Focus 4 | The Collect
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Consider this ice breaker as you gather for the Spotlight.
What weird fashion trend would you bring back?
What weird fashion trend would you bring back?
See what this Spotlight—and series—is focused on.
Tap on the words "Focus 4" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.
Tap on the words "Focus 4" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.
Let’s take a moment to talk about vergangenheitsbewältigung
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
Hi, I’m Kent, and I have a question: What would you do if you found out that the country in which you lived was committing war crimes? In the period immediately following World War II, the people of Germany collectively processed a particular form of collective guilt. Across the nation, people struggled with the complex trauma that their government, their ignorance, and their war had caused, and they frankly wondered how they could, as a people move forward. Churches and schools talked about it and led people through it. Philosophers like Carl Jung contemplated it. All along, everyone was asking: What is the next step after such a low point for a whole people?
This struggle, over time, was given a fantastic German name: It is known as the Vergangenheitsbewältigung. There’ll be a quiz on that later, of course, spelling counts. Believe it or not, Vergangenheitsbewältigung is made up of just two words: vergangen, which is the german word for “past” or “past tense” and bewältigung, which means “struggle.” Essentially, Vergangenheitsbewältigung means “struggling with what happened in the past.” The term has been applied not only to Germany, but also to Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union, Japan after the Second World War, South Africa after apartheid, and the United States after eliminating slavery.
What does a group of people—whether it’s a whole nation, a race, a religious sect, a city, or a family—do in the wake of understanding collective sin? What should an individual do when they come to understand that collective sin is a part of them? Because it is, you know. Collective sin, collective guilt, collective failure—these are part of every person. We all have our own, to say the word one more time, Vergangenheitsbewältigung to confront. How do we go about that? What can we do or say?
God has answers to these questions, and in reality, dealing with collective guilt begins when people—as individuals and as a group—turn to him for those answers. This Spotlight is about what it looks like when we stop trying to struggle on our own against this sin and instead turn to the God who has already defeated it.
Allow me to pray for you as you start thinking about this: God, you know our guilt and our failure, and yet you’ve chosen to be associated with us, to even become one of us in Jesus. Help us celebrate the fact that you not only shared in our guilt, you also took it all from us and destroyed it, and you invite us beyond it—to a place where our sins are in the past, our struggle is in the present, and our hope is in the future. Show us the kind of future where your priorities of love, hope, forgiveness, and compassion are realized. Amen.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
Hi, I’m Kent, and I have a question: What would you do if you found out that the country in which you lived was committing war crimes? In the period immediately following World War II, the people of Germany collectively processed a particular form of collective guilt. Across the nation, people struggled with the complex trauma that their government, their ignorance, and their war had caused, and they frankly wondered how they could, as a people move forward. Churches and schools talked about it and led people through it. Philosophers like Carl Jung contemplated it. All along, everyone was asking: What is the next step after such a low point for a whole people?
This struggle, over time, was given a fantastic German name: It is known as the Vergangenheitsbewältigung. There’ll be a quiz on that later, of course, spelling counts. Believe it or not, Vergangenheitsbewältigung is made up of just two words: vergangen, which is the german word for “past” or “past tense” and bewältigung, which means “struggle.” Essentially, Vergangenheitsbewältigung means “struggling with what happened in the past.” The term has been applied not only to Germany, but also to Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union, Japan after the Second World War, South Africa after apartheid, and the United States after eliminating slavery.
What does a group of people—whether it’s a whole nation, a race, a religious sect, a city, or a family—do in the wake of understanding collective sin? What should an individual do when they come to understand that collective sin is a part of them? Because it is, you know. Collective sin, collective guilt, collective failure—these are part of every person. We all have our own, to say the word one more time, Vergangenheitsbewältigung to confront. How do we go about that? What can we do or say?
God has answers to these questions, and in reality, dealing with collective guilt begins when people—as individuals and as a group—turn to him for those answers. This Spotlight is about what it looks like when we stop trying to struggle on our own against this sin and instead turn to the God who has already defeated it.
Allow me to pray for you as you start thinking about this: God, you know our guilt and our failure, and yet you’ve chosen to be associated with us, to even become one of us in Jesus. Help us celebrate the fact that you not only shared in our guilt, you also took it all from us and destroyed it, and you invite us beyond it—to a place where our sins are in the past, our struggle is in the present, and our hope is in the future. Show us the kind of future where your priorities of love, hope, forgiveness, and compassion are realized. Amen.
