Jan. 27 - "Store" (segment 016)

Discussion guide questions:



The scene opens with a man driving into a busy parking lot of a grocery store, and just as he's going to pull into a parking spot, someone else drives into it instead. When he gets inside the store, the cart he pulls is the one with the sticky, wobbly wheel. Rob, sitting in a cafe, relates a story about being flipped off in traffic even though he was driving 75 mph at the time.

• What are some situations where people easily get "under your skin"?
• Do you let these people know? If so, how?

The man in the grocery store continues shopping, facing more inconveniences everywhere he turns. Rob continues his story about the angry driver, saying, "There is this low-grade boiling rage that many people carry around with them everywhere they go."

• What are some places where you typically see the low-grade boiling rage in other people?

Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. - Mark 3:1-2 (TNIV)

More and more annoying things happen to the man shopping in the grocery store: his favorite brand of orange juice is sold out, he's unable to go down an aisle, etc. Rob continues to explain his idea that "The problem isn't anger; the problem is what we do with it. It's where we take it, where we go with it."

• What was the last thing that you got angry about?
• Have you asked yourself why this made you angry? Where did your anger lead?

Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with the shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. - Mark 3:1-4 (TNIV)

Rob clarifies that our anger is about "our pride, our ego," while Jesus' anger directed toward "an injustice larger than himself."

• Do the things that typically make you angry regard your own situation or bigger, universal issues?
• Do you believe the things you usually get angry about are actually worth getting angry about?
• Have you ever gotten so angry you broke something? That you said or did things you never would've thought you'd say or do? So angry that you scared yourself?

Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. - Mark 3:1-5 (TNIV)

• What are some things you could do to ensure your anger leads to making things better?

Rob suggests that when looking to find a calling, a mission, or a purpose, along with asking yourself what you love, also ask yourself, "What makes you angry?" He says, "Some people are always looking for a fight because they aren't in one."

• What are some things in the world right now, some larger issues, that make you angry?
• When you think about what you want to do with your life, are those things part of your consideration?
• Have you given yourself to a cause bigger than yourself that's making the world a better place? How?

The video closes with the man starting to drive away from the grocery store, having endured every peeve, annoyance and inconvenience known to shopperkind. A rogue shopping cart rolls in his car's path. Against all expectations, the man gets out of his car and calmly pushes the cart back to the corral.

Class discussion: things that make us angry like poor customer service, long lines, traffic, teenagers; considering being more like God in response to anger; how to deal with angry feelings; things we feel right being angry about.

Action items for the week:

• Think about one issue that makes you angry.
• Think of one way to channel that anger into energy for something positive.
• Push an extra grocery cart back to the cart corral.

Video note: It's estimated that supermarkets in the U.S. spend up to $180 million annually to replace lost shopping carts.

"Story of Stuff" link

Here is the link to "The Story of Stuff" video that people have mentioned in class: http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Jan. 20 - "Noise" (segment 005)

Discussion guide questions:

Rob is sitting on his couch watching TV, surfing through the channels. As he hits the remote, you see the channel numbers in the upper right hand corner, but they're backwards. Then you realize you, the viewer, is actually in the TV. Rob starts talking about Bernie Krause who, when recording nature sounds for film and TV, has to log in more than 2000 hours of recording time to get just one hour of undisturbed sound. In 1968, it only took him 15 hours to do the same thing. Rob also talks about God being in the silence. He clicks the remote again, and suddenly the screen goes black.

• What does the Bernie Krause situation say about how our world has changed?
• What kind of noise do you have in your life.

After a minute, the screen is still black, but now questions and statements scroll onscreen.

• Do you ever surround yourself with noise intentionally? If so, why do you think we do this?
• Do you wish God's voice would be louder in your life?
• Does all the noise in our lives make it hard to hear God?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened an I will give you rest. - Jesus in Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

• "If I'm not still, and if I don't listen, how is Jesus going to give me rest?"
• When was the last time you spent some time in silence?
• "Have you spent the same amount of time worrying and talking about your difficult, confusing situations as you have spent in silence, listening to what God might have to say?"
• Do you sometimes avoid silence because you're afraid of what God might actually have to say to you?

