Guide 5: Evening Prayer

A Prayer Shaped Life, 2025

Review the practice so far (10 min)

In this series, we are focusing on the practice of Prayer—the slow-growing, sweet-tasting fruit of communion with God over the long haul. In the last Guide, we agreed on our exercise for the week ahead: Silent Prayer. So let’s talk about how that went!

• What did you experience as you made space for midday prayer this last week?

• As you’ve been leaning into the practice of Prayer these last few weeks, have you noticed any small shifts in your heart, habits, or attention?

Guide overview (2 min)

As we’ve explored for the last two weeks, so much is competing for our attention, which is one of the most significant resources we can steward. If we’re not careful, this bombardment of noise can overtake us like a flood, sweeping away our time, energy, and attention in its fast-moving current. This attempt to distract us and pull apart our focus is an age-old problem. And, for millennia, God’s people combatted it by ordering their days by communion with God, stopping at multiple times each day to pray.

Following in this tradition, Bridgetown’s Daily Prayer Rhythm aims at building a habit of communing with God in the normal parts of our lives, so that we can grow in intimacy with him and participate in his coming Kingdom in and around us. We stop to pray with intention and specificity three times a day: praying Scripture in the morning, praying compassion at midday, and praying the Examen in the evening. Over the last two weeks we explored morning and midday prayer; and tonight we conclude the series with evening prayer.

Exercise for tonight (30 min)

For tonight, we’ll engage in the practice of Prayer through the exercise of praying the Examen. Each evening, we have the opportunity to either forget our day or remember our day—choosing activities that help us escape the day we just lived or to reflect with the intention of finding God in the day. While there are many tools that can help us learn to hear God’s voice and notice his presence in our daily lives, one of the most helpful is praying the Examen—a form of prayer in which we take time with God to look back over our day, paying special attention to where we noticed or missed God’s presence. Doing this reflection over time helps train our attention to find God in our ordinary days. We begin to more easily recognize what God is up to in and around us, helping us to keep in step with the Spirit.

There are four steps to the Examen: Review, Resonate, Repent, and Request. We’ll walk through each step silently together, reflecting together at the end about how it went and where we noticed God. As we begin, let’s take a moment to get comfortable, and then I’ll guide us through the four prompts, giving us space between each to silently interact with God. If it’s helpful, feel free to journal your conversation with God as we go.

Review: Holy Spirit, as we turn our attention now to the day we just lived, we ask for your help to guide us back through it. Before we assign meaning or jump ahead to the next step: from the moment we woke up to the moment we started this prayer, what happened today? What did we do? What did we feel? Where did we go? Who did we see? What did we get done? What was left undone for another day? What did we say? What victories did we experience? Where did we feel loss? We take time now to review our day with you.

(Leader note: Throughout this exercise, take care to leave a brief pause between each question. Give people 3–4 minutes in silence to Review their day. Consider playing instrumental music during this time to help people focus.)

Resonate: Now, Holy Spirit, help us comb back through our day with special attention to your presence. Where did we feel near to you? What in our day “resonated” with your closeness? Whether it was something I saw, said, felt, did, or received, or someone I interacted with, where did I feel you draw near to me? We take a moment to thank you for where we felt near to you,

(Leader note: Give people 3–4 minutes in silence to notice the resonance of his presence in their day.)

Repent: Next, Holy Spirit, help us go back through our day with special attention to where we missed or ignored your presence. We take a moment to explore with you the moments we felt far from you—Where might we have strayed? Where might we have missed you?—and then to repent, confessing those moments to you and receiving your forgiveness.

(Leader note: Give people 3–4 minutes in silence to notice where they strayed and to repent.)

Request: Finally, Holy Spirit, with our review of today in mind, we turn our attention to tomorrow: What is one simple thing we would ask of you for tomorrow in light of our reflection about today? We take a moment now to request something from you.

(Leader note: Give people 1 minute to ask God for tomorrow. Then close in prayer, thanking God for speaking and asking him to continue to make you all aware of his presence.)

Reflect & Plan. The exercise for the week ahead is to pray the Examen each evening. With that in mind, we’re going to get into smaller groups and spend 10 minutes reflecting and planning with two prompts: 

• What was it like for you to pray the Examen tonight? 

• How and when could you pray the Examen each evening this week?

(Leader note: Let people get into smaller groups to discuss. Afterwards, call everyone together to read the exercise for the week ahead.)

Exercise for the week ahead (3 min)

Tonight we explored the evening prayer portion of Bridgetown’s Daily Prayer Rhythm. For the week ahead, we are all going to continue practicing praying the Examen on our own: 

• Evening prayer: This week, we’re all going to end each day by praying the Examen, walking through the framework we used tonight—Review, Resonate, Repent, & Request. Also, the evening prayer section of the Lectio365 app is a helpful, free resource that will guide you in the practice of praying the Examen. And, consider continuing your morning prayer rhythm of praying Scripture and your midday prayer rhythm of praying compassion each day as well.

Guide 4: Midday Prayer

A Prayer Shaped Life, 2025

Review the practice so far (10 min)

In this series, we are focusing on the practice of Prayer—the slow-growing, sweet-tasting fruit of communion with God over the long haul. In the last Guide, we agreed on our exercise for the week ahead: praying Scripture. So let’s talk about how that went!

• What did you experience as you made space for morning prayer this last week?

• As you’ve been leaning into the practice of Prayer these last few weeks, have you noticed any small shifts in your heart, habits, or attention?

Guide overview (2 min)

As we explored last week, so much is competing for our attention, which is one of the most significant resources we can steward. If we’re not careful, this bombardment of noise can overtake us like a flood, sweeping away our time, energy, and attention in its fast-moving current. This attempt to distract us and pull apart our focus is an age-old problem. And, for millennia, God’s people combatted it by ordering their days by communion with God, stopping at multiple times each day to pray.

Following in this tradition, Bridgetown’s Daily Prayer Rhythm aims at building a habit of communing with God in the normal parts of our lives, so that we can grow in intimacy with him and participate in his coming Kingdom in and around us. We stop to pray with intention and specificity three times a day: praying Scripture in the morning, praying compassion at midday, and praying the Examen in the evening. We looked at morning prayer last week; and up for tonight is midday prayer.

Exercise for tonight (30 min)

For tonight, we’ll engage in the practice of Prayer through the exercise of letting compassion move us to intercession. The middle of the day is often when we’re most tempted to turn towards ourselves—to space out or numb out. And it’s then that we choose to pause, steer our focus away from our computers, chores, schoolwork, or laundry, and towards others—the sick and dying, the lost and wandering, the poor and those struggling with addiction. We pause at midday to ask the Spirit to bring to mind someone in need, asking him to provide—salvation, rent money, friendship, help, etc.—and then asking him to send us as an answer to our own prayers.

As we practice this tonight, we are going to take some time to let compassion stir us to intercede for the three categories of people we talked about on Sunday—the lost, the lowly, and the lively—and then end by asking God to send us to be his compassion to these people. Here’s how it will work. We will work through each category, one at a time. I will invite the Spirit to bring to mind people for whom to pray, and then we will take time to pray out loud for them one at a time. As we do, let’s pray with trust and hope, remembering that our Father in Heaven is a good giver. And, let’s be sure that our prayers protect their dignity by not using names or identifiers where doing so would reveal something sensitive or private. 

Come, Holy Spirit. Teach us how to let your compassion guide our intercessions.

(Leader note: Give people about 30 seconds in silence to settle in.)

Pray for the lost. God, each of us knows people who are far from you—those who are searching for home, for safety, and for rest. Even now we ask that you would bring a name or face to our mind, that we might pray for them to know your loving presence and salvation.

(Leader note: Pause for 30 seconds, and then invite people to pray out loud one at a time. Give people about 5 minutes to pray and then move to the next prompt.)

Pray for the lowly. God, each of us knows people who are experiencing some level of pain—those who are vulnerable and hurting. Whether the pain is related to health, finances, relationships, or something else, we want to see you move on their behalf. Even now we ask that you would bring a name or face to our mind, that we might pray for them to know your loving presence in their need.

(Leader note: Pause for 30 seconds, and then invite people to pray out loud one at a time. Give people about 5 minutes to pray and then move to the next prompt.)

Pray for the lively. God, each of us knows people who seem to be growing in new ways—those in whom we can see signs of new life. They could be experiencing new life in their relationship with God, or taking vocational risks, or having a baby, or something else. Even now we ask that you would bring a name or face to our mind, that we might pray for them to know your loving presence as they are on the cusp of new life.

(Leader note: Pause for 30 seconds, and then invite people to pray out loud one at a time. Give people about 5 minutes to pray and then close with the following prayer.)

Holy Spirit, thank you for the way you moved your compassion in us. As we have asked you to meet these people with your loving presence, we now ask that you would send us to be your loving presence. If there is any way that you would like to use us as answers to our own prayers, please show us how. Thank you. Amen.

Reflect & Plan. The exercise for the week ahead is to pray compassion at midday each day this week—inviting God to show you one person from one of those categories to pray for. So we’re going to get into smaller groups and spend 10 minutes reflecting and planning with two prompts: 

• What was it like for you to let compassion stir your intercession tonight? 

• How and when are you going to pray compassion at midday this week?

  (Leader note: Let people get into smaller groups to discuss. Afterwards, call everyone together to read the exercise for the week ahead.)

Exercise for the week ahead (3 min)

Tonight we explored the midday prayer portion of Bridgetown’s Daily Prayer Rhythm. For the week ahead, we are all going to continue practicing praying compassion on our own:

Midday prayer: This week, we’re each going to pause at midday to pray compassion. We will pause for just a few moments in the middle of our day (setting alarms or reminders on your phone can be so helpful for this) to ask the Spirit to guide our attention towards a person or people for whom he is inviting us to pray. This could be praying for friends who don’t know Jesus, neighbors in need, people who are experiencing the grief of loss, or anyone else who needs to experience God’s compassion. Also, the midday prayer section of the Lectio365 app is an incredible, free resource that will guide you in the practice of praying compassion. And, consider continuing your morning prayer rhythm of praying Scripture each day as well.

Family Activity for Dec 28

Advent 2025

Families with children can use the following activity to remember the last year together. This reading and activity should take about 15 minutes to complete. You’ll need: markers and 5 stones or rocks for each person. The stones should be big enough to write a word or do a simple drawing on. If you don’t have stones, small pieces of paper will work too. 

Remember

In the book of Joshua, God’s people, the Israelites, were preparing to enter the land that He had promised to give them. To help them on their way, God stopped the flow of the Jordan River, so His people could cross safely on dry land. Let’s read what happened after they crossed the river: 

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

God’s people made a monument—a special structure made to remember an important event—from the rocks they took from the middle of the river. God said that whenever their children ask what the monument of stones means, the people could share the amazing ways God had been with them and helped them. 

Just like the Israelites at the Jordan River, we are going to remember the ways that God has been with us and helped us this year. I am going to ask us 5 questions to help us remember. You can write or draw your own answer to each question on a stone. 

(Leader Note: give the group 2 minutes after each question for writing or drawing on their stones. Before moving on to the next question, give each person a chance to share their stone if they’d like.) 

What was one good thing that happened this year? 

What was one hard thing God helped us through this year? 

Where did we see God this year? 

When did you feel close to God this year?

What’s one thing from this year that we can thank God for? 

Now, let’s stack or arrange all of our rocks together as a monument, just like the Israelites did. (Leader Note: give group 1 minute to set up monument)

Let’s end by praying together, thanking God for all of the ways he has been with us this year, and ask for his help as the new year begins. 

God, thank you for your love—thank you for helping us remember the year behind us, and all of the ways you have loved us, been with us, and helped us. 

Jesus, thank you for your friendship—help us to be with you, become like you, and do the things you did. 

