Category: Lent 2017 Adam: God’s Beloved

Reading: Chapter 4 Adam’s Way

Welcome to week three!  We’ve had such a beautiful discussion so far.  Thank you to each one for your vulnerability and courage to share.  It is safe to say, your contribution is touching someone else’s heart.

In this Chapter Henri gives us three examples of how Adam’s “way” of being and of living had a profound impact on other people.  Again, we see a deepening of the themes Henri has already raised, so feel free to re-visit themes we’ve already touched on in earlier weeks.

1) Henri shares three stories, one of Fr. Bruno, another of Cathy and finally of himself.  Each of these three were living a different life experience, and Adam was able to touch their life where they most needed it.  
a)  Which of the three stories do you most identify with and why?
b) How does Adam’s “way” speak to you in your current life experience?

2) Henri shares the story of his own journey, and reflects that “I was challenged to believe that even when I had nothing to show for myself, I was still God’s beloved son” (p79).
a) Have you had a similar experience of a low point in your life, with nothing to “show” for yourself?  How did you believe and claim the love of God for you in that time?  And/or…
b) How will you now?

3) “In our society plagued by fear, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and a sense of being lost, we keep looking for guides” (p81).  Many of us have the privilege and responsibility of being a guide for others, and many of us have sought good guides to help us along the journey.  Henri indicates the risk that a guide can becoming too controlling and the receiver too dependant.
a) How does Adam’s way give you fresh insight into how to be a good guide for others?
b) How did Adam’s powerlessness allow him to be a pure instrument of God’s healing power?  What does that mean for you?

We very much look forward to another wonderful week, and hearing how the readings spoke to each of you.

Ray and Brynn

Reading: Chapter 3

A heartfelt thank you to each of you who opened your heart last week, and shared your questions, reflections and journey with us.  Thank you also to those who are journeying with us silently, your presence is equally valued.

Henri describes how his relationship with Adam grew, and how it began to change him.  Henri shares with us the way that Adam, through his life and presence helped Henri receive some deep spiritual truths.  In this Chapter, Henri reflects on many of the themes that you all raised last week, so please feel free to continue with, and deepen, those themes.

1_Henri, like many of us, would often get wrapped up in what other people where thinking of him, and the need to prove himself worthy of love and acceptance.  Adam’s message to Henri was, in part, that “being is more important than doing” and that “God’s love is more important than the praise of people” (p56).
a) In what ways do you fall into the trap of “doing” in order to prove yourself worthy (of  love / acceptance / God’s love)?
b) How can we receive /embrace/ live the truth of God’s love for us?

2_Adam invited Henri to “just be with me and trust that this is where you have to be” (p48).
a) Are there people in your life who are calling you to “just be with” them?
b) What keeps you from taking the time to be with them? (See page 42 for Henri’s exploration of is own fear)
c) How does Henri’s experience with Adam help you understand God’s desire for us in relationship with Him?

3_Henri realizes that “the greatest gift I could offer [Adam] was my open hand and open heart to receive from him his precious gift…” (p59).
a) What does it mean to have an open hand and an open heart with another?
b) How might the decision and practice of receiving from another relate to the questions from 1 and 2 above?

4_After realizing how deeply Adam has touched his heart and life, Henri desires to share his relationship with Adam with others.
a) How did he do this with Murray?
b) How is this a metaphor for how we are called to share Jesus with others?

As always, feel free to share whatever came up for you in the reading.  We offer these questions simply to help facilitate the discussion, but we are not bound to them.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Ray and Brynn

Reading:  Chapters 1 and 2

Welcome!  In the introductions from last week we heard from many hearts desiring to go deeper in their relationship with the Lord.  Some shared the very clear way God led them to this discussion.  Others shared how very personal experiences drew them to this book.  The Holy Spirit clearly has a plan for each one, and we pray that he has His way in all of our hearts throughout this discussion.

1 ) In many ways these two chapters are context to help us prepare for the weeks ahead.  We are introduced to Adam, and come to understand many of the challenges he faced in life, as well as one or two of the tragedy’s he experienced.  Yet we also see how he was a blessing to his family; “he was such a gentle soul, and we loved to have him with us” wrote his Dad (p34).

a) We invite you to consider “Who is your Adam?”  Who is someone in your life that has been a blessing to you, who has spoken to you about God out of their place of vulnerability?
b) You are invited to share with us a little bit about your relationship with “your Adam” (keeping the person’s privacy in mind).

2 ) From the Introduction, we know that Henri is writing this book out of his question, “What do I believe?”  In Chapter two we are reminded of the “message coming to us from our world that leads us to believe that we must prove our belovedness…” (p 37, emphasis added)

a) What does the Bible tell us about the truth of our Belovedness? (Please share to remind yourself and others!)
b) Do you believe it for Adam?
c) Do you believe it for yourself?
d) If there is a difference between your answers to b and c, what is the difference?

3) Sue did a wonderful job of filling in the story of Adam’s early life.  Did anything stand out to you, or speak to you, as you read through this simple story of Adam’s early life?  

As is always the case, these questions are offered to help facilitate our discussion, but please don’t feel bound to them or limited by them.  Feel free to share whatever comes up for you in the reading.

Ray and Brynn