OCTOBER Courtney Young Hickman, Editor Al Ledford, Contributing Writer

OCTOBER 2017 Courtney Young Hickman, Editor Al Ledford, Contributing Writer TEENTEXT HIGH SCHOOL is published by The Educational Center www.educationalcenter.org 704.375.1161

TeenText MIDDLE SCHOOL and TeenText HIGH SCHOOL OCTOBER 2017 Week of October 1 October 8 October 15 October 22 October 29 Lectionary Selection Philippians 2:1-13 (NRSV) Isaiah 5:1-7 (CEB) Exodus 32:1-14 (CEB) Matthew 22:15-22 (NRSV) Matthew 22:34-46 Courtney Young Hickman EDITOR of TeenText is Youth Minister at First Christian Church of Wilmington. Courtney previously served as Director of Youth Ministries at Grace United Methodist Church in Wilmington, North Carolina and is a graduate of Wake Forest University Divinity School (M.Div) Courtney resides in Wilmington with her husband and two young children. She welcomes your thoughts and comments at: courtney@educationalcenter.org Al Ledford CONTRIBUTOR was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. He attended Wake Forest University majoring in religion and psychology. Al also holds a M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. After some denominational work and various church staff positions, Al entered the business sector. He currently works for Trader Joe s and resides in Versailles, Kentucky. Al also writes for our adult curriculum resource: Reading Between The Lines. Please contact him at: aledford@educationalcenter.org Each monthly issue of TeenText is filled with background about the weekly scriptures, a series of provocative questions that encourage the youth to respond and share, activities centered around the text, and supplemental media which digs deeper into the story by exploring other dimensions through the use of song lyrics, poetry, visual art, and movie clips. For more information contact: info@educationalcenter.org or visit: www.educationalcenter.org

TEENTEXT HIGH SCHOOL October 1, 2017 I. SETTING THE STAGE: Bible Paper, pens, pencils, and/or markers Computer + web access (for YouTube videos, film clips, and to enlarge art/images) II. TODAY s TEXT: Philippians 2:1-13 (NRSV) If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 1

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. III. ENTERING THE STORY: Paul writes a letter to the members of the church at Philippi, a church Paul founded during his second missionary journey (around 50 AD). Yes, he wrote a letter. Remember how letter writing works? Writing a letter often presupposes either that Paul is answering a letter he received from the Philippian congregation or he hopes to receive a response from the letter he is sending them. Paul is writing this letter from prison. His jail cell is most likely either in Ephesus (around 55 AD) or Rome (around 60-62 AD). After a hearing, he awaits his condemnation or release. In his letter, Paul includes what most certainly are the words of an early Christian hymn. This is the portion of the letter we read in today s text. For generations there had been hymns of praise rising from the Jewish community of faith to their God. The early church followed that tradition. New songs began to be sung alongside the Psalms of old. Ever since I first translated these verses from Greek to English I ve always imagined Paul singing this hymn to himself as he writes to the Philippian church. And I also imagined the Philippian congregation breaking into song as they read this part of Paul s letter. I m sure you have a favorite hymn. Mine are Great is Thy Faithfulness and Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. What s yours? If not a hymn, maybe there is a song of praise, thanksgiving or comfort. Is there a piece of sacred music that holds a special place in your spiritual journey? What about something like Let It Be by the Beatles or Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen? How does music, secular or religious, speak to your faith journey? IV. EXPLORING THE STORY: The most effective questions and activities (ENGAGE) the ones that help participants connect their story with God s story each week are often those that are based on your personal knowledge of the participants and where they are. Listen carefully to their responses; ask follow-up questions that help them reflect on the text and their lives, right now, right where they are. GO DEEP (What s happening in the story?) 1. Read the background info for some context. Who is speaking here? Where is he speaking 2

