Year in Review

Scripture

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." (Mt 14:22-33)

Note: This meeting may last for two meetings

Introduction & Welcome (1 min.)

I. Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Grace: To identify the graces of the year and come up with a response in living out those graces.

Use the grace or a suggested scriptural passage above to create your own prayer. You may also use the prayer below. After reading the scripture, say:

Almighty God, we thank you for gathering us here tonight. As the year comes to an end, our hearts are full of emotions...excitement about summer break, anxiety about final exams, looking forward to going home…We pray for the grace of being open and honest as we reflect upon our year together. Help us to identify some of the consolation moments that helped us walk on water toward you and some of the desolation moments that made us drown under the water. 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, papers, pens, etc.), CLC cloth/poster, members’ items (My Self box or any “spiritual” items that remind them of God’s love), Year-End Awareness Examen handout (included in journal booklet), and Year-End Evaluation handout

Introduction

Feel free to use any song to set a tone.

Explain the topic and preview the meeting: Tonight we are going to reflect upon our year together and to give each other honest feedback. We have learned the skill of the Awareness Examen last year and the inner movements of consolation and desolation this quarter. We will now use these tools to identify the graces of the year, our consolations and desolations, and God’s invitation. To do this, we are going to use our journal entries and “spiritual” items.

Exercise: The Year in Review

Invite members to spend time praying with the "Year-End Awareness Examen"

Sharing and Feedback

Explain the procedure: Tonight we are going to do something different. After each person has shared, we are going to write to him or her our prayer notes, which include both affirmations and challenges. Our group only grows if we can be honest with each other, assuming it’s okay with everyone (check to see if it’s okay with everyone).
Invite members to share: After each member has shared, allow time for all members to write a prayer note to him or her. Then each member will share her/his note either by reading it out loud or summarizing its main thoughts to the person.

Listening Deeper

Suggested questions to deepen awareness of inner movements and further conversation

What has struck you as you have been listening to others share? Do you notice any patterns or commonalities? Any common experiences and images of God?
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.
Evaluation: Have members to fill out the “Year-End Evaluation” and discuss it.
Action:
- Is there any unfinished business (such as apologies, peacemaking, thank-you’s…) of the past year we need to address?
- Remind members of God’s invitation and their responses to live out the graces received.
- How can we as a group grow and support each other over the summer? (e.g., prayer partner, group sharing on Facebook every week, etc.)
Announcements:
- Upcoming CLC events
- *Try to set a meeting day and time for next year.*

V. Closing Prayer (5 min.)

Encourage everyone to pray in thanksgiving for each other by praying for the person to their left. (Coordinator should begin first) I would like to pray in thanksgiving for…

We may conclude the prayer with your favorite prayer or the one below:

Before The One Who Is Mystery

Holy One, Mystery, Caring God ....

Now I know that you are always greater than anything I can think or imagine,

and for this I am most grateful.

I am glad that I can not locate you, define you, describe you.

I used to worry about self-identity, about who I was.

Now I am glad not to know,

and I can thank you for the mystery of my being....

I do not know how much longer I shall live,

nor what shall become of me.

I do not know if the way I am trying to live now really is your will.

You have shown me something of the depths of self-deception that are in me,

and I may still be deceiving myself.

But what I do know is that you are the God of every situation,

God in our darkness drawing us to light,

God in our sinfulness offering us healing,

God in our self-deception leading us into truth,

God who is for us, even when we are against ourselves.

So I know that even if I am unwittingly deceiving myself,

if I follow what truth there is in me,

then you will draw me further into your truth,

and that there is no situation, no state, no place I can reach

where you will not still be closer to me than I am to myself.

-adapted from Gerard Hughes in “God, Where Are You?”

(Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd., 1997) p. 269f.

Google Sites

Report abuse