God Chooses You: Revelation and Promise

By Tom East

Purpose

In our closest relationships, we share our true self, and we make promises to each other. God longs for a loving friendship with each of us and chooses to share the fullness of who he is. God shares a pathway for a love-filled life and promises to be with us. In this session, youth reflect on their closest relationships, as they explore the ways that God shares himself with us and the promises that he invites us to enter into.

Component: Catechesis

Correlation to the U.S. Bishops’ Adaptation: Course 2:Who is Jesus Christ? (Catechism of the Catholic Church #50, 51, 52, 65, 68, 69 and 73)

50 …. Through an utterly free decision, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

53 The divine plan of Revelation is realized simultaneously "by deeds and words which are intrinsically bound up with each other"4 and shed light on each another. It involves a specific divine pedagogy: God communicates himself to man gradually. He prepares him to welcome by stages the supernatural Revelation that is to culminate in the person and mission of the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ.

Session at a Glance

Extend the Session: Community Builder: I Love My Neighbor

(add 15 minutes)

7:00 p.m.Introduction and Focusing Activity: “The Gold Box”

7:15 p.m.Naming Life Experience: Our Relationships

Extend the Session: Growing Our Relationships (add 20 minutes)

7:45 p.m.Sharing Faith Teaching:God’s Promises

Extend the Session: My Experience of God (add 20 minutes)

8:10 p.m.Integrating Life Experience: Prayer, Time, and Actions

Option: Song or Music Video

8:20 p.m.Living the Faith Message: Closing Prayer

8:30 p.m.Announcements and Refreshments

Extend the Session: Community Builder:Do You Love your Neighbor? (15 minutes)

Set up a circle of chairs with one less chairs than the number of persons who will participate in the activity. Invite the members of the group to sit the circle. Whoever does not have a seat begins the activity. Ask this individual by name, “______, do you love your neighbor?” The individual responds by saying, “Yes I love all of my neighbors, but especially those that are ______,” naming a characteristic such as those who are wearing jeans, those who are wearing shoes, those with pierced ears, those with contacts, those with brown hair, etc. Once this statement is made, everyone who matches that characteristic moves at least three chairs from their current seat, while the person making the statement is also trying to get a seat. Participants will rush to a seat—remind them to be careful as they compete for seats. The last person left standing is now “it.” Continue by asking this person, “Do you love your neighbor?” The process repeats itself. Note: If the person who is it does not get a seat, they remain to be “it” for the next round.

Extend the Session: Growing Our Relationships (20 minutes)

In this activity, youth will select one relationship that they would like to grow and deepen. This could be a friendship that is starting, a friendship that has fallen away, or a family relationship that is not as close as is desired. Begin by asking the participants to choose one relationship that they would like to work on. Distribute index cards and pens or pencils, and ask youth to write three categories and leave space for responses: Time, Words, Actions. Ask youth to consider ways that they could spend more quality time with that person, ways that they could share the words that need to be said to each other, and ways that they could do some kind action for the other person. Allow several minutes for journaling and then ask participants to form pairs and share what they are comfortable sharing from their reflection.

Extend the Session: My Experience of God (20 minutes)

In this reflective activity, youth think about the ways that they have experienced God and the ways that they have grown in friendship with God.

Distribute index cards, one for each participant. Ask the participants to use the front side of the card to write down times in their life when they felt especially close to God, such as moments of prayer, crisis, struggle, or celebration in which God’s presence was clearly evident. These also could be events or programs such as experience of sacraments or participation in service events, conferences, or retreats.

Create a reflective environment by lighting candles and playing quiet, instrumental music in the background. Allow several minutes for reflection, then invite participants to gather in groups of three and share about their reflections. Ask them to think about and share on this question: What do you notice about the times when you feel close to God? After several minutes of sharing, invite volunteers to share responses in the large group. Provide summarizing comments, reminding the community of God’s promise to always be with us.

Materials Needed

  • Script for “The Gold Box” ( (see #1 in Prepare in Advance)
  • Handout 1, Reflecting on My Relationships, one per participant. This is a two-page handout; copy double-sided.
  • Index cards, one per participant

Note to Leader:If you are using the Extend the Session: Growing Our Relationshipsor Extend the Session: Our Experience of God, you will need to have additional index cards, one per person,for each of these activities that you choose.

