Today, we look at a Day 5 text from this year’s summer curriculum, “From Generation to Generation.”
Prayer: [Read, then come back and spend a few quiet minutes letting Jesus pray for you!] Reading: John 17:6-19 (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: I read an article today that highlighted how 85% of available property rentals in the US are already booked for this coming summer. Apparently after a year of stay-at-home practices, Americans are ready to finally get away! It’s like everyone hit play on The Go-Go’s, because it seems like we’re rocking to “vacation, all we ever wanted//vacation, had to get away.” We know the feeling well, don’t we? We know that sensation of just needing to “get away” from time to time. It’s often when the going gets roughest that we are hit with the feeling of just wanting to set it aside and escape for a while. We’d rather set all of the things causing stress and frustration on the backburner and take up some time away. This past year has certainly been no exception to that feeling; in fact, the data suggests it’s only been exacerbated! As Christians, then, it’s sometimes tempting to treat our practices, especially our Sunday morning worship, as the sort of getaway we long for. It’s tempting to think that when we gather as communities of faith it’s in order to get away from the problems of the world. We sometimes expect our Sunday mornings to be like a Sandals escape to fill us with enough feel-good energy that we can keep our heads above water until the next weekend rolls around. Unfortunately, though, this clearly isn’t what Jesus has in mind. As he prepares his disciples for his own departure here in John’s Gospel, he makes clear to them that they still very much have a place within the world. They still have work to do -- hard work -- that will require a great deal from them ahead. They will still very much be in the world, even if they’d rather simply get away. Which is precisely why it’s so important to hear how Jesus supports those he sends into the world. He does not leave them unequipped or unaccompanied. Recognizing the difficulty of remaining tethered to the world that can so often weigh us down, Jesus commits himself to the work of praying for his disciples-turned-friends. He prays for their encouragement and support. He prays for their accompaniment by the God who will work to protect them and move with them throughout that world. When it feels like the going’s getting unbearably rough and you’re tempted to plan your escape, remember that Jesus is praying for you too. Hang in there! ~ Justin Lingenfelter
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