from? What kind of text is this? Who do you think is his intended audience? Why might he be writing this letter? 2. How are they to view themselves? How are they to view those around them? Whose needs are they to focus on? How do you think this attitude compared to the way the world around them functioned? 3. What do you think the connection is between humility and unity? 4. How is the mind of Christ described? What parts of this is Paul hoping his followers will emulate? When you reflect on the life of Christ, why might the Philippians be hesitant to emulate his actions? 5. What do you think Paul might need to be addressing humility to begin with? BE REAL (What connections can you make between the story and the world around you?) 1. Is humility valued in our culture? When you look at the world around you, who does the world tell you to focus on? Yourself? Others? Where do you see these messages most clearly? How do they compare to what Paul talks about today? 2. Paul uses a hymn to encourage his followers. Does music still have this affect today? Why or why not? 3. How does music function in your own community of faith? What kinds of music do you see? What is its purpose? Is there diversity in the music you hear/sing? Do you think diverse music is necessary in the church? Why or why not? 4. Where do you see musicians seeking to empower and encourage with their music? How have you experienced music in this way? LET GO (Be open to discovering how this story is happening in your own life.) 1. How would you define humility? Does humility mean perceiving ourselves as worthless or unimportant? 2. Why do you think Paul was so focused on this trait? Is it necessary for following Jesus? Why or why not? 3. Do you think it is difficult to be humble in the way Paul describes? Why or why not? What is the hardest part, for you? 4. When was the last time you did something out of selfish ambition or conceit? How much of your daily actions are driven by selfish motives? 5. Paul s letter, and the hymn it contains, is meant to encourage its hearers. When have you experienced the encouraging effect of music in your own life? What songs have had this effect on you? What was this experience like? V. EXPLORING FURTHER: A note about links: when TeenText goes to press all links are live and in working order. Links sometimes move or are renamed. If a link does not work for you try entering the search terms in Google. 3

ENGAGE Think through Paul s process with this activity. Have students write a letter to someone in need of encouragement. Perhaps they are writing to their friend or family member or maybe to a stranger in Houston or Florida who is dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster. Once they ve chosen their audience, have them pick a song that might encourage them or bring them hope. Why did you choose this song? What about it speaks to you? Incorporate this song into your letter. Share your letters with the group. Many of the lyrics to Paul s ancient hymn can still be heard in the song Love Has Come by Christian artist Mark Schultz. Read the lyrics, listen to the song and consider how this song compares to Paul s. What does the author reflect on at the beginning of the song? What specific tragedies does he speak of? What encouragement does he offer? How does this song speak to you? Read the lyrics here: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/markschultz/lovehascome.html Listen to a recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiiaf2ls_us VI. BETWEEN SUNDAYS: The stories we learn from the Bible are not only helpful to us at church, but they also can help us live our lives each day. Consider the following question to see how this week s text might be challenging them to live differently as they go about their normal routines (school/sports/social events). As you go throughout the week, pay attention to the way you view other people in comparison to yourself. Who do you consider to be better or more worthy? Is everyone on the same playing field? Whose needs do you put first? What motivates your actions? How might God be challenging you to be more humble? 4

TEENTEXT HIGH SCHOOL October 8, 2017 I. SETTING THE STAGE: Bible Paper, pens, pencils, and/or markers Computer + web access (for YouTube videos, film clips, and to enlarge art/images) II. TODAY s TEXT: Isaiah 5:1-7 (CEB) Let me sing for my loved one a love song for his vineyard. My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it, cleared away its stones, planted it with excellent vines, built a tower inside it, and dug out a wine vat in it. He expected it to grow good grapes but it grew rotten grapes. 3 So now, you who live in Jerusalem, you people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I haven t done for it? When I expected it to grow good grapes, why did it grow rotten grapes? 5 Now let me tell you what I m doing to my vineyard. I m removing its hedge, so it will be destroyed. 1

