The Beloved Community Discussion Guide - Part 2

Welcome
Welcome, friends. For the next three weeks, the discussion guide will look a bit different than usual. There will be time at the beginning to note a few thoughts about the sermon, consider related scripture, and answer a few questions. Ideally this discussion will take about 15 minutes. We want to leave the bulk of our time for a deeper discussion of the Implicit Bias Course.

The course has three sections and is designed to not just recognize and acknowledge that all humans have biases, but also to move us along toward productive use of our awareness. In the introduction last week, we learned that racism is sin. This week, we want to look deeper into our hearts and minds to discover how it influences us.

Opening Prayer 
Just as we started last week, we begin today with “An Invitation to Brave Space.”
Lord, hear our prayer.

An Invitation to Brave Space
By Micky ScottBey Jones inspired by a poem by Beth Strano

Together we will create brave space
Because there is no such thing as a “safe space”
We exist in the real world
We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds.
In this space
We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world,
We amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere,
We call each other to more truth and love
We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow.
We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know,
We will not be perfect.
This space will not be perfect.
It will not always be what we wish it to be
But
It will be our brave space together,
and
We will work in it side by side….

Check In
This is the second week of our series, Beloved Community. Last week we were challenged to consider the sin of racism. Were you able to sit in the discomfort of that first message? Use the Wheel of Emotional Words to describe your feelings about this series going forward.

The Sermon
This week we are focused on what we see and do not see. Together as a group, read the account of “The Good Samaritan” in Luke 10:23-37 or have someone retell the story in their own words. Jesus finishes the story with a question in verse 36: “What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered the thieves?”

• What groups do you think might be represented if Jesus told this story today? 
• How does implicit bias impact the way we see one another?
• What resonated with you most from the sermon this week?

Romans 7:19-20

“I don’t do the good I want to do, but I do the evil that I do not want to do. But if I do the very thing that I don’t want to do, then I’m not the one doing it anymore. Instead it is sin that lives in me that is doing it.”

This is a confusing thought. Not me, but sin within me. This could imply that our deepest thoughts and emotions have tremendous influence over our actions.

• How would you explain this scripture in your own words?
• What is our responsibility when it comes to such deep sin?

Transition
As we transition to our discussion of the Implicit Bias course, it is important to remember that All humans have Implicit Bias. This is our opportunity to create Brave Space together.

Implicit Bias Course
Seeing: Recognizing Implicit Bias

• Discuss the definitions set out for this course. In what ways are they consistent or inconsistent with your own understanding and experience with bias? 
• Share some of the “first thoughts” you wrote down this past week. What did you learn from this exercise?
• In what ways do the implicit biases you hold work against your stated beliefs, values, and commitments?
• What specific areas of your life might God be calling you to rethink? Which of these areas feels exciting to you? Which areas do you feel uneasy or concerned about?
• How does recognizing our implicit biases open the door for new possibilities?