Being Connected In A Connected World

As you watched the dvd of Ted Lowe last Sunday what thoughts and impressions did he leave with you? What do you think was the main point Ted wanted to leave with us to ponder on?

1. Culture/Technology

Discuss in your group the following:

• Is our culture negatively affecting our relationships with God and others? If so how?
• Our culture emphasizes ‘busy, busy, busy’ so if we have some spare time and have many options available to us do we feel we need to fill it with ‘doing something’ eg: checking emails, face book, etc? Do we feel rewarded if we are ‘always on the go’ eg: ‘I feel good ‘cause I did so much today?’
• While technology has changed human nature hasn’t. What basic human needs have remained the same?
• Do you make spare time to ‘chill out’, relax and de-stress?
• Do you make time to just be still to spend quality time with yourself in thoughtful reflections of important issues in your life or time with God or time with significant others?

2. Martha, Mary and Jesus

Read Luke 10:38-42.

Imagine/picture this scene being lived out. “Jesus and His disciples have arrived. Martha wanting to look after them well is frantically rushing around finding and preparing food, cooking, cutting up, setting the table etc, etc, while her younger sister Mary is seemingly just wanting to hang out with them sitting down listening to Jesus asking questions and just having a good time and leaving all the work to Martha. Well eventually it gets too much for her…!!!

• Discuss Martha’s situation, her desire to serve Jesus and His disciples and her objections to Mary’s actions or seemingly lack of action! What does Luke say had happened to Martha while focusing on preparing a big dinner?
• Discuss Mary’s attitude and actions toward helping Martha and her responsibility for sharing the work load of preparing the ‘big dinner.’ Where were her priorities? Was she being irresponsible? Could it have been different in a different setting?
• Discuss Jesus’ response to Martha. Imagine Jesus looking into her eyes perhaps with a slight smile on His face and the tone in His voice when He said to her: “My dear Martha….”
• Where were Jesus priorities? What was most important to Him? Give reasons for your answer.
• What was Jesus referring to when He said? ‘There is only one thing worth being concerned about….’

What do you think was the main point Luke was wanting to communicate to us as he included in his Gospel this incident in Jesus life?

Returning to the dvd, discuss Ted’s paraphrase of Jesus’ words: “I care more about you Being with Me than doing for me.’ Because it is our Being that loves, pauses, listens, it is intentional that loves. What comes with just Being, we have time with Jesus?”

3. Your Response

Do you struggle with being still? Does technology get in your way? Do you feel you always need to have your mobile with you and switched on? When it rings does it interrupt you having quality time with your family and significant others?

Discuss Ted’s suggestions below:

Are we present with our loved ones?

It can be a small thing eg: We are going to turn off all these things (mobiles, t.v. etc.) during dinner. We are going to say this is a no technology zone for a certain amount of time and we get everything that comes with that decision.

As parents don’t we want our kids to look back and say, “In the middle of all the technology, in the middle of all that activity my dad and my mum were present. Everyone was running crazy but we made sure we had time to connect.”

What is that one thing in your life you can do to unplug?

What is that area of your life where you can give yourself some margin to just ’rock’ (chill out, relax) and when you do you get everything that comes with that decision. What you get is connection, what you get is love, what you get is relationship.

Take time to read, take time to think, it’s the road to wisdom. Take time to laugh, take time to love, it is the way to be alive. Take time to seek, take time to pray, it is the road to God.

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