A. How do we respond to a world like this?

B. Imagination fueled with truth

C. Beauty as a signpost

A. Filling the holes in the world Isaiah 11:1-2; 6-10

A. A Servant King Isaiah 42:1-9

A. Lazarus as a signpost Isaiah 58:1-11

• Have you experienced the world’s beauty in a way that left you catching your breath or with a lump in your throat? When and how? What was your response to it?

• When and how have you experienced the world’s ugliness that left such an impression on you? What was your response to it?

• Discuss the role of the imagination in dealing with the tension created by these two experiences.

• In the John 12 passage, how is Lazarus a signpost and what is he pointing to?

• Share your thoughts on the statement, “The practices of Lent are not an end but instead the means to an end.” In reference to Isaiah 58, what is the end?

II. The Jesus Story

• Isaiah 50:4-9

• Philippians 2

• Read Philippians 2:5-11. How does it make you feel that Jesus entered into our world in order to live into our story?

• How do you feel / what do you think about bringing your griefs, sorrows, and disappointments to Jesus and living into his story of redemption?

• What would it look like in your life for Jesus to meet you where you are in your life? How would you feel? How would it impact the way you live?

• Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about what it looks like for you to live into Jesus' story. Take time to listen.

I. The power and problems of prayer | James 5:16
A. The power of prayer
B. The opportunity and responsibility of prayer
C. The problems and challenges of prayer

II. Imagine that…prayer requires imagina4on | 2 Corinthians 3:14-18; 4:3-6
A. Accessing the spiritual realm/reality
B. The “Inner Sanctum” and the imagination
C. Seeing is believing…faith and imagination
D. Prayer as rehearsal for life in the kingdom

For Further Discussion:
• How do you feel about using your imagination in prayer? Do you think it is a good idea or a bad idea? Why?
• What things get in the way of you hearing the voice of God in prayer? (not an audible voice)
• How would imagining prayer be different from non--imagining prayer?
• How would the imagination energize prayer for others who are suffering from disease, tragedy, or difficult circumstances?
• What do you think about prayer as a rehearsal for life? How would the imagination aid that kind of prayer?
 

I. Face to face meetings
A. It is not our first meeting with God! | Genesis 2:7; Psalm 139:13-14
• “People can deal with the ambiguity of the world much more effectively when they consistently experience God as loving and themselves as being loved by God.” Gregory Boyd
B. Why don’t our lives reflect more of the truth?
1. Relationships with God, ourselves, and others are mediated by images, embodied experiences in our minds.
C. We need additional face to face meetings! | 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:1-2

II. Imagine that...you are face to face | 2 Corinthians 3:18; Jeremiah 18:3-6
A. Face to face with our creator…again!
B. We are His workmanship, His masterpiece! | Ephesians 2:10; Romans 8:29
C. Face to face meetings with God that result in transformation require imaginative spirituality.
1. Full engagement of all our senses in prayer and worship results in…
• Carving a new path in our imagination that becomes an avenue for healing and freedom
• The removal of deceptive, debilitating, and joy-killing lies
• The installation of concrete, experiential truths
D. Doing imaginative spirituality
1. Lose familiarity and embrace new ways to take control of the imagination
2. Be aware of His presence that surrounds you
3. Give what you see and hear from God more credibility than anything else
4. Keep the clay wet!

For Further Discussion:
• Which part of today’s talk challenged you the most? In what ways? Why?
• Have you embodied any lies that have negatively affected your image of God? When those images are triggered, how do you deal with it? What about wrong images of yourself? Do you feel hopeful that God can shape you differently?
• Discuss the potter and clay analogy. What does it mean to be clay in God’s hands?
• Where are you most pliable? Where do you see His fingerprints? Where are you most hardened to God’s love and shaping?
• Relate your experiences with imaginative spirituality.

I. Imagine that...You are surrounded...
A. By a neurologically generated virtual world of the mind!
1. If this world is out of sync with the truth then our experience of the world will also be out of sync with the truth.
2. Our task is not to establish truth but to apply truth to all our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. (Romans 12:2)
• The design of the Satan: Conformity to the world
• The design of God: Transformation/renovation of the imagination
• Waging war on the right battlefield (2 Corinthians 10:5)
B. By the word of Christ richly dwelling within! (Colossians 3:16)
1. Within us; surrounding us with a story
2. Among us; surrounding us with a community
C. By a social context for transformation by the renovation of the imagination!

For Further Discussion:
• Is it generally more difficult for you to experience God’s truth about yourself or about other people? Why?
• How would your life be different if you really embodied what God says about you?
• Is there anything specific that God is calling you to believe/embody? How will you co-operate to see that happen?
• Describe a time in your life when you were surrounded by or part of a community that led to your conformity to the world. How did that experience compare to our discussion of the design of Satan?
• What has been your experience within a social context for transformation? (church, small group, friends, etc.)

