coffieldkairos.org guide.docx · web viewsaul saw jesus, was converted and became a dedicated...

Chapel Speaker's GuideCoffield

Unit

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

1

Instructions to the Kairos Leader on the Chapel Speaker's Guide

Place this Chapel Speaker's Guide in a 3-ring

binder and ask the Chapel Coordinator to place

it on the Chapel podium, opened to the proper

place for each chapel event. Then, when each

person who is assigned a Chapel speaking part

comes to the podium, their reading/meditation is

right before them.

Note that there are three types of Chapel Assignments that are NOT in the Chapel Guide:

1. Prayers or Readings from the Freedom Guide

2. Readings assigned to the Kairos Leader.Your readings are contained rignt in your copy of Ezra's Schedule.

3. The Homily on Isaiah 49.The person assigned to this is expected to write their own material. It might be a good idea to get a copy of their Homily and place it in the Chapel Guide for them.

2

KairosChapel Assignments Guide

Chapel Time: Thursday 7-15PM

Know Yourself

This meditation begins the introspective phase of Kairos and the preparation of the participants to accept the message that will be proclaimed. It does so by helping the participants to be more aware of who they are and of what their potentialities and limitations are. They are invited in this meditation to a self-encounter, as the prerequisite for an encounter with God. They are called to truth and self-knowledge, which sets them free to respond to God. Emphasis is placed on the uniqueness of each one’s situation. They are set as ease regarding any “expected response” to Kairos.

You may want to begin with a brief explanation “What is a meditation?”

Read John 1:43-51

I want you to think for a moment about what’s going on with Nathaniel in this story. As the story begins, we have Philip bringing Nathaniel to Jesus. At that point, Jesus has seen Nathaniel before, but Nathaniel had not yet seen Jesus.

Where had Jesus seen Nathaniel before? All we really know about that is that when Jesus saw him, Nathaniel was sitting under a fig tree, apparently by himself. I like to think he was meditating… getting to know himself.

That seems terribly unimportant, doesn’t it? But it was important enough for Jesus to have made a mental note of it. There was something about the fact that Nathaniel was just sitting quietly there by himself that got Jesus’ attention. We know from many occurrences in Jesus’ later life that he considered time alone to be very important.

[Note to speaker - The following section should be read very slowly, giving the participants tim e to think between each sentence]

When was the last time you tried to get off to yourself, at least as much as you can here, just to think?

3



Know Yourself

pause….

We need especially to think about ourselves,pause…

about who we are,pause…

about how we feel,pause…

about what’s important to us,pause…

and about who is important to us.pause…

We need to think about what makes us happypause…

and what makes us sad,pause…

About what things make us feel good about ourselves,pause…

And what things make us feel bad,pause…

About what we like,pause…

And about what we don’t like.pause…

4



Know Yourself

In short, we need to think about who we arepause…

Do you know yourself?pause…

How well do you know yourself?pause…

Well, when Nathaniel was seen by Jesus, he was just sitting and perhaps thinking. And Jesus turned in to his thoughts and knew him. And whenJesus greeted Nathaniel, Nathaniel knew that Jesus knew him. In that moment he thought of himself in a new way. Under the fig tree he had looked at his life from the inside. Now it was like he was seeing his life through the eyes of Jesus. It was like he was another person looking at his life from the outside.

Have you ever tried that: looking at your own life sort of from the outside? You should try it.

Try a game of imagination with me for just a little bit. Close your eyes if you would. Imagine that you are sitting quietly under a tree somewhere just thinking about your life. Now imagine that your mind can move somewhere outside of yourself and you stand off to the side looking at yourself, at your own life.

There is no one else around. There is nothing there to distract you, so take your time. Take a good close look at yourself…at your life. What do you see? Whom do you see? What’s that person like when you look carefully? What mood can you read from the face… the eyes? Can you look into the heart? The soul? What do you see there?

When we are honest with ourselves, we may be surprised to find that we have many more good qualities than bad. When was the last time you have

5



Know Yourself

thought about your good qualities… the special gifts you have that no one else has?

We will also discover some qualities we wish we did not have. Yet, it is important that we be honest with ourselves and accept ourselves as we are, including our weakness. As we learned from Alcoholics Anonymous, the first step toward overcoming our weaknesses is to admit that they exist.

It is very important that we know our condition if we hope to benefit from this Kairos time. This means being humble. The word humble comes from the Latin word humus, which means earth. To be humble is to be like the earth, open and receptive. The foundation upon which Kairos builds is honest self-knowledge which comes through humility and openness.

Kairos can build for the future only if:

We are available to God’s loving knowledge of us

We make the best use of this opportunity

We do not prejudge the Kairos: there is no “expected” response

So, take time to now begin to KNOW YOURSELF.

This Ends Your Section Turn Page for Next Person

6



I Chose You

We, who have come to visit you from the outside, believe we are here at the invitation of Jesus. We believe that you are here also because of the invitation of Jesus to your life. Even if you know nothing about Jesus other than what you have heard or read from the Bible, it is clear that one of His traits is that He most often shows up in unexpected ways, in unexpected places, and with the most unlikely people in the most unusual circumstances.

So we ask you to imagine yourself to be here at the invitation of Jesus and in His presence. From the life of Jesus we know something about what He would say to us in welcoming us to His party.

I ask you now to get quiet in yourself and listen to these words as though you are hearing them from the lips of Jesus Himself.

“Welcome. I have invited you here because I want to be your friend. In fact, I am already your friend, though you may not know that now.

Don’t be put off. I know sometimes you are afraid of friendship. Many of you have been hurt by friendship. I know that. I also understand, believe me, I do. You see, I had Judas in my life. But really that didn’t hurt as much as the others who ran away when the heat came down. But I continued to love them anyway… because I knew they were in pain, and because their friendship was so important to me.

I think some of you have run from me, too. But, I still love you, and I’m still your friend, and I want to spend this time with you. I know it’s scary to try to put a friendship back together, but it’s worth it. Please give it a chance.

Don’t be afraid. I’m not here to judge you or even to criticize you. I just want us to try to rebuild the bridge that has broken down between us.

7



I Chose You

It will be a challenge. But, please give it a chance. Know that you are supported by the prayers and love of hundreds of my friends around the world.”

[NOTE: Wait for a m oment in SILENCE before you turn to sit down]


8



Prodigal Son

After the first meditation, many will see that theirs could well be the story of a prodigal son, and that the only way to live is to returnto the Father. This meditation presents the reality of the goodness and the mercy of God. We see God in relationship to sinful man. The two sons in the parable appear in natural relief to the Father’s attitude.

