Week 3

The Christian Season of Lent provides the opportunity not usually highly valued in our fast passed and ever changing world.  In our Christian year it calls us to a period of reflection.  It begs us to Stop, Listen, Reflect, Learn and Transform. Our faith again and again recognises that humans need a pattern of rest, reflection and recreation (re-Creation).   The weekly Sabbath is an example of a pattern is intended to help as restore our Shalom (Peace).  Lent can be a time in the pattern of our year that offers space so that things might be different.  If you yearn for change in your life, our church and in the world changing direction requires us first to stop.

 

You may like to prepare for this week’s study by engaging with the following resources:

Read: The Six Commitments of Common Good Communication - Vote Common Good and / or the Engaged Feedback Checklist from Brene Brown

Listen: The Long History of Argument - Ep 1 - Seriously... | Podcast on Spotify -or listen on your favourite Podcast App to episode 1 of The Long History of Argument. There are three episodes, but if you only have time for one, try Episode 3

Review: Our glossary about relationships.

 

O God, the fountain of life,
to a humanity parched with thirst
you offer the living water that springs from the Rock, our Saviour Jesus Christ:
stir up within your people the gift of your Spirit, that we may profess our faith with freshness
and announce with joy the wonder of your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 

Amen.

 

John 4.5-42

Read the passage in what ever way suits the gathered group.  If it is a long passage you may wish to use different voices.  Give space after the reading for people to read quietly on their own to reflect on passage. Click on the button below to bring up the reading.

 

Listen again to Sunday’s message for the service.

These questions can be a guide to encourage the group to engage with the Bible Passage and/or the Sermon from the previous Sunday.

Reflecting inwards: Transforming You

  1. How have you experienced this passage in your life?

  2. Did you discover something new in reading it again?

  3. Did it raise any questions you would like an answer for?

Reflecting outwards: Transforming Relationships

  1. Name the people or groups that are mentioned or referred to in the text?

  2. Describe the the various relationships that are present? 

  • Try and keep to what you observe in this passage only and avoid straying into what you know in other parts of scripture

  • Can you name any of these types of relationships present in this passage?

    • Transactional

    • Mutually Reinforcing

    • Mutually Excluding

    • Mutually Transforming

  1. Do these relationships change as a result of encountering each other?

  2. Do these relationships change as a result of these encounters? 

  3. Are the individuals or groups changed during these encounters?

  4. Are these changes positive or negative if compared to the character of the Kingdom of God?

  5. Who or what was necessary to make these changes possible?

 

Reflecting on the Now

  1. Using this week's resources above, in what ways do we behave that are barriers to good conversation?

  2. What have you learnt that might help you engage in conversations more likely to bring transformation?

  3. How do you think these suggestions about how to have conversations helps make God’s God News clearer in peoples lives?

Gathering the wisdom

  1. What new thing have you learnt through participating in this Study?

  2. How might you use this learning in your life?

This prayer has been sourced from the Learning How to See Podcast and invites us into a Mindful moment that can open us up to be changed. It is best prayed slowly and with space before and after for individual reflection. If you are part of a group you may wish to use a varyiety of voices.

Source of all truth,
help me to hunger for truth,
even if it upsets, modifies, or overturns what I already think is true.
Guide me into all the truth I can bear,
and stretch me to bear more,
so that I may always choose the whole truth — even with disruption —
over half-truths with self-deception.
Grant me passion to follow wisdom wherever it leads. Amen