Holy Spirit, thank you for speaking to us—as the new year begins, would you guide us, teach us, and go with us wherever we go. 

Amen.

Table Liturgy for Dec 28

Advent 2025

In place of gathering together as a congregation on Sunday, December 28, we are meeting in homes to remember and renew—to reflect on the work of renewal that God has been up to in our lives over the last year and to recommit to walking in step with that transformational work in the year to come. The following liturgy is written to be read out loud word-for-word, with facilitator notes in parentheses and italics. Before you begin this liturgy, make sure you have communion elements (e.g. juice or wine and bread or crackers), something to keep time, and something for people to jot down notes as they listen and pray. Consider having instrumental music playing throughout to help people focus during moments of silent reflection.

Note: If you are part of a family with young children, we’ve created a family activity for this liturgy which you can find here.

Read Psalm 100

What we call Psalms was the prayer book for the early church. This collection of prayers that reflected the spectrum of the human experience: joy, despair, trust, gratitude, hope, anger, repentance, and peace. And while each of these emotions likely surfaced in us this last year, we are going to begin our time together by reading out loud a psalm of gratitude: Psalm 100. Hear these words of praise:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Overview

On this threshold between years—the ending of one and the beginning of another—we pause in a moment of intentionality to remember and renew. We will remember by recalling God’s faithfulness to us this last year and the transformation, healing, and deepening he has worked in our lives, celebrating with gratitude by receiving communion together. And then we will renew by committing to continue walking in step with his faithfulness in these areas of our lives over the coming year. By taking time to consider what God was up to in our previous year and what he may be up to in the next one, we allow him to draw a throughline in our consciousness, partnering with him by consenting to his loving presence.

Remember

As we begin a time of remembering our past year by reflecting through a few guided questions, find a comfortable posture that helps you reflect your openness to God, like opening your hands on your lap.

Come, Holy Spirit. As we turn our attention now to the year we just lived, we ask for your help to guide us back through it. As we walk through the library of moments, we acknowledge that more happened than we will be able to remember. So we ask that, like an expert librarian, you would guide us to the titles that stuck out to you—the ones that you want to place together that we might see common themes and get a fuller picture of what you were up to.

What happened this year? What were the big moments you lived through? Where did you go? Who did you meet? What were the highs and lows of this last year? (Facilitator note: Let people sit with each question for 2 minutes or so before asking the next one.)

What felt heavy? What felt light? As you reflect on this last year, what about it feels or felt heavy to you? Where did you experience weariness or overwhelm? And what about your last year felt light? Where did you experience a victory or growth, or feel joy? (Facilitator note: Let people sit with each question for 2 minutes or so before asking the next one.)

Where was God? Over this last year, where did you experience God’s presence? Where might you have missed his presence? Where did God show up in your home, your work, your family, your friends, your celebrations and grief? Where was God in your life this last year? (Facilitator note: Let people sit with each question for 2 minutes or so before asking the next one.)

What was God up to? As you consider God’s presence to you, begin to ask him about the work of renewal, healing, deepening, or transformation he was working through it all. How might you give name to what he was up to in your life through this last year? (Facilitator note: Let people sit with each question for 2 minutes or so before asking the next one.)

Express gratitude. Before we move on to the next movement, let’s take some time to pray out loud, one at a time, thanking God for where he revealed himself last year—for experiences we had, people we met, ways he provided, and the themes of transformation that he was growing in us. (Facilitator note: Allow at least 5 minutes for people to pray out loud. If there are any periods of silence, do your best to resist the urge to move on too quickly. Then close with the following prayer.)

Jesus, thank you for where you met us this last year. Thank you for letting us live these moments then, and for letting us relive them now with you. Every good and perfect gift comes from you. Amen.

Receive Communion together

At this point, with the last year in our focus, we are going to receive communion. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and broke it into pieces for his disciples to eat, symbolizing his own body that was about to be broken so that they (and we) might feast at the resurrection. He then poured wine for his disciples to drink, symbolizing his own blood that was about to be poured out so that they (and we) might be washed clean. He invited his disciples, as he invites us, to eat and drink, remembering his love and renewing our commitment to him. 

As we hold the plate of bread/crackers for the person next to you to receive Christ’s body, we will say, “The body of Christ, broken for you.” And we will hold onto the elements until each person has them and then, after a moment in silence holding our last year before God, we will eat and drink together. (Facilitator Note: After each person has the elements, hold 30 seconds of silence.)

The body of Christ, broken for you. And the blood of Christ, shed for you. Take, eat and drink, and remember him.

Renew

For the next movement of our time together, we will turn our attention from the year behind to the year ahead. As we do, we will begin by reflecting with curiosity about whether there are themes from last year that God may want to continue this year—themes of renewal, healing, and transformation. Re-entering our postures of prayer, we will dream together with God about the next year with hope and desire, taking some time to silently reflect over a few questions, letting God guide our attention and imagination. After that, we will share our desires for the coming year with one another.

Come, Holy Spirit, guide our imaginations as you guided our memories. Would you speak to us about your desire for us this next year, that our desire might be stirred towards the same.

What does God want to do? Based on what the Spirit did last year, begin a conversation with him about how he may want to continue or deepen that work in the coming year. How may he want to heal you or transform you? (Facilitator note: Let people sit with each question for 2 minutes or so before asking the next one.)

What symbol represents this? As this work begins to take shape—even if just a wisp or stirring—continue talking to him by exploring what word, phrase, symbol, song, Scripture, or something else could represent the work he wants to do over this next year, to help us remember and return to his invitation to you. (Facilitator note: Let people sit with each question for 2 minutes or so before asking the next one.)

How will you say yes? Part of why God shares with us the work he wants to do in us is that he wants our permission and consent to do it. Give him your “yes” and then begin wondering: How do I keep in step with God’s transforming love this next year? How can I be faithful to show up to this work? (Facilitator note: Let people sit with this question for 2 minutes or so before moving on.)

Jesus, thank you for beginning to share with us—even if just faintly—what you might be up to in our lives over this next year and how we can keep in step with you. Every good and perfect gift comes from you. Amen.

Now, we’re going to share what we sensed God saying to us about this next year, starting with what he seemed to be up to last year, as a way of bearing witness with each other to where God might be moving in our lives. As we share, do your best to be fully present to each person’s words, giving them your attention and focus. We’ll take a good chunk of time for everyone to share something. Sharing hope or desire may be vulnerable for some, so assume that if people are sharing vaguely, they are doing so on purpose. 

Share. What did God do in you this last year? What might God want to do in you this year? How will you say yes? (Facilitator note: Set a timer so that each person has equal time to share. While a timer may feel off-putting at first, it both allows people to stay present to what’s being shared, and it allows the person sharing to not get self conscious about how much time they’re taking. After each person shares, thank them and move to the next.)

Pray together

Before we close, we are going to lift these hopes up to God together, asking that we would receive all the good that he has in store for us. To do this, we are going to break into groups of 2 or 3 to commission each other into the coming year to pray for what each person shared. We’ll take 10 minutes to pray in these groups and then I’ll call us all back to end our time. (Facilitator note: After 10 minutes, call everyone back. It could be helpful to give everyone a 2 minute warning before closing.)

God, thank you for bringing us together today for this time. Thank you for helping us reflect on last year and renew our desire for the next one. Thank you for the vulnerability we witnessed and the community we experienced together. We covered so much ground today, so let each of us go in peace, filled with your love. We love you, Jesus, and we’re so grateful for your presence to us in and through each other. We give you praise for this last year and head into this next year with as much hope as we can muster. Help us to love you and one another well. Teach us, guide us, and guard us. Thank you, Father, Son, and Spirit. Amen.

Guide 3: Morning Prayer

A Prayer Shaped Life, 2025

Review the practice so far (10 min)

In this series, we are focusing on the practice of Prayer—the slow-growing, sweet-tasting fruit of communion with God over the long haul. In the last Guide, we agreed on our exercise for the week ahead: Incarnated Prayer. So let’s talk about how that went!

• Who did God lead you to as you practiced Incarnated Prayer and what happened?

Guide overview (2 min)

Our attention is one of our most significant resources we can steward, and from the second we wake up, so much is vying for it—notifications, needs, news cycles, and noise. If we’re not careful, this bombardment can overtake us like a flood, sweeping away our time, energy, and attention in its fast-moving current. And while there are certainly newer ways our attention is being stolen—like social media, the international news cycle, and having our work email on our phones—the problem is ancient. For millennia, God’s people ordered their days by communion with God, stopping at multiple times each day to pray.

Following in this tradition, at Bridgetown we too have a Daily Prayer Rhythm, the goal of which is for each of us to build a habit of communing with God in the normal parts of our lives, so that we can grow in intimacy with him and participate in his coming Kingdom in and around us. We stop to pray with intention and specificity three times a day: praying Scripture in the morning, praying compassion at midday, and praying the Examen in the evening. For the next three weeks, we will focus on one of these movements, practicing it together each night we meet and practicing it on our own throughout the week. Up for tonight is morning prayer.

Exercise for tonight (30 min)

For tonight, we’ll engage in the practice of Prayer through the exercise of praying Scripture. We aim to pray Scripture each morning because we become like what we pay attention to, and because whatever we give our first attention to has exponential formative power in our lives. While any passage of Scripture can guide us in prayer, one of the most helpful is the prayer book for the early church: the Psalms. This compilation of prayers guided the prayers of the Old Testament Temple, Jesus himself, and the early church. Within the Psalms, we find the full array of human emotion on display, which makes them uniquely useful for prayer because they teach us how to pray more than what to pray. Praying the Psalms reminds us that whatever we’re feeling is safe with God. We don’t need to clean up or get our act together before coming into God’s presence; we can show up in prayer exactly as we are. 

As we pray Scripture tonight, we’re going to use Psalm 84 as our guide. Here’s how it will work: I will read through it in three different sections, pausing to give us space between each to pray out loud one at a time. There is no right or wrong way to pray the Psalms, simply allow the psalmist’s words—in this case, the Sons of Korah—to guide our prayers. Maybe a word or image sparks a thought, or a feeling or emotion resonates, or maybe you want to echo something the authors actually pray themselves. Whatever it is, we’ll simply allow these words to guide our prayers as we pray out loud, one at a time. As we start, though, find a comfortable position, and we’ll take a moment in silence to become aware of God’s presence with us. And feel welcome to follow along in your own Bible, if that’s helpful.

Come, Holy Spirit. Teach us how to let the Scriptures guide our prayers.

(Leader note: Give people about 30 seconds in silence to settle in.)

Read Psalm 84v1–4. “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”

(Leader note: Give people about 5 minutes to pray.)

Read Psalm 84v5–9. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.”

(Leader note: Give people about 5 minutes to pray.)

Read Psalm 84v10–12. “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”

(Leader note: Give people about 5 minutes to pray. Close in prayer, thanking God.)

Reflect & Plan. The exercise for the week ahead is to pray Scripture each morning. So we’re going to get into smaller groups and spend 10 minutes reflecting and planning with two prompts: 

• What was it like for you to pray Psalm 84 tonight? 

• How and when will you pray Scripture each morning this week?

(Leader note: Let people get into smaller groups to discuss. Set a timer for 10 minutes. After it goes off, call everyone together to read the exercise for the week ahead.)

Exercise for the week ahead (3 min)

Tonight we explored the morning prayer portion of Bridgetown’s Daily Prayer Rhythm. For the week ahead, we are all going to continue practicing praying Scripture on our own: 

• Morning prayer: This week, we’re all going to begin each day by praying Scripture, particularly the Psalms. Whichever Psalm you choose, simply read it and let it guide your prayers to begin your day. Also, the morning prayer section of the Lectio365 app is an incredible, free resource that will guide you in the practice of praying Scripture.

