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Chapter summaries of Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens
Dorothy C. Bass and Don C. Richter eds.

Become part of God’s Story (Psalm 78:1-8)
The Bible tells the Story of God’s love for us and for the whole creation. When we read, study, hear, and tell this Story, we meet Jesus. He invites us to join the Story and share God’s love. The more we “get into” this Story, the more it gets into us and shapes the way we live.

Honor the human body (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18)
The body—your own or that of someone else—is a strong yet vulnerable gift from God. Life with Jesus is not just a spiritual thing but involves your whole being, including your body. We seek a way to live that honors every-body as made in God’s image and therefore “holy and awesome.”

Put stuff in its place (Psalm 62:1-12)
Deal with stuff (material possessions) in ways that deepen your relationship with God, other people, and the whole created world. Christian practices can help us figure out the difference between good stuff and bad stuff and let go of stuff we don’t need.

Eat at God’s table (Psalm 104:10-18, 27-30)
Food is more than body fuel. It is a gift from God that connects us to the earth and to the needs of others. At the table we share food and our lives. We thank God, meet Jesus, and become companions for life.

Cherish the creation (Psalm 148)
We are part of the intricate web of creation. We care for things God has made, and we also notice how God cares for us through these very things. A faithful way to live includes delighting in the wonders of the natural world. It also includes many large and small acts that honor and protect the air, water, and other natural elements that we and all creatures need.

Create something new (Psalm 8)
God’s Spirit is still moving in the world, even in and through us. When you express the Spirit’s creative movement in your own unique way, you bring something brand new to the world. Sometimes creativity rises from pain, sometimes from joy, but it is always more than just what we think of as “art” done by “creative” people.

Discover your work (Psalm 90:1-2, 13-17)
Work that touches your deep gladness and feeds the deep hungers of the world can be a blessing for you and for others. Doing good work gets you involved in a process of creativity and care that started with God’s work in making the world and continues in God’s keeping today. But not all work is fair, and sometimes your “job” and your “work” are different.

Have fun (Isaiah 1:6-9)
Play is part of God’s good creation and is important to a balanced, happy life. Play is the reset button God gives us to get a fresh take on a situation and to renew our lives. You can even approach work with a playful spirit.

Take a NAP (Psalm 121)
In a society that is constantly telling you to do so many things, it can be hard to find time for the rest you need. God wants to give you the gift of a Non Active Period—a time to be with God, a time for renewal, a time to let down your guard and just be.

Live truthfully (Psalm 119: 41-48)
Truth is about more than not cheating or telling lies. Living truthfully means bringing your words, actions, and heart into alignment with God’s desire for your integrity and wholeness. Surround yourself with people who speak the truth about their lives and take well-chosen risks in speaking truth to power.

Choose wisely (Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24)
Teens face many choices, and the path to a wise choice is not necessarily easy and straightforward. The Christian practice of discernment—a process of deliberate decision-making within a community that supports us as we explore our lives in the presence of God—can help us to choose wisely. Slow down…ask questions…pay attention to yourself and to God…find traveling companions…take time for reflection...then act.

Be a good friend (Ruth 1:15-18)
Friendship is about risky caring and respectful give and take. It’s more important to be a friend than to have lots of friends, collecting them like baseball cards. Jesus teaches us the value of having a circle of close friends while being open and welcoming toward new companions.

Welcome strangers (Psalm 91)
Welcoming is about creating space in our lives for strangers. This means knowing how to be a grateful guest as well as a gracious host. Communities honor Jesus—who was often homeless himself—as they make people feel “at home” and offer them a place at the table.

Forgive and be forgiven (Psalm 32:1-7)
God created us to be in relationship with God and with others. When our “relational web” gets frayed and torn, we need to learn how to name and let go of the wrongs we have suffered and the wrongs we have done. Receiving and sharing God’s forgiveness helps us to mend what was torn and sets us free to enter the future with one another.

Seek justice for all (Psalm 146)
God wants all people to blossom and flourish, yet unjust social structures cause many to wither and perish. Seeking justice includes trying to be fair to other people we meet and also working for fair treatment in society. God’s justice means more than “balancing the scales” and making things fair, however. God’s justice works through God’s mercy, which gives human beings the freedom and the grace to live justly and mercifully with one another.

Share your grief (Psalm 31:9-16)
The death of a loved one comes crashing in like a sudden storm. To lament means to go public with our pain, sharing our tears and anger with God and others instead of keeping it all bottled up inside. Through lament, we trace the rainbow through the rain.

Sing your life (Psalm 150)
Music isn’t some shrink-wrapped product you buy at the store. Making music rises up from our physical bodies and from the very physics of creation itself; opens us to be in community; and attunes us to the peace and justice God desires for all people.

Become a prayer (Psalm 63:1-8)
To pray is to open yourself to God. People often pray when they have wants or are afraid or thankful. Prayer can also be a way of life. As we practice prayer in our daily lives, we become more aware of God’s loving presence all the time—not just in emergencies. When we pray with Jesus, we “become prayer,” a living reminder of God’s promise to heal the whole creation, including us.

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