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Object Lessons for Adults

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 14:1,7-14, Hebrews 13:1-8,15-16

candy dishThe Importance of Hospitality

Today’s object is a bowl of candy—mixed hard candies would be good.

Early in the service, (not close to communion), invite your congregation to come forward and choose a piece of candy. Engage them in conversation as they do. Comment on their choices or perhaps their reluctance to choose. Suggest what you might like. Respond when they say thank you. Someone might ask for two. Allow them. Share a story about the candy. Make sure everyone is satisfied.

You can just ask everyone to file forward or you can be creative and ask certain people to choose first. Just make whatever you do complement your message.

Use the experience to talk about hospitality.

Hospitality is the common theme of today’s lessons. In the Gospel, Jesus refers to the accepted protocol of honoring guests. Hebrews commends the practice of hospitality. Proverbs teaches the recipients of hospitality a lesson in grace.

As your congregation returns to their seats to enjoy their treat, talk to them about hospitality in today’s world and in ancient Israel.

Life was a bit different then. Travel could be dangerous and unpredictable. A crippled beast of burden, lack of water, an unexpected illness or accident, sudden changes in the weather—all could be life-threatening. Hospitality was expected.

But there is another reason for hospitality. It was entertaining. There were no newspapers, radios, or TVs. People worked at home and traveled rarely. The sight of a stranger on the horizon meant an evening of good conversation, news from far away. Perhaps they would be carrying exotic things.

There was something in it for everyone.

Ask your congregation what hospitality means to them today and how they might feel if a stranger knocked on their door expecting a meal and lodging.

Meals are a common setting in scripture, culminating in the ritual that commemorates the Last Supper and Jesus’ sacrifice.

Talk about what Jesus and the disciples learned around the dinner or banquet table, preaching on the hills of Galilee, and after the Resurrection—when Jesus shares a meal in Emmaus and cooks fish on the shore as he waits for the disciples to anchor their fishing boat. Remind them of meals with tax collectors, the wedding feast in Cana, the visits with his friends in Bethany, and the hospitality he enjoyed on occasion with richer friends.

Talk about your own meal experiences. The family dinner (or the parish dinner) is where we learn to work together. The home table is where we learn manners and to carry a conversation. We learn how to treat guests. The church can be a place to learn these things, too.

There is a scene in the classic movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, where the Finch Family sits down to eat together. A young friend of Scout’s, a boy from less fortunate circumstances, is invited to join them. The boy is overwhelmed by the feast put before him. Scout responds in critical amazement as he pours a pitcher of syrup over his food. She is stopped by her father and the housekeeper and deeply embarrassed.

A similar scene might be repeated in our families as our children learn how to treat guests.

  • How do we treat the strangers in our midst? Are they made truly welcome? Truly valued? Truly equal at the table? At the Eucharist?
  • Do we engage them in conversation, eager for news from other places? Do we make our church homes places they will feel comfortable returning to?
  • Do we seek only members who can contribute or who are like us? Do we welcome those who cannot contribute in the ways we expect?
  • What might we learn from our visitors?

Hospitality must be modeled. You just did this with you candy exercise!

In practicing hospitality we are modeling godly behavior. Are we doing a good job?

photo credit: Bill on Capitol Hill via photopin cc
26 Aug 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 13:10-17

medium_2697879034The Letter of the Law

In today’s lesson, Jesus heals a terribly crippled woman. One would think that everyone would be overjoyed for the woman. But no, the keepers of the law ranted.

Couldn’t this miracle have waited until the Sabbath was over? Why didn’t Jesus send her away with a promise to meet up with her later, when the law allowed for miraculous healings.

Jesus sets the leaders straight. The work is sometimes more important than the letter of the law. Lighten up, folks. The woman is healed. Let’s rejoice with her—not make her feel guilty for finally finding relief from a life-long ailment.

The synagogue leaders were actually a bit embarrassed. This visiting teacher had outperformed them. They feel fenced in. To applaud Jesus was to highlight their shortcomings. They don’t know how to react. They retreat to the letter of the law.

