Thursday, December 20, 2018
Erica's Gift
At our final meeting of 2018, Erica gave us each a gift. Mine has become part of a healthy breakfast! Thank you, Erica. - Scott
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 16: OMG, Spirituality in the Digital Age
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Christine.
Mariel led us through Compline. While Scott served Pasta Puttanesca, we shared answers to Mariel's question for the week, "With whom do you ever share spiritual matters?" Some of us were drawn to EfM in the first place just because it's a forum for exploring spiritual matters in a mutually open and respectful way (with "undefended hearts" as Bishop Neil Alexander says).
Sharing led to discussion of what evangelism means in our society today, and the model we arrived at was a kind of constructive, hospitable, engagement with non - believers in a way that would make them interested in having what faith offers. Mariel offered St. Francis, "Preach the Gospel; use words, if necessary." Tom recalled Fr. Roger's story of a saint (Augustine?) working alongside villagers to repair their town, and leaving without preaching, telling a skeptical monk, "If we didn't demonstrate the Gospel in our work with them, nothing will."
We had an interesting detour into "Prosperity Gospel," and just what that means. Scott cited John Winthrop's preaching at the founding of New England Colony, to the effect that good people prosper, and failure is a sign of God's disfavor. There have long been preachers who promised riches to followers who will give their money to the preacher.
We discussed this week's essay, "OMG, Spirituality in the Digital Age" by Bishop Charleston of Alaska. The Bishop is an "extreme introvert" reluctant to use social media, who simply shared thoughts from his morning prayer time. His page "blew up" and became a self - selecting community of believers and non - believers alike, just a few bad actors who left quickly, and enough who wanted a tangible printed collection of these commentaries to make a successful book. He made some observations about the experience.
Our group was not so excited. Gene visited the website, and felt that it was a "fake" community; Mariel asked, "'Fake,' or just 'different?'" Susan observed from experience that conversation on line, even when it's synchronous, misses cues of body language and tone that we read when we're together in a room, and it comes down to people at their own screens writing past each other. Erica wondered if, being of a later generation than Charleston, she's less awed by the technology than the Bishop, seeing social media as nothing more than one other tool for communication. Was discussion and community - formation via books and pamphlets any different?
Tom was bothered by the Bishop's observation that this on - line community formed in a way opposite to most groups:
It occurs to me as I type this that Bishop Charleston here describes precisely what we talked about in our earlier discussion of evangelism, setting an example of caring and hospitality without defining who's "in" and "out."
Instead of a TR and collect, we collected around a lovely Linzer tart from Douceur de France, a gift from Susan.
Next time: We meet January 8. We'll read the assignment for Week 17. Dinner will be brown bag; Erica will bring worship; Gene will initiate a TR.
Mariel led us through Compline. While Scott served Pasta Puttanesca, we shared answers to Mariel's question for the week, "With whom do you ever share spiritual matters?" Some of us were drawn to EfM in the first place just because it's a forum for exploring spiritual matters in a mutually open and respectful way (with "undefended hearts" as Bishop Neil Alexander says).
Sharing led to discussion of what evangelism means in our society today, and the model we arrived at was a kind of constructive, hospitable, engagement with non - believers in a way that would make them interested in having what faith offers. Mariel offered St. Francis, "Preach the Gospel; use words, if necessary." Tom recalled Fr. Roger's story of a saint (Augustine?) working alongside villagers to repair their town, and leaving without preaching, telling a skeptical monk, "If we didn't demonstrate the Gospel in our work with them, nothing will."
We had an interesting detour into "Prosperity Gospel," and just what that means. Scott cited John Winthrop's preaching at the founding of New England Colony, to the effect that good people prosper, and failure is a sign of God's disfavor. There have long been preachers who promised riches to followers who will give their money to the preacher.
We discussed this week's essay, "OMG, Spirituality in the Digital Age" by Bishop Charleston of Alaska. The Bishop is an "extreme introvert" reluctant to use social media, who simply shared thoughts from his morning prayer time. His page "blew up" and became a self - selecting community of believers and non - believers alike, just a few bad actors who left quickly, and enough who wanted a tangible printed collection of these commentaries to make a successful book. He made some observations about the experience.
Our group was not so excited. Gene visited the website, and felt that it was a "fake" community; Mariel asked, "'Fake,' or just 'different?'" Susan observed from experience that conversation on line, even when it's synchronous, misses cues of body language and tone that we read when we're together in a room, and it comes down to people at their own screens writing past each other. Erica wondered if, being of a later generation than Charleston, she's less awed by the technology than the Bishop, seeing social media as nothing more than one other tool for communication. Was discussion and community - formation via books and pamphlets any different?
Tom was bothered by the Bishop's observation that this on - line community formed in a way opposite to most groups:
A religious community is often formed by identifying the parameters which circumscribe it: the borders of faith, the articulation of creeds, the rules and rituals that become the container for a culture. Once people either self - select or are recruited into this paradigm, they become a community. In the experience of our Facebook congregation, just the reverse process has taken place; over time people have entered in without any sense of structure; we have no litmus test for belonging, not even the need to believe in a higher power. Instead, an unspoken consensus of hospitality has developed.
Instead of a TR and collect, we collected around a lovely Linzer tart from Douceur de France, a gift from Susan.
Next time: We meet January 8. We'll read the assignment for Week 17. Dinner will be brown bag; Erica will bring worship; Gene will initiate a TR.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 15: Dismantling Racism, Part II, and "The Cossacks"
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Erica, Tom.
We brought brown - bag dinners tonight. Christine led us in psalm and prayer thoughtfully chosen to relate to tonight's reading. Our question was a little fanciful: What kind of plant have you been in the past week? We had a cactus dry and sucking up moisture; grass, just holding on; and others.
Our discussion of the second half of the book by Catherine Meeks. Our greatest interest was in exploring our Bishop's chapter about the South as America's "Holy Land." The history of conflict, the physical / familial closeness of the adversaries (black and white), and the intentional courage of the Civil Rights fighters all contribute to that feeling that this place is a site for struggles spiritual as well as physical.
We also compared notes on sensitivity trainings we've experienced, "white guilt," and also "white privilege" -- how these phrases are fraught and liable to provoke people we know.
We also discussed a couple of sources not in the book. Bishop Neil Alexander writes in the latest publication from Sewanee about how education should lead to listening with an "undefended heart." Erica sent us a link to a rich article from a blog HeritageMom by a homeschooling mother about starting a black homeschool group alongside the one she already had joined. Is she "reverse racist" for wanting a space where black children are free of white judgement, white unease with physicality and loud voices? Here's the link. Scott has posted a reflection on the book on his personal blog, here.
TR
Susan brought us Linda Pastan's poem "The Cossacks." The poet is amused and even admiring of another person's "denial mixed with acceptance," like her mother who had chatted of polite things when she was dying of cancer. We picked up on that last element of the poem, and related it to the famous image of the musicians who played "Nearer My God to Thee" on the tilting deck of the Titanic.During the days following class, Mariel composed this collect from our notes:
Collect for Carrying On
O Lord, Eternal Creator, Redeemer and Giver of Life,
Just as by the breath of your Spirit you brought forth the abundance of Earth from the depths of the abyss, so breathe into our spirits the grace and strength to finish the work you’ve given us to do, so that we - like Stephen submitting to his tormentors, and Paul facing prison and certain death - may unto the end be ever blessed by being a blessing to others, and that our life’s work may endure as a testimony to the life-giving truth and beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Next week We all read Week Sixteen's essay by Steven Charleston, Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta (p. 94 ff in the RRG). Scott and Susan will provide food; for our final meeting before holidays, the TR will be mixed in with the discussion. See p. 106.
We brought brown - bag dinners tonight. Christine led us in psalm and prayer thoughtfully chosen to relate to tonight's reading. Our question was a little fanciful: What kind of plant have you been in the past week? We had a cactus dry and sucking up moisture; grass, just holding on; and others.
Our discussion of the second half of the book by Catherine Meeks. Our greatest interest was in exploring our Bishop's chapter about the South as America's "Holy Land." The history of conflict, the physical / familial closeness of the adversaries (black and white), and the intentional courage of the Civil Rights fighters all contribute to that feeling that this place is a site for struggles spiritual as well as physical.
We also compared notes on sensitivity trainings we've experienced, "white guilt," and also "white privilege" -- how these phrases are fraught and liable to provoke people we know.
We also discussed a couple of sources not in the book. Bishop Neil Alexander writes in the latest publication from Sewanee about how education should lead to listening with an "undefended heart." Erica sent us a link to a rich article from a blog HeritageMom by a homeschooling mother about starting a black homeschool group alongside the one she already had joined. Is she "reverse racist" for wanting a space where black children are free of white judgement, white unease with physicality and loud voices? Here's the link. Scott has posted a reflection on the book on his personal blog, here.
TR
Susan brought us Linda Pastan's poem "The Cossacks." The poet is amused and even admiring of another person's "denial mixed with acceptance," like her mother who had chatted of polite things when she was dying of cancer. We picked up on that last element of the poem, and related it to the famous image of the musicians who played "Nearer My God to Thee" on the tilting deck of the Titanic.During the days following class, Mariel composed this collect from our notes:
Collect for Carrying On
O Lord, Eternal Creator, Redeemer and Giver of Life,
Just as by the breath of your Spirit you brought forth the abundance of Earth from the depths of the abyss, so breathe into our spirits the grace and strength to finish the work you’ve given us to do, so that we - like Stephen submitting to his tormentors, and Paul facing prison and certain death - may unto the end be ever blessed by being a blessing to others, and that our life’s work may endure as a testimony to the life-giving truth and beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Next week We all read Week Sixteen's essay by Steven Charleston, Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta (p. 94 ff in the RRG). Scott and Susan will provide food; for our final meeting before holidays, the TR will be mixed in with the discussion. See p. 106.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 14: Dismantling Racism, Part One
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Mariel.
