Yr. D, Wk. 27: Psalms and a Contemplative Spot

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Worship and Gathering
Jessica sent us worship by email, though she could not be with us. It led naturally to a gathering question that was also a starting place for discussion: What Psalm affects you strongly?

Yr. D, Living Into the Journey with God, Unit 4 Integrating Belief, Behavior, and Doctrine: 1st yr: Lanie, Daniel; 2nd yr: Donfred, Joyce, Susan; 3rd yr, Jessica; 4th yr, Scott. Mentor: Scott. Absent: Jessica, Daniel.

Discussion of the Readings

As we compared psalms we liked, Lanie was able to identify the genres and the formal elements of each one. [I'm in a hurry to type this before I go to NYC with Susan, so I'm skimping on details.]

Theological Reflection
Donfred's photo was intriguing: we see a silhouetted figure at the end of a pier sticking far into a mountain lake. We were all interested in what lay around the corner. Susan was fascinated by the importance of the human figure and its ambiguousness: male? female? good mood, bad mood? Without that shape, we'd hardly know which side was "up" in this symmetrical picture.

Donfred gave a context that complicated the picture: For him, it was associated with a friend who suffered severe depression.

Our discussion led us to relate contemplation, creativity, and prayer -- as if these made a circle -- and we saw the need for a "center." A diagram to show that will be our "application" this week. [Scott, still, is typing in a hurry before a trip to NYC.]

For Monday:
For March 31, it's Donfred's turn to bring worship. Lanie said she would bring the TR, or at least, she would TR-Y! We are all reading the introduction and first 4 chapters of Charleston's book The Four Vision Quests of Jesus.

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Yr. D, Wk.26: Journeys to Strange Lands

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Worship and Gathering
For worship, Scott gave everyone a line from The General Thanksgiving. After we thanked the Lord for putting us to tasks and achievements that delight us, Scott asked about tasks in our lives these days that we delight in. The challenging student who needs a lot of support is also very rewarding... Learning the church communications job so well that she trained her successor... learning how to attract viewers to the video on the church's hall monitor... learning how to be a youth minister while being a shy young man... watching the cat and making art... surviving the death of a husband is a delight... experiencing the prayer "I will trust in Thee" during recent storms.

Yr. D, Living Into the Journey with God, Unit 4 Integrating Belief, Behavior, and Doctrine: 1st yr: Lanie, Daniel; 2nd yr: Donfred, Joyce, Susan; 3rd yr, Jessica; 4th yr, Scott. Mentor: Scott. Absent: None. Daniel had to leave after worship.

Discussion of the Readings
Scott posed the situations found in each of the years' readings, one at a time, asking everyone to imagine what thoughts and feelings must have been part of the experiences.

1. Are the returnees to Jerusalem from Babylon actually missing the luxuries of the foreign city? Do the ones who were left behind resent the returnees? What do the younger generations feel, since they've known only Babylon? While the upper class lived in Babylon, had those left behind in Jerusalem experienced a rise in social status, now under threat? (YES - and they had taken property left behind.)
2. Members of the churches that Paul had founded must feel doubts, because they weren't raised this way... and they feel unsupported. They were used to hearing what they wanted to hear, and yet Paul says new things as he says, "Listen to the Lord." With controversies swirling over doctrine and practice, we wonder what exactly those controversies were, but Paul is vague. After his statements about "in Christ there is no Jew or Greek, man or woman...," his commands suppressing women were / are a slap in the face. (We discussed theories to account for the inconsistency.) In this context, the letter to Philemon about Onesimus is refreshing.
3. The natives experienced horrors under the conquerors who taught peace, Jessica said. Her chapter was "ugly and awful." Lanie saw an echo of Solomon's story: In 1 Kings, Solomon enslaves Jews and the sojourners in Israel. In Chronicles, the author downplays any slavery of Jews. Lanie also discerned in Ezra and Nehemia an emphasis on purity of the line.

Theological Reflection
Joyce brought us her late husband's photograph of his motorcycle, taken during one of his summer-long solo trips, this one to Alaska. We also heard stories, especially the one about the bear! He said he was "living hard." Joyce said he went places other people only talked about.

When we looked at thoughts and feelings in the world of "journey alone," we came up with a long list of things left behind, including Gene's gun. He got to keep his Jack Daniels.

Theological perspective questions:

• Creation: a world of anticipation, plans and planning for the unexpected, a world of self-confidence
• Sin: running out of gas... bear... consistent bad weather... fire... sickness or hurt... falling asleep
• Redemption: Improvisation! Find a friend...

We found connections. Action (personal experience) Donfred remembers the journey from NY to GA. Lanie traveled the length of California in a red convertible, and she still goes walking (and singing!) to herself. Tradition Jesus goes 40 days in the wilderness, Moses spends 40 days on the mountain, Abraham travels far from his birthplace and property. Culture in Oz, Dorothy starts alone but picks up friends. There's the Outward Bound program.

