Contributed by R. Paul Henrickson, Chaplain and Dean of the Chapel, Roanoke College, Salem, VA

Warm-up Question

Go around the group and respond to the following:

• Is the world more populated by sheep or wolves?
• Would you rather be a sheep or a wolf?
• Name a sheep; name a wolf.
• Are Christians among the sheep or the wolves?
• Does Christianity have any enemies?

Sheep and Wolves

I write this on June 21, 2010.  I am reminded by the New York Times, that on this day in 1964, three civil rights workers disappeared in Philadelphia, Miss. Their bodies were found buried in an earthen dam six weeks later. Eight members of the Ku Klux Klan went to prison on federal conspiracy charges; none served more than six years.  In our day, working for justice continues to have its dangerous side, however, one is more likely to be threatened with the weapon of apathy rather than with a club or a gun.

Jesus warns his disciples:  “See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.”

In our present day, there is a full scale attack on Christianity, led by some who hold to the assumption that God does not matter and that religion is for those who have become thoughtlessly captive to “memes” .  Richard Dawkins,  who coined this word for a cultural idea, symbol, or practice goes on to say: “I doubt that religion can survive deep understanding. The shallows are its natural habitat.”

Some writers have begun to describe Europe as a “post-Christian” society.  In our own country estimates about how many people attend worship suggest that less than 22% of Americans attend worship each week. ( Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 44, Number 3, September 2005 , pp. 307-322)  Among young adults (18-29), 72% say that they are “spiritual, but not religious.”  In this group, 65% never or rarely attend worship services.  (http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-04-27-1Amillfaith27_ST_N.htm)

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever been threatened because of your Christian faith?
• What hinders us from proclaiming the Gospel story?
• Are we headed into a “post-Christian” age?
• Why do you think fewer people call themselves “believers?”
• Do you know people who say the are “spiritual but not religious?”

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, July 4, 2010 (Sixth Sunday after Pentecost)

Isaiah 66:10-14

Galatians 6:[1-6] 7-16

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

(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

There are a few essays that I read over every three months or so to keep me from grazing too far from the Word.  When my preaching has become rather predictable (or dry), I read Stanley Hauerwas’ article: “Preaching As Though We Had Enemies.”  In this essay he writes, “Most of us do not go to church because we are seeking a safe haven from our enemies; we go to church to be assured we have no enemies.”

In the text for this week, Jesus assures us that speaking the Gospel will be a dangerous calling.  “See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.”  Does that cause any anxiety in your heart?  Perhaps our faith has become too tame, too domesticated to generate a real threat to those who would be our enemies.  Perhaps the weapon of apathy does not warrant a defensive response.

Imagine what Sunday morning worship be like if we arrived as those who had been wounded in the spiritual battle.  There would be prayers of comfort, songs of confident praise, a message of courage and hope, mutual conversation and consolation among the faithful, and a meal of bread and wine – rations for the week ahead.

Our own Lutheran Church (ELCA), is losing more than 200 members EACH DAY.   This is a crisis of faith and evangelism; the wolves seem to be winning the numbers game.

So, fellow sheep, what are we called to do?  Prayer followed by action; songs followed by commitment, preaching that inspires and challenges; conversation that supports and encourages – these will be the marks of the flock who wander out among the wolves.  By the power of Jesus Christ, we will not fail.

Discussion Questions

• How might a local parish refocus its ministry as “sheep among the wolves?”
• Where do “the sheep” get fed and protected?
• What is the scariest “wolf” in your world?
• What “wolf” most threatens the ministry of the church?

