Daring Discipleship Moving out into the world, empowered by the Spirit of Pentecost, Jesus disciples encounter division and conflict. Jesus knew that following God s leading would not prevent such situations; it may bring them on. But scripture proclaims this good news: God hears voices raised in need and responds. Daring disciples, then and now, move forward with courage. Focus Scripture: Matthew 10:24 39 In the tenth chapter of Matthew, we encounter Jesus teaching about the promise and cost of discipleship. In the verses preceding the focus passage, Jesus addresses the authority that forms disciples and suggests the persecution that may come to those who follow God s leading. Following today s passage, Jesus speaks about the meaning of welcoming disciples. In today s verses, Jesus affirms the courage necessary to face the possible costs and risks of discipleship. It is important to hear these verses in the context of Matthew s first readers. This church still lived in some degree of connection with Judaism. The verses speak of divisions within households (verses 25, 36). Knowing that the fear of conflict can act to silence disruptive or contrary voices within closeknit communities, Matthew urges the church to not allow such fear to muffle its witness. While those who follow Jesus may face the kind of opposition that Jesus did, they also can trust in Jesus promise that they have life with God. Three times in this passage, Matthew brings fear into the spotlight: fear generated by public slander (verse 26), fear created by those who can kill (verse 28), and fear of not being valued by God (verses 29 31). To be known so deeply and completely by God as these latter verses suggest may even trigger anxiety for some. Such knowledge, however, serves to undergird our lives as disciples. Matthew raises fear out of secret places and corners where it can fester. Even when living in a climate of fear, disciples can be daring in claiming a different focus for life together. The imagery of faith that leads to family divisions (verses 35 37) may be disturbing. Yet it reflects the truth that faith sometimes differentiates us from those closest to us. Understanding and practicing Christian faith in ways that diverge from parents, peers, or community sometimes even professing Christian faith at all may create conflict or lead to estrangement. Daring disciples, in this situation, journey into a deeper experience of what it means to trust and love God wholly. Conflict among family members also stamps Genesis 21:8 21, as it narrates the fracturing of Abraham s household in the conflict between Sarah and Hagar. In compassion, God makes a promise of a nation for Hagar s son and is with the child as he grows. Deep and lasting implications of this episode linger to this day. Tradition holds Sarah s child, Isaac, as forerunner of the Jewish people; and Hagar s child, Ishmael, as the progenitor of the Arab people. Each reading calls us to courage and trust in God. Psalm 86:1 10, 16 17 opens with words that could easily be the cry of Hagar or persecuted disciples. Yet the psalm declares trust in and praise for God s goodness. Paul s explanation of our baptism into Christ s death in Romans 6:1b 11 confirms that we share with Jesus the cost of discipleship, and we also share Christ s resurrection, where death no longer has dominion. Our identity as Christ s disciples means we share a calling and a purpose not always welcomed by this world. Sometimes, it may even bring us into conflict with those in our homes, congregations, or neighbourhoods. Which is the stronger force: that which unites people or that which divides? How is Christ calling you and your church to respond to the divisions you face? June 22, 2008 Focus Scripture Matthew 10:24 39 Additional Scriptures Genesis 21:8 21 Psalm 86:1 10, 16 17 Romans 6:1b 11 Almighty God, bathe us in Spiritfilled courage as we move out with the gospel message of your love and salvation for all. Hold us close in times of fear, and raise us to new hope in your coming reign. Amen. If you have Internet access, visit www.spiritseasons.com to access Spirit Sightings for connections between current events and the focus passage. 43