Gene drew together a thoughtful selection of prayers and quotations from Scripture relating to this week's reading, including these:
Tom led off our discussion of Dr. Meeks's book Dismantling Racism by admitting that he had not expected to like it, but had appreciated the emphasis on individuals' spiritual practices, having felt the difference that morning prayer has made in his own life. We shared answers to some of the study questions at the back of the book, beginning with the question, "How did you first become aware of racial difference?"
TR
Tom presented a clock that his employer gave him as a reward some years ago. We were struck by its being a smaller, cheaper, battery - operated replica of a 19th century object. We focused our reflection on the effort to maintain old tradition in a new time. Our discussion eventually encompassed everything we had spoken about all night. Tired, we left the collect to be formed later, from notes on the board (see photo below).
Collect in a Time of Social Change
Eternal Father, Your servant Moses prodded the Hebrews towards the Promised Land when they looked back with nostalgia to the comforts of Egypt; Your Son Jesus exposed the inhumanity of the Pharisees' strict application of traditional taboos: help us to discern the familiar practices we keep for the sake of our own comfort, from traditions that promote the values of truth and justice for all; so that we may embrace necessary change with confidence and hasten the coming of Your kingdom. Amen.
Gene led closing worship with the prayer for the human family, #3.
Next week: We finish the Meeks book. Brown bag dinner; Christine leads worship; Susan brings the TR.
FYI - You can see the words of that Advent cantata from Scott's TR a few weeks ago. The piece reflects what he learned during his first four years with EfM.
For his blog The Word Sanctuary, Scott wrote a reflection on the myriad ways that he is privileged by his family background in ways that his friends of color cannot be. See The Privilege is Mine.
Gene drew together a thoughtful selection of prayers and quotations from Scripture relating to this week's reading, including these:
- Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you. Ephesians 4.32
- Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Exodus 22.21
- There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3.28
Tom led off our discussion of Dr. Meeks's book Dismantling Racism by admitting that he had not expected to like it, but had appreciated the emphasis on individuals' spiritual practices, having felt the difference that morning prayer has made in his own life. We shared answers to some of the study questions at the back of the book, beginning with the question, "How did you first become aware of racial difference?"
TR
Tom presented a clock that his employer gave him as a reward some years ago. We were struck by its being a smaller, cheaper, battery - operated replica of a 19th century object. We focused our reflection on the effort to maintain old tradition in a new time. Our discussion eventually encompassed everything we had spoken about all night. Tired, we left the collect to be formed later, from notes on the board (see photo below).
Collect in a Time of Social Change
Eternal Father, Your servant Moses prodded the Hebrews towards the Promised Land when they looked back with nostalgia to the comforts of Egypt; Your Son Jesus exposed the inhumanity of the Pharisees' strict application of traditional taboos: help us to discern the familiar practices we keep for the sake of our own comfort, from traditions that promote the values of truth and justice for all; so that we may embrace necessary change with confidence and hasten the coming of Your kingdom. Amen.
Gene led closing worship with the prayer for the human family, #3.
Next week: We finish the Meeks book. Brown bag dinner; Christine leads worship; Susan brings the TR.
FYI - You can see the words of that Advent cantata from Scott's TR a few weeks ago. The piece reflects what he learned during his first four years with EfM.
For his blog The Word Sanctuary, Scott wrote a reflection on the myriad ways that he is privileged by his family background in ways that his friends of color cannot be. See The Privilege is Mine.
Friday, November 30, 2018
Yr. B, Wk.13: Warriors and Women
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Tom, Gene.
This was a brown bag week. Susan chose worship for Early Evening and End of the Day.
Mariel kicked off a round - table discussion (as we all sat at one table tonight) with a series of "bunny trails" that led her from Acts and Powell's commentary into research online. A reference to the "captain of the guard" in the Temple took her to an article about the Jerusalem Temple's full - fledged police force. Another bunny trail: The Romans taxed Jews to pay for the cost of the Jewish revolt -- until they had trouble distinguishing between Jews and Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians.
Erica and Christine, in years 3 and 1, both dealt with long "dark ages" when medieval lords or ancient "judges" fought myriad small - scale wars for territory. Monasteries were financed by those knights in armor to have the monks pray for their souls -- knights being too busy with war to pray for themselves. Joshua and Judges present war as an act of sacrificial worship, the utter destruction of a town being a holy act. Erica observed that, while the peoples were supposedly utterly destroyed in one chapter, they seem to come back in later chapters! Erica saw Gregory the Great as a light in a dark time, as he perceived his role to prepare the world for the imminent return of the Lord.
Scott said that monasteries, following Gregory's lead, kept life focused on prayer and sustaining life until the Lord's return, any day now. The experience of prayer implies the Trinity, according to the 4th year reading. The author traces writings about prayer from Scripture forward to show how the writers feel the spirit moving them to pray through Christ the intercessor inside them, praying to the Father -- including the ancient dialogue that precedes a celebrant offering the eucharist, "[May] The Lord be with you... and with thy spirit." So it is never the celebrant's action, but the spirit in the celebrant. The final section of the reading relates to the evening's discussion, and to last week's reading regarding a feminist lens on scripture:
Mariel observed the remarkable prominence of women in Luke and Acts, where an anecdote about a woman balances every one about a man; and where women are presented as leaders and heads of households.
TR
Erica's story about a medical emergency brought us to a metaphor of asking for help in land where you don't speak the language, and no one speaks yours. Our collect was influenced by Erica's memory of something that Scharme told us last year, when she had a respite in her cancer treatments, that she had become aware how allowing others to help her was a blessing to them.
Collect for Lost Travellers
Lord God, as the prodigal son came to himself only when humbled in a foreign land, bring us to ask humbly for direction when we are lost, knowing that, by accepting the blessing of others' help, we also bless our helpers. Amen.
Next week: Christine brings food; Gene leads worship; Tom will initiate the TR.
This was a brown bag week. Susan chose worship for Early Evening and End of the Day.
Mariel kicked off a round - table discussion (as we all sat at one table tonight) with a series of "bunny trails" that led her from Acts and Powell's commentary into research online. A reference to the "captain of the guard" in the Temple took her to an article about the Jerusalem Temple's full - fledged police force. Another bunny trail: The Romans taxed Jews to pay for the cost of the Jewish revolt -- until they had trouble distinguishing between Jews and Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians.
Erica and Christine, in years 3 and 1, both dealt with long "dark ages" when medieval lords or ancient "judges" fought myriad small - scale wars for territory. Monasteries were financed by those knights in armor to have the monks pray for their souls -- knights being too busy with war to pray for themselves. Joshua and Judges present war as an act of sacrificial worship, the utter destruction of a town being a holy act. Erica observed that, while the peoples were supposedly utterly destroyed in one chapter, they seem to come back in later chapters! Erica saw Gregory the Great as a light in a dark time, as he perceived his role to prepare the world for the imminent return of the Lord.
Scott said that monasteries, following Gregory's lead, kept life focused on prayer and sustaining life until the Lord's return, any day now. The experience of prayer implies the Trinity, according to the 4th year reading. The author traces writings about prayer from Scripture forward to show how the writers feel the spirit moving them to pray through Christ the intercessor inside them, praying to the Father -- including the ancient dialogue that precedes a celebrant offering the eucharist, "[May] The Lord be with you... and with thy spirit." So it is never the celebrant's action, but the spirit in the celebrant. The final section of the reading relates to the evening's discussion, and to last week's reading regarding a feminist lens on scripture:
It has again and again been the insight of those given to prayer that description of the triune God... must somehow encompass, as a matter of balance, what we are conditioned to call feminine characteristics -- patience, compassion, endurance, forgiveness, warmth, sustenance and so on -- no less than the strength, power, activity, initiative, wrath and suchlike that our society has tended to regard as peculiarly masculine. (Coakley, in the RRG p. 251).
Mariel observed the remarkable prominence of women in Luke and Acts, where an anecdote about a woman balances every one about a man; and where women are presented as leaders and heads of households.
TR
Erica's story about a medical emergency brought us to a metaphor of asking for help in land where you don't speak the language, and no one speaks yours. Our collect was influenced by Erica's memory of something that Scharme told us last year, when she had a respite in her cancer treatments, that she had become aware how allowing others to help her was a blessing to them.
Collect for Lost Travellers
Lord God, as the prodigal son came to himself only when humbled in a foreign land, bring us to ask humbly for direction when we are lost, knowing that, by accepting the blessing of others' help, we also bless our helpers. Amen.
Next week: Christine brings food; Gene leads worship; Tom will initiate the TR.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 12: Scripture Through Different Cultural Lenses
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Tom.
Gene brought chili. Christine brought prayers and readings for worship on pages bordered with gold - and - silver designs. Her question concerned any way that God had spoken to us through someone of a different culture or background? As it turned out, this was the theme of the entire evening.
Christine opened discussion by commenting on how much the feminist critics of the Old Testament have brought out of a text we've taken so much for granted, as we've looked through the lenses of dominant males. Erica connected that to Augustine, whose ideas about sexuality, original sin, and predestination persist.
Another strand of the discussion took off from the idea of "love," used in John as an action, not a feeling, and used to describe relations among Christians only. But elsewhere, John says God loved the whole world. There's a tension. The opening of John's Gospel implies a pre-existence for Jesus; Year 4's reading, all about how we know what we "know" about God, emphasizes that God knows us before we know Him.
