Welcome to the individual order of meeting.
Inclusion Rhythm – Who am I invited to include that is excluded at the moment?
Grace PrayerBecoming PresentInputQuestionsTrainingBlessingGroup Order
Grace Prayer
By God's grace, I live a life of inclusion making God’s heart for reconciliation visible.Becoming Fully Present
Become aware of God's gentle presence in the room you are currently in. Once you sense God's presence in the room become aware of God's presence in you. Then pray out loud as many times as you need to, I am in you and you are in me..Read the story below of the encounter between the Roman Officer and Jesus
The Faith of a Roman Officer (Matthew 8:5-13)
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him,
“Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.
I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
Jesus speaking about an ‘outsider’, a non-Jew says,
” I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!”
Reflection Questions
Where (like Jesus’ encounter with the Roman soldier) have you seen a remarkable expression of faith outside your own denomination/religion that touched you?
In what ways does this story challenge how the church relates to other religions today?
Do you find it difficult to affirm good things in people who are not in your denomination/religion? Why or why not?
What do you think Jesus means when he says, “…Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
Training Exercise
This week try to personally affirm something good, something that touches you about the faith of someone who is in another denomination or religion to you.Blessing for the week
May you seek the shalom of your city with some friends. May you experience God’s dreams for your neighborhood and become a person of shalom in it.Group 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
SOMETHING EXTRA:
- The same story of the Centurion in the Book of Luke
- Learning from other Christian Spiritual Practice ‘Streams‘