I m breaking down its walls, so it will be trampled. 6 I ll turn it into a ruin; it won t be pruned or hoed, and thorns and thistles will grow up. I will command the clouds not to rain on it. 7 The vineyard of the Lord of heavenly forces is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are the plantings in which God delighted. God expected justice, but there was bloodshed; righteousness, but there was a cry of distress! III. ENTERING THE STORY: In the coming weeks we will encounter multiple texts from the book of Isaiah. It s important to note where the text for that week falls along the timeline of Israel s history. Today s text falls somewhere between 740 and 700 BCE. Big picture, that is after David and Solomon and before the Babylonian Exile. The divided kingdom of Israel (in the north) and Judah (in the south) exist under the growing shadow of the Assyrian empire looming to their north. The Assyrians invade around 732 BCE. The prophet Isaiah presents Assyria VS. Israel as a crisis of faith and urges that trust in God is the best defense against such a threat. For Isaiah, even in the back and forth of geo-political power grabs, the sovereignty of God (YHWH, Israel s God) is affirmed. The vineyard is a frequent and effective word-picture used by biblical writers. To realize the full impact of vineyard as a metaphor, we need to embrace what the term fully encompasses. The vineyard may appear as a quiet and passive piece of land to someone on the outside. But to someone invested in what that piece of land might yield, the vineyard is a complex, hope-filled arena of possibilities. The soil, the slope of the ground, the grape variety, the rootstocks, the orientation to the sun, and the elevation are parts of the vineyard. In addition, there is the climate, the rainfall, hours of sunlight, the stress the vines endure, and variations in temperature. Finally, there is the hand of the caretaker of the vineyard. How the vines are cared for, the positioning of the vines, the pruning, the trellising, the harvesting of the grapes, and the transforming of the grapes into products for sale are all part of the skill set possessed by a successful vineyard owner. How is it that land, vine, and caretaker offer up such a gift? What could possibly go wrong? IV. EXPLORING THE STORY: The most effective questions and activities (ENGAGE) the ones that help participants connect their story with God s story each week are often those that are based on your personal knowledge of the participants and where they are. Listen carefully to their responses; ask follow-up questions that help them reflect on the text and their lives, right now, right where they are. 2

GO DEEP (What s happening in the story?) 1. How is the vineyard described? How was it cared for at its inception? 2. What does the caretaker expect from his labor? Is this expectation realistic? Why or why not? How does this compare to what the vineyard yields? 3. Could the caretaker have done anything more to produce a different outcome? What did he expect? What did the people do instead? 4. What does Isaiah say will happen to the vineyard as a result of its failure? Who is responsible for the tearing down and ruining in Isaiah s analogy? 5. Do the people of God deserve what is happening to them, in Isaiah s view? Why or why not? 6. In the last verses, Isaiah fleshes out his analogy. Who is the vineyard and who is the caretaker in Isaiah s parallel? How does Isaiah describe the caretaker? What is their relationship? 7. What, specifically, does God hope for? What do the people do instead? BE REAL (What connections can you make between the story and the world around you?) 1. Who does Isaiah blame for the destruction the Israelites are facing? Is he included in this blame? Why or why not? Where do you see this type of theology today? 2. In our own culture, are there some that blame natural disasters or other types of ruin on our actions as people? Who is sharing these types of messages? What actions are they blaming? What is the danger in this? How does this compare to Isaiah s message? 3. What does God see instead of justice and righteousness? Where is this taking place in the world around you? How do you think God feels about these things? 4. Are the people and systems bringing about bloodshed and distress deserving of destruction? Is this what Isaiah is saying? Why or why not? 5. Do you think God s hope for God s people has changed? Where do you see people bearing the kind of fruit God is seeking? What does this look like in the world around you? LET GO (Be open to discovering how this story is happening in your own life.) 1. Can you identify with Isaiah here? Have you ever been leading a group of people who just wouldn t listen? Perhaps babysitting a younger sibling or working on a group project? What kind of frustration must Isaiah be feeling? What about God? 2. Have you ever failed to do what God wanted? What do you feel is God s response to our failures? How does this compare to what Isaiah says? 3. How does Isaiah portray God? Does the caretaker do everything he is supposed to? Yet, what are the end results? What does this say about God s control and our own free will? How does this compare to your own image of God? 4. Refer back to what it is God is specifically expecting. What do the words justice and righteousness mean to you? What does it look like to bear these things out in your own life? 3

