Seth Moland-Kovash, Palatine, Il

Warm-up Question

 What are you most looking forward to right now?

Are you Excited?

Anticipation and excitement are two very powerful human emotions. We look forward to vacation, to time off from school or other responsibilities. We might look forward to family time, to Christmas, to gifts (giving and receiving). Simply the act of anticipating something releases powerful chemicals into our bloodstream which make us feel the joy – that’s what anticipation is.

Companies that try to sell products to us know this well. This is what advertisements and pre-release promotions are all about. The companies are trying to create anticipation in us so that we feel that joy and then want it more and more—and seek out the product they are promoting. Sometimes this is done through industry events like the Consumer Electronics Show. This event, held in January each year, is all about creating anticipation. The event is an opportunity for companies to tell us what consumer electronic products (mobile phones, televisions, computers and the like) they will be releasing in 2019. But the weeks leading up to the event are themselves about anticipation. Companies will tease what products they will be announcing at CES to build up the anticipation. As the linked article tells us, even before the official event starts on January 8, there are two “media days” where companies jostle for headlines and buzz – all trying to create the most excitement and anticipation they can for their products.

Discussion Questions

• Do you like to be the first one in your family or friend group to try something new? This could be a technological thing or some other kind of experience.
• Are there new technological products or innovations you are excited to see? 
• Have you ever experienced disappointment when you’ve finally gotten to do or see or use something that you’ve been anticipating?

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:2-5a

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-45 [46-55]

(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

Mary was excited and Elizabeth was excited. These two women were experiencing an anticipation that is a common occurrence for people throughout history – the expectation of the birth of a child. Each was excited to meet her own child and to see what would become of him.

This story tells us of another level of excitement. When Elizabeth saw Mary, the child in Elizabeth’s womb (John the Baptist) “leaped for joy.” Elizabeth is sharing her testimony that even the unborn child she carried was anticipating and excited about the unborn child Mary carried.

We know the rest of the story – we know that John was a bit of a predecessor to Jesus in public ministry. We know that John baptized Jesus. We also know that Jesus would save the world through his life, death, and resurrection. It seems that John knew that too – even before birth.

Discussion Questions

• Can you relate to John’s excitement about Jesus? What excites you about Jesus?
• John shared his excitement by leaping for joy. How can we share our excitement about Jesus?

Activity Suggestion

Snap pictures of you and your youth group showing your excitement at Jesus’ coming. Get creative. Use props or facial expressions. Share your pictures with the world through social media.

Closing Prayer

Come Lord Jesus, and fill us with joy at your birth. Amen.

Paul Baglyos, Baltimore, MD

 Warm-up Question

When does standing by require standing up?

Standing By and Standing Up

Montgomery County, Maryland is considering a revamped proposal to allow public high school students to take as many as three excused absences a year to participate in political protests and other forms of “civic engagement” during the school day.  This would allow students to take part in marches, protests, lobbying, and other acts of political action.

Students feel that many current issues affect them and that students shouldn’t be punished with an unexcused absence for taking part in demonstrations so directly connected to issues affecting their lives.  “We’re taught about how important it is to be engaged in our world and community, and to be aware of what’s going on and to be a responsible participant in the democratic process,” said Ananya Tadikonda, 17, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School and the student representative on the Montgomery County Board of Education. “This proposal gives students an opportunity to exercise civic responsibility without being penalized for it.”

When it was introduced in September, the proposal required parental consent, the approval of the school principal and permission from the organization sponsoring the political activity or protest.  Excused absences would not be approved for spontaneous walkouts or protests. Students who leave campus without receiving approval would not receive an excused absence.  The final version of the proposal is still being drafted.

Public reaction to the proposal has been mixed.  Critics agree that students should have an opportunity to express their concerns, lest students feel their voices do not matter.  But they  express concern that students would be missing out on valuable school time and disrupting the school day.  “You are sending a message to the MCPS community that student protesting is more important than them being at school engaged in learning,” one commentator wrote.

Discussion Questions

• Do you favor or oppose the proposal discussed in the above news article?  What are your reasons?
• How would you respond to people whose opinions about the proposal differ from your own?
• How would such a proposal be regarded in your school district?

