CHAPTER 1
SESSION 1
YOU ARE GOD'S CREATION
To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name.
— Thomas Merton
OBJECTIVES
[] Participants will discover God's declaration of "very good" in the story of creation.
[] Participants will analyze scripture passages related to the human body.
[] Participants will begin to claim the adjectives "beautiful" and "wonderful" for themselves.
[] Participants will know they are made in the image of God.
SUPPLIES
[] pencils or pens (1 per participant)
[] These Are Our Bodies Middle School Participant Books (1 per participant)
[] These Are Our Bodies Middle School Leader Guides (1 for the Facilitator and 1 for each Small-Group Leader)
[] HOPE poster (See pp. 13–14 and 35–36 for a description of the poster and its use. Download, print, and assemble the HOPE poster found online at the These Are Our Bodies Middle-School Leader Guide page: https://www.churchpublishing.org/theseareourbodiesmsleader. You will want to keep the poster up in the room to refer to during each session.)
[] highlighters
[] easel paper
[] timer or stopwatch (a cell phone works well)
[] Category Slips for the Game (Download from the These Are Our Bodies MIddle-School Leader Guide page: https://www.churchpublishing.org/theseare ourbodiesmsleader.), printed and cut apart
[] small basket or bowl
[] strips of paper
[] scrap pieces of colored paper
[] Question Box (See directions, pp. 14–17.)
[] nametags
[] optional: personal white boards and dry-erase markers, 1 per participant (These boards can be bought inexpensively in the fall during school-supply season for $1–$2 each.)
PREPARATION
[] The Facilitator will divide the groups before the session starts and assign two leaders to each group. Each group should have 4–6 participants of different genders and from different schools. The Facilitator will want to think about the formation of the groups to ensure that cliques are not formed. Use the nametags to delineate the groups; for example, one group could have a blue border on the nametags and the other red. Another way is to put a different sticker on the nametags; for example, use star stickers for one group and happy-face stickers for another. Setting up the groups before the session saves time and helps the session go more smoothly. If you have 4–6 participants, do the activities as one group.
[] Gather needed supplies.
[] Set up the room for the session. Arrange furniture and materials so that they are readily available and designed for discussion. If you can clear part of the room to have participants sit on the floor during the discussion that will be helpful. Having participants and the Small-Group Leaders on the floor helps to create a warm environment and feels more relational than working at tables throughout the whole session.
[] Read through the entire session. Jot down your own notes and prompts.
[] Review the HOPE Ground Rules introduction.
[] Review the explanation of the Question Box (pp. 14–17).
[] Create the nametags for the participants and the Small-Group Leaders.
SUGGESTIONS
[] Asking participants to be honest requires adults to be honest. If you do not know an answer, tell participants that you will find the answer. Then find and share the answer! Stress that you are committed to finding out answers to all of their questions. Make sure they know that you love questions.
[] Privacy is especially important to young people. Assure them that (a) they can speak to you about anything without fear and (b) though you will share with parents how sessions unfold and what the group says, no individual names will be shared with parents.
[] Making these sessions fun requires a fun approach and light-hearted demeanor. Be sure to make it a point to keep it this way during each session.
GATHER
20 minutes
Welcome all participants and leaders.
HOPE Poster
Direct attention to the HOPE poster. For this first session, you may want to hold a short discussion (see pp. 13–14 and 26) to expand what participants think each of the letters and statements on the poster mean. Refer to pages 13–14 and 35–26 in this Leader Guide for a full explanation of the HOPE poster.
Say:
• Every session we will begin with the same gathering ritual.
• The first purpose of this regular ritual is to remind us of the common ground that we want to maintain every time we meet.
• The second purpose is to remind us of the foundation for all that we will study: our faith.
• In the beginning, it may seem awkward and unnecessary, but after a few sessions you will find this is a good reminder of what we can expect from each other and what we should expect of ourselves.
• You can either read from the poster, or you can read from your Participant Book, where you will find the same content on page 8.
• I invite you to join me now by standing as we join in our opening ritual.
