God's Plan

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Lord

Teach me to be holy

as you are holy!

Teach me to listen

as you listen!

Teach me to give

as you give!

I am ready

to do your will!
Amen

Journal/Reflection Questions

Nehemiah 8 :2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Why does Ezra say this day is holy? What makes it so?
Throughout this scripture, Nehemiah tries to make sure you understand Ezra did everything he could to help the people understand. What is the purpose of this?
What can the world learn from this scripture passage about being attentive to everyone’s needs while still moving towards a common goal?

1 Corinthians 12:12-30

What does this scripture say to you about yourself? Choose one thing you can do to live out this scripture today.
Where do you see division and suffering in the world today? In your family? Within yourself? Identify one for each.
What wisdom from this scripture can shine light on the division you see? Be specific.

Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

How does Jesus fulfill the scripture he read in the synagogue, specifically how does He bring good tidings to the poor, set captives free and give sight to the blind?
Say out loud how the scripture was fulfilled and proclaim it like Jesus! When you proclaim it, how do you feel? Do you believe it about Jesus? Do you believe it about yourself?

General Questions for Journaling

How does the past affect your future? What value do you find in looking to the past?
What is the difference between living forward and living backward?
How does God share His hope for your future?
What gifts have been highlighted in you today?
What gifts have you seen in others today?
Have you ever intentionally kept gifts you keep to yourself? Explain the situation.
Share a time when you experienced working together with others to achieve a common goal. What did it feel like? Were there conflicts? What was the outcome?
What makes a day more special than another? What value do you put on a day such as your birthday or an anniversary?
How do you determine a day to be Holy? What do you think God’s criteria would be to describe a day as Holy?
Are there books you have read more than once? What are they? What is the purpose of reading them again?
Are there shows you have watched more than once? What are they are why do you watch them again? Explain the value of experiencing it again.
What is your most favorite thing about yourself? Explain.
What superpower would you most like to have and why?
What do you believe and know in your heart strongly enough to stand up and proclaim to others?

Closing Prayer

Leader: May you rest in God’s Spirit…

ALL: as you begin each day.

Leader:May you rest in God’s Spirit…

ALL: as you struggle to focus.

Leader: May you rest in God’s Spirit…

ALL: as you encounter giants.

Leader: May you rest in God’s Spirit…

ALL: as you celebrate victories.

Leader: May you rest in God’s Spirit…

ALL: as you embrace a loving God!

Challenge for the Week: Create a pie chart which represents how much time you spend thinking about past events, situations and experiences, how much time you spend planning and hoping for the future, and how much time you give to thinking about what you are doing right now in the present. Within each slice, write down the topics of conversation you have that contribute to the past, present or future. Also consider the things you pray about, where do they fit into the pie chart? You can do this with the books you read, the things you watch on TV, the hobbies you like to participate in because they all can be placed on one of the categories. When you’ve completed adding the activities to the pie chart, how does it look? Are you happy or satisfied with how you spend your time or where you focus your time, whether on the past, future or present? Are there things you’d like to change or not? Take it to prayer.

Point out special gifts you see in ten people this week by either telling them you are grateful for the gift or talent they share or send a note.

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27th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

God

You created man and woman

to share in the fullness of Your love.

You call both to be in community

with one another and in communion with You.

What you bring together cannot be torn apart.

Your love cannot be removed or taken away.

It is a blessing to share, in good times and in bad

and it remains even when conflicts arise.

Let Your love be seen, felt and shared.

May I share Your love with others,

and seek Your love in others to

build up the kingdom together!

Journal/Reflection Questions

Genesis 2:18-24

What does this scripture remind you about in terms of your role and responsibility as a human being?
Does this scripture cause you to think of a woman as an afterthought? Why or why not?
God created Eve for Adam, why do you think God wanted to create a suitable partner for Adam? Do you think He created a suitable partner for everyone? Share your thoughts.

Hebrews 2:9-11

What does this scripture tell you about Jesus’ love?
How do you feel about being called a brother and sister of Jesus? What does that mean to you?
How are you consecrated with Jesus? What does it mean to be consecrated in Jesus?

Mark 10:2-16

Read this scripture as though you are a child. What different thoughts or insights do you gather?
This scripture says divorce is a man written law, that the people had Moses to re-write the law. How is this practice played out today, not just with divorce but other laws created to guide us? Explain.
What does Jesus mean when he says, “don’t prevent them from coming to me”? Do you think he is talking about children literally or figuratively? How does this change your understanding of the scripture?

General Questions for Journaling

How do you rate in terms of being an environmentalist? Do you recycle? Care for animals? Tend to the earth? What does this reading say about your responsibility to care for God’s creation?
What comfort do you get from knowing Jesus spent time on earth?
Describe how you feel the presence of God when you are alone.
What can you do to find the Jesus in each person you meet? Is it possible to see Jesus in someone whom you don’t like or who doesn’t know Jesus? Explain.
How does Jesus’ death bring salvation to all? Does it make sense to you that you receive God’s salvation whether you believe it or not? Does that bring you comfort or cause you distress? Explain.
Describe the characteristics of man as you believe God created man to be.
Describe the characteristics of woman as you believe God created woman to be.
How do men and women complement each other? Is this how God created them to be? Why or why not?
What causes men and women to clash? Is this how God created them to be?
What is your experience of divorce? How do Jesus’ words affect your opinion of divorce? How does your experience affect how you understand the scripture?
Do you think the fear of getting divorced keeps people who are suitable partners from getting married? What other things might keep people from getting married?
What makes a marriage a “perfect union”? Do you think this exists? Why or why not? Do you believe a marriage without God can last? Why or why not?
Make a list of some non-negotiables of a marriage God joins together?

Closing Prayer

Leader: As I awake and begin each morning…