Contributed by Jay McDivitt, Mequon, WI

WE HAVE HAD TECHNOLOGY ISSUES OF LATE.   APOLOGIES TO THOSE WHO WERE EAGERLY AWAITING FAITH LENS

Warm-up Question

When were you happy to be invited to a party or dance, or asked out on a date? When have you been disappointed not to be asked? [It’s okay – we’ve all been there… but if you like, you can tell a story about ‘a friend of yours’ instead.]

Homecoming… Going out? Or Coming Home?

In my corner of the country, it’s “homecoming” season. I assume that’s true most everywhere in the US.  High school or college, this is the time for parades, football games, dances, parties… and lots of expectations and pressure.

Now in my early 30s, I honestly can’t remember all the people I went to homecoming, prom, or other important dances with when I was in school. Sometimes I went with a date, sometimes a group of friends, and sometimes I didn’t go at all. I probably have pictures somewhere that could help me construct a list of my “dates” (I only remember going to a dance once with someone I was actually “dating”), but some of those might bring back faint memories at best.

I do, however, remember every one of the people I asked who turned me down. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like rejection is one of the most powerful experiences we can have. We all want to belong. Even if we take pride in being different (as I have many times in my life and still do), we like to be different together with other folks who choose not to fit in. Very few people live happy and rewarding lives being always and forever on the outside.

And yet, this world never tires of finding ways of making us feel like we don’t belong – like we’re not good enough, popular enough, rich enough, beautiful enough. This is especially true in adolescence, but [spoiler alert] it certainly doesn’t end there.

So, back to my homecoming dates or lack thereof.   I remember like it was yesterday writing a very heartfelt note [we didn’t have texting then] to a girl I really liked, asking her to homecoming. I knew she didn’t have a date yet. It was only polite that she should accept, right? But no. In front of a whole group of her very popular friends, she laughed and said, “Keep dreaming.”

In retrospect, I’m glad she said no. We now live very different lives – and I’m very happy with the life and family I have today. But in that moment, I was devastated. And although I have little interest in knowing where she is today or what would have happened if she’d said “yes,” I still remember her name, the words she said, the laughter of her friends, and the piercing hurt I felt in that moment of rejection.

I also, however, remember the life-changing feeling I felt when the person to whom I am now privileged to be married said “yes.” Yes to an invitation to coffee. Yes to dinner. Yes to a life together. Yes to being parents together.

Such little words: “yes” and “no.” But in huge and tiny ways, these words make all the difference.

Discussion Questions

•  What does it feel like to be welcomed or included? What does it feel like to be rejected or left out? Why are these such powerful feelings?
• Do you think of yourself as “popular” or “an outsider”? Have you felt both? Who or what tells you whether you’re an “insider” or “outsider”?
• When have you helped someone feel like they were welcome or included? When have you helped someone feel like they were excluded or on the outside? What does it feel like to welcome and/or exclude other people?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 9, 20011 (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Isaiah 25.1-9

Philippians 4.1-9

Matthew 22.1-14

(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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

In Matthew’s gospel there is an intensity, an edge to Jesus’ ministry and teaching (think “weeping and gnashing of teeth”) which is sometimes hard to hear. The community for whom this gospel was written was at a major crossroads in its life together; believers faced lots of pressure to give up the faith. In the midst of that, Matthew’s gospel has an urgent message to those tempted to fall away, a decision that Matthew considered one of life and death seriousness. Today it takes a certain amount of massaging to hear Matthew’s uncompromising words as good news. Yet we also have to be careful of the tendency to take the edge out of this gospel, forgetting  that the Word God offers is indeed a matter of life and death.

The readings from Isaiah and Matthew are full of danger and full of promise. This week’s parable is about being invited – or not – to an important event. While it is tempting and meaningful to think of ourselves as the ones doing the inviting or feeling the rejection, flip it around and consider: What if it is Jesus who is the One who musters up the courage to ask us to the dance, to ask us to a party, and we are the ones who had better things to do than hang out with a loser like him. What if it is God who feels the sting of rejection when we decline the invitation?

That’s where we find God in these stories. God invited the chosen people to a feast to end all feasts, the party to end all parties. But, like those invited in the parable, the Chosen People found all kinds of reasons to say “no.” They had other, hotter, more popular, more alluring offers. Things like wealth, power, popularity… and the false illusion of safety and security and self-worth that those other gods seem to offer.

