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Shabbat Dinner Liturgy | Week 3

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This year Christ Kaleidoscope is learning about and leaning into the practice of Sabbath. During the Lenten season we are entering this practice by participating in a weekly Shabbat Dinner.

Shabbat dinner marks the event that transitions us between the everyday ordinary and the holy and sacred day of Sabbath. It is a meal, usually with others, that welcomes in this holy day of rest.

To follow along with this practice as designed, you’ll need a candle and a lighter/matches as well as a meal and ideally others to share it with. Either choose a host to read through this liturgy and prayers for you, or split the job up among those attending.

Finally after the meal has begun, we’ve provided some discussion questions for conversation around specific parts of Sabbath, to help you consider and plan what it means to practice the Sabbath yourself.

Shabbat Dinner Liturgy

Welcome:

Today we come together to practice the act of setting aside time as sacred.  To pause and remember the goodness and provision of our Lord, and do so alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ in fellowship and community.  We eat this meal together tonight as a rehearsal of what is to come and all that we have to look forward to when the Kingdom of God is fully present.

Light a candle and pray together:

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of time and space.

You hallow us with Your teachings and guidance and command us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.

Prayer of Blessing over the meal:

(adapted from the Jewish prayer of Birkat HaMazon)

Sovereign God of the universe, we praise You: Your goodness sustains the world. You are the God of grace, love, and compassion, the Source of bread for all who live; for Your love is everlasting. In Your great goodness we need never lack for food; You provide food enough for all. We praise You, O God, Source of food for all who live.

As it is written: When you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise You, O God, for the earth and for its sustenance.

Merciful One, be our God forever.
Merciful One, heaven and earth alike are blessed by Your presence.
Merciful One, bless this house, this table at which we will eat.
Merciful One, send us glimpses of good to come, redemption and consolation.
Merciful One, help us to see the coming of a time when all is Shabbat.

May the Source of peace grant peace to us, to all Israel, and to all the world. May the Eternal grant strength to our people. May the Eternal bless our people with peace. Amen.

Discussion Topic: Closer to God

We are taking this time of Lent to learn more about Sabbath and how we can practice it.  Discuss as a group the idea of drawing closer to God.  Here are some prompts to help with the conversation:

  • In what physical places do you feel closest to God?
  • When you feel distant from God, is there anything you have done that helped you feel closer again? What was it?
  • How do you connect with God on a regular basis?  What’s the most natural way you feel his presence?
  • Can you identify any barriers in your life between you and God? Doubts, questions, anger, indifference, overwhelm, etc. that put space between you?
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Shabbat Dinner Liturgy | Week 2

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This year Christ Kaleidoscope is learning about and leaning into the practice of Sabbath. During the Lenten season we are entering this practice by participating in a weekly Shabbat Dinner.

Shabbat dinner marks the event that transitions us between the everyday ordinary and the holy and sacred day of Sabbath. It is a meal, usually with others, that welcomes in this holy day of rest.

To follow along with this practice as designed, you’ll need a candle and a lighter/matches as well as a meal and ideally others to share it with. Either choose a host to read through this liturgy and prayers for you, or split the job up among those attending.

Finally after the meal has begun, we’ve provided some discussion questions for conversation around specific parts of Sabbath, to help you consider and plan what it means to practice the Sabbath yourself.

Shabbat Dinner Liturgy

Welcome:

Host read aloud:

Today we come together to practice the act of setting aside time as sacred.  To pause and remember the goodness and provision of our Lord, and do so alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ in fellowship and community.  We eat this meal together tonight as a rehearsal of what is to come and all that we have to look forward to when the Kingdom of God is fully present.

Prayer for the time together

Light a candle and pray together:

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of time and space.

You hallow us with Your teachings and guidance and command us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.

Prayer of Blessing over the meal:

(adapted from the Jewish prayer of Birkat HaMazon)

Host read aloud:

Sovereign God of the universe, we praise You: Your goodness sustains the world. You are the God of grace, love, and compassion, the Source of bread for all who live; for Your love is everlasting. In Your great goodness we need never lack for food; You provide food enough for all. We praise You, O God, Source of food for all who live.

