GOING DEEPER
12.23.2018 | “When God Said Yes | Wk 4 | Yes To Peace”
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Breaking Ground
Is there a place or activity that helps you feel most calm/at ease? Why does it do so?
The Dig
How do you define the word “peace”? What key characteristics must be in place for “peace” to exist from your perspective?
Read Isaiah 2:1-5. These verses describe God’s ultimate vision for our redeemed world. The return of peace to the world through God’s Kingdom. In this case, it describes how the tools that God gave humanity to work, grow, & prosper have been turned into tools of destruction. However, God’s peace will return them to their intended purpose. It will make things right.
What imagery from these verses strikes you the most?
What role does transformation & change play in God’s vision for peace in these verses?
Theologian Richard Rohr points to this verse when he talks about growing beyond our defense mechanisms & healing from past hurts. We take what has created pain in our lives, face it honestly, acknowledge how it still impact us, & then to heal from it in a way that makes them into tools of healing & growth again.
Have you ever taken a past experience that caused a lot of hurt/pain & used it (or what you learned from it) later to help yourself or someone else heal? What did it look like?
Where in your life do you still have “weapons of war” spiritually or emotionally (anger, resentment, hurt, etc.)? What defense mechanisms do you still struggle with the most?
What would it mean for you to turn those experiences or defense mechanisms into areas of growth? How can you start going about healing from them?
Getting Out of the Hole
Take time this week to meditate on where you are currently struggling to find peace. Write down three small steps you can take to reconciling that area of your life (reaching out to someone, forgiving someone, letting go of something). Try to take one of those steps before the new year.