Ship Loses Record Number of Containers During Storm

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

It's a record no container ship company wants to hold, but the Maersk Line's vessel Svendborg Maersk is now noted for having lost the most containers at sea in a single incident ever.
On February 14, the Danish-flagged ship was en route from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Colombo, Sri Lanka, when it was hit by hurricane-force winds in the Bay of Biscay during a storm that slammed the Atlantic coast of Europe. While struggling against waves of 30 feet and winds of 60 knots, some of the Svendborg Maersk's cargo containers began falling off the ship. This was no deliberate lightening of the ship in the face of the storm, but an unwanted loss of payload.
When the Svendborg Maersk finally made port in Malaga, Spain, an inventory revealed that about 520 of the steel containers -- many about 40 feet long, roughly the size of an 18-wheeler's trailer -- were gone and stacks of others had collapsed. The ship normally carries 6,500-7,000 40-foot containers.
The Maersk Line says that about 85 percent of the lost containers were empty, and that none contained dangerous goods. And while most probably sank quickly, some remained afloat for days, presenting a hazard to other vessels. As of this writing, two containers have been spotted in the middle of the English channel and others seen floating in the sea off Cherbourg, France. When possible, coast guard groups are snagging the containers and towing them into port, and at least 13 have now been recovered (click here for video of one such operation). One container, loaded with cigarettes, has washed ashore on an English beach.
Because there is no requirement that shipping lines report container losses, there's no complete record of how many containers go overboard each year, but in 2011, the World Shipping Council estimated that including "catastrophic losses," such as when a ship capsizes, about 675 are lost annually. One insurer of container lines puts the loss at fewer than 2,000 containers, but other industry sources say the yearly number could be as high as 10,000. Even that number, however, is far less than 1 percent of the containers being moved by sea in a year.
Maersk, which is one of the largest shipping lines, says its highest annual container loss before the Svendborg Maersk incident was 59.
In this case, Maersk initially reported the loss of 70 containers but within a few days, revised the number to 517.
In a statement online, the Maersk Line said, "The total number of lost containers turned out to be even worse than we feared. Svendborg Maersk experienced extreme weather conditions, but also unexpectedly forceful impact on its movements. We will now carefully examine our procedures to see if they need correction in order to avoid similar incidents in the future. As of now we remain focused on supporting our vessel crew and are dedicated to getting correct information about lost or delayed cargo to our customers and ultimately get the ship back in service as soon as possible."
Citing the delay in reporting the full number of lost containers, a French environmental group has announced that it plans to sue Maersk for polluting the ocean, abandoning waste and endangering lives.
The CNN article about the Svendborg Maersk's container losses (link below) quotes "shipping analysts" as saying that one factor affecting the stability of container stacks is that they are often not accurately weighed, and that some shippers understate the weight of their loaded containers to reduce freight charges. However, TWW team member James Gruetzner, who has maritime experience, says that excessive weight was probably not a factor in this specific incident.
Noting that, according to reports, many of the lost containers were empty or contained low-density goods, Gruetzner says this claim is supported by the photos of the ship, with most of her cargo still on board, when she finally made port. He says that the draft marks in the pictures of the ship after the incident show her to be well within her weight limit. "Of course," says Gruetzner, "weight limits vary depending upon location, but since the picture is in port, the actual weight loading is better than indicated."
It is more likely that the containers being empty contributed to the loss, says Gruetzner. "It's like the difference between the wind blowing on a full carton of milk compared to an empty one; the empty one is more likely to be moved," he explains.
The Svendborg Maersk is now back in service, and as of Thursday, it was in the Mediterranean, headed for the Suez Canal.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Ship Loses More Than 500 Containers in Heavy Seas. CNN
Update Svendborg Maersk -- Loss of Containers. Maersk Line
Denmark's Maersk Sued After Losing 517 Containers Off French Coast. RFI
Svendborg Maersk Container Washes Up on English Beach. Seatrade Global
The Big Questions
1. Using the ship carrying containers as a metaphor for us handling our responsibilities, what do you consider to be your God-given duties in life? How did you arrive at that conclusion?
2. What kinds of "storms" make it difficult to fully pursue your daily callings?
3. How do you think God views our failure to do what we perceive as our duty? Does our being under unusual stress have any bearing on God's view of our failures?
4. From a Christian point of view, what is the significance of personal failure? How can it increase our faith in God? What might we do ahead of time to decrease the likelihood that the storms of life will impair our ability to fulfill our God-given duties?
5. Is it fair for the environmental group to sue the shipping company over this incident? Which, if any, was harmed more by the accident: the environmental group or the shipping company? Which is seeking to profit from the accident? Which is better placed to judge trade-offs between the risk of an accident and helping people materially?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
1 Chronicles 16:37
David left Asaph and his kinsfolk there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister regularly before the ark as each day required ... (For context, read 16:37-42.)
This verse and its context verses tell of King David establishing regular practices for worshiping God based on the presence of the Ark of the Covenant, which David had just brought to Jerusalem. The verses tell of the duties assigned to various people to carry on this ministry.
In this context, these worship-related duties may be considered "God-given," and bring to mind stanzas from two Christian hymns, both by Charles Wesley. One is the second stanza of "A Charge to Keep I Have," which says:
To serve the present age,
