Contributed by Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany

Warm-up Question

What kind of voice do you like to listen to?

Sheep and Shepherd

Sheep are putting lawnmowers out of work. The mayor of Paris, France, Bertrand Delanoë, is working to make the city a little more “green” and ecologically friendly by using four black sheep from the South West of France. It is called “eco-grazing.”  Their job is to eat the grass in front of Paris’ Municipal Archives. They are kept behind a solar-powered electric fence.

The sheep are drawing attention to the archives, which is something the director, was hoping for. Originally, the director of the archives, Agnès Masson, wanted to get a donkey or some other animal but finally accepted the four sheep. This is a project that appears to be great for the environment and an interesting attempt to raise awareness to a cultural/historical resource in a neighborhood of Paris that does not have any museums or cultural institutions.

Discussion Questions

• Would you let a sheep mow your lawn?
• What chores do you have to do that you wish an animal could do? Which animal could do it?
• What other natural ways could you get “chores” done?
• Could you imagine sheep eco-grazing the lawn around your school or your city hall or state capital?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 21, 2013 (Fourth Sunday of Easter)

Acts 9:36-43

Revelation 7:9-17

John 10:22-30

(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 Sunday in the church year is often referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday”. The readings always have something to do with God and Jesus and followers as sheep. In this gospel text, there are a couple of elements that call out for our attention. One of them is the part of the story that has some tension in it. Jesus is put on the spot by Jewish believers at the temple. They want to know if he really is the Messiah. They pressure him to tell them. Jesus basically says, “You missed it. I’ve performed miracles, I’ve healed, I’ve taught and you still don’t get it. You’re not going to get it now no matter what I say.” They aren’t listening. They can’t hear his voice. It is then that Jesus changes the direction away from their expectations and toward God’s reality. God takes care of the sheep. God the Father and, in this case, God’s Son are in the sheep caring business together. And, this business is about not losing sheep.

When we experience difficult times, we look to words of comfort that tell us how much God loves us. We cherish the image of God and Jesus as loving shepherds protecting us sheep. Sometimes, however, we are just like the religious leaders in this text. We place demands on God. We want God to just “speak plainly” to us. We want to know God is with us. We want to know that Jesus the Messiah is who we think he is. But, just as Jesus doesn’t let himself get put into a box and try to prove himself out of it, God cannot be put into a box. God is bigger than our wants, yet God cares for us all the same.

Sometimes we believe we hear the voice of God in some form. Sometimes we want proof. This is what it is like to live as followers of the Risen Christ. It is certainty in the midst of uncertainty. The good news is that both Father and Son are in a divine community concerned about us. We have the stories of the faith in Scripture and we have the stories of the faith in our lives today. We are encouraged to trust in what have and to work at being open to God’s presence in our lives. We are also promised eternal life as a result in participating in God.

Discussion Questions

•  When have you asked for someone to speak plainly and explain something to you again?
• When have you felt like you wanted God/Jesus to prove something to you?
• When have you felt lost and wanted God to find you and bring you back into the fold?
• What kind of proofs have you expected from God/Jesus?
• When do you find it difficult to listen?

Activity Suggestion

Shepherd Whispers— This is the game “Simon Says” but with the phrase “Shepherd Whispers” instead. The leader (Shepherd) gives commands for the sheep to follow but whispered so the sheep have to strain to hear the Shepherd’s voice. But they only follow when the Shepherd says “Shepherd Whispers X”, “Shepherd Whispers Y”. If the Shepherd doesn’t say/whisper it, then the sheep shouldn’t do it. Those that miss a command are “out”…the twist is at the end, the Shepherd says, “Shepherd Whispers, all are welcome, all are mine, all God’s sheep are loved.”  A variation for this game would be to do the activity with eyes closed or using a blindfold

Closing Prayer

Loving God, you held us close when we were in pain and you sought us out when we were lost. Make your presence known to us now. Speak to us plainly. Keep us in the fold of your loving embrace. We ask this in the name of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Amen

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 266^th 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 11^th 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 6^th century).

The 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

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!

Vulkanette / Shutterstock.com

“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

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 17^th 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.

Contributed by John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

Can you think of something that you would describe as a miracle?

 It’s a Miracle!

