Rituals
Honoring Life Givers
Many people are a breath of fresh air in our lives. Often we honor mothers or fathers, but we can also remember others who have brought us into new expressions of life as well. This is an exercise that will hopefully help you do just that.
Needed
Bible, willingness to talk about death, notepaper and tape or sticky note.
Prepare in Advance
Post a piece of paper near the door you use to come and go.
Activity Plan
1. Begin with prayer:
God of life, thank you for those who bring new life to us. Help us honor them in our activities each day. Amen.
2. With friends and/or loved ones, take turns naming someone who has helped you see possibilities when you felt there were none, or someone who has done something to give you a sense of new life. You might want to go through the alphabet to make the game more challenging.
3. Use your Bible to read Philippians 1:3-11 (or see text below). What are some examples of “good news” have you heard from the people you named earlier. How did their “good news” give you a fresh view of life?
4. Agree together to write on the paper near your exit door the name of one person daily who has spoken good news to you in the past. Think about that person during the time you are away. How might you encourage someone else in honor of the person who blessed you with good news?
5. When you return to this place, write the name of someone with whom you tried to share good news.
6. At the end of the week, get together with your friends and loved ones and share your “good news” experiences and how they affected you each day.
Additional Activity (highly recommended!)
7. Watch the TED talk by Jarrett Krosoczka, How a Boy Became an Artist. Share a story of someone who helped you move from a limiting life experience to new life. Share a dream of influencing someone else with good news
Needed
Bible, willingness to talk about death, notepaper and tape or sticky note.
Prepare in Advance
Post a piece of paper near the door you use to come and go.
Activity Plan
1. Begin with prayer:
God of life, thank you for those who bring new life to us. Help us honor them in our activities each day. Amen.
2. With friends and/or loved ones, take turns naming someone who has helped you see possibilities when you felt there were none, or someone who has done something to give you a sense of new life. You might want to go through the alphabet to make the game more challenging.
3. Use your Bible to read Philippians 1:3-11 (or see text below). What are some examples of “good news” have you heard from the people you named earlier. How did their “good news” give you a fresh view of life?
4. Agree together to write on the paper near your exit door the name of one person daily who has spoken good news to you in the past. Think about that person during the time you are away. How might you encourage someone else in honor of the person who blessed you with good news?
5. When you return to this place, write the name of someone with whom you tried to share good news.
6. At the end of the week, get together with your friends and loved ones and share your “good news” experiences and how they affected you each day.
Additional Activity (highly recommended!)
7. Watch the TED talk by Jarrett Krosoczka, How a Boy Became an Artist. Share a story of someone who helped you move from a limiting life experience to new life. Share a dream of influencing someone else with good news
Philippians 1:3-11
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
