colossians: living the faith faithfully - helwys · offer illustrations how can i help learners...

Colossians: Living the Faith Faithfully

Lesson 1A People Reconciled by Christ ..........................................3Colossians 1:15-23

Lesson 2A People Who Belong to God ..........................................8Colossians 2:8-23

Lesson 3A People Who Clothe Themselves in Christ ....................13Colossians 3:1-17

Lesson 4A People Called to More ................................................18Colossians 4:1-6

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prepare Before the SessionRead the session for today in the Study Guide. Then read the options in this Teaching

Guide, placing checkmarks beside the activities you plan to include. After you have decidedwhich options to use, gather the appropriate materials.

WHAT’S IN YOUR TEACHING GUIDE

This Teaching Guide has three purposes:➤ to give the teacher tools for focusing on the content of the session in the Study Guide.➤ to give the teacher additional Bible background information.➤ to give the teacher variety and choice in preparation.

The Teaching Guide includes two major components: Teacher Helps and Teacher Options.

Teacher Helps

Teacher Options

Find Relevance helps you zero in on why each

session is important for the

adults you teach.

Seek Understandingpresents helful Bible Background

informations and insights that will help

you better understand the Scripture.

Teaching Outlineprovides you with an outline

of the main themes in the

Study Guide.

My Teaching Plan is a

convenient place for you to

make notes for teaching the

session.

Offer Illustrations presents material that will help you paint

a picture of the session. This section often presents items from

church history, current events, or interesting anecdotes that

help introduce the session.

Discussion provides teaching activitiees that will help learners

discuss the Scripture text.

Questions presents multiple collections of questions for

various kinds of adults.

Involve Learners helps learners become actively involved

with the Scripture text for a particular session.

Closure gives you a means for wrapping up the session.

You Can Choose!There is more material in each session than you can use, so choose the options from each section

to tailor the session to the needs of your group.

Find RelevanceWhy do adults care about thissession? This letter of Paul’s

was written to a young groupof Christians at the church at

Colossae. Paul was sharing with themwhat he believed to be most importantabout the Christian faith. He was tryingto clarify what truly mattered—what wasultimately important. In our modernsociety, where we are bombarded withmultiple responsibilities and constantdemands, we need to know what groundsus—what puts us in touch with our soul.Unfortunately, television’s idea of gettingin touch with our spiritual side is to buythe latest sports utility vehicle. Modernsociety and technology offer the possibil-ity for such self-sufficiency that we caneasily be tempted to wonder if faith reallymatters. Paul reminds us that it does!And it has since the beginning ofcreation. As recorded in his letter, Paulbelieves the church is our creative expres-sion in community of just how muchfaith matters. Paul reminds us that life isabout more than routine and details. Life,if we are to live it fully, is about respond-ing faithfully to God.

Seek UnderstandingWhat do these Scripturesmean? The first verses of

today’s Scripture are known asa hymn of the early church. They

proclaim the presence of God in creation,acknowledging Christ as head of thechurch, and offer thanksgiving for ourown relationship with God made possiblethrough Christ. Paul used words familiarto the Colossians to reinforce what itmeans to move from estrangement fromGod to redemption through Christ.Because we know that Christ lived onearth as we do, we know more clearlywhat God is like. God came to us in a waywe could understand, to bridge the gapbetween us. Each Sunday when we gatherto worship, like the Colossians, we singhymns that express what we know to betrue about God, remembering andproclaiming our beliefs. With the Spiritof God fully available to us, we are calledto recognize that Christ redeems us andcalls us to living faithfully in the world.

1Lesson Teaching Guide

A PEOPLE

RECONCILED BY CHRIST

Colossians 1:15-23

ResourcesWilliam Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians,Colossians, and Thessalonians, rev. ed. (Louisville: TheWestminster Press, 1975).

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, eds., SpiritualLiteracy (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996).

Elizabeth Lesser and Huston Smith, “TheAdventure of Spirituality: Letters From the Heart,”Spirituality & Health (Spring, 2001).

My Teaching Plan

Introduction: Paul teaches that fromcreation through the establishment of thechurch Christ is the one in whom the full-ness of God dwells.

I. A Hymn of PraiseA. In Christ, all things were created, and

by him “all things hold together” (15-17).

B. Christ is the head of the church andcompletely sufficient for salvation (18-19).

II. The Influence of Christ on the Church A. Because of Christ, we can move from

alienation to reconciliation with God(20-22).

B. With the gift of grace, we are called tocontinue in faith (23).

Conclusion: Paul models servanthoodgrounded in a relationship with Christ andinvites us to continue serving by faith.

4 Lesson 1

Offer IllustrationsHow can I help learners think about the issues?

❍ RedemptionIn the film The Shawshank Redemption, TimRobbins plays Andy Dufresne, a citybanker wrongfully convicted of murder-ing his wife and her lover. Receiving adouble life sentence for his crime, he isincarcerated at Shawshank prison in 1947.He survives by facing head on the suffer-ing of prison. Behind prison bars, hemeets “Red,” forming an unlikely friend-ship with him that crosses the usualboundaries of race, age, and social status.Red finds hope himself in befriending aman who sees life within and beyond thesuffering of imprisonment. Even incaptivity, these men seize the opportunityfor freedom.

