Contributed by Jay McDivitt, Grace Lutheran Church, Thiensville, WI

Warm-up Question

Have you ever owed someone something? Has anyone every owed you? How does it change a relationship when people owe each other?

Debts Forgiven

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank agreed on June 29 to back $4.6 billion in debt relief for the country of Liberia. On June 30, Haiti received word that they had fulfilled obligations under the “Heavily Indebted Poor Countries” (HIPC)  program, and $1.2 billion in debt has been forgiven there.

For years, churches (including the ELCA) and other groups have urged wealthy countries and international banks to forgive debts that cripple the economies of emerging/developing nations. Large debts, often built up by oppressive past regimes, saddle countries like Haiti, Liberia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and others, with large interest payments. In Honduras, for example, an estimated 12.3% of the total value of exports goes to service the interest payments on their $5.1 billion in debts.

Debt relief in Liberia frees up resources to rebuild the country from years of conflict; in Haiti, forgiven debt frees up $20 million in interest payments for 2010 alone, which will help that country rebuild after the horrific January 12 earthquake.

Although there has been some progress on debt relief in recent years, there are still many heavily indebted poor countries in the world. In Haiti, for example, the $1.2 billion that was just forgiven is just over half of what they owe – the country still has $1.051 billion in outstanding debt.

Under HIPC, indebted countries have to show that they are creating stable economic growth and establishing sustainable programs to reduce poverty. Several nations continue to work toward these goals and having their debts reduced or forgiven. Activists and churches continue to work with them and to lobby wealthy governments and banks to make faster progress on eliminating these heavy debt loads.

For further information consult these sources:

(http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE65T09220100630)

(http://www.jubileeusa.org)

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think churches such as the ELCA are interested in forgiving poorer countries’ debts? Can you think of a reason why not to forgive debt?
• Do you know anyone who has had a debt forgiven?   (Currently, there are lots of people attempting to renegotiate mortgage or credit card debt.)  How would it feel to have a debt canceled?
• How much do you know about things like debt and interest?  How much do you talk at home about finances – savings, mortgage, charity, credit cards, etc?  Why is it important to know about things like that?  Who could teach you?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, July 20, 2010 (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost)

Genesis 18:20-32

Colossians 2:6-15 [16-17]

Luke 11:1-13

(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

You probably noticed that the version of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught the disciples that day is a little different from the one you normally pray during worship. (There’s a long reason for that; ask your pastor about it sometime!) It’s also a bit different from the other place where Jesus teaches people how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13 – check it out). One interesting place where they differ is in the part about forgiveness:

            Matthew: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

            Luke: “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.”

 Debt was a big deal in Jesus’ day. It was very easy to fall into debt – crop failure, bad business, death of a husband/father – and very hard to get out of it. When you owed someone something, that gave them control over your life and your future – which was, of course, a huge distraction. More than that, it could lead to becoming a slave or prisoner. It’s not surprising, then, that one of the first things that happened when some Jews in Jerusalem attempted to overthrow the Romans was to burn all the records of debts.

It’s interesting that Luke uses “sins” instead of “debts” in his version of Jesus’ prayer – but when talking about our relationship to others, they both agree that forgiving debt is the primary way that we practice forgiveness with our neighbors. There may be many reasons for that – here’s one guess:

Since God gives us daily bread – whether we deserve it or not – it is strange to think about us “owing” God, at least not the way we “owe” the bank or our neighbor. God gives and gives – and we could never begin to pay it back. Instead, God asks that we live our lives in a loving relationship with God and with our neighbors.

 Unfortunately, we aren’t always good at loving God or our neighbors. That’s sin – a broken relationship with God and others. And in this prayer, we ask God to heal that relationship – to forgive the ways that we fail to respond lovingly to God’s grace.

And when that relationship is healed, it puts our other relationships into perspective.  We realize that we have a role to play in helping clear the way for people to be in relationship with God. One of the biggest distractions that get in the way of our relationship to God and each other is debt,  both literal debt and all the other ways we make people depend on something or someone other than God (grudges, revenge, unhealthy or abusive relationships, and on and on).