Guide 2: Incarnational Prayer

A Prayer Shaped Life, 2025

(Leader note: Under the “exercise for tonight” section, you will find two options—one for Communities who have an established mission and one for those who do not. Use whichever one applies to your Community’s situation and completely skip the other.)

Review the practice so far (10 min)

In this series, we are focusing on the practice of Prayer—the slow-growing, sweet-tasting fruit of communion with God over the long haul. In the last Guide, we agreed on our exercise for the week ahead: Silent Prayer. So let’s talk about how that went!

• What has your experience with Silent Prayer been like?

• (Optional) On Sunday, Gerald announced that he is leaving Bridgetown to work with Practicing The Way. We are so grateful for all that Gerald has been to our church, so sad to see him go, and so excited for what God has in store for him. How are you processing Gerald’s departure?

Guide overview (2 min)

The kinds of prayer that Jesus prayed often moved him away from the center of society and towards its periphery, where he befriended those on the outskirts. As people who want to do as Jesus did, we also often find ourselves among the most vulnerable—not as service providers, but as family. Jesus made family everywhere he went, constantly inviting people to a deeper level of relational intimacy with God and with one another.

One of the core values of a Bridgetown Community is that we are on mission together—that we are taking spiritual responsibility for our part of Portland by becoming like family with those who are most in need—whether those in foster care or the under-resourced, the unhoused, the incarcerated, the refugee, and so many others. So, for tonight’s exercise, we are going to explore how we can take a step deeper into incarnating our prayers with the aim of kinship. Kinship happens as we share life with those who are often overlooked or on the margins—being interruptible, intentional, and honest in friendship. We don’t reach down or try to fix; we walk alongside, discovering that the line between “us” and “them” is only an illusion.

Exercise for tonight (30 min)

Option 1: For Communities with a monthly rhythm of mission

Since our Community already has an established monthly rhythm of mission, we are going to take some time tonight to ask the Spirit about this idea of kinship, and if there is another step we can take towards the people we are serving. We want to be curious about how we can become like family with them, not just service providers. 

(Leader note: If your Community already has a story of kinship, please let us know! We would love to hear about it — fill out this form)

Be curious about kinship: Before we talk to each other about any ideas we have, let’s pray and ask the Spirit for creative ideas about how we can move closer to the people we’re serving. Where is there an opportunity to deepen our relationships? Who specifically might God be inviting us to share a table with or meet a more personal need? What would it look like to become like family with someone? I’ll set a timer for 2 minutes as each of us engages with the Spirit in creativity and curiosity.

Reflect & explore (in smaller groups): Next, we’re going to get into groups of three or four and discuss the ideas that came up during that time in prayer—creative ways to cultivate kinship, specific people God might have been pointing out, and other invitations he may be extending. I’ll set a timer for 10 minutes, after which point we’ll come back and share a few of these ideas with the whole Community and decide on one we want to take action on.

Share (as a Community): Ok, now that we’ve done some initial processing, we’re going to share our ideas all together. What resonated in your smaller group that you think the whole Community should hear? What creative ways might the Spirit be inviting us to kinship relationships with someone we’re serving? Where is the Spirit stirring a creative imagination in us for kinship?

Decide on one thing: Finally, we’re going to decide on one thing that we want to commit to together. Let’s keep in mind that if something feels important to you, but isn’t selected, it doesn’t mean we will never do it, just that it’s not what we're going to do first. That said, it may also actually be a personal invitation from God—something he is specifically asking of you. We’ll talk more about that in the exercise for the week ahead. But for now: What one thing are we going to commit to together? And what does each of us need to do to make it happen?

(Leader note: Once something is decided, pray to thank God for guiding you all, and ask him for help to be faithful to it and that he would give you favor as you step towards kinship together.)

Option 2: For Communities without a monthly rhythm of mission

Since our Community hasn’t yet established a monthly rhythm of mission, we are going to take some time to decide on a step we can take towards establishing one. As we do, let’s remember that a mission is not measured by our ability to do something nice or to help others for our own sake, but by our willingness to see people on the margins as our brothers and sisters. The kind of mission that develops kinship requires us to be proximate, consistent, and vulnerable. While it can be costly and inconvenient, it draws us into true relationships of seeing and serving others with dignity, bearing witness to God’s love in and for them.

So, we’ll start our exercise for the night by exploring the roadblocks we’ve hit in establishing a monthly mission, and then we’ll decide to take one step together towards establishing a regular mission. The option we pick likely won’t be perfect or ideal, but it’s important we take one!

Look Back: First, let’s have a 10-minute conversation looking back at any previous experiences our Community has had with mission or kinship—beautiful experiences, roadblocks, and anything else. Let’s commit to reflecting creatively and constructively, understanding that our goal is to find something that works, not an exhaustive list about what all will not work. I’ll set a timer as we discuss two questions:

• What positive experiences have we had with mission, service, or kinship as a Community?

• What roadblocks have we faced in establishing a monthly rhythm of mission?
  

Look ahead: Next, with those past experiences in mind, and understanding that we won’t be able to address all of the roadblocks, we are going get into groups of 3 and take 5 minutes to look at Bridgetown’s list of partners and service opportunities, with the goal of each group picking one we think our Community could commit to for the next 6 months. 

(Leader note: Send everyone this page to see the list of partners and serving opportunities. And then set a 5-minute timer, calling everyone back afterwards.)

Make a quick pitch: Next, I’ll set a one minute timer for each group to make a quick pitch for why they think this is the one our Community should commit to for the next 6 months. There will always be reasons that something won’t work, so when you’re listening to these ideas choose to have an openness and curiosity about how it could work.

Pick one: Finally, we’re going to decide on one thing that we want to commit to trying together for 6 months. If your option isn’t selected, that’s ok. It doesn’t mean we will never do it, just that it’s not what we're going to do right now. And, keep in mind that it could be a personal invitation from God—something he is specifically asking of you instead of the Community. We’ll talk more about that in the exercise for the week ahead. But for now: What one thing are we going to commit to together? And what does each of us need to do to make it happen?

(Leader note: Once something is decided, pray to thank God for guiding you all, and ask him for help to be faithful to it and that he would give you favor as you step towards kinship together.)

Exercise for the week ahead (3 min)

Tonight we explored ways in which our Community can pursue a deeper family-level relationship with the people we serve through the exercise of Incarnational Prayer. That said, there are also ways for us to grow in this exercise on our own throughout the week. So this week we are going to each lean into the exercise of Incarnational Prayer by responding to the Spirit’s invitation to care more intentionally about someone in our life who is on the margins. 

• Incarnational Prayer: This week we are each going to take a few steps towards knowing and loving the people in our lives. We’ll do it in 3 steps: know, pray, and serve. First, know: learn the names of 4 neighbors on your block or in your apartment building. Next, pray: pray every day for those 4 neighbors by name. Finally, serve: look and listen for what they may need, and serve them—the needs could be relational or physical needs, like taking someone to coffee, mowing a yard, picking up groceries, etc. However you serve them, consider how you can pursue a deeper relationship together.

Guide 1: Prophetic Prayer

A Prayer Shaped Life, 2025

Review the practice so far (10 min)

Since there is no practice so far to review, let’s discuss this series’ aim. By ordering our days around the practice of Prayer, we want to become a Community in which the Spirit cultivates the slow-growing, sweet-tasting fruit of intimacy with God. Through the Guides in this series, we will experience and engage rhythmic expressions of Prayer together: Silent Prayer, Incarnational Prayer, and the Daily Prayer Rhythm. So, before we begin with tonight’s Guide, let’s debrief the Prophetic Prayer Training and then take a moment to discuss our personal experiences with the practice of Prayer, whether good or bad, brief or long, past or current.

• What did you take away from the Prophetic Prayer Training?

• How would you describe your current comfort level with the practice of Prayer?

Guide overview (2 min)

Prayer, like any relationship, has many forms of communication—talking about concerns, asking for things, receiving affirmations and challenges, and sitting in silence. Prayer is an opportunity to slow down enough to be with God and to sometimes even hear him say something back. In this series, we will be diving deeper into the kinds of prayer that shape and form our lives in God’s love.

One of those kinds of prayer is prophecy—hearing and speaking God’s voice on behalf of an individual or group. Last week, we attended the Prophetic Prayer Training and got to try it together. Prophetic Prayer is all over the pages of Scripture, and it’s something that Scripture’s authors take for granted. God does not need a stage and music to speak: anytime God’s people gather, he is speaking. Smaller groups of friends and family—like our Bridgetown Community—is one of the best places to listen for God’s voice. So, as we lean into the practice of Prayer, our exercise for tonight is Prophetic Prayer.

Exercise for tonight (30 min)

Tonight we’re going to take some time to practice Prophetic Prayer together. As we do this, we’ll use the four-step model for Prophetic Prayer that we learned at the training: ask, listen, search, and risk. Just like at the training, someone will volunteer to be prayed for and we’ll all ask God what he may want to say to them through us. Then, after a minute or so of listening, we’ll share what we sense and pray for that person. Finally,we’ll end by having the person share what resonated with them. Remember: there’s no pressure to get it right—we’re just practicing, and this is a safe group in which to risk! 

Before we start, let’s remember together that prophecy is a form of prayer in which the Spirit works in cooperation—not competition—with our imagination, in order to encourage another person or group. Oftentimes, we can miss the voice of God because it sounds or feels too familiar, so it’s important to remember that it almost never feels intense or dramatic, but like a thought entering our imagination from the outside (as opposed to from the inside). Usually, we’ll see some sort of picture, symbol, or memory, or hear a word, phrase, or Scripture. Three helpful questions to process through with God are: What am I hearing/seeing? What might it mean? And what do I do with it?

Select someone: We’ll hopefully get to pray for a few people, but who wants to go first?

Ask, listen, and search: Okay, now that we know who we’re praying for, let’s all take some time to ask God what he may want them to know. Remember, the kind of Prophetic Prayer we’re practicing is not correcting or confronting, but encouraging. So, if you sense something, ask yourself if it is encouraging, if it lines up with or contradicts Scripture, and if it sounds like something Jesus would say. Search yourself to ensure that what you sense is from God and not just something you think this person should know or do. I’ll set a timer for 90 seconds of listening, and then we’ll come back and share.

Risk: Okay! Let’s take some time to risk together by sharing what we sensed. Would a few people share what they heard or saw, and what they think God might be saying through it? After you share it, take a moment to pray it over the person receiving it. (Leader note: Leaders, consider going first to help set the pace for the group. And, for subsequent rounds, encourage people who have already shared to let others share, so everyone can try it.)

Reflect: Thank you all for sharing. As we hear from the person who received all the words now, let’s remember that if and where something connected with them, it’s something we can be praying for and checking in with them about in the future. Okay: What resonated with you and felt like God was speaking to you through another person? And was there any word that you may need to weigh more, whether for clarity or application?

(Leader note: As you have time, move onto another person, continuing to give people more opportunity to receive and practice hearing and sharing.)

Exercise for the week ahead (3 min)

Tonight we experienced an exercise that involved community, but there are also ways for us to grow in the practice of Prayer on our own throughout the week. We all have busy lives, so the ask is not to turn your life upside down to practice Prayer 24/7, but rather to take a step forward in the practice of prayer. In doing so, we partner with God in our own formation for the benefit of our Community.While the practices are personal, they are not private—they are ways of letting God shape us so that when we come together, our Community will be richer, deeper, and more like Jesus.

That said, while we practiced Prophetic Prayer together tonight, until our next Community Guide, the exercise for the week ahead involves the exercise of Silent Prayer:

• Silent Prayer: This week we are going to practice Silent Prayer–the prayer of remembering and remaining in the love of God. I will send out a one-page Guide (linked at the button below) to help you develop and build this rhythm.

