For the Sake of Others, Guide 3: Bearing One Another’s Burdens
Take Communion (2 minutes)
Leader Note: Begin your gathering by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through John 15v8–14,17 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for being our savior, laying down his life for us, his friends.
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command…This is my command: Love each other.”
Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, consider closing this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.
Review The Last Practice (8 minutes)
Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. Remember, last time we all agreed to practice Confession by incorporating a regular rhythm of the Examen or connecting with a trusted voice to share where we have failed to love God or others:
1.For those who practiced the Examen each night, how did it feel to review your day with God and confess where you had fallen short in either thought, word, or deed? (i.e. natural, challenging, grounding, new, etc.)
2. For those who practiced confession with someone you trust, how did it feel to confess where you had fallen short of God’s command to “love the Lord your god” or “love others as yourself?” (i.e. natural, challenging, grounding, new, etc.)
3. *Optional Question* If practicing Confession in this way is something you want to make common practice in your life, how might Jesus be inviting you to do that?
Leader note: The next section will include quiet reflection, so before you begin, be sure to transition into a quiet room and find ways to best support the kids to ensure the whole Community can engage the Practice.
Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)
Before diving into our Practice for tonight, we’re going to begin by reading Galatians 6v1–5. Would anyone like to read it aloud for us?
Leader Note: Have someone read this passage aloud.
Tonight, we’re going to engage in another practice that has historically served as a pillar of Christian Community, and that is “bearing one another’s burdens.” All throughout history, God’s people have been marked by love, generosity, and co-suffering. In the book of Acts, we see Jesus’ earliest followers “having everything in common…giving to anyone who was in need” (Acts 2v44–47). The same should be said of God’s people today—that we are quick to come alongside the hurting among us and bear one another’s burdens, just as Christ has done for us.
This is the essence of Christian Community, that everyone has a need and everyone has something to give. Whether it be an emotional, spiritual, or physical need, none of us are without need. We are all human. To this point, the Apostle Paul’s words in Galatians 6v1-5, provide two primary directives we need to consider before engaging in this practice of “bearing one another’s burdens.”
First, we must humbly face our own needs and respond, however Jesus is asking us to. In Galatians 6, Paul gets really practical and says that if anyone wants to fulfill the law of love in restoring another believer, you must first “watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted…each one should test their own actions…for each one should carry their own load.” In other words, check yourself!
Consider this silly analogy: You and your roommate are moving into your new apartment on the same day. You’re already carrying a box of your own glassware into the house, but you think you’re pretty strong and decide to carry a box of your roommate’s glassware as well. When you inevitably stumble and drop that load, the both of you suffer the consequences of your pride.
If we attempt to carry the burdens of another without paying attention to our own load first, we could unintentionally cause unnecessary damage to ourselves and others. Though our practice for the night is “bearing one another’s burdens,” it is imperative that we humble ourselves and consider our own load first before carrying the burden of another.
Second, we must humbly consider the needs of others and respond however Jesus is asking us to. If we manage to do the first step correctly, we will have already humbled ourselves by assessing our own emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. This then allows us to rightfully discern with Jesus how he might be inviting us to come alongside our brother or sister in need.
Do This Practice Tonight (15 minutes)
With that said, our Practice tonight will have two movements. The first will be a time of guided prayer, to consider what we are personally carrying and ask Jesus how he would like us to respond. The second will be a time of sharing with one another what came to mind in that time of prayer and identifying how they can come alongside us.
Leader Note: Designate one leader to guide this time of prayer, simply reading what follows.
Let’s begin our time of prayer by closing our eyes, taking a deep breath in, and recentering our senses on the presence of God. [Pause Briefly]
Now, take these next few moments to consider what load you might be carrying tonight. [Pause] Maybe you have an emotional need, something causing you distress or concern. Maybe you have a spiritual need, some sin or oppressive thoughts you're wrestling with. Maybe you have a physical need, some practical challenge or financial burden. Consider what load you might be carrying tonight. [Pause Briefly]
Now, open your hands in front of you as a way of offering your load to Jesus. [Pause Briefly]
Jesus came to carry our load, and he did so “for the joy that was set before him.” Knowing this, consider what Jesus is speaking to you as you offer him your load. [Pause for a minute]
Leader Note: Close this time with a brief prayer aloud, of thanksgiving to Jesus for his kindness and nearness.
Now, let’s take the next 10 minutes to turn to the person next to us and share what Jesus revealed to us in our time with him. A few helpful reminders:
As the sharer, be as honest and specific as is appropriate, without expecting any particularly generous response from the listener. If you have an emotional need, something causing you distress or concern - consider asking someone to pray for you or to simply listen as you process that pain with them. If you have a spiritual need, some sin or oppressive thoughts you're wrestling with - in light of our previous practice, consider confessing this to someone, asking for guidance, or receiving prayer. If you have a physical need, some practical challenge or financial burden - consider asking for help or what resourcing is available that the listener might know of. (When prayer requests are made at the end of the night, that might be a good time to share this need with the group, in case others may know of resources the listener is unaware of).
As the listener, give the sharer your full attention, without interrupting, and avoid any sort of judgment or offering of advice unless asked for. This will be a tempting moment for us all to adopt a hero mentality, so remember, when listening, you should feel no pressure to fix whatever is shared. Rather, simply respond to the need with whatever grace God has given you to do so, even if it is to simply listen and pray.
I will set a 5 minute timer, during which time the sharer will speak and the listener will consider how Jesus is asking them to respond. And after those 5 minutes are up, we’ll switch roles and I’ll start another 5 minute timer.
Leader Note: Set a 5 minute timer for each person. Once it goes off, have them switch sharers and set it again. Afterwards, gather everyone back in, thank them for their vulnerability, and discuss the practice for the week ahead.
Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (2 minutes)
In the week ahead, let’s continue to practice “bearing one another’s burdens” within our Community by responding to Jesus’ invitation in one of these two ways:
If Jesus asked you to share your own burden with a counselor or trusted friend, then do so. You may also want to consider bringing a request to a pastor or your Community Leader for discernment and support.
If Jesus led you to respond to someone’s burden in a tangible way, then do so. If nothing specific arose, consider actively praying for a specific request that was shared and follow up to check in about it sometime this week.
Leader Note: If a need arises where it would seem appropriate to share the Bridgetown Benevolence Form, feel free to share this form with them or fill it out on their behalf.
End in Prayer (10 minutes)
Leader note: Offer those who responded by asking for prayer to share what they are carrying, then close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community into the first fruits of renewal through the Practice of Community.