Welcome to the individual order of meeting.
Image Rhythm – What is my picture of God and self?
Grace PrayerBecoming PresentInputQuestionsTrainingBlessingGroup Order
Grace Prayer
By God's grace, I seek to know God for who God really is, and to live into my identity of someone that is loved and valuedBecoming Fully Present
Pray this prayer of Teresa of Avilla: Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices. Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.Read: Luke 16:10-15
Jesus went on to make these comments: If you’re honest in small things, you’ll be honest in big things; If you’re a crook in small things, you’ll be a crook in big things. If you’re not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? No worker can serve two bosses: He’ll either hate the first and love the second, Or adore the first and despise the second. You can’t serve both God and the Bank.
When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: “You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what’s behind the appearance.
“But you can’t get to any of these truths by sitting in a field smiling beatifically, avoiding your anger and damage and grief. Your anger and damage and grief are the way to the truth. We don’t have much truth to express unless we have gone into those rooms and closets and woods and abysses that we were told not go in to. When we have gone in and looked around for a long while, just breathing and finally taking it in – then we will be able to speak in our own voice and to stay in the present moment. And that moment is home.” ― Anne Lamott
“Sometimes this human stuff is slimy and pathetic – jealousy especially so – but better to feel it and talk about it and walk through it than to spend a lifetime being silently poisoned.” ― Anne Lamott
“If I were going to begin practicing the presence of God for the first time today, it would help to begin by admitting the three most terrible truths of our existence: that we are so ruined, and so loved, and in charge of so little.” ― Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers
Reflection Questions
Which parts did you identify with? With how much honesty do you interact with yourself and God? What prevents you from being honest? What helps you to be honest with yourself? What helps you being honest with God? Which of the areas of your life is difficult to be honest with God with? (e.g. addictions, joys, desires, disappointments, sex-life, money, etc.) Which emotions in yourself do you avoid being honest about? (e.g. shame, fear, anger, hurt, excitement, etc.)Training Exercise
NOTICE YOUR LEVEL OF HONESTY WITH GOD AND WITH YOURSELF THIS WEEK. TAKE YOUR JOURNAL AND WRITE DOWN AT THE END OF THE DAY WHERE YOU FELT CONNECTED WITH GOD AND YOURSELF DURING THE DAY, AND WHERE YOU FELT DISCONNECTED.Blessing for the week
May you discover the freedom hidden in our vulnerable honesty. May you find the courage to voice your true questions, feelings, desires, disappointments and doubts to yourself and to God. And may you invite God into it all. AmenGroup Order of Meeting
We cannot live the Jesus life in Isolation - form a group and use this ...You can download this week’s Order of Meeting HERE