Session 1

The Oldest Question in the Universe

Planning the Session

Session Goals

Through this session's discussion and activities, participants will be encouraged to:

• reflect on their identities and the identities they convey to others;

• explore Jesus' identity and what it means for him to be fully human and fully divine;

• examine how they have grown through their various personas or "reincarnations" during their lives;

• consider how memory shapes identity, and how we remember our identities as God's children and followers of Christ.

Preparation

• Familiarize yourself with the premise of Doctor Who and some of the key characters and themes.

• Read and reflect on the first chapter of Matt Rawle's The Salvation of Doctor Who.

• Read through this Leader Guide session in its entirety to familiarize yourself with the material being covered.

• Read and reflect on the following Scriptures:

[] Mark 8:27–38

[] Matthew 4:1–11

[] Mark 14:32–42

[] Philippians 2:5–11

[] Ezekiel 36:24–32

[] Romans 6:1–11

[] Galatians 2:16–21

[] Genesis 32:22–32

[] Matthew 16:13–20

• Make sure that you have a markerboard or large sheet of paper on which you can record group members' ideas.

• Have a Bible for every participant, along with paper and pens for taking notes.

Opening Activity and Prayer (10 minutes)

As participants arrive, welcome them to this study. When most are present, consider this question that Matt Rawle asks: "If I asked you to write a three-sentence bio about yourself, what would you say? How do you describe your identity?" Have each participant answer this question on a note card. Give everyone a few minutes to write their bios, then collect and shuffle the cards. Read aloud each short bio and have the group guess to whom each belongs. Discuss:

• What did you learn about the members of this group that you didn't know before?

• What surprised you about these bios? Might you have described anyone differently?

• Think about the bio you wrote. Is this the identity that you convey to others? Why, or why not?

Then have participants discuss their familiarity with Doctor Who. It is OK if some have never seen a single episode and have no idea what a Dalek looks like. But if some participants are fans of the show, have them give their fellow participants a better understanding of the show by discussing some of the following:

• who the Doctor is;

• what a companion is and what the Doctor's traveling companions do;

• why they think Doctor Who has endured for so long and is beloved on both sides of the Atlantic;

• why a show such as Doctor Who would inspire a Bible study.

Opening Prayer

Lord, as we begin this study, give us wisdom, patience, and humility. Thank you for this group and for the opportunity for us to come together and reflect on what we, as Christians, can learn from popular culture and science fiction. Bless our time together that we may learn from Scripture, from story, and from one another. Amen.

Watch DVD Segment (10 minutes)

Study and Discussion (30–35 minutes)

Note: Discussion helps and questions that correspond to Chapter One: "The Oldest Question in the Universe" are provided below. If you have more time in your session, or want to include additional discussion and activities to your time, see "Additional Options for Bible Study and Discussion" at the end of this section, listed after the Closing Activity and Prayer.

Who Is the Doctor?

(See The Salvation of Doctor Who,pages 22–25.)

Read aloud or summarize for the group:

Rawle writes, "Identity can be a tricky thing to explain." He notes that, in the eyes of his enemies the Daleks, the Doctor is a predator, or a terrorist. But to those who fear and have been hurt by the Daleks — who are cruel and known for feeling no compassion or remorse — the Doctor is a freedom fighter.

For discussion:

• Read Mark 8:27–38, where Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"

• What identities for Jesus had people proposed?

• Why, do you think, did they associate these identities with Jesus?

• Peter identifies Jesus as "the Christ." What does this identity mean for Jesus and his followers?

• If Jesus were to ask you, "Who do you say that I am?" how would you answer?

Having Two Hearts

(See The Salvation of Doctor Who,pages 25–30.)

Read aloud or summarize for the group:

Rawle relates a Doctor Who episode in which the Doctor, who is a Time Lord, alters his DNA to become human. In becoming human, the Doctor took on human "biases and missteps, losing his ability to rise above bigotry and fear."

Our Christian faith affirms that, in the person of Jesus, God became human. The difference between Jesus and the Doctor (among other things) is that while Jesus was fully human, he also was fully divine. Though he was saddled with certain human limitations and vulnerabilities, he retained his divine knowledge and power.

For discussion:

• What does it mean that, in Jesus, God was fully human?

• In what ways did Jesus experience the limitations and vulnerabilities that we experience as human beings?

• What risks did God take by becoming human, and particularly by beginning life as an infant?

• How, do you think, did the fact that Jesus also was fully divine affect his life as a human being?

• What does the fact that God became fully human say about God's relationship with us and about how we relate to God?

(Refer to the following Scriptures as a part of your discussion: Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 14:32–42; Philippians 2:5–11.)

Read aloud or summarize for the group:

One of the Doctor's most extraordinary characteristics is that he has two hearts. Rawle suggests that, as Christians, we also have a second heart, in a manner of speaking: "Being in Christ means that our heart works together with Christ's and with each other."

For discussion:

• How does your heart work "together with Christ's"?

• How are our hearts, through Christ, joined to those of other Christians?

I Never Forget a Face

(See The Salvation of Doctor Who,pages 30–33.)

Read aloud or summarize for the group:

One of the Doctor's most remarkable characteristics is his ability to regenerate. When he is on the verge of death, his cells rearrange to create a new body. His new body is different not only in appearance but also in taste and attitude. The Doctor's companions sometimes struggle with the question of...