Activity Suggestions

• Role play an encounter with a “spiritual, but not religious” friend
• Make a contract with the group to invite one person to worship next Sunday
• Watch the first 10 minutes of the evening news and imagine how people of faith might react to the stories
• Watch the following video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrQqDqOx3KY&feature=related

Closing Prayer

In the name of Jesus Christ we pray…Lord of Life, give us the courage to speak your word in a world of unbelief.  When we would rather “play it safe,” startle us to faith; when we get bored and apathetic, astonish us with grace; when we fear that we are too weak to confront the wolves, give us courage. Help us to be fed by your word this day.   Amen

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

Warm Up Question

 As a group list your answers to the following: 

• When you think about the world today and about your future, what are some of the things that make you most anxious or afraid? 
• What are some of the things that make you most optimistic or hopeful? 

Evil at Work?

On June 2, 2010, something went terribly wrong in the life of Derrick Bird.  Bird, a taxi driver, drove his taxi down England’s northwest coast on a three and a half-hour shooting spree that left 12 people dead and 25 others injured before turning his gun on himself.  Many of the shootings appear to have been completely random.  This rampage in the county of Cumbria was Britain’s deadliest since 1996, and is especially shocking in a nation where such events are very rare. 

Although the actions of Derrick Bird have deeply shaken the surrounding community, the reasons behind his behavior remain guesses at best.  Like other such attacks, investigators are able to piece together possible factors, symptoms, and signs, but only after the fact.  How then can we understand such things?  Are such seemingly random yet devastating events, as one commentator put it, the acts of greatly disturbed people “gripped by uncontrollable primitive urges,” or are they evidence of the forces of evil at work? 

Discussion Questions

•  Do you believe in the existence of unseen evil forces at work in the world and in people’s lives?  If so, what evidence is there that suggests you are right?  If not, why not?
• Do you believe we have “free will?” What place does human choice play in the events of the world that we would call evil or wrong?  What are some of the circumstances, factors, or situations that might not leave people free to choose?
• Regarding what makes you most anxious of fearful for the future, what part, if any, do random uncontrollable events such as terrorism or war play?
• Regarding what makes you most optimistic or hopeful, did you include God on your list?  Why or why not? 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, June 20, 2010 (Fourth Sunday After Pentecost)

Isaiah 65:1-9 

Galatians 3:23-29 

Luke 8:26-39 

  (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

 Our gospel lesson this week might well be entitled, “Dialoguing with Demons,” as Jesus confronts the forces of evil at work in the life of a man in the non-Jewish territory of Gerasa. Having recognized Jesus for who he is, the “Son of the Most High God,” the unclean spirits (for it turns out that there are many) submit to Jesus’ command to come out of the man, begging Jesus not to send them back to the abyss but, rather, to allow them to enter into a large herd of pigs nearby.  Jesus gives them permission to do so and the pigs are destroyed.  The man, on the other hand, is made well. 

So what is the miracle here?  How we understand it may have to do with our worldview.  That the man’s behavior is abnormal is not in doubt.  However, the cause behind his actions is.   For many modern readers the surprise in this story is its talk about demons and unclean spirits.  We are perhaps uncomfortable thinking in terms of unseen forces of evil being at work in people’s lives.  Scientific and psychological approaches to this event are much more comfortable for us, and so it is not surprising that many modern interpreters equate the “demons” of this story with some form of mental illness.  The miracle, then, is Jesus’ ability to heal a mentally ill man, restoring him completely to his right mind, something that even the wonders of our modern medical science are often unable to do. 

The surprise in this story for people from earlier times may well have been different.  For them, the existence of evil powers was not in doubt.  What is extraordinary here is the universality of Jesus’ power.  Jesus has, in effect, entered enemy territory.  Yet even here, he has the power to heal, save, and to defeat the powers of darkness with a word.  Not only does Jesus’ ability to defeat evil on its home turf confirm his identity as “Son of the Most High God,” it also demonstrates that God’s saving and healing love are for everyone – Jews and Gentiles alike. 

But there is yet another surprise in this story.  Those who witness these things and the people that they go and tell do not react with joy and thanksgiving over what Jesus has done.  Having seen the power of God at work, they all ask Jesus to leave—all except the man who was healed.  He begs Jesus that he might be with him.  Jesus instead tells the man to go back to his family, friends, and community and to share with any who will listen how much God had done for him.  “So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.” 

