Holy Habits Session 8 - Making More Disciples

Holy Habits Session 8: Making More Disciples

Share with your neighbour:

What you had for your Sunday dinner yesterday.

A conversation you had in church yesterday.

A news item that you react to at the moment.

Something you watched on television today or yesterday. 

We find it easy to talk about food, and news items and Eastenders, we even find it easy to talk about church, what we are doing. We find it less easy to talk about the reason we do it, commending the Saviour, sharing our faith.

Read again Acts 2: 47. A summary sentence which highlights the core theme of the book of Acts, namely the spread of the word of God and the growth in the number of followers of Jesus.  A deep and committed Christian community which lives out the Holy Habits is a powerful witness to the reality of the saving love of God. 

Peter writing his first epistle to the scattered and growing early Christian Churches: ‘... in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…’ 1 Peter 3: 15

In groups for 15 minutes consider three questions:

1.        What does it mean to make more disciples to you? Where do we start?

2.        How are you doing evangelism?

3.        What is stopping you from evangelism?

Plenary

Evangel-ism = presentation of good news. See Isaiah 40: 9f for example. Jesus embodies good news and talks about it. Apart from telling Mary off in the Temple at 12 in Luke’s Gospel, what are the first words of Jesus in the Gospel: The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the Gospel.” The Good News is the long awaited reign of God. NT – heart of the good news is not an event but a person. In Jesus God’s reign on earth has begun. A new life for people. And it is to be passed on.

Almost every reference to the Good News is linked with words like “preach”, “proclaim”, “tell” “bring” etc.

Andrew Kirk: “Evangelism is a process of spreading the good news that new life is present with Jesus, and calling upon people to renounce all alternatives and enter into its enjoyment.”

Read Evangelism through the local church page 9

What stops us? Pages 12 and 15.  

What is the difference between making disciples and making church members?

Jesus didn’t tell us to go and make churchgoers, or converts, he told us to go and make disciples.

Read Matthew 28: 16 – 20

Take this passage to bits and see what Jesus is saying to his disciples here:

Go

Make disciples

Baptise

Teach

The command is to be disciples and to make disciples. Not a question, not an invitation, but an imperative: Go.

I suppose if we were to think of a modern equivalent of discipling someone, we might use terms like teaching, leading, counselling, coaching or mentoring. Mentoring is an increasingly popular area of expertise within the workplace – advertisements for mentors and lifestyle coaches abound in certain professions – and many people pay large sums of money to spend time being led, encouraged and enabled by a person of greater experience and wisdom. There’s a huge market too in fitness coaching, paying someone to literally walk, run and exercise alongside you to encourage you out of your couch-potato inclinations.  Christians have been there, done that and got the T-shirt, because the supreme leader, encourager and enabler of people is Jesus, as we see so often in the gospel stories. The problem is that many Christians lack the confidence to rely on our master to lead, encourage us and enable us. We worship rather than follow – because it’s easier.

Being a disciple can take us where we don’t really want to go, because Jesus went to the difficult places of suffering, ridicule, betrayal and death. Who in their right mind would want to follow anyone on this path? Who would want to be a disciple of a man who ended up being executed as a criminal? It is not an easy path. But then life isn’t easy either, is it? We don’t have a choice about the walk through life, but we do have a choice about whether we allow Jesus to walk through it with us. He has been there before us, though all the pain and suffering, the misery and disappointment of life, and he chooses to walk our path with us if we will be his disciples and learn from him the way of life. The question is: will you?

Do you think of yourself as a disciple of Jesus? In what way is that made clear in your life?

How does your church make disciples of people within the regular congregation, and those outside or on the fringes?

How would your church look if you allowed Jesus to lead you more fully?

Interesting that in Matthew 16: 18 we find Jesus saying to Peter “I will build my church. “ It is Jesus job to build the church and ours to make disciples!  

What’s the best way to share faith with someone?

Have you ever helped someone along their Christian journey? Tell the story.

Tell the story of how you were helped along your Christian journey by someone.

The abbot of the monastery called the novice into his office and instructed him to give the homily at the next morning's chapel. Well, the novice was struck with fear.

