Session Three | Holy Conversations
As you prepare for and think through today’s session, note that that the majority of the energy for this session should be put on the Sharing section. In today’s session, you will be discussing the importance of us talking about our own stories and experiences with God, then in the Sharing section, that is exactly what you will be doing. If you think your group will need more time than has been allotted for that, adjust accordingly.
Also, today’s Create section will take preparation time on your part, so be sure to make plans ahead of time.
Finally, you will need to make a place in which your group can create a small alter for the Pray section. If you sit around a table together, you can put it right in the middle of your group on that table. If you sit in chairs, provide a small table and place the candle on it.
Begin by welcoming everyone back to the group. If you are using model magic in today’s Create section go ahead and start the project now. Have each participant make the rock shape, but do not tell them what they will be doing with it.
As you begin, invite people to think about the Breath Prayer that they practiced for their at-home-work over the last week. Ask them to talk about their experience with it; to share what worked and what did not work. If they are having a difficult time getting started, use the following questions to encourage discussion.
Have someone read Joshua 4, and then watch the FaithElement video, Studies for Women: Living Intentional Lives, Holy Practice. After the video is over, ask your group to respond to it. You can ask them what they thought about it and the text. After they have had an opportunity to respond to the video, use the following questions to encourage discussion.
Leader’s Note: Stones can be bought online or you can simply gather ones at a local creek. Look for stones that are palm sized. A lighter color may work better. If you are purchasing rocks, avoid shiny ones. If you cannot acquire rocks, have the participant make rock shapes out of the model magic before the study begins and let them dry until you get to this point in the session.
Pull out your stones or model magic rocks. Have each person reflect on two or three times when they remember God working in their lives. Encourage them to come up with one or two words to describe how the experienced God in those moments. Have them write those words on their rocks and encourage them to decorate their rocks with the paint and markers.
Leader’s Note: This time of sharing may involve people telling very personal stories. It may be appropriate to make a gentle reference to the covenant that you established at the beginning of your time together. Do this in an effort to help each person feel safe in sharing their own experiences.
Depending on time and participation level, you may begin this activity while people are decorating their rocks. Encourage each person to tell at least one of the stories of when they were distinctly aware of God’s work in their lives. Then invite them to tell what word or words they put on their stones. Share until all that want to have had a chance to share.
If there is time and if it feels important, you may want to ask some questions like the following ones to debrief the time of sharing.
Beforehand, you will have chosen a place for your group to build an altar. As everyone finishes painting their rocks, have them put their rocks in this space around the candle (be careful to not mess up wet paint). Then, light the candle. Invite everyone to have a time of silent prayer at the altar together and then close the time of prayer by praying out loud.
Leader’s Note: If your group has not spent much time in silence together, now would be a good time to allow them to experience it. Be sure to give them plenty in the silent space. You may even want to keep an eye on your watch to make sure you don’t stop it too early. I would allow at least one full minute of silence, but most groups can go longer if they know that is what they are doing.
For the next week, encourage participants to find time each day to talk with someone about what is going in their lives of faith or questions they have about their lives of faith. They may each choose a partner from the group to talk with each day, or they may choose to talk with a friend or family member. More outgoing members may choose to talk with someone different each day. As they have conversations each day, encourage them to journal about their experience noting ways that it is shaping them, what makes them comfortable and what makes them uncomfortable, and how it makes them more aware of God each day.
If they struggle to articulate how they are experiencing God, offer these questions as a way to get them started.
In next week’s session, the group will be making jars of Rainbow soup. You may want to plan ahead and ask each member to bring enough of one ingredient for the entire group to use. A resource page is included to help participants know how much of what to bring.
Journal Prompt S3
Please Bring… S3
Full Session with Handouts S3