Tag: reflections

RS 9 Reflection 2: A Walk to Remember

Answer the following two questions.  Your answers for both questions must be a minimum of five to ten or sentences.  Answer it in a word document, save it, and either print it off and hand in or e-mail it to me.  The rubric on the right titled, Reflection Rubric, will be used to evaluate your response.

1)  Jamie says in the movie, “Maybe God has a bigger plan for me than I have for myself”.  (a)  Is this an example of faith?  Explain.  Your  explanation should include an explanation of your understanding of faith.  (b)  Do you think God has a plan for you?  Why or why not?
2)  Jamie describes her faith in God as ”the center of everything”. In another scene, after Landon tells Jamie that he loves her, she says, “I don’t need reason to be angry at God”. It is obvious that her faith in God is very important to her, and being a Christian is what defines her as a person.  (a) Explain what she means by “center of everything”.  Support your response with examples from the movie.  (b) Why do you think people, like Jamie,  have such a strong faith? (c) How does having a strong faith benefit a person?  Use examples from the movie to support your answer.

RS 9 Reflection 1: A Walk to Remember

Answer the following two questions.  Your answer must be five to ten or more sentences long.  Place your answer it in a word document, save it, and either print it off and hand in or e-mail it to me.  The rubric on the right titled, Reflection Rubric, will be used to evaluate your response.

1)  A group of friends were partying on Saturday night, and then in church the next morning.  Is this hypocritical?  Explain why or why not.
2)  Describe TWO  examples from the movie that illustrate unholy behaviour, that is, behaviours that show disrespect.  Also explain the results of these behaviours. Did they bring the people involved happiness or unhappiness. Support your answers with examples from the movie.  Were the people better off as a result of the unholy behaviours, or were they worse off.  Explain.

RS 35: Views on Death

Death is terrifying because it is so ordinary.  It happens all the time —-Susan Cheever

Know one knows whether death, which people fear to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good. —-Plato (BC 427-BC 347) Greek philosopher.

[One] time he was asked if he believed in  an afterlife.  After a oment’s hesitation he said no, that he thought there was only “some kind of velvety cool blackness,” adding then: “Of course, I admit I may be wrong.  It is conceivable that I might well be reborn as a Chinese coolie.  In such case I should lodge a protest.” —Sir Winston Churchill, former British PM

“The soul comes from without into the human body, as into a temporary abode, and it goes outof it anew it passes into other habitations, for the soul is immortal.”  It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but only retire a little from sight and afterwards return again.  Nothing is dead; men feign themselves dead, and endure mock funerals…and there they stand looking out of the window, sound and well, in some strange new disguise.”                                                                     ––Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I look upon death to be as necessary to the constitution as sleep.  We shall rise refreshed in the morning.” ––Benjamin Franklin

Which of the above quotes best describes what you think about death?  Clearly explain the reasons for your choice.  If you strongly feel that none of the above quotes best describes what you think about death, then find a quote that you do and share it with us along with your explanations.

RS 35: What is life all about?

Be inspired with the belief that life is a great and noble calling; not a mean and groveling thing that we are to shuffle through as we can, but an elevated and lofty destiny.                                                                                           —William E. Gladstone

Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there, you must first see inside of you. –—Wally Amos

The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.                                                                               —Oprah Winfrey

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.      — Anonymous

Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever.  —Gandhi

There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle.                                                 —Albert Einstein

Which of the above quotes best describes what life is all about in your view?  Clearly explain the reasons for your choice.  If you strongly feel that none of the above quotes best describes what you think life is all about, then find a quote that you do and share it with us along with your explanations.



RS 35: What is Love?

“To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you’re getting this down.”                            —– Woody Allen

If love does not know how to give and take without restrictions, it is not love, but a transaction.                                                                                       —– Emma Goldman

Real love is not a feeling; love is an act of the will.  Love takes over when feelings fail, when the beloved is not longer even likeable.  As with any act of freedom, love includes a commitment to the other, a sacrifice of freedom.                  —– William J. O’Malley

Which of the above quotes best describes what love is in your view?  Clearly explain the reasons for your choice.  If you strongly feel that none of the above quotes best describes what you think about love, then find a quote that you do and share it with us along with your explanations.

RS 35: Tuesdays With Morrie Assignment

Directions:  Answer all three questions.  The rubric used to grade this assignment is called Movie Study Assignment Rubric.

(Question #1)  Morrie quotes from W.H. Auden more than once when he says. “We must love one another or die”.  What does the poet Auden mean by this?  Perhaps reading the entire poem, September 1, 1939,  will help answer this.  As you know, not all love is the same.  For example, is love for your pet the same a true love between a husband and wife?  To help you understand this, read what the Greeks say about love.  Now using these two sources, explain what Auden meant by, “We must love one another or die”.

(Question #2) Morrie and Mitch have the following dialogue concerning life.

———————————————————————————————————————-

Morrie:         “…It is what I call ‘the tension of opposites’.  Life pulling you back and forth like a rubber band.  Pull one way cause this is what you want to do, the pull another way cause you think that is what you have to do.”

Mitch:         “It sounds like a wrestling match.”

Morrie:        “You could describe life that way.”

Mitch:         “So who wins?”

Morrie:        “Love!  Love always wins.  You don’t believe that?”

Mitch:          “I don’t know.  Maybe I don’t.  Have you looked at the news lately.  We’re not exactly racking up the gold medals out there.”

Morrie:         “Maybe the game isn’t over yet.”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————  (Question #2)  What does Morrie mean when he says, “Love always wins”?  Is this true?  Justify your response.  What does the first letter of Paul to the 1 Corinthians 13:4-14 say love is?  Could this be what Morrie means?  Why or why not?  You can use Oremus Bible Browser to help you find out.

