Faith Lens

Warm-up Question

What is the riskiest thing you did last week, something that could have cost you time, money, or health.

Risk and Trust

The stock market has been booming of late.  That has a lot of people excited, but analysts remind us that what goes up will ultimately come down.  Investments in the market have potential to make great gains–or lose a lot of their value overnight.  Generally speaking, riskier investments have the potential for a higher payoff.  Safer investments are less likely to lose their value, but they seldom create vast fortunes.

Some wonder why you should even be in the market.  If you want safety, why not put your money in the proverbial mattress?  Not investing has its own risks.  If inflation is running at 2.2% (the rate for the past twelve months) and you are not making any interest, you are losing buying power.

Whether and how you invest in the market is driven by your “risk tolerance.”  Some people get very anxious at the prospect of losing any money at all, and they are happy with modest, but steady returns.  Others like to roll the dice and see if they can score big gains, living with possibility that they will see big ups and down over the short run.

Discussion Questions

• Do you have any money invested (perhaps in a college fund, mutual fund, or money market account)?  How closely do you watch how it is doing?
• If someone gave you $1000 with the condition that it had to be invested in the market, would you look for safe, less potentially lucrative investments or would you opt for riskier investments with a bigger potential for quick, large gains?  Why?
• What might allow someone to make a risky investment without feeling too anxious?

Twenty-fourth 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

I’ve always thought this would be a much better story if the first two servants had lost their shirts.  A man goes on a journey, but before he leaves he entrusts some of his wealth to three slaves (or servants).  One gets five talents (a unit of gold or silver), one gets three, and the last servant gets one.   The first two slaves double their investment and–surprise, surprise–get a rousing affirmation from their master.  The third slave, who just returns his master’s investment intact is called lazy and wicked.  The key question is this:  What is the master affirming, the success of the first two slaves or their willingness to risk?  I think it is their willingness to risk, and indirectly the trust in their master which made them willing to go out on limb.  That is why it might be a better story if the first two had not been so insanely successful; then it would be clearer what Jesus values.

Few parables have been more abused than this one.  It has been the proof text for many “slot machine” theologies:  put in your coin and God guarantees riches.  But when you look closely you realize that the first two servants are just the set up, not the focus of story.  The focus of the story (and thus Jesus’ concern) is the poor fellow who was so paralyzed by his fear that he did not dare to do much of anything.

The tragedy of the story is that the one-talent man assumes his master is harsh and unreasonable–too often exactly the image many have of God.  But the story itself belies that assumption.  A talent was a tremendous amount of money, and the master entrusted it to this fellow.  True, he did not give him as much as the others, but maybe that is because he was not as competent.  Yet, there is no suggestion that the master expected him to do anything more than take a risk with what he has been given.  It is not his lack of success but his refusal to dare which brings his master’s wrath.

The gospel is not a magic amulet which guarantees that life will be smooth as we attempt to follow the way of Jesus.  There is genuine risk that we will be misunderstood, thought a little crazy, or put in the position of standing alone against a crowd.  Sometimes it may well look like we have failed.  God can live with that.  What is much more unfortunate is letting our fears keep us from bearing witness to the way of Jesus.  Whether we are entrusted with five talents or just one, the invitation is the same:  live boldly, love boldly in Christ because it is fear, not failure which is the great tragedy.  Christ came to set us free from fear and assure us that we can dare to take risks because the one who judges us is the one who loves us beyond measure.

Discussion Questions

• What is your greatest fear?  How might really knowing you are loved beyond measure help you deal with it?
• With whom do you identify in the parable?
• Why do you think the master gives the one-talent man’s money to the other servants?
• What do you need to know or feel in order to take a risk for your faith?

Activity Suggestions

Create a “stock exchange” of faith.  Brainstorm some activities which you might engage in as part of your Christian faith and talk about the risk/benefit of each.  List the “offerings” in which you might invest.  For example,

• How risky is it for you to worship regularly and how much potential is there for it to make a big difference in your life or the world?
• What are the potential costs and benefits of taking a stand against the bullying of a classmate?

