SESSION 1

THE WORLD YEARNS FOR ASSURANCE

He made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water.

— Psalm 18:11

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

— 1 Corinthians 13:12

OBJECTIVES

[] Participants will wrestle with traditional readings of the historical creeds of the Church and how they frame our understanding of God.

[] Participants will come away with a broader understanding of how the historic creeds of the Church function to frame our conversation on holiness and sexuality.

[] Participants will ponder the similarities and differences of "believe" and "trust."

SUPPLIES

[] pencils or pens (1 per participant)

[] candle and matches

[] These Are Our Bodies Young Adult Leader Guides (1 per facilitator)

[] These Are Our Bodies Young Adult Participant Books (1 per participant)

[] index cards (for use with the Question Box)

[] Question Box (or bag ...)

[] timer or stopwatch (cellphone timer works well)

[] easel paper

[] copies of the Book of Common Prayer (one per participant) or copies of The Nicene Creed, the Definition of the Union of the Divine and Human Natures in the Person of Christ, and The Creed of Saint Athanasius

[] markers

[] name tags

PREPARATION

[] Gather needed supplies.

[] Set up the room for the session. It is best to arrange the furniture in a way that facilitates group discussion.

[] Read through the entire session and make notes or conversation prompts.

[] Review the Guidelines (see pp. 14 and 21).

[] Review the explanation of the Question Box (pp. 15 and 28–29).

[] Create the name tags for the participants.

SUGGESTIONS

[] Review These Are Our Bodies: Foundation Book, Chapter 6: "A New Way of Understanding our Sexuality" beginning on page 47.

[] Young adults may readily understand the complexity of human sexuality or they may be reticent to do so based on any number of factors including religious and family upbringing and exposure to popular media. Do not be overly anxious if you ask a question and you find that people seem to be reluctant to respond. Offering ample time for people to contemplate provides room for ponderers and introverts to feel included. Give it time. Also, it might be helpful for you to model the responses you desire by an appropriate amount of sharing.

[] There is a mystery to our faith that we value, not just as Christians, but also as a church. We do not claim to know all the answers, and we welcome questions. As we begin to come together to have conversations, it's important to name, and claim, a space of openness.

[] Assurance is not a new concept for young adults. As everyone takes turns reading, listen and encourage exploration. Invite participants to listen for contradictions written about the nature of God as the historical creeds of the Church are reviewed.

[] As you prepare for this session, it might be useful to familiarize yourself with the language of a mystic, and how they approach the space between what we know, and what we don't. For example: "This darkness and cloud is always between you and God, no matter what you do and it prevents you from seeing him clearly by the light of understanding in your own reason and from experiencing him in the sweetness of love in your affection. So set yourself to rest in this darkness as long as you can, always crying out after him whom you love. For it you are to experience him or to see him at all, insofar as it is possible here, it must always be in this cloud and in this darkness."

ENTER

(10 minutes)

Welcome

• Welcome participants to the class. If time allows, you might do a brief check-in to bring people more fully into the experience.

• Distribute name tags.

• Hand one Participant Book to each participant in the class.

• You might also let the participants know what time you expect to finish and ask someone to be the timekeeper.

• Ask for a volunteer to light the candle to sanctify your time together.

Housekeeping

• The location of restrooms.

• The time you intend to end the session.

• The policy on phone usage during the session.

• Reiterate the commitment to confidentiality and group trust.

• Remind the class that you are mandated reporter.

Guidelines

Review the norms with which your sessions will be guided. Write each of the below statements on a piece of easel paper and ask the group to discuss what each means. This is a helpful exercise, especially if the participants are unfamiliar with one another, but feel free to omit it if you are pressed for time, as they are somewhat self-explanatory. (They are also found at the beginning of each session in the Participant Book.) After each guideline has been discussed, ask the group to agree to them as a way of framing your time together:

To encourage respectful dialogue, growth, honesty, and respect, we invite participants to agree to these guidelines. Please read together:

I will listen with care to others, and hold the stories and questions raised here in confidence. I will honor the vulnerability in others, and trust that they will honor the same in me.

I recognize that everyone comes to this conversation with different backgrounds, experiences, values, and views. I will respectfully seek clarification with other perspectives to add to my understanding, and if I disagree with someone I will do so carefully and lovingly.

I understand that in order for everyone to participate, I will need to refrain from talking too much, leaving space for others to speak before I speak again.

Opening Prayer

Together say the following prayer (found on p. 9 of the Participant Book).

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ENGAGE

(20 minutes)

Introducing These Are Our Bodies:

As this is the first session, introduce the goals of the program, how each gathering will be structured, and then share this...