V. EXPLORING FURTHER: A note about links: when TeenText goes to press all links are live and in working order. Links sometimes move or are renamed. If a link does not work for you try entering the search terms in Google. ENGAGE Take a moment to interact with Isaiah s metaphor in a tangible way. Provide the group with some grapes and grape juice. As you share a feast of these items, examine them closely. Look at the grapes. Touch them. Pick one off the stem. Taste them. Smell the juice. Take a sip. As you do so, consider all that went into getting them to this point. What must the caretaker have done to ensure the vines yielded fruit? How many obstacles might he have faced? How many mistakes might he have made along the way? How does this experience help you understand this week s text more clearly? Below is an instructional video on how to grow a vineyard. Watch the video and consider this as a metaphor for the Christian life. What are the steps to yielding fruit? Does this seem to be easy or hard? What does this say about the effort required to bring forth God s vision and expectations for us? Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi4cpee1eys One of the major themes of today s text is God s expectations and hopes for the world a hope for something better. This is explored in the Dixie Chick s song I hope. Read the lyrics, listen to the song and consider the following questions: What does the author say she is hearing in church? How does this compare to what Isaiah is saying? What are her hopes for the world? What does she say we must learn from? How might we learn from the mistakes of the Israelites? Of our more recent history? How do you feel they compare to God s hopes for our world? How do these hopes compare to your own? Read the lyrics here: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dixiechicks/ihope.html Listen to a recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkgjevoeouy 4

VI. BETWEEN SUNDAYS: The stories we learn from the Bible are not only helpful to us at church, but they also can help us live our lives each day. Consider the following question to see how this week s text might be challenging them to live differently as they go about their normal routines (school/sports/social events). What does it mean to seek justice? As you go throughout the week, keep this word on your mind. Where is there a need for justice? Where are Christians failing to bring forth God s hope and vision of justice? How is God calling you to do better? To do more? 5

TEENTEXT HIGH SCHOOL October 15, 2017 I. SETTING THE STAGE: Bible Paper, pens, pencils, and/or markers Computer + web access (for YouTube videos, film clips, and to enlarge art/images) Clay or Play-Doh II. TODAY s TEXT: Exodus 32:1-14 (CEB) The people saw that Moses was taking a long time to come down from the mountain. They gathered around Aaron and said to him, Come on! Make us gods who can lead us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don t have a clue what has happened to him. 2 Aaron said to them, All right, take out the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me. 3 So all the people took out the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 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! 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf. Then Aaron announced, Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord! 6 They got up early the next day and offered up entirely burned offerings and brought well-being sacrifices. The people sat down to eat and drink and then got up to celebrate. 7 The Lord spoke to Moses: Hurry up and go down! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, are ruining everything! 8 They ve already abandoned the path that I commanded. They have made a metal bull calf for themselves. They ve bowed down to it and offered sacrifices to it and declared, These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt! 9 The Lord said to Moses, I ve been watching these people, and 1