Third Sunday of Advent

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

(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

One way to understand and interpret the figure of John the Baptist in the New Testament gospel narratives is to regard him and the movement he generated as a protest against the status quo.  John’s fiery preaching arose from a holy impatience with human complacency toward the evils of injustice and oppression.  He called for repentance, which meant a change of direction in the ways of human behavior and society.  Many of the people who gathered around him were eager to change their own lives in accordance with his preaching and they asked him for instruction on how to do that.  They had, apparently, grown tired of their own complacency and become ready to make changes for the better, changes that would alter the status quo.

We can picture the kind of protests discussed in the preceding news article as similar in sight and sound and character to the gatherings occasioned by John the Baptist.  Both contexts involve impatience with the status quo and calls for change.  Students who might receive an excused absence from class in order to participate in a protest are eager to stand up for the better world they long to see rather than stand by in complacency toward the way things are.

The phrase “standing by” can mean two very different things.  In one sense, “standing by” can mean remaining detached and indifferent, uninvolved, uninterested and unengaged.  In that sense, “standing by” can mean accommodating the status quo.  But “standing by” can also mean remaining alert and watchful, expectant and ready.  In that sense, “standing by” can mean remaining prepared to take action against the status quo.  In Christian faith and practice, the liturgical season of Advent focuses on “standing by” in the second sense of that phrase.

Christians understand themselves to be on “stand by” for the coming of Jesus Christ.  The world’s form and future belong to Jesus rather than to any other person, power, or authority.  The fulfillment of all longing for a better world is assured by the life, death, resurrection and promise of Jesus, and this is the good news that Christians celebrate and confess.  Christians live on “stand by” for the culmination and completion of that good news and Advent is the season in which the church annually re-trains its “stand by” muscles.

But Christian “standing by” for the coming of Jesus (which is to say, for the culmination and completion of his good news, his gospel) does not mean remaining detached and indifferent, uninvolved, uninterested and unengaged.  In fact, the Advent call to repentance is itself a protest against the status quo and all habits of complacency.  To stand by for the coming of Jesus means to stand up for the better world that his coming inaugurates.  Christians are called to protest the status quo and to resist the habits of complacency because the coming of Jesus brings the extinction of the status quo and raises new life from the tombs of complacency.

Discussion Questions

• Has there ever been a situation in your life that stirred you to stand up against the status quo?  If so, share that story and describe what you did, why you did it, and what happened in consequence.
• Have you ever felt yourself stirred to stand up for something but did not do so?  If so, share that story and describe what held you back and what you learned from that experience.
• How does your faith in Jesus influence your decisions about whether to stand by or to stand up?
• What instruction do you imagine John the Baptist might offer you regarding your own repentance?

Activity Suggestions

Think of a person you know and admire as an example of someone standing up against the status quo.  Share what you know about that person and their actions, and describe how their example has influenced your life.

Closing Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.  Amen – from the “Serenity Prayer” of Reinhold Niebuhr

Kris Litman-Koon, Isle 0f Palms, SC

Warm-up Questions

• What are some topics of conversation in which you are able to adequately participate based on your experience or knowledge (e.g. politics, sports analysis, music reviews, comic books)?
• Conversely, are there topics of conversation that you avoid because you feel your contributions would be inadequate?

Stay in Your Lane

There are many viewpoints on the topic of gun safety in the United States. The arguments continue to rage about who-is-at-fault when violence occurs, about whether there is an appropriate legislative response to help limit future shootings, and about whether any government health agencies should study gun violence in America.

On November 7, the National Rifle Association (NRA) tweeted, “Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control. Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted NO ONE but themselves.” (www.cbsnews.com/news/stay-in-your-lane-doctors-fire-back-at-the-nra-guns/) The NRA’s tweet implies that doctors should stick to being doctors and not wade into discussions of gun control. Of course many doctors publicly disagreed, especially those who have had to care for victims of shootings. These doctors have often used the hashtag #ThisIsOurLane in their comments to claim that they certainly have a place in this conversation. At the time of this writing, the debate has heated up even more due to the shooting at Mercy Hospital in Chicago that left four people dead: a doctor, a pharmacy resident, a police officer, and the shooter.

Clearly, there is vehement disagreement. Yet this recent debate on social media is not even about the issues of our nation’s gun violence; it is about who is allowed to even weigh in on the matter.

