Glorifying God By Your Life Session 1: Come in and Stay Awhile...

A word about retreats: A retreat is an invitation to slow ourselves and to allow our souls to rest Matthew 11:28 - Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” In slowing down, we open ourselves to allow God the space to interact with us How will you allow God to move you?

What gives you rest?

Welcome… You are invited to “come in and stay awhile…”

It started with an experience...

The invitation... Love God and demonstrate it by loving others…. Mark 12 ...love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Coincidence or not??

To love God is to know God...

Who is God for Me? The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake Psalm 23 1-3 “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Exodus 34:5-7 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ Exodus 3:13-14

Who is God for me? “.... a power greater than ourselves…” “...an all-powerful mystery in whom we live and move and have our being…” “...for a fish, the ocean is the medium that holds it afloat, that nourishes it and, by means of subtle movements and currents, guides its path…”

Reflect and discuss... When you say, “I believe in God”, what does this mean to you? 2. How do your beliefs about God influence your actions in the world?

To know God is to live in relationship with God and others... We are born and live our lives in relationship...

Reflect and discuss... 3. In what special ways do you feel God expresses himself to you? How do you respond?

Jesus… Word made Flesh Faith leads me to trust and follow the person who reveals to me what it means to be human... Faith in Jesus challenges me to be in the world, not of the world... Living our faith can sometimes have a cost...

4. If Jesus were to ask you this question, how would you respond? Reflect and Discuss... Jesus once asked his friends the question, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) 4. If Jesus were to ask you this question, how would you respond?

The invitation is given again through Jesus... Many times within the Gospels, Jesus invites people to... follow him, to trust him, to be not afraid...

In what way did your faith play a role? Reflect and discuss... Jesus is waiting for us… the cost can be high… 5. Think about the times in your life where you have felt the nudge from God to do something... How did you respond? In what way did your faith play a role?

Faith makes a difference... should always challenge us in ways that only we know about. Through prayer we seek God’s grace to shape and influence our inner lives, to allow divine love to repair, restore and re-orientate us. influences our small, daily decisions about how we behave, like our attitude when driving and how we treat our families. is expressed in actions which make it tangible and visible to others – especially those who are poor and suffering. How should our faith affect the way we live? August 9, 2014 Jon Kuhrt

While Lectio Divina is a method of praying with scripture, Visio Divina (Latin for "divine seeing") is a method for praying with images or other media. As your prayer begins: Take a minute and open your heart and mind to God. Slowly look and notice the image, taking your time to let feelings and thoughts come to you as you take in forms, figures, colors, lines, textures, and shapes. What does it look like, or remind you of? What do you find yourself drawn to? What do you like and not like? What are your initial thoughts? What feelings are evoked? “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” ~ Matthew 25:40

References... Images - Google Images Book: Simple Faith - Margaret Silf, 2012 Article: How should our faith affect the way we live? August 9, 2014 Jon Kuhrt