Living in the Tension of Hope
THE INN
Luke 14:12-14
"Don't invite those who can repay.
It's about the giving and receiving of things we cannot repay."
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In "The Inn" we create a safe place and space for connection through stories of heartache. This space is priceless and cannot be repaid. Our guests can give trust and allow their heartache to be entered. Trust given cannot be repaid.
In this setting, 'care' is offered using material from the Open Hearts Ministry Journey Books One and Two. These sessions use biblical stories of failure, rupture, harm and dysfunction. They are also stories of a biblical pathway to healing, repair and redemption. It is a place where our stories of harm can be entered; a place where we are not judged, where we won't be left alone, and where we can be seen and heard. At our Inn, we use scripture to open the door for honesty, for repair and for healing. We do not use scripture to close the door for entering and engaging the stress that trauma brings our bodies, minds and hearts. We do not use scripture to minimize our loss or use scripture to offer resurrection without entering crucifixion and death. We use the stories in the Bible to reveal the human condition, our flawed character and absolute need we all have for repair, for return and for reconnection.
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Matthew 22:34-40
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Love others as yourself."
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A PRAYER OF HOPE
Creator of my heart,
May I practice courage by showing up and letting myself be seen.
May I honor the sacredness of my story and my vulnerability.
May I be curious about my heart and my feelings,
and may I resist the urge to reason myself out of them.
May I offer myself kindness by blessing where I have been,
and blessing where I am going.
May I fight to come back to life in those places where I have become dormant,
or have even died, for I walk with a God who brings things back to life.
May I hold on to hope for myself as well as my fellow travelers.
May I be someone who holds the sorrow and pain of my story
while I also hold the beauty and weight of the glory that is within me.
May I find the path to trust You and know you as my Good Father, who runs to me.
I don't have all the answers, and I don't have solutions,
but I have people who love me and offer me care,
and that is a beautiful piece of my redemption.