Contributed by Bill King, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

Share a time when you anticipated a special day or event and were disappointed?

Waiting for the Second Coming

They believe he will some day return and are waiting patiently.  They are the tribesman of Tanna, one of 83 islands that make up Vanuatu, formerly the Anglo-French territory of the New Hebrides.  The person they are awaiting is Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II.  For reasons that are not entirely clear, the people of this South Pacific island believe Philip is a descendant of their spirit ancestors and for the past half century they have worshipped him as a god.  The adulation began in the 1960s and is believed to be a synthesis of traditional religion, the idea of a returning messiah figure introduced by Christian missionaries, and respect for the royal family dating from colonial days.

Philip’s birthday, June 10, is celebrated on the island every year, but there was special anticipation in 2010 because many believed this was the year he had promised to return.  The tribesman prepared a traditional bamboo hut, with dirt floor and thatched roof for him.  Siko Nathuan, the village chief, said, “I’ve been preparing this place for when he comes to live among us.  I know that in England he has a palace and servants. But here he will just live simply, like us.”

Whenever Philip returns (he did visit the New Hebrides on the royal yacht in 1974) the islanders anticipate amazing events.  Kirk Huffman, an anthropologist familiar with the cult writes about the expectations, “At the very moment that he sets foot ashore, mature kava plants [from which an intoxicating spirit is brewed] will sprout all over the island; all the old people will shed their skins like snakes and become young again; there will no more sickness and no more death … a man will be able to take any woman he wants.”

For more on this story

Discussion Questions

• What is the difference between the inhabitants of Tanna’s expectations and the Christian hope of a “Second Coming” of Christ?
• How do you the think the inhabitants reacted when June 10, 2010 came and went without the return of Philip to Vanuatu?
• The return of a hero is a common motif in both religion and literature (think The Return of the King); why do you think we find that hope across many faiths and cultures?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, November 28, 2010 (The First Sunday of Advent)

Isaiah 2:1-5

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:36-44

(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

Did Jesus expect a “second coming” to occur before the first generation of Christians had died?  That is a question which provokes lively discussion among biblical scholars.  What is not debatable is that popular culture tends to get the priorities of this week’s text exactly reversed.  Matthew’s Jesus calls us to focus on faithfulness in the here and now, but too often we get distracted by pointless pondering about what the last days will be like.

Jesus could not make it any clearer, “Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”  But that does not keep bad literature such as the Left Behind novels from promoting lurid, morbid obsession with the final days.  The problem with focusing on the last days is that we become pessimistic spectators to the world’s pain rather than engaged disciples of Jesus who are concerned with easing that suffering.

We periodically read about a small group of fanatics who believe they have discerned the date the world will end.  They gather on a mountain top and wait for the cosmic fireworks to begin.  Such folks are simply the most bizarre example of an attitude which can take root in any Christian community, an attitude which says, “This world is so bad, let’s just hunker down in our holy bunker—safely apart from the sinful corruption of society—and wait for God to make everything right.”

Such thinking is 180 degrees from what Jesus desires from his disciples.  In God’s good time all will be made right, but in the mean time our calling is not speculation about the future, but faithful ministry in the spirit of Jesus.  If we are serious about following Christ, our concern is not just who will be “left behind” on a distant judgment day, but who gets “left behind” every day as the despairing fail to hear of God’s love in Christ, the poor go to bed hungry, students are bullied because they are somehow different, and good educational opportunities go only to those lucky enough to live in affluent suburbs.

There is no need for us to worry about the specifics of the last days.  If we live faithfully in each present moment the future will take care of itself.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think novels such as the Left Behind series are so popular; what longings or fears do they tap into?
• If you knew the “second coming” was tomorrow, how would it change how you spend today?
• Jesus says we must be ready at all times, what would being ready look like in your daily life?
• Who are the people most likely to be left behind in our world—out of sight, out of mind?

Activity Suggestions

Look at the list of those who are most likely to be “left behind” which you generated in response to the last discussion question.   Plan an action which you can do within one week which will show Christ’s concern—then do it.

