September 2024

ASTOUNDED BUT NOT SURPRISED

Dear Friends in the Savior-King –

I found myself fluctuating between being astounded and not surprised when a friend of Lutheran CORE told me of her synodical bishop’s presentation to her ELCA congregation. When asked about the ELCA’s recent DEIA (Diversity-Equity-Inclusion-Accessibility) audit and how it might impact the future of congregations and the report and recommendations from the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church, the synodical bishop said that he did not know about the DEIA audit until recently. When the friend of Lutheran CORE challenged him on his statement inasmuch as the audit was the result of official church action, cost who knows how many tens of thousands of dollars, was presented to the ELCA Church Council in November 2023, has been reviewed by the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church, and is available to everyone online, she was cutoff. I really question the honesty and integrity of any ELCA synodical bishop who claims that he or she had not been aware of the audit until recently.

Another friend of Lutheran CORE told me that his synodical bishop tried to minimize the audit by saying that in his synod the recommendations from the audit will never become requirements. Why should we believe that?

In the September issue of our newsletter, CORE Voice, I have written regarding the work of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church. Again, I am astounded (but not surprised) that while the ELCA Churchwide Assembly that called for the formation of the Commission was held in August 2022, it was not until July 2023 that the Commission held their first meeting, and now more than half of the time has passed between their first meeting and the time when they need to present their report and recommendations first to the Conference of Bishops and then to the Church Council. At the beginning of the process a lot of people used grand and glorious language to describe what they hoped would come forth out of the Commission, but the written summaries of their meetings only speak in generalities and are completely non-informative. In my article I suggested two possible reasons. First, they are just spinning their wheels; they are not getting anything done; they do not know how to make grand and glorious ideas into reality. Or second, they are purposefully not telling us what they are doing. They do not want to create chaos and turmoil until the end. Again, how can you trust the honesty and integrity – and/or the competence – of a Commission that functions like that?

I was astounded but not surprised when I watched the livestreams and recordings of the evening sessions for the ELCA’s Youth Gathering this past July. As expected, the young people attending were totally indoctrinated in the LGBTQ+ agenda, transgender and non-binary ideology, and the virtue of being social justice warriors. The only time when Jesus was mentioned in the Video Summary of the gathering was when the bishop of the host synod said that Jesus calls us to challenge systems of oppression. Certainly, the Old Testament prophets like Amos and Micah call us to “do justice,” but does the ELCA really believe that the main message and mission of Jesus and the Church is to challenge systems of oppression? What was equally astounding (but not surprising) was how quickly the recordings of the evening sessions were taken down from the internet. The only conclusion that I can come to is that the ELCA does not want us to know what was “pumped into the minds” of the young people.

As we have promised, we will continue to keep you informed about whether traditional views and those who hold them will continue to have a place of respect in the ELCA’s revised human sexuality social statement, as well as about the work of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church and the place of DEIA ideology in the Renewed Church.

But as we do all that we will continue to provide resources and support for confessional Lutherans who hold to the authority and reliability of the Bible. We will continue to offer on our website worship resources such as prayers and hymn suggestions, daily devotions, weekly lectionary-based Bible studies and children’s messages, and video reviews of books and on topics of interest and importance. In addition we will continue to support the local and cross country mission trips of River’s Edge Ministries in Mt. Airy, Maryland, and the NEXUS program of Grand View University. We will continue to have a support group for seminarians and young people considering going to seminary, and we will continue to offer our Congregations in Transition and Congregational Lay Leadership Initiative ministries for churches that are between pastors that are still hoping to call a pastor as well as churches that are realizing that there will possibly or even probably not be a seminary-trained, ordained pastor for them to call.

A new ministry, which was described in our September newsletter, is our series of webinars for pastors and lay leaders and members of congregations. The first one is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25 and is entitled “Planning as a Paradigm Shift.” Future webinars are being planned and will provide inspiration, encouragement, and practical ideas for leadership and ministry.