We can be flexible in our interpretations as long as the end is a godly end. The law should serve its own purpose. Healing the sick is a good purpose—lawful on any other day of the week.

There is strength in being able to bend—to stoop down from our high positions of authority and do some hands on good in the world. Flexibility within the law can be a way of keeping the intent of the law.

Today’s object is a stalk of asparagus.

Have a few so you can demonstrate a chef’s trick.

The bottom of an asparagus stalk is often stiff and stringy. Sometimes it’s white and you can see the tough parts. Sometimes it’s not so easy to see.

The base of the stalk is not tasty and it is difficult to chew. It’s rather useless, but that’s the way asparagus comes!

Cooks are faced with a few choices:

  • Cook the asparagus as is and let people figure out for themselves what’s inedible.
  • Make an executive decision! Chop off the ends arbitrarily with a chef’s knife.
    OR
  • Use a chef’s trick. Just snap the end of the asparagus. The worthless part of the asparagus will snap off and you will be left to serve the tender and flavorful part the vegetable—the part that bends without snapping. The flexible part is the useful part.

If you are still inclined to be a stickler for using the whole stalk of celery, you can always throw the ends in the vegetable stock. It’s up to you. Use your best judgment when doing the work of the Lord.

So there, that’s our metaphor for today’s interpretation of God’s law.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks via photopin cc
20 Aug 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 12:49-56

footballhelmetGearing Up for the Battle

The gospel this week is kind of tough to understand. Read it a few times and you may conclude, “I guess you had to be there.”

Jesus speaks with tired frustration to his disciples. The Crucifixion is looming. He can see it coming. He’s been preparing his followers, but He tires of their inability to understand what is so clear to Him.

He is apprehensive. Why aren’t they?

So Jesus take a few desperate stabs at preparing the faithful for the difficult days that He knows are coming not just in His life but in theirs (and ours) as well.

He delivers an unpleasant message.

What? The church will not be a group of happy campers forever?

Here’s a possible way to demonstrate the various points that Jesus touches upon.

Have a young person come forward wearing some sort of sports gear. Just a helmet can work—or a baseball cap and bat. Choose a sport that your congregation relates to— football, baseball, hockey. Make sure that your model appears ready to play. That’s why a helmet is better than just a jersey. Idle fans wear jerseys. You want to create the sense that your  guy or gal is ready for action.

We’ll use football as an example.

Ask your people to identify what they might expect when they see someone wearing a football helmet.

Answers might be fall weather, cheerleaders, rough talk, hot cider in the stands. Surely someone will say something about the battle they hope to witness. This is your opening to talk about teamwork and division, peace and competition.  You can talk about the pressures of competition and the mission of winning. Mention the fear of defeat or even the fear of pain. And there is always the hope of a glorious victory.

All of this was probably on Jesus’ mind when He spoke the words of today’s gospel.

You can continue this discussion as long as you like. Lead its direction. Talk about strategizing within the team and the tensions that might result. Jesus is telling us that working together can be hard!

Foreshadow next week’s lesson and talk about the umpires and referees (judges).

We know all of this will happen from the moment we see players appear in uniform.

And if we don’t, Jesus wants to know why we can’t see what’s right in front of us.

By the way, how is your church’s teamwork these days?

OK, everyone. Put your helmets on!

photo credit: Monica’s Dad via photopin cc
12 Aug 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Christ Knocking

Someone’s Knocking at Your Door

Luke 12:32-40

ChristKnocking-WarnerSallmanToday’s object lesson is one of the most famous American paintings of Christ. Warner Sallman, a commercial artist in Chicago, painted several religious paintings in the early 1900s that are universally part of our faith imagery.

One of these is Christ Knocking at Heart’s Door.

This week turns the table on the Adult Object Lesson of a few weeks ago. In that lesson the Scripture had us knocking on Christ’s door. Now we are asked to listen for Christ’s knock on our door.

Many churches have a print of this painting hanging somewhere in their church.

