WPCG' Ggz2CRH0R>= )plXtOi@'6˒Fؚ7>IKRɫ&ou/4߉0ot:Ψ2+kF?aGCuF% _ycJ23  0    ForprotestingthesanctionsonIraqinfrontoftheWhiteHouse.3>JkJ݌.~(#(# Ќ  ".3"  .34K23  0    ForcrossingthelineattheAirNationalGuardairportwithfoodforthepeopleofIraq..34KaK݌=(#(# Ќ  Whenthemenhadcometohim,theysaid, JohntheBaptisthassentustoyoutoask,Areyoutheonewho k istocome,orarewetowaitforanother? * z Jesushadjustthencuredmanypeopleofdiseases,plagues,andevilspirits,andhadgivensighttomanywho   wereblind.Andheansweredthem, GoandtellJohnwhatyouhaveseenandheard:theblindreceivetheir g   sight,thelamewalk,thelepersarecleansed,thedeafhear,thedeadareraised,thepoorhavegoodnews & v  broughttothem.Andblessedisanyonewhotakesnooffenseatme.Luke7:2023(_NRSV_)  5  3) WhenPeterspokebeforethepeople,fivethousandrepentedandbecamepartofthemovement.But c  whenmuchthesametestimonywasgivenbeforetheauthorities,PeterandJohnweresentpackingandno "r  onewassaved.Amanwhomtheworldregardsasunlearnedandignoranthasmadeagroupofpowerful 1  menlookimpotentandconfused.(_Willimon_,page50)    PartII:Session  n   Focus (10minutes )   Whatisthefirstthingthatcomestomindwhenyouheartheword,"civildisobedience?"Ifyouhaveever j committedanactofcivildisobedienceshareyourexperiencewiththegroupatthistime. ) Next,reflectasagrouponthegreatmovementsforsocialchangeinthiscenturyandthelast,e.g.,the W struggleforcivilrightsintheU.S.,thestruggleagainstapartheidinSouthAfrica.Trytothinkofexamplesof f socialchangemovementsthatdidNOTinvolvedcivildisobedience. %  Transition:  S ResistingtheauthoritiescanmakeNorthAmericansuncomfortable,becausetheyhaveagreatmanycivil b libertiesthatpeopleinothercountriesdonot.Weshouldrememberthatthemembersofthefirstcentury ! churchlivedundermilitaryoccupationbythemostpowerfulempireintheworld.Theythereforehadmorein   commonwithpeopletodaywhofaceseriousconsequencesforspeakingoutagainstthestatusquoand O! violatingrulesthattheauthoritiesimposeonthem. ^"  Engagethetext(20minutes)  $ Youmaywishtopresentthetextfortodayasadramaticreadingwithpeopleinyourgrouptakingtheparts K % ofPeter,thecrowd,thereligiousauthorities,theapostlesfriends(4:2430),theangel,thetemplepolice,  !Z& _Gamaliel_Ԁandthenarrator.Sincethepassageisalongone,someoneinthegroupmaywishtophotocopy !' a scriptandsummarizesbetweenthedialogues. "( SeparateActs3:14:33fromActs5:1242. $V* DividethoseplayingthecrowdintogroupswhoareinclinedtobeopentoPetersmessageandotherswho % , areinclinedtobeskeptical.Ifyouwish,havesomeoneintheclassactasareporterwhoisinterviewingcrowd C&!- membersfortheirreactionstoPeterandJohnsbehavior.Youcanevenhavea churchreportersomeone 'R". whowillcovertheirbehaviorsympathetically,whilethereporterfromthemainstreammediagives '#/ unsympatheticcoverage. (#0 IdentifypreciselywhatPeterandJohndidtochallengeauthority.Whatdid_las_ԀAbejas( theBees)inChiapas )N%2 dotochallengeauthority?Whatweretheconsequencesoftheiractions? * &3 Recallthesocialjusticemovementsthatthegroupnamedinthe Focusactivityandidentifythepeoplein ;,'5 powerwithinadominationsystemwhomadeitpossibleforthepeoplechallengingthesystemtowork,e.g. ,J(6 _F.W._ԀDeKlerkinSouthAfrica.Whatqualitiesdothesepeoplesharewith_Gamaliel_ԀandtheShinBetofficer - )7 intheanecdoteabouttheattackoftheoldmaninHebron?   Respond  .~ AsagroupdiscussyourcomfortlevelwithcomparingPeterandJohn'sevangelismtopoliticalactivitiesof = CPT.AretherebiblicalrolemodelsthatseembettermatchedtotheworkCPTdoes?  Whatcauseswouldmembersofyourgroupbewillingtogetarrestedfor?Todiefor? * z Identifyexamplesofauthority,e.g.,parents,pastors,police,mayors,governors,primeministers,presidents.   Whatisyourgutinstinctwhenyouthinkoftheseauthorityfigures?Hostilityandsuspicion?Respectand g   gratitude?Mixed?Doesyourattitudetowardauthorityaffectyourviewofcivildisobedience? & v  Whichauthorityfigureshavethemostinfluenceinyourlives?Whichneedtobechallenged?     Closing  "r  HavesomeonereadaloudActs5:2729andthenreflectsilentlyonthepassagefortwominutes.Prayfor 1  peoplecurrentlyviolatinglawsorstandardsforthesakeofjusticeandprayforthepeoplewhoworkwithinthe   systemsthatthesedissidentsarechallenging. _   PartIII:LeaderGuidelines  -  Itemsneeded  [ Photocopiesoftextfortodaywithdialoguehighlightedforthedifferentparts. j  Resources   _G.H.C._ԀMacGregor,Acts.TheInterpretersBible,vol.9Nashville:_Abingdon_ԀPress,1954. W YoumaywishtogetacopyofthevideoAForceMorePowerfultoreviewthegreatsocialchange/resistance % movementsofthelastcentury.Ideally,thegroupmightwanttomeetduringtheweektoviewallorpartsof  thevideobeforethesessionfortoday(oralternatively,youmaywishtoextendthenumberofsessionsto S includeshowingAForceMorePowerful.) b  Tipsforleading    Becausethepassagefortodayislong,itwouldmaketheclassflowmoresmoothlyifyoumadephotocopies O! ofActs3:14:33,5:1242andthenhighlightedthespeakingparts.ThenarratorcansummarizePeterslong ^" sermoninActs3:1226e.g., PeterthenpreachedabouthowJesuswasrejectedandcalledpeopleto # repentance)and#$=1S#1$=theportionsbetweenthe_dialogue.#$=1g#_