Questions➤ What is the relationship between

redemption and hope? betweenredemption and freedom? betweenredemption and friendship?

➤ Does redemption happen all at once orover time?

❍ Deep-rooted FaithElizabeth Lesser, cofounder of therenowned Omega Institute, the nation’slargest holistic education and retreatcenter, noticed a disturbing trend amongthe learning opportunities of the center.She notes, “Some of the kids in the holis-tic candy shop were stuffing themselveswith so much variety that they were nevernourished by the depth of any one tradi-tion” (33). She began to understand that“spreading wide must always be groundedby going deep.... Otherwise learning doesnot take root and the students floats,always hungry, grasping at whateversounds new and promising.” (Ibid.)Spiritual depth comes from being rootedin faith tradition.

Questions➤ What does it mean to be grounded in

your faith?➤ Why might choosing one particular

religious tradition be important?

❍ From Alienation to ReconciliationTom and Jean decided to separate afterbeing together for three years. Counselinghad helped them recognize that they stillloved each other but that they had grownin different ways. Their old relationshipno longer suited them. They wanted tomaintain the friendship but did not knowhow to let go of their past way of relating.They decided on a ritual. They dug a holeand placed some artifacts of their rela-tionship in it—a few gifts, a letter. Duringthe week, Tom had written a poem andJean had made a picture, symbolizing thesignificance of their friendship. Theyshared these creations with each otherand discovered they had each includedwhat they had hoped the relationshipwould become. Together, they put thedrawing and poem into the hole and setthem on fire. They acknowledged thesesymbols of their past and let their oldways of relating pass away. Then, whenthe fire was out, they covered it with dirtand planted flowers over the remains oftheir old relationship. As they watered theflowers, they said a prayer that what haddied could find life in a new and betterform. (Beck and Metrick in Brussat, 439)

Questions➤ When have you felt alienated from

another person whom you care about,and how did reconciliation occur?

➤ Can reconciliation occur apart from arelationship or community?

➤ When you have felt alienated fromGod, how were you reconciled? Didreconciliation require putting asidesome old habits?

➤ What ritual might improve your rela-tionship to God?

Teaching Guide 5

DiscussionHow do I lead learners to dialogue about the session?

❍ Images of GodConcerned about the distinction the earlyChristians wanted to make betweenearthly and spiritual realms, Paul empha-sized that God is in all and over allcreation. This tendency surfaces eventoday. Until recently, Western thoughttended to separate body, mind, and spirit.Paul described both the majesty andomnipresence of God while reminding theColossians that through Christ God wasamong us on earth.

In the worship of our churches wesing a variety of images of God. We singof God as distant and majestic as well aspersonal and within us. At different timesin our lives, we may find ourselvesattracted to one image of God over theother because we need to relate to God indifferent ways.

Before the session, obtain a copy ofthe song “From a Distance,” recorded byBette Midler on the album Some People’sLives. In addition, find a recording of oneof the following hymns, “When We Walkwith the Lord” or “I Come to the GardenAlone.” You will also need the appropriateaudio equipment to play the recordingsfor your group. Alternatively, you mightask someone to play the hymns on thepiano, or perhaps your group could singthe hymns together.

Invite discussion of the differentimages of God portrayed in the musicalselections.

Questions➤ What made it hard for the Colossians

to embrace God as both fully divineand fully human?

➤ Which image of God do you prefer atthis time in your life?

QuestionsQuestions about Scripture➤ What were Paul’s concerns and hopes

for the Colossian church?➤ What are the essential tenets of faith

that Paul names?➤ Why doesn’t Paul just begin by telling

the Colossians what he wants them todo?

Questions for All Adults➤ When have you felt alienated from

God, and how did you experiencereconciliation?

➤ What impact does claiming your faithdaily have on your life?

➤ How can we embrace Paul’s call tocontinue steadfastly in our faith whenwe know we face times when evenhoping is hard?

Questions for Mature Adults➤ What past experiences with God have

helped shape your faith?➤ How has your faith grown and matured

over the years?➤ What has been the role of forgiveness

in living faithfully?

Questions for Young Adults➤ Paul speaks about becoming a servant

to our faith. How does your faith influ-ence your choices about family andcareer?

➤ How do you live out your servanthoodto God?

➤ How do you let others know of yourfaith in Christ?

Questions for Adults with Children➤ How do you think a child learns what it

means to be alienated from God?➤ How are you modeling servanthood for

your children?➤ What tenets of faith do you believe are

most important for your child toembrace?

6 Lesson 1

Involve LearnersHow can I lead learners to explore the session together?

❍ A Letter of FaithInvite each person to imagine a youthwhom they care about. Imagine furtherthat this young person is openly ponder-ing the meaning of faith and itsimportance in their lives. The youngperson is confused about why being afollower of Christ is important in theirrelationship with God.

Provide learners with a piece ofstationery and ask them to write a letterto that youth, offering what they believeto be the essentials of faith. Ask yourlearners to share their letters, and thencompile a master list on the blackboard ofall the essential components listed byyour group. Ask your group to ponder ifthere are aspects of their faith that areimportant to them but not essential.