Closing Prayer

Lord of History, all time is in your hands; the future belongs to you.  Preserve us from fears which lead us to despair, apathy which saps our resolve, and speculations which have no purpose.  Instead, focus our eyes on the example of our Lord Jesus Christ that we, like him,   may bear witness to your abiding love in all we say and do.  Amen

Contributed by Brian Hiortdahl, Resurrection Lutheran Church, Chicago, IL

Warm-up Question

What is the worst punishment you ever received?  Did you deserve it?

Sentenced to Die

Justin Wolfe has spent most of his twenties on death row in Virginia. Just before his 21st birthday, he was convicted of the murder of Daniel Petrole, Jr. and sentenced to die.  Wolfe did not kill Petrole, however, the man who fired the gun, Owen Barber IV, claims that he was hired by Wolfe to do it.  All three young men were heavily involved in the buying and selling of illegal drugs, and the surface story of Petrole’s murder reads like a mafia hit.

Wolfe claims innocence, at least on the charge of murder.  His claim is supported by many other people and by evidence not included in his trial, including a dramatic change in Barber’s story about what really happened on the night of Petrole’s death–a change that Barber later changed again.  Wolfe now has new legal representation and an appeal currently in process in the Virginia justice system, which rarely overturns a death sentence.  His case reopens questions about the justice of the death penalty, particularly given the possibility of executing an innocent person.

For a very detailed account of this story, read “An Innocent Man on Death Row?” at http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/11712.html 

Discussion Questions

• After reading the story, do you believe that Justin Wolfe should be executed?  If you are not sure, what questions remain unanswered?
• Under what circumstances, if any, do you support the death penalty?  Why or why not?
• In your experience or opinion, how trustworthy is the justice system of the United States?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, November 21, 2010 (Christ the King Sunday)

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Colossians 1:11-20

Luke 23:33-43

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Jesus was also sentenced to die.  His trial and execution all took place in less than 24 hours.  Of all the gospel writers who present this story, Luke most emphasizes Jesus’ innocence.  Only in Luke do we hear the words of the two criminals crucified with Jesus, and one of them says, “this man has done nothing wrong.” When the centurion speaks after his death, he does not name Jesus “Son of God,” as in Matthew and Mark, but says, “Certainly this man was innocent.”  Luke wants us to see that Jesus’ death penalty is a grotesque injustice.

This sense is amplified by the stark contrast Luke presents between the attitudes of those surrounding Jesus and Jesus himself.  In a swirl of false accusations, physical attacks, games of chance for his meager possessions, and nasty insults, Jesus consistently shows compassion, even for his executioners.  He consoles the women who accompany him to the cross (Luke 23:27-31) and then prays for those who are persecuting him:  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  Our reading ends with Jesus offering a startling, beautiful word of promise to the criminal who asked only to be remembered.

It is no coincidence that we read this gospel on Christ the King Sunday.  In the reading, Jesus is identified with imperial irony as “the king of the Jews” and the criminal asks to be remembered when Jesus comes “into [his] kingdom.”  Jesus’ gracious response underlines the sharp contrast between two political realities:  the kingdom of God, which Jesus lives and proclaims, and the violent, threatened empire which crucifies him.  Sentenced to death, Jesus’ own “death sentences”–“Father, forgive them” and “today you will be with me in Paradise”–are really sentences conferring life 

Discussion Questions

• Why was Jesus given the death penalty?  How was he considered such a threat to society that he had to be executed so quickly on a verdict from a shoddy trial?
• In what ways are the kingdom of God and the government of the United States similar?  In what ways are they different, and what should we do about it?
•  Who has wronged you, and how?  What and how much are you able to forgive?  How do you balance justice with mercy?
• How has Jesus given you life?

Activity Suggestions

• Investigate the position of your political representatives (governor, state representative and senator, House representative and state senators, etc.) on the death penalty and write them a letter outlining your agreement and/or disagreement with their stance.
• Study/discuss painter Marc Chagall’s “White Crucifixion” and its historical  context.  (http://www.davidrumsey.com/amica/amico249474-5325.html).  If possible, invite a rabbi and a pastor to join you.  What are the parallels and differences between Jesus’ death, the Holocaust of Nazi Germany, and political injustices happening today?

