Supplies Needed Ten Commandment Posters Poster board Markers Pens/Pencils Sticky Notes Handout: "Commandments and Love" (page 51)

Transcription

1 Thou shalt do! The Ten Commandments Edge Night Outline SCRIPTURE Exodus 20:1-17 Deuteronomy 5:6-21 John 14:21-24 John 15:9-17 Catechism # # 2056 # # # # # # # # # # 2534 YouCat # # Supplies Needed Ten Commandment Posters Poster board Markers Pens/Pencils Sticky Notes Handout: "Commandments and Love" (page 51) THOU SHALT DO! outline Goal The goal of this Edge Night is to help the youth understand God s purpose and design in giving us the Ten Commandments not simply as a set of rules, but as a way one should live his/her life. Edge night at a glance The Ten Commandments are the most recognizable form of laws throughout the world. For centuries, these have been seen as laws or rules one should abide by in order to be obedient to God. Some, however, struggle that perhaps the Ten Commandments are outdated or no longer apply to our current life/situation. The new YOUCAT tells us: No, the Ten Commandments are by no means the product of a particular time. They express man s fundamental obligation toward God and neighbor, which are always and everywhere valid [ ] (351). The Ten Commandments are also not to be lived simply out of an obligation, but serve as a way to know and love God more deeply. The Ten Commandments established a covenantal relationship with His people. As a note, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and in the YOUCAT, the sections on the Ten Commandments are rather extensive. We have placed where to find the Commandments in the reference section for the Edge Night take time to read through at least one to two paragraphs on each Commandment. This will help you to understand the depth of each and our call to live them more faithfully. This Edge Night will start with a fun game called, Do This, Do That to illustrate how we sometimes perceive the Ten Commandments are 46 Edge Semester planning guide

2 just a bunch of rules. This will be processed and followed up by an interactive talk that helps the youth to understand the reason God gave us the Ten Commandments and how we can live them out. During small group, the youth discuss the Ten Commandments and come up with a creative rap to share what they have learned. The night will close with a prayer service and the youth taking time to pray through how to live out the Ten Commandments. Before The Night You will need to create posters for the Closing Prayer ahead of time. On each poster, write one of the Ten Commandments large enough for the youth to see from where they are sitting. You will also need either Sticky Notes or small squares of papers of similar size and tape. Have about five per youth. Using large poster board or butcher paper, create your Edge Commandments for this night. Hang the posters around the room and consider handing out a set of the Edge Commandments to the youth as they walk in the door. Examples of what could be in your Edge Commandments: Thou shall not talk during prayer. Thou shall not tap your pen/pencil while someone is talking. Honor your Core Members. You shall love your youth minister. Have fun! Media Suggestions Song: When You Believe by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston (Prince of Egypt Sountrack, Dreamworks SKG) Video: When You Believe from the Prince of Egypt, Dreamworks SKG ( com/watch?v=zyqbec5-xdq&feature=related) Environment You ve always wanted to create an Edge Commandments, right? Here is your chance. GATHER Welcome & Introductions As the youth enter, have fun upbeat music playing in the background. The youth minister should gather all the youth together, welcome them to Edge Night, and lead an opening prayer. He or she should introduce any youth at Edge Night for the first time and present a brief overview of the session. Do This, Do That! If you are familiar with Simon Says, then this game should look familiar. However, those playing the game will have to listen carefully to your instruction to ensure they move or do not move at the appropriate time. Invite the youth to all stand up and play from where they are. The leader will explain that the youth are to follow along and when he/she says, Do This, and does a corresponding action, the youth should copy and do that action. For instance, if the leader says, Do This and puts his/her hands on his/her head, the youth should copy and also put their hands on their heads. However, if the leader says, Do That and does an action, the youth should not copy that action. Do This yes and copy the action; Do That no and do not copy the action. Have fun until you are down to one youth the winner! To really complicate matters and for the skillful try the following: Do This yes and copy the action; Do That do not copy the action; Don t Do That yes and THOU SHALT DO! outline edge semester planning guide 47