Insights The journey may wander, but it has a goal -- not aimless... God is riding with you... God protects you from the bear (but maybe he's also with the Bear?)... Self-sufficiency is fine, but you still need help. It's okay to accept help... Good planning is our friend.

For Monday:
Jessica worship; Donfred TR. Y1 does Psalms and Song of Songs; Y2 is in Hebrews; Y3 is post-Reformation (I think).

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Yr. D, Wk. 25: Loving the Stinky

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Worship and Gathering

Lanie's worship came from Psalm 4. So much of it seems contemporary! Lanie's mother especially loved verse 8, "I lie down in peace."

Lanie asked us about our favorite teachers. There was a lot of energy around our answers, and many apologies to the good teachers we didn't get to name. There was the teacher who taught Lanie Sunday school in lower grades and English in the upper grades, "my rock," Lanie said... the 8th grade English teacher who re-invigorated Jessica's love of reading... the culinary arts teacher who taught Daniel four years in high school, and a shout out to Grandma... Susan's art teacher Jill and Scott's music composition teacher James Sclater both encourage what's good without dwelling on what's not.

This all tied in with our TR from last week that was inspired by looking at St. Paul's teaching style. Scott read the collect he wrote to wrap up last week's blog. (Tap the ←)

Yr. D, Living Into the Journey with God, Unit 4 Integrating Belief, Behavior, and Doctrine: 1st yr: Lanie, Daniel; 2nd yr: Donfred, Joyce, Susan; 3rd yr, Jessica; 4th yr, Scott. Mentor: Scott. Absent: Joyce, Donfred.

Discussion of the Readings

First: Jessica and Susan, you were so-o-o right about Bernini's statue of the "ecstasy of St. Teresa." I won't reproduce it here, as this is a family blog. Jessica was also interested in John of the Cross and his "Dark Night of the Soul." Later, she told about the "back and forth" of theology, each swing accompanied by burnings at the stake and literal witch hunts.

Speaking of first year, Daniel appreciated the approach to these writings for use in ministry, to acknowledge that the prophets' literary techniques generate sympathy, and that's okay, even if you have second thoughts about how the prophets' imagery has been used to validate misogyny and violence. Daniel said, "I'm okay with that tension." Lanie leans away from the critiques and tries to read the works for the messages that their authors intended.

Susan read what may be the earliest piece of the Christian testament, I Thessalonians. Paul is dealing with great anxieties of believers who wonder if their dead loved ones will miss the raising of the dead... or if, indeed, it has already happened. There were other believers who quit working, as the world would end any day.

Scott asked how he should have replied to the 7th grade boy incensed when a poet used "She" to refer to God: "Everyone knows God is a boy!" he said. Daniel thought that trying to "fit God into the box of gender" would be to impose a limit on your knowledge of God. Susan picked up on something Lanie said about how the writings are so ancient: yes, and the idea of a warrior god making life with the earth mother goddess is nearly universal in ancient mythology -- so what might disturb us was not disturbing to them. Daniel added that disturbing images are attention - grabbers.

Scott also picked up on Lanie's observation about how long we've lived with these stories: long enough that the stories have shaped arts, and thought, and the way countless generations have been taught to see the world. So, when we read the scriptures -- edited, re-organized, with writers responding to writers of earlier generations, we're not just getting the story of God's people, but we're also getting the story of the story.

Theological Reflection
After the break, we took Lanie's suggestion, to base our TR on Rembrandt's portrayal of the Prodigal Son. While we speculated about the figure standing at the right and the shadowy figures behind, our strongest reactions came in focus on the "grodiness" of the son -- his shaved head, drab and gory rags, lacerated dirty foot -- and the father's intimacy -- two hands on the fouled back, leaning into that dirty body, letting the son bury his face in him, and the father's sad, perhaps tearful, face. Lanie admitted with a laugh that a lot of parenting is "stinky." We all bought in, with tales of pet poop and tots' diapers -- and also with experiences of caring for elderly parents. It was gross; it was funny.

Daniel reminded us that we have all been the gross stinky one, desperate for help from the adult who looms large. We all have had to take care of ourselves.

Theological perspective questions had us thinking that CREATION is always messy. Thinking about brokenness or SIN broadened our discussion to consider the homeless, to ask, "Who can help them?" We all bought in: Lanie drives past people on their ways to MUST ministries every Sunday, pushing carts and bikes: "Something is really wrong with that." What does REDEMPTION look like? "If I can't be the one who helps," Susan said, "then I should support the ones who do."

CONNECTING to other scriptures and to culture, Susan observed that the USA has aided populations in need all around the globe, at least before now. Lanie used the Good Samaritan parable to remind us that "love thy neighbor" extends beyond the people in our immediate vicinity. Letters from Paul solicited aid for churches far away.

