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News & Events

Moving Forward Together - Reflection Questions

18/5/2022

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Introduction

This reflection questionnaire is a tool to help people reflect on a difficult relationship, challenging situation or traumatic event.
As an adaptable template, it can be used in a variety of circumstances. It is designed to help someone acknowledge the effect a situation has had on them, including physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually.
An individual can use their answers to then talk about how they have been affected and what moving forward looks like for them.
It can be used by an individual for personal reflection.
It can also be used as part of a community reflection or debrief process.
By hearing multiple reflections, an organisation can gain an overview of the impact of a big event, look for trends or discover common themes.
How to use these questions:
First, identify the difficult situation. This can be a person (my father), a single word (pandemic), a phrase (my parent’s divorce), or a few sentences describing an event (the time the youth group got lost on a tramp in a storm).
Questions 1-9 involve looking at how the event/situation has affected you.
Questions 10 - 15 ask you to consider what moving forward looks like to you.

Questions

  1. Name the relationship / issue / event / season?
  2. Have you felt any physical side-effects of this situation?
  3. How much sleep or headspace have you lost because of it?
  4. Describe any health advice or counselling sought over this.
  5. How were special events in your life affected by this?
  6. In what ways have your family relationships been affected?
  7. How have your friends responded to this?
  8. Name how your faith / spirituality has it been affected
  9. What other effects have you felt?
  10. Name the two deepest or longest-lasting feelings.
  11. What would it feel like to see this situation like a small spec behind you in the rear-view mirror?
  12. What would moving forward look like? What change are you wanting right now that will help you move forward? Why that specific change?
  13. Describe why you feel that outcome would be fair.
  14. Who do you feel holds the power to make that change happen?
  15. What role do you have in bringing about this change or to contribute to moving forward in some other way?
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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 10

17/5/2022

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Devotion 10

1 John 4: 16-21
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

Today's thought from Walter Brueggemann

It is the vocation of the baptized, the known and named and unafraid, to make the world whole:
  • The unafraid are open to the neighbour, while the frightened are defending themselves from the neighbour.
  • The unafraid are generous in the community, while the frightened, in their anxiety, must keep and store and accumulate, to make themselves safe.
  • The unafraid commit acts of compassion and mercy, while the frightened do not notice those in need.
  • The unafraid are committed to justice for the weak and the poor, while the frightened see them only as threats.
  • The unafraid pray in the morning, care through the day, and rejoice at night in thanks and praise, while the frightened are endlessly restless and dissatisfied.
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)

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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 9

16/5/2022

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Devotion 9

Romans 12: 3-5
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

Today's thought from NT Wright

Paul wants all Christians to have their mind renewed, so that they can think in a different way. We all face many challenges... It won’t do simply to go into autopilot and hope to get through somehow. ... that requires careful and disciplined thought in this new mode, probably over some time. We have to be able to think about what to do – what to do with our whole lives, and what to do in the sudden crisis that faces us in this very minute. Being trained to think “Christianly” is the necessary antidote to what will otherwise happen: being, as Paul says, “squeezed into the shape dictated by the present age.”
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)

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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 8

15/5/2022

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Devotion 8

Colossians 3: 12-17
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.

Inspired by Desmond Tutu

Ubuntu is a highly sought-after attribute meaning someone who is generous, magnanimous, hospitable, welcoming, affirming of others. It’s a Southern African word which could easily be applied to Nelson Mandela, who emerged from 27 years’ incarceration preaching forgiveness and reconciliation.
Throughout the rest of his life, he exemplified graciousness, concern and caring. And it’s that care for others - that none of us can be totally selfsufficient - that points us back to the second creation story in Genesis when God declares that it’s not good that man should be alone. We are made for togetherness, created for a deliberate network of interdependence, of complementarity, of family - the human family, God’s family. It was Martin Luther King who said: ‘Unless we learn to live together as brothers and sisters, we will perish together as fools!’
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)

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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 7

14/5/2022

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Devotion 7

Ephesians 4: 22-32
.. be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Todays' thought from Nadia Bolz- Weber

My spirituality is most active when:
I am confronted by the mercy of the gospel so much that I cannot hate my enemies, and when I am unable to judge the sin of someone else (which, let’s be honest, I love to do) because my own crap is too much in the way, and when I have to bear witness to another human being’s suffering despite my desire to be left alone, and when I am forgiven by someone even though I don’t deserve it and my forgiver does this because he, too, is trapped by the gospel, and when traumatic things happen in the world and I have nowhere to place them or make sense of them but what I do have is a group of people who gather with me every week, people who will mourn and pray with me, and when I end up
changed by loving someone I’d never choose whom God sends my way to teach me about God’s love.
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)