my calling to fulfill;
O may it all my powers engage
to do my Master's will!
The other stanzas are the first two of "Forth in Thy Name, O Lord, I Go," which say:
Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go,
my daily labor to pursue;
thee, only thee, resolved to know
in all I think or speak or do.
The task thy wisdom hath assigned,
O let me cheerfully fulfill;
in all my works thy presence find,
and prove thy good and perfect will.
Questions: To what degree do these hymn lyrics voice a prayer of your heart? Are there times when a hymn, poem or verse inspires, encourages or even shames us into doing the right thing?
Proverbs 31:15
She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household ... (For context, read 31:10-31.)
Proverbs 31:10-31 has been called an "ode to a capable wife," but in reality, it could be described as "verses in praise of a superwoman," for anyone who could continuously accomplish all the tasks outlined in these verses would surely have a super-human amount of energy and endurance. Frankly, the list of her attributes sounds more like a list of the qualities a man might look for in a wife, but it's hard to imagine that any woman would describe the wife-mother role in such a way as to make it impossible for anyone to live up to it.
Then again, it is no different from any other of God's commands, which none of us humans can fully obey. And note the declaration in the penultimate verse: "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised" (v. 30).
This woman in Proverbs not only manages her household with alacrity, but she rises in the middle of the night with cheerful energy to begin preparing food and directing her household staff. She makes the clothing for her family and herself, as well as extra garments that she markets and sells to local merchants, does charity work for the poor, finds time to handle some real estate transactions and then to plant vineyards on the land she has acquired. Through all of this, she home-schools her children in kindness and religion, keeps up her spirits and behaves with such decorum that she is a good reflection on her husband, who, freed of household duties, is able to take his seat among the elders (a sort of ancient community-service equivalent of sitting on the city council or serving as a judge).
Still, each of the actions taken singly could be a worthy task or even a God-given duty for a parent of either sex.
This passage is also emblematic of the adage "If you want something done, give it to a busy person."
Questions: How does the attitude with which you approach your responsibilities reflect your Christian commitment? Is this an example of how administrative skills such as advance planning and follow-through can be one of the spiritual gifts?
Luke 9:23
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (For context, read 9:21-27.)
This statement from Jesus can be heard on many levels, but for our purposes today, note the dailiness related to taking up our cross. That suggests an ongoing commitment to follow Jesus, with no days off and no intentional downtime, not even during high-stress periods of our lives.
Questions: How do you think Jesus looks upon us who may lose a few "containers" when trying to navigate a life storm? Why? What Scripture verses support your answer?
John 21:15
Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." (For context, read 21:15-19.)
This is the resurrected Jesus speaking to the apostle Peter. While Jesus doesn't mention Peter's three denials of him (John 18:15-26), Jesus here asks Peter three times if he loves him. This perhaps gives us an indication of how Christ views our failures to do our Christian duty -- not so much with condemnation as with a fresh call to love him.
Questions: Do you find this conversation between Jesus and Peter hopeful? Why or why not? Do you consider the commission given to Peter his alone? Are we to accept the same command to "Feed [Christ's] sheep?" spiritually or literally? What do you and your church do or not do in this regard?
Romans 12:6
We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us ... (For context, read 12:1-8.)
The apostle Paul is here speaking about the allotments of skills, abilities and interests that God has implanted in varying kinds and quantities in each person. Our gifts are among the qualities that enable us to fulfill our duties.
Some people differentiate a spiritual gift from a talent by defining a gift as something that a person can do well and also enjoys doing. Thus, if you are able to speak well in public, but hate doing it, then perhaps it is not a spiritual gift for you, only a talent. In Paul's thinking, spiritual gifts are intended for use for the growth and well-being of the church. Thus, the gifts we have been given by God carry with them responsibilities beyond what our talents do.
Questions: What are your spiritual gifts? How are you using them for the good of the church? How are you using them as ways to love your neighbor as you love yourself? Does your church celebrate the gifts of those who are able to get things done with the same regularity as it celebrates gifts of music, teaching or preaching?
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to this, from Abraham Lincoln: "I do the very best I know how -- the very best I can; and mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference."
2. The "Golden Rule," as stated by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:12). Do you consider it your Christian duty to live by the Golden Rule? Why or why not?
3. John 6:39-40 gives us another way to use the lost-container metaphor. In those verses, Jesus says, "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day." Think of the containers as representing people on the ship of the church. In your opinion, does God simply "write off" lost containers as a necessary result of free will? Do you? Is it possible as a congregation to complete the journey with all hands aboard? How does your church note or remember those who have left your congregation, for whatever reason?
4. The news notes that there is no requirement for shipping companies to self-report the loss of containers. What are the requirements, in your line of work or vocation, to self-report errors? What are your obligations, as a believer, to maintain transparency? Are there circumstances where it is kinder, more beneficial or simply right to not self-report a problem?
Responding to the News
In an age when we tend to look at many things in life, including religion and relationships, in terms of "What does it do for me?" it's good to remind ourselves that following Jesus asks us to look at things in terms of what it does for God and for others. "Duty" may have four letters, but it's not a dirty word.
Closing Prayer

