Who is God for Me?

Introduction & Welcome (1 min.)

I. Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Grace: For a greater awareness of how we have experienced God and the openness to know and experience God even more.

Use the grace and the suggested scripture above to create your own prayer, or use CLC Opening Prayer.

Note: Ask for a volunteer to lead opening and closing prayers for the next meeting.

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.), "God Is" by Danielle Rose (song and lyrics)

Introduction

Explain that the purpose of this meeting is to deepen our faith by re-examining our experiences of God. When we were young, we were taught and told by other people what to believe. Now, we are in college; we encounter so many different beliefs and ways of life. We might wonder about our faith and question our Church teaching. So, tonight we are going to explore this topic. We are going to focus on how we have experienced God so far. We all have experienced God, whether we are aware of these experiences or not. They may be positive, negative, affirming, confusing, etc.

Exercise 1: "God Is" Lectio Divina

Invite members to listen and follow along to the words of the song “God Is” by Danielle Rose.

Encourage them to pay attention to the words or phrases that stand-out to them, that stir up particular emotions or questions. Perhaps suggest that they mark those words or phrases on the lyrics in their journal booklet.

After the song has finished, allow for additional time in silence for each member to savor the parts that stood-out for them (perhaps gazing at the words on the page or prayerfully repeating them silently to themselves, as in Lectio Divina forms of prayer). After a few minutes in silence have passed, prayerfully encourage each member to say aloud just those words or phrases that touched them. Close this time of prayer by thanking God for speaking to each of us uniquely, in different words and in different ways.

Exercise 2: My Experiences of God ("7 Common False Images of God")

Have each member reflect on the following questions.

1. What have your experiences of God been thus far in your life?
2. Last year (“Phase 1”), we drew our images of God to help us become aware of how we understand and think we experience God. Deepening that awareness, let’s look at some common false images of God. (Briefly go over the “7 Common False Images of God” page in their journal booklets). Do any of these images speak to you? When might you have imagined God in these ways (consciously or unconsciously)?
3. Who in your life most influenced how you experienced God or what your images of God were?
4. What image of God do you hold now? The same as before? Or different?
5. Have you ever doubted God’s existence or God’s nature? What questions do you have about God?
6. If you were God, how would you reveal yourself to human beings?

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?
• 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. Encourage them to pay attention to how they experience God and their images of God this quarter.
• Action:
  1. Consider asking friends and family what their experiences of God have been, perhaps for the first time or on a deeper level. Be mindful that others may not be open to answering. Perhaps consider sharing your own experiences with them as well (maybe even taking the initiative to share first).
  2. Meet with your prayer partner and likewise explore sharing your experiences and images of God.
• Announcements: Topic for next meeting and upcoming CLC events

V. Closing Prayer (5 min.)

Fall in Love

by Pedro Arrupe, SJ

Nothing is more practical than finding God,

That is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,

What seizes your imagination,

Will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,

What you will do with your evenings,

How you spend your weekends,

What you read, who you know, what breaks your heart,

And what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.