Faith Lens

Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Questions

Do we learn anything about another person if all they do is tell us how they compare to someone else? Why are we so tempted to rank ourselves? Why can’t we simply, honestly say where we fit in?

Suffering by Comparison

Regardless of the candidate you prefer for President of the United States, this has been a campaign season like nothing we have ever seen. Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination without ever having been previously elected. He emerged from a field of seventeen, many of whom had lots of previous political experience. Hilary Clinton finally pulled away from Bernie Sanders. Senator Sanders ran as a Democrat even though he was an Independent in previous election cycles.

This campaign has been notable for other reasons as well. Many voters are frustrated that the Clinton and Trump spend more time comparing themselves to the other than telling us about themselves. Polling experts are probably advising them to do so. Saying how much “better” you are than the other candidate seems to result in more votes.

It seems to work, even though most of us say we don’t like it. Is there something deep within us which moves us to compare one person to another? Do we just naturally look around in order to know whether we measure up? Do we need to denigrate others in order to affirm our own value and feel desirable?

Let us hope this isn’t the case.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think the Presidential candidates spend so much time comparing themselves to the other?
Would we prefer to know who or what someone “isn’t,” more than we would like to know who they are?
To whom are you inclined to compare yourself?

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Luke 18:9-14

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Who are you, a Pharisee or a tax collector?

In reading this parable, it is way too tempting to think of ourselves as the humble man who returns to his home “justified.” And yet, if we are reading this blog or discussing the readings for Sunday we probably have more in common with the Pharisee.

Remember that the Pharisees were a group of folks who took seriously their walk with God. They attended youth group, they went to summer camp, they took turns as acolyte and communion assistant. They also responded well to the fall stewardship campaign. When the Pharisee in this story speaks of his honorable actions he is not exaggerating. Nor is he totally wrong in noting the transgressions of the tax collector.

Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were not merely employees of some Internal Revenue Service. They oversaw no set tax rates or income brackets. They schemed ways to collect the most that they could, taking their income from collecting more than the authorities expected. The tax collector may have cause to think he had transgressed the 7^th commandment. Luther’s Catechism reminds us that we break this commandment when we acquire our neighbor’s money or property using crooked deals. We sin, according to this commandment, unless we help our neighbors improve and protect their property and income.

Neither the Pharisee nor the tax collector should be our role models. Each is way too focused on himself. When we enter the Temple, synagogue, or church our eyes are to be on God. Instead of worrying about how we stand in comparison to those around us, we look to the one who justifies. It is not our actions, nor our avoidance of particular behaviors, which makes us right in God’s eyes. Rather, our salvation is found in the promise of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

Can you find reasons to admire the Pharisee in today’s reading? Discuss how our congregation might look were all the members to be like this man (regular in prayer, in giving, in studying scripture).
Acknowledging our sins is essential to forgiveness being offered. Why do we find it easy to admit, even in the silence of our own hearts, the things we have done and failed to do?
Is there a hierarchy of wrongful deeds; are there some sins which are worse than others? Is the difference in how they affect others?

Activity Suggestions

Using pencil and paper, make a list of the transgressions you committed in the past week. This is your list; no one will see it. Now ask yourself: “Does knowing no one will see it allow you add other items to the list?” A prayer guide asks God to help me with the sins I have labored so mightily to hide from others that I have hidden them from myself.
Even before you think “Why,” write the name of someone in your community of faith whom you admire. Now, note the why. What is it that they do, what is it they say, or how they live their life which has led you to think highly of them?
The denomination sponsoring this blog (the ELCA) has a set liturgy for Individual Confession and Forgiveness [Evangelical Lutheran Worship, pages 243-44]. This is a powerful experience. Discuss with your pastor the possibility of participating in such a service.
Engage yourself in a political discussion. Ask those around you what they know about the Presidential candidates, and observe whether they use statements which seem to compare the candidates rather than say what they think of either as individuals.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, train our eyes to look to you rather than on the faults of our brothers and sisters. Help us not to focus on what we have done but on what you have done on our behalf. Amen.

Ellen Rothweiler, Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

What does persistence mean to you? Have you ever had to work very hard to do well at something? Have you ever given up when something was difficult? What made the difference between keeping at it and giving it up?

Faith and Persistence: Winning Combination

Athletes work hard for many years to excel in their chosen sport. With practice and conditioning, working as a team and working on individual skills, they focus a lot of time and energy on this part of their life. Some have the benefit of natural talent and others must work very hard to compete with their peers. Persistence is often what leads to success for these athletes. Working hard day after day, never giving up, and believing that they can achieve their goals if they put in the time.

