It is a way of loving, of moving gradually away from what I want for myself to what God’s world needs.
(Patriarch Batholomew)
AIM: To consider sin within the context of evolution, and an increased awareness as an opportunity to re-engage with God in the continuing dynamic of creation at all levels.
Our Intentions: Participants will consider
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the organic interconnectedness of the whole of creation, including humans.
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the morality of human behaviour and interpersonal relationships vis-à-vis our nature and co-creator role.
Programme:
Welcome and Stilling
Sharing Groups: Creation
Considering Sin
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When you consider God’s dream for the World, what do you envisage?
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How do you experience sin?
Feedback from journaling questions
Break
Individual Prayer
Sharing Groups – Feedback
Closure
Link: Music – Creator God by Margaret Rizza
Reflective Exercise: Called to Grow
I identify the most recent ‘significant’ period in my life, be it a week, month, term or year.
In General:
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How have you ‘grown’ during this period? Be grateful for the growth. Thank God for it, and perhaps pray the Magnificat, knowing that the growth is God’s gift.
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Relationship with God:
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How has this deepened? How might I have neglected it? How might God be inviting me to strengthen it?
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Relationship with Self:
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How well do I know myself? How do I enhance this awareness? Am I open to knowing my blind spots?
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How well do I look after myself – at physical, mental, spiritual levels?
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Do I indulge myself in ways that hinder my own wellbeing and that of others? Is there any action I can take to better care for myself?
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Relationship with People:
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Do I relate to people in ways that are creative for them?
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Who are the people with whom I relate best? What is it about these relationships that is good and life-giving? What do these say to me about my general way of relating?
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Are there some ‘relationships’ that require attention? What do I desire in their regard?
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What world-situations touch me? How do they touch me? What, if anything, can I do about them, as a member of the human family of God, and just starting at the local level?
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Relationship with Creation:
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How do I honour God’s creation – as revelation . . as belonging to all people?
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In what ways might I relate to creation that better honours the above?
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Is there anything I can do to ensure equal access for all to the planet’s resources?
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Dialogue with God (Colloquy)
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I dialogue with God about the above, sharing what’s in my heart and mind, listening to God’s response, and grateful for the insights.
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I sense how God may be drawing me – in one or more areas?
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What can I do that will strengthen me in those areas?
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What grace/gift from God do I need to make this possible?
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I ask God for this grace, perhaps writing it as a prayer that I can say at appropriate intervals.
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I want to unfold.
I don’t want to stay folded anywhere,
because where I am folded,
there I am a lie.
and I want my grasp of things
to be true before you.
I want to describe myself
like a painting that I looked at
closely for a long time,
like a saying that I finally understood,
like a ship
that carried me
through the wildest storm of all.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God
Any of the Pictures, Poem, Music or Readings on this page.
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May the God of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers (Eph 1: 17-19).
or
God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth’ (Gen 1: 26). I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are upon the whole earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this shall be your food. To all the wild beasts, all birds of heaven and all living reptiles on the earth I give all the foliage of plants for food (Gen 1: 29-30) . . . . Then Yahweh God took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it (Gen 2: 15) . . . . The man and his wife heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from Yahweh God among the trees of the garden (Gen 3:8).
In the darkness of the still night, in the dawning of the daylight,
in the myst’ry of creation, creator God, you are there.
In the breath of ev’ry being, in the birthing and the growing,
In the earth and all its fullness, creator God, you are there.
In the homeless and the hungry, in the broken and the lonely,
In the grieving of your people, creator God, you are there.
In the tears and in the heartache, in the love through which we serve you,
In the anguish of the dying, creator God, you are there.
In our hearts and in our thinking, in the longing and the dreaming,
In the yearning of our heartbeat, creator God, you are there.
In the love for one another, in the sharing of our being,
In receiving and forgiving, creator God, you are there.
In our joys, our hopes, our healing, in awakening to revealing
In your call and our responding, creator God, you are there.
In our prayer and in our service, in our praise and in our worship
In your love that is eternal, creator God, you are there.
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Complete any unfinished parts of what we did in the session.
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Read the following articles, notice what strikes you or what stays with you:
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LINK: Article 1 – “Sin and Salvation” by Beatrice Bruteau
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LINK: Article 2 – “The Power of Satan” by Roderick Strange