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 John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

What is your favorite animal?  Why?

Blessing of the Animals

According to the Humane Society, there are over 164.6 million cats and dogs living as household pets in the United States. For many, pets are a beloved member of the family.  Today, on the Sunday closest to October 4, churches around the country will hold Blessing of the Animals services as a way for Christians to give thanks to God for the joy and love that pets bring to the lives of their owners.

The love of pets and animals is neither new nor exclusive to the United States.  People have loved and cared for animals as a part of God’s creation for centuries.  One of the most famous animal lovers was St. Francis of Assisi who referred to the animals as his brothers and sisters.  Once, according tradition, Francis was once traveling with some companions and they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions, “Wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds.”   On another occasion, Francis supposedly persuaded a wolf to stop attacking some locals if they agreed to feed the wolf. Given Francis’ connection to animals and the fact that the church commemorates (remembers) Francis of Assisi on October 4, the Sunday closest to October 4 seems like a perfect time to celebrate the Blessing of the Animals.

In addition to his love of animals and all of creation, Francis was known for his devotion to the poor.  Though born into a wealthy family, he gave up his inheritance to serve the poor and founded the Franciscans, a monastic order. Francis believed that it was important for his faith to bear fruit in the world, so he took a vow of poverty, worked with lepers, acted as a peacemaker, and inspired others to adopt a way of life focused on serving God and others.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think people participate in a Blessing of the Animals Service?  What do you think a Blessing of the Animals Service says about our relationship to creation?
• Francis of Assisi famously said, “Go and preach the Gospel.  Use words if necessary.”  Can you think of a time when you or someone else shared the Gospel—the good news about God’s love for the world in Jesus Christ—without using words?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 2, 2011 (Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost)

Isaiah 5:1-7

Philippians 3:4b-14

Matthew 21:33-46

(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

For Francis of Assisi, it wasn’t enough to study about God.  He wanted to bear the fruit of God’s love by living out his faith through his actions in the world.  Francis took seriously the call to serve others.  He devoted his life to caring for the sick and those in need.  He rejected the world’s obsession with stuff and chose a path of simplicity and poverty.  He cared about creation and loved the world around him.  “Go and preach the Gospel.  Use words if necessary.” was not simply a slogan, it was a way of life.

For some people, there is a disconnect between what they say that they believe and how they act in their daily lives.  They may speak about the importance of loving their neighbor, but when their neighbor is in need, they turn their back.  They may talk about following Jesus’ example, but somehow they never manage to move beyond fulfilling their own selfish desires.  According to our reading from Matthew, the chief priests and the Pharisees are just this type of person.  They know the story of God’s relationship with God’s people, but it doesn’t seem to influence how they treat others and the world around them.  They appear to be more concerned about themselves than about bearing the fruit of God’s love in the world.

In an effort to help the chief priests and the Pharisees understand the gap between what God does for them and their actions, Jesus shares this parable of the vineyard.  In the parable, the tenants disobey their Lord, murder his messengers, and ultimately reject and kill his son.  Upon hearing the story, the Chief Priests and Pharisees are enraged.  How could anyone act this way toward their master?  They quickly declare that these disobedient tenants should be punished and that the punishment should be death. As Jesus continues to speak, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees begin to understand that this is not a random story, but a story about them and the way they are living as God’s people in the world.

Now, in fairness to the chief priests and the Pharisees, I imagine that they truly believed that they were acting faithfully and that Jesus was the one being unfaithful to God.   As we look back, however, it appears that these men failed to grasp that they, like all of God’s children, are caretakers of the gifts God has given us, and that we are all called to use those gifts in God’s service in the world, not simply to hoard them for themselves.

A great deal has changed in the centuries since Jesus first shared this parable, but the call for God’s people remains to build our lives on the cornerstone of Jesus, to bear fruit, to live out our faith in daily life, and to do God’s work with our hands.   What will the fruit you bear look like? Only you can know the answer to that question, but God has given you a variety of gifts and the key is to claim the gifts God has given you and to look for ways to use those gifts to help others know the good news of God’s love.

Discussion Questions

• How do you think the chief priests and the Pharisees felt when Jesus finished sharing the parable?
• Instead of learning from Jesus and admitting their mistake, the chief priests and the Pharisees get more angry and more upset with Jesus.  Why do you think they refused to learn and change?
• What is a cornerstone?  What does it mean to have Jesus as a cornerstone in our lives?
• Name one gift or talent God has given you.  How can you use that gift in God’s service in the world?