Let’s review where we’ve been so far.
If you’re going through this Spotlight in a group, try to come up with a one or two-sentence summary of each of this series’ previous weeks.
(The titles of each focus in this series—to date—are below.)
As sinful people are grouped together, they (often despite their best efforts) become sinful collectively. This is cause for repentance, and God endorses the idea that this repentance can be done as a group.
He loves this because it binds the group together into a renewed collection—the repentant and forgiven one—which enhances the characteristics on which the initial collection was based.
When we pray together in our collective guilt, we become a new, bettered collection.
If you’re going through this Spotlight in a group, try to come up with a one or two-sentence summary of each of this series’ previous weeks.
(The titles of each focus in this series—to date—are below.)
- Collectible
- Collectable
- Collectively
As sinful people are grouped together, they (often despite their best efforts) become sinful collectively. This is cause for repentance, and God endorses the idea that this repentance can be done as a group.
He loves this because it binds the group together into a renewed collection—the repentant and forgiven one—which enhances the characteristics on which the initial collection was based.
When we pray together in our collective guilt, we become a new, bettered collection.
Welcome Perspective
Our sin = past tense; our struggle = present tense; our hope = future tense.
Our sin = past tense; our struggle = present tense; our hope = future tense.
Discover how to be known and loved.
- Press play to start listening to this song (below).
- Contemplate these questions while you listen:
- What does it take—that is, what must essentially exist—for you to be “known and loved”?
- “In time may you find peace of mind with me, my friend.” Finding “peace of mind” is one thing, but the songwriter adds the idea of finding it “with me, my friend.” What does this mean to you?
- When you “feel like you’ve lost yourself” where does the song suggest you got to find yourself again?
Lyrics from Known & Loved by Joel Ansett
You’re in a place you think you know,
surrounded but you feel alone.
You have a place to rest your head
but not a home.
Feels like you lost yourself again—
sit in the silence of a friend.
When you are fully known and loved
you have a home.
The burden you choose to bare:
keeping yourself from those who care.
Problems and pride play hide and seek—
you’re unaware.
All of the things you keep concealed,
one day, are bound to be revealed.
We paint a picture of ourselves that isn’t real.
Feels like you lost yourself again—
sit in the silence of a friend
When you are fully known and loved
you have a home.
You have a home!
You have a home!
You have a home!
In time, may you find
peace of mind with me my friend.
Feels like you lost yourself again—
sit in the silence of a friend
When you are fully known and loved
you have a home.
You have a home!
You have a home!
You have a home!
In time, may you find
peace of mind with me my friend.
Meditate on Colossians 3:5–17 once the song ends.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
You’re in a place you think you know,
surrounded but you feel alone.
You have a place to rest your head
but not a home.
Feels like you lost yourself again—
sit in the silence of a friend.
When you are fully known and loved
you have a home.
The burden you choose to bare:
keeping yourself from those who care.
Problems and pride play hide and seek—
you’re unaware.
All of the things you keep concealed,
one day, are bound to be revealed.
We paint a picture of ourselves that isn’t real.
Feels like you lost yourself again—
sit in the silence of a friend
When you are fully known and loved
you have a home.
You have a home!
You have a home!
You have a home!
In time, may you find
peace of mind with me my friend.
Feels like you lost yourself again—
sit in the silence of a friend
When you are fully known and loved
you have a home.
You have a home!
You have a home!
You have a home!
In time, may you find
peace of mind with me my friend.
Meditate on Colossians 3:5–17 once the song ends.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Let’s pray for mercy, using Jeremiah 14.
(If you’re doing this in a group, read all the centered/bolded passages aloud as a group and have the group leader read everything else.)
This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
“Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water.
They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads.
The ground is cracked because there is no rain in the land;
the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads.
Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.
Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights and pant like jackals;
their eyes fail for lack of food.”
Jeremiah 14:1–6
Although our sins testify against us,
do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.
For we have often rebelled;
we have sinned against you.
You who are the hope of Israel,
its Savior in times of distress,
why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stays only a night?
Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a warrior powerless to save?
You are among us, Lord,
and we bear your name;
do not forsake us!
Jeremiah 14:7–9
This is what the Lord says about this people: “They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the Lord does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.”
Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.”
But I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”
Jeremiah 14:10–13
Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. Therefore this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.
“Speak this word to them: ‘Let my eyes overflow with tears night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin Daughter, my people, has suffered a grievous wound, a crushing blow.