I ve seen how stubborn they are. 10 Now leave me alone! Let my fury burn and devour them. Then I ll make a great nation out of you. 11 But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, Lord, why does your fury burn against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and amazing force? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, He had an evil plan to take the people out and kill them in the mountains and so wipe them off the earth? Calm down your fierce anger. Change your mind about doing terrible things to your own people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, whom you yourself promised, I ll make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky. And I ve promised to give your descendants this whole land to possess for all time. 14 Then the Lord changed his mind about the terrible things he said he would do to his people. III. ENTERING THE STORY: Previously in Exodus 24: And Moses went up (Mount Sinai), and the cloud covered the mountain. And the Lord s glory abode on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day, He called out to Moses from the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the Lord s glory was like consuming fire at the mountaintop before the eyes of the Israelites. And Moses entered within the cloud and went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Today s text picks up where chapter 24 ends. Moses high on the mountain, while the people watch awestruck from below. In the absence of their leader, there s trouble at hand. No wonder. How might you feel if your liberator and wilderness guide had been gone for forty days? We don t know what has happened to him. What are those flashes of fire on the cloudy mountain top? Why is Moses lagging on the mountain? What s causing his delay? Will he ever come back? Reality settles in: stranded in the wilderness. Maybe you are used to doing this or maybe you are not, but try it. Gather some art supplies (paper, scissors, crayons, play-doh, fabric swatches, whatever you can get your hands on). Now be Aaron. Pressure mounts. What in the world is Aaron supposed to do? The Hebrew words in the text almost give the sense of he pulls a rabbit out of a hat. He later says in verse 24: And they gave their (gold) to me, and I flung it into the fire, and out came this calf. Be in the anxious moments awaiting Moses return. Why hasn t he returned? What s in-store? Use that distress and those feelings of ill-at- ease to create something out of your art supplies. Do some image-making. See what comes forth. IV. EXPLORING THE STORY: The most effective questions and activities (ENGAGE) the ones that help participants connect their story with God s story each week are often those that are based on your personal knowledge of the participants and where they are. Listen carefully to their responses; ask follow-up questions that help them reflect on the text and their lives, right now, right where they are. 2

GO DEEP (What s happening in the story?) 1. What are the people waiting for? What are they expecting from Moses? What do they ask for when they grow impatient? 2. What does Aaron do in response to their impatience? Does he seem to need much convincing? 3. What action does Aaron ascribe to the golden calf? What does he say this god has done for the people of Israel? 4. How do the people worship the golden calf? 5. How does the Lord respond to the people s actions? What does the Lord tell Moses to do? What does the Lord plan to do to them? What was God s original promise to the people of Israel? Does the Lord abandon the promise? Why or why not? 6. How does Moses convince the Lord to do otherwise? Do you think this is the only time God s mind has been changed? Why or why not? BE REAL (What connections can you make between the story and the world around you?) 1. Do you think the world we live in rewards patience? Why or why not? 2. What impact do you think technology (smartphones, amazon prime, etc.) has had on our patience? 3. Do you think this carries over into our patience with God? Why or why not? 4. What kinds of things do you see people worshipping other than God? What does this worship look like? 5. Are these relationships healthy? Are they always problematic? Why or why not? LET GO (Be open to discovering how this story is happening in your own life.) 1. For the second week, we have a theme of going against God s ways. In today s text the Lord says the people have abandoned the path God has commanded. How have you experienced this in your own life? When have you strayed from the path? What was this experience like? 2. Why do the people turn to the idol to begin with? Can you relate to their impatience? What are you guilty of being impatient about? 3. What is your own golden calf? What things or people do you give your time and energy to? What do you sacrifice to make these things priority? Is the same true of your relationship with God? V. EXPLORING FURTHER: A note about links: when TeenText goes to press all links are live and in working order. Links sometimes move or are renamed. If a link does not work for you try entering the search terms in Google. 3

ENGAGE Even when we think we are only worshiping God, there are often other gods in our lives other things we make our priority, other things we give ourselves too completely. Have students reflect on this with the following activity. Provide each person with a small piece of clay or play-doh and invite them to shape them into their own golden calf something that represents their temptation to worship other things or people. Have them share their images with the group, if they wish and lead them in this prayer of repentance. At the conclusion of the prayer, invite the students to reshape their dough back into a ball, as a reminder of God s forgiveness. (See Entering the Story ) God of love, forgive us for the things we worship other than you. Forgive us for the time we give to other things when we don t have time for you. Forgive us for the energy we give to other things when we don t have energy for you. Draw our hearts and minds back to you, we pray. Amen. The image below is an artist s rendering of the story we read today. The painting is entitled The Adoration of the Golden Calf and is by Nicolas Poussin and is dated 1634. As you look at the image, what do you notice? Who is depicted? What are they doing? What emotions do you see? Do the people seem happy? Do they seem to feel bad about their worship? Do they seem to think they are doing anything wrong? How is this like or unlike our own idol worship? (Image source: wikiart.org) 4

