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Luke 23:26-43

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Matthew 15:21-28

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John 14:15-31

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Matthew 14:13-21

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Luke 14:7-24

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Luke 4:16-30

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Matthew 7:24-27

Matthew 5:43-48

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As you begin your confirmation journey, you'll be diving into stories and words of the Bible that may be unfamiliar to you. As your faith takes its own shape, you may start to notice more questions about what the Bible is, how it was formed, and how we're supposed to read it.

Follow the steps below:

1. Click the image above and watch the first four videos on the web page titled:

What is the Bible?

The Story of the Bible

Literary Styles

Ancient Jewish Meditation Literature

2. As you watch the videos, take notes on what you learn that you didn't know before.

3. From your notes and the videos, write a 100-150 word "Yelp review" to share what the Bible is and why people should read it for themselves.

4. Post your review in the comment section below with your name, as well as one or two questions you still have about the Bible.

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How to Read the Bible Series

The Bible is the most influential book in human history, but what is it? This video series will help you understand the Bible and see its unified message.

How to Read the Bible Series Series * 4 Episodes

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Watch: How to Read the Bible Introduction Video Series

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The Bible is the most influential book in human history, but what is it? This video series will help you understand the Bible and see its unified message.

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Get together with your mentor this month and share what you each have reflected on in the prompts above.

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Get together with your mentor this month and share what you each have reflected on in the prompts above.

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Get together with your mentor this month and share what you each have reflected on in the prompts above.

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Get together with your mentor this month and share what you each have reflected on in the prompts above.

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Get together with your mentor this month and share what you each have reflected on in the prompts above.

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Get together with your mentor this month and share what you each have reflected on in the prompts above.

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Get together with your mentor this month and share what you each have reflected on in the prompts above.

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Get together with your mentor this month and share what you each have reflected on in the prompts above.

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Consider how many times you've said "thank you" today. In what circumstances did you forget to show gratitude today? Why do you think that is?

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13 Give thanks to the one who split the Reed Sea in two-
God's faithful love lasts forever.
14 Give thanks to the one who brought Israel through-
God's faithful love lasts forever.

15 And tossed Pharaoh and his army into the Reed Sea- God's faithful love lasts forever!

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven-
God's faithful love lasts forever!

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Bible Gateway passage: Psalm 136 - Common English Bible

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Give thanks to the LORD because he is good. God's faithful love lasts forever! Give thanks to the God of all gods- God's faithful love lasts forever. Give thanks to the Lord of all lords- God's faithful love lasts forever. Give thanks to the only one who makes great wonders- God's faithful love lasts forever.

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What resonated with you in the video?

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An Experiment in Gratitude | The Science of Happiness

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We don't give thanks because we are happy. We are happy because we give thanks.

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Write a thank you letter to someone who has made a difference in your life. Call that person or meet with them in person to read the letter to them.

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The Examen is a prayer practiced that was developed by a man named Ignatius of Loyola. It's a practice that can help us pay attention to our lives, notice where God is present and absent, and help us lean into gratitude.

Try using examen prayer video two or three times during your week as a practice in gratitude.

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

Share about a time that you were given something you didn't deserve

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

Pay attention to how these scripture passages speak to you.

What is grace? What role does grace play in these parables?

Who were some of the characters that experienced grace in these stories?

These stories are about grace being a part of the character of God. If these were the only stories you had about God, what would you say God is like?

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Bible Gateway passage: Luke 15 - Common English Bible

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Occasions for celebration - All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost…

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. How does this video about forgiveness resonate with you? What was difficult to understand or feel comfortable with?

2. How is forgiveness a form of showing grace?

3. One of the participants in the experiment talked about holding a grudge and how it's "not fun". Which do you think is more valuable and worth your time: holding a grudge or extending grace to someone? Why?

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The Power of Forgiveness | The Science of Happiness

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God's grace is a love bigger than you can imagine

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Option #1: Take the challenge from the video about forgiveness. Write about a situation with a person which you are struggling with and haven't sought forgiveness. Read your experience into a mirror - then try to forgive them.

