Lord of the Rings—Be a Hero Today!

The Lord of the Rings—Be a Hero Today!, p. 1

© Center for Ministry Development, 2004. All rights reserved.

Purpose

This session explores what it takes to make hard decisions. Participants will learn a six-step method for decision making and then apply that method using scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy as “case studies.”By the end of the session, participants will not only have a chance to learn a method of decision making but will also learn how central our faith is in making big decisions.

Materials Needed

  • one bed sheet for each relay team of eight people
  • TV and DVD player

(Note to Leader: A DVD is highly recommended for ease in cuing the various scenes.)

  • DVD copy of each of the Lord of the Rings trilogy—Fellowship of the Ring, The TwoTowers, and Return of the King
  • Handout 1, “To make a decision, all you have to do is LISTEN!” one for each participant
  • A Bible
  • A cross to be passed among participants during the closing prayer. Note: If your group is large, you may choose to use multiple crosses.
  • Newsprint and markers

Prepare in Advance

1. If you are not familiar with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it is important for you to watch all three of the movies so that you will be able to speak intelligently about the themes and characters in the movies. Consider asking a young person who is a fan of these movies assist you in leading this session.

2. Make three copies of Resource #1, “Petitions,” for the closing prayer.

3. Invite three people to be readers for the closing prayer.

4. Choose and view the scenes you are going to use from Lord of the Rings. Use Resource #2, “Lord of the Rings Scenes,” to help you make your decision.

5. Make copies and cut in half Resource #3, “Small Group Questions,”one for each small group leader.

6. Prepare a newsprint with the qualities of a courageous decision (found in the Leader Comments from the Introduction).

Session at a Glance

7:00 pmWelcome

7:05 pmLord of the Rings Relay

7:20 pmIntroduction

7:25 pmMaking Decisions with the Lord of the Rings

8:25 pmTeaching LISTEN

8:40pmClosing Prayer

8:50pmAnnouncements and Refreshments

9:00 pmGood Night!

Welcome(5 minutes)

Welcome participants, and provide an opportunity for introductions if needed. Introduce the session in these or similar words:

“In tonight’s session we will be exploring what it means to make heroic decisions and we will be using scenes from a story that is filled with heroes: The Lord of Rings. We begin our adventure with a relay game.”

Lord of the Rings Relay (15 minutes)

Divide your group into teams of eight for this Lord of the Rings-based relay. Have each team line up single file behind a starting line. At the other end of the room, create a “finish” line (out of string or tape if a line does not exist on the floor already). The goal of this relay is to get your whole team sitting single file behind the finish line.

Give these instructions:

“After the read the character descriptions, each team has one minute to assign teammates to characters. Once you have their character assignment, line up in the proper order behind the starting line. When I shout “Go,” teammates have to get to the finish line, in the mannerdescribed in their character instructions. The next character begins when their teammate crosses the finish line. If you break character before you cross the finish line, you have to go back to the starting line and start again. Here are the order and character descriptions.”

Next, say the name of the character or role for the relay and the description of how to participate in the relay.

1. Gollum—“Gollum walks a bit like a frog, moving forward in a crouching position and using his hands as well. If you are Gollum, you must cross the finish line in this manner. Halfway across the floor, you must stop and yell in your loudest Gollum sounding voice,‘My precious’.”

2, 3, and 4.Spider web-wrapped Frodo—“This is a three-teammate job. You’re going to wrap one person from head to toe in a bed sheet. Then the other two will pick up their wrapped friend, and carry him/her across the finish line. Be careful—safety first!”

5 and 6.Frodo and Sam—“This is for two teammates. One of you will be Sam, and the other will be Frodo. Sam must carry Frodo across the finish line.”

7. The Ring—“The Ring has no arms or legs—in fact it is an inanimate object. It moves by sheer force of will. If you are the Ring, you will move by sheer force of … somersaulting! Somersault or roll your way across the finish line.”

8. Rider of Rohan—“If you are the Rider of Rohan, you are a horse lover, and you go where you need to by horse. You must gallop your way quickly across the finish line by skipping. A few whinnies along the way wouldn’t hurt either!”

Allow a minute for the teams to get organized and lined up, and start the relay!

