REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE NOVEMBER 15, 2015 Volume 21 Number 46 2015 Youth Ministry Partners and Cokesbury YOUTH CONNECTING FAITH AND LIFE Keep America Beautiful (KAB) is a national nonprofit that inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Each year on November 15th, KAB sponsors America Recycles Day. This national initiative encourages people to recycle more at work and at home. Recycling materials conserves natural resources and reduces the need for landfills and incinerators. Recycling also saves energy by eliminating the need to process new materials and prevents pollution by keeping greenhouse gases from being emitted when making new products. KAB s vision is for occasional recyclers to become everyday recyclers in order to reduce waste and preserve the earth. Think Green Recycling is one of the many ways we can show care for the environment. Also, people can install fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent ones in order to consume less electricity and save money. Grocery and department stores now encourage the use of reusable shopping bags in order to lessen the use and waste of plastic bags. Parking cars in the shade reduces fuel evaporation, and carpooling decreases the amount of fuel consumption. Viewing this issue of LinC on a tablet or computer and only printing the pages you need saves a few pieces of paper each week. There are numerous steps we can take on a daily basis to protect the world. This Is My Father s World In Genesis 2 God puts Adam in charge of the garden of Eden, giving him the responsibility to maintain it. God has ultimate authority over the earth, yet God has delegated some of that responsibility to humans. We are tasked with tending to the environment and the other creatures that share this planet. God carefully made this earth. We must not be thoughtless, wasteful, or careless in our efforts to care for it. TIP FOR THIS ISSUE KAB has created the following website about recycling: www.iwanttoberecycled.org. The site helps viewers learn how to recycle a variety of materials. The site also explains the process through which materials go in order to become new products and helps readers locate the closest recycling center. In addition, KAB provides materials for how to organize a recycling event in your community, a great way for teenagers to put their faith into action and share the importance of caring for God s world.
TEACHER BIBLE PREP EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY Question of the Day: What is one practical way you can show care for the earth? Purpose: To encourage teens to take responsible care for God s creation. Cultural Connection: America Recycles Day Topic: Environmental Stewardship MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Psalm 8 You ve let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet. Psalm 8:6. Commentary: God gave human beings an incredible amount of authority when God put them in charge of the entire earth. With great authority comes great responsibility! If we have a pet, we have the legal authority to do with that pet as we desire, yet we also have the responsibility to feed and care for the pet. Do you care as much about the environment as you do about your dog or cat? God entrusts all of creation to us. We must use our resources wisely and keep in mind what is best for the earth as we make decisions each day. Questions to think about: When you look around at God s magnificent creation, do you ever wonder how God could be mindful of your individual life? Who can you remind this week of how important they are to God? What is one habit you need to change in order to take better care of the environment? ANCIENT RECYCLING Exodus 32:1-20 He collected them and tied them up in a cloth. Then he made a metal image of a bull calf, and the people declared, These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt! Exodus 32:4 Commentary: While most people in America didn t think about recycling until the environmental movement in the 1960 s and 70 s, people have been altering materials for reuse since biblical times. When the Israelites grew impatient waiting for Moses to bring them a message from God, Aaron collected their gold jewelry, melted it down, and molded it into a golden idol of a calf. Unlike used materials that are processed today in order to make new products that are helpful for everyday use, Aaron s ancient recycling resulted in sinful idolatry. God wanted to wipe out the entire nation because of its sin. However, Moses begged for mercy and God spared them. Even though we don t deserve God s love, God is willing to forgive and bring us back to a closer relationship with God. Like Moses, we can pray that God will forgive others as well and use us to share the good news of God s mercy with them. Questions to think about: What do you do when you feel God has stopped speaking to you? When someone forgives you, how do you feel about that person? How does God want you to feel about the true forgiveness only God can give? A LESSON FROM LEFTOVERS John 6:1-15 When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted. John 6:12 2
