Andrew Karmann, Omaha, NE

Warm-up Question

• Have you ever felt like a slave to anything?
• What does it mean to be free?

Freedom of a Christian

When things in our lives happen to us we can often feel out of control and pushed in directions we never thought we could go. Since losing their daughter in the Aurora, Colorado shooting, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips have gone to the locations of many mass shootings. They know lots about the challenges grieving families face, and have information only people who have lost someone to a shooting can know.

In a recent radio broadcast of This American Life, Sandy and Lonnie arrived on the campus of Santa Fe High School, just outside of Houston, TX just days after the May 18, 2018 school shooting. They were wearing buttons showing a picture of their daughter Jesse as they walked up to the ten wooden crosses with red hearts for each of the students and teachers who had lost their lives in the shooting. It doesn’t take long before students and faculty begin coming up to them and opening up about their experiences.

As I listened to the students and parents heart wrenching stories of loss and confusion, it’s easy to think that Sandy and Lonnie would have been perfectly justified to let their lives stop after learning of their daughter’s death. But the tragedy of their experience doesn’t stop there. They are subjected to people who call themselves “truthers” who proclaim that victims of these shooting never existed or are being put up by the government in a resort somewhere.

So what makes these parents relive the worst night of their lives over and over again? Five months later they were asked to visit the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. They decided they would go because all they wanted in the aftermath of their daughter’s death was someone to talk to that could understand what they were going through.

Despite the awkwardness they felt upon arriving at Sandy Hook, they recognized the pain on the other parents’ faces. It was exactly where they had been five months ago. They wanted nothing more than to help these parents acclimate to their new reality. So to help parents in these situations find each other for support they started an organization called “Survivors Empowered.”

Sandy and Lonnie felt a calling to help people experiencing what they had already been through. Their family and friends wanted desperately for them to move on and get back to normal. But something inside them just wouldn’t allow the tragedy of their daughter’s death go by unforgotten. The brokenness of their world was not going to stop them from being there for others.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever experienced the grief of losing someone that you loved? Did anyone talk to you about a similar experience they had which made you feel a little better?
• Have you or someone you know been affected by school shootings?
• Have you talked with your friends about school shootings you’ve heard about in the news?

Reformation Sunday

(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 is a text which is heard a lot in Lutheran churches on Reformation Sunday. It starts out with Jesus telling his followers that if they just continue to follow what he’s been teaching them, that they will be set free. However, this idea of being set free didn’t seem to make too much sense to those whom Jesus was talking to, because they immediately say that they have never been slaves to anyone. So they ask what Jesus could possibly mean by saying, “they will be set free”?

Jesus goes on to say that anyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. What could that possibly mean? Does that mean that we can simply live a perfect life and not have to worry about being a slave to sin? What does Jesus even mean when he says sin? Sometimes it helps to get a little context from the things that are happening around our selected readings.

In the case of today’s gospel lesson we can move back to the beginning of chapter 8 to see what Jesus meant when he was talking about sin and how that differed from the understanding of sin that the people around him had. The chapter begins with the story of a woman caught in the act of adultery being brought before Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees then ask Jesus what he thinks should be done about this sinner, knowing that the traditional punishment is to stone the adulterer to death. Jesus says that anyone who has never sinned can go ahead and be the first one to throw a stone at her. After this everyone leaves because everyone has sinned. Jesus forgives her and tells her to go on with her life and sin no more.

This story shows us a couple of things that are relevant to today’s Gospel Lesson.

• Everyone has sinned, and is therefore a slave to sin.
• Sin isn’t limited to doing something against the laws of the scriptures, but part of the world we live in.

Martin Luther struggled with many of these same difficult questions regarding sin. He was confused by his inability to stop sinning and the idea of being able to make up for it in a satisfying way. Luckily, our Gospel doesn’t end with the statement that everybody sins. Rather it goes on to say, “So if the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.”

This tells us that because of Jesus’ death on the cross, and subsequent resurrection, we are no longer slaves to sin. Whether it is our own (as in the case of the woman who committed adultery) or a result of the broken world (as in the case of Sandy and Lonnie’s daughter’s death). Instead we are free to continue our lives. We are free to allow Christ’s light to shine through ours and the world’s brokenness.

Discussion Questions

• In light of today’s gospel reading, how would you define sin?
• What are some examples of ways we could sin ourselves?
• What are some examples of how sin is found in the broken world around us?
• What do you think it looks like to be set free by Christ?

