Appendix Small Group Discussion Guide
Appendix
Small Group Discussion Guide
By Matthew Johnson
with Christopher Jasen Fox
This book has been born from a truth many of us know from our own spiritual journeys: we need community. As this material has been developed it has always been within the context of community. It is within community that we can share the excitement of discovering God’s kingdom at work in our lives. It is within community that we can celebrate new insights from this reading material and also challenge the ideas of the author. It is within community that we realize the gifts God has given to us personally and to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is also within community that we uncover the wounds and issues that the Holy Spirit is bringing to the light.
What a wonderful gift community truly is!
And so, as with the previous books in The Apprentice Series, we have created this small group guide as a tool to help individuals become community. In this guide you will find a session for each chapter. Each session is split into segments. Use these segments in whatever way is most comfortable for your setting. You may skip segments or questions, or you may choose to add questions and activities as you see fit. In addition, you may want to spend time as a group looking at the questions contained within the margins of each chapter.
Depending on the size of your group, the sessions in this guide could take anywhere from sixty to ninety minutes. We have included estimates on how long each segment can take. If your group has more than six participants, expect the group time to last ninety minutes.
If you are the leader of a group, visit The Apprentice Series website at www.apprenticeofjesus.org for a more developed leader’s guide for the series as well as podcasts, blogs, videos, other resources and information.
May you be blessed with a loving and peculiar community as you seek God’s kingdom in your midst.
Matthew Johnson
Chapter 1: The Peculiar Community
Opening to God [5 minutes]
Begin with five minutes of silence to allow the group to become centered in the present moment and let the busyness and tension of the day drop from their shoulders. At the conclusion of the silence someone in the group may offer a brief prayer, ring a meditation chime or simply say amen.
Soul Training [10-20 minutes]
If you are in a group of six or more people, divide into groups of three or four. Use the questions below to discuss your experience of spending two hours with God and performing four acts of peculiarity.
Two Hours with God
As you are comfortable, share with your group how you spent your two hours with God (in one long block, eight fifteen-minute blocks, one hour of worship?).
How did you utilize the author’s eight suggested steps for quiet time? If you left any steps out, why did you omit them?
What challenges did you encounter in spending two hours with God?
How did the time with God affect you?
Four Acts of Peculiarity
What effect did your four acts of peculiarity have on you?
What challenges did you experience in fulfilling this soul-training exercise?
How were your acts of peculiarity an expression of God’s peculiarity?
Did your “maladjusted” actions ever give you a sense of being
a citizen of another world (the kingdom of God)? Describe your experience.
Engaging the Chapter [30-40 minutes]
If you divided into subgroups for your discussion of the soul-training exercise, you may regroup for your discussion of the chapter. If time is limited, read through the following questions and note which ones you especially want to discuss, and then begin with those questions.
What is your earliest recollection of church? How did it shape your understanding of God and of sharing life with others?
Can you recall a time you encountered a good and beautiful community? If so, describe your experience and what the group was like.
Read aloud the Athenagoras quote on pages 28-29. What is most striking to you about his description of the Christians? What would he write about Christians in your community?
The author gives us this description of God’s peculiar people:
For example, if I (by the power of the Spirit) begin telling the truth in my life, I will become an oddity. If I can learn to slow down, live without being ruled by anger and actually pray for people who try to cut me down, I will be considered weird. (p. 27)
Then Cornel West gives us this description of how we are to be
maladjusted to the ways of the world: “There have always been Christians who are well-adjusted to greed, well-adjusted to fear, well-
adjusted to bigotry” (p. 34). The author adds, “All Christians ought to be maladjusted to things like injustice, greed, materialism and racism.”Do you agree that Christians should be “peculiar” and “mal-adjusted”? Why or why not?
On page 31 the author writes, “The God that Jesus reveals is peculiar.” What is your reaction to this statement?
Reread the first four paragraphs of “Trust the Leading of the Spirit” on pages 35-36.
What wisdom do you draw from George Fox’s response to William Penn regarding wearing his sword?
Is there any area of your life where you wish someone would tell you what to do? How can you apply Fox’s principle?
Engaging the Word [10-20 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud Romans 12:1-2. Then discuss the following questions.
As a group, create a list of words and phrases from this passage that point to the peculiarity of Christians. Explain why you have chosen those words.
What does the phrase “be transformed by the renewing of your minds” mean? How do we do that?
