In this sermon, Pastor Johanna Kelly explores wordless or contemplative prayer—a form of prayer beyond language, where we meet God in silence and presence rather than through words. It reflects on those moments in life, whether joyful, sorrowful, or ordinary, when words fail and we sense the divine near. Contemplative prayer is not about doing but about being fully present, allowing God’s love to meet us where we are. As we open our hearts, we move from knowing about God to truly knowing God.
Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced a moment where words felt completely inadequate—either in sorrow or joy? What was that moment like for you?
2. Why do you think silence and stillness are often so uncomfortable for us? What tends to surface in you when you try to be quiet before God?
3. The sermon mentions that “progress in intimacy with God means progress towards silence.” What might this mean for your own prayer life?
4. What does it mean to you to bring your “whole self” to God in prayer—your past, present, hurts, and hopes?
5. How do your current images of God and of yourself shape the way you approach prayer?
6. The sermon says, “Maybe Jesus is inviting you to trust that God is love.” What might that invitation look like for you right now?
7. What practices (breath prayers, centering prayer, meditation, silence) help you become more present to God? Which ones feel most challenging?
8. If contemplative prayer is about “being fully present — in heart, mind, and body — to what is,” how might this posture transform your daily life, not just your prayer life?
9. The sermon highlights that God knocks and invites us to ‘sit and stay awhile.’ How might your community or relationships change if you embodied that same invitation for others?
10. How can contemplative or wordless prayer help bridge the divide between the seen (our human experience) and the unseen (the divine presence)?
All content for Lakeside Church is the property of Lakeside Church and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
In this sermon, Pastor Johanna Kelly explores wordless or contemplative prayer—a form of prayer beyond language, where we meet God in silence and presence rather than through words. It reflects on those moments in life, whether joyful, sorrowful, or ordinary, when words fail and we sense the divine near. Contemplative prayer is not about doing but about being fully present, allowing God’s love to meet us where we are. As we open our hearts, we move from knowing about God to truly knowing God.
Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced a moment where words felt completely inadequate—either in sorrow or joy? What was that moment like for you?
2. Why do you think silence and stillness are often so uncomfortable for us? What tends to surface in you when you try to be quiet before God?
3. The sermon mentions that “progress in intimacy with God means progress towards silence.” What might this mean for your own prayer life?
4. What does it mean to you to bring your “whole self” to God in prayer—your past, present, hurts, and hopes?
5. How do your current images of God and of yourself shape the way you approach prayer?
6. The sermon says, “Maybe Jesus is inviting you to trust that God is love.” What might that invitation look like for you right now?
7. What practices (breath prayers, centering prayer, meditation, silence) help you become more present to God? Which ones feel most challenging?
8. If contemplative prayer is about “being fully present — in heart, mind, and body — to what is,” how might this posture transform your daily life, not just your prayer life?
9. The sermon highlights that God knocks and invites us to ‘sit and stay awhile.’ How might your community or relationships change if you embodied that same invitation for others?
10. How can contemplative or wordless prayer help bridge the divide between the seen (our human experience) and the unseen (the divine presence)?
In a world shaped by symbols, Jesus gave us a table - not a throne, not a sword, not even a cross - to remember him. And in this message from Robyn Elliott, we explore how the communion table is a radical, countercultural symbol of inclusion, equity, and service, and why Paul was so fired up about it in 1 Corinthians. What does it mean to eat and drink "unworthily?" You might be surprised.
Discussion Questions:
1. What are the most meaningful symbols in your life, and what symbols have shaped your faith journey - a cross, a family tradition, a church building, a song? What do those symbols say about what you truly believe about God and yourself?
2. The cross wasn’t the original symbol of Christianity. How does this historical shift in Christian symbolism shape the way we view faith today?
3. Paul's anger in 1 Corinthians 11 targets not personal piety but communal inequality. What does this say about God's priorities for the church?
4. When have you felt excluded or welcomed at a ‘table’ - whether literal or metaphorical? How does that shape how you invite others in?
5. Are there people you struggle to make space for at your table - emotionally, socially, spiritually? Why do you think that is? What might be under that resistance?
6. How does the communion table subvert empire values like hierarchy, power, and privilege? How might that challenge the modern Western church?
7. Paul says to examine ourselves before communion - not to nitpick our morality, but to ask: Are we honouring the body (the church)? What does that look like in practice?
8. If someone observed your church’s communion practice, what might they learn about your theology of inclusion and service?
9. How do we unknowingly mirror the world’s values of status and success in our Christian communities today?
10. The early church’s meals were participatory and embodied. What have we lost (or gained) by ritualizing or formalizing communion?
11. In what ways might your life reflect the empire's way more than Jesus’ way - and how could the symbol of the table realign you?
Lakeside Church
In this sermon, Pastor Johanna Kelly explores wordless or contemplative prayer—a form of prayer beyond language, where we meet God in silence and presence rather than through words. It reflects on those moments in life, whether joyful, sorrowful, or ordinary, when words fail and we sense the divine near. Contemplative prayer is not about doing but about being fully present, allowing God’s love to meet us where we are. As we open our hearts, we move from knowing about God to truly knowing God.
Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced a moment where words felt completely inadequate—either in sorrow or joy? What was that moment like for you?
2. Why do you think silence and stillness are often so uncomfortable for us? What tends to surface in you when you try to be quiet before God?
3. The sermon mentions that “progress in intimacy with God means progress towards silence.” What might this mean for your own prayer life?
4. What does it mean to you to bring your “whole self” to God in prayer—your past, present, hurts, and hopes?
5. How do your current images of God and of yourself shape the way you approach prayer?
6. The sermon says, “Maybe Jesus is inviting you to trust that God is love.” What might that invitation look like for you right now?
7. What practices (breath prayers, centering prayer, meditation, silence) help you become more present to God? Which ones feel most challenging?
8. If contemplative prayer is about “being fully present — in heart, mind, and body — to what is,” how might this posture transform your daily life, not just your prayer life?
9. The sermon highlights that God knocks and invites us to ‘sit and stay awhile.’ How might your community or relationships change if you embodied that same invitation for others?
10. How can contemplative or wordless prayer help bridge the divide between the seen (our human experience) and the unseen (the divine presence)?
