Close to God s Heart In this Christmas season, we celebrate that we are able to grow in understanding God because we are witnesses to what God has done. As the Word made flesh, Jesus is close to God s heart the very incarnation of God s wisdom at work in the world. This lifegiving Word enables all God s children to live, now and always, close to God s heart. Focus Scripture: John 1:(1 9), 10 18 Like the other three gospels, John tells the story of Jesus the Christ. However, in John the beginning of this story is not an account of Jesus birth or baptism. In this gospel, the beginning tells of the Word with God before creation. The gospel writer wants us to know that this is a story about God s eternal presence and activity in the world. Over the centuries, these poetic opening verses of John have inspired a variety of interpretations and continue to invite wonder as people yearn to understand God s ways. The gospel begins by quoting the words of Genesis 1:1, in the beginning. Readers are thus alerted that the story to follow is as significant to humankind as the story of creation. The poetic words of verses 1 5 attempt to put into words how, in Jesus, the word of God lived among us. In verses 6 8, John comes on the scene. While called the baptizer in the other gospels, John is introduced here as a witness. In this gospel, to be a witness is to proclaim that God is present among us in Jesus the Christ. This story of God s ongoing involvement with creation continues in verses 9 18. The human Jesus, the gospel writer tells us, comes from the very heart of God, is the Word of God made flesh, has been present with God from the beginning of time, and has participated in the creation of the world. In this telling are a number of references from the Hebrew Scriptures: creation, the law of Moses, and the description of God s Word as dwelling or being tabernacled among humankind. The gospel writer describes Jesus as word and light. The description of Jesus as word resonates with the book of Genesis: the Word of God brought the world into being. The description of Jesus as light links God s action with an important concept in Jewish thought light is the first act of God s creation (Genesis 1:3) and also was a widely-held religious concept in the first-century Mediterranean world. This gospel is a story about God s action in the world for all people. God s saving action on behalf of humankind is at the heart of Jeremiah 31:7 14. The divided, conquered, and exiled people of Judah are offered God s extraordinary words of hope. Their separation and homelessness will not last forever. When the great day of freedom comes, all nations will see and know that God has acted. In Psalm 147:12 20, the psalmist exhorts the people to praise God for the power of God that will restore them. God s word goes forth in the world as a creative word. There are two alternate texts from the Apocrypha for this Sunday. In the books of Wisdom and Sirach, the power of God is called Wisdom. In Wisdom 10:15 21, the actual or potential mockery of the people will be shown as folly when Wisdom acts. Sirach 24:1 12 tells the good news that Wisdom will continue to watch over all humankind. The cosmic nature of God s action is declared in Ephesians 1:3 14. The writer proclaims that God s plan for the world has existed for all of time and encompasses the entire universe. In God s plan, Christ will become the head of the whole world. Human words cannot define the infinite nor express the inexpressible. Yet, in spite of human limitations, the Word of God promises to hold us close to God s heart. How do the scriptures for this Sunday affect the way you choose to live each day? How are you growing in understanding of what it means to be a child of God? Focus Scripture John 1:(1 9), 10 18 Additional Scriptures Jeremiah 31:7 14 or Sirach 24:1 12 Psalm 147:12 20 or Wisdom 10:15 21 Ephesians 1:3 14 Hold us close, Creator God, and whisper your word of love and transformation into our hearts. Reveal your Christ at work in the world among us, and give us the courage to listen and follow. Amen. If you have Internet access, visit www.seasonsonline.ca to access Spirit Sightings for connections between current events and one of this week s passages. Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2014 Seasons of the Spirit Ages 12 14 Advent Christmas Epiphany 2014 15 33
The Focus for Ages 12 14 Today s reading is a challenging one. It speaks of mystery and wonder and ideas that are difficult to articulate. Young people may have difficulty grasping the images and concepts that John uses to describe who God is and who Jesus is. At this stage in their development, 12 to 14 year olds are beginning to move from concrete thought to more abstract and symbolic thought. This session encourages them to exercise these new skills of symbolic thought. The young people will explore the image of Jesus as logos, or Word, focusing on words and phrases used in the passage that point from Jesus, the Word, to the nature of God. Spend time yourself in reflection on how Jesus helps reveal the nature of God to us. Help the teens ponder their images of God and Jesus. Pray that the young people will