Talk about what you learned about your own “risk tolerance” when it comes to discipleship.

Closing Prayer

Giver of all good things, you have promised that perfect love casts out fear, yet we often find ourselves very fearful of failing, of other’s harsh opinions, of not being good enough.  Give us courage and confidence to dare in your name, confident that your care undergirds all our efforts.

Danny Stone, Marion, IA

Warm-up Question

Share a story about when you were late, unprepared or procrastinated.

It’s the End of the World as We Know it

Ever listened to REM’s 1987 classic, “It’s the End of the World?”  Playing it now prompts listeners to ponder recent disasters.  Texas was battered by Harvey.  Irma devastated the Caribbean Islands and rolled across Florida.  Hurricane Nate made landfall in Mississippi.  Puerto Rico is coping with the overwhelming effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria.  Forest fires burned more than a million acres in Montana and scorched California’s Napa Valley.  The Vegas gunmen opened fire from his hotel suite. World leaders threaten annihilation, and you cannot even talk about football without starting a fight.   Are we watching the end of the world?  What’s next?  Elvis is still dead, right?  Will The Walking Dead become a reality show?

Infamous televangelist, Jim Baker, sells a wide variety of food and gear for those anticipating an epic cataclysm.  You can enjoy a king’s breakfast while the world dies around you.   You can get 31,000 servings of food for $4,500.  National Public Radio’s food critics called it “Apocalypse Chow” and found the meals were far from a royal feast.  However, if you are worried about the Yellowstone super caldera volcano, a meteor from space, or civil collapse, Rev. Baker is hawking the grub you need.

The National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Channel feature end of the world enthusiasts in their shows Doomsday Preppers and Apocalypse Preppers.  Families detail their preparations, training, and weapon mastery.  Viewers get tips on how to purify toilet water, “toilet water on the rocks.”  You can learn how to make a bug-out bag, properly store gasoline, and escape cities when society collapses.

People have been anticipating the end for a long time.  The early Christian church anticipated the return of Jesus in 365, 400, 500 and 800 AD.  Expecting the end of days, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III dug up long dead Charlemagne in the year 999 AD.  Because Otto expected the dead to rise at 12:00 am on January 1, 1000, Charlemagne was propped up in the corner, ready to walk again.  Y2K was going to destroy our modern world with a computer glitch crashing the power grid and financial markets.

Perhaps the question is not, “When will the end come?” but “How should we live in the meantime?”At various points in Martin Luther’s life, he was convinced the end was near.  He felt the church was ruled by the “Antichrist,” Ottoman Turks threatened the West, plagues swept the land, and peasants rose in revolt.  Luther faced these challenges by getting married and worked to reform the church and society.

Discussion Questions

• What preparations has your family made for a minor disaster?  Where do you go during a storm?  What would you do if the power went out for a day, week or month?
• Share stories of coping with a disaster like a house fire, tornado, earthquake, flood, riot, blizzard . . .
• “Christian” author, David Meade, predicted an object from space would end the world on September 23, 2017.  We’re still here.  Why do these predictions make the news?
• Luther’s response to living in turbulent times was to marry, raise a family and build a religious movement.  How should we live in a stressed world?

Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

Amos 5:18-24

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Matthew 25:1-13

(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

Ever wonder what the kingdom of heaven is like?  Jesus answers our question with a parable – a very difficult parable.  He says the kingdom of heaven is like bridesmaids waiting to enter a wedding banquet.  Some of the bridesmaids have their oil lamps ready.  Others don’t have enough oil, are left in the dark, and miss the groom’s invitation to enter the party.  Being unprepared blocks you from the kingdom of heaven.  Ouch.  I’m a slacker.  I procrastinate.  I’m never fully prepared.  I drive for miles with my gas tank on E.  Who among us is always ready?  Doesn’t Jesus offer grace?  Where is the grace in this parable?

