Vulnerable & Saved - Support in a Certain Light (Focus 2 of 4)

Do you have a “saved by the bell” moment - that is, a time when you were going to be in trouble but at the last second something happened that made all the difference?

(Maybe, for instance, you had completely slept through a final exam until your roommate, returning from that same exam, woke you up and you were able to run and explain yourself to a very compassionate teacher...)

Now that you've answered the icebreaker question, here's another question to think about - this one about who you can accept.

See what this Spotlight—and series— is focused on.
Tap on the words "Focus 2" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.

Hopefully that is enough to get you started. For now, say this prayer before you move on:

Lord, 
We can all be wounded, 
we can all cause wounds,
and so we all need saving.
Thank you for all you do
to make us safe.
Amen. 

Allow a lion to teach you about how God can keep you safe.

Read this section from C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia in which the young protagonists learn about Aslan, the lion who will save the land of Narnia.

"Is—is he a man?" asked Lucy.

"Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the lion, the great Lion."

"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

So, a few questions…

• Can he keep you safe? Yes. 
• Do you need to be kept safe because you're vulnerable? Yes.
• Could the power he uses to keep you safe wound you if he used it that way? Yes. 
• Is it good that he is good? Absolutely, it is.

Confess and proclaim that you are vulnerable.

• Have one person volunteer to read the italicized paragraphs, aloud,
• and the whole group respond to each with the words "I am vulnerable."

Lord, let us not be too proud to come before you and, with humble but hopeful hearts, find the goodness in saying these words: 

I am vulnerable.

To the schemes, lies and attacks of the devil, as he prowls around seeking whom he may devour, as he tries to exploit my shame and guilt, as he whispers lies about the weakness of love and the power of control, and as he distracts me from what's important…

I am vulnerable.

To the short-lived trends and logical fallacies of the world around me, as it listens to whatever voice is loudest, as it looks to whatever light flashes most wildly, and as it says whatever it needs to say to give me excuses to avoid admitting that…

I am vulnerable.

To the arrows of my enemies, when they are seeking to cause me pain or harm, when I am contorting myself into something I am not to please them, and when I am taking part in the broken version of society where we believe someone must lose for someone else to win even though I can't survive that system because…

I am vulnerable.

To self-inflicted wounds, as I reject myself because I struggle to believe you when you say I am loved, I am worthy, I am enough, and I am yours. Help me see that you were pierced for my transgressions and crushed for my iniquities not to show me what it takes to become invulnerable but to show me that I am loved both because and in spite of the fact that…

I am vulnerable.

Listen to this song:

Confess and proclaim that you are saved.

• Have one person volunteer to read the italicized paragraphs aloud,
• and the whole group respond to each with the words “I am saved.”

Lord, let us not forget that we do not stand alone in our weakness, but in your mercy, grace, and power, we find the goodness in saying these words:

I am saved.

From the schemes, lies, and attacks of the devil, who prowls but cannot claim me, who deceives but cannot define me, who accuses but cannot condemn me, because your truth speaks louder, your love overcomes, and your victory is mine…

I am saved.

From the short-lived trends and logical fallacies of the world around me, as it chases what will never satisfy, as it drowns in its own noise, as it builds illusions that crumble under the weight of reality, yet in the midst of it all, you are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in you…

I am saved.

From the arrows of my enemies, from the wounds they would inflict, from the pressure to conform, from the broken system that tells me I must fight to win, when in truth, you have already won, and your victory is my peace, my strength, my security, and my hope because…

I am saved.

From the wounds I inflict upon myself, when I doubt my worth, when I forget your love, when I reject your grace, still you pursue me, still you heal me, still you hold me, because you were pierced for my transgressions and crushed for my iniquities—not to demand my perfection, but to rescue me in my imperfection, to call me your own, and to remind me forever that…

I am saved.

Consider what deciding to be vulnerable entails.

Paul, the great missionary of the earliest days of Christianity, was willing to do whatever it took to share the love of Christ with people, even when it hurt. Incredibly, in the passage below, even though he could list all kinds of ways that he stayed faithful to God despite being wounded, he wasn't satisfied because his audience hadn't learned to love in return (yet.)


As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
2 Corinthians 6:1–13

The list of situations they had endured, for which Paul and his compatriots could commend themselves, is astonishing: 

• in great endurance; 
• in troubles, hardships and distresses; 
• in beatings, imprisonments and riots; 
• in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 
• in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; 
• in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 
• in truthful speech and in the power of God; 
• with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 
• through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; 
• genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 
• known, yet regarded as unknown; 
• dying, and yet we live on; 
• beaten, and yet not killed; 
• sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; 
• poor, yet making many rich; 
• having nothing, and yet possessing everything

Discuss the following with your group…

• Which of these seems most difficult to you?
• The last six in this bulleted list have "yet" in the middle. Can you come up with modern-day examples (real or hypothetical) of situations for Christians that could be described for each of these six points?

All of this is Paul & Co.'s way of "opening up our hearts to you." Nevertheless, the Corinthians weren't reflecting that love back. 

Let's add to vulnerability.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
2 Corinthians 6:11–13

Paul gave that whole list of ways they'd had hardships in their effort to open their hearts to the Corinthians. It's a tragic but beautiful list, and when Paul looked at all those things what he was truly proud of was the fact that he could not be accused of "withholding affection" from those he was trying to love.

One of the things that can get in the way of honest, open, and safe vulnerability among Christians is the desire to meet vulnerability with solutions instead of meeting it with compassion. Compassion literally means to suffer (that's PASSION) with (that's COM.) When a Christian person offers themselves in their vulnerability to another Christian, they aren't always looking for a solution. They are, however, always looking for affection.

It can be helpful, then, to meet vulnerability by accepting the reality of it (we are all vulnerable) and adding more vulnerability—your own—to the mix. The goal is not to solve the problem, it is to grow together. Unity happens when we occupy the same space, not when you get low and I get up on my high horse.

Discuss the following with your group…

• What pitfalls do you see in meeting vulnerability with more vulnerability? How can those pitfalls be mitigated?
• Paul depicts this sharing as "opening wide your hearts." Do you feel like Spotlight groups are a place where people have permission to open their hearts? What could be done to improve this? (Share your best answers in the comments below!)

Get together with a partner to practice vulnerability.

Follow this path with your partner:

1. Your partner shares a vulnerability, 
2. you accept the vulnerability that was shared and meet it with one of your own that might be connected, 
3. your partner accepts yours and then offers one to you.

(Do this until each of you have shared four things.)

Reflect—together—as a whole group: How did that feel?

Feel free to submit a prayer request by filling out the below form.
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)

Pray through your requests—together—as a group.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.

Let's listen to this song to close out this Spotlight:

Let's wrap things up by taking a look at what's Current at Illume.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.