It is natural that uneasiness of conscience and a beginning of repentance have been awakened in the participants. Using this starting point, but without accenting it, the objective of the m editation is to place the participants at the mercy of God.

It is im portant to share the parable, rather than to talk about it. As it is shared, the participants will identify with it as their story, since it is everyone’s story.

KNOWING THE FATHER

W e know much about God. But do we know Him? What is He like as a person? What are His interests? How doe He think? Tonight, as we begin to know ourselves, we would like to know especially His reaction to our sinful condition.

Jesus used parables to give us an insight into His Father’s personality. We learn about the Father’s feeling in regard to our sinfulness in one parable in particular - that of The Prodigal Son. The parable is misnamed. It is really about the forgiving Father. As we listen now to the parable, we dwell on the Father’s mercy rather than the son’s misery.

EVERYONE’s STORY: Read LUKE 15:11-16

9



Prodigal Son

It is typical of the human condition to be completely self-centered. W e have done what the younger son did many times in so many different ways. For example:

The more self-centered we become, the more miserable we are. W anting to eat the food of pigs was about as low as any Jew could sink! By our self-centeredness, we also cut ourselves off from all friends.

CONVERSION: Read LUKE 15:17-20

Sometimes God permits us to fall in order to bring us to our senses. W e regret that, but we cannot live, stuck in past failures. We need to learn by our mistakes and rise above them.

The first step on the road back to God is not easy. It requires being humble enough to admit that we have blown it. The difficulty arises because we forget the mercy of the parent and the depth and strength of this parent’s love. The moment we decide: “I will leave this place (condition) and go to my Father…,” He receives us back.

GOD’s MERCY: Read Luke 15:21-24

God awaits our return: “While he was still a long way off… He ran to the boy…” God is always ready to forgive: “…He clasped him in His arms and kissed him tenderly.”

God’s forgiveness is complete - the sin is forgotten and we are restored to full membership in His family. The father in the parable would not hear of his son’s being one of his servants. God rejoices in our return: “And they began to celebrate.”

HUMAN REACTION: Read Luke 15:25-30

10



Prodigal Son

To demonstrate the greatness of our Father’s mercy, Jesus shows us by contrast the usual human reaction to the sinner. The older son represents those we call “good.” He reacts the way many good human beings tend to react. He refuses to forgive. He is jealous and bitter about his father’s mercy. It is evident that his devotion tohis father has been motivated, in part, by self-interest. Because he is self-centered, he cannot forgive and forget the sin of his younger brother. He even disowns his brother: “But, this son of yours…”

CONCLUSION: Read Luke 15:31-32

Our Father is waiting for the first sign from us that we want to return - that we want to be fully members of His family. He wants to make our return easy. He comes to meet us. He wants to rid us of the burden of sin. He wants us to share in an unending celebration of peace and joy. All we have to do is be willing to return: “I will leave this place (condition) and return to my Father.”

This Ends Your Section

Turn Page for Next Person

11


Chapel Time: Friday 8-10AM

Three Encounters with Christ

Kairos is an encounter with the living presence of Jesus Christ. Maybe you are not sure what to expect of this encounter because you do not know Him well. So, this morning we look at three encounters Jesus had with different people. We want to see how they responded to Him.

RICH YOUNG MAN Read MARK 10:17-22

This young man had something going for him - you could tell that. It was the way he walked, talked, the way he appeared to others. The man may have been rich, but something was missing. This man RAN up to Jesus, and he had a question: "Jesus, what else do Ihave to do? I want to do something more than what I am doing in my life. Can you help me out, Jesus?"

Jesus' response was to tell the man what he already knew. Lead a spiritual life - do that and you will have that hunger and thirst in your life satisfied.

"I am already doing that, Jesus, don't you understand. I'm doing all those spiritual things, but it still doesn't come together for me. What else do I have to do? How do I need to behave? Tell me, Jesus - don't you see how badly I want it?"

Jesus replied, "One thing you lack- let go of what you are doing, change your attitude about some things, then you are ready to come and follow me."

Jesus loved this man, but I don't know if the man was aware of that. His mind was on something else. The man had a program that produced well for him - he was rich. Jesus was telling him to let that go. That was a pretty serious request. He didn't know if he wanted

12




to do that or not.

The young man was up against a fundamental truth about the walk with Jesus. If you want to hang on to Jesus, you have to hang on with both hands. You can't hold on to Jesus and hang on to anything else. It is like a trapeze artist who can only hold on to one bar at a time. If you want to switch, you have to let go of one bar to hang on to the other.

Jesus was asking the young man to change his attitude about what was important and critical in life. The young man had already decided what was important. He was not about to negotiate with Jesus. So now the young man had a choice to make.

Do you want to hang on to what you have? It doesn't produce all you want or need, but it does produce some things you like. Are you willing to settle for half of what you want, or do you have the courage to let go of what you have and try something new?

Jesus was offering him a new life. Jesus was asking him to trust in a radical and frightening way. He was asking that man to believe that Jesus knew more about what it takes to make a life full than the man did. He was asking that man to reconsider what was important and valuable to him. He was asking that man to let go of everything he had worked hard to achieve and to accumulate. He was asking him to leave wealth, attitudes, appearances, and his understanding of spiritual life behind. This man didn't know if he could do that or not. Both Jesus and this man knew there was a big hole in the middle of his spirit that needed filling, but the price for doing that was expensive.

W as this man going to be willing to pay the price? He decided the price was too great, and he walked away from Jesus.

13




JUDAS Read JOHN 12:4-6

Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples (he who was to betray Jesus) said, "Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and he had the money box. He used to take what was put in it.

Judas Iscariot, chosen by God to hear the words of Jesus, to see the miracles happen day after day, week after week, year after year, walked with Jesus as closely as the other disciples. The strangeness of Judas is that somehow he never saw or heard, or understood what Jesus was really about. Somehow his spirit was never touched by the Son of God. Judas missed the point of it all. All of that exposure to Jesus, and Judas was still totally confused about Jesus.

Judas is not alone. There have been others who have not understood Jesus. There have been others who have sat in churches for years and never been touched by the love, forgiveness, mercy and the gentleness of God. Why is that so? Some people don't know how to accept love and don't know how to give love to another person. The reason for that is simple. No one ever taught them how. Scripture never tells us that Judas was close to anyone. Judas himself makes that statement with his death. When Judas became saddened with the death of Jesus and his role in it, he killed himself. Healthy people don't do that. When healthy people are upset, they find a good relationship they have and they talk it out. They know that others love and care for them enough to listen and be there for them. Judas didn't know that. Life for him became so painful, he could only think of one way out of the pain. He was so filled with rejection, pain, hurt, and shame that the only relief possible

14




was to kill himself.

