Hosted each week by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine, Maya Little-Sana and Charlette Preslar, the Faith To Go Podcast highlight themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
From Bustle
Questions:
1) What is the difference between being assertive and bossy?
2) Do you have a hard time standing up for yourself?
3) How does your self-image affect how well you stand up for yourself?
4) Is it easier to stand up for yourself or for others?
5) How did Jesus tell us to stand up for ourselves?
Views and Qs: Keep Moving On
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) Why did Martin Luther King use the imagery of a blueprint? What does a blueprint do?
2) Who do you think the audience of this speech was?
3) What is the most important thing to have in your blueprint?
4) What can serve as motivation to “keep moving” in life?
5) Why is a deep belief in your own worth important?
Feast and Faith: Responding to Injustice
For this week’s dinner discussion, we are talking about how Jesus told us to hear what the unjust judge said” (Luke 18:6). In the judge’s conclusion there is a lesson; not a lesson in the type of judge to be, one who is hard and arrogant, but a lesson in how we should approach our relationship with God.
Prayer -
Lord, we thank You for mercy, for the hunger for righteousness, for forgiveness, for providing for our needs.
Lord, we thank You for prayer, That we can come before You and call You Father.
That we can cast our burdens on You.
Lord, I thank You for our heart, the treasure and light You placed in there -- the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Discussion –
Jesus tells us two things about the unjust judge in verse 2: "he neither feared God nor regarded man." These are repeated in verse 4: "though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet . . . I will vindicate her." In other words, these two marks of the judge are obstacles to his helping the widow. First, he has no fear of God and is, therefore, prone not to help her. This means that the fear of God would prompt a judge to help a needy widow. And if the fear of God would prompt a judge to help a needy widow, then God is not like the unjust judge but is the kind of God whose heart inclines to help those who cry to him. So when Jesus tells us that the obstacle that almost kept the judge from helping the widow was his failure to fear God, he makes it crystal clear that the fear of God inclines a person to give heed to cries for help, and therefore, God himself is right in mercy to all who call upon him. Therefore, if a judge who has no fear of God can be swayed by persistent petitions, how much more certain we can be that God will help those who cry to him day and night.
The second mark of the judge was that he had "no regard for man." The widow was unknown to him, and he had no interest in her. The assumption is that if he cared about this widow, if she were his mother, he would help her. So we must ask: Does God have no regard for us? Is he indifferent to our needs? In verse 7 Jesus gives us the answer: "And will not God vindicate his elect? No, there are no strangers to God. It means he has set his favor upon us fully and freely. He is for us with all his might. Therefore, Jesus argues, if an unjust judge can be moved by persistent petitions to help a stranger for whom he has no regard, how much more "will God help his own chosen ones who cry to him day and night!"
Questions
1. Why did the judge ultimately grant the widow justice?
2. Why should we emulate the actions of the widow?
3. Why is persistence important?
4. Why do you think Jesus chose a widow to illustrate his point?
5. Is it easy or difficult to ask for help?
Final Nugget - Who are the people crying out for justice in the world around you? How can you respond?
Stay and Pray: A Devotion for Families at the Close of the Day Each week we feature a way for your family to reflect and pray together. For families with older children this is an at home liturgy for your family to participate in together. It is a daily devotion for families adapted from The Book of Common Prayer.
Before you begin, take a few moments to decide who will read the scripture reading and who will read the collect and closing.
Read the Psalm and Lord's Prayer in unison.
After a moment of silence, begin with the Psalm.
Psalm 121
(Read in unison)
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5 The Lord himself watches over you; *
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.
8 The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.
Gospel Luke 18:1-8
(read by assigned person)
Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, `Grant me justice against my opponent.' For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, `Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Prayers for Ourselves and For Others (take this time to each offer one person/event that you would like to hold in prayer as well as one thing you are thankful for)
Dear God, tonight I ask your prayers for.......
and I give you thanks for ..........
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
(read in unison)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: