Reading 1 Peter 2:4-10 set me to thinking about a number of ideas for illustrations. For example, a person who is a clown is an ordinary individual until he/she puts on a clown’s clothing and paints on a clown’s face. At that point they display the identity of a clown by behaving as a clown.
The same goes for someone wearing a Santa Claus suit. You can probably think of many other examples, but the idea is simple. The question is this, however, what’s the difference in change of identity between an individual that becomes a clown and an individual that becomes a Christian?
There was a news article this week detailing why we do not make cheese from pig milk. Supposedly, cheese made from pig milk would have poor taste since it contains long-chain fatty acids, unlike cheese made from cow’s milk, which contains short-chain fatty acids. Taste matters obviously, and once a Christian has tasted pure spiritual milk, he has a desire for it—not some substitute!
I read about cornerstones, and it can be thought of as a stone that joins two walls together. A simple join doesn't sound too profound, but it suggests an interesting analogy. As The cornerstone, Jesus joins God with man. His Spirit makes believers alive unto God enabling Christians to grow in spiritual maturity. Any man (wall) that rejects Jesus, stumbles over Him and falls.
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I'm ashamed to say that last Sunday I realized there was a woman in the class whose name I did not know, and then another class member pointed to an empty chair and asked "where is that woman today? I don't know her name." So, with the lesson this week on "identity," I'm planning to have each member create a name tag that will be left in the class and worn each Sunday. What do you think of name tags in church?
Another idea I'm working on is having each member print her name, her spirtual gifts, and other identifying info on a paper "stone," then we will somehow adhere them to the wall of our classroom to form the shape of a church. Still playing with this idea. Got to figure out how to get this done.
Ethel,
You have great ideas! I've been thinking of using a drawing of a stone wall, where each stone was the background for a picture of the face of a class member. I like your idea better since it is easier to implement.
As for name tags, we use them every Sunday. It is so much easier for a class to learn member names when they have a help. Of course 90% of us know each other without a name tag, but for visitors and new members, the tags are indispensable.
Thanks for the wonderful idea. I'll try to use it!
RW
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