Ch. 4 - Revelation and Ethics

• Read the introduction to the unit on pages 61-62 of the text.• We are making the transition from the philosophical foundations

of ethics to the scriptural foundations of Christian ethics.• Leviticus 20:26: “You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord and holy.” • The language that we will be using will be enriched with

theological language. We will continue to use reason to seek understanding, but will also call upon faith to shed new light on reason.

• The unit title points us in the direction of Revelation, the chapter title points us directly to God.

• The scripture quotation from Deuteronomy 6:5 gets right to the point in terms of what the foundations of Christian ethics are all about: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might.”

“Has God spoken to you lately?´

• God is breaking into our lives, speaking to us every day of our lives.

• In Mark 4:9, Jesus says, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

• God desires to be known and reveals God’s self in ways too innumerable to count.

• Do we have ears to hear? Do we have the eyes to see? Do we have the hearts and minds to understand?

Brainstorm

Where can we encounter God, if we “had the ears to hear and eyes to see”?

Journal Reflection:

• Write down and answer the following questions in your journal (piece of loose-leaf)

• How has God revealed God’s self in our/your experiences?

• Is it always the same way?• How do we know it is God?• How do these experiences change people’s lives?• Can people ignore these experiences?

Read from page 63

• Discuss the following questions with their elbow partner – • What is “the voice” that Nouwen speaks of? • What does he mean by, we “gradually have to learn

to listen”?

Read the experience of C. S. Lewis from page 65:

• Discuss the questions on page 65 in the text individually or with a partner.

Moses’ Mission

• Students will read pages 65-72 about Moses and Moses’ Mission.

• “Though these events happened thousands of years ago- these are stories that help us to understand our own stories and our own experiences of God.”

10 Commandments Activity

• Review the Ten Commandments given to Moses as part of the roots of Catholic ethics/morality on pages 70-72.

• Complete Assignment 2 – 10 Commandments Activity to show your understanding and analysis of the 10 Commandments in our society today.

Covenant Assignment:

• Use the description from the text, “Covenant: Its origins: on Page 72.

• Following the template given: write a covenantal agreement between one of the relationships of their choice.

pages 74-75

• Questions:• 1. How did God approach Moses? • God attracted Moses through the burning bush. Moses had to "look and see."

Recall Nouwen's words of having to learn to listen in order to hear.• 2. What did God reveal to Moses?• God's Name, God's concern, Moses' mission. • 3. What mission did Moses receive? • To go to Pharaoh and the Israelites, and "say" to them how God is calling

them to freedom.• 4. How did Moses respond? • He made excuses: "I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."• 5. How did this revelation of God change Moses' life? • He was no longer just a shepherd of Jethro's flocks; he became the shepherd of

the Israelites. He became God's messenger - a prophet - to the people.• 6. How did this revelation of God change the lives of the people that Moses

touched? • They were freed from slavery. They received their identity as God's people, and

a new way of life.

The Call Story Jigsaw

• 1. Moses (Exodus 3.1-12: in student text, pages 66-67)• 2. Isaiah (Is. 6.1-13: in student text, pages 77-78)• 3. Jeremiah (1.4-10: in student text, page 78)• 4. Ezekiel (1.1 - 3.15: in student text, pages 78-80)• 5. Second Isaiah (Is. 40.1-11)• 6. Gideon (Judges 6.11-17)

Jigsaw Reflection

• In these readings, what can we learn about the nature of a call?

• Can you find a common thread?• What kind of image of God is being portrayed in

these stories?• Does any of this surprise you? Why? Why not?

Reflection Journal

• "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6.5)

• How does this scripture passage speak to you and the call to your own faith?

• Reflect on what this means in your daily lives.