 Engage the story (or the story behind the biblical passage)

 Put yourselves into the story. Reflect: If I had been ____, how would I have felt? What would I have done?

 Engage the story (or the story behind the biblical passage)  Put yourselves into the story. Reflect: If I had been ____, how would I have felt? What would I have done?  Why is this story important?

 Ask, What?  Analyze, get information

 Ask, What?  Analyze, get information › What is the context of this passage? Its setting? The setting in which it was written? What is going on in this context? Who are allies? Who are opponents?

 Ask, What?  Analyze, get information › What is the context of this passage? Its setting? The setting in which it was written? What is going on in this context? Who are allies? Who are opponents? › What is God (or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit) doing in this passage?

 Ask, What?  Analyze, get information › What is the context of this passage? Its setting? The setting in which it was written? What is going on in this context? Who are allies? Who are opponents? › What is God (or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit) doing in this passage? › How is God calling and sending the church/God’s people into the world?

 How? How might we put this into practice?

 Ask, › What in our context is like the biblical context? Where are we experiencing something similar?

 How? How might we put this into practice?  Ask, › What in our context is like the biblical context? Where are we experiencing something similar? › How is God acting like this today, in our setting?

 How? How might we put this into practice?  Ask, › What in our context is like the biblical context? Where are we experiencing something similar? › How is God acting like this today, in our setting? › How is God calling and sending us, through this passage, to participate in God’s mission in the world?

› What is the context of this passage? Its setting? The setting in which it was written? What is going on in this context? Who are allies? Who are opponents? › What is God (or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit) doing in this passage? › How is God calling and sending the church/God’s people into the world? › What in our context is like the biblical context? Where are we experiencing something similar? › How is God acting like this today, in our setting? › How is God calling and sending us to participate in God’s mission in the world?

 Ask, What if?  Or, just do it!  Put it into practice

 What practices are implied in the text?

 Taking risks for the sake of the reign of God

 Letting the text read us  Letting the text change us

 “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me…and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”  “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”  “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

 Hans Denck, Anabaptist writer: The means is Christ, whom no one can know unless they follow him in life, and no one can follow unless they know him.

 Attitudes influence behavior  Behavior influences attitiudes › Leon Festinger: theory of cognitive dissonance

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16 Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Group 1 Group 2  Put yourselves into the story › Jesus › The one who had been mute › Those who are amazed › Those who accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons › The disciples, watching and listening  Think, reflect, plan › What is the context of the passage? › What is like our context? › What is God/Jesus doing? › What like this is God doing in our setting? › How is Jesus calling people to participate in God’s reign? › How is Jesus calling us to participate in God’s reign?

 The church kept pointing out where the finger of God is at work?  The church practiced spiritual discernment as to what is the finger of God and what is the result of evil?  The church were the sign, instrument, and foretaste of the kingdom of God?  The church acted as if God were stronger than evil?