This young novice had apparently voted many times in the surveys, because there was no way that he was going to do it; but the abbot insisted.

So the next morning, chapel came. He stood in the pulpit. The brothers were there. His hands were trembling. His knees were knocking. His voice was quivering. There was a long pause before he first spoke, and he asked a question.

"Do you know what I'm going to say?" They had no idea, so all of their heads went back and forth almost in unison, as if it were choreographed. He said, "Neither do I. Let's stand for the benediction."

The abbot did not appreciate this. So he called the young novice into his office and said, "You must do this. It's for your own good. Tomorrow is your day again. Be prepared, and this time do it right."

The next day was almost an exact repeat of the day before. All the brothers sat there before him. His hands shook. His knees knocked. His voice trembled. Long pause. "Do you know what I'm going to say?" he asked.

Well, after the previous day's experience, they had a pretty good idea. All of their heads went, Yes, we know what you're going to say.

"Then there's no need for me to tell you. Let's stand for the benediction."

The abbot was angry beyond description. He brought the young man into his office and said, "If you do that again, you are going to be in solitary confinement, bread and water for thirty days and any other punishment that I can think of. Tomorrow morning give the homily; do it right."

The third day, chapel attendance hit an high. They were all there to see what he would say, and it was, again, almost an exact repeat.

He stood, trembled, voice quivered; and after the long silence, he asked, "Do you know what I'm going to say?"

After three days of this, about half of them had a pretty good idea and they nodded their heads up and down. Yes, we know.

But the other half noticed the switch from day to day, and they really weren't sure what was going to happen; and so they shook their heads back and forth. No, we don't.

The novice observed this, then said, "Let those who know tell those who don't. Let us stand for the benediction."

The simple definition of evangelism: Those who know telling those who don't.

What do we know?

How do we share it?

How often can we over complicate the idea of sharing faith. We make it into this big deal that needs to be tied up in doing a course or having some big awkward conversation, when actually the thing it mostly revolves around is simply making talking about faith normal. Discussing it with friends and chatting to people about it. It's a part of our lives so why don't we just make it normal rather than weird.  

Play a game.

TEN FACTS ABOUT FAITH ON THE FLOOR. TEN VOLUNTEERS.  THE REST OF US CAN ASK QUESTIONS, SAY WE DON’T UNDERSTAND ETC. Keep it simple!

1.     How do I know God loves me?

2.     How do I know Jesus is my friend?

3.     What do you mean Jesus died for me?

4.     What is this Holy Spirit you speak of?

5.     Tell a favourite bible story.

6.     How do I know God forgives me?

7.     What do you mean Jesus is my saviour?

8.     What do you believe about heaven?

9.     Why is there so much suffering in the world?

.            Why bother joining your church?   

How do we equip ourselves to share faith naturally?

Two interesting things from the book to end this course with. The Holy Habits are all about reminding today’s church of the marks of the infant one to                       re-invigorate it for mission. Today is about for many blessing, then belonging and then believing (previously it was believe then belong) –read article in book. Is this true of our work together?

Do we as we do our work as a church believe we might grow anymore? Luke presents the rapid growth of the Jesus movement enjoying the good will of all  the people. Should we be surprised? Not if we believe that the same Jesus who said “I will build my church”, you “go and make disciples” and you will be “clothed with power from on high” knew what he was on about.

     

Holy Habits Session 7 - Worship

Holy Habits Session 7 - Worship

Think back to the last service of worship you attended. What do you remember about it? What inspired you and what annoyed you?

What does the word ‘worship’ mean to you? Brainstorm your ideas onto a piece of paper.

The holy habit of worship is a prominent theme in Luke’s writings. The first story he tells in his Gospel is set in the context of worship. In the midst of this, Zechariah receives the news that his prayers have been heard and that he and Elizabeth are to  have a son. The Gospel concludes with the story of Jesus’ ascension, with the disciples worshipping him before returning to Jerusalem where “they were continually in the temple praising God.”

Luke’s second volume – worship at the heart of the infant church – spirit filled exuberant praise offered in the home, the temple and on the streets – in public and in private. In his writings, Luke presents people praising God in response to experiencing God’s loving help or saving grace. Praise and worship flow from gratitude and thanksgiving for who God is and what God has done.   