3 THOU SHALT DO! outline copy the action; Don t Do This do not copy the action. Proclaim SCRIPTURE PROCLAMATION (5 min) John 15:9-17 Video Intro (5 min) If you have video capabilities, consider showing the last five minutes from the movie Prince of Egypt. This clip shows the Israelites leaving Egypt and a view of Moses coming down the mountain with the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. Thou Shalt DO! Teaching The Great Ten Commandments How many of you can name the Ten Commandments? How many can name them in order? What are the Ten Commandments and why do we have them? And what do they mean for us? These are all important questions we should ask because they are an important part of our past, present, and future. Listen again to John 15:10, If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father s commandments and abide in his love. God s commandments are not just suggestions, but rather, they are a way we can experience God s love. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses several thousand years before the birth of Christ. The Israelites, God s chosen people, had fallen into slavery and over several generations, began to believe in the gods and ways of the Egyptians they had forgotten who the One, True God is. Along came Moses and he led the people out of slavery and into the desert. God saved His people! God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments as a way for them to know and understand God s great love and how to live their lives. The Ten Commandments weren t given as punishment, but rather as a part of a covenant: a way for God s people to turn away from sin and to live a life of holiness. The Ten Commandments Today The same commandments that God gave to the Israelites are still prevalent in our society, in fact in many countries around the world, today. There are few places you can go where stealing is okay/acceptable or killing someone is allowed. However, the Ten Commandments are not meant to be simply a set of rules or laws that we try to obey so that we don t get into trouble. God was not interested in simply giving us a list of Do s and Don ts. And following and living out the Ten Commandments is not some cruel way of making life not fun anymore. The truth is, these commands are actually written on our heart the Ten Commandments are an outward sign of what God has placed within us. St. Augustine, a saint considered a Doctor of the Church because of his wisdom and his writings on the Catholic faith stated that each of us have a God-shaped hole in our hearts that can only be filled by God. This makes sense when we look at the first three Commandments: love God, keep holy the Sabbath, and do not take His name in vain. Our hearts long to know God already even if there is sometimes too much noise in our lives to hear Him. Listen also to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, What God commands he makes possible by his grace (2082). The Ten Commandments are not a burden, but rather, with the grace of God, become a way we can grow in our relationship with Christ. Honoring Mom and Dad We hear this as part of the Ten Commandments, but St. Paul tells us again in the New Testament, Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth (Ephesians 6:1-3). Now, this doesn t mean that if you honor your mother and father you are guaranteed to live to be 1,000 years old. What this commandment is saying, is that if we love and honor our parents, we will experience joy and peace. Think about in your own home 48 Edge Semester planning guide

4 when you respect your parents, you experience peace (no one is yelling). However, when there is dishonor, mistrust, and disrespect, there is often no peace (lots of yelling). God, Family, Community The rest of the commandments help us to know how to live in community, Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 8:10). For us to love our neighbor, we should not steal, kill, lie, or always want what other people have. For us to love our neighbor, we must follow the law of God and the law of love to love, honor, and respect all others (do not steal, lie), respect human life (do not kill), and be charitable and giving (this helps us not to covet or desire things or people). How can you live out these commandments in your life? As we said before, God will give you the grace to live them out. If you struggle to make it to Mass every Sunday, ask God for the grace to help you get there. If you struggle to honor or respect your parents, ask God for the grace to change your heart so that you can experience that peace. The same is true with all of the Ten Commandments they are not meant to be just read and memorized, but truly lived! Break Small Group Discussion As your small group begins, say a prayer for the group and the activities for that session. Have your group take a moment and review the Ten Commandments. See the "Commandments and Love" handout on page 51 for a guide. Discuss the following questions: Why are the Ten Commandments so important to us as Christians even though they were written so long ago? Are there any Commandments that seem difficult to live out right now? Why? What does it mean that God will give us the grace to live out the Ten Commandments? What is the importance of the first three Commandments? Why is one of the Commandments to love and honor our parents? How can the other Commandments help you to love your neighbor as God wants us to? Commandments and Love Be sure each youth has a pen/pencil. On the sheet, "Commandments and Love," that you handed out for the small group discussion, have the youth write each Thou Shalt Not commandments as a Thou shall do (write the rest of the commandment). Commandments and Rap As a small group, write a second rap about the Ten Commandments. You can either do a rap that lists the Ten Commandments or do a rap that helps the youth to understand what they have learned about the Ten Commandments during the session. Practice your rap a few times. send Large Group Process As time permits, have small groups share their rap about the Ten Commandments. It helps to have one group on stage and the next group on stand by next to the stage to help make transitions smoother! THOU SHALT DO! outline edge semester planning guide 49

