Christ Lutheran Church - ELCA Faith Lens's Blog

ELCA Faith Lens's Blog

Weekly Bible studies that engage youth and young adults in connecting world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

November 24, 2024–The Reign of Christ

Warm-up Question

What is your favorite holiday? Share some of the reasons why you prefer that celebration.

Holiday Origin Stories

Every year we celebrate a number of holidays. Some are national in origin, which is why Independence Day is on July 4th in the United States of America, September 16th in Mexico, and June 26th in Madagascar. Others have deep religious meaning, like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, though each of those holidays now have many secular elements as well.

Too often, we only tell one part of the holiday’s origin story. Take, for instance, the celebration of Christmas. Of course, for Christians, this centers around the birth of Christ. Yet, there’s no obvious connection between Jesus’s birthday and bringing pine trees into our homes, eating candy canes, or hanging socks above a fireplace. While some articles, like this one, aggregate some of that history to give a bit more context, there’s volumes of books on the history of each holiday.

Of course, you don’t have to know everything about a holiday’s origins to enjoy it with your loved ones. Yet, learning more about the holiday can help you to appreciate it more deeply, as well as explain to others why you do–or do not–participate in some of the day’s traditions. So take some time to investigate the history of your favorite holidays and ask yourself: now that I know more about this, how does that change the way I feel about this event?

Discussion Questions

What’s one holiday you want to learn more about?
If you happen to know the origins of a specific holiday tradition, share that story with a friend.

Reign of Christ Sunday

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Reflection on the Gospel

Many Christians across the world celebrate this Sunday as The Reign of Christ. If you think that this holiday has ancient origins like Christmas, Easter, or Pentecost, consider this: this festival is only 99 years old! Though the words from our Gospel have Christ claiming this ultimate authority nearly 2,000 years ago, it was only in the last century that the church declared a specific day to commemorate that reality. Why is that?

Much like other holiday traditions, the historical context matters significantly. In the early 20th century, after the devastation of World War I, nationalism and authoritarianism began to arise in throughout Europe. In Italy, this appeared as fascism, which took official power in 1922. Note that this is the same time that its political ally, Nazism, grew in popularity in Germany. In the face of such claims of ultimate power by political authorities, Pope Pius XI declared a feast day, “Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Regis,” The Feast of our Lord of Reigns. This is a political statement. It does not support any particular party or leader, but instead puts all governments and parties on notice: whatever power they may have is always subject to the King who is Jesus Christ.

In the midst of today’s political unrest, along with threats of parties and politicians whose power seems unmatched, we stand to benefit from this declaration as well. Our ultimate allegiance is not to a party, or even a Christian denomination, but to Christ. Our worship belongs not to worldly rulers but heavenly powers. Our salvation is not in the hands of a general or president, a monarch or a congress, but only in the hands that were pierced in a cross outside of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. This Christ, who was born in a barn and crucified as a traitor to the empire, may seem powerless.

But this is the only King who has ever risen from the dead.

Discussion Question

How does this history change your perspective on Reign of Christ Sunday?

Activity Suggestion

Do a media experiment. For one day, keep track of how many advertisements you see via email, on social media, on websites, and on television or streaming services. Then, ask yourself:
- How many of them either claim some kind of power or seek some kind of allegiance from you?
- How do you understand them being subject to the Reign of Christ?

Closing Prayer

God Who Reigns, save us from ourselves. Where there is pride, correct it with humility. Where there is hatred, counter it with love. Where there is violence, defeat it with peace. In all things, remind us that your reign is not of this world. Remind us that that your power will look different than that of our worldly rulers. Inspire us to trust in your reign over all others that seek our allegiance. In that name of Jesus, the One who reigns and the One who died and rose to life, we pray: Amen.

The post November 24, 2024–The Reign of Christ appeared first on Faith Lens.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

November 17, 2024–The Impact of Loss

Warm-up Question

What is your favorite building? Do you like it because of the architecture? Because of a memory that occurred there? Because of the feelings inspired by the space? Something else?

Who Is Displaced?

This summer, there was a fire in the electrical room at Christ Lutheran Church in Baltimore, MD. Fortunately, no one was injured. Smoke damage occurred from classrooms to worship spaces to fellowship halls. Major renovations and utility upgrades are underway that cost millions of dollars. There are still major utility wires running through every floor and most spaces. From the bathrooms to the sanctuary, it’s obvious that the congregation is still recovering in many ways. While the congregation also hosts many other organizations on its property, only some of the buildings–and therefore some of the ministries–were affected.