Thank you for your prayers and your faithful and generous financial support, which enable us to continue to do our work of being a Voice for Biblical Truth and a Network for Confessing Lutherans. Please find below a link to a form which you can use to let us know how we can be praying for you.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you” (Philippians 1: 3-4). That is how we feel about you.

Blessings in Christ,

Dennis D. Nelson

Executive Director of Lutheran CORE

WOE TO THE SHEPHERDS

The First Reading for July 21, the day after the conclusion of the ELCA Youth Gathering, was from Jeremiah 23.  In verse 1 the Lord says to the leaders of God’s people, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!”  I believe that the same thing could be said about the leaders of the ELCA, including the planners of the youth gathering, which was held July 16-20 in New Orleans. 

Because of COVID, the last youth gathering occurred six years ago in 2018.  That time recordings of the messages from the keynote speakers were available for some time after, so I was able to listen to them, analyze them, and report on some of them in detail.  This time the sessions were live streamed (except for when the arena was having difficulties with the internet connection) and the recordings were available only for a short time before they were removed.  I was able to watch the evening session on Tuesday, part of the evening session on Thursday, and the closing worship service on Saturday morning.  Other than that I am dependent upon written comments, including on Facebook, and the daily summaries – complete with ELCA spin – in the ELCA’s digital magazine, “Living Lutheran.”  Even the video recaps for days 1, 2, and 3 – which are still available on the gathering’s YouTube channel – do not give any content from the keynote speakers.  They basically show young people being energetic and doing service projects.  It gives the impression that the gathering planning team do not want people to know what the keynote speakers said.    

However, the team did put together a five minute “Week in Review” video, which is still available.  I will use that video to share my reflections on the gathering.  A link to the video can be found HERE.

The video concludes with the person who actually opened the gathering – Bishop Michael Rinehart of the host synod, the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod (4: 40).  He began not with an opening prayer calling upon the Lord to bless the event but instead by acknowledging the indigenous people who had previously lived on the land and from whom the land was stolen.  It reminded me of the opening of the August 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, where greater emphasis was placed upon the rivers that flow through the area of the host synod than upon the God who created the rivers.  Bishop Rinehart told of how one of the indigenous tribes had sued the federal government and had succeeded in getting their land back.  At the announcement that a tribe had been successful in a lawsuit against the U. S. government, the young people cheered.  Hearing their cheers, I wondered what else they would become (and had already become) conditioned to cheer for.

But what I thought was most significant in Bishop Rinehart’s comments in the “Week in Review” video is the fact that he is the only person in the video who mentions Jesus.  And how does he describe Jesus?  As the “Jesus who calls us to challenge systems of oppression and power.”  Jesus through the lens of Marxism, critical race theory, and DEIA ideology.

The “Week in Review” video opens with Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.  This is not in the video, but on Tuesday (opening) night Bishop Eaton was introduced by one of the emcees, Rebekah Bruesehoff, as having worked for eleven years for “inclusivity, advocacy, and social justice.”  The introduction certainly shows what is considered most important.  I thought it was very interesting that Rebekah Bruesehoff, who along with her mother Naomi spoke at the last gathering in 2018 promoting transgenderism, was now one of the emcees.  In 2018 Rebekah was a pre-adolescent, transgender child.  Her mother is the author of “Raising Kids beyond the Binary: Celebrating God’s Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children.”  The ELCA reveals what it values most by whom it elevates, lifts up, and makes heroes of.

The “Week in Review” video quotes Bishop Eaton as saying with joy and anticipation on opening night, “You can make a change; you can be disruptive” (0: 01).  Actually on opening night Bishop Eaton used three phrases – “You make a difference; you can make a change; you can be disruptive.”  Anyone who does public speaking knows that in a series like that, whatever you want to give the greatest emphasis to – whatever you want to be the climax of your comments – you put last.  On opening night, when Bishop Eaton said, “You can be disruptive,” the crowd cheered.

Many times during the five days the youth were told that they were “Created to Be Brave, Free, Authentic, and Disruptive Disciples.”  I noticed that none of the keynote speakers were brave and free enough to be introduced without including their pronouns.  (When I register for ELCA synodical events, I make sure that I do not give my pronouns.)  The model for being disruptive that was held up was Jesus’ overturning the tables of the money changers in the Temple.  But I wonder what kinds of behavior 16, 000 youth thought were being approved, endorsed, and even promoted when they were told that they were created to be disruptive.

