{"id":5567,"date":"2015-09-22T21:21:23","date_gmt":"2015-09-23T02:21:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=5567"},"modified":"2015-09-29T21:23:53","modified_gmt":"2015-09-30T02:23:53","slug":"september-27-2015-a-matter-of-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/september-27-2015-a-matter-of-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"September 27, 2015&#8211;A Matter of Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, Virginia<\/p>\n<p>\u200b<\/p>\n<p><b><strong>Warm-up Question<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you have any personal heroes?\u00a0 Any people in your life who have encouraged, inspired, or set an example you&#8217;d like to follow?\u00a0 If so, who are they and why do you look up to them?<\/li>\n<li>Have you ever helped to teach, guide, mentor, or encourage someone else?\u00a0 What did you learn from the experience?<\/li>\n<li>If you could snap your fingers and know that you couldn&#8217;t fail, what is one thing that you would do?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><strong>A Matter of Faith<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p>[Note: As I write this, the case of Kim Davis, County Clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky, is very much in the news.\u00a0 My intent is NOT to generate discussion around the appropriateness of same-sex marriage, but rather a conversation about how we, as Christians, can address together difficult and divisive topics.\u00a0 You may find it appropriate to choose a different example for your own setting.]<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5568 size-medium\" style=\"margin-right: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2015\/09\/shutterstock_226989829edit-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"shutterstock_226989829edit\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2015\/09\/shutterstock_226989829edit.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2015\/09\/shutterstock_226989829edit-250x167.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Kim Davis, County Clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky has been very much in the news lately for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that legalized gay marriage.\u00a0 Citing her Christian faith as the reason for being unable to comply with a court order to begin issuing such licenses, Davis recently spent five days in jail.\u00a0 She has been released under an arrangement which allows her deputies to issue marriage licenses which do not bear her signature.<\/p>\n<p>Though the case of Kim Davis has ignited a national furor, drawing people and groups from all sides of the debate on same-sex marriage, she is not the only county clerk in Kentucky having to weigh their personal convictions against the requirements of the law.\u00a0 Some have joined Davis in refusing to issue marriage licenses.\u00a0 Others have reached different conclusions.\u00a0 You can read more about the tension they face here: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/us\/religious-clerks-in-kentucky-follow-law-but-see-conflict\/ar-AAej6u3?ocid=spartandhp&amp;fullscreen=true%23image=1.%20\">http:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/us\/religious-clerks-in-kentucky-follow-law-but-see-conflict\/ar-AAej6u3?ocid=spartandhp&amp;fullscreen=true#image=1.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b><strong>Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><strong>Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have you ever had to defend or &#8220;make a stand&#8221; on what you believe?<\/li>\n<li>Do you believe that Christians can disagree, even on &#8220;big&#8221; issues, and still consider each other legitimate followers of Jesus?\u00a0 Why or why not?\u00a0 Are there any issues that you believe we must agree on?<\/li>\n<li>Try seeing things from a different viewpoint:\n<ul>\n<li>For instance, if you agree with the position that Kim Davis has taken, how have her actions and the subsequent responses from other groups been a stumbling block for some people when it comes to Christianity and following Jesus?<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0If you don&#8217;t agree with Davis&#8217; position, how has her willingness to go to jail for what she believes been a witness to faith?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Is there any situation or matter of faith that <em>you<\/em> would go to jail for?\u00a0 How about die for?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><strong>Lectionary 26\/Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=309343625\">Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=309343667\">James 5:13-20<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=309343718\">Mark 9:38-50<\/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 B at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elca.org\/Our-Work\/Congregations-and-Synods\/Worship\/Lectionary\/YearB\">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<p><b><strong>Gospel Reflection<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><em>On the Road with Jesus<\/em><\/p>\n<p>We are on the road again with Jesus this week as he and his disciples travel through Galilee.\u00a0 Jesus is trying to keep his presence a secret, for his focus at this point is on teaching his disciples. Yet Galilee is more than just a place.\u00a0 In Mark&#8217;s gospel especially, Galilee is symbolic of our home turf \u2013 the everyday places in which we, as disciples, live and work and play.\u00a0 Thus, Jesus&#8217; teaching today is not so much for the world at large, but for those who seek to follow him.<\/p>\n<p><em>Whoever is Not Against Us<\/em><\/p>\n<p>And what is it that Jesus teaches?\u00a0 In part, today&#8217;s gospel is a collection of Jesus&#8217; sayings that have been woven together around a chain of word associations.\u00a0 For example, having just argued with one another of who is the greatest (9:33 \u2013 37), the disciples are confronted once more with what it means to welcome Jesus.\u00a0 This time, the &#8220;welcome&#8221; that is offered has to do with using Jesus&#8217; name to cast out evil spirits.\u00a0 The irony here is that the disciples themselves had recently failed at such an attempt (9:17 \u2013 18), yet want to stop this un-named exorcist because &#8220;he was not following us.&#8221;\u00a0 That is, he was not following in the disciples&#8217; footsteps.\u00a0 Of course, even in the church today it is easy to get hung up on thinking that Jesus somehow belongs to <em>us<\/em> \u2013 that the ways in which we believe and do things are the only right way.\u00a0 Yet Jesus forbids them to interfere.