  • Large Post-it®notes to use in theSharing the Teaching Message: God’s Promises group activity. These notes are available through Amazon.com:

or at office supply stores. If you do not have these sticky notes available, use large index cards (5 x 7”) and masking tape.

  • Sharpie® markers (if using index cards)
  • Pens or pencils, one per participant
  • CD or MP3 player
  • Instrumental music
  • Song for closing prayer; suggestions include:
  • “Here I Am” by Tom Booth (Spirit and Song, OCP)
  • “Open My Eyes” by Jesse Manibusan (Spirit and Song, OCP)
  • Bibles, one per participant

Note to Leader: Please choose Bibles that have introductions to each book that are understandable by youth. It would be helpful if each person in the small groups had a copy of the same translation and version of the Bible.

  • Stones, one for each participant. Choose small stones (approximately 1½ inches in diameter) that would be appropriate as prayer symbols. You can gather stones or purchase them from a garden supply store. Consider writing or drawing withSharpie® markers on the stone. You could draw a cross, heart, or the words: God Loves You!

Prepare in Advance

Note to Leader:This session is correlated to the U.S. Bishops’ Adaptation of the Curriculum Framework, published in January 2010 by the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis at the USCCB. Download the Adaptation from this website:

1.Download the script for “The Gold Box.” You will need to re-work it into script format for the three actors—Narrator, Jack, and Jack’s mom. Example:

Narrator: It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son.

Over the phone, his mother told him,

Mom:Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.

2.Recruit three people for these roles. You will need someone to be the narrator, Jack, and Jack’s mom. Give each actor a copy of the script well in advance of the session. Be sure to take time with the actors to rehearse for this presentation.

3.For the Scripture activity in Sharing the Faith Message, God’s Promises, assign a Scripture passage to each group of four to seven members. Choose enough different passages to match with your group size. You may repeat Scripture passages as necessary. If you are not using all of the Scriptureselections listed, be sure to use a combination of Old and New Testament readings. Write the Scripture reference for each group on an index card.

Scripture Passages:

  • Genesis 1:26-30
  • Genesis 15:1-6
  • Exodus 19:4-6
  • Isaiah 45:21-28
  • Jeremiah 29:22-14
  • John 1:1-5, 14-18
  • John 15:1-11
  • Matthew 28:16-20

4.Choose a wall to post the Post-it® notes for the Scripture group activity. On the wall, place three headings using portions of a sheet of newsprint:

  • Words
  • Actions
  • Commitments

5.For closing prayer, you will gather in a circle around a small table that is set-up as your prayer focus. The table should include a cloth, Bible, cross, and candle. Have matches or a lightstick nearby. Place the prayer stones around the candle.

6.Prepare someone to provide a brief witness presentation about some of the ways that he or she has experienced God and his invitation to friendship in their life. The presentation should follow the presentation in Sharing the Teaching Message, God’s Promises, and should be about five minutes in length.

7.Prepare a sheet of newsprint to post within Integrating Life Experience: Prayer, Time and Actions. Write these three headings on the newsprint:

  • Time—What can I do to spend time with God this week?
  • Prayer—What are some ways I will pray this week?
  • Actions—What actions can I take to know God better and share his love and care with others?

8.If you choose to use the option to play a song or show a music video as preparation for the closing prayer, preview and select from these suggestions:

  • “Rhythms of Grace” by Hillside United – When we realize that all around us, God is weaving a masterpiece of grace for us to experience in creation, we can’t help but get caught up in it and live for the creator.
  • Song:
  • Video:
  • “Like An Avalanche” by Hillside United – With all the ways God is pouring out grace and love for us, it’s like an avalanche.
  • Song:
  • Video:

9.Set up sound or video equipment as needed.

10.Select a song to use as a closing song and recruit a musician and leader to lead the song. Be sure to have copies of a hymnal available for participants to use.

11.Set up tables for refreshments and sign-in. Have one or two people at the sign-in table with check-in sheet and nametags and registration information, if applicable (have a few extra packets on hand for walk-ins). Hospitality is important! As the leader, spend the arrival time moving among the participants, greeting and speaking with them.

Session Outline

Introductionand Focusing Activity: “The Gold Box”(10minutes)

Welcome participants, taking time to make introductions as needed. Introduce the session in these or similar words:

Welcome! Remember a time when you were in grade school or middle school and teams were being chosen for sports. How did it feel when someone chose you? How did it feel when you were not chosen? Tonight we are going to explore how God shows us that he chooses us and promises to be with us always. We’ll start by looking at our own friendships and our relationships.