Accepting love from anyone is not a natural thing. Sharing and receiving love is something that has to be learned. Many people like Judas never learn that. He, like others I know, may have come from a home that was not able to teach him what he needed to learn tobecome a loving person. Some of us here were born of parents who were emotional cripples. They lived in a far country - removed from people who love and care. If our parents could not love us, they could not teach us what love is and how to love others. Some of our homes were violent, alcoholic, incestuous or brutal. These homes did not and could not teach loving and caring people.

People who come from such places learn early how to survive. You survive - that is all. No class, no style - just survive. There is no give and take; just get. Welcome to the jungle of human life. We build a wall. We put up a sign that says: "I have been hurt enough, hit enough, used enough, abandoned by those I thought loved me. LEAVE ME ALONE! Don't mess with me - or I'll hurt you."

W e build that wall around us thick, tough and high. And then we crawl behind the wall to hide from more hurt. But it gets lonely there. What we really want is something like a hug. We would like someone to give us something without demanding something in return. Wewould like someone to love us just for us, but we don't know how to find that in this world. We begin to hate ourselves. Our self hatred grows because we can't seem to put it together by ourselves, and we are incapable of trusting others to help. We have been betrayed too many times. We would like to trust but it seems impossible for us to do so. Someday it may be different, but for now we need to be tough and hard. As life continues our walls thicken and harden. Asour pain with others continues, it becomes easier to hurt them before they hurt us. If it is a case of them or me - the decision becomes

15




easier to make.

Is there anything we can do about the height, thickness and hardness of our wall? No, not as we are... We cannot escape the lessons life has taught us. We will only end up going the way of Judas. We will most likely die early, in the wrong place, with the wrong people, and for the wrong reasons.

W hat can we do? We are in need of the ability to hear "I love you. I accept you. I honor you. I am proud of you." There is only one thing we can do. It was not done by Judas. It was done by Simon Peter. Let's look at his story.

PET ER Read MARK 14:27-31

Peter thought he had it all figured out: "Jesus, whatever you need, I've got. You need faithfulness - I got it. You need someone who will be with you through thick and thin - I got it. I know others may need faith, courage and strength from you - but, Jesus, I don't need any of that, because I got the right stuff, Jesus. You just lean on me, Jesus. I'll be there for you. You and me, Jesus, you and me. I know you have a lot of disciples who are mushy, undependable, but I'm different from those others. I am a real quality disciple. Jesus, I'll be there with you, at your side, even if it costs me my life."

Peter had it all together. Unlike the rich young man, Peter was on board. He was committed. "Whatever you need done, tell me, Jesus. I'm willing. I'm not a coward. I have left it all behind and have been following you. You know where my heart is."

Read LUKE 22:54-62

So much for Peter. Simon Peter, chosen by God to hear the words

16




of Jesus, to see the miracles happen day after day, week after week, year after year. Peter walked with Jesus as closely as the other disciples. The strangeness of Peter is somehow he never saw or heard or understood what Jesus was all about. Somehow he never saw the depth of his need for Jesus. Peter may have understood Jesus, but he did not understand himself. When it came down to the nitty gritty, Peter fell on his face - just like Judas.

Unlike Judas, Peter let it out. He didn't bottle up the emotion of total failure. He didn't bottle up his hurt, anger and frustration. He didn't get tough and hard. He didn't pretend he didn't hate himself. Peter got real honest with himself, he let it all hang out - blew his cool - lost control - and wept tears that may have been inside for a long time. There is a bitterness that fills the whole person, body, mind, and spirit. It is a feeling that sweeps over all that is in us. It is like the smell of rotten eggs - nothing else is sensed. It is total andcomplete in its domination over us. This was perfect pure, undiluted, inner rage - shared by Judas and Peter.

W hen feeling is this intense, something has to happen. You can try to make it with drugs, try to stay numb so you don't feel at all. You can end it with an act of self-destruction.

There is another way... the way of Peter. You can go to Jesus and say, "Lord Jesus, I'm sorry. I am sorry for not being the person you want me to be. I am sorry I can't be the person I want to be. Jesus, I don't have it. I am not even sure what I'm supposed to have. Jesus, I want answers, and I'm not sure I even know the right questions to ask. Whatever I need, I have to ask you for, Jesus. I want life to give me another chance. Please, Jesus, have mercy on me."

Peter used his guilt, pain and shame to build a bridge, not a wall. He

17




used all of those feelings that were chewing up his insides and shared them with God. When he did that, he was reconciled, brought back into the gracious and gentle presence of God, healed and new.

Read JOHN 21:15-17

It says in the Bible that the resurrected Lord appeared first to Mary Magdalene, then to Peter - then to the twelve. There are times when we need to go one-on-one, eyeball-to-eyeball with the Lord of the universe and tell Him how sorry we are. No one has ever requested mercy from God and been refused.

Jesus is reaching out to you in this Kairos. Do you have the courage to accept the life that Jesus sets before you?

Are you willing to ask the Lord for the strength to accept the love this Kairos is offering you? Are you willing to ask the Lord for the strength to ask for His mercy?

Do you want more of life than appearances? Are you tired of just surviving with that ache in your gut? Do you want your life to be different?

Are you willing to see yourself as one who needs to receive God's mercy? Are you willing to change your attitude about yourself and see yourself as one God loves, accepts and covers with mercy? Are you willing to experience a change in you?

Jesus is reaching out His hand to you - and He wants to give you gifts of love, acceptance, gentleness, forgiveness, and mercy.

W ill you accept His gifts?

18




This Ends Your SectionTurn Page for Next Person

19


Chapel Time: Friday 12-00PM

Acceptance of Self

(Number 1 in Lay Meditation Series of 4)

I. Introduction. The speaker "qualifies" himself/herself as:

A. A sinner.

B. One who has repented and submitted to the savingGrace of Jesus the Christ.

C. One whom Jesus has redeemed.

D. One who continues to fall.

E. One who still feels guilt.

Exam ple: "I spent much of my life as an alcoholic, in total bondage not only to booze but to an unbearable guilt for things I had done, with and to others and to myself. Subm ission to the Way of Jesus Christ, confession of who I was, what I was and what I had done led Him to deliver me from that bondage. But, I keep making new mistakes, so I find myself som etim es taking back som e of the guilt which He had rem oved."