❍ A Hymn of FaithHand out copies of your church hymnalto your learners. Ask individuals to findthe hymn that best describes andproclaims the basic tenets of their faith.Ask, “What hymn helps you most fullysing your theology?” Emphasize that youare not asking them to pick their favoritehymn tune, but the hymn that bestconveys the essential elements of theirfaith. Involve learners in discussion aboutthe basics of their faith and the impor-tance of the hymns they choose in theirpersonal faith journey.

Question➤ Why do you think Paul chose to

include the words of a hymn in hisproclamation to the Colossian church?

❍ Changes of HeartAsk your learners to form two groups,giving each group paper and pencil. Askone group to list biblical characters whoonce alienated themselves from theirfamily, friends, or God and then experi-enced a transformation andreconciliation.

Ask the second group to list modernillustrations of the same idea. Their listcould include public figures, movie char-acters, or characters from a favorite novel.

After several minutes, reconvene thelarge group and ask a representative fromeach small group to read their list. Thenlead a discussion about the similaritiesbetween the two lists. Encourage reflec-tion on what leads to the reconciliation.

Questions➤ What happens within a person to allow

for a change of heart?➤ What circumstances encourage trans-

formation?

ClosureHow do I lead learners to respond?

❍ Deep RootsFoundations are important. Even thetrees of God’s creation will stand onlywith a firm foundation of roots to holdthem securely. Deepening the foundationsof our faith strengthens our relationshipwith God and allows us to be more atten-tive to our souls. Ask learners to reflect ontheir foundations. Are they formed insuch a way as to allow for the strugglesand questions with which life invariablyconfronts us? Remember that a treecontinually puts down new roots tosupport new growth. Ask your learners toconsider what new growth they mightneed to support. Then close in prayer,asking God for wisdom and insight.

Teaching Guide 7

2Find Relevance

Why do adults care about thissession? How we live out our

faith and communicate it withothers is a central issue for

Christians. In our churches and denomi-nations, we create rules and procedures tohelp us relate to our world and to livetogether ethically, responsibly, and faith-fully in community. However, in a societyfilled with large churches and massivedenominational structures, rules cansometimes be honored before the heart isever engaged. Our relationship with Godis possible because Christ walked on earthin human form to teach us how to love.Christ never honored a ritual simply forsake of the ritual. Certainly, rituals can beused in significant ways to undergird ourbeliefs and sustain our faith, but ritualsalso can involve meaningless require-ments. We should continually evaluateour traditions and rituals, seeking theSpirit of God to fill them with meaning.

Seek UnderstandingWhat do these Scripturesmean? Clearly, Paul believed

that faith in Christ had farmore to do with the movement

of the Spirit of God than with theoutward laws and structures of religion.Paul encouraged the Colossians to beconfident in and faithful to the gospel ofChrist; unswayed by empty teachings thatgave an outward look of piety butrequired no inner change of the heart. Tosupport these early Christians in histeachings, Paul suggests two things: (1)Remember your transformation atbaptism and your new life in Christ. (2)The substance of faith is Christ, not theparticular rituals in which we engage.While pointing to baptism, one of themost accepted rituals of faith, he warnsabout rituals devoid of meaning. Everyfaith has accepted practices and rituals,rules and procedures. Paul knows all toowell that not all of them result in a lovingresponse toward one’s neighbor. Eventoday, we are called to be continuallyaware of how our traditions influence ourexpressions of faith and how our faithshapes the creation of traditions.

Lesson Teaching Guide

A PEOPLE WHO

BELONG TO GOD

Colossians 2:8-23

Teaching Guide 9

ResourcesWilliam Barclay, Letters to the Philippians, Colossians,and Thessalonians, rev. ed. (Louisville: TheWestminster Press, 1975).

David S. Fleming, Modern Spiritual Exercises: AContemporary Reading of the Spiritual Exercises of St.Ignatius (Garden City NY: Image Books, 1978).

Thomas Moore, “A Regular Person,” Spirituality &Health (Winter, 2001).

Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez (Sisters OR:Multnomah Publishers, 2000).

My Teaching Plan

Introduction: Paul invites us to strugglewith the relationship between our beliefsand our practices.

I. The Call to Live according to ChristA. Paul warns against empty philosophies

(8).B. Paul proclaims that Christ is over all

and in all (9-10).

II. A Reminder of Our Faith A. Circumcision and baptism are symbols

of a newly transformed life in Christ(11-12).

B. With new life in Christ, forgiveness isgranted (13-14).

III. The Relationship of Faith and PracticeA. Rituals are not to be a source of

judgment (15-16).B. Although rituals can point us toward

God, the substance of our faith isChrist, who is head of the church (18-19).

C. We must not live by rituals alone (20-23).

Conclusion: Paul makes it clear that emptyteachings and philosophies are those thatpromote surface practices and rituals. Incontrast, faith in Christ calls for a radicaltransformation, from the inside out.

Offer IllustrationsHow can I help learners think about the issues?

