{"id":2376,"date":"2011-02-22T07:52:43","date_gmt":"2011-02-22T12:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=2376"},"modified":"2011-02-15T13:28:35","modified_gmt":"2011-02-15T18:28:35","slug":"february-23-march-1-2011-no-strings-attached","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/february-23-march-1-2011-no-strings-attached\/","title":{"rendered":"February 23-March 1, 2011&#8211;No Strings Attached"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Contributed by Dennis Sepper,<\/p>\n<p>University Pastor, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington<\/p>\n<h3>Warm-up Question<\/h3>\n<p>Name one thing you spent money on this week.\u00a0 Why did you spend the money on that one thing?\u00a0 How did you feel when you laid down the cash and took possession of whatever it was that you bought?<\/p>\n<h3>No Strings Attached<\/h3>\n<p>A commuter student at the university where I work lost everything in a house fire.\u00a0 Thankfully, her family and the family pets got out of the house in time and were not injured but the entire house burned down.\u00a0 They lost everything, their treasured memories in pictures and souvenirs, their clothes and beds, their entire possessions.\u00a0 Our student even lost her books for the spring semester which, as a nursing student, was a very substantial loss.\u00a0 Certainly insurance will cover a good deal of the loss and the school has a fund which allowed our student to buy another set of nursing books, but insurance and the good will of others cannot cover everything and it cannot replace the personal items that each family member had collected and now lost.<\/p>\n<p>These kinds of tragedies happen every day from accidents to natural disasters.\u00a0 It\u2019s funny how we always think our possessions will be there.\u00a0 We become so attached to them that we deny that one day they could go away.\u00a0 Even though it happens every day, we still think that we will be able to hold on to everything that is ours.\u00a0 And should we come to the realization that what we have is transitory, we worry about it and so we invest in alarm systems and fire alarm systems and locked boxes all in an attempt to hold on to our possessions.<\/p>\n<p>(Writer\u2019s note:\u00a0 if you have a local example by all means use it.\u00a0 One could use a natural disaster too, such as the flooding in Australia, etc)<\/p>\n<h3>Discussion Questions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Have you ever thought about losing all your possessions?\u00a0 How does that thought make you feel?\u00a0 What are the things you would miss most?<\/li>\n<li>Do you every worry about losing something or having it stolen?\u00a0 How does that make you feel?<\/li>\n<li>What steps to do you and\/or your family use to make sure you keep your possessions?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 27, 2011 (Eighth Sunday after Epiphany<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=164441840\">Isaiah 49:8-16a<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=164441880\">1 Corinthians 4:1-5<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=164442047\">Matthew 6:24-34<\/a><\/p>\n<p>(Text links are to <a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/\">Oremus Bible Browser<\/a>. 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 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elca.org\/Growing-In-Faith\/Worship\/Lectionary.aspx\">Lectionary Readings<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic <a href=\"http:\/\/www.agnusday.org\/\">Agnus Day.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Gospel Reflection<\/h3>\n<p>With today\u2019s Gospel text from Matthew 6 we are still in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount.\u00a0 At the beginning of Chapter 6 Jesus warns the disciples against drawing attention to themselves through their piety around almsgiving, prayer and fasting.\u00a0 Jesus then turns his attention to money and to possessions.\u00a0 Jesus<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2011\/02\/shutterstock_67073683edit.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2397 alignleft\" style=\"margin: 5px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2011\/02\/shutterstock_67073683edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"276\" \/><\/a> warns against \u201cstoring\u201d up treasures here on earth and encourages us to store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).\u00a0 Today, our text opens again with a warning against money.\u00a0 \u201cYou cannot serve God and wealth,\u201d says Jesus in verse 24.<\/p>\n<p>We may not think that we worship money in the same way we worship God but, if you take the time to reflect on it, we do come awfully close.\u00a0 Have you ever seen someone accidently rip a one, five, or ten dollar bill?\u00a0 If you look at the faces of the people around when that happens you would think that the person just blasphemed the Lord.\u00a0 We are taught at a very early age that money is sacred and that it has a power all its own.\u00a0 In our day there are a number of people who prefer to serve money rather thank God.\u00a0 (For a humorous and insightful treatment of this worship of money see <em>Health, Money, and Love and why we don\u2019t enjoy them<\/em> by Robert Farrar Capon especially pages 87-91.)<\/p>\n<p>From that point Jesus goes on to explore the root causes of our dependence upon possessions and money; we human beings cannot predict or see the future, therefore, we have a deep rooted anxiety about the future.\u00a0 We simply believe that money and possessions will keep us secure or can protect us from that unknown future.\u00a0 However, as can be seen in our opening discussion, money and possessions have no power to protect us, for they are as temporal as we human being are temporal.