So what if the worst should happen? Injury? Illness? Not getting into that college? Was all that hard work for nothing? Where does that energy to strive for greatness go? In Ryan Brant’s case that spirit of persistence is what kept him going when the worst happened. Ryan was a top-ranked lacrosse goalie in college, but then suffered several serious injuries that eventually ended his lacrosse career. He was lost in pain and depression. “When I realized I couldn’t play anymore, it was a difficult time because I was dealing with a loss of self-identity,” Brant said.

Luckily Brant had the financial and emotional support of his family during this difficult time. However, he realized that many athletes in similar circumstances aren’t so lucky. Universities are not required to pay for athlete’s medical bills. Brant took his spirit of persistence and poured it into a nonprofit foundation called Positive Strides. This foundation works with care providers to provide the support and care that athletes need for what comes next in life after injury. It’s a calling Brant likely wouldn’t have heard of if not for his injuries and his already having the skills to make something like this happen. “I didn’t give up because it’s not in my nature,” Brant said. “You have to dig deep down inside and find the sense of pride [and] identify who you want to be after athletics is taken from you.”

Discussion Questions

Can you imagine what Brant and other athletes are feeling when they are no longer able to play? Have you ever experienced that feeling? Explain.
What do you think of the way Brant turned his experience into a positive?
Are there negative experiences in your life that could be made into a positive for others by sharing your story?

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 32:22-31

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Luke 18:1-8

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

Gospel Reflection

The widow in our gospel story today was persistent. While we are not told what justice she was seeking, she was relentless to the point that she wore the judge down and he granted her request out of annoyance! In verse 5 he says, “Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” The unjust judge was not doing this out of a sense of duty or honor, but because she was persistent. This parable ends with a question of faith. “…And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Did the widow persist in her pleas for justice because she had faith that one day her case would be heard? Did Ryan Brant believe he could help others because he had faith that his cause was just? Or did they have the character trait of diligence. Did both just keep going until justice was granted? Or is it a combination of both faith and persistence? Do people give up because of a lack of faith?

To increase your skill in any area it takes practice. Athletes practice and people of faith have spiritual practices such as prayer. For faith to increase we must be persistent in our spiritual practice, just as the widow in the parable was persistent in pleading her case. We must build our spiritual muscle and focus our hearts and minds on trusting that God is with us and is calling us to pursue justice in our own lives and the lives of others.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever gotten something you wanted by being persistent in asking for it?
Have you heard the saying “practice makes perfect”? Do you think that is true? Does it apply to a life of faith?
Have you ever thought about faith as something you had to practice? Why or why not?

Activity Suggestions

List some spiritual practices. Have students choose one that appeals to them and brainstorm ways that they can include that practice in their daily lives. Check back in with students in the weeks to come to see how they are doing with these practices. (If your group needs help in coming up with spiritual practices, some are discussed in Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster.)

Closing Prayer

O Lord, we thank you for the gift of faith that gives us hope to keep going even when things are difficult. Give us the strength to be persistent in the things you have called us to. In your name we pray, Amen.

Anne Williams, Ankeny, IA

Warm-up Question

What sorts of things make you feel better when you’re physically hurting? What about when you’re emotionally or spiritually hurting?

Crossing Borders

Rami Adham, a Syrian-Finnish (yes, he lives in Finland) father of 6 is known as Uncle Toy among Syrian refugee children. Adham collects toys and money in Finland then gets himself smuggled into Syria through Turkey to deliver toys and goods to people living in refugee camps. He has made the journey 28 times in five years. It can be dangerous, as he has to be smuggled across the border both ways each time he travels. It’s not unusual for him to walk six or seven hours at a time, sometimes dodging bullets. He says that Syrians have lost faith in others in the world because of the terrible violence in their country. Adham says no one will ever stop him. He’s completely dedicated to the kids of Syria.

Discussion Questions

Would you ever consider doing something dangerous to bring some good to someone else?
Do you think what Rami Adham is doing is healing? To himself? To the refugee children?
How are Adham’s actions healing?

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Luke 17:11-19

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

Gospel Reflection

First of all, let’s frame Jesus’ story by exploring where he is. Jesus is outside of Jewish lands, he’s in a no-man’s-land between the borders of Judea and Samaria. It’s interesting that the village he enters is in that no-man’s-land. Even more interesting is that there are lepers living near this village. Lepers weren’t allowed to live in the towns, having to live in the hills or valleys around the towns they came from. In a lot of ways, lepers in the ancient world were refugees – unable to live in their own homes, often violently driven out of the towns they used to live in. The only way they were allowed to go back to their old lives was to prove to the local priest that they were healed – free of any skin diseases or conditions that might be considered contagious.

