Episode 3-
Karma Chameleon
1 Samuel
17:12-31
David was the son of an Ephrathite
named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah who had eight sons. In the days of Saul
Jesse was old and well on in years. 13 The three oldest sons of
Jesse had followed Saul to war; the names of these three sons who had gone off
to war were Eliab the firstborn; Abinadab the second; and Shammah the third. 14 David
was the youngest. While the three oldest had joined Saul, 15 David
would come and go from Saul’s presence to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 Meanwhile the Philistine came forward
and took his stand morning and evening for forty days.
17 Now Jesse said to his son David: “Take
this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves for your brothers, and bring
them quickly to your brothers in the camp. 18 Also take these
ten cheeses for the field officer. Greet your brothers and bring home some
token from them. 19 Saul and your brothers, together with all
Israel, are at war with the Philistines in the valley of the Elah.” 20 Early
the next morning, having left the flock with a shepherd, David packed up and
set out, as Jesse had commanded him. He reached the barricade of the camp just
as the army, on their way to the battleground, were shouting their battle cry. 21 The
Israelites and the Philistines drew up opposite each other in battle array. 22 David
entrusted what he had brought to the keeper of the baggage and hastened to the
battle line, where he greeted his brothers. 23 While he was
talking with them, the Philistine champion, by name Goliath of Gath, came up
from the ranks of the Philistines and spoke as before, and David listened. 24 When
the Israelites saw the man, they all retreated before him, terrified. 25 The
Israelites had been saying: “Do you see this man coming up? He comes up to
insult Israel. The king will make whoever kills him a very wealthy man. He will
give his daughter to him and declare his father’s family exempt from taxes in
Israel.” 26 David now said to the men standing near him: “How
will the man who kills this Philistine and frees Israel from disgrace be
rewarded? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should insult the armies
of the living God?” 27 They repeated the same words to him and
said, “That is how the man who kills him will be rewarded.” 28 When
Eliab, his oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he grew angry with
David and said: “Why did you come down? With whom have you left those sheep in
the wilderness? I know your arrogance and dishonest heart. You came down to
enjoy the battle!” 29 David protested, “What have I done now? I
was only talking.” 30 He turned from him to another and asked
the same question; and everyone gave him the same answer as before. 31 The
words that David had spoken were overheard and reported to Saul, who sent for
him.
2 Corinthians
10:7-11
Look
at what confronts you. Whoever is confident of belonging to Christ should
consider that as he belongs to Christ, so do we. 8 And even if
I should boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for
building you up and not for tearing you down, I shall not be put to shame. 9 May
I not seem as one frightening you through letters. 10 For
someone will say, “His letters are severe and forceful, but his bodily presence
is weak, and his speech contemptible.” 11 Such a person must
understand that what we are in word through letters when absent, that we also
are in action when present.
Mark
7:31-36
31 Again he left the district
of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of
the Decapolis. 32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had
a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He
took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s
ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to
heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be
opened!”) 35 And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his
speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. 36 [He
ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more
they proclaimed it. 37 They were exceedingly astonished and
they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and [the] mute
speak.”
1
Corinthians 4:15-17
Even
if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many
fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 Therefore,
I urge you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I am sending
you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord; he will remind you
of my ways in Christ [Jesus], just as I teach them everywhere in every church.
Reflect on the
Bible passages in light of the episode.
What kind of
family is Jaye a part of?
Why does her
mother’s blurb bother her?
What do you
think of how Jaye’s family treats her?
What is David’s
relationship like with his brothers and why do you think it is like this?
What do you
think of the way they treat David?
What is the
irony in Jaye’s rather unsuccessful life?
What is the
irony in David’s brothers attitude towards their brother?
Reflect on this
quote: “get her words out.”
Reflect on this
quote: “or by then it will say ‘her youngest daughter was confined to a mental
institution.’”
What do you
think it would be like to suffer from a stutter like Bianca?
What problem
did Paul face in regards to the people he is reaching out to, in 2 Corinthians
10?
How did Paul
‘get his words out’?
Reflect on this
quote: “it is like you’ve been at it your whole life and managed not to get
your soul
crushed.”
What do you
think of Jaye taking Bianca in like she does?
What do you
think of Bianca imitating Jaye like she does?
What do you
think of Paul seeking to have people imitate him?
How does Jaye
‘heal’ Bianca’s speech problems?
Reflect on this
quote: “she’s a better you than you are.”
What do you
think it would be like to be the man in the Mark passage, whom Jesus healed?
Compare his
experience to Paul’s and to Bianca’s.
What did Jaye
find in Bianca’s van?
How would you react
to something like this?
What is the
substance of Bianca’s study and paper on Jaye?
Do you agree
that Jaye is a ‘victim’? Why or why not?
Do you agree
that Jaye is not contributing to society in ‘any significant way’?
Reflect on this
quote: “people need to know what it is like to be me.”
How did this
sentiment permeate Paul’s own project?
What does Jaye
say about choosing friends?
Reflect on this
quote: ‘surprisingly, I’m getting tired of talking about myself.’
What ‘saves’
Paul from narcissism?
Why does Bianca
sell out on Jaye? What do you think of this?