Here are some definitions of worship. Which do you think are most appropriate to Christian worship?

a.         The expression of one’s devotion and allegiance pledged to a deity

b.        Religious rituals which salute, revere or praise a deity

c.         Human response to the holy in our midst

d.        Something else that you came up in discussion.

The word ‘prostrate’ is sometimes used to indicate an act of worship.

A person would prostrate (or bow down) themselves in response to the presence of God or in honour (in the presence) of an official or someone given great respect.  Look up the following references and discuss what it was about the situation that caused the individuals concerned to prostrate themselves/bow down and worship

Abraham  (Genesis 17:1-4)        

Job (Job 1:18-21)  

Jairus (Mark 5:22-23)      

Mary  (John 11:32)           

The Wise Men (Matthew 2:11) 

Spend a moment in silence imagining what it would feel like to come face to face with God. What would you do? Would you ask God to help you with a particular problem or dilemma? Or would you drop to the ground in fear and worship?

When, if ever, in an act of worship are you (or have you been) aware of encountering God?

Read Psalm 95:1-7a. In your opinion, why did the psalmist think that God was worthy of praise and worship?

The Shema

Jesus reminds his followers of God’s law in Deuteronomy 6:4 Shema (“hear”) is the Hebrew word that begins the most important prayer in Judaism. The whole Shema prayer, which includes verses 4-9, is spoken daily in the Jewish tradition.  Later Jewish tradition developed a three-part Shema prayer that also included Deuteronomy 11:13–29 and Numbers 15:37–41. Tradition states these three parts cover all aspects of the Ten Commandments.

The Shema prayer was so influential and important that Jesus used it as the beginning of His answer to the “greatest commandment” question in Mark 12:28–30. When Jesus began His answer with the Shema prayer, He acknowledged the Lord God as most important and that complete devotion to Him is the most important of the commandments. It is no surprise that the scribe replied this way in verses 32–33:

Think back to the last time you were in church: how, if at all, did the service help you to express each of these four areas? For example, heart might mean feelings, soul might be things you care about deeply, strength, things you do. 

If God is with us all the time, how does/could worship make us more aware of God’s presence? What responsibility do we have to make that happen?

“There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, he wants me as his friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given his Son to die for me in order to realise this purpose -not merely that we know God, but that he knows us.”

(J I Packer, Knowing God (3rd edition, Hodder & Stoughton, 2005)

How does it make you feel to think that God wants you as a friend and gave his Son to die for you?

Worship as an expression of devotion

Most common translation in NT for worship is “proskyneo.” The root meaning of this word is “to come towards and kiss the back of the hand.” An act of devotion, humility, intimacy and reverence. It also speaks of an amazing grace and generosity on the part of a Holy God that not just permits but encourages ordinary everyday people like you and me, struggling to be holy, to worship in this way.  

Read Mark 14: 3 – 9

What does this story say about the nature of true worship for you? Does it serve as a reminder not to criticise how others worship?  I might like choral evensong and not charismatic hand waving vibrance, you might be opposite! Does it matter how we do it as long as we do it?

Do we have to be in church to worship God?  Discuss the differences between worshipping God in church and elsewhere.  Do you make a point of worshipping God during the week?

Consider these two statements about worship. Are there words that stand out for you?   

I think worship should help us, as people in community, to sustain and deepen our relationship with the Divine, so that we become more open to God’s healing and transforming grace. Forms of worship may range from solemn gatherings using ancient liturgies to informal services aimed at toddlers and their caregivers, and from making a joyful noise to waiting for God in silence. Worshippers may express gratitude or sorrow, feel awestruck, comforted or challenged. Indeed we may leave at the end of a service without having felt very much at all – as in any relationship, there may be patches which lack passion and require perseverance instead.   Yet, I believe there are certain common threads which run through this diverse tapestry. To begin with, worship has both a personal and a collective dimension. Even in the largest gathering, each of us is intimately known and loved; we are never mere extras on a set. Yet no act of authentic worship is a purely private matter in which individuals pursue our salvation in isolation, if that were possible.     

