13 Letters: Doin God Dirty.

    Last week, I began a new type of curriculum for Tuesday night bible study with the high schoolers.  In it, we will explore the 13 letters written by Paul, but in a cool new way.  The curriculum is produced by a group of Christian rappers who decided to make a song about each one of these Pauline letters.

    I think these songs are great and they connect with my kids very well, and there is also a video showing people from neighborhoods like theirs talking about real issues in their lives.  I like this a lot, because instead of this white guy from Arkansas trying to teach them and mentor them, it's who have been in their shoes, on their streets. 

        Over the years we've come up with different phrases to describe what happens when we sin.  We have the general "sinning against God," or "wronging God,"  or "going against God."  There's also the poetic sounding ones "going our own way,"  or "taking our own path instead of God's."  If I sit here long enough I'm sure I could come up with my own that could be quite humorous/sacrireligious like "slapping God in the face." 

      This past week, we studied the letter of Philemon and his experience with Onesimus stealing from him and running away.  I begin to show this video and it gets to the part where they are talking about the comparison to Philemon and Onesimus, and our own interaction with God.  Paul tells Philemon to forgive Onesimus and make treat him as a brother.  In the same way we are allowed to return to God after we sin.  One very cool and urban guy described it as this "Philemon must know how God feels when we find ourselves doin Him dirty."  "Doin Him dirty," I like that, in my non urban upbringing I would have never described it like that, but it works really well. 

        So I you my readers, I encourage you to read Philemon, it takes three minutes, and remember the forgiveness we receive daily for when we do God dirty.