Thee may I set at my right hand,
Whose eyes mine inmost substance see,
And labor on at thy command,
And offer all my works to thee.
--From "Forth in Thy Name, O Lord, I Go," by Charles Wesley

Humanist Association Threatens to Sue Public School for Helping Christian Group Feed Hungry Kids

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

The American Humanist Association (AHA) is threatening to sue the School of Engineering and Arts (SEA), an elementary school in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, to halt students from participating in a program to feed hungry children in Haiti.
SEA first-, second- and third-graders joined hundreds of others from the community last month at Calvary Lutheran Church to pack food boxes to feed hungry children in Haiti. The community service project was part of a hunger relief effort that resulted in sending 750,000 meals to the Caribbean nation. The food program is run by Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), a Christian nonprofit. In the Robbinsdale area, Calvary Church served as a center to pack the organization's food boxes.
The school had selected the project as a community service opportunity for its students, who went to the church last month on a field trip to help pack boxes.
In the past, the school has sent students to other service and charity events, which were not affiliated with religious groups. In a letter to parents about the FMSC event, the school principal wrote, "The purpose of this service learning activity was to teach our students civic responsibility and provide opportunities for our students to become active, positive contributors to society."
Although both FMSC and the church operate on a Christian philosophy, both groups had taken steps to enable the involvement of public school children without exposing them to religious views. FMSC normally invites participants to pray at the end of its events, but purposely did not do that while the public school children were there. And Calvary church staged the packing in a room from which all religious symbols had been removed.
After a parent of one of the students notified the Humanist group of the school's program, Monica Miller, an attorney for the group, contacted the school, saying that having the kids participate in the feeding program during school hours facilitated the goals of a religious organization, and thus, the school itself was sponsoring a religious message.
"Sending public school children under your authority to a religious environment -- to work with a religious organization that is on a religious mission -- is a violation of the First Amendment principle of church-state separation," Miller said in a letter addressed to school officials. "Your school has quite clearly violated the Establishment Clause by directing students to attend a pervasively Christian proselytizing environment." Miller went on to write that the message of Calvary Church and FMSC "is contrary to the view of many of the students and their families."
A spokesperson for the school pointed out that students are not required to participate in the FMSC program, and that the school offers alternatives for students who can't or won't go on the field trips.
Nonetheless, the Humanist group says that if the school's involvement with the feeding program continues, they will consider suing the school to stop it.
In a phone interview with a reporter, Miller insisted that the Humanist Association does not object to the charitable cause of FMSC and Calvary church. But they do object to a public school encouraging its students to participate in a program run by a religious organization.
"We are not opposed to educating children about poverty around the world, nor do we object to their participating in a nonreligious program to provide assistance," Miller said in her letter to the school.
Should the AHA file a suit against the school, Alliance Defending Freedom, a law firm that specializes in religious liberty cases, has offered to defend the school free of charge. Matt Sharp, an attorney for the firm, said, "The Constitution does not prohibit students from cooperating with a religious organization to help starving families, which is not any sort of government endorsement of religion. Neutrality toward religion does not permit schools to discriminate against beneficial programs simply because they are run by Christians. That is not neutrality but the very hostility toward religion that the First Amendment forbids."
More on this story can be found at these links:
Humanist Association May Sue District 281 After Church Trips. Sun Post
American Humanist Association Demands Students Stop Feeding Starving Kids. Fox News
Robbinsdale School of Engineering and Arts
American Humanist Association
The Big Questions
1. If you are the parent of starving children and someone gives you food for them, do you care what the motivation of the giver is? Is the food equally a blessing whether it comes from a Christian who is working to love his neighbor as he loves himself, from a humanist who feels sorry for you, from a non-believer who wants to be praised for her charitableness, or from a politician who wants your vote at the next election?
2. Is God pleased when a person helps someone in dire need even if the person's motives are not totally altruistic? (For example, suppose the giver gives food to a starving child not because he particularly cares about that child, but because he'd feel guilty if he didn't.) Is God pleased with the person who does the helping? How, if at all, are these different?
3. What might kids learn about citizenship and being positive contributors to society by witnessing cooperation between groups of different understandings and practices for the sake of doing good in the world?
4. The motto of the American Humanist Association is "Good Without a God." Do you think in this action of asking the public school to stop sending its students to help in the FMSC program the AHA is being faithful to the "good" part of its motto? Why or why not?
5. How do you react when you hear about a story like this? Are you at all sympathetic to the viewpoint of the AHA? Take a moment to role play, defending their point of view. If you were mediating this discussion, what compromise would you suggest? How would you feel if your child or grandchild's school sent the class to an Islamic mosque to help pack food for hungry children in Haiti?
6. What is your reaction to this statement from Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Matt Sharp: "Neutrality toward religion does not permit schools to discriminate against beneficial programs simply because they are run by Christians"?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Matthew 6:2-4
So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (For context, read 6:1-6, 16-18.)
Here, from the Sermon on the Mount, is one of Jesus' clearest statements about the motives behind our religious practices. In the quoted verses, he is talking about alms-giving, saying, in effect, "Don't work at getting credit for your charity work. Don't toot your own horn. Instead, give in secret; God will reward you." In the other verses in the context, he says similar things about prayer (in effect, "Don't make a big production about your prayers so people will comment on how pious you are. Shut the door and pray privately to God. He will reward you"). And he says something similar about fasting (in effect, "Don't show it outwardly. Don't walk around with a hangdog expression on your face so that people will ask you what's wrong and you can tell them you are fasting. No. Instead, go about your business as usual. God will know that you are fasting and will reward you").
But notice this: Even Jesus' own instructions here imply doing these religious practices in expectation of reward. Do your charity work quietly. Pray privately. Fast in secret. But do it all so that God will reward you. (Or, as we might phrase it, "so that you will get a really big mansion in heaven," though we suspect that is not the kind of reward Jesus had in mind.)
Jesus, however, was not telling people to do good deeds for less-than-worthy reasons. He was simply saying that since everything we do is done out of some motive, let's go for the highest motive: pleasing God.
Questions: Does charitable work in the name of your church ennoble your witness? Is it important to make a statement about your beliefs, either overtly or implied (through logos on your hat or t-shirt or on the side of your vehicle)? What is your primary motivation for charitable work?
Matthew 21:28-31
[Jesus said,] "A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" (For context, read 21:28-32.)
Motivation may be a subtext in this parable from Jesus. After telling this story of the two sons, Jesus asked, "Which of the two did the will of his father?" Jesus' original audience -- the chief priests and elders (v. 23) -- answered that the one who actually went to work in the vineyard did. And Jesus' further comments indicated that he agreed. The other son apparently had good intentions, but he never got around to doing what he'd promised to do.
We don't know what motivated the son who had said "no" to change his mind. It may be that he went only grudgingly. Or maybe he felt guilty about refusing his father and went only to assuage his conscience. He may have even gone to show up his brother. Maybe his other plans fell through and he was bored. But in the end, he went, and in so doing, "did the will of his father."
Questions: Does this parable suggest that doing the right action or the right deed is sufficient even if our motivations are not godly? Or does it mean that the right deed is a place to start, but we should still work on getting our intentions in line with our actions? Explain your answer.
Is it more important to be serving humanity in the name of Jesus because your heart is in it, or because you are being obedient? Though usually there is a combination of both involved, do you lean more toward heart or obedience when it comes to service?
Mark 2:14
As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. (For context, read 2:13-15.)