While some interrupted ministries have resumed, others still await for the completed electrical upgrades and facility repairs. Unfortunately, one of the buildings affected was a shelter for houseless women and children. The fire displaced at least 17 residents that night and has closed the shelter until further notice. Of course, the congregation worked with local officials to find other temporary solutions, providing a continued witness of care in the midst of such facility devastation.

Let us continue to hold the members, ministers, and ministry partners at Christ in prayer as they continue to restore facilities to support ministries like the women’s shelter.

Discussion Questions

Experiencing a loss like the one at Christ Lutheran Church in Baltimore is a traumatic experience for individuals and the entire community. When you’ve had such challenging experiences, what kinds of support do you find most helpful?

25th Sunday after Pentecost

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

Reflection on the Gospel

This week’s Gospel talks about the destruction of another building, the Temple of Jerusalem. This foreshadowing of Christ’s death and resurrection is also a foreshadowing of the very real collapse of the Jerusalem Temple. Rather than an accidental fire, this damage came from Roman soldiers, who tore the temple to pieces during a Jewish revolt against Rome in the 1st Century CE. Often, readings of this story focus on the theological witness of both the biblical prophecy and historical occurrence.

As Christianity evolved with Judaism in the 1st Century CE, those evolutions occurred in the wake of the temple’s destruction. It’s also important for us to remember that people were displaced by the temple’s destruction. This was a very real historical event. People who gathered for worship lost their sanctuary. People who worked there lost their livelihood. People who received support services lost their safety net.

What we read about in scripture isn’t simply ancient history or disconnected theology. It’s a witness to the real lives of real people. Even as Jesus predicts this future of destruction, he doesn’t celebrate it. Instead, he looks to life beyond its destruction without ignoring the suffering that happens in the midst of such great change.

Discussion Questions

Jesus describes the fall of the Jerusalem Temple and the associated prophecy as the beginning of “birth pangs.” How does this image of birth connect to themes of pain, loss, and new life?

Activity Suggestions

Play Jenga with a twist. Get a bowl of candies and place it alongside the tower. As each wooden piece is moved, have a player collect candy into a pile in between themselves and the tower. When the tower falls, each piece that was touched by the destruction must go back into the bowl.
- Afterward, reflect about the experiences of loss. Note that this can happen even in the midst of fun, or even because of someone else’s mistake. Explore how you might support those who experience such losses.

Closing Prayer

God of New Beginnings, remind us not to ignore the pain of endings. Inspire us to care for those whose loss is real in the wake of your transformation. Equip us, as your disciples, to bring good news to those who suffer without ignoring the reality of the suffering itself. In your time, raise us all to new life with Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord: Amen.

The post November 17, 2024–The Impact of Loss appeared first on Faith Lens.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

November 10, 2024–Give a Little Bit

Warm-up Question

What is a small action you can take that makes a big difference in your, or someone else’s, life?

Give a Little Bit

People–especially young people–often want to make positive difference in their community. Whether relieving hunger or ensuring civil rights or others, people often seek positive change.

Sometimes the job is so big that the change seems unlikely, if not downright impossible. There is so much hunger and inequality that making those positive differences appears too much for us. The weight of the world, and the distance from here to the change we want for the world, can be exhausting. So, when the odds seem stacked against us, sometimes we freeze because we believe our little action won’t make any difference.

Research suggests that sometimes our smallest actions have much larger consequences. For instance, this article details how the simple actions of spending quality time with children reinforces positive relationships throughout their lives, while playing make believe increases a child’s capacity for social, emotional, and intellectual learning. In other words, this apparently innocuous actions have incredible positive impacts on a child’s life. Rather than an adult’s escape from reality, such behaviors promote a more positive experience of reality for the child and the society in which they live. Even giving just this little bit of time, energy, or creativity can change the world for the better.

Think about it this way: it’s like climbing a staircase. Just because you can’t climb an entire floor of stairs in one leap doesn’t mean you can’t make progress. Even if you can only take one step today, you’re already one step closer to the change you want to make.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever felt such exhaustion or despair that you also felt you had nothing left to give? What was that like for you?
What is one step that you could take–one thing that you could do every day–that would make a positive impact?