5 THOU SHALT DO! outline CLOSING PRAYER (10min) (While the youth are in small group, place the posters with the Ten Commandments around the room.) Invite the youth to enter into a time of prayer. You may want to dim the lights and have some softer, instrumental music playing. Ask the small group leaders to pass out the Sticky Notes and pens/ pencils to the youth. Do a quick recap of the Proclaim and God s plan and design for giving us the Ten Commandments. Then explain the prayer service to the youth and allow them time to write out some of their prayers. The prayer service: On each of the Sticky Notes, ask the youth to write a short prayer of how he/she wants to start living out the Ten Commandments. Since the youth have five Sticky Notes, each youth will write five prayers for five of the Ten Commandments. Examples: Lord help me to respect my parents and not yell at them; Lord help me not to be jealous when other people get clothes or things I want; Lord, help me to be honest with others; Lord help me to love you more and get to Mass every Sunday. When the youth are ready, have them place his/her Sticky Note Prayers on the appropriate commandment that corresponds to his/her prayer. This will help them connect their prayer and the Commandment. SUMMARY CHALLENGE Before the middle school youth are sent home, they will be challenged to remember: God gave Moses the Ten Commandments as a part of His covenant with the Israelites. These commandments are written on our hearts so that we continue to know how to love God more. The Ten Commandments are not simply a set of Do This and Do That, but rather they are a way to live our lives to experience peace and joy. This week, you are challenged to remember the prayers you wrote and placed on the Ten Commandment posters. Ask God to help you to live these out. TO THE PARENTS OF During tonight s Edge session, we discussed the Ten Commandments not simply as a set of do s and don ts but as a way we can understand how to love God more. The Ten Commandments have been around for centuries and are still a part many societies today. Why? Because these laws were not just written on tablets, but God has also written them on our hearts. As St. Augustine said, Our hearts are restless until they rest in you O Lord. The first three commandments remind us that our hearts are restless and only find peace when we keep God first in our lives, attend Mass every week, and honor and respect His name. The rest of the commandments teach us that we are restless and if we try to find peace in other things (coveting other people s goods or relationships) or lying, killing, or stealing. We find our peace when we follow God s law. Here are some questions to help start a conversation with your youth about what he/she learned during Edge: What did you learn about the Ten Commandments? Why are the Ten Commandments so important to us? Which of the Ten Commandments seem the hardest to understand/follow? The easiest? ADAPTATION IDEAS Make the opening game/activity a grade competition and then have the winner from each grade compete at the front. Instead of the Small Group Rap, your small group could also come up with a skit about how they live out at least one of the Ten Commandments in their every day lives. Assign small groups one of the commandments ahead of time so that you have a nice variety of skits based on all of the Commandments. 50 Edge Semester planning guide

6 Thou Shalt Do! handout Commandments and Love Instructions: Below are the Ten Commandments as listed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. On the lines provided, re-write the You shall not commandments as a I will Note: do not simply take the word not out you have to re-write it as a positive statement a couple of the commandments have been done for you as examples. 1. I am the Lord your God, you shall not have strange gods before me. I will love God and keep Him first in my life. 2. You shall not take the Lord s name in vain. 3. Remember to keep holy the Lord s day. 4. Honor your father and your mother. 5. You shall not kill. 6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 9. You shall not covet your neighbor s wife. I will keep my heart pure when thinking about members of the opposite sex. 10. You shall not covet your neighbor s goods. THOU SHALT DO! HANDOUT edge semester planning guide 51

7 Thou Shalt Do! Checklist EDGE night Checklist Core Planning Team: Date of Life Night: One month prior to the Night: Give copes of the Edge Night to each of the members of the planning team. Each person should read the Scripture, Catechism, and YOUCAT references as well as review the planning guide before the brainstorming meeting. Have the planning team meet for a brainstorming meeting (this should last no longer than 1 hour). The team prays and discusses where the youth are in their faith journey in relation to this topic. Using this planning guide as a starting point, the team adapts the Edge Night to meet the needs of the youth and the parish. Assign the person responsible for the following: Two Weeks Prior to Edge Night: Turn in your notes for the Edge Night to the youth minister. Allow the youth minister to give feedback and make necessary changes. Create a list of needed supplies and materials. Assign a person to be responsible for collecting and/or purchasing the items needed. Discuss with the youth minister who will be giving the Proclaim/witness for the Edge Night. Be sure that this person is given the script and/ or teaching. Inform them of any practices, time limits, and/or deadlines. Week of the Edge Night: Person giving Proclaim checks in with youth minister. Check that all supplies have been obtained/ purchased. Create/collect items for environment. Have volunteers ready to help if needed. Core Team an overview of the Edge Night. Day of the Edge Night: Set up the environment. Make sure the room is clean and presentable. THOU SHALT DO! CHECKLIST Environment Before the Night (when needed) Audio/Visual Needs Opening Prayer Scripture Proclamation Proclaim (discuss with YM) Summary Challenge If needed, set up audio/visual equipment. Test the video clips to make sure both picture and sound work. Pray! Pray for the youth attending the Edge Night. Pray for God s will to be done through the night. Pray over those involved. 52 Edge Semester planning guide

8 Thou Shalt Do! EVALUATION EDGE night evaluation Instructions: Use the following questions to discuss and evaluate your Edge Night. 1. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this Edge Night accomplish the goal we set? Explain. 1. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this Edge Night accomplish the goal we set? Explain. 2. What was the strongest aspect of this Edge Night? 2. What was the strongest aspect of this Edge Night? 3. What kind of follow-up do we need to do after this Edge Night? 3. What kind of follow-up do we need to do after this Edge Night? 4. What can we improve for future Edge Nights? How can we accomplish this? 4. What can we improve for future Edge Nights? How can we accomplish this? 1. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this Edge Night accomplish the goal we set? Explain. 1. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this Edge Night accomplish the goal we set? Explain. 2. What was the strongest aspect of this Edge Night? 2. What was the strongest aspect of this Edge Night? 3. What kind of follow-up do we need to do after this Edge Night? 4. What can we improve for future Edge Nights? How can we accomplish this? 3. What kind of follow-up do we need to do after this Edge Night? 4. What can we improve for future Edge Nights? How can we accomplish this? THOU SHALT DO! EVALUATION edge semester planning guide 53