Evidently there was one example of being disruptive that did not please everyone.  At the closing worship service Bishop Eaton mentioned that there had been a low point during the gathering when a group was made to feel as if they did not matter.  She said that the group had been offered a heart-felt apology on a previous evening.  Again, because recordings of the evening sessions were very quickly removed, I was not able to watch that apology and find out exactly what it was in response to.  But I can think of one strong possibility.  Someone posted on Facebook that his group had felt “triggered” by one of the speakers.  “Triggered” seems to be a favorite term for those who feel offended.  So the group started talking about it out loud.  People who were nearby asked them to be quiet because they wanted to hear the speaker.  That request led to the group’s feeling even more triggered and claiming that they were being subjected to racist behavior so they will never attend a future youth gathering.  I do not know if that is the incident that triggered the apology, but if it is, it does raise the question of whether talking out loud as a group near other people during a public gathering was validated and legitimized by the ELCA’s saying that we are created to be disruptive.  If my public rudeness leads to your having to apologize publicly because I feel triggered and subjected to your racist behavior, it also shows – in the strange world of wokeness, critical race theory, and DEIA ideology – that the one who is the most empowered is the one who claims to be the most victimized and oppressed.

For me the bright spot of the gathering was the presentation Tuesday evening by Michael Chan (2: 06).  Michael’s message at the ELCA’s Rostered Leaders Gathering last summer was also the bright spot at that event for me.  At the Rostered Leaders Gathering I felt that he was the only keynote speaker who expressed care and concern for us – the ministers of the church – rather than merely viewing us as underlings who need to get totally on board with fully supporting the ELCA agenda and priorities.  At the youth gathering he spoke on Psalm 139: 13 – “You formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  He began by saying, “Wonders happen in the dark,” and then said so many other good things that I would have wanted the youth from my former congregation to hear.  These comments include “You were loved and treasured long before you performed your first good act” and “You were precious long before you could prove it.”  He talked about the difficult circumstances that can bury us and then said, “You are not in the grave, you are in the womb: something is happening in the darkness.” 

I would have been happy to have the youth from my former congregation hear Michael Chan.  I would not have wanted them to hear another keynote presenter, ELCA pastor Keats Miles-Wallace, who spoke on Thursday evening (3: 00).  Pastor Miles-Wallace shared that he always knew that he was different.  In middle school he did not fit in anywhere, and he made himself miserable trying to be what every group that he wanted to be a part of wanted him to be.  He finally learned that God created him to be free – “free to be my weird, different, unique, transgender, non-binary, neuro-divergent, and Anglo-Mexican-Indigenous self.”  Rather than finding his identity in Christ, he found his identity in being himself “out loud.”  He found peace when he finally experienced the “freedom of expression that God intended for all of creation.”  He is a member of the task force that is reviewing the 2009 human sexuality social statement. 

A video was shown on Thursday evening about ten minutes before Pastor Miles-Wallace spoke, which certainly set the stage and prepared the way for Pastor Miles-Wallace’s remarks.  This video went through the various days of creation in Genesis 1 as it prepared the young people to fully embrace the LGBTQ+ agenda.  Its argument was that at first glance, creation seems full of binaries.  God created light and then separated the light from the darkness, but there are also sunrises and sunsets, dawn and dusk.  God separated the land from the waters, but there are places that are not fully land or fully water, such as marshes and bogs.  God created the sun and the moon, but there are also stars, planets, and asteroids.  God created creatures of the land, sea, and sky, but there are also land animals such as penguins that swim and fish that fly.  God created male and female, but He also made all other types of people.  The video concluded, “At a glance creation seems full of binaries, but there is also a beautiful in between.  Genesis gives examples, but does not exclude the possibility of more, and God saw that it was good.”

