Sacred Space: A Resource for Small-group Ministry Year B Focus: Ordinary Time Scripture: Mark 12:38 44 NRSV Gathering Welcome Prayer for Peace Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle. The harmonies of love resound through all the earth. Wherever Christ is given place in human hearts of every race, the song of peace is heard across a world in need. Spiritual Practice Meditating on God s Name Materials: paper, pens, or pencils. Read: Barbara Howard, God s Melody of Peace, CCS 319 God said to Moses, I am who I am. He said further, Thus you shall say to the Israelites, I am has sent me to you. Exodus 3:14 NRSV We will enter a period of meditation that includes hearing some of God s names, listening for new understandings of God s nature and names, and praying God s names together as a community. As names for God slowly are read aloud, listen prayerfully and write the names that speak to you or catch your attention. Holy One Loving Parent Healing Presence Source of joy Ancient One Awesome God
Creator God Father of lights Compassionate One Loving Spirit Gracious Creator Great Spirit Grandfather/Grandmother Great I Am Beloved Friend First Breath Giver of life Gentle Shepherd Mother/Father God Creator of beauty My Rock We now will pray silently. Spend a few minutes reflecting on how God s nature has been made known to you. Listen for new names and descriptors for God. Write down names for God that surface during your meditation. Observe three minutes of silence. Invite participants to read aloud names for God that emerged during the meditation time. When sharing is finished, close with Amen. Sharing Around the Table Mark 12:38 44 NRSV As he taught, he said, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on. In this scripture Jesus confronts religious leaders where they claimed authority, the temple. First the chief priests, scribes, and elders; then the Pharisees; and then the Sadducees. In this scripture he challenged their generosity. He described not only their lack of true generosity, but how they displayed generosity. He seemed to mock their appearance as they displayed their so-called generosity. He challenged their actions toward the lowest in society, in this case widows. The actions of the widow in this story provide an example of what it looks like to give to your true capacity (Doctrine and Covenants 163:9). Here the widow gave out of her
poverty, meaning she gave the way God gives, from her heart. The scribes gave from what was left over, or out of their abundance. The scribes withheld their generosity. Jesus preached inclusion of all, including widows. As Jesus sat opposite the treasury, he was able to see God s creation responding to God s generosity. He saw a widow, who understood her relationship with her loving God, go to a place where she was not welcomed and where religious leaders used her offering for their own livelihood. Still, she gave from the desires of her heart. Jesus also witnessed how some withheld and used God s name to put down others. Showing God s true grace and generosity, Jesus courageously stood by the one who humbled herself, even at the risk of giving his life for her welfare. Generosity can be gifts of time, talents, finances, or grace to others. While this may be a very familiar story, the challenge to give according to our true capacity remains. Imagine what our world would be like if all people, including the church, shared to their true capacities! Imagine what could happen in a person s relationship with God if the person chose to share from a genuine desire to give from what he or she receives, regardless the size of the gift. Questions 1. If Jesus were to observe the generosity in your neighborhood, what would he see? 2. How are the lowest in your society welcomed in your town, schools, churches, groups? 3. What excuses do some people have for withholding generosity? 4. As you receive God s generosity how does it impact your desire to share with others? Sending Generosity Statement Sharing for the common good is the spirit of Zion (Doctrine and Covenants 165:2f). We receive God s grace and generosity. 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: God, May we be a generous people in response to your boundless grace and unending love. Bless and magnify our gifts and our service to others. Let generosity become part of our nature, we pray. Amen. Invitation to Next Meeting Closing Hymn CCS 4, Source and Sovereign, Rock and Cloud Closing Prayer Optional Additions Depending on Group Sacrament of the Lord s Supper Thoughts for Children
Prayer for Peace Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle. The harmonies of love resound through all the earth. Wherever Christ is given place in human hearts of every race, the song of peace is heard across a world in need. Barbara Howard, God s Melody of Peace, CCS 319
Spiritual Practice Meditating on God s Name Materials: paper, pens, or pencils Read: God said to Moses, I am who I am. He said further, Thus you shall say to the Israelites, I am has sent me to you. Exodus 3:14 NRSV We will enter a period of meditation that includes hearing some of God s names, listening for new understandings of God s nature and names, and praying God s names together as a community. As names for God slowly are read aloud, listen prayerfully and write the names that speak to you or catch your attention. Holy One Loving Parent Healing Presence Source of joy Ancient One Awesome God Creator God Father of lights Compassionate One Loving Spirit Gracious Creator Great Spirit Grandfather/Grandmother Great I Am Beloved Friend First Breath Giver of life Gentle Shepherd Mother/Father God Creator of beauty My Rock We now will pray silently. Spend a few minutes reflecting on how God s nature has been made known to you. Listen for new names and descriptors for God. Write down names for God that surface during your meditation. Observe three minutes of silence. Invite participants to read aloud names for God that emerged during the meditation time. When sharing is finished, close with Amen.
