Contributed by Brian Hiortdahl, Overland Park, KS

Warm-up Question

What scares you?

Confused, Scared, and Depressed

Alex Hribal, a sophomore at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, sits in custody after a recent rampage during which he stabbed multiple people at his school with kitchen knives.  Hribal’s attorney describes him as “confused, scared, and depressed.”

Discussion Questions

• Do you feel any sympathy for Alex?  Why or why not?
• What do you think is the best strategy for keeping schools safe from violence?  What role do students play in school safety?
• Could something unthinkable like this happen in a church youth group setting?  Why or why not?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 27, 2014 (Second Sunday of Easter)

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

1 Peter 1:3-9

John 20:19-31

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

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

Gospel Reflection

The gospel writer John presents the disciples looking just like Alex Hribal:  confused, scared, and depressed.  Their doors are locked in fear.  No doubt the authorities know that they are tied to Jesus, a criminal perceived to be so dangerous that he had to receive the death penalty.  As his known accomplices, the disciples are likely targets of some form of crackdown, especially now that a rumor is going around that Jesus has risen from the dead and is alive again.

 They also have reason to fear Jesus himself.  Most of them had denied him if not also betrayed him, running away and abandoning him in his darkest hour.  Will he confront them with their failure?  Will they have to answer to him for their terrible moment of disloyalty and cowardice?

The stone door of the tomb couldn’t keep Jesus in, and the locks on the disciples’ doors couldn’t keep him out.  He did confront them…with words of surprising grace.  Peace be with you, he said.  Then he showed them where he himself had been stabbed.

After this, he gave them his Spirit and a new mission:  forgiveness.  They were given the responsibility of giving to the world exactly what he had given them.  He is essentially reframing his commandment to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. One characteristic of this complete love is that it casts out fear.  (See John 13:34 and 1 John 4:18.)  Forgiveness banishes all of the brokenness in relationships (guilt, shame, distrust, fear, isolation), making those relationships safe enough that love can be possible and complete again, and hearts can live in peace.

This mission is tested immediately with Thomas, who was not present for the meeting.  Would they retaliate against him because he did not trust them?  Would they punish Thomas somehow for failing to believe their (rather unbelievable) news about seeing Jesus?  Or would they forgive him and include him in sharing the gift of peace they have just received from Christ’s open, wounded hands?

Discussion Questions

• Can Alex Hribal be forgiven by his victims?  Should he be?  What do you think Jesus would say to him?
• Do people fear Jesus and/or His church?  Why?  What can be done about it?
• Who is missing from your groups—at church, at school, at parties?  How can you break through their isolation with good news and include them?

Activity Suggestions

Identify someone you know who appears misunderstood, someone who seems to need more love and peace and compassion.  Pray for them.  Befriend them.  Invite them to accompany you at youth group or another social gathering.

Closing Prayer

God of second chances, we praise you for the resurrection of Jesus and his appearance to his frightened disciples.  Visit us with your peace and power.  Forgive us the ways in which we have wronged you and strengthen us to forgive others.  Replace our fears with faith and love and joy.  Bring all this bleeding world from death to life, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Contributed by Bryan Jaster, Winchester, VA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever been in an earthquake?  Where were you and what happened?

Quakes of Fear and Joy

On April 1^st, 2014, an 8.2 magnitude earthquake off the coast shook Chile.  The next day a 7.6 magnitude struck the region.  Landslides, power outages, collapsed buildings, and people fleeing homes resulted.   Tsunami warnings sprang up and first responders were on high alert.

Almost one million people were evacuated.  About 300 prisoners escaped from a prison in Iquique, a northern port city in Chile.  Traffic clogged the many of northern Chile’s streets.  Fear spread as people remembered an 8.8 magnitude quake on February 27, 2010, which killed 500 people and triggered a building toppling tsunami.

In the hours after, a surprising, different story sprang up.  Well planned and executed evacuations saved countless lives.  Most homes and skyscrapers survived unscathed due to well followed building codes developed in response to past earthquakes.  Most of the escaped inmates turned themselves in a week after the quakes.  People have returned home thankful for life.  While the quakes struck fear, the community is now moved by joy and thanksgiving for new life.