TR
After a break, we considered a one - page ad for a group that helps young women of other cultures. After commenting on what was interesting or disturbing in the image, we started our TR from the issue presented to us by the image, the costs and benefits of progress.
No collect was necessary; Christine's closing prayer did the job:
Thanksgiving for the Diversity of Races and Cultures
O God, You created all peoples in Your image. We thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by ever - widening circles of fellowship, and show us Your presence in those who differ most from us, until our knowledge of Your love is made perfect in our love for all you children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Next meeting will be November 27, after Thanksgiving. We will do the readings for Week 13. It's a brown bag night; Gene leads worship; Erica brings a source for the TR.
Christine opened discussion by commenting on how much the feminist critics of the Old Testament have brought out of a text we've taken so much for granted, as we've looked through the lenses of dominant males. Erica connected that to Augustine, whose ideas about sexuality, original sin, and predestination persist.
Another strand of the discussion took off from the idea of "love," used in John as an action, not a feeling, and used to describe relations among Christians only. But elsewhere, John says God loved the whole world. There's a tension. The opening of John's Gospel implies a pre-existence for Jesus; Year 4's reading, all about how we know what we "know" about God, emphasizes that God knows us before we know Him.
TR
After a break, we considered a one - page ad for a group that helps young women of other cultures. After commenting on what was interesting or disturbing in the image, we started our TR from the issue presented to us by the image, the costs and benefits of progress.
No collect was necessary; Christine's closing prayer did the job:
Thanksgiving for the Diversity of Races and Cultures
O God, You created all peoples in Your image. We thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by ever - widening circles of fellowship, and show us Your presence in those who differ most from us, until our knowledge of Your love is made perfect in our love for all you children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Next meeting will be November 27, after Thanksgiving. We will do the readings for Week 13. It's a brown bag night; Gene leads worship; Erica brings a source for the TR.
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 11: John, Miss Lillian, and Armor
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: none.
We were surprised to find a new door code! Dinner was brown bag tonight, with services for evening and compline as bookends for our time together. Christine asked what has put our hearts at peace in the past week. Answers involved showering, an hour at Waffle House, morning prayer at St. James, sharing with a friend, EfM itself, and some homely activities: chopping vegetables, ironing tea towels, cleaning house. Scott was reminded of Ecclesiasticus, mentioned in Forward Day by Day this past week, about handiwork being a form of prayer.
Mariel opened our discussion of the readings with Jesus' complaint in the Gospel of John, that people need outward signs for everything. "Signs" brought us to Ford's explanation of how theologians must consider words of scripture with "the company they keep" at every unit of knowledge: sentence, paragraph, book, canon, past influences, cultural - historical context, and all the generations of interpretation and commentary accrued since the writing of a text. Deuteronomy is a case in point, an ancient text that was itself a reinterpretation of a more ancient text. This tied in with the history of Islam, and its holy book, product of a single author's hand.
In another round of discussion, we added things that Amazed, Bothered, Confused, or Delighted us. We spent a lot of time with two stories from John. We discussed the lame man at the pool who, asked if he wants to be healed, offers an excuse instead of a simple "yes." In the story of the blind man whose story takes up two pages, we saw the pressure that authorities exerted on the followers of Jesus. Mariel opined that John is like a play; Scott, backed up by Susan, saw it as similar in its strategy to the Dialogues of Plato -- each one a philosophical discourse with the backdrop of ordinary activity.
TR
For a TR, Gene brought us a poem that Jimmy Carter made from his mother's letter home from her stint with the Peace Corps in India: "Miss Lillian Sees Leprosy for the First Time." We focused on one line, "I faced her treatment every week with dread / and loathing -- for the chore, not the child."
Discussing times in our lives when we "steeled" ourselves to do a loathsome duty, we settled easily on the metaphor of putting on armor. We considered dual traditional texts for that: Paul's putting on the armor of faith, but also David's refusing the armor that Saul gave him for battle with Goliath.
Collect for Facing a Difficult Duty
Almighty Father, Lord of Hosts: as you inspired David to cast aside Saul's heavy armor to face Goliath, inspire us with courage to discard the self-protection of disengagement and apathy, and to put on the armor of faith, that we may accomplish Thy will. Amen.
Next Week
We read week 12's assignment. Gene will bring dinner; Christine will lead worship, and Mariel will inspire our TR. Note: We will not meet during the week of Thanksgiving.
We were surprised to find a new door code! Dinner was brown bag tonight, with services for evening and compline as bookends for our time together. Christine asked what has put our hearts at peace in the past week. Answers involved showering, an hour at Waffle House, morning prayer at St. James, sharing with a friend, EfM itself, and some homely activities: chopping vegetables, ironing tea towels, cleaning house. Scott was reminded of Ecclesiasticus, mentioned in Forward Day by Day this past week, about handiwork being a form of prayer.
Mariel opened our discussion of the readings with Jesus' complaint in the Gospel of John, that people need outward signs for everything. "Signs" brought us to Ford's explanation of how theologians must consider words of scripture with "the company they keep" at every unit of knowledge: sentence, paragraph, book, canon, past influences, cultural - historical context, and all the generations of interpretation and commentary accrued since the writing of a text. Deuteronomy is a case in point, an ancient text that was itself a reinterpretation of a more ancient text. This tied in with the history of Islam, and its holy book, product of a single author's hand.
In another round of discussion, we added things that Amazed, Bothered, Confused, or Delighted us. We spent a lot of time with two stories from John. We discussed the lame man at the pool who, asked if he wants to be healed, offers an excuse instead of a simple "yes." In the story of the blind man whose story takes up two pages, we saw the pressure that authorities exerted on the followers of Jesus. Mariel opined that John is like a play; Scott, backed up by Susan, saw it as similar in its strategy to the Dialogues of Plato -- each one a philosophical discourse with the backdrop of ordinary activity.
TR
For a TR, Gene brought us a poem that Jimmy Carter made from his mother's letter home from her stint with the Peace Corps in India: "Miss Lillian Sees Leprosy for the First Time." We focused on one line, "I faced her treatment every week with dread / and loathing -- for the chore, not the child."
Discussing times in our lives when we "steeled" ourselves to do a loathsome duty, we settled easily on the metaphor of putting on armor. We considered dual traditional texts for that: Paul's putting on the armor of faith, but also David's refusing the armor that Saul gave him for battle with Goliath.
Collect for Facing a Difficult Duty
Almighty Father, Lord of Hosts: as you inspired David to cast aside Saul's heavy armor to face Goliath, inspire us with courage to discard the self-protection of disengagement and apathy, and to put on the armor of faith, that we may accomplish Thy will. Amen.
Next Week
We read week 12's assignment. Gene will bring dinner; Christine will lead worship, and Mariel will inspire our TR. Note: We will not meet during the week of Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 2, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 10: Books Can Be Windows
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Christine, Gene.
Mariel led worship from texts recited at St. James' 12:30 service, focused on Mary, so prominent in this week's readings in Luke. Her question, "When have you seen the face of Christ or heard His voice in the past week?" elicited answers from us, while we enjoyed salad, skewered chicken and sides from Zoe's Greek Tavern, brought by Tom.
Our discussion of the readings sprouted in a word web from Erica's amazement at learning how the church developed in Syria and Ethiopia. Our sense of Christian history has been dominated by Roman Catholic history and the Easter orthodox churches; here was a different kind of "orthodox."
Branching off from "amazement," Mariel remarked on how much art, music, even recent popular song, derives from imagery in Luke. Susan related imagery for how Christ's crucifixion effects salvation. On behalf of Christine, we discussed how Exodus is another image for salvation as a journey through wilderness, time, and learning.
Scott related "salvation" to its root meaning 'health," and told how Ford connected it to that word "orthodoxy" in a new way. While we immediately think of salvation in terms of angels plucking us from the fires of hell, that's only one image from Scripture; union with Christ, as in marriage, is another. The calendar of liturgical texts and actions provides an ongoing participatory image for life in Christ. See Scott's blogpost about the chapter.
TR
Erica brought a remarkable old book. The energy in the room bubbled up as we all took turns exploring its look, texture, and text. Published in 1872 by William Harding, purveyor of Bibles, the book purported to be a comprehensive survey of all world religions. The introduction states flatly that there is only one true religion, Christianity, so these others don't really qualify. A chapter on Mormonism sent us to our phones to confirm our sense that Joseph Smith had started that faith only fifty years earlier. The book as an object had its own history. We found in it a 1909 "Bible card" (similar to collectible baseball cards). We intuited that it was purchased for display more than for study; that it had long been a white elephant in one family, re-gifted in the 1950s to a clergyman's family, and now scrapped on a jumble table in a church basement where Erica picked it up.
We explored "the world of" the book, quickly understanding that it was a kind of "window" into the mindset of an earlier time. Published with pride, even arrogance, meant to be an impressive display of culture and wealth, it has now been devalued, ridiculed, displaced. But this very night, having been recovered by Erica, it has brought energy to us. From our tradition, we were reminded of Josiah's rediscovery of scripture, and of scripture itself: text that is both a window into a distant past, and a reflection of our present day. Images in our culture include the Velveteen Rabbit that becomes real only when loved.. We had insights: As we look back on our own lives, we can treasure what h
as been, even as we go forward; when we choose to look on earlier generations "with kindness," we benefit; we see the book as a testament to the human need to codify things.
Collect for Readers
Eternal Father, Living Word: You inspired Luke; his gospel has inspired generations : Save us from arrogant pride in the achievements of our age, that we may look with humility and kindness upon the expressions of our forebears as windows to their lives and aspirations, reflecting on our own time by the light of theirs. Amen.
Next week: We read week 11. Brown bag dinner. Christine leads worship. Gene will initiate the TR.