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. - Luke 5:16 (NIV)

• "These were regular disciplines Jesus had. Silence. Solitude."
• Are you ever alone or do you always need somebody around you?
• "Does my schedule,my time, my life look like that of a person who wants to hear God's voice"
• What are some things in your daily life you could change to eliminate some of the noise?

The "TV" turns back on, showing Rob still sitting on the sofa, remote in hand. He asks, "Is it possible that you've been searching for God in the winds...the earthquakes and fires...and he's waiting to speak to you in the silence?"

Search your hearts and be silent. - Psalm 4:4 (NIV)

Class discussion: those of us who are addicted to noise, those of us who cherish the silence the make space for, making praying a more automatic response to internal noise, pressure to be wired and tuned in, the "Story of Stuff," not having used the class time to be practice silence instead of discussing

Action items for the week:

• Go on a noise diet.
• Listen for God in the new silence created from your noise diet.
• Replace a complaint with a prayer.
• Check out Dr. Bernie Krause's website: http://www.wildsanctuary.com/
• Wear hearing protection the next time you operate loud equipment.

Video note: Since releasing "Noise," Nooma customer service has received numerous calls from frustrated and perplexed customers wondering why this Nooma is only 2 minutes and 34 seconds long.

Jan. 13 - "Lump" (segment 010)

Discussion guide questions:

Rob sits in his house, holding a small white ball. He starts telling a story about how he found the ball in the family's "junk drawer." When he asked his wife about the ball, she said she didn't know where it came from. They asked their younger son, and he said the same thing. When they asked their older son, he said he didn't know where it had come from either. The older son, though, started acting strange, "like he was some kind of character off of a tv show." Later, the story continues, the two boys were fighting. When Rob's wife asked the older son if he hit his little brother, he started the same bizarre character-act. He told his mom he didn't know what happened, and his mom said, "Kind of like you don't know where that white ball came from?"

• Have you ever gotten busted for something you'd done? What was it?
• Do you think it's possible to keep something secret and never get busted for it?

After he was caught lying, Rob's son ran upstairs. He hid in the middle of his parent's bed under a pile of blankets.

• What are the ways you avoid dealing with your junk?

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. People reap what they sow. - Galatians 6:7 (TNIV)

Rob was driving home when his wife called and told him what happened. He started wondering what he was supposed to do with his son.

• Do you have people around you who are struggling with something and keeping it to themselves?
• If so, are you having a hard time figuring out what to do?
• What are your options?

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

When he found his son hiding under the covers, Rob pulled the blankets back to reveal the tired, sweaty, curled up little boy. He says that his son had a choice either to pull the covers back over his head to keep hiding or to remain totally exposed. Rob hugged his son and told him, "There's nothing you could ever do to make me love you less."

• Do you have anything in your life you're hiding, something you're ashamed of?
• Are you ready to deal with it?
• Do you have people around you that could never do anything to make you love them less?
• Is this really how we should feel about all other people?

Nothing can separate us from God's love - not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! - Romans 8:38-39 (CEV)

• Do you believe, deep in your heart, that God loves you no matter what you've done or will do?

Class discussion: things we've done in the past that we got busted on and how that made us feel, things that we've never been busted on, avoiding our "junk" and the downward spiral it creates, people in our lives that we love unconditionally, the disintegration of the sense of community in neighborhoods and in society.

Action items for the week:

• Do one thing that will create a greater sense of community where you live, work or play.
• Think of 1 person who could never do anything to make you love them less and figure out a way to let them know how you feel.
• Clean out your junk drawer.

Video note: Like "Rain" and "Kickball" before it, "Lump" is based on a real story from Rob's life with his family. The white ball in the film had been taken from a family friend's house and was returned by Rob's son a few days later.

Jan. 6 - "Bullhorn" (segment 009)

Discussion guide questions:

Rob is waiting for a bus and starts talking about having gone to a concert recently. He noticed a man passing out pamphlets and shouting at concert goers through a bullhorn, telling them to repent. Rob calls him "Bullhorn Guy."

