PRACTICE
Self-Interrogate
Jesus taught us to focus our energy on the log in our own eye rather than the speck in our neighbor’s. In this penitential season we call Lent, how can we embrace the practice of self-interrogation and how does this help us become better neighbors?
Watch the video HERE.
GOSPEL
Matthew 4:1-11 (NRSV)
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’ ”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
DISCUSSION
Small Group Reflection Questions for Feb 26 - March 4
What is your experience of being a neighbor in your neighborhood? Is it friendly? Do you know people?
In what situations do you find yourself feeling stirred or uncomfortable by your neighbors or within your neighborhood? What emotions does that usually bring up for you?
Where or when do you feel resistance to engaging with people in your neighborhood? What is the main source of that resistance (e.g., Lack of time or margin? Fear? Uncertainty about what to do?)
What has been your experience with missional or charitable work in the past? Would you describe that experience as positive? Negative? Why? What’s your relationship to it now in hindsight?
Access the full small group guide HERE.
POEM
PROVE IT
by Drew Jackson
There is not a place in this world where I am not asked to prove it.
Substantiate my belonging.
Verify that my body is qualified to occupy this space,
as if the miracle of my enfleshment weren’t enough.
But I am asked to be superhuman. Divine even. More than mediocre,
like the rest of them,
to demonstrate that my placement on this earth is not the mere result
of affirmative action.
But I will not eat the bread of your cunning. My sustenance is
found elsewhere.
Taken from God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God’s Unexpected Coming (InterVarsity Press)
SONG
I have a heart full of questions
Quieting all my suggestions
What is the meaning of Christian
In this American life?
I'm feeling awfully foolish
Spending my life on a message
I look around and I wonder
Ever if I heard it right
- “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Listen to the Good Shepherd Collective cover HERE.
ASSIGNMENT
This week, take a long stroll through your neighborhood. At least an hour. You might do this on your Sabbath day — another practice we are trying to cultivate this Lent, the art of taking a day to rest, to find margin in our lives for more than work and producing. During your walk, try to turn onto some streets you’ve never walked. Notice buildings or shops you’ve never noticed. Stop and talk to at least one person who appears to live in the neighborhood — if in doubt, look for someone with a dog or a stroller! Ask how long they’ve lived there, maybe get a recommendation for a favorite place. Just small talk.
You might want to bring a journal and take a few notes. Try to capture a bit about what you feel toward your neighborhood: the good, the bad and the ugly.
Reflect:
• What is one new thing you discovered in your neighborhood during your stroll?
• From your walk, what are you most proud of about your neighborhood? What makes you feel the most discomfort (be it sadness, disgust, frustration)?