\u00a0 Aside from using his name to work deeds of power, if even those who offer the smallest gesture of hospitality to a disciple won&#8217;t miss out on the reward, then perhaps the family of Christ is much broader than we often like think.<\/p>\n<p><em>Stumbling Blocks, Millstones &amp; One-Eyed Christians<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Is sin a serious matter?\u00a0 Yes, and a deadly one at that!\u00a0 &#8220;Stumbling&#8221; is the connecting idea in this section, as Jesus addresses both the things that we might do to cause others to sin and the things in our own lives that lead us astray.\u00a0 The &#8220;little ones&#8221; here are not just children, but anyone who is &#8220;young&#8221; in their Christian faith.\u00a0 Quite simply, we are to be careful in our actions and words lest we put up obstacles to people believing in and following Jesus.\u00a0 Jesus&#8217; image of being tossed into the sea while chained to a giant millstone is over the top, of course, but it makes the point in no uncertain terms, as do the images that follow.<\/p>\n<p>Are there things in your own life \u2013 perhaps even normally &#8220;good&#8221; things \u2013 that cause you to sin?\u00a0 Are there attitudes, thoughts, or habits that are leading you away from God?\u00a0 Again, like the millstone image above, the language of chopping off hands, cutting off feet, and plucking out eyes is not meant to be taken literally.\u00a0 However, it is meant to be taken seriously.\u00a0 The stakes are high, and living as God&#8217;s people calls us into a different way of life.\u00a0 Discipleship \u2013 following Jesus \u2013 at times demands the sacrifices of repentance and self-discipline.<\/p>\n<p><em>Low Salt, No Salt<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The image of fire (in this case, the fires of hell) provides the final connection in this week&#8217;s gospel.\u00a0 Here, Jesus encourages us to live as &#8220;salty&#8221; Christians.\u00a0 What does it mean to be &#8220;salted with fire?&#8221;\u00a0 In the sacrificial system of Jesus&#8217; day, salt was commonly offered as part of worship, so early on someone wrote in the margin of Mark 9:49 a quote from Leviticus 2:13.\u00a0 Later copyists included this note into the text, where it still appears in some versions of the Bible today.\u00a0 Nevertheless, salt, like fire, was seen as a purifying agent.\u00a0 A very precious commodity in the Ancient world, salt was used to preserve food as well as to season it.\u00a0 Yet it often wasn&#8217;t pure, and so could lose its taste leaving only a useless white residue behind.\u00a0 In a similar fashion, those who claim to follow Jesus, but whose lives are not characterized by service, care for others \u2013 especially those who are &#8220;young&#8221; in the faith \u2013 or by self-discipline and mutual love, are like this no-salt \u2013 empty of any true flavor.<\/p>\n<p><b><strong>Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It has been reported that the fastest growing religious groups in America are those who have no association with any particular church.\u00a0 What are some of the &#8220;stumbling blocks&#8221; that make it difficult for people in our time and culture to believe in Jesus or God?\u00a0 How might you address some of these issues?\u00a0 What do you think &#8211; can the ways in which you live your life truly make a difference?<\/li>\n<li>Do we really need to worry about sin if we have grace?\u00a0 Why or why not?<\/li>\n<li>To borrow a phrase from a popular brand, what types of beliefs, actions, and attitudes do you think should characterize a Christian &#8220;Salt Life?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>In the Affirmation of Baptism we promise to:\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0live among God&#8217;s faithful people<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0to hear the word of God and share in the Lord&#8217;s supper<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and<\/li>\n<li>to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>What do these things mean to you? Discuss how these promises can guide and shape us as &#8220;salty&#8221; Christians.\u00a0 For example, what does it actually mean to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><strong>Activity Suggestions<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What are some of the things that cause you to &#8220;stumble&#8221; in your walk with God? As a group, brainstorm a list of things, attitudes, or behaviors that cause you to sin. If your list needs some expanding, consider the Ten Commandments as Martin Luther explains them in the <em>Small Catechism<\/em>.\u00a0 Don&#8217;t forget to think about the positive things that we often leave undone.\n<ul>\n<li>Look over your list. How many are things that &#8220;everyone&#8221; does? Does that make these things less harmful?\u00a0 Any less of a sin?<\/li>\n<li>Are there things on your list that you might support one another in actively resisting or addressing?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Be salt and let your lights shine:\u00a0 What needs, issues, or causes do you feel strongly about?\u00a0 Brainstorm some things that your group might do to make a difference in one of these areas, be it through prayer, advocacy, or direct action.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><strong>Closing Prayer<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Lord Jesus Christ, you call us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow you.\u00a0\u00a0 Help us to do so.\u00a0 Give us eyes to see the many ways that you act in our lives and the grace that you give to us day by day.\u00a0 Give us feet to walk in your way, and catch us when we stumble.\u00a0 And give us hands to reach out in love and action that we may be living signs of your grace. This we pray in your holy name.\u00a0 Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, Virginia \u200b Warm-up Question Do you have any personal heroes?\u00a0 Any people in your life who have encouraged, inspired, or set an example you&#8217;d like to follow?\u00a0 If so, who are they and why do you look up to them? Have you ever helped to teach, guide, mentor, or encourage someone [&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":[],"class_list":["post-5567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>September 27, 2015-A Matter of Faith - 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\/september-27-2015-a-matter-of-faith\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"September 27, 2015-A Matter of Faith - Faith Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, Virginia \u200b Warm-up Question Do you have any personal heroes?\u00a0 Any people in your life who have encouraged, inspired, or set an example you&#8217;d like to follow?\u00a0 If so, who are they and why do you look up to them? 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