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Going further back, you had the Power Rangers. Each was pretty solid on their own, but when they came together… MEGAZORD. I could go on and on. (‘By our powers combined… I am Captain Planet!’)
It’s not limited to superheroes either; the best sports teams are always greater than the sum of their parts. The Barcelona team of the last decade may have had the best player in the world, but when you took him away in the context of the Spanish national team, the 11 players came together to create something even better.
The best teams are the ones where everyone has a different part to play. Think about The Avengers again. Tony Stark (Iron Man) can do plenty of things, but there are times when only the brute force of The Hulk will do. And while Captain America might be the hero that the Earth needs, for that extragalactic flavour, you need to call in Thor. It’s similar with football teams – the strikers and goalkeeper do different, almost opposite jobs, and for the team to perform at their best they need both of them to do what they do.
• What’s your favourite team, super or otherwise?
• Why are they your favourite?
• Have you ever been in a team or group that had something special about it?
• What made it special?
• What do you think makes a good team?
Jesus was interested in teams. Early on in his ministry he gathered a team around him. It wasn’t the team people were expecting (tax collectors, fishermen and religious zealots rarely are) but it was a team that went on to transform the face of the planet. Later on, when Paul was writing to the early Church, he talked about them using a different image from a team, but one that has many similarities. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-30.
• What is Paul talking about here?
• Do you agree with him?
• Do you ever feel like you don’t have a part to play in church?
• How does it feel to know that you’re just as important in the church as anyone else?
• What do you feel your unique gifts and abilities might be?
Mid-April sees the release of the second Avengers movie, which seems like the perfect excuse for a cinema trip followed by this quick discussion starter.