We are connected at a profound level with the worldwide Church, past, present and future.

What is more, we invite God into the midst of our neighbourhood and world, filled with beauty but also sorrow, sin and the shadow of death, so that we and our communities may be refashioned and God’s kingdom come on earth as in heaven.

------------

The Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1647 declares that the “chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”. Worship is the very purpose of our lives.

John’s vision in Revelation 4-5 paints for us a wonderful picture of worship and its importance. We see that worship is about centring ourselves on God. Everything in heaven is centred on God sitting on his throne. Worship centres us on God’s authority, power, beauty and love. Worship realigns us to God’s plan and purposes. Worship gathers us, for it is not something that we do on our own. Instead, we are gathered around God’s throne as brothers and sisters in Christ. Unlike so much of our lives, worship is not about us and our wants or desires, musically or otherwise, it’s about joining with the rest of creation to glorify and enjoy God.

Worship also reveals God to us. You cannot truly look to God, without responding in awe and adoration. You cannot look to God and not be humbled. God is the only being in the universe worthy of eternal worship. Consequently, the four living creatures around the throne cannot stop from saying: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come,” (Revelation 4:8). They are so centred on God, circling the throne, that their response can be nothing else. They cannot not worship. They cannot be distracted. They cannot not give God their all. Similarly, the 24 elders cannot stop themselves from falling down in worship before the throne, taking off their crowns, and declaring God’s praise (Rev, 4:10-11). Worship reveals God’s beauty and love to us afresh and draws us deeper into God…

During the week, how do you reflect on the past Sunday’s worship?

If you are a member of a congregation what would you like to say to preachers or worship leaders?

If you are a preacher or a worship leader what would you like to say to a congregation?

Susan J White – Groundwork of Christian Worship – Worship as service to God, leading us to be sent out to live and work to God’s praise and glory. 

Link to the last Holy Habit of evangelism with some words from the Archbishop of Canterbury: 2015 Lambeth Lecture:

“I want to start by saying just two simple sentences about the church. First, the church exists to worship God in Jesus Christ. Second, the church exists to make new disciples of Jesus Christ. Everything else is decoration. Some of it may be very necessary, useful, or wonderful decoration – but it’s decoration. “

Do you agree with his comment?

Should worship and evangelism (the last two Holy Habits) be at the heart of our church life?

Holy Habits Session 6 - Eating together, gladness and generosity

Holy Habits Session 6: Eating Together, Gladness and Generosity

Opening Exercise:

When did you last eat a meal with other people or another person? What did you eat?  Talk about it.  What else happened at the meal?

What are you glad about right now?

When was someone last generous to you and when were you to someone else?

Two habits to explore together: One is eating together, and the second is an attitude – with glad and generous hearts. Not just about food that one, but about life.

“Tables are one of the most important places of human connection. We’re often most fully alive to life when sharing a meal around a table. We shouldn’t be surprised, then, to find that throughout the Bible God has a way of showing up at tables.

In fact, it’s worth noting that at the centre of the spiritual lives of God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments, we find a table: the table of Passover and the table of Communion. New Testament scholar N. T. Wright captured something of this sentiment when he wrote, “When Jesus himself wanted to explain to his disciples what his forthcoming death was all about, he didn’t give them a theory, he gave them a meal.”

I’m convinced that one of the most important spiritual disciplines for us to recover in the kind of world in which we live is the discipline of table fellowship. In the fast-paced, tech-saturated, attention-deficit-disordered culture in which we find ourselves, Christians need to recover the art of a slow meal around a table with people we care about. “Table fellowship” doesn’t often make the list of the classical spiritual disciplines. But in the midst of a world that increasingly seems to have lost its way with regard to matters of both food and the soul, Christian spirituality has something important to say about the way that sharing tables nourishes us both physically and spiritually. We need a recovery of the spiritual significance of what we eat, where we eat, and with whom we eat.”

Jesus himself says ‘The Son of Man came eating and drinking’ (Luke 7:34). Eating and drinking – a lot. New Testament scholar Robert Karris says: ‘In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.’