Discussion Questions

• Given your discussion on the presence of evil and the two different perspectives offered in the reflections above, what do you think is the most important point this story makes?  If you were to share it with a friend, what would you say about it?
• How do you feel about Jesus’ power as God’s Son to bring healing and renewed life to people? What does this gospel lesson say about Jesus’ ability to deal with some of the “darkness” and the issues or problems in your own life? 
• How important to your faith is it to hear what Jesus has done in the lives of other people?  In terms of being able to share the gospel with those do not know about Jesus, how important is it to begin with being able to share Jesus among ourselves?

Suggested Resource:  The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis: a fun yet perceptive take on the forces of evil at work in our daily lives.  

 Activity Suggestions

• Remember your baptism!  Use parts of the Affirmation of Baptism service from Evangelical Lutheran Worship to remind one another of God’s saving and redeeming love in Jesus Christ, and of the Spirit’s renewing power.  Notice, too, the “renunciation of the forces of evil” which begins the Profession of Faith.  You might gather around a bowl of water, blessing one another with the sign of the cross, or, if available, around the baptismal font.
• Share the faith.  How have you seen God at work in your life?  In the world?  Share your personal faith stories of with one another.  Perhaps have an older member of your church or faith community through whom you see God’s presence come and share their faith story.
• Pray for the world.   Using newspaper our other articles that highlight situations of evil and need in your community and in the wider-world, pray together for these needs and for the lives of the people involved.

 Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, as you overcame the forces of evil and darkness and brought healing to many, so deliver us and our world from all that would overcome us. In the power of your Spirit, heal and renew us that we may with good courage and great joy share all that God has done for us.  Amen.

Contributed by Angie Larson, Clive, Iowa

Warm-up Question

What does it feel like to be protected?

Protector and Defender

On January 12, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook the small country of Haiti. Among the stories of devastation are stories of hope. 

Frank and June Williams and their three daughters, Angie, Dawn and Pria; and two sons, Trevor and Mike, are Haitian residents.  Frank is one of the directors of World Vision in Haiti.  The apartment in which his family lived in Port-au-Prince collapsed, leaving June, Dawn and Pria trapped inside. Frank, who was outside, used a flashlight to frantically search for his family within the rubble. 

June recounts the earthquake this way in an e-mail to a friend, “There was a loud, deep rumble and the earth shook and shifted.  I couldn’t move my feet, I could only throw the girls down under me and under the archway.  Five stories of concrete and tile came down on us.  I looked at my hands that were covering the girl’s heads. My hands couldn’t protect them from anything. Yet, we were not crushed.  Five foot ceiling slabs came down.  Our heads were embedded with concrete. It was an absolute miracle.  I’ve determined that there must have been a great big, strong angel standing over us, and smaller pieces of rubble were being sifted through his wings and landed on us.”

June, Dawn, and Pria survived.  When the quake stopped they quickly ran from the apartment building through an opening in the outer wall.  A second tremor brought down the rest of the building as they were running for a mountainside. They took refuge under a tree.  A Canadian man helped them down and took them to his house, where he cared for them with a first-aid kit.  The three settled their thoughts on hope until they were reunited with their father, older brothers and sister.

Discussion Questions

• Would you lean towards hope or despair in this situation?
• Do you consider June a heroine?  Why or why not?
• How were June and her daughters protected?
• What would you say to the families of those who did not survive the earthquake?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, April 25, 2010 (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

In the gospel lesson for this week Jesus is defending his identity.  The Pharisees gather around Jesus like journalists trying to entrap a corrupt senator.  They question who he is, hoping that he will claim his identity as the Messiah. If Jesus claims this identity, they will likely stone him for blasphemy.  They desire to accuse and discredit him and also incriminate his disciples.  They have seen his miraculous actions but still refuse to believe who he is.

