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January 19, 2014–Who Needs Christ?

Contributed by Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

 

Warm-up Questions

  • Who is the most famous or important person you have ever met, and what was the experience like? Or alternatively, if you could spend an afternoon with any one real person, currently alive or from the past, who would it be and why?
  • What is the most meaningful part or worship for you?  What makes it so meaningful?

Who Needs Christ?

shutterstock_124884124editAmidst all of the holiday advertising last month, one Times Square billboard drew national attention.  Sponsored by American Atheists, its message sparked a lot of coverage and debate, both in the news and online, with one New York State Senator calling for it to come down. The following is an excerpt from the press release which accompanied the billboard’s launch:

Using motion graphics, the billboard proclaims, “Who needs Christ during Christmas?” A hand crosses out the word “Christ” and the word “NOBODY” appears. The display then says “Celebrate the true meaning of Xmas” and offers a series of cheery words: family, friends, charity, food, snow, and more. The commercial ends with a jovial “Happy Holidays!” from American Atheists and displays the organization’s website.

Now that January has come and our schedules and lives are getting back to some sort of post-holiday “normal,” it may be hard to think in terms of Christmas. But the question posed by the billboard is an important one for us to think about.  “Who needs Christ during Christmas?”  Or even more simply, “Who needs Christ at all?”  Increasingly people in our culture agree with the sign’s message.  Roughly one fifth of adults in the U.S. – and a third of young adults under 30 – claim no religious affiliation. Yet the witness of the Scriptures is that God is indeed present and active in our world and in our lives, and so during these Sundays after Epiphany we focus on exploring who the baby in the manger is and why and how his birth is good news for all people.

 

Discussion Questions

  • What are your reactions to the message of this billboard?  What do you think its sponsors are trying to say and how do you feel about that?
  • Many people these days claim to be “spiritual but not religious.”  What do you think that means?
  • What are some of the reasons that people might have for not being “religious?”  For not being spiritual?
  • Can you be a follower of Jesus without being religious?  Without being spiritual?
  • Have you ever experienced a negative reaction or “push back” from other people because of your faith?  If so, how did you handle the situation?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, January 19, 2014 (Second Sunday after Epiphany)

Isaiah 49:1-7

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

(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

Who is John the Baptist?  Who is Jesus?  Who are we?  These are some of the questions that John (the gospel writer) addresses today as we continue our journey through the Epiphany season.

So first, who is John the Baptist?  Despite his great popularity and powerful appeal as a preacher and prophet, John is not the Messiah.  We hear this quite plainly, both in the opening words of the gospel (Jn. 1:6-9) and in John the Baptist’s own reply to those who come seeking to know what he is up to (Jn. 1:19-23).  Rather, John is “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’” As such, his divine purpose is to reveal to Israel – and ultimately to the world – the Messiah (Jn. 1:31)

What then does John reveal?  First, that the person whom he was sent to make known is Jesus and that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Two times John uses this image to describe Jesus in today’s gospel.  It is an image that has connections both to the sacrificial system surrounding the Jewish Temple and to the Exodus event in which the blood of a lamb caused the final plague to pass over the households of the Israelites.  What’s more, Jesus will be crucified for the sake of the sin of the world on the day in which the Passover lambs are slaughtered (Jn. 19:14, 31, 42). This central part of Jesus’ identity is what we often sing about during Holy Communion after the bread and wine have been consecrated: “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us….”

Jesus is also the one upon whom the Holy Spirit descends and remains.  Unlike last week’s gospel reading from Matthew, we do not actually get to witness Jesus’ baptism in John’s gospel.  Instead, we hear John the Baptist’s witness – his testimony about Jesus – as sort of a flashback.  For John himself, this was the sign that he was looking for (Jn. 1:33).  Not only is the Holy Spirit the marker of Jesus’ true identity and the power of God at work in and through him, the Spirit is the gift the Jesus gives to those who believe and follow him (Jn. 20:21-23).

Finally, in terms of who Jesus is, John makes an astounding claim: “And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”  In my congregation we read the opening section of John’s gospel as part of our candlelight services on Christmas Eve.  In a darkened sanctuary illuminated by the glow of a hundred or so candles we hear about the Word of God becoming flesh, about the One who is the “true light” of the world, about God’s only Son through whom we have all received grace upon grace.  John the Baptist points to Jesus as being this One.  It is a claim, of course, that many today deny.