Why would the renewing of our minds lead us to not be “conformed to this world”?
Go in Peace [5 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud the following Scripture passage and quote from the book.
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12)
The ethic is simple: as God is, so should his people be. If we do not love, we must not know God. Because “God’s love was revealed among us” in the person of Jesus “that we might live through him” (p. 32).
Next Week
The next chapter explores the source of hope for the Christian community. The soul-training exercise is sharing your faith. The author gives very constructive steps to make this happen. However, you will need to begin early in the week in order to see the impact of these steps prior to your next gathering.
Chapter 2: The Hopeful Community
Opening to God [5 minutes]
Begin with five minutes of silence. At the conclusion of the silence someone in the group may offer a brief prayer, ring a meditation chime or simply say amen.
Soul Training [10-20 minutes]
If you are in a group of six or more people, divide into groups of three or four. Use the questions below to discuss your experience of sharing your faith.
Have you been practicing any of the seven steps prior to reading this chapter? How does it encourage you to know that you are already playing a significant role in reaching others?
Which of the seven activities was most helpful to you? Why?
What difficulties did you discover as you worked through these steps? What might these difficulties have to teach you?
How will you apply these steps beyond this study?
What did you learn about God, yourself or others through this soul-training exercise?
Engaging the Chapter [30-40 minutes]
If you divided into subgroups for your discussion of the soul-training exercise, you may regroup for your discussion of the chapter. If time is limited, read through the following questions and note which ones you especially want to discuss, and then begin with those questions.
What have been your experiences with witnessing, evangelism or faith sharing?
Of the six excuses for not witnessing (p. 45), which one are you most inclined to use for not sharing your faith story? Why?
John Zizioulas writes that the Christian community “has its roots in the future and its branches in the present” (p. 48). How does this quote and the author’s interpretation of the quote make you feel about the future and the present?
Review “The Four-Part Story of Hope” (pp. 48-51). What new or challenging ideas did you find in this section? As you place yourself in this metanarrative, how do you feel?
As Christ’s story becomes our story, we receive a new identity that forms the foundation for our behavior, but this is not how we normally think. The author explains:
We almost always do the reverse: we define identity on the basis of behavior; we tell people what they must do (imperative) to find out who they are (indicative). Paul does the opposite: he tells them who they are and then how they should live. The more we grow into the story, the more the story grows into us. (p. 52)
How has your identity in Christ led to changes in behavior?
The author points out that our lives are a witness:
When we tell the truth when it is hard, when we sit in the waiting room with a hurting and scared friend when we have pressing things to do, when we strive to stay in harmony with people who disagree with us, when we find a way to spend less so we can give more, when we offer a blessing to someone who curses at us, the essence of Jesus, who lives in and through us, is emerging. (p. 55)
Spend a few minutes in silent reflection. Think over the last week and consider when the essence of Jesus was emerging in your life or in someone you know. If you are comfortable, share your insights with the group.
The author invites us to be prepared to give the reason for the hope we have, gently, respectfully and when the person is ready to hear it. How does this approach affect your willingness to share your faith?
Engaging the Word [10-20 minutes]
Have a volunteer read the following Scripture aloud. Then discuss the questions.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. (Colossians 1:3-6 niv)
In your own life, when has hope produced faith and love?
If hope is confidence in a good future, how would you describe your level of hope?
What truths about God and God’s kingdom increase your hopefulness in a good future?
Go in Peace [5 minutes]
To send you forth, have a volunteer read the following quote from the book.
Roots in the future, roots in the resurrection, roots in the eternal victory of Jesus, roots that are firmly planted in eternal life, roots that nourish the trunk and the branches, and ultimately produce the fruit that draws others into the story. Wright concludes, “To be truly effective in this kind of mission, one must be genuinely and cheerfully rooted in God’s renewal.” We have a real reason to cheer. The more we know the story, the more we rejoice. (p. 48)
Next Week
The next chapter explores the role of self-sacrifice within the Christian community. The soul-training exercise involves self-sacrifice in various areas of our lives.
Chapter 3: The Serving Community
Opening to God [5 minutes]
Begin with five minutes of silence. At the conclusion of the silence someone in the group may offer a brief prayer, ring a meditation chime or simply say amen.
Soul Training [10-20 minutes]
If you are in a group of six or more people, divide into groups of three or four. This chapter’s soul-training exercise invited us to live unselfishly in multiple settings. With these questions, work through the different areas where you interact with others.