Levi is another name for the disciple Matthew. Note that when Jesus called him to be a disciple, he did not say, "First be sure your motives selfless and not mixed and then follow me." No, he simply said, "Follow me." And that must have meant that Matthew was to follow Jesus despite whatever lack of clarity Matthew had about his reasons for doing so.
Questions: What first motivated you to follow or commit to Jesus? Would you describe that today as an unmixed motive? Why or why not?
Matthew 28:16-19
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ..." (For context, read 28:16-20.)
Note that when Jesus met the eleven apostles on the mountain following his resurrection, the text says, "but some doubted." Jesus gave the great commission to all of them, regardless of doubt or faith.
Questions: When you go out on a service project or work with other church members to raise funds, does your church require everyone to sign a faith statement to show that everyone is on the same page? Does your church work on service projects with other faith groups that may not share core beliefs?
Philippians 1:15-18
Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. These proclaim Christ out of love, ... the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely ... What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice. (For context, read 1:12-18.)
Nothing here about feeding starving children: the apostle Paul is writing about preaching the gospel of salvation from sin through Jesus Christ. Not food for a day, but life for eternity.
Questions: Does the nature of the action (e.g., preaching the gospel vs. feeding children) provide a different rule concerning the necessity of motivation? How or how not, and why or why not? Implicit in all the "does it matter" is the referent object: does it matter to whom? Discuss variations, if they exist.
1 Peter 1:13
Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. (For context, read 1:13-23.)

Here the apostle Peter states the goal of matching intentions with deeds. Christians are to "prepare [their] minds for action" by setting their "hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring ... when he is revealed." Thus, the grace of Christ given to us is the ultimate reason for our doing good works.
In the next verse, Peter adds that we should be holy because God is holy. Holiness involves not merely good intentions, but also good actions. The essence of holiness is loving your neighbor as yourself, and it is impossible to do that with intentions alone. Most of the time, loving your neighbor means concrete, beneficial actions toward him or her. But Peter also wants our intentions to match our actions, for further on in this passage he says, "... love one another deeply from the heart" (v. 22).
Questions: How often are you aware of mixed motives when doing a good deed? Does serving with mixed motives strengthen your faith and remove doubts, or leave you in the same condition as before?
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to this, from T.S. Eliot's play Murder in the Cathedral: The main character, Archbishop Thomas Becket loosely based on the actual Archbishop Becket) is tempted to do what the playwright implies is "the right thing" and to seek martyrdom, but to do so out of pride in his own position, rather than obedience to God (an obedience which would also lead to martyrdom). Becket then declares:
The last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.
2. Can or should we shelter our children from everything that represents beliefs different from our own? If you were the parent in Robbinsdale who contacted the AHA, would you also cover your child's eyes whenever you drive past a church for fear of him or her seeing the steeple or cross? How much is too much "protection"?
3. Team member Frank Ramirez comments, "For the past several years I have been driving a van from a church from a small-town area to a major urban area in order to bring folks to work in a soup kitchen. School-aged individuals often came with us, including some who were not members of the church. They were allowed to take a day off from school and use the experience as required service credits toward graduation." Do you live in an area where school districts and churches work together on programs like this or where school districts are more cautious about working with churches? For instance, does your school district cooperate with an official baccalaureate service? If you have other examples that apply to these questions, share with the group.
4. Discuss this: There is an old Jewish story about a rabbi who slept late one morning and missed his usual hour of prayer. Then Satan, dressed in a disguise, awakened him and urged him to get up and get praying. "Who are you?" asked the rabbi. Satan replied, "What difference does it make as long as I am urging you to do what is right?" At that, the rabbi suddenly said, "Aha, I know who you are. You're Satan come to tempt me!" Satan protested, "But if I really am the tempter, why would I urge you to pray?" "You're the clever one," said the rabbi. "If I had overslept and forgotten my prayers, I would have been penitent, and I would have prayed the more diligently. But if I never missed a prayer in 10 years, I would have become more complacent. God loves my faults mixed with penitence more than my virtue seasoned with pride!"
5. Comment on this: Martin Luther insisted that even the good works of the saints are sinful. Who, he said, would be so bold as to stand before God and say, "Lord, this work that I have done is so perfect that I have no need of any grace or forgiveness for it"?
Responding to the News
This is a good time to remind ourselves that we are "Christians under construction." Not all of our motives are as holy as God is holy, but we need to press on with our good deeds, seeking God's help to be holy.
Closing Prayer

O God, even as we seek to be holy in our motives and intentions, help us to not delay to do good deeds and works of righteousness. In Jesus' name. Amen.