Jesus says his disciples are different.  In contrast to the Pharisees, who are trying to avoid the evidence in front of their eyes, Jesus’ followers enjoy a special and blessed relationship to God. He gives them a sense of belonging and identity.  They are his and he knows them intimately.  Not only does he know them, but he gives them protection and eternal life.  In me, says Jesus, my disciples know the love and care of the Father.

This gift is for us too.  Tragedy will come and shake our lives. We will lose people we love.  We will be tempted to despair.  Some days the challenges will seem overwhelming. Jesus tells us that no one will snatch us out of his hand.  He gives us his protection and defense.  His actions are even louder than his words.  June Williams placed her body over her daughters during the Haitian earthquake.  With her parental love, she protected her daughters.  So too did Jesus offer his body as a sign of his love for us.  Jesus assures us that he will hold us in his hands.  Following Jesus doesn’t mean difficulty won’t befall us, but it does mean God will hold us when it does.

Discussion Questions

• How does Jesus’ protection give you hope?
• What are some ways that Jesus’ actions spoke louder than his words?
• Jesus keeps his followers from being snatched up.  What in our world can snatch up people?  How can Jesus protect us from those things?  What can we do to follow him?

Activity Suggestions

• Do a fundraiser for Haitian relief. 
• Look on the ELCA website for stories of Haitian relief effort. www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action.aspx
• Draw a bulls-eye for the students:  five concentric circles, each bigger than the previous one.  Ask them to label the center circle with someone whom they protect, (for example, children they care for or the homeless). Ask them to label the next circle with their name.  Ask them to think of someone who protects them to label in the third circle, (for example, parents or teachers).  In the final circle ask them to write in “Jesus.”  Have them process what it means to be a protector and to be protected.

Closing Prayer

Blessed Savior, thank you for knowing and choosing us.   It feels so good to be chosen, Lord.  Thank you for your protection.  Please help us to protect those people whom you have entrusted to our care that, through our actions, they may see you.  Open our eyes to see the ways we question your claim on our lives and help us to remember that you have chosen as your beloved children and disciples.  In your name we pray, Amen.

Contributed by Claudia Bergmann, Erfurt, Germany

Warm-up Question

What was the worst day of your life?  the best?

The Best and the Worst

What would it feel like to receive the highest praise for your performance at school or on the job, and 24 hours later to have the same performance called the worst ever?

Sandra Bullock would know. Three weeks ago, she received two Golden Raspberries, awards for both the worst female lead of the year and the worst female part in a screen couple. Twenty-four hours later, she was awarded the Oscar for the” best actress in a leading role” for her performance in The Blind Side.

The Golden Raspberry award, first handed out in 1981, is a golf ball-sized depiction of a raspberry sitting on a film reel, spray-painted gold and worth $4.79. What started as an impromptu ceremony at the house of John Wilson is now covered by CNN and other major networks. While not everybody who was awarded a Golden Raspberry accepted it at the ceremony, Bullock showed her sense of humour by giving an acceptance speech and handing out copies of the worst movie of the year to the audience.

A day later, Bullock, who had taken a break from acting a few years ago because she did not consider herself good at her job, held 8.5 pounds of gold-plated britannium in her hand. This statuette, the so-called Oscar, was proof that she was good at her job as an actress.

Sandra Bullock became the first performer to receive both awards in the same year. While the Oscar will cement her position as one of the top-earning Hollywood screen stars, the “Razzie” might remind her of what it is like to be loved and hated at the same time for what you do.

Discussion Questions

• Do you follow the Oscars and other award shows? If so, do they influence your interest in seeing a movie?
• What types of movies do you like? Why?
• Who do you think should get an Oscar or a “Razzie” for a recent performance?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, March 28, 2010  (Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday)

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Philippians 2:5-11

Luke 22:14-23:56

(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

Our long reading for today is full of joy, love, and hope—but also fear, sadness, and hatred. It is also full of events that bring Jesus’ story to a close: the Last Supper, Simon Peter’s denial of Christ, Judas’ betrayal, Jesus’ trial, a prophecy to the daughters of Jerusalem, the crucifixion, and the deeds of Joseph of Arimathea. Our text is a lens which focuses on the worst and the best in the life of Jesus and his followers.