Select two of the following areas and describe what you learned about unselfish living:
family
work
church
daily life
What was the most difficult aspect of living unselfishly?
What did you learn about others as you lived unselfishly?
Did you grow in your ability to treasure others through this practice?
Engaging the Chapter [30-40 minutes]
If you divided into subgroups for your discussion of the soul-training exercise, you may regroup for your discussion of the chapter. If time is limited, read through the following questions and note which ones you especially want to discuss, and then begin with those questions.
The author opens the chapter with the story of a committee meeting. How have you seen narratives of self-centeredness and self-sacrifice at work inside or outside the church? What has been the fruit of those meetings?
In exploring the false and true narratives, the author contrasts a self-focused church with an others-focused church (pp. 68-70). Consider your own faith community. With your group, list the ways your community is self-focused and others-focused. What do these lists tell you?
The author writes, “The value of a church is not in its longevity but in its love. The success of a church is not in its size but in its service to the people and the community” (pp. 72-73). Do churches struggle to focus on love instead of longevity, and service over size? What factors contribute to this struggle?
What was your reaction to the author’s idea of “treasuring our treasure”? Why?
How do you feel about what Dallas Willard says: “The most important task we have, especially for those in church leadership, is to pray for the success of our neighboring churches” (p. 76)?
Can you think of a time you gave yourself the “space of grace”
(p. 77)? If so, how did the space affect the situation?
Engaging the Word [10-20 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud Philippians 2:3-11, then discuss the following questions.
What does this passage tell us about the narratives of Jesus?
How would you describe the metanarrative of this text (the bigger story)?
As a group, create a list of tangible ways you can follow the example of Christ, who humbled himself for the sake of others. Individually consider which items you could do this week.
Go in Peace [5 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud this quote from the book:
Communities become others-centered when they are steeped in the narrative of the kingdom of God. They know that their community is an outpost of the kingdom of God, a place where grace is spoken and lived for as long as is needed. (p. 72)
May our communities become such places.
Next Week
The next chapter considers what unites a Christian community. The soul-training exercise is expressing love toward those you disagree with. There are practical suggestions for this soul training, but you will need the full week to be able to implement them.
Chapter 4: The Christ-Centered Community
Opening to God [5 minutes]
Begin with five minutes of silence. At the conclusion of the silence someone in the group may offer a brief prayer, ring a meditation chime or simply say amen.
Soul Training [10-20 minutes]
If you are in a group of six or more people, divide into groups of three or four. Use the questions below to discuss your experience of loving those with whom you disagree.
What tangible steps did you take to express love toward those you disagree with?
How did the interaction change your perspective?
Which of John Wesley’s five practices seems most difficult? Why do you think this is so?
Two additional exercises involved praying for the unity of the church as well as pastors and leaders. As you offered these prayers, how did your focus shift?
Engaging the Chapter [30-40 minutes]
If you divided into subgroups for your discussion of the soul-training exercise, you may regroup for your discussion of the chapter. If time is limited, read through the following questions and note which ones you especially want to discuss, and then begin with those questions.
The author opens this chapter with a story of being rejected by an audience because of his theological terminology. Discuss a time when you have experienced rejection by other Christians. How did that rejection make you feel?
The true narrative of this chapter is, “If you do not look, act, worship or believe as I do, but your heart beats in love for Jesus, then regardless of our differences, we can and must have fellowship with one another” (p. 89). What relationships in your life have illustrated this true narrative?
On page 93 the author recounts an experience of serving Communion and realizing that many different types of hands were becoming one in the body of Christ. What did you take from this story?
Drawing from the wisdom of John Wesley, the author writes, “We can, and will, differ in how we think, which style of worship we prefer, which method of baptism we affirm, but these are not essential. The only thing that matters is that our hearts beat in love for Jesus. If we have that, we are united” (p. 96). How would the church look different today if people held this belief?
Discuss any positive experiences you have had worshiping with people of a different background than your own. How does this affect your openness to future opportunities for such worship?
Have a volunteer read aloud the vision written by Richard Foster on pages 101-2, then discuss the following questions.
What does this passage say about God’s vision for the church?
What does it stir within you? How would you like to respond?
Engaging the Word [10-20 minutes]
For this chapter, the Scripture will be explored using the practice of lectio divina. One person in the group will need to serve as the leader, indicating when to move on to the next step. Use the following steps as a group.