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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 6

13/5/2022

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Devotion 6

Mark 11: 20-25
Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

Today's thought from Tim Keller

The gospel calls us to keep an equal concern (a) to speak the truth and honor what is right, yet (b) to be endlessly forgiving as we do so and (c) to never give up on the goal of a reconciled, warm relationship.
First, God requires forgiveness whether or not the offender has repented and has asked for forgiveness. This does not say “forgive him if he repents” but rather “forgive him right there—as you are praying.”
Second, God requires speaking the truth. We must completely surrender the right to pay back or get even, yet at the same time we must never overlook injustice and must require serious wrongdoings to be redressed.
This is almost the very opposite of how we ordinarily operate... we are to speak openly about what has happened with a desire to help.
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)

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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 5

12/5/2022

 
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Devotion 5

Taken from Jesus' parable in Matthew 18: 23-35 v28: But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?

Today's thought from Tim Keller

Christians inwardly give up the desire to get even. To forgive is to give the perpetrator a gift they do not in any way deserve. While the perpetrator has been sinfully unfair to you, now you are mercifully unfair to them. You give them something not fair—it is better than fair. It is mercy. This “attitudinal forgiveness” is something you can do whether or not they have repented. It is a promise not to constantly bring the wrong up to others, to yourself internally, or to the perpetrator for the purpose of payback. It is a commitment to refrain from nursing your grudge and rooting for the person’s unhappiness. It is something you can do regardless of the behaviour of the perpetrator, for it is done in and from the heart.
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)

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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 4

11/5/2022

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Devotion 4

2 Corinthians 5:16-21
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
So, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Today's thought from Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Those who follow Jesus’ commandment entirely, who let Jesus’ yoke rest on them without resistance, will find the burden they must bear to be light. In the gentle pressure of this yoke they will receive the strength to walk the right path without becoming weary.…Where will the call to discipleship lead those who follow it? What decisions and painful separations will it entail? We must take this question to him who alone knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows where the path will lead. But we know that it will be a path full of mercy beyond measure. Discipleship is joy.”
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)

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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 3

10/5/2022

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Devotion 3

John Stott suggests the illustration Jesus uses in Matthew 5:23-24 can be modernised to read

‘If you are in church, in the middle of a service of worship, and you suddenly remember that your brother has a grievance against you, leave church at once and put it right. Do not wait till the service has ended.
Seek out your brother and ask his forgiveness. First, go, then come. First, go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your worship to God.’

Today's thought from John Stott

Yet how seldom do we heed Christ’s call for immediacy of action! If murder is a horrible crime, malicious anger and insult are horrible too. And so is every deed, word, look or thought by which we hurt or offend our fellow human being. We need to be more sensitive about these evils. We must never allow an estrangement to remain, still less to grow. We must not delay to put it right. We must not even allow the sun to set on our anger. But *immediately*, as soon as we are conscious of a broken relationship, we must take the initiative to mend it, to apologize for the grievance we have caused, to pay the debt we have left unpaid, to make amends.
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)

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Moving Forward Together - Devotion 2

9/5/2022

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Devotion 2

1 Peter 3: 8-11
Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.

Today's thought from Rick Warren

The seventh biblical step toward restoring a relationship is to emphasize reconciliation, not resolution.
It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to agree about everything.
Reconciliation focuses on the relationship, while resolution focuses on the problem. When we focus on reconciliation, the problem loses significance and often becomes irrelevant.
We can re-establish a relationship even when we are unable to resolve our differences. Christians often have legitimate, honest disagreements and differing opinions, but we can disagree without being disagreeable.
The same diamond looks different from different angles. God expects unity, not uniformity, and we can walk arm in arm without seeing eye to eye on every issue.
When you work for peace, you are doing what God does. That’s why God calls peacemakers his children.
Lord Jesus, may I be a vessel of God’s grace given by the work of your power.
To you be glory in my life, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.” (adapted from Ephesians 3: 7, 20)
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United in Christ: Drawing in, Growing Up, Reaching Out

Nativity Church
P: 03 578 3909     E: info@nativity.org.nz     A: 76 Alfred St, Blenheim 7201
  • Home
  • About
    • Faith
    • What We Believe
    • History
    • Meet Our Team
    • Service Times 2022
    • Calendar
    • Ministries >
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