For a free pdf download of this resource click here
PREPARATION
Collect pens, paper, post-it notes and the hand-outs from the links section of the website.
NORTH, EAST, SOUTH, KANYE
10 mins
To get the blood flowing and kick off the session, play the classic ‘North, East, South, West’, but with a Kanye West theme - North, East, South, Kanye! The rules remain very similar: label the four walls of your meeting space North, East, South and Kanye (West). Then simply get the young people to run to the wall you call out, with the last one there being eliminated. You can add in other rules and variations, but in reality, you know this game and don’t need us to explain it!
MISSING WORDS
10 mins
Download the ‘Missing Words’ PDF from the links section. The sheet contains lyrics from songs with crucial words missing. Hand out the sheets to young people and give them five minutes to fill it in. Award two points for a correct answer and a bonus point for the funniest answer to each one.
I AM A GOD
20 mins
Download the Kanye lyrics sheet from the links section. These have been edited for language, but still contain some bad language – so you may want to consider whether or not this activity is appropriate for your group. You could also listen to some Kanye songs at this point; links for these are also available on the links section. Split the young people into small groups and ask them to discuss the quotes with these questions:
- Which is your favourite quote?
- Which is your least favourite?
- Do you think these quotes reflect well on Kanye West?
- What is your immediate reaction to them?
The lyric we’re going to focus on is from the appropriately titled, ‘I am a God’:
I am a god,
Even though I’m a man of god,
I know he the most high,
But I am the close high.’
Say: These lyrics neatly explain Kanye’s worldview: he is a God. He can do what he wants, by himself. He is powerful, smart and self-reliant – he is ‘a god.’ In many of his lyrics (notably ‘Jesus Walks’) he acknowledges that there is a God, but here he’s putting himself on a par with God. Ask the group to discuss these questions:
- Where else in society do you see this message?
- Are there films, TV shows or books that focus on our ability, as individuals, to do whatever we want?
- Why do you think this is so common?
- Do you agree with it?
- Do you think people believe it?
KEY POINT 1
Kanye West’s worldview is indicative of wider society: people don’t think they need God anymore, they’ve got themselves. Our society tells us that we can make the difference, that we can achieve whatever we want, and that we can be whoever we want to be; we are gods, and it’s vitally important that we tell everyone how brilliant we are. Kanye is clearly massively influential; his words have power.
HE IS A GOD
10 mins
Say: Unsurprisingly, Kanye’s worldview doesn’t match up with what the Bible has to say. A whole heap of the biblical narrative subverts those in power. God seems to favour the underdogs. Jesus hung out with all the ‘wrong’ people and seemed unconcerned about telling everyone how brilliant he was. If your group has good biblical knowledge, ask them to suggest any passages where Jesus acted in a different way to Kanye – putting others before himself and taking a back seat.
Read John 3:22-33 as a group and discuss these questions:
- What do you think about what John is saying?
- How does it compare to the worldview Kanye exhibits?
- Which worldview do you prefer? Which would be easier?
KEY POINT 2
Christianity, when it comes down to it, can be seen as a choice between these two worldviews: making yourself a god or submitting to an actual God. Every day, in a variety of ways, we have that choice – are we god of our lives, or is someone else? Do we go our own way, or God’s way?
WHO IS MY GOD?
15 mins
Hand out pens and paper and ask the young people to spend some time reflecting on their own lives. Encourage them to write, draw or do anything else that helps them. Play some music and invite them to reflect on some specific areas of their lives.
Say: I want you to consider four big areas of your life, be it relationships, school, work, college, something you like to do in your social time – four big things that dominate your time, thinking and energy. Spend a few minutes thinking about each one, asking this question: who is god in this area? Is it me or is it Jesus?
Give a few minutes for the young people to think about these areas. Then hand out post-it notes and invite the young people to write down an area that they want to hand over to God – that they want him to take control of. Have an area of the room set up, perhaps with a cross or something else symbolic, and ask them to bring their post-it note forward and stick it up when they feel comfortable. (Keep the music going throughout this time.) Pray to finish.
