Reimagining the Story of Jesus | Celebration
An Invitation to Brave Space
by Micky Scott Bey Jones
Together we will create brave space
Because there is no such thing as a “safe space”
We exist in the real world
We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds.
In this space
We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world,
We amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere,
We call each other to more truth and love
We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow.
We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know.
We will not be perfect.
This space will not be perfect.
It will not always be what we wish it to be
But
It will be our brave space together,
And, we will work on it side by side.
Rules of the Table
It’s Christ’s table, and we are all guests; a good guest helps make room for everyone present to stay at the table.
This is a place to process together. Questions rooted in curiosity and process are encouraged, rather than questions intended to force agreement or coerce a specific answer.
Keep answers to 1-2 minutes so there is room for everyone to share.
The facilitator will interject when the conversation moves too far away from our explicit topic. All questions are good, but they are not all useful for this specific time.
We commit to hold Brave Space with one another, meaning that we can disagree without being disagreeable; we own both our intentions and our impact; we allow ourselves to be challenged by what others share without immediately needing to defend our own position; we show respect to one another; and we never attack someone else.
Conversation
Opening Question
What stood out to you as we explored celebration tonight? What is one phrase, image, question, or experience that has stayed with you?
Head | Insight & Understanding
How might celebrating together shape us into a community that reflects Jesus’ expansive invitation to belong? Whose presence might change the way we imagine the celebration?
Heart | Emotion & Experience
What did you notice in yourself as we celebrated together—joy, freedom, discomfort, hesitation, or something else? How does that connect with the place celebration has had in your own life and experience of faith?
Hands | Embodied Practice
What might it look like to make room for joy alongside the loss we carry—to dance anyway? How could we help one another practise that this week?