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January 2-9, 2008

Pope Benedict urges the faithful to
take time for God

Warm-up Question:

Do you ever feel the need for “down time” away from the demands of school, work, and social life? What do you do with your down time?

 

In his address to worshippers attending the annual Christmas Eve midnight mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI challenged his listeners to put aside selfish pursuits to make time for God and the poor.

"Do we have time for our neighbor who is in need of a word from us, from me, or in need of my affection? …Do we have time and space for God?" asked Benedict, the highest earthly authority in the Roman Catholic Church.

The pontiff compared the contemporary person’s lack of concern for spiritual matters to the throng at Bethlehem who crowded Jesus out of the inn and left him no room but a stable. God still finds room to enter the life of humanity, as he did in on the first Christmas. But many deny their need for God. In their busy-ness they cheat themselves out of the blessings God’s service brings.

Benedict’s homily on this occasion takes up a theme on which he often speaks, the secular world’s rising encroachment on spiritual life. He sees this trend as dangerous and encourages true Christians not to forget or dilute their faith.

 

Discussion Questions

  1. Do you think that Pope Benedict’s concern about secular life interfering with spiritual life is valid? Why or why not?
  2. What are some examples of personal, political, business or other issues crowding out God in our world? In our personal lives?
  3. Can Christians, especially youth, counteract this trend? How?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, January 6, 2008.
(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.)

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12

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

Gospel Reflection
With the coming of the wise men from “the east” (probably what we know today as Iran) to acknowledge Jesus as the promised Messiah, the entire world received an epiphany, a special revelation from God, but they didn’t know it yet. They were busy making a living, raising children, fretting about the oppressive rule of the Romans, and accommodating their lives to the census of Caesar Augustus. It was not until the Apostle Paul began his mission, described in today’s lesson from Ephesians that people finally understood the significance of the wise men’s journey: the Promised One came to save, not just the Jews, but the whole world, Jew and Gentile alike.

But suppose the wise men had been otherwise occupied. They held high positions in their country; they may even have been kings. They had duties, responsibilities, and reputations to uphold. As thoroughly modern monarchs, they could have ignored the appearance of the bright star and stayed put.

But they did not. God had spoken to them in their own “language,” the study of the heavenly bodies. The wise men recognized the star as a summons and a message. They put aside their work and would not rest until they found and confirmed what it promised—the appearance of the long-awaited Christ himself.

We too can miss an epiphany, a summons from God, in our lives. When the fears, pleasures, and obligations of our rapidly changing world overtake us, we can get bogged down and distracted. God’s Word becomes just words. Prayer becomes mere recitation from memory. We forget our need for quiet, undisturbed time with our Lord. We put off serving the needs of those around us.

Society’s me-first mind-set can sound very convincing. The lure of popularity, success, and money can draw us away from God’s summons to the humble service of his Messiah. It takes effort to put aside these things and make space in our lives for daily communing with God. What will it take? Getting up earlier? Dropping a social activity? Spending less time on the computer? Don’t miss your epiphany. Make time for God in your life.

Discussion Questions

  1. Do you consider your life to be too busy? What does or does not make it so? What are some pastimes or activities you wish you had more time for? What prevents you from doing them?
  2. Think about your answer to the warm-up question about how you spend your “down time.” How do these activities benefit your life even though they may not seem productive to others?
  3. Do you or someone you know set aside a daily devotional or prayer time? What difference has it made in your/their life?
  4. What are some small ways in which you as an individual can take time to help someone in need? Give examples from your life or that of someone you know.

Activity Suggestions
Make and copy a blank time schedule (a grid with spaces for 1-hour increments, 7am-8am, etc.) or ask students to draw one with provided pencils, rulers, and paper. Have them write in their typical daily schedule. Then ask them to find a way to include a 15-20 minute devotional time in the schedule. Have students share what they eliminated or changed in order to make
the time.

Look over the things that fill your schedule:

  • How do they compare to each others lists?
  • What things consume the most time? What does it say about this period in your life (i.e., demands of high school) or your priorities?

Suggested Songs: “We Three Kings,” “Jesus Calls Us,” “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”
 

  Closing Prayer
Father God, you call us to worship and serve your only Son, the Christ. May we take the example of the wise men, put aside distractions and offer ourselves to you with joy and thanksgiving. Open our spiritual eyes and ears to your love and leading so that we may share your epiphany—salvation for all—with our whole world. In the name of our living Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen


Contributed by Sylvia Alloway
Granada Hills, CA

Permission to reproduce for local use. Copyright © 2008 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ELCA Youth Ministry. 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2447. To offer your comments or responses to Faith Lens, e-mail:  rod.boriack@elca.org.

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