So this is where Jesus is, in a town where there are 10 lepers who just want to get back to their lives, with their families, in their homes. Our Bible text doesn’t say how Jesus healed these ten men, but we know he did. Only one of them turned back to Jesus and thanked him. Notice, the only man who comes back to thank Jesus is a Samaritan. Samaritans were often seen as enemies of the Judeans and regarded with suspicion. Jesus tells him that his faith has made him well.

It’s not really a surprise that we find Jesus valuing people who are both the refugees of the ancient world and the historical enemy of his people. Luke consistently tells us that Jesus is always there for the poor and the hurting, that his care extends to them no matter who they are or where they are from. Even if they exist on the very edges of society Jesus is willing to be there for them. And it shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus is willing to leave his comfort zone, even the boundaries of his own country, to meet those who need his help.

Discussion Questions

If you were one of Jesus’ disciples, how, would you feel about leaving friendly territory and moving into potentially hostile territory to follow him?
Who exists outside friendly territory in your world? Hint: this is necessarily a literal question – some spaces are hostile to a person without being violent.
Are there ways for you to meet the people who live outside the borders of your comfort zone?
Could healing happen if you were to meet those people? What kind of healing would it be?

Activity Suggestions

Grab a bunch of maps, ideally one of your town, one of your state, one of the country and one of the world. The bigger the better. (If you have the space and the resources, have the students draw the maps on strips of butcher paper or poster paper taped together, accuracy isn’t the goal). Spread out all the maps and give your students markers. Instruct them to draw the borders in their lives, the lines that divide us and them. It might a school district border, a line between rich and poor neighborhoods, etc. Reflect together about the borders that exist at all scales of our lives, local, national, global. Reflect further about what it would take to cross those boundaries and get to know the people who live on the other side. What kind of healing would that look like?

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, we know that your presence covers the whole earth and that you are present wherever two or more are gathered in your name. Help us to uncover all of the places where you are, especially if they lie outside our comfortable and safe boundaries. Help us to find ways to cross those boundaries in ways that will bring healing and wholeness to those on both sides of the line. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Amy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Questions

What is something you feel like you need more of? More time? More sleep? More money, etc.? What would you be able to do if you had more of that desired item?

Finding Strength to Stand Firm

The proposed Dakota Access Pipeline is an underground pipeline which will transport 470,000 barrels of crude oil each day from North Dakota, across South Dakota and Iowa, to Illinois. According to the project developer the pipeline is the safest, most cost-effective and environmentally responsible way to move crude oil, removing dependency on rails and trucks. In addition, the developer claims the pipeline will bring significant economic benefits to the region it covers.

On the other side of the story, environmentalists and Native American tribes strongly oppose construction of the pipeline and have vehemently protested. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, located in North Dakota, filed a complaint in federal court, claiming that the pipeline both threatens the tribe’s drinking water and crosses burial grounds and other sacred sites. Furthermore, the tribe alleges the Army Corps did not properly consult with them before approving the project.

A federal appeals court has halted construction of the pipeline within 20 miles of Lake Oahe along the Missouri River to give the court more time to rule on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s request for an emergency injunction until the court case is decided. This was a victory for Standing Rock, as their injunction was denied in a lower court.

Previously unlikely, it now appears that the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will get its day in court before the pipeline is completed. By standing firm for what they believed, members of the tribe will get a chance to raise their voice and tell their story.

Discussion Questions

How do you think we should balance our need for fuel sources with environmental concerns?
How do you think the courts should rule? Should the pipeline be moved to avoid the tribe’s sacred sites?

Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Luke 17:5-10

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

Gospel Reflection

The disciples ask Jesus for more faith. This is not a ridiculous request. Jesus has just laid out what it means to be a disciple: be careful not to cause others to stumble, forgive those who wrong you again and again. It seems like more than they are capable of doing. So they ask for a little more faith, but Jesus assures them if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can uproot trees. Don’t worry; you have all the faith you need.

Faith is a funny thing. The disciples were capable of great acts of faith: they left their homes and lives to follow Jesus. Yet, when their boat was rocked by a storm, they were seized with fear and panic. Jesus dozing nearby offered no comfort. When Jesus wakes up and calms the storm, he asks, “Where is your faith?” Even with Jesus by us, fear makes it hard to believe. But if more faith isn’t the solution, what is?

Jesus uses the example of a slave, which does not appeal to modern ears. Of course, we reject slavery, but we want to understand the concept behind this image. Luke uses the example of a slave to talk of one fully devoted to another. In the Bible a slave for Christ is fully devoted to God.

So the question is not do we have enough faith, but how is our faith, even if it is only the size of a mustard seed, shaping our lives? Are our thoughts and actions transformed by God? Living devoted to God means believing God walks with us even through storms of fear and doubt.

