Lament Together

We know how to celebrate together, but the question on our hearts today is, “Do we know how to lament together?” We can be angry at God about tragedies, but how do we walk through these hard times as a community? In Mark 3, we see that on the other side of lament is God’s presence, His perspective, and ultimately healing and restoration.

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SEE IT // BE IT

(WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE)

DATE: March 5, 2017 // Title: : Do we know how to lament together? //

Scripture: Ephesians 4:26; Psalm 73; Mark 3:1-6

ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes
Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.

SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes

This was a significant weekend for our church family: students were at the Advance retreat, and we hosted a Jesus and the Qur’an training here, both things to celebrate. But our hearts are breaking because not only did Patti Simmons suffer a freak accident this week, one that has left her facing an arduous recovery, but the Stanley family lost their husband and father yesterday. We know how to celebrate together, but the question on our hearts today is, “Do we know how to lament together?” We can be angry at God about these tragedies, but how do we walk through these hard times as a community? In Mark 3, we see that on the other side of lament is God’s presence, His perspective, and ultimately healing and restoration.

THE MAIN THOUGHT  keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion

Lament is giving our anger and frustration to God. The outcome of that is healing and restoration.

SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes
Picture  (What is the story saying): What does Paul mean when he says to be angry, but do not sin? What does it literally mean when it says- don’t be angry when the sun goes down? Or what could he be warning us about? How does Psalm 73 deal with the apparent prosperity of the wicked and the hard times that the righteous have? What does Asaph do with the frustration he feels about it?
Mirror (Where am I in the story?): When we feel angry, it makes us feel powerful. How does anger shield the tender places of your heart? How can anger also be a devastating force or lead to sin? What happens if we let anger linger too long? What does it look like when you take your lament into the sanctuary of God?
Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): When you read Psalm 73 about the prosperity of the wicked, do you see that in your own context? How would the example of Asaph help you see the bigger story than you can see right now?

BE IT – Practice
Change UP // Exercise  15 minutes
Recognize that you stand in the sanctuary of God, and He is present with you. Spend one minute in silence, asking Him to reveal to you how He is meeting you right where you are. Be aware of any words or pictures He brings to your mind. Bring Him your lament, sense His presence, and ask Him to show you His perspective.
Change IN // Group Activity  5 minutes
Create space to share with each other times in your lives when you couldn’t see God’s goodness but then later you did. Use these stories to encourage each other to trust that God is not only great but He is good – even when we can’t see it, yet.
Change OUT //Life Application Assignment 5 minutes
Who around you is lamenting right now? How can you reach out to them this week? Life is short: take advantage of every interaction with others. Live intentionally!

CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes
Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week