Journey with God, Wk. 3: Favorite Hymns and Stepping Stones

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Worship and Gathering
Michael chose prayers for opening and prayers about light and darkness for the closing, giving everyone a chance to read. The GQ was about our favorite hymns or spiritual songs. We got Joyful, joyful, Lift high the cross, I sing a song of the saints of God, Easter processionals and This is my Father's world, Abide with me, Be Thou my vision, the 1st song of Isaiah, and Christ, whose glory fills the skies. Most of these were favorites for reasons of association (with a loved one, with a tough time in life) beyond what they say or how they sound.

Yr. D, 1st yr: Michael, Mason; 2nd yr: Lanie; 3rd yr: Joyce, Susan; 4th yr, Jessica, Rita; 5th yr "Wide Angle," Kaye. Mentor: Scott. Absent: Lanie.

Respond
In breakout rooms, we considered "context" in the materials for the different years that engaged us this week. Then we considered themes that emerged from our readings. We found that there was a meta theme, too -- a theme of "growth" in our own responses.

Reflect
We practiced active listening, inviting each other to tell about a stepping stone that contributed to our present understanding of God.

For Monday:
Joyce is up for worship and a GQ (Gathering Question); Rita will let us know which of the discussion questions from the "Respond" page to be ready to discuss. All of us are preparing to speak 5 minutes about another "stepping stone" in our journey of faith: a time when our faith was challenged.

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Journey with God, Wk. 2: An appealing convent and a creepy hotel

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Worship and Gathering
Jessica brought prayers, Psalms, and readings for all of us. At least some of the readings were personal to members.

Her gathering question about upcoming life events brought a host of answers: moving an aged parent for probably the last time; the chance for a promotion; retirement coming; a newborn granddaughter; surgery; a big birthday ("when I'm 64..."); and fingers crossed for a new medication.

Yr. D, 1st yr: Michael, Mason; 2nd yr: Lanie; 3rd yr: Joyce, Susan; 4th yr, Jessica, Rita; 5th yr "Wide Angle," Kaye. Mentor: Scott. Absent: None.

Respond
In breakout rooms, we discussed questions that Kaye chose from the "respond" page of this week's lesson. After each discussion time, we met together to share what emerged. I was very pleased to see that participants shared what they heard from the others in their group!

What struck us? We were struck by the phrase "listening with the ear of the heart," by how active listening is more than just waiting to speak but an engagement of empathy, by lectio divina, by "stability" in the life of the convent, by the ideal of ora labora (to make work a prayer), being aware of how we use our time, and by the admonition to "keep death daily before your eyes."

Another question that Kaye chose for us concerned the way community supports Sister Hannah: "When has community supported us?" Answers that were discussed in breakout rooms included EfM itself, verger training (and now Joyce is joining Jessica as a verger!), outreach from members when we were new to the church, and the Cursillo Community.

Reflect
We took some time to tease specific practices out of last week's exploration of "covenant as family." Read Scott's edition of the results in the previous blog post.

Picking up on what Mason had said about his experience visiting St. James for the first several times, we explored the metaphor of a hallway. Scott had suggested a hotel, which resulted in some creepy images [see photo]. Mason said that this was an image the C. S. Lewis used. Susan suggested an alternative, such as a cafeteria with tables, or a hallway of classrooms with different kinds of activities in each one. "Don't forget that some of us are introverts who don't want 'activities,'" she said.

As this was a truncated TR for the purpose of exercising our ability to "explore" a metaphor, we skipped ahead to "apply" the metaphor to our actual practices at church. We don't want newcomers to feel as if the doors are all shut to them -- that would be "brokenness" in the world of the metaphor. We don't want to pull them unwillingly in to rooms, either. We found a healing answer in hospitality, in some kind of table offering that would draw people out of their rooms, where everyone could see others' faces.

We realized that we had imagined Communion! This unlocked a flood of stories from our own experiences. We reflected on the unifying effect of seeing all these people from all walks of life getting to the altar rail by skipping, or holding little ones' hands, or gripping the arm of a younger adult, or staying seated for the priest to come out to the pew.

For Monday:
Each year has its own tab for the material they're going to "ENGAGE" this week. There's an overview "setting the stage" each week, and one or two videos, and then one or two chapters in printed text. Under "RESPOND," there are questions for all of us to discuss during our meeting. Lanie was voluntold to choose two of those, so I recommend that we all take some time to think of our answers to those questions, so we'll be ready for her choices. Michael will lead worship.

Spiritual Autobiographies begin this week: you each have five minutes to tell the group of a "stepping stone" in your life that contributed to your current understanding of God. (Subsequent stepping stones will be about a time of challenge to your faith, about a companion on your journey, and about an experience of grace.)

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Journey with God: Covenant for our EfM Family

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Jeremiah’s promise that the new covenant would be “in our hearts” (31:31-33) gave us the idea that a covenant could be like family relationships (as contrasted to, say, a contracted business transaction). As we explored what families are like, our ideas of our own group’s special covenant took shape.

