2.5.22 - A People Sharing Wonder (Kenny Camacho)
SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:16-18, John 4:28-42 & 20:11-18
“I want to challenge you to let go, little by little, of the desire to control your faith, to hold your beliefs in a clenched fist, and then I want you to experience the wonder of an infinite and loving and personal God. Then, as you experience it, you can let yourself share it the way you share anything that causes you to feel wonder: not in an effort to convince someone of anything, but out of a conviction that what you have seen is simply, and absolutely, worth seeing.”
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
When was the last time you really experienced wonder? What happened? What did you do?
Sometimes, “evangelism” can feel a lot like making a sales pitch. Have you ever had a conversation about faith with someone that took that sort of a turn?
The big idea this week is that wonder is an antidote to this problem. Do you buy that? What do you think Kenny means by this?
Kenny talks about 3 ways of allowing wonder to reshape our witness. The first one is drawn from the story of Mary “treasuring” and “pondering” the visit from the shepherds: we, too, can start by treasuring what we have seen and experienced of God. Try to talk this through as a group: what comes to mind?
The second one is drawn from the story of the Woman at the Well: we can share what amazes us…even if it doesn’t seem like the most important part! How does this lesson connect to the story? How can it apply to your example in question 4?
The final one is drawn from Mary Magdalene’s witness to the disciples on Easter morning: we can trust that what amazed us really is amazing…which means we don’t have to argue about it or prove it. Our responsibility is simply to invite others to see it. What do you think of this challenge?
Evangelism is a difficult topic to discuss! What are your thoughts on it more generally? Why is it important? Why is it hard? How can we be more genuine and authentic witnesses to the wonder and mystery of God?