This witness should be written out and should not exceed 30seconds. It serves simply to qualify the speaker for the confession which follows. This is a very important dynamic in the weekend, because it gives a team member an opportunity to get up and make himself/herself vulnerable to the candidates. It is the first overt step in getting the candidates to trust each other sufficiently to want to participate in group reunions. The candidates are going to be asked to make themselves vulnerable to each other in order that they might love each other and be able to accept love from others. We can't

20



Acceptance of Self

ask them to do that unless the team is willing to do the same.

One warning: this provides an opportunity for self-glorification, which must be avoided at all costs. It is imperative that the speaker read the meditations as written, preferably from back of chapel so focus is on the cross and not on the speaker. You may do this in subdued light and use flashlight to read the meditation.

II. T he need to accept oneself. Read the following slowly, meditatively, as written.

"I need constantly to be at the business of accepting myself...of accepting Christ's sacrifice for (speaker's name)_________________________."

"I have to ask our Father to teach me to trust the spirit He has breathed into me. I have to ask Him to open my eyes to His word, to give me the grace to believe His word, the word by which I am made His child." I have to ask Him to help me to understand that I belong to Him...even though I am undeserving of His love. I need to seek His help, to see Hisjudgment and mercy in the suffering and death and resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ."

"I have to ask Him to cause me to accept again the new life in Christ...the new life which He has given me by faith...to enable me to live without despair and without pride...to lead me to know with joy that He accepts me as a whole human being."

"And there is something else I need. I need Him to show me that in this new life which God gives, I no longer have to build walls of fear to protect myself from others. I have to ask Him to help me live cheerfully, in joy and generously so that others

21



Acceptance of Self

may receive Him through Christ's word and work in me, and to help me to begin to live in Him."

"Pray for me, a sinner."


22



Spiritual Counseling

W e are currently living in the midst of a "counseling boom." There has never been a time in history when so many people are aware of psychological issues, concerned about personal problems, interested in writings about the soul, and willing to talk about their insecurities and intimate concerns.

Counseling can be confusing to many people, threatening to some and is criticized both within the church and without.

W hen you hear us talk about spiritual counseling we don't want to scare anyone. We're not here to delve into any of your secrets, anything you've done or anything that's been done to you.

But there are times when we need for someone just to listen,someone to turn to or to lean on, a friend who cares.

Most of us on the team have been in prison ministry for several years, a few for more years than they like to recall. I've been in it for

years. So we know many of the problems and frustrations which most inmates, or residents as we call you, have. W e are aware of the stress, the loneliness and the rejection of family and friends.

W e've heard just about every story imaginable concerning prison life. I want to assure you, we didn't come here just to hear that. We don't get our jollies by listening to prison stories. We are here for a purpose. We have an intense interest in helping you.

Read Col 1:28-29

W hat Paul is saying here is a magnificent example of what Kairos is all about: "To work, empowered by Christ, with the intention of

23



Spiritual Counseling

helping others to become complete in Christ." That's what we're here for.

Now, if you want a private meeting with someone on the team, let the table leader know. A quiet place will be found for you to talk to that person.

If you just want to air out some problem or question concerning your spiritual life, that's good. If you want someone to pray for you or with you, that's good. If you want to accept Christ or confess to God, that's good too.

It is the prayer of every team member that you take advantage of this opportunity during the three days.

Christian counseling is just another tool used to meet our goal which is to become complete in Christ.

Please return to your tables in the community room and begin your discussion of the Opening The Door talk.


24



Accepting God's Forgiveness


Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins. That is good news! For one reason or another, though, some of us are unable to accept that forgiveness, and that is bad news.

In St. John's gospel, verse 16 of Chapter 3, we hear, "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life."

The Bible is filled with statements assuring us that God forgives us of anything which we might have done if we are willing to ask for that forgiveness and to accept it.

Listen to the word of God.

"People everywhere will come to you on account of their sins. Our faults defeat us, but you forgive them." Psalm 65:2-3.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our sins from us." Psalm 103:12.

"I will forgive their sins and will no longer remember their wrongs." Jeremiah 31.

"This is my blood which seals God's covenant, my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew28:28.

"All the prophets spoke about God, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through the power of His name." Acts 10:43.

25




"There is no condemnation now for those who live in unison with Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1.

"This is a true saying to be completely accepted and believed, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." I Timothy1:15.

"If we confess our sins, He is just and may be trusted to forgive our sins and cleanse us from every kind of wrong." I John 1:9.

I don't know about you, but for me, that is good news!

Let me tell you a story about how much God loves us. Some of us are familiar with the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl as told in St. Matthew's gospel.

Here is how it reads:

The kingdom of heaven is like this. A man happens to find a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has and then goes and buys that field.

Also the kingdom of heaven is like this. A man is looking for fine pearls, and when he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has and buys that pearl. Matthew 13:44-45.

This passage can be thought about in two ways. In one way, I am the farmer or merchant searching for the most valuable thing in life, the kingdom of God.

In another way, I am the pearl. God finds me, lost in a field, and when He finds me, He gives His all (the life of His son) in order to

26




purchase me for His kingdom. Thought of in this way the parable tells us again just how much we are worth to God.

As we learned in the story of the Prodigal Son, God values us this much no matter what we have done. Some of us find that hard to believe, but the Bible insists that God loved us so much that He gave His only son to die for us and that He did that even while we were still sinners.

Often, when we find it hard to accept God's forgiveness, it is helpful to share our guilt and our sins with a Christian friend. When the friend offers us forgiveness in the name of Christ, it is easier to accept God's offer of forgiveness. A.A. recognizes this truth in its fourth and fifth steps which encourage us to "make a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves and then admit to God, ourselves, and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."

Some of us have decided it would be hard for God to forgive us. This is not the case. We must remember that love and forgiveness are God's nature. Not to forgive is what would be hard - so hard that God was unable to hold back His forgiveness even when it cost Him His son.

If any of you would like to meet with one of the clergy present on the weekend, either for spiritual guidance or for assistance in forgiveness or in making a confession, they will be available all day Saturday and Sunday. Just have your table leader tell the advising rector which clergy you would like to see.

W hen we refuse to seek and accept God's forgiveness, we arereally admitting that we don't want to be new creatures, because if we accept it, He will make new creatures out of us.

27




In the final analysis, it is probably our enormous pride which keeps us from accepting forgiveness. In our self-centeredness, we see our evil, our sinful acts, as being so exceptional, so great, that what God did for us is not enough to wipe away such sin.

W e are, in fact, saying, "Jesus, you haven't done enough for me yet. Dying on that cross was not enough to answer for what I have done."

