Dave Dodson, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Warm-up Question

Is there anyone in your life whom you would consider a hero?  What is it that makes them heroic?

The Force With You

As I sit writing this lesson, I know that tonight the new Star Wars movie will be released at midnight.  Perhaps many of you will have seen this movie already by the time this lesson reaches you.  I hope it was magnificent!  I hope that it captured all of the heroic glory of the originals, drawing us ever into an epic tale of adventure among the stars.

Commentators on the original Star Wars movies commonly note that the story is actually a very old one.  In many, many ancient tales, a young hero from humble origins is whisked away on a journey to reach a destiny he could never have dreamed of before.  He is mentored by an old, but powerful figure, who teaches him how to maximize his potential in order to defeat a potent enemy.  Many of our films capitalize on this archetype – after all, doesn’t this same storyline fit adventurous heroes like Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen?

If it isn’t the basic storyline that has made Star Wars unique and beloved for four decades, then what is it?  Perhaps it is some of the mystique that comes with the Star Wars universe.  For me, the coolest part of the Star Wars story has to be the Force.

If you aren’t a committed geek like me, you may not know that the Force, in the Star Wars films, is a powerful, pervasive entity that is present in all life.  For those who know how to tap into it, it enables them to not only achieve great power, but also to be much more aware of their surroundings – and even able to feel and communicate instantly across wide distances of space.

It isn’t just magic, though.  The Force can be used for good or evil.  It is a mystical energy that even the Jedi, its strongest users, struggle to fully understand.  The Jedi are heroes not only because of their power through the Force, but even more so because of their wisdom and their commitment to use the immense power of the Force with restraint and a commitment to peace.

Discussion Questions

• What did the heroes you spoke about in the Warm Up Question have in common?  Do the heroes of our favorite films share the same traits?
• To what degree are we capable of the same greatness that our favorite heroes show?

Second Sunday of Christmas

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

John 1:[1-9]10-18

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

This passage is a tremendous one to follow our study of the miraculous and inspiring setting of Jesus’ birth.  You see, the story of Jesus’ birth reminds us of the humble way that God chose to be born among humanity.  Jesus is born to the family of a carpenter.  At the time of His birth, there is no room at the inn, and so He is born among the animals in the stable.  The first dignitaries invited to the court of this newborn King are but humble shepherds, watching over their flocks by night.  (The magi would have arrived later.)

These themes are crucially important to our understanding of the Christmas story.  Our Christmas plays and pageants always focus on them, and many pastors are careful to ensure that their congregations hear the magnificent story of Jesus’ arrival through the lens of His humble birth.  It is an amazingly powerful story, and it reminds us of the tremendous love that our Savior has for us!

There is a problem, though: Sometimes, we are so busy telling each other about the humility of Jesus’ birth that we forget about the majesty of who Jesus really is.  This passage from John’s Gospel reminds us just who it is that came to live among us mere humans.

“He was in the world, and the world came into being through him…”

Though God the Son came to live among us, it was not the beginning of his existence.  The Son is part of the omnipotent Trinity that created our world, crafted our existence, and guided the people of Israel throughout the thousands of years preceding the Gospels.

“From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.”

It is God that enables grace, power, and beauty to be present in our lives.  It is God who is created us.  It is God whose infinite nature means that He holds the entire universe in His hands.  And it is God who deigned to be born in a manger.

As we celebrate the humility of Jesus’ birth, let us take a moment and try to imagine the awesome love that God must have to have put aside His majesty to dwell among us.

Discussion Questions

• The Hebrew people were known for calling God many names — Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai, and so on — to represent the many things God is to us.  We use many names for God as well.  God is the Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6).  What name might you add to this list of epithets for God?
• This text highlights the Trinitarian nature of God — God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all together.  How do you understand the Trinity?  How does one God have three personas? (*Note: While this question is germane to the text, it is a difficult one for teenagers.  Additional documents, such as “A Lutheran – Orthodox Common Statement on Faith in the Holy Trinity”, may help you prepare for this question.)