❍ Spiritual ExercisesThroughout the ages, many people havewritten treatises on rules for daily living.One such famous work is SpiritualExercises by Saint Ignatius, originallypublished in 1548. Ignatius writes that thephrase “spiritual exercises” takes in all theformal ways we have of making contactwith God, such as meditation, contempla-tion, vocal prayer, devotions, examinationof conscience, and so on.

Today, we are familiar with a variety of physical exercises, such as walking,jogging, and playing sports. These physi-cal exercises are good for toning muscles,improving circulation, and, in general, thegood health of the body. In the samemanner, “spiritual exercises are good forincreasing openness to the movement ofthe Spirit...and supporting us in the effortto respond ever more faithfully to the loveof God” (Fleming, 15).

Questions➤ How are you helped or hindered by

thinking of attention to your faith asexercise?

➤ What faith practices do you find mostmeaningful?

❍ To Help or Not to HelpOne day a gentlemen called the churchoffice to request financial assistance fromthe church. He indicated that he hadvisited the church on several occasionsand needed assistance with his rent. Hehad been successful at finding a job andnow had a place to live but needed helpwith rent until he could receive his firstpaycheck. The deacons of the church hada discretionary fund established to assistchurch members experiencing financialhardship. The caller, however, was not amember and was unable to receive helpfrom this fund.

Questions➤ When does a rule help with the mission

of the church? When does it hinder?➤ How might the church have responded

to this caller in a way that illustrated anappreciation for tradition but also metthe current need?

❍ The Deeper MeaningIn a recent magazine article, ThomasMoore, popular author on matters of thesoul, writes:

I’ve never taken pleasure in rules,either in enforcing them orkeeping them. Yet I spent thirteenyears of my precious youth in amonastic order where rules werethe order of the day.... For somepeople, rules seem to be themeaning of life.… The deep spiri-tual rule shows how to live withothers and how to organize a dayso that considerable attention willbe given to the eternal concernsand not just the temporal ones.The word “rule” comes from theLatin regula, as in regulations, andmeans “straight.” A monastic ruleis like a straightedge, a ruler. Youcan use it to keep life from gettingtoo wobbly and improvisatory. It’sa handy tool and not a threateningsword hanging over your head. Ofcourse, it’s a short step from ahandy rule to a tough law, and it’seasy to forget the deeper meaningof a rule. (6)

Questions➤ In what spiritual practices do you regu-

larly participate?➤ When have you become aware that a

particular ritual of your faith wasempty and meaningless? How did yourespond?

10 Lesson 2

DiscussionHow do I lead learners to dialogue about thesession?

❍ Formulas for Christian LivingOne can look through any Christianbookstore today and find multitudesof books that offer a latest formulafor how to live a Christian life. “Howto” books are often bestsellers.

In The Prayer of Jabez, authorBruce Wilkinson offers instructionsfor praying the prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) every morning,marking it off on your calendar, inorder to receive God’s abundantblessings (86).

Questions➤ How do you feel about this

approach to spiritual discipline?➤ What rituals do you practice in

your own faith development?➤ How do you know when a spiritual

exercise has become simply a habitand when it is genuinely openingyour spirit to the Spirit of God?

QuestionsQuestions about Scripture➤ Paul pleads with his followers not to allow

rituals to “become a source of judgment.”What implication does Paul’s admonitionhave for us?

➤ What were the false teachers tempting theColossians to believe?

➤ When do rules and regulations becomeonly surface remedies to spiritual prob-lems?

Questions for All Adults➤ When have rules or rituals hindered your

spiritual growth? ➤ What rituals of your church might need

reorientation?Questions for Mature Adults➤ When has a long-standing ritual in your

church come into question? How did yourespond?

➤ How can you personally let go of a faithpractice that has served you well but nolonger meets the needs of the congregation?

➤ What can you say to a young person in yourcongregation about the meaning of a time-honored tradition in your church that he orshe does not value?

Questions for Young Adults➤ What traditions of the church have helped

you embrace your faith and experience spir-itual growth?

➤ Who would you feel comfortable talking toabout the meaning of a church ritual thatyou do not understand?

➤ Do you think you should challenge ritualsof the church that are not meaningful foryour generation? Why or why not?

Questions for Adults with Children➤ A well-known phrase used with children is

“Because I said so!” How can we help chil-dren understand the deeper meaning ofrules and traditions?

➤ In what way can you invite your child tohelp establish a meaningful tradition foryour family?

➤ How will you help your child understandthe important rituals of the church?

Teaching Guide 11

12 Lesson 2


❍ Tradition!Tradition can be a powerful influence oneven our daily choices. In the film versionof the popular stage musical Fiddler on theRoof, Tevye the milkman is a Jewishpeasant in pre-Revolutionary Russia. Thestory unfolds with images of the problemshe faces with the daily struggles of life, hisreligious traditions, and providing for hisfamily. Arrange in advance to have a CDof the musical or a video of the film, andplay for the class the selection“Tradition.” It is a classic moment in thefilm when Tevye walks through the villageintroducing the town folk and then offer-ing his musical discourse on traditions! Heasks, “Why do we have these traditions? Itis because they help us to know who weare and what God expects of us.”