This hurt and angered God. Like the king in the parable, God appeared to have given up on Israel which he had promised to protect, allowing its nasty neighbors to destroy its cities. People do crazy things when they are publicly shamed and dishonored when they’re trying to be kind and gracious. And so it seemed with God.

And before we move on to the “good news,” it is important to pause and reflect on all the ways that we too ignore, refuse, and decline the gifts God ffers, all the ways we go after other gods when the Source of Life is offering us God’s own hand and heart to have and to hold. God wants to honor us with this invitation.  Too often we dishonor God by having better things to do. This invites us to confession, an honest reflection on the ways we’ve left God standing on the edge of the dance, red-faced with shame, wondering if it was a mistake to ask us to dance in the first place.

But thanks be to God, the story doesn’t end there. Isaiah and Matthew both tell us  of a God who never stops inviting, a God who musters up the courage to ask us again and again to join in the feast of life, the feast that “swallows up death forever,” the feast “for all peoples” that is overflowing with “rich food and well-aged wines.” God calls us to the feast that “wipes away all the tears on all the faces” of people who have been on the inside and the outside and know the disgrace, shame and loss that comes from saying “no” when we should have said “yes.”

The invitation goes out into the streets, where “both the good and the bad” are invited to the party. That’s right, it goes not just to the pretty perfect people, but to all the regular, average, sometimes downright stupid people like you and me. God wants everyone to share in this feast. And God gets what God wants – eventually. Thanks be to God for that. Amen.

Discussion Questions

•  How have you said “no” to God and “yes” to other gods in your life?
• What does it mean to you to be one of the “good and bad” people that God keeps inviting to the party? When have you felt that invitation?
• When do we practice giving and receiving this kind of invitation? How does the church help God invite people to the party? How has the church sometimes failed to help God welcome all people to the table?

Activity Suggestions

•  Gather craft supplies (magazines, markers/pens/crayons, glue, scissors, construction paper, etc.). Pretend you’re God [don’t do this very often, it can get a little weird]. Make invitations to the Feast of Life (the real “Home-coming” dance). Who is invited? How does God invite them? What will happen at the party? When and where will it happen?
• If you have a pastor around (or if you have a pastor who can help you do this with your group), celebrate Holy Communion. Pile the invitations on the table. Pass the bread and wine around the circle and feed each other. Say something like, “God invites you to the Feast of Life. The body of Christ, given for you.” [Leader: This should be obvious, but you may want to drive home the point that this Meal is the Feast of Life – and it is given freely and weekly to all who gather. Thanks be to God!]

Closing Prayer

God, you invite us to join you in the Feast of Life. Forgive us for the times when we find better things to do with our time. Help us to hear your word of forgiveness, grace, and constant welcome and invitation. Bring us back, always and forever, to the table of your grace and mercy. Amen

Contributed by Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Questions

Have you ever heard the little rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?”  Do you believe it’s true?  Why or why not? What is the most encouraging thing that you can remember someone saying to you?  How did it make you feel?

Sticks and Stones

The suicide of Phoebe Prince, on January 14, 2010, brought international attention to the problem of bullying in U.S. schools.  Prince, a 15 year old freshman, had moved from Ireland to South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she suffered months of bullying from school classmates, both physically and over the internet.  On March 29, 2010, nine teenagers were indicted on charges which included statutory rape, violation of civil rights with bodily injury, criminal harassment, and stalking.  Their trials are set to begin later this year.

Despite an increased awareness of its extent (especially as practiced through such means as text messaging and social media), bullying  is proving to be an extremely difficult problem to contain.  In one recent study, 77 per cent of those asked reported being bullied at some point.  And though their deaths were not  as widely publicized as the suicide of Phoebe Prince, other teens haven taken their own lives as a result of bullying.

