NOOMA She

The newest installment of the NOOMA series, "She," has just been released. The topic of this one is gender. Using a variety of scriptural references, Rob explains that the biblical authors used images of motherhood to describe God's nature and that we need to utlize these images ourselves to get a more well rounded picture of the God of scripture. He does not break any new ground theologically, but if feminine images of God sound strange to you, you owe it to yourself to watch this 13 minute video.

Bonus! If you would like to watch the entire DVD from the convenience of your own computer, preview "She" by clicking here. Enjoy!

I ordered two copies for the Resource Center today. They should be here next week.

Animated Bible DVDs

Over the summer, the Resource Center invested in a set of 24 animated Bible DVDs from Nest Family Entertainment. Watch below for a preview of the Ruth DVD.

Blessing of Backpacks

Stephen Choi called me on Wednesday looking for a liturgy to use to bless backpacks of children before they head back to school. What a great idea! This is a very signicant transition point in a child's life, and it is appropriate that the church bless it. Here is one blessing I found that you can use the Sunday before your children head back to school. (You need to tell the kids to bring their backpacks the Sunday prior to the Sunday that you actaully bless them.)

Teacher Training

Looking for a new way to train teachers for your church school? Tired of hearing that folks don't think they know enough about the Bible to teach? A new resource has arrived. Five North American Reformed denominations (including the PCUSA) got together and developed curricula to train teachers. And it's free! Click here for more information, or watch the short youtube clip below explaining the program. Feel free to contact me for more information.

Putting a Face on the Immigration Debate

On May 14, I mentioned that if I got a chance to see a new film called The Visitor, I would post a review. I finally caught it this weekend at the West Shore Theatre. The main character, Walter Vale, is a mid-career college professor at a small Connecticut college whose wife has died. He slips into depression over her passing and is living on autopilot. When he is sent by his department chair on an errand to New York, he discovers a couple living in the apartment he has owned for 25 years but not visited since his wife's death.

The couple he finds living there are illegal immigrants. After Walter allows them to stay a few days until they can find a new place, Walter is slowly brought out of his shell in his relationship with this young couple.

This a very touching movie. It thoughtfully depicts both the positive things we gain from interacting with those who are different from ourselves and how fragile life can be for those living among us without legal status.

One side of the immigration debate in this country is adamant that those who have entered this country illegally have broken the law. This film shows what a loss it is to lose those who have such potential to enrich our lives. It should be out on DVD this fall and would definitely make a fascinating discussion starter on how to address the broken immigration system we currently have in place in this country.

Planning a Mission Trip for Next Summer?

Thinking of taking youth or adults on a mission trip next summer? Not sure where to begin? Don Richter has written a new book on this topic that was well reviewed by the Christian Century. The book explores why to go, aspects of going on these trips that contribute to their transformative impact, and tips for planning a trip. This book is available today at your Presbytery Resource Center.

New Curriculum for Children

A new resource for children has just arrived in the Resource Center. Around the Moringa Tree: A Bible Study Curriculum is a five session study that introduces children to how Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Hunger Program use our One Great Hour of Sharing contributions to address hunger in Africa. The Resource Center received the program booklet. If you order the resource from the PCUSA, you also receive a DVD with the booklet for $10. Feel free to stop by and check out this new curriculum to see if it will work at your church.

Use NOOMA with Youth This Fall

Kelly Wiant-Thralls at Market Square Church has used the NOOMA DVDs quite successfully with her senior high Sunday School class. She has used the videos entitled Rhythm, Luggage, Lump, Name, Rich, and Sunday and gotten great responses from her group. She even has prepared lesson plans for each of these and is willing to share. Plan your fall around NOOMA!

Fair Trade Bible Study

Looking for an engaging Fall Bible Study? A PC(USA) related group called Partners for Just Trade has just released a six-part Bible Study called “Fair Trade: Using Our Purchasing Power for Justice and Hope.” Fair Trade is a model of international commerce that ensures farmers and workers in developing countries receive a just price for their products, which helps them compete in the global marketplace and promote development in their financially strapped communities. The study walks readers through the principles of Fair Trade by means of personal narration, Biblical passages and questions for reader reflection. The table of contents for all six sessions can be viewed here. A sample session can be accessed here. The entire study can be downloaded for $5 here.

A New NOOMA

A new NOOMA DVD has arrived at the Resource Center. This one is entitled "Shells." This NOOMA deals with our use of time. The stories in the Gospels reveal that Jesus did not do it all. He did not heal every sick person. He did not meet every need or preach every possible sermon. After a busy day of healing, Luke records that Jesus went off by himself to pray. Rob preaches, "Busyness is a drug that many people are addicted to." He asks, "Where are you focusing your God-given energies?" This 11 minute DVD is another excellent discussion starter from Rob Bell.