(Question #3)  Morrie says, “Death ends a life, not a relationship!” What does this mean?  Was Morrie suggesting he believed in an afterlife?  What do Christians believe about the afterlife?  Click on the article, Thirty-five FAQs About Eternity to help you answer this?  Be sure to fully explain yourself.

RS 35: Tuesday With Morrie Reflection

Choose one of the following questions and answer it.  The page on the right hand side called Reflection Rubric will be used to grade your reflection.

1)  Morrie says to Mitch regarding his imminent death, “I’m a lucky man.  I still have time to learn.  I still have time to say goodbye.  Time to teach my final course about living.  When you know how to die, you know how to live”.  What do you think Morrie means when he says, “When you know how to die, you know how to live” ?  Summarize in a short paragraph what Buddhist Philosophy (which is what Morrie is referring to) what it really means.  To find out, read the article called Love the little Bird on your Shoulder.

2)  Mitch asks Morrie, “Do you ever wish you were young?” Morrie provides an interesting response to this question.  He says, “Nah.  I’ve been young.  I know how miserable it can be being young.  Aging isn’t decay, you know.  Its growth!  This  culture worship’s youth.”  Do you agree with Morrie that our culture worships youth?  Why is this so?  Read the article Why do We Idolize Youth?   to find out a possible answer.  Do you agree with the article ?  Why or why not?

Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story.  These are the real people.

Reflection Rubric

RS 25: Who is Jesus? (Assignment One)

Lets review what has been learned in class.  You are expected to know this.

Kingdom of God:  What was Jesus Talking About?

Central to Jesus’ identity, his life, his mission and message, and all of his words and actions is the notion of the Kingdom of God.  In fact, Jesus told his listeners to “strive first for the Kingdom of God” (Matt 6:33).  His prayer and life experiences led him to identify himself as the proclaimer and possessor of the Kingdom.  His parables pointed to and described the Kingdom, and his miracles were signs of its presence in the people’s midst.  Let’s explore what Jesus meant by the Reign of God.

The Greek word for kingdom is basileia, denoting “royal power”.  Kingdom of God is the sphere of God’s rule.  The word kingdom, which is used most often in scripture, can sometimes get in the way of our understanding what Jesus meant when he preached about the Kingdom of God.  For us, the Kingdom of God can automatically imply a place or region.  When discussing Jesus’ teachings, a better reference might be the Reign of God or the Rule of God.

Parables

What are parables? Parables are like fables. A fable is a pretend story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or teaching (such as a moral).  Consider the following fable.

Parables are stories that allow us to catch a glimpse of something that is too big for words.  The word parable comes from a Greek word parabole meaning “comparison”.  It usually builds from a literary device called a simile.  In a simile, two very different things are compared to one another in order to illustrate a point.  The word like often (but not always) joins the two parts of the comparison.

Thus, we can define a parable as a brief, concise story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. It differs from fable in excluding animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as actors that assume speech and other powers of humankind.  Parables often have a surprise twist at the end.

The basic story elements in Jesus’ parables grew out of the land, culture, and family life of his people:  farming and shepherding, children playing and adults working at their trades and crafts.  Thus, knowing something about the land and daily life (culture) of the Jewish people of Jesus’ time is essential to grasping the meaning of Jesus’ teachings.  When we read the parables today, it is often helpful to find parallels between our experiences and those of the people Jesus was directly addressing.  That is, we can translate the parables into familiar language.  Even better, we should try to see ourselves in the parables.

ASSIGNMENT
Task: select one of the following parables, read it carefully,  and then answer the three questions below. You can use oremus Bible Browser to help you do this.

  • The Parable of the Lost Coin  (Luke 15:8-10 or Matt 15:8-10)
  • The Parable of the Lost Sheep  (Luke 15:1-7 or Matt 18:10-14)
  • The Parable of the Prodigal and His brother (Luke 15:11-31 or Matt 15:11-32)
  • The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
  • The Three Parables (Matt 13:44-50)

Questions:

  1. Why might the parable have surprised or caught the attention of Jesus’ listeners?
  2. What is being compared in the story?  (The “Reign of God is like…” Or “heaven is like…”)
  3. What does the story say about the “Reign of God,” or the way God rules?

RS 35 Reflection Question: Does Religion Benefit You?

Directions: Answer ALL of questions below.  The Reflection Rubric will be used to access this reflection. When finished, print off your response and hand in or email it to Mr. S.

1)  Read the following three articles.  The articles are The Benefits of Church, Health Benefits of Religion, and Spirituality & prayer relieve stress.  Tell me your reaction to these articles.  Are we better human beings when we are partaking in  religious or spiritual practices?  Defend your view.  Remember, your opinion has no credibility unless it is supported with concrete facts or examples from the articles and/or other sources.

2)  Read the article Is the Internet Bad for Religion?  Do you agree that the internet is to blame for the decline in the number of people associating with a religious or spiritual practice? Why or why not?  Remember, your opinion has no credibility unless it is supported with concrete facts or examples from the article and/or other sources.

Video Study: Dead Poets Society Reflection 1

picture-2Select the page on the left titled, Dead Poets Society Reflection Questions. This page contains two questions.  Select ONE of the questions and answer it.  Print it off and hand it in or e-mail it to me.

The reflection will be evaluated using the refection rubric which can also be found on the page titled, reflection rubric

REMEMBER, what I am looking for is your understanding of the concepts we have learned in class.  You must clearly indicate that you understand those concepts.  I am also looking for some personal revelations or insights.