It never hurts to point out a few things about the painting.

  • Christ is standing among the briars and thistles of the world.
  • A major light source of the painting is Christ’s heart.
  • The door between us is solid but there is a grill for us to see through. We can check things out before we open the door.
  • The door has no handle. We must open the door from the inside.

A discussion of this painting goes nicely with this week’s gospel which ends by placing a good bit of the responsibility for our relationship with Christ squarely on our shoulders.

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

You can use the song Someone’s Knocking at Your Door to accompany this lesson.

Or you can use “Into My Heart”

Into my heart, Into my heart
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus
Come in today, Come in to stay
Come in to my heart, Lord Jesus

07 Aug 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 12-The Rich Fool

arthurhughesJesus Helps Us Define True Treasures

self-storage-unitsToday’s story starts with a brother asking for his share of the inheritance.

Today’s object is a box filled with modern “stuff” and a photo of a storage shed. If you can project images use a photo (or several) like this one. Just google storage unit/images to find tons of them.

This is a parable about modern America. It is a parable about values and relationships—priorities.

Some ideas for what to put in the box: A collection of remote controls, a collection of knickknacks, t-shirts, cans from the garage, old sports equipment or toys, old trophies—the types of things we hang on to for reasons we can’t explain.

Use a collection of different things or a collection of same things. We all have multiple remote controls for equipment that died long ago. A collection of one teenager’s T-shirts can fill a dresser drawer.

As you talk about this parable, take the items out of the box. Just holding the things up may cause your congregation to smile.

The modern storage unit will resonate with your congregation. People have so much “stuff” they rent a shed to store it. Often they pay the rent for a few months and then walk away. They forget about the stuff when they have to pay to own it. After a few months, all that stuff isn’t worth the trouble to retrieve it.

On our own, we don’t think of giving it away. In the end, stuff is worthless.

We know that Jesus is asking  us to think about our values.

Today even intangible things have value. We can fight over ideas in court for years! Who thought of Facebook first? Who first used the word “muggle” as in the Harry Potter stories? Once success is obvious, we all want a piece of it. We want to transform ideas to gold.

How many of us would fight for what we believe in court?

True success is in building relationships and remembering priorities. Relationships give us something to hang on to. That’s why we make the effort to get home for Thanksgiving—to remember to phone on birthdays or holidays—to show up for worship on Sunday morning—to pray daily.

We don’t need a storage shed or a bigger house. We just need to value the blessings God gave us and show our appreciation.

Heaven is where the heart is.

The painting above by British artist, Arthur Hughes and was painted in 1881. It is called “Saying Grace, The Skipper and His Crew.”

29 Jul 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 11:1-13

medium_4359212372Lord, teach us to pray.

Today’s object is a door or perhaps a knocker. You’ll want to be able to physically knock in some way or other as you teach today’s object lesson.

The subject today is prayer.

Prayer or conversation with God is foundational to faith. Yet so many people feel inadequate when it comes to prayer.

Today’s gospel starts with this inadequacy. “Lord, teach us to pray.”

The disciples plead with Jesus for help in talking to God. There was no door between them and God. They could reach out and touch him. Yet, they felt inadequate.

Jesus gives them a brief example of prayer using the words that have come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer. However, Jesus knows that the problem is not the words but the attitude we have when we stand at the door and knock. He quickly moves on by telling a story.

Knocking on a door, as any salesperson knows, is frightening. You don’t know what might happen or whom you might encounter. You might be turned away—rejected. There is no worse feeling. It’s feels a bit safer when we know who is behind the door.

Jesus knows our fear.

He tells the story about the man who was embarrassed that he was ill-prepared to welcome a guest. The man didn’t let his shortcomings stop him from trying. It may help to remind your learners that in biblical times it was a true embarrassment to be unable to meet the needs of a stranger asking for hospitality. Modern hearers of this word will be tempted to side with the neighbor who was dragged out of bed in the middle of the night.

