Worshipping the self revealing God - a reflection using the seven I AM statements of Jesus

Intro...

I lead a time of worship in our small group last night.  I am aware that I often adopt a style of worship that starts where I am and tries to spiral up to God.  The danger of that is I often end up creating God in my image, or trying to add him into my agenda.  I tried in the reflection to reverse that, to start with the revelation of who God is and that self revelation, spiralling down to me and sweeping me up into God's story rather than trying to put God into mine.

I was inspired to use the seven 'I AM' statements of Jesus - not least because Jesus is God revealing himself - through his humanity and divinity he has one arm around the Father and one arm around us. 

The format I used was to have:

• a creative action to help people focus/experience,
• reading out loud the I AM saying of Jesus read out,
• spending some time in silence to reflect on those words,
• a prayer read by me as a response; and
• inviting people to make it their worship by saying out loud 'in your presence we worship you.

The reflection...

I am the bread of life

action: take loaf of bread, break and pass round for people to have a piece.

Verse: Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.

Response: Jesus we choose again to align our lives with you.  Thank you that in you we find our fulfilment, not in serving ourselves but in being a servant like you.  You know where we are empty, where we hunger and thirst, please satisfy us, fill us, and consume us. 

All: In your presence, we worship you.

I am the light of the world

Action:  light a candle

Verse: I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.

Response: Thank you Jesus that it is you who is the light of the world.  Help us to live in your light.  Search us and fill us with your light so that the darkness in us is pushed back.  Make us your lights in the worlds we live in to the people and places we know.

All: In your presence, we worship you.

I am the gate

Action: fold arms, cross legs – as I read uncross them, relax open your body and self up.

Verse: I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

Response: Jesus we confess that we often kill, destroy and steel life away from ourselves and others.  We have chosen other places for our safety and security and hidden behind the gates of our fear.  We have felt the pain and loss as life has broken in and stolen us away from you and our humanity.  Thank you Jesus that we have that promise in you of real life.  That with you and each other we can go through this real life of tears and laughter and find freedom and hope.

All: In your presence, we worship you.

I am the good Shepard

Action: whisper in the person to your left’s ear as if voice of Jesus: ‘I love you and delight in you' so it goes round the whole circle [think chinese whispers]

Verse: I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father."

Response: Jesus you are our good shepard, you know us and allow us to be know you and each other.  You call us by name and care for each one of us.  Help us to hear your voice and know we are truly loved. Let us live in your love, free to tend and care, guide and serve.  Jesus help us to freely lay down our rights, our lives and let us be known as good because we are known as yours.

All: In your presence, we worship you.

I am the resurrection and the life

Action: close eyes then when you are ready open them, take in your surroundings anew.

Verse: "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?"

Response:  Thank you Jesus that in you our lives are resurrected.  That our life starts now with you and that death is not the end of our story.  Help us see our life as you see it in preparation for the life to come.  Help us live this life with our eyes open to see and our hands ready to help.  Thank you as our resurrection and life we have become part of your story and so in you our stories will live forever.  Thank you Jesus that we will be like you, you will restore our humanity and we will one day be raised from the dead - alive in spirit and flesh with you for all eternity.  We believe it even as we don't understand it.

All: In your presence, we worship you.

I am the way the truth and the life

Action: give everyone a spoon.  Ask them to look at their reflection in it and see how it is like them but not like them, how they are distorted and changed.  Put a mirror on the floor and a cross on it.  Ask people to look in the mirror and see their reflection now, that that through the life, death and resurection of Jesus our life, our humanity is being restored - no longer distorted images of humanity but in, through and with Jesus, the perfect image-bearer, we are being recreated in God's image]

Verse: Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!"

Response: Thank you Jesus that the way to the Father is about living  like you, through you, because of you.  Jesus in your humanity you were the perfect image bearer of God's image and in you we find the true image of our humanity.  You have made the way and through the cross to embrace the pain and help restore the broken humanity in us and the world around us.  Jesus thank you that you are the truth, not an abstract set of rules to possess and control but a person we can know, love and relate to, as you as fully human can relate to us.  Holy Spirit help us know and be known more and more so our lives become truth filled and alive.   

All: In your presence, we worship you.

I am the vine, you are the branches

Action: pass round a ball of wool, each personwrap it around their hand pass on it on to the next person, until everyone in the circle is connected together by the wool.

Verse: "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

Response: Jesus, thank you that we are one branch of your vine. You have chosen us, call us and connect us to you and each other.  Let your life flows in us, through us and out of us as we abide in you.  Father, like Jesus, may the Spirit produce an abundant harvest in our lives of love, kindness, patience, peace, generosity and self discipline.

All: In your presence, we worship you.

Comments

[Lyn]

ooo, love this! Thanks for posting it.

[David]

ooooh
good stuff

[Jason Clark]

That is very very cool.

[Rupert Ward]

i echo what others have said. I like it very much.

I particularly like the almost liturgical element to it!

[Paul]

thanks lyn :) how did it impact/inspire you?

[Paul]

thanks David, how did it work for you?

[Paul]

thanks Jase, i love it when theology, worship and deep church all come together in connecting me deeper into God's story :)

[Paul]

thanks rupert, you spotted it heh. I wanted it to have a rhythm to it and make it not just me doing it but participatory as well - thought doing it as spoken liturgy would work - altho learning point for me, i could do with saying 'and we all say together' first before the all parts :)

[D.G. Hollums]

There is no spoon. But there is excellence in study and depth of growth. Thank you for your thoughts and insight!

[Paul]

Thanks DG, much appreciated!

[Greg Laughery]

I echo the other comments. Thanks for this. Having lived in Christian community for over twenty years I think that participation and a sense of belonging are essential to the journey. The notion of "theodrama" may fit with this post.

[Paul]

Thanks Greg, could you explain what theodrama is and why you think it would fit with the post, please?