Begin with a few minutes of silence. Then have someone read aloud John 17:20-21 to the group.
I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21)
Spend a few minutes allowing the overall scope of these verses to sink into your mind. Reflect on what Jesus is saying in this text.
Have a different volunteer slowly read the passage a second time. As the passage is read, note any word or phrase that catches your attention. Spend a few minutes in silence, simply meditating on this word or phrase.
Before the third reading, each person in the group should share the word or phrase that he or she was meditating on during the silence. (Do not give any explanation of the word.)
Have a third volunteer slowly read the passage again. Following the reading, spend more time in silent dialogue with God, exploring why God has drawn your attention to this word or phrase. Consider what God is inviting you to know or do through this word.
After the silence, those who are comfortable may share a sentence or two describing what they feel God is inviting them to do.
Have a fourth volunteer read the passage a final time. Following this reading, enter into a time of silence and simply rest in God’s loving presence. After five to ten minutes have a volunteer offer a simple prayer of thanksgiving to God for this time of prayer.
Go in Peace [5 minutes]
To conclude your time together, have a volunteer read aloud the following quote from the book:
How can we agree with people who refuse to agree with us? How can we be “united in mind and thought” when clearly we do not agree on every point? Should we simply let go of our ideas, opinions or doctrines? We will never agree on all things, but we can and must agree on one thing: Jesus is Lord. (p. 94 )
Amen!
Next Week
The next chapter explores reconciliation and forgiveness within the Christian community. The soul-training exercise gives three options for practicing forgiveness. As a group look at the three exercises listed on pages 122-24. Is there anyone who would like to practice option one, allowing others to forgive for you? If so, is there a volunteer in the group who would be willing to take on the burden of unforgiveness and begin holding the situation in prayer? When the group comes together next week you will be able to share your experiences with this practice. The other options can be practiced individually.
Chapter 5: The Reconciling Community
Opening to God [5 minutes]
Begin with five minutes of silence. At the conclusion of the silence someone in the group may offer a brief prayer, ring a meditation chime or simply say amen.
Soul Training [10-20 minutes]
The soul-training exercises involve various steps toward and ways to experience forgiveness. Each of these three questions correlates to the three soul-training exercises; in groups of three or four, answer the questions that apply.
If you allowed others to forgive for you, discuss the ways this practice affected you. If you were bearing the burden of unforgiveness for someone, describe your experience of daily prayer and what changed within you.
The author gives two steps toward forgiving someone who has hurt you: “identity” and “perspective” (p. 123). If you focused on either of these steps, explore with your group how they helped and what challenges you encountered.
The third practice was seeing something new in the Lord’s Supper. If you tried this, reflect on what you noticed for the first time in the Lord’s Supper and how it relates to forgiveness and reconciliation.
Engaging the Chapter [30-40 minutes]
If you divided into subgroups for your discussion of the soul-training exercise, you may regroup for your discussion of the chapter. If time is limited, read through the following questions and note which ones you especially want to discuss, and then begin with those questions.
The author begins the chapter with the story of Stan. How did this story make you feel? What role did narratives, community and soul training play in his transformation and healing?
The false narrative stated in the chapter is, “Only when we forgive will we be forgiven and healed” (p. 110), but the true narrative is, “Only when we know we have been forgiven will we find healing and become able to forgive” (p. 112). As a group, discuss your comfort or discomfort with these ideas. Reflect on the parts of these narratives that you agree and disagree with.
Who do you most identify with in Jesus’ story of forgiveness in Matthew 18? Explain.
Clarifying that forgiveness is not something we generate from our own willpower, the author explains, “Jesus . . . is both the pattern and the power of forgiveness and reconciliation” (p. 118). When have you experienced the power of Jesus that allowed you to forgive someone? Discuss this experience with your group.
The author recounts his experience of confession with Richard Foster (pp. 118-19). As a group, name your own experiences with confession. When have you experienced deepened trust through the confession of sins and the affirmation of God’s forgiveness?
Review the two sections titled “Keeping Boundaries of Forgiveness” (pp. 119-20) and “The Forgiveness Ambush” (pp. 120-21). How are these sections helpful? What difficult questions about forgiveness still remain for you?