The man in Jesus’ story was humiliated when he went to a neighbor at the most inopportune time. When the neighbor tried to turn him away, he persisted. He was willing to risk his honor, pride and reputation to knock again and again on the neighbor’s door until his plea was answered. Jesus wants us to have that same need to knock on His door no matter what our state.

Today’s passage ends with a promise from Jesus. It’s still all about knocking on the door.

Have your learners repeat the passage once or twice. Some will know it by memory.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened”

It’s not a bad passage to memorize. It will come in handy when we reach out with all our feelings of inadequacy to knock on God’s door. We don’t know what will happen when the door opens. But we DO know who is waiting to open the door! We knock with God’s permission and promise — and that’s half the battle. He has already helped us. He gave us the words to use. And we need to nurture our faith to be able to receive the answer.

Here is another visual help. Most of us pass this reminder every day in our neighborhoods and perhaps even our own homes. We see it on TV in every manner of home — Christian and non-Christian.

f0208-03It’s a standard door design dating to colonial America—the cross and Bible door. The pattern forms the cross on top and open Bible below. Your adult learners can think of this passage when they see this door—and before they knock on it!

Opening photo credit: JohnnyEnglish via photopin cc
23 Jul 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Colossians 1:15-28

Sing a New Song

We’ve discussed the Mary/Martha Gospel story before, so this week we are going to offer an adult object lesson based on the epistle lesson. 

This passage isn’t easy to read and realistically it will not resonate with your listeners when it is read in church. It’s all sort of “cosmic.” Complicated!

The letter is often attributed to Paul, but scholars suspect that a follower of Paul wrote it, (despite the claim in verse 23 and the opening verse of Colossians).

Part of the reason this passage does not easily connect with today’s listeners is that we are not in on a cultural “secret.”

The passage is referencing passages of scripture that would have been known to the first recipients of this letter. Among these passages is Proverbs 8:27-31.

I was there when he set the heavens in place,

when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
when he established the clouds above
   and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
when he gave the sea its boundary
   so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
rejoicing in his whole world
   and delighting in mankind.

Theologians today refer to the passage from Colossians as a “Christ hymn.”

It might help your congregation to understand it by examining well-known hymn that is more modern but similar in structure—Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation.

Calling this hymn “modern” is a bit of a stretch. The words date back to the 7th century, but they were translated and put to new music in the 19th century when so many of the hymns we use today were first sung. 

Your congregation is likely to know or at least have heard this hymn before. 

Read it with your congregation before your sing it. Point to the similarities in message and structure.

This hymn cuts to the chase without referring to the ancient scriptures proving he is the firstborn of all creation. This is already proved! So this proven belief takes the place of the first verses of this passage from Colossians.

Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ, our head and cornerstone,
Chosen of the Lord and precious,
Binding all the Church in one;
Holy Zion’s help forever
And our confidence alone.

The second verse addresses relationship with Christ—similar to verses 19-23a in today’s Epistle.

To this temple, where we call You,
Come, O Lord of hosts, and stay;
Come with all Your loving kindness,
Hear Your people as they pray;
And Your fullest benediction
Shed within these walls today.

The hymn then moves to the “cosmic” and our long-term relationship with God and the hope of glory (like verse 25-31 of the Colossians text).

Grant, we pray, to all Your faithful
All the gifts they ask to gain;
What they gain from You, forever
With the blessed to retain;
And hereafter in Your glory
Evermore with You to reign.

As is typical in hymn structure, this ancient hymn closes with praise for God in all His forms.

Praise and honor to the Father,
Praise and honor to the Son,
Praise and honor to the Spirit,
Ever three and ever one:
One in might and one in glory
While unending ages run!

And so with this unending history of hymns in praise to God, your congregation will have studied three hymns today. The hymn from Proverbs, the Christ Hymn from Colossians and the more modern hymn, Christ is Made the Sure Foundation.

They can feel proud of themselves and sing with joy.

16 Jul 2013

Adult Object Lesson: The Good Samaritan

Caring for the Aliens in Our Midst

Today’s Gospel is one of the best-known stories from the New Testament. It bears repeating because its message is so easily forgotten.