Vision 2025, Guide 3: Commitments & Individual Examen

In Portland As It Is In Heaven, 2025

Conclude this series practice (20 min)

In this series, we focused on the practice of Community—leaning further into doing life together as we seek to be a community of love and depth. In the previous Guide, we agreed on our exercises for the week ahead: to read through the Bridgetown Community Commitments and to consider the cost of our desires for Community. Let’s take a moment to conclude this series by discussing each of the four categories of our Commitments and recommitting to each other.

• Commit to following Jesus: How are we each feeling invited to recommit to following Jesus this coming year? 

• Commit to our Community: Where do we each sense an opportunity to invest more deeply in our Community this coming year?

• Commit to Bridgetown Church: How could you contribute more intentionally to Bridgetown?

• Commit to Portland: How is God inviting us to partner with him to more fully love and serve our city together?

Before we go on, let’s take a moment to recap the decisions and commitments we’re making for this next year. (Leader Note: This is the time to sum everything for clarity. Take some time to close the loose ends. If there’s something that needs more time to discuss/discern, agree on when that follow-up conversation will occur. As you conclude this section, close in prayer, asking God to help us with the commitments we’ve just made.)

Guide overview (2 min)

To speak meaningfully in any way about apprenticeship to Jesus, it’s important to talk about counterformation—about how we are de-formed by the time and place we live, and about what it means to swim against the cultural current of control and toward the formative joy of consent. There are many ways of practicing consent: we consent with our possessions through generosity, we with our relationships through hospitality, and we consent with our image through confession.

One helpful way to practice this formation of consent is praying the Examen. This daily reflection on our day helps us to increasingly yield ourselves to God as we take time to relive that day in his presence. So, in our final Guide for this series, we are going to bridge between this series’ practice of Community and next series’ practice of Prayer by engaging the exercise of praying the Examen. 

Exercise for tonight (15 min)

Tonight, our exercise will be to pray the Examen together. The Examen is a form of prayer that involves reflecting back over our day with the Holy Spirit to practice naming signs of his presence to us. While the Examen usually has five steps, we’re going to use one with three: reflecting with gratitude, naming where we saw or missed God, and confessing where we fell short.

As we start, find a comfortable position and get into whatever posture of prayer feels honest and helps you focus. I’ll guide us through the prompts as we review our day with God.

Come, Holy Spirit, and walk us back through our day. What did we do? Who did we talk to? Where did we go? What did we feel? Where were you?

(Leader Note: Let people silently review their day for 1–2 minutes.)

Gratitude: What kindled gratitude? As you reviewed your day, what brought you gratitude? What or who were you thankful for today? Let’s pray aloud, one at a time, short prayers of gratitude, thanking God for every big and small gift we can possibly recount from today.

Review: Where did I see or miss God? As you reviewed your day, where did God show up? Big or small, where did I see or miss God’s presence in a moment or through a person? Let’s pray aloud, one at a time, short prayers noting the little whispers from the Spirit we missed and those we responded to, particularly paying attention to all those we saw and welcomed hospitably as well as those we may have looked past.

Confess: Where did I fall short today? As you reviewed your day, where did you experience a moment of weakness, coming face-to-face with your humanity? Let’s pray aloud, one at a time, short prayers about ways we fell short today, freely receiving God’s forgiveness—a forgiveness that is, mysteriously but certainly, more powerful to shape and redeem us than perfection.

(Leader Note: Close this time asking god for help to see him more clearly tomorrow.)

Exercise for the week ahead (2 min)

Tonight we experienced an exercise that involved collaboration and teamwork, but there are also ways for us to grow in this practice of Community and Prayer on our own throughout the week. We all have busy lives, so none of us have time for too much. But taking a step toward the practice on our own is a way of partnering with God in our own formation for the benefit of the Community. While the practices are personal, they are not private—they are ways of letting God shape us so that when we come together, our Community will be richer, deeper, and more like Jesus.

That said, as this Community Guide completes this series, until the next one, our exercise for the week ahead is to:

• Pray the Examen. Whether on your commute home or before you get into bed, take a few minutes each evening to review your day with God, journeying through our three movements: gratitude, noticing God, and confession.

Vision 2025, Guide 2: Family & Discipleship

In Portland As It Is In Heaven, 2025

Review the practice so far (10 min)

In this series, we are focusing on the practice of Community—leaning further into doing life together as we seek to be a community of love and depth. In the last Guide, we agreed on our exercises for the week ahead: to continue processing our relationship to change and to attend the Hospitality of Need lecture with Kevan Chandler. So let’s talk about how that went!

• Did anything more come up as you processed your relationship to change?

• What invitations did you sense the Spirit extend to you through the Hospitality of Need lecture?

Guide overview (2 min)

Our story at Bridgetown has always come back to practicing the Way of Jesus together in Portland—to planting the seeds of our apprenticeship to Jesus deep into the soil of community. And more than Bible studies or sermon discussion groups, our Bridgetown Community is a practice-based formation group built around our shared desire to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.

The Communities Team spent the summer looking under the hood of Bridgetown Communities—collecting feedback, dreaming together, and discerning what God was up to. And near the end of that time they realized that, if anything, there was an invitation to double down on the direction we were already going—specifically, to reinforce our Community rhythms: Family, Discipleship, & Mission. Tonight we will explore a few of these shifts by considering how to deepen our expression of Family & Discipleship in the coming year.

Exercise for tonight (30 min)

As we center our Community around practice-based formation, there are 2 main changes we will start implementing this month: 1) developing our Family rhythm, and 2) deepening our Discipleship rhythm. Tonight we will explore these shifts and plan our next steps together. Then we’ll have space to dream together about anything else God might be inviting us into during this next year.

1. Our Family rhythm (10 min)

For years, Bridgetown Communities have had a monthly Family night intended to build trust and relational depth. And while this rhythm has worked for some Communities, most feel like once per month is somewhat lacking. So, the first change we’ll make is to move from a monthly Family night to a weekly Family practice during dinner. Starting next week, our first hour together will look something like this:

After communion and as we start eating, we will have some kind of intentional conversation. The Communities Team will recommend a prompt with each series for us to use each week, like they do for communion. This new rhythm will only take 15 minutes of our hourlong meal, deepening our relationships together. And, since next week is the series finale, we’ll each answer the question: In one sentence, what do you want God to do in your life over this next year?

One person this change will specifically impact is our Family Coordinator. They have done a great job coordinating our Family nights, and we’re so grateful! So I want to share about how my conversation with them went about their role. (Leader Note: Share the plan. Will they coordinate the weekly Family practice? Plan extracurricular events? Step down?)

Before we talk about the next change, let’s take a moment to process this one. Let’s get into groups of 3 or 4 and answer the following questions:

• What excites me about this new Family rhythm?

• What will I miss about our old Family rhythm?

• What steps do we need to take to make sure this happens each week?

2. Our Discipleship rhythm (10 min)

Some may be wondering what is going to happen to our monthly Family night. As we continue to run after what the Spirit is inviting us to, we want to press deeper into our Discipleship rhythm. The Communities team heard a lot of feedback about Community Guides—namely that they’re long, infrequent, and lack actual practice. So the shifts coming to Community Guides are that they will be 45 minutes, they will be more practice-based, and there will now be 3 of them per month. Having 3 monthly Guides allows them to be shorter and more closely tied to the series, letting us engage the practice more regularly. That said, if something happens (like our mission night overlaps with a Guide’s release), I will simply send the Guide to everyone for us to go through on our own, so we can come ready to discuss the “exercise for the week ahead” next time we meet. This allows us to be more intentional about our own formation and gives us more time as a Community to engage in practice and reflection. 

Before we talk about any other invitations we’re sensing, let’s take a moment to process this change. Let’s get back into groups of 3 or 4 and answer the following questions:

• What excites me about this new Discipleship rhythm?

• Am I feeling any resistance? Why might that be?

• What could God do in our Community through this change?

3. Anything else (10 min): Before we talk about the exercise for the week ahead, let’s take the rest of our time to process anything else we’re feeling invited into as a Community. Whether it’s a new or old invitation, what has been stirring in you for our Community? Maybe you want to step up to help serve in some way, or need to step back from a role you’ve had? Maybe there are ideas about our mission, or how we do meals? Let’s take a few minutes to discuss and dream together. (Leader Note: Set a timer for this to make sure it doesn’t go too long.)

Exercise for the week ahead (3 min)

Tonight we experienced an exercise that involved collaboration and teamwork, but there are also ways for us to grow in this practice of Community on our own throughout the week. We all have busy lives, so none of us have time for too much. But taking a step toward the practice on our own is a way of partnering with God in our own formation for the benefit of the Community. While the practices are personal, they are not private—they are ways of letting God shape us so that when we come together, our Community will be richer, deeper, and more like Jesus.

That said, until our next Community Guide, the exercises for the week ahead are to:

• Read through the Community commitments. Next week, we will be reviewing our Commitments for the coming year. So, before then, let’s each look over the commitments we’re making to one another in being part of this Community. We can review those at: bridgetown.church/community-commitments

• Consider the cost. As we continue to dream about what God has in store for our Community, let’s each take some time in prayer this week with the following questions: What do I want to be true of our Community in a year? And what might I need to sacrifice in order to make that happen? We’ll come back next week to discuss.

Vision 2025, Guide 1: Annual Examen

In Portland As It Is In Heaven, 2025

Review the practice so far (10 min)

Since there is no Practice so far to review, let’s discuss this series’ aim. Each fall, we take a few weeks to reorient ourselves around our vision: to see God’s Kingdom come in Portland as it is in Heaven. This year, we do so with a renewed desire to deepen our practice of Community, reaffirming our commitment to one another and to the whole church. The Guides in this series will invite us to reflect on and adjust our practice of life together—changes that our Community Leader(s) will unpack at Cohort on September 17, and that we will process together in the next Community Guide. While most of these shifts will be small (focused on Community Guides and our Family rhythm) we each respond differently to change, so let’s start our time by splitting into smaller groups to discuss our responses to change—whether it’s energizing or daunting—and what may be helpful for us to know about each other in seasons of change.

• In general, does change make you nervous or does it energize you? Why?

• What is important for others to know about you in seasons of change?

Guide overview (2 min)

Everyone is a disciple: Everyone is following someone or something, aiming their attention and affection in a particular direction. And whoever or whatever sets that direction, is forming us in its image. As followers of Jesus who live by the story of the Scriptures, we find God inviting his people repeatedly to pause and remember what he’s done in their midst. From moments of deliverance and victories in battle to annual feasts and the weekly Sabbath, remembering is a practice that helps God's people mark moments of his presence and action so that we can let him set the direction of our future. 

With that, we will spend the rest of our time tonight looking backward and forward—backward at our lives as a Community this last year and then forward at God’s invitations to us this next year. As one of 130-or-so Bridgetown Communities, we have our unique strengths, weaknesses, advantages, and blind spots. And, like every Community, it can be easy to fall into routine and forget to pause and look at what God has been and wants to be doing in and through us. So while our practice for this series is Community, our exercise for tonight will involve reflecting on what God has brought us through, where he has taken us, and how he might be leading us forward.

Exercise for tonight (30 min)

To guide our reflection tonight, we are going to do an annual examen with reflective prayer and conversation through a few different prompts with the goal of remembering and celebrating what God has done in our midst.

Here’s how we’ll do it: After settling in, we’ll take some silent time to let the Spirit walk each of us through the last year—bringing to mind events, people, and moments—and to speak to us about the coming year. Then, we’ll come back to share, reflect, and celebrate together. To get us started, I’ll pray through this next section (Pray & Reflect), including a list of questions to springboard our memory and imaginations, then we’ll sit in silence for 5 minutes. As God brings things to mind, feel free to jot them down on paper or in a note on our phones.