So sin (broken relationships) and debt (belonging to someone other than God because of what we owe) are connected. God can’t heal our broken relationship with God if we’re spending all our energy and time owing and owning each other. And so we pray for the strength to cancel debt – to forgive each other and free each other to be in a relationship with God.

 The writer of Colossians got this, too. To a community that fought about all kinds of silly stuff, the writer tells them to remember who’s really in charge – and what really matters: “God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses,  erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross” (vv 13b-14). In Jesus, all debts are forgiven. All the records of sin and broken relationships have been erased by God’s grace – so we are free to set aside all our own grudges and debts and broken histories with each other. And thanks be to God for that.

Discussion Questions

• How would you describe the connection between “sin” and “debt”?  How does the meaning of the prayer change when we take the word “debt” out of the version of the Lord’s Prayer we pray in church?
• What would happen if everyone stopped owing other people anything? How would relationships change if no one had any debts?
• Tell a story about a time you’ve been forgiven – by a parent, teacher, friend, sibling, or someone else. What does it feel like to be forgiven?
• Tell a story about a time you’ve forgiven someone else. What does that feel like?

Activity Suggestions

• Check out www.jubileeusa.org. Find the countries listed on that website on a map/globe. Pray for those countries. Use the resources on the website to write letters to government or bank leaders asking for debt relief. Put together a poster or some other project to help educate folks at church about debt relief. (For ELCA resources, check out: https://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Advocacy/Issues/Global-Poverty-and-Disease/Debt-Relief.aspx)
• Draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. On one side, write the things you “owe” other people (real debt, things you’ve done to hurt people, etc). On the other side, write the things that other people “owe” you (debts, grudges, payback for helping them out, etc). Nail them to a cross, or pile them up and burn them. Or – add them to a stack of copies of credit card bills or mortgage statements, and run them all through the shredder.

Closing Prayer

God in heaven, your Name is Holy. Build up your power among us, and take us where you want us to go.  Thank you for feeding us  day by day with all that we need – and for forgiving us for all the ways we break your heart by giving our allegiance to people and things other than you.  Help us to forgive people for anything and everything they owe us, and keep our feet on the path of mercy and grace.  Everything we are, and everything we have, belongs to you, O God, forever and ever. Amen.

Contributed by John Hougen, St. John Lutheran Church, Melrose Park, PA 

Warm-up Question

What skills necessary to help people in need are among your hidden talents?

Hidden Talents

Russell just graduated from high school. He motors around in a wheel chair, and some find it difficult to understand his speech. He is a young man with many talents, but most of them are hidden by cerebral palsy. Because his talents are hidden, Russell is often met with expectations that are lower than his gifts. Therefore, to sing, to socialize, to dance, to share a joke, to be a worship leader in church, Russell must often summon the courage to go beyond the expectations of others, which he does with grace. He sings (occasionally solos). He acts in chancel dramas. He socializes before and after worship. 

As his pastor, I am most grateful for his gift of caring. He pays attention to who is in church and who is not. If people are missing for too long, he will ask if they are OK. If they are ill, he will ask about them regularly. When they return, he greets them with genuine gladness. 

Russell also has brought out the hidden talents of relatives and friends, classmates, and other members of his congregation. Most of them do not think of themselves as people with the natural gifts required for relating to a person with physical and intellectual challenges. Russell has helped them discover that they have the talents necessary to be his friends and companions. 

Discussion Questions

• Russell’s cerebral palsy masks his talents. In our society, what are some other “masks” that hide people’s talents?
• Share the story of an occasion when you discovered you could do something you didn’t think you could do.
• What factors lead people to underestimate your capabilities?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, July 11, 2010 (Seventh Sunday after Pentecost)

Deuteronomy 30:9-14 

Colossians 1:1-14 

Luke 10:25-37 

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.) 

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

Gospel Reflection

 There are many ways to read a parable. Today, try to identify with each character in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Explore whether each character is a part of who you are. 

