The world has a tendency to constrict and restrict us, to hamper, hinder, enclose, minimize us, and to make us feel small and try to push us into its mold.
Conversely God works to ‘enlarge’ us.
A month or so ago I finished a time of meeting up with three others over coffee in a city café. We met at 6:30am on a weekday over an enjoyable time of fellowship and friendliness. There was lots of discussion and plenty of laughs along with serious talk. It was no burden for any of us to be there at that early hour. Nothing was off the table in terms of topics. But our reference point was the beatitudes which we went through one by one. Along with the Bible, Living the Beatitudes and its Study Guide were the resources and we did one of the book's chapters each week. As we looked at the beatitudes from different angles, each of us revealed different starting points. One chap was from the Greek Orthodox tradition, another was an African evangelical, and another had a keen interest in game theory. I hadn’t wanted to limit the duration of our overall time together although after several months we all felt we had gotten what we wanted out of it and so (as good friends) we finished up the morning meetings.
Recently I started another small discussion group, open to anyone from any background with any view, but ending up again with just four. We are reading each chapter aloud around the group and then, discussing it.
In another recent context, a young man who had been visiting me over the year for accountability as he struggled with a significant addiction, at the end of his tether, was not making much progress. This time the conversation was just between the two of us. It came to the point where I had to acknowledge to him that beyond hearing his confessions I couldn’t help much. I’d tried various approaches. Then I suddenly thought of something and I asked him, “Do you have my book and Study Guide on the beatitudes?”. I spoke along these lines: “I haven’t been able to help you with your addiction, but I spent seven years of my life putting these resources together in the confidence that they would help people in all walks of life facing different issues and challenges. It may help to go through them with me.” I asked if he’d be willing to study them with me. He agreed, so I said, “Don’t come back until you’ve read the first chapter so we can discuss it.”
He took the challenge and we dealt with one or two chapters a week.
After we’d finished the final beatitude, I didn’t hear from him for a week or two.
Then one day he sent the following text.
"just thought I'd text you to let you know that I'm having a fantastic week walking with the Lord. Been really reflecting on what we discussed on the beatitudes, standing up for yourself etc. Learning to be humble and meek, discerning good from evil, approaching God with a humble and gracious heart. It’s been so awesome this week. Thank you for discipling me and I'm excited about wrapping [sic] the book with you next time . . ."
All I had done was follow a thought. And our focus at some point had to be on taking the concepts in the Beatitudes further and applying them on a daily basis.
There are times when God breaks through into our lives and such times are memorable for their impact on us. They always end up being constructive. My faith would be wholly cerebral if it weren’t for the many times when God has touched me with an unmistakable sense of His presence, peace, and power, and sometimes with His hand of discipline and chastening.
My point here though is to emphasize the value of small discussion groups. And we shouldn’t be fearful of having people of different persuasions gathering around the light of the indestructible Word of God. It can stand up to any scrutiny.
Whether on the street, in a church foyer, a café, or at home; and whether discussing theology, ethics, or just life, small groups (let's say a maximum of around twelve, in my opinion) have immense value.
And indeed, what better topic to gather around and explore than the Beatitudes?
God says that we should meditate on His Word and His ways, as instructed in Psalm 1:2. That ‘meditation’ can be in the form of reading, hearing, uttering, muttering, reflecting on - and discussing His Word.
It’s one way God uses to ‘enlarge’ us.