The video said nothing about God’s creating male and female not as just two of an endless number of possible varieties, but instead so that two could become one flesh and so that the two would be able to be fruitful and multiply.  (Genesis 1: 27-28, 2: 24; Matthew 19: 4-6)  The stage was now set for ELCA youth to fully embrace the full LGBTQIA2S+ agenda and every variety of gender identity.  No wonder the “Week in Review” video even showed a group of youth with a drag queen (2: 00).  

The video of the closing worship service on Saturday ended with a short introduction of the location of the 2027 gathering – Minneapolis.  Minneapolis was described as a city that has a “commitment to inclusivity,” “celebrates diversity and embraces dialog,” and where “every voice is heard and every story matters.”  I noticed the Palestinian flag at one point in the “Week in Review” video (4: 20).  I am sure that during the gathering the voices of the Israeli people were never heard and their story did not matter.  Typical of ELCA youth events, there was not even one person who spoke in support of traditional views of human sexuality and gender identity.  Typical of the ELCA, this time also not every voice was heard and there were stories that did not matter. 

Dennis D. Nelson

lcorewebmail@gmail.com

Zion Lutheran Church in Castroville Texas, seeks to call a lead pastor to join us as a witness for
Christ in this rapidly growing community.

The Community

In 1844 Castroville was established by Alsatian and German settlers on the banks of the Medina river just west of San Antonio. Today Castroville still cherishes their roots. It is located less than a half hour from downtown San Antonio. Castroville boasts one of the most highly rated and fastest growing school districts in Texas. Medina Valley ISD offers many opportunities for student growth both in and out of the classroom. Community events include Fiorella Friday, Old Fashion Christmas, the 4th of July Parade, the Tour de Castroville and the Poppy Festival. Popular activities in Castroville include hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, shopping, golfing, and sight-seeing. 

The Church

Zion Lutheran Church, established in 1852, is deeply rooted in our town’s history. We envision
making disciples for Christ in this growing community. Our ministries include vacation Bible
school, adult and children’s Sunday school, choir and hand bell players, and a prayer chain. We
also participate in the monthly city-wide festival, Fiorella Friday, with activities for children and
families. Additionally, we are involved in the local food pantry and various other community
outreach projects. The church has a mix of families that have been at Zion for generations,
along with many families that are new to the area.

The Call

As a church we are looking for a lead pastor who holds to  LCMC statement of faith and is committed to preaching the Word in an engaging manner. The ideal candidate will be an ambitious leader who has a vision for how we can maintain our commitment to this historic community while making disciples of Christ among the growing population in the community. 

If you are interested in finding out more about this call you can review “the call” section of our website. Send your resume to our call team jobs@zion-castroville.org.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.  For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matthew 13:16-17).

Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe.  This wicked generation is always looking for a sign.  Even if they are given one in the flesh, they want another one.  You have seen and heard.  Stop being disbelieving but believe that God’s salvation has been revealed to you.  Be guided by the words of eternal life and no longer reject what the Lord has given you.  Everything points to Jesus and He has introduced Himself to you.

Holy Spirit, too often my mind races in many different directions.  I will hear something I want to hear and no matter how false it is, I will believe it.  I will hear the truth and if I do not want to believe it, I won’t.  Strip me of the confusion and clear my soul so that I recognize truth and reject the lie.  Open my ears and eyes to live with the understanding that things truly are the way they are regardless of how I feel about the way things are.

Lord, help me to hear the truth You speak.  Open my ears to hear Your commands and then help me, Holy Spirit, to obey them.  In all I do, may I be guided by You, LORD, the One who knows the beginning from the end.  Let me not be hard-hearted, but pliable in Your hands.  Lead me on the narrow way of everlasting life.  Guide me always in Your goodness and mercy that Your will be done in me.  Amen.

“And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You shall keep on listening, but shall not understand; And you shall keep on looking, but shall not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their heart, and return, And I would heal them’” (Matthew 13:14-15).

Sometimes people are so into themselves that they can scarcely hear another talk.  The word of the Lord goes past their ears.  They will laugh and ridicule at what they do not know.  You and I have been there, and not listened to the word of the Lord.  The Lord will heal all who turn to Him.  Many will not.  The rebellion of this age is simple to understand.  You will either go your way, or you will go the Lord’s way.

