The Broom Tree Setting the Stage Read What are you doing here? Today's lesson is based on 1 Kings 19:1-18. Elijah is widely viewed as the greatest of the prophets whose deeds are related in the Hebrew Scripture.  While other biblical prophets (like Isaiah and Jeremiah) are known largely for the way they addressed issues in the lives of their people, Elijah is known largely for the miracles he performed and for his boldness in confronting political authorities. His influence was so great in that regard that many of the earliest Christian believers wondered if Jesus was Elijah reincarnated. (See Mark 8:27-30) Jesus' advanced way of teaching, the miracles he performed, and the reaction he got from the authorities of his day have much in common with the experiences of Elijah. This session explores an encounter Elijah had with God. Prior to this encounter Elijah had survived a drought, to punish King Ahab, by fleeing to the desert where ravens brought him food. He then went to the home of a poor widow and, while he lived there, her jar of grain and vessel of oil never ran out. Her son became ill, and Elijah raised him from the point of death. Elijah's actions turned King Ahab and the people back to the  worship of God. The resulting loss of face led Queen Jezebel to seek to have Elijah killed. Just at the height of his success, Elijah was forced to run once again. Burdened with fears and doubts, Elijah escaped into the wilderness. There, he waited for the Lord to pass by. But the Lord was not found in the form that Elijah expected. Tell the Story Road Work, Trek and Journey: Needed: The story (1 Kings 19:1-18) and a flashlight. Prepare in advance by setting up a very dark room or cave-like area in your meeting place. Have an oscillating fan ready to be switched on by another sponsor at an appropriate time. Road Work-the "ball closet" Trek-the basement under the stage. Journey-the unfinished area. Gather the group into the "cave," and prepare them to hear the story of Elijah by asking them to imagine that they are hiding in a place like this from someone who wants to do them harm. When everyone is in a "running and hiding" frame of mind, tell them "We need your help for this story. When you hear the phrase an earthquake, everyone stomp their feet." Use a flashlight to read 1 Kings 19:1-18 to the group as slowly and dramatically as possible. Stop frequently to be sure that everyone understands what is happening in the story. Clarify as needed. Sponsors must work as a team for special effects. One reads while the others man the switches. The story goes: "there was a great wind"- turn on the fan.   "an earthquake" all sponsors stomp their feet.   "a fire"-flip the lights on and off like lightning.    Sheer silence-long pause of silence. Finish the passage remain silent for a few seconds then come out of the "cave." Reacting to the Story Road Work: Play the Game Earth(quake), Wind, Fire Played like "rock, paper, scissors." Have everyone in your group   and let the ball fall from between them into the basket. If a ball is dropped or misses the opponents basket the ball is returned to the start for another couple on the same team to try. The first team to get five balls in their opponents basket wins. Try boy against girls to avoid "cooties." Reacting to the Story Trek: Needed: Sheets of paper, pencils Explain to the youth that they are to put themselves in Jesus' place. Pass out paper and pencils and inform them that you are going to read the story again, but this time you want them to be Jesus, act like Jesus, think like Jesus, to try and figure out what Jesus is saying. Instruct the group to use their imagination to draw and or write what Jesus drew in the dirt as the woman's accusers brought her to him. After everyone has had an opportunity to create their interpretation of Jesus' dirt drawing, have participants share their designs. How did they come to their conclusion or decision? What about Jesus helped them decide? Did they use other stories about Jesus to come up with thier idea? Reacting to the Story Journey: How many questions are raised in this passage? Women were property? Men and women were judged differently? Who's fault was it that this woman was now before Jesus; her husband, the other man, her own? If she was not married would she have committed a sin? What if the male had not been married, would he have committed a sin? Take a few minute to discuss these issues as they relate to today's world. Connecting to the Story Road Work: Needed: pencils, paper, prepared news print Post  the prepared news print in an area where everyone can see the questions. What are the stones we throw at people? What stones have been thrown at us? Who is worthy of forgiveness and who is not? What is the hardest part abour forgiving someone else? Pass out paper and pencils to your participants. Let them pick two of these questions to answer. Have them write their answers on the paper. After a few minutes when everyone has finished, collect all the answers and redistribute them to the youth. Now, pass out markers.  Make sure no one has their own paper.  Instruct the youth to make a bumper sticker (slogan) from one of the answers on the paper. After a time collect all the bumper stickers and redistribute again. Have the youth read one at a time the sayings. Connecting to the Story Trek: Needed: Index cards, pencils, bibles Inform the participant that they will be dividing up into groups as a way of preparing themselves for a debate. Try teams of four or what ever seems appropriate for the group. Try to have at least three teams. Ask the teams to agree upon a law that affects them, now, today. For example, it could be a law regulating curfews or skateboarding. Once the topic has been chosen, divide into pro and con groups to allow each group to devise a plan of why they think the law is "just" or "unjust" Encourage them to use the bible for stories to back up what they are saying. After a few minutes for the groups to talk among themselves. bring  the teams together and explain the debate rules. Connecting to the Story Road Work: Needed: Photocopies of the text from 1 Kings 19:1-18, several noise making devices. Tell the group that in the days before television, radio was the means by which people conveyed stories to a mass audience. Invite then to create a radio play that conveys the exciting story found in 1 Kings 19:1-18. Remind them that since no one could see what was happening on the radio, a narrator's job was essential. The narrator must use dramatics to let the audience know what is happening.  Radio dramas included actors who played the various roles and sound-effect engineers who made the noises needed to bring the story to life. Choose volunteers to play the roles in the Scripture passage. Then encourage them to spend a few minutes preparing to present the story as a radio drama. When everyone appears ready, have the group act out the drama. Connecting to the Story Trek: Needed: Paper and pencils Make sure that the participants all have paper and pencils. Ask them to imagine that they are one of Elijah's parents. They have just received a brief letter from him concerning his present situation, and they are a bit concerned. With that in mind, have the youth imagine they are Elijah's parents and are sending him a letter asking any pertinent questions and offering any advice that might be useful. After five minutes call time and have volunteers share their letter with the group  Ask the group to identify any common ground between them and Elijah. *What do they have in common with him?  *How is Elijah like some of their friends?  *What experiences have they had that are similar to Elijah's? Connecting to the Story Journey: Needed: Bibles, "Where is God?" handouts, pencils Remind the youth that when Elijah was told to look for God, he discovered that God was not in the places that he expected. Invite the participants to work in groups of four. Give each group a Bible and a handout. Have the youth find the Scriptures and answer the questions. When most are finished, talk together about what they discovered. Living the Story Road Work, Trek & Journey: Form a circle and invite the participants to be in a state of prayer. Close the session by answering the question that God asked Elijah in the story: As you look at yourself in relation to God and others, what are you doing here? Be sure to give each the option to "pass" if the question is too difficult. Begin with "I am here because&ldots;" After everyone has had a chance to say something end with this prayer; say - Lord, we remember this story of Elijah today and know that he left his cave, without fear, and returned to the world doing things you asked. As we leave our "cave" today, we each know we have been invited to discover the answer to your question, "What are you doing here?" Lord, with your guidance we will. Amen.