Mariel led worship from texts recited at St. James' 12:30 service, focused on Mary, so prominent in this week's readings in Luke. Her question, "When have you seen the face of Christ or heard His voice in the past week?" elicited answers from us, while we enjoyed salad, skewered chicken and sides from Zoe's Greek Tavern, brought by Tom.
Our discussion of the readings sprouted in a word web from Erica's amazement at learning how the church developed in Syria and Ethiopia. Our sense of Christian history has been dominated by Roman Catholic history and the Easter orthodox churches; here was a different kind of "orthodox."
Branching off from "amazement," Mariel remarked on how much art, music, even recent popular song, derives from imagery in Luke. Susan related imagery for how Christ's crucifixion effects salvation. On behalf of Christine, we discussed how Exodus is another image for salvation as a journey through wilderness, time, and learning.
Scott related "salvation" to its root meaning 'health," and told how Ford connected it to that word "orthodoxy" in a new way. While we immediately think of salvation in terms of angels plucking us from the fires of hell, that's only one image from Scripture; union with Christ, as in marriage, is another. The calendar of liturgical texts and actions provides an ongoing participatory image for life in Christ. See Scott's blogpost about the chapter.
TR
Erica brought a remarkable old book. The energy in the room bubbled up as we all took turns exploring its look, texture, and text. Published in 1872 by William Harding, purveyor of Bibles, the book purported to be a comprehensive survey of all world religions. The introduction states flatly that there is only one true religion, Christianity, so these others don't really qualify. A chapter on Mormonism sent us to our phones to confirm our sense that Joseph Smith had started that faith only fifty years earlier. The book as an object had its own history. We found in it a 1909 "Bible card" (similar to collectible baseball cards). We intuited that it was purchased for display more than for study; that it had long been a white elephant in one family, re-gifted in the 1950s to a clergyman's family, and now scrapped on a jumble table in a church basement where Erica picked it up.
We explored "the world of" the book, quickly understanding that it was a kind of "window" into the mindset of an earlier time. Published with pride, even arrogance, meant to be an impressive display of culture and wealth, it has now been devalued, ridiculed, displaced. But this very night, having been recovered by Erica, it has brought energy to us. From our tradition, we were reminded of Josiah's rediscovery of scripture, and of scripture itself: text that is both a window into a distant past, and a reflection of our present day. Images in our culture include the Velveteen Rabbit that becomes real only when loved.. We had insights: As we look back on our own lives, we can treasure what h
as been, even as we go forward; when we choose to look on earlier generations "with kindness," we benefit; we see the book as a testament to the human need to codify things.Collect for Readers
Eternal Father, Living Word: You inspired Luke; his gospel has inspired generations : Save us from arrogant pride in the achievements of our age, that we may look with humility and kindness upon the expressions of our forebears as windows to their lives and aspirations, reflecting on our own time by the light of theirs. Amen.
Next week: We read week 11. Brown bag dinner. Christine leads worship. Gene will initiate the TR.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 8-9: Luke! The Musical, and Pharaoh's Daughter
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Christine, Tom.
Erica opened with her personally printed Compline worship service. While we ate our brown bag dinners, we considered Erica's question, "What in the past week brought peace to you?" We had positive answers.
Our discussion of the readings grew from Mariel's observation that the gospel of Luke is "like a musical," replete with humanity, movement, and actual song. The musical "sound" of the language in Luke connected to the 4th year reading in Ford, who lays out in his survey of theologians' views of Jesus, some ways that translations of the gospels all add new layers of imagery and meaning to it.
Mariel also compared Luke to an "historical novel," opening up another avenue for other years to offer connections. From 4th year, Susan reviewed what we know of Jesus between gospels and other historical records. Erica told how councils struggled to define how human and how divine Jesus was -- and is. Scott was struck by Ford's exploration of the question, "How can a particular 1st century Jewish male speak to, be relevant to, relate to, the rest of the world today?"
Looking back over the whole conversation, we remarked on how much room there is for speculation in the materials that we've inherited. Mariel observed that we want to "freeze the image" we have of Jesus.
TR. Susan had us read several translations of Exodus 2.1-10, about a conspiracy of women to keep alive the baby who will become Moses, whose name means "drawn from," as in, "drawn from the river." Our exploration of the scripture focused on Pharaoh's daughter, how she subverts her father's arbitrary law. We saw that she herself is regulated. We saw pity. We saw a "nudge-nudge-wink-wink" cooperation of the Princess, who ends up paying the nurse to care for the nurse's own son. In Scripture, we saw how Jesus often bumped up against the literal enforcement of laws when he looked at the intention behind the laws.
Collect for Judges
Heavenly Father, you moved Pharaoh's daughter to defy her father's decree and draw baby Moses from the river: help us to discern the law you've written on our hearts and give us courage to follow that law regardless of personal risk. Amen.
Next week: Readings are for week 10. We won't have Christine. Tom brings food; Mariel leads worship; Erica will bring an object for a TR.
Erica opened with her personally printed Compline worship service. While we ate our brown bag dinners, we considered Erica's question, "What in the past week brought peace to you?" We had positive answers.
Our discussion of the readings grew from Mariel's observation that the gospel of Luke is "like a musical," replete with humanity, movement, and actual song. The musical "sound" of the language in Luke connected to the 4th year reading in Ford, who lays out in his survey of theologians' views of Jesus, some ways that translations of the gospels all add new layers of imagery and meaning to it.
Mariel also compared Luke to an "historical novel," opening up another avenue for other years to offer connections. From 4th year, Susan reviewed what we know of Jesus between gospels and other historical records. Erica told how councils struggled to define how human and how divine Jesus was -- and is. Scott was struck by Ford's exploration of the question, "How can a particular 1st century Jewish male speak to, be relevant to, relate to, the rest of the world today?"
Looking back over the whole conversation, we remarked on how much room there is for speculation in the materials that we've inherited. Mariel observed that we want to "freeze the image" we have of Jesus.
TR. Susan had us read several translations of Exodus 2.1-10, about a conspiracy of women to keep alive the baby who will become Moses, whose name means "drawn from," as in, "drawn from the river." Our exploration of the scripture focused on Pharaoh's daughter, how she subverts her father's arbitrary law. We saw that she herself is regulated. We saw pity. We saw a "nudge-nudge-wink-wink" cooperation of the Princess, who ends up paying the nurse to care for the nurse's own son. In Scripture, we saw how Jesus often bumped up against the literal enforcement of laws when he looked at the intention behind the laws.
Collect for Judges
Heavenly Father, you moved Pharaoh's daughter to defy her father's decree and draw baby Moses from the river: help us to discern the law you've written on our hearts and give us courage to follow that law regardless of personal risk. Amen.
Next week: Readings are for week 10. We won't have Christine. Tom brings food; Mariel leads worship; Erica will bring an object for a TR.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 7: Exodus, Mark, Manicheans, and a Marriage Proposal Gone Wrong
Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Tom, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Mariel has been away for three weeks, but has shared her reading responses through email.
Erica provided us two kinds of yummy soup from Panera, salad, and bread. Gene led worship. We caught each other up on our respective weeks.
Mariel's email about the readings for year 2 started our discussion She calls Mark a "gospel for middle schoolers" focused on mysterious and supernatural events a la Harry Potter, told in the "historical present tense." The original ending "they were afraid" seems right to her, but has long disturbed Gene. Tom and Gene responded to Mark and Powell's text, commenting on the disjointedness of the narrative, and the "story sandwich" that Mark often presents.
Christine segued from Tom's observation that the apostles repeat the same mistakes to the Hebrews' repeating the same errors so much. In her reading of Exodus and Collins, she was struck by the words translated from Hebrew that she has always seen differently. We discussed the importance of "God's name." Scott made a comment about how our American history has already been oversimplified or even fictionalized. Gene gave the example of Washington and the cherry tree, a fable made up by a clergyman named Parson Weems to teach children about Washington's integrity. Scott gave the example of a WABE host who made a generalization of the 60s -- "It wasn't true -- I was there," said Scott.
Erica connected the discussion of Exodus to her own experience teaching little children who were disturbed by the violence of plagues in the Exodus. In her reading, she was struck by the origin of the word "pagani" meaning "non - combatant," practically "draft dodger," a term of scorn to Christians who take seriously the metaphor that believers should be "soldiers" for Christ. Erica does not buy in to that metaphor, volunteering that she despises Sir Arthur Sullivan's hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers," .
We were all interested when Erica spoke of Zoroastrianism, and the heretical Manichean idea that Good and Evil battle each other as equals. Scott and Susan, speaking of Ford's chapter on "Evil," said that one traditional Christian view is that evil is the absence of good, a rejection of God.
TR Scott shared an experience concerning a musical theatre piece that he spent years composing; he called off the production to save a friendship. As we got into the story, we came up with a more universal version of it, the marriage proposal at a baseball game - rejected on nation wide TV. Our exploration of the metaphor brought out several Scriptural and Cultural analogs. We collected our thoughts and feelings in this prayer:
Collect for Strained Relationships
Lord Jesus, bridegroom of the Church: as the wife of Hosea rejected his offers of love and forgiveness, we have so often rejected You. Open our eyes to see You in others, that we may nurture loving relationships with all our fellow creatures.
Next week: We skim the reading for Wk. 8 and move on to the readings for Wk. 9. Brown bag dinner; Erica leads worship; Susan will bring a TR.
Erica provided us two kinds of yummy soup from Panera, salad, and bread. Gene led worship. We caught each other up on our respective weeks.