W e have let Satan, who is described in the Bible as "the accuser of the brethren," convince us that our sin is unforgivable instead of listening to God.

God says that our faith in His son, Jesus Christ, makes us righteous in His sight.

Satan says this is not true, that only our past behavior is going to make us righteous in His sight.

W ho are we going to believe? Satan, who wants to separate us fromGod, or God, who wants us to live in friendship with Him?

(Then speaker invites them to bow their heads, offer up any act or acts from which they are prepared to turn away and seek forgiveness.)

Please pray our Lord’s prayer with me…

"Our Father, who art in heaven..."

Amen

28





29


Chapel Time: Saturday 8-00AM

Who is Jesus Christ?

During this weekend you will hear us talk many times about Jesus Christ and our relationship to Him. However, many people do not know who he really is, so this morning I want to talk to you about Him.

W ho is Jesus? Because He lived about 2,000 years ago, many people think of Him as just a character in a fictional story. Not so! Jesus was a true person who lived in history.

You may have heard about Socrates and Plato. They were Greek philosophers who lived 400 years before Jesus, and writings about them and by them exist and are studied in academic circles today. W e have all heard about Julius and Augustus Caesar who were early rulers of Rome. The months, July and August, were named after them by their governments. Augustus Caesar was born 63 years before Christ, and he was emperor when Christ was born.

History books tell us that Jesus definitely is as real a person as the Caesars were. Even people who don't believe that Jesus is the son of God do acknowledge that He lived, although some claim that He was only a prophet. History proves the existence of Jesus and we know that He was a living man, born of Mary and like us in all things except sin, because He was sent by God.

But Jesus is different from every other historical figure. He still lives, so we can know Him today.

WHY DID JESUS COM E?

First let's look at why God created us. I don't know what went on in God's mind, but He decided to create living beings that He could love and have as friends. He could have made us with perfect behavior like His angels, but God wanted more, I guess. He wanted

30




us to love Him freely, not like a slave or a puppet. So He gave us a free will - free choice. We could love God or fail to respect our Creator and the source of all love. And right from the beginning we started making some wrong choices.

So God sent Moses and the Ten Commandments as rules to guide our lives and He sent prophets to guide us, but we didn't listen to any of them for very long. That is the story of the Old Testament of the Bible.

Then God decided to try something else. He gave up using just rules and decided there had to be some other way to draw us into a loving relationship to Himself. And since we didn't listen to Moses or the prophets, He decided to come Himself. Since we can't see or hear in His dimension, He had to come to us in a form that we couldunderstand, so He came as a man. He sent Jesus filled with His own spirit so that He, God, could be with us. And, through Jesus, God reminded us of His love and forgiveness. When asked which commandments were the most important, Jesus said, "Love God," and then he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Before He left this earth, Jesus said to His disciples "Love one another as I have loved you. By your love for each other they will know that you are my disciples," love - that's what we and Jesus are all about.

SO, FIRST , JESUS IS A MAN

Jesus is as fully human as any human being. He is like us in all things except sin.

FOR EXAMPLE

He works and grows tired Jn 4:5-6 Samaritan woman - at well

31




He is disappointed Jn 14:9 Philip asks to see GodHe is angry Jn 2:13-17 Money changersHe suffers Mk 14:32-42 GethsemaneHe loves and weeps Jn 11:35-36 LazarusHe has pity Lk 7:11-17 W idow - dead son

Jn 2:1-11 Cana - no wineHe understands Jn 8:3-11 Adultress - crowd

stoningLk 19:1-10 Zacchaeus in tree

He is firm Jn 18:33-40 PilateLk 10:38-42 Mary & Martha

He is gentle Lk 18:15-17 Blessing childrenHe asks for support Mt 26:36-41 Agony at Gethsemane

Jesus definitely is a man with feelings just like us.

Jesus was also called "Christ" from the Greek word "Christos," which means the same as the Jewish word "Messiah." Messiah and Christ also mean Redeemer, Liverator, Deliverer, "Anointed one." In those days kings were anointed with oil, but Jesus was also anointed with the Holy Spirit of God.

T HEN CAM E JESUS' DEAT H AND RESURRECTION

He was crucified, died, and came back to life. He was resurrected. Some people think that His resurrection was a fake, that someone took His body out of the tomb.

But the Romans wouldn't have done that. They were the people who killed Him and they were guarding the tomb.

The Jews wouldn't have done it because those in power wanted Him dead and they didn't want any mystery about it like the disappearance

32




of the body, so they had asked for the guard.

That leaves the apostles who remained in hiding in terror and fright after Jesus died. They were too afraid to do anything. When they saw Jesus among them again they rejoiced and started spreading the good news. Jesus gave them new strength. According to tradition, 11 of them were tortured and killed for their work.

For example:1. Peter - died on the cross upside down at his own request2. Andrew - died on the cross3. Matthew - died by the sword4. John - only one to die a natural death5. James - (son of Alphaeus) died on the cross6. Philip - died on the cross7. Simon - died on the cross8. Thaddeus - killed by arrows9. James - (brother of Jesus) stoned to death10. Thomas - died of a spear thrust11. Bartholomew - died on the cross12. James - (son of Zebedee) died by the sword

If Jesus' resurrection was just a phony plot by the apostles, certainly some of them would have confessed to avoid death. Can you imagine 11 people accepting whippings, beatings, crucifixion and wrongful death when they could have gone free by admitting the scam if there was one?

AND T HEN THERE WAS A JEW NAMED SAUL

Saul was a dedicated Pharisee who delighted in hunting down and persecuting the followers of Jesus whom he hated. He was on the road to Damascus to find some of them and bring them back to

33




Jerusalem to be killed. On the way, Jesus appeared to him and asked, "Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?" Saul was struck blind by Jesus' light, only to be healed by Jesus' empowering of Annanias, one of the Christians Saul was hunting.

Saul saw Jesus, was converted and became a dedicated apostle. He changed his name to Paul and started to spread the word of Jesus to Jews and gentiles in many countries. His letters to the communities following Jesus in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philipi and many others became some of the books of the New Testament.

In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, "Five times I was given 39 lashes by the Jews. Three times I was whipped by the Romans and once I was stoned. I have been in 3 shipwrecks and once was 24 hours in the water. I have been in danger from fellow Jews and from gentiles."

Paul also was in prison at least three times, he suffered a serious physical ailment and he died a martyr. For twenty-five years he endured agony to spread the word of Jesus. He was extremely intelligent, and if there had been anything false about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, Paul, more than anyone, would have known.

There can be no doubt, Jesus' death and resurrection is true!! Jesus invites us to friendship with Him today.