Take the disciples and their relationship to Jesus. First, they come together, eating and drinking as if they are a family. Their meal is the beginning of the Eucharist, when we remember Jesus’ life and deeds, and taste his presence in our lives. But soon, the family is torn apart and the worst happens. One disciple betrays Jesus, another denies that he ever knew him. And then, Joseph of Arimathea, who had never even been a disciple of Jesus, risks his life to provide Jesus with a proper funeral. The worst and the best behavior, all within a few hours.

Or take Jesus himself. He has so much to say in our text.  His emotions include loving care of those around him, utter despair, and absolute trust in God’s love. Jesus himself experiences the worst and the best of all emotions, and again, all within a few hours.

The journey of Jesus Christ and his disciples which we witness in today’s reading is not a straight and even path. On the contrary, it is full of ups and downs, extreme events and extreme emotions.

Guess what? Anyone who tells you that your faith journey will be a straight and even path is wrong!  All Christians go through ups and downs in their faith. There are times when we are certain of God’s presence in our lives. There are times when we truly feel and taste that Jesus Christ is present among us as we eat of his bread and drink of his wine. There are times when we look into the waters of baptism and have the feeling that God looks back at us. But there are other times as well. Times when we question God’s presence in our lives, when we doubt, when we even fear that we have lost our faith and might never find it again.

Faith doesn’t start at one point and grow continually after that. It gets stronger and it gets weaker.  It might disappear and then be reawakened within us with even greater strength. But there is one thing to remember. The ups and downs in our faith journey have to do with us, not with God. We believe that God’s love for us is a steady stream, something that does not grow or lessen depending on how we behave and feel.  Ups and downs in our faith life are normal and human. Sometimes the way is very clear and sometimes we are not so sure what God desires of us.  This is one of the reasons why Jesus could, on the one hand, pray that God would take this cup from him (Luke 22:42) and on the other hand trust his life into Gods hands (Luke 23:46). And it is one of the reasons why Simon Peter, who denied ever knowing Jesus, became once again a proud believer and a founder of the Christian community.  But at whatever point on the faith-scale we are, we can trust that God’s loving attention is ever upon us.

Discussion Questions

• What has been the absolute lowest point on your faith journey? What was the high point?
• How do you think the faith journey changes as one gets older? Does it get easier to believe? Does it get harder?
• Are there things which your family or your congregation can do to support you when your faith drops to a low point?

Activity Suggestions

Meet the Text Word-by-Word

Assign each person in your group a role in the gospel narrative. Have print-outs of the entire text and markers of different colors ready. Give individuals and groups of speakers time to read and mark up the entire text. You need the following speakers: a narrator, Jesus, Simon Peter, the disciples, a maid, a man at the fire, the men who mocked Jesus, the elders, Pilate, the soldiers at the cross, the criminal at the cross.  Then, have your group read the entire passage out loud.

Afterwards, discuss what they found out about the different characters as they spoke the words. What did the characters feel and think as they witnessed the last hours in the life of Christ? What did Jesus feel and think? What changes in the behaviour of the main characters occurred?

Faith Map

Ask your students to draw a faith map of their faith journey, marking important dates or events in their lives. Provide large sheets of paper, different pens, images, scrap-book materials, glue, etc. Give your students ample time to do this creative exercise and ask volunteers to share their faith maps with the group. Perhaps you can display the faith maps somewhere in your church.

Following One Disciple’s Up-and-Down Faith Journey: Simon Peter

Ask your students to research the life of Simon Peter as it is portrayed in the New Testament and in Christian art. Provide them with a few key scripture texts about Simon Peter to look up, along with art work reflecting his life. (For art work about Simon Peter go to www.textweek.com, “Peter”)  Similarly to the exercise above, ask your students to develop a faith map of Peter’s life which you can display in your church.