If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine.
Both prophet and priest have gone to a land they know not.’”
Jeremiah 14:14–18
Have you rejected Judah completely?
Do you despise Zion?
Why have you afflicted us
so that we cannot be healed?
We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord,
and the guilt of our ancestors;
we have indeed sinned against you.
For the sake of your name do not despise us;
do not dishonor your glorious throne.
Remember your covenant with us
and do not break it.
Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?
Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
Therefore our hope is in you,
for you are the one who does all this.
Jeremiah 14:19–22
(If you’re doing this in a group, read all the centered/bolded passages aloud as a group and have the group leader read everything else.)
This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
“Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water.
They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads.
The ground is cracked because there is no rain in the land;
the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads.
Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.
Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights and pant like jackals;
their eyes fail for lack of food.”
Jeremiah 14:1–6
Although our sins testify against us,
do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.
For we have often rebelled;
we have sinned against you.
You who are the hope of Israel,
its Savior in times of distress,
why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stays only a night?
Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a warrior powerless to save?
You are among us, Lord,
and we bear your name;
do not forsake us!
Jeremiah 14:7–9
This is what the Lord says about this people: “They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the Lord does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.”
Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.”
But I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”
Jeremiah 14:10–13
Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. Therefore this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.
“Speak this word to them: ‘Let my eyes overflow with tears night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin Daughter, my people, has suffered a grievous wound, a crushing blow.
If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine.
Both prophet and priest have gone to a land they know not.’”
Jeremiah 14:14–18
Have you rejected Judah completely?
Do you despise Zion?
Why have you afflicted us
so that we cannot be healed?
We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord,
and the guilt of our ancestors;
we have indeed sinned against you.
For the sake of your name do not despise us;
do not dishonor your glorious throne.
Remember your covenant with us
and do not break it.
Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?
Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
Therefore our hope is in you,
for you are the one who does all this.
Jeremiah 14:19–22
Let’s worship—the Spirit enters in.
- Press play to start listening to this song (below).
- Contemplate these questions while you listen:
- How does this text illustrate that the Holy Spirit comes to us as individuals but builds us into something collective?
- What does the second verse say your unity will become for the world around us? In other words, beyond those, the Holy Spirit unifies, for whom is their unity useful?
- What words and phrases in the song connect to the idea of the confession of sins, both individual and collective?
Worship Perspective
We are unified to each other + we are unified with God.
We are unified to each other + we are unified with God.
Let’s read about collecting guilt.
While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”
So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Now honor the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”
The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say. But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.
So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
Ezra 10:1–17
While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”
So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Now honor the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”
The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say. But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.
So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
Ezra 10:1–17
Learn how to write a collect prayer.
OK, ready? Go!
The collect prayer formula:
- First, grab a piece of paper and pen (or your favorite note-taking app).
- Then follow the below formula to write your own collect prayer.
- Instead of using this prayer formula to address something personal, practice addressing something that is a collective sin rather than personal.
- If you’re in a group, break off into smaller groups to work on this together.
OK, ready? Go!
The collect prayer formula:
- Address | The prayer begins by naming God (very often this is: God the Father).
- Acknowledge | Name the quality or characteristic of God upon which the prayer is based.
- Ask | Ask for a specific thing that you need: guidance, forgiveness, faith, etc.
- Aspire | The result that you hope will come out of the granting of your request.
- Assert | Mention that the prayer is said in the mercy and merit of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Amen.
Learn Perspective
Collective guilt = collective forgiveness.
Collective guilt = collective forgiveness.
Help us acknowledge the Duwamish.
What would you change about the following statement if it were to be included on Illume’s facility? (Discuss with your group, if you’re in one currently.)
“I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.”
Help by raising your voice for the Duwamish. Let’s help recognize the Duwamish and honor the Treaty of Point Elliott with the Duwamish tribe. You can either contact a national decision-maker or sign a petition—please do both, if you are able!
+ CONTACT LEADERS
+ SIGN THE PETITION
+ LEARN MORE
Remember, you can follow the Chief Seattle Club on social media using the buttons below:
+ LIKE ON FACEBOOK
+ FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM
+ FOLLOW ON TWITTER
What would you change about the following statement if it were to be included on Illume’s facility? (Discuss with your group, if you’re in one currently.)
“I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.”
