Prayer: Dear God, may we always be ready to give the reason for the hope we have in you. Help us be gentle and reverent in our walk of faith with others. Amen
Reading: I Peter 3: 13-22 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: In junior and senior high school homeroom I sat between my cousin, Mark (same last name and M comes before R), and Gary, whose last name came after ours. Thus we were for morning announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance for the next 6 years. The summer after 7th grade, Mark’s and my church youth group decided to go on an overnight hiking trip. We invited Gary to come along. None of us had backpack camping experience; not even our leader. It was bad for everyone especially Gary who somehow got stuck carrying the water jug. Our reading today encourages us to be prepared to give the reason for the hope that we have and it reminds us to do it with gentleness and reverence. I doubt making a friend carry a five gallon water jug on a backpacking campout would be considered gentle. Nor would I say our thoughts on that arduous overnight trip would be considered reverent. Yet, despite how harsh and irreverent that weekend was, Gary decided to join our youth group. He started coming to church, was confirmed and later raised his family in the church. Who knew that hike would become first steps in faith for our friend? Gentleness and reverence. Everyone needs hope and we should be ready to share ours. I would walk miles with my friend as we journey in faith. And this time I would help carry the water. --Ruth Gates
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