Crowned with Glory and Honor

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants talk about a time when they felt awed by nature (a sunrise, mountains, ocean, stars). What did that experience made them think about God and their place in the world?

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). Read Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Psalm 8, and Romans 5:1-5.

• Who is speaking in Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31? [Wisdom personified is speaking in this passage. Wisdom is portrayed as a female figure calling out to people.]
• How does Psalm 8 begin and end? [It begins and ends with the phrase: "O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:1, 8:9).] What does it mean that God's name is "majestic in all the earth" [It means that God's greatness, power, and authority are evident throughout the world and in all creation.]
• How does Psalm 8 portray the contrast between human smallness and human significance? [Though humans are tiny compared to the vast universe, God has given us great honor and responsibility as caretakers of God’s creation.] How are we caring for God’s creation? How is your church doing this? How are you living this out?
• What does it mean to be "justified by faith" (Romans 5:1)? [Being justified by faith means that we are made right with God, not through our works, but by trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation.]
• In Romans 5:1-5, Paul connects suffering to perseverance, character, and hope. Trials help us develop perseverance, which refines our character and strengthens our hope in God.

One older Japanese-American church member is a docent at a state museum that houses a Japanese-American internment camp exhibit.[1] I was driving with him one day, and he started to cite Romans 5:3-4, “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” I knew that he was thinking about the Japanese-American incarceration and people in his community. It touched me deeply that he believes in hope. God's love has been poured into our hearts because his actions show that.

When have you experienced suffering that led to growth in endurance, character, and hope?

• Think about the people in your life. Who needs encouragement, dignity, or a reminder that God values them? What can you do this week—whether through words, service, or prayer—to reflect God’s wisdom, love, and honor?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:

Gracious and wise God, You have crowned us with glory and honor, even though we often feel small in this vast world. Help us to seek Your wisdom, to trust in Your plan through struggles, and to honor others as You have honored us. May we walk in the knowledge that we are deeply loved and called to reflect Your light in the world. Amen.

This resource was created by Discipleship Ministries staff with assistance from AI tools.

Rev. Motoe Yamada Foor, Director of Adult Discipleship, served in local churches for twenty years. She has a wealth of experience at a variety of organizational levels of The United Methodist Church as well as in ecumenical organizations such as the World Council of Churches (WCC). She also enjoys serving as a coach to help people and churches grow.

[1] In the wake of fear and prejudice, over 120,000 Japanese-Americans, many of them U.S. citizens, were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to incarceration camps. Families were uprooted, allowed to take only two suitcases, leaving behind homes, livelihoods, and even beloved pets.