The Focus for Ages 5 12 Think about when the children in your group hear, Don t be afraid. Is it sitting in a doctor s office, the first day in a new school, or when they express concerns about a natural disaster they have seen on television news? Are the words said in a disdainful tone or with compassion? What will these words connect with in their day-to-day lives? Any fears that the children reveal ought not be an occasion for teasing them. The intent of this session is to make firm in the children s minds that they are precious to God too. This will not remove their fears, but may alleviate them, just as your compassionate presence will help them understand God s love for them. Fears usually disappear with addition experiences and the knowledge that we are never outside God s presence. The more children accept that God cares for them through the congregation and others who know and love them, the more their fears will diminish. Pray that the children in your group will find assurance in these words from Jesus so that they might turn to them throughout their lives. June 22, 2008 PREPARE Materials needed Visit the seasonal online activity in the Action Zone at www.spiritseasons.com. Before the session q Prayerfully reflect on this week s focus scripture, Matthew 10:24 39, and biblical background material on page 43. When do fears plague you? q Bring Bibles, basic supply kit (see p. 2), and, if possible, Seasons Music CD, vol. 6 and CD player. q Bring songs Jesu Tawa Pano/Jesus, We Are Here, Be Still and Know, and May the God of Hope (pp. 137, 131, and 140 141, also #14, #7, and #24 on Seasons Music CD). Gather q Prepare worship table with green cloth for the Season after Pentecost, white pillar candle, matches, Bible opened to Matthew 9, vase of paper lilies (see May 18, Gather), and offering basket. q Bring materials for paper lilies: hand shapes of white construction paper, leaves of green construction paper, and green pipe cleaners. Engage q Prepare to tell story on today s resource sheet Do Not Be Afraid. q For the choral reading group, bring copies of today s resource sheet Words of Courage. q For the Bible research group, bring copies of today s resource sheet When Matthew Was Written and directions. Respond Gather or make the materials for the zones selected. q Art zone: cardboard tubes, brown or orange construction paper, adhesive labels, and feathers q Music zone: songs Be Still and Know and May the God of Hope (pp. 131 and 140 141, also #7 and #24 on Seasons Music CD) and movement directions for Be Still and Know from May 25 q Quiet zone: poster Christ in the Wilderness: Consider the Lilies, copy of A Message from Jesus (p. 146), magnifying glasses, and variety of natural objects (hair, peppercorns, salt, feather, flower petals, moss, seeds, sand) q Discovery zone: copies of A Message from Jesus (p. 146) and directions q Outreach zone: bread, drinking glass, drinking straw, birdseed, egg white, and, optional, plastic bags Bless q Bring movement directions for Be Still and Know from May 25. 4444
Daring Discipleship June 22, 2008 Scripture Matthew 10:24 39 FOCUS To be assured by Jesus words to the disciples. 1GATHER Welcome the children, especially any visitors. As they gather, chat with them about their activities. Invite the children to get their lilies. Ask an older child to help anyone who needs to make a lily. Call to gather Invite the children to join you at the worship table. Light the Christ candle and say: We light this candle as a reminder of God s presence with us. Ask the children to place their lilies in the vase, one at a time. Together name each child as the lily is placed. Welcome anyone who is new. Note the green cloth on the worship table, signifying the Season after Pentecost. Song and offering Invite the children to listen to the song Jesu Tawa Pano/Jesus, We Are Here (p. 137, also #14 on Seasons Music CD) as one or two children receive the offering. Prayer To prepare for the prayer, play Be Still and Know (p. 131, also #7 on the Seasons Music CD). Pray the following prayer or one of your own: God of all creation, help us to be still in this moment and remember that you are God. We come here to learn more about you and to praise you. Amen. Extinguish the Christ candle as the signal that the Gather ritual is over. Connecting with the focus Being afraid Tell the children of a fear you had as a child. Perhaps you were afraid of high places or the loud clap of thunder. Giving your example may embolden them to speak of their own fears. Ask: n What was scary to you when you were younger? Invite the children to listen for words in the Bible story to help them with their fears. 2ENGAGE Prepare for the story Review Ask a child to bring the Bible opened to Matthew from the worship table. Remind the children that they have been hearing stories about Jesus from the gospel of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament. Ask: n Last week we heard a story about Jesus sending his followers out to tell others the good news of God s love. What names of these disciples do you remember? Encourage the children to recall as many disciples as they can, noting any who have the same names as children in the group. (See Matthew 10:2 4.) This is not a test, but a review of the story for June 1. Help them also recall the instructions Jesus gave them. The Bible story Jesus reassurance Explain that in the story today Jesus continues to teach the disciples about what they are to do. Tell the story, based on Matthew 10:24 39, on today s resource sheet Do Not Be Afraid. Explore the story further To enable the children to explore the story further, according to interests and abilities, explain the two options and have each child select one. Choral reading group This group will prepare a choral reading that picks up threads of the focus scripture. Provide copies of today s resource sheet Words of Courage for the children who can read. Assign the reader parts, combining them as necessary. The chorus has the same part 45
