Week Ten – Image Reflecting
SUMMARY: Students bear the image of God in their daily lives. All humans are image reflectors.
GOING DEEPER
While we don’t always ACT righteously, and while we don’t always DO things successfully, what we ARE is image-bearers of God. (Larry Day, Manhattan Teachers Convention, 1988) Being an image-bearer isn’t something we DO. It is deeper than that. Image bearer is what we ARE. We reflect God’s image! We are all image-bearers of Christ! Think about it like a mirror – the image of the ‘real person’ is reflected in the mirror. You don’t see the actual real person, but you see what they are like. All the characteristics we admire in God are also within us – we are His reflection.
And not only us! All humans were created in that image. Sin can often fog the mirror and make the reflection more difficult to see. Challenging our students in their learning activities to see themselves and each other as reflecting God’s image is only part of our task. We need to also challenge them to see the image-bearer in the hungry child, the hardened criminal, the school bully and the careless teacher!
“By giving dignity to the elderly, to widows and orphans, thus honouring the image of God in them; by rescuing those who have been trafficked, demonstrating our belief that they are fearfully and wonderfully made; by working toward racial unity and reconciliation, concurring there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free because we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28); by offering hospitality to the stranger, the immigrant and the refugee, ministering to their needs as if ministering to Christ himself (Matthew 25:31-46); or on a smaller scale, by smiling at the person next to you at the checkout, or by inviting that lonely student or neighbour for Sunday lunch.” – Kathie Filby
People around us often form impressions of who God is by looking at God’s followers. Students need to learn that while they are image-bearers, they can distort the image by what they do. The more Christ-like the actions are, the more clearly Christ’s light shines in a dark world.
BIBLICAL REFERENCES
Could be used for devotions or memory work.
Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Other Passages to Ponder:
- Colossians 3:12-17 – clothe yourselves with Christ-like qualities.
- Matthew 25:31-46 – whatever we do to people, we do to God because people are image-bearers.
- James 1:23-252
- Corinthians 4:10
- Colossians 3:12-14
SONGS
You can use these as part of your morning devotions or to play in the background during work.
ACTIVITIES
Ideas that you can connect to the learning that is happening or encourage in your student’s free time.
- Look for ways to spread JOY this month
- Show GOODNESS by “paying it forward”
- Write down all of the ways God has shown His FAITHFULNESS to you
- Co-create a family/class GENTLENESS pledge
- Play some games focused on SELF-CONTROL
- Try some random acts of KINDNESS
- Learn about spiritual gifts
- Get to know someone that looks different than you
- Write a paraphrase of Psalm 139
- Volunteer for an organization that works with people with disabilities
- Express LOVE by telling someone something special that everyone can see in them
- Embrace God’s PEACE – spend time in prayer
- Practice PATIENCE with your friends and family
- Pray for other churches in your community
- Do an “All Made in God’s Image” craft
- Memorize Scripture
- Educate yourself on issues of inequality
- Study a different culture/church denomination
- Organize a “Don’t Put People in Boxes” event
- Analyze the body images projected in advertisements
- Forgive someone
DIGITAL RESOURCES
Digital books, devotion ideas, online resources, blog articles, etc.
Student Focused:
- The Fruit of the Spirit – Youtube (Div 1)
- Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You – Read Aloud (Div 1)
- I Wish I Were a Butterfly – Read Aloud (Div 1)
- If I Only Had a Green Nose – Read Aloud (Div 1)
- You Are Special – Read Aloud (Div 1-2)
- Bully – (Div 2)
- The Song of the King – Digital Book (Div. 2-3)
- Be a Copycat – Devotion activity (Div 3)
- Nooma Video: Dust – Video Talk (Div. 3-4)
- “Peculiar People” – Youtube (Div 3-4)
Teacher/Parent Focused:
- If We Saw God in Each Face – Blog Post
- Why We Pursue Knowledge – Article
- Image Bearers – Sermon Section N.T. Wright on What it Means to Be An Image Bearer
- Image of God – BibleProject Video
- Seeing the Image of God in Others – Article
- Kids of Integrity – Library of Lessons Reflecting His Image – Devotion
- VBS: Quarantine Friendly – Program ($)
- Kids Corner – Devotional
- Resources Father’s Love Letter – Website
FORMATIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES (FLEX)
These are experiences that connect our learning/work to real people/problems (to go beyond our normal classroom walls). These are authentic opportunities for students to practice living the Kingdom story.
Choose someone that you want to reflect God’s image to at this time. Maybe someone that you have a relationship with that needs restoration. Maybe someone that you want to celebrate or encourage in a difficult time. Then choose one of the Throughlines (roles that we are invited to play in God’s Story) and print off the corresponding postcard. Write a note on the back of the postcard highlighting how you see them reflecting God in that way; how you’ve seen them reflecting the light of God to others… or to you.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS/SENTENCE STARTERS
It is said that we don’t learn from doing, but from reflecting on what we do. Give students time and space to reflect on their experiences and learning this week.
- How does seeing the image of God in others affect your interactions with people?
- What are some ways you can imitate Jesus?
- Who is somebody you need the Holy Spirit to help you see God’s image in?
- When is a time you experienced the fruit of the Spirit from someone else?
- Why should we reflect God’s image?
- Where does God’s light need to be reflected in the upcoming week?
