Resource theme: Encountering God
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How to run a Bible Study
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In the beginning Find out what people are interested in! Spend time finding out what people would like to look at. Have a suggestion box or notice board where people can share their ideas. Stuck for ideas? Try picking a faith or life issue e.g. prayer, justice, sexuality, politics, refugees, the environment. Anxiety and hope might be good topics…
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The Prayer of Oscar Romero
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It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying…
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Ecology Confessions
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We confess that we are in danger of losing connection with the earth We have lost the art of walking bare foot on bare soil We forget that we do not own the ground we walk on We seldom tread gently enough Forgive us, loving God We confess that we are in danger of losing…
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A Prayer of Offering
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As people with a vision of a God of Love, we offer our prayers. As people with a vision of eternity, we offer our time. As people with a vision of an end to poverty, we offer our money. As people with a vision of community, we offer all we have shared together. As people…
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Intercessions and Prayers of Concern
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Where there are people and places waiting and praying for an end to conflict, bring peace. We pray for… Where there are people and places waiting and striving for an end to fear, bring comfort. We pray for… Where there are people and places waiting and struggling for an end to oppression, bring justice. We…
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The Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21)
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Opening Prayer Loving God, we ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit to illumine your Holy Word, to the end that we may be enlightened, renewed and brought closer to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Exegesis The passage for our Bible study can be broadly divided into two parts, the first part…
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Jesus Changes the Water into Wine (John 2:1-12)
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Opening Prayer Great and gracious God, We pray that you will open your Word for us today, that we might hear your voice speaking through it. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Exegesis The changing of water to wine is Jesus’ first public act in St. John’s Gospel, which points to the inaugural sign of God’s presence in…
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The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40)
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Opening Prayer Christ, Lover of humanity, Make the pure light of your divine knowledge shine in our hearts, opening the eyes of our mind to understand the message of your Gospel. For you are the illumination of our souls and bodies, and to you we give glory, together with your Father and life-giving Spirit. Amen. Exegesis…
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Matthew’s Account (Matthew 1:18 – 2:15)
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Opening Prayer Holy One, Let me be open to the outpouring of your goodness in the world, and alive to your presence with us, now and always. Amen. Exegesis This Gospel is likely to have been written towards the end of the first century AD, some years after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in…