Pray & Reflect (5 min)

Holy Spirit, so much has happened in our lives individually and as a Community this last year—more than we’re able to recall right now. So we ask you, Good Shepherd, to guide our memories and focus our thoughts on moments, people, and events that stood out to you. Whether it’s a moment from the Holy Spirit Conference or the time we added new people or transitioned Leaders or had a sweet moment on mission together—what is it that you would have us remember about this past year? And then, whether adding new people, shifting around some roles, or recommitting to this Community—what would you have us dream together for this next year?

Regarding this last year:

• Who did we meet?

• What miracle, gift, or healing did we witness?

• How did we serve Portland?

• How was I personally impacted by our Community?

• How did I see people in our Community change?

• How did we grow closer to God and one another?

Regarding this coming year:

• Where do I need to ask for help?

• Who might God be inviting us to become?

• How might he be calling us to serve Portland?

• What might need to change or transition to make room for how God’s forming us?

• How do I feel invited to recommit to this Community?

(Leader Note: Set a 5 minute timer, closing in a quick prayer of gratitude before moving on.)

Share (20 min)

Now, as we share what God brought to mind, we’ll spend 10 minutes looking backward and 10 minutes looking ahead. I’ll set a timer for both parts, so that we can all stay focused.

As we look backward, remembering what God has done, we’ll take each memory one at a time, so feel free to add more detail or gratitude to what each person is sharing. But before we move on from that memory, we’ll all pause together and say, “Thanks be to God.”—praying in unison our gratitude for God’s kindness. 

Then, after those 10 minutes, we’ll look forward. While this time will also be an open discussion, let’s try to not get too bogged down by the details—this is mainly a time for personal reflection, we don’t need to agree to change anything tonight. This is the beginning of a conversation we’ll continue through this series, so give each other time to process and pray over the next few weeks.

Finally, before we begin, can someone keep a list of what gets shared, so we can have something to call back to in the future—building a collection of gratitude to God for what he’s done and to keep talking about what invitations we sense God extending to us for the future.

Exercise for the week ahead (3 min)

Tonight we experienced an exercise that involved collaboration and teamwork, but there are also ways for us to grow in this practice of Community on our own throughout the week. We all have busy lives, so none of us have time for too much. But taking a step toward the practice on our own is a way of partnering with God in our own formation for the benefit of the Community. While the practices are personal, they are not private—they are ways of letting God shape us so that when we come together, our Community will be richer, deeper, and more like Jesus.

That said, until our next Community Guide, the exercises for the week(s) ahead are to:

• Continue processing your orientation to change. Transition can be disorienting. Taking time to reflect with the Holy Spirit on our postures towards change can help us show up healthily. In the coming week, consider your relationship to change: What is it? Where does it come from? What invitation might God be extending to you? Consider continuing the conversation we started tonight with God, a good friend, or a therapist.

• Go to the Hospitality of Need midweek lecture. On Monday, September 15 at 6:30 PM, Bridgetown will be hosting an evening with Kevan Chandler about the hospitality of need, exploring how our own needs can create space for kinship within the ordinary rhythms of life. Communities are being encouraged to make this their mission expression for the month.

Genesis Series, Scripture Guide 5

Over the next three summers, as we work our way through the scroll of Genesis, we will dive into the practice of Scripture in our Communities. Because Jesus was immersed in, lived by, and ultimately lived out Scripture, we engage in this formational practice to learn how to recognize God's voice, understand His character, and find ourselves in the story of His world and mission to make all things new.

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the Psalm below.

Psalm 104v1–3, 33–34

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great;

    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;

    he stretches out the heavens like a tent

    and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot

    and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers,

    flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations;

    it can never be moved…

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

    as I rejoice in the Lord.

Review the Last Practice (5 minutes)

Let’s take some time to check in with one another about how the practice of Scripture is going. 

• How have you chosen to practice Scripture this summer, and what was your experience engaging with it this week? (e.g., rich, dry, surprising, challenging, refreshing)

• What do you want God to do in you, through your Scripture practice this summer? 

Leader Note: Set a timer for 5 minutes. When the timer is up, call everyone back together before reading the next section.

Read this Overview (5 minutes)

After the flood, humanity spread across the earth, yet their hearts were still bent in the same direction, away from God. At Babel (Genesis 11), the people came together to “make a name for ourselves,” building a tower to the heavens in defiance of God’s command to fill the earth. Their unity was rooted in pride, not trust. In both mercy and judgment, God confused their language and scattered them, bringing their self-made kingdom to an end.

Centuries later, at Pentecost (Acts 2), we see a stunning reversal. The Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to speak in many languages so that people from every nation could hear the gospel in their own tongue. What was scattered at Babel began to be gathered in Christ, not by human achievement, but by the Spirit’s power.

At Babel, language is divided. At Pentecost, language is united. God’s vision is not uniformity, but a beautifully diverse family made One in Jesus.

This summer, we’ve taken time to explore a number of different ways to engage the Scriptures, any of which can be applied to any passage of Scripture. For example—considering the passages we just discussed (Genesis 11v1–9 & Acts 2v1–13)—if we were to read Scripture aloud or study Scripture, we might read them back to back, listening for the contrast between scattering and gathering. Or if we were to meditate on Scripture, we could spend time with Genesis 11v4 (“Let us make a name for ourselves”), asking the Spirit to reveal where we might be building “towers” in our own lives. Or if we were to memorize Scripture, we might commit to memory the first few verses of Acts 2, holding in our heart the story of Pentecost.

Practice for the Night (20 minutes)

For tonight’s practice we will spend time reflecting on how we were formed by God’s Word these past months as we engaged Scripture through the Genesis teaching series .

We began this summer series with a simple question: What might happen if we gave ourselves more fully to the Scriptures? We’ve explored ways of reading, meditating on, memorizing, and praying Scripture, allowing it to shape our understanding of God and our life with Him. Over these last several weeks, each of us has likely had a range of experiences, from moments of deep connection to times of distraction or struggle.

As we look ahead, we want to pause and name what God has done in us through this practice, and to consider what we want to carry forward into the rest of the year. This is an opportunity to thank Him for the ways He has met us, to be honest about what’s been challenging, and to make intentional commitments for the future.

With that in mind, let’s take the next fifteen minutes to talk through these questions together:

• What did we set out to do when we began this series and how did that goal go?

• How did I experience God deeper or more fully through this practice? 

Let's now pair off and talk about how we will each continue to engage Scripture after this series. It could be helpful to consider things like what it might look like to give God more quality time as opposed to simply more quantity, or how we might rearrange our days so Scripture has space to speak in moments that matter most.

• How could I continue engaging in Scripture after this series is over?

Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)

As we step into this week, let’s not leave our commitments here in the room. Go and do the thing we committed to doing and watch for how God shows up. 

End in Prayer (1 minute)

Leader: Pray to close your time, asking the Spirit to guide each person in their practice of Scripture.

Genesis Series, Scripture Guide 4

Over the next three summers, as we work our way through the scroll of Genesis, we will dive into the practice of Scripture in our Communities. Because Jesus was immersed in, lived by, and ultimately lived out Scripture, we engage in this formational practice to learn how to recognize God's voice, understand His character, and find ourselves in the story of His world and mission to make all things new.

Take communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the Psalm below.

Psalm 104v1–3, 33–34

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great;

    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;

    he stretches out the heavens like a tent

    and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot

    and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers,

    flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations;

    it can never be moved…

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

    as I rejoice in the Lord.

Review the Last Practice (5 minutes)

Let’s take some time to check in with one another about how the practice of Scripture is going.  

• How have you chosen to practice Scripture this summer, and what was your experience engaging with it this week? (e.g., rich, dry, surprising, challenging, refreshing)

• What do you want God to do in you, through your Scripture practice this summer? 

Leader Note: Set a timer for 5 minutes. When the timer is up, call everyone back together before reading the next section.

Read this Overview (5 minutes)

In John’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the Jewish leaders by saying: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5v39-40)

In saying this, Jesus is warning them that it’s possible to read Scripture—even passionately—and still miss him. The goal of reading Scripture isn’t simply to gain knowledge or to learn facts, but to know the person of Jesus and to help us be with Him, become like Him, and do what He did. The Scriptures are not something that we master, but rather, they help us learn to hear His voice and aim our entire lives towards Jesus.

To do that, we need a way of reading that opens us to God’s voice and forms us through reflection and response. Lectio divina, or “divine reading,” is a historic way of engaging Scripture meditatively that does just that. It involves five simple movements that make up the acronym BREAD: Be still, Read, Encounter, Apply, and Devote. We are going to take time to meditate on Scripture through this particular practice of Scripture tonight.

Practice for the Night (20 minutes)

Leader Note: Before you begin, read through the practice and assign reading parts in advance to ensure a smooth and focused flow. Timekeeping is important—feel free to gently move the group forward if any section lingers too long.

Tonight we’ll practice this way of meditating on Scripture together by reading Genesis 8v15-22. While each of us may come to this feeling something different—some excited, some nervous, others uncertain—no matter how long we have been reading Scripture or following Jesus, we can trust that God desires and does speak to us. This exercise is not about who knows the Bible best or who can interpret the passage in its historical context. In fact, let’s actually do our best to resist any urge to explain or analyze this Scripture passage. This time is about patiently listening for how God might be speaking to us personally, here and now.

Be Still: Before we begin, we’ll take a moment to get comfortable. We might silence our phones, make sure the kids are okay, and settle into a posture that helps us become open to the Holy Spirit. We’ll slow our breathing, quiet our thoughts, and invite God to meet us here.

Read: Next, one of us will read Genesis 8v15–22 slowly and clearly. As we listen, we’ll each pay attention to a word or phrase that stands out. After the reading, we’ll sit together in one minute of silence, reflecting. Then, we’ll take some time to share what stood out.

Encounter: Then, another person will reread the same passage, this time even more slowly. As we listen, we’ll ask: Why is this word or phrase standing out? What might God be saying to me through it? Then we’ll enter another minute or so of silence to ponder and listen together.

Apply: Then, as we reflect on what we’re sensing, we’ll begin to pray—offering our thoughts and responses to God. After another minute or so of silence, we’ll take time (as we feel led) to speak aloud what we sense God is saying. An example might be: “The word steadfast stood out to me. I want to pray that, as a Community, we would be steadfast in our discipleship to Jesus.” Not everyone has to speak, but God honors our vulnerability and boldness, and it shapes us as a Community.

Devote: Finally, we’ll close with a final minute or so of silence. We’ll rest in God’s presence, give thanks for His voice, and ask together: How will we walk this out in our daily lives?

To end our time, we’ll take 7 minutes in groups of 2–3 to share with each other what we felt God was saying to each of us. We can ask each other, “What was that experience like, and how did you sense God speaking to you?”

Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)

This week, we will continue pressing into each of our chosen practices of Scripture. For any of us who want to grow in this practice of reading Scripture meditatively, BREAD is a great resource for this. You can download it for free at bridgetown.church/bread or purchase a copy at the bookstore on Sunday.

If you would like to practice BREAD with the Genesis texts for the upcoming Sundays, here’s a reminder of the passages we will be exploring for the rest of the Summer. 

• Aug 17: Genesis 9v8–29

• Aug 24: Genesis 10v1–11v9

• Aug 31: Genesis 11v10–12v3

End in Prayer (1 minute)

Leader: Pray to close your time, asking the Spirit to guide each person in their practice of Scripture.

Genesis Series, Scripture Guide 3

Leader note: Prepare your Community for the night by sending out the link to this Guide ahead of time. Remind everyone to bring a paper Bible, as we'll be reading and following along in Scripture together.

Over the next three summers, as we work our way through the scroll of Genesis, we will dive into the practice of Scripture in our Communities. Because Jesus was immersed in, lived by, and ultimately lived out Scripture, we engage in this formational practice to learn how to recognize God's voice, to understand his character, and to find ourselves in the story of his world and mission to make all things new.