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Have you ever been a victim of the cruelty of others? Even if you have never been mugged, ask yourself whether you’ve been hurt by others, left feeling vulnerable, discouraged (beaten down emotionally), and without the strength to get up and go. If so, then a part of you is like the man in the parable who was robbed and beaten. If so, you are capable of empathy and compassion for victims of cruelty. 

“Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.”  Have you ever ignored a person in need?  In this world, there are countless people who need our help. Technology and opportunities to travel make them as accessible to us as if they were lying in a ditch by the side of our favorite hiking trail. We can’t help everyone in need, so all of us are passers by – like the priest and Levite in the parable. The story does not tell us why the priest and Levite passed by, but maybe they were busy, had appointments, fainted at the sight of blood, didn’t want to get involved, were afraid the robbers still were lurking. Thinking about why the priest and Levite did not stop might help you identify your reasons for not helping more than you do. Some of your reasons are likely to be legitimate and others are likely to be excuses, ways that you hide your capabilities for helping people in need. Separating legitimate reasons from excuses can be a step towards growing in compassion and generosity.  

^“But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” Have you ever helped someone in crisis? Have you ever helped someone in crisis who was not the sort of person with whom you usually associate? Samaritans (who thought of themselves as related to Jerusalem Jews) and Jerusalem Jews (who denied that Samaritans were related to them) were suspicious of one another and did not mingle. Since Jesus was telling this parable to Jerusalem Jews, their expectation would have been that the Samaritan would have passed by and the Priest or Levite would have helped. To the Jerusalem Jews, the Good Samaritan’s mercy was a talent hidden behind a negative stereotype of his ethnicity. You can identify with the Good Samaritan if you are willing to reach across the barriers that usually keep people apart (race, economic status, education, sexual orientation, etc.). You can identify with the Good Samaritan if you have the courage and strength to be compassionate in spite of pressures that might lead you to “pass by on the other side.” 

Discussion Questions

• Which character is easiest for you to identify with? Which is the most difficult? 
• Do you have hidden talents that could be used to help people in need? What are they?
• Among your friends and in your worshipping community, what resources can you turn to that will help you grow in compassion, awareness of why you are reluctant to get involved, and courage to become more proactive in meeting human needs?

Activity Suggestions

•  Interview someone in need and share their story with a group.
• Work with a partner to help someone you’ve never met who has a need you’ve never encountered face to face.  

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, when I am in trouble, send a Good Samaritan to help me. And, strengthen my own compassion, honesty, and courage so I can be a Good Samaritan to others. Amen.

Contributed by Stephanie Opsal,  West Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

What do you think it would be like to be a celebrity?

A Perfect Life?

Britney Spears is one of many booming pop stars who started high but experienced troubles later on.  Her fame began when she was a blonde, teenage pop singer, reaching the top of the U. S.  pop music charts by age 17.  Her music played a key role in reviving the “teen pop” icon in the late 1990s.  She has sold over 85 million albums.

Yet her shining appearance is not evidence of a perfect life.  She has lived through two divorces, little privacy, mental breakdowns, rehabilitation centers, and losing custody of her kids.  A recent article describes how she shaved her head in a public salon for attention or due to emotional disturbance.

A song I remember from her second major album, Oops!.. I Did It Again, featured a song called “Lucky”.  The lyrics of the song describe the struggles of life for all people, even a stylish Hollywood star named Lucky:

“And they say..
She’s so lucky, she’s a star.
But she cry cry cries in her lonely heart, thinking
If there’s nothing missing in my life
Then why do these tears come at night?”

By the look of it, Lucky has everything, but something is still missing in her life.  Even the most famous people experience everyday struggles like you and me, and sometimes immensely greater problems as well.  Many embarrassing details of Britney’s personal life are open to the public, but no other celebrity’s life is perfect either, even if you can’t always see behind the dazzling star image.