34



Forgiveness of Others - Part 1


(Warning - this meditation contains material for both men's and wom en's weekends, designed to use either a fire bucket to burn forgiveness lists or water to dissolve paper lists. Presenter should go through the presentation and mark out those portions not applicable to your facility beforehand so you do not stum ble during the presentation.)

Yesterday, we talked about forgiveness of ourselves, God's desire to forgive us, our need to forgive ourselves and to accept His forgiveness.

(Here the speaker should insert a personal witness about the acceptance of forgiveness. Exam ple: "As an alcoholic, I stayed drunk for years over unforgiveness, both for myself and for others. I blam ed everyone but myself for my troubles. I was angry, hostile, I felt rejected, and I lashed out at others like a cornered anim al. I was not honest enough to accept the responsibility for the things I had done, so I blam ed others.")

All of us have prayed the Lord's prayer many times. Let me ask a question. How would we stand if God answered that prayer with a"yes"! Think about it. We pray "forgive us our trespasses as weforgive those who trespass against us."

Jesus goes on to emphasize this point by saying, "If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, God will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then God will not forgive the wrongs you have done."

The importance of forgiving others is clearly a major part of Jesus'life and teaching. It comes up over and over.

35




Peter once asked, "Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?"

"No, not seven times," answered Jesus, "but seventy times seven." Then Jesus told this parable.

"The kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who decided to check on his servants' accounts. He had just begun to do so when one of them was brought in who owed him a large sum of money. The servant did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a slave, with his wife and his children and all that he had in order to pay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before the king, 'Be patient with me,' he begged,' and I will pay you everything.' The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go.

Then the man went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and started choking him. 'Payme back what you owe me,' he said. His fellow servant fell down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead he had him thrown into jail until he could pay the debt.

W hen the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything. So he called the servant in. 'You worthless slave, I forgave you the whole amount you owed me just because you asked me to. You should have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had mercy on you!' The king was very angry and sent the servant to jail to be punished until he could pay back the whole amount.

And Jesus concluded, 'That is how my Father in heaven will treat

36




everyone of you unless you forgive those you need to forgive from your heart.'"

W hat is forgiveness?

It is something you do first of all. It is not just a change in feelings about another person. Rather, it is a decision to stop treating another person as though they owed you something. It is a promise made to God to stop blaming someone for something. Failure to forgive can destroy our lives. It takes all of our energy we might have for something good and eats away at us.

For our own sake, and in obedience to the Lord we love, we make a decision to forgive. It doesn't necessarily mean that our feelings change. We may make a decision to forgive even when we are boiling with anger. God knows...

Say to him, "God, you know how angry I am at this person. You know that if I could get my hands on him/her I would choke him/her. But I forgive him/her because you have asked me to do so. I forgive him/her out of obedience to you, Father, and I hold him/her up to you and pray for good for him/her. I pray also that you fill me with your love and compassion and understanding for him/her."

This is a prayer that He never fails to answer.

Do you believe that God is your creator? I do.

Do you believe that He is super-natural? I do.

W ell, He can change our hearts about the people we hold unforgiven. I know that because He's changed mine. It is hard to believe when our anger and hatred are so great that anything can

37




help. But, God can help. He can make a new creature out of us. Sometimes the people who hurt us most are the ones closest to us, the ones we love the most, the ones we trust the most. Jesus had that problem with Judas, even with Peter. He's still having it with me, maybe even with some of you. We have to keep forgiving, just as God has to keep forgiving us.

W e are going to ask you to do something. If you have anyone whom you hold in unforgiveness, your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, all of those people who have failed to see Jesus in you, to see you as a person of supreme importance to God...the officer who arrested you, the person or persons who witnessed against you, the prosecutor of your case, maybe your defense attorney, your judge, the person in the bunk next to you, the guy/woman who gives you a rough time in the mess hall, all of those who feel they are superior to you, anyone you hate because of prejudice or pride, the person who doesn't forgive you.

(Those institutions using water to dissolve the lists should use the words in parentheses and cross out the words used for the fire service.)

If you hold any of these people in unforgiveness, we would ask you to turn to the back page of your notebook and begin writing down their names. No one else will see these names except you. (For Dissolving in Water, or Burning with Flash Paper, say: We ask you to write their nam es down on the sheet of paper we are passing out to you.)

I also ask you to ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind the names of anyone whom you might have overlooked. You might continue to ask Him for His help in this throughout the day. As the names come

38




to you, flip to the back of the book and add them to this page. (For Dissolving in Water, or Burning with Flash Paper, say: Keep the sheet handy and as nam es com e to you, add them to the list.) No one else will see this list except you and God, so don't be afraid to write down the names which come to you. Let's just pause a minute and ask Him to bring these names to our minds.

(Pause)

Dear God, please bring to my mind the name of any person for whom I harbor ill will, whom I hold unforgiven, and Father help me to understand that it makes no difference if I am still angry with that person, for I can't change the way I feel about him or about her, butyou can. Continue to feed me these names throughout the day, Lord, I ask in Jesus name. Amen.

Select one of the following paragraphs as appropriate for your institution…

For Burning the List…Tonight, at our chapel service, we will have a large metal bucket in the chapel. We will ask you, if you are prepared toforgive those people on your list, to tell the Lord you do so, and then to come forward one by one, pause for a moment with a short prayer, offering up your names, then wad up your page of names and throw it in the bucket.

OR…

For Dissolving the List in Water…Tonight at our chapel service we will have a container filled with water. The paper we have given you is special paper. It is like the paper on which Satan keeps the list of all your bad qualities

39




that keep you bound to him; when exposed to the love of Jesus it dissolves.

(Dunk a sheet of the paper in water held in a clear container so all can see how it dissolves.)

Tonight we will ask you if you are prepared to forgive those people on your list, if you will come up, offer your list to the Lord, and place it in this water.

W hen all of the names have been collected, one of the ministers on the team will come forward and speak briefly to us about forgiveness, then ask God to accept our forgiveness and to forgive us for our unforgiveness. He/She will then strike a match and burn the names, or (...dissolving intructions).

(The speaker then reads the following prayer.)

Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught me to pray: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

In your name, I am to repair the broken relationship. I am to mend the broken. I am to welcome back the wanderer who returns.

Lord Jesus Christ, help me to understand that this power is your power to be used for the sake of those for whom you died.

Help me to understand that I cannot turn away from any who ask for forgiveness or need my forgiveness. Help me to overcome my denial of unforgiveness! Help me to overcome any hindrance that would keep me from sharing the fullness and the power of your saving and forgiving grace.