Discussion Questions

• If you had been in the earthquake in Chile, how do you think you would have acted?  Are you surprised the prisoners returned to jail?
• Should Chile be afraid of future earthquakes?  What have they learned?
• When has your fear turned into joy?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 20, 2014 (Resurrection of our Lord, Easter Sunday)

Acts 10:34-43

Colossians 3:1-4

Matthew 28:1-10

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Today is Easter.  There are flowers, bunnies, chocolate, fancy clothes and joyous songs.  Families gather; crowds worship; good food is eaten and familiar stories are told.

Let’s look more closely at the Easter story from Matthew.  It begins with an earthquake and in fear.

Fear:  The One who they thought might be the messiah may be yet another failure and is gone.

Fear:  When the angel rolled away the stone.  Read again:  “the guards shook and became like dead men.”

Fear:  It was beating in the hearts of the two women named Mary who rushed from the tomb to tell the disciples.

Fear:  When the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples.

And yet, in the Easter story with earthquakes there is joy.  

Joy:  When the women receive the message that indeed Jesus is no longer dead, but risen.

Joy:  The angel beckons the women to tell the disciples he is alive and you will see him in Galilee. They run to tell this news.

Joy: Jesus’ presence and greeting moves the disciples to worship.

Joy:  Jesus gives the disciples a new mission to go and tell.

Easter has quakes of fear and joy present together.  As much as we see the happy, bright side of Easter when we gather today, remember this: The risen Jesus brings both quakes of holy fear and joy into the world.  On this first day of a new week, hear the news that Jesus comes into the world’s quakes, inviting you to witness to resurrection in the middle of both fear and joy. 

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think the soldiers were afraid of the angel?  Why were the two women named Mary afraid?   Why were the disciples afraid?  Would you have responded as they did?  Why or why not?
• When has your life been shaken?  How did you get through it?   Why were you afraid?  Did you find joy?
• As you celebrate Easter, what message do you tell to others?  What does the risen Jesus want you to do?

Activity Suggestions

• Think of a way you as a group can tell and show the Good News of Christ’s resurrection in your home or in your community.  Do it.
• Make a plan to visit someone whose life has been filled with fear.  Bring that person food, balloons, cards, candy, tell jokes, and do whatever might bring joy.  Consider a mini parade.
• Travel to a neighboring town.  Listen and look for ways that Jesus is alive in that community.

Closing Prayer

God of the empty tomb, help us to see you in all of life’s fears and joys.  As earthquakes come, may our fears be transformed into the joy of knowing you.  Help us to go and tell the news that you are alive in our homes, streets, schools and world.  Thank you for the death and resurrection of your Son today.  Amen.

Contributed by Jocelyn  Breeland, Farifax, VA

Warm-up Question

What are you looking forward to doing or being in your life?

Hope For Youth Without Hope

At W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, VA, six students have committed suicide in the last three years. Students there, along with school officials, parents and others from the community, have gathered together in recent weeks to grieve, to raise awareness, and to learn about resources to prevent suicides.

The numbers at Woodson are unusual, but the CDC reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24. It results in roughly 4,600 deaths per year; approximately 157,000 in this age bracket receive medical care each year for self-inflicted injuries.

Why do teenagers, who seemingly have everything to live for, take their own lives? According to the healthychildren.org website of the American Academy of Pediatrics, at least 90% of teens who kill themselves have some type of mental health problem or are dealing with some type of substance. They may also have problems at school, with friends, with family or a combination. Some may have been victims of abuse. Others are struggling with issues related to sexual identity.

Efforts to address the problem of teen suicide include programs to make school officials, parents and teenagers aware of the warning signs and resources for suicide prevention; increasing access to mental health resources and removing the stigma associated with asking for help, and programs to end bullying and other actions that make teenagers feel hurt and isolated. There is no one solution.

One novel approach that has shown results is being offered by ReachOut.com, which connects teens and young adults with each other and with trained professionals via social media to discuss the stressful issues in their lives, increase understanding of mental health issues, and develop resilience and coping skills. For young people who feel alone, as if no one understands or cares about their problems, ReachOut.com can be the antidote.