Activity Suggestions

Prepare for the coming of Jesus in the Gospels as if it were the release of a film.  One group of youth can design a movie-style poster.  Another group can write and record a trailer.  How will you capture the essence of this story for the release?

Closing Prayer

Holy God, in your infinite love, you came down from heaven and lived a life of peace and service to your humble creation.  Thank you for always continuing to be present and powerful in our lives.  Grant that we would always be inspired by your words and works among us.  In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

John Hougen, Elkins Park, PA

Warm-up Question

In one minute, how many examples can you list of underdogs beating the odds in sports or politics or entertainment? In the next minute, list unlikely heroes and contributors to the common good: people you know or have heard about who were thought to be ordinary, but then did something extraordinary, showing great generosity, talent, compassion, or courage. End by naming people you know who have “hidden talents,” people who have the ability to do something extraordinary, but are not yet recognized.

God’s Odd Choices

Today, the forces of evil (e.g. illness and death, cruelty, war, violence, hatred, and fear) seem to have the upper hand in our world, in our country, and in too many neighborhoods and homes. Those who contribute to the common good and give us hope that good will prevail, often emerge from obscurity, beat the odds with courage and tenacity, and surprise the world with their success. They are God’s odd choices.

Personally, I waver between pessimism and optimism that good will ever overcome evil. Keeping up with current events pushes me toward pessimism. The media is saturated with news of epidemics, poverty, hatred, and violence. Plus, everyone I know knows several others who are hurting emotionally or physically or are afflicted with life-shattering mental illness or addiction: problems that afflict the wealthy and the poor, strong families and broken families, children, youth, and adults.

My work pushes me in the other direction: toward optimism. I am blessed to be in contact with people and organizations that I firmly believe are God’s allies, inspired by the Holy Spirit (who, in my world-view, inspires Christians and non-Christians alike) to address the root causes of violence, overcome hatred with respect, and relieve suffering with acts of compassion. Knowing them makes me optimistic that the world will not spiral down into irretrievable chaos.

If pessimism is on one end of the spectrum and optimism is on the other, I am near the middle. I’m not wildly optimistic because the power of evil seems so great; but I locate myself slightly off center, toward the optimistic side, because I see so many people of good will helping others, doing their best to make flawed institutions better, and creating a better life for themselves.

Discussion Questions

• Do you agree that God’s spirit “inspires Christians and non-Christians alike”?
• Do you believe people from diverse races, cultures, religions, and socio-economic circumstances share the values necessary to work together for a common good?
• What are the chances good will win out over evil? What personal experiences have contributed to your optimism or pessimism?

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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Today we are considering God’s choice of Mary to be the mother of Jesus, and whether you and I might also be chosen to be God’s allies, to partner with God in saving the world. Mary was “perplexed” when the angel announced to her she was God’s choice to bear his child. She couldn’t understand how this could happen or how someone as young and insignificant as she was could do anything really important.

Luke reports that a few days after Mary “was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18), she went with haste to visit her relative, Elizabeth. The Lutheran Study Bible suggests that she went “with haste” because she was (probably) thirteen years old and (certainly) afraid she would be severely punished, even stoned to death, for becoming pregnant before she was married. She had to get out of town, and fast!

After Elizabeth greets her, Mary responds with the “Magnificat” (Latin for “magnifies”): “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

This is an extraordinary song because it was sung

• 2,000+ years ago;
• in the boonies (a “town in the hill country”)
• “of Judea” (a tiny territory at the far eastern edge of the Roman Empire)
• by one of the oppressed citizens in that occupied territory;
• who was a pregnant thirteen year old,
• running away from home.
  

In her song, Mary proclaims that, though she has no worldly status, (see bullet points above), God has “looked with favor” on her and “done great things” for her. She feels privileged and sings these words in spite of the fact that God’s odd choice of her to be the mother of the Messiah has brought shame to her family, alienated her fiancé (Matthew 1:18-19), and put her life in danger. We also know the rest of the story: God’s “favor” will cause Mary tremendous sorrow and suffering some thirty years later. Her beloved child will become a wanted man, a tortured man, a man dying a cruel death in front of her eyes. Life would have been easier for Mary and for many others called by God, if God had just left them alone. We learn from Mary’s experience that God’s favor does not shield us from suffering and pain.

