Epiphany 3 A (January 22): Discipling 101/Abandoning the Boats

Note: 

There is an updated 2023 version of this post with more stuff. See my archives at left.

Bible Readings:

Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27:1,4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23

About the Images:
Above Left: Abandoned whaler on Norfolk Island - it's my photo so feel free to use it for worship related activities. If you want to know more about Norfolk Island please visit http://www.norfolkisland.com.au

Above Right: This is a microsoft free clipart image with text from the unnamed poem by Philip Andrews (see below under Meditation/Poem).

Lower Left:  The words from the psalm with an image I have on paper from 40 years ago - I have no idea who to attribute this to -  if anyone knows the artist, please let me know.
Lower Right: This is a free image from Imagebank (see my link column at left). 

Listening Song: Jesus Freak
By dc Talk on their album, Jesus Freak (pictured at left). This song is about discipleship.

Listening Song: In the Light
By dc Talk on their album Jesus Freak (pictured at left). This song goes well with the Corinthians reading.

Listening Song: One

By U2 on their album Achtung Baby, 1991. 

Kids Story: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
By Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury, Penguin, 2009, ISBN 9780143503583 (pictured at right). This story is just a delight and goes very well with the Corinthians reading.

Film Clip: Oh My God
This clip seems to have disappeared off the web however one of the major speakers, Rabbi Froman, is part of a new film about to be released, called A Third Way - a film about Israeli and Palestinians working together. Any clips you can access on this topic fit in beautifully with the Corinthians reading and if you can watch any of them without tearing up then you are better than me.

Film Clip: Meet the Parents
(pictured at left) Show the clip where Kevin shows off his carpentry skills and says he does it because he wants to follow in Jesus' footsteps. (about 55 minutes from the start)

Discussion: On Meet the Parents
1. What does it mean to be one of Jesus' disciples? Will being a good carpenter do it?
2. What should we do to be good disciples?

Discussion:
1. Was there a definable moment when you became a Christian?
2. What changed most for you if you did have a definable moment?
3. Is conversion the end of the story?

Drama: Leftovers
By Eric Stapleton and found at http://www.dramatix.org/archive/family/Leftovers.html This drama fits in well with the Corinthians reading.

Story: If Jesus Showed Up at Your School
Found in Could Someone Wake Me Up Before I Drool On The Desk by Kevin Johnson, Bethany House Publishers, 1995, ISBN 1556614160, pp11 (pictured at right) . This is a story about youth and discipleship.

Story: Soren Kierkegaard's Train Passenger
I don't know which book of his this is in but I found reference to this illustration in Rivers in the Desert edited by Rowland Croucher, Albatross books, 1991, ISBN 086760137X, page 253 (pictured at left). This story is based on the gospel reading.

Story: To Have It Within
Found in Speakers Source Book of New Illustrations by Virgil Hurley, Word Publishing,1995, ISBN 0849936756, page 40 (pictured at right). This story is based on the Psalm.

Story: Fishers of Men Part 2
In When You Walk by Adrian Plass, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 1997, ISBN 0745935524, page 130-1 (pictured at left) . This story is based on the gospel reading.

Meditation: We Did Not Want to Go
In He Was in the World: Meditations for Public Worship by John Bell, Wild Goose, 1995, ISBN 094798870X, pp 87 (pictured at right). This meditation is like the song Jesus Freak above and centres on our unwillingness sometimes to be a disciple because we foresee difficulties.

Mediation/Poem: Unnamed
By Philip Andrews and found in Imaging the Word Volume 2 by Susan A. Blain, Sharon Iverson Glouwens, Catherine O'Callaghan, Grant Spradling (Eds.), United Church Press, 1995, ISBN 0829810331, page 125. (pictured in an ealrier blog). I put images with this and used Look Back In by Moby from his album, 18, as backing. This is connected with the Psalm.

Response Activity:
Display heaps of printed images and words around the worship space and ask people to choose a couple which most explain how they feel about or what they think in response to the Bible reading. Ask people to share why they chose the cards and or words which they did.
NB. www.innovativeresources.org make an amazing set of cards called Signposts which work really well with this activity.

Also:

Poem and prayer: repent - turn around.
Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 12.  These are based on the gospel reading.

Response Activity: Invited to Bring the Light
Found in Bringing the Word To Life Together: Year A by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, Adelaide, 2010, ISBN 9780949656919, page 36ff. This is based on the gospel reading.

Lots of Useful Stuff
Found in The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual by Jenee Woodard (Ed.), Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2013, page 26ff.