This Life Group season runs from September 15 – December 8, 2024.
To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God; to feed the mind with the truth of God; to purge the imagination by the beauty of God; to open the heart to the love of God; and to devote the will to the purpose of God. – William Temple
Begin by sharing with one another which of these 5 facets most grabs your attention and why that might be the case.
Conscience
How do you understand and define holiness? Look at Isaiah 6:1-8 and discuss Isaiah’s response to God’s holiness and God’s response to him.
Mind
Discuss Rev. Ashley Null’s quote, “What the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies.” How do we as a community keep these in check with one another?
Imagination
Do a lectio divina (Scripture praying) exercise with Psalm 84
- Invite everyone to get in a comfortable position and still themselves, quietly inviting God to speak to our imaginations through his word.
- Have someone slowly read the psalm out loud so everyone can simply listen. Pause for a minute or so of quiet.
- Read the psalm a second time and invite people to pay attention to any of the words or images that seems to stand out to them. Again pause for silence so people can sit with the words or images they are drawn to.
- Read the psalm one more time simply resting with gratitude that God reveals himself to us in Scripture.
- Afterward discuss with one another about this experience.
Heart
Read Ephesians 3:16-19. “Love” occurs 3 times in this wonderful prayer that Paul offers to this church in Ephesus. What do you observe in this prayer? Now turn to Revelation 2:1-7 and read this brief letter from John to the same church, likely 20 or 30 years later. What has happened?
Will
Pray the words of the Lord’s Prayer together, but adapt the language when it comes to that part to be: Your kingdom come, your will be done in our lives (or my life) as it is in heaven.