Use this song to aid discussion abouthow Paul sought to influence the reli-gious traditions of his day.

❍ Naming Our RitualsGive each person paper and a pencil. Askthem to make two columns on theirpaper, one with the heading“Acknowledged Rituals,” and the otherwith the heading “Unspoken Rituals.”Invite your learners to think of rules andrituals that are a part your church life.Ask them to give special attention to theheadings on their page, listing bothacknowledged rituals as well as those thatremain unspoken but neverthelesscommunicate the expectations of thechurch.

Involve learners in discussion aboutthe meanings behind these rituals.Explore how these rituals strengthen theexperience of community within thecongregation and how they can be used toacknowledge and deepen faith in God andservanthood to others.

❍ A Stroll Down Memory LaneAsk your class to form groups of three tofour people. Invite learners to share thestory of their baptism with their smallgroup. Ask them to describe the eventsleading up to their baptism—the place, thewater, the words that were spoken, andany significant people who participated.Prompt reflection on their stories withthese questions: What do you rememberabout your decision to be baptized? Whatchanged for you? How do you continuallyremember your baptism? After reconven-ing class members into a large group, askwhat we gain from looking back at ourfaith history and what importance suchreflection has in our daily lives.


❍ Take My LifeRemind learners that Paul encouraged usnot to allow the rituals of our faith tobecome meaningless. Rather, he invites usto let the power and symbolism of ourrules and rituals strengthen our faith.Invite learners to participate in a closingritual. Obtain small stones, enough foreach person to have one, and a bowl ofwater. Give each person a stone, and whilethey are holding it, ask them to think ofone new way they would like to open theirhearts and lives to God. Then ask themone at a time to place their stone in thebowl filled with water. Ask them to thinkof this action as baptizing their belieftoward a new way of living. The ritual cansymbolize that both our beliefs and ouractions make up our faith. Close thesession by singing the hymn “Take MyLife and Let It Be,” or recite it together asa prayer.

3Find Relevance

Why do adults care about thissession? Most of us take pride

in our clothing, enjoy choosingit from hundreds of possibilities,

sometimes spend too much, and respondwith either alarm or satisfaction to thelatest fashion trends. Using clothing ashis metaphor, Paul calls us to wrap thewords and actions of a compassionateChristian life around us as we would ourclothing. Wearing something meansholding it close to you. It also meansshowing everyone you pass your choices.Clothing ourselves in Christ meansembracing the qualities of a Christianlifestyle. When we clothe ourselves inChrist, we are also setting an example forothers to follow. Paul’s metaphor,however, goes one huge step further thanthe clothing image prompts us toconsider. Embracing the Christianlifestyle is for the purpose ofrelationship—of living together incommunity, of living in relationship toGod.

Seeking UnderstandingWhat do these Scripturesmean? Paul continues to write

to the Colossians of what newlife in Christ means. Paul does

not say that there is neither Jew norGreek, slave nor free to identify that weare all now identical members of the bodyof Christ. He tells us to put on the cloth-ing of compassion and kindness and torelate to others with these qualities. Healso tells us to rid ourselves of thoseunloving actions that tear down relation-ships. When we do that, the differencesbetween us will not create a gulf of indif-ference too difficult to cross. Christianitydestroys barriers of all kinds—cultural,ritual, educational, and economic.Embracing others in compassion will leadus together in friendship and community.God calls us to live in peace with eachother, and Paul’s guidance offers a meansto this end. Choosing compassion, gentle-ness, kindness, and patience is what leadsus to each other.


A PEOPLE WHO CLOTHE

THEMSELVES IN CHRIST

Colossians 3:1-17

14 Lesson 3


Lavon Baylor, Refreshing Rains of the Living Word (NewYork: The Pilgrim Press, 1988).

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, eds., SpiritualLiteracy (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996).

R. E. O. White, “Colossians,” The Broadman BibleCommentary, ed. Clifton J. Allen, et al. (Nashville:Broadman Press, 1971).

My Teaching Plan

Introduction: Paul turns from doctrine tooffer wisdom about following Christ daily.

I. Life with ChristA. New life in Christ calls our attention to

spiritual matters (1-2).B. Life in Christ is everlasting (3-4).

II. The Call to Put Aside Earthly DesiresA. Put aside earthly attitudes and actions

that pull us away from Christian rela-tionships (5-7).

B. Guard against the divisive nature ofour words (8-9).

III. A New Set of ClothesA. Living in Christ means radical transfor-

mation for the community (10-11).B. Living with compassion brings about

community (12-15).C. God calls us to a response of thanks-

giving (16-17).

Conclusion: In contrast to a list of “dos”and “don’ts,” Paul teaches that theChristian life is not a solo act, but a call tolive together in loving, peaceful community.

Offer IllustrationHow can I help learners think about the issues?

❍ What I Meant to SayAngeles Arrien recalls witnessing amoment of what she called “deep soulful-ness.” While waiting for a bus and seatedbeside a woman reading a newspaper, shewas fascinated to watch a teenagerdisplaying excellent skills on a skate-board. The skate-boarder, though skillful,“accidentally knocked the woman’s news-paper out of her hands.” The womangrowled at the boy, telling him to “growup”! The boy returned to the end of theblock to huddle with some friends, whoeach glared at the woman.