25th Sunday after Pentecost

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

Reflection on the Gospel

There’s woman in today’s Gospel who gave just a little bit. At the temple, while rich people gave massive sums of money for their tithes, this woman put in a couple of coins barely worth a penny. That can seem like an inconsequential amount, but in Jesus’s words, “this poor widow has put in more” than all the others. How is this so?

Because while this seemed like a minuscule offering, her gift represented a major effort on her part. This single cent seemed small to others because of their big bank accounts, but for her, this reflected a significant sacrifice. Rather than give in to the feeling that she had nothing to give, this widow gave what she could. In the eyes of Jesus, that was a great gift.

Discussion Questions

This widow took the step that she could take and Jesus honored her for that. What are the little steps that you could take?

Activity Suggestions

Purchase cut or potted white flowers. Add one tiny drop of food coloring to the water you use to feed the flowers. Notice how, over the coming days, the flower’s petals are now tinted that same color. Reflect on how this small addition made a significant impact.
Talk openly about what change you hope to see and the hurdles you face in pursuing that change. Ask others both for prayer and for suggestions of small, simple actions you could take to pursue that change.

Closing Prayer

God of the Possible, you remind us that nothing is impossible with you. We entrust our fears to you. Inspire us to act in the ways that we can. Remind us that, when nothing seems like enough, you are enough and you are making all things new. We pray this in the name of the one whose actions in life, death, and resurrection changed the world, Jesus Christ: Amen.

The post November 10, 2024–Give a Little Bit appeared first on Faith Lens.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

November 3, 2024–Do This to Remember

Warm-up Question

What are some of the easiest things for you to remember? This might be something like information on a certain school subject, pop culture trivia, or peoples’ names.
- Why do you think you remember these things so easily?

Practicing Remembering

There’s a glut of information online about memory improvement. Some articles, like this one, detail the value of certain games to increase your brain’s health. At other times, phone applications promise a boost in your capacity to remember information. Websites like Quizlet offer resources to reinforce data memorization for school or work. Everyone, it seems, knows that memory is important and that it’s not always easy to remember everything we want to remember, even the things most important to us.

Discussion Questions

What are some practices or tricks you use to help you remember things?

All Saints Sunday

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

Reflection on the Gospel

Memory isn’t just important for school quizzes or group trivia nights. Memory is essential for faith. On the Festival of All Saints, we remember the saints who’ve passed on from life to death and again into new life with Christ.

Like Jesus, who wept at Lazarus’ death, we too grieve the loss of our loved ones who’ve died before us. Memory like this brings emotions that are sometimes difficult to carry. It’s also true that memory brings hope. People often tells stories of a lost loved one in ways that inspire smiles, spark laughter, and even foster hope.

On his own way to death, Jesus told his disciples to practice Holy Communion as a way of remembering him. Though not many people laugh at the communion rail, many will smile as they receive this gift of life in their palms. Hope glistens in many eyes as they taste God’s embodied goodness in the simple elements of bread and wine.

When we remember the saints who’ve died before us, it’s normal to have the combination of grief and hope, of sadness and smiles. After all, unlike Lazarus’s sisters, we haven’t yet experienced the resurrection of our loved ones. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It simply means that, until then, we have a memory trick of sorts: ritual. Communion is a ritual to remember Jesus. All Saints is a ritual to remember our loved ones. In these rituals of memory, we hold close not only the hope of our own resurrection, but the hope of resurrection of all those we remember in the love and light of Christ.

Discussion Questions

Who are the saints that you remember today? Share a story about how they made a difference in your life.

Activity Suggestions

Carry on the memory tradition after Sunday’s worship concludes. Set aside time for journaling or group conversations to remember loved ones who’ve died. Describe the ways their memory makes you feel and what you hope for in our reunion with God.
Many struggle with loss around the holidays. Take time to make a collage of saints who’ve died in your community and place it in a public place. Share brief quotes or anecdotes that highlight the role each person played in your lives.

Closing Prayer

God of our Ancestors, we remember before you all the people who we love that have died. Please hold them, and us, in your care. Encourage us to hope in your resurrection promise, and until then, help us to recall the ways their lives inspire our faith in you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord: Amen.

The post November 3, 2024–Do This to Remember appeared first on Faith Lens.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

October 27, 2024–Justification by Grace through Faith!

Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Question

At what point did you realize that this week is Reformation Sunday?
- Have you been planning for weeks?
  - Did you make sure your red clothing was washed and ready?
- Is this devotion your first reminder?

