Fall Retreat Lesson Night 1
Three minutes countdown video
We went to a couple of U.S. cities to ask teenagers questions about God, Jesus, and basic Christian beliefs. Let’s watch…
Video: Kids on God.
There’s some important new research coming out of the UK that will help us get at the source of the Moralistic, Therapeutic, Deism virus. Here it is
(READ WORD FOR WORD)
According to researchers at Cambridge University, it doesn’t matter what order the letters in a word are, the only important thing is that the first and last letters be in the right place. The rest can be a total mess and you can still read it without a problem. This is because the human mind does not read every letter by itself, but the word as a whole. (Pause) Look at the screen behind me. Now let’s all stand and read what this says.
Coacdrgin to a csrheeahcr at Amcbriedg Niuervtysi, it oedst’n Ttmrea in awth erord the ttlesre in a rwdo are, the loyn rpimottna hitgn is atth the rfits dan slta ttlree be ni eht hgrti cplea. Eht srte can be a oatlt smse and uoy nac tisll arde it uowttih a ropbmle. Itsh is ucbeeas the auhnm nmdi edso not arde vreye etlret by tsifel, tub eht rwdo as a olweh.
Presenter: Now we know what the tower of Babel sounded like. You can sit down now. (Pause) I just told you exactly what this paragraph says, so why did it come out of your mouths like you’re playing Chubby Bunny? The answer, of course, is that these mixed-up words have all the right letters, but not in the right places. Again, Cambridge researchers found that our brains can understand mixed-up words as long as the first and last letters of those words are correct.
Because we didn’t have the letters that matter most in the right places, we literally got lost. And when kids don’t get the first and last letters of their faith at church or at home, they tend to “translate” God’s truths—and even Jesus—into twisted versions of reality, like this.
Video: Jesus Parody.
Presenter: Unfortunately, this ridiculous portrayal of Jesus is very close to the way many people see him. That’s a symptom of Moralistic, Therapeutic, Deism. We can’t really love that Jesus. Even so, this is the Jesus our kids think they’re supposed to love with all their heart, soul, and strength. The virus that’s infecting them makes it hard to live life with Jesus as their “hub”—instead, he’s reduced to a “spoke.” Now, this moment marks the last time during this workshop that we’ll focus on what’s going wrong in church ministry. Now we’ll focus on strategies and ideas that can wipe out Moralistic, Therapeutic, Deism.
Presenter: In Matthew 22 a Jewish lawyer asked Jesus, “What matters most?” He actually asked, “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment?" Jesus responded by telling the lawyer to “Love God” and “Love your neighbor.” Love God, love your neighbor—those are the “first and last letters” our kids desperately need to make sense of what matters most in life. Jesus was actually quoting what the Jews called the “Shema”—it means to “listen” or “hear.”
Presenter: We’re all familiar with Jesus’ answer, but it’s helpful to know the rich heritage from which he was drawing when he responded that way. On your table, under the cup in the middle, is a bracelet with the first word of the Shema—“hear”—on it. Put yours on right now. (Pause) Now turn to page 7 and let’s recite the entire Shema together: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.” The Shema is something the People of God have been reciting for centuries—at least as far back as the time of Moses. It’s part of the Torah in the Hebrew Bible. To Jews, it’s like the song “Jesus Loves Me” is to an American Christian today. So Jesus responded to the lawyer’s deep question by quoting what every child already knew—it must have been shocking in its simplicity to those rule-keeping Pharisees.
Presenter: So, according to Jesus, what matters most? A heart-soul-and-strength love relationship with God, and a bold lifestyle of loving others. The Shema—the first and last letters Jesus says we have to have—is the antidote to Moralistic, Therapeutic, Deism virus. Take a look at our Cambridge University sentence scramble again on the screen behind me. Let’s all stand and read it aloud.
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Presenter: Isn’t our God-designed mind amazing? When we get those first and last letters in the right place, everything becomes clear. You can sit down now. (Pause) For those kids who’ve swallowed the Shema, we see a huge difference in their lives.