She hesitated for a moment, thenrolled up her paper, tucked itunder her arm, and walked intothe street, motioning to him.“Won’t you come here?” shecalled. “I want to talk to you.” Veryreluctantly, he skated over to her,turned his cap around with thebill in front, and said, “Yeah?” Shesaid, “What I meant to say wasthat I was afraid that I might gethurt. I apologize for what I didsay.” His face lit up, and he said,“How cool!”(Arrien in Brussat, 493)

Questions➤ Why do you think the author describes

this event as soulfulness?➤ What does being clothed in Christ

mean in this situation? Why did theinteraction matter for two strangers?

➤ What keeps you from saying “What Imeant to say” to someone that youhave hurt?

❍ A Wall Is Torn Down at the WellThe Gospel of John records Jesus’encounter with the Samaritan woman ( Jn4:7-29). Theirs was a radical conversationfor two reasons: she was female, and shewas a Samaritan. It would not have beencustomary for a Jewish man to approachthe well and converse with her there.Jesus, however, was tired from his journey,so he asked her for a drink of water. Shethen returned boldness for boldness andquestioned why asking her for a drink ofwater did not bother him. Jesusresponded with compassion, offering hera different kind of nourishment—nour-ishment for her soul, which in turnhelped her honestly confront her pastmistakes. Jesus did not let the culturalexpectations of his day discourage hiscompassion.

Questions➤ What barriers were overcome in this

story through Jesus’ compassion?➤ Who might you be afraid to approach

because of cultural expectations?

Teaching Guide 15


❍ Just as You AreAsk your class members to think of thelast time their attitudes or words createddistance or tension between them andsomeone else. Assure your learners thatthey will not be asked to share the experi-ence.

Give each person a copy of the light-ning bolt image from page 23. Commentthat the lightning bolts represent thepower our thoughts and words can hold.Ask individuals to write one word on theirlightning bolt that describes the time theycreated distance between themselves andanother. Words such as anger, jealousy,confusion, hurt, or envy might be amongtheir possibilities.

The familiar hymn “Just as I Am”acknowledges that we come before Godwith all of our quirks and shortcomings.It might be helpful if we had a similarsong about how we come to each other.Invite your learners to say these slightlyadjusted words while holding the personthey feel disconnected from in theirhearts.

Just as you are, without one plea; but thatGod’s blood was shed for you.

Fightings within and fears without, Justas you are, I come to you.

(Adapted from “Just as I Am”)

QuestionsQuestions about Scripture➤ What did Paul mean by “set your mind

on things above”?➤ What do you believe was Paul’s greatest

concern for the Colossian church?➤ How are we to teach and admonish

each other?Questions for All Adults➤ If Paul lived today, what metaphor

might he have used to describe his wishthat we not set our mind on earthlythings?

➤ How do you experience community inboth your personal and professionallife?

➤ If you can achieve community withinyour church, is any other communitynecessary?

Questions for Mature Adults➤ What role has forgiveness played in

your life?➤ Do you think it is possible to distin-

guish a Christian by the spiritual“clothing” that they wear?

➤ How you do handle negative conversa-tions about others?

Questions for Young Adults➤ Given that our culture values instant

gratification, how do we honor the timeneeded to build relationships andcommunities?

➤ If we were to prioritize according toPaul’s suggestions, where mightmonthly mortgages and career advance-ments be placed?

➤ How do you handle what comes out ofyour mouth?

Questions for Adults with Children➤ How can you help a child develop a

desire to treat others lovingly?➤ What lessons have you learned from

children about gentleness, kindness,and patience?

➤ Is it possible to teach compassion?Explain.

16 Lesson 3


❍ Gifts and GracesInvite learners to list the spiritual quali-ties that Paul suggested we “wear.” Writethe responses on the board. Then contrastthese qualities with the actions Paul tellsus to put aside. Write these responses onthe board also.

Then ask the class to form fivegroups. Once the groups have beenformed, print each of the following wordson an index card: compassion, kindness,humility, gentleness, and patience. Havethe small groups share stories abouttimes that they have witnessed insomeone the quality on their card. Thenask them to choose one story that bestexemplifies that quality. As learnersreturn to the larger group, display thecards on the wall as the stories are shared.

❍ To-do ListGive each learner paper and pencil andask them to write “To Do” at the top oftheir page. Have them think of the busiestday they have experienced in recent days.Ask them to write all the things thatwould have been on their “to-do list” forthat day. Invite a couple of learners todescribe what their day was like.Comment on any feelings or experiencesthat may be common to everyone. Guide adiscussion about our society’s tendencyto focus on doing, and reflect on how ourfrenetic activity affects our spirituality.

Remembering that Paul urged us toset our minds on spiritual matters insteadof things on this earth, invite learners tothink of ways they can take care of spiri-tual matters in the midst of dailyroutines. Ask learners to begin a new liston their papers titled “The Little Things,”asking them to brainstorm small ways wecan nurture our own spirits.