As it is written: When you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise You, O God, for the earth and for its sustenance.

Merciful One, be our God forever.

Merciful One, heaven and earth alike are blessed by Your presence.

Merciful One, bless this house,

this table at which we will eat.

Merciful One, send us glimpses of good to come, redemption and consolation.

Merciful One, help us to see the coming of a time when all is Shabbat.

May the Source of peace grant peace to us, to all Israel, and to all the world. May the Eternal grant strength to our people. May the Eternal bless our people with peace. Amen.

Discussion Topic:

We are taking this time of Lent to learn more about Sabbath and how we can practice it.  Discuss as a group the idea of work.  Here are some prompts to help with the conversation:

  • What are the kinds of tasks that make up your occupation? Reading emails? Gathering or analyzing data? Making reports? 
  • What are the kinds of tasks that make up your chores at home? The things that keep your place in order and stocked up?
  • What are the things you enjoy about your work (occupationally and domestically)?
  • Why might it be good to take a break from even the things we enjoy?
  • What would you have to plan for and do to make it so that you don’t need to work for a set amount of time each week?
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Shabbat Dinner Liturgy | Week 1

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This year Christ Kaleidoscope is learning about and leaning into the practice of Sabbath. During the Lenten season we are entering this practice by participating in a weekly Shabbat Dinner.

Shabbat dinner marks the event that transitions us between the everyday ordinary and the holy and sacred day of Sabbath. It is a meal, usually with others, that welcomes in this holy day of rest.

To follow along with this practice as designed, you’ll need a candle and a lighter/matches as well as a meal and ideally others to share it with. Either choose a host to read through this liturgy and prayers for you, or split the job up among those attending.

Finally after the meal has begun, we’ve provided some discussion questions for conversation around specific parts of Sabbath, to help you consider and plan what it means to practice the Sabbath yourself.

Shabbat Dinner Liturgy

Welcome

Host read aloud:

Today we come together to practice the act of setting aside time as sacred.  To pause and remember the goodness and provision of our Lord, and do so alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ in fellowship and community.  We eat this meal together tonight as a rehearsal of what is to come and all that we have to look forward to when the Kingdom of God is fully present.

Prayer for the time together

Light a candle and pray together:

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of time and space.

You hallow us with Your teachings and guidance and command us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.

Prayer of Blessing over the meal

(adapted from the Jewish prayer of Birkat HaMazon)

Host read aloud:

Sovereign God of the universe, we praise You: Your goodness sustains the world. You are the God of grace, love, and compassion, the Source of bread for all who live; for Your love is everlasting. In Your great goodness we need never lack for food; You provide food enough for all. We praise You, O God, Source of food for all who live.

As it is written: When you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise You, O God, for the earth and for its sustenance.

Merciful One, be our God forever.

Merciful One, heaven and earth alike are blessed by Your presence.

Merciful One, bless this house,

this table at which we will eat.

Merciful One, send us glimpses of good to come, redemption and consolation.

Merciful One, help us to see the coming of a time when all is Shabbat.

May the Source of peace grant peace to us, to all Israel, and to all the world. Amen. May the Eternal grant strength to our people. May the Eternal bless our people with peace.

Discussion Topic: Rest

We are taking this time of Lent to learn more about Sabbath and how we can practice it. One very important part of the Sabbath is learning how to rest.  Discuss as a group the idea of rest.  Here are some prompts to help with the conversation:

  • Is resting hard or easy for you?  Why do you think that is? 
  • What seems restful on paper, but leaves you empty or drained instead? 
  • What helps your body rest? Your mind? Your spirit?
  • What things tend to keep you from good rest?
  • What things help you foster good rest?
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The Mind and the Good Life

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Romans 8:1-8

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed, it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  It’s a saying I learned in kindergarten that tried to teach me to not pay attention to the mean things other kids might say.

It is true that a spoken word will never break skin like a stick or stone can, but the reason the saying was created is because words actually can hurt. They can inflict invisible wounds that last longer than any cut or broken bone.  Words can have power, they can be a weapon.  And like any weapon, they can be used for evil, but they also can be used for good.

