Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

For twelve weeks, Trinity Ucc is following Karen Armstrong's book and program, "Twelve steps to a Compassionate Life".

Your assignment this week as we begin the first step to a compassionate life is simply to; “Learn about compassion”

You can find last week's message on the Trinity Youtube channel; Trinityuccwooster.

https://www.youtube.com/user/trinityuccwooster

Jesus taught his disciples how to practice compassion in every parable and in every encounter along the Way; feeding people, welcoming children, healing and seeing with different eyes.
Compassion is not just a nice idea, it is an urgent global imperative essential for our survival. It is the only way to make the world a more just and peaceful place.

Compassion, says Armstrong, is like driving a car. You don’t learn to drive by reading the owner’s manual. You must get behind the wheel and get into traffic.

Sometimes people view "Organized Religion" in negative ways. That way of thinking often overlooks all of the good things that the church brings to individuals and to human life on earth. It’s more accurate to look at church as "Organized Compassion". Weddings, Baptisms, Memorials, Prayer, among other practices are all designed to help us practice compassion.

Meditation time will begin this Sunday with the assignment; "Learn About Compassion."
It's a simple step in the right direction. You may want to look into what Brain science has to say about neuro-plasticity and how practicing compassion actually does change us for the better.
Consider the lives of compassionate people. When have you witnessed a compassionate action? Take note of people who have made a difference in your life because they cared. The first step is to simply begin to learn about compassion.

On Sunday January 10 the second step is: "Look at your own world". Your assignment will be to choose a place in your own life where you can practice compassion. “The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” Frederick Buechner

Spiritual Formation

The seven secrets of church re-vitalization

 

1. Understand the current situation and start where you are.

2. Be Positive and map your assets.

3. We must reclaim evangelism.

4. Reclaim our compelling Mission; "Why are we the church?"

5. Create small groups for spiritual formation.

6. Administration is Ministry: empower creative people and programs.

7. Transformational Worship.

 

#5 Spiritual formation in small groups

As a Christian we are always asking two questions; Who are you becoming? Where do you practice life? Relationships formed in small groups are essential.

Christianity is not a set of beliefs but a lifestyle...a "way". A disciple is a person who has a discipline.  We need to have a place where we can practice faith. There are individual practices and there are also communal communal practices.

NCLI sees the need to find more creative ways to name this process beyond "Sunday school"  or "Church School".

With so many of our institutions and families in crisis we need to find ways to support one another.  One helpful method to facilitate community support for individuals that was suggested is the circle process.  A good video to refer to is from the Just peace organization.

 

Chapter 5 – Designing Good Process: The Circle Process | JustPeace

 

 

Key areas of spiritual formation are spirituality and worship, discipleship, service and care groups

World cafe is a program where a public notice of a discussion about a timely topic is given to meet in a public space.  Recently the topic of racism has been discussed in our community as a form of sacred conversations.

Those interested in spiritual formation come with head and heart, embrace our incarnational natures

and expect transformation.

Formation must be real and it must also abandon church speak. 

In the Bible God calls us to "be still".  To listen for God's voice and allow God to become our

anchor in prayer.

It's hard to believe, but Southern Baptists started 49,000 churches last year!  This movement was largely a lay movement where small groups gathered in homes.  The majority of American Churches have under 100 members.  Spiritual formation and intimate relationships are fostered in small group settings.

 

Michael Piazza continued with a workshop on leading change in worship. 

 

We should begin to think about the concentric circles of a congregation in worship;

 

the community

visitors

attendees

members

leaders

council

staff

 

Consider how people can be moved along to grow closer to the center of the worshipping congregation.

 

Small growth groups are essential to worship. Michael began a renewal group within his congregation and they pledged to;

Pray twice a day

Worship Every Sunday

tithe in lent-just try it for 7 Sundays (some groups start out trying tithing for Just one Sunday a year)

Stewardship and giving is an antidote to consumerism.

Engage in hands on service projects

Study together and read a spiritual growth book together for discussion.

 

He suggested that Lent is a good time to begin this process.

 

 He also suggested that we use another adjective for "contemporary" worship  like "Lively" worship.

One church calls their alternative service "Indescribable".