For the Sake of Others, Guide 5: Celebration
Take Communion (2 minutes)
Leader Note: This week, have the group remain at the dinner table for the duration of this Guide, if possible. 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 15v8-14,17 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for being our savior, laying down his life for us, his friends.
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 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. You are my friends if you do what I command…This is my command: Love each other.”
Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.
Review The Last Practice (10 minutes)
Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. As a reminder, last week we agreed to practice Hospitality, by taking the next step that Jesus was inviting you to take towards the person you sensed God bringing to mind that night.
What was the step you took this week to practice Hospitality? How was that invitation received by the person you chose? Is there a natural next step to take toward them to practice Hospitality again this week?
What have you noticed about that person recently? When you observe their life from Jesus’ perspective, what comes to mind? How might Jesus be prompting you to be a Witness to them this week?
Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)
Read This Overview Aloud (3 minutes)
Last time, we discussed how the practice of Hospitality is central to Jesus’ mission and the vision he had for his church. We witness to a lost and broken world by the way we welcome others to our table through the practice of Hospitality. As we heard on Sunday, one of the primary ways Jesus himself practiced this same Hospitality was through a weekly Sabbath dinner. Sabbath is a one-day a week, 24 hour period, dedicated to sacred rest and Celebration. This weekly rest and Celebration allows our whole being to align with the story of God. Through the practice of communal Celebration, remembering the good that God has done and the good end he promises to bring, we begin to live more fully into God’s story.
This practice of Celebration has most commonly occurred throughout church history at a dinner table, just like the one we are sitting at tonight. It’s at a table like this that we are offered an opportunity to see God among us in the faces of each brother and sister gathered here. It’s an opportunity to celebrate all that God has done and bless the image of God in those sitting beside us. As we do that, we rehearse eternity and we get a glimpse of the forever feast described in Revelation 19. It is through this practice of Celebration that our lives become characterized by joy and hope, and our common dinner table is transformed by the presence of God residing in each individual who has accepted the invitation to come.
Do This Practice Tonight (25 minutes)
This week, we are going to witness to a lost and broken world by inviting them to practice Celebration with us. Building off of our previous practice, as a Community, we will commit to practicing Celebration with someone in our lives that does not currently know God or see themselves within his story. But, if we are to do so with others in the week ahead, we must first practice Celebration at this table with one another.
As was already mentioned, Celebration is simply thanking God for the good he has done, remembering the good he has promised, and blessing the good we see in those around us. Tonight, we will practice each of those three actions, one at a time.
To begin, let’s thank God for the good he has done by answering this question, “popcorn style”:
When you reflect on this past week, what is one way you have “tasted and seen that the Lord is good?” (Psalm 34v8)
Leader note: Watch the clock. You’ll probably want to keep this first question to about 5 minutes. When at least half the group has had the opportunity to share, take a minute to pray and thank God for all he has done before moving on to the next portion of this practice.
Now, let’s take the next minute to remember the good God has promised. Maybe during our time of reflection, you recognized that your life feels full of "not yets," or that there is little to celebrate. One of the best depictions of God’s kingdom, that is both here and still yet to come, is the Beatitudes. Jesus opens his famous Sermon on the Mount with words of promise. As I read these words, consider where you find yourself and celebrate what promise Jesus is offering to you.
“Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’” (Matt 5v2-12)
Leader note: Close this portion in a prayer of gratitude and anticipation of the kingdom coming.
Finally, to close our practice for tonight, let’s take the next 10-15 minutes to bless one another by celebrating the ways we have seen the character of Jesus reflected in each other’s lives. Maybe it’s the way someone has recently walked through a season of hardship. Maybe it’s the way someone has chosen to live generously with others. Maybe it’s the way someone has made you feel seen or known at a previous Community night. It doesn’t have to be long or profound, it just needs to be honest and ultimately point to Jesus.
So once again, “popcorn style,” let’s bless the character of Jesus we see in one another.
Leader note: Set a timer for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your group. Be prepared to go first and set the pace for this practice. Pay attention to those in the room that haven’t been blessed and if your time is winding down, be sure to bless them before moving on to “the Practice for the Week Ahead.”
Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (3 minutes)
Our Practice for the week ahead is to:
Expand your Sabbath table. Consider inviting someone to your Sabbath dinner this week who does not yet know Jesus. Take a moment that night to bless them for the ways you see God in them or their story. You can begin with something as simple as “Hey, I’ve been trying to practice celebrating more and affirming the good I see in others, so I just wanted to tell you…” (If you don’t currently have a Sabbath practice, consider teaming up with someone at this table who does, or simply designate a time and place to share a meal with the person God brought to mind last week and bless them.)
Practice Celebration at Thanksgiving. As we anticipate this upcoming Thanksgiving, be prayerful about using that space to express gratitude for the good God has done AND bless the goodness of God you see in those gathered at your Thanksgiving table.
End in Prayer (5 minutes)
Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community into the first fruits of renewal through the Practice of Celebration.