2016 BIBLE BOWL Study Site and Practice Questions www.orthodoxyouth.org/John All questions will come from the Gospel of John as found in the Orthodox Study Bible. Available from Ancient Faith Publishing (http://store.ancientfaith.com/orthodox-study-bible) and other fine bookstores. For more information and rules on the Bible Bowl and Oratorical Festival, visit www.antiochian.org/festivals 2016 ORATORICAL FESTIVAL SCRIPTURAL SOURCE - JOSHUA 24:15 “But if it does not please you to serve the Lord, choose gods for yourself today whom you will serve, whether the gods of your fathers that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, among whom you dwell in their land. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, because He is holy.” COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC asil the a The topic from Joshua refers to choices that we personally make. Here Joshua t b e meli int m in ld e sa acr a e t in s r in a a personally chooses (“As for me…”) to serve the Lord, the Living God and to t s h e e l d not serve the false gods of the past or the pagans surrounding him. Joshua e r recognizes what God has done for him and that God is Holy. t nafkra int macrin in ti a a sa os s From Joshua’s example, many of the Israelites follow him and serve the Lord. Joshua, like us, has free will to choose to serve God or to choose to not serve sil t God. Joshua willingly chooses to serve the Living God, the Life giving God, ba he t gr in e gory a a gre of s t n t y ter of n s our God, the one true and only God. You and I must also choose whom we e s i s p e b a a t a s in s a t s e will serve. More importantly Joshua says, “As for me and my house…” not just himself but his entire family. Father Paul Nadim Tarazi writes of Joshua, “Likewise, they are - to ‘choose this day’ the day in which Joshua and his house have chosen (Joshua 24:15). That is to say, the choice to serve the Lord is to be made expressly family by family, and the hearers know exactly what that means since they were just reminded (Joshua 22:20)…”* * The Chrysostom Bible: Joshua, Paul Nadim Tarazi page 181 See reverse for Oratorical Instructions... ORATORICAL INSTRUCTIONS Share with your audience three or more of the following: t 8IBUEPFTJUNFBOUPZPVUPTFSWFUIF-PSE )PXEPZPVTFSWFUIF-PSEFBDIEBZBOEFBDIXFFL t $POTJEFSUIFDMPTJOHDIBQUFSTPGUIFCPPLPG+PTIVBBCPVU+PTIVBSFNJOEJOHPUIFSTPG(PEhTTBMWBUJPO UFMMJOHUIFN what God has done for them, and admonishing them not to trust other gods. Also consider how Joshua was steadfast in his decision to serve the one true God. t +PTIVBXSPUFUIBUIFBOEIJTIPVTFDIPTFUPTFSWFUIF-PSEBOEOPUUIFHPETPGUIPTFBSPVOEIJN8IBUBSFUIFHPET UIBUZPVBOEZPVSQFFSTBSFUFNQUFEUPTFSWF t 8IBUEPFTUIFWFSTF "TGPSNFBOENZIPVTFXFXJMMTFSWFUIF-PSE +PTIVB NFBOUPZPVBOEIPXEPFTUIJT BČFDUIPXZPVMJWF t "TBQFSTPODIPPTJOHUPTFSWFUIF-PSE XIBUJTJUMJLFGPSZPVBTBUFFOHSPXJOHVQJO/PSUI"NFSJDB t 8IBUBSFUIFDIBMMFOHFTBOESFXBSETGPSZPVUPTIBSFXJUIZPVSQFFSTPVUTJEFUIF$IVSDIUIBUZPVBSFBO0SUIPEPY $ISJTUJBOBOEUIBUZPVCFMJFWFJOPVS-PSEBOE4BWJPS+FTVT$ISJTU t 0VS-PHPEFQJDUTUIFQJPVTGBNJMZPG4BJOU#BTJMUIF(SFBUćJTFOUJSFGBNJMZTFSWFEUIF-PSE TUBSUJOHXJUIIJTGBUIFS Basil the Elder and his mother Emmelia of Caesarea. Basil’s parents were known for their piety. Emmelia’s father was a Christian martyr. Basil’s maternal grandmother Macrina raised Basil and his four siblings Macrina the younger, Naucratius, Peter of Sebaste and Gregory of Nyssa, all whom are recognized as saints by the Church. Saint Basil’s family is one of those entire families celebrated by the Church. Our theme refers to each family choosing to serve UIF-PSE8IBUJOĘVFODFIBTZPVSGBNJMZIBEPOZPVJODIPPTJOHUPTFSWFUIF-PSEBOEXIBUXJMMZPVEPJOIPQFTPG SBJTJOHZPVSPXOTBJOUMZGBNJMZ t ćFNFTTBHFJOUIFTDSPMMIFMECZ4BJOU#BTJMJOPVS$POGFSFODF-PHPTUBUFT ćJTJTIPXZPVQSBZDPOUJOVBMMZ — not by offering prayer in words, but by joining yourself to God through your whole way of life, so that your life becomes one continuous and uninterrupted prayer.” Share how this message further conveys the theme of this Oratorical Festival. t 8IBUBSFZPVEPJOHJOZPVSMJGFOPXUPQSFQBSFZPVSTFMGUPFTUBCMJTIBOESBJTFBGBNJMZUIBUXJMMDIPPTFUPTFSWFUIF -PSE t 8IBUJOĘVFODFPSFČFDUIBTZPVSQSJFTUBOEUIPTFBSPVOEZPV XIPCFMJFWFJO+FTVT$ISJTUBOETFSWFUIF-PSE IBE POZPV t 8IBUJOĘVFODFIBWFHSFBUQFPQMFTVDIBT.FUSPQPMJUBO+04&1) .FUSPQPMJUBO1)*-*1 4BJOU3BQIBFM ZPVS1BSJTI Priest, Spiritual Father, Spiritual Mother, Father Alexander Schmemann, Father Thomas Hopko and others, who have led our spiritual family had on you and your family. t 8FIFBSGSPNUIFMJGFPG4BJOU)FSNBO BO"NFSJDBOTBJOU UIFGPMMPXJOHRVPUF -FUVTQSPNJTFPVSTFMWFTUIBUGSPN UIJTWFSZNJOVUFXFXJMMUSZUP-PWF(PENPSFUIBOBOZUIJOHBOEGVMĕMM)JT)PMZ8JMM"T4U)FSNBOTIPXT PVS love of God is shown by properly serving Him and following His commandments. How can you as a teen and as a NFNCFSPGZPVSGBNJMZ MJWFPVUUIFXPSETPG4BJOU)FSNBO TIPXJOHMPWFBOETFSWJDFUP(PE RECOMMENDED READING The Book of Joshua The Chrysostom Bible: Joshua As found in The Old Testament by Paul Nadim Tarazi (Especially Chapter 24) OCABS Press, St Paul, Minnesota 2013 (Especially Chapter 16) Available on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/le79hvj PSTDBO23$PEF www.ORTHODOXYOUTH.org.