4. Trustworthy

ICEBREAKER
Can you recall a time when something going wrong made for a great shared memory?

Once you've broken the ice, see what this Spotlight is focused on by clicking the "focus" below.

Let’s talk about what you trust. 
Listen to this audio clip when you’re ready to begin today’s Spotlight.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)

Hopefully that makes enough sense to get you started.

Pray this prayer to get into it:
Lord,
You have embedded in us a desire to trust,
which is constantly undermined by the devil
as he points to the ways we may end up disappointed.
Teach us to see the trusting, the relating, and the sharing
as the true goal, and not to get that mixed up
with whatever results from our attempts to trust
in this broken and imperfect world.
Amen.

Welcome Perspective: This "work hard enough to be satisfied" system is not worth trusting.

Type your new text here.

Respond to this by meditating on the song "Hymn" by Brooke Ligterwood

Worship Perspective: God can take the need to achieve out of your hands.

Learn Perspective: The things we do are for relationships, not the other way around.

I'm really sorry, everyone. I had a great chat with Amos Buelow on Zoom, but tech gremlins got the better of us, and the recording didn't work out. I was looking forward to you hearing his responses to your questions, and it's a bummer we can't share that conversation right now. We're figuring out how to avoid this in the future.

Serve Perspective: Goals can focus us on people and not simply lists of todos. 

Prayer Activity

• Setting the Stage
  1. If possible, form a circle, either seated or standing.
  2. We're here to create a space for each of us to share and pray for one another in a supportive manner.
  3. Remember, it's completely okay to pass if you prefer to listen.
  4. Let's agree to keep what's shared here confidential and create a safe space for everyone.

• Sharing & Listening
  1. If you have something on your mind that you'd like prayer for, feel free to share. It could be a concern, a joy, a hope, or anything else.
  2. We'll pass around an object (like a small stone or a token) to indicate whose turn it is to share. The object will be whatever is suggested first starting now.
  3. Let's listen attentively and respectfully to each other, remembering this is a time for empathy and support, not advice or solutions.

• Praying Together:
  1. After everyone has shared, we'll start praying.
  2. We'll start with a collective prayer. One of us can begin, thanking God for our shared stories and asking for his guidance.
  3. Then, let's each silently pray for the person to our right, thinking about what they shared.
  4. We'll conclude our prayer time with the Lord's Prayer, to reaffirm our unity and support for each other.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
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.

Farewell Perspective: When we give up on doing the achieving, it's amazing what can be achieved.