Miracle pt 2

On Sunday, August 19th, I was still gone on vacation. Students watched the remainder of Miracle, about the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team upset over the Russian team. This past Sunday (8/26) we discussed a couple more scenes.


Staying Focused on the Prize/Working Hard/Unity

Miracle- Chapter 7- Time 38:45-46:54
Shortly into training, the USA team travels to Europe to play the Norwegian team, a mediocre team. They end up tying them because they slack off (and check out girls in the stands). This infuriates Coach Herb, who puts the team on the line and skates them again...and again. In between he gives bits and pieces of why they needed to focus. The concept of playing for the team/country is much more important than any of the individual components.

QUESTIONS
1) Is the Herbie scene hard to take? Was Coach Herb too hard on his players?
2) Have you ever been part of a team where you felt the whole group was more important than each individual?
3) Do you agree when he says that "common men go nowhere. You have to be uncommon?"

SCRIPTURE Philippians 3:12-14

BIBLICAL QUESTIONS
1) Has being a Christian ever felt like running a race to you?
2) What is the end prize for Christians?
3) How can you be uncommon as a Christian?


Unity/Family

Miracle- Chapter 9 (mid)- Time 55:40-, 59:11-1:03:05
Coach Herb brings in another player, Timmy Harrer, into an already tight roster. At this point, another player still needs to be cut as it is to get down to the 20 player 1980 Olympic rules. Some of the players gather together to talk with Coach Herb about it after they play the NHL All-Stars to express that it is unfair "with one of us going home as it is." Coach Herb backs up his decision to bringing Harrer in by stating his skills as a hockey player. But that's not the point. Harrer hasn't been playing with the team from the beginning. The teammates have become a family. As a result, Coach Herb tells the players that Timmy will just help them out, and then he'll send him home.

QUESTIONS
1) Have you ever been cut from a team or group? How did that make you feel?
2) How do you think the players felt about this- adding another player when one still had to be cut? How can we view it from the coach's perspective?
3) Have you ever felt close enough to other members of a group or team like this 1980 U.S. Hockey team?

SCRIPTURE I Corinthians 12:12-30

1) How does the body of Christ need to be close like a team that has become a "family"?
2) Which body parts to you seem weaker (v. 22)?
3) Do you see what your role in this body is?

Miracle pt 1

On Sunday (8/12/07) we started to watch the movie, Miracle, for our temporary film discussion class. This is based on the true, inspring story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that beat the seemingly invincible Russian team and won the gold medal. It is such a fantastic movie with many points to bring up. We got to the first scene for discussion which continues our idea of unity and teamwork over rivalries/dissension. We will finish the movie this Sunday (8/19) while I am gone and discuss a couple more scenes the following Sunday (8/26) when I return.


Unity/ Settling Rivalries

Miracle- beg Chapter 4- Time 17:49-23:46
The scene at the bar gives the backstory. OC has some "unfinished business" with Mac from a national championship game three years ago. This obviously caused the division between them from the get go. OC subs in a drill for another guy and hits down Mac hard. Coach Herb lets them brawl it out for awhile and then tells everyone that the divisions end right now. "Skating...passing...flow...creativity... That's what this team is about. Not old rivalries."

Questions: 1. Has there been a time where you have stepped to break up a fight or help mend a relationship or team?

Once again, personal experience is important. A lot of our discussion was based on teams and school projects the youth had worked on. We talked a bit about sports again. The swim team one of the youth were on was not the best topic, but plenty of other sports (like basketball, football, volleyball) require unity within the team.

We looked at Psalm 133 to drive the point home. It's a wonderful thing when a group of people work together for a common goal. It is like "precious oil running down the head" (used for annointing priests). Have you ever thought of unity within the church? There are many things which can divide us, but we must try to work together and "be perfectly united in mind and thought" (I Cor 1:10).

Is there someone at church or work or home that you need to settle something with to make the unity more unified? Prayerfully approach the other person(s) to settle it.

Being part of a team

This past Sunday (8/5/07) marks the first of five Sundays that we are adding another class in the morning. In place of Chinese class there will be a film discussion time. For the first time doing this, I focused on unity and being part of a team, using clips from Stomp the Yard and Coach Carter. Here is what we did:


Being Part of a Team/ Mending divisions

Stomp the Yard- Chapter 19 (mid)- Time 1:06:15-1:11:11
Theta Nu Thetas have been practicing hard for the national step competition for over two weeks now with little results to show. Here the main character, DJ, leads the new recruits of Theta Nu Theta in some new stepping moves that combines hip hop with traditional step moves. He trying to get the point across that their moves and body types shouldn't have to fit step. Step should fit their natural rhythm. This angers the leader and it turns into a battle between the upper classmen (prophytes) and the new recruits (neophytes). However, DJ deviates from the new steps he planned with the rest of the neophytes and they end up losing. "It's not always about you," one of the guys tells DJ. This leads DJ to approach the whole fraternity and apologize. "I just want to be part of the team." In addition, the leader of the Thetas asks DJ for help with teaching some hip-hop based moves to help the team at nationals. The importance of team over the individual is a concept that runs throughout the whole movie.