Discussion Questions

• Who’s your favorite celebrity?  Why?
• Did you ever want to be famous?  Why?  Do you think that life would be easy?  Describe the perks and drawbacks you think would be associated with a celebrity’s life.
• If you had the choice right now to be a famous person or an everyday person, which life would you choose?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, June 13, 2010, (Third Sunday of Pentecost)

2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15

Galatians 2:15-21

Luke 7:36-8:3

(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

Simon the Pharisee, whom Jesus visits in this week’s gospel reading, is a very law-abiding, righteous man who thinks highly of himself.  He feels very dignified before his guest, Jesus.  In contrast, the woman labeled “a sinner” kneels behind Jesus her Lord and weeps.  She gives him all that she can offer, pouring out costly perfume onto his feet and humbling herself completely.  What causes the difference in the responses of the Pharisee and the woman to Jesus?

The woman recognizes the reality of her sins and her true need for forgiveness.  She yearns for the grace and peace that only Jesus can offer.  The Pharisee, on the other hand, thinks he is following the Law perfectly and, thus, has no need for any forgiveness, let alone from this man Jesus who associates with sinners. 

So Jesus tells Simon a parable about two debtors, one owing 50 denarii and another owing 500 denarii.  Which one, Jesus asks Simon, will be more grateful when the creditor forgives both debts?  Simon gives what seems to be the obvious answer, “the one with the larger debt.”  But Simon’s great problem is that he is blind to his debt; he is not grateful because he does not think he owes anything.  He takes God’s forgiveness for granted.  He does not see that his pride is as serious a sin as anything this weeping woman has done.

Both Simon and the woman are in need of God’s forgiveness. The difference is that she knows her need and receives Jesus’ forgiveness, while the Pharisee, in his arrogant blindness, treats Jesus discourteously (he does not kiss him, wash his feet, or anoint his head with oil).  Simon receives little because he asks for little—and therefore shows little love in return.  The woman, acknowledging her need, receives the forgiveness she longs for. 

Jesus shows us that we are all in need of God’s forgiveness.  The Law helps us realize how much we sin, even when we’re being “good” like the Pharisee; it calls us to admit our need for grace.  Without Jesus’ perfect death for all sin and His resurrection from the dead, we would die forever. 

Sometimes we take this amazing gift for granted.  Because we hear about Jesus all the time, we incorrectly think that we would be “good enough” to make it into heaven on our own.  Like the Pharisee, we may look down on others who seem to be spectacularly sinful people.  In actuality, everyone is a sinner.  Britney Spears, a thief, your family members, a pastor, the president, you, and I are all sinners.  Our good actions are not enough to counteract our sinful mistakes in life.  In Britney Spears’ song, Lucky’s success doesn’t fulfill her; she is missing Jesus and His forgiveness in her life.  Like this humble woman, let us rejoice every day and give thanks to Jesus with all that we are.  Jesus forgives our every mistake.  By His sacrifice, he reunites us with a loving God.  What an awesome gift!

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think forgiveness and love go together?
• Try to see yourself from the perspective of both the Pharisee and the woman.  Describe a situation where you thought your actions were fine only to discover you had been blind to a failing.  Describe another time when you admitted your sin to God and accepted His forgiveness.
• Do you agree with the message of Jesus’ parable?  Does one forgiven a greater debt always feel greater gratitude?
• Consider the ideas of “law” and “grace”.  Which one is harder for you to accept?  Some persons struggle more with noticing and admitting their  sin, thinking they have no need of forgiveness because, compared to many, they are pretty good.  Others are so burdened by guilt that they can not really accept forgiveness offered by God’s grace.   Where is your greatest challenge?

Activity Suggestions

• Write a song or poem about something you learned from today’s gospel reading.  It can be directly about the story or more about a moral lesson, like the song “Lucky”.  If you want, your group could work together and perform the song.  If you prefer, you can draw a picture highlighting an aspect of the story.
• At the end of our gospel reading in the first three verses of Luke chapter 8, some forgiven sinners accompany Jesus and His disciples as they go out to share the good news of Jesus’ forgiveness.  Tell at least one person this week why Jesus’ forgiveness is important to your life.

Closing Prayer

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we praise you for your gift of forgiveness.  Help us to more deeply understand and appreciate this eternal gift you gave to all your people.  We thank you for the example of this weeping woman; may we give our lives to you as well.  We pray for all who struggle but place their hope in something less than you, O God.  Help them to see their sin and their need for the grace given through the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray.   Amen.