We can find deeper meaning in the story if we focus on the lamps and the oil.  The lamps are simple clay vessels with small fiber wicks fueled by olive oil.  The lamps job is to illuminate – to provide light and help us find the way.

Follow the light and we follow God’s grace. We need to see God, Jesus, the holy and divine in our daily surroundings.   God’s love and grace is the illuminating force.  When we see God’s guiding presence, we can easily follow the bridegroom into the banquet.  We become lost when the wicks run dry and darkness overcomes us.  Luther reminds us that “we are saved by grace through faith.”  The wick and oil must surely be our faith.  How much faith do we need?  That’s another parable.

Discussion Questions

• Do you find this parable harsh?  Bible texts can be interpreted through the lens of “Law or Gospel.”  How would “Law” comment on this parable?
• Who or what illuminates God in your life?
• When have you been a lamp for others?

Activity Suggestions

You have many events that require forethought, planning and grace.  Brainstorm the “prep” lists for:

• first day of school
• a big test
• youth group fundraiser
• ELCA National Gathering
• job interview
• athletic competition
• prom
• graduation
• college
• wedding
• expecting a baby

Closing Prayer

Most merciful Father and gracious host, help us to be ready so that we can see your grace and love.  Help us tend your light and be a light to others, in your name we pray. Amen.

Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany

Warm-up Question

When was that last time you noticed someone being hypocritical (saying one thing and doing the opposite)?

Walking the Talk

Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of both the Nobel Peace Prize and the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, has come under massive criticism in recent weeks because of her stance on the Rohingya crisis. The Rohingya are an ethnic minority that has been living in Myanmar since the 8^th century. They are not considered one of the 8 “national races” and, according to a law passed in 1982, do not have the right of citizenship. They are effectively stateless. They are not allowed to work and do not have freedom of travel. As many as 600,000 of the approximately 1 million Rohingya living in northern Myanmar have fled to Bangladesh since the end of August. Their stories are of extreme violence against them from the majority Buddhist population. They are being tortured in many different ways and being driven from their homes. Things have been getting more and more difficult since 2012, and the world community had been patient with Suu Kyi and her party since it came into power. Things are rapidly changing.

The politically active daughter of two politically active parents, Aung San Suu Kyi, spent approximately 15 years under house arrest by the military-led government between the years 1989 and 2010. She was influenced by people like Mahatma Gandhi and has spoken up a lot over the years on democracy, justice, peace, and fear. She has been the subject of a number of films and has been referred to in songs like U2’s tribute to her, “Walk On”. In 2015, her political party won a landslide election and she was eventually made the first State Counselor, a position like prime minister, which was a position created specially for her. She is prohibited from being president because her deceased husband and her children were/are foreign nationals. She is considered by many at home and abroad to be a hero. Unfortunately, her words and her silence in recent weeks do not resonate with what she has taught all the years she was in captivity, speaking and teaching about freedom and democracy. Here are a couple of quotes of her from her writings:

“Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man’s self-respect and inherent human dignity.”

“It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”

“If you’re feeling helpless, help someone. ”

“You should never let your fears prevent you from doing what you know is right.”

“To view the opposition as dangerous is to misunderstand the basic concepts of democracy. To oppress the opposition is to assault the very foundation of democracy.”

“It is not power that corrupts but fear.”

“Government leaders are amazing. So often it seems they are the last to know what the people want.”

“Fear is a habit; I am not afraid.”

“Please use your liberty to promote ours”

“Some have questioned the appropriateness of talking about such matters as metta (loving-kindness) and thissa (truth) in the political context. But politics is about people and what we had seen … proved that love and truth can move people more strongly than any form of coercion.”

Discussion Questions

• What other stories around the world or in history does the current situation in Myanmar/Burma remind you of?
• Why do you think Suu Kyi, now that she is in power, is much more cautious and silent about the situation than she was when she was a political prisoner?
• What is our responsibility as a nation on the outside when we see hundreds of thousands of “stateless” minorities being driven out of their homeland?
• What is our responsibility as the church and as Christians?

