Yr. D, Wk.21: Desire Between the Floors

Gene led an eclectic worship service cut-and-pasted from different sources. One passage that Gene had selected for worship expressed a thought that came out in our discussion of the readings: "Our thirst compels us to go beyond complaint to conversation."

Yr. D theme: Living into the Journey with God Class: Marilyn, Nuno, first year; Christine, third year; Mariel, Gene, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent:Nuno.

Gene takes no responsibility for the on-boarding question, "If the past week were a food, what dish would it be?" We had rotten tomatoes; fine fish with one sharp bone; hamburger surprise; too much hummus. But with the vaccine received or near to being administered, we felt grateful.

A theme in our comments about the readings (below) emerged even more prominently in our discussion: God works with and through our desires, contrary to what we may have thought earlier in our lives. Gene said we bring our desires ("thirst" in the prayer he chose) to "the table" when we look to God for His plan for us. Mariel had picked up on MacIntosh's description of sacraments as "poignant reminders" of our separation from God, and our longing for God. Marilyn identified with the shifting perspectives that she read about in Mariel's post, "small/big, far/closeup." We were reminded of Psalm 37 - "Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." We also recalled 1 Peter: "Cast all your cares on the Lord."

Theological Reflections (TR) Susan told a story about a fine evening spoiled when the valet lost her car key. We focused on the anxious hour(s) she spent waiting for the restaurant to get her car back to her. Thinking of similar times in our lives, we settled on the image of being stuck on an elevator, waiting for help to arrive.

The world of an elevator is closed off. It's a convenience, a necessity for some, but its smooth operation can be taken too much for granted. The things that make it work are invisible although you can hear them. We cannot see its motion. If it breaks, you have no way to fix it yourself. Even if you can communicate with rescuers, there’waiting, worrying, and doubt. It gets worse: What if you need the restroom? What are you missing while you're stuck there?

We found several analogs in tradition and popular culture. Disciples waited in the upper room, doors locked, afraid of Roman and Temple authorities; Passover, the night before the Exodus. Disciples may be waiting, but they’ve made a choice…. So have the Hebrews: they’ve cast their lots, and they’re waiting for the results. Among movies and literature, we thought of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, the people in Die Hard trapped in a building (where Marilyn used to work!); Anne Frank in the attic. We thought of the fish in an aquarium in Finding Nemo. In all these cases, the salient characteristic is lack of control, and waiting patiently -- or not -- on others.

We brainstormed for a collect, leaving it to Scott to finish. The end result refers to our earlier discussion of desires, and to what Jesus says to anxious Martha in Luke 10.42:

Collect in Suspense Almighty Father: while disciples waited in the upper room, You were there with them: help us to remember that the only necessary thing is You, and You are with us always, that we may with patience endure those trials we cannot control and with diligence effect the changes that we can. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Yr. D, Wk.20: Reaching Out to Find Our Way

Mariel led worship with a litany of invocations by different attributes of the Spirit thoughtfully fitted to each of us. Her on-boarding question was about mountains or deserts in our lives these days. We answered about the "deserts" lacking communion, personal contact with friends, and joy. Christine spoke of the "frozen tundra" of family relationships separated by COVID restrictions; Gene, our cheerful hiker, quipped, "My mountain is that I can't get to my mountain!"

Concerning the week's readings, we shared what we saw in others' posts (below) that we wanted to hear more about. Responding to postings about Hosea from Nuno and Marilyn, Mariel reported on what Gale Yee wrote about it in a Bible commentary focused through the perspective of women. Nuno asked Gene to elaborate on MacIntosh's downplaying of the common notion that Jesus took the punishment for mankind. Scott found that topic in Christine's posting, too, where the punishment idea figured in the break between Roman and Orthodox Christianity.

Yr. D theme: Living into the Journey with God Class: Marilyn, Nuno, first year; Christine, third year; Mariel, Gene, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: None.

Theological Reflection (TR) Christine shared with us a striking photograph from a retirement center that she made through the glass that separates her from her mother. [See photo.]

Asking what characteristics of creation show in this photo, we answered: big, solid, but with a human touch; we see the passage of time; there's a sweetness in how these people are taking care of each other (though they may not remember each other's names); they're fighting against entropy that pulls them down into those big stuffed chairs. The sense grew that the room itself is in some ways distorted; the unseen element of the glass barrier added to that sense.

When we thought of referents to this photo, we thought of the myth of Orpheus who, leading Eurydice out of Hades, couldn't resist looking back. There's a twist on that myth in the movie What Dreams May Come. Matthew 13.15 relates to those who cannot hear or see. We thought of God's leading the Hebrews across the wilderness, God's reaching out for Adam's hand in Michaelangelo's painting, and Peter's grabbing the hand of Jesus on the waves. Seeing the child-like line-up reminded us how "the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these children." We also thought of Jacob's ladder - the action of angels on earth - and Jesus leading Lazarus out of a dark place.

Reviewing the form of the collect with Nuno's collect from last week, we collaborated on the collect below. First, we had to decide what tonight's TR has brought to our attention that we need to pray for. We thought the photo could be an image of our church, and wrote

Collect for the ChurchHoly Spirit, who leads us through dark valleys: We are like the children of Israel in the desert, banded together, unsure of our future, reaching for each other, learning to trust in each other and in Your guidance and clarity; Help us to feel bonded to Your Church that we may travel together on the same path, and head in the direction You would have us to go. Through You, to the Father and the Son, we pray. Amen.

Yr. D, Wk.19: The Parable of the Over-Accessible Father

Worship was the litany for Thanksgiving (p. 832) incorporating our answers to Scott's onboarding question, "What has happened in the past couple of weeks for which you give thanks?" We expressed gratitude for old friends who need our help, who can help us; deepening relationship with adult family; Fr. Daron's teaching; the church community at a time of child's baptism.

[PHOTO: Gene's father.]

Yr. D theme: Living into the Journey with God Class: Marilyn, Nuno, first year; Christine, third year; Mariel, Gene, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Christine

We discussed the readings, adding some takes on the comments printed after this blogpost. Mariel recommended the Women's Bible Commentary for an alternative view to those expressed in Yee's book. Gene and Mariel had mixed feelings about McIntosh's latest chapters. "He really wants to win the argument...Sometimes he feels the power of an analogy is proof."

Theological Reflection (TR) Gene offered us a vivid dream that we could all identify with, though it was painfully specific to him. Some years after his father's death, Gene dreams that he seeks his father all over town, needing his advice. When the father appears and invites the dreamer to sit with him, a series of townspeople interrupts to thank the father for his service to them. Though the dreamer never gets to ask his questions, he awakes knowing that he has received the answers.

Thinking how frustrated we are when we cannot get an answer ("Your call is very important to us"), we realized that parables also give no direct answers. When you have "ears to hear," though, the answer becomes apparent in a rush.

From our tradition, we thought of the woman jostled by the crowd around Jesus who reaches for the hem of his garment and is healed in the instant; Job, whose questions finally are answered indirectly by an overwhelming sense of God's power; the Prodigal Son's older brother's questions receive the gentle answer, "You've always had me." We also thought of "seek and ye shall find," and the counter-example of the Pharaoh who would not accept what he learned. For Gene, the answer he sought about an attorney's potential for making a difference in the community was apparent in the parade of ordinary people thankful for his father's assistance. From our culture, we saw parallels in our old standbys It's a Wonderful Life, Star Wars (esp. Yoda), and The Wizard of Oz.

Collect

Lord God, Heavenly Father of all, you plant the desire in our hearts to be near to you. Help us to recognize your presence in each person we meet each day, allowing us to encounter you in service and communion with others. Amen