Christine segued from Tom's observation that the apostles repeat the same mistakes to the Hebrews' repeating the same errors so much. In her reading of Exodus and Collins, she was struck by the words translated from Hebrew that she has always seen differently. We discussed the importance of "God's name." Scott made a comment about how our American history has already been oversimplified or even fictionalized. Gene gave the example of Washington and the cherry tree, a fable made up by a clergyman named Parson Weems to teach children about Washington's integrity. Scott gave the example of a WABE host who made a generalization of the 60s -- "It wasn't true -- I was there," said Scott.
Erica connected the discussion of Exodus to her own experience teaching little children who were disturbed by the violence of plagues in the Exodus. In her reading, she was struck by the origin of the word "pagani" meaning "non - combatant," practically "draft dodger," a term of scorn to Christians who take seriously the metaphor that believers should be "soldiers" for Christ. Erica does not buy in to that metaphor, volunteering that she despises Sir Arthur Sullivan's hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers," .
We were all interested when Erica spoke of Zoroastrianism, and the heretical Manichean idea that Good and Evil battle each other as equals. Scott and Susan, speaking of Ford's chapter on "Evil," said that one traditional Christian view is that evil is the absence of good, a rejection of God.
TR Scott shared an experience concerning a musical theatre piece that he spent years composing; he called off the production to save a friendship. As we got into the story, we came up with a more universal version of it, the marriage proposal at a baseball game - rejected on nation wide TV. Our exploration of the metaphor brought out several Scriptural and Cultural analogs. We collected our thoughts and feelings in this prayer:
Collect for Strained Relationships
Lord Jesus, bridegroom of the Church: as the wife of Hosea rejected his offers of love and forgiveness, we have so often rejected You. Open our eyes to see You in others, that we may nurture loving relationships with all our fellow creatures.
Next week: We skim the reading for Wk. 8 and move on to the readings for Wk. 9. Brown bag dinner; Erica leads worship; Susan will bring a TR.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 6: Wading through Turbulent Waters
Class: Christine, Yr. 1; Tom, Gene, Mariel, Yr. 2; Erica, Yr. 3; Susan and Scott, mentors. Absent: Mariel.
Susan started us with worship from the daily devotions for early evening in the Book of Common Prayer. While we ate our brown bag dinners, Susan's question, "How was the last week?" evoked responses that struck Gene as unusually similar. The theological reflection (TR) would derive from this observation!
Christine found comfort in Powell's delineation of legends etymological and ethnological. The categories helped her to read the different stories of patriarchs in Genesis. Tom remembered how he was struck by the alien morality of those early tales; Erica is comforted by the way God works through flawed people in those ancient stories.
Gene loved Powell's exposition of Matthew, and he recommended the website and its videos. Reading the Gospel in one sitting was a great experience. He was struck by the structure of five sermons and by the theme of "binding and loosening." Mariel checked in by email, calling Matthew "A Converted Rabbi's Gospel" with its theme the Hebrew scripture, "the stone which the builders rejected...." Using the ABCD method, she was amazed at the tight structural cohesion of the gospel, bothered by Matthew's use of scripture out of context; confused by the vagueness of Powell's 7th theme; and delighted at all the phrases common in our culture that come from Matthew.
Tom admitted being intimidated by the command to "be perfect" as God is perfect. We discussed how "perfect" means "thoroughly made" or "solid" or "complete" or "integrated" or "whole" -- not free of errors and mistakes. Gene related this to the idea that, once Jesus ascended to heaven, the institutional church was left behind to be His eyes, hands, and feet.: we are Jesus.
Erica covered 50 - 300 A.D. from the chapter "Boundaries Defined." She noted how women clearly had leadership positions in the church until, realizing that Jesus might not be coming so soon as expected, the Church chose not to disrupt the common social structure. She quickly surveyed the ancient heresies that echo through controversies in today's church.
Erica noted the complexity of gender issues in the church then and now, noting on a personal level the importance to her of her children having their father.
TR. Scott invited members of the group to tell what struck them in others' stories of the past week that we shared during the meal. From all the answers, we derived an image of someone wading into flood waters so far, the waters so much deeper than expected, that the wader isn't sure to reach the other side, nor sure that going back is an option. Our culture tells us often to fight through to the other side; Scripture sometimes tells us to accept the situation, to "let go and let God." We wrapped up the discussion with this collect:
Collect for Crossing a Flooded Stream
O God, Who separated the waters of chaos from dry land: when the Hebrews were hopeless, You parted the Red Sea; when disciples expected to rule in a kingdom, You took them overseas to serve and die: When our own path seems to lead us into turbulent waters, remind us that we need not fear. Whether we fight the waters, or surrender to the current to be washed downstream to take up a different path, we are in Your sight and care. We may trust in your goodness. Amen.
Next week: Erica brings dinner; Gene leads worship; Scott brings a personal story for the TR.
Susan started us with worship from the daily devotions for early evening in the Book of Common Prayer. While we ate our brown bag dinners, Susan's question, "How was the last week?" evoked responses that struck Gene as unusually similar. The theological reflection (TR) would derive from this observation!
Christine found comfort in Powell's delineation of legends etymological and ethnological. The categories helped her to read the different stories of patriarchs in Genesis. Tom remembered how he was struck by the alien morality of those early tales; Erica is comforted by the way God works through flawed people in those ancient stories.
Gene loved Powell's exposition of Matthew, and he recommended the website and its videos. Reading the Gospel in one sitting was a great experience. He was struck by the structure of five sermons and by the theme of "binding and loosening." Mariel checked in by email, calling Matthew "A Converted Rabbi's Gospel" with its theme the Hebrew scripture, "the stone which the builders rejected...." Using the ABCD method, she was amazed at the tight structural cohesion of the gospel, bothered by Matthew's use of scripture out of context; confused by the vagueness of Powell's 7th theme; and delighted at all the phrases common in our culture that come from Matthew.
Tom admitted being intimidated by the command to "be perfect" as God is perfect. We discussed how "perfect" means "thoroughly made" or "solid" or "complete" or "integrated" or "whole" -- not free of errors and mistakes. Gene related this to the idea that, once Jesus ascended to heaven, the institutional church was left behind to be His eyes, hands, and feet.: we are Jesus.
Erica covered 50 - 300 A.D. from the chapter "Boundaries Defined." She noted how women clearly had leadership positions in the church until, realizing that Jesus might not be coming so soon as expected, the Church chose not to disrupt the common social structure. She quickly surveyed the ancient heresies that echo through controversies in today's church.
Erica noted the complexity of gender issues in the church then and now, noting on a personal level the importance to her of her children having their father.
TR. Scott invited members of the group to tell what struck them in others' stories of the past week that we shared during the meal. From all the answers, we derived an image of someone wading into flood waters so far, the waters so much deeper than expected, that the wader isn't sure to reach the other side, nor sure that going back is an option. Our culture tells us often to fight through to the other side; Scripture sometimes tells us to accept the situation, to "let go and let God." We wrapped up the discussion with this collect:
Collect for Crossing a Flooded Stream
O God, Who separated the waters of chaos from dry land: when the Hebrews were hopeless, You parted the Red Sea; when disciples expected to rule in a kingdom, You took them overseas to serve and die: When our own path seems to lead us into turbulent waters, remind us that we need not fear. Whether we fight the waters, or surrender to the current to be washed downstream to take up a different path, we are in Your sight and care. We may trust in your goodness. Amen.
Next week: Erica brings dinner; Gene leads worship; Scott brings a personal story for the TR.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 5: Many Ways to Approach the Experience of God
Class: Erica, 3rd year; Gene, Mariel, and Tom, 2nd year; Christine, 1st year; Susan Rouse and Scott Smoot, mentors. Absent: Mariel, Gene.
Erica has prepared beautiful decorated booklets containing the Compline service, color optional. She asked us to tell of someone who had been to us, in the last week, a blessing. Scott prepared chicken Caesar salad on - site.
Susan started discussion with outstanding ideas from Ford's 4th year theology primer. How do we think about God? How is God known to us? Scripture is not the only answer; our experiences of nature, of music and art, of life all are part of our experiences of God. Scott added how Ford emphasizes the Trinity, a doctrine that has been reinvigorated in the past century, which also seems to be a bridge to people of other faiths.
Erica voiced enthusiasm for McCullough's writing. She listens to it read by an actor, and pays attention to the vast sweep of Christianity's spread through space and time. Some points that struck her included the translation of "virgin" (as in Mary's virgin birth) comes after a Hebrew phrase that meant "young woman"; Paul's amazing influence in his half-century of ministry; and the chills Erica felt in a description of Jesus by the effect that he leaves in the record as, hardly meek and gentle, an irreverent inverter of expectations, loving and always expecting to die for his cause.
Tom responded to the second year readings with appreciation for some visuals provided in Powell. There's a speculative portrait of Jesus based on what we now know about the demographics of his place and time -- a brown skinned man with short-cropped hair. Tom appreciated the survey of different ways to approach Jesus, each with something different to offer -- such as the "just the facts" approach. Mariel, sending her thoughts from afar, agreed that the survey of approaches is meant to appreciate the distinctive contribution each perspective makes to our rounded picture of Jesus. She's amazed by the richness of the picture; bothered by the lack of definitive answers, confused by the absence of parables in John's Gospel, and delighted by a table of parables printed in the textbook.
Christine responded positively to Genesis 1 - 11 and the textbook. A message we got loud and clear is that we need not fear, knowing God, Lord of Creator, is over all, immanent as well as transcendant.
Tom related his spiritual autobiography through the lens of what he learned from a time with Buddhists.
Erica closed the evening with a beautiful prayer by St. Augustine that includes the plea, "Cleanse me from my secret faults."
Next week: Brown bag dinner. Susan brings worship. Scott prepares a TR. We all do the readings for Week Six, but we've asked Christine to go ahead with the Common Reading for Week Eight, for an introduction to TRs.