Which brings us to the third question this passage addresses: Who are we?  In the second part of our gospel reading John the Baptist’s witness – his sharing of his faith in who Jesus is – moves two of his own followers to find out more about this “Lamb of God.”  Seeing them following him, Jesus asks them, “What are you looking for?” For all who read John’s gospel, this is more than simply a casual question.  It is a question that we are asked, too.  When it comes to the future, when it comes to our lives, when it comes to Jesus, what are we looking for?  And, like the two disciples, are we ready to accept Jesus’ invitation to us to “Come and see?”

So, what did they “see” when they were with Jesus that day?  We aren’t told, only that, whatever it was, it led these two seekers to a point where it was no longer John’s witness but their own experience of being with Jesus that caused them to follow him.  One of them, Andrew, is so moved that he, in turn, also becomes a witness, inviting his brother, Simon to come and see.  Simon, who we also know as Peter, became one of the most central disciples in the whole gospel story.  At this point there is a lot yet to happen before he truly begins to understand what it means for Jesus to be Lamb of God and Messiah.

Perhaps that is also something for us to take away from our gospel for this week.  It is not perfection in understanding or completeness of knowledge that John (the gospel writer) is aiming for in his account of God’s great love for us in Jesus.  John is aiming for faith – that we might come to believe in Jesus ourselves and, in believing, to discover true and abundant life.  Here, by the Jordan River, he looks back to the very beginning, to the mysterious and powerful proclamation of his opening words, and, at the same time, forward to the cross, to the very place where the image of Jesus as Lamb of God finds its fulfillment.

Discussion Questions

 

  • The following are some of the titles and epithets that people have given to Jesus.  Which one(s) is (are) most meaningful to you? Why?

 

Son of God           Emmanuel                   Prince of Peace           Man or Sorrows

Good Shepherd     Lamb of God              Friend of Sinners        Teacher

Lord                      Light of the World      Bread of Life              Messiah

 

  • Who in your own life has shown / brought you to Jesus?  In what ways have they witnessed to their faith?
  • John the Baptist’s role was to point other people to Jesus.  If, as they say, actions speak louder than words, what are some practical, real-life ways that you might help other people know about Jesus and experience his love?
  • Why do you need Jesus?

Activity Suggestion

Act out the gospel lesson.  Try to imagine why Andrew is so eager to introduce others to Jesus.  What about Jesus do you think made him so excited that he couldn’t wait to tell Simon Peter?  Have you ever had the chance to invite someone else to “Come and see?”  If so, how did it go? Have those acting other parts give typical reactions to talking about Jesus with friends and acquaintances.  Talk about how this story might be seen as a model for doing evangelism.

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us and claim us and make us your very own.  Thank you for your love and for the forgiveness and new life that is ours through Jesus. As we seek to be his followers in our often messy and complicated world, place into our lives people and events who will remind us of who and whose we truly are.  Help us, in turn, to be living signs of your love and grace in the lives of those around us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

April 7, 2013–What’s in a Name?

Contributed by Lindean Barnett Christianson, Bozeman, MT

 

Warm-up Question

  • Do you have a nickname? What is it? Who gave it to you? Why? Do you like it? Why/why not?
  • If you could change your name, what would you choose? Why?

What’s in a Name?

The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to be the 266th pope on March 13, 2013. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists crowded the square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, waiting to learn not only who was elected, but also the name he would take for himself. Since the 11th century it has been customary for a pope to choose a new name upon his election to the office (the first pope to take a new name was elected in the 6th century).

shutterstock_53792359editThe new pope, former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was already known for his love for the poor and his own simple lifestyle. His choice of the name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, indicates his intention to continue his focus on and devotion to the poor.

In an interview with journalists from the Vatican and Latin America, Pope Francis said that as the votes stacked up in his favor, a fellow cardinal from Brazil told him , “Don’t forget the poor.”  The new pope added, “Right away, with regard to the poor, I thought of St. Francis of Assisi, then I thought of war. Francis loved peace and that is how the name came to me.”

