There is no Faith Lens this week.
ELCA Blogs
Contributed by Seth Moland Kovash, Palatine, IL
What is the best thing about relationships with family and friends?
A couple and four children were stranded for two days in below-zero weather in the mountains of Nevada recently. Eventually they were found, all safe, staying warm in their overturned Jeep and were brought home. You can read about their ordeal and rescue here: http://tinyurl.com/n6724mk The state’s search-and-rescue coordinator Paul Burke said “They stayed together and that was the key that allowed them to live through this experience.”
The family took care of one another, heating rocks in a campfire they were able to make and using the heated rocks to stay warm inside the vehicle. This ingenuity, and sharing one another’s warmth, allowed the couple and the children (ages 3-10) to survive even as temperatures got to 16 below zero.
(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.
The message of Christmas is that Jesus has come. In today’s Gospel reading we hear the announcement of Jesus’ impending birth by an angel to Joseph, according to Matthew 1:18-25. In this promise from the angel, God tells Joseph to name the boy Emmanuel which means “God is with us.” That is what Christmas is all about: God is with us. We are not alone. We are not stuck here without any help, without any support, without any love. God is with us.
It is significant that God came to the world in the form of a baby who had earthly parents to care for him, Mary and Joseph. Just as in the family that survived the ordeal in Nevada this year, Joseph was not Jesus’ biological son. But people care for one another. People provide community for one another. And great things happen.
Bring Christmas cookies to a local nursing home or hospital. Most of all, bring yourselves so that people are not alone.
Good and gracious God, we thank you for sending Jesus to be Emmanuel for us. We thank you for being part of our lives so that we are never alone. Amen.
Contributed by Brian Hiortdahl, Overland, KS
What are you hoping for this Christmas? What are you expecting? Are your hopes and expectations the same, or are they different?
photo by marco rubino /shutterstock
Last month, a coalition of powerful world nations struck an initial deal with Iran, setting limits on its nuclear program while easing economic sanctions against the country. Reaction to this breakthrough step has been mixed, with some praising it as a step forward toward stability, transparency, and peace, and others condemning it as a step backward that allows Iran to become more volatile, establishes a worrisome negotiating precedent, and makes the world more dangerous:
(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.
John the Baptist wasn’t sure whether he could trust Jesus or not. John held high ethical standards of righteousness and high expectations of a purifying Messiah who would clean house, clearly and decisively separating good from evil. John’s undiplomatic clarity helped land him in prison when he preached against the adulterous shenanigans of the royal family, so he was unable to experience Jesus’ ministry firsthand. He did get rumors and reports, however, of Jesus’ teaching and healing, which were full of power but not punishment. John focused on an ax lying at the root of the trees; Jesus preached about sowing seeds. John warned about a winnowing fork and a consuming fire; Jesus blessed the humble and warmed the heart. John’s preaching was direct and confronted political power brokers; Jesus told strange stories that invited people without power into mysterious hope.
John sent his students to Jesus, therefore, with a typically direct question: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus sent back a typically indirect, what-do-you-think reply: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” He then praised John to the crowds and pointed to a new reality, “the kingdom of heaven,” which would surpass anything John could imagine, even though he was the greatest prophet ever to prepare its way.
John is left to wonder: Is Jesus a step forward, or a step backward? Is his bottom up, lift the lowly approach the surprising way that God has chosen to right the world, or is it an exercise in naive futility? Is he bringing peace or being too soft?
Come, thou long expected Jesus. Prepare us for the kingdom of heaven, set us free from misguided expectations, and open our eyes to see the surprising gifts of grace you bring to us and to all the world. Amen.
Contributed by Jocelyn Breeland, Fairfax, VA
Should a woman with Down Syndrome be allowed to decide where she will live?
Jenny Hatch had a job she loved and had found a new place to live. Her parents had other ideas, but like most other 29-year-olds, Jenny thought her wishes should take precedence. However, because Jenny has Down Syndrome, it wasn’t that simple.
Jenny’s mother and stepfather, Julia and Richard Ross, petitioned a court to be 
declared guardians of their adult daughter. They wanted to decide where she lived, what medical treatment she received, and who she could see. They felt Jenny would be safest living in a group home.
