small group, week 2 of 7

Study guide prompted us to consider the foundation for all that runs through the Bible: love God and love also your neighbor as yourself; namely, judging by the time and effort we spend our strength - heart - mind - soul, then instead of God and the fellow creatures we live among, each of us is preoccupied with things other than God and Our Neighbor. As a result, the commandment sounds good, but seldom is embraced steadily and firmly all across the seasons of one's life.

Several people remarked that raising children is a motivator to attend a church and steadily participate in the community and conversations there. Depending on one's life experience, the brush with mortality can get one's attention, too, and cause a person to look back and to look ahead for what matters most.

The subject of praying came up, as well: how the grasp of the thing grows more confident with age or experience. The point at which one feels able to pray in public or as part of a group is important, too, since it indicates an open acknowledgement of the relevance and reality of this form of worship and relating to the Creator and one's neighbor. Another important milepost is to shift from personal request and specific outcome to leave things in God's hands (Thy will be done) and put the emphasis on comforting with the Holy Spirit the person in question (oneself or one's neighbor).

Nobody can positively say that prayer does or does not work; whether it takes actions directly (an Ends), or instead is a means that causes the person who prays to assume a posture, attitude or relationship that contributes to the end effectiveness indirectly.

Prayer can be spoken in gathered worship as a collective will, or verbalized privately and individually, or be silent (in group or alone). Furthermore it can be visual or spatial and supersede specific words; for example, in casting one's mind and intention toward the Almighty in adoration and praise-giving. If that is one of the ways a person can express a love of the Creator of heaven and earth, then how many people ever do so? What are some other forms that loving the Father can take? And starting in small ways, what might one's spiritual path look like as the Love of God expands, deepens and pervades one's bodily Strength, wakeful Mind, heart's desire, and spirit of hope?

On a different subject, we talked about denominational differences and the burden of being free to pose questions and dig for answers under one's own direction and heart, with help of God, one's neighbors and others further along the path. Rather than to be told what to do and how to approach a matter, instead we relish the fresh encounter of the Word of God.