The new pope said he also thought of St. Francis of Assisi’s concern for the natural environment and how he was a “poor man, a simple man, as we would like a poor church, for the poor.”

This is the first time a pope has chosen the name Francis, and many Catholics, and non-Catholics alike, are hoping Francis’ new name is an indicator of changes and reform to come.

 

Discussion Questions

  • What do you know about St. Francis of Assisi?  If you need to do some research, look up the story of his life.  What would a congregation heavily influenced by his vision of faith look like?  How would taking his values seriously affect your life?
  • The papal name Cardinal Borgoglio took has been seen as a reflection of his priorities as a Christian.  If you were elected pope what name would you take to reflect your understanding of what is important in being a Christian?  Why would you choose that name?  (The name need not be a famous one; you might pick “Fred” because of a custodian who embodies the gospel for you.)

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 7, 2013 (Second Sunday of Easter)

Acts 5:27-32

Revelation 1:4-8

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 according to John doesn’t tell us where Thomas was on the evening of that first day of the week, the day of resurrection. We only know where he wasn’t: in the locked room with the rest of the disciples. Jesus shows up, wounds and breath and all, but when his colleagues give him the play-by-play Thomas simply cannot believe it. He says he needs not only to see, but also to touch, Jesus, in order to believe.

For wanting to experience what the rest of the disciples experienced, Thomas has received the nickname “Doubting Thomas” from history. John never calls him that. According to John, Thomas’s nickname is “the Twin,” though the gospel doesn’t elaborate on why.

A week later Jesus gives Thomas what he asked for and Thomas confesses his faith: “My Lord and my God!” Here, the one who doubts is also the one who believes and proclaims. Jesus, however, does not commend Thomas for this confession. Instead, he pronounces a blessing on those “who have not seen and yet have come to believe,” on us.

Discussion Questions

  • What nickname would you give Thomas? Why?
  • Who has helped you come to faith in Jesus? How have they done that?
  • What do you think about the phrase “Seeing is believing”?  How about its reverse, “Believing is seeing”?
  • Gospel-writer John steps into his story when he addresses his readers and says, “These [signs] are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” What do you think of this purpose statement?

Activity Suggestions

  • Think of positive and encouraging nicknames for the people in your discussion group or others you all know (pastor, youth leader, etc.).
  • Write thank you notes to those who have shared their faith in Christ with you (confirmation or Sunday School teachers, baptismal sponsors, mentors, etc.).
  • Bless each other using Jesus’ words: Name, blessed are you who has not seen and yet has come to believe. Amen

Closing Prayer

God of new life, Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into his disciples. Send your Spirit also to us, that we who have not seen yet may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing we may have life in his name. Fill us with your peace, and send us into your world. Amen

November 4, 2012–Rumors of Death…and Life!

Contributed by Sylvia Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

 

Warm-up Question

Suppose you got off the plane after a long vacation and saw a headline announcing your death. Someone had started this rumor and gotten others to believe it. How would you go about proving that you are still alive?

Rumors of Death…and Life!

 

“I don’t even remember what a headache feels like!” So declared Fidel Castro in an article published on Cubadebate, the state news website. The purpose of the article, titled “Fidel Castro Is Dying,” was to assure the Cuban people that the old revolutionary was still alive and healthy at 86. Rumors that the former dictator had suffered a severe stroke and was barely hanging on had been swirling around in the world press for days.

Photos of Castro strolling around his farm using a metal cane, taken by a visiting Venezuelan dignitary, appeared with the article. The South American politician said he talked with the notorious Communist strongman for five hours and was then escorted to his hotel by Castro in a chauffeur-driven minibus.

Castro’s article also tore into the “imperialist propaganda” spread by the non-Communist media. The rumor was traced to a Venezuelan doctor in Miami, who claimed to have heard that the Cuban leader was near death.

 

 

 

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think rumors of Castro’s death spark such interest!
  • How do rumors get started? Why do people believe them?
  • How do you personally decide what to believe and what not to believe when you hear a rumor?
  • Think about one time when you believed a rumor that wasn’t true and another time when you did not believe something and it turned out to be true. What happened? What if anything, did you learn?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, November 4, 2012 (All Saints Sunday)

Isaiah 25:6-9

Revelation 21:1-6

John 11:32-44

(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

Raising from the dead is a tough sell. Everyone knows that there’s no getting around death. It takes a lot of proof to convince any sane person that someone could conquer this greatest enemy of humankind.

