BIBLOS - Teaching the Bible - The Burning Bush

Teaching the Bible

MOSES:
THE BURNING BUSH

Key Questions

Questions for Discussion and Reflection

Revelation today?

Revelation (see section on Theological Issues - Revelation) is seen as God's initiative in breaking into real world situations to influence the course of history through active involvement via people prepared to act as his agents.
In ancient societies it was natural to believe God would reveal himself for those who had eyes to see and receive it.
Pupils can be introduced to the idea that while some people believe that reality can only be regarded as what can be seen and proved, other people believe that there is another dimension to life, the God-dimension, to which human beings can respond and relate.
It is important that children are presented with this alternative world-view because otherwise they will not be in an informed position to decide between this and the secular 'creed' often promoted by society and education.

Questions

What is 'spiritual awareness'? What makes people 'spiritually aware'?
What evidence might there be for claiming that people are spiritually malnourished?
What is meant by the 'secular creed'?
How might people describe an awareness of God's presence now? What is required for people to see and hear God's revelation?
Why doesn't God give a more convincing revelation of himself so people can be certain of his existence?
What is faith? Why is it central to religions?
What are people seeking when they turn to reading the Bible and attending church or synagogue services in times of trouble?

Holy Places

Pupils are aware that certain places are special and require appropriate behaviour e.g. libraries, theatres, exhibitions, museums, churches, restaurants etc.. Hold a discussion about what makes them special, including what behaviour is appropriate and why. Pupils may have a place that is special to them and they can share experiences.
A discussion on what might be understood by 'holy' could be guided to include some of the key points made in the 'Theological Issues'. It is important to make a distinction between 'special' and 'holy'. 'Holy' is a religious term and implies there is a connection with God. 'Special' does not necessarily embrace a God-link.

Questions

What places locally are considered special because someone important has visited them?
Why might it be important to remember such visits? What is left in the place to record the event?
What makes people behave differently in different venues?
Describe what a sense of awe and holiness might be like? When might people feel that sense?
How important are emotional responses to places?
What special gestures might take place when visiting special places? How many different practices of respect apply to visiting special places?

Religious Gestures

Symbols are an important feature of religions. They are used to express an abstract concept so that the meaning can be conveyed in a concrete form to aid the believer. Symbols take many forms e.g. words, objects, dress, story and gestures.
Gestures are usually physical actions to symbolise a belief. Here Moses is asked to take off his sandals because he is on holy ground - God is present. This action demonstrates that the person is showing respect and wanting the place to remain clean by avoiding soiling the holy area with dirt from shoes. This practice has not been maintained in Judaism and Christianity. However, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism still do practice it.
It is important for pupils to realise that often religious gestures can appear odd to someone from outside the religion. It is easy for these practices to be ridiculed because people do not know the importance of symbols. Pupils should be encouraged to research the meanings of symbols used by religions to avoid appearing ignorant and insensitive towards religious practice.
Gestures which pupils may have seen:
- Jews touching the mezuzah on entering rooms and buildings.
- Jews swaying when they pray.
- Christians making the sign of the cross.
- Christians genuflecting before the altar.
- Muslims washing themselves ritually before prayer.
- Muslim prayer positions.
- Sikh prostration in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Questions

Where are gestures used in life, apart from in religious ritual? Why are they necessary?
Why is it so important to learn the meaning behind symbolic gestures?
What everyday gestures that are taken for granted in this culture could be ridiculed by people who did not understand their meaning?
What responsibility has education in helping young people to develop skills of empathy?
What measures could teachers take to ensure pupils develop research skills to understand what is unfamiliar to them?
What factors might suppress children's natural curiosity so that they stop asking 'Why?'.

Symbol of Fire

Fire is one of the basic elements so it is not surprising that it is used as a powerful symbol to convey meaning about the mysterious nature of God. Fire is elusive, it cannot be pinned down and it is powerful and essential to life.
Explore all the properties of fire with pupils and discover the many ways in which fire touches their lives. They might like to think up their own meanings for the fire symbol and explore their own choice of symbols to express what they understand about God. Poetry and art could be appropriate media for this.