Mary ends her song in Luke 1 verse 55 by stating her conviction that all God’s saving actions, including asking her to be the mother of the Messiah, are meant to fulfill “the promise God made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (God’s promises to Abraham are found in Genesis 12:1-2, and 28:13-15).

Mary thinks she will be remembered in the company of Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Miriam, David, Bathsheba, and Jeremiah. She believes that, just as God enabled each of them to rise above their situations in life to do something extraordinary, so she will be enabled to take on the challenges God sets before her.

Mary understood that if she did her part, did what God called her to do, God would find a way to make her contribution fit with the contributions of others, all working together to bring God’s mercy and justice to the world. Somehow, God would enable her to have a part in bringing down the haughty and the proud: those who have riches and power but lack humility and compassion. God would enable her to have a part in lifting up the suffering and oppressed. Somehow she would be involved in blessing the lowly both spiritually and materially, bringing them hope, freedom, healing, prosperity, and peace.

Discussion Questions

• Are you one of God’s odd choices? If not, what makes you less qualified than Mary was? If so, do you believe, as Mary did, that if you do your part, God will enable you to make an important contribution to God’s work in the world?
• What opportunities is God giving you (right now) to participate in bringing down the haughty and / or lifting up the suffering and oppressed?
• More than 40 years ago, Frederick Buechner wrote about “vocation”: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” (Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, p. 95) Ten years from now, what can you imagine you could be doing that would place you where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet?

Activity Suggestions

• Read the other texts assigned for this day (Micah 5:2–5a; Psalm 80:1–7; and Hebrews 10:5–10). Working in pairs, note which verses in these three texts make a point similar to a teaching in today’s Gospel reading (Luke 1: 39-55). Then, pair the pairs so you are now in a group of four, and compare your notes. Explain why you think these texts teach similar lessons (or why not).
• Write your own “magnificat,” (individually or as a group). Compose a song, poem, or prayer of praise and thanksgiving for God’s role in your own life. Include examples of how you have experienced “God’s favor” in spite of your “lowliness.” Include examples of the “great things God has done for you” or that you know God has done for others, recently and in the past.

Closing Prayer

A prayer attributed to Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Bryan Jaster, Winchester, VA

Warm-up Question

What’s the largest fire you’ve ever seen?  Did anything bad or good result?

Fire the Seeds to Bear Fruit

By now most of us get it, or have at least heard it: fires are good for the forest. But what does that mean? University of Minnesota forest ecologist Lee Frelich can help. He explains what the Boundary Waters Canoe Area would look like if fire were somehow completely controlled for the last century. The short answer: a sea of half-dead Christmas trees.

“You would get essentially a sea of Balsam Fir, then the budworm would come, and it goes out and kind of kills half the trees,” Frelich explains. “So you’d have this kind of crappy, half-dead forest which is full of brush and branches and which is not very attractive for people or wildlife.”

But that is really just explaining why an absence of fire can be bad. One fascinating and little known piece of the fire ecology puzzle are the species of trees that actually fire dependent. The Jack Pine has closed cones that only open to release their seeds when waxes on the cone melt in the heat of a fire.

“Camping in the Boundary Waters,” Frelich says, “I’ve taken twigs with cones on them from the forest floor and put them next to the campfire. They are exposed to the heat and they wait 10 or 20 minutes, then they pop open. The next morning you can shake that twig and the seeds will fall out. They are kind of programmed to wait a little bit, you know, because if the seeds fall directly into the fire, they’ll be consumed.

“The seeds fall over the next few days, so they’re likely to land on a forest floor that is no longer on fire. In the case of the jack pine, the seeds germinate much better if the leaf litter has been burned away. Jack Pine, in fact, has drier foliage than other species of trees which makes it easier for a fire to run through Jack Pine. It is almost as if they purposely promote fire.”