For two other examples see:  http://ksax.com/article/stories/s1928689.shtml and  http://www.wpxi.com/news/26520571/detail.html

Discussion Questions

• Do you believe bullying or cyber-bullying is a problem in your school or setting?  If so, do you think the problem is getting worse?
• Have you or a friend ever been the victim of rumors, gossip, or bullying?  What was the experience like?  How did it affect you?  Did anyone stand up for you or your friend, and if so, what was that like?
• Have you ever used rumors, gossip, or other acts to get back at someone?  In the end, what was the result? 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 13, 2011 (Sixth Sunday after Epiphany)

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Matthew 5:21-37

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

This week’s gospel lesson continues Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, a section of teaching that is directed primarily to his followers and disciples.  What is especially notable about these verses is the pattern which Jesus uses.  “You have heard that it was said…But I say to you….”  It is a pattern that points both backward and forward.  It points backward to the Torah (the Law) and to the oral tradition surrounding Torah’s interpretation; it points forward to Jesus’ true identity as the One sent from God who has the authority to interpret Torah rightly.   As we heard in last week’s gospel lesson, Jesus did not come to abolish either the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17-18).  As it is, Jesus’ teaching in this passage gets to the root of things, demonstrating that the commands of the Law have at their heart a blueprint for what it means to be fully, genuinely, and gloriously human within a covenantal relationship with God.

As such, the commands that Jesus gives here are not moral admonitions – a set of do’s and don’t’s – by which persons might attempt to make themselves “good enough” for God, but rather a picture of life in the renewed and renewing community that God brings into being through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  God is serious that God’s people know life, and so murder is attacked at its very root: smoldering anger and words which only serve to tear down or abuse.  God is serious about life-giving relationships grounded in mutuality, love, and respect, and so lust and lies–attitudes and actions that disrupt even the most fundamental relationships of marriage and family–are also attacked.

Yes, God is serious that we know life.  So serious, in fact, that Jesus drives home the point with another feature of this passage, wildly exaggerated images which  tickle the imagination.  Verses 29 – 30 contain obvious examples.  Plucking out eyes and cutting off hands are not to be taken literally, but we get the point.  In your discussion, you may also want to point out the rather comical picture in verses 23 – 24 of traveling all the way to the Temple in Jerusalem (at least a three day journey by foot for many of Jesus’ hearers), buying an appropriate sacrificial animal, suddenly remembering a relationship gone wrong, and then leaving your “gift” to hang out on its own in the Temple while you spend a week on a round trip just so you can make things right.  It just wouldn’t happen.  And yet here again the point is clear.  We are called to live out day by day the forgiveness we ourselves have received from God, so that when we come to worship there is no anger between us and our neighbors, especially when these neighbors are our sisters and brothers in Christ.

This is a passage pregnant with possibilities for study and discussion.   And while the following questions focus on the power of our words, especially as we strive to be for one another a radical community of love and grace, you might also talk together about such counter-cultural themes as forgiveness (Matt. 5:23-26), sexual purity (Matt. 5:27-30), what makes for true and faithful relationships (Matt. 5:31-32) and personal integrity (Matt. 5:33-37).

Discussion Questions

• As you read this passage, what are the verses that jump out at you?  Why?
• Do you believe that it is possible to follow Jesus’ commands in this portion of the Sermon on the Mount?  If you say “Yes,” what do you make of verses 22-23 and 28-30?  If you say, “No,” then why do you think Jesus would give us commands and instructions that he knew we cannot keep?
• Knowing that Jesus is talking primarily to his followers and disciples, what do his teachings here say about our relationship with God?  Do you believe they are prescriptive – something we have to do in order to have a relationship with God, or descriptive – a picture of the life God would have us to know and enjoy?
• By addressing dealing with anger and our use of insults and language intended to hurt or tear down another person, how does Jesus get at the root of murder?  Is it possible to “kill” another person without harming them physically?
• What do Jesus’ words say to us about our relationships with one another as Christian brothers and sisters?  How would our group look if we were as quick to forgive and lovingly careful with our words, thoughts, and actions as Jesus calls us to be? What specific things might we do to encourage one another more?

Activity Suggestions

• Catechism Connection Read together Martin Luther’s explanation of the Eighth Commandment in the Small Catechism.  Discuss together the following:

According the Luther, in what ways do we “murder” or “destroy” people with our words?

Looking at the positive actions in the Small Catechism, what are some of the ways in which Martin Luther says that we can live out our faith when it comes to using our words?  Can you think of specific examples of how this might look in your everyday lives?  Make a list and covenant together to try out some of what you come up with.

If there is anyone that you know who you believe is currently the focus of rumors, gossip, or bullying, consider the things that you might do to be for that person an alternative community of love, support, and grace.

