This night was all about wisdom – and it was also Mother’s Day - I think that fits pretty well together! Mothers are wise aren’t they? Even if they made lots of mistakes along the way, they stand at the other side of hindsight and have a large perspective.
When we started planning for tonight, I was reminded of a very wise mother that many of us are familiar with. She said things like: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” That’s right – Forrest Gump’s mother, played by Sally Field, was just chop full of wisdom. Here are some more examples. Stringing them together somehow makes them even more profound….
“My momma always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where their goin’, where they’ve been.”
“Momma said there’s only so much fortune a man really needs and the rest is just for showing off.”
“My Mama always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.”
“Mama always said, dying was a part of life.”
“My Mama said, God is mysterious.”
“Mama always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them.”
So that night we explored this wisdom. The kind of wisdom we receive from our mothers; the kind of wisdom James encourages us to embrace; the kind of wisdom each of us is carrying around; and to get us thinking, we heard from the wisdom of Rob Bell through one of his Noomas. “She” – You can watch it here.
We had started off with a couple songs: “Unchanging” by Tomlin and “All We Need” by Charlie Hall. Then after the Nooma we split into discussion groups. Everybody got a sheet of paper with the following questions and scripture…
GROUP DISCUSSION:
- How has your experience with your own mother shaped your perception of God?
- Rob said, “Throughout the Bible, God is described as compassionate. In Hebrew, the original language of the scriptures, it’s the word ‘raham.’ This is also the word for ‘womb.’ So God is compassionate. God is womb-like. This is a very feminine image for God.” Do you think of God as male or female? Why is that?
- Who are some of the women you see reflecting the creativity, diversity and variety of God?
- Can you share a story of a time your mother made a sacrifice for you? How was it Christ-like?
- What’s one of the pieces of wisdom your mother impressed upon you as you grew up?
Read James 3:13-16
Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.
- Have you ever found yourself making these mistakes? (being too ambitious, boastful, or conniving just to look wise) What happened?
Read James 3:17-18
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
- Do you associate wisdom with getting along with others?
- Have you experience someone who is “gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings”? How are those traits seen as wise?
- “People don’t care how much you know till they know how much you care.” How does this quote help connect wisdom and kindness?
- What is one area in your life that you need to exercise more wisdom?
How can you go about making that change?
It was a beautiful night and we had a small crowd, so each group took their chairs and went and found a spot outside. They worked through the discussion, said a closing prayer as a group and dismissed from there. It was simple and powerful. It was a good night.
Here is our current prayer request list. (Anyone can ask for prayer, just let me know! You can talk to me or drop one of our prayer request cards in the worship space Drop Boxes.)
:: Holly Stockburger will be undergoing weekly treatments on Thursdays from 12-4ish for the next 10 weeks. Please lift up her family that takes her to chemo and stays with her. Pray she can balance health and work and family.
:: Praise for Tina Lambert – her eye surgery went REALLY well and she’s already mostly recovered!
:: Eric and Tina are expecting their first child! So far, so good. Please keep everyone’s health in your prayers. We’re 33 weeks! Eric’s dad Theo is feeling better, and is having some tests done to figure out why he’s been sick so often – pray they can figure it out!
:: Pray for Christa and her sons
:: Nathalie, Andrea & Tony S, Amanda B and Randall F are all looking for new jobs – pray God will open up the right opportunities.
:: Pray for Syd Kiser’s sister (Ellen) as she fights Breast Cancer. And for her daughter and her family – they’ve been going through a rough patch for a while.
:: Pray for Lyn K as she struggles with pain and the side effects of cancer treatments. Also pray for her Niece, a 17 year old with what they think is Crohn’s Disease.
:: Pray for Amanda B’s mom who is going to have to stay in rehab afterall. She’s having a rough time. Pray also for Amanda who has a pinched nerve and for her job search.