Other projects, like It Gets Better, which targets LGBT young people, have inspired people across the country with their messages of hope and community.

Resources:

www.ReachOut.com

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Learn the warning signs for suicide prevention at www.suicidology.org

Discussion Questions

• It would be wrong to suggest that any one individual causes another to contemplate suicide, but what are some things you and your peers do that might make a young person feel isolated and hopeless?
• Why is it so difficult for young people to seek help from parents, friends and mental health professionals?
• What would you say to a friend who felt isolated and helpless?
• How would your faith color that conversation?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 13, 2014, Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Philippians 2:5-11

Matthew 26:14—27:66

Matthew 27:11-54

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

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

Gospel Reflection

As we endeavor to live Christ-like lives, few passages in scripture can be more challenging than today’s Gospel selection. Jesus was brought up on trumped up charges (with no way to really refute his accusers), tortured, and executed – all for the salvation of sinners who cannot and do not deserve it. We hear stories of extreme courage, in wartime for example, when brave men and women sacrifice their lives for those of their comrades, but we are blessed that most of us never have to face such a situation.

Still, it is an enormous blessing to have someone make such a monumental sacrifice for us, and Christ’s suffering and death are definitely good news for humanity. In fact, this story presents double good news. First, Christ’s death bought us salvation, freedom from sin, and victory over death. Second, this whole episode is an indication of God’s great love for us. As John 3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

We can all count many blessings we’ve received in our lives; this is one more piece of evidence which shows how precious we are in God’s eyes. We are all, like Barabbas, guilty; but we gain our freedom through Christ’s sacrifice.

The thought of Jesus’ suffering is sobering, but we rejoice in the knowledge that it has won us forgiveness for our sins and eternal life.

Discussion Questions

• In verses 11 – 14, why doesn’t Jesus answer the governor?
• What can we learn from Jesus’ example about how to respond when we are mocked or falsely accused of doing something wrong?
• In verse 46, Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Do you believe God had really forsaken Jesus?
• What message does this scripture hold for people who feel hopeless and alone?

Activity Suggestions

Ask each person in the group to write down two or three blessings for which he/she is grateful. Then, one at a time, ask each one to read his or her items. When each person finishes, the entire group says together, “[Name], God has blessed you and you are a blessing to us.”  Continue until everyone’s blessings have been shared.

Closing Prayer

Merciful Father, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our sins. Help us to remember to count this among our many blessings and give you thanks for it. In the name of our savior who is and was and is to come.  Amen.

Contributed by Angie Larson Clive, IA

Warm-up Question

Do you believe miracles happen today or just in the Bible?

It’s a Miracle

78 year old Walter Williams was a Mississippi farmer known as ‘Snowball’.  He died in hospice care on March 2, 2014. A nurse and a family member called the coroner to say that he had died.  Soon after Coroner Dexter Howard arrived and pronounced him dead at 9 p.m. He was placed in a body bag and transported to the local funeral home.  The coroner began to prepare the body for burial and then a surprising thing happened. The bag started to move.  There was kicking and breathing. Howard called the paramedics who came, found a heartbeat and took Williams to the hospital.

Coroner Howards calls it a miracle; others say that somehow an implanted defibrillator just below the skin on Walter Williams chest must have jump started his heart.  Williams’ daughter thanked Jesus in interviews for the extra time she received with her dad.  Williams, when interviewed, explained that he felt ‘a little weak’ but was talking and surrounded by family members.

Walter Williams lived for two more weeks in his home surrounded by family and friends who saw it as a miracle.  They report being overjoyed and thankful for the extra time.