You don’t choose your family, but you’ve got to take care of them.
• Hopefully we can all feel free to express ideas and/or concerns without being judged or ostracized. open to all ideas - safe to express our thoughts and/or ideas in a loving and caring way.
• Actively encourage others to speak… Don’t speak twice until all who want to speak have spoken.
• We take care of our little brothers and sisters, we help them grow…

As all members of a family have expectations, we must not be selfish about what we want a session to be.
• Let’s not manipulate others.
• Allow give and take.
• Practice active listening… respect our conversation, respect our time together… not multi -tasking on our various screens

We trust each other not to share our brothers’ and sisters’ personal stories outside of the family.
• We’re not hiding any secrets in EfM, and we want our excitement to go out into the world — but what we share about ourselves is confidential.
• When we tell stories that involved other people we know, we’ll leave names out – because we don’t want to violate their privacy either, or prejudice our brothers and sisters towards them.

As a family encourages individual growth, members must respect differences.
• Avoid topics that are known to likely be sources of disruption. Partisan politics off limits
• If a disruption occurs within EFM group, we should take time to recognize/acknowledge the disruption, and then agree to move on so that we can reconnect to the point of the class or topic at hand.
• Willingness to be open and receptive to the support of others. Open to resolving differences in theological views –
• Be careful: none of us is in a position to say “That’s wrong” – part of EfM is to open up more than to shut down – not to judge -- never say “But” or "no" – instead, say, “yes, and...” --

What else do we find in family life that pertains to EfM life?
• personal value ("dearness") of each member – and practice “kindness” (from “kindred”)
• We do our chores and meet our individual responsibilities.
• We come to dinner on time!
• We pray for each other.

Every family has its inside jokes, its favorite movies, its fun places they all like to go – let’s allow ourselves to enjoy each other and our time together.

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Journey with God, Wk. 1: Beginning our journey

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Worship and Gathering
Scott read the collect for the day, then asked three things: What do you like to be called? What drew you to EfM this year? And: what is special in the place you're Zooming from?

We learned the EfM tradition of "mutual invitation," and also learned a Zoom feature that helps us to sort those who have spoken from those who haven't yet been heard.

We were zoomed in from all across the nation: Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and New Mexico. One room had been a beloved aunt's den, and is now full of the aunt's spirit. Another was surrounded by photos and even a statue of family. Another was visiting the home of her first grandchild, born just two days before. For some, what was special was outside, and one zoomed in from the outdoors, with dogs in attendance.

Reasons for joining EfM this year included those with a strong sense of commitment to finishing what they've started; a longing for deeper spirituality; and curiosity to explore theology.

Yr. D, 1st yr: Michael, Mason; 2nd yr: Lanie; 3rd yr: Joyce, Susan; 4th yr, Jessica, Rita; 5th yr "Wide Angle," Kaye; Mentor: Scott. Absent: Mason sent word that hand rehab was going into O.T.

Respond
We offered reasons for beginning every EfM year with spiritual autobiographies. We took some time to list some "stepping stones" in the development of our own sense of God.

Reflect
After the break, we looked two weeks ahead to the first lesson when we'll all be "engaging" with different materials. Though the materials are different, the discussion questions are for all of us.

We also scrolled to the bottom of the "Journey with God" path and found "Appendix for Everyone" after Week 36. It contains dozens of helpful resources, including a file of gathering questions and another with suggestions for worship. Jessica volunteered to bring worship and gathering question for next week.

Then we read what Jeremiah wrote about "covenant" Jer. 31.31-37. Scott read aloud from his Oxford Study Bible, and then Rita read from the Complete Jewish Bible.

• Identifying a focus: covenant's personal nature distinguishes it from a contract, give and take, and, from Jeremiah, this sense of dearness and love. When Susan suggested that Homeowners' Covenants aren't voluntary, we looked at how "family" isn't voluntary, either: You don't choose your family, but you love them, said Joyce. The Covenant of a Family became our image/metaphor.
• Exploring the image, we broadened our idea from "Father" to include both parents and older siblings, loving and protective at their best. Disruption comes about many ways, from smothering overprotective love, from death or divorce, from abandonment, conflict, and loss of trust. How do you know it's gone wrong? Sometimes you don't. Kids grow up thinking, "This is just the way things are." We all agreed to loathe the saying, "It is what it is." Redemption / restoration may require intervention from someone "outside the circle" who can "reassure the child that they're worthwhile."
• Connecting these ideas to other sources of wisdom in our lives. From Culture, we had the inevitable comparison to Oz, where she's not getting the attention and protection she feels she needs -- and Toto, too -- and it takes the tornado crisis and a journey to re-connect. From experience (or "action") we had the unhappy story of the outside mediator whose intervention was not helpful for the university department, because there wasn't "buy in."

To Apply our reflection, we wrote in chat. These ideas, and more from our reflection above, will become the basis for our formal covenant next week. From Joyce: We have to be protective of each others personal stories that are shared within the group.

From Jessica: If a disruption occurs within EFM group, we should take time to recognize/acknowledge the disruption, and then agree to move on so that we can reconnect to the point of the class or topic at hand. We should approach each conversation with respect and confidentiality.

From Lanie: Hopefully we can all fee free to express ideas and/or concerns without being judged or ostracized. Maybe a better way of saying something, open to all ideas and knowing we are safe to express our thoughts and/or ideas in a loving and caring way.

From Rita: Willingness to be open and receptive to the support of others. Avoid topics that are known to likely be sources of disruption. Another cliche, Be Kind.

For Monday:
CORRECTION: Jessica volunteered to lead worship and bring a gathering question. CORRECTION: Kaye volunteered to choose one or two of the questions for discussion found at Week 2's lesson on the "Respond" page. She'll let us know which ones to think about. All of us are going to share a "stepping-stone" from our spiritual autobiographies, one that illustrates what has contributed to our current understanding of God.

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