Activity Suggestions

• Invite the group to identify two gifts or talents that God has given each person who is present.  Work together to discover ways that those talents can be used to bear the fruit of God’s love in the world.
• Make a banner or art display that depicts a tree bearing fruit.  Give each worshiper (or participant in your group) a slip of paper shaped like a piece of fruit and invite them to identify one gift or talent God has given them and write it on their fruit.  Collect all the ‘fruits’ and hang them on the tree.
• As a group, volunteer at a local animal shelter.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, through your teaching you help us to understand more fully how you want us to live as your people in the world.  Inspire us to claim the gifts and talents you have given us and to use those blessings to bear the fruit of your love through our words and our actions.  Amen.

Contributed by Erik Ullestad, West Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

Have you been surprised by the words or actions of a stranger?

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

New York City Transit bus drivers are scared and upset.  In the first eight months of the year, 58 drivers were assaulted while driving their routes.  Maria Hogan is one driver who is unsure if she will be going back to work any time soon.

“I have bruises on my arms and legs,” she said.  Hogan believes the rider was angry because she skipped a stop in the Fordham section of the Bronx which was closed because of construction.  When she reached the next stop, she says he punched her and left.

Many of the assaults have occurred on the Bx9 route, which runs through the Bronx.  Although MTA officials would not yet say which routes are most dangerous, the bus drivers’ union said the Bx9 is one of the worst and management is not doing enough.

“That particular location is a hot spot,” said Tony Aiken of the Transport Workers Union. “If you don’t have the partitions there, work with police department, work with your security department. Work with anybody who is going to go out there and make us feel safe.”

An MTA spokesperson offered a brief statement, “This past weekend’s assault is an outrageous insult to the thousands of transit workers who serve the public every day.  We are working closely with TWU to develop barriers to protect the drivers.”

Union officials said that is not good enough.

“Actions speak louder than words, not words without action,” said Aiken.

Discussion Questions

• Would you return to your job if you had been attacked in the workplace?
• What do you think should be done to protect the bus drivers?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, September 25, 2011 (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Ezekiel 18:1-4

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

(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

Jesus has a lot to say in these verses.  As he often does, Jesus saves his most challenging words for the religious leaders.  The chief priests and elders want to know who authorized the healing and teaching Jesus has been doing.  He realizes that they are trying to trick him into answering a question that has no satisfactory answer.  So, instead, he dodges their questions about authority and tells a story.

The story is about words and actions.  A man tells his sons to go to work for him.  The first one declines, but later changes his mind and does what his father asked him to do.  The second one agrees, but decides to skip out.  Jesus indicates that the first son – the one who said “no” at first – did the will of his father.  From there, he compares the religious leaders to the second son.  They say words that sound impressive to the people, but Jesus thinks their actions aren’t consistent with their words.  He even takes it a step further, indicating that the lowest-of-the-low (tax collectors and prostitutes) will get into heaven before these religious leaders.

“Actions speak louder than words” is an idea that is familiar to many people, but it can be difficult for grace-believing Lutherans to buy into.  We are wary of the notion that our salvation is dependent on our good deeds.  However, it’s important to note that the people whom Jesus is scolding are not beyond the reach of God’s love.  He doesn’t tell the religious leaders that they will be excluded from heaven, but they may have to wait a while.  Their great failing was complacency, believing that saying the right things was a substitute for daily obedience to God.

Perhaps Jesus isn’t talking about salvation; maybe he’s reminding God’s people to treat each other with kindness and love.  Our actions matter to God because God’s people matter to God.  As followers of Jesus, the tax collectors and prostitutes had committed themselves to a new way of life.  They were, by no means, a perfect group, but they were honest about their need for a Savior.  Conversely, the chief priests and elders said a lot of impressive things, but their actions did not match their confession.  They were deeply connected with the corrupt government that made the rich richer and the poor poorer.

Jesus is calling us to a life where both our words and actions matter.  The things we say and do reflect the One who has calls us by name, gathers us into a community of faith, and sends us out to do God’s work in the world.

Discussion Questions

•  Why do you think Jesus is so frustrated with the religious leaders?
• What is Jesus saying about words and actions in the father/sons parable?
• Which is easier for you – good words or good deeds

Activity Suggestion

Think of something your congregation talks about doing as part of its mission and ministry but rarely has time for.  Create an action plan and start implementing it in future weeks.