June 22, 2008 each time: Do not be afraid. Explain that they start very softly and get louder each time they say it. In their last speech, the chorus shouts the words, pauses, and then whispers the message twice. Because the chorus has only one speech to remember, young children can take part. The children can present this reading during the service of worship. Bible research group The audience in the story is the disciples. Matthew had a different audience when the gospel was written. In this activity the children will think about these words in light of Matthew s audience or community. Provide copies of today s resource sheets When Matthew Was Written and Do Not Be Afraid, Bibles, and these directions: 1 Take a copy of When Matthew Was Written and a Bible. 2 Together, read the information in the two boxes at the top and discuss the questions there. 3 Read the box on the bottom left. What stories might the Jews know from the Hebrew Scriptures? 4 Read the box on the bottom right. Look at the story on Do Not Be Afraid. What in Jesus words might have been helpful to Matthew s community? 5 Prepare a short report about Matthew s community for the whole group. The Bible story and us Play the song May the God of Hope (pp. 140 141, also #24 on the Seasons Music CD) as the signal for everyone to come together. Invite the choral reading group to present their reading and the Bible research group to tell about Matthew s community. 3RESPOND Invite the children to select a zone and work with the materials there. q Art zone: Birds The birds are a reminder of God s love. Read Matthew 10:29 31 to the children. Clarify that a sparrow is a small bird and there are lots of them. Any common bird could replace it in this text. Suggest that every time they see a bird, it is a reminder that God loves them. Make birds according to these directions: Print on an adhesive label: A sign of God s love. Glue it on a cardboard tube about 12 cm/5 in long. Draw eyes near one end of the tube with a black marker. Tape or glue a brown or orange beak as shown in the illustration. Finish by gluing feathers to the bird. q Music zone: Sing of God s presence The children know Be Still and Know (p. 131, also #7 on the Seasons Music CD). Sing it together and review the movements to go with it (see May 25, music zone). Ask: n What do you remember about God when you quiet yourself to think about God? Then sing May the God of Hope (pp. 140 141, also #24 on the Seasons Music CD), which the children may also recognize, but not know as well as Be Still and Know. Read the first stanza to the group and talk with them about the assurance of God s presence in this song too. This song may help them when they are unsure or afraid as they continue Jesus work in the world. 46
June 22, 2008 q Quiet zone: Close-up prayer God knows us close-up, and we can get to know God s creation close-up. The better we know someone or something, the more at ease we feel. Display the poster Christ in the Wilderness: Consider the Lilies. Invite the children to look at it. Ask: n What is Jesus looking at so closely? Provide the children with magnifying glasses to look at a variety of natural objects (seeds, moss, hair, salt, peppercorns, flower petals). As they look, encourage them to describe what they see. Have a copy of A Message from Jesus (p. 146) to tell the children about hair, given at the bottom of that page. Ask: n What is amazing, special, or unusual about what you see? Read aloud the words of Jesus on today s resource sheet Do Not Be Afraid. Ask: n How does God watch over us? Help the children write a prayer that gives thanks for the scope of God s love, which we see when we look at things closely and listen to Jesus words carefully. Consider offering the children s prayer to your pastor for inclusion in the worship service. q Discovery zone: Word search God s big love includes everyone and everything. Provide copies of A Message from Jesus (p. 146), pencils, and these directions: 1 Take a copy of A Message from Jesus and a pencil. 2 Follow the directions at the top of the page. 3 You can work alone or with a friend. 