Healing and Death

Thursday, June 16            Kirt Starvey            Healing and Death

Un.    Begin with a voluntary opening prayer.

Dau.    Find your die (singular of dice and consistent with day theme)

Tri.    Take turns rolling the die and answering the associated question. If you roll a number     already used…your choice to answer or roll again.

Pedwar.        1.  Tell us about the most beautiful thing you saw or experienced today.
        2.  Tell us about your best friend.
        3.  Tell us about the last time you asked for help.
        4.  Tell us about a dream you can remember.
        5.  Tell us about something that made you laugh really hard.
        6.  Tell us about someone you admire.
        
Pump.      Read the Bible story for the day. 2 Samuel 12:15-23        
The Message
15-18 After Nathan went home, God afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he came down sick. David prayed desperately to God for the little boy. He fasted, wouldn’t go out, and slept on the floor. The elders in his family came in and tried to get him off the floor, but he wouldn’t budge. Nor could they get him to eat anything. On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him. They said, “What do we do now? While the child was living he wouldn’t listen to a word we said. Now, with the child dead, if we speak to him there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
19 David noticed that the servants were whispering behind his back, and realized that the boy must have died.
He asked the servants, “Is the boy dead?”
“Yes,” they answered. “He’s dead.”
20 David got up from the floor, washed his face and combed his hair, put on a fresh change of clothes, then went into the sanctuary and worshiped. Then he came home and asked for something to eat. They set it before him and he ate.
21 His servants asked him, “What’s going on with you? While the child was alive you fasted and wept and stayed up all night. Now that he’s dead, you get up and eat.”
22-23 “While the child was alive,” he said, “I fasted and wept, thinking God might have mercy on me and the child would live. But now that he’s dead, why fast? Can I bring him back now? I can go to him, but he can’t come to me.”

Chwech.  Do the dice roll thing again.

        1.  What is the Good News of this story?
        2.  Which character do you identify most with?
        3.  Did David receive the mercy for which he prayed?
        4.  What ideas of healing come out of this story?
        5.  What do you think Uriah’s wife experienced?
        6.  Tell the story again in your own words.    

Saith.    With the next set of questions, choose one to ask another friend in your group.

Wyth.        1.  If comfortable, tell us of a time you have experienced death.
        2.  Tell us of a time you have experienced healing.
        3.  What would you want your grave/tombstone to look like or say?
        4.  Tell us a time when you have offered healing to another.
        5.  Tell us about something you would like prayers for.
        6.  What is the answer to the Ultimate Question?

Naw.    Everyone roll the die again. Highest number goes first. 
    Turn to the friend on your left (No, your other left!) and offer them a personal an d             thoughtful:  affirmation/put-up/compliment/appreciation

Deg.    Finish the small group time with singing and dancing to your favorite hymn. Otherwise             read this Welsh prayer together:

Grant, O God, your protection;
  and in your protection, strength;
  and in strength, understanding;
  and in understanding, knowledge;
  and in knowledge, the knowledge of justice;
  and in the knowledge of justice, the love of it;
  and in that love, the love of existence;
  and in the love of all existence, the love of God,