No Rules During Recess Makes Students More Engaged in Classroom

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

When pupils at Swanson Primary School in Auckland, New Zealand, go out for recess, they can play as they wish, including climbing trees, riding skateboards and scooters, sliding in the mud, playing bullrush (a running and chasing game) and doing whatever other activity they dream up. That's because there are no longer any playground rules at the school.
Since the rules have been eliminated, the school has seen a drop in bullying, vandalism and serious injuries, and an increase in concentration levels in the classrooms.
The school's principal, Bruce McLachlan, dropped the playground rules as part of a university experiment. "We want kids to be safe and to look after them, but we end up wrapping them in cotton wool when in fact they should be able to fall over," McLachlan said.
Two years ago, the Swanson school agreed to be part of a study by Auckland University of Technology and Otago University, that was intended to encourage active play by children. McLachlan, however, took the experiment a step further by eliminating the recess rules completely.
Initially, some of the Swanson teachers were skeptical of the no-rules move, but when the university study results were released, teachers and researchers alike were amazed by the results.
"The kids were motivated, busy and engaged," said McLachlan. "In my experience, the time children get into trouble is when they are not busy, motivated and engaged. It's during that time they bully other kids, graffiti or wreck things around the school."
The kids, in fact, were so engaged during playtime that fewer teachers were needed to be on patrol.
There was even a financial benefit to the school. With many safety rules no longer in effect, the school was able to abandon plans to upgrade its playground with costly new equipment. Instead, the kids started playing in a "loose parts pit," using their imaginations to create activities from such items as old wood, used tires and a scrapped fire hose.
It should be noted that, although formal and specific playground "rules" were dropped, there were still informal and more generic rules in place. For example, fist fights would presumably be halted by teachers -- at least if they lasted any significant length of time -- and students would not be allowed to steal from other students. In addition, children playing games would likely adhere to -- or appeal to -- the rules of the game. The difference appears to be in the lack of specific rules against free-form play activity, and the lack of rules imposed by the school authorities when kids self-organized games.
The study is over, but Swanson Primary School has made the no-rules practice permanent.
One researcher on the project commented that society's obsession with protecting children "ignores the benefits of risk-taking."
Writing in The Atlantic about Swanson School's no-rules practice, writer and former teacher Jessica Lahey said that many American school administrators do not feel they have the freedom to eliminate playtime rules. "Parents drive our nation's tendency toward more restrictive playground rules because parents are the ones who sue schools when their children get hurt," she said.
Lahey, who has worked at five different schools, said she loved watching her students frolic on the playground, but "did not love having to intervene every time an elbow was thrown or a first-grader jumped off a moving swing." But she said she felt she had no choice. "Our playground rules were clear. Children were to be watched constantly and closely in order to prevent injuries, and history had shown that when an injury did occur despite these precautions, teachers and administrators were often to blame for failing to intervene earlier."
Still, she hopes that the no-rules change might eventually gain traction in the United States.
More on this story can be found at these links:
School Ditches Rules and Loses Bullies. TVNZ
Recess Without Rules. The Atlantic
The Big Questions
1. In terms of the Christian life, what things, if any, do you consider "rules"? If you believe that there are only a few rules for Christians or none at all, what helps you decide how to behave in new situations? To what extent, if any, does it matter who (or Who) is laying down the rules? How does knowledge of who is making the rules affect the validity of the rules and your own propensity to obey the rules?
2. When it comes to significance, are all "rules" the same? Does the source of the rule make a difference? Why or why not? Legal philosophy divides laws into "rules" against things that are bad in themselves (malum in se) and those that are illegal merely because they've been prohibited by someone claiming authority (malum prohibitum). Does this distinction aid in considering the story about Swanson Primary School? Why or why not?
3. Where have you benefited in your faith from your own risk-taking? How does risk-taking fit in with following Jesus? What is the biggest risk you have taken as a Christian? What were the results?
4. Because you are a follower of Jesus, are some of society's rules not needed in your case? If so, which ones are unnecessary and why? Do you find some of society's rules to be invalid -- or even opposed to Jesus' teachings? If so, how does that affect your obedience to those rules? When have people assumed you would do the right thing because you are a Christian? When have you made the unspoken assumption that someone else would do the right thing because he or she was a Christian? What was the result?
5. What is the spiritual effect on you when you are not "motivated, busy and engaged"?
6. What rules should be kept in place for children? Why? When you were a child, were there any protections by teachers/staff against bullying? Were you bullied? Were you a bully? What do you think the result would have been if the Swanson School rules had been in place at your school?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes. (For context, read 17:1-6.)
This comment occurs twice in the book of Judges: once here in chapter 17 and once at the very end of the book, in 21:25. As such, the comment appears as "brackets" around the intervening material. During the time of judges, there was no king, and thus no central government, and apparently not much in the way of local government either. In fact, it was a time with no enforced rules. The people had the law of Moses, but with no enforcement, people did more or less whatever they wanted, and as a result, all sorts of boundaries were crossed that should not have been.
Read the material in chapters 17 through 21 and you will find accounts of people appointing their own priests, tales of idolatry, a land grab by one tribe from another, a story of terrible abuse of a woman resulting in her death, internecine battles and a capturing of virgins who were forced to be wives of the men of one tribe. No rules indeed! And no boundaries either!
Questions: Would you want to live in a society without rules? Why or why not? What are some negative uses of laws, rules or boundaries? What are positive uses? Where do Christian adults find their behavior boundary lines?
Matthew 23:23-24
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! (For context, read 23:1-36.)