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

When someone, usually someone older and with some authority over us,wants us to be better they might use the phrase, “do what I say, not what I do.” We understand they are encouraging us be even better than they are. We have also heard people tell us not to drink irresponsibly (or at all if we are underage), or smoke, or do any number of things that they did, or maybe even are still doing. We hear the words. We might even agree with the words. It is still hard for us to follow the advice of people who aren’t living what they teach.

Jesus is talking about a similar kind of dynamic in this reading in Matthew’s gospel. The Scribes and the Pharisees are two of the groups that make up the Jewish religious leadership in Jesus’ time. The Scribes know the written word of God and the Pharisees are well-versed in the oral tradition of the faith. Both apparently are seen as religious authorities on the teachings of Moses. “Moses’ seat” is the symbol of teaching authority in the synagogue. Despite the numerous moments of conflict Jesus experiences with these religious leaders throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus does not say something like, “Don’t listen to a word they say,” or, “They are full of baloney.” Instead, Jesus acknowledges the good of what they are teaching even if he believes them to be hypocrites. “Follow the good stuff they teach but don’t do what they do,” is the summary of Jesus teaching about his antagonists.

In addition, Jesus is very clear about what the roles are for the disciples. Heavenly Father is father, Messiah is instructor, they should be good students, and they should remain humble servants. Jesus’ words encourage us to learn to separate the good of what someone teaches from their imperfect ways.

We are tired of our leaders being hypocritical. We want the world to be authentic. We want people to live what they teach and practice what they preach. And, it is ok to want that and to have standards, but it is important for us to realize that people are inconsistent. Human beings are often a contradiction. You can name it what you want: sin, imperfection, a work in progress. It is good for us to identify the grace and the good in what people say, even when they don’t live up to what they teach. Jesus calls us to be aware and to learn discernment. Jesus calls us to place our focus on God and to see our Lord as the Messiah.

Discussion Questions

• When have you been frustrated or even disappointed by religious leaders you felt were being hypocritical?
• When have you experienced that from other Christians you respect?
• When were you ever hypocritical, where you acted contrary to what you say you believe?

Activity Suggestions

• Does your congregation have a mission statement? If so, take a look at it and see where you feel you as a community of faith are living in accordance with what you say you are as a community?
• Download any one of the ELCA’s social statements and see if you can identify moments in your congregation’s or in the wider church’s experience where you assert one thing yet live another?

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, you never change yet you show yourself new to us each day. Open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds to understand your will for us. Give us the strength to live accordingly so that others might know the joy of a life in your love and grace. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, the one who walked with us and died and lives for us. Amen

Sylvia Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

Warm-up Questions

• The recent series of seemingly endless disasters has made many people feel that there is no hope for the world. Do you agree?  Why or why not?
• Are there any stories you have heard about people helping each other through these tragedies? What did they do?
• As a Christian, what would you say to people who think the world is hopeless?

Recipe of Love

Hurricanes. Fires. Shootings. One calamity after another seems to be threatening the stability of ordinary people’s lives. We look on, helpless and ask, “What can we do?” Social media posts advise stricter gun laws, more precise weather science, or changing your personal philosophy to agree with the person posting. Still the question remains –What can WE do to make the world better?

It’s true that there is little we can do prevent disasters or personally help the victims. But we can find ways to bring hope to the world. Take, for example, The Café Momentum. What does a popular Dallas restaurant have to do with bringing hope to the world? Almost all the cooks, servers, and clean-up crew are juvenile offenders who have spent time in the county lock-up.

The force behind this unusual rehabilitation program is Chad Houser, a successful chef who was part owner of a popular high-end restaurant in Dallas until he sold his share to help young detainees find a way out of the repeating cycle of crime and jail time. As he says, “I teach them to play with knives and fire.”