• How do you feel about people like bullhorn guy?
• Are people like bullhorn guy hurting the general perception of Christianity?
• What things other than bullhorn guy negatively taint the perception of the Christian faith?

Rob proposes the idea that the reason so many people are interested in Christianity is Jesus' message that "God really, really loves us exactly as we are."

• What draws you to the message of Jesus?

"Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?" Jesus answered:"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.' This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, 'Love others as much as you love yourself.' All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments." - Matthew 22:36-40 (CEV)

• What's the most important thing in your life? How does that line up with what Jesus said?

Rob tells bullhorn guy that the reason his tactics aren't working is because he seems to just be converting people to his religion, "like they're notches on some spiritual belt." He asks, "If I'm loving somebody with an agenda, then it isn't really love, is it?"

• What does it mean to love someone with an agenda?
• Is trying to convert someone to your religious beliefs an agenda?

In describing a Christian, Rob says s/he is "somebody who understands that people with different perspectives and different religious beliefs an convictions, they're to be loved an respected, because they're made by God, and they're sacred and they're valuable and they matter."

• Does God love people with different beliefs that you? As much as he loves you?
• How do you feel about people with different beliefs than you?

Rob loses with a challenge to the viewer: "What are you doing to change the perception [of Christianity]"?

• What are some general negative perceptions of Christians out there?
• Are the negative perceptions of Christianity caused by what we believe or how we're living?
• Are you doing anything to change the negative perceptions?

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. - John 13:35 (TNIV)

Class discussion: mega-churches, growth for growth's sake, pastors' influence on a church, personality versus message, commitment to weekly attendance, how to show Christian love or acceptance

Action items for the week:

• Pick the most annoying person you know, and meditate on God loving that person as much as you. See how your mind and heart react to this thought.
• Come up with one tactic you can do to draw people to Christianity or to Trinity.

Video note: Many "Velvet Elvis" concert t-shirts can be spotted during the crowd scenes in the film, although that wasn't the name of the band playing that night. "Velvet Elvis" is the title of Rob's first book.

Dec. 23 - "Breathe" (segment 014)

Discussion guide questions:

The scene opens as a subway train emerges from a dark tunnel. It passes a station and then plunges back into another tunnel. Rob, waiting for the train, gives some statistics about breathing. He asks, "With all that all of us have going on every day, who actually thinks about their breathing?"

• Do you ever think about your breath?
• Have you ever thought about your breath from a spiritual perspective?

"Do not come and closer," God said. "Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:5-6 (NIV)

• What do you believe it means to be "standing on holy ground"?
• Are we standing on holy ground, all of the time, but are not aware of it?

Rob begins discussing God's name. Although the English translation is L-O-R-D, the original Hebrew name is four letters, Y-H-V-H, which are pronounced "Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh." These letters were used as vowels in ancient Hebrew. Rob asks, "Is the name of God the sound of breathing?"

• Have you ever thought about God's name?
• Have you ever thought about God's name being anything different than just a name?
• If the name of God is the sound of breathing, how does that change the way you view yourself as a living being? How does it change the way you view others?

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. - Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)

"We're fragile and vulnerable, we come from dust," Rob says. "And yet at the same time, we've been breathed into by the creator of the universe."

• Are there ways in which you feel sacred and divine?
• Do you think it's possible to feel both vulnerable and divine at the same time?
• If the words for "breath" and "spirit' are the same in biblical context, does that affect your view of yourself and others?

One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:6 (NASB)

• What do you have that you need to let go of - what do you need to breathe out?
• What can you do in your life to make sure you don't miss that you're "standing on holy ground"?

Class discussion:

Action items for the week:

• Set a timer for 1 minute. In that minute, imagine the breaths you're taking as breaths from God.
• The next time you're waiting in line, observe people breathing, and imagine they're breathing in God.
• Practice breathing exercises to lower your stress and increase energy.
• Breathe cleanly. If you smoke, quit.

Video note: "Breathe," the 14th Nooma in the series, is the first Nooma ever in which the word 'Nooma' (pneuma) occurs.

Dec. 16 - "Luggage" (segment 007)

Discussion guide questions:

• What kind of wounds do you have?
• How have your wounds shaped who you are today?

Rob is sitting in an airport, watching the planes come in. In a different part of the airport, a woman has just gotten off a plane.

Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." - Romans 12:19 (MSG)

• Have you ever really gotten revenge?
• If so, how did it make you feel afterwards?
• If we take revenge when we get hurt, do you think it's like saying to God, "I think I can handle this better than you"?

The Lord sees everything, whether good or bad. - Proverbs 15:3 (CEV)

• If God's right there when people get hurt, why do you think He doesn't step in to stop it from happening?
• Do you trust that God is ultimately going to take care of everything?
• Why is God's forgiveness of us so crucial to our forgiveness of others?

The traveler continues her way through the airport terminal. Rob says, "Sometimes forgiving is remembering and some people are going to keep returning to their vomit, and we don't have to be there when they do."

• Can we forgive somebody without being able to be around them?
• Do you have people like that in your life?
• Do you believe forgiveness is really more about the one forgiving than the one being forgiven?
• Does that view on forgiveness make it easier to forgive?

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. - Luke 6:37 (NIV)

The woman walks into the parking lot and puts her luggage in her car's trunk. Rob, still at the airport window, says, "Forgiving is an action, it's something you do."

• Are there people you need to forgive?
• If someone you need to forgive died before you made amends, what kinds of regrets would you have?

The woman drives to the parking lot attendant, pays her bill, and drives three feet.

Class discussion: imagining forgiving Hitler and those like him, the consequences of revenge, the fleeting satisfaction of revenge, if it's possible to forgive someone but not wish them well, the ease/difficulty of forgiving someone once they're dead, whether people who've you've forgiven care about that.

Action items for the week:

• Forgive someone.
• Ask for forgiveness.
• If there's a wound holding you back, decide on one step you can take towards healing.
• Learn basic first aid, such as training from the Red Cross.

Video note: at the last second before filming the final scene, the stunt driver in the car called on her radio, asking Rob to come and pray over her.

Dec. 9 - "Rich" (segment 013)

Discussion guide questions:

Rob is waiting in the lobby of a garage, waiting for his car. "I keep seeing this bumper sticker that's popular where I live. It says, 'God Bless America.' Every time I see one, I think God has. God has blessed America."

• Do you feel blessed? Why or why not?

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. - 1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV)

• What do you generally associate with someone who's considered rich?
• Do you consider yourself rich?

Rob points out, "But it's a dangerous thing when we start to think 'our' world is 'the' world. We're bombarded with all of these images of the newest models and the latest styles and, after a while, our stuff, it starts to seem kind of average, outdated, not-good-enough."

• Is what you have, your stuff, outdated and not-good-enough?
• Compared to what or who?
• Do you believe everything you own is in some way a gift from God? Everything?

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hopes in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. - 1 Timothy 6:17-18 (NIV)

• Are you generous?
• With your money? your time? your stuff?
• Are you content? If not, what will it take?
• Do you think it's possible to live out the kind of generosity Jesus talked about without being content?

Rob challenges the viewer, "Let's be honest. It's easy to go to a church service, it's easy to read the Bible, it's easy to discuss who believes what and who's right and who's wrong. It's easy. But when Jesus talks about his followers, he talks about people who are generous, people who clothe the naked, take food to the hungry, take water to the thirsty, people who invite the stranger in, people who give their time, people who give their energy, people who give their money."

• Do you consider yourself a follower of Jesus?
• Do you live the kind of life that Jesus described his followers would live?
• What can you give?
• Who are you going to bless?

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. - 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV)

Class discussion: does the video annoy you, make you feel defensive? being blessed as an American, the $500K gift from Mrs. Mooneyham, gift of the church to Christians as a support system, church is impoverished by your absence.

Action items for the week:

• Give something this week - time, money, presence - with no strings attached.
• Consider contentment when you start comparing your status to others.
• Check out CharityNavigator.org to find charities to support.

Video note: 100% of the proceeds from "Rich" will be donated to charitable organizations that clothe the naked, take food to the hungry, and take water to the thirsty.