By Renée Zitzloff and co. (including some of the children of Ephesus school) On the day of his death unarmed tax payer Michael Brown and friend Dorian Johnson were walking in the street heading home. Suddenly their employee police officer Darren Wilson pulled up in his car accosting them with these words, “Get the f__k…
Category: Teens and Children
The Day of Killing
By Renée Zitzloff When I was preparing the lesson on Ezekiel 32 I noticed again (I’m great with the obvious) the seeming redundancy of this ancient book. But reading the chapter anew, expecting to yawn profusely, I suddenly was jolted by the graphic nature of the violence being described. I was to study this with…
How to know if you are wealthy
Today, after listening to the podcast, “Are You Rich,” I came up with the following ways to know if you are wealthy. You don’t have to have them all, just one or two. Here they are in no particular order: 1. You’re in a club. 2. You have food. 3. You have shelter. 4. You…
When You Find the Teaching
I met the man when he asked me for a drink of water after I had just slurped down the last of my bottled water. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any water left,” I said ”That’s ok. How are you today? What are you up to?” he asked. “I’m fine thanks. I’m waiting for my mother to…
The One Who Creates the Trouble IS the Refuge in Times of Trouble
The older children and teens began the study of Nahum and were immediately struck by the wrath of the Lord–vengeance, punishment, whirlwind, storm, dried up sea and river, withering blossoms, earthquakes, indignation, anger, fire, shattering rock–this is the fury of the Lord. In the midst of all these descriptions of wrath, the text barely mentions,…
God Will Crush You Anytime . . . and He Might Just Pick Up the Pieces
This was the title the children of Ephesus School named their Micah play performed last week. Actually, if it were up to them and I hadn’t interfered, they would have kept the tidy title God Will Crush You Anytime. It was a matter of adding cherry flavor to the medicine . . . it’s a…
Israel learn their lesson–and enjoy victory: Micah 7
This chapter starts to bring events around to Israel’s side again. Much of the book of Micah describes the destruction caused by the Assyrians, and the wicked actions of Israel that brought it about. The book culminates in chapter 7 with the reversal of fortunes enjoyed by the people, as soon as the Lord relents,…
In good times and in bad, we love goodness in humility: Micah 6
The Lord in Micah 6 demonstrates to the people how he created them, how they are to respond, and how their current suffering comes from their inappropriate response. Our class reiterated the movement in the book of Micah: God brings the people out of captivity, the people sin, God sends the people into captivity, God…
Temporal dew, marauding lion
We continued to notice further contradictions in Micah. Again, the Lord will make the people powerful and afflict them. The new ruler of Israel will be small and insignificant, as well as powerful. The remnant of Jacob will pass away and yet conquer like a lion. The children had to navigate these opposites to make…
Farming without war, childbirth without joy: A contradiction in Micah 5
After I read through the chapter, Micah 4, the children told me their first impressions. One student was confused. On the one hand, the Lord was so nice, encouraging all the nations to come to him. On the other hand, he judges and rejects the people. I noted that this contradictory dynamic existed in the…