In Pursuit of Sexual Wholeness: Discussion for Week 4 

Opening Prayer

Begin your meeting together by taking some time to rest and relax into the present moment, releasing all the cares of the day, and centering on the presence of God. 

1. Invite everyone to sit in a comfortable position, close eyes, and breathe deeply in and out, focusing on the sound and feel of the breath with each one.
2. Continue deep breathing, and with each inhale imagine taking in air full of the very life and power of Christ, filling and cleansing the mind and body. 
3. Continue slow deep breathing and notice anything negative or tense as it comes up.  As you exhale, let go of pain, fear, self-judgment, worry, discomfort, etc, imagining it sinking down through your body and releasing it away from you onto the floor.
4. Continue deep breathing this way for a few minutes until there is a sense of calm and peace, embracing and welcoming God with each breath in, and letting go of all that is not God with each breath out.
5. Now intentionally submit this time to God, simply offering yourself, and open your heart and mind to further ignite the Divine Spark of the Holy Spirit in you.     
6. Close your time together with a prayer aloud.  You can pray the one below or use your own words:

Jesus, you are more substantial and real than any created thing. You give life to all and sustain everything by your life-giving breath, yet we so often have a hard time sensing, seeing, hearing and feeling you.  Help us to be aware of you and what is true and life-giving, so that we may take you in.  Use our time together now to awaken us that we may grow more and more alive in you.  Amen.

Scripture Reading

One person read the following Scripture slowly aloud:   

Luke 7:36-50 (New International Version)

 ³⁶Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. ³⁷When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, ³⁸and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. ³⁹When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

 ⁴⁰Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
      "Tell me, teacher," he said.

 ⁴¹"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[a] and the other fifty. ⁴²Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

⁴³Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
      "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

 ⁴⁴Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

 ⁴⁸Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

 ⁴⁹The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

 ⁵⁰Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." 

Group Discussion questions:

1. Sexual sin is often elevated to a higher category as being worse than other kinds of sin, very often especially in the minds of the most religious people.  In what way is Simon the Pharisee in this story comparing and elevating sins? What is his conclusion?
2.  What comparison does Jesus make in this story?  What does he elevate?  What is one conclusion Jesus draws?
3. Christians and churches have experienced schisms and divisions since Jesus lived, including some recorded in Scripture and throughout the history of the church.  What issues are you aware of that have divided the church in different eras?  What resolution (or lack of resolution) are you aware came about as a result of the conflict over these issues?
4. Brainstorm together---how have arguments, divisions and conflicts over issues contributed to making the church more like Jesus?  Less like Jesus?

 Questions for smaller setting

1. Think of your own journey following Jesus or just trying to live ethically.  Have you ever had arguments or disagreements with others over issues of morals or ethics at any point in your journey?  Think of specific times, people, places, etc.  Can you remember the issue(s)?
2. Have your opinions and perspectives on any issues changed over your journey?  What ways of living, practices, beliefs, etc seemed important to you early in your journey that no longer seem so now?  What ways of living, practices, beliefs, etc that once seemed unimportant now feel important to you at this stage in your journey?
3. The issue of homosexuality and its impact and how it is being addressed is dividing churches nationwide and worldwide in our day.                      

• • Why do you think homosexuality is such a divisive issue for Christians?
  • What are your thoughts on why arguments over homosexuality are so prevalent when many other issues are not given the same status? In your opinion can this be justified in light of the example and teaching of Jesus?  Explain

At Cedar Ridge we are seeking to be a community that lives on acceptance, love and grace for all.  Yet each of us have issues that we tend to feel strongly about that may contribute to judging others harshly, criticism, gossip, commentary of what we approve of and what we don’t in others. 

• What are issues that seem of the greatest importance to you? How does your concern about that play out in living out your values passionately and in a Christ-like way?  How may it at times contribute to un-Christlike attitudes in you toward others?
• How do the ways Christians and churches deal with and communicate differences of opinion, practice, belief impact our “witness” of Jesus to the world?  Is it important?
• What can we as Christians and churches do to reflect and embody Jesus better when faced with differences of opinion, practice, and belief?

 Group Reflection

Sit comfortably in silence as a group with eyes closed. Leader leads the group in the following way:

1. Invite everyone to reflect on the discussion and allow any issues or challenges to surface within. What has been most stirred up in you? After a few moments ask everyone to pick one of these issues and silently reflect more deeply. What is really going on? What is at the root of this issue?
2. Leader prays: “Come Holy Spirit; come and fill our hearts as we open our lives to you. Touch us and help us with our struggles and pains.  We acknowledge that we are broken and in need of you.”  Leader then invites everyone to silently open themselves to God in relation to the issues that have surfaced.
3. Encourage everyone to consider what is happening. How is the Holy Spirit working within you at this moment? What is God doing?
4. Spend more time in silence, as each person invites God to deepen the work of the Holy Spirit within them.
5. Leader closes this reflection time by praying: “Thank you Jesus for your presence with us.  Help us to embrace your vibrant and radiant love, and make us whole, we pray. Amen.” 

Spend another couple of minutes for each person to consider what might be appropriate personal next steps. Do you need any kind of help? Do you need to talk more deeply with someone? Group leader can share the various resources available as part of this series and encourage everyone to take advantage of them. 

Closing Prayer

Leader or someone else closes the discussion with a prayer.