40




I ask it in the power of your name. Amen.


41


Chapel Time: Saturday 2-30PM

The Wall

By Gloria Jay Evans (used with permission)

I don't know when I first began to build the wall. I suppose it was when it occurred to me that I could keep people out of my life by building a simple wall. The wall would be a kind of boundary - a kind of protection.

At first the little wall was only knee high. It was really quite attractive, made of native stone I had found in my life. The wall was so small that some people didn't notice it and would stumble right over it and fall flat on their faces. Others saw it but would step over it and come very close to me. I found this very uncomfortable. So I built the wall higher.

This was really much better, but I found that some people would come and rest their arms on the wall while they talked to me. Some stayed too long. And some were not my kind of people. And even when I edged the top of the wall with sharp stones, they didn't seem to notice.

One day one of them vaulted over the wall and stood right inside. This made me angry I decided to build the wall higher. As I continued to build, I became more and more self-sufficient ... (and soon) no one could see in or out...

But then I realized that no one had stopped by to talk for some time. Some walked by not seeming to notice me or my wall. Others stood sadly by and watched me build. I thought they were jealous of my wall, and I resented them - all of them....

Some of my stones were so dear to me that I polished them

42



The Wall

carefully several times a day.

Then one day I realized the wall was so high that I no longer saw anyone go by ..or heard anyone. "Is anyone there?" I yelled. There was no answer. It was dark and the air was foul. I stayed there for a long time. It was quiet and dark and lonely. Only the whispers of my memories could be heard...

One day, someone yelled from the other side, "Your wall is ugly. It is twisted and gray and misshapen!" Now, I did not accept this willingly. I liked my wall. In fact, some of the stones from which I had built it were so dear to me...

It was the day the flower fell at my feet that I began to cry. I ran to the wall and climbed to see who had thrown it over. By the time I reached the top, no one was there. I returned to the flower and sat for a long time looking at its perfection. I began to see the folly of my wall and its imperfection. Floods of tears brought me to my knees. "Oh, I am so alone. My wall is too high and too thick and ugly. ... I have nothing left. Won't someone help me.. please?"

Then a strange thing happened. Something inside me stirred like a remembrance of peaceful times passed. And in the stillness of my broken world I knew ...God was there, a blessed presence, that God would come to me, that my darkness had been penetrated by this blessed light....I stood in the joy of this presence. I knew that God had watched me build my wall and that God had waited patiently for me to see it was in vain.

Finally, it occurred to me that the Divine Creator would know why my wall was so ugly. When I asked, God began to teach me ...my error. God gave the stones names: "This stone is jealousy. You must remove it."

43



The Wall

Sometimes I would ...protest. This was my favorite stone. It was one I had saved and cherished for years. When I was finally ready, God helped me remove the stone... (And so it went, through stones named envy, disillusionment, resentment, childishness, stubbornness, some with God's help, sometimes with the help of strangers...)

As we removed more stones, the light came in. I felt a hand reaching through a small hole one day.

There was a stranger who walked in one day and told me he had let God tear down his wall. I told him how I had suffered so and that I would never forget how forsaken and lonely I had felt inside my wall."Yes," he said, "self-pity is a terrible thing." When he left, I found my stone of self-pity in my wall. It was wet with my tears. I dried it off and laid it with the other stones I had taken from the wall.

Overwhelmed by all God had done for me and all God had taught me, I stood on a large remaining stone and began to tell anyone who passed by what God had done for me. I was appalled that no one seemed to hear what I was saying... I noticed others working onwalls and ran over to plead with them to stop, but no one would listen. In my frustration, I lay face down on the stone I had stood upon. It was extremely large, highly polished...It was more than life size. "Do you want the answer to your question?" God asked. "Raise your head, and look at the stone you are lying upon." I raised my headand gasped for I saw my own reflection in the massive stone. I knew the stone was pride. Quietly, we removed it.

Then God said a strange thing. "Now you must go. I will go with you and yet I will stay here." I protested, "There are still other stones to

44



The Wall

remove. I want you here."

"I said I would go with you. Do you remember the flower that fell at your feet, the hand that you clasped, the stranger who showed your self-pity?" "Oh, yes", I sighed, "Oh, yes."

"Then you must go and do likewise. For to whom much (grace) is given, much (grace) is expected. Wherever you go, I go with you. And whenever you come back here to be tempted, or to remove more stones I will be here for you."

And so I went out. I saw the walls of others, and when I could, I threw a flower over, or reached my hand through. The walls were unbelievably ugly. I heard great sobs behind the walls and my heart ached. "Won't you please help this person?" I cried out to God one day.

I returned to my wall and God the Blessed Presence was there. Together we removed the stones of fear, mistrust, and indifference.

Then God said, "Now you begin to understand love. Without love the things I have told you would be meaningless. You will begin to live in peace and understanding of all those people around you whom you thought were not 'your kind.'"

So it was that I went forth, reaching out - sometimes just waiting beside a wall, sometimes tossing a flower, sometimes grasping a hand.


45





God is love and our lives are intended to be a journey toward that perfect love. Life is a kind of proving ground in which our ability to love is tested and strengthened. As we move through our lives, God is constantly sending us people to love, but I find myself saying, "No thanks, Lord" to most of them.

Yet if I don't want to be blinded by the brightness of God's love whenI come to the end of my life, I need to begin learning how to say"yes" to Him.

W e are called to be Christ's body, to be a healing, forgiving community, to restore His broken and fragmented body.

This means to forgive those who have hurt us... and to ask forgiveness from those whom we have hurt, too.

It can be risky doing this. It requires becoming vulnerable to the other person, and when we become vulnerable we sometimes get hurt... but the person whose closest friend is Jesus can't get hurt the way a person whose closest friend is himself/herself can be hurt.

W e need to learn to see people as God intends them to be... not as Satan has them now. God always sees us in the fullness, which is being brought about in us by the action of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday, I told you that you were the "Pearl of Great Price," the hidden treasure in the parable which Jesus told, and so you are. But, so is your enemy and so is my enemy.

God loves the person I hate with the same love He has for me. Ican't love the person I hate with my own resources, but when I

46




forgive that person and pray for good for him or her and ask God to fill me with divine love and compassion for that person Jesus can and does make it possible for me to love.

(Cite an example of an act of great forgiveness in speaker's own life and the change from hate to love which God makes.)

I just want to ask you to pause for moment, think about God's great love for us, and ask Him again to give us the names of any person whom we hold unforgiven so that we may add their names to our own.

(Pause. Silent petitions.)