Option #2: Buy two or three $5 gift cards and surprise stranger with them. Perhaps it's someone in line at the grocery store or someone walking into the store from the parking lot or someone who maybe looks like they need an act of grace and kindness. Notice the reactions you receive as you give them away.

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Find a place outside where you can go for a silent walk. Maybe through your neighborhood or a local park.

Stop two or three different times during your walk to pray these words either silently or out loud to yourself:

There is nothing I need to do to be worthy of love

There is nothing I need to do to be worthy of love

There is nothing I need to do to be worthy of love

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. What do you think is the difference between thinking less of yourself and thinking about yourself less?

2. Which do you think is a healthier attitude, and why?

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. Before you read this passage, write a definition for the word "humility" without googling or looking at Dictionary.com.

2. Read Matthew 15:21-28. Where do you see humility showing up in this story?

3. The Canaanite woman in the story was vulnerable: both as a woman in ancient times and as a cultural and religious outsider to Jesus's own community. How did Jesus show humility after this woman corrected him?

4. If Jesus was willing to be corrected and learn, perhaps the church is meant to follow his example. What do you think the church needs to learn how to do better? Our world often cultivates a culture of competition at the expense of loving our neighbors and the health of our planet. How can the church practice a different way based on the humility that Jesus practiced?

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Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 15:21-28 - Common English Bible

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Canaanite woman - From there, Jesus went to the regions of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from those territories came out and shouted, “Show me mercy, Son of David. My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession.” But he didn’t respond to her at all. His disciples came and urged him, “Send her away; she keeps shouting out after us.” Jesus replied, “I’ve been sent only to the lost sheep, the people of Israel.” But she knelt before him and said, “Lord, help me.”

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. What did you think of the video - what resonated with you or made you think?

2. In this story about Paul in the city of Philippi, what are some examples of humility?

3. In what ways do the two brief stories of Timothy and Epaphroditus serve as examples of Christians practicing humility?

4. From the video: "living as a Christian means seeing your own story as a lived expression of Jesus's story". In 2-4 sentences, write a summary of Jesus's story in your own words. Now, what do you think it means to live your story as an expression of Jesus's story that you just summarized? What parts of your life might need to change to align your story with Jesus's story?

5. How can you develop gentleness and humility in your own life?

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Book of Philippians Summary: A Complete Animated Overview

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The words "humble" and "humility" are related to the Latin word humus, meaning "earth" or "ground". Being human keeps us grounded.

Write a response to these questions in your notebook:

1. What helps keep you grounded and humble?

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Carry out a service for another person anonymously. Only God knows what you have done.

Perhaps it could be bring in a neighbors trash cans from the curb. Maybe allow your friends to choose their seats at lunch before you do. In a conversation with someone, try choosing to listen intently and ask questions about them instead of jumping to your own story. Pick up litter in your neighborhood or town and don't tell anyone what you're doing or look for recognition

Write a reflection response in your notebook:

1. How does it feel to practice a small act of humility without recognition?

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Audio Divina

Find a comfortable spot to sit and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, imagining the air moving from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.

Listen to this song and let the words sink in.

As the song ends offer this prayer to God:

Humble God, as you have given us an example of humility through the life of Jesus, form us to live lives of humility. Give me a gentle heart that I might live humbly before others. Amen.

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The Porter's Gate - Teach Us Your Ways (feat. Leslie Jordan)

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Write a response to these questions in your notebook:

Write the name of someone who has rejoiced with you and mourned with you. Write about how that experience affected you.

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Respond to the prompts below in your notebook:

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God" -Matthew 5:9

1. One of the most famous peacemakers in the U.S. was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He learned from other peacemakers like Ghandi that peacemaking requires living a life of non-violence. Read the King Philosophy of Nonviolence at the King Center website by clicking the image above.