So much so that his enemies accuse him of being ‘a glutton and a drunkard’ – someone who eats too much and drinks too much. The Jews expected him to come with a bang, defeating God’s enemies and vindicating his people. Instead he shares a meal.

Meals are a powerful of expression of welcome and friendship in every culture. This is why Jesus’ meals are so significant – they embody God’s grace and enact God’s mission. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Tax collectors were traitors not only to the nation, but also traitors towards God for they were collaborators with the Gentile occupiers who had defiled God’s holy land. So the table companions of Jesus led the Pharisees to conclude that he couldn't be from God (Luke 5:30; 7:39; 15:1–2). A reasonable conclusion – unless God’s grace is so amazing that it allows him to eat with his enemies and unless God’s grace explodes all our expectations (Luke 5:27–39). Meals are central to the mission of Jesus because they embody and enact the grace of God.

Isaiah 25:6–8: On this occasion death itself will be on the menu and God will swallow it up. This is an eternal feast that no one need ever leave. Jesus provides a foretaste of this feast when he feeds the five thousand. Here is a feast which need never end. Indeed there’s more food at the end than there was at the beginning. It’s a pointer to the fulfilment of God’s promise: that one day we will feast forever in his presence.

“Eating together can create safe space in which to share and deepen faith and offer the invitation to explore the adventure of discipleship.  At the meal table we can ask questions and share our stories, needs and struggles.  We can celebrate life’s joys and rejoice together when we have seen prayers answered through our following of Jesus. Eating together also creates a place of belonging where koinonia (fellowship) can really flourish.”  

If you visit Shetland during the summer months, you’ll quickly become aware of signs advertising Sunday teas in village halls around the islands. Usually, two or three halls will be offering them on any given Sunday and, if the opportunity arises, they’re not to be missed. Local people pull out all the stops to produce a tremendous spread of cakes, teabreads, biscuits, sandwiches, quiches and all sorts of other treats, accompanied by unlimited tea and coffee. It’s all done by volunteers in an effort to raise funds for charity and the experience is highly recommended.

How could eating together be missional/enhance our church life?

How might we make use of the opportunities presented by the major festivals and develop them as times of community feasting?

What does Luke 14: 15 – 23 say to you?

Then let’s explore glad and generous hearts. 

What is gladness? Play with the word and put it in a sentence: 

Feeling joy or pleasure; delighted; pleased:

Glad about the good news; glad that you are here.

Accompanied by or causing joy or pleasure:

A glad occasion; glad tidings.

Characterized by or showing cheerfulness, joy, or pleasure, as looks or utterances

Very willing:

I'll be glad to give him your message.

GLAD'NESS, n. See Glad. Joy, or a moderate degree of joy and exhilaration; pleasure of mind; cheerfulness.

They--did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Act.2.

Gladness is rarely or never equivalent to mirth, merriment, gayety and triumph, and it usually expresses less than delight. It sometimes expresses great joy. Esther 8.9.

Read some stories about gladness in the book  - pages 201/2

Take some time to reflect on your practising of gladness. If life is hard at the moment and gladness seems elusive, spend some time with someone who is in a tough place at the moment and maybe give them a simple gift like a cake or flowers. Often a good way to regain gladness is to give gladness.   

“The church was born in gladness. Gladness for what God had done, through  the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of  the Spirit as promised long ago by the prophets  and explained by Peter in  his Pentecost  address. There was gladness in the home, gladness in the temple and gladness out on the streets.”     

And what about generosity?

 Paul writes in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” This is notable for what comes before it and for what it leads on to. Paul’s ‘therefore’ follows from his outburst of praise at the end of Romans 11 in which he asks, “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” And Paul ends verse 1 of Romans 12 by telling us that giving ourselves is, as the NIV translation puts it, “your true and proper worship”.

Paul goes on in the rest of Romans 12 to spell out what this self-giving worship means in practice. There are nine things to make us a glad and generous community being counter cultural to a world of avarice and greed.   We are to:

• honour others more highly than ourselves

• use our gifts for the benefit of the church as the body of Christ

• be patient in affliction

• be faithful in prayer

• share what we have with needy sisters and brothers in Christ

• practise hospitality

• bless those who treat us badly

• associate with people of lowly status

• do good to our enemies.