• Wounded Healers Give participants a few minutes to think of a time when they have been hurt.  It can be a physical hurt like a broken arm, or another type of “hurt,” such as a broken heart or a damaging comment.  Have them come up with a motion that in some way symbolizes their hurt.  Bring the group back together and have each person demonstrate their motion without talking.  Choose about a third of those who are participating to be “wounded.”  The rest are “healthy”.  Again without talking, it is the job of the healthy ones to come alongside those who are wounded and to help them by taking on their motion.  Those who are wounded should not give up their “hurt” until those helping them truly understand (that is, have copied their motion exactly).  Once they have given up their hurt, they become healthy and can help others.  Continue as long as the group remains interested.

Debrief:

What was it like to have someone try to really understand your wound?

What was it like to try to truly understand someone else?  What did it take?

What do you think the main point of this activity is?

How is this activity a picture of what it means to be an intentional Christian community?

Note:  You might also read “The Ragman” by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us and claim us and make us your own.  Thank you for the gift of new life and for the invitation to experience that life in the community of your church.  Fill us with your Spirit.  Guide our thoughts, our words, and our actions, that we may build one another up and not tear each other down.  Make us quick to forgive and eager to be your hands and voice in a world so hungry to experience good news.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Contributed by Jennifer Krausz
Bethlehem, PA

Warm-up Question:  Is our current government doing a good job running the country? Why or why not?

A recent national poll found that Americans are largely angry at their government and disappointed by the lack of ideas from both political parties.

Although Republicans, who are currently out of power, were angriest at 90 percent, 44% of Democrats identified themselves as somewhat or very angry. 78% of independents were also somewhat or very angry with their government.

59% of respondents across all political parties said that they were more angry now than they had been during the previous administration. And 60% say that neither Democrats nor Republicans have the answers to the problems the country currently faces.

30% of respondents said they were not really angry, including 10% who were not angry at all.

The poll did not seem to answer the question of why respondents were angry. Many Americans seem preoccupied with economic conditions, which have been slow to improve. Health care reform has also been a deeply divisive issue.

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think people are so angry with the government right now?
2. Do you think their anger is reasonable, even if you are not angry yourself? Why?
3. Given what you know of the two major political parties (and trying to be objective and respectful in your response), what do you think most Republicans are angriest about? What do you think most Democrats are angriest about?
4. Do you think it’s easier to get angry, or to be satisfied with the way things are? Is it easier to be against something or someone who you don’t agree with completely or who is different than yourself, or to find a way of trusting and working together?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, September 27, 2009.

(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.

• Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
• Psalm 124 (7)
• James 5:13-20
• Mark 9:38-50

Gospel Reflection

Here’s a rough church history lesson in 3 sentences:  The church started out as fairly unified; yes, there were major conflicts, but they managed not to immediately break off into major different sections. A significant portion evolved into the Catholic Church. Luther started the Reformation, and the Christian church has spawned hundreds, if not thousands, of different denominations, off-shoots, and factions.

Throughout history, people have fought bitter and bloody battles over religious differences and divisions.

So, what would Jesus think of all our different varieties and flavors of faith, theology, and traditions?

We walk a fine line between theological correctness and the unity of our belief in Jesus Christ. We walk a fine line between upholding our own familiar traditions and practices and being open to the traditions and ideas of others. In each case, both are important. We can disagree on how to baptize, how to take communion, build structures and organizations, and many other things, but let’s hope we never disagree about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who showed us how to live as compassionate servants, died on the cross for our sins, conquered death, and who gives us eternal life by grace through faith — a life-giving gift for everyone.

Jesus took it even further than that though. He suggests that just because someone isn’t ‘one of us’ doesn’t mean we should reject that person’s actions or intentions. If they are showing unselfish compassion and concern for others, give thanks and don’t shrug them off. If they are trying to help or care for us, then accept it and give thanks. Encourage them; don’t reject them. It is possible for others to do God’s work even though they are not members of our denomination or official members of our congregation.

Jesus asks us to seek peace and justice in the world, both outside the church and within it. What would churches everywhere be like if we were to do as Jesus told his disciples in this case? What would it be like if we treated all people — professing Christians or not — with the same sincere respect and compassion Jesus demonstrated? What if we encouraged and supported all people to live boldly in ways God desires for us.