Erica has prepared beautiful decorated booklets containing the Compline service, color optional. She asked us to tell of someone who had been to us, in the last week, a blessing. Scott prepared chicken Caesar salad on - site.
Susan started discussion with outstanding ideas from Ford's 4th year theology primer. How do we think about God? How is God known to us? Scripture is not the only answer; our experiences of nature, of music and art, of life all are part of our experiences of God. Scott added how Ford emphasizes the Trinity, a doctrine that has been reinvigorated in the past century, which also seems to be a bridge to people of other faiths.
Erica voiced enthusiasm for McCullough's writing. She listens to it read by an actor, and pays attention to the vast sweep of Christianity's spread through space and time. Some points that struck her included the translation of "virgin" (as in Mary's virgin birth) comes after a Hebrew phrase that meant "young woman"; Paul's amazing influence in his half-century of ministry; and the chills Erica felt in a description of Jesus by the effect that he leaves in the record as, hardly meek and gentle, an irreverent inverter of expectations, loving and always expecting to die for his cause.
Tom responded to the second year readings with appreciation for some visuals provided in Powell. There's a speculative portrait of Jesus based on what we now know about the demographics of his place and time -- a brown skinned man with short-cropped hair. Tom appreciated the survey of different ways to approach Jesus, each with something different to offer -- such as the "just the facts" approach. Mariel, sending her thoughts from afar, agreed that the survey of approaches is meant to appreciate the distinctive contribution each perspective makes to our rounded picture of Jesus. She's amazed by the richness of the picture; bothered by the lack of definitive answers, confused by the absence of parables in John's Gospel, and delighted by a table of parables printed in the textbook.
Christine responded positively to Genesis 1 - 11 and the textbook. A message we got loud and clear is that we need not fear, knowing God, Lord of Creator, is over all, immanent as well as transcendant.
Tom related his spiritual autobiography through the lens of what he learned from a time with Buddhists.
Erica closed the evening with a beautiful prayer by St. Augustine that includes the plea, "Cleanse me from my secret faults."
Next week: Brown bag dinner. Susan brings worship. Scott prepares a TR. We all do the readings for Week Six, but we've asked Christine to go ahead with the Common Reading for Week Eight, for an introduction to TRs.
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 4: Early Israel and Colors
Class: Yr. 3, Erica Anderson; Yr. 2, Tom Erb, Mariel Fox, Gene Taylor; Yr. 1, Christine Bondor. Mentors: Scott Smoot, Susan Rouse. Absent: Tom.
Gene brought worship from the evening service of the English prayer book. We told about the last week while we had our brown bag dinners.
Christine has begun to read the book that will accompany Collins's survey of the Hebrew scriptures, The Hebrew Bible: Feminist and International Perspectives edited by Gale A.Yee. Christine discovered many layers over the basic "feminism" that she knew from the 1960s. She had heard of all these developments in isolation, and was excited to see how they developed and overlapped.
Gene found helpful the distinction between "exegesis" and "hermeneutics." He confessed some trouble keeping straight the various critical approaches surveyed in Powell's chapter on "The New Testament Writings." Mariel related this chapter to those "layers" Christine found in the survey of feminist thought. She welcomed a proliferation of "different voices."
Gene brought worship from the evening service of the English prayer book. We told about the last week while we had our brown bag dinners.
Christine has begun to read the book that will accompany Collins's survey of the Hebrew scriptures, The Hebrew Bible: Feminist and International Perspectives edited by Gale A.Yee. Christine discovered many layers over the basic "feminism" that she knew from the 1960s. She had heard of all these developments in isolation, and was excited to see how they developed and overlapped.
Gene found helpful the distinction between "exegesis" and "hermeneutics." He confessed some trouble keeping straight the various critical approaches surveyed in Powell's chapter on "The New Testament Writings." Mariel related this chapter to those "layers" Christine found in the survey of feminist thought. She welcomed a proliferation of "different voices."
Erica first relayed parts that struck her in McDonough's chapter on ancient Israel: "prophets" were never considered to be fortune-tellers, but truth - tellers who applied law and Scripture to contemporary conditions; "Israel" means "struggles with God," something she knew from the story of Jacob's wrestling one night, but had not connected with the nation; the book of Judges, for all its odd stories, contains the most corroborated datable events of any book in the Hebrew scriptures; that it was the educated leaders of Israel who were deported during the Babylonian exile, so their return naturally led to the priestly reforms and crackdown on "foreign influences."
Erica asked why the EfM program chose the book by an agnostic historian, albeit one "friendly to Christianity," when others are available from openly Christian authors? We had a ge
neral discussion about the value of different voices. Mariel made the analogy to children growing up into awareness of colors far beyond what they had in their first box of crayons.
Christine shared her spiritual autobiography.
Mariel prefaced hers with a metaphor of a prism that occurred to her as she was reading Powell's book.
Next week: Erica leads worship; Scott brings food; Tom will present his spiritual autobiography.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 3: Closing Gates and Re-opening Memories
Class: Year 1: Christine; Year 2: Tom, Mariel, Gene; Year 3: Erica; Year 4: Mentors Susan and Scott. Absent: Tom
Mariel brought Sloppy Joes for dinner. Before we enjoyed Mariel's Sloppy Joes and sweet potato chips, Scott led worship drawn from Jewish web sites for the evening of Yom Kippur (see picture), capping days of atonement with a "closing of the gate" on the temple. We recited the Shema (Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One) with right hand over the eyes -- to exclude distractions and other gods. The question during dinner was, "What gates have closed, or have you closed, these past few weeks?"
Our discussion of the readings found a lot in common in the content, which dealt with the world and culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Feelings were positive about the texts in all three years.
Mariel recommended the web site mentioned in our Reading Reflection Guide, http://kwokpuilan.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-read-theological-book.html. We also discussed a book read with EfM a few years ago by Martin Luther King Jr.'s college professor Howard Thurman, a short theological work that struck Susan and Scott as something special. Scott's blogpost is here.
After a break, we repaired to the Pilgrimage room to hear spiritual autobiographies by Gene and Erica. After hushed expressions of appreciation for both of these brief slices of life that we will all remember, we joined in the EfM liturgy of appreciation: For what has been, Thanks be to God; For what is, Thanks be to God; For what will be, thanks be to God.
Next week: We bring brown bag dinners. Gene provides worship. Mariel and Christine will share their spiritual autobiographies. We will prepare by doing the readings assigned for week 4 in the RRG.
We heard
Mariel brought Sloppy Joes for dinner. Before we enjoyed Mariel's Sloppy Joes and sweet potato chips, Scott led worship drawn from Jewish web sites for the evening of Yom Kippur (see picture), capping days of atonement with a "closing of the gate" on the temple. We recited the Shema (Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One) with right hand over the eyes -- to exclude distractions and other gods. The question during dinner was, "What gates have closed, or have you closed, these past few weeks?" Our discussion of the readings found a lot in common in the content, which dealt with the world and culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Feelings were positive about the texts in all three years.
Mariel recommended the web site mentioned in our Reading Reflection Guide, http://kwokpuilan.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-read-theological-book.html. We also discussed a book read with EfM a few years ago by Martin Luther King Jr.'s college professor Howard Thurman, a short theological work that struck Susan and Scott as something special. Scott's blogpost is here.
After a break, we repaired to the Pilgrimage room to hear spiritual autobiographies by Gene and Erica. After hushed expressions of appreciation for both of these brief slices of life that we will all remember, we joined in the EfM liturgy of appreciation: For what has been, Thanks be to God; For what is, Thanks be to God; For what will be, thanks be to God.
Next week: We bring brown bag dinners. Gene provides worship. Mariel and Christine will share their spiritual autobiographies. We will prepare by doing the readings assigned for week 4 in the RRG.
We heard
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 2: Listening to Multiculturalism
Class: Year 1: Christine; Year 2: Tom, Mariel, Gene; Year 3: Erica; Year 4: Mentors Susan and Scott. Absent: Tom
[Photos: A famous movie was filmed in Tunisia, site of an incident in Susan's spiritual autobiography; canned food and asparagus both had significance in Scott's spiritual autobiography.]
Mariel brought worship inspired by the upcoming St. Francis Day, focused on God's creation, with scripture about the natural world selected from Psalm 104, Genesis 1, Revelation 22, and the Book of Common Prayer's Song of Creation. Mariel posed a question for us to discuss during our meal, how nature had impacted our lives in the last week. Answers included enjoyment of acres of woods, the red cardinal that delights the parent with dementia, the dog's smell walk, local produce, seeing a whale shark wait patiently to be fed at the aquarium, and the diversity of greenery around the church.
Erica shared some exciting personal news.
Our discussion of the reading coalesced around three topics, the first being "culture." We looked at the term broadly, to include pervasive sub-elements in American life, such as "sports culture" and the culture of the deaf, as well as our own Episcopal culture compared to, say, Baptist culture. We were struck by the statistics that show how Muslims outnumber Episcopalians and Presbyterians in America. After Gene, we shared some stories about how our best experiences of "multi - culturalism" have been those that made us feel uncomfortable. Susan was concerned that this topic of "multi-culturalism" might be something superficial and prescriptive, lacking the depth of metaphorical themes of other years in our course.
We were also struck by the essay's ideas about "listening." Mariel gave good advice, to breathe deeply! Christine liked the five pillars of listening. Scott repeated what Tom had said, about disciplining ourselves to put off thinking about our responses until we've heard the other person out. Scott, as a drama teacher, especially liked the idea of listening with our whole bodies. Gene reminded us that "open mindedness" is not the same thing as neutrality: "You keep your commitments."
