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What Does the Lord Require? – Advent and Lent Course
What does the Lord Require? is the new Advent and Lent course based on Micah 6:8, it is an 8-part series, exploring what is meant by our ‘Yes’ to accepting God in our lives- the same ‘Yes’ which Mary, Samuel, Isaiah and Ananias each made.
‘What Does the Lord Require?’. This course we reflect on the scripture passage Micah 6:8, through a 8 week/session course over Advent and Lent. This course is free to download. You can work through this course on your own, or with a group in your church.
This printable A4 booklet includes the whole Advent and Lent course.
Introduction to the Course
The Advent Course themes:
- Walk Humbly – Wellbeing as a beloved child of God
- Love Mercy, Be Kind – The wellbeing of God’s people
- Do Justly – The wellbeing of God’s creation
The Lent Course themes:
- What Does the Lord Require? Humility – Obedience to our Father’s will
- Shalom – A life lived in relationship with God
- Mercy – Self denial, not self neglect
- Justice – Peacemaking and Equity
- The Whole Body – A flourishing community
Please feel free to use these materials in whatever way is most helpful to you. They are designed to be flexible and there is no single ‘right’ way of using them. The following general suggestions may nevertheless help.
How to Use this Course
Notes for group leaders
Consider deciding in advance how you want to ‘present’ each section of material.
- Which sections will you read aloud yourself? This may be best for the Introduction;
- Which should a group member read aloud? This can be a good idea for Dwelling in the Word and Testimony. Consider asking two or three people beforehand.
- Which should the group read quietly to themselves? This might include ‘A Bit of Background’ and ‘How, When and Where’.
The main sections of the material are intended to spark discussion and reflection.
- Timings need to be flexible and respond to what arises in conversation, but a good plan to begin with is:
- ‘First Thoughts’ and ‘Final Thoughts’ – 5 minutes each;this section with a third reading of the Bible passage. This is a good opportunity to involve other voices.
- ‘Dwelling in the Word’ – 20-30 minutes;
- ‘A Bit of Background’ – 10 minutes, mainly for question or comment rather than discussion;
- ‘How, When and Where’ – 10-15 minutes;
- ‘Testimony’ – 15-20 minutes.
The Introduction and Opening and Closing Prayers should not be rushed but do not need to be discussed. Overall, you should allow at least 90 minutes for the whole session but no more than two hours.
Dwelling in the Word is a form of Lectio Divina, an ancient tradition of prayerful reading of Scripture.
Ideally you should have the passage read aloud twice, with some silence in between each reading, before turning to the questions that follow it. You should conclude this section with a third reading of the Bible passage. This is a good opportunity to involve other voices.
Notes for individuals using at home
Set aside the time to engage with each week’s session. This could be in one long session, or several shorter ones. Try to make sure that there is minimal risk of being interrupted.
Consider reading some of the material out loud. This may be particularly valuable in the Dwelling in the Word and Testimony sections. Although it may feel a little awkward, reading out loud can help you to engage with the words in a different way. This might be particularly helpful with the words of Scripture.
For those sections intended for discussion and reflection, have a notebook to hand and jot down your ideas. Try not to rush this. If you have questions, write these down too and make a commitment to ask someone you trust about them later.
Above all, take your time! You could read a week’s session in less than 15 minutes, but the value of the material will be far greater if you give time and space for prayerful reflection and make a record of any ideas that occur to you.