Our thoughts, what goes on in our minds, are words as well.  Unspoken, internal words, but powerful words nonetheless, and once again have deep potential for the greatest good and the darkest evil.

Thoughts don’t usually start out big or loud.  They’re echoes, small whispers, little ideas usually at first.  But the more we listen to them, and listen for them, the louder they become, the more true they sound, the more we believe them.

This works with negative thoughts, “I’m stupid,” “I’m ugly,” “I’m unlovable,” as well as with positive ones, “I am loved,” “I have gifts,” “I was made for a purpose.”

We may not believe the thoughts at first, but the more we pay attention to them, the more we repeat them, it’s like throwing one more log on that fire, and the more we feed the fire, the hotter and more consuming it will become.

I think this is much the same as what Paul talks so much about in his letters of the war between flesh and Spirit.  When we do things throughout our day, we’re metaphorically placing a log on a different fire, in this case we can call one fire “the flesh” and the other “the Spirit”.

But we’re not the only ones placing logs on our fires…the people around us, the things we listen to, can throw logs on either fire as well if we let them.  This is why we have to be thoughtful of our minds.  We have to think about what we’re thinking about.  We have to pay attention to what we’re surrounding ourselves with.

Are we being conformed to the pattern of this world?  Mindlessly absorbing what everyone around us says is good?  More money, a nicer neighborhood, escaping the world and starting a homestead?  None of these things in and of themselves are bad, but we have to ask why we want them.  Is that really where the Spirit is leading us or is that what our flesh wants?  Maybe it’s a little of both…

But how do we know God’s will?  His good, pleasing and perfect will?  Paul says, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  Not the complete overhaul of our minds…we don’t need to start back at square one necessarily, but we need to be able to sift through our thoughts and ask what is really true? What is really good?  What is really from God?

How is it possible to do this?  

We ask.  We ask God to help us change, we ask God to transform our minds, we ask God to give us the strength to stop conforming to this world.  

We seek.  We seek the Spirit in everything we do, in every decision we make.  We seek wisdom in the scriptures, we seek wisdom through our elders.

We surrender.  We accept that we are made of flesh and will always struggle at some level with our fleshly desires and with the constant current of the pattern of this world, so we surrender to the Spirit and his guidance that we sought, even when it seems painful.

We set our mind on the Spirit, we try to notice every wandering thought, we ask God to help us identify what is of the world (or flesh) and what is of the Spirit, and we cast aside logs that want to build the fleshly fire and accept the ones that build the Spirit’s fire.  Paul says that is when we find life and peace.

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Community and the Good Life

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1 Corinthians 12:12-26

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect, 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

I’ve always found this passage from Paul to be quite genius in explaining community and diversity.  As an introvert who tends to run on the assumption that things are just better when I can be alone, this passage always helped me understand the necessity of community. 

It would make me picture myself as a hand or an eyeball or a brain or some particular part of my body and how I would be stranded and fairly useless without an arm, a head, a torso, and feet and all the other parts dependent on one another that help me function.  I am very glad to have all of the parts of my body, and that is usually as far as this metaphor would go for me in previous readings of this passage: my whole body is a good thing and so is having a community to be surrounded by.

But this time reading it I was struck more by the necessity of a diverse community than just a community itself.  Maybe it’s the season of life I am in where I work from home and an no longer surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people constantly that my introverted self can finally run on a mostly full battery and actually seek out and enjoy the company of others because I can show up with a full tank rather than run on fumes like what I worked a desk job.

And in this season, when I find I am up for community unlike I have ever been before, I am not struck with the idea that it is good to be with others, I’m already feeling that on my own!  I am more struck with reflecting on the members that make up the community I surround myself with.  

When I think about it honestly, I tend to seek out those more like me.  A hand wanting to hold other hands rather than hang around the recovering stubbed toe.

Paul’s words this time have reminded me that my life is not truly good, the way God says it can be good, outside of community, but even more so it is not truly good outside of a diverse community.

