Images of God from Ordinary Life BACKGROUND GOD AS MOTHER AND FATHER When we think of ordinary life, we think of the things that surround us daily, and our established routines. What are ordinary images that come to mind? Parents or caregivers comfort us daily and are part of ordinary life. They do mundane chores and care for the household. They re there when we need band-aids and ice packs. They celebrate happy times with their children, and, just as God is with each of us, they help us through difficult times. The images of mother and father help us see characteristics of God. God is like a loving parent or caregiver who is always ready to forgive us for our poor choices and surround us with loving arms. A parent guides, comforts, corrects, and challenges. Isaiah wrote, speaking of God, As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you (66:13). Jesus said that God is the father who runs to meet the one who left home. Jesus spoke of God as father, abba Daddy. His emphasis was on the personal relationship rather than the gender of God. GOD AS VISITOR AND HOST Being a host or visitor, though probably not in our daily routine, is also part of ordinary life. This is especially true in middle eastern cultures, where people go to great lengths to be good hosts. How is God like a visitor and a host? In the Bible, offering hospitality is a moral imperative. God s people remember that they were once strangers and refugees who were taken in by God (Deut. 10:19). How might this memory spur someone to respond to a stranger or refugee? What would it mean to love the alien as yourself (Leviticus 19:34) in your own community? There are a number of exemplary hosts in the Bible. Abraham and Sarah hosted the three men who told them Sarah would give birth to a child. This is also an example of God as a guest (Genesis 18:1-15). In Luke 14:16-24, God is portrayed as the host of a great banquet. This parable is a caution and an invitation. It is a caution to the proud, who either see no need for God or refuse to pay the cost of following God. It is an invitation that shows the limitless love of God for those in real need. God stands ready to welcome all. Throughout the historical story of the Bible, the theme of hospitality expands, changing the definitions of neighbor and stranger, host and visitor. Unexpected hosts and visitors appear, challenging our notions of who God welcomes and who God finds hospitable. GOD AS BREAD Bread is another image of the ordinary. We think of bread as our sustenance, a staple in life. Bread is part of ordinary living, from the planting and harvesting of the wheat crop, to the baking and eating of bread. The simple, everyday act of breaking bread invites us to a time of prayer, remembering and celebrating God s goodness. Yet, in the context of Christian worship, breaking bread means more. As we break bread together, we receive and enter into the body of Christ, and become bread for our world. Bread has a community nature. Whether it comes from the old country outdoor oven or the new- Images of God: Images of God from Ordinary Life 122
fangled industrial bakery, the act of breaking bread together is a shared activity. So, too, in the church, we invite others to join us at the table where the sacramental gift of Jesus body is shared in the bread broken for us all. Just as ordinary bread keeps our bodies alive, so the living bread God offers in Jesus Christ makes us spiritually alive. Jesus says, I am the bread of life... Without bread, you have no life in you. As we eat the bread of life, we choose the way of life, we receive Christ s nourishment, and we are empowered to go into all the world, bringing abundant life to all. Images of God: Images of God from Ordinary Life 123
Images of God from Ordinary Life LESSON 9: IMAGES OF GOD AS MOTHER AND FATHER Objective Students will see God as both a caring mother and a thoughtful father. Key Concepts God is a loving parent. Scripture has references to God caring for people like a mother. Scripture has references to God caring for people like a father. Text: Isaiah 66:13, Psalm 68:4-6 Estimated Lesson Time: 50 minutes Materials Student Bibles Image of mother (p. 126) Image of father (p. 127) Photo of each student with parent(s) or caregiver Construction paper, loose-leaf notebook paper Removable double-stick tape Parents and women s magazines Poster board, glue, scissors Image of God as Parent handout (p. 128) For Extend the Lesson, option one: The Way Home video (available from Amazon.com, or from your video rental store) Teacher Preparation 1. Ahead of time, ask students to bring photos from home of themselves with their parents or caregivers. 2. Cut out and color the images of the mother and father. 3. Collect magazines about parenting from younger parents, and/or women s magazines. 4. Make copies of Image of God as Parent, one per student. INTRODUCING THE LESSON Show the pictures of the mother and the father. Explain that you are now beginning the second section of the Images of God second poster. This section is titled Images of God from Ordinary Life. Attach the images of mother and father under this the title. Discuss why you would put pictures of a mother and father in the section on ordinary life. Reinforce the verses for this lesson Isaiah 66:13and Psalm 68:4-6. Note: Be sensitive to any situations in which a student s parent is absent, and adjust the lesson accordingly. 124