The verses above are a snippet of Jesus' much longer denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees for their legalistic practice of faith -- their turning of what was meant to bring fullness of life into a restrictive set of rules that brought only narrowness of life. Clearly, Jesus saw that rule-keeping without attention to "the weightier matters of the law," including "justice and mercy and faith," was a dead-end street.
Questions: What makes some of us prefer rule-keeping over attention to justice, mercy and faith? Name a rule that has set up barriers to justice and doing right.
Mark 2:27
The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath ... (For context, read 2:23-27 and Matthew 12:1-13.)
This verse comes in a story where Jesus' disciples disobeyed a specific rule against working on the Sabbath. Jesus himself also disobeyed that command (in the Matthew account) by healing a man with a deformed hand -- on the Sabbath.
We might presume that the Pharisees accusing Jesus and his disciples of rule-breaking had good intentions -- of following God's commands. We might also presume that those imposing specific rules and effectively micromanaging kids' playtimes at schools have good intentions. Even so, the slavish obedience to these sorts of rules can be harmful, either immediately or in the long term.
In the Swanson Primary School case, the rules that were dropped were, one may assume, intended to be for the sake of the children, but were at the root made for the sake of the school staff's liability. The actual needs for children's development and maturity were ignored until the rules were removed.
Questions: What are some instances where you've encountered rules that were made not for your (or society's) benefit, but really for the benefit of the rule-maker? What are some instances of rules or legislation that you've supported that may be for your own benefit (or to please yourself), rather than for the actual benefit of others?
Galatians 3:23-24 (NIV)
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. (For context, read 3:21-26.)
Born a Jew, the apostle Paul had high regard for the Law of Moses, but once he became a Christian, he realized that the law itself was not the final word. Rather, he saw it as an educator or "guardian" to teach us right and wrong. The Greek word translated here as "guardian" referred in Paul's day to a trusted household slave who was responsible to watch over his master's son. The guardian's duties included accompanying the boy to school, making sure he attended to his studies and keeping him out of trouble. The time would come, of course, when that son reached adulthood, and from that time forward, he no longer needed the protective and corrective care of the slave.
The NRSV uses the word "disciplinarian" instead of "guardian," which is also a valid translation of the Greek word. Paul's implication here is that the law "disciplined" Israel until faith came, but "we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian" (v. 25, NRSV).
Some theologians believe this means that the Law of Moses teaches us to distinguish right from wrong and righteousness from sin until we internalize such boundaries. Paul said that living by faith in Christ Jesus, which is the "adult" stage that no longer needs the law as a guardian/disciplinarian, makes persons "children of God" (v. 26). Others believe that the Law of Moses has a purpose of bringing us to the realization that we are sinful -- we have broken the Law -- and that it is only through Jesus' righteousness that we are judged "not guilty" before God.
Questions: In what areas do you feel you have achieved some spiritual maturity? In what ways do you have some spiritual growing up to do? In what areas do you believe the law continues to show you your sinfulness? How and why? How, specifically, do we help our children learn where the moral boundaries are?
Matthew 22:35-40
... one of them ... asked [Jesus] ... "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (For context, read 22:34-40.)
Here Jesus essentially boils all of the Law of Moses down to two commandments, and even those two are very specific in terms of "do this" and "don't do this." Loving God and loving neighbor are the broad principles. A great many actions and behaviors can fit into those two commands. Perhaps we would do better to think of them as touchstones against which to examine our actions: "Is what I am doing honoring of God and loving toward my neighbor?"
Questions: When have you used these two commandments as guidance for some action on your part? When have you dropped some planned action after deciding that it was neither honoring of God nor an expression of love toward your neighbor?
2 Samuel 11:1-3
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. (For context, read 11:1-5.)
These are the opening lines of the story of David's adultery with Bathsheba and his eventual murder of her husband. Notice that the narrator makes a point of telling that this happened at "the time when kings go out to battle," but that David didn't go. The narrator seems to be telling us that David's great sins occurred during a time when he was not motivated, busy and engaged.
Note too that this was not a case where there were no rules. In David's day, the Ten Commandments were known, yet David broke several of them -- coveting his neighbor's wife, committing adultery, committing murder.
Question: Since most of us have some leisure time, as well as some times when we are on our own, how might this Bible story serve as a warning for us?
For Further Discussion
1. What sometimes leads you to violate boundaries such as good taste, Sabbath observance, personal modesty, moral uprightness, etc. that you have previously accepted?
2. Would you encourage the school where the young children in your life attend to eliminate playground rules? Why or why not?
3. Comment on this, from one of the researchers on the New Zealand experiment: "Children develop the frontal lobe of their brain when taking risks, meaning they work out consequences. You can't teach them that. They have to learn risk on their own terms. It doesn't develop by watching TV, they have to get out there."
4. Should we as Christians need any rules? What rules did you grow up with? What does it say about us as churches that we often compile complex systems of rules for weddings, funerals, building use and even worship? What rules at your church bother you? Which do you approve of?
5. Every four years, one denomination organizes a national youth conference. Although there are time slots where options are offered, for the most part, youth go from breakfast to Bible study to worship to small groups to lunch to workshops and more worship and more activities and dinner and evening activities. There is little or no down time. By contrast, every two years the same denomination organizes a national conference for older adults. There are many options offered -- worship, entertainment, Bible study, electives, crafts, activities -- but nothing is mandatory. Is it fair to offer the freedom to make choices (as seems to be what is happening in the New Zealand recesses) to senior adults but not to youth? Why? Have you known adults, youth and/or seniors who require constant supervision? And vice versa, that require none? Are there those who come to your church who seem to follow their own agenda, neither attending worship, nor Sunday school, nor any other programmed activity? What do you think about such choices? What should churches do with regard to providing options?
Responding to the News
This could be a good time to consider what rules are in place in your church's children's department or program, and to evaluate their effectiveness.
Closing Prayer