There are always rumors, of course. Jesus raised several people from the dead, and word must have gotten around. But people were just as skeptical in those days as they are now. The person wasn’t really dead, they would say. Jesus is a fake, and intelligent people don’t put any stock in such foolishness.

But Lazarus was different. A whole crowd of people had been weeping over him for four days. Some of them probably helped to wrap the body in the grave clothes. His sister Martha was certain there would be a terrible stench if the grave was opened. Death was as ugly then as it is now. Even Jesus wept at the sight of it.

Wait, what it this? Open the grave? Call on God to hear? And what is this “Lazarus, come out”? What does this man think he’s doing?

Raising Lazarus from the dead.

Oh.

There was nothing especially glorious about it. A man trying to walk while stuck in a shroud was just as scary then as it is now. And cutting him free couldn’t have been very pleasant. Yet all those repellent practicalities drove home the point. This man really was raised from the dead. Those who doubted had only to look.

Word got around and is with us today:   Jesus has power over death – Lazarus’ death, his own, and finally, ours as well. Some stand and say, “Prove it!” Some sit and say, “Forget it.” Some turn away and say, “It’s just a rumor.” And some fall to their knees before Jesus Christ and say, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus has the words of eternal life, the power to conquer our most fearsome enemy, and we know we can trust in him. That is why we are called “believers.”

Discussion Questions

[Note: Talking about death is not easy. It may help students to be more comfortable, if the teacher “breaks the ice” and gives a personal answer to the first question. Be sensitive to students’ feelings.]

  • Have you had any experience with death? Did your Christian hope of eternal life help you in this situation? Why or why not?
  • Everyone has fears and uncertainties, especially concerning death. How can we help each other to overcome those fears?
  • Look carefully at John 11:25-26 (“I am the resurrection…”). What did Jesus mean by this? What meaning does it have for us today?

Activity Suggestions

  • Turn the raising of Lazarus into a play. Ask to perform it for a class of younger students.
  • In groups or as a class, use a concordance or online Bible to look up verses on resurrection. Who talked about it? Why is it important? How does it fit into our faith? (Consider the Apostles’ and the Nicene creeds)

Suggested songs: He Lives, The Solid Rock

Closing Prayer

Almighty God and Conqueror of death itself, we thank and praise you for the death that gives us life – Christ’s crucifixion – and the resurrection that was his and will someday be ours. Fill us with your holy joy at this good news and help us to share it with those who are fearful and doubting. In the all-powerful name of your Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord, Amen

May 20, 2012–Caps and Frowns

Contributed by Paul Henrickson, Salem, VA

 

Warm-up Questions

What if Jesus prayed for you?

  • Would it be the same as the prayer in John 17 which he prayed for his disciples?
  • Would he pray that you would be “sanctified?”
  • Would Jesus pray for your PROTECTION or for your PURIFICATION or both?

Caps and Frowns

Begin by reading following online articles about job prospects for new graduates.  Note the chart “Caps and Frowns:  Job prospects for the class of 2012.”

http://www.decisionsonevidence.com/2012/02/limited-job-prospects-and-earnings-for-high-school-diploma-only-workers/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304020104577384410323391198.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

Whether you’re in high school or college, the employment outlook is not encouraging.  This raises some important questions for people of faith.

  • Would God really call us to be unemployed?
  • Do we need a broader understanding of “calling?”
  • How do faithful people respond to the “new economic reality?”
  • What is our true “vocation?”

 

Discussion Questions

  • What do you envision as your future?
  • What is your dream?
  • What are you planning to do after graduation from High School/College?
  • What is your calling?
  • Are you looking for security or meaning?
  • Do you want to be Protected or Purified?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, May 20, 2012 (Seventh Sunday of Easter)

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

1 John 5:9-13

John 17:6-19

(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 is part of the “Priestly Prayer” of Jesus in the 17th Chapter of John.  These four verses seem to sum up the core of the prayer of Jesus for his disciples – for Jesus’ disciples today:

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.*  They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth

There are three points worth noting:

We are IN the world, not OF the world.

