What Does the World Need from ME?

Scripture

As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” (Mk 6:34-37)

Micah 6:8 “Act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God.”

Note: This meeting is adapted from My Gifts and the World’s Needs https://clc-usa.com/caminos

Introduction & Welcome (1 min.)

I. Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Grace: To help us identify the world’s needs and my calling to serve.

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.)

- When this week have you felt truly joyful?

III. Focus Exercise (40 min.)

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

Introduction

Connect with previous meeting’s topic. God reveals our calling through our passions and gifts. Tonight, God reveals our calling through the needs of our world. As Frederick Buechner describes, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.”

This meeting creates a space for further understanding of our gifts and exploring those gifts in the context of our local and global communities. Where does our vocation lie in the greater invitation of discipleship? How are we called to specifically take into consideration the poorest and most vulnerable in our midst?

Exercise: Discerning the World's Needs

Use “Discerning God's Will: An Exercise” from Evolutionary Spirituality to begin the discussion.

Invite members to open up their journal booklets on page …(blank page) and make three columns. Then, in this non-judgmental, accepting space, pay attention to your body and focus on your heart. I invite you to close your eyes, put your attention on the center of your chest for a few minutes, and just notice the sensations of breathing and the gentle rhythmic beating of One Heart within you.

After a few minutes of noticing rather than thinking, begin bringing to mind those activities, projects, passions, or interests that give you joy and pleasure and happiness in life. Not merely items like eating chocolate or lying on a tropical beach, but whatever gives you deep and lasting satisfaction — like when you've offered a helping hand or in some way contributed to others or to your community in a way that made you feel great- such as: tutoring at an after school program, serving at a soup kitchen, participating in immersion experiences, accompanying homeless individuals. What do you love doing? What lights you up, gives you energy, or ignites your imagination? (pause…)

Now, open your eyes and title the left column "My Joys" and begin to list the words and phrases that articulate what you've just brought to mind: pursuits you've done or seen or read about others doing and that you can imagine yourself doing — anything that feeds your heart, nourishes your soul, and makes you feel fantastic about yourself. Be sure to include whatever you're good at and what other people would say you're good at. Periodically stop thinking and writing just to notice — notice your breathing, the sensations of your body, the beating of your heart, extraneous sounds. Then, as more possibilities come to mind, add to your list of "My Joys". Take your time with this; it's very important.

Then close your eyes again and return your attention to the center of your chest, to the region of your heart, and ask yourself this question: "Where do I hurt over what is happening to others and/or what's happening to my community or my world? What troubles me or causes my heart to ache? Where do I get angry or frustrated or depressed? What causes my heart to open with compassion?" (pause …)

Now, open your eyes and title the right column "My World's Needs" and begin to create your new list. Don't worry about "getting it right" or putting everything down the first time. Just keep your lists handy, and add to them as more ideas spontaneously arise over the next few days. In fact, periodically revisiting and adding to your list is a spiritual practice that can span a lifetime.

After both lists ("My Joys" and "World's Needs") have been fleshed out, allow your imagination to roam while you begin to creatively mix and match. Ask yourself: "What are some possible avenues (both the practical and the outlandish) where my great joy and the world's great need intersect? How might I contribute my time and energy in ways that would make a difference to at least one other person or creature, and that would also give me great joy?"

Now, in the center column, begin to list these intersections, perhaps drawing diagonals to the specific items in the surrounding columns that would thus be connected. Don't censor or judge the possibilities yet; write freely, periodically stopping to just breathe and imagine.

Where your great joy and the world's great need intersect will indicate the directions of your calling, your mission, your vocation — God's will for you at this time and place. This is where you can join with the impulse of evolution, with the flow of Life, and thus participate consciously in what God is doing in the world.

Finally, once again taking time to first bring your attention back to the middle of your chest, look over your middle column and ask your heart to guide you in completing the following sentence: "I exist in the world to love and serve..." and just jot down any words or phrases that come to mind. Then bring your attention back to the center of your chest and wait until more is revealed. Editing can come later. This is the time simply to listen and record whatever your heart leads you to say.

Sharing

Invite members to share their reflection and allow feedback from the group.

- What emerged in your reflection?
- Where can you identify intersection between your gifts and the world’s needs?
- Is there an area of service, justice work, or a social issue that you sense an invitation to cultivate more time and energy for?

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.)

Action:
- Pray with Awareness Examen: Pay attention to what stirs compassion within you wanting to make a difference in the world.
- Share with your prayer partner
Announcements:
- Topic for next meeting and upcoming CLC events

V. Closing Prayer (5 min.)

Pray for each other. End with the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-10) .

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.

Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman

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