Jonah
These questions are related to the message, Stuff You Didn’t Hear in Sunday School: Jonah. You can watch it here.
- What moral or spiritual lessons were you taught through the story of Jonah, if you grew up in the church? What did you know about this story (if anything) if you didn’t?
- How do you identify with Jonah? Have you resisted doing something you thought God was calling you to do? Have you been on a similar journey?
- When have you felt like you were drowning (in pain, in trauma, in a life you didn’t imagine)? Or maybe you’re in the middle of it right now. Where did you find God or where are you looking for God now?
- Robyn said transformation is never complete; God is always wanting to reveal more and more of Godself. What are you learning about God? When have you experienced God’s compassion, grace, and mercy?
- Robyn shared a quote from American journalist and Roman Catholic reformer, Dorothy Day: “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” What does this stir up inside you? What and who comes to mind? Discuss the implications of the quote if you’re meeting with a group or journal about it if you’re using these questions for individual study.
- In what ways does Jonah’s story challenge us to reconsider our own perceptions of who is deserving of God’s grace and compassion?
- Is the story of Jonah an historical account or a parable? What evidence leads you to understand it one way or the other?