2. What are three new things you learned about peacemaking and nonviolence that you had never heard before and found most interesting?

3. What parts of King's nonviolence and peacemaking philosophy seem the hardest? Are there any parts of it that truly seem impossible?

4. What parts of the philosophy do you think you are most capable of practicing in your own life?

5. Talk with your mentor about how you might challenge each other and hold one another accountable to try and put this philosophy into practice in your own lives.

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“The Beloved Community” is a term that was first coined in the early days of the 20th Century by the philosopher-theologian Josiah Royce, who founded the Fellowship of Reconciliation. However, it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., also a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, who popularized the…

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. What was the most inspiring part of the story for you?

2. Where do you see the nonviolent peacemaking philosophy of Dr. King in this story?

3. There was a time in the community when there was just a "quiet bitterness" between residents and Annie. How do you think quiet bitterness toward our neighbors (and our enemies) affects our hearts, minds, or body? How does it keep our communities from being peaceful?

4. It wasn't until Annie had a heart attack that she began to change her mind about the Confederate flag in her yard. Sometimes people don't know how to change their lives or actions until they have a near-death experience. But what actions could people take to change their lives and seek peace before they're faced with their own mortality?

5. Are there any peer relationships in your life that need to be mended? Or do you have any peers in your school or community whom you feel bitter toward? Maybe you can't change that person, but what could you do on your end to make peace with that person?

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Confederate flag tears a neighborhood apart before it comes together

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Ubuntu is a Zulu word that means "humanity". It's often translated as "I am because we are".

Watch the video above and then write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. Make a list of every person you can think of who has shaped you into becoming the person you are today. They could be a parents, siblings, coaches, teachers, friends, etc. Next to each name, write specifically how you feel they shaped you.

2. How different do you think the world would look if more people were concerned about the well-being of others just as much as themselves?

3. Read Romans chapter 12. How does the author (Paul) describe how the Church is supposed to live?

4. Living peacefully doesn't mean avoiding conflict - so how is the community of the Church supposed to live peacefully in the face of conflict?

5. Do you think it's possible for us to live our faith all alone? Or do you think we need others to help us faithfully follow Jesus? Why or why not?

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Schedule a time with your mentor to worship with a church community of a different denomination or tradition from Westminster. After worship, find a time to talk about what was different, what you found difficult, and what you found to be beautiful about the way they worship.

Here are some options to explore around West Chester:

St. Paul's Baptist Church

West Chester United Methodist Church

Baptist Church of West Chester

St. Agnes Catholic Church

Church of the Holy Trinity (Episcopal)

Church of the Loving Shepherd

Cornerstone Christian Church

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1. Click the image above to listen to this musical rendition of the Prayer of St. Francis

2. Find a quiet place to sit with the palms of your hands open on your lap. Take a couple deep breaths to calm your mind and pray these words by St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

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Write a response to these questions in your notebook:

Name someone who has been a healing presence for you - someone who has helped you through hurt, sadness, loneliness, anger, etc. Write some thoughts about how that person was a healing presence for you and share it with your mentor.

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Write a response to these questions in your notebook:

1. Watch the video above about God's compassion.

2. Read Isaiah 49:8-18. Keep in mind that Isaiah is writing to the ancient people of Israel who have been forced into exile (ie. forcefully sent away), away from their homeland. They have been conquered, suffered, separated from family, and lost so much. Yet these words boldly paint an incredible picture of hope for these very same people.

It seems that God is moved with compassion towards those experiencing suffering (ie. pain, loss, exclusion, violence, depression, etc). To whom do you believe God is moved with compassion in our world today?

The Hebrew word in the Bible for "compassion" is related to the Hebrew word that means "womb" (or a more medical term "uterus"). What do you think about this feminine, motherly image of God? How does it help you understand God in a new or different way than before?

When was a time that you experienced compassion through receiving something you deeply needed?

Can you remember a time when you were "moved to your core" about something you saw or experienced?