Lead the group in reading the words of the HOPE Poster together:
Honesty: We commit to sharing what we really think.
Openness: We commit to being open to what others say, both our group members and our leaders, and most of all to God.
Privacy: We commit to keeping what is said and done here within this space.
Enthusiasm: We commit to laughter, fun, and a sense of wonder.
Prayer
Lead participants in this prayer:
Holy God, one who took on flesh and lived as one of us,
dwell with us here and give us courage to learn, grow, and become more like you —
loving, kind, and full of grace —
through God our Creator, Christ our Redeemer,
and the Spirit our Sustainer. Amen.
The Question Box
Note: Be sure you have read the full explanation of the Question Box found on pages 14–17 of the Introduction.
Show the Question Box, created before the session, as well as the pencils and scrap paper to be used to write questions. (Remember that each session should have its own color of paper.)
Explain:
• This is our Question Box. It is a place for you to submit any and all questions you already have or will soon have about sex, sexuality, gender, faith, etc.
• At different times you will have the opportunity to write questions for the box, so think about questions you might already have, even before we start. Maybe you have a joke or a word that you don't understand. Maybe a friend asked you a question and you want to submit it.
• We will always give you honest answers ... or promise to find the answers.
• Everyone will write a question for the Question Box.
• We will use the Question Box at different times as we study and learn together.
• You will have an opportunity to write a question for the Question Box at the end of this session.
GAME
Good, Good, Very Good
20 minutes
For each session's Game, consider moving the group to an alternative location — another area of the same room, another room, a space outdoors, etc. Young people benefit from movement and a change of seating.
In Session 1, the game is based on the scripture passage found in Genesis 1. The passage portrays God as the creator of all. At the end of each day of creation, God declares what has been created "good." Playing this game before reading the passage sets the stage for further discussion later in the GRAPPLE portion of the session. Therefore, do not make the connection for participants that the game is based on the passage. The most beautiful connections occur naturally and without prompting.
During the game, each participant will record one of their answers to reveal later to the group. Scraps of paper and pens are sufficient, but a small white board and dry erase marker for each participant will also work.
Directions for Good, Good, Very Good:
Begin by placing the Category Slips in the bowl or basket.
Explain:
• When it is your turn, draw a slip of paper from the bowl (basket). On that slip of paper you will find a category of "thing," for example, cars, ice cream flavors, songs. Your job is to think of three items that fit your category, two you think are "good" and one that you think is "very good."
• It is your individual decision which of the three items is "very good." You will need to write down all three of your items on a piece of paper, circling the one item that you think is "very good."
• Once everyone has thought of their three things and written them down (and circled their "very good" things), you will be asked, one at a time, to name your three things out loud to the group in any order. The group will then vote on which one they think you think is "very good."
• After everyone has voted, you will let the group know which of your things you selected as "very good." Because the group is learning about each other, you may also choose to explain why that item is "very good."
• Here is an example:
* If I pulled the slip with the category Desserts, I might write down "ice cream, cake, and chocolate."
* Because I am particularly fond of ice cream, that's the one I would circle as "very good."
* When it's my turn, I would say to the group, "Cake, chocolate, and ice cream."
* The leader would ask the group: Who votes for cake? Who votes for chocolate? Who votes for ice cream?
* After everyone has voted, I would reveal my choice of ice cream and explain that though I like cake and chocolate, ice cream is very good because it comes in so many flavors and can be made into milkshakes, sundaes, smoothies, and more.
After everyone has had a turn, you can repeat with more rounds of the same or move on to the next section of the session (GRAPPLE). Be sure to have someone monitor the time or set an alarm to keep on task. Depending on the size of your group, you may have time for each person to do one category or you may be able to play multiple rounds.
At the end of the game, have participants and leaders remain at the location of the game to hear the directions for the next section.
GRAPPLE
45 minutes
Notes for Small-Group Leaders:
• Middle-schoolers who have spent time in church may have heard the scripture passages in this session before. What is unlikely is that they considered them directly related to human sexuality.
