No. 59 Forgiving Our Parents

Facilitator______________
Date___________________

Group Session Plan from FUSN (developed by Bill Horne)

Chalice/Candle Lighting

Opening Words:

Blessed is the fire that burns deep in our souls. It is the fire of reason, the fire of compassion, the fire of community, the fire of justice, the fire of faith. But it is, above all, the fire of love burning deep in our hearts; the divine glow in every life.
anonymous

Martin Luther’s father opposed his becoming a priest. His father publicly berated him at his induction ceremony saying, among other highly provocative things, that Luther’s disobedience was a violation of the fifth commandment’s injunction to honor your parents.

Later, when Luther was famous, he wrote to his father publicly about the event: “You again hit me so cleverly and fittingly that in my whole life I have hardly heard a word that resounded in me more forcefully and struck me more firmly. I listened to you as to another human being and felt deep contempt for you; yet belittle your word in my soul, I could not." Bill Horne

Check-in/Sharing

Topic/Activity:
We are all, inevitably, wounded by our parents in some way. Very likely not as forcefully or as thoroughly as Luther, but wounded nonetheless. It is not that parents are malicious, just that, no matter how careful they may be, they will inevitably inflict pain on their children. What has been your pain? And how have you resolved it? Have you forgiven them? If so, how? If not, what would need to happen to make such forgiveness possible?

Select the topic and location for the next meeting

Check-out

Closing Words:

When we respond to hurt by hurting, to insult by insulting, to indignity by degrading -- when we respond in kind, are we not merely adding anger and darkness to the world? Are we not keeping open the wound in ourselves by inflicting that wound on another? To heal we must forgive. And to forgive, is never easy.
anonymous