Questions

Why might people be reluctant to describe God in human terms?
Why are symbols necessary to describe God?
What makes a good symbol for God?
Why might it be difficult for some pupils to grasp the concept of symbols? How significant might age be in this sort of understanding?
Why is it important for pupils to be introduced to symbolic interpretations of life?
If people live in a materialistic society, does it follow that they will tend to look for literal rather than symbolic interpretations of material and experiences?

Oppression

Pupils can discover the types of oppression that deprive many people of their human rights. They can research the sort of work being done to eradicate it e.g. by Archbishop Desmond Tutu who worked tirelessly against the oppression of apartheid in South Africa, Aid Agencies who distribute food, clothes and shelter to those oppressed by war in their countries and organisations working for a fair deal for those on very low wages in developing countries which the rich countries are exploiting for their labour. Newspapers will be full of modern day examples of oppression in all its ugly forms. A 'Wall of Oppression' could make a dramatic wall display through which the topic could be explored.
At the same time it is important not to turn the rescue of the slaves in Moses time, or stories of Christian aid work today, into a merely secular narrative about human rights.

Questions

Why does oppression still exist in a modern democratic society?
What conditions are necessary for oppression to flourish?
Where might young people have to face up to oppression?
Could there be oppressive forces at work in the education system? Do you see oppression in the classroom amongst the pupils?
What is required in order to eradicate this from society?

Compassion

God is presented as acting in history to relieve the oppression of the Israelites through sorrow for them. God empathises with their situation and wants to work through Moses to change it.
Compassion is a quality that human beings possess. It means 'suffering alongside'.
Compassion is at the heart of Judaism and Christianity because believers seek to become agents of God for compassion and change on earth.

Questions

What does the ability to show compassion reveal about the nature of human beings?
What situations produce compassion in people?
What does it feel like to receive compassion?
Is compassion any use if you do not act on it to change the situation?
Is compassion the same as empathy?
Does a person need to be religious to show compassion?
Should a religious person be more sensitive to the needs of others than a non-religious person?
Television exposes people to so many tragic situations it is suggested people become desensitised to compassion, suffering compassion fatigue. Why might this be so?

Self-esteem

Moses probably had a privileged early life because he was brought up as a prince. He did not lack confidence when he killed the Egyptian foreman. But perhaps the experience of having to flee for his life meant that he had lost some of his self-esteem. Perhaps he regretted having behaved as he had and felt he had let himself down. So it is interesting to see how he responds to God's call to help get the Israelites out of Egypt. He declares; 'I am a nobody. How can I go to the King...?' Moses obviously feels God has chosen the wrong person. He has not got the skills required. There will be lots of reasons why he might feel like that and they can be explored with the class. But Moses' excuse is not going to be accepted. God gives Moses the greatest reassurance - God himself will be with him! He couldn't ask for more but he does find a further excuse. God meets his request to name himself and yet avoids it 'I am who I am...'
So Moses, who has no faith in himself, has to have faith in God's promise that He will see him through. But it turns out not to be quite as simple as that!
Many pupils will understand the feeling of not being up to the task required of them and having low self-esteem when faced with a challenge.

Questions

Where do individuals get their self-esteem from?
What can prevent the development of self-esteem?
Why is self-esteem so important?
What might be the consequences of a person's low self-esteem?
How can self-esteem be restored?
Can a person have too much self-esteem?
What part is played by other people's perceptions and support?
In what ways can school develop or hinder the development of self-esteem in pupils?
Why might belief in God help self-esteem?

