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Reflection Guide 1. Practices of our Faith: Testimony What is Testimony? Begin by asking the participants:
Talk about the following:
in different ways, testimony happens in every vital Christian community. It also happens...in the midst of daily life and in the life of society. In testimony, people speak truthfully about what they have experienced and seen, offering it to the community for edification of all. The practice of testimony...is a deeply shared practice —one that is possible only in community that recognizes that falsehood is strong, but that yearns nonetheless to know what is true and good. Hearing the testimony of others To know the real life and history of a nation or people we can study the testimony it makes in its song and art. Let’s examine together Miriam’s song in Exodus 15:21 and then create our own music for the song.
Have small groups come up with their own music for the song. Share the presentations with each other and discuss the experience. Talk about how testimony crosses over from biblical times to modern times. While at the Pilgrimage and in DC, possible community sites to witness testimony through art are:
If the plan is to visit a mural or any other visit that you would later like the group to incorporate symbols, images, objects from what they have seen, prepare them ahead of time. They may want to make a sketch of something they see, or they may pick up something along the way in DC that would be the basis for a print. As/after the group experiences the art, ask them to do some journaling of their own reflection on the art prior to hearing any “explanations” from the artists.
Communicating our own testimony of what we have seen and heard Begin by reading from Jeremiah 1:6-9, the story of Jeremiah’s call to speak even as a boy. Talk about:
Create your own artistic expression of what you have seen and heard and your own relation to it (either where you are now in relation to it or where you want to be). You can use song, drama, storytelling, poetry, drawing or writing.) Make it a requirement to place their own selves/experience in whatever they create. Help the group to divide up into interest groups according to different media or testimony. After sharing the creations, discuss and talk about:
2. Blind Bartimaeus: An Interactive Study of Mark 10:46-52 Getting The Story Into Your Gut After a long day sitting by the city gate, it is time to return home. Stand up and cross the room blindly and find your place to sleep for the night. (Participants should find their way across the room.) Early the next morning, the cock crows and you rise, put your cloak around you, eat a crust of bread with water and, if you’re lucky, salt. You leave your house, finding your way to the gate of Jericho. (Participants should get up and find their way to the other end of the room). You take your seat and spread out your cloak to catch the coins that are thrown your way. A bystander asks “Hey, Bart, what are you doing up so early?” (Invite participants to answer). [If someone mentions “because Jesus might be coming,” the bystander ridicules Bartimaeus for thinking Jesus might stop.] “Hey, here comes a crowd, I hear Jesus is with them.” Bartimaeus shouts out to Jesus. (Invite participants to shout out– loudly– as Bartimaeus. As the disciples, you try to shut him up. Then say, “Wait, Bart, he’s calling you.” Participants should “throw off their cloak” and get up. Lead them over to Jesus.) Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you.” Bart answers. Jesus says, “Go: your faith has made you well.” (Participants should open their eyes and follow Jesus on the way.) Exploring the Story Together
After the silence, ask if anyone would like to share what this experience was like for them. 3. Practices of Faith: Hospitality Service is a way of life and it is a way of practicing our faith. When you are at the Pilgrimage, one of the processes of your life together while in DC is reflecting on how service is a practice of our faith and belief in God. When you work together, you should always reflect together. Reflection informs action; action makes reflection concrete. The Pilgrimage is a place that offers a new way of thinking, acting, and believing. These practices of our faith are meant to give witness to fundamental human needs and conditions. “Practices” have practical purposes: to heal, to shape communities and to make the ways of God and Jesus Christ more present in the world. One practice of our faith that we deeply believe in at The Pilgrimage and Church of the Pilgrims is the Practice of Hospitality toward the stranger. One can be a stranger to him/herself, to the group, new to church or a stranger to the homeless and poor. Ana Maria Pineda writes in the book, Practices of our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People about hospitality: None of us ever knows for sure when we might be uprooted and cast on the mercy of others. Throughout human history, there have been times when people were dislocated, becoming vulnerable as they journeyed far from home. Sometimes there have been people to take them in, and sometimes not. Just as the human need for hospitality is a constant, so, it seems, is the human fear of the stranger. Unfortunately, the fear of “the strange one” has a long history in human societies. The stranger seems to portend danger —– sometimes of physical harm, but also because the stranger represents the unknown, a challenge to the familiar constructs of our personal world. And so we human beings try to keep the stranger at a distance; we avoid risky encounters or we try to neutralize the stranger’s power in order to protect our own. Some societies try to appease strangers with gifts; others exclude or even destroy them. Throughout the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, offering hospitality is a moral imperative. “Stranger” in Greek also means “guest” and “host.” The word “stranger” gives us an image that mutuality is basic to the practice of hospitality. We make ourselves and one another guests and hosts by how we treat each other. The staff at the Pilgrimage is most thankful to Rev. Christy Swanson, a United Church of Christ minister, for sharing this resource of Practices of our Faith with us.
