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.