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? (James 2:15-16)

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. (Proverbs 22:9)

How would living these passages make us a more effective community?

We need to remember the call to be inclusive, to share bread, to be companions, to live in gladness and generously every day. We need to be community in its richest sense.

Holy Habits Session 5 - Giving and Service

Holy Habits Session 5 – Giving and Service

“Send us out to live and work to your praise and glory.”

What has been happening in an hour or so is not just a peaceful interlude in a busy week, it is intended to be the very foundation of that week. We are being sent out to make a difference to our world. To bring, even into the very ordinary things we do each day, a tiny trace of God’s glory. We go out with something, having been reminded of it, we go out “in the power of the Holy Spirit” and with God’s peace, and God’s grace.

If what you do in church doesn’t have an impact on your life outside, then you may as well stay home with the Sunday papers.”

Our church life leads us to give generously and serve where we are needed to be. Read again Acts 2:  44 – 45. Then read Acts 4: 32 – 37.

What picture of “church” is painted here?

Luke presents pictures of the first Christian communities of disciples supporting one another and those in need in the wider community by the generous giving of their resources. They shared and sold possessions to create a common fund which could be used to support those in need of income and later on the deacons and others set apart for ministries of preaching and service. A recurrent practice as and when need arose.

Was this habit of giving like this fleeting? This type of sharing does not appear again in the NT after Acts 4!  What do you think happened?

Think about times you have been given something recently. What was the motive/reason in the giver? How did you receive the gift?

Think about a time you have given something generously? How did you feel? Do we live in a climate that has stopped giving and does receiving better because it expects so much from others?

Think about the Bible as a narrative of giving:

Read the following pages and ask yourselves in your conversation what is happening and what the words say about God then think about humans did next! 

Genesis 1: 26 – 30 and Genesis 2: 15 – 24

John 3: 16 – 21

Hosea 11: 1 – 9

The generous, persistent giving of God despite ourselves…

Is your church a giving church expecting nothing back? Or do we give only when we think it will give us something in return? Some traditions still do tithing – see Leviticus 27:  30 - 32  

Jesus talks about money more than any other subject – he uses stories and examples to point people to the divine impulse of generous giving.  

Read Luke 21: 1 – 4 – what does this story say to you tonight? The sacrificial generosity of the widow is stunning but by no means unique. So often it is those who have the least financially or materially who are the most generous with their giving. Have you examples of this? One in the material from Burundi.

John Wesley had things to say about money and giving in The Use of Money…

We know that it is the love of money that is a root of all kinds of evil. The fault does not lie in the money, but in those who use it.

Money can be used wrongly — and what cannot be misused? However, money can also be used properly. Money is of indescribable benefit to all civilized nations in all the common affairs of life. It is a most condensed means to transact all kinds of business and of doing all kinds of good (if we use it according to Christian wisdom).

If humankind were in an uncorrupted state or if all people were filled with the Holy Spirit, there would be no misuse of money. In paradise, the use of money will be outmoded, and we cannot imagine that there is anything like money among heaven’s inhabitants.

In our present state, though, money is an excellent gift from God, working toward the most elevated purposes. In the hands of God’s children, money is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, and clothing for the naked. For the pilgrim and stranger, money provides a place to lie down to rest. By the right use of money we can provide for others. Money can serve as a husband for the widow and as a father to the orphans. We can supply protection for the oppressed, a means of health for the sick, and comfort for those in pain. Money can become as “eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame” (Job 29:15, NRSV)2; and, indeed, money can lift up others “from the gates of death” (Psalm 9:13).

Therefore, it ranks among our highest concerns that all who fear God know how to use this valuable gift. It is important that we be instructed in how money can serve admirable ends to the highest degree. Perhaps all the instructions necessary for this goal can be reduced to three simple rules. By observing them, we can become faithful managers of money. These rules are gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.

Read Luke 19: 1 – 10 – Imagine it is your home Jesus is visiting. What does he give to you? And what do you feel called to give in return?

