he says is symbolized by the abundant wine: “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” The “sign” at Cana points to the gift of abundant life saved with love and overflowing with top-notch joy.

Discussion Questions

How does the newlywed Edwards couple remind you of Jesus and his love?
When and where in your life has Jesus transformed trouble into joy?
Does weekly worship feel like a wedding reception? Why or why not?
Who has loved you, and inspired you to love others?

Activity Suggestions

Sponsor and organize a First Aid/CPR training at your church.
Write thank you notes to first responders or other local heroes in your community.
Initiate or support the Souper Bowl of Caring™ or another resource drive (food, clothing, toiletries, etc.) to help those who do not have enough.
Throw a party. Bring enough soda!

Closing Prayer

Son of Mary and Son of God, come into our lives and turn our water into wine, our worries into wonders, our emergencies into blessings, our love into action, our scarcity into abundance, our stories into signs of your goodness, and our struggles into joy. Amen.

Dave Dodson, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Warm-up Question

What political figures (living or dead) do you admire? What characteristics about them do you find to be admirable?Public

Public Servant

2018 has come to a close. At the end of the year we tend to look back at all that has happened and remember those who have passed away during that year. In the last year, two of the people mourned by our nation have been prominent political figures: John McCain and George H.W. Bush.

After John McCain succumbed to cancer in August, former President Barack Obama delivered a stirring eulogy for him. In this eulogy, Obama commended the former Senator, saying that McCain had “concluded that the only way to really make his mark on the world is to commit to something bigger than yourself.” In the same speech, the crowd chuckled along as Obama, a former political rival of McCain, referenced the latter’s famously short temper and animated personality.

Likewise, following President Bush’s death in November, a eulogy by Presidential historian Jon Meacham celebrated Bush’s legacy with a simple statement: “An imperfect man, he left us a more perfect union.” While making humorous references to some of Bush’s most notorious verbal gaffes, Meacham also celebrated Bush’s humility and self-proclaimed goal of working for all Americans.

Both Senator McCain and President Bush had prepared for their deaths beforehand, asking Obama and Meacham to speak at their respective funerals. They knew that they were asking men who knew their flaws, as well as their strengths, to speak on their behalf. However, these statesmen were also honest about their flaws during their lifetimes. Their eulogies became a last testament to this humility and integrity.

Discussion Questions

What would you like to be said about you at the end of your lifetime?
Why do you think that one of the synonyms we sometimes use for politicians is “public servant”?

Baptism of Our Lord

Isaiah 43:1-7

Acts 8:14-17

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

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

Gospel Reflection

In today’s Gospel reading we are treated to an incredibly powerful lesson in humility and service. Two of the most prominent figures in the Gospels, Jesus and John the Baptist, demonstrate the great importance of humility when it comes to reaching those around them.

In the first part of today’s reading, we find John in his position as a fiery preacher and prophet, proclaiming the coming kingdom of God. John’s powerful words and fierce sincerity have earned him a vast following. Yet even in front of the hundreds of people who have come to him for guidance and salvation, John makes a startlingly humble statement. “One who is more powerful than I is coming,” John said. “I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.”

This simple statement is a powerful witness by John. Rather than seeking fame, John admits his limitations. Rather than use his position as a public figure to raise his status, John humbles himself. This is an incredible moment, one which truly helps prepare the way for Jesus. By using his position of prominence to humble himself, he prepares the crowd for the pure majesty of the coming of God in the form of Jesus.

Jesus does arrive, and John proclaims Jesus to be the man who he had been speaking about – the Lamb of God. But our lesson in humility isn’t over. For months, John had been traveling through the region, proclaiming that it was necessary for everyone to repent and be purified of their sins through baptism with water.

When Jesus, the one about whom John has been speaking, arrives, what does he do? Does he immediately begin to tell the crowd what to do? Does he take over the baptisms himself? Does he sign autographs and wave at his new fans? No, Jesus steps into the water and has John baptize him as well.

But why? We know that Jesus did not sin, and he was not in need of purification. Why would the savior of all humankind, the perfect Lamb of God, submit to a purification ritual for the sinful and imperfect?

We have only one conclusion: Jesus humbled himself in this way to serve us. By bringing himself down to our level, Jesus became able to serve and teach us in our own world. It was the humility and gentleness of our Savior that made him a powerful force for good in the world. It was this humility that brought to him people that had been marginalized and ignored by the rich and powerful. By stepping into the water for baptism, Jesus stepped down to our level, showing that he was the guide and redeemer of the outsiders, the oppressed, and the outcast.

How do we know that this was such a powerful act? Because the sky opened, following Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and the air rang out with the commanding voice of God: “You are my Son, my Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Discussion Questions

What other passages from the Gospel can you recall in which Jesus or his followers humble themselves to serve others?
What does it look like today when someone humbles themselves to serve others? Can you think of any examples of servant leaders?

Activity Suggestions

God calls each of us to be his hands and voice to a world in need. The Gospels are like a Help Wanted ad, and we are here to apply for the job. Write a Help Wanted ad for a job entitled “Humble Servant of God”. Be sure to include requirements, necessary skills, and how to apply for the job!

Closing Prayer

Heavenly God, you humbled yourself to walk among us, your imperfect people. We are so grateful to you for bringing yourself down to us, so that we would not have to walk alone. Help us to humble ourselves after your example. Teach us to thrive in service through others, and grant us the peace that we pass onto others. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

February 10, 2019–A Time for Leadership

February 3, 2019–Who Are You?

January 27, 2019–Coming Home

January 20, 2019–Hero at the Wedding

January 13, 2019–Public Servant