A 'calling' from God - a vocation

The term 'vocation' is used for those people who feel they have been 'called' by God to do a particular task. 'Vocare' is Latin for 'to call'. Throughout history people claim that God has intervened in their lives, as in Moses' life, to call upon them to carry out some task. These people insist that some God-experience led them to their 'calling'.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe in an active God who works through people in historical settings to reveal his will and carry out his purposes and these experiences would fit in with such beliefs. The person 'called' may not be happy about what they are asked to do, like Moses.
It is said that in order to test whether a 'call' is really from God or not, many people try to resist it as long as they can. But the moment comes when they feel compelled to do it, almost against their own will and at that point they are prepared to take it seriously. Moses needed a 'sign' or proof to be assured that it was God he was dealing with.
Pupils need to know that this concept of being 'called by God' lies behind many life decisions of people who take God seriously. They commit their life to something, not because of financial rewards, career prospects or personal skills but because they believe in God and believe he is 'calling' them. Pupils should understand that a religious interpretation of life affects people's whole lives, and it is not just about attending synagogue or church services but all aspects of everyday life, including career choice.
The term 'vocational' has now come to mean a type of study which will lead to a particular job e.g. an engineering qualification equips a person for a job in engineering whereas some areas of study, like history, do not lead directly to a type of job. The job in this case, does the calling or has the appeal, rather than God!

Questions

Do you know anyone who feels they have a vocation from God?
Might a religious 'vocation' be to any type of job or task or would it have to have a religious dimension?
What might pupils find strange and difficult to understand about such a concept?
In what way might priests and ministers be making a valuable contribution to society?
Do 'counsellors' need to have a vocation? Have counsellors replaced clergy in helping people to cope with their problems?
What difference might there be between a person who does a job as a vocation and someone who just does the job?
Do people take spiritual needs seriously enough?
Is it answering a vocation to decide to be a teacher? What are the implications of your answer?

What's in a Name?

Moses needed the reassurance of knowing God's name. He wanted to be able to address God and build a relationship with God and include his people too.
Our society has perhaps lost something of the meaning in names that some societies still value. Names were selected because it was believed that the meaning of the name would honour the child and have some positive effect on the child's life. Names had power. By exchanging names you were in some way sharing power and that was the beginning of a relationship. Nowadays, usually names are chosen because of the sound or because it was a relative's name rather than for the meaning which is intended to influence the child's life.
But it is interesting to note how important personal names still are however, in marketing products and services. Perhaps that is where this knowledge of the power has been transferred! Letters arrive personally addressed and unknown phone callers already know who you are, speaking to you as if you are a friend. Are they tapping into the psychological power of using names?
In the Bible people were renamed after a major experience in their lives for example, Jacob was renamed 'Israel' because he had had a strange experience where he found himself struggling with a mysterious person who turns out to have been God! 'Israel' means 'one who struggles with God'.
In the early Christian church it was common to be given a new name to symbolise a new way of life when someone was baptised, hence the origin of 'Christian name'. Likewise Christians who become monks and nuns are given a new name when they enter their order. These names signify new beginnings and new ideals to live up to.
Perhaps it is a sign of a secular society that God's name is often used but far from initiating a dialogue with God, it is used as a curse or 'swear' word to denigrate God and abuse the person against whom it is used. One of the Ten Commandments warns against using God's name for evil purposes. So the power of God's name turns from positive power provoking awe and respect to a profane, negative power, which can break rather than build relationships.

Teaching Suggestions

Children are usually interested in names and fascinated to discover meanings and apply them to those who bear the name. There is plenty of research there within the class and families and even a visit to a cemetery to discover past names and compare them with modern names.
An exercise where pupils rename themselves according to the personality they feel they have, can be useful in getting pupils to think about their personal qualities. Sensitively handled pupils may rename members of the class too.
Carefully guided discussion on the misuse of God's name in swearing would certainly help inform pupils' choices on the language they choose to use!
'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me!' is chanted by children. Another useful area for exploration is the 'names of abuse' used to diminish others. 'Give a dog a bad name' could lead to considering 'bad names' i.e. reputations, labels and stereotypes.

Questions

What examples illustrate the 'power' that names might hold?
How might birth names affect the life of a person?
How are new names used to symbolise new beginnings?
What responsibility does the literacy programme have for encouraging 'wholesome' speech?
Why is 'bad language' so contagious?
What does a person's use of language tell others about that person?
What harm do people intend when they call others 'names'? What might people feel when they are called these 'names'?
How often do people realise the origin of swear words when they use them? Is it worse to use religious swear words than non-religious ones?
How do names affect people's reputations?
Why do you think marketing companies take personal names seriously?