We may be able to pool our money but what about time and resources? As a Circuit we are trying to think about helping each other across the churches with skills and gifts and practical help. Some churches like quite understandably to hold on to their money for them and keep their own show on the ground first, when the Circuit system at its best is about us helping each other to be God’s people. Some people see the Circuit as an outdated thing of the past (even in this Circuit!) A discussion for another day J

Generosity and giving does not stay with the fellowship of believers who look after each other – it leads to service in the world.  Look at Acts 3, what happens after God gives the Church his Spirit?   No wonder they had the goodwill of all the people! The importance of incarnational mission . Think of an example of how your church is serving people outside your inner fellowship.

John 1: 14 – in the Message says the Word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood. Jesus got involved, walked the streets, sat in the market place, spent time in people’s homes,  he got his hands dirty and offered the life changing touch of holiness. He brought heaven down to earth. Have we moved from this sort of Christianity keeping the Church going with all our energy now? Read story of disconnection (page 180) – need to know what the community is thinking, talking about, its problems and sorrows, not just about putting on what we think they need anymore or answering questions no one is asking. A church that is still in 1960 cannot speak to 2017.

Read Luke 14: 12 -14

A final exercise in groups leading to a plenary of action:

Read Matthew 25: 31 – 46. What does this passage say to you/challenge you about?

What ways do you exercise Christian giving and service in your life outside of Church stuff eg at work or in your leisure interests?

What one thing can your church give to people in the next few weeks?

How can your church serve its neighbourhood? What one thing might you do together to make that happen. Put it to  your next Church Council. 

Reflect together on the words of this hymn:

God wills us to show forgiveness, mercy and compassion, just as God bestows those gifts upon us. We are continually called toserve God in whatever capacity we can.

Called by Christ to be disciples                 

Every day in every place,

We are not to hide as hermits

But to spread the way of grace,

Citizens of heaven‟s kingdom,

Though this world is where we live,

As we serve a faithful master,

Faithful service may we give.

Richly varied are our pathways,

Many callings we pursue;

May we use our gifts and talents

Always, Lord, to honour you;

So in government or commerce,

College, hospice, farm or home,

Whether volunteers or earning,

May we see your kingdom come.

Holy Habits Session 4: Prayer

What is prayer?

Write down what you think prayer is. Keep it simple!

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Andrew Roberts suggests “true prayer is so much than something we do occasionally or regularly. Prayer is the spiritual air we breathe. We breathe in the grace, blessings, peace, courage, holiness of God and breathe out our adoration, praise, thanksgiving, confession and intercession. Prayer is an adventure in itself. In prayer we soar and struggle, wonder and worry. When we pray we can experience ecstasy and anguish, clarity and confusion.  We encounter mystery and silence. When we run out of words the Spirit breathes out and prays through our groans and sighs.”  

 Some questions and an activity 

1.        What are the problems you find with prayer? Why are they problems? What do you find helpful that aids your prayer life?

2.        The Psalmist especially brought every situation and emotion to God. Do we? If we have a real relationship with God, we can be honest, can’t we? Share examples of honest praying you have done.

3.        Jesus has a lot to teach us about daily prayer. Is the place of prayer for many people only in crisis, or as a last resort, but not nurturing a relationship regularly?

4.        Jesus seems to be stressing that prayer is about God’s will not ours. This is difficult! Share examples of when God has not answered prayer (does God ever not answer prayer!!?) or has answered it in a way that has surprised you or disturbed you? As a church, have we been surprised or disturbed by the way God has answered prayer?

5.        Are we a community that listens to others and to God? Where is the space in our lives and our church programme to listen to God? Reflect together on a prayer by Michel Quoist called The Telephone.

I have just hung up ; why did he telephone ?

I don't know . . . Oh ! I get it . . .

I talked a lot and listened very little .

Forgive me , Lord , it was a monologue and not a dialogue .

I explained my idea and did not get his ;

Since I didn't listen , I learned nothing .

Since I didn't listen , I didn't help .

Since I didn't listen , we didn't communicate .

Forgive me , Lord , for we were connected ,

And now we are cut off .

