Journey with God, Wk. 12: What fills an empty vessel?

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Worship and Gathering
Jessica brought Compline from the New Zealand prayer book. She asked about our favorite childhood toy. For some, it was a bike that we rode to freedom. For others, it was the swingset in the back yard. You could swing yourself into anyplace in the world. Then, there were jigsaw puzzles... the ball on a rope that spun around a ring on your ankle... a certain stuffed pillow... laser tag and the Nerf gun... the record player for a kid with a mania for things that turned. ("You were well-rounded," said someone.)

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: Susan.

Respond
Joyce had sent this message to us a few days earlier:

1. What image comes to mind that might depict your reading this week? An image could be something in your surroundings, something from your imagination, a piece of artwork, something from online, or a metaphor.
2. If the people in your Engage assignment were to design a bumper sticker, what slogan and artwork would it contain? Would you want that bumper sticker on your car?

We discussed (1) in breakout rooms and shared these images: Luther as the "unyielding oak" even when unsupported by some of those branches... the arch that represents the rise and fall of Saul... happiness (a fleeting thing, like opening a present) v. joy (a lifetime commitment, such as the grows from the birth of a child)... how an 18-month-old child testing boundaries is an image of the way we learn virtue through experience.... Scott recommended Freeman on the woman at the well. Why was she there in the heat of the day? We can imagine she wishes to avoid the censorious women who gather there early each morning.

A brief time in smaller breakout rooms brought us these bumper stickers: "Don't tread on me" from a Medieval motto, "Noli me tangere" from the risen Jesus warning Mary Magdalene "Don't touch me!"... Faith's not a flight from life, but life in love with life (Chittister, p. 214, Y5)... "Wrath is misery with nowhere to go" (Multmann, Y3).

Reflect
We observed qualities of the bowl that Rita presented, then asked questions that opened up the background story. Her father loved the challenge of wood-working at his lathe. The bowl, unvarnished, atop the fridge for many years, was a homely "junk drawer" where the family could find fasteners and other doo-dads. Acquiring the object after her parents' deaths, Rita has stained the bowl that, empty, is now more precious than ever. Joyce gathered two threads of our conversation into a single focus: what used to be full and useful is now empty and more precious than ever, full of intangible memories.

Exploring the world of the bowl, we thought of Creation. Just a piece of a tree, but now something beautiful and lasting... transformation is possible in this world... there is joy in the challenge of shaping the bowl.

Sin would be breakage, or just tossing out the old bowl.

We connected this story to the Holy Grail, to Saul (originally "full" and left empty)... the ark of the covenant... the throne in the Holy of Holies, highly decorated, was intentionally left unoccupied, to show that God's "seat" is everywhere. Kaye picked up this theme from the banter between Jesus and the woman at the well -- one of them (she? he?) said, "God is not only in Jerusalem."

What else in our lives is like this bowl? We searched our memories in the Action source (i.e., our own experience), transitioning into insights and applications:

• We attach so much value to the lives we lead, but this life is only the first stage.
• From Revelation: The first things have passed away. See, I make all things new.
• An image for rearing a child: he fills up in the first part of life; with loving care, he grows into an individual who is much more than all those little incidents and possessions.
• You can be someone else's "junk drawer," resource for life.
• There's the "happiness" of immediate gratification (think of the bowl on top of the refrigerator, holding all the incidental bits) and the joy of lasting beauty and purpose.
• We are vessels, precious -- and needing to be taken care of.

Collect for an Empty Vessel

Lord of Splendor and Fullness, well of living water, presence over the empty throne, eternal life emerged from an empty tomb: as we rummage through chores and purchases that matter only for a little time, make us mindful how your hands shape and polish us so that, when our store of days is empty, we will be sturdy and beautiful vessels of your generous spirit, by whom, with the Creator and Sustainer, we pray. Amen.

For Monday, Jan. 5:
We will "engage" with materials for week 13 before we meet again January 5th. Be sure to read scripture! Michael will lead worship (and we'll be able to see him again, I hope!). Mason will choose two questions. Kaye will bring a source for a TR.

Merry Christmas!

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Journey with God, Wk 11: Can one snowflake change the world?

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Worship and Gathering
First things, first: we got to see Liam when Jessica held him up to the camera.

For worship, we recited the first and last verse of "O little town of Bethlehem." One is about a village 2000+ years ago and the other is about how we ARE that village, "still" waiting in "a world of sin" for Christ to be born in us and bring the hope of the world to fruition.

What have you been doing lately? Spending a lot of time between church and home; singing with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra; babysitting in Texas; recovering from illness; getting confirmed and healed; teaching a newborn the rhythm of day and night; getting ready to go to Florida; becoming a grandparent; and sobbing at movie theatres. (Scott's recs include Knives Out, III: Wake up Dead Man, Wicked II: For Good, and Hamnet.

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. (Yay!)

