Session 1: Begin

PRAY: for Spirit’s presence, insight, safety, our “neighbours”

OPENING:

1. Culture – language, values, expressions (art)

2. Being a Christian is basically entering into relationship with God.

a. But when Jesus use kingdom language to describe that relationship, he is talking about “immigrating” into a new culture.

b. Ten Commandments, Sermon on the Mount are all description of the “kingdom” culture.

c. When we say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to friendship, we are agreeing to life as a citizen of God’s Kingdom, and agreeing to live by that culture.

3. Living out Jesus’ culture sometimes put us into tension with the cultures of the world. When we choose to live out some part of the Christian culture that is different than the culture of the world, we are living counterculture.

4. This series helps us think about what it means to live as a culture within a culture, sometimes a “counterculture” within a culture. In particular, it is talking about being counterculture through love and good deeds – what they call being counterculture for the greater good.

a. What is culture?

b. What is Jesus’ culture?

c. What is counterculture?

d. What are some examples of countercultures in history?

e. What does it mean to be counterculture for the common good?

PROCESS

1. Examples of our experiences and expressions of culture in everyday life, and of counterculture.

2. What are examples of Jesus’ culture that is counterculture?

3. Who are counterculture role models for you?

4. Where are some personal “pressure” points between your faith and your culture?

LEARNING

1. Read 1 Peter 2:9-17.

2. How does Peter describe the Church? What makes this different than other institutions and organizations?

3. Why “Royal Priesthood”? What does it suggest about the “mission” of the Church?

4. How should Christian live. According to Peter?

5. What is the point of doing “good deeds”?

6. What does Peter tell us as the relationship between Christians and cultural institutions?

APPLICATION

1. Are the Christians in Vancouver a counterculture? In what ways we need to be more counterculture?

2. How would you describe the culture of Peter’s readers?

3. What is the consequence of Christians not living counter-culturally?

4. What do we do when our good deeds are not accepted?

5. What is good about our culture?

6. What is broken about our culture, and need Jesus to heal it?

7. What is broken about our counterculture?

8. What are some ways Faithwerks can engage in culture?

HOMEWORK

1. Keep a journal of culture messages from media, friends, work or church.

2. Make observations about agreement and conflict.