Please join me as I offer up my names. We will have a few minutes of silence after this prayer in which you can say what you wish to say to God as you offer up the names on your list.

"Merciful and Almighty God, here are my names... the names which I believe you have brought to my mind. Lord, you know how I feel about these people, and some of that feeling is certainly not expressive of your love. I forgive them and pray for good for them, Father, and I ask you to forgive me for my unforgiveness of them. Fill me with your love and compassion for them. Remove any anger or resentment which I might have in my heart and heal our relationship. I ask this, Father, in Jesus' name, Amen."

Two minutes of silence.


47



Forgiveness Windup

CLERGY WINDUP AND OFFERING OF LISTS(Institutional Chaplain may lead or assist with this.)

A mem ber of the clergy, who is going to pray for forgiveness for all, comes forward and orchestrates the forgiveness windup.

Hopefully, there is time to make this as meaningful as it deserves to be. This is a significant moment for the residents. Team members will not normally feel the critical nature of this ceremony as poignantly as do the residents. Residents will know intuitively that forgiveness of others is a life-or-death situation for them.

Instruct the community on how to come forward: Residents and team should come forward to the symbolic bucket one or two at a time and offer their lists up to God. They should be given time tokneel and pray if that will let them feel the significance of the moment more deeply.

It is a good idea to have them form a circle around the bucket after each one leaves a list for burning. This moves the community from a seating position in the chapel to a circle around the center of interest. Musicians should begin playing softly.

Clergyperson holds his/her crumpled list up to God in silent prayer. He/She should place the list in the bucket and kneel to pray. A couple of other team members might be first in line to model this. Table leaders may then lead their tables forward one at a time.

As a circle is formed, table leaders should be attentive to those at their table who may need comforting. The solemn nature of this ceremony must be maintained. It is such a heavy moment, there is a

48



Forgiveness Windup

tendency for some to want to unload the weight by joshing or joking. Soft music helps maintain the moment.

An alternative to this liturgy, especially in institutions which cannot allow burning of the paper is to place this lists into a container of water. When done in this way it is necessary early in the weekend to distribute special soluble paper on which the residents place their lists of nam es, or alternately to write the nam es with felt tipped pens and use a little bleach in the water.

If water basins are used to dissolve the lists, you might use 4 altars, each having a basin of water, a candle and a cross. This process is slower than burning the lists.

Each person will go to the nearest altar and put her/his list under the water in the bowl. The Spiritual Advisor at that altar will spend a few mom ents honoring the journey each person is making. Walking the short distance to the altar sym bolizes your willingness to make the journey in forgiveness. Spiritual Advisor m ay want to put her/his hand on the person's shoulder to show support.

After your nam es on the list have disappeared, each person will m ove to the next Spiritual Advisor The next Spiritual Advisor will pour water over your hands and each person will wash their face as a sym bol of the cleansing power of forgiveness.

The entire community should end up in a circle.

W hen all have finished, the clergyperson speaks briefly about God's forgiveness, maybe says a few words about the use of the

49



Forgiveness Windup

scapegoat in ancient Hebrew tradition and then asks God to forgive all present. At the close of this prayer:

If the fire bucket is used, the clergyperson steps forward, removes one list from bucket, lights it, and with it lights others in the bucket.

As this is done, musician leads off in "Surely the Presence."


50


Chapel Time: Sunday 9-35AM

Sending Us Forth

Among Jesus' final words to the Twelve were: "You did not choose m e; no, I chose you..." (John 15:16)

Jesus brought us to this weekend for a purpose. We have encountered Him in a new way, in a mountain top experience. We would like to stay on this mountaintop forever. But this mountain vision is to prepare us for valley duty: "... and I comm issioned you to go forth and to bear fruit, fruit that will last." (John 15:16)

Jesus brought us here in order to send us to do His work in theworld. The call of the Kairos does not end with ourselves - it must be lived in our environments. We are to bear fruit. This is the fruit that will endure.

Jesus had only a few followers after three years of ministry. We imagine that the Son of God ought to have been more successful. W hat we fail to understand is the strategy Jesus is teaching us for reaching our world - that of building Christian community. He spent His time forming the Twelve as a community, knowing that His work would endure as long as they remained in community.

Later that night Jesus prayed that they and that we would remain committed to the strategy of building Christian community:

"May they all be one.Father, may they be one in us;as you are in me and I am in you,so that the world may believe it was you who sent me." (John 17:21)

As a genuine Christian community we become His presence wherever we are. We cannot be effective and fruitful alone.

51



Sending Us Forth

Our effectiveness also requires our living in union with Jesus:

"Whoever remains in me, with me in him , bears fruit in plenty;for cut off from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Only if His life flows freely through us can we bear fruit. So, if we are to bear fruit, our progress must continue after this weekend.

In Him, we have a revolutionary power:

"I tell you most solem nly, whoever believes in mewill perform the sam e works as I do myself,he will perform even greater works." (John 14:12) Jesus

(His Spirit) is transforming power. In Him we can do the impossible: ... bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth. (Ephesians1:10)

Bearing fruit is the mark of a true disciple!

"It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,and then you will be my disciples." (John 15:8)

The challenge need not frighten us. All we have to do is to bear witness to what we now know to be true about Jesus' victory. We do not have to win the victory. All we have to do is to proclaim it:

"Have courage, I have overcom e the world!" (John 16:33)

52



Sending Us Forth

Our response to God’s will is a risky one because God always asks us to take the next step in love. God is never satisfied with what we did yesterday or last month. And each “yes” of ours is another commitment to build up the Body of Christ by performing yet another loving action. WE are Christ’s commitment to the world.

Being part of the Body of Christ requires ongoing surrender to the will of God, self-reflection about our roles as Christians, and our active participation as disciples of Christ to all we come in contact with. The call of Christ is to Action. Actions do speak louder than our words. The most effective way to attract people to the Lord is by our actions - our visible commitment.

Dear brothers (sisters), our great hope for you is that you will decide- that’s it - a Decision - to continue the journey that you and God have been walking, now with Kairos. Decide to continue that journey by building the Body of Christ and be part of the Prayer and Share family of Kairos.

Make a new decision, today, that you will not let this weekend become just a faded memory, but that you will use it as a milestone in your walk of faith.

Decide that on this day, and going forward in this institution, that you will be part of Christ’s family inside this prison. Decide today that you, with the help of the Holy Spirit, will help your Kairos family members in their walk, as they help you with yours.

Let this day be a day of commitment for you, with the help of ourFather.

53



Sending Us Forth


54

coffieldkairos.org guide.docx · web viewsaul saw jesus, was converted and became a dedicated...

Documents