VI. BETWEEN SUNDAYS: The stories we learn from the Bible are not only helpful to us at church, but they also can help us live our lives each day. Consider the following question to see how this week s text might be challenging them to live differently as they go about their normal routines (school/sports/social events). As you go throughout your week, pay attention to the things that you worship other than God. What images did you shape? How much of yourself are you giving to these things or people? How might you be calling to pull your focus back to God? 5

TEENTEXT HIGH SCHOOL October 22, 2017 I. SETTING THE STAGE: Bible Paper, pens, pencils, and/or markers Computer + web access (for YouTube videos, film clips, and to enlarge art/images) II. TODAY s TEXT: Matthew 22:15-22 (NRSV) 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax. And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, Whose head is this, and whose title? 21 They answered, The emperor s. Then he said to them, Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor s, and to God the things that are God s. 22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. III. ENTERING THE STORY: Gather up some coins. Lay them out on a desk, counter-top, or table in front of you. Fashion them into multiple stacks that might be situated one-next- to-the- other to form a row. Let the stacked coins be a dividing line. Whatever you might want to call it: a boundary, a barricade, a line of demarcation. Walls, trenches, fences. Whatever you choose to call it, the result is a separation between US and THEM. That is the starting point for today s text. 1

On one side of the coin-barrier are those who pay and on the other side are those who receive. Paying tribute to Rome was a painful reminder to Jewish people about who was conquered and who did the conquering. In short, the Herodians were a priestly group who attached themselves to King Herod s power base. They functioned as bureaucrats and keepers of the political alliances formed under the occupying Roman government. They benefitted from the status-quo. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were a group of non-governmental leaders within Judaism with a devotion to keeping the law of Moses and remaining faithful to the vision for Israel spoken of in the prophets. They wanted their land, their law, and their lives back. A new status-quo without Rome, please. Once you add Jesus and kingdom of God into the mix, you can see that there are more than just two sides to every coin. Jesus is put to the test. What are they really asking him? Give me a coin, he says. In the coin, lies his response. Take a coin from the stack. Hold it. Observe it. What is its response? IV. EXPLORING THE STORY: The most effective questions and activities (ENGAGE) the ones that help participants connect their story with God s story each week are often those that are based on your personal knowledge of the participants and where they are. Listen carefully to their responses; ask follow-up questions that help them reflect on the text and their lives, right now, right where they are. GO DEEP (What s happening in the story?) 1. Who were the Pharisees plotting against? What did they have against him? 2. Who did they send to challenge him? Read the background on the Herodians and Pharisees. What did these two groups have in common? Why do you think they chose to partner with the Herodians here? 3. How do the Pharisees address Jesus? What do they say about him? How is his teaching described? 4. What do they ask Jesus? Why do they think this question will entangle Jesus? If he says yes, how would these groups respond? What if he says no? 5. How does he respond? What does he know about their motives? 6. What does Jesus ask for? Who supplies the coin? Why doesn t Jesus have one? Why might this be worth noting? 7. What does he highlight on the coin? To whom does he say it belongs? Does these mean that we can do what we want with our money? What does Jesus say elsewhere that might contradict his? 8. How does Jesus seem to view the work of God and the work of the government? What is the relationship between the two? 2