INSIGHTS: We're all in a cycle of being comforter and comforted, from infancy on.

APPLICATIONS included Scott's citation of meditations from Forward Day by Day about how Jesus enlisted the crowd in helping the annoying blind man: "Bring him to me." Jesus asked another needy person, "What is your name?" The point is, it's essential to give these people their dignity before you presume to take care of them.

Jessica reminded us that Jesus was criticized for spending so much of his time with the marginalized people of his place and time. Lanie remembered St. Hugh of Lincoln who held the towels that his mother used to clean lepers.

Jessica volunteered to write a collect for these thoughts:

A Prayer for Messy Grace
Loving Father,
You welcome us in our brokenness, our filth, and our need. Like the prodigal son, we come before You weary, wounded, and desperate for Your embrace. Thank You for leaning into our mess, for placing Your hands upon our soiled backs, and for letting us bury our faces in Your mercy. Lord, we confess that life is messy—creation itself is messy. Sin has left its mark on us and on the world around us. We see it in the faces of the homeless, in the struggles of the sick, in the forgotten and the outcast. Stir our hearts to ask, "Who can help them?" and give us the courage to answer, "Here I am, Lord. Send me." And when we cannot go, remind us that we can still support those who do. We ask these things in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

For Monday:
We're doing the readings assigned for Week 26. For year 1, those are the so-called "writings," and Scott recommends that Collins's chapters on Chronicles and Ezra/Nehemiah are indispensable in understanding the scrambled scriptures. Year 2 gets "The Pastoral Letters" named for Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Jessica's looking at "A Worldwide Faith." Scott leads worship, and Joyce is still on for a TR!

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Yr. D, Wk. 24: Prophets & Teachers

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Worship and Gathering
Daniel led worship on his way to coach a softball game. Don't worry, he pulled his car over, first!

Before we prayed the liturgy that Daniel prepared, we remembered Jessica in her recuperation, and Joyce in some dread of an upcoming procedure.

Daniel's selected prayers included a collect for the day's honorees, Charles and Samuel Wesley.

For a gathering question, Daniel wondered about our favorite things to do in weeks such as this when the weather is in transition. We heard, enjoy the cold parts... no, enjoy the hot parts... curl up in a blanket outside on your porch to read your EfM... dress warmly and peel off layers as you go.

Yr. D, Living Into the Journey with God, Unit 4 Integrating Belief, Behavior, and Doctrine: 1st yr: Lanie, Daniel; 2nd yr: Donfred, Joyce, Susan; 3rd yr, Jessica; 4th yr, Scott. Mentor: Scott. Absent: Jessica.

Arise [Jerusalem], shine, for the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you. Is 60.1
Photo of Jerusalem at sunrise.

Discussion of the Readings
We posted our likes and questions to the chat, read each other's comments, and added more. Here, comments are gathered by author:

Joyce: I loved how Philippians opens with my favorite, "Rejoice om the Lord always” … This letter to the Philippians is believed to be one Happiest letters that Paul even it was written from a prison cell and he felt like this time, his jailers might actually end his life…. Once again Paul had to remind the people not to follow whatever the new focus was of the day, but to continue building on their humility and unity. …Powell mentioned how the Roman soldiers were encouraged to live out their retirement in Philippi and Rome made this idea attractive to the soldiers by exempting them from having to pay taxes…. Colossae was a small town situated on the valley of Lycus River and it was known for the production of Scarlet-dyed wool.

Susan: Paul likes the Philippians. Powell among lots to things about the Incarnation and Powell suggests that this was already part of early Christian doctrine.

Scott: Haggai is essentially a series of capital campaign fund drive pep talks! … I Love the emergence of this theme in Isaiah that Israel is to be more than just GOd's people, but is to be a light to the whole world, to bring all nations to Jerusalem. "Arise, shine, for your light has come... Nations will stream to your light... violence will no more be heard in your borders" … I appreciate the way Collins handles hard interpretations. For example p. 263, strange passage that includes "slaughtering an ox, killing a man, sacrificing a lamb, breaking a dog's neck"... He tries out different ways of reading it and puts forward one as most fitting with the context... It's hard for us to read the suffering servant songs without thinking of Jesus. A few of them seem to be about a single person, unnamed; a couple seem to be about Israel as a whole, suffering among the nations for the sake of the nations. Jesus and his disciples would know all of these well and would see Jesus's suffering in that context. The BIG new idea here is that suffering could be REDEMPTIVE, not PUNITIVE

Lanie: I found it interesting when speaking of rebuilding the temple (in Haggai) that it more expedient to build the temple than to have a place to live. Where did the people go at night after a hard day's work? [Answer: tents and huts. Same thing in Nehemiah.] … Also, seemed to be a reference to Jesus's suffering in one of the prophesies mentioned -- Servant Song in Isaiah.