Where in your community do you see a need for people to show greater compassion towards one another? How can you begin to show that compassion towards others in your community?

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How God Begins to Describe Himself in the Bible

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Write a response to these questions in your notebook:

Today when we're confronted with crime and harm, we tend to think 'What rule was broken? Who broke it? How do we punish them?...a more compassionate response asks 'Who's been harmed? What do they need? Whose obligation is it to meet those needs?'

1. Watch the video above

In the story that Sujatha Baliga tells, who are the people who had experiences of pain, loss, or hardship?

In the story, it seem that there was going to be no way forward to resolve the conflict. How did the act of compassion break through that impossibility to make reconciliation possible between these two people?

It might be helpful to think about compassion in terms of empathy. Who received empathy and what needs were met by the end of the story? How did an act of compassionate justice make an impact on the community?

When you think about this story, what is the hardest thing about acting compassionately or with empathy? What do you think would make stories like this more possible in your community?

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An Example of Restorative Justice with Sujatha Baliga

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Write a response to these prompts in your notebook:

1. Browse through the stories of these 40 kids who made an impact on the world. Choose 3 stories that you see as examples of acting with compassion and write about why you chose them.

2. Remember compassion literally means "to suffer with". Or you could think of it as sacrificing your own time, energy, money, etc for the sake of someone who is experiencing hardship or suffering. What stories of suffering in the world touch your heart?

3. Read Matthew 25:34-40. Do you think it's possible to believe in a compassionate God without showing compassion to others? Why or why not?

4. Where do you see a need for compassionate service in the world today? What is one compassionate action you could take to help relieve someone's suffering?

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These 40 Incredible Kids Have Forever Changed Our World

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This is proof that you can make a difference at any age.

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Write a response to these prompts in your notebook:

1. Try this simulation of a Syrian family who flee their country as refugees, and then respond to the following questions

2. What part of this simulation experience was the most difficult for you? How has your understanding of refugees changed?

3. What kind of emotions and feelings would you have about having to suddenly leave your home to travel to an unknown place?

4. What do you imagine God thinks about refugees? What would Jesus have us do for the sake of people suffering to seek safety from their home country?

5. Search for your U.S. Congressional Leaders here to find out their contact information. Write to your U.S. senators and/or representatives about finding a more compassionate way to treat migrant families and refugees at our nation's borders.

Keep your letter or email brief - No more than a couple short paragraphs (you can find some helpful guidelines for writing a letter to your congressional leaders HERE)

Introduce yourself, sharing something personal like, "I live in [city] with my family"

Share with your senator or representative why compassion towards refugees or migrants is important to you - feel free to share how your faith informs this for you too!

At the end ask something of your representatives like "Please support and/or create laws that help treat migrants or refugees compassionately" or something in your own words.

Ask your mentor or a parent for help if you feel you need it

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Syrian Journey: Choose your own escape route

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Put yourself in the shoes of a Syrian migrant and see whether you could make the right choices on the journey to Europe.

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Find a quiet place to sit. Take a couple deep breaths to calm your mind. And pray this breath prayer.

INHALE: May God's compassion toward me
EXHALE: Flow through me toward others

*make some time to return to this prayer at least a few times over the next few weeks*

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. Who are the people in your life who have been the most welcoming to you? How has that helped to shape you into the person you are today?

2. Write about an experience when you were excluded. How do you think that experience might have shaped you or affected you as a person?

3. Click the image and read the caption for this piece of art.

4. "To dismiss the image of God in anyone is a complete denial of the incarnation" - If hospitality begins with seeing the image of God in the people you encounter, how can you remind yourself of that when interacting with other people (especially those you find difficult)?

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Dorothy Day and The Holy Family of the Streets

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8x 11 in. Signed Print Let us remember the poor, the sick, the dying, the grieving, the unemployed, those unable to pay rent this week, the homeless, those persecuted simply because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, creed, or nationality, the unjustly imprisoned, the refugee, and the immigrant.

