September 2013 Staff Meeting – Faith Formation
Slide 1
Reader 1:
During this month of September we have been focusing on the theme of “Worship in Community”. Your first thought might be “church”—we worship in community every time we celebrate the Eucharist or pray together as a group.
But what if we were to turn this around and suggest that the way we live in community is another way to worship God? Do our words and actions witness to our faith?
Slide 2
The scriptures have a few things to tell us about how we should live in community. In the letter to the Romans we read:
Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
(Romans 12:9-10)
And in the letter to the Philippians: Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
(Philippians 2:4)
Slide 3
Reader 2:
Just as Jesus taught in parables, I’d like to share a little parable with you about community living.
In a land far away, perhaps in Africa, there is a tribe where antisocial or criminal behavior is almost non-existent. When it does occur, this is how they deal with it.
When someone does something hurtful or wrong, they take the person to the center of town, and the entire tribe comes and surrounds him. For two days they’ll tell the person every good thing they have ever done.
The tribe believes that every human being comes into the world GOOD, each of us desiring safety, love, peace and happiness.
But sometimes in the pursuit of those things people make mistakes. The community sees misdeeds as a cry for help.
They band together for the sake of the fellow man to hold him up, to reconnect him with his true Nature, to remind him who he really is, until he fully remembers the truth from which he’d temporarily been disconnected—“IAM GOOD”.
We know that the road to good behavior with children includes much truthful positive affirmation, and yet so often we do not extend this understanding to the rest of our relationships. We remember and keep fresh the stories of the mistakes and missteps of others long beyond the effect of the action.
Slide 4
Reader 3:
Sometimes we cannot, in our wildest imaginings, picture ourselves accepting and speaking positively about those certain people in our lives. The scriptures have a remedy for this too. In the gospel of Matthew we hear the words of Jesus: “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
These prayers will not likely change the other person or even the situation, but in truth the miracle is worked in our own hearts. This type of prayer changes US, and frees us from our negative thoughts.
As we move into this year, may we all see the ways we can grow together in community.
Slide 5
Let us pray together:
Loving and gracious God,
We pray that you will bless us as we move into this new year.
May our staff be a community which worships you through our words and our actions.
May we support one another with heartfelt prayer and positive energy,
remembering always that we are all GOOD—and precious in your sight.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and teacher, amen.
Adapted from:
Sower’s Seeds of Encouragement by Brian Cavanaugh, TOR
www.jmcsmith.co.uk
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