I. Before the truth sets you free | John 9:1-7
A. “…a world has been pulled over your eyes.” (Morpheus; The Matrix)
1. The brain is wired to be told what to do, if not by us, then by people and forces other than us.
2. The man, the disciples, and the Pharisees
B. We are unable to free ourselves but we cannot remain passive either.
1. Obedience with a little irritation

II. Taking the red pill | John 9:7-38
A. Truth-communicating events use the God-given efficiencies of our imaginations to set us free. (verse 7)
B. A re-presentation of the truth communicating event
1. “How then were your eyes opened?” (verse 10)
• “…the man called Jesus…”
2. “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” (verse 17)
• “He is a prophet…”
3. “How did He open your eyes?” (verse 26)
• “…a man from God!”
4. “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (verse 35)
• “Lord, I believe.” And then he worshiped…

III. Conclusion
Brains, beer, and theology…

For Further Discussion:
• What are your thoughts on the statement, “You must battle concrete, experiential lies with concrete, experiential truths”? If you were to accept this as true, how would you do it?
• “Your entire sense of reality has been almost entirely given to you rather than chosen by you.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?
• Are there aspects of your experiential identity that do not align with God’s truth about you? What are they? How do they make you feel? How can they be changed?

Good Reads:
• Escaping the Matrix by Gregory A. Boyd & Al Larson

I. The binding and blinding power of religion | John 8
A. A commitment to laws and lies results in bondage
B. A commitment to propositional religion blinds us to the truth

II. The liberating power of truth | John 8:31-32
A. A commitment to truth…
1. “If you abide in My word…”
• “meno” – continue in; live in
• “logos” – expression of thought; discourse
• 1 Corinthians 2:16 “mind of Christ” – imagination
2. “…then you are truly disciples of Mine…”
• “mathetes”-- a learner; to learn; thought followed by endeavor of imitating the teacher
3. “…and you shall know the truth…”
• “ginosko” – truth obtained not by mere intellect but by the operation of the Holy Spirit; experiential
• “aletheia” – reality at the base of appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter
4. “…and the truth shall make you free…”
• “eleutheroo” – to make free; to liberate

IV. Imagine that…truth sets you free | John 9
A. Creating truth communicating events
1. Imagine; embrace; follow/obey
B. Becoming something more than an extension of someone else’s story
1. Notice the progression…
• A man; a prophet; a man from God; Lord

For Further Discussion:
• What comments or questions did you have regarding today’s talk?
• How did Jesus liberate the man born blind beyond the obvious physical healing?
• How did this talk illustrate what we have discussed regarding the renovation of our imagination?
• While we can do nothing apart from Christ, what is our role in this process of transformation?

A. Renewing the imagination | Romans 12:1-2

B. Sifting the imagination | 2 Corinthians 10:5

C. Setting the imagination | Colossians 3:2

Reflection:

Over the past two weeks…

1. What thoughts have been dominant in your mind?

2. What feelings have been dominant?

3. How has your body felt during this time?

4. What might God want you to see?

• What was your initial response to the directed time of reflection?

• Was it uncomfortable to you? Why or why not?

• Did the whole idea of you having ownership of and responsibility for your imagination throw you off? Why or why not?

• Does it seem like something that you are manufacturing? Does it seem fake or contrived? If so, what are the alternatives?

• How do you plan to implement what was taught today?

A. With “eyes of the heart” closed the imagination is a blank canvas...

B. We are products of our upbringing and have been shaped by our surroundings, culture, education, religion, and experience in the world.

• What we do in our imagination shapes our life

• We think more with images than we do with information

A. Why are Christians so afraid of the imagination?

• New Age Movement; Modern Science; Church history

B. The role of the imagination

• Accessing reality

• Transformation

C. The role of the Holy Spirit

• Accessing reality (John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 3:16; Colossians 1:9-10)

• Transformation (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18)

A. Discipleship of the imagination!

• What reality is running between your ears? (2 Corinthians 10:5)

• Bringing Christ into the imagination (Colossians 3:2; 1 Corinthians 2:9-13)

- Prayer, meditation, worship, silence, Bible study

• What objections do you have to the possibility of a “sanctified imagination”?

• Why do you think we/you have resisted the imagination when it comes to our Christian faith?

• What has been your experience with transformation? Would you attribute your development in Christ more to mental assent to propositions or personal experience with the Holy Spirit?

• How important would it be to be able to imagine the world other than we see it through natural eyes? Why?

A. It seems that Jesus is always seeing things we do not see, or at least sees things differently than we see them.

• The boats and the nets

B. Jesus is reclaiming the boats and nets for their intended purposes.

• There is nothing inherently wrong with repairing boats and washing nets but they were not created to simply be washed!

C. Does Jesus have the inherent right to barge into our lives, challenge our “stuckness,” lay claim to our boats and nets, and then put them to use in fulfilling their intended purpose?

A. Why would we ever tell God, “No” about anything?

• We are from a generation that does not follow instructions or submit to authority easily.

• Culturally speaking, we see life, the world, people, and issues differently and we are smarter…than anyone.

B. Why did Peter do what he was asked?

• What moved him to action? What got him unstuck?

• Between what he heard and saw, his imagination for the kingdom was converted.

A. Things we have learned along the way…

B. Our success and size have made us vulnerable…

C. Our mission is larger when we see what Jesus sees…

D. Our boat and our nets are too small…

E. Too many of us are stuck on the shore…

F. God is speaking, moving, calling us to change…

G. So, then…what will we do?

• What does it look like in your life when you personally get stuck on the shore? How do you explain/handle/justify being in that place?

• What was your first response to the question, “Does Jesus have the inherent right to challenge the status quo and lay claim to you, your boats, and nets?”

• In what ways has he challenged you lately?

• What can/will you do to answer the call to act in an immediate, visceral, and bodily way to his call?