Respond
A couple of days before we met, Scott sent out these questions from the "Respond" section of EfM Pathwright web page:

• Hesed (kheh’·sed) is a Hebrew word that conveys God’s covenantal love, mercy, and compassion toward people and all creation. Hesed often describes acts of loyalty and fidelity that go beyond what would otherwise be required or even imagined. Where is hesed in what you studied this week? How has hesed been a part of your journey with God?
• Similarly: How was God active with individuals or movements in your assigned materials? How might that apply to how God works in your life? In the world?

We opened two breakout rooms, four people in each (one had five if we count Liam, who slept through the discussion). De-briefing, participants shared what they heard from others in their groups:

• Martin Luther's insight to grace had far-reaching impact, much of it ugly, but Joyce looked at the gifts he gave us, including "grace to yourself" and his courageous stand when a panel of judges ordered him to renounce his writings.
• That related to ethics: "Christ acted first" so that we can act well.
• For Michael, Ruth (and Naomi and Boaz, too) are case-studies in hesed, each of them doing good beyond what was expected of them.
• Kaye discussed Esther, a book that does not mention God, but implies God's guidance and "providence" (Scott's word).
• Joyce related Jessica's reflection on how a mother sacrifices her body, her time, and her own wants to respond to the calling of motherhood
• Lanie had a lot to say about Luke, the songs she has sung that come from the Gospel, and how Acts is a sequel. She was fascinated by the geneology, going all the way back to Adam, and including Ruth's husband Boaz as a great-grandfather to Jesus.
• Scott has been reading at breakfast, one chapter a day from Joan Chittister's book about the Benedictine rule (year 5). He wrote "LANIE" across the top of a page that tells us that the journey with God isn't about predestination, but about how He accompanies us and teaches us from the things that happen to us by chance. Chittister gives the example of cancer, an interaction of genetics with chemistry. It's not a test, she writes, but God is with us to learn from it.

Reflect
From the "position" source, Scott drew this pithy aphorism: "No snowflake feels a sense of responsibility for an avalanche." A ready-made metaphor, this prompt allowed us to skip finding a focus straight to exploring the world of the snowflake.

We did reach a turning-point when we thought about redemption. A snowpack, destructive as it may be in an avalanche, also provides the cool clear water that the land below depends upon in spring and summer.

We drew on our own experiences (the Action source of meaning in our lives) to think when we have been like the snowflake, carried along by a crowd. The stories were sobering.

We also found many examples of crowd misbehavior in scripture, not least the folks in Jerusalem who lauded Jesus one day and taunted him another. In history, there were many examples of vile crowd behavior when ordinary citizens felt they had safe cover to do violence. We did, however, remember brave people who resisted -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer and civil rights leaders.

Jessica volunteered to complete the collect that we began. She said, "I might as well, since I'm on maternity leave." Here it is:

Dear Heavenly Creator, In Your infinite wisdom, You formed each of us in Your image, and our differences reflect the beauty of who You are. Remind us that, as individuals, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ in this world. Help us remember the words Paul wrote to the Romans: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. When the world pressures us to bend to its ways, remind us that we are called to live according to Your will alone. We ask all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

For Monday:
We're preparing for week 12 in "The Journey with God" at the web site. I highly recommend the Bible Project video available under the Year 1 tab, and those of you who are reading the Bible, please make that your priority over the textbook commentaries!

Jessica will lead worship. Joyce will choose questions from the "response" tab and send those to us before Monday. Rita already has "kindling" for our next TR!

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Journey with God, Wk. 10: Four Explore

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Worship and Gathering
Several of us had sent word that they would be late, while others faced obstacles that made them late without advance warning. Waiting, those present had a lively conversation that ranged from scriptural and historical to personal and theological.

For instance, Joyce had a lot to say about what she read of Martin Luther in chapter 10 of the history text. She had his character nailed: "He was over-scrupulous," so he was very relieved to realize that forgiveness was a gift, not something he had to earn. This undermined powerful men whose earnings depended on people literally paying for forgiveness.

We also figured out the whole pre-destination thing. (Example: A young mother who brings her little boy to our church office can't foresee exactly what kind of trouble he'll get into, but she has predestined that, while he learns how to behave, he will feel loved and safe and clean no matter what.)

Lanie came to us stressed over planning a eulogy for her beloved niece. Starting from Sister Madeleine Mary's idea that faith should be about delight and discovery, we found delight with Lanie re-discovering memories through images. In no time, Lanie was laughing about times of grace. These included a reference to the Flintstones (that I won't go into, sorry).

After close to an hour, the group decided to call it quits and meet back again next week to cover week 11.

A question that Scott had wanted to ask was Sister Madeleine Mary's notion that we all thought theologically when we were little, when we responded to the world with feelings of awe and delight and asked "Why?" She writes that we all develop a sense of "layers" to existence when we're young. Is this what you remember from your childhood? This may be our "gathering" question when we come back together next week.

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

For Monday:
We move on to week 11. Scott will again handle worship, GQ, the response questions, and the source for a TR.

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