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the Psalm below.

Psalm 104v1–3, 33–34

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great;

    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;

    he stretches out the heavens like a tent

    and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot

    and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers,

    flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations;

    it can never be moved…

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

    as I rejoice in the Lord.

Review the Last Practice (5 minutes)

Leader Note: As a reminder, a few practical options for an individual Practice of Scripture would include: reading the Genesis text that follows along with the teaching series, memorizing a Psalm or Gospel passage, practicing Lectio Divina through BREAD or the Lectio 365 app, or something else entirely that the Spirit highlighted.

Let’s take some time now in groups of three to check-in with one another on how the practice of Scripture is going by considering these questions:

• How have you chosen to practice Scripture this summer, and what was your experience engaging with it this week? (e.g. rich, dry, surprising, difficult, refreshing)

• What do you want God to do in you, through your Scripture practice this summer? 

Did you notice any internal pushback or resistance during your Scripture practice this week?

Leader Note: Set a timer for 5 minutes. When the timer is up, call everyone back together before reading the next section.

Read this Overview (3 minutes)

Bridgetown Church was named for the many bridges that span the Willamette River, connecting the east and west sides of our city. The communities that live on either side are full of life and meaning, but the bridges themselves—strong, intricate, carefully designed—are masterpieces in their own right.

In much the same way, the book of Genesis is threaded with genealogies that function as literary bridges, carrying us from one major narrative to another. While it can be easy to skip over these sections in search of what comes next, each genealogy contains the same carefully crafted beauty and theological truth as any other part of Scripture. Studying the literary context of Scripture helps us slow down to notice the artistry and intent that weaves the story together.

The ancient authors—especially the writer of Genesis—assumed that we would read this way, listening carefully and mentally weaving connections between stories and generations. Which is why, tonight, we will practice this form of Study in Scripture together. In a moment, we will take time to study Genesis 5 using this lens, learning to ask three key questions along the way.

By considering these questions, we become students of the literary work of art that is the Bible—listening to Scripture the way it was meant to be heard: as a unified story that leads to Jesus.

Practice for the Night (25 minutes)

Genesis 5 can be broken into three distinct parts: verses 1–6 recap the story so far, verses 7–27 summarize the generations between Adam and Noah, and verses 28–31 introduce us to the life of Noah. Likewise, our Practice for tonight will be divided into three movements.

In a moment, we will break into groups of 2-3, and read through each section, one at a time. After each reading, we will ask ourselves one common question within literary study.

Before we begin, let’s take a moment to get into groups and settle in. We’ll put phones away, check on kids in the other room if needed, and take a few deep breaths. Then, when ready, we’ll open our Bibles to Genesis 5.

Leader note: Take a minute here to designate the groups of three. Then give a minute of silence for folks to settle in.

After each passage is read aloud, we’ll pause and consider a corresponding question to help our literary study:

Leader note: Instead of reading all the questions out loud now, choose one person in each group to be the facilitator who will read the question after each section of the chapter. Encourage your Community to keep their observations and answers to each question brief. You will only have about 5 minutes to cover each section. After the 15 minutes are up, call everyone back in to wrap up the night with the Practice for the Week Ahead.

• Read verses 1-6, then answer the question: How might this passage serve as a bridge between what came before it and what comes after it? 

• Read verses 7-27, then answer the question: What might the pace, structure, or repeated language reveal of the author’s intention?

• Genealogies can be difficult to engage with, and it’s not always obvious where to begin, but there are several ways to answer this question. For example, the repeated refrain “they lived” and “they died” may be highlighting the fulfillment of God’s warning in Genesis 2, “you will surely die.” At one point, the pattern breaks, prompting the question: why? You might also observe that, ironically, extraordinarily long life spans are summarized by the author in a single sentence. Consider what the author might be communicating through this deliberate pace.

• Read verses 28-31, then answer the question: How does this moment fit into the larger story of God’s mission?

• E.g. The curse of sin has stolen humanity’s rest. The name “Noah” comes from the Hebrew word for “rest.” Consider what prophetic hope the author might intend to echo, or foreshadow, with this introduction. You might also observe that there is a Lamech in Seth’s line just as there was in Cain’s line. Consider how the juxtaposition of Lamech’s boasts in Genesis 4 and the number of years Lamech lived in Genesis 5 (777) might highlight the nature of God’s mission.

Practice for the Week Ahead (2 minutes)

This week we will continue pressing into each of our chosen practices of Scripture. If it serves to deepen your practice, consider incorporating a form of literary study by asking yourself one, or all, of those three questions as you approach scripture each day.

If you would like to practice this with the Genesis texts for the upcoming Sundays, here’s a reminder of which passage we will be diving into each week: 

• July 27: Genesis 5v1–32

• Aug 3: Genesis 6v1–22

• Aug 10: Genesis 7v1–9v17

• Aug 17: Genesis 9v8–29

• Aug 24: Genesis 10v1–11v9

• Aug 31: Genesis 11v10–12v3

Leader Note: If someone is looking for more tools in literary study, consider these options:

• The BibleProject App, for tracing repeated themes.

• The Blue Letter Bible App, for tracing repeated words and phrases.

• Additional resources from our Bridgetown Bookstore, such as Tremper Longman III’s book, “How to Read Genesis.”

End in Prayer (1 minute)

Leader: Pray to close your time, asking the Spirit to guide each person in their practice of Scripture.

Genesis Series, Scripture Guide 2

Over the next three summers, as we work our way through the scroll of Genesis, we will dive into the practice of Scripture in our Communities. Because Jesus was immersed in, lived by, and ultimately lived out Scripture, we engage in this formational practice to learn how to recognize God's voice, to understand his character, and to find ourselves in the story of his world and mission to make all things new.

Leader note: Do you have a story from your Community’s time together, whether it’s a moment of transformation, breakthrough in prayer, or a story from a recent practice you’d like to share? We would love to hear from you. 

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the Psalm below.

Psalm 104v1–3, 33–34

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great;

    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;

    he stretches out the heavens like a tent

    and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot

    and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers,

    flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations;

    it can never be moved…

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

    as I rejoice in the Lord.

Review the Last Practice (5 minutes)
Leader Note: Take your time here—don't rush. Give space and invite anyone who feels led to share about how God is deepening their engagement with Scripture this summer. If the group feels quiet or uncertain, offer a few practical options (e.g. reading the Genesis text that follows along with the teaching series, memorizing a Psalm or Gospel passage, practicing Lectio through BREAD or the Lectio 365 app, or something else that the Spirit highlighted). Then, simply pray, asking God to meet each person exactly where they are, before moving into reading the overview.

Let’s take some time to check in with one another about how the practice of Scripture is going.  

• How have you chosen to practice Scripture this summer, and what was your experience engaging with it this week? (e.g. rich, dry, surprising, difficult, refreshing)

• What do you want God to do in you, through your Scripture practice this summer? 

Did you notice any internal pushback or resistance during your Scripture practice this week?

Read this Overview (5 minutes)

Formation into the image of Jesus is a lifelong journey, marked by steady intention and openness to the Spirit's transforming presence. As followers of Jesus, we long not only to know Scripture but also to embody it, allowing the truth of God’s word to reshape every part of our minds, hearts, and actions. Scripture isn’t simply text on a page; it's a place of encounter with the living God, who graciously meets us right where we are.

Last time we gathered, each person was invited to select a specific practice of Scripture to lean into this summer. This intentional choice helps us actively engage our minds, bodies, and hearts with Scripture, following the example of Jesus who lived in joyful submission to God's revealed truth. Tonight, we get to build on our practice through the corporate reading of Scripture, listening carefully to the Spirit as we enter into the story together. 

Specifically, we will read the story of Cain and Abel from this week's teaching text, Genesis 4v1–16. In corporate reading, we pay attention to the story as it was intended to be heard by the original audience, wondering what God may be speaking to our present lives through these ancient words. As we read and discuss, we reaffirm our commitment to growing as a community rooted deeply in Scripture, expectant and open to how God might shape us through the living word this summer.

Practice for the Night (20 minutes)

There are many beautiful ways to engage Scripture – individually or corporately, silently or aloud, single verses at a time or in large chunks. The Scripture’s original audience would have been hearing and receiving this story in a very similar way as we will this evening. So, tonight, we are going to take some time to practice Scripture by reading a larger story out loud. As we do, we trust the Spirit to meet us in our reflection as a Community.

Leader note: Before jumping in, choose two people to read Genesis 4v1–16 out loud.

Get Comfortable.
Before we begin, let’s take a moment to settle in. Put phones away, check on kids in the other room if needed, and take a few deep breaths. Try to find a posture that feels relaxed yet attentive and open to the Spirit's presence.

Leader note: Invite one person to read Genesis 4v1-16. 

Read Genesis 4v1–16.
We’ll read through the passage together twice. As the Scripture is read by the first person, simply listen carefully, paying attention to words, phrases, or themes that seem significant or meaningful to you. After they read it, we’ll hold silence together for about a minute.

Read the Scripture passage again.
Before the second person reads the passage again, let’s pay attention to any emotions or questions that surface within you. Again, once they read it, we’ll hold another minute of silence together. 

Reflect and Share.
Take a few minutes to share briefly as a group:

1. How was your experience reading in this way (i.e. a large portion out loud together in one sitting) different for you from when you read your Bible by yourself?

2. As you listened to this passage being read out loud, what stood out to you? How did corporately reading this together impact the way you engaged the story?

3. Are there ways God might be inviting you carry this practice forward into your chosen summer Scripture practice? 

As we close this portion of the night, let’s carry these reflections into the week ahead and remember that we are part of a much bigger story God is writing in his mission to restore all things, for his glory and his purpose. 

Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)

This week we will continue pressing into each of our chosen practices of Scripture. If it serves to deepen your practice, consider incorporating reading longer passages like we did tonight, on your own or with a friend. 

If you haven't yet landed on your practice, take this next week to prayerfully discern how God is inviting you to engage Scripture. Next week, come ready to share what practice you’ve chosen and how it’s going.

Again, here are some options:

• Follow along with the Genesis texts for the upcoming Sundays: 

• July 20: Genesis 4v17–26

• July 27: Genesis 5v1–32

• Aug 3: Genesis 6v1–22

• Aug 10: Genesis 7v1–9v17

• Aug 17: Genesis 9v8–29

• Aug 24: Genesis 10v1–11v9

• Aug 31: Genesis 11v10–12v3

• Memorize a Psalm or Gospel passage

• Engage in Lectio Divina using BREAD or the Lectio 365 app

• Or any other Scripture practice the Spirit is highlighting for you

End in Prayer (1 minute)

Leader: Pray to close your time, asking the Spirit to guide each person in their practice of Scripture.

Genesis Series, Scripture Guide 1

Over the next three summers, as we work our way through the scroll of Genesis, we will dive into the practice of Scripture in our Communities. Because Jesus was immersed in, lived by, and ultimately lived out Scripture, we engage in this formational practice to learn how to recognize God's voice, to understand his character, and to find ourselves in the story of his world and mission to make all things new.

Leader note: Do you have a story from your Community’s time in the Generosity Practice you’d like to share? We would love to hear from you.

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the Psalm below.

Psalm 104v1–3, 33–34

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great;

    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;

    he stretches out the heavens like a tent

    and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot

    and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers,

    flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations;

    it can never be moved…

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

    as I rejoice in the Lord.

Read this Overview (5 minutes)

Most of us in this room likely have a Bible somewhere in our homes, or at least a Bible app on our phones. While what we call the Bible today presents to us as one big book, in reality it’s a whole library of texts—scrolls of different genres, communicating in distinct ways and addressing specific peoples. And while it may not have all been written to us, it is certainly still for us. We believe the Bible in all its variety and texture is part of a unified narrative—pointing backward to creation and forward to redemption through the person of Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we follow his lead in trusting the Scriptures around which he built his life. 

