2011 Regional Schools

Class 2Stephanie Anna Hixon

the journey forgiveness, restorative justice and reconciliation

Written by Stephanie Hixon & Thomas Porter

Remembrancepage 91 of The Journey

As we gather, let us remember:

“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms…”

Deuteronomy 33:27a

Stay With Me(Noho Pu)TFWS #2198

Stay with me,Remain here with me,Watch and pray,Watch and pray.(repeat)

Prayer of Lamentation

Let us pray silently, lifting up to God any present grief or

fear we’re experiencing.

Words of Assurancepage 91 of The Journey

Psalm 23 (UMH #754)(In unison)

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures; leads me beside still waters; restores my soul. leads me in right paths for the sake of the Lord’s name.

Words of Assurance – cont’dpage 92 of The Journey

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff; they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Words of Assurance – cont’dpage 92 of The Journey

Surely; goodness and mercy;shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

We covenant to:Prepare prayerfully and carefully for the study.Speak with respect.

When talking piece is used, speak only when you have the talking piece.

Be honest – saying what you think, not what you think you should say.

Speak only for yourself.Speak in a way that encourages

dialogue.Be brief and to the point.

Listen with respect.

Our Covenant (page 27)Our Covenant (page 27)

Listen for understanding the text and one another.Try to understand perspectives that are

different from yours and respect the fact that the goal is not consensus on the meaning of the text but learning and sharing.

Carefully hold all the differences together.Be open to new viewpoints, new ideas – to being transformed.

Keep confidential those personal stories shared in the Circle.

Stay in the Circle throughout the discussion and come to all of the sessions, if at all possible.

Our Covenant (continued)Our Covenant (continued)

Chapter 4, 5 & 6Guideposts on the Journey

4 - Grieving Loss and Confronting Fears

Reading of the Textpage 92 of The Journey

John 19:25-27Matthew 27:45-46(Silence follows…)

John 20:1-18Matthew 28:1-10(Silence follows…)

Drawing from Our Wisdom

Exercise…Walk with me (us), Jesus; help me (us) not to be afraid.

An Easter Prayer for Slow Walkers on the Journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem

Dear God,  (around worship table, in a single-file

circle, without touching, two steps forward, one back)

We have been in this procession from Bethlehem to Jerusalem many times before.

We understand the pace of it, the rhythm of it, the ultimate destination of it.

An Easter Prayer for Slow Walkers

(break circle, walk randomly, without touching, two steps forward, one back)

But we are not all at the same place in the cycle.

Easter on the calendar may not be Easter in my soul.

An Easter Prayer for Slow Walkers

(around the worship table, re-form circle, hand on shoulder of person in front of you, two steps forward, one back)

I am drawn, however, to be a part of the journey.

It is not that I think I am helped by someone else’s elation.

That is too fleeting and too simplistic. Nor is it that I can help someone else by my

own great faith.That is too deceiving and self-righteous.

An Easter Prayer for Slow Walkers

(tighten the circle and bring it close as possible to the worship table)

It is more that I want to be asclose to Easter as is possible, as often

as possible.I find, O God, that when I am closeto the kind of love Easter reveals,I become a better person. Indeed, I become more capable, myself,

of truly loving.And it is THAT:

An Easter Prayer for Slow Walkers

my enhanced capacity to love, as mysterious as is the gift,

that brings me back, to be near once again

to any source of the life-giving mystery that is Easter.

In the name of Jesus Christ,who has become my savior, Amen.

Adapted from John Winn

Closing

“Every creature is a word of God.”Adapted - Meister Eckhardt by Marcia McFee

[Name], you are the Word of God.

ALL: Thanks be to God!