Sacred Space: A Resource for Small-group Ministry Year B Focus: Sixth Sunday of Easter Scripture: John 15:9 17 NRSV Gathering Welcome Prayer for Peace Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle. Spiritual Practice Dwelling in the Word I will read a scripture aloud. As you hear it, allow words, images, or phrases to come to mind. Try not to focus on them. Let them rest with you. After a moment of silence I will read the scripture a second time. As you hear it again, listen for how God s Spirit nudges you or catches your attention. Read the scripture: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:1 8 NRSV Pause. Read the scripture a second time. Invite group members to share responses to these questions: 1. What words, phrases, or images came to mind? 2. How is God s Spirit nudging you to be more loving? Sharing Around the Table John 15:9 17 NRSV As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one s life for one s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. Today s passage explores the metaphor of Jesus as the vine and his followers as the branches. As we abide in Christ s love we act in the ways of Christ. We bear fruit when we act in love toward others. This includes those who are not within our current social circles or those with whom we avoid contact. We alone cannot bear fruit. Our call to love one another and invite others into loving community can occur only as we abide in Christ s love. Jesus loves us like God loves him. We love others as Jesus loves us. As we embrace the meaning of Christ-like love, we understand it is a sacrificial love that recognizes one s worth and potential as a child of God. Christ-like love is not based on having good chemistry with another, nor is it the result of having compatible personalities. Christ-like love can exist for another even when one does not like the other person. This is what helps us break down walls and share Christ-like love with everyone. Questions 1. What do we learn about the nature of love as we look to Jesus as our model? 2. How is Christian love different from other forms of love? 3. What examples have you witnessed of sacrificial love in service to 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 of rejoicing, We share our gifts joyfully and with thanksgiving in response to the generous gifts you have given us. May the offerings we share bring joy, hope, love, and peace into the lives of others that they might experience your mercy and grace. Amen. Invitation to Next Meeting Closing Hymn CCS 621, Help Us Express Your Love 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.
Spiritual Practice Dwelling in the Word I will read a scripture aloud. As you hear it, allow words, images, or phrases to come to mind. Try not to focus on them. Let them rest with you. After a moment of silence I will read the scripture a second time. As you hear it again, listen for how God s Spirit nudges you or catches your attention. Read the scripture: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:1 8 NRSV Pause. Read the scripture a second time. Invite group members to share responses to these questions: 1. What words, phrases, or images came to mind? 2. How is God s Spirit nudging you to be more loving?
Sharing Around the Table John 15:9 17 NRSV As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one s life for one s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. Today s passage explores the metaphor of Jesus as the vine and his followers as the branches. As we abide in Christ s love we act in the ways of Christ. We bear fruit when we act in love toward others. This includes those who are not within our current social circles or those with whom we avoid contact. We alone cannot bear fruit. Our call to love one another and invite others into loving community can occur only as we abide in Christ s love. Jesus loves us like God loves him. We love others as Jesus loves us. As we embrace the meaning of Christ-like love, we understand it is a sacrificial love that recognizes one s worth and potential as a child of God. Christ-like love is not based on having good chemistry with another, nor is it the result of having compatible personalities. Christ-like love can exist for another even when one does not like the other person. This is what helps us break down walls and share Christ-like love with everyone. Questions 1. What do we learn about the nature of love as we look to Jesus as our model? 2. How is Christian love different from other forms of love? 3. What examples have you witnessed of sacrificial love in service to 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 of rejoicing, We share our gifts joyfully and with thanksgiving in response to the generous gifts you have given us. May the offerings we share bring joy, hope, love, and peace into the lives of others that they might experience your mercy and grace. 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. The Spirit is present with us as we share in Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let s sing Community of Christ Sings 524, For Bread before Us Broken.
Thoughts for Children Materials: a small bowl of water mixed with an equal amount of dish soap (or premade bubble mix), a baking sheet or towel, several drinking straws Set the bowl on a pan or towel. Use your own words to describe the experiment and its relationship to Jesus love. Jesus taught his followers to love God, to love their neighbors, and to love their enemies. Because he ate with unpopular or disliked people, served the poor, healed the sick, blessed children, and treated everyone with equal respect, we learn that Jesus love grows and grows until it overflows! Put a straw into the bowl and blow gently as bubbles rise to surface. Have you ever wished you could love as Jesus loved? I do. It seems that every day I pray to love people the way Jesus loves them. Gently blow more air into bubble mixture until the bubbles grow high but do not overflow. Have you ever wished you had so much love that it would overflow into the lives of your friends or family, or even the lives of others you meet? How can this happen? Blow air into the bubble mixture until it overflows onto a tray or towel. Wow! When we love as Jesus loves, it spills out of us, and we can share that love with others. Allow the children to insert a straw into the mixture and gently blow bubbles. Remember: Jesus love grows and grows until it overflows!