In the following story, we are reminded that relationships can surprise us. As you watch and listen, pay attention to the things that are important to the relationships in the story.

Ask the participants to focus their attention on the volunteers who are presenting the “Gold Box” skit. Following the skit, ask for volunteer responses from the group to the following questions:

Jack seemed to have a change of heart because of his experience, what do you think caused that change?

How would you describe the relationship between Jack and Mr. Belser?

This was an important friendship for both of them when Jack was young. From what you can tell from the story, what was the friendship based on? What made it grow?

Ask the group if there is anything else that they noticed about the story or other feelings or thoughts that they wanted to share.

Naming Life Experience: Reflecting on Our Relationships (25 minutes)

Continue the large group conversation with these comments:

Each relationship is special, unique, unlike like any other, as distinctive as a snowflake or a finger print. Yet all relationships have some common elements:

  • Time – All relationships include sharing time. Important relationships usually rely on sharing significant time. But we often spend a lot of time with people who we are not close to because of circumstances, people who share a class or an activity with us at school or people we work with.
  • Words – People who care about each other talk about things, important things and simple everyday things. In fact, good friends often spend hours talking with little or no effort, paying little attention to the subject; the words that are shared fill the time easily because of the common bonds between the friends. Feelings and affirmation of the friendship are also shared in words between friends and loved ones. Some of these words show our interest such as, “how’s it going?” or “how you doing?” Other words show that we care like, “I care about you,” or “I love you” or “I’m sorry.”
  • Actions – People in relationship do things together and do things for each other. This can include simple caring things like bringing a friend a drink of water. It also includes actions that communicate our feelings for each other like a handshake, a hug or a kiss shared between loved ones.

These three elements—time, words, and actions are part of all relationships, from casual acquaintances to the most important loving relationships in our life. In close relationships, friendships, best friends, loved ones, family members, an additional element is added: Promises and Commitments. People who are good friends or loved ones make commitments to each other; these are not always spoken but they are always there, establishing a safety in the relationship that allows us to feel free. If we are with people we do not know, we do not know what to expect. In close relationships we make a commitment to each other to listen to each other, we commit to keeping the other person safe from attach, we also commit to making this relationship a priority in our life. We often commit to keeping conversations in confidence. In many different ways, friends tell us: “I’ve got your back.” Conflicts in relationships often arise from a sense of betrayal—we are disappointed or angry when someone breaks these commitments, breaks a promise and doesn’t live up to a commitment that we believe was made to us.

I ask you to take some time to thinks about your relationships using Handout 1, Reflection on Relationships.

Distribute the handout and pens to participants. Provide a personal example of completing the chart on newsprint using a good friend. In your example, make your experience very relatable so that youth can picture their relationships. Put quiet music on in the background, and invite participants to find a private place to work on this journal sheet.

Allow ten minutes for individuals to complete their reflection, then ask them to join in groups of five to seven with a facilitator. Instruct the facilitator to guide the group through the questions. Allow ten minutes for small group discussion than call the group back together and invite volunteers to share ideas from the discussion with the large group.

Sharing Faith Teaching: God’s Promises(35 minutes)

Introduce the faith teaching about this topic in these or similar words:

Like the close friends and loved ones in our life, God chooses to be in a close loving relationship with us. God spends time, shares loving words and actions in our lives. He works through the events of each of our individual lives to share the mystery of his true self and of his loving plan for each of us.

This pattern of God’s invitation, God’s presence, God’s promises, and God’s loving friendship has been part of the pattern of his relationships throughout time and recorded in the stories of the Bible.

Divide participants into groups of four to seven members. Assign one of the Scripture passages to each group and instruct them to read the Scripture and identify these parts of relationships as they see them portrayed in the passage: Words, Actions, and Commitments. If you have less than eight groups, choose a combination of Old and New TestamentScriptures for group work.

Scriptures:

  • Genesis 1:26-30
  • Genesis 15:1-6
  • Exodus 19:4-6
  • Isaiah 45:21-28
  • Jeremiah 29:22-14
  • John 1:1-5, 14-18
  • John 15:1-11
  • Matthew 28:16-20

Give each group large Post-it® notes or index cards and Sharpie® markers to record their work. After several minutes of group work, ask groups to post their ideas on the wall. Each group should provide a brief summary of what they found by sharing what the passage was about and what they experience as God’s words, actions, and commitments in the passage.