It is the story of The Good Samaritan or The Care and Treatment of Aliens in Our Midst.

We relive this story in our own lives daily. Sometimes we play the Samaritan. Often, we play the priest and the Levite.

Your adults are likely to be well aware of aliens. Aliens are often in the news today. Many people in America want to keep them out, forgetting our shared heritage.

  • Aliens challenge our economy.
  • Aliens bring with them ideologies and values we may not understand.

It is not a greet leap from these fears to a common bottom line on the topic of aliens.

  • Aliens are a threat. Where there is one there is more—who knows how many?
  • What might be “given” to aliens is rightfully “ours.”

The story of the Good Samaritan is a common plotline in literature.

Use the movie ET as a focus of your discussion today. The story of ET is the story of an extraterrestrial—an alien life form. Use a photo of ET or perhaps you can find a vintage ET toy. Or you can just retell the story of Elliot and ET. Let your congregation remind you of ET’s greatest wish (prayer). ET phone home.

ET was an alien in trouble, caught without help in a land that belonged to someone else. He just wanted to go home.

The law wanted him.

Science wanted him.

He was an object to them. The word “alien” stripped him of his, well, we can’t really say “humanity.” But isn’t that what we are tempted to do to modern aliens—strip them of humanity? Sending them home is OK with us because sending them home is within our power.

In the story of ET, sending the alien home is not within human power and that frightens those “in charge” of order and safety. People like to think someone is in control. People in control like to think they have power! It is frightening when we realize we really don’t have as much power or control as we think we have. That’s what the priest and the Levite realized when they “passed on the other side.”

ET is befriended by a young boy who actually becomes one with the creature. He shelters him, feeds him, teaches him and cares for him to the point of sacrificing his life. Sound familiar?

Comparing the story of ET to the Good Samaritan will give you many points to discuss with your adult learners.

  • Who are the aliens in our community? The victims? The misfits?
  • Who are the authorities who pass them by?
  • Who are the Samaritans?

But remember the often forgotten last verses of this story. The Good Samaritan continues to care for the victim long after he drops him at someone else’s door. Being a Good Samaritan is an ongoing responsibility.

Remind your adult learners of the question that prompted Jesus to tell this story.

Who is my neighbor?

Tomorrow’s post will feature The Good Samaritan in Art.

08 Jul 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 10:1-11,16-20

ducksJesus Sends His Followers 2×2

Note: For the first time we are including a musical offering to enhance the object lesson. It’s at the end.

It is summer and the seaside will attract many of us for some rest and relaxation.

Waves are our object for today. If you use a projector in worship, use photos of waves. Or stir up your own waves in a large glass bowl.

There is something refreshing about staring at the motion of water and particularly the sea. It doesn’t matter if the waves reach gently for dry land or crash with untamable power onto the rocks and shoreline. We can’t take our eyes off the beauty, the power, and the fact that we have no control over it. The water will have its way!

Today’s gospel, Luke 10:1-11, 16-20, is about a great sending. Jesus sends 7o apostles ahead of him in pairs or 2×2 (for which our ministry is named).

Jesus gives a list of Spartan instructions, which are designed to make sure the mission is not forgotten. Take nothing for yourself. Try to reach everyone, but don’t waste time if ears and minds are closed.

The thought that God is relying on us is humbling.

There is a warning that things might not always go smoothly. The message they will be preaching will at times be harsh. People WILL have a hard time hearing it.

Jesus includes some fire and brimstone. (Some of this is in the excluded verses. Go ahead and read them.)

The 70 have a pretty good first maiden voyage. They return to Jesus impressed with the power that Jesus gave them.

Who knows how many times these first apostles reached out to new people? How many shores did they reach? How many times did they return to the water of their baptism for revival?

That’s what your adult learners can think about as they watch the waves this summer, returning again and again to the sea, reaching ever higher toward land as the tide rises.

The job we, as modern apostles, are asked to do remains challenging. We still face rejection.