Discussion Questions

• Do you feel that the medical community should have a place in this conversation?
• Can you think of other examples where people have been told to “stay in their lane?”

Second Sunday of Advent

(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 gospel lesson today begins with a roll call of important figures: Roman rulers (the emperor and several regional officials) and two high priests (only one could be high priest at a time, so this is likely an indication that both held some power that was sanctioned by Rome). This list is a who’s-who of all the major players that had power over the Judean region. Yet their power came to them through the Roman occupation of the land, not because the Judean people wanted them. If anything of importance happened in Judea, it happened through these men.

During the time of these rulers “the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” In other words, God is up to something of great importance through an unknown prophet named John in the wilderness, not through the rulers on their thrones. This introduction of John displays him as a prophetic figure who ushers in this new redemptive work of God. This work gives priority to the dispossessed and poor (see Mary’s Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55) and is available for all flesh to see the salvation of God (3:6).

To lift up the lowly and to bring down the powerful from their thrones (1:52) is inherently a political act, not just a sentimental statement that Mary makes. To prepare the way of the true Lord is inherently a political act (3:4) against those occupiers who were known to demand this special treatment upon entering communities; it is not just a sentimental statement that John makes. God is ushering in a value system that will impact how people will conduct their day-to-day lives. People’s highest loyalty will no longer be to those who rule over them, but to the God who came to serve them. This will have ramifications across societies. If the rulers named at the start of chapter 3 knew what God was up to, they would have demanded of God, “Stay in your lane! You handle the heavenly stuff, and we will handle the earthly stuff!”

The truth is that our God is not one who will be relegated to the heavens. Our God audaciously enters this creation, lifts up the lowly, unseats rulers, and offers a new reign for all people. As the one called to announce all that, John becomes the prophetic voice crying out in the wilderness, “This IS God’s lane!”

Discussion Questions

• Read again verses 4-6 of today’s lesson. Does the scope of the work to be done imply an individual effort or a communal effort? How does visualizing those two answers impact our hearing of John’s message?
• If our highest loyalty ultimately is placed in God, then how do you respond to other demands for your loyalty?

Activity Suggestions

This is a fun game that involves two lanes of people. The more people you have, the more interesting this game is. Divide into two evenly numbered teams that form parallel lines (standing or sitting), and have the members of each team hold hands. At one end of the two lines will be a coin to toss or spin (if you have an odd number of people, designate one individual to do the coin toss). At the other end will sit an object between the two final people; they should be able to easily grasp the object (it could be anything, but let’s say it’s a tennis ball).

Except for each team’s person who is closest to the coin toss, everyone else should face the tennis ball. No one should talk. Flip the coin (or spin it). If it lands on heads, you do nothing and you flip the coin again. If it lands on tails, the individuals watching the coin will squeeze the hand of the next person on their team. This squeeze is passed to the other end of the line, and the final person there tries to grab the tennis ball before the other team does (gaining one point). If there is a false grab, then that team loses a point. Rotate positions within each team to keep the game lively.

Closing Prayer

Servant God, you came to us to lift up the poor and to offer salvation to all people. Help us to be thankful that you care for us all and that you seek to extend your reign to us and through us. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.

Danny Stone, Marion, IA

Warm-up Question

Who are your heroes?  What makes someone a hero?

Heroes Redeemed

On Monday, November 12 a flurry of text messages spread through the high schools of Marion, Iowa.  Maybe at your high school too.

“Did you hear?”

“I am heartbroken.”

“He’s dead.”

“I can’t believe he’s gone.”

“Stan Lee died.”

Marvel Comics co-creator and hero to generations, Stan Lee, died on November 12^th at the age of 95.   Stanley Martin Lieber was born in Manhattan, New York City on December 28, 1922.  After graduating from high school at 16 ½, he began his comic book career at Timely Comics in 1939.  By the age of 19, he moved up from filling ink wells and erasing pencil marks to be interim editor.  Timely Comics eventually became Marvel Comics, and Stan Lee served as Editor-in-Chief for 31 years.  He left comics to serve in World War II, but returned to help make Marvel an international sensation.

Stan and his collaborators gave the world a pantheon of heroes and villains.  The cineplex would be quiet without Iron Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Thor, Loki, Thanos . . .

