Before the Session
- Have the Bible Background Video ready to view.
- Review today’s scripture text and the session activities to help better facilitate the discussion.
- Encourage your group to listen to the Faithelement podcast ahead of the next session (Share the link via email or social media)
- Review the link to the “Humans of New York” page
Context
Open the link to the “Humans of New York.” blog, and share a few of the quotes and pictures and tell the group.
http://www.humansofnewyork.com
This blog, “Humans of New York” seeks to create “an exhaustive catalog” of people, offering “glimpses into the lives of strangers.” We have had glimpses into the lives of people or groups in the news lately. As I name the following people, silently think of a word or phrase that you use to identify the person.
Read this list aloud, pausing for a brief moment to allow group members to reflect for each one:
Caitlyn Jenner
Franklin Graham
Joshua Dugger
Jeb Bush
Rachel Dolezal
Tom Brady
Hillary Clinton
Ask:
- What do you think causes us to sometimes take “glimpses” of people and respond with a quick judgment?
- What do the glimpses in the photos we saw offer you?
- In what ways did hearing the story behind some of the pictures affect your perception of them?
- How do the stories that you have heard about these more famous people affect your perception of them?
- What can we do to better “get the real story” behind the people we encounter every day?
Content
Read together Ephesians 2:11-22, watch the Bible Background Video.
Then ask:
- What do you think the passage means when it indicates that “something new is formed out of the body?”
- In what ways have you experienced a sense of “newness” within your faith experience?
- How might someone else who has not shared your experience look on it and why?
- What do you think it means for the body of faith to be made up of real, gifted, diverse, flawed humans?
Closure
Share the “Present Perfect” video
Then ask:
- What do you think the very young and the very old can offer each other?
- What has to happen to intentionally bring people together in this way?
- In what ways do you see this model of working with people similar and different from the way people do “church?”
- What do you think this model teaches us about finding unity in the body of Christ?
- With what groups of people do you believe you most need to connect in order to promote Christian unity and why?
- How might we do that?
Close with a prayer asking God to make us vulnerable and willing to find points of connection with people who are different.
Writer: Erin Robinson Hall