Activity Suggestions

Gather strips of soft cloth to tie the hands and ankles as well as to make blindfolds. (Strips torn from an old sheet work nicely) You’ll need enough strips for each person to have one.

Distribute the cloth strips to kids and have them form three groups. Instruct one group to tie each other’s hands behind their backs. (You will have to help the last person.) Have another group use the strips to loosely tie each person’s ankles together. Have the remaining group use its strips as blindfolds.

Provide instructions to the youth letting them know that as you call out various actions, they are to do each one in the best way that they can.

• Shake hands
• Touch your toes
• Walk across the room
• Wave to a friend
• Take one giant step
• Sit cross-legged on the floor
• Hop on one foot
• Point to the west
• Wink at someone

Debrief with the follow questions:

1. What kinds of problems were you having? Explain.
2. What can be done to solve these problems?
3. This game has taken away some of your freedom. What kinds of things bind us or take away our freedom in real life?
4. How can we be freed from these things?

Closing Prayer

Loving  God, Thank you for this chance to come together to learn more about you and your word. Thanks, also for your amazing gift of freedom from sin. Although we often feel stuck in fear or grief we know that you call us to continue living. We know that you hear our prayers whether we shout them with joy from the mountaintops or hold them inside with sighs to deep for words. Thank you for listening.

Amen.

John Hougen, Elkins Park, PA

Warm-up Question

What are your ambitions? Name three: one ambition you have for this week, one ambition you have for this year, and one ambition you dream of fulfilling in your lifetime.

Ambition

All of us have ambitions: goals we are working toward, hopes for the future, dreams of success. Our ambitions can be good or evil, noble or crass. Ambition can lead to addressing the root causes of violence and building a better community. And, ambition can lead predators to boast of how many victims they’ve lured into bed. Ambitions can express our best selves or something less. They can contribute to the common good or fulfill our most shameful selfish desires. I knew two families who seemed to be in competition for which would adopt the most children with special needs. I admired them greatly.

In American culture today, competition is everywhere. Ambition is defined as wanting to win, to come out on top, to be the best. Children vie for their parents’ attention. Families plan everything else around youth sports schedules. Network television seems dominated by series that start with auditions and end with a winner. We each have our teams, our candidates, our favorite competitors. When we aren’t competing ourselves, we are cheering for those with whom we identify. When our side wins, we feel like we have won too. They are in the limelight and we bask in their glory.

It is a challenge for those of us who are spiritual to align our ambitions with the values of our faith. It may be harmless to indulge in the competitive games people play, but if we are true to our faith, our focus will be elsewhere. As Christians, our ambition should be to imitate Christ who revealed the God-given potential of life in this world. This does not mean we should aspire to wearing robes and performing miracles. It means we should open our minds and hearts to becoming aware of God’s presence with and within us. It means we should use our brains, muscles, and empathy to help others. It means our ambitions will include seeking and speaking the truth, offering and accepting forgiveness, peace-making, befriending the marginalized, binding up what is broken, and mending creation.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think there are so many television shows which feature competition (such as American Idol, The Voice, and America’s Got Talent)?  If you watch any of these, what is their attraction to you?  What attributes do these shows reward?
• Would you like to be famous? If so, what do you dream of doing that would command attention and earn the admiration of others?
• Name people with ambition whom you admire, and tell why you admire them. Include some examples from your family and friends.
• Will any of your ambitions lead you toward being more like Jesus? If so, which ones? If not, why not?

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

(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

James and John were ambitious. Their ambition was to be like Jesus: to be close to God and able to pray, to speak God’s truth, heal, forgive, inspire, and lead. They knew they would never be exactly like Jesus, so the next best thing was to stay as close to him as possible. They believed that one day God would establish a great kingdom with Jesus seated on its glorious throne. In both the present and future, they wanted to be by Jesus’ side, one on his right and one on his left. So, they asked Jesus to grant them their wish. James and John hoped that when glory came to Jesus, they would be nearby, soaking up the glory that comes to a winner.

Jesus responded to their request with a question. “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” We can know what Jesus meant in that moment by turning a few pages ahead in the Gospel of Mark. Mark 14 reports that on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, kneeling in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed: “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” (Mark 14:36. NRSV) When Jesus asked James and John, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” Jesus was asking whether they understood glory was not going to happen just yet. He was asking them whether, on the way to glory, they were willing to suffer and die as he would. Would they be willing to be tortured and killed for being like Jesus, eliminated when those in power would no longer put up with truth and love?