Introduction(5 minutes)

Leader comments:

“Stories are filled with heroes and villains, and sometimes with ordinary people who make heroic choices, or who make selfish choices based on fear. In our gathering tonight, we will focus upon the characters in The Lord of the Rings.The heroes in this story remind us of ways to make choices that are truly courageous. A courageous choice has these qualities:

  • It is a choice based upon our values.
  • It is a choice for others not just for us.
  • It often involves risk and cost.
  • It isn’t a choice intended to draw attention to us.

In our lifetime, we will have the opportunity to make courageous choices, sometimes ones that other people will know about but more often these choices are private. As Christians, we have the ultimate hero as our guide in making choices: Jesus, who always chooses to be faithful to the Father and be true to who he really is.”

Making Decisions with Lord of the Rings (60 minutes)

Choose three or four scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy (three is probably best for the time frame, but it never hurts to have a back up!). Use Resource #2, Lord of the Rings Scenes,” to choose the scenes you are going to use. Be sure to review the scenes ahead of time to make sure that they are appropriate for your group and that you are prepared for the discussion. Divide the participants into small groups; one option is to keep them in their relay teams.

Step 1 (15 minutes per scene):Check with the participants to make sure that everyone has seen the movie that you are showing the clip from. If participants are unfamiliar with the movie, give a brief background on the movie with only enough information to make the clip make sense to someone who hasn’t seen the entire movie. Show the first scene that you have chosen. After the scene has been played have them discuss the following questions in their small group using Resource 3, “Small Group Questions.”

  1. What is the decision that the main character has to make, and what does he decide?
  2. What value or values does this decision reflect?
  3. What risks or costs does this decision involve?
  4. Did the character make the decision for himself or for someone else? If so, who?

Continue this process for each of the scenes that you have chosen.

Step 2 (15 minutes):gather the group together as a large group and ask them summarizing questions from their discussions:

  • What were the kinds of decisions these characters were called on to make?
  • What value or values did these decisions reflect?
  • What risks or cost did these decisions involve?
  • What does this tell us about making heroic decisions?
  • What are some situations that teenagers face that call them to make heroic decisions?

Record their answers on newsprint (each question on a separate sheet). Conclude this activity by saying something like:

“Making decisions can be one of the toughest things that we do. None of us will probably ever be asked to make a decision like the ones that the characters in The Lord of the Rings did, but the decisions that they made, the values that they employed, and the reasons for making the choices that they did can provide valuable insight into making important decisions in our life. Look around the room and take a look at some of the values that the decisions reflected. Take a look at some of the risks and costs. Our decisions may not be about saving middle earth, but they have a lot of similar qualities to the ones we have looked at.”

Teaching LISTEN(15 minutes)

Step 1 (5 minutes):Distribute copies of Handout #1, “To make a decision, all you have to do is LISTEN!” to each participant. Explain this six-part process for making a decision, using the word LISTEN, in your own words. Say something like…

“What makes a decision heroic is when we make a decision that reflects our values, regardless of the personal costs that may happen. There will be times when making the right decision is not the popular decision. It is during those times when we can rely on our faith. In Deuteronomy 30:19-20 it says:

I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“As Disciples of Christ, we are called to choose life. That means making decisions based on the values of our Gospel.I would like to introduce to you a process that will help us make some of the bigger decisions we have to face. The process is called LISTEN. The process is simple. The acronym stands for the following steps:

  • Look for the facts. Clearly define the situation, both internal and external. What is the decision that needs to be made? Identify details that might influence how the situation could be resolved.
  • Imagine possibilities. Brainstorm all the options. Consider the consequences. What is the advantage and disadvantage of each option? Be sure to include concrete factors as well as moral and value concerns.
  • Seek insight beyond your own. Look for help from your family, friends, and wise people you trust. If it is a moral or ethical decision you are making, find out what the teaching of Jesus and the Church is on the issue.
  • Turn Inward. Examine your own feelings, insights from your experience, motives, and values. What does your conscience tell you? What is your inner reality?
  • Expect God’s help. Believe that God is present in your life, especially in your honest attempts to seek the truth. If the decision is one that significantly affects your ability to grow into a holy, healthy, and happy adult, turn to God in prayer with an attitude of openness.
  • Name your decision. Articulate the decision in some way by verbalizing it or writing it. Sometimes, naming the decision means postponing it until you can do more thinking or gather more information. Identify the reason for the delay.