As a church community, we will take the summer to slowly walk through Genesis 1–11, beginning with the story of Creation on the opening pages of the Bible. These chapters hold the Bible’s beautiful and tragic origin story, explaining the deceptive crisis and redemptive promise that are braided through the biblical drama. 

The adventure of reading and engaging with Scripture is different for everyone, as we all have our own relationship to Scripture based on our individual experiences, backgrounds, and personalities. And with these unique differences in mind, each of us will commit to growing in our individual practices of Scripture throughout the next few months of this series.

Practice for the Night (25 minutes)

Tonight, we’ll spend some time together talking about our relationship with and practice of Scripture as it stands right now, and begin to discern where the Spirit might be leading each of us to lean in this season.

To begin, let’s talk through a few questions together:

• What from these last few weeks of teaching on creation revealed something new or meaningful to you about God as Creator?

• What is your current practice of Scripture like? How did you get to this place?

• Is there a particular way of engaging with Scripture that you really enjoy or find helpful? (e.g. memorizing Scripture, lectio divina, word study, etc.)

This summer, the aim for each of us is to find or deepen our rhythm of engaging with Scripture. But we want to do so by starting where we are, not where we think we should be—the goal is not to go from never reading Scripture to reading the whole Bible in the next 3 months! So consider where you currently are and prayerfully decide on one step to take that is sustainable and life-giving for you. As you reflect on what invitation God might be extending, here are a few different modes of engaging Scripture:

1. Follow along in Genesis. In these Guides, we’ll share the upcoming teaching texts, so in the week leading up to each Sunday’s teaching, commit to reading and re-reading the passage that the teaching will cover. This mode of study can help bring the teaching to life!

2. Meditate on Scripture. Lectio divina is an ancient, time tested way of meeting God through the Scriptures by reading slowly and repetitively with the goal of hearing God’s voice. You can use a BREAD journal (designed for this exercise), or read a Psalm of your choosing each day and practice listening to the Spirit through the words of Scripture. For more about how to practice lectio divina, visit page 6 of BREAD, provided at this link.

3. Memorize Scripture. Setting scripture to memory is a way of planting it deep in our hearts, allowing it to shape our thoughts. Paul exhorts us to continually renew our minds through scripture, knowing that as we allow God to renew our minds he also transforms our lives with his truth. This summer, perhaps consider one of these options for setting scripture to memory:

1. A shorter passage you may already be familiar with, such as John 3v16, Proverbs 4v5–6, Psalm 23, or Genesis 1v26–31

2. A longer passage that may be meaningful to you, such as John 15, Galatians 5, or Romans 12

That said, the right step for you might be something else entirely! The goal is simply to take a step forward from where you are now in order to meet God in the pages of Scripture. 

While we've only had a few moments to think about it, is anyone feeling resonance with and curiosity about how they might be engaging Scripture for the summer?

Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)

This week, think and pray about how God is leading you to deepen your practice of Scripture this summer, and next week we’ll come back ready to share. We will begin each Guide in this series by checking in with one another about how this is going.

If you are starting at square one—maybe you very rarely read Scripture—a small step might be committing to read the teaching text from Genesis before Sunday’s teaching each week. You could read in a paper Bible, listen on your commute, or choose something else that fits in your schedule. If you read Scripture fairly regularly as narrative (e.g. working through a Bible reading plan), consider engaging with lectio divina a few days a week, asking the Spirit to speak to you personally through the passage you read. If you already have a robust practice of daily Scripture reading or lectio divina, a good next step might be memorizing a passage (or more!) of Scripture and planting it in your mind and heart.

End in Prayer (1 minute)

Leader: Pray to close your time, asking the Spirit to guide each person in their practice of Scripture.

God is Love, Guide 3: Communal Generosity

Leader Note: Read through this Guide in full before your Community meets as it will require some forethought and planning. There are two options: one if you already know a need and one if you don’t already know a need. Also, remind your Community to send you any current financial needs they may have that they would feel comfortable sharing with the group.

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the prayer as written below.

“God, before anything existed, you were there—and you were love. You didn’t become love; you’ve always been love. Out of that endless love, you made us. You pursued us. You brought us back to yourself. And here at this table, we see what your love looks like: self-giving and sacrificial. We remember you, Jesus—your body given and your blood poured out for the world. We love because you loved us first. Help us receive your love fully and share it generously—by the way we spend our time, care for others, and give of ourselves. Amen.” 

Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)

Our last Guide was about practicing individual Generosity—listening to the Spirit and quietly giving in the flow of our ordinary lives. And along with being a personal discipline, Generosity is also a shared way of life. From the very beginning, the church has been a communal economy: a Spirit-filled family marked by mutual provision and sacrificial love. The earliest believers “were one in heart and mind… and God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them” (Acts 4v32–35). This generosity wasn’t forced, but was joyfully given as an overflow of the love they received from Jesus.

Scripture reminds us that Generosity starts with those among us, the people we eat with, pray with, and share life with. Communal generosity grows from a people who know they belong to God, and therefore belong to one another. So while we look outward once a month to take spiritual responsibility for our city in our monthly Mission Rhythm, this week we look inward to take spiritual responsibility for the people right here in our Community. Now, sharing our own needs can bring up an array of emotions, but the essence of Christian community is that we will all have needs and that we will all have something to give. Together, we ask tonight: “Who among us has a need that we can meet in love?”

We offer what we have—not simply our money, but our attention, our trust, our faith—so that someone else might experience the goodness of God through the care of his people. And when we live this way, we tell the truth about who God is: God is love and his love knows no lack.

Do This Practice Tonight (30 minutes)

Tonight’s practice has two parts. First, we will begin by sharing stories of gratitude from this past week and by reviewing the practice from the last Guide. Then, we’ll come together to consider who God might be inviting us all to be collectively generous to.

To start, let’s take the next few moments to discuss the following questions:

• How have you experienced God’s generosity toward you this week?

• While the goal is never to “perform” Generosity, we do want to bear witness to it together as we grow in our practice as a Community. In response to God’s generosity to you, were there moments this week where you sensed God prompting you to give to someone else—whether one time or on-going? How did you respond? 

Opening Prayer

For the rest of our time together, we’ll discern as a group how we can practice Communal Generosity—pooling our resources to love someone we know. Let’s begin with prayer, asking the Spirit to guide us in this conversation of discernment.

Leader Note: Pray aloud, inviting God to continue to make your Community as generous as he is. If you already know a need, feel free to close the prayer and move onto the Share part. If you don’t already know a need, also ask the Spirit to bring to mind one person each of us knows that has a need your Community could meet. Remain silent in prayer for about a minute, giving space for God to speak, then simply close this time of prayer saying, “Amen.”

Share

Leader Note: If you already know a need, now would be the time to share it with the group, whether the person with the need is willing to share for themselves or if they’d rather you share for them. This can be as simple as saying "someone reached out this week about an unexpected bill totalling $XX”. If you don’t already know a need, ask the Community if, while they were praying, God highlighted a need they have or a need they know of in their network of relationships. Even if your Community has already helped someone financially recently, the Spirit may have a further invitation for you all. You can do that by simply reading the question below:

• If a need you have came to mind while we were praying, please feel free to share that with the Community, but if there isn’t a need within our group, is there someone in our broader relational network (e.g. a neighbor, friend, or someone we serve during our Mission week) that comes to mind who is in need?

Discuss & Decide

In a moment, we will pray for discernment as to how God is inviting each of us individually to give to this need, but right now, let’s take some time to discuss how we can best meet this need as a Community, and facilitate giving in a healthy way. 

Leader Note: Funds can be given to the leader (via cash, Venmo, etc.) to be distributed, but be sure to pursue accountability by involving two people in the process. If the financial need surpasses the capacity of the Community, consider sharing this need with the church via the Benevolence Form. 

Pray for Discernment & Blessing

We’ll close out our Practice for tonight by praying for two things. The first is for the Spirit to speak to each of us what we are individually being invited to give through the question: “What would it look like for me to give—not just money, but prayer, presence, and encouragement?” As we consider this question in prayer, let’s remember that God’s invitation to each of us will look different, the same way it did for those in Jesus’ Parable of the Poor Widow (Luke 21). There is no “better” or “worse” invitation—only the one God is asking of you.

The second thing we will pray for is a blessing over the person(s) we intend to honor with our gift. We’ll pray that God would multiply it, provide abundantly, and that our friend(s) would feel seen and deeply known in the process, because this is not just an act of charity—this is the economy of heaven breaking into our midst.

Leader Note: Close this prayer time with our Sunday giving prayer: King Jesus, we give joyfully because you held nothing back from us. We give generously because we want to become like you. We give sacrificially because we want others to taste the life of your Kingdom. Receive these gifts and use them for your glory. Amen.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (2 minutes)

As we close out our Guides on Generosity, let’s follow through on our plan to meet this need this week. If you sense God inviting you to give financially, take the step of sending that money in the way we decided to do so tonight. If you sensed God inviting you to pray specifically, do that. And if you sensed an invitation to presence, do that.  And if tonight God highlighted to you someone in need, but we as a Community aren’t able to support them, consider what invitation God might be extending to you this week. Additionally, what we practiced tonight should be a regular part of our Community rhythm, so if a need ever arises, we all should feel welcome to let a Leader know or share it with the Community during our prayer time. Finally, if your family is looking for a way to practice Generosity with your kids, follow this link to walk them through the Family Guide on Generosity: 

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking the Spirit to grow in each of you a heart of gratitude, a deeper trust in God’s generosity, and a desire to reflect his generosity to others.

God is Love, Guide 2: Individual Giving

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the prayer as written below.

“God, before anything existed, you were there—and you were love. You didn’t become love; you’ve always been love. Out of that endless love, you made us. You pursued us. You brought us back to yourself. And here at this table, we see what your love looks like: self-giving and sacrificial. We remember you, Jesus—your body given and your blood poured out for the world. We love because you loved us first. Help us receive your love fully and share it generously—by the way we spend our time, care for others, and give of ourselves. Amen.” 

Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)

Generous, self-giving love is at the heart of who our Trinitarian God is. We see the nature of God put on display clearly in the person of Jesus. Jesus constantly lived in community, was interruptible, and put the needs of others over his preferences. As Jesus’ followers, we get to respond to his self-giving, generous love toward us by embodying it to others. In John 15, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you…My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” How then, did Jesus love us? By giving his time, his resources, and his very life.

As God has been unceasingly generous toward us, we get to respond by loving one another in the same way. In Philippians 2, Paul exhorts the church in Philippi to “make [his] joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love…in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Choosing this in our own lives could look like giving up our preferences, giving away our time, and making financial sacrifices to make sure all needs are met in the family of God—even if it means going without something we want or a level of comfort we are accustomed to.

Tonight, we’ll spend some time in smaller groups talking about how we might embody God's love to others through our own financial generosity.

Do This Practice Tonight (30 minutes)

Tonight’s practice has two parts. First, we’ll spend some time together sharing stories about how we’ve experienced God’s generosity this past week and reviewing last week’s practice. Then, we’ll break into smaller groups to consider where or to whom God might be inviting us to be generous.

Let’s take the next few moments to consider the following question all together:

• How have you experienced God’s generosity toward you this week? As in our last discussion, it may be something “small” or something that feels “big” to you—every good thing comes from God and his generosity is something to celebrate!

• As you reviewed your budget, how did you feel about your current rhythms of generosity? Did you sense any prompting from God to deepen, expand, or grow it in any way?

For the rest of our time together, we’ll split into smaller groups of 3–4 for discussion and prayer. 