• Be sensitive to and aware of students who might not have experience with reading the Bible. Avoid questions that focus a literal interpretation of the text. Middle-schoolers will be able to see the broader themes and metaphors in the text. We use scholarship, our reasoning, and our faith when reading the Bible.
• Laying the theological foundation for human sexuality is essential to this program. Take the time now to make faith connections from the very beginning and your sessions will naturally continue down that path.
• When you get to the questions below, you will find each of them followed with commentary. This commentary provides the information you may need to help participants answer the questions. Share as little or as much of this as you feel is appropriate. By all means, read through this section ahead of time to help you prepare!
The Facilitator says:
• Now we are going to break into small groups.
• In your small groups you will need highlighters (1 per person), your Participant Books (1 per person), Bibles (1 per person), a piece of easel paper and at least one marker.
The Facilitator divides the groups as planned before the session (p. 43). When groups have gathered at their tables, Small-Group leaders designate a member of their group as the materials collector and sends that person to get supplies. At the end of GRAPPLE, the same person returns the supplies.
Once groups have settled in at their tables with their Small-Group Leaders and the needed supplies, the Facilitator walks from group to group throughout the remainder of GRAPPLE. The Facilitator's proximity to the small groups helps them stay on task. It also allows Small-Group Leaders to quickly solicit the Facilitator's help if they feel stuck or unsure. The Facilitator should be careful not to stay with any one group for too long. She or he is also responsible for keeping up with the time; setting a timer for 45 minutes ensures the session stays on track.
Small-Group Leaders say:
• Turn in your Participant Books to page 9 and in your Bible to Genesis 1. Genesis is the very first book of the Bible and is part of the Old Testament. When you have found both of those, hold up your pen or pencil so that I know you are ready.
• As we read these verses, listen for something important that is repeated.
• We can take turns reading the passage by reading some and then passing it on to the next person. If you do not want to read aloud, just say "Pass" or only read a short amount.
Read Genesis 1 aloud. The Participant Books only contain selected verses from Genesis 1. It is important, therefore, to begin by reading this entire chapter from the Bible.
Small-Group Leaders continue:
• You will find some verses from Genesis 1 in your Participant Book on pages 9–10. Using your highlighter, mark the phrase that you see repeated over and over. If you have not yet found it, hold up your pen and I will come and help you.
Here, for your reference, are the verses found in the Participant Book:
• Genesis 1:4a — "And God saw that the light was good" (NRSV).
• Genesis 1:10 — "God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good" (NRSV).
• Genesis 1:12 — "The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good" (NRSV).
• Genesis 1:17–18 — "God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good" (NRSV).
• Genesis 1:21 — "So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good" (NRSV).
• Genesis 1:25 — "God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good" (NRSV).
Small-Group Leaders continue:
• Humanity is created last. The Common English Bible translation offers an especially beautiful account of these two important verses, Genesis 1:26–27. Look in your Participant Books to read these verses on page 10.
Then God said, "Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth." God created humanity in God's own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them ...
• Would someone volunteer to read the New Revised Standard Version translation of the same two verses, Genesis 1:26–27? Look in your Participant Books to read these verses, found on page 10.
Then God said, "Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth." God created humanity in God's own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them ...
• Would someone volunteer to read the New Revised Standard Version translation of the same two verses, Genesis 1:26–27? Look in your Participant Books to read these verses, found on page 10.
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." So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them ...
• Once God creates humankind, the phrase changes a bit. You may have already seen it, but put your finger on verse 31.
Ask a volunteer to read this aloud:
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good (NRSV).
Continue:
• What do you notice that is different? (Yes, it's the addition of the word very to God's declaration of good. Interestingly, the phrase very good does not specifically follow the creation of humanity; it is not until humankind is created, commanded to "be fruitful and multiply," and told to tend to the rest of creation that the double adjective is used.)
Say:
• People have pondered this chapter of the Bible for a very long time. You may have been told this story as a young child from a picture book.
• What do you notice now that you did not notice then? Or, if you are hearing it for the first time, what stands out from this passage?
Give participants the opportunity to discuss the passage freely. Resist the urge to debate how creation occurred, instead redirecting group members to who created.
