Advent UMC wrote:

"Looking for lesson ideas for teaching Micah 6:8

Amy Crane responded:

HI, @Advent UMC!

We have a few ideas for lessons on minor prophets here. I think the last idea relating to delivering messages about Justice, Kindness, and being Humble would work well for your outside classes.

The following images show some very interesting ways for kids to CREATE a scene or message with chalk and then become part of their illustration. I like it because it uses a chalk medium that kids are already familiar with, and can be changed/improved. Of course, talking photos of their completed "Justice, Kindness, Walk Humbly" scenes is a must, and a great way to review and share the message.

You can also draw the "verse scenes" on the ground and have the kids lay flat into it, then take the photo from a step ladder to create what's called the "flat lay" photo or drama technique.

Hey Rev Cindy!

Micah 6 is one of my favorite Bible passages!  Please share what you end up doing.

The passage reminds me of the Great Commandment in that it condenses a lot of scripture into a passage that's HIGHLY VISUAL, full of ACTIONS, and is easily and important to remember.   So depicting it and working on remembering it would be two of my goals in teaching it.

How? My initial thought is something like a "stations of the cross" walk-through --> "Micah 6:8 Stations." Each station has something sensory/visual to see or experience, something each participant is asked to "give up" or leave behind, something they can collect to take with them that will help them remember the verses.  

For practical purposes, "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly" are all the same thing. They are three sides of the same attitude. 

"Walking humbly" for example, is the same thing as doing justice and being merciful because in Jesus' lexicon, "humility" is about WHO we walk beside and HOW we walk with others, help, be seen with, side with, stand up for, give to, go out of our way for.  And when we walk with these in this way, we are in fact walking with God.

Jesus says as much in Matthew 25: "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me"    Jesus gives us several VISUALS which could be part of a Micah walk/station:  Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?   I would update those with problems that face us today. 

Micah 6:8 (NIV)

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Neil - you are AMAZING!!! Thank you for this. I was struggling with how to get this across to my elementary and mid-hi kids all while the church building is closed. I'm recording my lesson on Tuesday. I'll keep you posted   Thanks again

Glad to help. 

Funny coincidence: I was just looking at a lesson someone posted about "Sarah's Three Visitors" where in Genesis 18 she laughs at the suggestion that she could have a baby. One of those visitors is God, of course, which is the origin of the saying, "Entertaining Angels Unaware."  That seems to be the same thing Jesus is talking about in Matt 25. 

Reminds me of another favorite story about Jacob who wrestles with a midnight visitor only to discover somewhere during the night that it was God.  I suppose Jesus himself is the biggest example of "God With Us" in a surprising way.  My gosh, then there are Paul's words in  2 Cor 5:20 describing how WE are the "god-bearers" to others: "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."     Seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly are how GOD HIMSELF acts.

I have found it helpful when teaching a Bible verse such as Micah 6:8, to send the children home with the verse on a coloring sheet (or have them use the coloring sheet in class if there is extra time). This helps them engage in the Scripture in a more tactile way and helps them learn/remember the words.

Use your search engine to look for "Micah 6:8 coloring page"

See this entry in our Advent "Magi" Art Workshop forum that connects the three gifts of the Magi to the three things God tells Micah that he wants in Micah 6:8