Here is one way to reflect on this way of life while you are serving others.
Get into small groups and read and act out the following Bible verses about strangers, or other verses you feel are appropriate. 1. Leviticus 19:33-34, Romans 12:13 These passages introduce hospitality as a moral imperative. Hospitality comes from what God has shown us, not because of an immunity to danger. 2. Hebrews 13:2, Matthew 25:38 This passage speaks of entertaining angels
3. John 2:1-11 In the wedding at Cana, Jesus provides wine; the unexpected can occur 4. Acts 8:26-40 (Philip baptizes the Ethiopian Eunuch) and Acts 10:1-47 (Peter baptizes Cornelius) In both stories, Philip and Peter encounter strangers on the way in their journey. In both stories, the Eunuch and Cornelius didn’t have to change to be welcomed by “the church.” While they were probably transformed by the ritual of baptism, Philip and Peter were the ones who had to change their stereotypes and “practices of their faith” when encountering the stranger. Peter even got into big trouble with other church leaders because he had done something they had not authorized him to do, reminding us once again that change in the church is always difficult.
After the group presentations discuss:
Talk about the reality that the human need for hospitality is constant and sense is the human fear of the stranger.
As you journey through your days in DC and you encounter places, experiences and people you’ve never met before, reflect on the following:
At the end of your day, gather to have some individual and group reflection. Begin with 5-10 minutes of journaling. Write about your thoughts, feelings, what surprised you about the encounters. Think about the Bible passages. Then in a large group, discuss the following questions:
Next, in small groups have them discuss and then create dramatic presentations answering the question: How do you think we should engage in hospitality toward the stranger we met and heard about today?
4. At Week’s End At Week’s End is a reflection for your group at the end of the week.
Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was imprisoned and you came to visit me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or imprisoned and go to visit you?” The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
My Name Is Not "Those People" My name is not "Those People." 5. Other Reflection Ideas The following activities can be used to help the group reflect on the service that they have completed. Personal maps Personal maps are very intimate. They often reveal things about people that are very deep. Therefore, they should not be done unless the group feels comfortable sharing. Each person receives an 11x15 piece of construction paper and markers. Participants then go to a quiet place in the room. No talking is permitted during the activity! Students make a pictoral history of themselves. Words should not be used. It is usually done in chronological fashion, but creativity is encouraged. Some examples of events are a birth, death, major accomplishment or major disappointment. Having quiet background music also helps. When students are done (15 minutes is a good amount of time) the maps are shared. This can be done in a couple ways. If the group is small, group sharing can happen. If it is a large group, pairing up is suggested. However, make sure that people who do not know each other are paired. When the duos have shared, a recap can be shared. Personal Sharing Each night everyone reflects on an experience and shares in a unique way. This can be through poetry, art, music or words. Stereotypes Put descriptions of various types of people on note cards. Tape one to each participant’s back without letting him/her know what it says. Have participants walk around and try to figure out what their card says by how people treat them. Some examples may be a Mexican immigrant, oil tycoon, homeless person, petty thief, priest or athlete. Discuss how students felt afterward. Did they feel like they were being treated differently? This can be used to discuss stereotypes. Seven Questions Have group answer 7 questions about their group mates at the beginning and the end of the week. See if the answers change.
Finger painting Group members make an expression of their feelings for service through finger paints. Symbol While you are doing service, try to find a symbol that represents your time serving, share at the end. Reflection Pairs Work in pairs and reflect and talk together. Think of a unique way to share your experience with the group Favorite thing Ask everyone to bring a favorite thing with them on the trip. Share the things with the group one night. Construction paper affirmations Each person is given a piece of paper and is asked to write their name at the top. The papers are then passed around the circle and each group member must write an affirmation on each piece. Once a person has written, the paper is folded over backwards so the comments are confidential. One variation is to have the leader collect the papers, read two or three affirmations on a piece and then distribute so that each person feels publicly affirmed. Step by step downloading Sit around and download. Walk through the day step by step as a group. Discuss. Then discuss the next day’s activities. Warm fuzzies box A box is set out where people can write down affirmations to particular people and they can be distributed. The only tricky thing about this is making sure everyone is getting some. Personal Letters Participants write letters to themselves and they are later sent to them. Journals Time can be set aside for group members to reflect in personal journals. A group journal can also be used so the group can share experiences with each other.
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