Discussion Questions

• From your perspective and faith, how do you think God wants all people to live — throughout the world? Try to be specific.
• What are some of the burning current issues and problems in the world and in our country that we can be working on together even though we come from many different perspectives of faith, culture, life experience, and politics? In what ways does our Lutheran Christian faith influence our participation and what we do?
• What do you think different denominations and faith groups can do to be more unified or to work together? Name some examples of how the ELCA is working with other churches or faith groups. What if it means sometimes bumping heads over theology, beliefs, traditions, or values? How should the church work through times of conflict or disagreement with others (or each other)?
• How does grace, forgiveness, and compassion enter into all of this?

Activity Suggestions

Are there inter-faith groups in your community (e.g., local council of churches, informal unity groups, ministerial groups, youth ministry leader groups, ecumenical youth ministries, etc.)? Find out if your church has a representative and invite him or her to speak with your class for a few minutes about the group and what it does.

• Where do they find common ground and support for each other, and where do they tend to disagree, or agree to disagree?
• What are the benefits of working together even when you do not see eye-to-eye on everything?

Or…

Make a list of denominations, faith groups, or religions that you know little about but that make you feel uneasy or stir up strong impressions and feelings within you (e.g., mistrust, anger, suspicion, curiosity, or even hostility). Choose one or two and find out more about its specific beliefs and practices. Sources for more information or links to other faiths and denominations:

• The BBC Religion & Ethics Web site
• ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations
• ELCA Ecumenical Youth Resources
• World Religions Index
• Interfaith Youth Core

Sometimes, getting more information helps us feel less uncomfortable about something and helps us sort through information or perceptions that may not be accurate or true. If possible and appropriate, invite someone from that faith or denomination to meet with your group for mutual learning. Be careful not to make it a battlefield for trying to convert each other or for argument.

Closing Prayer

Dear God, we thank you that you have made us all so different in so many ways. Help us to remember that we all worship the same God, our creator, who loves us in spite of how we often disagree with each other. Let us find unity in our faith through your Son, Jesus Christ, who showed us how to live with compassion and forgiveness for each other, and gave up his own life for the sake of all people. Amen. 

Warm-up Question: What is one thing in your past that you would love to forget?

With both conventions over, the seemingly endless campaign season is finally in “full swing.” For the next two months, Barack Obama, John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Joe Biden (as well as hundreds of senatorial and congressional candidates) will be making their cases — and defending their records — in an effort to win votes.

But they’re not the only ones talking. This is also a season for journalists to investigate and communicate all they can about the candidates’ pasts: who they dealt with, what promises they broke, who they’ve hurt, and what they’ve done wrong. Tabloids, blogs, primetime anchors, and reputable newspapers will all be trading on rumors, facts, and everything in between.

So far, we’ve learned about John Edwards (prominent Democrat and former VP candidate) and his affair with a campaign aide during his run for the presidency. Sarah Palin is under investigation for abusing her power while governor of Alaska, and the media has had a field day with this family-values oriented candidate disclosing that her unwed 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. Both Barack Obama and John McCain have been charged with “flip-flopping,” saying one thing and then changing their minds for the sake of winning votes. And candidates in every corner of the country are being investigated for ties to oil companies now that gas prices are sky high and oil companies are making more money than ever before.

At the same time, the most forgiving folks are ironically the candidates’ fiercest and most recent critics — the people who ran against them during the primary season. Nearly all the leading candidates for president during the primaries have now enthusiastically endorsed either John McCain or Barack Obama, after very recently saying harsh and even cruel things about their former opponents. The biggest story at the Democrats convention in Denver was about whether the Clintons would “play nice” with Barack Obama after a bruising battle for the party’s nomination. Is this also “flip-flopping” too? Or is it authentic forgiveness and reconciliation? Perhaps no one will know. But in the meantime, we’re all in for a fall full of attacks and apologies, rumors and revelations. And maybe, a little actual conversation about policy and the things that actually matter about governing a nation.

And after November, all these folks will have to figure out a way to govern this nation together, after tearing each other apart.

Discussion Questions

• What about a candidate’s past is interesting or important to you? What is not?
• How are you feeling about this year’s election? The advertising? The reporting? How much are you paying attention?
• How well would you be able to work with someone who for the last year or so called you names or made fun of your past experience?
• How much room is there for forgiveness in our country’s political scene?
  