There is a whole system in the BWCA, Frelich says, that is adapted to fire. Another wonder of fire ecology: Bicknell’s Geranium. Its seeds will only germinate in sunlight. Buried under leaf litter, the seeds just wait for it to be burned away. After the 2006 Cavity Lake Fire in the BWCA, which burned 32,000 acres, the wild geraniums were everywhere. “That site had last burned in 1801,” Frelich says. “Those were 200-year-old seeds germinating.”

For full article:  https://www.minnpost.com/intelligencer/2011/09/why-forest-fires-are-good-and-amazing 

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever thought of a forest fire as being a force for good?  Why?  Have you seen a forest fire?  If so, where?
• What would happen if all forest fires were extinguished as quickly as possible?
• Should we intentionally start fires in forests or allow forest fires to come naturally?  Why?

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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Ok John the Baptist – is this really good news?

People come to John to be baptized, which sounds like a pretty normal thing to do, and John calls them a “brood of vipers (snakes)”.  Imagine if you or someone else asked to be baptized and your pastor said “You are a bunch of snakes!”   Crazy talk.

In this story the crowds – aka the outsiders – are attracted to something John is saying. Rather than bolt when John describes the need to bear fruit worthy of repentance and warns that trees not bearing good fruit will be thrown into the fire, they stay and ask an important question: “What should we do?”

When forests get overgrown and stagnant they need fire for seeds to sprout and new trees to grow   People need God’s judgement to burn and turn us away from self-centered lives into lives that bear fruit and love like Jesus in the world.

So, John’s response after pronouncing Fire is to call the crowds to go and bear Fruit.

To the crowds – Share a coat and food.
To the tax collectors – Collect no more than you need.
To the soldiers – Don’t extort, be fair.

Do these things because Jesus is coming and he is even more powerful than I am, John says.  He is able after the fire has done its work to remove the chaff – the leftover yuck – and gather the wheat, the new fruit.  This is good news.

Discussion Questions

• Would you have stayed to continue to listen to John if you were part of the crowd he called “brood of vipers?”  Is there someone in your life you would rather not listen to?
• Is it difficult to think of God’s judgment as something “good”?  Doesn’t Jesus say “don’t judge”? When have you or someone you know had something bad or a bit of judgment come that ultimately was good?
• What is something in your life that needs to be removed or “burned” away?    What is something in our world that needs to be judged by God?

Activity Suggestions

Grab markers, paint, crayons and big poster sheets.

Make a big poster Advent wish list.  Draw or make lists of as many items you could give away or share like food, clothes, time with someone, possessions and anything you can think of.

Each person pick one item they will do this week. Next week come back and tell the story of what you did to respond.

Closing Prayer

God Fire and Fruit, Help us to listen to you when you have words that seem harsh to us.  Give us the gift of judgment and the call to respond as we prepare for Jesus to come.  Thank you for people like John who tell and show good news in the world.  Give us courage to do the things we have promised this week and to bear fruit today.  Amen!

Dave Delaney, Salem, VA

Warm-up Questions

• Many people use landmark events or big experiences as a way of dividing life into chapters or as points of reference to remember when other smaller things happened.  When you are remembering something and trying to fix when it happened, what points of reference to you use?  (“Oh yeah – that was in 9th grade,” or “that was before we moved,” or “that was before Trump was running for president” etc.).  Do you remember that it was before or after some other large experience?  Do you remember what your relationships were at the time or who else was there?  Do you rely on location?   Do you think in terms of big news events or holidays?  Or do you just use the calendar?
• If you wanted to identify an event or events in our own historical time the way Luke sets the stage for John the Baptist, what things would you mention?   Just the month, day, and year?  Would it be a list of current world leaders?  Would you list the distinctive social conditions that would help your story make sense (like the mood of the nation or the highlights of the campaign season or the tension in the world regarding Syria)?
• In this age of social media, when all 500 of your online friends can know what you had for breakfast, do you still wish that you could get someone to notice something small that you consider important – a cause or an event or an idea?

Good News in the Wilderness?