Discussion Questions

• What is your initial reaction to this story?
• Do you think it was a miracle?
• What is exciting about this story? Does anything cause you to be uncomfortable?
• If this happened in your family, what would your response be? Would it be gratitude? Anger at the nurse and coroner? Shock?
• If you were given two more weeks, how would you spend them?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 6, 2014 (Fifth Sunday in Lent)

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Romans 8:6-11

John 11:1-45

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Many confusing and exciting things take place in John 11.  Jesus knows Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.  They are referred to many times in the gospels.  Lazarus is known to Jesus as one “whom he loves.”  In this passage, Lazarus becomes ill while Jesus is away.  When a person finds out that one whom they love is sick, they usually rush to be at their side.  However, in this passage Jesus deliberately waits two more days, until Lazarus has died, to begin his journey.  The reader wonders why.

When Jesus arrives in Bethany Lazarus has already been dead for four days, meaning , in the conventional understanding of the day, that his soul has left his body.  Martha meets the Lord on the road and confesses her faith (and perhaps gently chastises him), “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Jesus proclaims, “I AM resurrection and the life. “ When  Mary meets Jesus she offers the same statement of faith, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” These women believe that Jesus could have prevented the death of Lazarus if he had been present.

He asks where they have buried his body and they proclaim “come and see”.  This “come and see” is thought provoking because in the gospel of John it is frequently used as an invitation to pay attention and respond to what God is doing in Jesus. Jesus is moved (some say by grief, others suggest it is by frustration at the crowd’s blindness) and weeps.   Lazarus is buried in a tomb with a stone blocking the opening and Jesus commands him to “Come out,” raising  Lazarus from the dead.

In John’s gospel the raising of Lazarus solidifies opposition to Jesus and prompts the plot to kill him.  Many believed because Jesus did signs but, in some ways, they led to the events of Holy Week by forcing people to make a decision concerning his claims.

Discussion Questions

• What part of this narrative stands out to you as interesting? Or exciting? Or confusing?
• Why do you think Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead? What could have been the meaning of this event?
• Jesus proclaims that he is the resurrection and the life.  What does this proclamation mean to you?

Activity Suggestions

Play hide and seek with the Gospel of John.  Have the group race to search how many other references to “Come and See” and “I am”.  If your group is large enough have two teams, one searching for “I am” references and one for “Come and See” ask them to write the scripture reference on a white board when they find it.  Give the group 5 minutes to see how many they can find.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life.  We need not fear death because you are with us and you raise us from the dead.   We sometimes  find this confusing.  As you showed your humanity and compassion through weeping over your friend’s death, so too show us your compassion and empathy and sustain us in the dark times of life.  Thank you for your sacrifice. Amen.

Contributed by Dennis Sepper, Tacoma, WA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever seen a miracle happen?  What was it and how did it change you or your view of God and/or the world?

Was Blind But Now I See

At 14 years old, Lisa Reid and her family had a hard decision to make.  Lisa had a cancerous brain tumor that was causing her headaches, vomiting and loss of coordination.  Her only choice was a delicate operation to remove the tumor and save her life.  However, as a consequence of the surgery Lisa’s optic nerves were damaged and she became blind.

Deciding not to let her blindness hold her down, Lisa became a poster child for children with cancer.  She appeared on television shows and in documentaries across New Zealand.  She also made promotional appearances to help raise money for the organization that trained her seeing-eye dog, Amy.

Ten years after her sight was taken away by cancer, Lisa tripped and fell hitting her head on a coffee table and on the floor.  She got up, as she had done before, and went to bed.  The next morning when she opened her eyes she could see the white of her ceiling.  Looking around she saw light shining through the curtains and then she looked and saw her beloved dog Amy.  Lisa’s sight had come back, not perfectly, but it was back.

The doctors were skeptical.  There was no medical explanation for how Lisa regained her sight.  Her optic nerves, which have no power to regenerate themselves, were still damaged.  The doctors tried to explain her sight by saying that Lisa may have recovered from a blindness that had been more psychological rather than physical from the start.  “I don’t believe in miracles,” said Dr. Ross McKay.  That doesn’t matter to Lisa, all she knows is that once she was blind but now she sees.

In this week’s gospel text we meet a man blind from birth who is given back his sight by Jesus.  The religious leaders are skeptical and try to find excuses for the healing.  However, the man knows that it was Jesus who healed him and he knows, like Lisa, that once he was blind but now he sees.  His only response is to worship Jesus.

