Week 4: Little Lights
- What stood out to you from the message this past Sunday? Was there anything that seemed timely or relevant to you? Was there anything which made you uncomfortable, or with which you disagreed?
- Consider what it’s like for you to experience your faith with a whole range of feelings? Would you describe your reaction as positive, negative, or a mix of both? What’s it like to encounter the feeling of exposing all of your unpolished self to God.
- Reflecting on your own childhood, were you allowed to live fully in your humanity? Was there a time where you were taught to hold back or try to be more in control? Do you think that has an impact now on encountering all of your feelings?
- Read Matthew 18:1-5: What does it mean to you to be “child-like”? Does it impact the way you look at your faith?
- Are there any other parts of the bible that jump out to you with their openness of sharing emotion with God? What do you take away from those passages?
- What are some ways that you can practice being fully present? Are there areas where you could add in a practice that might expand your relationship with God?
- Reflecting again on your childhood, do you remember playing pretend or make-believe? What did you like about that experience? Do you miss anything about it? Can you remember the last time that you engaged in an exercise of imagination? How did that feel as an adult?
- If you’re comfortable, imagine that you’re sitting outside by a fire with the disciples and Jesus. The sun is setting but the warmth from the day hasn’t faded away. You’re all sharing a simple meal of meat and bread. And Jesus asks you what’s weighing on your heart from today. Breath in deep and share as if you were sitting right next to him. Maybe he’s reached out a comforting hand on your shoulder while you’re talking. Imagine what he says to give you grace and peace. Think about each of your senses, your breath, the smells, the tastes of the food, the warmth on your skin. Does engaging in that practice help you think about a conversation with Jesus differently? How could you add these types of practices into your regular faith experiences?