Questions➤ Which of the qualities Paul discussed is

a gift of yours, and how might youshare it with someone this week?

➤ Which quality needs improvement, andhow might you let someone know whenyou have fallen short?


❍ Intentional CompassionWe are called to be Christ’s hands and feetin the world. Have each learner call tomind one way they will be intentionalabout wearing their clothes of faith, relat-ing to others with the compassion ofChrist.

Invite learners to join in a responsivereading of the following benediction.

Leader: Face the world a renewed people,living in new and creative ways in Christ.

Group: We dare to be faithful, pure, andgenerous, meeting others with opendelight in them.

Leader: Reach out, not for what you cantake, but give, knowing the least of God’schildren also contribute.

Group: We commit ourselves to Christ’sway, in which all know they are equallyvalued by God. Amen. (Baylor, 111)

Teaching Guide 17

Find RelevanceWhy do adults care about thissession? Paul writes to a

society in which slavery wascommonplace. Since our society

has moved past a belief that slavery ismoral, it might be easy to discount thebeginning of today’s session as simply notapplicable. Authority, however, can be andis still abused. Christians are called torelate to others with fairness andintegrity. Whether a corporate executive, avolunteer at the hospital, a teacher, or ascout leader, we are to treat others justlyand with respect. Paul reminds us thathow we treat others is an integral part ofour Christian living. Paul was concernedabout the behavior of Christians becausehe wanted the gospel to spread through-out Asia, and he knew that actions speaklouder than words.

Seek UnderstandingWhat do these Scripturesmean? Following last week’s

call “to do everything in thename of the Lord Jesus” (3:17),

Paul continues to highlight the ways inwhich Christians are called to live. Today,we are called to stretch our understand-ing of Paul’s words beyond the referenceto slaves and masters, for Paul’s emphasisis on relationships, whether they be athome, in business, on sports teams, or atplay. We are to treat others with respect asChrist taught us. Paul was proclaimingthat everyone should be treated fairly andjustly. In the same way that God offers usgrace, we are to offer it to others.

We are called to be more than wecould be without God. And we are calledto be more with each other than we canever be alone. “Called to more” has twosides to its coin–called to be more in thefullness of God’s Spirit and called to offermore in service to God.


A PEOPLE

CALLED TO MORE

Colossians 4:1-64

Teaching Guide 19


Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark (SanFrancisco: Harper & Row, 1988).

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet (New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 1978).

Ken Medema, “Lord, Listen to your childrenpraying,” Listen (Waco TX: Word Music, 1975).

R. E. O. White, “Colossians,” The Broadman BibleCommentary, ed. Clifton J. Allen, et al. (Nashville:Broadman Press, 1971).

My Teaching Plan

Introduction: Paul discusses the outwardappearance of a Christian’s actions and theinward commitment to devotion.

I. Our Ultimate Responsibility to GodA. Our Christian responsibility extends to

all relationships, and we are account-able to God.

B. We are called to treat others withjustice and fairness.

II. The Role of Private DevotionA. Be steadfast in prayer. B. Gratitude is an essential element of

prayer.C. Paul is not afraid to ask others to pray

for him.

III. Sharing Christianity in the WorldA. Open your minds to relate to others

with tact and wisdom.B. Open your eyes to seek opportunities

for service.C. Open your ears to listen to your

speech that it may be gracious andseasoned.

Conclusion: As Christians, we mustembrace both the challenges and graces ofrelationships with others and continually berestored by our personal devotion to God.

Offer IllustrationHow can I help learners think about the issues?

❍ MeAs in me first and gimme, thepronoun has gotten a bad nameover the years. It’s other peoplewe’re told we should be thinkingabout... ‘Love your neighbor asyourself,’ we’re told. Maybe beforeI can love my neighbor very effec-tively, I have to love me–not in thesense of a blind passion but in thesense of looking after, of wishingwell, of forgiving when necessary,or being my own friend.(Buechner, 79)

These words penned by poet and authorFrederick Buechner capture the challengeof our Christian faith. We must learn tocare for ourselves enough to be healthyand attentive to others. And, on the flipside, we must care for others enough thatwe are not absorbed with ourselves. Paulgives us permission to seek care forourselves while affirming that we do it inorder to carry out a grand vision.

Questions➤ Paul requested that the Colossians pray

for him. Why do you think peopleoften have difficulty requesting prayerfor themselves, even when they mostneed it?

➤ How does attention to your own needsinfluence your ability to care for yourneighbor?

❍ Loving LifeIn The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran said, “Whenyou work you fulfill a part of Earth’sfurthest dream, assigned to you when thatdream was born, and in keeping yourselfwith labor you are in truth loving life, andto love life through labor is to be intimatewith life’s inmost secret” (25).

Paul encouraged us not to segmentour lives into secular and religiousportions, but to think of our lives as awhole. Oftentimes, however, our profes-sional lives seem far removed from ourchurch lives. Sadly, we can be tempted tooverlook our Christian beliefs because wethink no one will notice. Gibran said thatwork is love made visible. To work withlove is “to weave the cloth with threadsdrawn from your heart” (25).

Questions➤ How do you weave your awareness of

God’s presence into the decisions youmake at work or in social settings?