Reformation? Renewal? Realignment? Reformatting?

“Reformation” is one of those words which can refer to a general reforming of “an institution or practice,” or it can refer to the events which began in Wittenberg, Germany in the 16^th century. Which reference is best known in your community?

I had opportunity to be in Wittenberg, Germany on Reformation Day in 2022. There was a huge street festival filling and spilling over from the massive town square. There, statues of Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon serve as reminders of the significance of the events which happened there in 1517. Among the revelers, few seemed concerned with the 16^th century “Reformation” which catapulted this village onto the world stage. The festival was lots of fun but did little to call to mind the roots of our “justification by grace through faith” Reformation mantra. I was in Wittenberg to lead worship in the Chapel next to the congregation where Martin Luther served as preacher. Our service that day had a few more attendees than normal, but not the crowds who were working their way through the booths on the square.

I was back in Germany this September. This time, there were no street festivals. There were no crowds elbowing their way to the front. A small congregation assembled for a baptism. Henry is the four-year old child of a young woman we came to know through Lutheran Student Movement-USA and the World Student Christian Federation. A decade earlier, she had an internship through the Evangelical German Church (EDK) which brought her to the U.S. and to the ELCA to learn how we go about youth and young adult ministry. Henry’s baptism was a profound reminder that The Reformation (the one that traces its root to 16^th century Wittenberg) binds followers of Jesus all around the world with an appreciation of what it means to love God, be loved by God, and share the Good News of God.

“Lutherans” in North America trace their roots to numerous countries around the globe. Among my friends are Lutherans from India, many from Finland, and still others from Tanzania. Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish hymnals are found in countless number of our ELCA congregations. The only thing special about Germany is being home to the first of the reformers. It is special to me because I have had so many opportunities to visit. This helps me reflect on what it means to be “Lutheran,” particularly at a time when the Church appears to be in the midst of tremendous change.

As you reflect on what it means to be Lutheran, I would encourage you to remember that Martin Luther was far from a perfect role model. He did say and write some horrible things about those of Jewish ancestry. Luther admitted this and begged that no one would be known by the name of Luther. Luther wrote: “There is but one name by which we should be known and that is the name of Christ.”

“Reformation” is not something we decide to do. It comes out of necessity. How might God be calling upon us to reform, reshape, reboot? “The Reformation” should serve as an encouragement to be ready for the next change into which God is calling the Church.

Discussion Questions

What would you like to see “reformed”?
What are the leaders of your faith community (think congregation) teaching you?
- What would you like to hear them talking about?

Reformation Sunday

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

Reflection on Romans 3

There are two words in this passage which determine how we will understand the whole passage: “grace” and “faith.” Take a moment to reread verses 22, 24, 26, and 28 in Romans 3.

Let’s start with “faith”. There are many ways to speak of faith and what it means in the life of one who seeks to follow Jesus. Is faith (as most of those in my part of the country speak of it) the ability to “believe things others would find unbelievable”? When understood this way, “faith” becomes cognitive assent to a set of confessions or affirmations. Others seem to associate faith with seeing the world from a particular perspective (God’s perspective), or with the ability to trust that things work together for good. None of these are mutually exclusive, but where we start may impact where we end.

One note which might guide our thinking is to see the footnotes associated with the repeated use of the word “faith” in these verses. In a study bible, the footnote will remind you that the Greek phrase translated “faith in Jesus” could also be translated as the “faith of Jesus.” How do we read these verses if we were to read, “(God) justifies the one who has the faith of Jesus”? What was the faith “of” Jesus? Might the phrase even invite us to consider the faith Jesus has in us?

Seeing faith this way aligns well with Martin Luther’s preferred way of thinking about grace. In his disputes with the other reformers, Luther refused to accept any pre-conditions for God’s grace being freely bestowed. This is a prevenient grace; it is the grace that goes before anything else. It is a grace which acts on us, so that we might respond – perhaps respond by that which is spoken of as “faith.”

One seminary teacher asked us to consider whether we understood “faith” as the capacity to receive God’s grace, or if we thought of ourselves as persons to whom the “grace” had been given so that we might respond in faith. Put differently, do we craft faith as a vessel into which God can then pour grace? Or is grace a gift from God which then makes faith possible?

Perhaps your congregation will sing “Amazing Grace” this Sunday. The first line of the second stanza speaks of grace as prevenient grace: “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.” Remember that “fear” does not mean being frightened; instead, it is the host of emotions which comes from being welcomed into the presence of God.