Donfred: the amazing part I like about the reading is that the relationship Paul had with Philippians. how is describes the career of Christ Jesus in three Stage . First he was born in the form of God and secondly he was born in human likeness and lived and died as human . thirdly he was exalted by God to be lord of all. … in conclusion to the letter to the Philippian stated that the peace of God , which surpasses all understanding , will keep your heart and minds in Christ Jesus…It seems like Paul was really enjoyed talking with the Philippians . (Joyce responded, “Yes, he did, but the Colossians never met Paul face to face.”)

We also discussed a few words not in the glossary of Collins’s book: theophany, oracle, cult, and a key word for next week, hermeneutics. Scott looked that up on Google and found an animated cartoon about it. Hermeneutics in Theology 3 minute lesson

Theological Reflection
Scott started a TR with Paul's greeting to the Philippians.

The focus became what we learn about EDUCATION from Paul. Encouragement in a letter – to learn something new – and to keep on keeping on (learning) – he’s delivering the message with grace and peace … to determine what really matters FOR THEMSELVES – puts responsibilities on THEM, not just on Paul! He hopes that they continue to learn, to overflow with learning.

For an image, Donfred suggested that Paul's teaching style is a lot like Jesus's self-sacrifice, and others agreed.

We shared some personal experiences with this kind of teaching -- parents, school teachers, bosses.

For theological perspectives, we saw CREATION: The knowledge is already inside, already implicit, and questions are the tools that make it clear to them. For example, Paul didn't mind that outsiders were preaching about Jesus, though some Philippians were alarmed. JUDGMENT: The college students rebelled against having to figure things out themselves. REDEMPTION: How David learned from prayer after his experience with the death of Bathsheba's infant son.

Connecting to TRADITION: We wondered what there was to learn once they believed in Jesus? Jesus teaches in parables that tell stories with symbols and the people that hear them have to figure out what to do from the parables! (He doesn’t give them bullet-points after the story! -- Sermons put pieces together in ways that aren’t immediately obvious) … Prophets LIVED their parables! … Nathan TAUGHT David, with the story of the baby sheep, and DAVID learned deeply!

Connecting with Culture -- A lot of emphasis on standardized tests and that doesn’t leave as much room for growth by learning from your own mistakes! … Ancient teaching of Socrates, where he asks questions without saying what you should think! … “You never tell us anything, you just ask questions.”

Position – “You have to feel it to learn it.”

Insight: Deliver with grace… leave responsibility to them, let the learners discover/determine for themselves (don’t give the short list) … give them the problem and ask the question – and trust that the answer is inside them

Apply: Joyce would encourage her daughter to watch her money herself, “don’t come running to Mommy” … Flip side (Susan) – the person in position of teaching has to give up some authority and power for students to do that. Paul seems to be doing that in this letter. That tied in with DONFRED's image of teacher's SACRIFICE. Scott later wrote this collect:

Collect for Lifelong LearningLord God, Father of All Wisdom, speaking in parables rather than bullet points, you left your listeners room to discover meaning for themselves, and your Apostle Paul encouraged the Philippians to continue to grow in faith through their own experiences and prayer: Give us the spirit of humility to listen to the students in our lives, and the spirit of inquiry to build on what we think we learn. Amen.

For Monday:
Lanie will lead worship. Joyce has been holding onto her TR for weeks, now, and should get the chance to share it! We're reading week 25: Yee chapter 3 and 1 & 2 Thessalonians with Powell's accompanying chapters. Jessica reads about Rome's renewal (because the Reformation, you know).

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Lilies… a Story of Love, Redemption and Spring

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(Lanie mentioned this story to us during our "gathering question" last week, and she elaborated it at my request.)

My son’s home in Alabama had an added bonus that he didn’t seem to appreciate… a beautiful line of hosta lilies down the side of his house. As the weather warmed up these brave lilies bloomed and were so happy. Come fall, my son decided to use his weed whacker to ‘mow them down’ and cover them with rocks (he was a geologist). Next late spring these troopers emerged and bloomed again, beautiful and cheerful as ever. This became a ritual for my son and the lilies.

When he passed away and his Dad and I had to sell his home, I had a clause in the sales contract granting me five of the lilies to bring home to Georgia. My neighbor went with me to get these five plants; we dug them up and, lo and behold, each one had at least 8-10 bulbs!

[the Georgia lilies are first and Alabama lilies are the second pic]

I now have several rows of hostas in front of my house. Last year was the second year that they bloomed and what a glorious sight it was. I am pretty sure my son was smiling down at me every time I walked by them. The beauty of all those bulbs is that I was able to share with my neighbors and my sister-in law. My son and the lilies continue to live on, just as I am sure that we all will live on through our faith and the promise of eternal life.

Thanks be to God!!!

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