The Arts Council of Bakersfield, a city in central California, sponsors an event every month called First Fridays in a section of downtown that has wide sidewalks where local artists obtain permits to set up displays of their work.  The event fits in beautifully with the complexion of that part of the city, which is dotted with small art galleries, theatres, cafes, organic food shops, a doggie day spa and other specialty businesses designed to appeal to people with a bit of disposable income.  The artists reportedly enjoy very respectable sales on these days.

For most of 2015, however, visitors to First Fridays have had an additional experience while browsing at the corner of 19th and Eye Streets in the form of a 23-year old street preacher named Nathaniel Runels.  His preaching consists of standing on top of a small crate painted with the words “Jesus Saves” and preaching against the evils of moral sin.  He tends to center his attacks on traditional forms of sexual immorality and he delivers his messages at the top of his lungs as people pass, so they are forced to hear him whether they want to or not.  He is apparently acting within the confines of the law;  even though people have generally found him to be more annoying than inspiring, the police have not arrested him or even told him he can’t be that publicly disruptive.

Starting in early November, however, large crowds have gathered at the corner and attempted to shout down the self-described “open-air preacher.” Runels reports that he’s been spit on, had his clothes painted, and had water poured on his shoes, all in an attempt to get him to stop.  David Gordon, head of the Arts Council, is beyond frustrated. He’s heard complaints from vendors who say the preaching scares away customers and draws a mob at the corner that impedes traffic on the sidewalk and, at times, the street.  He says he’s tried working with Runels, suggesting the young man arrive to preach at 9 p.m., when First Friday ends, or move to a less busy corner — all to no avail.

Some have suggested that he be required to purchase a permit like other vendors since, even though they dislike his message, his sermons could be considered a kind of “performance art,” and “shouldn’t art challenge the thinking of those who interact with it?”  Others have said, “I guess he didn’t read the Bible where it admonishes people to pray in private, not on the street-corner for people to see.” Still others, including David Gordon, think he’s just doing it for the attention.  Gordon doesn’t want anyone getting hurt, he wants to avoid traffic jams at that corner and for his art vendors and First Friday guests to have a good experience.

Discussion Questions

• The news stories do not say whether anyone has been inspired to faith or repentance as a result of Runels’ preaching.  Do you think you would be?
• What is your reaction to this way of preaching?  Do you think it is right that someone should be preaching out in public for everyone to hear whether they like it or not or do you think that preaching should be confined to churches and other spaces where people choose to listen?
• What if the content of Runels’ preaching were different and he were emphasizing God’s love and forgiveness or reassuring people that God really does have a steady hand on this seemingly chaotic world?  Do you think people would be more receptive to his preaching

Second Sunday of Advent

Malachi 3:1-4

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

(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

Luke is very concerned in this section of the gospel to locate John the Baptist in a very specific historical context.  It is not just a vague “once upon a time” story, but a story that is fully immersed in the events and circumstances of its day, as the gospel should be.  John being out in “the wilderness” does not suggest that he is removed from the great movements of governments and armies that dominate the lives of the people.  Luke  wants to use the large-scale markers of time to draw attention to this seemingly small event.  He will do something similar – but with history rather than the current political landscape – at the end of chapter 3 when he situates Jesus in a long lineage of ancestors that stretches all the way back to Adam.

“The wilderness” in Luke’s gospel where John the Baptist is preaching is not just a miscellaneous spot in the middle of nowhere.   Luke tells us that John was preaching in “all the region around the Jordan.”  This area is filled with symbolic importance.  It is the place where, 13 centuries earlier, the Israelites crossed the Jordan river into the freedom of their promised land, so it represents a kind of starting-over place for people who want to move from bondage and slavery to sin into the freedom of God’s love.

Hence John’s baptism is a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Unlike our American “wilderness” that is full of wild vegetation, the biblical “wilderness” is very dry and barren, so it is also thought of as a place of death, but not only death – it is also where life can begin again if it is watered.   It is also the place from where people believed the Messiah – Israel’s savior – would arrive to establish God’s rule once again in the land.  The theme of God’s chosen one entering the land from the east to bring peace and redemption was such a powerful idea that Isaiah envisioned even the land itself getting involved.