BE REAL (What connections can you make between the story and the world around you?) 1. What is the relationship between the government and religious leaders today? How does it compare to ancient Rome? 2. What has that relationship been historically? Think back to the revolution and the founding of our country what role relationship of church and state play? Why is this so central to our national identity? 3. Where do you see the church influencing politics today? What are the positives of this? What are the negatives? 4. What laws are in the place to limit this influence? Do you think these measures are necessary? Why or why not? 5. Think back to the last Presidential election where did you hear Jesus or religion used as support of the Republican Party candidates or ideals? Where did you hear these things supporting Democratic candidates or ideals? How do Jesus words here speak to this? LET GO (Be open to discovering how this story is happening in your own life.) 1. Jesus points to the imprint on the coin and the inscription both of which highlight the emperor as deity. Why do you think Jesus focuses on these things? 2. Consider this text alongside the story of the golden calf we read last week. How do the two compare? What does this text say about idolatry? 3. Jesus points to the tension between our tendency to serve God and money. Where do you see this struggle in your own life? What role does consumerism and materialism play in this struggle? 4. Jesus final words here are left open to interpretation. What do you make of this statement? What do you say belongs to God and what to Caesar? 5. How do you balance your allegiance to God and your allegiance to our country? Are they completely separate? What, if any, relationship do they have? What do you do when your allegiance to Jesus and other allegiances conflict? V. EXPLORING FURTHER: A note about links: when TeenText goes to press all links are live and in working order. Links sometimes move or are renamed. If a link does not work for you try entering the search terms in Google. ENGAGE Spend some time looking at the coins provided. (See Entering the Story ) What images and inscriptions do you see? Using a phone or computer, try to find images of coins from other countries. What do they say? Who do they honor? How do they compare to what Jesus found on the denari? To whom do these things belong? Maybe more importantly, to whom do you belong? 3

One of the major themes of this text is the relationship between church and state and where our ultimately allegiance lies. Derek Webb explores this in his song, A King and a Kingdom. Read the lyrics, listen to the song and consider the following: What is one of the great lies Webb says we have been told about Jesus? What does he say his first allegiance is to? Why is the word first significant here? Who is the common enemy he speaks of? How does this compare to the common enemy in today s text? Read the lyrics here: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/d/derek_webb/a_king_and_a_kingdom.html Listen to a recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpcz1jfqloo Below are two signs that comment on Jesus relationship with our current major political parties. What messages are the signs sending? What is the purpose of them? How do you think Jesus would feel about being associated with the state in this way? What relationship should faith and politics have? How do we balance the two? (Image source: google images) 4

VI. BETWEEN SUNDAYS: The stories we learn from the Bible are not only helpful to us at church, but they also can help us live our lives each day. Consider the following question to see how this week s text might be challenging them to live differently as they go about their normal routines (school/sports/social events). As you go throughout the week, pay attention to the political messages you hear in this hyper-politicized time in our nation s history. Is religion and faith a part of these messages? What relationship is there between faith and politics for you? What relationship is Jesus hoping for? 5

TEENTEXT HIGH SCHOOL October 29, 2017 I. SETTING THE STAGE: Bible Paper, pens, pencils, and/or markers Computer + web access (for YouTube videos, film clips, and to enlarge art/images) II. TODAY s TEXT: Matthew 22:34-46 (NRSV) 34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? 37 He said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he? They said to him, The son of David. 43 He said to them, How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 44 The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet? 45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son? 46 No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. 1

III. ENTERING THE STORY: If you notice how this text is presented in the NRSV, there is a division of paragraphs between the first half and the second half (this presentation is mimicked above). In the first half, verses 34-40, the Pharisees gather and they ask a question of Jesus. In the second half, verses 41-46, the Pharisees gather and Jesus asks a question of them. Stand in the tension between these two questions. There s a history here, between Jesus and the Pharisees. From your vantage point, look back on that history. Plenty of previous questions. Tests, tricks, and traps. Eating, with tax collectors. Hanging out with sinners. Talking to demons and the possessed. Walking around on the Sabbath. Healing this person and that person. Divorce, resurrection, authority. I AM, Abba, the One. There s been plenty of back-and- forth so far. What has it revealed? Hear the question coming from the Pharisees: Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? Listen to Jesus citing Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Read all the verses out loud twice. These are the opening lines of Jewish liturgy known as the Shema (hear). As you say and hear the words heart, soul, mind, what swirls around inside you? Listen to Jesus citing Leviticus 19:18. Read the verse out loud. As you say and hear the words love your neighbor, what swirls around inside of you? Hear the question coming from Jesus: What do you think of the Messiah? What is going on now that Jesus is asking the questions? You might hear Psalm 2 playing as background while the scene unfolds. What do you make of the answers or lack of answers coming from the Pharisees? From your vantage point, look out toward what lies ahead. What is swirling around? Why might their back-and- forth with Jesus be coming to an end? IV. EXPLORING THE STORY: The most effective questions and activities (ENGAGE) the ones that help participants connect their story with God s story each week are often those that are based on your personal knowledge of the participants and where they are. Listen carefully to their responses; ask follow-up questions that help them reflect on the text and their lives, right now, right where they are. GO DEEP (What s happening in the story?) 1. Why do the Pharisees gather together with Jesus? What did they hear he had done? Think back to last week s text - what do you think their motive is? 2. Who asks Jesus a question? What is his profession? What is his motive? What do we know about lawyers in ancient Rome? 3. What does the lawyer ask? How does Jesus respond? Do you think this is what the lawyer expected or hoped to hear? Why or why not? 4. What does Jesus say hangs on these two commandments? How do you hear this in light of our conversation last week about church and state? 5. What does Jesus ask the Pharisees, in turn? Who do they say the Messiah is? 6. How does Jesus push back on the Pharisees response? What words of David does he quote? 2