The other disciples, surely as deserving of glory as James and John, objected to their trying to claim the honor for themselves, “cutting in line” to get the best seats. Jesus then told all his disciples they were acting like politicians whose ambition for power and fame is motivated by the desire to enrich themselves and bolster their own egos. The politicians of their day (and some in our day) wanted power so they could force others to abide by their selfish whims rather than using their power for good.

Jesus teaches his disciples (and us) that those who are his most faithful followers will lose what their culture considers essential for a successful life: the ambition to gain fame, riches, power, and glory. Jesus teaches his disciples (and us) that his most faithful followers will be like him–ambitious for greatness in service, gaining the success that comes from giving away all they are and all they have to make life better for others.

Discussion Questions

• Do you think Jesus was too hard on James and John for wanting to be with him in glory?
• Is it possible to have ambition for fame or wealth and still be most focused on serving others?
• If you were to sacrifice time, energy, and money to help others, what would you gain? What would make your sacrifices worthwhile?

Activity Suggestions

There are many passages in the Bible that encourage Christians to use the gifts God has given them for the sake of others. (Read one of the following: Matthew 5: 14-16, Romans 12: 3-8, 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11) If you are meeting in a group, let each person have a turn while others in the group identify the gifts God has given her or him and how those gifts are being used or could be used to serve others. If you are by yourself, list your gifts and how they might be used to help others.

Closing Prayer

I wrote the following text to be sung at a gathering of Lutheran college and university students. Some of the lines are inspired by Scripture passages such as today’s Gospel reading which invites us to follow Jesus, and to become his presence in the world today. Other lines are inspired by passages such as Matthew 25: 34-40 which teach us that when we serve others, we are serving Jesus who is present with them in their need.

Meditate on these words in silence or by finding a simple melody to which they can be sung.

1. We are free to be – like Jesus.

We are free to be: Jesus in the world.

2. We are free to see – like Jesus.

We are free to see: Jesus in the world.

3. We are free to serve – like Jesus.

We are free to serve: Jesus in the world.

4. We are free to love – like Jesus.

We are free to love: Jesus in the world.

5. We are free to heal – like Jesus.

We are free to heal: Jesus in the world.

6. God has set us free – like Jesus.

God calls us to be: Jesus in the world.

Amy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Question

What would you do if you want millions of dollars in the lottery?

Valuing Things and People

On September 28th an earthquake and tsunami rocked Indonesia.  The 7.5-magnitude quake struck just off the central island of Sulawesi, setting off a tsunami that engulfed the coastal city of Palu. The death toll has now risen to 1,347( as of October 2nd) and there is fear there are still more people trapped underneath the mud and rubble.

In the midst of this horrible situation, there is little running water, power, food, or drinking water. People are desperate as they try to meet their family’s basic needs and looting has become a problem.  At first, officers were lenient to those taking basic goods, but people have now been arrested for stealing computers and cash.  Police report they find themselves in a difficult situation as they try to protect the stores but still provide the people with what they desperately need.   Looters have also hindered relief efforts as survivors have blocked trucks carrying supplies to raid the contents.  Relief trucks are now being escorted by soldiers and the police.

For more information:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45716915

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/01/653268266/indonesian-tsunami-death-toll-hits-1-200-survivors-desperate-for-aid

Discussion Questions

• How do you feel when you hear of a natural disaster that is so far away from us? Helpless?  Removed?  Eager to find a way to help?
• Mr. Rogers recommended looking for the helpers in scary and desperate situations. Where do you see people helping the survivors in Indonesia?
• As people struggle to survive, is there a moral line they shouldn’t cross? Is looting okay when it is to meet basic needs?  What about when the supplies are going to help others?   Have there been time in your own life when you have had to resort to “desperate measures for desperate times.”

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

(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

“Sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me…How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

This is a hard story to hear.  Jesus tells us our wealth and possessions can stand between us and eternal life.  The solution is to give away all we have, something that doesn’t sound too appealing to most of us. Often, to make ourselves feel better, we reassure ourselves we aren’t the people Jesus is talking about.  We aren’t wealthy; we don’t have that much stuff.  Yet, when we see reports of the earthquake survivors in Indonesia struggling just to meet their basic needs we are reminded of how much we have.

Jesus warns us about wealth because it can insulate us from others and from God.  When we are able to meet all of our own needs we don’t reach out to others for help.  We may forget to live as a community where members care for and support each other.  We can value the things we have more than the people around us.