  • We have been claimed by Christ to be those redeemed.
  • We are no longer under Satan’s rule (this world), but God’s rule.

We are protected.

  • “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
  •  The power of evil gets too little attention from today’s Christian.
  • From Luther’s Large Catechism: “If you could see how many daggers, spears, and  arrows are at every moment aimed at you, you would be glad to come to  the sacrament as often as possible.”

We are being “made holy.”

  • We have been “sanctified – made holy”  from Late Latin sanctificāre, from Latin sanctus holy + facere to make

Discussion Questions

  •  How would you live your life today if you really believed that God was doing His work on you to “make you holy?”
  • What does it mean for you to be IN the world not OF the world?

Activity Suggestions

  •  Write a prayer that Jesus might pray for you.
  • Imagine a day in your life where your sanctification was a 24 hour activity.
  • Read the newspaper and find places where sanctification is required.

Closing Prayer

There is no better prayer for protection and sanctification than Psalm 141.  In your group, slowly read the psalm together as a prayer, perhaps pausing briefly after each verse.  As you read, think of those who are in particular need of God’s care, and pray for them.

April 15, 2012–Scars That Heal

Contributed by Jay McDivett, Mequon, WI

 

 

Warm-up Question

Tell a story about one of your scars. Or, if you don’t have any (or it makes you uncomfortable), tell a story about a childhood injury that you remember (what happened, how long did it hurt, etc.).

Scars That Heal

On April 2, One Goh, a former student at Oikos University, a small Christian school in Oakland, CA, shot 10 people, killing 7, in a place that had been known as a safe place for immigrants to begin a new life and a new career in the U.S.A. While the student body is largely Korean, the victims Goh murdered – execution-style – were from all over the world.

Since then, details have emerged that Goh was upset over being expelled from the school, as well as being teased for his grasp of the English language. He may also have had difficulty getting along with women. Regardless of his motivation and/or mental state, the result has devastated this school, the city, and its many immigrant communities.

And so, as Christians everywhere began to celebrate Holy Week, with its re-telling of the story of Jesus’ journey to the cross and grave, the Oikos tragedy serves as yet another reminder that violence, exclusion, bullying, execution, and the complicated lives of immigrants living in a foreign culture (all of which are present in the Holy Week stories) are not a thing of the past. These are new wounds opened up in a Christian community that must wrestle with the reality of death in the midst of a season that promises life.

 

Discussion Questions

  • How do you understand events like the Oikos tragedy in terms of your faith? What questions do these headlines raise for you?
  • Could something like this ever happen at your school? Why or why not?
  • How should One Goh be treated  by the families of the victims, the community, the church, and the justice system? What would you want to see happen to him if you were a part of the community affected by his actions?

 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 15, 2012 (Second Sunday of Easter)

Acts 4:32-35

1 John 1:1–2:2

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

Last Sunday, we celebrated God’s victory over death with the festival of the Resurrection. Most churches pull out all the stops on Easter Sunday.  Lots of regulars, visitors and occasional church-goers (what some call “Christmas and Easter” or “C&E” folks) dress in their Easter finest and are treated to festive music, beautiful decorations, egg hunts, lavish breakfasts… It’s a festive day. And why not? We are, after all, “Easter people.” We live by the story of the resurrection. As baptized people, we are joined to Jesus in his death so that we might be joined to him in his eternal and abundant life as well. This is good news!! It deserves a joyful noise, a beautiful day, a festival.

And yet, every year, the Sunday after Easter always features another story, the story of unfairly named “Doubting Thomas” longing to see Jesus’ scars. Imagine that.  The lesson for almost every other Sunday in the church year changes from year to year in the three-year lectionary cycle, the Second Sunday of Easter always tells a story about doubt and scars. Why?

There are many reasons, to be sure, but perhaps the most meaningful is this: The church knows full well that while the Resurrection declares God’s final and total victory over sin and death, most of the world – including, of course, most Christians – are still living in a world full of violence and tragedy, hunger and poverty, brokenness and sorrow. It is sometimes hard to hold onto the victory of Easter in one hand while holding a newspaper, smartphone, Facebook, or Twitter feed in the other. In public and private ways, Christian lives are still mired in all the stuff that Jesus came to destroy.