Marvel breathed new life in the industry with flawed characters who bickered, had bloated egos,  and acted out of anger.  Instead of secret identities and changing in phone booths, heroes like Tony Stark openly declared, “I am Iron Man.” Ant-Man is an ex-con, behind on child support payments.  Thor behaved like an immortal man-child.  Spider Man struggled with girls and guilt.  Doctor Strange was an ego driven surgeon.  If one of the X-Men sneezed wrong or threw a tantrum, cities could be destroyed.  Hulk SMASH – enough said.

Instead of wallowing excess and vices, Tony Stark changed and created a hero driven to protect the weak and end war.  Thor grew from the braggart son be a leader willing to sacrifice for the greater good.  Bruce Banner found how to use his Hulk side to SMASH, when appropriate.

Discussion Questions

• How did you and your friends react to the news of Stan Lee death?
• Who are your favorite Marvel characters?  DC?  Star Wars and Star Trek?  Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings?
• Many of the heroes overcome the mistakes or follies of their youth.  Do you think it is fair that “the youth” are portrayed as having flaws?  Are there older adults in our world who need to reform and be redeemed?
• Who are some of the flawed Bible heroes who sought redemption?
• From the news and history, what are your favorite stories of redemption – people who has overcome obstacles or their own flaws?

First Sunday of Advent

Jeremiah 33:14-16

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Luke 21:25-36

(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

Readings like this gospel lesson have agitated the faithful since Luke documented Jesus’ pronouncement.  We obsessively look for the signs and say that our current political turmoil must be THE foreboding events.  Black Death spreads through Europe – the end is at hand!. King George loses the colonies – repent!  Hitler rises in Europe – looks like it’s the antichrist!  Y2K (you’ll have to explain this one) – we’re all going to die!

To counter the hysteria, think of the camp song, “I’ve Been Redeemed”  (Versions vary):

I’ve been redeemed . . . I’ve been redeemed.

By the blood of the Jesus . . .by the blood of the Jesus.

I’ve been set free . . . I’ve been set free.

By the blood of the Lamb . . . by the blood of the Lamb.

How good it is . . . how good it is.

How sweet it is . . . how sweet it is.

To know that I’m a child of God, and I’ve been washed as clean as snow.

Ooo – oo – ooo-oo.

This simple call and response song should be a mantra that we keep on the tips of our tongues.  As Lutherans, we do not need to obsess about the end seen in obscure signs.  We need to be willing to take action.  We need to be God’s hands at work in the world.  Don’t watch the fire.  Organize and put it out.  Feed the homeless.  Go on a mission trip.  Make friends with some with different beliefs and learn to talk about those differences with dignity and respect.

Harvard Professor, Dr. Steven Pinker, preaches with zeal a message that exclaims, “It’s not that bad out there!”  According to Pinker, American homicide rates are down from 20 years ago.  Fewer of us live in poverty.  Sulfur dioxide emissions are down, too. In 2018, 238 Western Europeans dies in terrorist attacks – 440 people died in 1998.   What’s the take-away?  Every age is a victim of pessimism and fixates on the negative.  Jesus knew it and warns us to “not be weighed down.”

Worries are a trap.  They can build anxiety, foster division and lead to isolation.  Jesus is with us.  He is our redemption.  Go with a light heart and be a positive force of change.

Discussion Questions

• Earthquakes, fires and civil unrest!  Why do you think the network news leads with bad news and closes with good news?
• Why do rumors of salacious trouble spread faster that stories of triumph and joy?
• What is the good news in your community?  What is the good news in the world?
• What local causes can you serve to better your community?

Activity Suggestions

•  Either as a large group or in small groups, brainstorm on large sheets of paper lists of comic book heroes with their positive and negative traits.  Discuss results.  In round two, allow students to use phones to brainstorm lists of historic heroes with their positive and negative traits – Winston Churchill, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher . . . Discuss results.  In round three, allow students to list on a small sheet their own positive and negative traits.  Ask, “Did you find it difficult to list our own faults and talents?  Is self-examination a normal part of your life?”
•  Invite students to share their favorite scenes (either description or video) favorite scenes from heroic movies and literature.  Yes, comics and graphic novels are literature.
•  Since Stan Lee’s death, his 1968 article about racism and been shared and re-shared.  Read and discuss the article.