We do hear a word of hope: What is impossible for us mortals is not impossible for God.  Even our wealth, our possessions, and our greed cannot separate from God’s love.

Whether it is money and possessions or activities and friends, we often put other things before God, but this text challenges us to remember that Jesus wants to be the center of our life and we are called to share what we have with those in need.

Discussion Questions

• Do you think wealth separates us from other people? From God?  What separates you from God in your life of faith?
• We don’t hear what happens to the young man after he goes away from Jesus in mourning, what do you think he does next.
• Share a time when your generosity helped others. When someone’s generosity helped you.
• Do you think the amount of money we have can affect how we follow Jesus?

Activity Suggestions

• Plan a fundraiser to help the earthquake victims in Indonesia or a local charity you would like to help.
• Use play-do to make a model of something that you are tempted to put ahead of Jesus.  Maybe your cell phone, homework, or sports.  Pray for forgiveness and than smash that false idol.  Discuss together ways you can keep faith at the center of your life.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, we know that so much separates us from you: our actions, our possessions, our wealth.  Forgive us for all the times we put ourselves and our needs above others and above You. Give us glad and generous hearts to serve you and help our neighbors. Amen.

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever attended or participated in a wedding?  Which elements of the wedding were the most memorable?

Taking Marriage Seriously

Have you ever heard someone say, “50% of all marriages end in divorce?”  While that statement is frequently made in discussions about marriage and relationships, the research today on marriage suggests that this widely accepted statement isn’t true.  According to University of Maryland sociology professor Philip Cohen, divorce rates have dropped by 8% from 2008 to 2016 driven primarily by a declining divorce rate among millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996).

“The change among young people is particularly striking,” Susan Brown, a sociology professor at Bowling Green State University, said of Cohen’s results. “The characteristics of young married couples today signal a sustained decline [in divorce rates] in the coming years.”

In fact, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control, between 2006–2010, the probability of a first marriage lasting at least 10 years was 68% for women and 70% for men. While broken relationships and divorce are still a painful part of life in the world, statistics suggest that for those choosing to get married in 2018, the chance of divorce is far lower than it was 40 years ago.

Discussion Questions

• Statistics and data can be interpreted in a variety of ways. How often to you factcheck statements you see online like “50% of all marriages end in divorce”?  What sources of information do trust?
• Are you surprised to hear that divorce rates are declining among millennials? Why or why not?

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

(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

After hearing Jesus teaching in Mark 10:2-16, it’s safe to say that Jesus isn’t afraid to address controversial topics.  Instead of giving a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to the question of the legality of divorce, Jesus uses the question to offer a much broader teaching which addresses the brokenness and sin in the world and reminds us of God’s desire for people to live in healthy relationship with one another.

Whenever the word ‘divorce’ enters into a conversation, particularly a religious conversation, some people are instantly transported to a place of personal pain or strong emotions.  Some people will no doubt hear Jesus’ words as a condemnation of their actions while others will hear his words as support for their personal beliefs.  Jesus’ conversation with the disciples and Pharisees, however, is less focused on answering the Pharisees’ question and more focused on lifting up God’s desire for God’s people to live in a healthy, lasting relationship with one another.

Look carefully at how Jesus responds to the question posed by the Pharisees.  They ask, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  Instead of answering ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ Jesus acknowledges the tradition and current practice and then expands the conversation to a discussion of a healthy relationships.  Divorce, the official ending of a relationship, Jesus acknowledged, was permitted by Moses, because of the hardness of the human heart.  In a perfect world, once two people are joined together in marriage, nothing would be able to separate them, but sadly, we know that some relationships are irreparably harmed by the choices individuals make.  Because of the sinfulness and brokenness that exists in our imperfect world, divorce happens. It happened in Jesus’ time and it happens today, but divorce it is not the desired outcome of a relationship.

God’s desire is that God’s people will live in healthy relationship with one another.  God’s desire is that when two people choose to marry then nothing will be able to divide them.  God’s desire is that God’s people would know the joy of having healthy, loving relationships in their lives.  By not simply answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the Pharisees’ question about divorce, Jesus invites us to recognize the complexity of human relationships and to consider not simply what is legal, but how we can participate in the whole, healthy life that God desires for all God’s people.

Discussion Questions

• Share the characteristics or practices you feel contribute to a good marriage or healthy relationship.
• Divorce is a painful and difficult experience for many people. How could you share God’s love and support with someone whose parents are divorcing?
• Where do you go to find answers to the difficult questions you face in life? How might scripture or faith help you find answers to those questions?