be open to mystery in their own lives, and will sit with this mystery as God is made known to them in Jesus. Prepare Before the session q Read and prayerfully reflect on this week s focus scripture, John 1:(1 9), 10 18, and the biblical background material (p. 33). As you prepare for the session, reflect on your own learning experiences. q If you have access to the Internet, visit www.seasonsonline.ca and click on Spirit Sightings for connections between current events and one of this week s scripture readings. Bring information that might inform this week s session. q Bring Bibles, matches, offering basket, basic supply kit (p. 2), and, if possible, Seasons Songbook (Volume 7), Seasons Music CD (Volume 7) and CD player; downloadable sheet music and MP3 recordings are available at www.seasonsonline.ca. q Set up a worship space with a table draped in white or gold fabric, a Bible, and the Advent wreath with the unlit Christ candle. Gather q Bring, if possible, song Pulsing Spirit (p. 27 in Seasons Songbook and #7 on Seasons Music CD). q Review instructions for guessing game on today s resource sheet Logos. Bring safety pins and words. Engage q Bring copies of resource sheet In the beginning Respond Choose one or more options. Prepare and bring the materials. q Poetry: copy and cut apart the Words for Poetry on this week s resource sheet Logos (4 6 words per person). Place in a container. q Being neighbourly: none needed Bless q Bring, if possible, Pulsing Spirit (p. 27 in Seasons Songbook; #7 on Seasons Music CD). 34 Seasons of the Spirit Ages 12 14 Advent Christmas Epiphany 2014 15 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2014
Close to God s Heart Scripture John 1:(1 9) 10-18 FOCUS To discover how Jesus, called logos, reveals God s nature. Welcome the young people to the second Sunday of the Christmas season. Invite them to share any thoughts or experiences they had over the past week. Gather in the worship area and light the Advent wreath and Christ candle. Remind the teens that in this season we celebrate the coming of Christ into the world. Receive the offering. Sing, listen to, or read, if possible, the song Pulsing Spirit (p. 27 in Seasons Songbook and #7 on Seasons Music CD). Making connections Invite the teens to play a guessing game that explores different kinds of words. Pin a word onto each person s back and follow the instructions on the resource sheet Logos. Discuss the experience, naming all the words. What did these words make the group think of? Setting the scene Explain that today s focus text is from the introduction or prologue to John s gospel. John s gospel does not have a story about Jesus birth. Instead the gospel begins with a beautiful, poetic hymn that celebrates Jesus origins and his coming into the world at the beginning of time. Invite two volunteers to read Genesis 1:1 3 and John 1:1 2. n What are the similarities and the differences? n What part does the Word play in the work of creation? The gospel writer wants us to know that this is a story about God s eternal presence and activity in the world. Jesus, the Word, who was with God from the beginning, reveals God s heart to us. Moving into the story Distribute copies of John 1:[1 9] 10 18 from today s resource sheet, In the beginning Instruct the young people to fold the resource sheet in half lengthwise between the two translations of the text. Invite a volunteer to read the NRSV translation while the others read along. As the passage is read aloud, circle important words. Invite the youth to draw question marks beside phrases or ideas they wonder about. Now, ask another volunteer to read the text from The Message while the group follows along. n What ideas or phrases do you wonder about? What new insights did you gain by comparing the two texts? n Who is the person named John and what was his job? (vv 6 8 and 15) n What does the gospel writer say about who Jesus is? n What does the metaphor light or lifelight say about Jesus? The text tells us that Jesus, the Word, became flesh (and blood) and moved into the neighbourhood (John 1:14). n What do you think this means? n What does this say about God? About us? Logos is the original Greek for Word. Invite two volunteers to re-read John 1:18, one from each version. n How does Jesus, as God s Word, help us to know something about God? Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2014 Seasons of the Spirit Ages 12 14 Advent Christmas Epiphany 2014 15 35