Questions: 1. Has there been a time you wanted to show off (big or small crowd)? Was it for the right motives?
2. DJ took courage and apologized to the whole team. Do you find it hard to humble yourself for the betterment of the team?
3. Is there a time that you were a part of or witnessed differences in opinion or method being resolved and it worked out for the better for both sides?

Scripture: I Cor 3:1-9

Questions:
1. As the body of Christ we are all part of a team. Has that ever crossed your mind?
2. Paul calls jealousy and quarreling, which cause the divisions, "worldly." Think of an experience on a team you've had where there were divisions and share. Were the reasons serious enough to cause divisions? Were they helpful or make the team better in any way?
3. What divisions do you know of that are going on in the church at large right now? Are the reasons for the divisions good or help the body of Christ in any way?


Unity/ One Happens to One Happens to All

Coach Carter (PG-13)- beg Ch. 7 32:41-36:08; Ch. 8 (mid) 40:55-43:23
Earlier in the movie, Timo Cruz attacks Coach Carter. After Richmond wins their first game, Cruz wants to be back on the team. However, for his past actions, Coach Carter punishes him with 2500 pushups and 1000 suicides within a week. At the end of the week, despite hours of hard work, Cruz is short and Carter asks him to leave the gym. Then Lyle steps up and says he will help finish because "if one player suffers, the whole team suffers." The rest of the team fills in as well to get Cruz back on.

Questions:
1. What did you think of Coach Carter's punishment? Was it fair?
2. Was it possible for one person to complete all of that in the time given?
3. Do you think it was hard for Lyle to step up and help Cruz?

Scripture: I Cor 12:12-26 (esp. verses 25-26)

Questions:
1. Scripture tells us that we, as Christians, are part of a whole body. Do you believe that?
2. The words in this scene are almost exactly from verse 26. How do you think this applies to the body of Christ?
3. Have you stepped up to help someone like Lyle did for Cruz? What happened? What was the result?

a few more things...

On Sunday morning (6/10/07), we went over the first section in Ephesians 4 again. Rehashing some of Friday's points and going over a few more things.


Vs1: "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
Worthy of the calling you have received. God calls us to live lives that can mount to so much more than if we try to get ahead in life on our own. What do you think God is calling you to be? Maybe a bit of stretch to ask some of the younger youth, but always a good question to ask yourself in general. And this is not just career-related, but what else do you do that makes you come alive?

Vs8-9: "This is why it^[a] says:
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men." 9(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]?)"
Some debate on where he "descended." Some say it means to earth from heaven. Some say it means the grave. And a third possibility is Hades, the resting place of souls between death and resurrection (taken from the NIV Life Application Bible study notes).

Vs11-12: "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up"
Pretty simple. As I said before- we cannot do everything on our own. Whether it's part of a team, being the body of Christ, or living out the Great Commission. We need each other and we can accomplish so much more.


That's about all we went through on Sunday morning. I'm still unsure of the best format to have on Friday nights and Sunday mornings. Any feedback on that, as specific as possible, would be great and very helpful. Do you want a bible study on Sunday mornings? If so, should we study certain books, topics, characters? How deep should we get on Friday nights? Should we have worship music either time, both, or none of the times? My job is to facilitate the spiritual growth for you guys. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

blessings

Unity with different parts

For Youth Group Friday night (6/8/07) we went over the first couple part of Ephesians 4.

First we did a couple games/activities. We played the human knot, which apparently, you need more than 7 people to make it a challenge. I thought it would be a little harder with 7 people, but we figured it out in a couple of minutes. Next we played a game where the group has to work together to create different shapes. We started off easy with a triangle, then went on to more complicated ones, including the shape of the U.S.A.! Hopefully, you see the idea of these games with the themes we studied in Ephesians 4.

Are there people that annoy that are perhaps different than you? We cannot let these things break us apart. A great movie scene that shows this theme is found in Remember the Titans. The Titans have already come back from camp and are about to play their first game. Coach Boone speaks about unity between all the players despite differences, particularly racial divides. He says, "Nothing. Nothing tears us apart." He got them to come together in part by having them spend time together and learn about teammates of another race. That is what we need to do. Pray for our enemies (or those that just annoy us) and make the effort to spend time with them.

The other major theme has to do with our different roles as the body of Christ. A more complete passage on this can be found in I Corinthians 12. There is no way we fulfill the Great Comission (found in Matthew 28:18-20) on our own. Going to all nation, preaching the gospel, making disciples, and discipling believers? No way! We might as well not even try as individuals. But as the body of Christ, we can do so much more and fulfill so many roles to express the fullness of Christ.

Haven't gotten along well with someone lately? See potential in a new friendship or collaboration? Give it up to God. Initiate. The results may surprise you (hopefully for the better!)