An internet search for aerial photos of “the Judean wilderness” reveals how barren and dry it is, but also how steep the climb is from the Jordan river to Jerusalem where the Israelite temple was.  The terrain is also very hilly between the Jordan river and Jerusalem at the top of the ridge.  Imagine all of that being flattened out and turned into a huge ramp for the Messiah to enter.  That is the image that Isaiah projects with the promise that hills will be brought low and the valleys will be lifted up.

That language about the hills and valleys also carries a symbolic meaning.  One of the great themes of Luke is that under the Messiah’s reign the lowly will be raised up and those who are high and lofty will be brought down.  This has already been shown with Mary, Jesus’ mother, in Luke 1.

When Luke says that John was administering a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins, we might have trouble visualizing that.  We should probably think of people walking through the Jordan river from its east bank to its west bank (reminiscent of the first Israelite crossing to freedom), stopping in the middle to have John pour water over them as a sign of God’s grace and a pledge that they will seek to live a life of constantly turning to God for all things rather than falling back into greed and despair.

Discussion Questions

• What do you know about John the Baptist’s background?  If you can’t remember the story of his birth, go back and read Luke chapter 2.
• One of the important things to remember about biblical prophecy is that it typically does not refer to just one event or point in history, but keeps on being meaningful at other points in history long beyond the original meaning.  How does Isaiah’s prophecy strike you today?  Where in the church, in your life, in your community, in your school, or in the whole world does it need to be proclaimed that people should prepare the way of the Lord by setting out a clear path, evening out the lows and highs in human experience, straightening out things that are crooked, or smoothing things that are rough.   What kind of work would it take for “all flesh [to] see the salvation of God”?

Activity Suggestions

• If you have math and geometry enthusiasts in your group, you can figure out the angle at which someone has to travel to go roughly 18 miles from the southern Jordan river at 1500 feet below sea level to the top of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem at 2700 feet above sea level.
• If you found yourself suddenly standing on a soapbox in the middle of the monthly art fair in Bakersfield or at the busiest intersection in your town and you were expected to preach, what would you say?  Would you preach that people should repent?  Would you announce that God has big plans for the world?  Would you talk about your own faith in Jesus?   Brainstorm or write down some of those thoughts.
• Most of our ordinary “preaching” opportunities do not come in the form of public soapbox speeches – they happen when we show love, care, comfort, and understanding to someone in need, or we give someone a meal in Jesus’ name, or we offer to pray with someone who is troubled about something, or we have just a few seconds to answer a question about what the cross around our neck or the slogan on our t-shirt means.  Take some time to put together an “elevator speech.”  This is a summary of what is true and important to you about the Christian faith – something that could be shared with someone in the amount of time it takes to go up 4 or 5 stories in an elevator.
• Do you have complete information about your own baptism?   When and where were you baptized?  If you don’t know, check with parents or even the congregation where you were baptized to get that information, then be sure to remember and celebrate that date each year!

Closing Prayer

God of salvation, we pray that just as you have revealed yourself in all times and all places, always bringing up the lowly and rescuing the lofty from their futile heights, reveal yourself to us again today in this world.  Bring all people to wilderness places, where they will see you and be claimed by your love in repentance and forgiveness of sins.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Jay McDivitt, Waukesha, WI

​

Warm-up Question

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being “Totally cool” and 10 being “I’m afraid to get out of bed” – how would you rate your Fear Factor these days? How afraid are you? Of what?

Fear Factor

Bombs and guns ripped through Paris. Suicide bombing attacks kill hundreds at a funeral in Baghdad and a street scene in Beirut. Governors are shutting down borders to keep Syrian refugees out. France is asking the world to join them in waging war on ISIS/ISIL/Daesh/Whatever. And Starbucks refuses to put snowflakes and reindeer on their coffee cups.

The world just seems totally messed up.

