Creator of Heaven and Earth

Week 3 of the Apostle's Creed sparked quite a bit of conversation.  Most teens really understood what it means to talk about God as creator and how we can learn things about God from creation.  I had two teens who just could not understand how we could know anything about God from creation.  This brought the conversation to places I had not imagined, but we had some good discussion.

Apostle's Creed Week 3:

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended to the dead.  On the Third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."

Review of last week

“Creator of Heaven and Earth,”

1:1 “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth” (NRSV.)
Who created everything? (God)

Is there anywhere in God’s creation that you find yourself especially aware of his presence?
A particular sight? Place? Work of Art? A person?

If we did not have access to the Bible, what would we know about God from the world around us?

1:26-30 “Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.”

What is the vocation of all humanity?  What is our vocation?  Vocation = calling/job/life’s work

If we are made in the image of God, after whom do we model our subduing and ruling of the earth?

What does it look like for us to rule the earth and take care of the earth in the image of God?

Stewardship:
Manage and Care for another’s property
Who’s property are we managing when we become stewards of creation?

Let’s brainstorm ways we can be faithful stewards of God’s creation:
(My teens answers: Recycle, treat others with respect, treat ourselves with respect, enjoy God’s creation)

One of the ways we are good stewards of God’s creation, and one of the ways we live out our identity as “made in the image of God,” is by creating things.

Art is a great way to honor God!

Slideshow of art.  I included:
Sistine Chapel
Starry Night
Random piece of contemporary Christian-themed art
Martin Luther King Jr (he uses the art of speech, among other things)

We are going to create a work of art as a youth group tonight.
On a large piece of Butcher Paper, outline a large picture (I used a fancy cross)
Cut up the butcher paper into one piece for each student (I estimated 16 and had exactly 16 students.  I would not recommend cutting it that close!)
    Label the back of each paper so you know how to reassemble the piece of art once everybody is done with their piece.
    Have each student take a piece of the art and draw on it however they choose.  My only instruction was to draw in the lines.
    We taped it on the wall immediately afterwards, but will have to transfer it to a poster board for it to stay.

Regather and close in prayer.