Engaging the Word [10-20 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud the following Scripture passage and quote from the book:
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
In response to this passage the author writes:
This is a clear explanation of the finality of the cross. God—in Christ—is not counting our sins against us. God stopped counting and apparently never took it back up. God is no longer dealing with us on the basis of our sins but of our faith. Jesus died for all of the sins of all of the people for all time—and that means you. Do you know that? Do you have that peace that passes all understanding? Do you have the joy of knowing that God has nothing against you? (p. 112)
As a group, discuss times you have experienced the finality of the cross and the joy that message brings.
How has your knowledge of God’s forgiveness empowered you to be a minister of reconciliation to others?
Go in Peace [5 minutes]
Conclude your time by having partners pray for each other to know God’s forgiveness and reconciliation in a deeper way.
Next Week
The next chapter explores encouragement and accountability within the Christian community. The soul-training exercise is meeting with an accountability friend. You will need to work out the details for this meeting early in the week.
Chapter 6: The Encouraging Community
Opening to God [5 minutes]
Begin with five minutes of silence. At the conclusion of the silence someone in the group may offer a brief prayer, ring a meditation chime or simply say amen.
Soul Training [10-20 minutes]
If you are in a group of six or more people, divide into groups of three or four. Use the questions below to discuss your experience of meeting with an accountability friend.
Were you able to find an accountability friend?
How did the time of conversation with this person affect you?
Have you had any experiences with an accountability friend (or group) in the past? How would you compare that experience with this week’s experience?
What resistance do you feel toward having an accountability friend?
Engaging the Chapter [30-40 minutes]
If you divided into subgroups for your discussion of the soul-training exercise, you may regroup for your discussion of the chapter. If time is limited, read through the following questions and note which ones you especially want to discuss, and then begin with those questions.
The author opens the chapter with the story of the Claypot Church and their pastor, Tom Smith. What from that opening section inspired and challenged you?
In discussing the false narrative, the author explores how churches lower their expectations and eradicate commitment at the risk of decreasing genuine transformation (pp. 128-29). Describe the level of commitment you have been expected to make in various churches you’ve attended. How did the level of commitment affect you? Have you ever seen a higher level of commitment lead to genuine transformation? If so, discuss what you saw.
As the author explains the true narrative he writes, “I want a community who reminds me of who I am and will watch over me with love—which means offering both comfort and warning—so that I might live a life worthy of my calling” (pp. 130-31). Do you desire such a community for yourself? What attracts you to this idea, and what reluctance do you feel toward this type of community?
On a Sunday morning when the author did not want to go to church, he ended up being reminded of his identity. He writes, “I know who I am: loved, forgiven, cleansed, made alive and destined for eternal joy. As we sing, the community reminds me who I am” (p. 132). Discuss times when your community of faith has reminded you of your identity.
Has there been a person or group in your life who has spurred you on to love and good deeds? If so, please describe what happened.
The author tells us, “To admonish is to warn, to watch out for and to offer guidance to another” (p. 136). Why do you think we are reluctant to admonish one another? How can these concerns be addressed?
Do you agree with Dallas Willard’s theory that if we gave good training to the 10 percent of the people in church who are ready and willing to grow, they would grow and their transformation would lead to a change in others? Why or why not?
Engaging the Word [10-20 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud 1 Thessalonians 5:14. Notice that there are specific gifts that are offered to people with specific needs, for example, idleness receives warning, and encouragement is given to the timid.
Has there ever been a time when someone in your faith community encouraged you? Explain.
Have you ever seen someone offer the wrong gift to a person (for example, offering warning to the weak, or patience to the idle)?
How do we discern what a person needs as we stand and walk beside them?
Give specific examples of situations in which you could practice patience this week.
Go in Peace [5 minutes]
Have a volunteer from the group read the following quote:
I want a community who will challenge me to become who I already am: one in whom Christ dwells and delights, a light to the world, salt to the earth, the aroma of Christ to a dying world. I want a community who reminds me of who I am and will watch over me with love—which means offering both comfort and warning—so that I might live a life worthy of my calling. (pp. 130-31)
Next Week
The next chapter focuses on generosity. The soul-training exercise is applying frugality to your time, treasures and talents in order to create margin to then be more generous.
Chapter 7: The Generous Community
Opening to God [5 minutes]
Begin with five minutes of silence. At the conclusion of the silence someone in the group may offer a brief prayer, ring a meditation chime or simply say amen.
Soul Training [10-20 minutes]
If you are in a group of six or more people, divide into groups of three or four. Use the questions below to discuss your experience of applying frugality to your time, talent and treasures so you could then be generous with those resources.