Contributed by Jack Saarela, Lutheran Campus Pastor, Yale University 

Warm-up Question

It is much harder to see spelling and punctuation mistakes in something you have written than in it is to see the same mistakes in someone else’s work.  Why do you think that is? 

Blind Spots

Mark Horvath is a denizen of social media. He tells of a homeless man on Hollywood Boulevard who thought he was invisible. One day a kid handed the man a Christian pamphlet. The homeless man was shocked and amazed, “What?! You can see me? How can you see me? I’m invisible!” 

It isn’t hard to comprehend this man’s spiral into invisibility. Once on the street, people started to walk past him, ignoring him as if he didn’t exist. “It’s not that people are bad,” Horvath says, “but if we make eye contact, then we have to admit that they exist, and that we might have a basic human need to care. It’s so much easier to close our eyes and shield our hearts from their existence.” 

By way of invisible-people-tv, Horvath uses the lens of a television camera to tell the stories of homelessness and the organizations trying to help. His stated purpose is to make the invisible visible 

Discussion Questions

• When you have encountered a homeless person on the streets of the town or city where you live, have you found yourself looking the other way? Can you say why? Does Horvath’s explanation above ring a bell?
• Talk about a time when you looked at someone you thought you knew well, but at that moment, you felt as though you were seeing him or her for the very first time.
• Have you yourself ever been in a situation where you felt invisible, as if everyone was looking past you and not seeing you? Say some more about it.

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, June 6, 2010 (Second Sunday After Pentecost)

1 Kings 17:17-24 

Galatians 1:11-24 

Luke 7:11-17 

(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 woman in this gospel episode has at least two strikes against her, with the third one not far away. She is a widow, meaning, of course, that she has lost a husband. Now she is in a funeral procession behind the body of her only son. She has she lost two people whom she loves, and because in her society (as in many yet today), a woman is totally dependent for economic support on a male to whom she is bound (father, husband, brother-in-law, or son), she now has no means to live. 

One miracle that Jesus performs in this episode is the one identified by the heading for this text in the Oremus Bible Browser: “Jesus Raises the Widow’s Son at Nain.”  It’s true; he does, and to give new life to the dead is miracle enough. 

But what strikes me as at least as great a miracle is that out of the midst of the large crowd that came to meet Jesus and his disciples when they entered the town, Jesus should actually see this woman. To be sure, she is in a funeral procession. But in a land where death was regular visitor, a funeral procession would not be as noticeable as it is in our day. 

This woman is very ordinary, and now rendered absolutely powerless and helpless by tragedy in her life. I wonder how many in the crowd looked past her as they rushed to the town gates to see this phenom Jesus who was arriving. But Jesus brought both the crowd’s advance and the funeral procession itself to a halt by seeing the woman, taking notice of her–not only acknowledging her existence, but also addressing her grief and dire economic plight by returning to her the life of her son. 

It’s reminiscent of the New Testament story which is just about every child’s favorite.  Zaccheus climbs up into a tree in order to see Jesus, but is, as it turns out, seen by Jesus, and his life transformed as a result (Luke 19:1-10). There’s real power to heal and raise the dead in Jesus’ sight. 

Discussion Questions

• Can you think of incidents in the gospels where Jesus performs the miracle of giving sight to someone? What role do you think having sight has in the life of a disciple of Jesus? 
• Talk about a time when you were challenged to see someone else’s need in a new way. Did your insight move you to respond to that person’s need in any way? 
• Are there individuals or groups of person who may be “invisible” at your church? Who is missing? Who is there, but hardly ever noticed? 

Activity Suggestions

• Watch a story or two of homeless persons at: http://www.squidoo.com/invisiblepeopletv
•  Pause for a few minutes to reflect on that person’s story. Then write your thoughts in the comments section, or e-mail them to a friend and send them the link to the site.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, healer of our every ill, we thank you for looking upon us and seeing us in all our complexity and need. Heal our vision that we may be able to see others as you see them. Amen.