Jenny had lived in several group homes and didn’t like them. She said they treated her like a child and took away her cell phone and computer. Jenny wanted to live with Kelly Morris and Jim Talbert, friends who also employed Jenny at their thrift shop.
Many people with disabilities find group homes to be a useful option. The best group homes provide needed services for people with disabilities, while supporting their right to make decisions concerning where they live and work, their relationships, and the community activities in which they will participate. Jenny, however, did not believe a group home was the best choice for her.
In the end, a judge in Newport News VA ruled that, while Jenny could not live alone, her preferences should be considered. The judge named Morris and Talbert Jenny’s temporary guardians.
Disability rights activists are hailing this as a landmark decision. They hope that other courts will recognize that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities like Jenny can make decisions for themselves.
(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.
There must have been great relief for the people in Jerusalem, Judea and around the Jordan who heard John’s words. The time of the Messiah had come, and he would surely wipe out their oppressors and restore Israel.
Matthew tells us that many came to be baptized and confess their sins. But there is also evidence here that the coming of the Christ would not be exactly what the people were expecting. The Pharisees and Sadducees, although known for their adherence to the Law of Moses, tradition, and ritual, were in for a big shock. By all appearances, these were the most righteous of all. Yet John questions their sincerity and warns them that the one to come will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Some Jews of the time believed that Abraham was so virtuous that he secured a place in the life to come for himself and his descendants. John tells the leaders not to come to him merely going through the motions of confession and baptism and relying on their ancestor Abraham for their salvation. Instead, they must truly repent. John warns them that absent true repentance the one who is coming will cut them down like trees which do not produce good fruit.
For modern Christians, this scripture offers insight into the purpose of Advent and how we should spend the weeks leading up to Christmas. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and we must prepare our hearts with repentance to receive the gift of Christ. This cannot be empty ritual. We risk the fate of the chaff, separated from the wheat and destroyed in the fire.
Unlike John’s audience, we know the good news of the New Testament in which Jesus shows us how to open ourselves to God’s love and live joyfully according to God’s plan. This greatest gift, the presence of God in our world and lives, is what we spend the season of Advent preparing our hearts to receive.
Write your own Advent hymn:
Without looking at a hymnal, make a list of all the Christmas hymns you can think of. Then make a list of all the Advent hymns you can think of. Odds are, your list of Advent hymns is much shorter, even though there are numerous examples in our hymnals. For some reason, many Advent hymns have failed to capture the imagination and stick in the mind the way Christmas songs do. Here’s your change to change that.
First, consider the message of your hymn. Will it focus on what the arrival of Jesus will bring to the world? Will it focus on how we prepare ourselves for Christmas? Perhaps both, or something else entirely? Write down some ideas for your hymn and begin to write the poem that will be the lyrics.
Set your words to music. The easiest way is probably to use an existing familiar tune. The numbers at the bottom right of ELW hymns can help you find possible tunes which match then number of syllables in each line of your poem.
When you’re finished, sing your hymn. Consider including your new song in your worship this Advent season.
Gracious Father, as we anxiously await the celebration of Christmas, help us to remember to spend time preparing ourselves and our world to receive our blessed Messiah. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Contributed by Jay McDivett, Mequon, WI
How have the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan affected your family or friends?
The U.S. has been engaged in active conflict in Afghanistan since October 7, 2001. While the country’s leaders have been working to bring troops home, with a hoped for deadline of December 31, 2014, recently an agreement was reached to extend an active presence of at least 10,000 U.S. troops long past that date.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, the U.S. departure has been followed by an accelerated slide into civil war, which is one major factor shaping plans to stay in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future: We don’t want that country to go down the road that Iraq seems to be on.
Right next door, the international community is working to find peaceful solutions for what seems to be an escalating and open-ended civil war in Syria. If things continue to deteriorate and heat up, it remains to be seen whether the U.S. will be able to avoid participating in yet another war in this divided region of the world.