Sharing Around the Table Mark 12:38 44 NRSV As he taught, he said, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on. In this scripture Jesus confronts religious leaders where they claimed authority, the temple. First the chief priests, scribes, and elders; then the Pharisees; and then the Sadducees. In this scripture he challenged their generosity. He described not only their lack of true generosity, but how they displayed generosity. He seemed to mock their appearance as they displayed their so-called generosity. He challenged their actions toward the lowest in society, in this case widows. The actions of the widow in this story provide an example of what it looks like to give to your true capacity (Doctrine and Covenants 163:9). Here the widow gave out of her poverty, meaning she gave the way God gives, from her heart. The scribes gave from what was left over, or out of their abundance. The scribes withheld their generosity. Jesus preached inclusion of all, including widows. As Jesus sat opposite the treasury, he was able to see God s creation responding to God s generosity. He saw a widow, who understood her relationship with her loving God, go to a place where she was not welcomed and where religious leaders used her offering for their own livelihood. Still, she gave from the desires of her heart. Jesus also witnessed how some withheld and used God s name to put down others. Showing God s true grace and generosity, Jesus courageously stood by the one who humbled herself, even at the risk of giving his life for her welfare. Generosity can be gifts of time, talents, finances, or grace to others. While this may be a very familiar story, the challenge to give according to our true capacity remains. Imagine what our world would be like if all people, including the church, shared to their true capacities! Imagine what could happen in a person s relationship with God if the person chose to share from a genuine desire to give from what he or she receives, regardless the size of the gift. Questions 1. If Jesus were to observe the generosity in your neighborhood, what would he see? 2. How are the lowest in your society welcomed in your town, schools, churches, groups? 3. What excuses do some people have for withholding generosity? 4. As you receive God s generosity how does it impact your desire to share with others?
Generosity Statement Sharing for the common good is the spirit of Zion (Doctrine and Covenants 165:2f). We receive God s grace and generosity. 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: God, May we be a generous people in response to your boundless grace and unending love. Bless and magnify our gifts and our service to others. Let generosity become part of our nature, we pray. Amen.
Communion Statement We come together to share in the Lord s Supper as a visible witness of loving Christian fellowship and shared remembrance of Jesus Christ s death and resurrection (Doctrine and Covenants 164:4a). All committed followers of Christ are invited to partake, but no one should feel pressured to receive the emblems. 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
Thoughts for Children Materials: family-size bag of candy (M&Ms or mini Tootsie Rolls work well), container to represent offering basket. Ask for two children to volunteer. Open the candy. Give two pieces to one child. Give the remainder of the bag to the second child. Ask each child to put half of his or her candy into the offering plate. Say: Now look at what is left. Which of you gave the larger gift? Was it the child with the whole bag who put lots of candy in the basket and still had half a bag of candy left? Or was it the child who gave one piece of candy and had one piece left? The woman in the scripture didn t have nearly as many resources as the others had. She had only a small amount to live on. But she gave generously from what little she had. When we give generously of our resources (money, time, talents) our gifts are added to the gifts large amounts and small amounts of many other people. Together we help abolish poverty and end needless suffering in the world. Pour all the candy into the basket. Invite the children to share it generously with everyone in the group and to take some for themselves, also.