Acts 2: 42 – Luke slips in the little phrase “the prayers” – implies use of specific, regularly used prayers. Mainly Jewish prayers with added Christian flavouring.  Jewish models but enriched because of the Christ event. Some scholars reckon the Lord’s Prayer would have been included in the light of Luke 11: 2 – 4 which includes the instruction “when you pray, say…” Pentecost (a few verses earlier) would have had spontaneous outpouring of prayer as the Spirit came. There is a way to pray for us all!   

ACTS

In five groups do a consequences prayer – remember consequences – the sun said, the moon thought, and the consequence was, folded paper passed to different groups:

Adoration - some things you are wanting to praise God for in his character.

Confession – some things you think we (a large we) need to be sorry for.

Thanksgiving – what are you thankful for tonight?

Intercession – what do we bring to God in prayer tonight re his world?

Certainty

So   - fill in the blank then pass it to another group:

O God we praise you because

We are sorry that

We thank you for

We pray for your world especially for                                               that you

You are                                                                           and we                    Amen. 

Adoration is oft neglected. Gazing upon and being transformed by divine holiness. Expressing our adoration of God just for the sake of it.

Confession – can be rushed. “I worry when it comes to confession that we (individually and especially collectively) are sometimes keen to get on with the repentance (the changing) without first dwelling in the place of contrition and sorrow. Examples?

Thanksgiving – an aspect of prayer to savour and be transformed by. We are shocked when someone says thank you to us these days.

As we take time with adoration, confession and thanksgiving we are re-orientated to, and transformed by, the love and holiness of God.

So when we come to intercession we will be able to pray in a way consistent with the teaching of Jesus for the fruits of God’s Kingdom to be seen and known in the lives of those for whom we pray.

Praying wherever you are

We find God in the rhythm of daily life. We need daily rituals in the rhythm of the day, the problem is, he suggests, we have no rhythm! Bishop Stephen Cottrell in How to Pray talks about other faiths – prayer built into daily life. There is no embarrassment about prayer, and if it is the hour of prayer everything stops, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing.

In our busyness, we might learn prayers by heart. Do you know any prayers off by heart? Apart from the Lord’s Prayer (which a lot of people don’t know by heart now even.)

Here’s one:

O Holy Spirit, giver of light and life, impart to us thoughts better than our own thoughts, and prayers better than our own prayers, and powers better than our own powers, that we may spend and be spent in the ways of love and goodness, after the perfect image of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

We said that prayer every day in assembly at secondary school. I can still remember it! And the headmistress leading it.

Monks of old said, "Lord, make haste to help me. Lord, make speed to save me," all day long.

God is not only found in the routine, he is found in the disjuncture and the surprise. He is the God of the unexpected. Prayer needs to be relevant, contemporary, and speak to what is going on right now.

Michael Ramsey from “Be still and know”: “The praying Christian draws inspiration from the world. Sometimes the beauty he sees in the world will stir him to wonder and to worship. Sometimes the presence of the divine word in human lives of goodness or wisdom will stir him with gratitude and reverence. The presence of self-sacrifice in human lives will set him thinking of Calvary. More often, perhaps, the agony of the world will draw him to the compassion of Christ and stir his will to pray.”

People need to know the church is a praying people. We offer space for prayer when we open our doors. We offer words when people have no words.

A final thought

What help is there to enhance our prayer life?  What good practice can you pass on?

  John Wesley’s Sermon: “The Wilderness State”

  Perhaps it is this very thing, the want of striving, spiritual sloth, which keeps your soul in darkness. You dwell at ease in the land; there is no war in your coasts; and so you are quiet and unconcerned. You go on in the same even track of outward duties, and are content there to abide. And do you wonder, meantime, that your soul is dead? O stir yourself up before the Lord! Arise, and shake yourself from the dust; wrestle with God for the mighty blessing; pour out your soul unto God in prayer, and continue therein with all perseverance! Watch! Awake out of sleep; and keep awake! Otherwise there is nothing to be expected, but that you will be alienated more and more from the light and life of God.

What is John Wesley saying about prayer here?

You’ve got to keep doing it!