4 When you finish, check your work with a leader. The answer for the puzzle is: God pays attention to you, down to the last detail even numbering the hairs on your head. q Outreach zone: Bird feeders As God cares so much for us, we can extend that care as we care for God s creatures. Make bird feeders to place on the church property or for the children to take home. Cut large circles of bread with an inverted drinking glass. Poke a hole at the top of the circle with a drinking straw, but not too close to the edge. Lightly brush one side of the bread with egg white. Firmly press the bread into a flat dish of birdseed. Do the same with the other side of the bread circle. Thread yarn through the hole and tie for a hanger. Take the children outdoors to hang the bird feeders, or put them in plastic bags for the children to take home. 4BLESS Gather Play May the God of Hope (pp. 140 141, also #24 on Seasons Music CD) as the signal to gather at the worship table. Light the candle. Review the Bible story with a presentation of the choral reading in Engage. Sing the song Be Still and Know (p. 131, also #7 on Seasons Music CD), with movements from May 25, music zone. Pray the prayer created in the quiet zone, this prayer, or one of your own: Be with us, God, as we go from our group. Amen. Blessing To each child, say, (Child s name), you are precious in God s sight. Save the paper lilies for the next session. REFLECT When were the differing ages and experiences of the children in your group obvious during this session? When did you see children helping one another? Which children gained assurance of God s love from this session? What seemed to make the difference for them? How do you experience the sure knowledge of God s love on a day-to-day basis? 47
Resource sheet June 22, 2008 Do Not Be Afraid Pause slightly after each paragraph of Jesus speech. With renewed energy, begin again with Do not be afraid. (based on Matthew 10:24 31) Jesus spent a lot of time outdoors. Sometimes he went up a mountain to be away from people and spend time with God. Many times Jesus stood by the sea to teach people about God. Some days Jesus walked from town to town with the disciples and, along the way, they saw all the wonderful things that God had created. Often Jesus spoke directly to the disciples, teaching them about God s love and how to live in God s way. One day as they walked along, he said: Do not be afraid. Your life will be no harder than those who teach you. You may be turned away just as they are. You will live in the same way as those who went before you. If I am called names, you will be called names. Do not be afraid. Do not let others keep you silent. Now you can tell everyone what I tell you. You can even shout it from the highest places. Do not be afraid. Only look to God. Look at how God cares for the birds of the air. Surely you know that you are worth much more than any two of these birds. God cares for you so much that God knows the number of hairs on your head. Do not be afraid. Say proudly that you are my follower and friend. The disciples nodded. Do not be afraid! 48
Resource sheet June 22, 2008 Words of Courage A paraphrase of Matthew 10:26 39 (Have the group begin the refrain slightly louder than a whisper and get louder each time it is said. End by saying the refrain as loud as possible without disturbing other groups.) Reader 1: Jesus knew that discipleship might not be easy. Jesus experienced rejection and conflict, and he said that the disciples would, too. Reader 2: Your life will be no worse than those who teach you. You will live in the same way as those who went before you. If Jesus was called names, you might be called names, too, because you have the name of Jesus Christ. Chorus: Be not afraid. (very quietly) Reader 3: Do not let others keep you silent. Now you can tell everyone about Jesus Christ. Shout the good news from the highest places. Chorus: Be not afraid! Reader 4: Only be anxious about God, yet even that is not necessary. Look at how God cares for the birds of the air. Surely you know you are worth much more than any two of these birds. Chorus: Be not afraid!! Reader 5: Say proudly that you are a Christian. Chorus: Be not afraid!!! (pause) Be not afraid. (whisper) Be not afraid. (whisper) 49
Resource sheet June 22, 2008 When Matthew Was Written Matthew s gospel was probably written between 80 and 100 CE. CE stands for Common Era, the years after Jesus was born. Would you expect anyone who had heard or followed Jesus when he was on earth to be alive when this gospel was written? The Roman soldiers destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The temple was where Jesus talked with the Jewish teachers when he was a young boy. Some of the Psalms were sung as the people walked to Jerusalem to go to the temple. How do you think the destruction of the temple affected the Jewish people? Matthew s gospel was written for Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. It builds on teachings they would know. However, Matthew s community also got into trouble with some of the Jewish leaders. Matthew s community included Gentiles, people who were not Jewish. Matthew s gospel includes stories about Jesus helping Gentiles, too. 50