Lent I

1. We are talking about shame and, as I mentioned in the episode, I would imagine the scriptures this week would be some of the most likely to induce shame. So we start with this: How did you feel during the reading of the scriptures this week? What does the story of “the fall” make you feel? What does Jesus’ temptation in the desert make you feel?

2. Did you grown up in a tradition that emphasized something like “altar calls?” Are you still in that same tradition? How do you asses those experiences now? What are the positives? What are the negatives? What impact have they made on your life?

3. Do you have any awareness of shame that you carry? This is a very sensitive subject, so please share to your comfort level, but begin to share that with the group.

4. Discuss the difference between guilt and shame. Make some commitments to each other as we enter this season of confession and repentance. How will you ensure that you will stay on the health side of this tension?

5. Confess to each other? What have you become aware of that is trending toward the chaotic? Support each other. Brainstorm opportunities for reconciliation and help each other to move beyond the pain of the transgression toward reconciliation.