Summer Conversation 2021
Welcome
The summer gives us a chance to slow down a little and there will be just one Lausanne Europe Conversation for the months of July and August. We anticipate that Impact Groups will just meet once over those two months and when you do it will probably depend on which country you are in.
Given the season, we also wanted the Conversation to be a little lighter and to be more reflective. One of the multiplex topics at the November gathering will be The Christian and Art so we thought this was a good moment to introduce that theme into the Conversation.
There is an invitation to reflect on a painting alongside the scripture passage to which it refers by Charles Kelly and Nathalie Meeks. We will also watch and listen to a new hymn that has been produced in association with the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at conversation@lausanneeurope.org
And if you are just starting your Impact Group, or are confused about what they are about, then check out the introduction pages to the Conversation and Impact Groups to find out more.
Given the season, we also wanted the Conversation to be a little lighter and to be more reflective. One of the multiplex topics at the November gathering will be The Christian and Art so we thought this was a good moment to introduce that theme into the Conversation.
There is an invitation to reflect on a painting alongside the scripture passage to which it refers by Charles Kelly and Nathalie Meeks. We will also watch and listen to a new hymn that has been produced in association with the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at conversation@lausanneeurope.org
And if you are just starting your Impact Group, or are confused about what they are about, then check out the introduction pages to the Conversation and Impact Groups to find out more.
Download PDF Version
Lectio Divina – Visio Divina
Some of you may be familiar with the spiritual discipline of Lectio Divina, an Early Church practice of scriptural reading, meditation, and prayer. Charles Kelley and Natalie Meeks have complemented this with Visio Divina, a reflection on a piece of art, specifically Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee.
READ THE ARTICLE HERE
We Seek Your Kingdom
Noel Robinson, Andy Flannagan, and Graham Hunter have taken a traditional hymn tune and written new lyrics that inspire us to see our daily tasks through God’s eyes – and live out the prayer ‘your kingdom come’ in every part of life.
Video and Transcript
1. Introductions and Prayer
Give time for everyone to greet each other and share something of how their summer is going. Pray that God would restore us over this holiday season and would speak to us through scripture, art, and song.
2. Lectio Divina – Visio Divina
The Lectio Divina and Visio Divina exercises are meant to be done individually. Nevertheless, we thought it would be really good for Impact Groups to share those insights together. So make sure you take time to do the exercise BEFORE the group so you have something to contribute.
- Did God draw your attention to something that you hadn’t seen before as a result of the Lectio Divina?
- Similarly, did the Visio Divina exercise open your eyes to something new?
- Share in the group which character in the boat you most identified with and why.
- Did you find it challenging to use a piece of art in this way? If so, why? If not, why do you think others might do so?
- Take a moment to pray for each other in the storms we may be facing.
3. We Seek Your Kingdom
Music has a way of moving us and stirring us to action. This hymn has been written to encourage the church into action. After listening to the hymn, we would like you to reflect on the following three questions and come to the Impact Group ready to share your thoughts.
- At a personal level, where are you praying for God's kingdom to come in your daily life? Where do you want to see God breakthrough and reign?
- What can you do to empower the people in your church or network to be agents for God's kingdom to transform, revive, and heal their workplaces, families, and communities?
- Jesus preached a gospel of the kingdom that had a special focus on the least and the last: Where in your surroundings, or more broadly in Europe, do you see a particular need for the Kingdom to come and bring transformative change? How can we as a church send people into these areas?
- Were there any other phrases in the hymn that really struck you? Share that with your group.
4. Prayer
Always make sure that you leave enough time to pray together every time you meet. Here are the prayer points for this month’s Conversation:
- Pray that God would use this holiday season to restore us. Continue to pray for the many who, either because of Covid-19 or other illnesses, are being treated in hospitals across Europe and the world, and for grieving families.
- The heavens declare the glory of God and his law refreshes the soul (Psalm 19). Pray that God would speak to us this summer, through what we see in his creation and through his Word. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
- Pray that we might seek God's kingdom in every sphere of our lives, both personally, in our church, in our neighbourhood, and to the ends of the earth. End your Impact Group praying the Lord's Prayer together:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.
5. Make Your Contribution to the Conversation
We really want to hear back from your Impact Group after each session. Please find a few minutes to summarise what you hear from God, the highlights of the discussion, and any questions that were raised, in the comments box immediately below.