What challenges did you experience in being frugal in these three areas?
Did you notice an increase in your margin? If so, how?
What new ways were you able to be generous as a result of your frugality and increased margin?
Does your faith community tend to put more emphasis on the stewardship of time, talents or treasures? How does this emphasis affect your own practices?
If you did the additional exercise of writing a paragraph about your generous community, share how your paragraph made you feel.
Engaging the Chapter [30-40 minutes]
If you divided into subgroups for your discussion of the soul-training exercise, you may regroup for your discussion of the chapter. If time is limited, read through the following questions and note which ones you especially want to discuss, and then begin with those questions.
The author begins this chapter by telling the story of his mixed feelings about taking a homeless man to dinner. Discuss your experiences of helping those in need and the feelings these situations produced.
There are three false narratives that prevent generosity: “God helps those who help themselves” (p. 149). “If I give it away, I have less” (p. 150), and “What I have is mine to use for my own pleasure” (p. 150). Which of these three false narratives is strongest in your life? Tell the stories of how you came to believe these narratives.
In explaining the third true narrative that everything is God’s and I am a steward of those resources, the author writes, “We are stewards of God’s gifts; everything belongs to God. That changes everything.
. . . This fundamental shift affects all of our daily decisions” (p. 153). Spend a few minutes silently reflecting on the daily decisions you make that are affected by this shift. In a journal or in the margin of your book, write what you might do differently because of this knowledge. If you are willing, share your notes with two or three others in your group as a way to hold each other accountable.The author recounts several individuals who share their gifts with him, and he has learned to humbly receive those gifts. Name one or two people who are a profound blessing to you. Are you able to receive their gifts without repaying them? Why or why not?
The three ways to become a generous community are (1) learning the joy of giving, (2) practicing margin and (3) learning ways to give (pp. 161-62). Which of these is most lacking in your faith community? How could you increase your knowledge or skill in this area?
What is your reaction to the idea that we cannot give from beyond the grave but can give only now? If you agree with this statement, what changes might you make to your daily life?
Engaging the Word [10-20 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud 2 Corinthians 8:13-14.
I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. (2 Corinthians 8:13-14)
When has someone else’s abundance and generosity supplied your want?
When has sharing your abundance helped someone else in their need and led to equality?
Go in Peace [5 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud this quote from the book:
A gospel of abundance is found only in the kingdom of God, where somehow we have what we need when we need it. The kingdom of God is not like an ATM where we can get an endless supply of resources to spend however we like. It is a dispenser of resources offered to those who understand the ways of the kingdom. Where there is a need and a person who can meet that need, the supply will never run out. (p. 154)
Let us go out seeking the kingdom!
Next Week
The next chapter looks at the role of worship in Christian community. The soul-training exercise gives us five steps to prepare for worship.
Chapter 8: The Worshiping Community
Opening to God [5 minutes]
Begin with five minutes of silence. At the conclusion of the silence someone in the group may offer a brief prayer, ring a meditation chime or simply say amen.
Soul Training [10-20 minutes]
This chapter’s soul-training exercise moved us through five steps that prepared us for worship, helped us focus during worship and applied what God was calling us to do following worship. If you are in a group of six or more people, divide into groups of three or four. Use these questions to explore these five steps.
Were you able to prepare for worship by creating margin, arriving early and entering with holy expectancy? If so, what impact did these steps have on your worship experience?
What one aspect of worship did you focus on this week? What did you notice or learn from this?
What one thing did you feel God was inviting you to do? Have you had an opportunity to respond? If so, what has been the result?
Engaging the Chapter [30-40 minutes]
If you divided into subgroups for your discussion of the soul-training exercise, you may regroup for your discussion of the chapter. If time is limited, read through the following questions and note which ones you especially want to discuss, and then begin with those questions.
The author gives us two false and two true narratives (pp. 170-73). Which of the false narratives is most at work in your life? How can you tell? Do you agree with the true narratives? Why?
In summarizing the quote from C. S. Lewis, the author writes, “We need each other, despite our differences. And worship is not about the quality of the performance but the heart of those who worship” (p. 174). How have differences within your worshiping community been a blessing to you? How would you describe the heart of your worshiping community?
In his letter to his son, Jacob, the author explains the value and importance of several elements of worship. What did you find most helpful from this section (pp. 177-84)? Why?