Activity Suggestions

Interview a couple that has been married for 40 years or more.  Ask them to teach you the characteristics of a good marriage/relationship.

Identify and share with your group memes or emojis that might be shared in a healthy, loving relationship.

Closing Prayer

Abundant God, your love for us is unbreakable.  Give strength and support to those dealing with the pain of divorce and help us all to build whole, healthy relationships in our lives.  May your love for us be reflected in the way we treat others.  Amen.

Jocelyn Breeland, Sunnyvale, CA

Warm-up Question

What is your congregation or community doing to help the poor?

Priority of the Poor

In 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) launched the Poor People’s Campaign, a multiracial effort to address the causes of poverty in America and achieve economic justice. Dr. King was in Memphis, Tennessee to support the sanitation workers strike – a major element of the campaign – when he was assassinated in April of that year.

The campaign continued after his death, advocating an Economic Bill of Rights, eventually erecting Resurrection City, a shantytown where thousands of people lived on the National Mall in Washington, DC while demanding economic justice. Resurrection City lasted six weeks. The campaign did not achieve adoption of the Economic Bill of Rights, but did result in some lesser victories such as additional funds for free and reduced school lunch programs and Head Start.

Fifty years later, Rev. William J. Barber and Rev. Liz Theoharis have launched a new nationwide effort called The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. (You can learn more by visiting their website here.) The new campaign’s website calls out the “distorted moral narrative” that perpetuates systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and militarism.

Earlier this year, the campaign held rallies and organized groups of supporters in communities across the country, believing that many of the solutions can be achieved locally. More recently, the campaign has added a focus on voter registration. The founders are committed to non-violent action to finally achieve Dr. King’s vision. Like the original, this new campaign is a multi-faith, multi-racial effort.

Discussion Questions

• King, Barber and Theoharis are all ministers. Do you believe it is appropriate for religious leaders to engage in local and national politics?
• What does your faith suggest can or should be done to end poverty and economic injustice?
• Our nation’s leaders have historically been overwhelmingly Christian. According to the Pew Research Center, more members of the current Congress consider themselves Christian (91%) than do American’s as a whole (71% of US adults). Serving the poor is such an important part of Jesus’ ministry, why do you think it is so difficult for Christians to make more progress on alleviating poverty?
• Can Christians disagree about how to solve the problems of the poor and still remain faithful?

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

(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 disciples were surely special people. They were chosen with care to provide important support to Jesus’ ministry, and were essential to spreading the gospel after his ascension. Today’s scripture suggests that, at times, they are a little too impressed by just how special they are. In verses 33-37, the disciples confess they’ve been discussing who among them is the greatest.

Jesus calls the disciples to focus on what’s really important – doing the Lord’s work. And he reminds them that others, even some unlikely individuals, have a part in God’s plan. Casting out demons in Jesus’ name will be rewarded, even if you’re not a follower.

He also warns that even followers can commit errors that cause them and others – like children – to go astray. But it’s not just children who can stumble, and Jesus goes on to encourage the disciples to be ruthless in rooting out anything in their own lives that might distract them from fulfilling God’s purpose.

The language is harsh, but it’s balanced by a message of comfort. Because it’s clear that a necessary part of doing the Lord’s work is caring for his people (v. 41), it is a particular joy to be part of a Christian community where we are blessed to offer and receive support and comfort in Jesus’ name.

Discussion Questions

• What are some modern equivalents of those who cast out demons in Jesus’ name, but are not followers?
• If even those who do not follow Jesus will receive their reward, what is the value of belonging to the community of followers? Are we special?
• Hand. Foot. Eye. Why do you think Jesus chose these particular body parts?
• What does Jesus’ caution mean to you? What are some of the ways a hand, foot, eye – or something else – might cause you to fall?

Activity Suggestions

Today’s Gospel is a warning about the ways our bodies, and other parts of our lives, can distract us from God’s plan and lead us astray. Now, though, focus on ways these same things can be part of serving our divine purpose:

• List a hand, foot and eye in your life and, for each, list a way you can use it to act on your faith in the next week.
• Share this list with the group.
• Next week, begin your time together by sharing the results of putting these plans into action.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you every day for this community of faith. Help us always to share your love with each other, and as important, with those outside our community. Deliver us from evil, Lord, and make us ever diligent so that our hands, feet and eyes do not lead us astray, but are instruments we use to serve you. We delight to do you will; in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.