7. How do the Pharisees respond to Jesus final words? How does this change their view of him and their motives? BE REAL (What connections can you make between the story and the world around you?) 1. How would you define the word neighbor? How is this defined culturally? Globally? How would you define the word love? How is this defined culturally? Globally? 2. How do these definitions compare to Jesus? Do you think our culture supports Jesus command to love your neighbor as yourself? Why or why not? 3. What examples can you think of where people are living out Jesus command? What examples can you think of where people fail to do so? 4. Who are the Pharisees among us today? Who do you see standing in opposition to the radical message of Jesus? How are they to be treated? LET GO (Be open to discovering how this story is happening in your own life.) 1. Who is your neighbor? How do you define this word? What is love? How do you define love? How do you think Jesus calls us, as followers, to define these? 2. How many of your physical neighbors can you name? Does loving our neighbors mean we must also know our neighbors? Why or why not? 3. Which of Jesus two commands do you think is most difficult? Why? 4. What barriers are there to living out Jesus command to love neighbors as ourselves? How might we go about removing those barriers? 5. Look back at who asks the question. Why is this significant? What is more important to lawyers, law or love? What is more important to Jesus? 6. What are some practical ways you can show love to your neighbors? What does it look like to live out this command in real ways? V. EXPLORING FURTHER: A note about links: when TeenText goes to press all links are live and in working order. Links sometimes move or are renamed. If a link does not work for you try entering the search terms in Google. ENGAGE The recent hurricanes in Houston and Florida have left millions of people facing devastating circumstances. Yet, they have also been opportunities to see how neighbors treat one another when times get tough. Using your smart phone or a computer, search google for images from these natural disasters. Share what you find with the group and consider the following: How do you see neighbors reacting? How do you see neighbors treating one another? What barriers exist to loving our neighbor? Do these barriers change during natural disasters? Why or why not? 3

Below is a yard sign welcoming neighbors that originated in a church yard in Virgina. What languages are represented on the sign? Why do you think these three were chosen? What message it is trying to spread? What laws or policies might this message be a response to? How does this message relate to the words we read from Jesus? How do they challenge our cultural notion of neighbor? (Image Source: npr.org) Below is the intro from the popular children s show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. This song is likely familiar to many of you. Have you ever really paid attention to what he says? Watch the video and consider Mr. Roger s definition of neighbor. Who does he invite to be his neighbor? What barriers does he seem to have to loving neighbors? How does Mr. Roger s understanding of neighbor compare to Jesus? Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqs3jgqx46u 4

VI. BETWEEN SUNDAYS: The stories we learn from the Bible are not only helpful to us at church, but they also can help us live our lives each day. Consider the following question to see how this week s text might be challenging them to live differently as they go about their normal routines (school/sports/social events). Who do you struggle most to love? Does Jesus put a limit on who our neighbors are? Do the Pharisees fall into this category? How might God be calling you to love those neighbors who are most difficult to love? 5