O God, help us to so internalize your word that we live willingly and faithfully within the boundaries you have set for our well-being and the well-being of others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

American Atheists Tell Super Bowl Fans 'Prayer Doesn't Work'

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

Super Bowl 48 is behind us, but the subject of praying during the game lingers, thanks to an anti-prayer billboard ad launched by American Atheists to run near MetLife Stadium before and during the game.
The 14- by 48-foot billboard shows a priest holding a football and declaring, "A 'Hail Mary' only works in football. Enjoy the game!" The electronic billboard displayed that ad six times per hour.
In football, a "Hail Mary" refers to a long pass thrown in desperation, especially near the end of the first half or of the game, when a team is too far from the end zone to score by means of more conventional plays.
Historically, such a play is preceded by prayer for its success. Thus, the point of the billboard ad was that prayer does not work in life. And the American Atheists organization hammered that point in a press release announcing the billboard.
"Prayer is superstition, plain and simple," the press release said. "It trivializes the dedication of the players and takes away from their achievements. A third of football fans pray in hopes of helping their team. These are adults we're talking about -- people with children, people with careers, people who vote."
The statement that "A third of football fans pray in hopes of helping their team" may be based on a recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute which found that more than half of American fans believe some aspect of supernatural forces is at work in sports, "meaning they either pray to God to help their team, have thought their team was cursed at some point in time, or believe that God plays a role in determining the outcome of sporting events," the survey concluded.
The survey found that roughly 20 percent of all those surveyed felt that praying to God to help their team made a difference in the game's outcome, but among white evangelical Protestant sports fans, the figure is 38 percent, with white mainline Protestant sports fans coming in at 33 percent and minority Protestant sports fans at 29 percent. Catholics were at 21 percent and the religiously unaffiliated at 15 percent.
The American Atheists' press release continued: "It's 2014; it's time to stop believing that prayer works. Give credit where credit is due and celebrate what this is really about -- coming together to cheer on hard-working athletes doing what they do best."
Wikipedia explains the link between the Hail Mary pass and prayer: "The former Notre Dame halfback Jim Crowley often told the story of an October 28, 1922, game between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech in which the Fighting Irish players said Hail Mary prayers together before scoring each of the touchdowns, winning the game 13 to 3. According to Crowley, it was one of the team's linemen, Noble Kizer (a Presbyterian), who suggested praying before the first touchdown, which occurred on a fourth and goal play at the Tech 6-yard line during the second quarter. Quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, another of the Horsemen, threw a quick pass over the middle to Paul Castner for the score. The ritual was repeated before a third and goal play, again at Tech's six, in the fourth quarter. This time Stuhldreher ran for a touchdown, which sealed the win for Notre Dame. After the game, Kizer exclaimed to Crowley, 'Say, that Hail Mary is the best play we've got.'"
In the Roman Catholic Church, a "Hail Mary" (also called "Ave Maria") is a prayer to the Virgin Mary, based on the salutations of the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:28) and Elizabeth (Luke 1:42) to her.
The billboard ad also displayed the web address of the American Atheists' national convention, which is scheduled for Easter weekend in Salt Lake City.