TEACHER BIBLE PREP Commentary: People need three things to survive: food, water, and shelter. When these basic needs go unmet, we cannot achieve higher level needs like relationships, cognitive growth, and self-esteem. When Jesus saw the crowd in Galilee, he prioritized feeding the people. He knew that food for the body was essential to being able to feed the soul. However, Jesus did not provide just the minimum amount of food the people needed to survive. After all the food was distributed, there were twelve baskets of leftovers! God provides in abundance. God takes what we offer of our time and talents and multiplies its value greater than we can imagine. We need to make sure that none of these blessings go to waste by doing all we can with what God gives us. Questions to think about: When has God stretched your limited resources far beyond your expectations? In what way do you need to trust God to do so now? Are some of your talents going to waste because they are not being used to further God s kingdom? What do you need to do differently so that nothing will be wasted? DEVOTION: TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY Spend a few quiet moments reading Leviticus 25:1-7. As you read each verse, imagine Moses receiving these words from God while on Mount Sinai. After the Israelites grand exit from Egypt, they set up camp at the base of Mount Sinai for two years in order to listen to God and receive instruction in living a holy life. In the space below, reflect on what these words from God are directing you to do in your life. While this is a good tip for land management, practicing a period of sabbath rest personally is important for spiritual management. Just like the land needs to rest in order to be rejuvenated, we too need to take time each week to relax in order to bear good fruit. NEXT WEEK: November 22 is Christ the King Sunday, and it just so happens that Major League Baseball s World Series was recently won by the Kansas City Royals. Our next issue of LinC will use three popular hashtags from the Royals season to celebrate Christ as King. LinC: Living in Christ is an official resource of The United Methodist Church approved by the General Board of Discipleship and published by Youth Ministry Partners and Cokesbury: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., PO Box 280988; Nashville, TN 37228-0988. Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are from the Common English Bible. Copyright 2011 by the Common English Bible. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.commonenglishbible.com) Available by e-mail subscription by calling toll free: 800-672-1789. Also available for download from http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/digitalstore. aspx?lvl=digital%20curriculum&catname=linc&sortorder=5. Writer: Tiffany Manning These ancient commands regarding the sabbath year provide guidance for how we should tend to both the earth and our souls. The sabbath year provided one year in seven for the fields to remain unplowed, allowing the land to return to its natural state and rest. Editor: Kevin Alton Managing Editor: Jack Radcliffe Production Editor: Pam Shepherd Template Designer: Micah Kandros 3
READY... SET... GO GREEN! Getting Ready: You will need copies of Youth Page 6, pens or pencils, Bibles, a variety of recyclable products, masking tape or blank address labels, and a piece of paper. Before the Session: Visit www.iwanttoberecycled. org/learn in order to learn which everyday objects can be recycled and how they can be recycled. For the opening activity, gather an assortment of objects that can be recycled including some that teenagers may not consider. Also, write a type of animal on a piece of masking tape or address label for each student. OPEN To Recycle or Not to Recycle (10 minutes) Place the recyclable products in an area accessible to everyone. Ask the teenagers to sort the items into two piles: one pile of recyclables and one pile of nonrecyclables. After the sort, explain that both piles are actually recyclable. Give details about how those products that are in the non-recyclable pile can be recycled. Tell the group that today is America Recycles Day, sharing information from Page 1 to provide details. Ask, Do you consider yourself an occasional recycler or an everyday recycler? Following the sharing of responses, say, Today we re going to talk about how caring for the environment is one way we can live a holy life. EXPLORE Talk Topic 1: All Creatures of Our God and King (15 minutes) Middle School Option Attach an animal label to the back of each teen. Invite the teens to ask one another yes/no questions to try and identify the animals on their backs. After teens have guessed their individual animals, ask them to return to their seats, then say: God didn t create only animals. The Creation story tells us that all natural things are God s handiwork. Ask, What is one thing God created that fascinates you? After hearing responses, ask someone to read aloud Psalm 8. Ask and talk about the following questions: How do you feel knowing that the same God who created the heavens and the earth is also mindful of you and cares for you? Can we do anything we want to God s creation? What are our limits? What are our responsibilities? High School Option Ask and talk about the following questions: How is God s name used today? Where does it receive the reverence it deserves? How is it disrespected? Following a brief discussion, say, Let s see what Psalm 8 has to say about God s name and our role in caring for God s creation. Read aloud Psalm 8, or ask a teen to do so. Following the Scripture reading, lead a conversation around the questions below. Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt worthless? What caused you to feel this way? What does verse 5 say about how valuable we are to God? Because God values us, how can we show that we value God s creation? BONUS SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION OPTION Ask teens to brainstorm ways that we mistreat or take advantage of land. Explain that God had a plan for how the Israelites should tend the land God gave them. Ask a volunteer to read aloud Leviticus 25:1-7, then discuss the following questions: What would be the effects of this yearlong sabbath? How might this method of land management affect Israel s local economy? their relationship with God? Land needs time to rest and so do we. What is one activity you can remove from your weekly routine in order to allow your body, mind, and spirit time to rest? 4
