Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar, and joined the each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go Podcast highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
by NPR
Questions:
1) Do you see things changing like this in the environment around your community?
2) How are people responding to this development in Nairobi?
3) How might this be a sign of forgiveness? Who is forgiving who?
4) What is hopeful about this development?
5) How might this change in the environment inspire people to change some of their actions toward the environment in the future?
Views and Qs: Gratitude and Forgiveness
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) How do you practice gratitude and compassion? 2) What does Luskin say is the link between gratitude and forgiveness? 3) Do you find it hard to forgive? Why or why not? 4) What do you think are some of the "mysteries" of our life? 5) How does appreciation of this mystery help us forgive one another?
6) How do you see yourself in relationship to the whole of humanity? How does your forgiveness affect the whole?
Feast and Faith: The Transformation of Forgiveness
For this week's dinner discussion we will focus on the risen Jesus' command to the disciples to continue to forgive and the power of their forgiveness for the world.
Prayer -
O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Discussion -
This week are are reflecting on Jesus' words to his disciples when he first appears to them in John's gospel after the resurrection. This is usually known as the story of "Doubting Thomas," but in the middle of the story is a strong commissioning from Jesus to his disciples. He breathes the Holy Spirit on them and commands them to do the work of forgiveness in the world:
Questions -
1) Why do you think it was so important for Jesus that the disciples continue in his ministry of forgiveness?
2) What role does the Holy Spirit seem to play in our forgiving one another?
3) What do you think is the relationship between our forgiveness and God's forgiveness?
4) Is there something or someone in your life that you are feeling called to forgive today?
5) How would it affect our ability to forgive others if we saw it as a ministry, and something which God his helping us do through the Holy Spirit?
Final Nugget -
The word for forgiveness in the New Testament is literally the word for "letting go." How is forgiveness and act of letting go? When you let go in this season of Easter, what does it free you to do?
Stay and Pray: A Devotion for Families at the Close of the Day Each week we feature a way for your family to reflect and pray together. For families with older children this is an at home liturgy for your family to participate in together. It is a daily devotion for families adapted from The Book of Common Prayer.
Before you begin, take a few moments to decide who will read the scripture reading and who will read the collect and closing.
Read the Psalm and Lord's Prayer in unison.
After a moment of silence, begin with the Psalm.
Psalm 16
(read in unison)
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; * I have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, my good above all other." 2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, * upon those who are noble among the people. 3 But those who run after other gods * shall have their troubles multiplied. 4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, * nor take the names of their gods upon my lips. 5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; * it is you who uphold my lot. 6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; * indeed, I have a goodly heritage. 7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; * my heart teaches me, night after night. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; * because he is at my right hand I shall not fall. 9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; * my body also shall rest in hope. 10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, * nor let your holy one see the Pit. 11 You will show me the path of life; * in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Gospel
(read by assigned person)
John 20: 19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Prayers for Ourselves and For Others (take this time to each offer one person/event that you would like to hold in prayer as well as one thing you are thankful for)
Dear God, tonight I ask your prayers for.......
and I give you thanks for ..........
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
(read in unison)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen
The Collect
(read by assigned person)
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: