Practicum Report #10

To: Stephen Howlett
From: Kevin Aaron
Subject: Practicum Report #10
Time: 3 hours (prep. 1/2 hour, SS 1 hour, service 1 1/2 hours)
Preparation: Preparation for this lesson was simple. I read over the passage after praying and examined the questions given for this lesson. The passage was Luke 22:7-34, which deals with the Last Supper. Then I decided on ways to help get the group involved. I prepared to use a chalkboard again as well as bread and grape juice.
Class: To open class, I asked Caleb to pray for us. Once Caleb was done praying, I had Shandalyn read the passage, Luke 22:7-34. I asked them if any of them had every done any kind of servant work. I got a variety of answers, including Katrina relief from Shandalyn and Rebecca, Orphan Grain Train work from Chelsea and a missions trip to Haiti from Caleb. Then I asked how it felt to help these people and in what ways they helped. Most of the answers were of physical needs, such as gutting homes, cleaning things and doing gardening. The group unanimously agreed that they came back completely blown away by the trip. I had Adam make a list of these things on the chalkboard so we could see our answers. Then we got into the text. We looked at the idea of the Last Supper being Jesus' final meal and instituting a way for us to remember his sacrifice. So I passed around a loaf of bread and a jug of grape juice for everyone. The rest of the study people had food and drink similar to the Last Supper to enjoy. We discussed how Jesus might have felt during the Last Supper and what it might have felt like to be betrayed. The key in it all was that he knew what he was supposed to do and he did it. I asked them how Jesus was being a servant to us. Adam answered by saying that he died on the cross just like God had planned. It was the answer I was looking for. Jesus was the ultimate servant in that he gave his life for us at the command of his father. So I asked them how they can realistically mimic this. Clearly, I did not expect them to go die for someone. They gave a variety of answers. Chelsea suggested doing volunteer work. Rebecca suggested spending time at food shelters serving meals. Shandalyn suggested giving up many of our unneeded possessions to those less fortunate. They got the point though, that Jesus was a servant and showed us how to be a good servant. So I challenged them to go out and be a servant for someone during the week. I told them to go do at least one random nice thing for someone that they did not have to. Then I closed us in prayer.
Questions:
1. Was it a good idea to have them eat and drink during the lesson, even though it could distract them?
2. Should I have probed for more in depth, life changing ways to imitate the servanthood of Jesus?
3. How do I go about keeping the group as focused and willing to learn as I did today?