Come to Life
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This resource was written by ASMA In partnership with Hazelnut community farm
ASMA - 'The Avonside Mission Area is a group of five churches in Avonmouth, Lawrence Weston, Sea Mills, Shirehampton, and Stoke Bishop seeking to work in the power of God's Spirit and in partnership with each other for the spiritual, cultural, and social transformation of NW Bristol. 'Come to Life' is being shared by the churches as their 2021 Lent Course as we seek to engage our communities with the Easter message of life in Jesus, and the impact that his good news has for all of God's creation.
Introduction
Hello and a very warm welcome to this set of five sessions under the title of 'Come to Life', in which we'll look at the God of creation and our own relationship with him and his world. It's great that you're able to access this material along with lots of others across NW Bristol and wider afield.
Flexibility is what this course is designed for. You might be using this material over the five weeks of Lent, or you might prefer to do the five sessions over five consecutive days, or you might be using this material at another point in the year. Whenever you're reading this, it's great that you've been able to make use of the material here.
You might be accessing it as part of a small discussion group. You might be accessing it on your own, or as a conversation starter with a friend. You might like to discuss it online or over the telephone, or you might choose to discuss it in person - exercising outdoors perhaps. However, you're using this, we hope it will kick-start some helpful and thought-provoking, even life-changing, conversations.
Each session is based around 4 Ws:
Welcome - becoming aware of others, of God, and of his world;
Worship - bringing ourselves before God;
Word - looking at what God says to us in the Bible - his word;
Witness - thinking creatively about how we might respond to God's word to us and make a difference.
The sessions contain plenty of flexible ideas. It might be that there are too many for the time you've got. No worries! The course is written for you to be able to miss things out/tailor to your needs and circumstances. That's all part of being creative! We do recommend, however, that you do something from each of the 4 Ws each time that you access the course - a balanced diet is a healthy one.
We're also delighted to be partnering with the worshipping community of Hazelnut Community Farm, Bristol. For each session, a member of the community has recorded a brief video reflection on the bible passage we're studying. You can access them by following the simple links and we hope that their reflections might stimulate your own. The Farm website also contains further helpful links and information.
Thank you for using this material. As you do so, we pray that God will bless you abundantly and, through you, bless his beautiful world. May you come to life in him and bring his life to others.
SESSION ONE
TREE ONE: Genesis One and Two
Welcome
- If you’re currently following this course material alone, you might like to consider welcoming someone to join you: a family/household member; a friend or neighbour on Zoom; someone who might be interested in joining your small group for this particular course/season.
- The only thing God doesn’t create in Genesis 1 is darkness. (Genesis 1:1-2 suggest that it was already there but doesn’t say where it is from. God might make use of it in his purposes, but he doesn’t create it. He does create light – in verse 3) You might like to light a candle and put it in a prominent position on screen / in a window. As you do so you might like to say a prayer welcoming God and his light into your home and asking that the light would be a sign of ‘welcome’ to others passing by.
- Question: is there something in creation that makes you think of God when you see it? (like a shell; or a star; or a stream; or a bee; or even a compost heap!) Why does it lead to you to think about God?
Worship
- Stop
o Genesis 1 is partly about boundary lines and what fills them/is put outside them. As you come to this time looking at Genesis 1 and ‘draw a boundary’ around this time, are there things from your day so far that you would like to lay down that you don’t want to carry into the next few moments? Why not ask God to fill these next moments by the presence of his Spirit.
- Look
o If you’re at a computer, you could take a couple of minutes now, on your own, to search for an image of the thing that you thought of in the ‘Welcome’ section, that makes you think of God when you see it. Perhaps pick one image of this thing that strikes you and look at the image in some detail asking, ‘God, how are you revealed in this thing, as the one who created it?’
- Listen
o You might like to listen to a song or hymn on You Tube – perhaps, ‘O Lord My God When I In Awesome Wonder Consider All The Works Your Hand Has Made’ or ‘From the Highest of Heights [Indescribable]’ or ‘Praise Him You Heavens’
- Respond
o You might like to pray some prayers of thankfulness to God for who he is; for the world he has made; and for how it reflects him, even in its imperfect state. You might like to pray aloud if you’re with a group or you might prefer to write your prayer down.
Word
- Read through Genesis and pay particular attention to the physical images it brings to mind. These might be highlighted by the repeated words – ‘vault’; ‘seed’; light’; ‘teem’ etc. What words stand out for you? Allow your mind to ‘explore’ these images – how have you seen them in the world around you? (If you’re in a group, you might like to read the passage aloud and change reader with each day of Genesis 1.)
- Now read through Genesis 2 to yourself. This is account of creation runs side-by-side with Genesis 1. (It does not come after it – like a timeline. It records the same creation event but from a different angle – like two cameras in a TV studio filming the same thing from a different angle, giving two different takes.) What jobs need doing in this creation garden? Who or what does each job?
- There is a sense of connectedness in these chapters. Where do you see that? (Look at 1:26. Monarchs and rulers often set up statues of themselves in town squares to help everyone see who is in charge and what they are like. Does this help us understand our place/role at all?)
- There is also a sense of hierarchy in these chapters. Where do you see it and how is it expressed? (Are there negative expressions of hierarchy which we don’t see in the perfect world of Genesis 1 and 2?)
- If one of the roles of creation, in all its connectedness and inter-dependence, is for each element to point each other to the one creator God, how does Adam and Eve’s desire, in Genesis 3, to want to be like God and make themselves the centre of things end up spoiling creation?
Witness
- We don’t worship creation, we worship the creator. When you’re taking your daily exercise, could you cultivate the habit of observation. The whole world can point us to God. What do you see? How does it point you to God? Do you see things that are broken? Might you be able to mend them/help encourage them in their God-given job of pointing to him? How might you do that?
- We don’t always find others easy – especially the people we might live with! There’s plenty we could criticise – no-one’s perfect. But what might you see of God in the people around you? How do they point you to him? How might you care for them and cultivate/encourage those good things in them?
- God created us as physical as well as spiritual beings. He’s interested in what we eat and drink. He interested in where our food and drink comes from and how it comes to us. Our spiritual life and physical life are connected. How might our patterns of physical consumption help shine a light on what we might be like spiritually? Consider your weekly shopping basket. Are there changes you might want to make to better care for both the planet, others and yourself?
“Genesis is clear that we as humans are uniquely created to know God and care for his creation. Looking after God’s creation is an act of worship that enables us to get to know God.” – John
Why don’t you watch this great, short video from the local Hazelnut Community Farm – an exciting local pioneering expression of church. It contains a short reflection from John, a farm member on the passage we’ve been looking at and their testimony of how they’re putting it into action.
SESSION TWO
TREE TWO: John 1 and 2
Welcome
- Whether you are in a group, with another person or on your own, you might like to begin by eating something. Eating is always an activity that creates connection. As you’re eating, you might like to think about the thing you’re eating – how did it get to you?; did something have to be harvested/die to make it for you to eat?; was its production affected by the seasons?; (slightly less palatably!) what will happen to it once you have eaten it?; how will it bring life?
- Question: Have you got a favourite plant on a window-sill; in a window-box; in the garden? What have you noticed about how it grows? Do bits die? What do you do with them? Does it need pruning? Does it give any fruit? What are the seasons of its life?
Worship
- Stop
o Creation grows. Some of the things we ‘grow’ or spend time on during the day are fruitful and good, but not everything. What positive, ‘growing’ words/actions/thoughts have you been thankful for today? What words/actions have given life? What words/actions/thoughts have you regretted that might need pruning? Why not mention those to God now and say ‘thank you’/’sorry’ as appropriate?
- Look
o Find an image of a Christian cross or perhaps you have a cross on a necklace or on a shelf or desk. Look at it for a minute or two. This is the most common image symbolising our faith. What thoughts go through your mind as you look at it? You might like to turn those into a prayer.
- Listen
o You might like to listen to a song or hymn on You Tube. You might like to search for ‘Who O Lord Could Save Themselves?’ or ‘Behold the Lamb Who Bears Our Sins Away’ or ‘Just As I Am Without One Plea’
- Respond
o You might like to write your own poem or song of thankfulness. Perhaps you could begin each line, ‘As I look at your cross….’. If you’re with a group, you might like to have a time of open prayer thanking Jesus for his death for us.
Word
- You might like to listen to John 1:1-34 on an audio bible app or website; or you might prefer to read it as a group or to yourself. How does this passage remind you of some of the themes from last week’s bible passage from Genesis?
- In John’s account of Jesus’ life, there is a sense of the world ‘upstairs’ and the world ‘downstairs’. Jesus comes down from upstairs to make his home among us downstairs – John 1:14. What does Jesus coming down from heaven to live among us tell us about how God sees his creation?
- John 1:29 talks about Jesus saying, ‘Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’ Why do you think Jesus is called the ‘Lamb of God’? What often used to happen to lambs in bible times? How? Why? (This might not be a time to be squeamish but perhaps to confront things that might make us feel a bit uncomfortable!)
- In John’s gospel, Jesus speaks about himself three times as the Son of Man who will be ‘lifted up’ – referring to the cross or tree on which he would die and also his resurrection. You might like to read John 12:27-33. And so, the up/down theme of John’s gospel continues. How many ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ can you chart in the story of Jesus?
- There is a sense in the UK today that we like to try to think of ourselves as immortal. We often find talk of death difficult. We can tend to hide death discreetly. But without death there cannot be new life. By hiding death, we might try to hide our need of God. How might the images of seed; seasons; soil; and sacrifice help us to understand Jesus’ death? How might they help us to face up to our own mortality in a challenging, but helpful, way?
- When Christians share communion, there are lots of things going on. It is a community meal. It is an act of remembering Jesus’ sacrifice, represented in the physical elements of bread and wine, which we receive and consume as a sign of sharing in Jesus’ death for us. There is also the prayer following the receiving of the bread and wine, in which ‘we offer our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory’. Having received, we offer. Consumer culture in the UK can often focus on individual receiving and forget about giving and community. As Christians, can we receive without then going to others and giving? Can you think of one or two practical ways in which we, having received every spiritual blessing in Christ, might challenge individual consumer culture and respond to Jesus by giving and living sacrificially in community?
Witness
- How about planting some seeds and taking time to nurture them and watch them grow? What do they teach you as the seed, in its season, brings life from the soil? If you plant vegetable/fruit seeds, you might enjoy harvesting them and enjoying them in a meal with others or by giving them away. You might like to plant flower seeds and give the flowering plants away to friends as a gift.
- It has not been usual throughout history to expect meat at every meal or to eat vegetables and fruits that are not seasonal. Are there things you could change about your meals in the week(s) ahead to make them more in-keeping with the seasons and local produce?
- We can sometimes try to survive on fast-food or convenience-food, but it doesn’t feel filling or satisfying. How about trying a week of ‘inconvenient’ food or slow food – food that takes time to prepare and time to share with others, where possible? If you’d consider a longer-term project, how about starting a community allotment or garden? (Are ‘inconvenient’ and ‘slow’ bad words?)
Many people today feel constantly busy – or ‘time-poor’. Time is a real gift. God has given us all time. Is there a way you could spend some of the time you have received from God this week as a gift to others or his world? Time to phone a friend….Time to do a litter-pick in a local park….Time to recycle some of the clutter at home and give it away….Time to walk rather than take the car….?
"As the Lamb of God, Jesus knows what it is to be the vulnerable one. So, when I feel my need for God in times of helplessness or vulnerability, I know that he knows what it is to be vulnerable and human, and, because he's God, I can pray through him and know that he cares." – Maggie
Why don’t you watch this great, short video from the local Hazelnut Community Farm – an exciting local pioneering expression of church. It contains a short reflection from Maggie, a farm member on the passage we’ve been looking at and their testimony of how they’re putting it into action.
SESSION THREE
TREE THREE: Revelation 21 and 22
Welcome
- Question: ‘The anticipation and looking forward is half the fun’. We’ve become used to holding plans lightly in 2020, but is there something you’ve got planned for the future which you’re looking forward to, which is as certain to happen as it can be, and which you’re partly enjoying now just by looking forward to it? (A special celebration; a planned holiday; looking forward to walking in the park and seeing the bulbs flower)
- A more challenging question: In late autumn 2020, the good news of the Covid vaccine went viral. Can you remember how you felt when you first heard the news of the vaccine? Were those feelings the same or different on 4th January when the third national lockdown was announced? What are your feelings about the vaccine and the future at the moment?
Worship
- Stop
o Life is a mixture of challenges and joys and lot of stuff in-between. Pause and think about today – what have been the challenges? What have been the joys?
- Look
o Is there something or someone you have seen or heard today which gave you some joy in the challenges of today and offers some hope for the future? You might like to share your story with the group or turn it into a prayer of thanks to God.
- Listen
o You might like to listen on You Tube to the song ‘Blessed Be Your Name’ [Matt Redman] or the hymn ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’ [traditional or Stuart Townend]
- Respond
o The answer to the question, ‘How are you doing?’ is rarely as simple as, ‘I’m fine, thanks’. It’s usually slightly more complicated, with both things that are ‘better than fine’ and things which are ‘not that good’. It is helpful to be honest with ourselves and our friends. You might feel able to share your honest answer to the question, ‘how are you doing?’ with your group or you might prefer to answer this to yourself. You might then like to turn it into a prayer bringing your needs and those of others before God. If our planet or our local community were to answer the question, ‘how are you doing?’ what might they say? How might you turn that into a prayer?
Word
- In our study last week we were looking at John’s account of Jesus’ life and how Jesus came from ‘upstairs’ in heaven, ‘downstairs’ to dwell among us (John 1:14) and to be the ‘Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). John talked about Jesus as the ‘Word’ – the one who was with God in the beginning and who was God. The Word that spoke the creation paradise into being – the paradise that we looked at in Genesis 1, in week one. The sin of the world has made quite a mess of that paradise but last week we remembered how Jesus died to take away that sin. Today’s passage offers us a revelation of what Jesus’ death has achieved.
- Read Revelation 21:1-7 and Revelation 22:1-5. What are some of the main images in these verses which stand out for you? How do they remind you of Genesis 1? How do they remind you of Jesus in John 1? (Do the words here remind you of other passages of the bible? E.g. the spring of the water of life)
- Think about Revelation 21:6, ‘It is done’; and look up John 19:28-30 ‘It is finished’. What is the ‘it’? What has been ‘done’ or ‘finished’?
- In Jesus, the paradise described in Revelation has come down to us. And, in the crucified, risen and ascended, Jesus, Christians have also been made citizens of this paradise now. Although daily life is not yet paradise, there is also a real sense that everything is already finished if I am trusting in Jesus’ death for me. As I follower of Christ, I am a new creation and I am raised with him – I am with him today in paradise. As a result, I am commissioned to follow his example and to bring the hope of that paradise right down into everyday life here-and-now: in my thoughts, and words, and actions.
- ‘Redemption’, ‘restoration’, ‘healing’. How might these ideas impact our everyday actions towards our world? Can you think of some practical ways in which we might share in the mission of Jesus and the culture of heaven by restoring or healing our world?
- How is this good news in a disposable and throw-away culture? Are there things you might be able to redeem or restore, rather than throwing away?
- Why is it dangerous to think of heaven or paradise only as a future hope that has nothing to do with everyday life here-and-now?
Witness
- Is there a piece of clothing or a machine whose life you might be able to prolong with a little bit of care and restoration, rather than throwing it away?
- Is there a piece of land near you which is neglected and unloved? Might you be able to team up with others to bring some restoration and healing to this space? Might you consider joining Bristol Noise in future years?
- Sometimes we can be quick to ‘write-off’ people we find difficult. Is there someone you could ‘draw near to’ rather than ‘moving away’ from? How might you do that practically?
- Sometimes we could be much quicker to ‘write off’. Is there an MP or councillor who you could write off to, encouraging them to use their vote for a local or national issue of environmental concern?
In our conversations, do we speak hopefully, looking ahead? We need to speak honestly and not avoid speaking of challenges and anxieties – God is concerned about them too. But do we also speak about the hope that Jesus has won for us? How aware are we of the content of our conversation?
“The whole story of the Bible is redemption. It is all about God’s creation, being restored to how it was originally intended to be... Perhaps our story of redemption is far more connected to the earth, the trees, the rivers than we realised.” – Phil
Why don’t you watch this great, short video from the local Hazelnut Community Farm – an exciting local pioneering expression of church. It contains a short reflection from Phil, a farm member on the passage we’ve been looking at and their testimony of how they’re putting it into action.
SESSION FOUR
The Spiritual and the Physical Climate:
An Emergency Is Declared
Welcome
- Opening question: Have you got a friend who works in the emergency services? What has life been like for them recently?
- Question: To date over 300 UK councils [75%] have declared a climate ‘emergency’. The Diocese of Bristol made its own climate emergency declaration in November 2019. In general terms, how would you define the word ‘emergency’?
- Question: we will all be accessing this session in a variety of settings. What safety measures are there around you, where you are now, that could be of help in an emergency?
Worship
- Stop
o Jesus said, ‘The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news’. To ‘repent’ means to completely change direction. Is there anything today where you wish you’d acted or talked or thought in a completely different way? Why don’t you thank Jesus for the opportunity to mention this to him in a prayer now and to believe and trust in the good news of his forgiveness.
- Look
o Look at a picture or an object in the room you’re in. Now turn it upside down. What does it look like the wrong way up? Now turn it back the right way up. What do you feel when you see it the right way up again?
- Listen
o You might like to search for the song ‘God the Uncreated One’ [Aaron Keyes] or the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ on You Tube.
- Respond
o Are you aware of any ways in which you, if you would call yourself a Christian, see the world around you from a different angle to other people/think differently about it? (You might say that you’re approaching things from a totally different angle or seeing them in a totally new light.) You might like to thank God for helping you to see things in this way and perhaps pray for ourselves and others to see all people and things the way God sees them.
Word
- An emergency might be defined as, ‘a serious and often dangerous situation requiring prompt action’. This bible study helps us to think about the emergency that we’re in. It is, therefore, quite challenging material.
- Read Romans 1:18-23. How is God described in these verses? How are people described in these verses? These are stark descriptions – what reasons does the passage give that they are justified descriptions?
- How might these verses be describing a spiritual emergency? (What is the serious and dangerous situation? What prompt action does it require?)
- Verse 21 says that, without God, our thinking is ‘futile’ and calls our hearts ‘foolish’. Verse 23 talks about us having made an insane exchange. Can you think of examples where we tend to act one way, when the truth is the opposite? (e.g. it is often said that ‘money can’t buy happiness’ – but we often tend to act as if we believe the opposite?)
- The climate emergency is one everyday example of the consequences of the inner spiritual emergency that we’ve just been looking at. What are some of the causes of the climate emergency? How do they reveal that our thinking is foolish/futile? (You might like to think about our attitudes towards consumption; the limited resources of the planet; the way we define ‘comfort’ or ‘necessity’ or ‘essential’; the way we think about our own mortality/immortality)
- Now read Romans 12:1-2. Paul, the writer, has done a lot of talking in chapters 2-11. What do you think he means in 12:1 by ‘in view of God’s mercy’? What is our response to be?
Witness
- When we talk about climate change/emergency with other people, do we talk about it as a symptom of a deeper inner spiritual emergency, or do we stick to the slightly ‘safer’ ground of talking about the surface issue? The next time you talk about the climate with someone, perhaps you might pray for ways to also talk about some of the deeper causes.
- Are there inner attitudes that you experience which you know are not good and which have an impact on climate change? How might you like to pray about those attitudes?
- A sacrifice and a prompt emergency response require action – small actions can help but big actions are also often required. What are some of the small things and some of the big things you could do to help with the climate emergency? Is there anything your group might like to decide to do together – to encourage and support each other in making a change?
“Romans 1:1-2 reminds us there is a material, embodied element to the call to repentance. And it is also about the transforming and renewing of our minds. So, we don’t just need to think differently but we need to act differently in the world too.” - Adrian
Why don’t you watch this great, short video from the local Hazelnut Community Farm – an exciting local pioneering expression of church. It contains a short reflection from Adrian, a farm member on the passage we’ve been looking at and their testimony of how they’re putting it into action.
SESSION FIVE
Living as Communities of Redemption
Welcome
- Question: How has your day been? You might like to describe it in some detail (rather than just ‘good’ or ‘tiring’.) What have you done? When did you take a break? Have you made something? Has your day had an impact on someone else? Have there been any significant conversations? Has anyone felt like ‘good news’ in how they’ve acted towards you today? Have you been ‘good news’ to anyone else?
Worship
- Stop
o Take a few moments of silence to enjoy being in the ‘now’. Be aware of the space/people around you. Be thankful for each breath. Be aware of the sounds around you and how they make you feel. Be aware that life is not just what has already happened and what is yet to come, it is also now.
- Look
o Look at your diary for the week that’s just passed and the week ahead. What are you thankful for? What is daunting/didn’t go so well?
- Listen
o You might like to search on You Tube for the hymn ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation’ or the song ‘Praise Him You Heavens And All That’s Above’ and listen to it.
- Respond
o Having looked at your diary earlier, might you be able to share some of the things with your group/friend and ask them to give thanks with you/pray for you?
Word
- You might like to listen to Ruth chapters 1 and 2 on a bible app or you might prefer to read them. Read them as one story without changing reader, if possible. It’s a really great story! Try to imagine yourself into the picture it paints.
- If you’ve got access to the internet, look up what ‘Bethlehem’ means – what is the hard irony of the place name in this context?
- Given the culture of the time, why do Naomi, Orpah and Ruth end up in a very challenging situation in 1:5?
- Look at Ruth’s reply to Naomi in 1:16-18. What stands out from this for you? What is Ruth’s nationality? What does her reply say about community? How is Ruth reminding Naomi, possibly, of the ministry of God’s people?
- 1:22 talks about the barley harvest. Do you know anything else about the cycle of the agricultural year; of what is done when; of how the earth is cared for and put to use; of how this is reflected in festivals and celebrations?
- How does chapter 2:2 remind us of how harvesting was supposed to operate in the land of God’s people? Why had God told them to do this?
- How does Boaz (one of the ancestors of Jesus) reflect this is his actions? Do you know why he is given the legal title, ‘Kinsman-Redeemer’?
- As God’s people today, living as disciples of Jesus, how is our role similar to that of Boaz? How might that affect how we think/act towards others; the agricultural rhythm; how we grow what we grow; the consumption/sharing of scarce resources; our approach to social care? You might like to consider each of those separately.
- Can you think of specific examples of news stories today where the story of Ruth would have something positive to say?
Witness
- What do you produce? What is the basis of your income? How do you/might you share this?
- How do you go about producing what you produce? Is there rhythm to it? Are there different seasons and what characterises them? Is there chance to rest and celebrate? Is there a pattern to each day which includes breaks? Are there adjustments that need making? How might these enable you to be a positive ‘light’ to those around you?
- What communities are you part of? How do you look out for each other? How do you look out for people who are not part of your community? How do you look after the place in which you are located? Have people been attracted to your community? What has been your response to them? Are there aspects of community life that could made even better? How might you go about that?
“What struck me reading Ruth 1 and 2 today was the despair of Naomi’s words in verse 13: “the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” It reminds me of a similar line in Job 19:21. A few lines after in Job, however, we find the famous words that start “I know that my redeemer lives…” As I can feel hopeless and powerless in the face of huge global issues, I want to cling onto that faith of Job and Ruth which hopes for redemption by the Lord, and, particularly visible in the story of Ruth, can allow us to be vessels of God’s redemption to this world and our communities.” – Luke
Why don’t you watch this great, short video from the local Hazelnut Community Farm – an exciting local pioneering expression of church. It contains a short reflection from Luke, a farm member on the passage we’ve been looking at and their testimony of how they’re putting it into action.