Now I don’t think this means I need to kick all my friends and like-minded or like-gifted people to the curb and find different ones, but it does remind me, especially in an election year like this one, that life is not really good when I think about certain things as “us vs. them”.  Life is not really good when I think of it as “me vs. the world”.  Life is not really good when I’m always in my comfort zone (note…I think it’s ok to be comfortable, but when our decisions are all made based on how comfortable something will make me, I think that’s the problem)

It may be frustrating or even scary sometimes to butt heads with others in community, and some personalities and viewpoints can chafe sometimes.   It usually feels safer to be with like-minded or like-tempered people.  It makes life smoother.

It reminds me of the saying, “great minds think alike,” and often use it to celebrate being in agreement about things. But did you know  that’s not the whole saying?  We’ve lost the last little bit, probably out of convenience: “Great minds think alike, though fools seldom differ.” 

When we surround ourselves with like-minded people all the time we get stuck in an echo chamber.  We can also get just plain old stuck.  Without diversity of perspectives and giftings we tend to just keep doing the same old thing, which may be fine…but what about when the same old thing just isn’t working any more?  What about when habits have gotten you in a rut?  What about when the path you’re on is bypassing or possibly even intentionally avoiding certain areas of life that need to be addressed?

Community and diverse community (and this is not just culturally diverse…we’re talking age, socioeconomic status, married/single, religious affiliation, family background, and so much more) helps us see what we can’t see on our own.  Grow to places we couldn’t get to on our own.  Understand things we were ignorant of.  Challenge us in ways where we have to really think about what we believe and how we want to live.

True, healthy community pushes us, it can be hard, it can be uncomfortable, but it is very good.

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Lent 2024 | Week 6: JESUS

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Every week on Sunday we will be posting a new set of reflection questions based on themes and areas of our lives that are important to look at on a deeper level. We hope this is a chance to take some time to look inward, to process, to ask intentional questions about your life and bring those reflections to God, asking him to show us what is going well and what might need to change.

The sixth area of life we are going to reflect on is Jesus.

Why Jesus: Reflecting on how we think of Jesus can give us a lot of insight into how we are doing spiritually.  Just as we can get into relational ruts with others, we can get into a relational rut with Jesus too if we allow the status quo to just keep us going.  Taking time to ask ourselves how things are going and how we are feeling about a certain relationship is a great health check to see if everything is going well or if some things might need to change.

Reflect: Here are some reflection questions to help you work through this topic.  Feel free to answer all of them or just some, and if you’re not sure of the answer, try journaling about why you’re not sure of it…it may just help you figure it out!  If you’re an extrovert or a verbal processor, try going through these questions with a friend!

  • Who do I picture Jesus to be?  What attributes do I associate with him?  What do I think his personality was like?
  • How connected or close to Jesus do I feel?  What do I think is causing that closeness or distance?
  • How do I think about Jesus’ dying on the cross?  Grateful? Ashamed? Questioning its necessity? Confused?
  • If Jesus was sitting right across from me now, what would I ask him or say to him?
  • What do I think Jesus would say back to me?
  • How do I think Jesus fits into the “good life” God wants for me?

Pray with me: Jesus, you are an important part of my life.  Show me where you want to meet me today.  Reveal to me your true self and strip away all the misconceptions I have of you.  Increase the intimacy of our relationship and open my heart to you.  Help me follow you in your way, everlasting. Amen.

Bonus: If you make it through the thematic list of journaling prompts this week and would like some more general ones to guide you, try some of these:

  • Am I noticing any changes in myself or my spiritual life as I journey through Lent?
  • What has been heavy on my heart or mind today?
  • How do I feel today? What am I worried about or excited for?
  • How do I need God to show up for me today? Is there anything I need to ask him for?
  • How have I seen God show up for me in the past?  What has he already done or been doing in my life?
  • What am I grateful for today?
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Lent 2024 | Week 5: CHURCH

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Every week on Sunday we will be posting a new set of reflection questions based on themes and areas of our lives that are important to look at on a deeper level. We hope this is a chance to take some time to look inward, to process, to ask intentional questions about your life and bring those reflections to God, asking him to show us what is going well and what might need to change.

The fifth area of life we are going to reflect on is church.

