Daniel 2:19‑23 (NIV)

¹⁹ During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven ²⁰ and said:

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;

  wisdom and power are his.

²¹ He changes times and seasons;

  he deposes kings and raises up others.

He gives wisdom to the wise

  and knowledge to the discerning.

²² He reveals deep and hidden things;

  he knows what lies in darkness,

  and light dwells with him.

²³ I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:

  You have given me wisdom and power,

you have made known to me what we asked of you,

  you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

Begin your time together by sharing your stories about Community Serve Day.

• Where did you serve?
• How did you serve your community?
• What was unique about your site?
• Why was it impactful for you? For others? 
• How has God shaped you through this CSD experience?

CONNECT WITH GOD (Choose one of the below practices or select a practice from another week.)

• Use the “Daniel” Card for Reflection on Reclaiming Presence this Lent

Alone: Using SBPC’s Lenten card, spend time in quiet prayer, reflection, and journaling. What has “reclaiming presence” looked like for you so far this Lent? How are you learning what it looks like to “dwell in the present moment with God?” How will you commit to “reclaiming presence” this Lent?

• Read: “A Liturgy for Those Who Are Afraid to Meet Their Neighbors” from Liturgies for Wholeness (Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore). Enter into an extended time of prayer and stillness. Journal or reflect on how you encounter the challenge and blessing of this liturgy in your life today. 

Oh Lord, 

We want to love You with our whole selves– 

our bodies and souls, our hearts and minds–

and to treat our neighbors with profound significance,

not out of obligation or performance,

but because each of them has been formed by You. 

We admit that others’ quirks–

their peculiar habits and homes–

can tempt us to withdraw,

forsaking pursuit and forfeiting connection.

Instead of seeing our neighbors as an inconvenience, 

would You fill us with awe for the people You have made? 

Would you highlight whom You have placed in your path to know,

and show us the needs we are well suited to meet? 

For perhaps we have been put in our neighbors’ path

for a holy purpose,

even if it is just to remember

that abundant life involves the continual symbiosis

of caring for one another. 

May we approach our neighbors with cheerful generosity, 

and may our words and actions be soothing to their wounds.

May we welcome each other with a smile,

and may our kindness be an invitation into freedom.

May fear and hesitancy become a distant memory,

and may mercy and care become second nature,

as we reach out to connect and show honor,

communicating that we are simply here to love. 

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

• Together: Read 1 Peter 4:7-11 (1 Peter 4:10 is the theme verse of Community Serve Day 2026)
• Alone: Read 1 Peter 4:7-11. Reflect and journal, considering the below prompt:  

What gifts or talents has God given me to serve others? Am I using these gifts faithfully and with gratitude?

• Together in smaller groups: Share your reflections from the prompts.

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE 

If needed, read the passage again. Then select the best questions or customize the questions for your group. 

• What do you know about the background of 1 Peter? 
• What do you think Paul means in verse 7 about “being alert” and of “sober mind”? 
• What does “loving each other deeply” look like in your community or relationships?
• How might the hospitality of the early church be radical within their culture and context? 
• What’s hard about hospitality? 
• Consider verse 10. What are your gifts and how do you serve others with those gifts? 
• What are some continued opportunities for service that come up for you as you consider CSD and 1 Peter 4:7-11? 

PRAYER 



Together in small groups: Pray for your CSD sites and those ministries and service organizations you served. Pray specifically and expectantly!