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Possibility #3: Connecting with Creation
Lenten Discussion Guide #3
“With God all things are possible.” Matthew 19.26
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” Matthew 6.28-29
- THANKS EVERYONE for making time to be part of what God is doing in our “Possibility” Lenten Series.
- Thank you, leader, for pulling together this Possibility Posse/Pack/Partnership/Pow-wow. These are special parts of the growth God has in store for our Lenten experience.
Let’s Get Started! Let’s go around and share our names and one place you love in God’s creation.
Opening prayer: Thanks, God, for gathering us together for these fun and holy 30 minutes. Life can feel so limited and constraining at times. We trust in your promise that nothing is impossible with you. Send your Holy Spirit upon us in these moments, leading us to new life-giving perspectives, convictions, and . . . possibilities! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The third God-given Possibility we explore this Lent is “Connecting with Creation.” As a warm-up, read this section from Psalm 104.
“You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, 11 giving drink to every wild animal; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 By the streams[e] the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. 13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 14 You cause the grass to grow for the cattle and plants for people to cultivate, to bring forth food from the earth. 15 and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine and bread to strengthen the human heart.16 The trees of the field[f] are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 17 In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees.18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. 19 You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows it’s time for setting. 20 You make darkness, and it is night, when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. 21 The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. 22 When the sun rises, they withdraw and lie down in their dens. 23 People go out to their work and to their labor until the evening. 24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”
Discuss:
1. In her COS devotion on Monday, Caroline Burnett quoted John 1.1-5, (which is also picked up in the Nicene Creed’s Second Article, talking about Jesus), which states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” As Caroline suggests, does this viewpoint hold potential for you feeling closer to Jesus when out in nature?
2. In his sermon, Bill Grabill cited research which points to all kinds of mental and physical health benefits when we spend regular time out in nature. Cite an example of how you’ve found this true in your life or studies you know about.
3. Bill told about a “tiny feathered friend who visits the edge of the pond behind our home. This bird is dull brown and white in coloration, 8 inches long, and weighs 2 ounces. She migrates annually from her nesting grounds in northern Canada to Central and South America, a journey of over 2,000 miles over mountains, through storms, and crossing oceans. My 2-ounce friend’s name is…. Tringa Solitaria, or the Solitary Sandpiper. Unlike all other sandpipers, she travels alone, not in large flocks. I welcome her to our pond for a few days in the spring and again in the fall during her migration. When I pause and consider this tiny delicate being… that our Heavenly Father provides for … and guides her long and perilous journey - How can I not also trust, that He will be at my side and guide me on my journey, through the storms of my life?” Your reaction?
4. What have you experienced in nature that gives you a sense of awe or wonder? Can you share why?
5. Bill tossed out the possibility of using some of our church property for “creation caretaking” activities, whether electric vehicle charging stations, butterfly-friendly gardens, or maybe even solar panels. (We’ve had some suggest we should explore installing a strip of solar panels along the fence-line at Palmetto Road and split the proceeds between projects for the area poor and property infrastructure support). Do you have any suggestions for steps COS could take to be an even better steward of creation?
6. Bill took time to repeat this statement: “The more we understand nature and experience a connection to creation, ….. the more likely we are to treat it as the sacred gift from God… that it truly is.” Your reaction? Do you have a suggestion for how we might treat creation more like a sacred gift?
7. What activities might you consider during Lent (and beyond) to connect more closely with creation and our Creator?
8. Bonus question: Why is it important that Christians talk about God-given possibilities?
Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, thanks again for these holy moments with friends in Christ this session. Help us to follow Jesus’ lead and regularly connect with your creation, so that healthy and refreshed, we may accomplish whatever you’ve designed for us. Thanks for being our God with whom all things are possible! Be with us this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thanks everyone!
See you next week!
Next week’s possibility: Listening to Different Perspectives
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You’re invited to connect this week with one of these Possibility Posse Discussion Groups!
- Pastor Fritz: Wednesdays at 7 PM via Zoom. (Meeting ID: 835 2431 3363. Passcode: possible)
- Nancy Shepack: Wednesdays at 7 PM in Conference Room. 404-644-4361
- Pastor Miriam: Wednesdays at 3 PM in Conference Room.
- Ellen Pfundt: Thursdays at 6.30 PM. 770-312-0317
- Dean Hudson: Fridays at 6 AM via Zoom with men. 678-938-4437
- Ingrid Hudson: “Possibilities on the Pathway” with moms, Wednesdays. 937-609-0320
- Andrea Fisher & Allison McCumber: “LOFTy Possibilities” on Wednesdays in the LOFT.
- Shelly Jakubowski: "Possibility Posse" on Thursdays at 7 PM via Zoom with youth parents. 858-248-5939
- One that YOU might start! Call Barbara Anderson for an updated list of groups and help with starting a group on your own. 770-719-0790
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