Backed by a crew of chefs, social workers and other professionals Houser oversees the young people’s food service education, but also provides classes in life skills such as parenting, driving, and managing a bank account. And he pays them more than the current minimum wage. The average rate of recidivism (returning to jail) for youthful offenders in general is 48%. For the graduates of Café Momentum it is 15%.

All right, very inspirational, but how does that answer the question? What can we do to make the world better?  What we can.

Discussion Questions

• Why do human beings need hope, especially in difficult times? What happens to people who give up hope?
• Why do you think so few young people who have worked at Café Momentum end up back in jail?
• Where do you find hope when adversity comes into your personal life?
• What special talent or ability do you have that you can use to bring people hope?

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

There was nothing the religious leaders of Jesus’ day liked better than a good game of “Stump the Upstart.” They had standard questions to ask that no one had been able to answer. The question about taxes, the question about the seven brothers and one bride – they were posed to trap dissenters into making fools of themselves and by contrast make the Pharisees and Sadducees appear wise.

But this dissenter was different. He had silenced the Sadducees’ standard argument against the resurrection. He had overruled the Pharisees’ encyclopedic knowledge of the commandments by reducing them to two: Love God. Love neighbor. Find if you can, Pharisees, a commandment that is not contained in these two.

Taking advantage of the leaders’ stunned silence, Jesus asked them a question: Whose son is the Messiah? David’s, of course. Then why does David call him “Lord”? An ancestor calling a descendant “Lord”? Unheard of. The Pharisees have no answer.

The contrast here is between the Pharisees earthly thinking and Jesus’ heavenly thinking. The Pharisees thought people needed more laws to keep them in line, and the leaders had obliged by adding over 600 laws of their own to God’s. The Hebrew word for “love” literally means “give, sustain, or protect.” This means action. It seems the Pharisees had diminished this vital word in their thinking. To prepare them for heaven, people don’t need more rules. They need to learn to give.

The Pharisees pictured the Savior, the Son of David, to be like the earthly David – a warrior, a conqueror who would restore Israel to its former glory. They did not understand that the Christ was to be a heavenly Messiah, the Son of David and the Son of God. God’s love was not at the root of their laws. God’s Messiah was not the one they expected.

But let’s be honest.  We can be just as blind as the Pharisees. Surely loving God and neighbor doesn’t mean actually coming into contact with real people. Can’t I just send money? And full obedience to Christ as God sounds – inconvenient. Can’t I downgrade him from Messiah to a “good teacher” among others?

No. Love God. Love neighbor. Live for Christ, David’s Lord and ours. This is the way we bring hope to the world.

Discussion Questions

• What are some excuses we make for not living by God’s law of love? How can we overcome these excuses?
• Tell a real or hypothetical story about a situation in which it was/would be especially difficult to show God’s love to someone. What might a person do in this situation?
• Brainstorm practical ways in which the class, individually and as a group, can use their specific abilities to reach out to despairing people and help them find hope.

Activity Suggestions

Take two or three situations the class suggested in question 3 and help students improvise dialogues and actions that might take place in those instances. Students who don’t want to join an improvisation may suggest words and actions to the people performing.

Closing Prayer

All-Loving God, your psalms tell us that you are an “ever-present help in trouble.” Wake us up to your loving presence. Lord,  keep us thankful and hopeful.  May we serve you by giving of ourselves in word and deed, cheerfully sharing hope with a weary, needy world. Amen.

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Questions

The sign in the window says the drink costs 99 cents? What will the final price of the drink be when the cashier rings it up? Why will it be more than 99 cents?

Paying Taxes

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to one of his friends that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” As Christians, we might argue that the only thing more certain than death and taxes is the generous love of God, but Franklin is correct that in life each of us will have to deal with both death and taxes.