On Good Friday, a Navy fighter jet lifted off from a base in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  The jet suffered a severe mechanical.  The pilots tried to return to the base, but it quickly became apparent that they were in trouble.  After a short flight, the jet crashed into an apartment complex and destroyed over 40 units.  Amazingly, no one was killed.

According to witnesses and experts, several factors combined to prevent a larger tragedy.  The pilots managed to dump fuel which helped prevent a larger fire.  They waited until the last possible moment to eject from the plane so they could try and guide the plane as long as possible.  The plane hit an empty courtyard and because the accident occurred in the middle of the day, most people were not home at the time of the crash.  After the accident, people on the ground were able to pull the pilots away from the flames to prevent them from suffering further injury.  A total of seven people were hurt, but all of them were out of the hospital within two days.

The response from leaders in the area was clear.  According to the Associate Press article “Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms took to Twitter on Saturday to celebrate the fact no lives were lost, calling it a “Good Friday miracle.” Adm. John C. Harvey, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces, said he was “quite surprised, to be honest”, that no one had died, calling it an “amazing miracle.”  Gov. Bob McDonnell told The Virginian-Pilot newspaper that the lack of loss of human life was “an act of divine providence.”

Discussion Questions

• The leaders in the area clearly viewed the fact that no one was killed as a miracle.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?
• How would you define a miracle?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 22, 2012 (Third Sunday of Easter)

 Acts 3:12-19

1 John 3:1-7

Luke 24:36b-48

(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

Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the other women returned and announced the good news.  The tomb was empty.  Jesus had risen from the dead.  Peter ran to see the empty tomb for himself, but he didn’t see the angels or risen Lord.  The disciples on the road to Emmaus returned and shared their encounter with Jesus, but hearing about something miraculous is not the same as experiencing it yourself.  So when Jesus appeared to the disciples, it should be no surprise that the disciples were startled and terrified—or that they initially believed that Jesus is a ghost.

The disciples are trying to make sense of this miraculous event.  Trying to understand how the horrible death they witnessed on Friday night could be overcome.  Trying to understand how God could accomplish something so miraculous.  Encountering Jesus’ ghost would be a little easier to believe, but after touching and seeing his wounds and sharing a meal with him, the disciples are convinced that Jesus has risen from the dead.  It’s a miracle!  Christ’s presence moves them from fear to acceptance, from confusion to clarity.

Miracles, by definition, are occurrences that defy a rational explanation, but for the disciples, the miracle of the Resurrection offered clarity and brought understanding.  Jesus’ resurrection makes it clear that God’s power is greater than the power of death.  Jesus’ resurrection makes it clear that God, through Jesus, is on a mission to love, bless and forgive the whole world.  Jesus’ resurrection makes it clear that as “witnesses of these things”(Lk 24:48), the disciples are called to go and share this miraculous good news with the world.

In this Easter season, we, like the disciples, hear the amazing, miraculous news of the Resurrection.  Like them, we may have moments of doubt and uncertainty.  This truly is an amazing story and although you and I may not be able to touch Jesus’ wounds or watch him eat a piece of fish in person, we can still encounter the risen Jesus today.  We encounter Jesus through the story of what God has done and is doing for God’s people.  We encounter Jesus as we experience God’s presence through the bread and wine of communion and as we are surrounded by the community of God’s people.  We encounter Jesus as we hear God’s Word through the story of the scriptures.  As we, like the disciples, encounter Jesus we can believe the miracle of the tomb empty, receive forgiveness of sin, and rejoice in the hope that thanks to the resurrection we have the promise of eternal life with God.

Discussion Questions

•  How do you think you would have reacted if you had been in the room with the disciples?
• What is the first question you would have asked Jesus?  How do you think he would have responded?
• How can you be a witness to the resurrection in the world today?

Activity Suggestions

Jesus calls us to be witnesses to the good news of the resurrection.  Try one of the following activities this week or develop one that fits your particular community.

• Create favorite scripture passage posters and place them around the church.
• Look in the “Contact” list in your phone and text one person who doesn’t have a church home to invite them to worship or a church event
• Write a handwritten note to someone in the congregation or community who is not able to come to worship
• Give time to a service project as a way of sharing God’s love.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, we give you thanks for the empty tomb and the risen Jesus.  Fill us with the joy of your love, help us to know your presence in our lives, and inspire us to be your witnesses, sharing the story of the resurrection and your unbreakable love with those around us.  Amen.