Closing Prayer

God, help us to honor you with our lips and our lives.  Amen.

Contributed by Jocelyn Breeland, Fairfax, VA

Warm-up Question

Would you make a good eyewitness?  Why?

Taking Notice

How perceptive are you?  In their book, The Invisible Gorilla, Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons relate an experiment that sheds an interesting light on our ability to perceive events around us.

In the experiment, a man on a sidewalk in the middle of a college campus asks a pedestrian for directions to the library. While the pedestrian is giving directions, two other men approach carrying a door on their shoulders and, instead of walking around the first two men, they walk right between them, temporarily blocking the pedestrian’s view of the man to whom he was giving directions. At that moment, one of the men with the door switches places with the man who asked for directions, and resumes the conversation.

The pedestrian continues his directions, seemingly unaware of the change. In fact, although the original direction seeker and his replacement are wearing different clothes, differ in height by three inches, have different builds and noticeably different voices, nearly half of the subjects in the experiment failed to notice the switch.

This experiment highlights the phenomena of “change blindness.” We can miss even some pretty obvious changes in our environments when we aren’t expecting them.  This is just one of many ways in which our perception of the world around us can differ from reality. At any moment, our expectations, our previous experiences, our focus or lack thereof can have a dramatic effect on how we experience the world around us.

See this short video http://youtu.be/FWSxSQsspiQ of the Door Study in action.

[Note to Leaders: More videos from the research can be found here: http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html The Monkey Business Illusion (under two minutes’ duration) could be especially interesting when paired with this week’s Gospel message. Consider presenting it to the group.]

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think the pedestrian in the experiment didn’t notice the change in questioners?
• Being able to focus completely on a task has its advantages. Are there disadvantages?
• Have you had an experience where your memory of an event is different from that of someone else who was also there? Why do you think this happens?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, May 22, 2011 (Fifth Sunday of Easter)

Acts 7:55-60
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14

(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

Today’s Gospel message brings to mind the words of the Cheshire Cat of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. He told Alice if she didn’t know where she was going, it didn’t matter which way she went.

Jesus wants to make sure his followers understand where they’re going. The promise was not just new life after death, but rich, satisfying life with Jesus right now. Knowing Jesus had made this promise must have been a comfort to the disciples in the difficult times during their lives and ministry, and it is a comfort to us as well.

Like the disciples, we know our ultimate destination – a place in heaven with Jesus, where we know and are known perfectly. We even understand, in a general way, that the road which leads us there is the path of trusting God’s love and reflecting that love in a godly life. But the road takes us through some difficult territory, strewn with obstacles and distractions. It’s hard to be certain that each step we take is leading in the right direction.  That’s why Jesus calls us to focus on him, on the example of his life and the assurance of his love. If we focus on Jesus, it’s easy to follow the plan that God has for our lives. Jesus really is the way, the truth and the life. He is all we need.

Discussion Questions

• How might your understanding of Jesus’ words be different from that of the disciples?
• In your own experience, how has Jesus been the way, the truth and the life?
• In verse 12, Jesus says “…and greater works than these he will do.” What does he mean?
• Is it possible to focus too much on Jesus in your life?

Activity Suggestion

One of the great works of Christian spirituality is John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. In Bunyan’s allegorical novel, Christian, an everyman character, makes his way from his home town, City of Destruction, to the Celestial City.  Along the way he deals with various dangers, characters,  and distractions such as Mr. Worldly Wiseman, the Slough of Despond, and Giant Despair.  Draw your own map of the Christian journey, labeling the challenges which you see as most significant for someone in your context as a young adult.  For example you might put in an encounter with “Miss Babbling Twitter”, representing the temptation to spend all your time on superficial things.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son Jesus to show us the way. Help us to keep our eyes on him and to follow the path you have laid out for each of us according to your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Contributed by Scott Mims, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Questions

• What is the most exciting, captivating, or important thing about Easter to you?  Why?
• Does your family have any special Easter rituals or traditions?  If so, how have these rituals or traditions helped to shape your experience/understanding of Easter and your faith?

Aftershocks

On March 11, 2001 a massive earthquake struck off the coast of Japan triggering a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country.  The earthquake, whose magnitude was measured at 9.0 on the Richter scale, is one of the most powerful ever recorded.  Adding to the catastrophe, critical cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station were severely damaged, triggering explosions, partial core meltdowns, and releases of radioactive material directly into the atmosphere and ocean. In all, over 27,000 people were either killed or are still missing.