If you are comfortable, discuss your struggles with worship—the hurt, disappointment, disillusionment or burnout that has made worship difficult for you. Conclude this time of sharing with prayer for one another and for anyone struggling to find a worship home.
In our current culture it is easy to become a worship consumer. What are the indications that you are more focused on critiquing worship than you are on critiquing your own heart?
Read the quote from Jayber Crow on pages 184-85. What emotions does this story stir within you? How does it change your perspective of worship, your faith community and your place in that community?
Engaging the Word [10-20 minutes]
Have a volunteer read aloud Psalm 95:1-3.
When you read this psalm, does it encourage or discourage you regarding your own worship experience? Why?
Why do we feel our worship experience needs to match the psalmist’s?
Have you ever felt the type of joy in worship David is describing? Recount your experience.
David’s narrative in the psalm is that God is a rock, Lord and King above all gods. What connection is there between David’s view of the good and beautiful God and his response in worship?
Go in Peace [5 minutes]
Have a volunteer read the following quote aloud as a benediction for your time together:
Christianity is not a religion but the formation of a people through the gospel—the good news that God in Christ has reconciled the world. Religion is the human search for God; Christianity is God’s search for humans. We do not worship so much as we respond. “Through Christ in the Spirit we respond to the Father’s love. This is the ground-pattern of Christian worship.” (p. 173)
Next Week
The final section of the book gives guidance for creating a soul-shaping plan. The next session will give the group a chance to reflect on their soul-training plans and possibly create a soul-shaping plan for the entire group.
Chapter 9: Writing a soul-training plan
This session is intended to help groups process their experience with the individual rule as well as provide guidance for creating a group rule.
Opening to God
Begin with five minutes of silence followed by a short prayer of thanksgiving for the journey your group has shared.
Engaging the Chapter
Utilize the following questions to explore the process of creating your individual rule and learn from others in the group.
Discuss your process for picking the soul-training exercises that form the basis for your rule. What was easy and what was difficult about creating that list?
The second step in creating a soul-training strategy is adding practices that are not part of The Apprentice Series. What other practices did you add to the list? Did any of your additions surprise you?
When you first looked at your list of spiritual disciplines, was there any imbalance? Did you have to cut back on anything to make it sustainable?
As you followed your rule this week, how did it affect your relationship with God?
How would you describe your daily and weekly interactions with God prior to writing your rule? What was nourishing and what was difficult about your spiritual journey? How does your rule fit into these strengths and weaknesses?
As a group you will need to decide if you will follow the author’s suggestion and create a group rule. It may be helpful to clarify that the group will not necessarily be gathered together to observe each of the spiritual practices that make up the group rule. Here are some steps to follow and points to consider if you decide to create such a rule.
On slips of paper have each person in the group write down one discipline from their list that is especially meaningful to them. They might also consider if it would be helpful to have others engaging in this discipline at the same time.
Compile a list of disciplines from the slips of paper.
Decide how often each discipline will be observed. Allow for grace in this matter. One person might have a schedule that allows for two hours of silence each day, but someone else might struggle to have five minutes. Design the rule to support the person who struggles with any discipline. Those who are able to do more can certainly do so on their own.
Once the list is complete, check for balance and sustainability. Is anything clearly missing? Is there a good balance between disciplines that relate to God, self and neighbor? Make any necessary adjustments.
Each member of the group should write down the rule and the schedule for its observation. It may also be helpful for members to write the rule on a notecard so they can carry it with them.
Other considerations:
Decide when to meet again to encourage and support one another. (It may be two to four weeks.)
Make sure you have other ways to be in contact with one another between your gatherings, whether this is through email, a blog or something else. Use this communication to not only discuss the disciplines but also share prayer requests and insights of how God is working in your life.
Future Gatherings
Use this suggested outline when the group gathers to reflect on the rule and how God is at work in their lives.
Opening to God
Begin with five minutes of silence followed by an opening prayer, ringing a meditation chime or simply saying amen.
Questions of Examen for Groups
Which old, false narratives have you struggled with since we last met?
What true narratives have become stronger or clearer since the last meeting?
How are you doing with your rule?
What is God teaching you through the practices in your rule?
How can the group support and encourage you?
Review
Review the group rule and remove disciplines that do not seem connected with your journey as a group (remember, individuals can still observe these practices). Are there any disciplines that should be added? Formalize this new rule and use it until you meet again.
Go in Peace
Conclude your time by reading a Scripture passage or helpful quote or reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
