THREE SIMPLE RULES
Session One: Do No Harm – Understanding the Rule
v What does it mean to “do no harm”?
v Where do you see harm being done?
Ø Who is being harmed and why?
Ø Who is doing the harming and why?
v What are the two primary types of harm?
Ø Intentional
Ø Unintentional
v Which are we to do none of?
v Why do we find this rule to be so difficult?
Ø We tend to be self centered
Ø We are more interested in our tights than in the rights of others
Ø We are taught to win at all cost, and winning often requires doing harm (think political races)
Ø It requires relinquishing control
Ø May require that we consider the possibility that we are wrong
v Bishop Job writes (p.21) “I have found that when this first simple rule was remembered, it often saved me from uttering a wrong word or considering a wrong response.”
Ø Respond
Ø How easy/difficult is that to do?
Ø Thomas a Kempis quote (pg29) says it all
v Job then writes (p.21) “I have also found that this first simple step, when practiced, can provide a safe place to stand while the hard and faithful work of discernment id done?
Ø What does he mean?
Ø Respond
v Where do we find the strength to follow the rule?
Ø Recognize we are not alone
Ø Rely on God’s Holy Spirit to transform
v How are you, individually, doing harm and to whom?
Ø Self
Ø Family
Ø Colleagues
Ø Friends
Ø Enemies
v Are we part of any corporate groups or classes that do harm?
Ø To Whom
§ Others
§ God
§ Environment
Ø How?
Ø What can we do about it?
v Read Psalm 19:7-13
Ø Reflect
Ø What are God’s rules?
§ Love God
§ Love others
§ All others are wrapped up in these
v Read Psalm 19:14 – a good starting point for doing no harm!
THREE SIMPLE RULES
Session Two: Do No Harm – Practicing the Rule
v How can we put into practice the rule of doing no harm?
Ø What difference would doing so make in our lives
Ø What difference would it make in the lives of others?
v What are some ways Rueben Job suggests we can practice Doing No Harm to those with whom we disagree? (p.22) “
Ø Avoid gossip
Ø Refuse to speak disparagingly of them
Ø Refuse to manipulate facts
Ø Refuse to diminish them
Ø Honor them as children of God
v Bishop Job writes (p. 23) “This act of disarming, laying aside our weapons and our desire to do no harm helps us discover that we stand on common ground, inhabit a common and precious space, share a common faith, feast at a common table and have an equal measure of God’s unlimited love.”
Ø When have we seen this in practice?
Ø Why do we not see it all the time?
Ø How does such an attitude change the way we see others?
§ Children of God
§ Recipients of unearned, unlimited and undeserved love
§ Just like us!
v What does being intentional about doing no harm require (p. 24)
Ø Radical trust in God
Ø Radical obedience to God’s leadership
Ø Our deepest resolve
Ø Our greatest faith
Ø Our unwavering trust
Ø Large dose of God’s grace
v What is our responsibility concerning Collective Harm?
v Read Romans 14:14-23
Ø How does this passage relate to the concept of Doing No Harm?
Ø What are some 21st century examples of the message?
v Read Matthew 5:38-48
Ø React
Ø How does the passage relate to Doing No Harm?
Ø Word translated “resist” is poorly translated
§ Better would be
· Do not retaliate against violence with violence
· Do not let evil dictate the terms of your opposition
§ What effect does that have on your attitude toward the passage?
v Read Psalm 1:1-2
Ø Reflect
Ø How does the passage relate to Doing No Harm?
v Read Psalm 1: 3a and spend some time praying about what you have read and pondered.
THREE SIMPLE RULES
Session Three: Do Good - Understanding the Rule
v Do you consider yourself a good person?
Ø Why or why not
Ø What does it mean to do good?
§ List ways to do good
§ What do our responses say about us?
v What are two characteristics of doing good?
Ø Seeing need
Ø Taking action
v Bishop Job writes (pg.37) “Doing good . . . is a proactive way of living.”
Ø What does that mean to you?
