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.
Questions:
1. How are Derenne Middle School students following Christ’s example when they reach out to classmates eating alone at lunchtime?
2. Why do you think Jesus connected with people through meals and eating with them?
3. Is there a time where you felt isolated from your peers and you wish someone reached out to you?
4. How does it feel when a stranger goes out of their way to establish a relationship with you?
5. What if your school implemented a program like “No One Eats Alone”?
Views and Qs: Reckless Love
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1. After listening to this song, which lyrics stand out to you the most?
2. Why might God’s love be considered reckless by some?
3. Do you agree with the artist when he says he doesn’t deserve God’s kindness? Why or why not?
4. Is accepting the gift of God’s “never-ending, overwhelming, reckless” love easy or difficult?
5. In our own lives, what does loving recklessly look like?
Feast and Faith: The Lost Sheep
For this week’s dinner discussion, we are talking about how Jesus searches for the “lost sheep and coin” even though it doesn’t make much sense to do so.
Prayer -
Lord, we come to You to lift up those that are lost. Father, give them strength to make it through today and all of the struggles they encounter. Father, we are willing to be Your vessels. Use us to shine the light of God into the eyes of the lost this week. May they feel You moving as they encounter the trials of their lives.
Amen.
Discussion
Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?
Nobody. No one does this. No one would ever do that. It’s insanity. If you lose 1% of your holdings, you don’t risk losing the 99% of your holdings to get it back. By leaving the 99, you risk them roaming off, being stolen, or being killed and eaten by a wolf.
No one leaves the 99.
Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, `Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’
Nobody. No one does this.You don’t call friends and neighbors together for a celebration only to spend more money feeding and entertaining them than what you found was worth. I mean why bother looking for the coin at all, if you’re just going to blow more money anyway?
It’s insanity. Nobody does this. Except Jesus.
When a soul is lost, the soul is missed, longed after, and not only worth the search party, but worth the celebration-party when the soul is brought back into the fold. That is the Good News. Our God is the God of the lost, and the God who celebrates when the lost are found.
Questions
1. Do you ever feel like the Lost Sheep?
2. How do we know if we are lost?
3. How can you help Jesus search for those that feel lost and bring them back to the fold?
4. Why is leaving the 99 sheep and searching the house for the coin considered “insane”?
5. What other “insane” things does Jesus tell us to do?
Final nugget – Jesus leaves the 99 to search for the lost. Jesus sweeps the house and then throws a party when the lost are found. It’s totally and thoroughly insane. And, that’s why the Gospel it is such Good News.
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 14
(Read in unison)
1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." *
All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;
there is none who does any good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all, *
to see if there is any who is wise,
if there is one who seeks after God.
3 Every one has proved faithless;
all alike have turned bad; *
there is none who does good; no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers *
who eat up my people like bread
and do not call upon the Lord?
5 See how they tremble with fear, *
because God is in the company of the righteous.
6 Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, *
but the Lord is their refuge.
7 Oh, that Israel's deliverance would come out of Zion! *
when the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.
Luke 15:1-10
(read by assigned person)
All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So he told them this parable: "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, `Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
"Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, `Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
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
(read by assigned person)
O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: