Worship Guide, August 1, 2021 | Racism And The Church

Jul 28, 2021 | Blog, This Week

JOIN US FOR WORSHIP

Worship isn’t about performance; it’s about participation. This Worship Guide serves as a weekly resource as we join in singing, praying, and celebrating the work God is doing in our community. Whether you’re at the Lyric Theatre or tuning into our live stream, we’re so glad you are joining us!
Let’s jump in.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Ephesians 2:14-16 NIV

PRAYING TOGETHER

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

HOME CHURCH: GROWING TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY

Start your time together by having a few people share where they’ve seen God at work in their lives throughout the week.

God is not contained to a service or a building. We want to live with the expectation that God is present and at work in the everyday stuff of our lives. We listen, join him in his work, and share stories of how he’s moving!

Studying The Scriptures Together

Each week, we approach the Scriptures with 4 primary questions:

1. What does this tell us about God?
2. What does this tell us about ourselves?
3. How does this help us love
our neighbor?
4. How can we put this into practice?

These questions help guide our conversation around the Scripture each week, and encourage us to move beyond knowledge and into action together.

Discussion Questions:

1. Ephesians 2:14-16 shows us how reconciliation across racial and cultural boundaries is the fruit of the Gospel, made possible by the cross. How does the cross of Christ make a way for people to be reconciled?

2.  In his book “How To Fight Racism,” Jemar Tisby point to three necessities in combatting racism: awareness (growing in our knowledge and understanding of history and struggles), relationships (building relationships across racial lines to foster understanding and common memory), and commitment (sticking with it over the long haul, even when it gets hard). As you consider where you are in the journey, which of these 3 areas do you need to grow in most right now? 

How You Can Pray:

Praying for humility.

Conversations around race and justice can be intimidating and feel exhausting. That’s why the doorway to progress flows through humility. With humility, we can listen and learn from a posture of openness and love. As you engage these issues, ask God for a special measure of humility in approaching these issues with others. 

NEXT STEPS AND RESOURCES

Visit restorationlex.com/justice for next steps, resources,
and sign ups for Be The Bridge!