A month later, the aftershocks continue.  On April 11, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake—just one of hundreds of smaller, related quakes—rattled the northeastern coast of Japan triggering tsunami warnings and renewed fears.  Not all of the “aftershocks” have been physical, however.  From the sheer effects of this event in human terms, to falling stock markets, the loss of production from the world’s third largest economy, and the renewed concerns about the safety of nuclear power, the impact of this disaster is being felt the world over…and will be for a long time to come.

Discussion Questions

• Do you know anyone who has either personally been affected by this event, or who knows someone who has been affected?  If so, what has this experience been like for them?
• What fears, issues, questions, or concerns – if any – does this event, or similar disasters, raise for you?
• How connected do you feel to events that are happening in other parts of the country or in the world?  Do you think what happens to other people, perhaps even people who live thousands of miles away, impacts your life?
• Does the way that you live your life impact the lives of others?  How so?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 24, 2011 (Resurrection of Our Lord)

 
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

We come today to the very epicenter of our Christian faith.  Everything that we do as Christians, from our worship life, to our evangelism and service, to the promise of God’s love and grace which sustains us, is rooted in Jesus’ resurrection.  This is ground zero.  Without the resurrection, Jesus’ death on a Roman cross would have been a tragedy at best. Yet in the resurrection, we see God’s affirmation of who Jesus is as Lord and Savior; in the resurrection we see God’s ultimate victory.

Yet, it is important to remember that, even though Jesus had tried to prepare his disciples and friends, the resurrection was initially a tremendous surprise!  Matthew, like all of our gospel writers, tells of certain women coming to the tomb of Jesus early, “as the first day of the week was dawning.”  Having seen Jesus laid to rest on Friday, they are coming expecting that the tomb would be occupied.  It was a Jewish custom in that day to watch the tomb until after the third day in order to make sure premature burial had not taken place.  Perhaps they were approaching Jesus’ well-guarded burial place as early after the Sabbath as they dared in order to offer this last act of devotion.  What they encountered shook them to the core, turning their world upside down.

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.”  Matthew’s account leaves no doubt as to who is ultimately behind the empty tomb.  While the other gospels have the women wondering who has already rolled away the stone, there is nothing ambiguous in this week’s gospel.  From the shaking ground, to the blazing angelic messenger, to the guards fainting away from fright, we know that it is none other than God who is at work here.  And though the angel’s message fills them both with fear and great joy, it is their encounter with the Risen Christ that convinces them that things would never be the same!

And of course, things haven’t been the same.  The earthquake in today’s gospel underscores Jesus’ resurrection as an apocalyptic, world-changing event.  It is an event whose aftershocks continue even today as hundreds of millions of people worldwide proclaim with great joy, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed, alleluia!”

Discussion Questions

• How do you think you might have reacted had you been with the women on that first Easter Sunday?  What might it have felt like to encounter Jesus as they did?
• What difference does it make that God raised Jesus from the dead?
• What difference does Jesus’ resurrection make to you personally?
• The earthquake that struck Japan and its aftershocks are forces of devastation.  In what ways are the “aftershocks” of the resurrection forces for healing and life?  Or put another way, in what ways does our faith lead us to impact our world for God’s glory and for good?

Activity Suggestions

Bible Study: As a group, consider the question:  “Does the fact that the tomb was empty necessarily mean that Jesus was resurrected?”

• See if your group can come up with other possibilities.  Several that have been suggested include: the women went to the wrong place, Jesus wasn’t really dead and somehow revived and escaped, the disciples stole the body, someone else (the Jewish or Roman authorities) stole the body.
• Dig deeper into the gospel.  Beginning with the Crucifixion in Matthew 27: 32 and going through Matthew 28:15, what are the aspects of the story that would make these other possibilities highly unlikely?
• What other “evidence” do we have that Jesus is alive and the Resurrection is true?

Service Project:  Consider how your group might be an “aftershock” of God’s victory and life during the 50 days that make up the Easter Season.  Could you organize an event or service project to raise money for victims of earthquakes, floods, or other natural and man-made disasters?  Is there an opportunity or need in your local community that your group can help address as a way of witnessing to the gospel?

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, we are mindful today of all who suffer, and especially of those who are most vulnerable and in need.  Through your Spirit, let the power and promise of the Resurrection take root in our lives, that we may live as vibrant and faithful witnesses to your love; through Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord.  Amen!