➤ Do some jobs allow us to engage ourspirituality while others do not? Do alljobs give us the potential to developlove and wisdom?

➤ Where are you called to more in yourvocation?

20 Lesson 4


❍ Running ErrandsMoving about town to complete variouserrands, I became aware of how disen-gaged and disinterested so many peopleseem. We pass so many faces, often mind-lessly, hardly sharing any words betweenus. Sometimes I don’t even pass faces. Iput my card in the slot at the pump to payfor gas and never speak to anyone. I’mnever thanked for shopping there, and Inever thank anyone for bringing gas tomy street corner. I put my card in at themachine at the bank to secure the amountof cash I need. I shop at enough grocerystores that I never see the same clerktwice. The last clerk I saw did not even sayhello. Although city life may reveal moreof such behaviors, nonetheless, we live ina society that little by little hascontributed to isolation and lack of initia-tive for relationships. What I mustconfess is that, at the grocery store, Ididn’t say hello to the clerk either. Afavorite campfire chorus begins, “They’llknow we are Christians by our love.” Thequestion is, “Will they know?”

Questions➤ What do your actions communicate to

those around you about your love forlife? about your love for God?

➤ Where in our lives is there a place forthe “salty” wit to which Paul refers?

➤ When have you witnessed someonesharing his or her faith without tact orintegrity?

QuestionsQuestions about Scripture➤ In his letter to the Colossians, why do

you think Paul included a messageabout masters and their slaves?

➤ According to Paul, how are we to liveour Christian life?

➤ What does Paul say our personal devo-tion should include?

Questions for All Adults➤ When have you had to make a

conscious decision to treat someonefairly?

➤ How are you at balancing your prayersof request and your prayers of thanks-giving?

➤ In relationships in which you have anauthoritative role, how do you encour-age people to live and grow to theirfullest potential?

Questions for Mature Adults➤ As a society, has our ability to treat

others with dignity and respectchanged? Explain.

➤ In what ways can you continue toembrace the energy and vision thatPaul felt for spreading the gospel?

Questions for Young Adults➤ In your professional life, when are you

challenged to put aside Christianbehavior?

➤ When you want to tell someone whybeing a Christian is important to you,what do you say?

➤ What opportunities for Christianservice are before you to seize?

Questions for Adults with Children➤ In the Revised Standard Version, verse

4 begins with a phrase that we often sayto children: “Behave yourselves.” Howdo you receive these words comingfrom Paul?

➤ How can we help children know what itmeans to be gracious?

Teaching Guide 21

22 Lesson 4


❍ After All These YearsPaul believed that we are all one family asthe church is the one body of Christ. Aswe participate in the life and developmentof the church today, we follow a long lineof ancestors before us. Give each learnerpaper and pencil. Ask class members towrite a letter to the people of the churchat Colossae to let them know how thechurch is doing today. Then lead a discus-sion using questions like the following.

Questions➤ What were you happy to report?➤ What were you embarrassed to have to

report?➤ What progress has the church made?

What remains the same?➤ What wisdom do the Colossians offer?

❍ Pass the Salt, PleaseGive each learner a tiny packet of salt. Askthem to open the packet, place a smallamount on their finger, and taste it. Havethem describe the flavor of food that issalted. Write all the adjectives on theboard. In contrast, have them describe theflavor of food without salt, and list theseadjectives as well.

Paul encourages that our speechabout our faith in Christ be “salty.” InGreek, “salty” speech often meant “witty.”It certainly referred to speech that is notdull or empty. In essence, Paul asks us notto be religious bores. Commenting onPaul’s words, William Barclay says theChristian must relay his or her messagewith “the charm and wit which were Jesushimself ” (Barclay, 168).

Divide your group into an evennumber of small groups. Assign half thegroups “salty” and half the groups“bland.” Ask them to role-play conversa-tions about faith that would beconsidered “salty” and “bland.”

Allow time for each group to perform, andthen invite discussion about Paul’s choice of the term “salty” to describe our conversation.


❍ Listen to Your ChildrenPaul reminded us that our desires forloving Christian relationships are possiblewith and strengthened by prayer. Paulbalanced his prayers, praying for othersand for himself, and he cautions that wenot simply pray for release from our diffi-cult times but for strength to perseverethrough them in order to fulfill our hopesand visions.

Give each person a copy of page 24 orgive each learner two small squares ofpaper and invite them to think about howthey invite God into their lives byresponding to these two phrases:

And now, pray for me that God may opena door for _____________________.

And now, I pray for _____________ thatGod may open a door for them to________________.

Invite learners to voice their writtenprayers. After each spoken prayer, havethem sing together the first line of thechorus “Lord, listen to your childrenpraying.” Close with a prayer, and invitelearners to sing in closing:

Lord, listen to your children praying.Lord, send your spirit in this place.Lord, listen to your children praying.Send us love, send us power, send usgrace. (Medema)

Just As You Are

Listen to Your Children

And now, pray for me that God may open a door for

And now, I pray for that God may open a door for them to

And now, pray for me that God may open a door for

And now, I pray for that God may open a door for them to

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