Class i: Regional School (Chapter 1 of The Journey)

the journeyforgiveness, restorative justice and reconciliation

Written by

Stephanie Hixon & Thomas Porter

Centering Prayerpage 26 of The Journey

Loving and Persistent God, you do not

give up on us. As the one who wrestles

with us through the night and brings us

to the dawn of enlightenment, we seek

your presence and illumination for this

study…

Open us to your wisdom and insight as we seek to understand one another’s perspective.

Open us to your love and to one another as we yearn to open walls that divide us.

Open us to the transforming power of your Spirit and grant us courage, patience and determination for the ministry of reconciliation. Amen.

Stand By MeUMH #512

When the storms of life are raging, stand by me;

when the storms of life are raging, stand by me;

When the world is tossing me, like a ship upon the sea,

Thou who rulest wind and water, stand by me.

Stand By Me…2

In the midst of tribulation, stand by me;

In the midst of tribulation, stand by me;

When the host of hell assail, and my strength begins to fail,

Thou who never lost a battle, stand by me.

Stand By Me…3

In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me;

In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me;

When I’ve done the best I can, and my friends misunderstand,

Thou who knowest all about me, stand by me.

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)

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)

Opening and closing rituals frame the whole time and space together as sacred.

A worshipful time.

At the center, a reminder of the presence of God, for example a candle.

A space safe enough, physically and emotionally, for the speaking and hearing of truth.

A space of spiritual connection.

Each person is the alpha and omega of the circle.

The Circle is Sacred…

The Journey, The Worldview and The Practice

Chapter 1

The Real Life Journey of Jacob

Genesis 32-33

Reconciliation

The Real Life

Journey

of Rebecca’s

Son

Jacob

4 - Grieving Loss and Confronting Fears

5 - Truthtelling and Confronting the Other

6 - Rehumanizing the Other and the Choice to Forgive

Ask questions that…

Elicit the telling of stories...

Open up the text with wonder and

honor our own musings...

Assist individuals and groups to

reach deeper levels and

engage with mutuality and

respect…

The Real-Life Journey of Jacob

A very human journey

wrestling

prayer

planning

humility

restitution

gift embrace

Drawing from Our Wisdom

Exercise…

page 39 of The Journey

Closing

Silent Coptic Passing of the Peace

This is done in silence.

The leader turns to the person on her left. The leader

touches her hands to her lips, and then holds her hands like

a cup in front as the person to her left puts his hands

underneath her hands and then circles her hands with his

hands, scooping up the peace that is being passed. He then

turns to the person on his left, touches his hands to his lips,

then holds them like a cup in front as the person to his left

puts her hands underneath his hands then circles his hands

with her hands, scooping up the peace that is being passed.

This is repeated around the Circle until it returns to the leader

who scoops up the peace and ends with these words,

“Go in peace.”