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May 2026 – Week Two

  • 4 minutes ago
  • 4 min read

Open In Prayer 

Begin by praying together – taking some intentional time to breathe, be still, and invite the Holy Spirit to be with you all as you set aside time to be together.


Below is an optional liturgy you could pray: 

And so we are gathered here, we particular people in this singular time and place. Accomplish your purposes among us, O God. Tune our hearts to the voice of Your Spirit. Wake us to be present to you and to one another. Amen.

Around The Table & Reflect On Last Gathering’s Practice

This is space during your gathering to share a meal, build relationships, and enjoy one another. 


  • What’s been one point of pain and one point of joy in your past week?


Read This Aloud Together

As we continue in our series, What is a Christian? Rediscovering the Faith We Didn't Invent as a church, we are going to continue our exploration of the Nicene Creed within our Ethos Communities.


During our next two gatherings, we are going to focus on the next several lines of the Nicene Creed that focus on the person of the Holy Spirit:


Read This Portion of The Nicene Creed Aloud Together

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

Watch: The Familiar Stranger (20 minutes)


Discussion Questions

  • Read John 14:25-27 together. Do you buy it? Why or why not? 


  • Do you feel like there’s a gap between the life promised in the Bible and the one you’re living? Why or why not?


  • What is your relationship to the person of the Holy Spirit? What are your reservations or skepticisms? What are your questions or desires when it comes to knowing the person of the Holy Spirit?


Practice: Processing Your Emotions About God, With God, In Silence

“Silence and solitude are the most radical of the spiritual disciplines because they most directly attack the sources of human misery and wrongdoing. To be in solitude is to choose to do nothing. For extensive periods of time. All accomplishment is given up. Silence is required to complete solitude, for until we enter quietness, the world still lays hold of us. When we go into solitude and silence, we stop making demands on God. It is enough that God is God and we are his. We learn we have a soul, that God is here, that this world is ‘my Father’s world.’” - Dallas Willard


This practice is similar to our last one. However, you’re going to focus on processing your emotions about God, with Him…in silence. 


You may find this exercise works better for you at night before bed, midmorning when your toddler is napping, or on your lunch break; that’s great. But for the vast majority of people, we recommend first thing in the morning, when your body is rested, your heart open, and the day is new.


  1. Find a quiet place  that is as distraction-free as possible. This may be in your home, in nature, or in the car.

 

  1. Begin to take long, slow breaths from your belly all the way up through your lungs. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. If you want, count up 5 seconds on the inhale and down 5 seconds on the exhale.


  1. With each inhale, prayerfully welcome the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit into the deepest place within you. You may want to repeat a simple prayer like “Come Holy Spirit” or “Lord, have mercy on me” or just “Jesus.” Something to keep your mind focused and to let this be more than just breathing, but prayer.


  1. Your mind will seize this opportunity to run wild with thoughts, feelings, memories, to-dos, and distractions. That’s okay. Don’t judge yourself, feel bad, give up, or worry. Distraction doesn’t mean you’re “bad” at prayer; it means you’re human. When you notice your mind starting to wander, just come back to your breathing or your prayer word. 


  1. Now that you are centered in your body and in God, consider how you feel when you think about God - including the person of the Holy Spirit.

    Begin to let yourself feel…let whatever is in you come up. Just notice it. Don’t fight it or run away from it or feel guilty about it or judge it - just notice it. Let the feeling be. Then name the emotion and be as specific as possible. You may want to utilize the following list of emotions. Just pick out 1-3 feeling words that put language to what you’re experiencing in your body.



  1. Just sit in those feelings. Sink into them. Normally, we turn away from them and run in the opposite direction. Instead, turn and face them, like you would an ocean wave, and let it wash over you and then pass you by.


  1. Then, pray Jesus’ Gethsemane Prayer.

    1. Give God your feelings - Tell him what you are feeling, with no filter.

    2. Give God your desires - Tell him what you really want, good or bad.

    3. Give God your trust - Surrender your heart again to him. Stop grasping for control and yield yourself to God and his will for your life. You may want to pray Jesus’ own prayer, “Not my will, but yours be done.”


There are twelve different episodes of the Familiar Stranger podcast. Choose one that stands out to you!


End in Prayer

Before you conclude, spend some time as a Community praying for one another.


Below is an optional liturgy you could pray: 

Lord Jesus, There is no greater prayer than yours — make us one as you are one, in devotion, in living, in love. Amen.

 
 
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