That kind of thing can make a person begin to doubt. 2000 years later, the Easter story (and the Church which bears this story on its lips) has yet to vanquish all the pain and suffering we live with. Indeed, it often feels like things are just getting worse.

So what do we do with this reality? How do we celebrate the resurrection while also being honest about the world of woe in which so many of our neighbors and ourselves are living in? Thomas gives us some great keys to living with this mystery:

  1. Stick around: This story takes place over the course of two weeks – or, at least, two weekends. For a reason known only to God and him, Thomas missed the first appearance of Jesus in the upper room (maybe because instead of huddling in fear behind locked doors, Thomas alone was brave enough to go out in the streets and keep on doing the work Jesus called the disciples to do…). Missing out made him ask for the same proof that the rest of the disciples literally got handed to them, the scars. But his doubt and questions didn’t make him give up. Instead, he shows up to worship again the next week—and meets Jesus meets. While it’s great to have lots of people show up for Christmas and Easter, we miss a lot if we only show up for the glitz and glory. Every week, Jesus walks through locked doors and shows us the signs of his love with his own broken hands. Keep showing up. Stick around.
  2. Ask tough questions: Church is not a place for people who’ve got it all figured out. Church is a place for people who live with doubt and questions. Everyone doubts and questions – ask your pastor and she’ll tell you, even (or especially) pastors have doubts. But even when it’s hard to believe, we believe that the gift of faith is a gift given to a community – to a family of broken, doubting, fearful people who are all desperate to hear a word of hope in the midst of a world that seems to be falling apart. We’re in this together, but we don’t get far when we pretend we’ve got it all figured out. Bring your questions to church. You’re in good company.
  3. Look for the scars: Barbara Lundblad, an ELCA pastor and professor, asked some great questions about this text in a sermon: Why does Jesus have scars? If God could raise Jesus from the dead, why couldn’t God fix him up and take away his scars? What’s in the scars? It seems that the scars, far from being a mark of shame, are actually signs of life: The scars tell us that Jesus was exactly who he said he was, the Word made flesh. Jesus is a real human being. Jesus knows in his own flesh and blood the pain and suffering of being alive in a broken world. Jesus is God close enough to know exactly what people like you and me are going through. And Jesus knows that even after the resurrection, there are still open wounds longing to be healed. The scars tell us that Jesus is still in the middle of it all. Jesus wears on his own body the marks of a world gone mad, and Jesus will not stop living and loving this world with his whole self until every open wound has been touched by the grace of the living God.

Scars are holy. They tell stories about where we’ve been, how we’ve been hurt, and what it takes to be healed. Sometimes, when a wound is fresh – especially if it’s deep and nasty – it’s hard to believe that we will ever be healed. But no one bleeds forever. Healing happens, on this and on every side of death. Just ask Jesus; he’s been there. He’s still there. And he always will be. And thanks be to God for that. Amen.

Discussion Questions

  • How comfortable are you discussing your doubts, questions, and fears at church? Who can you talk to? What would make you feel more – or less – comfortable?
  • When is it easy to believe in Jesus and the resurrection? When is it hard?
  • What can you do to help people with questions and doubts feel comfortable with church people?

Activity Suggestions

You will need several recent newspapers and/or magazines, newsprint (or other paper), markers, scissors, glue sticks, and either one very large picture of the resurrected Jesus with scarred hands or one copy of it for each participant (a great icon by William Hart McNichols can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/6lwcug5). Invite participants to tear/cut headlines and/or pictures from newspapers that tell stories of open wounds, scars, violence, etc; and/or they can write/draw their own stories/words/prayers on newsprint. Light candles, play ambient music, dim the lights – whatever helps set a prayerful mood. Use the glue sticks to affix the signs of brokenness to the picture of Jesus – around the scars, on his heart, wherever it feels meaningful. When you’re finished, look at the one big picture or share each other’s individual pictures together. Close in prayer.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, sometimes it’s hard to believe in hope and life when we think about the pain and suffering in the world and in our lives. Help us to see in your scarred hands the signs of your presence – with us and with all who suffer. Give us the faith to trust that you hold the whole world in your nail-scarred hands and that you will stop at nothing to heal every open wound. Be with us (and those we name before you now ______ [names/events from the pictures may be included here]), and give us life. Amen.