Attentive People
As a people who have been re-membered, bearing witness to the good news and entering sorrow, we make our way toward Pentecost, focusing on prayer as attention. Asking questions around the meaning of prayer and how our understanding is being re-defined, we recognize the importance of prayer in the life of the people with God, who live in the Spirit. We’ll integrate Trinity’s practices of hospitality and listening and learning as modeled in the Psalms.
Quick Links:
Week by week:
WEEK BY WEEK
April 12: Pay Attention - Psalm 86
April 19: Weeping is Prayer - Psalm 6
April 26: God of Consolation - Psalm 56
May 3: What the Hell? - Psalm 102
May 10: I Couldn’t Feel Worse - Psalm 119. 9-32, 153-160
May 17: Stick By - Psalm 145
May 24th/Pentecost Sunday & Memorial Day weekend Brunch: Share the Love - Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
May 31st/RETREAT #1: Re-membrance
Discussion Prompts:
Discussion/Further Wonderings:
If we think of attention as the simplest form or beginning of prayer, how might you turn your attention in a new way?
What have you been taught to think prayer is? What do you actually think prayer is? How is that changing and how is God inviting you into new ways of praying?
Have you prayed your own version of today’s text before? How was it different? How was it similar? How might you pray that prayer today?
Prayer often takes on certain postures (crying out, arguing, waiting, thanksgiving, praise). What posture do you find yourself taking in response to today’s message or your current season in life?
This season reminds us that the Spirit moves in surprising ways. What new/different way might the Spirit be drawing your attention? Attention to what and in what way?
Resources
Parent Cue:
Psalms for Young Children by Marie-Hélène
Coloring Pages from Kelly Latimore - copies available at all Gatherings
When I Pray for You by Matthew Paul Turner
General:
Psalms and Proverbs First Nations Version
Hospitality Audit by The Salt Project (available via email)
Prayer by Richard Foster
Daily Prayer with the Coremeela Community
Devotions by Mary Oliver
Women Pray by Monica Furlong
The Ignatian Adventure by Kevin O’Brien
Soul Feast by Marjorie J Thompson
May It Be So: Forty Days with the Lord's Prayer Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson
Rhythm of Prayer by Sarah Bessey
Rupi Kaur poetry
Andrea Gibson poetry
Indy Trinity Music on Spotify (also a great way for children to learn songs in order to more fully participate in Gatherings)
Podcasts, Music, Visual Arts:
Pray as you Go - app
Sacred Incantations from enfleshed
Praying in Color by Sybil MacBeth
Prayers that Bring Us Home - with John Garland
Mindfulness cards (printed copies available at Gatherings)
Image credit: Claudio Schwarz