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Read Acts 1:1-2:47

In Acts 2:1-11 how does the Holy Spirit empower the disciples to act with hospitality? How can speaking someone else's language be a form of hospitality?

When Peter speaks to the crowds (Acts 2:37-39) does his description of God's promise seem welcoming or exclusive to you? Why?

In Acts 2:43-47, name some of the ways the followers of Jesus acted with hospitality.

Think through and write down how you might become more generous and hospitable with others in these areas of your life:

-Space (your home, backyard, etc))

-Possessions (i.e. lending your "stuff" to others)

-Time (not just spending it on yourself)

Remember, hospitality isn't just a "nice" thing to do. It's a sign of God's Spirit moving in and through you!

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. What was the most inspiring part of this story for you? Have you ever felt excluded or like an outsider at your school?

2. What kinds of sacrifice did the students of "We Dine Together" make in order for other's to feel welcome? Do you think something like this would work at your school - why or why not?

3. If you were to create a club at your school that intentionally welcomes "outsiders", who are the people you would need to bring together at your school to help plan and make your club idea a reality?

4. Think of the places in your weekly life (school, neighborhood, sports, clubs, church, etc) where someone might feel like an outsider. What are you willing to do to extend hospitality to people who feel like an outsider? How could you step out of your circle to make sure someone else knows they belong?

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At one high school, no one eats lunch alone

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Write your responses to these prompts in your notebook:

1. Explore through the Philly Arts page to look at creative projects done with photography, murals, and videography.

2. Choose a project that you think connects the most with the theme of hospitality.

3. Now, imagine that the artist of that art project offered to create the same mural somewhere in your own community if you would be willing to write an "about the mural" piece that would be framed next to it. The artist says you need to write 150-200 words about why this art reflects what you're exploring in confirmation around hospitality and how you hope it would inspire people in your community to practice hospitality more.

4. Write your 150-200 word "about the mural" piece and share it with your mentor at your next meet-up.

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Ethics is about who we ought to be (our character) or how we ought to act based on beliefs and values

Choose a public space (outdoor park, school cafeteria, church sanctuary, etc) that you believe needs to be more welcoming to "the least of these" (i.e. outsiders, excluded or marginalized people). Now imagine you were given the resources you need to transform that space - how would you transform it into a space that reflects an ethic of hospitality?

Look through the list of materials below. Choose a few (or something you don't see on the list!) and make an artistic rendering of the space you would create:

Paint (acrylic or watercolor)

Paint pens

Stickers

Markers

Pencils

Glue

Pom poms or feathers

Legos

Cookie cutters

Clay or playdough

Buttons

Tissue paper

Pipe cleaners

Take a picture of your hospitable space and post it in the comments section.

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Set aside some time to try this prayer practice called "The Mirror Prayer" at least once before you and your mentor meet.

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Audio Divina

1. Find a comfortable spot to sit and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, imagining the air moving from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.

2. Listen to this song and let the words sink in.

3. As the song ends offer this prayer to God:

God of justice, help me faithfully carry the responsibility of caring for the poor, the outcast, and the oppressed. May my gifts be used for the sake a of a more just world. Amen.

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FIRST: Play the "Spent" simulator to see what it's like to live on the edge of poverty.

SECOND: Go to https://www.epi.org/company-wage-tracker/ to see what businesses pay a majority of their workers less than a living wage ($15/hour)

THIRD: With your family, choose one of those companies to stop doing business with for the next month. Decide with your family an alternative company you could shop with.

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Think you’ll never have to ask for help? Here’s your chance to prove it.

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

Click on the image and drag words to match in the correct boxes in the quote.

How do you think most people define the idea of justice?

Do you think that all people mostly yearn for the same things in life? What are those things?

Thinking back to Judy's story, do you feel like the laws and rules of our society lean more towards equality (everyone getting the same thing) or equity (everyone getting what they need)?

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

"If you have faith and you do what's right and you keep doing it and you give your life to it, you will succeed. You will change the nature of life on the planet" -Judy Wood

How did Judy Wood seek to do what's right for the least of these?