Of course, our spiritual autobiographies are a training ground for listening without judgement.
After a break, we repaired to the Pilgrimage Room to hear spiritual autobiographies by Susan and Scott.
Next week: Worship is handled by Smoot; dinner will be Mariel's; Gene and Erica will prepare their short spiritual autobiographies from the perspective of cultural encounter. We do the readings assigned for our respective years in the Reading Reflecting Guide, Week Three.
Here is a link to the text of Scott's spiritual autobiography, "A Spiritual Encounter with French Asparagus."
[Photos: A famous movie was filmed in Tunisia, site of an incident in Susan's spiritual autobiography; canned food and asparagus both had significance in Scott's spiritual autobiography.]
Mariel brought worship inspired by the upcoming St. Francis Day, focused on God's creation, with scripture about the natural world selected from Psalm 104, Genesis 1, Revelation 22, and the Book of Common Prayer's Song of Creation. Mariel posed a question for us to discuss during our meal, how nature had impacted our lives in the last week. Answers included enjoyment of acres of woods, the red cardinal that delights the parent with dementia, the dog's smell walk, local produce, seeing a whale shark wait patiently to be fed at the aquarium, and the diversity of greenery around the church.
Erica shared some exciting personal news.
Our discussion of the reading coalesced around three topics, the first being "culture." We looked at the term broadly, to include pervasive sub-elements in American life, such as "sports culture" and the culture of the deaf, as well as our own Episcopal culture compared to, say, Baptist culture. We were struck by the statistics that show how Muslims outnumber Episcopalians and Presbyterians in America. After Gene, we shared some stories about how our best experiences of "multi - culturalism" have been those that made us feel uncomfortable. Susan was concerned that this topic of "multi-culturalism" might be something superficial and prescriptive, lacking the depth of metaphorical themes of other years in our course.
We were also struck by the essay's ideas about "listening." Mariel gave good advice, to breathe deeply! Christine liked the five pillars of listening. Scott repeated what Tom had said, about disciplining ourselves to put off thinking about our responses until we've heard the other person out. Scott, as a drama teacher, especially liked the idea of listening with our whole bodies. Gene reminded us that "open mindedness" is not the same thing as neutrality: "You keep your commitments."
Of course, our spiritual autobiographies are a training ground for listening without judgement.
After a break, we repaired to the Pilgrimage Room to hear spiritual autobiographies by Susan and Scott.
Next week: Worship is handled by Smoot; dinner will be Mariel's; Gene and Erica will prepare their short spiritual autobiographies from the perspective of cultural encounter. We do the readings assigned for our respective years in the Reading Reflecting Guide, Week Three.
Here is a link to the text of Scott's spiritual autobiography, "A Spiritual Encounter with French Asparagus."
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Yr. B, Wk. 1: Memories of Scharme; Night in the Lord's House
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| Christine's photo |
After a blessing from the prayer book, p. 831, Susan served pulled pork sandwiches with her own mango barbecue sauce, and cole slaw. While we ate, we checked in on what's been going on over the summer. Scott led worship from the Year B RRG book (Reading and Reflecting Guide on line), Gene reading the "leader" lines.
Our newest member, Christine, joined us during dinner. We introduced ourselves through the discussion of summer. She already knew of our loss: Our year 4 student, Scharme Clower, has died, and her husband Greg is in our prayers. We took some time to write memories of Scharme in our EfM class. Following the worship provided in the RRG, we collected the memories, placed them inside a card for Greg that we had signed, and prayed for the bereaved (BCP p. 831) and heard this collect:
Collect for our Friend Scharme, and for her husband Greg:
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| Erica: The EfM room; "Be Thou My Vision" |
We discussed what we had seen in the reading. For Christine, our newest member, Mariel enlarged on what the RRG says about EfM. "It's not ONLY an Bible study." Gene added that we also apply our life and "the current situation" to what we read. EfM is NOT a therapy group. Tom advised that we should pay heed to the skill of "holy listening," not thinking of our responses while we listen to someone who disagrees with us. Erica told Christine that "Theological Reflections" (TRs) might be a problem for her, but, "trust the process." Mariel added, "You won't know where it's going to end up."
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| Mariel - Icon of Mary |
- be there, be on time
- "Leave your politics at the door"
- don't speak personal stories beyond our door
- be cell phone free (unless you tell us you're expecting a difficult call)
- Dinners: We'll alternate brown bag nights with dinners prepared by members
After a dessert break, we had an "icebreaker" activity related to the prayer "At the End of the Day" We pray for those who "preserve: those who "stand" in "the House of the Lord" by night. With our cell phones, we shared with each other our photos of objects in St. James Church that we would preserve, or that "preserve" us in some way. (See photos) Presenting these was a sort of introduction to each other. We prayed the short service in the BCP.
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| Gene - mission statement |
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| Scott - one art pictures another art in worship |
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| Susan - Nave at Night |
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Tom - His shadow on the door of the Lawrence Chapel
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Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Yr. A, Wk. 36: Closure
All present. We awarded certificates from Sewanee to Bill and Lynne in church May 6; we met in the choir loft to say good-bye to them and to each other with a liturgy provided in our Reading & Reflection Guide. At the place in the liturgy where everyone could offer a prayer, we each selected a favorite from the Collected Collects in bound in striking marbled paper created by Susan.
The class presented the mentors with potables that will bring pleasure many summer nights hence. Susan and I thank you!
We repaired to Hemingway's for a meal under a mildly cloudy night sky; Bill and Lynne took the bill: Bill and Lynne, we have, for the final time, one more occasion to thank you!
Next: Susan and I will have mentor training during the summer. We'll be in touch with you early in July about sending in checks and signatures before July 20, to begin again Year B in mid-August!
The class presented the mentors with potables that will bring pleasure many summer nights hence. Susan and I thank you!
We repaired to Hemingway's for a meal under a mildly cloudy night sky; Bill and Lynne took the bill: Bill and Lynne, we have, for the final time, one more occasion to thank you!
Next: Susan and I will have mentor training during the summer. We'll be in touch with you early in July about sending in checks and signatures before July 20, to begin again Year B in mid-August!
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Yr. A, wk. 35: Concluding the Year, and a Kaleidoscope
Members: Thomas, Gene, Mariel, first year; Erica, second year; Scharme, third year; Bill and Lynne Lovelace, fourth year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Erica, Gene; Tom left midway.
Mariel started us off with worship from Canada's prayer book, focused on St. Julian of Norwich. We answered her question, "What made you laugh during the past week?"
About the first year readings in apocryphal wisdom literature, Mariel and Tom found that these works were focused on secular education for upper-class boys.
Scharme discussed culture wars. We digressed on the topic of "prosperity gospel" and its opposite, "liberation theology." She was most struck by the observation that the doctrine of Hell has all but vanished from faith discourse in the 20th century.
Bill and Lynne, speaking of the readings for fourth year, felt that these chapters in this book made a fitting conclusion to their years with EfM. The focus was on action that grows from dialogue. Lynne says the chapters made her ask herself, "What am I going to do with my faith?"
For a TR, Scharme brought us a story of a time when she was overwhelmed, thinking "this is what we agreed was right to do," and yet feeling in the moment, "this is very wrong." She said, "It was like looking through a kaleidoscope and trying to keep track of just one color." We imagined trying to find the esy out of a warren of halls and doors, looking through a kaleidoscope.
In such a world, the sin was standing still, sitting down, fearing to make a misstep. We found Scriptural analogs in the stories of the Exodus, Jonah, and Paul's being struck blind on the road to Damascus. The common element was feeling unprepared and apprehensive about a journey, uncertain of the turns taken. Bill pointed out that we only presume that there's just one right way to go.
Collect for Clarity
All knowing God, You led the Hebrews with the pillar of flame: help us to remember your faithfulness when we allow our cares and fears to overwhelm us, and when we lose our way; so that we will have the courage to step forward into the unknown, trusting in Your divine goodness even to our last days. Amen.
Next week, our last: Meet in the choir's pews at 6:45. We will have a worship service, then repair to Hemingway's for a final meal together.
Mariel started us off with worship from Canada's prayer book, focused on St. Julian of Norwich. We answered her question, "What made you laugh during the past week?"
About the first year readings in apocryphal wisdom literature, Mariel and Tom found that these works were focused on secular education for upper-class boys.
Scharme discussed culture wars. We digressed on the topic of "prosperity gospel" and its opposite, "liberation theology." She was most struck by the observation that the doctrine of Hell has all but vanished from faith discourse in the 20th century.
Bill and Lynne, speaking of the readings for fourth year, felt that these chapters in this book made a fitting conclusion to their years with EfM. The focus was on action that grows from dialogue. Lynne says the chapters made her ask herself, "What am I going to do with my faith?"
For a TR, Scharme brought us a story of a time when she was overwhelmed, thinking "this is what we agreed was right to do," and yet feeling in the moment, "this is very wrong." She said, "It was like looking through a kaleidoscope and trying to keep track of just one color." We imagined trying to find the esy out of a warren of halls and doors, looking through a kaleidoscope. In such a world, the sin was standing still, sitting down, fearing to make a misstep. We found Scriptural analogs in the stories of the Exodus, Jonah, and Paul's being struck blind on the road to Damascus. The common element was feeling unprepared and apprehensive about a journey, uncertain of the turns taken. Bill pointed out that we only presume that there's just one right way to go.
Collect for Clarity
All knowing God, You led the Hebrews with the pillar of flame: help us to remember your faithfulness when we allow our cares and fears to overwhelm us, and when we lose our way; so that we will have the courage to step forward into the unknown, trusting in Your divine goodness even to our last days. Amen.
