Naaman ||| The Commonplace Weekly Guide



Hello Reader!

Hello beloved one.

***

Announcements:

*We will not be holding office hours for the month of July. We'll see you in August!

*Please plan to attend the City Park Food Truck Rally on July 15th...we'll gather for good old-fashioned community time!

*We will be organizing some dinner clubs in July and August. Want to be a part of it? Click here to sign up. There's also a link listed on our website! Please sign up by the end of the week! Thank you!

*Please make note that we will not have a Sunday gathering on July 20th...enjoy a mid-summer sabbath. We'll provide some online resources.

We hope that our time together is not just a stand-alone moment, but a movement which spills over into your week.

May it be so.

Naaman

We usually follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Click on the link if you want to see what we'll be exploring in the weeks to come.

I N V O C A T I O N

God of fresh beginnings,

you make all things new

in the wisdom of Jesus Christ.

Make us agents of your transforming power

and heralds of your reign of justice and peace,

that all may share in the healing Christ brings.

Amen.

S O N G S

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This Wild Earth (Subjects)
Young Oceans, Josh Garrels
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Your Love Is Strong
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S C R I P T U R E & R E A D I N G S

2 Kings 5:1-14

T A K E A W A Y S & Q U E S T I O N S

*Like the professor in the story, we often approach life full of our own assumptions, opinions, and pride. But growth requires an open, humble posture. Before entering a conversation, a prayer, or a decision—pause. Ask: “Am I truly listening, or am I just trying to confirm what I already believe?” Practice approaching situations with a “beginner’s mind.”

*Naaman expected a dramatic cure, and the merchant sought a miraculous remedy—but both found healing in humble, ordinary acts: a river, a loaf of bread, a conversation. Look for grace in small, simple routines—sharing a meal, walking by water, listening without speaking. Choose presence over performance.

*The voice of wisdom came from the unnamed, the humble: a captive girl, a fisherman, a servant. Transformation often begins with those we’re tempted to overlook.

*Ask yourself: Who am I not listening to? This week, intentionally receive wisdom from someone without status, credentials, or power. Be curious.

*Both Naaman and the merchant had to surrender their status and pride before healing began. True change doesn’t start with greatness, but with trust and obedience. Identify one area where pride is blocking your healing or growth. Take a “small dip”—a concrete act of humility or vulnerability—and trust that God meets us in the river, not the throne room.

A R T W O R K

B E N E D I C T I O N

You are God’s Child

Gifted with dreams and visions.

Upon you rests the grace of God like flames of fire.

Love and serve the Lord in the wildness of your being.

Practice Resurrection.

And may the deep peace of Christ be with you,

The strong arms of God sustain you,

And the glory of the Holy Spirit shine upon your face.

Amen.

Resource: A Beginner's Mind

Read this lovely devotional from The Center of Action and Contemplation about how Jesus calls us into humility. Humility can embodied through a beginner's mind or through the idea of the tabula rasa ("I don't know anything" or a "clean slate").

Practice: Lament

Revisit this Robert Ferrell quote we read on Sunday: There is a rhythm to lament. First, we turn toward the Divine—not as an escape, but as a grounding. Then we allow the complaints to surface. We give them form. We say the things that feel unsayable. We ask for what we need—not what we think we should need. Finally, even if just a whisper, we speak a word of trust. Not because the pain is gone, but because somewhere in the ache, we remember we are not alone.

As hard things come up this week, follow the rhythm of lament. Remember that this is a spiritual practice given to us by God, modeled in Scripture. When we lament, God bears witness to us and then we can, in turn, bear witness to God and to others.

When you financially support Commonplace Church, you help cultivate a place where people are drawn to the transformative heart of Christ through hospitality, beauty, authenticity, belonging, and wholeness.

Our donation platform, Zeffy, does not charge us any fees (which is truly incredible). When you check out, Zeffy prompts you to donate to their cause, with a suggested amount. You can opt out, if you want, by clicking the dropdown box and selecting "Other". Then, just type in 0.

Grace and Peace,

Katrina

&

Darren


The Commonplace Church

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