Ø Job goes on to write (pg 37-38) “I do not need to wait to be asked to do some good deed or provide some needed help. I do not need to wait until circumstances cry out for aid to relieve suffering or correct some horrible injustice. I can decide that my way of living will come down on the side of doing good to all in every circumstance and in every way I can.”
v What do you really need?
Ø How do we confuse needs and wants?
Ø How should we respond to consumerism and prosperity theology?
Ø If we are committed to doing good where will our focus be?
§ On Self?
§ On Others?
§ On both?
v How do we determine what good we can do?
Ø We can’t do it all
Ø Where our talents meet human needs
v What about social justice?
Ø Read Proverbs 31:8-9
Ø Read Micah 6:6-8
Ø Reflect and respond
v Read James 2:14-17
Ø How does this passage relate to social justice?
Ø What is the relationship between faith and works?
v Read Ephesians 2:8-10
Ø What is the relationship between doing good and God’s grace?
Ø Reflect on meaning of this passage for your life
v Read Psalm 106:3
Ø Reflect
Ø Pray
THREE SIMPLE RULES
Session Four: Do Good - Practicing the Rule
v How can we put into practice the rule of doing good?
Ø What would we have to change
Ø What would we have to give up
Ø What difference would it make
§ In our lives
§ In the lives of others
§ In the community
§ In the world
v What challenges do we face as we seek to follow the rule?
Ø Personal
§ Doubt
§ Fear
· Of failure
· Of being overwhelmed
§ Selfishness
Ø Societal
§ Ridicule
§ Rejection
§ Persecution (define what this means in 21st century America)
v How do we sometimes seek to justify failure to be about doing good?
Ø Problems are too big
Ø Fear of our goodness being misused
Ø Judgementalism
v How should we respond to such justifications
Ø Read paragraph beginning at bottom of page 40
Ø Recognize what is in our control and what is not
§ Our actions are in our control
§ The reactions of others is not
Ø Our reward comes from knowing we did right regardless of response
v What is the difference between healthy and unhealthy self denial?
v Read 1 John 3:17-18
Ø What does it teach us?
Ø Do we ever see need and fail to meet it?
v Read Romans 12
Ø Respond
Ø How does it relate to the rule? (see especially verse 21)
THREE SIMPLE RULES
Session Five: Stay in Love with God - Understanding the Rule
v We all say we love God. What does it mean to stay in love with God?
v How do we do it?
Ø Attend to the ordinances of God
§ What does it mean
§ What are the ordinances?
· Sacraments
¨ Baptism
¨ Lord’s Supper
· Other disciplines
v What purpose do disciplines play in life?
Ø They add order
Ø They remind us of that we consider to be important
Ø They hone skills
v What disciplines do you practice?
Ø Why?
Ø What benefits do you find in them
v What does Wesley mean by “Spiritual Disciplines are a Means of Grace?”
v Wesley’s understanding and practice of the disciplines
Ø Prayer
§ He lived to pray and prayed to live
§ He saw the faith as intensely relational
§ Saw prayer as a way to draw near to God
· He arose a 4:30 or 5 every day and prayed
· Sought to pray with the changing of every hour
· Prayed at the close of day
¨ Reviewed his actions and thoughts
¨ Made confession
¨ Resolved to modify behaviors
¨ Entrusted self to God for the night
· Participated in regular corporate times of prayer
Ø Worship and Lord’s Supper
§ Declared there could be no such thing as solitary Christianity
§ Took communion as often as possible
· at least twice weekly
· Emphasized it as an instrument of remembrance
§ How do worship and communion affect your life?
Ø Bible Reading and Study
§ Declared himself to be a man of one book (but read many)
§ Made time daily for private times of scripture reading
· Made notes (journaled)
· Used wide variety of study aids
§ Participated regularly in study groups
Ø Fasting
§ Advocated a balanced approach, felt some had gone to extremes
§ Usually fasted from food but not water on Fridays
§ Fasted during Lent
§ Saw it as a means of grace, a way of receiving gifts from God
Ø Read and reflect on how these scriptures relate to staying in love with God
§ Deuteronomy 6:4-9
§ Psalm 42:1 & 2