Closing Prayer

Christ our King, you respond to violence with peace and bring new life in the midst of death.  Share your forgiveness and faithfulness with us, that we also might bless our troubled world with your courageous compassion and resilient grace.  Amen

Contributed by Kelly Derrick,  St. Philip Lutheran Church, Roanoke, VA

Warm-up Question

What happens when we show a little kindness?

Rachel’s Challenge

On April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High School in Colorado shot and killed twelve fellow students and one teacher.  The two students then killed themselves.  The first victim in the Columbine High School shooting was Rachel Scott, a 17 year old student.  She was sitting outside eating lunch with a friend when she was shot.  Her father, Darrell Scott, has begun a campaign called Rachel’s Challenge.  Just a week after her death, Rachel’s family found in her room a tracing of hands with these words – “These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will some day touch millions of people’s hearts.”

When her family received Rachel’s backpack from the school, they found her diary with a bullet hole through it.  In the diary were words of compassion and an essay telling about her personal ethics – that your actions can represent your character and your character can change someone else’s life.  Mr. Scott travels to schools throughout the United States to share the story of his daughter – her life, her death and her hopes for kindness and compassion.  Using his daughter’s own words found in her diaries, he offers students a challenge to start a chain reaction of kindness.  “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.”- Rachel Scott

In September, Mr. Scott visited middle schools in Roanoke County, Virginia.  My son relayed his experience this way:  “Mr. Scott told us about Rachel.  She was nice, kind and compassionate.  Rachel wanted to reach out to people who are disabled, bullied, or left out of groups.  Adam was a disabled student and one of the ones most bullied at their school.  If she could help people like Adam then he could share an act of kindness with another.  Rachel’s Challenge is to start a chain reaction – one small act of kindness can lead to another and another and another.  Like you could help someone pick up their books, or you could not have prejudice toward someone before you even know them.  Bullying can really damage someone.”

Discussion Questions

• Have you heard of the shooting at Columbine High School?  Or other school shootings in the United States?
• Is there bullying at your school?
• Is it possible to show kindness to those who bully?
• Might an act of kindness shown toward Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine shooters, have changed their lives?
• Is a chain reaction of kindness even possible?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 10, 2010 (Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost)

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Luke 17:11-19

(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

There are lots of outsiders in this gospel reading for today: lepers, Samaritans, and perhaps even Jesus himself.  Jesus comes upon lepers as he approaches a village.  Lepers were absolutely unclean, suffering from a skin disease that caused them to be shunned by society.  Lepers were excluded from homes and other places where people gathered because they could spread their affliction to those around them.  Purification rites were performed for lepers who recovered from their illness.  So the leper was considered both physically and spiritually unclean.  But Jesus reaches out to these outsiders in society, having mercy on the lepers and making them well.  He tells them to go show themselves to the priests (necessary to show that they were in fact physically clean and to allow for the rites of spiritual purification).  Jesus shows compassion to those whom society avoided, the outsiders.  All ten are made clean.  Has Jesus begun a chain reaction of compassion?

Most of the lepers do as Jesus instructs; they go to show the priest that they have been healed.  But one leper turns back to thank Jesus.  “And he was a Samaritan.”  I’d almost like to add an indignant exclamation point to that verse – a Samaritan!  Humph!  Jesus is travelling in the area between Samaria and Galilee.  Many of you may be familiar with the general animosity between those from these regions (e.g. the parable of the Good Samaritan or the Samaritan woman at the well).   A Samaritan leper – could life be any worse for him?  And yet it is the outsider, the foreigner, who shows praise for being made well.  It is the foreigner who turns back to give thanks – directly, openly, verbally – to Jesus.   It is the foreigner who becomes the example of faith filled with joy and thanksgiving.  Has the outsider continued the chain reaction by starting a chain reaction of joy, praise, and thanksgiving? 