Why Church: Church with a capital “C” is the corporate body of believers around the world.  Church with a lowercase “c” is the specific community I worship God with at any given time.  The church is meant to be a reflection of the Church in a tangible way, a fellowship of believers coming together to encourage one another in the life God has given all of us on the earth in the here and now.  The Church and church, however, are imperfect places of imperfect people reflecting and sharing the love of God as best we can, however far we fall short.  Taking time to reflect on our experience of church, why we go, what we do there, what we receive and what we give to others, can help the Church move closer to a true reflection of God’s love and what he hopes we as his hands and feet can do in this world.

Reflection: Here are some reflection questions to help you work through this topic.  Feel free to answer all of them or just some, and if you’re not sure of the answer, try journaling about why you’re not sure of it…it may just help you figure it out!  If you’re an extrovert or a verbal processor, try going through these questions with a friend!

  • Why do I (or don’t I) go to church?
  • What do I think the point of church should be?  How do I think the church lacks these things?  What can I do to help change that?
  • How do I give to my church community?  
  • How do I receive from my church community?
  • How do I think church fits into the “good life” God wants for me?

Pray with me: God thank you for the body of believers here in this world.  Help me see my role and my part in this body, both as one that is cared for by it and also cares for it in return.  Give us wisdom and direction as your church to do your will in this world, loving others as you have loved us.  Amen.

Bonus: If you make it through the thematic list of journaling prompts this week and would like some more general ones to guide you, try some of these:

  • Am I noticing any changes in myself or my spiritual life as I journey through Lent?
  • What has been heavy on my heart or mind today?
  • How do I feel today? What am I worried about or excited for?
  • How do I need God to show up for me today? Is there anything I need to ask him for?
  • How have I seen God show up for me in the past?  What has he already done or been doing in my life?
  • What am I grateful for today?
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Lent 2024 | Week 4: MIND

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Every week on Sunday we will be posting a new set of reflection questions based on themes and areas of our lives that are important to look at on a deeper level. We hope this is a chance to take some time to look inward, to process, to ask intentional questions about your life and bring those reflections to God, asking him to show us what is going well and what might need to change.

The fourth area of life we are going to reflect on is our mind.

Why Our Mind: The things we think about and give our attention to matter.  For most of us, the majority of our thoughts will be about what we do for work, the thing we do to make a living.  Outside of that, though, how do we engage our mind?  God has made our minds a powerful thing – we have incredible imaginations and power to understand so much, therefore it is good to reflect on what we think about and how we choose to engage our mind with the world around us.

Reflection: Here are some reflection questions to help you work through this topic.  Feel free to answer all of them or just some, and if you’re not sure of the answer, try journaling about why you’re not sure of it…it may just help you figure it out!  If you’re an extrovert or a verbal processor, try going through these questions with a friend!

  • What do I spend the most time thinking about throughout my days, besides my occupation?  How do I feel about this?
  • What have I become an expert on?  What does my mind understand really well?
  • Is there anything I avoid thinking about too much because I don’t understand it or it overwhelms or confuses me?
  • Beyond my occupation or what I do for work, what do I like to do that engages my mind? How often do I get to do this thing/these things?
  • What is my favorite thing to make? It doesn’t have to be a physical product like art, food, or crafts…it could be written like essays or poetry, or a tool like spreadsheets or event plans.  What do you like to produce that’s helpful, good, or beautiful to you?
  • How do I think my mind and work fit into the “good life” God wants for me?

Pray with me:  Creator God, you have made us in your image as creative beings with powerful minds.  Help me use my mind and hone it.  Help me engage with the passions and interests you have given me.  Help me think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Phil 4:8).  Amen.

Bonus: If you make it through the thematic list of journaling prompts this week and would like some more general ones to guide you, try some of these:

  • Am I noticing any changes in myself or my spiritual life as I journey through Lent?
  • What has been heavy on my heart or mind today?
  • How do I feel today? What am I worried about or excited for?
  • How do I need God to show up for me today? Is there anything I need to ask him for?
  • How have I seen God show up for me in the past?  What has he already done or been doing in my life?
  • What am I grateful for today?
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Lent 2024 | Week 3: PHYSICAL BODY

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Every week on Sunday we will be posting a new set of reflection questions based on themes and areas of our lives that are important to look at on a deeper level. We hope this is a chance to take some time to look inward, to process, to ask intentional questions about your life and bring those reflections to God, asking him to show us what is going well and what might need to change.