The easy way out is to ask for more; “We could do this, God, if you’d just make our faith a little stronger.” The challenge is to believe we have enough, that we are enough, that those tasks that seem impossible are indeed possible with God. Whether that impossibility is uprooting trees, getting our story heard, or standing strong through fear and doubt, when we walk with God we are enough to do the impossible.

Discussion Questions

Have there been times you have wanted more faith?
How does your faith in God shape the decisions you make?

Activity Suggestions

Have youth list areas where stories need to be told, places where they see injustices, and other things that concern them. Encourage them to do this on the local, national, and international level. Brainstorm ways they can be an advocate and raise their voices for these things that concern them.
Studies show teens and adults see over 300 ads a day between all of the media sources they are consuming. These ads are all trying to tell us we need more. Using a few media sources (internet, magazine, television) explore with your class some of the ads they are exposed to daily. What messages are they sending us? Discuss how these messages conflict with the message Jesus brings: that we are enough, that we are a beloved child of God just as we are. Talk about how we live devoted to God, when we hear hundreds of times a day we are not enough, that we need more?

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, thank you for the gift of faith. Help us to walk with you daily and to serve your world. Surround us with your love so we can be assured we are enough.

Angie Larson, Clive, IA

Warm-up Question

Have you thought about your carbon footprint?

It’s Getting Hot in Here

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a study looking at global warming and its effects on people in Sub-Saharan Africa. By the year 2020 over 200 million people will fall further into water scarcity and poverty. In some countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50%. This means that people living in already impoverished countries with poor incomes will fall even further into poverty. By United States standards that means people living on less than $1.00 a day will end up living on less than $0.50 a day at the same time the cost of living is increasing.

People in sub-Saharan African countries like Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, Sudan, and Kenya tend to live off the land and not use a lot of resources that contribute to global warming. The people rarely drive cars, have factories, or eat beef (all of which significantly contribute to global warming). Yet, they are affected deeply by the changing trends in our global weather. Those in Sub-Saharan African countries experience longer dry seasons, more malaria, increased poverty, and starvation due to global warming. Doesn’t this seem unfair? They don’t contribute to the global problem of atmospheric changes yet will suffer the effects the greatest.

Discussion Questions

Have you thought about global warming very much?
Do you think Americans should make changes to help Africans who will be effected by these changes?
What changes could you make to reduce your carbon footprint to help people you don’t know?

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Amos 6:1a, 4-7

1 Timothy 6:6-19

Luke 16:19-31

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

Gospel Reflection

This portion of Luke’s gospel contains a series of parables and lessons Jesus taught to his followers. Jesus continues to lift up the least, the lost, the last, and the lowest in these parables. He baffles the religious leaders who are seeking comfort and righteousness in the law. The story of the rich man and Lazarus comes within this narrative.

In this week’s reading, a rich man ignores Lazarus, a poor man covered in sores lying at his gate. Hoping for food, Lazarus is ignored, an outcast. While Lazarus suffers the rich man is enjoying his life, feasting and being merry. He does not notice Lazarus and is indifferent to the sick man at his door.

Lazarus dies and is carried away to be with Abraham. At the same time, this indifferent rich man dies and ends up in Hades. Lazarus is living in glory and the rich man is living in torment. The rich man pleads to Abraham to allow him some water. Abraham denies this request. So the rich man pleads to be able to warn his family as they might end up in this same fate. This request is also denied.

Look at the text. The rich man isn’t cruel to Lazarus. He doesn’t intentionally try to harm him. He is merely indifferent and it leads him to Hades. In this parable Jesus calls us to notice the hurting people around us. We seldom wish people harm. We just fail to notice those who are hurting. Jesus encourages his hearers to pay attention to suffering near at hand and do what they can.

Discussion Questions

How do you sometimes not notice those people around you?
What could you do to catch yourself when you move into indifference? How could you make a change in your habits?
When you think about it, in what area of your life can push through indifference and do something?

Activity Suggestions

Have each student dip their foot into paint for a reflection on how they are walking through life. Ask them to write in an art piece that includes their footprint ways in which they could be intentional in their walk through life. Examples could be recycling, giving of extra money, not purchasing more than they need, prayer, volunteerism, and picking up trash on their walk home each day.

Closing Prayer

Blessed Savior, We often think only of our little corner in the world, as opposed to thinking in global terms. You are so good and care for us in so many ways. Lord, help us to notice our neighbors, both near and far, and preserve us from indifference to their suffering. Encourage us in caring for your creation and make us intentional in responding to the pain of your children throughout the world. In your name we pray, Amen.

October 23, 2016–Suffering by Comparison

October 16, 2016–Faith and Persistence: Winning Combination

October 9, 2016–Crossing Borders

October 2, 2016–Finding Strength to Stand Firm

September 25, 2016–It’s Getting Hot in Here