Reading from Spirituality of Living: Community
Reading from Spirituality of Homecoming: The Challenge & The Cost
We began our Advent journey by talking about the importance of creating space for God in our daily lives. Last week we explored God’s heart behind the discipline of solitude – that he wants us to hear and know deeply that we are his Beloved.
1) This week Henri invites us to reflect on the discipline and blessing of community, because “solitude always calls us to community (p33, Living).
a) Why do you think solitude calls us to community?
b) Who makes up your current community?
c) Are you experiencing a time of loneliness?
d) Are you feeling stirred to deepen your current community or widen your community?
2) The discipline of community seems to involve a process: first Henri us invites to recognize that other people in our community are not God, and simply cannot love us perfectly. He invites us to release them from this expectation, and also to forgive ourselves for not being able to love in this way. From the strength that comes from solitude we can have the perspective to trust the good intention behind the behaviour of those around us; “I know you love me…” (p 37). Finally we are called to actively celebrate and call forth the gifts of the those around us.
a) Have you had someone in your life who saw and drew forth your gifts? How did it affect your life?
b) Have you had the opportunity to draw forth the gifts of another? What was happening in your times of solitude that gave you the resources to do this?
In Homecoming he reminds us that living in community comes with a challenge and at a cost.
3) In The Challenge Henri writes, “An enemy is someone we have defined as being against us, in contrast to those who are for us.” Therefore, to live in community–any community, a church, a school or workplace, even a family–is to have “enemies” at times. And how are we to live with our enemies? Henri challenges us to take the difficult steps to pray for them and to do small acts of service for them.
a) This week reflect on who your enemies might be and how specifically you can respond to the challenge. If you are comfortable, share what you discover.
4) Moving to The Cost we learn, “The cost of following Jesus is to take up our cross.” We each carry our personal cross of “the small things, the little irritations, that occupy our mind the whole day like a toothache. It can be a person, a situation, or an unfulfilled hope.” Henri calls us to merge our cross with that of Jesus and he suggests a prayer that includes, “My burden will be your burden, and your burden will fill me with life and new hope.”
a) This week strive to make Henri’s prayer your own and, if comfortable, share your experience.
We very much look forward to hearing from you all this week!
Ray and Brynn