Twelve Weeks of Prayerful Discernment
Listening Together for Where God Is Leading Holy Trinity
Week 8: Sent to Love and Serve Our Neighbor
Scripture Readings
Read:
Luke 10:25–37
Galatians 5:13–26
Galatians 6:1–10
Reflection
Last week, we reflected on the truth that Christ sends His Church into His mission.
This week, we ask a more concrete question:
What does being sent actually look like?
Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan gives us a powerful answer.
A lawyer asks Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"
It is an understandable question. He wants to know the boundaries. Whom am I responsible for? How far does my obligation extend?
Jesus responds with a story.
A man lies beaten and helpless beside the road. A priest sees him and passes by. A Levite sees him and does the same. Then a Samaritan sees him.
And everything changes.
- The Samaritan has compassion.
- He goes to the wounded man.
- He tends his wounds.
- He places him on his own animal.
- He brings him somewhere safe.
- He pays for his care.
The Samaritan does not begin by asking whether helping this particular person fits his plans.
He sees the neighbor God has placed directly in front of him.
Paul describes the Christian life similarly in Galatians:
"Through love serve one another."
And later:
"As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
There is something important here for our Season of Discernment.
- We can spend a great deal of time asking what Holy Trinity's mission should be.
- We can discuss programs.
- We can discuss facilities.
- We can discuss budgets.
- We can discuss what other congregations are doing.
Those conversations have their place.
But perhaps Christ invites us to begin somewhere simpler:
Who is lying along our road?
- Who has God actually placed before us?
- What needs are already visible?
- Where are people hurting?
- Where are people lonely?
- Where are families struggling?
- Where are children in need of faithful Christian formation?
- Where are people searching for community, meaning, forgiveness, or hope?
- And what gifts has God already placed within Holy Trinity that might allow us to serve them?
This is important because Christian service does not begin with our desire to make Holy Trinity successful.
It begins with Christ.
- Christ saw us in our need.
- Christ came to us.
- Christ bore our sin.
- Christ bound up what we could never heal.
- Christ gave Himself for us.
We therefore do not serve our neighbor in order to earn God's favor.
We serve because in Christ we already have it.
We have been set free.
And Christian freedom turns outward in love.
That also means our neighbor is not an abstraction.
Our neighbor has a name.
- A face.
- A story.
- A burden.
Perhaps our discernment should become increasingly concrete.
Not simply:
"What ministries should Holy Trinity have?"
But:
"Who needs the gifts Christ has entrusted to Holy Trinity?"
And then:
"How might we faithfully serve them?"
We may discover that some answers require something new.
Others may call us to strengthen ministries already bearing fruit.
Still others may require us to reconsider where we devote our time, energy, facilities, or resources.
We should not assume the answers beforehand.
That is why we are discerning.
But we can trust this:
- God has already placed neighbors before us.
- God has already given His Church gifts with which to love them.
- Our task is to open our eyes, listen carefully, and faithfully serve as He gives us opportunity.
Luther's Five Questions
Instruction
- What do these passages teach us about Christian freedom and service?
- How does Jesus redefine the question, "Who is my neighbor?"
- What does Paul mean when he tells Christians to serve one another through love?
Thanksgiving
- Who has God used to care for you when you were in need?
- What gifts has God already given Holy Trinity for the service of others?
- Where can we give thanks for ways our congregation is already caring for people?
Confession
- Where have comfort, busyness, fear, or familiarity caused us to pass by needs around us?
- Have we sometimes been more concerned about maintaining ministries than asking whom those ministries are serving?
- Where have we preferred neighbors who are easy to serve over those whose needs are complicated?
Petition
- Ask God to give us eyes to see the neighbors He places before us.
- Pray for compassion that leads to action rather than merely good intentions.
- Ask for wisdom to recognize where Holy Trinity's particular gifts can meet real needs.
Recognition
- What needs do you repeatedly encounter among people connected with Holy Trinity and our surrounding community?
- Where is Holy Trinity already serving effectively?
- What gifts, people, facilities, relationships, or experience has God already given us that might be used more fully in service to our neighbors?
Three Layers of Reflection
Personal Reflection
- Who is the neighbor God has placed directly before you right now?
- Is there a need you have noticed but perhaps passed by?
- What gifts has God given you that could bless someone else?
Congregational Reflection
- What needs do we repeatedly encounter among our members, preschool families, visitors, and surrounding community?
- Which of those needs is Holy Trinity particularly equipped to address?
- Where are we already serving effectively and should perhaps do more?
- Are there people around us whom we simply are not seeing?
Discernment Reflection
This week, try to become especially concrete.
- Who might God be calling Holy Trinity to serve?
- What needs keep appearing?
- What gifts has God already given us that correspond to those needs?
- Where might we need to strengthen something we already do?
- Where might serving our neighbor require trying something new?
- Are there ministries or activities receiving significant energy that no longer address the needs actually before us?
- What observations, even if they are incomplete or uncertain, should be brought into conversation with the Planning Committee?
Conversation Challenge
This week, ask another member two questions:
"What need do you see repeatedly among the people around Holy Trinity?"
Then ask:
"What has God already given our congregation that might help meet that need?"
Try not to jump immediately to solutions.
Listen first.
Talk with more than one person if you can.
Write down what you hear.
Pay particular attention when the same need, group of people, congregational strength, or opportunity is mentioned independently by several people.
Then bring those observations into conversation with members of the Planning Committee.
At this stage of our Twelve Weeks of Prayerful Discernment, the tapestry should slowly be taking shape.
We may not yet see the whole picture.
That is okay.
- We continue listening.
- We continue praying.
- We continue talking.
And we trust that the Lord who has already been at work among us will continue to make the path clearer in His time.