Some Scripture texts about Simon Peter: Mat 14:28-31, Mat 16:13-20, Mark 1:16-17, Mark 1:29-31, Luke 5:4-11, Luke 24:1-12, John 1:44, John 13:2-11, John 20:1-9, John 21:15-17, Acts 4:7-22, Acts 9:32-10:2, Galatians 2:11-14. You might also use this exercise to explain to your students how to use a  concordance  to look up biblical phrases or names. If your group is large enough, they might be able to look up all occurrences of the name Simon Peter in a concordance.

Closing Prayer

Faithful God,  we experience highs and lows in our faith, ups and downs, times of certainty and times of doubt. We pray that you meet us on our faith journey in whatever corner we might be hiding. We pray that you pick us up and show us the way when we fall. And we pray that you show us people with whom we might share our faith, if we happen to have an overabundance of it. Amen.

Contributed by Pastor Seth Moland-Kovash, All Saints Lutheran Church, Palatine, IL

Warm-Up Question

Who are the historical figures you look up to the most?

Signs of the Times

We all have historical figures to whom we look up. We admire what they accomplished. We are thankful for what they did for the rest of us. We use them as examples of what we could accomplish or how we should behave. Heroes of the past are an important part of any culture. 

In our culture, as in many others, some of our most-admired heroes are sports figures. Halls of Fame are places where heroes of the past are especially remembered. In the summer of 2010 Andre Dawson was chosen to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In a career that spanned 1976 through 1996, Dawson played for four major league teams and amassed a career batting average of .279 with 438 home runs. 

One important factor in remembering our heroes is how they are remembered. Do we remember them as baseball players or as humanitarians? If as baseball players, for which team do we remember them playing?  For Dawson, as for many others, there has been some controversy over which team’s cap his Hall of Fame bust will wear. The final decision, which was up to the Hall of Fame committee, is that Dawson will wear the cap of the Montreal Expos instead of a Chicago Cubs’ cap, which was his choice. 

Discussion Questions

1. When you picture your favorite historical figure, how do you know that it’s him/her?
2. How much control should public figures have over how they are remembered? Should Dawson be able to choose which team’s cap his statue wears in the Hall?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 7, 2010 (Fifth Sunday after Epiphany)

(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.

Exodus 34:29-35

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Luke 9:28-36 [37-43a]

Gospel Reflection

When Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up the mountain, they met the greats of the past.  It was as if Mt. Rushmore or the Baseball Hall of Fame had come to life for them on the mountaintop. They saw Moses, the author of the law  they had been studying since they were little boys. They saw Elijah, the prophet above all prophets, promised to come again before the Messiah. And they saw their friend Jesus in all his glory. 

I’ve often wondered (and I know I’m not alone) how Peter, James, and John knew that it was Moses and Elijah they were talking with. They didn’t have pictures of them. How could they have known? What was it about the experience that helped them understand it? 

Remember that the version we’re reading was written down a long time later. Perhaps it took them a long time to figure out what had happened to them. Perhaps it was only after Jesus’ death and resurrection that they looked back and realized completely what they had experienced. Maybe only after talking it over with others (and with Jesus) as they came down the mountain, did they start to figure it out. 

Discussion Questions

1. In religious history, who is the figure (let’s say other than Jesus) with whom you’d want to sit down and have a chat? What would you talk about?
2. How do you recognize someone as a great person?  What are the qualities of greatness that you look for?

Activity Suggestion

Sit down with the historical greats of your congregation.  Find several persons who have been a part of your congregation the longest and ask them about what they remember of the congregation’s past.

Closing Prayer

Good and gracious God, we thank you for all the saints and great ones whom you have given to us as examples and teachers. Help us to learn from their example as we try to follow you. Amen.