Is Jesus also an outsider?  He is praised and sought out for his teachings, healings, and other miracles.  But he is also chastised and run off (even to the point of trying to push him off a cliff!—see Luke 4:29).  People ridiculed him and plotted against him.  In the end (or is it the beginning?!), Jesus was put to death – dying for the sake of humanity’s sins.  Thanks be to God, Jesus has been raised from the dead, the ultimate victory over sin, death and the grave.  The death and resurrection of Jesus is God’s ultimate gift of grace, love and compassion.  Has God begun a chain reaction – of grace, love, compassion, mercy and hope – in the death and resurrection of Jesus? 

Discussion Questions

• Samaria and Galilee are geographically connected.  One commentary suggests that the area between the two regions is a spiritual no-man’s land.  What does it mean to live in the “space between”?  In your own life, are there real or figurative no-man’s lands, where life seems always to be in tension?
• Sometimes people point out the lack of thankfulness on the part of the other nine lepers.  Were they ungrateful?  Were they simply following Jesus’ command?  Might the rest of their lives – the future we do not hear about – have been lived in thanksgiving for all that Jesus did for them?
• Why is it important to actually say “Thank you” sometimes?
• Have you ever felt like an outsider?  What does God have to say to you?
• Has God begun a chain reaction of grace, love, compassion, mercy and hope?

Activity Suggestions

• Get out your laptop or smartphone and learn more about Rachel’s Challenge at http://www.rachelschallenge.org/
• Give someone a “Kindness Card” using either the web-based cards at Rachel’s Challenge or make up one of your own.
• Start a chain reaction of your own!

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, thank you for cleansing us all of our own outsider-ness.  Thank you for the love you have shown us in Jesus.   In all that we are, say, and do, empower us to say thank you for your undeserved love and mercy.  Guide us in showing grace, compassion, and hope to those around us, especially to the outsiders in our midst.  Amen.

Contributed by Jay McDivitt, Mequon, WI

Warm-up Question

What is one thing you have learned about “faith” from a grandparent and/or a parent?

Christian Kids Not Really Christian?

Kenda Creasy Dean, a professor at Princeton and author of Almost Christian, argues that more and more young people in Christian churches are embracing a “watered-down,” and not really “Christian” faith – something she calls “moralistic therapeutic deism” (MTD). MTD doesn’t reject basic Christian beliefs, but it doesn’t really encourage them either. Instead, MTD affirms that “God” created the world and is available to help you feel better when you’re down, but otherwise stays out of the way. God wants us to be nice and happy.  The God of MTD says good people who go to heaven. While these may be common assumptions about faith, Dean argues, these are not the historic claims of the Christian faith.

Why are kids embracing this watered-down version of the faith? Primarily because no one is taking their faith development very seriously. While parents will bend over backwards to drag kids to tutors, coaches, practices, and games to make sure that they learn or even excel in algebra, hockey, dance, soccer, or piano, it seems the name of the game for religion is to “expose” kids to faith – and hope they soak something up. Far from the radical commitments of the first disciples, many Christian churches assume that kids are doing well if they make a few good friends at youth group, have fun at camp, learn how to be nice, and avoid premarital sex or illegal drugs.

The problem lies mostly with parents, Dean argues: Too many parents don’t understand themselves why the Christian faith makes any real difference in their lives or in the world. They get “nice” and “good” – and, perhaps, “pure.” But they either didn’t grow up in the church or they were taught the same watered-down version of the faith.

What to do about it? The jury is still out. Many see a new passion growing among young people who want a faith that matters in a world that seems to be off balance. Others see an increasing decline in Christianity in North America that will bring faith practice here to the same low levels seen in Europe for decades.  One thing is for sure: Dean has started a conversation which will continue for some time as churches, parents, and young people wrestle with what it means to be Christian in the 21^st century.