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, September 14, 2008.
(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

• Genesis 50:15-21
• Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13 (8)
• Romans 14:1-12
• Matthew 18:21-35

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

Scripture Reflection (especially Genesis)

The story of our biblical “founding fathers and mothers” is a study in dysfunctional families. Joseph was one of 12 brothers and one sister. He was an arrogant brat as a kid, and his father’s favorite, so his brothers beat him up and left him to die in the desert. Then they had a change of heart and sold him into slavery instead, and they lied and told their father that Joseph had been eaten by wild animals. So much for brotherly love!

Flash forward: Joseph, sold into slavery in Egypt, becomes a wealthy and powerful politician. Meanwhile, back home, a drought and famine is threatening to starve Joseph’s brothers to death. They travel down to Egypt, where Joseph has made sure that Egypt would have plenty of grain, and after a rather frightening and funny scene, Joseph and his family are reunited. Joseph convinces Pharaoh to let his family stay in Egypt, and dad (Jacob) helps the brothers figure out how to get along again.

Then dad dies, and the brothers begin to worry: Will our past come back to haunt us? Will Joseph remember the horrible things we did to him, and now that dad’s not around to intervene, will Joseph seek revenge? He has every right to still be angry, doesn’t he? Will he use our past to destroy our future?

So they decide to lie (again). They tell Joseph that dad told them to tell him to forgive them. All the kindness and favor that Joseph had showered on them was not enough; they needed to hear that Joseph forgave them. They lied to Joseph to make him say what they wanted to hear: “You’re forgiven and I will take care of you.”

Whether Joseph believes them or not seems irrelevant. He believes that God has worked in and through this crazy family to make something good happen for God’s chosen people. And because it is in God’s best interest, Joseph forgives his brothers and promises to provide for them.

But before he does that, something amazing happens: Joseph weeps when his brothers (sort of) ask for forgiveness. And when Joseph weeps, the brothers weep, too. All of them begin to cry all over themselves. Wouldn’t you? Think of all the pain, fear, anxiety, anger, grief, resentment, and vengeance that have built up for these guys over the last few years. In the middle of this amazing story of forgiveness, there is a river of tears.

This kind of vulnerability, compassion, and genuine forgiveness are rare in American politics. Our country has become so cynical that we doubt the sincerity of politicians who cry in public, and probably with good reason. But here, in the halls of the Pharaoh’s palace (the Egyptian White House), are a bunch of guys weeping together, burying old hatchets, and healing old wounds. And not because dad (maybe) said so, but because God moved Joseph to see the bigger picture, to trust that God’s love for God’s people was big enough to cover all the deep wounds that separated Joseph from his brothers for years.

Discussion Questions

• Why did Joseph and his brothers weep? Have you ever had to apologize, or be apologized to, for something really serious? Did it make you feel like crying? How did it feel?
• Can you picture Barack Obama and John McCain hugging, crying, and apologizing after the election is over, regardless of who wins? Why or why not?
• Why do you think the brothers made up the story about Jacob (dad) asking Joseph to forgive them? Why didn’t they just ask for forgiveness on their own? And why didn’t Joseph seem to care that they were lying to him?
• When has what God thinks mattered more to you than how you personally feel about someone who has hurt you? How do we know what God thinks about the people we are angry with?

Activity Suggestions

• Collect a few days’ worth of political news (Google News works well for this).

  • What attacks are people making about candidates in local, state, or national elections?
  • Which ones are personal, or about past mistakes (family problems, substance abuse, poor financial decisions, friends or coworkers in legal trouble, religion, changing opinions about something, etc.)?
  • Which ones are about real issues that matter to real people (health care, the war, poverty, education, the environment, safety, etc)?
  • How do you tell the difference?
• Write a letter to someone you have hurt, and another letter to someone who has hurt you. Tell the story of what happened, talk about your feelings, and ask for/offer forgiveness. Then decide if you want to send it, burn it, or keep it around while you think about it.
• Act out the scene between Joseph and his brothers. Then write another scene, changing the characters and the situation to fit something more relevant to your daily lives in families, schools, teams, or church. Change roles a couple times. Talk about how it feels to be caught up in this story of anger, vengeance, forgiveness, and love.
  

Closing Prayer

Holy and Merciful One, you shower your people with forgiveness and love. Help us to be honest about our past, real about our hurts, and open to give and receive forgiveness. Make us a gracious and forgiving people. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Contributed by Pastor Jay McDivitt
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Denver, CA