Back at home, gun violence continues to weigh heavily on the hearts and minds of people all over the country. In the midst of violence abroad and at home, some are trying to find ways to open up space for peace. In Newburyport, MA, pastor Christopher Ney of Kids as Peacemakers and Central Congregational Church is urging people to take a week off from violent video games. Especially in this holiday season, as every gaming system is coming out with their newest games and consoles – nearly all of which include violent imagery – Ney is wondering if it might be time to take a break.
(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.
Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is a season that is often overlooked in the midst of the Christmas rush. Christmas shopping and frivolity aside, frankly: not a lot of people want to hear the kinds of things that this season asks us to think about. Advent is not “business as usual.” Advent seeks to turn the world upside down. Advent says: “Pay attention! The way things are is not the way things should – or could – or will be.” More than anything, Advent is a reminder that nothing lasts forever. All things – people, countries, fortunes, trials – all things will come to an end.
This is both great and difficult news. It’s difficult because no one wants to talk about how all the good things we enjoy – family, friends, stuff, etc. – will not last forever. But it is also great news – because there is plenty of stuff that we have gotten accustomed to, things that are a part of “just the way things are,” that are not the way things ought to be.
For example: War.
The U.S. engagement in Afghanistan will soon become the longest war in this nation’s history. Especially for those who were born during or after 2001, war is simply a fact of life, especially for those who have family and friends in the armed services. This has been true for many of our brothers and sisters around the world, at many different times in history (just ask anyone from Afghanistan. This isn’t the first time they’ve raised up a generation or more in the midst of war).
This was also true of our ancestors, the children of Israel. The prophet Isaiah lived during one of the longest stretches of war and international anxiety in the history of God’s people. The book begins around the time that the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrian empire. Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom (Judah), but he and his friends had lots of family in the north. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem (the capital) lived in constant fear that they were next. Indeed, the southern kingdom met its doom 140 years later. That means the people of Judah lived in a heightened state of anxiety and conflict for several generations. They knew nothing but “wars and rumors of wars.” A strange time to raise your kids, to be sure.
Into this anxious and dangerous time, God sent Isaiah with a vision of massive transformation: The time of war will come to an end. All the weapons of war will be pounded into implements for farming. As my favorite Old Testament professor, Dr Ralph Klein, likes to say (and I’m paraphrasing his own paraphrase): “They shall pound their rifles into lawn mowers, and their tanks into John Deere tractors.” There will come a time when we will have no more use for the stuff that kills – only for the things that help us grow and live.
Lots will have to change in order for this vision to become a reality. Some of that is our work to do. But ultimately, in a world that loves war and violence as much as we do, this Advent vision of soldiers-turned-farmers is something only God can bring to birth. In the meantime, as we wait and watch, we hold onto the promise that someday we will be raising children in a time of peace – here and everywhere. Someday, the fields of Afghanistan will be full of waves of grain, not laced with landmines. Someday, by God’s grace, all the bloodstained clothes will be bleached and sparkling white. Someday, the old John Lennon carol (surely you’ve heard it at Target in the last few days) will actually ring true: “Happy Christmas: War is Over.”
This is what Advent is all about: We sing and pray as if the world is becoming something other than what it is today. And by God’s grace alone – it is.
Activity #1: “Swords into ploughshares”
Grab a stack of newspapers, magazines, catalogs, whatever. Invite the youth to find images of violence – movie/video game ads, images of fake (or real) guns, etc. Cut them into pieces and turn them into images of peace, growth, life, and love (crops, food, peace sign, tractors/shovels, dinner tables, etc.). Hang these up somewhere in the church, with a sign/banner that reads: “Swords into ploughshares.”
Activity #2: “A world without war”
Get a map of the world. (Google image search “world map”; you get things like this: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_maps/world_physical_2012.pdf)
Circle places in the world where you know there are conflicts, wars, etc.
Gather around the map and invite participants to lay their hands/fingers on a place in the world where there is conflict (and, really, that could be anywhere). Invite them to pray about those places – and particularly children who are growing up there – that those kids and those places might know peace. You may or may not want to listen to John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas: War is Over” while you do this J.
God, this world is in love with war. We, however, are not – and neither are you. Help us look for signs of hope, work for moments of peace, and continue to dream about a world without war and violence. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” In the meantime, as much as you are able, keep us safe. Amen