Lesson Plan for Chapters 9-14 of "Geography of God"

“Geography of God” Lesson Plan for Chapters 9- 14

Life on the Road

Chapter Nine: Geography of God

Symbols of the Trinity
Triquetra Knot ; Celtic Cross ; Shamrock ; Trinity Shield ; Presbyterian Symbol ; Catholic Sign of the Trinity ; Rublev’s Trinity- Genesis 18

Trinitarian Affirmation
• II Corinthians 13:13 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit”
• The Words of Jesus in John “I am the way, the truth and the life”
• God doesn’t just show us the way, the Triune God is the way (Lindvall, pg. 52)
• “The most transforming affirmation embedded in the Trinity…an understanding of a God who is love, a God who is relationship, a God who is communion.” (pg. 52, Lindvall)

Three Forms of Devotions- Chap 10

• Worship
• Bible reading
• Prayer
Devotion is not either/or - It is both/and
– Corporate and Individual
– Discipline and discipleship are related
– Humans crave BOTH tradition and innovation

Chapter 11: Worship- Turning to the Center

• Worship is neither entertainment, therapy or education. These are all directed to the worshipper. So what is it?...
• It is God directed. God is the audience and the whole congregation are the actors, singers, readers, dancers performing for God’s good pleasure.
• Question “What did you get out of the service?” should be replaced with “What did you lose, give, or offer.”
• The opportunity we are met with on Sunday is to give ourselves again to God, to lose ourselves in the Absolute, to turn away from self and re-center on God

Packing a Bible- Chap 12

• “The way to defend the Bible is the same way that you defend a Lion. You let it lose.” Charles Spurgeon
• Three-fold word of God.
– Living word in Jesus Christ
– The written word of scripture
– The proclaimed word of the church

“Imagine the Bible as a great conversation of people who have witnessed what God has done history.”
• Three Things you bring to Bible study
• Identity- who are you in the story of the prodigal son…the good Samaritan…
• Recognition- what is the truth that comes to you; the “A-ha” moment. What do you discover about yourself in your relationship to God in the stories of scripture.
• Imagination- dare to enter into the world of scripture. Karl Barth calls it the “Strange new world of the Bible”

What best describes you sense of Scripture?
• Road map
• Lens through which we see Christ (Calvin)
• Love letter between God and God’s people.
• Cradle in which the Christ child is held
• Rule book
• The revelation of God’s love
• Other_________________________

On Your Knees- Chapter 13

• “Prayer is none other than expanding our heart in the presence of God” Calvin

• “To pray is to edge into relationship with God…in prayer the vector of your purpose comes to be more and more curved to God.” Lindvall, pg. 82

• “Prayer is not merely about changing the course of events…prayer is also about changing me in my relationship with God” Lindvall, pg. 81

List with the class the ways you pray
• ACTS of Prayer
• Prayers of Adoration
• Prayers of Thanksgiving
• Prayer of Confession
• Prayers of Supplication (for self and world)

Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and glory, forever and ever. Amen (Matt. 6:9-13)

Ways to pray
• Praying Scripture: Lectio Divina
• Praying the Psalms (check out Psalm 22/23)
• Prayer Phrases: Psalm 103 “Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits.”
• Prayer Books: Presbyterian Book of Common Prayer
• Prayer woven into life- Brother Lawrence “Practicing the Presence of God”

Traveling Companions, Chapter 14

• “We are built for relationship” pg. 87
• “If the deepest truth about God is that God is relationship, love, communion, the implications for those who would be in relationship with God are stunning.”
• “We who name a Trinitarian God are called to live in relationships of deep communion that are nothing less than an earthly reflection of the life of God.” pg. 88

Where do we find, live, build up Community?

• Church- ecclesia- “The gathered”(Matt 16:18; Acts 14: 27 and 15:3- The Church gathered and sent); “The Body of Christ”; I Corinthians 12:12-27

• Marriage and Family- Genesis 1 “It is not good that man should be alone. I will make a helpmate for him”; Eph 5:21 “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ…husband love your wives as Christ loved the church.” koinos- “household” is the Greek word for community, partnership.

• Friendship: phileos; “I no longer call you servants but friends” John 15:15)