{"id":8863,"date":"2022-01-04T07:34:09","date_gmt":"2022-01-04T12:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=8863"},"modified":"2022-01-03T16:44:43","modified_gmt":"2022-01-03T21:44:43","slug":"january-9-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/january-9-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"January 9, 2022&#8211;Vulnerable Babies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Mary Houck, Decatur, GA<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Warm-up Question<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Think of a time recently when you helped someone, and a time when you asked for help.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Vulnerable Babies<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/iStock-1227182584.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-8883 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/iStock-1227182584-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/iStock-1227182584-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/iStock-1227182584-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/iStock-1227182584-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/iStock-1227182584-250x167.jpg 250w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/iStock-1227182584-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2022\/01\/iStock-1227182584.jpg 1254w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When looking at the overall health of a group of people, the Infant Mortality Rate is a common statistic to look at. This is the percentage of infants who die in their first year of life. While it\u2019s hard to think about families experiencing such a devastating loss, the rate gives us important information about how well we are caring for our neighbors. When babies don\u2019t survive their first year, it is sometimes because of unavoidable genetic diseases or defects. But often, it\u2019s because they and their mothers do not have enough food, good medical care; and safe, warm shelter. Sometimes political conflicts and wars create violence, hunger, and severe poverty. Poor, unstable countries typically have the worst Infant Mortality Rates, while stable, wealthy countries have the lowest.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The United States, despite being the country with the largest economy in the world, has a higher infant mortality rate than most other large and wealthy countries. But it doesn\u2019t affect everyone evenly. Babies of white, college-educated women in the US have a similar rate to those in other wealthy, developed countries. Babies of black mothers, on the other hand, have a rate more than twice as high. Breaking it down by age rather than race, mothers under age 20 have the highest rate of infant mortality.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There are various theories as to why there are such differences in the US, but a few things we know for sure:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All mothers love their babies, are equally capable of caring for them when they have the resources to do so, and want them to thrive, no matter what their age or skin color.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Access to basics like food, safety, shelter, and health care can make a huge difference in these numbers and not all mothers have equal access to them.<\/li>\n<li>Every baby needs a supportive family and community to thrive, in addition to a loving mom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Discussion Questions<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who cared for you as an infant? Was it one of your parents? Both? Did grandparents or other family members help? Maybe you were cared for by foster or adoptive parents? If you don\u2019t know, consider asking your parents or caregivers about it and who their support system was.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Do you know of organizations in your community that help mothers? That support families while their infants are in ICU care?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Baptism of our Lord\/ First Sunday of Epiphany<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=507356829\">Isaiah 43:1-7<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=507356871\">Acts 8:14-17<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=507356922\">Luke 3:15-17, 21-22<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=507356961\">Matthew 2:1-12<\/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=\"https:\/\/www.elca.org\/Our-Work\/Congregations-and-Synods\/Worship\/Lectionary\/YearC\">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>Gospel Reflection<\/b><\/p>\n<p>When Amy Grant spoke at the Wild Goose Festival in the summer of 2018, she said something that stuck with me: \u201cneed creates community.\u201d She went on to give examples of how when we ask for help with anything from putting up a tent to dealing with depression to escaping poverty, it becomes an invitation to know and walk alongside each other which we would otherwise miss out on.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Our culture, on the other hand, teaches us to worship self-sufficiency. It is usually considered weak and shameful to be vulnerable in any way or to need help of any kind. As babies, our parents do everything for us, and it\u2019s natural and necessary as we grow to become more and more self-sufficient. This process has its ups and downs, and may lead to conflict with parents and other caregivers who can have a hard time acknowledging our newfound independence. Reacting against them, it\u2019s easy to dig in our heels and pretend that we don\u2019t need them or anyone else for anything.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>When Jesus was born, he was an infant just as needy and helpless as any one of us. Sleeping in Mary\u2019s arms or in the manger, he had no idea of the chain of events he had set in motion. The star which appeared in the sky at his birth drew the wise men from far away countries. Unfortunately, it also set in motion Herod\u2019s fear and brutality, leading him to order the murder of all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or less (a part of the Christmas story we tend to skip because it\u2019s hard to think about).<\/p>\n<p>Need can bring out the best in us&#8211;and also the worst. When we give in to the idea that need is shameful it can harden our hearts.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We blame our neighbors for their suffering or \u00a0prolong our own suffering, using self-destructive behaviors to mask our real needs. Sometimes, like Herod, feeling vulnerable makes us lash out at others in order to feel powerful again, trampling them in the process. The helpless baby Jesus in the manger is an invitation to respond to Jesus\u2019 vulnerability by walking alongside our neighbors. It\u2019s also an invitation to acknowledge our own needs and give others the gift of being our support system.<\/p>\n<p>The wise men, who arrived at the end of a long journey to find, not a royal baby but the seemingly ordinary son of a carpenter, could have left in a huff and taken their gifts home with them. But, seeing the vulnerability of Jesus and his family and knowing that Herod had evil intentions, they responded by giving Mary and Joseph everything they needed and more to take Jesus to safety in Egypt.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Discussion Questions<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who is your support system? Who are the people you can call on when you need something? It might be family, friends, teachers, coaches, pastors, etc.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Is it more difficult to ask for a practical need (like borrowing money) or an emotional need (when you need comfort or encouragement)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Activity Suggestions<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Learn more about efforts to reduce the infant mortality rate around the world by organizations like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/health\/maternal-and-newborn-health\">UNICEF<\/a>. What can you as a group or individual do to help? Raise money with a fundraiser? Ask for donations for your next birthday? Dedicate loose change from your church offering for a month?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>What does your church do to welcome new babies in your congregation?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li>Make some cards to congratulate new parents. Discuss what you as a group or with your family could do. Bring a meal? Volunteer to babysit so parents can get some much-needed rest?<\/li>\n<li>It can be very hard for parents to talk about it when they experience a miscarriage, stillbirth, or death of an infant, but it\u2019s incredibly important to let them know they\u2019re not alone. Make some sympathy cards and give them to your pastor, who can distribute them when appropriate.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Closing Prayer<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Gracious God, thank you for surrounding us with people who love and support us, whether they are our biological or chosen family. Open our eyes to the needs of others and our hearts to ask for help when we need it. Amen.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mary Houck, Decatur, GA Warm-up Question Think of a time recently when you helped someone, and a time when you asked for help.\u00a0 Vulnerable Babies When looking at the overall health of a group of people, the Infant Mortality Rate is a common statistic to look at. This is the percentage of infants who die [&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-8863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>January 9, 2022-Vulnerable Babies - 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\/january-9-2022\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"January 9, 2022-Vulnerable Babies - Faith Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mary Houck, Decatur, GA Warm-up Question Think of a time recently when you helped someone, and a time when you asked for help.\u00a0 Vulnerable Babies When looking at the overall health of a group of people, the Infant Mortality Rate is a common statistic to look at. 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