Discussion Questions

• What do you think of Dean’s suggestion that Christianity has become mostly a religion of “nice” and “happy” people?  Does this sound like the Christian faith you see at church or in your home? Why or why not?
• Other than being “nice” and “happy” – and praying to God when you need help – what does it mean to you to be a Christian? What’s the real Christian faith, if the version Dean talks about is fake?
• When you think about the future, how do you want the next generation of kids (your kids or your friends’ kids) to learn about being Christians? What would you do differently from what you’re experiencing at home and at church today? What would you do the same?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 3, 2010 (Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Luke 17:5-10

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

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

Gospel Reflection

The disciples ask Jesus to “increase our faith!” How many of us have asked the same thing? When we read about tragedies around the world—or experience them ourselves in cancer, car accidents, or parents losing jobs—it’s hard for a lot of us to believe that God is real and doing good in the world. Faith gets rocked all the time, especially in the confusing and changing and crazy years of the teens and twenties.

Jesus’ response to this very normal request is surprising and a little bizarre: “If you had just a teeny-tiny bit of faith, you could move mountains.” Assuming none of us has ever told a mountain to move and had it obey, this seems like a rather strange exaggeration. Not all that helpful, at least on the surface.

But maybe that’s the point. Maybe what Jesus is saying is that the amount of faith isn’t what matters. We sometimes say “That woman is really faithful; she does x, y, and z for the church.” or, “I wish I could have faith like that guy; he’s always got the right answers.” That makes faith all about us—about how often we go to church, when and how we pray, what we do or don’t do on Friday night or Sunday morning, or how many Christian t-shirts or pieces of jewelry we wear. But if faith is all about us, then not only are we off track, we’re doomed.

That’s what is dangerous about the “almost Christian” faith that Dean describes. It’s all about us.  Faith becomes how we feel, about how nice we are – and God only enters the picture when we have a problem that we can’t fix. Then we pray “help me!” and hope God will show up and do something.

But that’s not what faith is all about. Faith is the hope that God has planted in us by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Faith is the trust that God didn’t just create the world—and occasionally shows up to fix things when we ask for help—but rather, God is turning the whole world upside down and inside out. God is the one moving mountains, destroying death, forgiving sin, healing divisions, and changing lives. Faith is the gift God gives us to see that “this is most certainly true” and the encouragement to tell the world about what we have seen.

Believing that God is turning the world upside down means that we will see, live, and talk differently. It means we will question more about “the way things are” and believe more about what God is doing. And it means we will have to practice seeing, speaking, and living the faith. Christian faith is a sheer gift, but it does not come naturally; it comes with practice. And practice takes patience and time.

That’s why it is so important for us to listen to our ancestors. Part of the problem of “MTD” is that it is all about “here and now” – it’s about my issues and my life. But Christianity is about the Beginning and the End; it’s about how Jesus is the first and last Word in creation. And that message has been given to us by those who have gone before us. The reading from 2 Timothy is a great example: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you…Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”

By the gift of baptism, we have living in us the same faith that was given to our parents, our grandparents, and all those who have gone before us. It is solid stuff which makes bold claims about the past, present, and future of creation that go way beyond being “nice” or “happy.” And it is ours to live, to grow in, and to pass on to those who come after us. Since we believe that we “rely on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to God’s own purpose and grace,” we know that whatever we do with this gift, God will keep on giving it to us and to our grandchildren, now and forever. And thanks be to God for that.

Discussion Questions

• What is different about what your grandparents believed and what you believe? If your answer is “not a lot,” why? If it’s “a lot,” what do you think created the difference?
• When have you ever wished for “more faith”? What happened?
• What difference does Jesus actually make in your life? In your parents’ lives? In the life of your church?

Activity Suggestions

• Arrange for a few older members of the church to come and talk about thier faith life. What was confirmation like for them? Did they ever leave the church? Why or why not? What do they think is the most important thing for young people to learn about Jesus and/or the church? [Perhaps this is a good time to pair each youth with an older adult for a mentoring/prayer partner relationship, if you don’t have one already.]
• Make a “faith family tree.” Have them draw their family trees – including non-“family” members (such as godparents, etc.). Identify what each person did (or didn’t) teach them about Jesus and the Christian life.
• Write a letter to your kids/grandkids/godkids/nieces/nephews. Whatever you imagine for your future in terms of relating to the next generation, pick a kid that you will someday be responsible for. Write them a letter about what you want them to know, learn, and experience as a child of God.

