[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, August 14 MATTHEW 17:22-27 I did not want to offend my enemies, even though they wanted to kill me. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus reminds me that he will be killed. Perhaps I should I take the time right now to pray for those who have been or will be killed today. b. We should pay legitimate taxes. What is my feeling about taxation in my country?  c. We are part of two kingdoms, the kingdom of the earth and the kingdom of God. The  kingdom of earth deals with our daily lives, while the kingdom of God includes our thinking of God and what Jesus taught. With which Kingdom do I spend most of my time? d. The subjects of the kingdom of earth are “exempt” in the sense that we should have given our allegiance to God. Is it clear from all of my actions that I am devoted to the kingdom of God? e. There are certain things that should be done in order not to offend others. Thus the importance of “keeping peace” and “giving in” on our parts. Do I have true love of others in that I give in to what they want, presuming that it is not against the law of God? f. The Lord continues to work in miraculous ways in our lives. Am I sufficiently aware of the Lord’s activity in my life? g. The standard is given for all as Jesus tells Peter to pay for him too. Am I generous with the talent, time or money that I have? h. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will make a list of people to whom I should show more generosity. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy KEEPING THE PEACE  + In the prophetic vision of Ezekiel, God tells of the four evangelists who will record God’s Word           – and then presents the image of the glorified Jesus who was surrounded with great splendor  + Jesus as man in the Gospel knows that his immediate future will involve death before that glorification will take place           – and even though his future was on his mind,                      – he is presented with a very human problem                               – something that you and I must worry about as well—paying taxes  + The tax referred to here was obligatory for all Jewish males over 20 years old           – it was used for the upkeep of the temple                      – it was a bit controversial because of how it was used                                – but Jesus makes it clear to Peter that as children of God whose house the temple is, they are exempt from taxes for the temple                                          – but for sake of not causing scandal, Jesus pays the money for him and Peter                                                    – how he gets the money is a bit fantastic and probably something added by some editor                                                               – but I think the important point for us is that Jesus obeyed the law, even though he really didn’t have to                                                                         – the phrase the English uses is a good one to be aware of: “that we may not offend them”  + Jesus did not want to offend them           – that is, knowing that there is controversy concerning whether to pay or not to pay, he wants to do the least thing that will cause a problem                      – in terms of our living right now, it means that we should live in our lives in such a way that we will stay away from controversy as much as possible                                – some examples include:                                          – expressing strong opinions about politics or the like                                                    – and in some cases, showing real anger                                          – being too concerned about what others are doing when we can do nothing about it                                          – bringing up topics that are not important when we know they will cause controversy                                                    – in general, trying to bring peace to situations rather than anger or frustration  + Admittedly, there are some times when we absolutely must speak up and cause a little discussion           – but the thought must be to be peaceful people                      – and deciding what that means in our own individual circumstances  + We may indeed know what’s right and we want to say it all the time,           – but sometimes we have to hold back in order to keep the peace. MEDIA PRESENTATION Movie: “The Miracle Season” — beginning session THE TRAGEDIES IN LIFE The Gospel LUKE 13:1-5 Some people who were present there told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did.”

Gospelthink: Accidents happen; it is not a sign of punishment. It is a sign to be aware that you need to repent, and there is still time. How much time do I spend on improving my life?

Based on a true account, the movie “The Miracle Season” is the story of how a group of young people withstood a tragedy in order to do something close to impossible. The victorious volleyball team at West High School in Iowa City, Iowa had their sights set on winning a second straight State tournament and were likely to do it. But an accident took the life of their captain, Caroline “Line” Found, and the team was thrown into mourning. Also Ellyn, her mother, was very close to death because of cancer. Dr. Ernie Found, her husband found himself struggling with the two-fold loss, his daughter and his wife. It was a devastating loss for the team, and even more devastating for Ernie.

In the Gospels, Jesus was often confronted with evil and the accidents of life. His attitude was one of acceptance by trying to change what he could. But mainly Jesus was interested in what could be learned as he showed with deaths brought about by Pilate and the accident at Siloam. When he studied some evil or an accident, he taught his followers that such things will happen in life. The important thing is that we learn from it, and be willing to change as a result. Evil and tragedy are often the subject of the media of our world because they are an important part of our human existence. Everyone of us either has suffered or will suffer through some situation that can be thought of as “tragedy” or “evil.” Life is that way. Such is the setting for the movie “The Miracle Season.” There are no words that can describe the loss of a friend as Kelly Fliehler felt in the loss of Caroline Found. Likewise the double loss that Dr. Ernie Found experienced with the loss of his daughter and later his wife. The inevitable questions of “why” and ‘what if” are part of the grieving process. The horrible feeling of despair penetrates every fiber of one’s being, leading all who experience the pain to the desire to simply give up. There is no solution to take away the pain, of course, but there are ways to begin to find a solution. One of them is activity. Coach Kathy Bresnahan sensed that the activity which fit the painful situation was to continue Caroline’s passion, namely volleyball. Line’s, as they called her, desire more than anything was to win a second State volleyball championship. Coach Bresnahan set out to continue Line’s wish. In the process, Bresnahan was able to motivate Line’s teammates to accomplish what many considered an impossibility and a true “miracle.” The young ladies of West Volleyball were able to achieve what Line wanted, but more than that, they learned how to act in the face of tragedy.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, there are moments of severe pain that we experience in life. Be with us as we learn to work with that pain, and then move on in our lives to accomplish what You want of us. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: There will always be tragedies in life, but we must learn to work with them and live on.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (session: approximately 46 minutes) 1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why? 2. What is the greatest evil in our world right now, and what can we learn from it? 3. The pain of loss of a teenager is especially felt by other teens. What can one teenager do to help another who is feeling the pain of loss of a friend? 4. What can a young person do to console an adult who suffers loss as did Ernie in the movie? 5. What good change can be brought about by the death of a friend? 6. The fact that pain will happen in our lives could bring about fear. What can a person do about it? 7. The meditation suggests activity to overcome the pain of loss. What are some other ways to overcome the pains in our lives?