Next week, our last: Meet in the choir's pews at 6:45. We will have a worship service, then repair to Hemingway's for a final meal together.
Sunday, May 6, 2018
Yr. A, Wk. 34: Maccabees and a Mad World
Members: Thomas, Gene, Mariel, first year; Erica, second year; Scharme, third year; Bill and Lynne Lovelace, fourth year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: Erica.
Lynne led us in "Night Prayer" from New Zealand's prayer book. While we ate our brown bag suppers, she posed a question that arose for her from 4th Year's text Our Neighbor's Faith, "Is it easy or difficult for you to speak of your faith? Are there messages from society that encourage or discourage you from doing so?" A couple of pithy quotations came up in our discussion. From Our Neighbor's Faith, "Too many religions have suffered from being over-verbalized and under-experienced." From St. Francis: "Share the Gospel; if necessary, use words."
Responding to Maccabees, Mariel wondered if such over-the-top violence might have been in some way intended as humor? Gene was struck by the role of dreams in Daniel. Tom said that the transparently non-historical nature of Daniel is a prime example of the fallacy of 20th century fundamentalists' imposing on the Bible their needs for assurance of consistency and "infallibility."
Lynne commented on how she loves the book of Daniel for its portrayal of "staying true to your faith."
Reporting on the collapse of Christendom in two world wars, Scharme admitted that she had never before "connected emotionally" to what happened in the first half of the 20th century. We commented also on the way the hierarchy of the Church enabled fascism, even while Bonhoeffer and other lay believers resisted. We saw the same connection between religion, politics, and power. Scharme told how the World Council of Churches emerged from the wars.
Bill and Lynne shared some stories from the later portion of Our Neighbor's Faith. They were struck by the story of Jewish families who prepared meals for their Islamic neighbors during Ramadan. Bill repeated a quotation from one of the authors in the book, "Never hate the evil more than you love the good." This brought to mind a couple more outstanding quotations. From Scharme: "Be a living example of how love wins." From William Sloane Coffin, by way of Bill: "The only way to have a good death is to lead a good life."
When we observed that Bill and Lynne have only one more reading to do, there was a reflection on the EfM experience. Bill said EfM "was not what I expected; it was more."
TR
For a theological reflection, Gene handed out the lyric for the 1980s song "Mad World" by Roland Orzabel, then showed us a video created for a more recent performance of the song by Gary Jules. Susan observed that the "whimsical" images of children at play in the video undercuts the lyric; Mariel found the music to be "sweet" in contrast to the bitter words. In the end, we explored the world of "artistic collaboration." We found insights that we, discussing the video, are also part of the collaboration; that any creator, like The Creator, gives up control of the creation; that, in collaboration, different perspectives (exemplified in the video by the camera's panning from rooftop to the children far below) can connect our "shared aloneness."
Running out of time, we all truly collaborated, drafting separate pieces of a collect in different quadrants of paper, for Scott to combine later.
Collect for Collaboration
Almighty Everliving Father, together with Your Word and Spirit, You risked opening the act of creation to Your children: Teach us to try others' perspectives before we advance our own, so that, in our shared aloneness, we may truly collaborate with You and each other in the fulfillment of Your dream of creation. Amen.
Next Week: We brown bag again -- looking forward to a shared meal on the Square the following week. Mariel will lead worship; Scharme will bring the TR.
Lynne led us in "Night Prayer" from New Zealand's prayer book. While we ate our brown bag suppers, she posed a question that arose for her from 4th Year's text Our Neighbor's Faith, "Is it easy or difficult for you to speak of your faith? Are there messages from society that encourage or discourage you from doing so?" A couple of pithy quotations came up in our discussion. From Our Neighbor's Faith, "Too many religions have suffered from being over-verbalized and under-experienced." From St. Francis: "Share the Gospel; if necessary, use words."
Responding to Maccabees, Mariel wondered if such over-the-top violence might have been in some way intended as humor? Gene was struck by the role of dreams in Daniel. Tom said that the transparently non-historical nature of Daniel is a prime example of the fallacy of 20th century fundamentalists' imposing on the Bible their needs for assurance of consistency and "infallibility."
Lynne commented on how she loves the book of Daniel for its portrayal of "staying true to your faith."
Reporting on the collapse of Christendom in two world wars, Scharme admitted that she had never before "connected emotionally" to what happened in the first half of the 20th century. We commented also on the way the hierarchy of the Church enabled fascism, even while Bonhoeffer and other lay believers resisted. We saw the same connection between religion, politics, and power. Scharme told how the World Council of Churches emerged from the wars.
Bill and Lynne shared some stories from the later portion of Our Neighbor's Faith. They were struck by the story of Jewish families who prepared meals for their Islamic neighbors during Ramadan. Bill repeated a quotation from one of the authors in the book, "Never hate the evil more than you love the good." This brought to mind a couple more outstanding quotations. From Scharme: "Be a living example of how love wins." From William Sloane Coffin, by way of Bill: "The only way to have a good death is to lead a good life."
When we observed that Bill and Lynne have only one more reading to do, there was a reflection on the EfM experience. Bill said EfM "was not what I expected; it was more."
For a theological reflection, Gene handed out the lyric for the 1980s song "Mad World" by Roland Orzabel, then showed us a video created for a more recent performance of the song by Gary Jules. Susan observed that the "whimsical" images of children at play in the video undercuts the lyric; Mariel found the music to be "sweet" in contrast to the bitter words. In the end, we explored the world of "artistic collaboration." We found insights that we, discussing the video, are also part of the collaboration; that any creator, like The Creator, gives up control of the creation; that, in collaboration, different perspectives (exemplified in the video by the camera's panning from rooftop to the children far below) can connect our "shared aloneness."
Running out of time, we all truly collaborated, drafting separate pieces of a collect in different quadrants of paper, for Scott to combine later.
Collect for Collaboration
Almighty Everliving Father, together with Your Word and Spirit, You risked opening the act of creation to Your children: Teach us to try others' perspectives before we advance our own, so that, in our shared aloneness, we may truly collaborate with You and each other in the fulfillment of Your dream of creation. Amen.
Next Week: We brown bag again -- looking forward to a shared meal on the Square the following week. Mariel will lead worship; Scharme will bring the TR.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Yr. A, Wk. 33: Short Stories and Four Stories
Members: Thomas, Gene, Mariel, first year; Erica, second year; Scharme, third year; Bill and Lynne Lovelace, fourth year; Scott and Susan, mentors. Absent: none.
Scharme brought pizza and Chips Ahoy. Bill led worship, using a Jewish evening prayer service, beginning with the Shema ("Hear, O Israel..."). Our question concerned words we'd spoken in the past week that we wish had been other.
Mariel led discussion of the readings by noting that the "short stories" of the Old Testament were "delightful." She especially appreciated "dramatic reversals" and irony in the stories.
Year Four readers picked up on the "dramatic irony" comment to tell us about anecdotes from My Neighbor's Faith. The pacifist Westerner who'd preached to vegetarian Hindus about eating meat when it fell into one's bowl, was confronted by the Hindu who dropped "war" into his bowl.
Between Tom, Gene, and Mariel, there was a distinguishing of "fact" from "truth," in regards to the designation of "short story" for Ruth, Esther, and Jonah.
Erica related what she'd heard to the Johannine (Jo - HAN-neen) letters, She'd always read the words about the Anti-Christ and about loving just other Christians without context; she was grateful for Collins's supplying of context,, that these letters were addressed to Churches in conflict.
Scharme reported on internal missionaries to the USA while others went abroad. "Episcopalians stood aloof," she read from McDonough, while Deists in Washington and other urban areas took note of popular evangelical movements. Scharme led us into a look at Mormonism.
Bill cited a story from the 4th year book, to the effect that no one OWNS God, and the Christians don't OWN Jesus.
Rather than bring an anecdote or source for TR, Tom brought an article extolling the TR method. We started from the author's statement about the "grounding" that the practice of theological reflection brings to us, treating his statement as a "position statement." We arrived at a metaphor for the "grounding" that TR provides, imagining a four-story apartment building, its elevator connecting the different experiences of life on other floors.
Exploring the world of the metaphor, we imagined life in the building to involve cooperation, common space in the lobby, different experiences lived on similar floor plans, different perspectives on the same view through the windows. Sin would be shutting oneself off from the other levels; redemption would be the party in the lobby and the cooperative garden on the roof.
We found many resonances in Scripture. The vision of angels ascending and descending stairs into heaven; God's fragmenting our language after the Tower of Babel to force us to work on getting to know each other; numerous stories of Old and New Testament in which peoples coalesce around shared adversity; the Cross's integration of the Trinity and our existence and eternity. Allegories and parables operate in the same way, with parallel levels of experience. The epistles speak of levels of faith; Jesus often goes up and down hills.
Cultural touchstones included films As Good as it Gets, Wizard of Oz, The Girl on the Train, and Rear Window. The dialogue among the sources brought us to a sense that we limit our lives and the good we do when we focus only on one level, that broadening our view to include others' experiences, others' views, has to be good.
Not coincidentally, our conclusions dovetailed with the content of the book that our fourth year fellows are reading, Our Neighbor's Faith.
Collect for Theological Reflections.
Lord, if we ascend to the Heavens, You are there; if we descend to Sheol, You are there: Help us to maintain the practice of theological reflection, always conscious of different levels in our lives, that we may examine both our mundane experiences and the sensational presentations of our culture in the revealing light of Scripture. Amen.
Next Week: We do readings for Week 34. Brown bag dinner. Gene brings a source for TR. Lynne will lead worship. Coming up: We anticipate recognition of Bill and Lynne's completion of the program during the 10:30 service on May 6. This will be confirmed soon.
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