Lord, clear my ears to hear and my eyes to see.  Let me take in the words of eternal life.  Bend my attention fully toward you and make of me what You will.  Let me not fall into old habit of just going through life but teach me how to live this life so that I may follow You into life eternal.  Through all that I experience and do, let me see Your saving and blessing hand at work on me.

Lord Jesus, heal me of all the infirmities that plague my soul.  Bring me understanding in order that I may always return to You and receive healing.  Guide me into the way of everlasting life and make me whole in You.  Lord, make my heart alive in You and take away all the dullness that is in me.  Let me know that I am found by You and I no longer need to go looking, but only ask, seek and knock.  Keep me close to You dear Savior.  Amen.

For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.  Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:12-13).

The one who walks in the salvation of the Lord will prosper and become a child of the Heavenly Father.  The one who does not have salvation, though he were to gain the whole world, will lose his own soul.  In part, Jesus tells us that the narcissists will be unable to see the simple truth of salvation because they cannot think of the Lord as greater than they think they are.  They only think that they understand themselves.

Lord, the myopic pride in me also distorts the truth.  You are the Lord of the universe.  Help me to see things plainly and walk the way You have set before me.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to learn humility, obey Your instructions, and live the life You have given me.  You know what is needed; guide me to have  ears that receives what You say.  Create in me what You intend.

Author and Finisher of my faith, lead me this day to live in Your righteousness.  Through all that will come in my life today, help me to see You and Your direction in all that I do.  Open my ears to hear and my eyes to see so I may walk in faithfulness.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to serve You and my neighbors through all that I do this day.  Lead me in the way You would have me go.  Amen. 

“And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”  And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted” (Matthew 13:10-11).

When You understand who our Lord is, what He has asked of you, and know the goal of your faith, you no longer need to be taught the elemental principles.  These parables translate to every time and place, giving the fundamental truth that we need to build our lives upon Jesus.  You first receive the Good News with many things that seem like riddles, but then you grow in understanding and these things are simply a part of what you know.

We all go through the same process of learning.  Rather than ask the Lord why He is doing something, learn to hear His instruction and obey what He is telling you to do.  The mystery of heaven is not complex.  God is God and He is to be loved, feared, and obeyed.  If we do, the rebellion of this age will pass away and we shall become what He is making of us.  This is why He said that we are to have no other gods before Him.

Holy Spirit, I often make things more complex than they need to be.  I ask questions rather than simply doing what I am being told to do.  Guide me so that I may bear the fruit You intend for me to bear.  Help me to tell Your stories so that those who have ears to hear and know Your voice will follow You.  You know all that is needed.  Help me to learn from You how to live my life here, now, and always.  Amen.

“Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.  But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.  The one who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:7-9).

The good soil is the Lord, His word, knowing and understanding that every circumstance will grow us in faith.  Do not focus upon how much is produced – that belongs to the Lord.  Focus upon remaining rooted in the Lord.  The cares of the world can choke you and take your eyes off the prize.  The parable is simple to understand, and you know what the Lord is saying, so heed the word of the Lord.

Lord, I do know what you are saying.  Your word is to be taken as the source of life.  If I am distracted, carried away by the world or worry about circumstances, I will wither and die.   If I am in You, I will grow and bear fruit.  Help me so that I heed these words of Yours and grow deeper in the truth You have revealed.  You have given me the words of eternal life.  Help me to live into that life.

Lord Jesus, apart from You I can do nothing.  Help me to live these words.  You will cause me to bear whatever fruit You will give me to bear.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to have a singular focus as I willingly walk the path You have set before me.  Take my eyes off myself and what I am doing so that I may focus upon You and listen for what You would have me do.  Guide me always my Savior.  Amen.

“Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil.  But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away” (Matthew 13:5-6).

Many will hear the word of the Lord, comprehend that here is truth, but not let the word sink in.  The word of the Lord must take root.  You are to become like Christ.  Jesus is not after fair-weather friends, but He has come to make of you a child of the Heavenly Father.  Life is not about how you feel, but about living life with the intention of becoming what the Lord is making of you.