 More on Lisa Reid’s story

Discussion Questions

• What do you think of Lisa’s story?  Was it a miracle?  Why or why not?
• Do you think people are open to miracles or are they skeptical like Dr. Ross?
• Some would say that miracles are in the “eye of the beholder”.  What do you think that means? Do you agree with that statement?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, March 30, 2014 (Fourth Sunday in Lent)

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Ephesians 5:8-14

John 9:1-41

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

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

Gospel Reflection

The Gospel writer John is a great storyteller.  In this story of the encounter of Jesus and the man blind from birth, John’s major point is that Jesus is the “Light of the World” and the Messiah (here noted as the “Son of Man”).  In order to make his point, John uses a storytelling trick whereby the blind man gains his physical sight and then as the story progresses his eyes of faith become more and more clear until he sees Jesus as the Messiah and worships Jesus.  At the same time, the spiritual eyes of the religious leaders are beginning to dim and finally Jesus hints that the Pharisees are blind to God’s work in the world.

Along the way in this story there are several things that are unique to John and John’s gospel which speak to us today.  Among them are the following:

Notice that Jesus was walking along, saw the blind man and went over to heal him.  In the other Gospels people need to have at least a little faith for the miracle to happen.  In John the miracles happen first and then people are moved to faith.  At first all the blind man knew was that “some guy by the name of Jesus put mud on my eyes and now I see.”  The good news here is that God comes to people even if they do not, at first, have any faith.  God’s love touches all people not just those who are with the “in” crowd.

Next, the blind man’s faith grows as a result of being questioned by the religious leaders (he “sees” even more clearly).  In this story the man goes from calling Jesus just “some guy” to calling him a prophet and then finally seeing Jesus as the Messiah and worshiping Jesus.  There are some Christians in our day who see questions as a bad thing.  However, I would note that Jesus never scolded anyone for asking a question…even when the question seemed to signify that the person did not understand what Jesus was saying.

As Lutherans we welcome questions and discussions and even debates as a way of searching for the truth and growing our faith.  Also note that the man’s faith grew slowly as he came to understand who Jesus really was and what that meant for his life and for the world.  We have to respect the fact that we and others can be at different places along the line of gaining faith and an understanding of Jesus.  Some might say Jesus is person, others that he is a good teacher, some that he is a prophet and then others who say “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  It’s okay to have your faith in Jesus grow slowly.

Finally in John’s gospel miracles are called “signs”.  In John’s gospel the miracles are never an end to themselves but point to something beyond the miracle itself.  Here the healing of the blind man is a sign that points to Jesus as the Light of the World.  Today Jesus is still the Light of the World shining into the dark places of our lives, the lives of those we love and into the life of the world.  By faith we can clearly catch a glimpse of God’s reign and of Jesus’ presence in the world today.

Discussion Questions

• We often see the Lenten season as a journey of faith.  Given the story of the man born blind where do you see yourself on this journey?  Who is Jesus to you?
• Do you think questions about faith and religion are a good thing or not?  Why?
• I did not mention it in the Gospel Reflection but as noted in verse 16 Jesus must have done this miracle or sign on the Sabbath and the Pharisees were not happy about it.  What is your opinion?  Was it okay for Jesus to heal on the Sabbath even though there were rules about working on the Sabbath day (healing would be considered work)?  Why or why not?
• Since Jesus is the Light of the World, what are some ways we can reflect that light of Jesus into the lives of our friends and neighbors?

Activity Suggestions

If you have midweek Lenten services and maybe soup suppers before worship, take a moment to interview an older adult.  Ask them about their faith journey, how did they come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Light of the World.  Then, next time your youth group or bible study meets, compare notes.  What are the similarities?  Are all of the faith journeys alike?  What do the different stories tell you about how we come to faith in God and Jesus?

Closing Prayer

Amazing God, open the eyes of our faith so that we may come to see clearly that Jesus is the Christ and the Light of the World.  May the light of Christ shine brightly into our darkness and the darkness of the world.  Strengthen and empower our faith so that we might serve you and our neighbors in need by reflecting the light of your Chosen One, Jesus the Christ.  Amen.