What ‘way’ did
Bianca find from Jaye?
What ‘way’ did
Paul want to teach those he wrote to?
How does Jaye
end up getting Bianca’s words out?
Why does Jaye
write the article and what does this prove?
Compare this to
Paul’s solution.
Why doesn’t
Jaye want to take the opportunity this represents and instead chooses her old
life?
What is the
substance of the part of the article that Jaye’s father reads? Reflect on this.
Episode 4:
Wound Up Penguin
Jeremiah 20:7-9
You
seduced me, Lord, and I let myself be seduced;
you were too strong for me, and you prevailed.
All day long I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
8 Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage I proclaim;
The word of the Lord has brought me
reproach and derision all day long.
9 I say I will not mention him,
I will no longer speak in his name.
But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding back,
I cannot!
you were too strong for me, and you prevailed.
All day long I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.
8 Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage I proclaim;
The word of the Lord has brought me
reproach and derision all day long.
9 I say I will not mention him,
I will no longer speak in his name.
But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding back,
I cannot!
Psalm
121
A song of ascents.
I
raise my eyes toward the mountains.
From whence shall come my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
From whence shall come my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your
foot to slip;
or your guardian to sleep.
4 Behold, the guardian of Israel
never slumbers nor sleeps.
5 The Lord is your guardian;
the Lord is your shade
at your right hand.
6 By day the sun will not strike you,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your soul.
8 The Lord will guard your coming and going
both now and forever.
or your guardian to sleep.
4 Behold, the guardian of Israel
never slumbers nor sleeps.
5 The Lord is your guardian;
the Lord is your shade
at your right hand.
6 By day the sun will not strike you,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your soul.
8 The Lord will guard your coming and going
both now and forever.
John 21:15-19
When
they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do
you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love
you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He then said to him a
second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord,
you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He
said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was
distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said
to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to
him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were
younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow
old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead
you where you do not want to go.” 19 He said this signifying by
what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to
him, “Follow me.”
Mark 9:38-40
John
said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we
tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” 39 Jesus
replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my
name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40 For whoever
is not against us is for us. 41 Anyone who gives you a cup of
water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely
not lose his reward.
Reflect on the
Bible passages in light of the episode.
What do you
think of the totems keeping Jaye up to get her to do what they want?
Does Jaye have
free will in this situation? Why or why not?
How is Jeremiah
in a similar situation?
Is Jeremiah
free? Why or why not?
Reflect on this
quote: “this is what cults do.”
Reflect on this
quote: “One bad day, and everything changes.”
Reflect on this
quote: “you’re like a saint.”
How do the
totems affect the situation by telling Jaye to ‘bring her back’?
Who does God
want Jeremiah to ‘bring back’?
What does Eric realize
about his situation?
What was Eric’s
wife’s attitude about ‘getting involved’?
What do you
think of this?
Is Jaye
responsible for the good she does if she is tricked and forced into it?
Reflect on
Peter and Jeremiah’s situation. Are they responsible for the good they do if
they are
dragged into it?
What other
figure from the Bible have we encountered who was ‘forced’ into goodness
against his
nature?
How have the
people who have encountered the homeless girl treated her, so far?
Reflect on the janitor
‘looking over’ her in light of the Bible passage.
How have you
experienced God as this kind of ‘guardian’?
Do you agree
with Jaye that what is passing and transitional can’t really trap you? Why or
why not?
How was Peter’s
experience with Jesus ‘passing and transitional’?
Reflect on this
quote: “you’re going to hell.”
What do you
think of the priest trying to push so hard for the return of the nun?
How does Jesus
‘reclaim’ Peter?
What is the
sister’s reflection on ‘cheese’ all about?
What does the sister
want from God?
What is her
doubt all about?
How does Jaye
feel about hearing God’s voice?
How might Peter
and Jeremiah feel about the nun’s request?
Reflect on this
quote: “how am I supposed to commit my life to something I’m not sure is real.”
Reflect on this
quote: “He has to be real to me, He has to show me, or else I’m just praising
some
phantom bully in the sky.”
Reflect on this
quote: “we have to squash that doubt.”
What does Aaron
say about hearing God’s voice?
What do you
think of this?
What does it
mean to hear the Word of God?
What did it
mean for Jeremiah?
Why does Jaye
come clean with the nun?
What is her
reaction and why does she react this way?
Would you
suspect God or the devil behind Jaye’s experience? Explain your answer.
Why were the
disciples suspicious of the other exorcist? How does Jesus identify the work of
God?
Reflect on
this.
What do you
think of the practice of exorcism? What do you think of its application to
Jaye’s
situation?
What is the
priest’s attitude about exorcism? What do you think of this?
What do you
think of the prominence of exorcism in the New Testament?
Why is Eric so
dead set against Jaye’s course of action?
Reflect on this
quote: “maybe it is for God’s sake.”
What do you
think of Jaye’s family deciding to go to church all of a sudden?
What do you
think of their attitude about Catholicism?
What is the
conversation between Eric and the priest in the bathroom all about?
What do you
think of this?
What did ‘bring
her back to him’, end up meaning? Reflect on this.
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