In the midst of it all, this lovely story made the rounds on Facebook:
Gate A-4 By Naomi Shihab Nye:

Wandering around the Albuquerque Airport Terminal, after learning my flight had been delayed four hours, I heard an announcement: “If anyone in the vicinity of Gate A-4 understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately.” Well— one pauses these days. Gate A-4 was my own gate. I went there.

An older woman in full traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing. “Help,” said the flight agent. “Talk to her . What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be late and she did this.”

I stooped to put my arm around the woman and spoke haltingly. “Shu-dow-a, shu-bid-uck, habibti? Stani schway, min fadlick, shu-bit-se-wee?” The minute she heard any words she knew, however poorly used, she stopped crying. She thought the flight had been cancelled entirely. She needed to be in El Paso for major medical treatment the next day. I said, “No, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late, who is picking you up? Let’s call him.”

We called her son, I spoke with him in English. I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane. She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it. Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and found out of course they had ten shared friends. Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian poets I know and let them chat with her? This all took up two hours.

She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life, patting my knee, answering questions. She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies— little powdered sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts— from her bag and was offering them to all the women at the gate. To my amazement, not a single traveler declined one. It was like a sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the mom from California, the lovely woman from Laredo— we were all covered with the same powdered sugar. And smiling. There is no better cookie.

Then the airline broke out free apple juice and two little girls from our flight ran around serving it and they were covered with powdered sugar too. And I noticed my new best friend— by now we were holding hands— had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing, with green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought, This is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in that gate— once the crying of confusion stopped— seemed apprehensive about any other person. They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.

This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost.

Discussion Questions

• Does fear help or hurt our ability to love each other and share moments like what happened in the airport?
• Has fear made it difficult for you to do the right thing? When has fear been helpful to you?
• Tell the story of finding joy or experiencing grace/love with someone who is very different from you.

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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

This is a creepy reading from the gospel of Luke. “Signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars…distress among nations…roaring of the sea…be on guard…be alert at all times…like a trap…” Yeesh.

Then again, it sounds kinda sorta exactly like the world in which we live. A world full of things and people to be afraid of. A world that is unpredictable and scary. A world that seems to get darker and darker every day.

So what are we to do as people of Jesus in this crazy world?

If you listen to some, the answer is, “Run and hide! Bury your head in the sand! Lock the doors and pretend it’s not happening! Be afraid – be very afraid!”

What does Jesus say, though? “Stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Yup – when times get tough, when the world is scary, when you don’t know what to do, that is precisely when Jesus shows up. Jesus hangs in there with us when everyone else runs and hides. Jesus finds us in the scary places and gently lifts up our chins so we can look up and see the grace and goodness that God is still bringing into the world. The powdered sugar cookies shared among strangers who cannot speak one another’s languages. The patience to listen to fearful people and assure them that things will be okay. The sun that is rising in the east – the Light which no darkness can overcome.

Fear is natural and normal. Hope is countercultural. But fear won’t take away fear or make the world a more loving and living place. Hope can.

And Hope is totally in Jesus’ wheelhouse.

Discussion Questions

•  Why is it easier to be afraid than hopeful?
• When have you felt hopeful in the midst of fear?
• When have you “closed your eyes” or “buried your head” out of fear? When have you opened your eyes, raised your head, and dared to be hopeful? When have other people helped you to be brave and hopeful rather than fearful?

Activity Suggestions

Materials: Blank paper, pens/pencils, colored pencils/crayons.

On one side of the paper, write “FEAR.” Draw or list/brainstorm things that you are afraid of – or things that others tell you to be afraid of. On the other side, write “HOPE.” Draw or list/brainstorm ways to be hopeful when you are tempted to be afraid.

Closing Prayer

: Light the first candle on the Advent wreath – or a candle, if you don’t have a wreath.

One: The light shines in the darkness.

Many: And the darkness cannot overcome it.

One: Let us pray. Holy One, we live in a scary world. Every day we see images and stories that make us want to bury our heads in the sand. Come to us in the Light of this flame. Help us to stand up and raise our heads and open our eyes to see Your Light. Remove our fear and give us Hope. In Jesus’ Name.

Many: Amen.