Discussion Questions | 7 March 2021

It has been almost a year since we have been physically gathering together on a Sunday. We have all been affected by the COVID restrictions and all felt the implications of these restrictions for living out our faith.

Now that services have recommenced, some of us are choosing to continue to engage online while others are back meeting together. But as restrictions appear to ease and the joy of seeing one another again is experienced … a deeper question prevails … NOW WHAT?

‘What are we doing here?’ What are we doing? Why should we gather? Who are we? Who am I in this? Who am I supposed to be? Where are we headed? What is this all about? What difference does this make? How do we connect with one another? How do we conduct ourselves?

We could just go back to the way things were pre-COVID … or has God been working through COVID to more deeply confirm and press into us some things?

This week Ps Chee looked into what does this all mean for “our community”. When God called us to be a kingdom of priests, it wasn’t just for our individual calling, but our calling as a community to reveal the character of God in everyday life. Using the passage from Exodus 21-23, God wasn’t just providing a list of regulations, but casting a vision of the community that God wanted to build. God wanted a world that looks like Him and His method of creating it is to create a people that look like Him. God wanted a community that showed:

DISCUSSION

1) God’s fairness, justice and reconciliation

2) God’s compassion for the oppressed

3) God’s ownership

Discuss one or more of the following questions:

1. Following this week’s service, what did you most remember and why?

2. Ps Chee shared that “Exodus 21-23 was more than just a list of regulations. God wanted a world that looks like Him and His method of creating it is to create a people that look like Him.” How does this change the way you read those regulations?

3. Read Exodus 21:1-10. What do you learn about the character of God in these verses? How can we display that character as a community today?

4. Read Exodus 21:12-36. What do you learn about the character of God in these verses? How can we display that character as a community today?

5. Read Exodus 22:1-14. What do you learn about the character of God in these verses? How can we display that character as a community today?

6. Read Exodus 21:16-31. What do you learn about the character of God in these verses? How can we display that character as a community today?

7. Read Exodus 23:1-13. What do you learn about the character of God in these verses? How can we display that character as a community today?

8. Our church community seeks to practice some of these principles through our care and local ministries. You can be an active part of this as a community by:

– Financially giving – to love loud meals or sow a seed funds (https://www.claytonchurch.org.au/love-loud/)

– Volunteering as a driver – you can join the team of drivers on Saturday who delivers our love loud meals to those in need (https://www.claytonchurch.org.au/love-loud/)

– Serving on the care / local team – if you have a passion, interest or gifting to join the care or local team, please email Shamilla (shamilla.thiruganaselvam@claytonchurch.org.au ) to express your interest even if you’re uncertain how you can serve.

9. What do you think you need to un-learn or learn this week?