All-Consuming Presence

Note to the Teacher

Ascribe is an unusual word, one that’s probably not a part of most teenagers’ everyday vocabulary. Dictionary.com calls ascribe “an attribute; to regard a quality as belonging to.” To ascribe to God could mean, in the season of Pentecost, clinging to the belief that walking with God through ordinary times often becomes extraordinary!

1. Icebreaker: Follow the Leader (10 minutes)

Follow the Leader, also known as the Copycat Game

Option 1: Low-Tech

No preparation is needed; find a large open space, indoors or outdoors, and an enthusiastic leader who is prepared to try some wacky movements. Ask a “guesser” to leave the room for a moment, while the rest of the group in a circle chooses a leader who sets the movements for that round. The guesser stands in the center of the circle and tries to determine who is the leader, while those in the circle avoid eye contact with the guesser. The leader tries not to let the guesser see him/her initiating a movement. Play additional rounds.

Option 2: High-Tech

Use the YouTube “Follow the Leader Dance” song with DJ Raphi or a similar dance or exercise video. Allow various volunteers to help lead.

2. Read scripture (5 minutes)

Today’s scripture sounds post-apocalyptic, referencing winged creatures we think of as coming from the book of Revelation. Isaiah seems humbled and a bit overwhelmed by this encounter with God. But the relevant message for each of us comes in verse 8.

Read Isaiah 6:1-8 CEB.

3. Discussion (15 minutes)

Isaiah, chapter 6, starts with a reference to the death of King Uzziah, also known as Azariah, the tenth king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah. The author, the prophet Isaiah, may have included the king’s death to explain why Judah needed a new direction. Uzziah became king at age sixteen and ruled successfully until he tried to take over for the priests of the kingdom. This huge misstep resulted in an earthquake and in Uzziah being banned to solitude because he got leprosy, an infectious skin and nerve disease.

• How many sixteen-year-olds do you know who might be prepared to rule a kingdom of several hundred thousand people? What kinds of preparation or skills would be important for that young person to succeed?
• Can you think of a time that a family or community system has been forced to make leadership changes because of a death or due to poor judgment?
• Would an out-of-the-ordinary encounter like Isaiah’s, in the first few verses of Chapter 6, make you intrigued or afraid? Explain.
• Remember a time you’ve been asked to follow in someone else’s footsteps? How did you perform in those circumstances? Was the transition your choice, or did you feel forced into it?
• When in the past year have you experienced something extraordinary?
• How can your relationship with God help you feel confident enough to say, “Here I am! Send me!” even when a task may seem too great?

4. Activity and Discussion (20 minutes)

Give each person in the group a paper lunch sack and a small notebook and pen. Send them in pairs or threes on a ten-minute scavenger hunt of the extraordinary, outside if space and weather permit. Instruct them to find and place in the bag at least six beautiful, special, and/or unusual items they find. If scavenging isn’t an option, they can write about those things. At least one item should be white and one item green. Have students return to the group for discussion. Close with a prayer of thanks for the extraordinary in our lives, which is often overlooked or unexpected, and with Isaiah 6:8 CEB.

Total time: 50 minutes

NEEDED RESOURCES:

• YouTube icebreaker clips (high-tech option); computer with speakers or television; activity supplies

Verses marked CEB are from the Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible.