Sacred Space – Small Group Resources

Ordinary Time, Proper 26

1 Thessalonians 2:9–13 NRSV

Gathering

Welcome

Ordinary Time is the Christian calendar period from Pentecost to Advent. This part of the Christian calendar is without major festivals or holy days. During Ordinary Time we focus on our discipleship as individuals and as a faith community.

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle

Today’s Prayer for Peace is inspired by Community of Christ Sings 387, “Bring Forth the Kingdom” by Marty Haugen

Seeds of mercy and seeds of justice, grow in the kingdom of God.

Mother God, we long to bring forth peaceful communities where all are equal, all are safe, all are loved, and all are welcomed. We long to end painful, destructive wars. As rain heals the parched fields, we long for your mercy to heal our parched souls. We long to be your healing hands on Earth, spreading your justice. Give us strength and courage.

Many seeds grow. Many seeds blossom. We plant bulbs that will take months to peek through the soil and grow hearty petals. We plant tiny seeds that will grow enormous leaves. May we tend to your garden lovingly and faithfully through seasons of rest, seasons of growth, and seasons of harvest.

In the name of Jesus, Tiller of fields of mercy. Amen.

Loving Kindness Blessing

Today’s spiritual practice focuses on Worth of All Persons. This Enduring Principle states, “We seek to uphold and restore the worth of all people individually and in community, challenging unjust systems that diminish human worth.” By practicing a Loving Kindness blessing we remind ourselves of the Worth of All Persons

For our blessing I’ll say a phrase, and you repeat the words after me in your mind. Read the following to the group:

Give the words of the meditation time to resonate in your heart and mind:

May I be blessed with loving kindness. May I be blessed with health. May I be blessed with true happiness. May I be blessed with peace. (Pause.)

Think of someone who is beloved to you. Visualize the person. As you pray, insert the person’s name into the prayer in your mind:

May my beloved be blessed with loving kindness. May my beloved be blessed with health. May my beloved be blessed with true happiness. May my beloved be blessed with peace. (Pause.)

Now think of a close friend. Visualize the person as you pray:

May my friend be blessed with loving kindness. May my friend be blessed with health. May my friend be blessed with true happiness. May my friend be blessed with peace. (Pause.)

Think of someone with whom you are in conflict or has harmed you. Visualize this person. Breathe deeply and lovingly pray this blessing:

May the one who harmed me be blessed with loving kindness. May the one who harmed me be blessed with health. May the one who harmed me be blessed with true happiness. May the one who harmed me be blessed with peace (Pause.)

Think of Mother Earth and all creation. Visualize all creation. Breathe out love in your blessing to all of creation.

May Mother Earth be blessed with loving kindness. May Mother Earth be blessed with health. May Mother Earth be blessed with true happiness. May mother Earth be blessed with peace. (Pause.)

Invite people to share the thoughts, emotions, and images they experienced in this blessing.

1 Thessalonians 2:9–13 NRSV

You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.

Paul seems to be tooting his horn again, sharing with the saints in Thessalonica how righteous he and his fellow evangelists were when sharing with them the gospel of God. But on closer reading we can get a sense that Paul is taking on the mantle of teacher in these verses. The reference to himself as a father, metaphorically speaking, indicates the shift from caring and nurturing servant to instructive parent, culturally the role of a father.

In his desire to refine the saints of Thessalonica he uses the behavior of his ministry team as an example of how disciples should behave. That behavior is a response to the grace they have experienced in the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the humble and dedicated servants of the good news.

Paul and his companions came to Thessalonica, humbly sharing the good news, taking much care to not burden the community. They worked gently with the hearers and gave all they had to give with patience and generosity. This approach opened the doors of their hearts. They not only were able to hear the gospel, but to internalize it. The response to such a gift is gratitude, not only in Paul, but in the Thessalonians, too.

Paul is reminding the first readers of this text that internalizing or allowing the Word of God to “work in you believers” is the source of the response to be righteous in the community where they live. In no way does Paul suggest that being “good” is to gain favor in the eyes of God or to punch the ticket for eternal bliss in the afterlife. Paul simply is saying that when disciples respond with generosity to those whom they meet in daily life, the disciples bring the kingdom to bear in the present situation.

1. Think of a person who was a wonderful teacher. How did that teacher present material? Was the teacher patient or dismissive? Gentle or harsh?

2. Share a time when you shared the gospel of God with someone. How did you present the good news?

3. How do you practice generosity in your daily life?

Generosity Statement

Beloved Community of Christ, do not just speak and sing of Zion. Live, love, and share as Zion: those who strive to be visibly one in Christ, among whom there are no poor or oppressed.

—Doctrine and Covenants 165:6a

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response. This offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:

Discipling God, as we navigate our world of debt and consumerism, help us to save wisely, spend responsibly, and give generously. In this way may we prepare for the future and create a better tomorrow for our families, friends, the mission of Christ, and the world. Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

CCS 625 “You Are Called to Tell the Story”

Closing Prayer

Optional Additions Depending on Group Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper Thoughts for Children

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NRSV

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

We share in Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let’s sing from Community of Christ Sings (select one):

515, “In these Moments We Remember”

516, “Coming Together for Wine and for Bread”

521, “Let Us Break Bread Together”

525, “Small Is the Table”

528, “Eat this Bread”

In today’s scripture, Paul gives thanks to God. We can be thankful for much in the world, and it is good to share that gratitude with God. Today, I want to see how many things we can think of to be grateful for.

I am going to give a category, and then we will go around in a circle and share something in that category for which we are grateful Then we’ll try again with a new category. For example, if I said the category was “something yellow,” you could say you are grateful for the sun! If people get stuck, they can ask the group, and we all can try to help them think of something they are grateful for.

Categories:

• Something that sounds nice.

• Something that tastes delicious.

• Something that feels soft.

• Something that smells wonderful

• Something that looks beautiful.

• Something that makes me laugh

• Something that makes me feel safe.

• Someone I love

• Someone who loves me.

Wow! You all thought of so many things! Now, let’s share our thanks with God. We are going to say a circle prayer of gratitude. I will start the prayer before passing it to the person next to me by squeezing the person’s hand. That person will add gratitude before passing it to the next person. Pick one or two things you are grateful for to share when it is your turn.

Close with a circle prayer of gratitude where you begin the prayer before passing it on by squeezing the hand of the person next to you. The prayer continues to be passed as participants add their own gratitude before squeezing the hand next to them. This continues until the prayer comes back to you. You close with amen.