BELLS

I had the opportunity to attend a seminar last year with Michael Frost. He is a very interesting guy and a pastor of a very interesting church: Small Boat Big Sea (SBBS). I was intrigued with many of the concepts he presented. I was especially drawn to the idea of how they are doing discipleship in their community. It is simply called BELLS. I've posted here some thoughts from their web page. I hope you enjoy......

BELLS (acrostic for Blessing, Eating, Listening, Learning, and Serving)

Here is how BELLS looks in their GATHERING they call the Lounge.....
BLESSING – The Hebrew for 'blessing' (barak) means "to empower to strength". We seek God's blessing and pass that blessing on to others.
EATING – Sharing food has always been central to a shared life of community. We want to place worship and communion back where it began: as a providore’s delight in the middle of the shared table.
LISTENING – We believe that God is capable of speaking to us. We do not confine him to any particular medium, but we try to be attentive to his voice, wherever and whenever it speaks.
LEARN – We desire to take on the image of God and to participate in his plan. We seek out knowledge about God to help us to do this.
SENT – We are ambassadors who bear God's image in the world. We remind ourselves regularly that we are sent to participate in God’s activity in the world.

BELLS a Daily Examin
Developed especially for us by Sister Ann Morrison of the Sisters of St Joseph, this Daily Examin is an evening devotion designed to help small boaters reflect on their day and to hear the bell God rang for them that day.
BE in God’s presence – bless GodSimply allow yourself to become aware of the presence of God surrounding you. Allow this presence to fill your entire being. Be in his presence.Begin with a time of blessing God for the goodness that has been shown during your day with these or similar words:Loving Creator God, I bless you and thank you for sharing this day with me and allowing me to live into a deeper knowledge and love of you. Quiet my heart and mind and guide me now as I reflect on your presence throughout this day. Open my heart to your touch. Allow me to look honestly at this day and acknowledge in truth the goodness and the failings. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
ENGAGE in a loving gaze at your day – really encounter it.Notice what happened – how you were in the day’s events. Acknowledge where you experienced the touch of God. Acknowledge your failure to recognise God in this day.Entrust your day to the love, compassion and mercy of God.
LISTEN to God – allow God to speak to you about your day.Listen to how God wishes to respond to your day. Allow God the space and the silence to make known what is precious and necessary.
LEARN from today – look to God.Look for ways to deepen your relationship with God in positive, life-giving and nourishing ways. Look to God for guidance.
SINK into gratitude for God’s presence in this day.Set a realistic goal for tomorrow to heighten your ‘noticing’ the touch of God. Allow God to send you into another day filled with gratitude, peace and hope.Close your time with God by praying this prayer:All loving God, in gratitude I hand this day to you. Let me know your presence in deeper ways. Attune my heart to hear your voice and encounter your touch in various experiences that fill my day. Lift my heart to you when the demands of the day threaten to lead me astray. Let your spark shine through my human body and my actions. This prayer I make through Jesus who is our way, our truth and our life. Amen.


BELLS Everyday (practical discipleship for the individual)
As well as using BELLS in the lounge, we seek to mirror it in our daily lives through a weekly rhythm of:

Seeking to BLESS someone, whether from our community or beyond every week. This might take the form of an encouraging note or email, a phone call, a gift, an act of kindness, or donations to causes or charities (one follower and one non-follower).

Attempting to EAT with someone that we don't live with every week. This might be a full meal or as little as a cup of coffee (one follower and one non-follower).

Seeking to develop a practice of LISTENing so that we take time, at least once each week, to listen to God's voice. This might take the form of a prayer walk along a beach, listening to music, or mediation.

LEARNing to develop a discipline of studying the Scriptures or reading other literature that gives insight into the nature of God.

Looking for ways in which our daily routines are expressions of God’s calling on our lives and recognising the ways in which we have been SENT to do his work.

May God continue to use us to further his KINGDOM!