In late September, President Donald Trump announced a new tax proposal that will attempt to completely overhaul the American tax code. (1) While the details and implementation of the new proposal still need to be worked out in Congress, any change to our complicated tax code will likely impact nearly resident of the United States. For some people, changes in the tax code could bring reduced tax bills. For others, changes in the tax code come mean increased tax bills. While the changes being discussed by the President and Congress are focused on income taxes and business taxes, even if you are currently not working at a job, you still pay taxes. Each time you go out to eat, put gas in your car or buy a new shirt, you pay sales tax.

Who pays taxes and how much each person or company is required to pay will continue to be in the news until the President and Congress agree upon a plan. Regardless of what they decide, however, taxes will continue to be a required, if unpopular, part of our life together because taxes provide the money necessary to public services like roads, first responders, health care for senior adults and public schools.

Discussion Questions

• What services or activities in your community are supported by taxes?
• When people start talking about taxes or politics, how do you respond? How do you see the people in your life respond?
• What are your main sources of information for understanding issues like politics or taxes? How do those sources of information shape what you believe about those issue

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

“Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s” Jesus said, “and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mt 22:21) The Pharisees had hoped to trick Jesus into upsetting the crowds by getting him to endorse the unfair tax policies of the empire or, more likely, they hoped he would speak against paying taxes and then the empire would arrest Jesus. As is often the case, Jesus does not respond as others expect. By responding in the manner he does, however, Jesus teaches us two valuable lessons for our lives of faith in the world.

The first lesson has to do with living in the world. As people of God, we are called to be in the world, but not of the world. Our decisions and ideals need to be guided and shaped by God, not by the pressures and priorities of the world around us. At the same time, we are also called to live in the world, to share what we know of God with others and to live out or faith in our daily lives.

As God’s people in the world, we live under a set of rules established by the government. We pay taxes on the money we make in the public market place. We give to the emperor, what is the emperor’s.

At the same time, we give to God what is God’s which means that we are constantly trying to determine how we can live and act faithfully in the world. We give back to God as God has given to us by supporting ministries we believe in with financial resources and through our gifts of time and expertise. It isn’t always easy, but as followers of Jesus we try to live faithfully in the world giving to the world what is the world’s while at the same time giving to God our love and obedience.

In addition to this fairly direct lesson on life in the world, there is a second lesson that Jesus teaches which we can see, when we examine the way in which Jesus responds to the Pharisee’s question. In his response, Jesus models an approach to dealing with a problem that invites us not simply to react to a problem we might face, but rather to respond from our strength, to act out of our convictions and beliefs, not simply react to what is happening around us.

Many people when faced with the type of question posed to Jesus would have felt trapped by the question. They would have felt the need to answer either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Many people would have allowed the question to define the conversation, but Jesus shows us that we don’t simply have to react to the world around us. We don’t have to take option ‘a’ or ‘b’ simply because those are the options presented to us, but instead we are called to take or to create the option that is faithful to God.

When you are faced with a choice in life where none of the options presented to you seems faithful to what you believe. Don’t feel trapped. Follow the example of Jesus we see today and look for a different way forward that allows you to act on your beliefs and to act out of God’s love for you, not simply react to the world around you.

Discussion Questions

• What does it look like to you to live in the world, but not to be of the world?
• How to you give to God what is God’s in your daily life?
• Share a time when you acted out of God’s love for you instead of simply responding to what was happening in the world around you.

Activity Suggestions

Drawn Together – Tell the group that the whole group is going to draw a picture together. You can draw an animal, a building, a superhero or some other picture that works with your context. Give everyone in the group a portion of a shape that they are allowed to draw. One person might have half a circle. Another person might have a straight line. Once everyone is assigned a portion of a shape, announce the image you will draw. Each person in the group takes turns using their portion of the shape to complete the drawing. Each person must contribute their shape to the drawing before a shape can be repeated. Discuss the idea that when all of us contribute our gifts and talents, we are able to accomplish far more than one of us could accomplish alone.

Closing Prayer

O God, you give us a variety of gifts and call us to share those gifts in your service in the world. Help us to be faithful to you in our daily lives and give us the confidence to know that you are with us even if it feels like the world is against us. Amen.