Practice Guide for September 24th

Rhythms & Gardens

Suggested Ice Breaker (10 minutes)

How it works:
– Go around the room, choose a category (For example: domestic pets, types of cars, fruits, football teams, colors or clothing items), then lists a word that fits into the category (e.g., if the category was domestic pets, they would say “cat”).
– The next player then says the first player’s word and adds their own word (e.g., cats, dogs).
-This continues until every player in the circle has said their own unique word related to the category (e.g. the last team member would say “cat, dog, fish, hamster, horse, gerbil and rabbit”).

Start again for more fun or see how long you can keep the chain going!

Opening (10 minutes)

At the end, ask someone to open the gathering time with prayer.

Question for the group: What is one activity that refreshes your soul and brings you closer to God?

Reflecting on Sunday’s Scripture (15 minutes)

“Beginners must realize that in order to give delight to the Lord they are starting to cultivate a garden on very barren soil, full of abominable weeds. His Majesty pulls up the weeds and plants good seed.” —Theresa of Ávila

Take 5 minutes on your own to prayerfully complete the following questions:

• What are the weeds in the garden of my soul that the Father is wanting to pull up?
• Considering the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, what rhythms (activities, practices, disciplines, etc.) have led to the most fruitfulness over the course of my life?

Share and explain your answers in groups of 2 or 3.

Community Practice (20 Minutes)

Community with Believers
In Scripture we see Jesus building His community around tables, through shared meals and shared life.

Group Discussion:

• Share about your experience with shared meals and shared life in childhood and adolescence. 
  • How “together” was your family in those areas? 
  • Who outside your family was included? 
  • How diverse was that circle?
• Do you find it easy or difficult to practice hospitality and open up authentically to others? Why or why not?

Take 2-3 minutes on your own to prayerfully complete the following question:

• Write down two or three people in your circle of believers who the Holy Spirit is leading you to cultivate an authentic brother/sister in Christ relationship with, what would be a good next step to do that?

Afterwards, whoever is comfortable, share one of your answers (person + next step) with the group.

Character of Christ

Reflecting again on the fruit of the Spirit, discuss the following questions:

• Which fruit of the Spirit is least evident in my life, what comes more naturally to me?
• When I’m “at my worst”, what is normally the underlying reason?

Take 1-2 minutes on your own to prayerfully complete the following prompt:

• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one simple act of fruitfulness (act of kindness, act of patience, act of gentleness, etc.) that you could complete this week with the Spirit’s help.

Share your answer in groups of 2-3.

Closing Prayer (5 minutes)

Lord, open our eyes that we may see you in our brothers and sisters. 

Lord, open our ears that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed.

Lord, open our hearts that we may love each other as you love us. 

Renew in us your spirit. Lord, free us and make us one. 

Amen.