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a25022397/stan-lee-marvel-racism-1968-essay/

•  Watch and discuss Dr. Pinker’s TED Talk, “Is the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers.”

https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_is_the_world_getting_better_or_worse_a_look_at_the_numbers/transcript?language=en

Closing Prayer (inspired by Psalm 22)

To you, dear Lord, we lift our souls.  We trust you.  Help us to be brave in the face of failure.  Lead us and teach us the ways of truth.  You are our salvation and you forgive our youthful transgressions.  Forgive us our sins and show us your merciful path.  Pull us out of our distress and let integrity be our guide.  In your name we pray, amen.

Angie Larson, Clive, IA

 Warm-up Question

Who is your favorite king or queen,  real or fictional? What qualities do they have?

What Kind of King?

Immediately following the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg, PA, Tarek El-Messidi took to Launch Good to raise funds for the Synagogue and the victims’ families. The interesting thing  is not that funds were raised, but that a Muslim organization, Muslims Unite for Pittsburgh Synagogue, did it.  Muslim and Jewish groups have not always cooperated in the past and are often in conflict in the Middle East.

However, El-Messidi had a different vision. He hoped to raise over $25,000 to take the financial burden of funerals off of families affected by the shooting.  “We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action,” he wrote on the organization’s webpage. Through his faith lens he talks about the recipients as fellow human beings being impacted by hate and tragedy. He led the Muslim community to see commonality with their Jewish brothers and sisters in their shared Abrahamic roots. His Launch Good effort has now raised over $238,000 for the victim’s families. “I think it says that there’s a lot more good in humanity than there is bad and evil and hatred,” said El-Messidi in a radio interview.

Discussion Questions

• What is your initial reaction to Tarek El-Messidi’s plan? What did he risk to lead this effort?
• How else could El-Messidi have responded to this tragedy? Do you think there are others who would disagree with El-Messidi’s plan?
• Do you agree with the final statement? Do you think there is more good in humanity than bad, evil, and hatred?

Christ the King 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

“What kind of king are you?” Pontius Pilate seems genuinely interested in why the Jews seem to hate Jesus so much. Pilate wants to see if he has a political rebellion on his hands; it’s his job to get to the bottom of this mess between Jesus and the religious leadership. Jesus questions back, asking why Pilate is posing his question:  How did you hear of me? What have you heard?

Pilates’ curiosity is peaked. He wants to know what Jesus has done that is so bad that his own people have pushed him towards this moment. Jesus answers, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

This world tells us that power comes from might, that kingdoms are made by threatening military force and coercion. The Jewish leaders, Pontius Pilate, and Jesus knew this.  The Roman Empire ruled with power and might. They kept people in line by violence and crucifixion. They thwarted conflict by killing of those who disagreed. It was clear who ruled in this kingdom.

Jesus tells us that his kingdom looks different. His kingdom is in many ways the opposite of the Roman Empire. Jesus’ kingdom lifts up the least, the lost, the lowest, and the lonely. His kingdom sees leadership as service to others, not pushing others around. His kingdom seeks healing and love, not force and pain. His kingdom seeks to persuade, not to coerce. Jesus’ kingdom is different.

Discussion Questions

• How is Jesus’ kingdom different from the Roman Empire?
• What are some ways our world is like Jesus’ kingdom? What are some ways it’s more like the Roman Empire?
• Are there ways that your church, school, or youth group is more like one kingdom or the other?

Activity Suggestions

Bring in pictures or names of famous leaders, fictional or real.  Examples include Pharaoh, King Arthur, Lord Voldemort, Queen Victoria, T’Challa (Black Panther), Adolf Hitler, King Wenceslas, King David, King Henry the 8^th, King Tut, Genghis Khan, Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth, Moses, Martin Luther King Jr.  Ask students to think about the leadership style of each person. Did they rule in a Christ-like manner? Did they rule with force and dominance? What results did these leaders achieve? What were the challenges?

Closing Prayer

Blessed Savior, We thank you that your kingdom comes. Help us to see ways to bring your kingdom to earth in service of our neighbors. Forgive us when we err and guide us to care for the least, the lost, the lowest, and the lonely in our communities. Direct us to be servant leaders like your son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.  Amen.