Ready for Impact (10 minutes)
Take time to introduce yourselves to one another (over drinks or snacks if possible). Then ask group members:
- If you had to nominate one person to be spokesperson for the world to aliens, who would it be – and why?
Over the course of the term, we’re exploring the ancient book of Ecclesiastes. Though Ecclesiastes comes from a very different culture and time to ours, it touches on some of the most profound issues of humanity.
Ask for a volunteer to read Ecclesiastes 8:1-13 to the group, praying a short prayer that, however much they’ve come to know God, they’d know him better as a result of your time together.
Watch
You can download this video to watch offline.
Impacted by the Word (15 minutes)
Suggested questions to help your discussion.
- What does the Teacher assume about what it’s like to live under political authority (verses 2-4)?
- Where have you felt tension between speaking up and staying quiet when authorities have made bad decisions (verse 3)?
- The Teacher seems to say that, for a time, certain political battles are lost causes (verses 5-6). How does this make you feel?
- According to verses 7-8, what do we need to remember about all human authorities?
- What are the dangers if leaders forget the limits to human authority (see verses 9-11)? What about if others forget their leaders’ human limits?
- Read Matthew 22:15-22. How do Jesus’ words in verse 21 relate to what the Teacher has been saying?
The oath in verse 2 could refer to an oath of loyalty to the king that the wise person swore before God. Alternatively, it might refer to the oath sworn by God himself to the king, commissioning him to lead his people.
Either way, the Teacher sees obeying the authorities as an important part of worship for God’s people. This understanding is reinforced in the New Testament (see, for example, Romans 13:1-7). Our default priority should be to submit to the authorities – though both Old and New Testaments also explain that submitting to God always comes ahead of submitting to any human authority.
The Teacher says that wise people serve wherever they can, obey the authorities whenever they must, and always stand apart from injustice. Tension emerges when it’s not possible to do all three, especially when the authorities are making wrong or foolish decisions. This tension is evident throughout these verses!
At the one extreme, wise people shouldn’t ‘be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence’ (verse 2) – i.e. to simply retreat from involvement. However, there are times when wise people should distance themselves from a government’s bad decisions (verse 3). In these situations, the Teacher seems to commend quiet withdrawal from the king’s court.
Why? The Teacher reasons that, at times like these:
- a wise person is not required to do something they know is wrong – verse 3
- staying involved won’t change anything anyway – verse 4
- they can maintain the relationships that allow them to still make a real difference in other areas – verses 5-6
Sometimes reversing the decisions of a government simply isn’t possible – at least for the time being (verses 5-6).
As those living in a democracy, we have more influence on our government than in the days of absolute monarchy that the Teacher describes. But we do need to recognise the limits of our influence. We may not be able to do as much as we would like or hope. Furthermore, changing a culture or society takes time. We must be patient, knowing that at the ‘proper time’ (verses 5-6) things will be put right – even if that time is ultimately when Jesus returns (see verse 13).
We’re not called to be defeatists, but to be wise – picking our battles carefully, using our limited influence to bring about whatever good we can.
Impacting Our Hearts (10 minutes)
Watch the short video that MP Tim Farron recorded for UCCF’s Politics Network last year (3 minutes).
- Where do you notice similarities between Tim Farron and the Teacher’s wisdom?
- “We don’t need to panic, but we do need to care.” Are you more likely to panic or not care? When you pray in a few minutes, what would you like others to pray for you in this regard?
(If anyone in your Impact Group have a passion for politics – whether they’re studying PPE, they’re a member of a political party, or their guilty pleasure is BBC Question Time – be sure to point them towards UCCF’s Politics Network).
Impacting the University (15 minutes)
- What wrongs are students on your campus passionate about seeing addressed? (Come up with at least one example that is specific to your university context.)
- How might the Teacher’s wisdom shape how you seek to impact the university in these areas?
- Is there anything that you could do practically, as individuals or as an Impact Group?
(These could include: volunteering for university Nightline, considering standing as SU sabbatical officers, attending awareness events hosted by your SU, speaking to your hall authorities about your particular concern for others, or sending an encouraging email to those already dealing with these issues on campus).
Take time to pray together. Alongside personal prayer points, you might like to pray for your SU sabbatical officers, local MPs and other politicians you know. Pray that the way you approach politics would mark you out as those who’ve been impacted by Jesus.
Wrap-up – think TACOS 🌮
- Thank You – Thank everyone for coming, and ask someone to thank God for your time together in prayer.
- Ask – Ask those who are new to reading the Bible if they’d like to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in Mark’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life alongside one of you.
- Church and CU – What does the CU have planned ahead? And what help would group members value in finding a local church?
- Others – Who else could you invite to join your CU Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.
- See You Soon – Tell the group where and when you’ll meet next week, and arrange who will bring snacks. (You might like to alternate healthy and less healthy weeks!). See if anyone would be up for sharing a meal or hanging out socially in the meantime!