More on this story can be found at these links:
Atheists Launch Anti-Prayer Super Bowl Billboard Near MetLife Stadium. Mail Online
Hail Mary Never Works: Column. USA Today
Survey: Half of American Fans See Supernatural Forces at Play in Sports. Public Religion Research Institute
Press Release: Atheists Take Playful Jab at Prayer in Super Bowl Billboard. American Atheists
The Big Questions
1. How often does prayer change an outcome? Explain your answer. If an outcome seems to change after praying for such, does that mean that prayer can make God change his mind?
2. When prayer does not change an outcome, what does it change?
3. Specifically, does praying for a sports team you favor make any difference in the game outcome? Why would God care about who wins a ball game? What happens if equal numbers of people are praying for both teams? Does your own level of interest and/or participation in sports affect how you answer these questions?
4. Are there any matters too trivial to take to God in prayer? If so, give examples. If not, why not?
5. What is the primary purpose(s) of prayer?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (For context, read 7:7-11.)
These are words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, but taken out of context, they sound like the wording of a guarantee: Follow these instructions faithfully and you will get the desired results. The words seem to promise that we can receive anything we pray for if we pray with enough intensity and persistence.
Yet in context, that is not the intent of Jesus' words. In the Sermon on the Mount thus far, Jesus had already asked his hearers to live righteously, to forgo anger, to shun retaliation, to avoid lust, to love their enemies, to forgive those who injured them and to not be anxious about the future. We can imagine that some in the audience that day were thinking, "How am I going to do all those things? Those are too hard!"
Jesus, however, anticipates that thinking, and so makes his comments about prayer. He tells his audience to just ask God for the ability to live righteously, to love their neighbors, to forgive those who hurt them, and so on. Those are qualities that praying affects. In other words, Jesus tells them that the answer to prayer for themselves most often comes in the form of spiritual graces in their lives.
Questions: What spiritual changes have you experienced because of praying? Are spiritual changes more important than the requests you made through prayer? Has there been an occasion when you have prayed for something and received a totally unexpected answer or result?
John 17:20-21
I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. (For context, read 17:13-24.)
This is from Jesus' prayer on the night before he was crucified. Here, he prays to the Father that not only his immediate disciples, but also all who would come to believe in him, "may all be one." In fact, not just one in a sort of "we're all in this together" way, but one in the way Jesus and the Father are one. And the purpose of this oneness is not for camaraderie, but that the rest of the world may know that Jesus was sent by God and may come to believe as well.
From what we know of the subsequent history of the original apostles, aside from Judas, they all spent the rest of their lives spreading the Gospel, and it is likely that they came as close to oneness as any Christians since. But given the multiplicity of denominations and disunited congregations the church has broken into since then, it is clear that what Jesus prayed for the night before he was crucified has not come to pass across the whole body of Christian believers.
That leads us to wonder whether Jesus expected his prayer to be fulfilled. He had a divine perspective, but even as a human being, Jesus had an acute understanding of what makes people tick and was spot on in his diagnosis of the human condition. Thus, it is hard to imagine that he thought the church would march on smoothly as one unbroken line of unity after his ascension. Yet here in these verses he prays to the Father that "they may be one, as we are one" (v. 22).
Questions: Should we pray for what seems unlikely to happen? Why or why not? What criteria would you use to judge whether a prayer was answered, as, for instance, in this prayer by Jesus that we might all be one?
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." (For context, read 12:1-10.)
This is the apostle Paul's comment about some unspecified but persistent physical ailment he had. He prayed three times to be relieved of it, but God did not remove it. The outcome Paul desired did not occur. Instead, Paul wrote that the answer to his prayer is "My grace is sufficient for you, for [my] power is made perfect in weakness." Even though his request was not granted, Paul found in that response no reason to stop praying.
It's possible that praying for the unlikely stretches us and puts before us the things that we should work on as people of faith.
Questions: How long do you think Paul waited before he understood that the answer to his prayer was "My grace is sufficient for you, for [my] power is made perfect in weakness"? When have you perceived a prayer of yours to have been answered in some way other than in the way you requested? How hard has it been for you to accept that despite your wait, a situation is not going to change, and that you are going to continue with your own thorn in the flesh? How would you feel if your prayer to be relieved of a thorn was not answered, but another's was? Or vice versa?
James 5:13-16
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. (For context, read 5:13-18.)
James is saying that we should set no limits on the power of prayer, for it is far more powerful than people commonly think. He is saying to his readers: Are you suffering? Pray for help! Are you sick? Pray for healing! Are you a sinner? Pray for forgiveness! After all, he says, look what Elijah was able to accomplish with the weather through prayer (see vv. 17-18). James says we should pray about all the things that concern us, whether that's our health, our soul, our kids or our crops.
We don't know how much God alters the weather -- or the outcome of football games -- due to our prayers, but the testimony of the Bible again and again is that prayer is one way in which we connect with God and that prayer has more impact than our natural skepticism leads us to expect. James wants us to take seriously the power of prayer.
Questions: What is your most compelling or astonishing experience with prayer? Did the outcome prayed for occur?
Matthew 14:23
And after [Jesus] had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. (For context, read 14:22-25.)
This is one of several verses in the gospels that tell of Jesus going off by himself to pray. Here in Matthew 14, he is doing so after spending the day teaching and feeding the 5,000 (see vv. 13-21). In most of the cases of Jesus going off to pray, we don't know what he prayed about. In fact, that's the point. Most of the time for Jesus, prayer was a private encounter with God. And maybe the lesson from that is that our prayers too, are not primarily to change outcomes but are for finding our way to God on a deeply personal level.
Questions: In what ways has prayer deepened your life? Does prayer have to be about something, or to achieve something? Can prayer be a means of maintaining relationship and conversation? What prayer disciplines do you practice? When do you create a mountain-style space to pray?
For Further Discussion
1. Regarding praying for outcomes of sports contests, comment on this: Several years ago, boxer Floyd Patterson credited the Lord for helping him flatten Archie Moore to win the heavyweight championship. "I could see his eyes go glassy as he fell back," Patterson said, "and I knew if he got up again, it wouldn't do him any good. I just hit him and the Lord did the rest."
2. Respond to this, from the Fox News column "Is It OK to Pray for Your Team to Win Super Bowl 2012?": On November 28, 2010, Steven Johnson lined up as a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. On November 28, the Bills were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and they ultimately lost the game because Johnson dropped a pass late in the game, in the end zone. After the game, Johnson tweeted, "I praise you 24/7!!! And this is how you do me!!! You expect me to learn from this??? How??? I’ll never forget this!! Ever!!" Johnson praised God 24/7, but what kind of God was he praising? What was his prayer expectation? What would you advise him?
3. Respond to this: One biblical commentator points out that in Matthew's gospel, faith "is always not a quality of the one praying, but a relationship of practical trust with the one to whom the prayer is offered."
4. In the 1500s, John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, had to stand against Mary, Queen of Scots, who was determined to re-establish Catholicism as the state religion. At one point during the struggle, Mary commented about Knox, "I fear his prayers more than I do the armies of my enemies." Why do you suppose she said that?
5. A woman named Mimi Rumpp used to pray for a winning lottery ticket, but finally abandoned that as an unworthy prayer. But then she found she needed a kidney transplant, and she did pray fervently about that. Within a year, a bank teller to whom Mimi had mentioned her need was so moved that she had herself tested, found she was a perfect match and donated a kidney to Mimi. Do you think God paid more heed to Mimi's prayer for a kidney than for a winning lottery ticket? Why or why not?
Responding to the News
This lesson is not intended to suggest that we shouldn't pray for things that may be unimportant in the larger scheme of things. "Pray without ceasing," Paul said (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and we think he's right. We think we're better to pray more than pray less, but also to ask God to let our prayers deepen our relationship with him.
In one of his books, C.S. Lewis makes the point that it is a mystery that God asks us to pray for what we want. He then adds that it would be just as mysterious if God did not ask us to pray.
Closing Prayer

O Lord, teach us how to pray, and for what. Thank you, because you hear even our inadequate prayers. Let our prayers enable us to draw close to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.