There is one more, and absolutely essential, thing to remember. The followers of Martin Luther never insist that we, and we alone, possess all insights or answers. We trust that God has placed on our hearts a particular way of seeing, understanding, and living the Good News. In response, we must share what we have first received. We want everyone to know that God’s grace is much wider than the reach of our institutions, much deeper than our most profound thoughts. God’s grace is what makes it possible for us to join in those joyous celebrations of all the wonders of creation!

Discussion Questions

How do you understand the word “faith”?
What difference does it make to shift from thinking about “faith in Jesus,” to “faith of Jesus”?
- What do you think Jesus’ faith was like?
What might your Lutheran community share with other faith communities in your area?
What does your Lutheran community need to learn from those neighboring faith communities?

Activity Suggestions

Take a look at Luther’s Small Catechism. It is printed near the back of the ELW Hymnals. In particular, recall the explanation to the third article of the Apostles’ Creed and the sections regarding Holy Baptism.
Gather around the baptismal font. Ask those who do not remember the day of their baptism (most of us were baptized when we were only a few weeks or months old) to speak of how something they don’t remember has changed their lives.
On the day of your baptism, who carried you to the font? Share how their actions impacted the life you have gone on to live.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, you knew me as I was formed in my mother’s womb. You cared for me as I entered the world and uttered my first cry. You looked at me with love when I took my first steps. With the grace which makes all things possible, enable me to respond in a way which shares with others the good news of your salvation. Take my life and let it be a light in the darkest corners and a beacon to those whom I encounter. Amen.

The post October 27, 2024–Justification by Grace through Faith! appeared first on Faith Lens.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

October 20, 2024–Serving the Public Good

Warm-up Question

What are the qualities you look for in a leader?
- Why do those attributes matter to you?

Why Did You Get Into This?

Through the United States of America, we are in the midst of election season. From local trustees to state representatives to the President of the United States, many leadership positions will be decided on November 5. If you’re of voting age, make a plan to vote! Even if you’re not, engage in the process. Learn about the candidates and issues at hand. Research deeper than just soundbites and slogans.

One of the questions I always ask of anyone pursuing politics is, “Why did you get into this field?” After all, public office of any sort is a leadership position. The reasons someone wants to lead deserve our attention. One way to know this is to listen to what the candidates have to say about why they’ve chosen to run. We can also learn by discovering what additional benefits–things like money, fame, power, and influence–might come with an election. Any leadership position comes with some benefit, so this question of “why” ultimately looks at how an elected official will use the power that comes with their position.

As people of faith, engaging in the political process is both a privilege and a responsibility. You can learn more about our denomination’s resources for this through ELCA Votes.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever run for an elected position in school? Why or why not?

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

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

Gospel Reflection

Today’s Gospel reading follows the trajectory of the last few weeks. Jesus is once again teaching us that God’s approach to authority and value differs from ours. From redefining greatness to valuing those society otherwise downplays, the way of Jesus is just different. Mark 10:45 highlights why this is: Jesus “came not to be served, but to serve.”

Jesus chooses a kind of leadership that serves people’s needs. Rather than expect ancillary benefits, Jesus gives his life for the good of others. Such actions emphasize that Christian leadership prioritizes the public good rather than personal gain. That’s a needed reminder, not only in politics, but in family, in business, in sports, in art, and indeed throughout society.

Leadership matters. Who we follow matters, and why they lead matters, too. As you continue to follow Jesus, consider how following someone willing to serve can inform how you choose leaders in all areas of your life.

Discussion Questions

How could you serve others in ways that prioritize public good over personal gain?

Activity Suggestions

Invite leaders of different kinds to speak to your church group. Ask them why they chose to pursue that specific sort of leadership. Then ask them to reflect on Jesus’ decision “not to be served, but to serve.”
Take time to journal about leaders that you admire. As you list the people, also note what it is that you admire about each particular leader. Then ask yourself whether this person reflects the leadership qualities seen in Jesus.

Closing Prayer

God of All, teach us to embrace your humble style of leadership. When you call us to lead, inspire us to serve the public good rather than seek personal gain. When you call us to follow, encourage us to hold our leaders to the standards you set through Jesus, the one who leads us into abundant life. We pray this all in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

The post October 20, 2024–Serving the Public Good appeared first on Faith Lens.