The third area of life we are going to reflect on is our physical bodies.

Why Physical Bodies: Our bodies were formed by God, intentionally and with care.  We were created as physical beings that need food, rest, and exercise.  How we pay attention to our bodies (or not) greatly affects our life here on earth.  Therefore it is important to reflect on how we are caring for our bodies, how we are giving it what it needs and keeping it from what harms it.

Reflection: Here are some reflection questions to help you work through this topic.  Feel free to answer all of them or just some, and if you’re not sure of the answer, try journaling about why you’re not sure of it…it may just help you figure it out!  If you’re an extrovert or a verbal processor, try going through these questions with a friend!

  • Do I find it difficult to take care of my physical body? Why or why not?
  • Why do I eat what I eat?  Does what I eat energize me or weigh me down?
  • How much rest do I get? What does rest look like for me?
  • What is the most enjoyable type of physical activity for me? How often do I get to do this?
  • How often do I spend time outside?  How do I feel after I’ve spent time outside?
  • What might my physical body and health have to do with the “good life” God wants for me?

Pray with me: Lord, help me see my body as a gift from you that needs tender loving care and sometimes tough love as well.  Help me think of my physical self as just important as my spiritual and mental self.  Help me be intentional with what I do with my body and keep me from temptation and harmful things that keep me from the good life you want for me.  Amen.

Bonus: If you make it through the thematic list of journaling prompts this week and would like some more general ones to guide you, try some of these:

  • Am I noticing any changes in myself or my spiritual life as I journey through Lent?
  • What has been heavy on my heart or mind today?
  • How do I feel today? What am I worried about or excited for?
  • How do I need God to show up for me today? Is there anything I need to ask him for?
  • How have I seen God show up for me in the past?  What has he already done or been doing in my life?
  • What am I grateful for today?
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Lent 2024 | Week 2: COMMUNITY

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Every week on Sunday we will be posting a new set of reflection questions based on themes and areas of our lives that are important to look at on a deeper level. We hope this is a chance to take some time to look inward, to process, to ask intentional questions about your life and bring those reflections to God, asking him to show us what is going well and what might need to change.

The second area of life we are going to reflect on is community.

Why Community: We do not live in isolation.  We live in a world surrounded by other human beings, most are strangers, some are friends.  The people we choose to spend our time with and our energy thinking about have major effects on us and how we encounter the world.  It is good, therefore, to take time to reflect on these communities we have built.  To get curious about how they affect us.  To get intentional about who we surround ourselves with on a regular basis.

Reflection: Here are some reflection questions to help you work through this topic.  Feel free to answer all of them or just some, and if you’re not sure of the answer, try journaling about why you’re not sure of it…it may just help you figure it out!  If you’re an extrovert or a verbal processor, try going through these questions with a friend!

  • Who do I spend most of my time with? Does spending time with this person/these people fill me? Edify me? Agitate me? Draw me closer to or further from God?
  • What do I tend to do with other people?  Why?
  • Is there something I wish I did with others that I could start doing or do more of?
  • Is there something I do with others that I need a break from – it takes up too much time/energy/doesn’t bring me closer to the “good life” God wants for me?

Pray with me: Lord, you have created this world full of people.  Show me the ones you have called into my life for a purpose and show me those that I may need to take some space from for a time.  You have given us the gift of community, of togetherness.  Please inspire me as to what this can look life in this life you have given me.  Amen.

Bonus: If you make it through the thematic list of journaling prompts this week and would like some more general ones to guide you, try some of these:

  • Am I noticing any changes in myself or my spiritual life as I journey through Lent?
  • What has been heavy on my heart or mind today?
  • How do I feel today? What am I worried about or excited for?
  • How do I need God to show up for me today? Is there anything I need to ask him for?
  • How have I seen God show up for me in the past?  What has he already done or been doing in my life?
  • What am I grateful for today?