Following Jesus

Introduction & Welcome (1 min.)

I. Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Grace: Courage to follow Jesus in building God’s kingdom of peace and justice

Use the grace or the suggested scriptural passage above to create your own prayer. You can also use the one below. After the scriptural passage above, say:

Lord, we thank You for gathering us here. We believe You are here with us, for You promised to be present wherever two or three are gathered in Your name. We pray for a grace of courage to let go of things that keep us from following you in building your kingdom of peace and justice here on earth. Amen.

II. Check-In (5 min.)

• What were some of your high and low points of the week?

III. Focus Exercise (40 min.)

Materials Needed: CLC supply box (CLC journal booklets, candle, papers, pens, etc.), instrumental music

Introduction

Make connection with last week’s meeting. Last week, we had a chance to see the world through God’s eyes. We have identified so many needs, challenges, and opportunities for us to engage the world with God. Tonight, we are going to use Ignatian meditation (a.k.a. Lectio Divina) to explore Jesus’ calling and radical way of life.

Exercise: Following Jesus - Lectio Divina

Explain briefly about Lectio Divina. This method has 3 steps. First, it involves reading a scripture passage a few times. Second, notice any words, phrases, or images especially speak to you personally. Third, take time to meditate on what that word, phrase, or image means to you personally and how it relates to your life situations.

Tonight, we are going to use this method to discern God’s calling in our lives. We are going to read the passage of the Rich Young Man (Mk 10:17-30) three times out loud. (The story can be found in the Scripture Box above). After each time, we will discuss the passage.

First time: Invite a member to read the passage out loud. After reading it, spend a moment of silence.

Second time: Invite another member to read the passage out loud. After reading it, ask members, “Are there any words, phrases, or images that strike you?” Please voice them out loud.

Third time: Invite another member to read the passage out loud. After reading it for the third time, give members 5-7 minutes to pray with the questions below. Encourage them to stay with the word, phrase, or image that strikes them earlier. Notice any feelings or movements emerge within them. Invite them to jot down any thoughts or feelings from the questions in their journal booklets.

Suggested Questions to pray and share

1. What does the passage mean for you today personally? How does the passage relate to your life situations?
2. What does it mean for you personally to follow Jesus? Describe.
3. What is the cost in following Jesus? Is there anything Jesus might challenge you to let go or put on? Is it worth it?

Sharing

Invite members to share their prayer experiences. Use the questions above to facilitate the conversation.

Note: If time allows, you may use the following questions to generate more discussion:

1. Could the rich young man’s question of “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” be a vocational question? What drives the young man to ask Jesus this question?
2. Is it enough for us to follow God’s ten commandments? Why or why not?
3. Why does Jesus ask him to sell everything he has, give to the poor, and follow him?
   • Here is one possible answer: freedom.
     • The heart of God’s commandment is covenant and relationship. Its purpose is not just the list of rules and laws but a way of living in relationship with God.
     • It supposes to free us from what we have (money, intellect, skills, relationships, virtues, letters of the law…) for who we are meant to be and to do (sharing life and mission with Jesus to build God’s kingdom of peace and justice).

Listening Deeper

• What has struck you as you have been listening to others share? Do you notice any patterns or commonalities?
• How have you been feeling throughout the meeting? Comfortable? Anxious? Curious?
• Is there anything you would like to share after listening to another person share?

IV. Moving Forward (5 min.)

• Wrap-Up: Thank members for their openness and participation.
• Action:
  • Use Lectio Divina to pray over the passage of the rich young man (Mk 10:17-30) again.
  • Talk with your prayer partner about the meeting topic tonight.
• Announcements:
  • Topic for next meeting and upcoming CLC events

V. Closing Prayer (5 min.)

Invite members to voice any prayers or petitions out loud.

End with a song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” Encourage members to sing along.