I Have Sinned

1 The Nourishing Vocation Project Near and Now: Reframing Regret: From Hindsight to Insight – Nathan & David Warm-up Question When have you made a mistake? "Conversation at Caffe Nero" by Kathleen Tyler Conklin is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Discussion Questions 1. What do you see in this image? 2. What do you feel looking at this image? 3. What stories from your own life does this image bring to mind? 4. What stories of the world does this image bring to mind? 2 I have sinned Read II Samuel 12:1-14 Bible Story Reflection David has not been making very good choices in the events leading up to this story. He found favor with God and had become quite powerful, but he began to abuse it. He slept with Bathsheba and then proceeded to have her husband, Uriah, killed. Needless to say, God was not very happy with David’s choice, so God sends Nathan to give David some tough love. Nathan uses the power of a story to shift David’s perspective and help David realize the enormity of his mistakes. After David scoffs at the foolishness of the rich man, Nathan is blunt in calling out David for his own faults and wrongdoings and inviting him into a perspective that he was not willing to see. It is possible to see yourself in both of these characters. Maybe as Nathan, when someone you care about really messed up and you need share some tough love with them. Or maybe you see yourself as David, who messes up big time and is not fully coming to terms with what you have done. We can’t always see the ways in which we have made poor decisions and caused others pain, and we may not always know of the best way to proceed, but that is why we need community. We need people who can see things that we can’t and we can do it for others as well. It will be messy, and it may not feel good, but it is a way that we can be in beloved community together. As we consider how we might fall into these roles in our own lives, we have an opportunity to reflect upon the ways in which God calls us to be in life together, to work with one another, and to invite people into reconciliation. It is not an easy task and it can involve some tough conversations, but it is holy work. We are invited into this holy work as God works in and through us to bring wisdom and support to one another. Discussion Questions 1. In what ways do you identify with Nathan? 2. In what ways do you identify with David? 3. Do you think that Nathan handled the conversation well? Why or why not? 4. How do you think David would tell his own story? 5. How do you think Nathan would tell his own story? 6. When have you had to give someone some tough love? How did it go? 7. How do you know when it is the right time to have a tough conversation? 8. How do the difficult conversations of your past impact you in the present? 9. What insight do you have for your own life from the regrets of your past? 10.How are you called to be the presence of the God who abides with people in difficult times? Written by Deaconess Brittany Barkus 3 Activity Suggestions Pretend you are writing a letter to David. What would you say? Write it out and share your letter with members of your group. Think of someone in your life that may need some encouragement. Consider what you might say to them and reach out. Stand in a circle with each person taking a turn in the middle. Lay hands on the person in the middle and tell them “You are forgiven.” Each person in turn speaks a word of encouragement to the person in the middle. Prayer Concerns Those struggling with hard conversations, acknowledging mistakes, and accompanying loved ones through difficult times Closing Prayer Forgive me my sins, O God, and raise me to new life today. In the name of +Jesus, Amen. Written by Deaconess Brittany Barkus