What is it about Judy Wood's story that inspires you to change the world on behalf of vulnerable people?

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Saint Judy: Crusading immigration lawyer Judy Wood

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

As you read these words from Amos, try to recall the Bible Project video on justice from our retreat weekend together. In this passage the prophet Amos is narrating God's voice, saying God desires fairness and justice.

What does God seem frustrated about in this passage?

What do God's people seem focused on instead of justice?

Have you ever experienced unfairness? How did it feel?

Amos was not a "professional" prophet - he was actually a shepherd who followed God's call to "prophesy to my people Israel" (Amos 7:15). Like Amos, you don't have to be a "professional minister" to hear and follow God's call - even teenagers can do that!

What kinds of people in the world or your community experience injustice?

What issues are especially troubling to you, and what injustices might God be inviting you to speak against prophetically?

How much time and energy are you willing to give on behalf of the vulnerable members of society?

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When was the last time you sang to That's what I want. That's 21-24 "I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.

Do you know what I want?
I want justice-oceans of it.
me? I want fairness-rivers of it.
all I want.

Read full chapter

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Bible Gateway passage: Amos 5:21-24 - The Message

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"I can't stand your religious meetings. I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.

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Write your responses to these questions in your notebook:

1. Reflect on the quote above for a moment.

2. Read John 14:5-7.

3. What do you think Jesus means when he says "I am the way, and the truth, and the life"?

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Find a quiet place to sit. Take a couple deep breaths to calm your mind. And pray this breath prayer:

INHALE: May my life grow every day
EXHALE: In the gifts of the Spirit

*make some time to return to this prayer at least a few times over the next few weeks*

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Often the Bible portrays wisdom as the opposite of foolishness. We might say, wisdom is a life lived with God and others in humility, while foolishness is living like we don't need anyone. And sometimes we even mistake foolishness for wisdom (1 Corinthians 3:19).

This song portrays that "foolishness and wisdom" similarly as living in arrogance versus living in love and humility.

1. Listen to this song. Turn it off. Then go find a time to sit somewhere outside to ponder these words for 5 minutes: "Turn your ear toward wisdom, and stretch your mind toward understanding."

2. Write/create a reminder for yourself that you are a beloved child of God and that each person you meet - no matter how agreeable or difficult - is also a beloved child of God. Place that reminder in a spot where you will see it every day.

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On a scale of 1 (completely disagree) to 10 (completely agree), what do you think about this quote?

Why did you choose that number?

What do you think it means to become more like Christ?

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Watch this short video on Wisdom in the Bible

Read Proverbs 1:1-7

According to this introduction to the book of Proverbs, why is it important for people to gain wisdom?

With the internet at our fingertips, we live in a time where we have access to almost endless information. What do you think is the difference between endless access to knowledge and acting wisely?

Between parents, teachers, social media, friends, TV, celebrities, etc, how do you know which voices give the best advice and guidance in our relationship with God and other people?

The book of Proverbs explores the choices and decisions we make in our lives as human beings. When was a time that you felt stuck in a decision you had to make? In the end, did you feel like your decision was more wise or more foolish?

Read Proverbs 8. Notice how the writer of Proverbs uses creative language to turn wisdom into a character with human characteristics (a voice, gender, a body, etc.).

How does the character Wisdom describe a life spent following her?

Do you think it's possible to live a good life without wisdom? Why or why not?

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How does Old Turtle represent wisdom?

What happens when people forget they are created to spread love in the world?

Except for the humans, all the other creatures notice that the first fallen truth is incomplete. Why do you think humans failed to notice that the first truth was incomplete?

Why is the truth "You are loved" incomplete? What is it missing?

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First Unitarian Universalist Church of Stockton

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Write some notes or thoughts about a saying, movie, story, or song that inspires and motivates you to live a good life.

Why does it inspire and/or motivate you?

What words of advice does it offer you?