Lord, when times are tough, I often fold up and wither.  I need the deep roots in You to sustain my life so that in times of drought I may not wither away.  You know this, but I need help to do my part so that I may be sustained in and by You through all that life will bring my way.  Lead me to have depth in this faith that You have given me so that my weariness may be refreshed with the truth of Your word.

Lord Jesus, Word made flesh, You have come that we may have true and abundant life.  Take me away from a Sunday religion that only makes me feel good, but does not prepare me for the times of heat which come in my life.  Lead me to grow deep roots in You through daily prayer, reading of Scripture, and meditating upon and inwardly digesting the words You have given me.  Guide me, Lord, so that I may abide in You now and forever.  Amen.

Scripture

John 8:31-36

Script

[Props: Print out a copy of Martin Luther’s 95 theses, tape]

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone!

Pastor: Today is a special day, Sammy!

Sammy: I knew it! Happy birthday, Pastor!

Pastor: No, no, no. Today is not my birthday.

Sammy: Happy anniversary, Pastor!

Pastor: Wrong again, Sammy.

Sammy: I give up! What is the special day?

Pastor: Boys and girls, do you know what special day it is today?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: It’s Reformation Sunday!

Sammy: It’s Reformation Sunday! Hooray! What’s that?

Pastor: Today is a day where we remember when Martin Luther nailed 95 theses, or proposed reformations, to the door of the church at Wittenburg.

Sammy: Why did Martin Luther do that? He put a lot of holes in a nice door.

Pastor: Martin Luther wanted to reform the Catholic Church. He didn’t like some of the things the leaders in the church were doing. He wanted everyone to know that we are saved by grace through faith. Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith, and we look to him for our salvation.

Sammy: Martin Luther seems like a great guy.

Pastor: He is, Sammy. Today we are going to hang the 95 theses on the door of our church. I have the list Martin Luther created here. We are going to hang up this list together.

[Walk with children to church door and hang up the 95 theses. You may hang them on an interior church door.]

Pastor: Thank you for your help, everyone. Let’s pray. Can everyone please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for your church. Thank you for sending people like Martin Luther to help grow your church. Thank you for being with us here. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Scripture

Mark 10:35-45

Script

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone!

Pastor: Boys and girls, I was wondering, do you have a favorite spot to sit in your house? Where is that spot?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: I love sitting at the top of the meadow and looking down at the rolling great hills and the wildflowers blowing in the wind. And I love listening to the birds sing. The top of the meadow is my favorite spot.

Pastor: That sounds like a lovely spot, Sammy.

Sammy: It is.

Pastor: In our gospel reading from Mark today, James and John want to sit at Jesus’s left and right hands.

Sammy: Sitting next to Jesus sounds like a great place to be. What’s wrong with that?

Pastor: Well, Jesus tells James and John that they don’t know what they are asking. Jesus asks them questions in return: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” And they say that they are able.

Sammy: Well that’s great!

Pastor: Jesus then agrees with them, and says James and John will drink from the cup that he drinks and be baptized with the baptism that he is baptized with. But James and John cannot sit at his left and right hand—it is for those for whom it has been prepared.

Sammy: I am lost. What does Jesus mean?

Pastor: James and John drink from the cup of wine Jesus offers. This cup is the blood Jesus shed to give us the new covenant. We drink from this cup when we have communion.

Sammy: That makes sense. What about the baptism?

Pastor: Jesus is baptized with water, the Word, and he receives the Holy Spirit. When we are baptized, we are baptized with water and the Word, and we also receive the Holy Spirit.

Sammy: I understand that part now, too. But what about the seats at Jesus’s left and right hands? Why can’t James and John sit there?

Pastor: That place is reserved for the two men who stole from other people and were crucified on Jesus’s left and right sides.

Sammy: Oh no.

Pastor: That’s why James and John can’t be seated at Jesus’s left and right hands—two other people were already chosen to take those places.