READY... SET... GO GREEN! When you feel God is distant, where are you most tempted to turn your attention? Talk Topic 2: A Sinful Act of Recycling (15 minutes) Middle School Option Hold up a piece of paper. Remind teens there are many uses for a piece of paper. Hand the piece of paper to a teen and explain that each of them must reuse that same piece of paper in a new way and pass it on. For example, one teen might make a paper airplane, followed by a teen who unfolds the airplane to write a note. If someone cannot think of an idea, he or she may pass the paper to the next person. After every person has had an opportunity to create, say: Reusing materials is one way to decrease the amount of waste we generate. People have been recycling items since ancient times. Let s read a story from Exodus about the Israelites recycling their gold jewelry in order to make something new. Read Exodus 32:1-20 as a dramatic reading by asking for volunteers to read the parts of narrator, the Israelites, Aaron, God, Moses, and Joshua. After the Scripture reading, talk about the following questions: How did the Israelites feel about being in the middle of the desert with no leader? How did God and Moses feel about the golden calf? How do you usually react when someone disappoints you? High School Option Ask, As a kid, what was the most common punishment you received when you did something wrong? After responses, say: In the Bible passage we are going to read, God wants to punish the Israelites for recycling their gold jewelry and turning it into an idol. Let s see how Moses speaks up on their behalf. After reading aloud Exodus 32:1-20, ask and talk about the following questions: Do you blame Aaron or the Israelites for making the calf? Why? Why do you think God backed down on their punishment? What do you think was Moses frame of mind as he came down the mountain? Talk Topic 3: Waste Not, Want Not (15 minutes) Middle School Option Ask, Do you prefer to socialize at large parties or spend a quiet evening with a friend? Following this time of sharing, say: Wherever Jesus was, there always seemed to be a large crowd. All four Gospels tell a story about Jesus feeding more than five thousand people. Let s read this story as it is told in the Gospel of John. Ask for a volunteer to read aloud John 6:1-15, then discuss the following questions: If you had to feed five thousand people at a picnic, what would you serve? Why did the crowd follow Jesus? What instructions did Jesus give the disciples about the leftover food? Hand out copies of Youth Page 6 and pens or pencils. Invite the teens to write on the loaves and fish examples of things in their lives that are wasted. On the basket, ask them to write alternatives to their wasteful habits. When the teens are finished, call on volunteers to talk about their habits and ideas. High School Option Ask teens to find and read silently John 6:1-15. Lead a conversation around the following questions: When has God blessed you extravagantly? Have you ever acted liked Philip and Andrew, failing to remember something about Jesus when facing a difficult situation? Which of the following do you often waste: physical resources, time, money, or talents? What steps can you take to be less wasteful in the future? TAKE AWAY Ask, What word can you spell using the letters in the word EARTH? Point out the blanks on Youth Page 6. (The answer is HEART.) Brainstorm ways teens can show they have a heart for the earth in the coming week. 5
WORKING IT OUT THE AVERAGE AMERICAN creates 4.4 pounds of trash per day. However, physical resources aren t the only things we waste. Write examples of what you waste on and around the loaves and fish below. Inside and around the basket, list ideas for better choices you can make to keep from being wasteful. What is another word you can make using the letters from the word EARTH? Inherit the Mirth In the Bible: Readings for the Week Monday: Read Genesis 1:26-31. What can you do to protect the world God created? Tuesday: Read Numbers 35:33-34. How can you reduce pollution of land, water, and the air? Wednesday: Read Psalm 65. Take some time to pray, thanking God for providing your needs. Thursday: Read Proverbs 12:10-11. How can you share with the animals in your home and/ or outside it? Friday: Read Romans 8:18-27. What are signs that indicate God s creation is groaning? Saturday: Read Jeremiah 18:1-12. Just like the potter recycles the clay and forms a new pot, God takes our lives and recycles them to make them new. How is God molding you? WHAT S TRENDING? What was the last item you recycled? Tweet or post about it with the hashtag #pitchedin on Twitter to @YMPartners or on facebook.com/ youthministrypartners 6