Sometimes the path will be pleasant and rewarding, but there is no promise that the sea will always be gentle. Yet, it is with the power of the Word that we reach out. We are to take no pride in this power. We are fortunate to have the relationship with the Lord and the promise of heaven.

This is a complex analogy for adult learners but today’s lesson can include the children of the congregation by having all join together with one or both of the following songs which relate to today’s gospel. One is a 2×2 original. We’ve paired it with an American spiritual.

It is designed to be fun. Having fun together as a congregation is a good educational tool. You can exclude the parts in parentheses and some of the rhythms if you want your worship to be more formal.

To help you learn the songs there’s a homemade audio to give you the basic tune. This is our first venture in offering music. We’ll get better at it. Promise.

2×2 song

2×2

(Each x indicates a clap)

Two by two x
Two by two x
Jesus sent apostles out two by two
And they preached. xx
And they taught. xx
They made the demons take a walk. (Get lost!)
Jesus sent apostles out
Two x by x two. xx

Two by two x
Two by two x
Jesus still is sending us two by two.
We will preach. xx
We will teach. xx
Every nation we must reach. (Each one!)
Jesus sent apostles out (Knock on pew) xx xxx
Jesus sent apostles out (Knock on pew) xx xxx
Jesus sent apostles out
Two x by x two. xx

and / or

You can move directly into a new rhythm and keep it going, rapping on a guitar soundboard or on a pew. Clapping can work, too.

Knock. Knock.
Knock. Knock. Knock. (repeat throughout the next song)

The American Spiritual: Somebody’s knocking at your door

The link above is to a more professional rendition of this spiritual, although it is presented in a very fun style.

Here’s our humble effort: Somebody’sKnocking

Somebody’s knocking at your door.
Somebody’s knocking at your door.
Oh, sinner. Why don’t you answer?
Somebody’s knocking at your door.

Knocks like Jesus.
Somebody’s knocking at your door.
Can’t you hear him?
Somebody’s knocking at your door.
Oh, sinner, why don’t you answer?
Somebody’s knocking at your door.

Somebody’s knocking at your door.
Somebody’s knocking at your door.
Oh, sinner. Why don’t you answer?
Somebody’s knocking at your door.

Close with the traditional knock:

Knock. Knock.   Knock, knock, knock.

Shout: Who’s there?

You can use this same closing knock on 2×2 Song if you use only one of the songs.

photo credit: wili_hybrid via photopin cc
01 Jul 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Galatians 5: 1, 13-25

action figureThis Is A Job for Superman

This Sunday’s lectionary addresses the cost of discipleship. Both the Old Testament lesson (1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21) and the Gospel (Luke 9:51-62) talk about exactly what is expected of a follower of Christ. Weave these expectations into your discussion of Galatians.

Today’s object is a superhero action figure. Use your favorite: Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman . . . whatever.

All superheroes have a mission. They fight evil. Galatians gives us a good list for any writer of action stories to reference.

  • fornication
  • impurity
  • licentiousness
  • idolatry
  • sorcery
  • enmities
  • strife
  • jealousy
  • anger
  • quarrels
  • dissensions
  • factions
  • envy
  • drunkenness
  • carousing, and things like these.

Each action hero has certain strengths and weaknesses. Knowing them is part of the fun in following the story. Will Superman finally be overcome by kryptonite? Will his bullet proof outfit save him? Will he remember to use his X-ray vision?

Talk about your superheroes’ special qualities.

Ask your congregation to create a superhero to fight the list of evils presented in Galatians. What special powers would their hero have? What weaknesses might hinder him or her in conquering evil?

This should lead to an interesting discussion. Have fun with it.

In the end, refer your congregation to the qualities that Paul lists as antidotes for evil.

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is

  • love
  • joy
  • peace
  • patience
  • kindness
  • generosity
  • faithfulness
  • gentleness
  • and self-control.

How many of these qualities did you give your superhero? Are these qualities enough to get the job done?

photo credit: JD Hancock via photopin cc
25 Jun 2013