This process will help us to gather all of the information that we need, receive the support from our friends, family, and mentors the we need, and most importantly, it can help us to get in touch with what our Church teaches and what our values are.”

  • Step 2 (10 minutes):Invite the participants to choose (as a large group) one of the situations that a teenager faces that call them to make a heroic decision (from the brainstormed list created in the previous activity).As a group, go through the LISTEN process.

To transition into prayer, say something like:

“As always, prayer is one of the main ingredients in making right decisions.Let us turn to God in prayer now.”

Closing Prayer (10 minutes)

Gather

Opening Song

“Christ, Be Our Light,”by Bernadette Farrell (OCP).

Call to Worship

Prayer Leader:

“We are gathered today in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

All:Amen.

Prayer Leader:

“We have been reflecting on heroes and the choices they make. We can learn from these fictional characters and be guided to make decisions that are courageous and that reflect our values. As disciples, we have the ultimate hero as our guide, a hero that is not fictional, that even today chooses to be with us and guide us in making loving, life-giving choices. Join me as we pray, thanking our loving God for giving us the King of Kings, Jesus the Christ, as our guide.”

Opening Prayer

Loving God,

You always give us what we need to follow you faithfully.

You know our hearts and you lead us with gentle strength.

You give us Jesus who shows us the way to love and life.

Be with us this day,

Make us bold to choose your way with our whole lives.

Guide our choices; make our lives a reflection of your goodness.

Strengthen us and fill us with your Spirit.

We ask this through, Jesus, our guide, our hero, and our friend.

All:Amen.

Listen

Ask a volunteer to proclaim John 12:23-26. Allow a few moments for quiet reflection after the reading is proclaimed.

Prayer Leader:

“Jesus reveals his love, courage,and faithfulness through his death and resurrection. In this Gospel, we hear Jesus describe his choice to die on the cross and rise to eternal life. I invite you to reflect for a moment on a choice or decision that you are making in your life. I also ask that you reflect on the cross and Jesus’ choice to die and rise in glory. As I pass the cross around our community, I invite you to pray silently and ask God to guide you make your decisions in a way that is guided by Jesus’ choices and by the Spirit.”

Sing one or more songs while the cross is passed around the group. If group is very large, you may want to use multiple crosses.

Petitions

Leader:

“Please join me in praying for strength as we face the choices of our life. Our response is: Lead us and guide us, Loving God.”

Reader 1:God of love, help us to listen to you and to those who love us as we make decisions in our life. We pray to the Lord.

Response: Lead us and guide us, Loving God.

Reader 2:God of strength, help us to be honest with ourselves as we face the choices in our life. Help us to look at our situation and claim our power to choose. We pray to the Lord.

Response: Lead us and guide us, Loving God.

Reader 1:God of courage, help us to be courageous in making choices based on our values and on the Gospel, even when there is a cost. We pray to the Lord.

Response: Lead us and guide us, Loving God.

Reader 2:God of life, help us to make life-giving choices; help us to choose life in all that we do. We pray to the Lord.

Response: Lead us and guide us, Loving God.

Prayer Leader:

“Let us stand and listen together to our loving God’s guidance and promise in the words of Paul’s letter to the Colossians.”

Reading
Ask a volunteer to proclaim Colossians 3:12-17. Allow a few moments for quiet reflection after the reading is proclaimed.

Go Forth

Invite the group to pray aloud the Our Father.

Closing Song

“Lead Me, Lord,”by John D. Becker (OCP).

Announcements and Refreshments(15 minutes)

Thank everyone for their participation in tonight’s program. Serve refreshments, and make any announcements that are needed.

Session Extension:

Consider providing this session as part of a lock-in or overnight retreat.

Begin with a welcome and opportunity for additional community builders.

Extend the time for this session, and provideadditional scenes for discussion.

Combine this session with others offered in this season, such as “Welcome to Youth Ministry” and “Radio.”

Break out the popcorn, and watch “The Return of the King” after you have completed the sessions.

This session was written by Tom East, Director, Center for Ministry Development, Gig Harbor, Washington, and Sean Lansing, Coordinator of Youth Ministry Services, Center for Ministry Development, Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the assistance and advice of Miss Kaelyn East.

Resource 1

Petitions