n What does Jesus, the Word, reveal about God s nature? Connecting scripture to life The gospel writer John shows us that God, the creator of the universe, can be known intimately in Jesus. By listening to and observing Jesus, we learn something about who God is. A few of the words that describe Jesus from the focus text are life, light, grace, and truth. Working with a partner, answer the following questions: n What does it mean for my life that God is life? n What does it mean for my life that God is light? n What does it mean for my life that God is grace? n What does it mean for my life that God is truth? Share your answers and insights with the rest of the group. Choose one or both of the following options. q Poetry Today s readings describe God s creating, revealing action. Invite the teens to create poetry using key words from today s reading. Pass around the container of words and ask each person to take four to six words at random. Work individually or in small groups to create a poem or rap using some or all of the words that have been picked (as well as other words they want to add). Encourage group to make poems that describe how God s word is alive among us today. Consider how the poems might be used in congregational worship. q Being neighbourly Today s focus text tells us that Jesus became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood (John 1:14, The Message). In Jesus, God s life, light, grace, and truth shine through. As a group, brainstorm ideas about how you can reflect these characteristics in the immediate neighbourhood of the church. Perhaps your minister can offer insight about neighbours in need, or perhaps you could organize and host a block party event that includes worship and socializing. Be creative! Be neighbourly. Gather in the worship area. If the candles were extinguished, invite a volunteer to re-light the Advent and Christ candles. Sing, listen to, or read the song Pulsing Spirit (p. 27 in Seasons Songbook; #7 on Seasons Music CD). Pray using the following prayer or one of your own: O God, you are our life, our light, our grace, and our truth. Help us look to Jesus, who reveals your nature to us, and help us reflect your nature in the world. Amen. Sending out Distribute the cards used in the word guessing game in Gather. Ask them to try to live with these words for a week. As you give each person their word say, Go and live this word. Be a word from God, living among us. What did the teens discover about the nature of God by observing Jesus? How will the young people reflect the nature of God in their lives? 36 Seasons of the Spirit Ages 12 14 Advent Christmas Epiphany 2014 15 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2014
Resource Sheet In the beginning John 1:[1-9] 10-18 (NRSV) [ 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The Word was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through the Word, without whom not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.] 10 The light was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of a man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified to him and cried out, This was the one of whom I said, The one who comes after me and ranks ahead of me because he was before me. 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father s heart, who has made God known. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. John 1:[1-9] 10-18 (The Message) [ 1 2 The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. 3 5 Everything was created through him; nothing not one thing! came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life- Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness could not put it out. 6 8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light. 9 13 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light.] He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-god selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh begotten, not sex-begotten. 14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the oneof-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish. 15 John pointed him out and called, This is the One! The One I told you was coming before me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word. 16 18 We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses,and then this exuberant giving and receiving, this endless knowing and understanding all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day. The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright (c) 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2014 Seasons of the Spirit Ages 12 14 Advent Christmas Epiphany 2014 15 37
Resource Sheet Words Word guessing game 1. Print the following words on small pieces of paper: light, gentle, truth, accept, peace, hope, happy, good, kind, share, fair, plenty, enough, joy, friendship, care, love, honest, comfort. Make enough papers so that you have one word per person, repeating words if necessary. 2. Pin a word to each person s back, making sure wearers don t see their own words. 3. Form pairs and look at the word pinned to the other person s back. 4. Take turns talking to each other for one minute. During that time each person must use the other person s word at least once, hopefully in a way that makes it hard for him or her to guess. 5. Repeat activity three to five times with different partners. Then see how many people are able to identify the word on his or her back. 6. Hint: if you use lots of weird and interesting words in your conversation it s harder for the other person to guess their word. 7. Collect the words for use later. Words for poetry word God beginning life overcome darkness world power children glory grace became flesh fullness among us known witness light shines God s heart true truth accept lived 38 Seasons of the Spirit Ages 12 14 Advent Christmas Epiphany 2014 15 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2014