Contributed by Jocelyn Breeland, Fairfax, VA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever had a lucky break, a time when you “beat the odds?”

Sole Survivor

The sole survivor of the recent Afriqiyah Airways plane crash in Libya was a 10-year-old Dutch boy.  Last year, the sole survivor of a Yemenia Airways plane that crashed into the Indian Ocean was a 12-year-old Parisian schoolgirl. In 2003, the sole survivor of a Sudan Airways crash was a three-year-old boy.

 In the last forty years there have been 16 crashes with a sole survivor, and half of those survivors were minors. Is there something about children that helps them survive air disasters?  You might be forgiven for thinking so.

 The reality is that the survival rate for accidental airplane crashes is over 95%, and based on the statistics, survival has nothing to do with a passenger’s age.  What’s more, although fear of flying is among our most common phobias, the National Safety Council reports the odds of dying in a plane crash (1 in 5,862 over your lifetime) are much smaller than the odds of meeting your end doing something less fearful like being a pedestrian (1 in 623) or riding in a motor vehicle (1 in 85).

Perhaps each of these survivors simply experienced a very lucky day.

Discussion Questions

• Are you afraid of flying?  Does luck play a role in surviving a plane crash? 
• Can faith help you survive a plane crash?
• Imagine what it must be like to be the sole survivor of a disaster such as a plane crash.  Would that be easier or more difficult for a child?
• Do you believe that these survivors were saved “for a reason?”
• Would surviving a plane crash change your faith in any way?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, May 30, 2010 (Holy Trinty/First Sunday after Pentecost)

 Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Romans 5:1-5

John 16:12-15

(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

Contemporary Christians tend to accept the concept of the triune God long before they understand what it truly means.  It’s in the hymns we sing and the creeds we recite.  So, it can be difficult for us to comprehend the attitude of the disciples as they hear the words in today’s Gospel.  Christ was explaining to them things that would take place after his crucifixion and resurrection; things they couldn’t really understand until those events had come to pass.The disciples were about to experience Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, events that would change their lives and their understanding of his mission on Earth.  These events were so far out of their realm of expectation that they couldn’t even contemplate them until they occurred.  And once they did happen, Jesus knew the disciples would feel lost without him to help them understand and move forward.Few of us are able to predict the paths our lives will take.  Like the disciples, we will probably experience a number of unforeseen circumstances—good and bad—that will change how we view ourselves, the world, and God’s plan for our lives. It’s likely that, even if a prophet could warn of those events ahead of time, our understanding of them would be incomplete until we experienced them for ourselves.  And it is likely that we will experience fear and uncertainty from time to time.But, like the disciples, we have the assurance that God provides for our needs now and in the future.  We know as they did, that as God’s plan is revealed to us, we will have the Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us.  In times of trouble we, like the disciples, can recall Christ’s words and know that God has provided exactly what we need to cope with whatever trials each new day may bring.

Discussion Questions

• What is it that Jesus has to tell the disciples that they cannot now bear?
• Based on this scripture, what is the relationship of the Spirit to the Father and Son?
• The disciples faced many trials after the Pentecost.  How might today’s Gospel have been helpful during those times?
• If there were a prophet available, would you want to know in advance of cataclysmic events to come in your life?
• Can your faith help you prepare for bad times?

Activity Suggestions

A mnemonic (ni-MON-ik) device is something that aids memory.  For example, “Roy G. Biv” helps us remember the colors of the spectrum.Design a mnemonic device to help you in times of trouble to remember and call on the Holy Spirit to show you the truth, reassure you of God’s love, and lead you when you’ve lost your way.  Perhaps it’s a phrase you can remember, an image, a piece of jewelry, anything that might help you focus when you need it most.  Use your imagination. Practice using your device. 

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we know that our futures, unknown to us, are known to you and are all part of your plan. You are in control.  We are grateful that, because of the sacrifice of your son Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we always have a guide and a comforter to show us your will and your way.  We thank and praise you for these and the many other blessings you have bestowed on us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.