Sammy: Pastor, I find comfort knowing that God knows better than me. He has a perfect plan for my life, and he delivers me from harm and danger even when I am not aware of the danger around me.

Pastor: Jesus loves each one of his disciples, and he loves each one of us. He was looking out for James and John.

Sammy: I’ll look out for you, too, Pastor. Let’s pray. Can everyone please fold their hands and bow their heads? Dear Jesus, thank you for communion. Thank you for baptism. Thank you for keeping us safe and helping us to serve each other in love. We love you. Amen.

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Scripture

Mark 10:17-31

Script

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone! Pastor, I have a question.

Pastor: I am ready for your question, Sammy.

Sammy: Are you good at sharing?

Pastor: I’d like to think that I am pretty good at sharing, yes.

Sammy: YES! That’s great! Woo-hoo! I found this $50 bill in your office and I am so glad you want to share it with me.

Pastor: Hang on a second there, Sammy.

Sammy: I was thinking we could go get ice cream together, and then we could go to a local farm and say hello to all the animals. And then we could get a few pumpkins. After that, I was thinking we could—

Pastor: Sammy, you can’t just go into my office and pick up money you find and ask to share it.

Sammy: Why not? This money was on the floor. It was like you put it there for me to find. You’re great at creating surprises, Pastor.

Pastor: Sammy, I am going to take the money back now. I didn’t leave it for you as a surprise. We are not going to share the cash, either.

Sammy: I guess you weren’t listening to what Jesus said today, Pastor.

Pastor: What do you mean, Sammy?

Sammy: Jesus said in Mark Chapter 10:25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” I am just trying to look out for you, Pastor.

Pastor: Boys and girls, what do you think Jesus meant when he said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God”?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: These are great answers!

Pastor: Do you understand now, Sammy? Jesus is encouraging us to give up what we love more than him so that we can be closer to him. He wants us to share our gifts: what we have in our homes and what we have in our hearts. Jesus doesn’t want us to keep everything to ourselves. He wants us to love him and each other.

Sammy: So…

Pastor: But that doesn’t mean we have to give up everything to everyone. So I am going to take that large bill back.

Sammy: Okay. I understand. I am sure I can find some coins in the parking lot!

Pastor: That’s the spirit! Boys and girls, let’s pray together. Would everyone please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for encouraging us to hold tightly to you. Thank you for helping us give to others. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Amen.

Pastor: Bye, everyone! Bye, Sammy!

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Scripture

Mark 10:2-16

Script

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: [sad tone] Good morning, everyone.

Pastor: What’s wrong, Sammy?

Sammy: I wanted to tell you all that sometimes I feel like I am too little to do anything.

Pastor: What do you mean, Sammy?

Sammy: Well, sometimes I try to play with older lambs, and they don’t want me to play with them. And I have trouble reaching the special treats in the barn. I am a little lamb, and sometimes the older lambs make me feel like I don’t matter.

Pastor: I am sorry to hear that, Sammy. I want you to know that you always matter to me and to Jesus.

Sammy: [Still sad] Thanks, Pastor.

Pastor: Boys and girls, can you think of a time when you were too little to do something? What happened?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: Thank you for your answers, everyone. I remember being too little to _____.

Sammy: I guess it’s a good thing that we have Jesus, right? Even though I am small and other lambs make me feel unimportant, I am always important to Jesus.

Pastor: That’s right. Jesus’s disciples saw that moms and dads were bringing their tiny babies and toddlers to Jesus, and they told Jesus to send the little children away.

Sammy: That sounds familiar. The older lambs tell me to go away, too.

Pastor: Sammy, Jesus is different. He tells the disciples that the Kingdom of God belongs to little children, and he says to let the little children come to him.

Sammy: He does?

Pastor: Yes—Jesus loves even the smallest of babies. Each of us are created in the image of God, and God loves us.

Sammy: That’s great news!

Pastor: That’s what the gospel is all about. The good news of Jesus Christ is for all of us, even the littlest among us. Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, Thank you for welcoming babies and toddlers. Thank you for modeling how to love our Christian family. Thank you for your good news. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!