Closing Prayer

God of our ancestors: you have planted in each of us the seed of faith. Help us to grow in a deep and meaningful relationship with you. Teach us the important stuff, and strengthen us to pass it on to those who come after us. Thank you for all the faithful people who have gone before us and for giving us faith, especially when it’s hard to believe. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Contributed by Jen Krausz, Bethelem, PA

Warm-up Question

How do you react when you see someone you know finds faith or grows in their faith? What feelings come up for you at those times?

Rally to Return to God

On August 28, 2010, talk show host Glenn Beck hosted a rally, drawing over half a million people to Washington D.C. But although Beck is a conservative talk show host who often discusses politics, he claimed the reason for this rally was something very different.

The rally was held to benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides college scholarships to children of special operations military personnel killed in the line of duty. 5.1 million dollars has been raised so far.

Beck called his rally “Restoring Honor,” and focused on inspiring those in attendance to turn back to God, to live their lives honorably, and to encourage our country to turn back to God as a whole. In addition to honoring veterans, the rally featured a gospel choir and several pastors who spoke and offered prayers. Awards were given for faith, hope and charity, echoing 1 Corinthians 13. During Beck’s speech, he said that the country had been “in darkness for too long,” and that only with God’s help could we move back in the right direction again. 

According to reporters, the crowd was very polite, waiting nicely for others to disperse and not leaving “a scrap of trash anywhere.”

Critics have accused Beck of using the rally to revive the culture wars.

Discussion Questions

• Do you think our country has turned away from God? What things tell you that this is or is not true?  Has the United States ever been a “Christian nation”?
• Even if the country hasn’t turned away from God, what might be some positive effects of people examining their faith and beliefs?
• Do you think we are in a “culture war” over issues like abortion, gay marriage and immigration?
• What can we, as Christians and as the church, do to bring people of opposing viewpoints together?
• Critics suggest that, far from embodying Christian attitudes, Beck uses “traditional values” as code language to oppose much of the progress won by the marginalized through the Civil Rights struggle.  What core values do you think a follower of Jesus should have?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, September 12, 2010 (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Exodus 32:7-14

1 Timothy  1:12-17

Luke 15:1-10

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

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

Gospel Reflection

The Pharisees had good reasons for everything they did. They formed all kinds of rules to keep themselves from breaking any of God’s commandments. They wanted to be righteous before God. But their rules and ways of living were sometimes  based on man’s logic and reason. Somehow, in the process of making all these rules and keeping them, they neglected their hearts. They made God into some faraway being, too great and above them to have a friendship with. One of Jesus’ main teachings was that God wants to have a relationship with the people. God is at the same time “out there,” beyond all human understanding and right here, wanting to be personally involved in our lives.

God wants our hearts to be engaged, because God’s own heart is engaged. God loves us—that’s as simple as it gets, but how important and profound! In today’s scripture, God rejoices when one lost person finds faith. It gives God joy to have a relationship with us.

It is impossible for us to be one of the 99 “righteous” persons referenced in these verses without Jesus, no matter what we do or how hard we try. Jesus knew that; it’s the reason why he came. His sacrifice makes our righteousness possible. But that whole process involves our minds and our hearts. It requires us to engage God, to get personal. When we get personally involved with God, amazing things happen. A talk show host might even hold a rally dedicated to making people aware of their (and their country’s) need for God!

We might not always understand it, but our lives are changed; we become a part of what God is doing in the world. Who wouldn’t want that?

Discussion Questions

• What makes someone a “righteous” person? Do you think you are “righteous?”
•  How can we have a relationship with God that is personal?  What things can we do to start or maintain such a relationship?
• Why do you think it makes God so happy when people find faith?
• Would you want to “welcome sinners and eat with them” like Jesus did? What would that look like in your life?

 Activity Suggestions

One part of our relationship with God is prayer. Start a prayer journal to write down what you pray about on a daily basis. Leave blank space to record answers to your prayers. Over time  such a journal can be a powerful record and reminder of God’s involvement in your life.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you that because of Jesus we can be righteous in your eyes. Thank you that for wanting to have a relationship with us finding joy when we reach out to you. Help us to keep remembering to reach out to you for guidance in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.