In the Scriptures, the early church is described as freely sharing resources with one another and helping each other as needs arose. As we are increasingly formed into the image of Jesus, we aim to mimic him and the early church by making sure the needs of those around us are met. Let’s explore a few questions together:

• What are some of the barriers to giving financially to others?

• Have you given financially to someone you knew before, such as a neighbor or community / church member? What was that experience like for you?

• After sitting with your finances and as we talk through these prompts, what step toward generosity do you feel God inviting you to take? (Feel free to take a moment to pause and listen to the Spirit’s prompting before discussing.)

Take time in small groups as time allows to pray for each person in what God is calling them to practice.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)

This week, we want to take a step toward giving money to others. If God brought a person or people to mind this evening to be generous toward, take one step toward obedience to what God’s put on your heart. If you don't already have someone in mind, ask God to show you how you can emulate his joyful generosity, and to let you in on the beautiful gift of sharing what you have with others. God's generosity is for all people, so don't miss out by waiting for the 'perfect' opportunity. Jump in and give it a try!  In the coming weeks, we’ll process together what God did with your giving.

Finally, in our next Guide, we’ll consider as a Community how we can maximize our impact by pooling our resources toward helping someone we know. In preparation for that practice, consider whether you or someone you know has specific financial needs right now that our Community can come alongside and support as a family. If someone, including yourself, comes to mind, reach out to me (the Community Leader) to share that need. 

Leader Note: If you are aware of a financial need within your Community already (a medical bill received, a member moving, a birth, a death, or something else), consider reaching out to that individual in the coming weeks to ask how the Community could come alongside them financially.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking the Spirit to grow in each of you a heart of gratitude, a deeper trust in God’s generosity, and a desire to reflect his generosity to others.

God is Love, Guide 1: Gratitude

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the prayer as written below.

“God, before anything existed, you were there—and you were love. You didn’t become love; you’ve always been love. Out of that endless love, you made us. You pursued us. You brought us back to yourself. And here at this table, we see what your love looks like: self-giving and sacrificial. We remember you, Jesus—your body given and your blood poured out for the world. We love because you loved us first. Help us receive your love fully and share it generously—by the way we spend our time, care for others, and give of ourselves. Amen.” 

Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)

At the center of our faith is this stunning reality: God is love (1 John 4v8). This means that love isn’t just something God does—it’s who he is. Out of this very nature, God created life and sent his Son into the world. He did not do this in response to our love for him, but because he first loved us (1 John 4v9–10). As followers of Jesus, we are invited to receive that love deeply and let it shape our whole lives. 

From the earliest Christian communities to today, the cross stands as the ultimate expression of God's love; it is self-giving and sacrificial. In response to this love, the earliest Christians shared their resources freely—selling possessions to care for the poor, supporting widows and orphans, and welcoming strangers with radical hospitality. Financial generosity was never seen as a burden, but as a joyful, natural response to the love they had received.

Practicing gratitude can help anchor us in God's generosity to us, serving as an antidote to the fear and anxiety in the world around us. As we remember how God has been generous to us, that gratitude forms us into people who live from security and not for security. 

Throughout this teaching series, each of our Community Guides will be aimed at deepening our practice of Generosity. Since our generosity is only ever a response to God's generosity to us, this first Guide will focus on cultivating gratitude. The following Guide will help us to reflect on our own personal rhythms of Generosity. And the final Guide will be an experience of communal generosity, as we combine our resources to bless someone in need.

Do This Practice Tonight (25 minutes)

Our practice for tonight will have two parts. First, we'll take a few minutes to discuss the idea of gratitude as a whole, and then we'll actually practice it together by sharing our own experiences of God’s goodness—something we'll do at the start of each Guide in this series. Let’s take the next few moments to consider the following questions:

• Why do you think gratitude and generosity are so closely connected?

• Do you currently have a practice of gratitude? If so, what does it look like?

Leader note: Watch the time. This discussion should be kept to about 10 minutes to preserve at least 20 minutes for the second portion of the practice. 

Now, we’re going to spend the rest of our time tonight telling stories.

We want to make space for each person to share one or two specific ways they have recently experienced God’s generosity. It might seem big or small—anything from financial provision to beautiful weather on a hard day, a restored relationship to an encouraging word from a friend. Every good thing comes from God (James 1v17).

As each person shares, let’s listen well because each story is a glimpse of God’s faithfulness and is part of the bigger story of his love at work in our lives. After each person shares, we will have someone pray a quick prayer of blessing over them—thanking God for how they’ve experienced his generosity and asking that they’d have more experiences like it.

Leader note: Assess the size and personality make up of your group. If 20 minutes isn’t enough time to give everyone the chance to share and be prayed for, consider breaking into smaller groups of 4–5. Set a time for 15 minutes, and when the timer is up, gather the group back in to close out the night with the Practice for the Week Ahead.

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (3 minutes)

Before we dive deeper into the topic of financial generosity in our next Community Guide, we want to each take a preliminary step of setting aside time to consider how our habits reflect the values we want to be shaped by. So, at some point this week, set aside 30 to 60 minutes to think through your financial practices—your income, spending, and current rhythms of Generosity. As you do, prayerfully ask yourself these few questions:

• What do my habits show me about my priorities? How do they reflect what I truly value?

• How am I already living generously?

• And if God were inviting me to start a new rhythm of Generosity, what could it be?

After you spend some time reflecting, commit to one small step toward better aligning your rhythms with your values this week. And if it’s helpful, you might consider journaling about what you discover, or talk about it with someone in our Community—it could help prepare your heart for our conversation next week.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking the Spirit to grow in each of you a heart of gratitude, a deeper trust in God’s generosity, and a desire to reflect his generosity to others.

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation (Conclusion)

Take Communion (2 minutes)

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through John’s account of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet (John 13v1–17) and take communion together.

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

On the night before Jesus was killed, he shared a final meal with his disciples. In these last moments, he didn’t tell one last parable, he enacted one. Through a simple, symbolic act, Jesus summed up his life’s message, revealing to us God’s posture toward humanity. And, while this act dealt with power, it didn’t do so in a way anyone expected. As his apprentices, we are to take this same posture towards one another. 

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…” This was John’s build up to the moment: Jesus knew he had all power and authority, he knew his source and his destiny. At this point, as the reader, we might expect Jesus to stand up and give a rousing speech or lift a sword to the heavens, shout some war cry, or set some covert plan in place to take down Rome—but this isn’t what Jesus does in response to his certainty and strength. Instead, we read that Jesus rose from the meal, only to remove his coat, wrap a towel around his waist, and then kneel before each disciple, washing their feet each in turn.

The “Maundy” in Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin word maundatum, meaning command, and references the statement Jesus makes moments after he washes his disciples’ feet, when he seems to explain what he was doing: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Tonight, we will reenact Jesus’ symbolic gesture together by washing each other’s feet, as a way of remembering God’s love for us and embodying the love he calls us to have for one another.

Do This Practice Tonight (35 minutes)

Tonight, we will be symbolically washing each others’ feet to remember God’s love for us and our call to love each other. Below you will find some helpful details to keep in mind.

Supplies: Let’s make sure we have the following items.

• Some sort of pitcher or large cup or bowl filled with warm water

• Some sort of bucket or bin in which to catch the poured out water

• A few towels with which to dry feet (and perhaps one on the ground below the bucket or bin)

Process: As the Community Leader, I will be “washing” the feet of each person in your Community. (Leader note: If your Community has co-Leaders, they can split the washing and then wash each other’s feet. If not, select someone who will wash the Leader’s feet at the end.) When you’re ready and everyone understands the order, here’s how it works:

1. To maintain an atmosphere of worship, let’s all remain quietly reflective throughout as we play some sort of worship or instrumental music. (Leader note: Here is a playlist that you are welcome to use.)

2. The person whose feet are being washed will sit in a chair with their feet in the bin or bucket.

3. I will “wash” their feet by simply pouring the warm water from the pitcher over their feet.

4. I will then take a towel and dry the person’s feet.

5. We’ll repeat steps 2 – 4 until every person has had their feet washed.

Leader note: Close your time in prayer thanking Jesus for your Community, and for the way he modeled serving one another well.

Renunciation Reflection Conclusion

We’re going to transition now into time reflecting on the season of Lent and our Practices of Renunciation as we prepare for Easter and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.

We began this Lenten season asking God what good gift he wants to give us, and to show us what we might be using as a substitute for that gift. Or, put another way, all the ways we grasp for ourselves what God wants to freely give us. As we’ve walked over these last six weeks or so, we’ve likely had a spectrum of emotions, thoughts, and experiences—from frustration to fulfillment and everything in-between. As we look ahead to the conclusion of Lent on Resurrection Sunday, we want to consider all that God has done in this season of turning away from lesser appetites so we can turn toward all that Jesus has for us, and to consider what we want to carry forward into the rest of our year. With that in mind, let’s take the next ten minutes or so to talk through these questions:

• Did anything surprise you about your experience with Renunciation during this season of Lent?

• In your Practices of Renunciation and Reclaiming, how have you experienced God freely giving you what you’ve been trying to take for yourself?

• What is one thing you want to carry forward beyond Easter and into your normal practice of life with Jesus?

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)

Our Practice for the week ahead is simple: we will finish out our Lenten renunciation through the rest of the week, celebrating its completion on Easter Sunday! 

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Renunciation.

7 Letters, Guide: Renunciation Reflection #5

Take Communion

Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through this prayer based on the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22 and the Wedding Supper in Revelation 19:

All-loving God, we praise you and rejoice in your presence. We come to this table together with hope and longing love, sharing the Lord's Supper, to eat and drink a foretaste of that future Wedding Supper. Jesus, we are making ourselves ready: tuning our hearts and training our appetites to desire you and you alone. Infuse our lives with your presence as we share your body, broken for us, and your blood, poured out for us. You wait with longing for us to drink anew in your kingdom, so we say: Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly.

Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)

Throughout the season of Lent, we are engaging in the practice of Renunciation: giving up a particular (often good or neutral) appetite that we tend to use as a substitute for something God already wants to give us. And, as a reminder, we will spend the remainder of this teaching series reflecting on our practice of Renunciation in light of the themes found in one of the seven letters in Revelation.

Tonight, we’ll reflect on Jesus’ letter to the church of Philadelphia, in which he commends and encourages them by saying that he sees how they have kept to his way and endured struggle for the sake of love.

Ultimately, the practice of Renunciation aims to open us up to more of God’s love so that his love permeates our everyday lives. Because love is the goal, the prayer is that our practice of Renunciation (and our accompanying practice of reclamation) will produce lasting change in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We want to both experience God's love in the present and to allow it to transform us going into the future beyond Lent. So tonight, we will join the church of Philadelphia and do just that.

Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)

Leader Note: Feel free to work through the following questions as a whole Community or in smaller groups, so long as everyone has an opportunity to share. 

1. How has your practice of Renunciation been going this week? (e.g. Where did you feel God’s presence? Where did you feel resistance?)

2. How have you experienced the love of God more deeply during your practice of Renunciation? 

3. With just a short time left, is there anything you hope will continue from your Lenten Renunciation into your everyday life with Jesus? (e.g. a new way of thinking, a changed relationship with technology, or a different pace of life, etc.)

Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (1 minute)

Our Practice for the week ahead is to continue our Renunciation and Reclaiming through the season of Lent. Remember, Renunciation is about joy and desire! Because we are human beings, we will always be susceptible to reaching for something that God wants to give us. In our Renunciation, we are asking God for what he already desires for us and learning to receive from him rather than taking it for ourselves. So, this week, let’s resolve again to renounce our good or neutral appetites and receive God’s kindness and love.

End in Prayer (5 minutes)

Leader Note: Close your time together in blessing prayer for one another, asking God to continue growing each person through the Practice of Renunciation.