Daily Devotional for Small Group Discussion: Stone

Discussion Questions 

1. Do you agree with the author that the two messages in each pair near the beginning of the devotion are equally important? That Christian life is living in the tension between both?

2. Have you been fed an imbalanced diet of affirmations? If so, which predominates: “You are special” or “You’re not special”? How were these messages delivered? 

3. What, if anything, is the danger of having too much of one kind of affirmation or the other?

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house. – 1 Peter 2:4-5 (NRSV) 

Some days I think 90% of the work of the church is helping people right-size themselves in their own estimation. 

You are a precious, unique, beloved child of God! Just like the rest of humanity. 

God has your name written on the palm of their hand! Right next to everybody else’s. 

You are made of stardust! So is poop. 

Both the former and the latter statements in each of these pairs are true and important, but some of us have heard way more of one than the other from the world, instead of the balanced diet we deserve. 

Deciding which message to lean harder on for a given community, or moment, or sermon is the right work of church leaders. It’s the work the author of 1 Peter is trying to do with his stones and buildings metaphor. He’s had enough of Paul’s “the body is made up of many fabulously, amazingly, wonderfully unique parts like you!” metaphor. 

You, mined from the same quarry as the capstone of all creation, have a very special place in God’s spiritual house: set in a wall 60 feet up where no one will ever see or distinguish you from your peers. 

I am a living stone, firm and noble, exactly fulfilling the design of the great Architect of the Universe! Without me, the section of wall in that weird corner in the back next to the mop closet would be significantly weakened. 

You truly are wonderful. Truly, so is everyone else. 

Prayer
For my unique place at the table, right next to everyone else, thank you. Amen.

About the Author
Quinn G. Caldwell is Chaplain of the Protestant Cooperative Ministry at Cornell University. His most recent book is a series of daily reflections for Advent and Christmas called All I Really Want: Readings for a Modern Christmas. Learn more about it and find him on Facebook at Quinn G. Caldwell.