<\/p>\n<p>The words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-33 are addressed to his disciples who did leave everything behind to follow Jesus.\u00a0 Jesus reminds his disciples that they are of more value to God than the birds of the air or the lilies of the field.\u00a0 God has called them into this life of discipleship and God will care for them as God cares for all creation.<\/p>\n<p>That message is valuable to modern day disciples too.\u00a0 One of the things Jesus came to show us is that all of our lives are in the hand of God\u2014a gracious and loving God.\u00a0 It is interesting to note that the word \u201cworry\u201d comes from an Old English word that means \u201cto choke\u201d.\u00a0 That is certainly what worry can do to our lives.\u00a0 Worry can cause sleepless nights and paralyze us into inactivity.\u00a0 Jesus came to call us to action in the world and Jesus promises that God will take care of us so that we are free to serve God and neighbor.<\/p>\n<p>While Jesus can be very hard on possessions and wealth, he isn\u2019t saying that every disciple is called to life of poverty.\u00a0 Jesus simply wants us to keep our priorities straight.\u00a0 Even today, our lives are in God\u2019s hands and God still continues to care for each and every one of us.\u00a0 Earlier in the chapter Jesus says, \u201cWhere your treasure is, there your heart will be also.\u201d\u00a0 Our hearts should be centered on God for that is indeed a treasure no one can take away from us.<\/p>\n<p>When Jesus speaks of not worrying about tomorrow, he is not advocating a \u201cdon\u2019t worry, be happy\u201d Bobbie McFerrin kind of attitude.\u00a0 Rather, he calls us to a sure and confident faith that the God who calls us his children and into the world will care for us today, tomorrow, and in the months and years ahead.<\/p>\n<h3>Discussion Questions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you believe people worship and serve money?\u00a0 Give an example of something you have seen or experienced.<\/li>\n<li>What kinds of things do you worry about?\u00a0 Have you ever been so worried about something that it causes you not to take action?<\/li>\n<li>What are some other things that people do to try to be secure against the unknown future?\u00a0 What do some people do to try to control the uncontrollable future?\u00a0 (Think about athletes and coaches who have favorite hats or ties that can \u201cguarantee\u201d a victory)<\/li>\n<li>On the whole, do you have hope for the future or not?\u00a0 Why?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Activity Suggestions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Assemble a group of current newspapers, news magazines or, if you are in a position to have internet access, bring up the homepage of CNN or some other news website. As an individual or as a group look for news articles that would cause you or others to worry or be anxious about the future.\u00a0 After you have identifies several, as an individual or as a group write a short prayer for people who might be worried about that issue or news event.\u00a0 When we do this at our university we call this activity \u201cpraying the headlines\u201d and we try to do it about once a month.<\/li>\n<li>Another thing you can do is link this week\u2019s discussion to Luther\u2019s explanation of the fourth petition of The Lord\u2019s Prayer.\u00a0 Note how Luther says that when we ask God for \u201cdaily bread\u201d God provides much more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Closing Prayer<\/h3>\n<p>(Use the prayers from the above activity, &#8220;praying the headlines,&#8221; or the following.)<\/p>\n<p>Loving God, we know that you provide for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field and indeed they are well kept and beautiful.\u00a0 However, even in the midst of such evidence of your care we still worry about so many things and sometimes that worry dominates our thoughts and actions.\u00a0 Fill us this day with your Holy Spirit, a Spirit of power and might.\u00a0 Install in us a sure and certain faith that we can cast all our worries and anxieties on you, knowing that you will give us your peace, a peace that will allow us to confidently walk into the future to serve you and our neighbor.\u00a0 In the name of Christ Jesus we pray.\u00a0 Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contributed by Dennis Sepper, University Pastor, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington Warm-up Question Name one thing you spent money on this week.\u00a0 Why did you spend the money on that one thing?\u00a0 How did you feel when you laid down the cash and took possession of whatever it was that you bought? No Strings Attached [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1400],"tags":[319,425,390,462,394,423,1067,5964,469,1276],"class_list":["post-2376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post","tag-faith","tag-faithfulness-to-god","tag-generosity","tag-gifts","tag-gods-love","tag-money","tag-possessions","tag-treasure","tag-trust","tag-worry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>February 23-March 1, 2011-No Strings Attached - Faith Lens<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/february-23-march-1-2011-no-strings-attached\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"February 23-March 1, 2011-No Strings Attached - Faith Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Contributed by Dennis Sepper, University Pastor, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington Warm-up Question Name one thing you spent money on this week.\u00a0 Why did you spend the money on that one thing?\u00a0 How did you feel when you laid down the cash and took possession of whatever it was that you bought? 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