LESSON STEPS 1. Qualities of parents/caregivers. Explain that in today s lesson you will look at God as a loving parent through the images of mother and father. Give students sheets of construction paper and have them get out the pictures of themselves with one or both parents/caregivers. Instruct them to turn the paper horizontally and tape the picture on the left side. (Use removable, double-stick tape so the picture is easy to remove later, to take home.) On a sheet of loose leaf notebook paper, have students write what was happening when the photo was taken. Then ask them to write down the qualities they appreciate about their parents/caregivers. Attach the notebook paper to the right side of the construction paper. Note: Display the students work on a bulletin board. You may want to allow time for them to share about their pictures and ideas. 2. Make a collage. Provide magazines and ask students to cut out images of parents or caregivers doing things with children. Glue the pictures to a class poster titled The Image of God as a Parent. 3. Discuss positive qualities of parenting, looking at the pictures on your poster as examples. Close the discussion by explaining that God wants to be a loving parent to each of us. God watches over us like a protective mother, and gives us guidance and discipline when we are not on the right path. 4. Distribute the handout titled Image of God as a Parent. Have students complete the handout, then go over the answers with them. An answer key is on p. 129. EXTEND THE LESSON (These activities will extend the lesson to longer than 50 minutes.) Show the video or DVD, The Way Home. This 88-minute Korean film (with English subtitles) shows a mute Korean grandmother s care for a grandson she has not seen since his birth. The grandmother depicts a feminine image of God in that she is consistently giving, loving, forgiving, and caring, and the grandson finally changes his behavior. Even though the grandmother never speaks, she impacts the boy with her behavior as he spends time with her. Personal reflection. Invite students to journal on one or more of the following questions: Before this lesson, have you ever viewed God as a loving mother and father? What do you like about this image of God being like both parents? How does your relationship with your parents affect this image? Heaven is to be a homecoming for Christians when they leave this life. If you had to describe heaven, what would you say? What makes a home a welcome place to you? Do you have a friend whose parents you especially enjoy? What do you like about your friend s parents? When you are an adult, and if you choose to be married with children of your own, how can you make your home be a reminder of what heaven will be like in the future for them? How will you welcome them? How will you treat them? How will you celebrate with them? How will they know you love and care for them? In heaven, do you believe God will let us do whatever we want? 125
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Name: Image of God as a Parent In the space provided, summarize each verse. Which parent is represented in the verse? Isaiah 66:12 Hosea 11:4 Psalm 68:4-6 Luke 15:11-32 Isaiah 46:3-4 Isaiah 44:24 What are we are called to do in Exodus 20:12? From the verses you have researched, what is the role of God as a parent? 128
ANSWER KEY Image of God as a Parent In the space provided, summarize each verse. Which parent is represented in the verse? Isaiah 66:12 As a mother comforts her child, so God will comfort us. Mother Hosea 11:4 A father loves his son even though he is rebellious. A father holds his son and feeds him. Father Psalm 68:4-6 A father of orphans, one who cares for his people and gives them a home. Father Luke 15:11-32 A father loves his sons and rejoices when the lost is found. Father Isaiah 46:3-4 God is like a mother. God carries her people, and has done so from the time of their conception and birth. Mother Isaiah 44:24 The words about the Lord forming us in the womb remind us of how a mother begins to care for her baby already when the baby is in the womb, being careful about what she eats and what she puts into her body. Mother What are we are called to do in Exodus 20:12? Honor our fathers and mothers. From the verses you have researched, what is the role of God as a parent? God is like both a loving mother and a loving father. God cares for us and comforts us. 129