Help by raising your voice for the Duwamish. Let’s help recognize the Duwamish and honor the Treaty of Point Elliott with the Duwamish tribe. You can either contact a national decision-maker or sign a petition—please do both, if you are able!
+ CONTACT LEADERS
+ SIGN THE PETITION
+ LEARN MORE
Remember, you can follow the Chief Seattle Club on social media using the buttons below:
+ LIKE ON FACEBOOK
+ FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM
+ FOLLOW ON TWITTER
Feel free to submit a prayer request by filling out the below form.
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)
Pray through your requests—together—as a group.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.
Serve Perspective
Collective guilt = collective accountability.
Collective guilt = collective accountability.
Let’s pray the Lord’s Prayer.
(If you’re doing this in a group, read it aloud as a group, in unison.)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power, and the glory
are yours now and forever.
Amen.
(If you’re doing this in a group, read it aloud as a group, in unison.)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power, and the glory
are yours now and forever.
Amen.
Let's start wrapping up by singing about some good news.
- Press play to start listening to this song (below).
(The song’s lyrics are posted below the video player.) - Contemplate these questions while you listen:
- Notice the way the verses talk about singular individuals, but the chorus is sung by a plural group!
- The bridge describes the place individuals must go for the hope they need. What happens as more people listen to that guidance?
Lyrics from Rescuer (Good News) by Rend Collective
There is good news for the captive—
good news for the shamed.
There is good news for the one who walked away.
There is good news for the doubter—
the one religion failed:
for the Good Lord has come to seek and save.
He’s our rescuer—
he’s our rescuer.
We are free from sin forevermore.
Oh, how sweet the sound—
Oh, how grace abounds.
We will praise the Lord our rescuer.
He is beauty for the blind man—
riches for the poor.
He is friendship for the one the world ignores.
He is pasture for the weary—
Rest for those who strive.
Oh, the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life.
Yes, the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life.
He’s our rescuer—
he’s our rescuer.
We are free from sin forevermore.
Oh, how sweet the sound—
Oh, how grace abounds.
We will praise the Lord our rescuer.
Oh, oh—
we will praise the Lord our rescuer.
Oh, oh—
we will praise the Lord our rescuer.
So come and be chainless—
come and be fearless.
Come to the foot of Calvary.
There is redemption
for every affliction
here at the foot of Calvary.
So come and be chainless—
come and be fearless.
Come to the foot of Calvary.
’cause there is redemption
for every affliction
here at the foot of Calvary.
He’s our rescuer—
he’s our rescuer.
We are free from sin forevermore.
Oh, how sweet the sound—
Oh, how grace abounds.
We will praise the Lord our rescuer.
We will praise the Lord our rescuer.
There is good news for the captive—
good news for the shamed.
There is good news for the one who walked away.
There is good news for the doubter—
the one religion failed:
for the Good Lord has come to seek and save.
He’s our rescuer—
he’s our rescuer.
We are free from sin forevermore.
Oh, how sweet the sound—
Oh, how grace abounds.
We will praise the Lord our rescuer.
He is beauty for the blind man—
riches for the poor.
He is friendship for the one the world ignores.
He is pasture for the weary—
Rest for those who strive.
Oh, the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life.
Yes, the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life.
He’s our rescuer—
he’s our rescuer.
We are free from sin forevermore.
Oh, how sweet the sound—
Oh, how grace abounds.
We will praise the Lord our rescuer.
Oh, oh—
we will praise the Lord our rescuer.
Oh, oh—
we will praise the Lord our rescuer.
So come and be chainless—
come and be fearless.
Come to the foot of Calvary.
There is redemption
for every affliction
here at the foot of Calvary.
So come and be chainless—
come and be fearless.
Come to the foot of Calvary.
’cause there is redemption
for every affliction
here at the foot of Calvary.
He’s our rescuer—
he’s our rescuer.
We are free from sin forevermore.
Oh, how sweet the sound—
Oh, how grace abounds.
We will praise the Lord our rescuer.
We will praise the Lord our rescuer.
Sing along with (or listen to) this song to close out this Spotlight.
Feel free to sing along or simply listen. Do what makes you comfortable—but do whatever helps you focus on the song's meaning best.
Feel free to sing along or simply listen. Do what makes you comfortable—but do whatever helps you focus on the song's meaning best.
Farewell Perspective
We’re singular + we’re plural.
We’re singular + we’re plural.
Let's wrap things up by taking a look at what's Current at Illume.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.
Posted in On Letting Guilt Collect
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