Week 17: Christmas Recess

Present: SC, JK, BL, LL, JM, SR, SS, ST.

We met at my home, where we discussed Samuel, Paul, and Allen.  Because of traffic, we started late and didn't make it to a TR. [Photo: Luis, pictured, and Mia were excited to have visitors!]

Next time we meet, January 5, we'll all bring $5 for pizza.  Lynne will prepare worship; Susan will prepare the TR.

We are reading 1 and 2 Kings with two chapters in Collins 13,14;  Romans; and Allen's chapter 12.  There's some important overlap in the coverage of the meaning or effect of Jesus' sacrifice.

During this break, I've taken some time to write "Real Prophecy," a reflection on Howard Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited.

Week 15-16: Thurman, Prayer, and Worship

Present: SC, JK, BL, LL, JM, SR, SS, ST.

Following dinner by Jeff and worship by Bill, there was long animated discussion of Thurman's conclusions and the essay on "Prayer and Worship" in the Reading and Reflection Guide.   Away at a students' concert, I arrived for the tail end of that discussion.

Our TR took off from "underprivileged," a word that Thurman used once instead of "disinherited".  We found a stronger resonance with the word "privilege" that brought us many references to Scripture and culture.  We summed up our insights in ...

Collect for the Privileged
God of power and glory, you emptied yourself to live and die as one of us, demonstrating the infinite value of your creatures.  Make us ever mindful how our privileged positions are gifts that come with a responsibility to focus attention on those who live with their "backs against the wall," unseen and undervalued.  In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Poems by Howard Thurman: Bill's Closing Worship

I will light candles this Christmas.
Candles of joy, despite all sadness.
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch.
Candles of courage for fears ever present,
Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days.
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens,
Candles of love to inspire all my living,
Candles that will burn all the year long.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

Next Week:
We read the assignments for Week Seventeen.  Sarah will do worship; Susan will bring the TR.  I will host the meeting at my home, 2017 Hascall Ct. 30064.  Scharme is bringing ham; Sarah will bring brussels sprouts, Lynne will bring sweet potato casserole, and Susan, the dessert.  I'll have bread; Jeff and Jane will bring wine.  

Week 13-14: Divergent Paths in Acts, Thurman, and Yellow Woods

Starved Rock State Park, IL

Present: SC, JK, BL, LL, JM, SR, SS.

Following dinner by Jane, Susan led us in reading Psalm 11 and coming on board with experiences of God in the Thanksgiving week just past.

We all found resonance in our own experiences for Howard Thurman's first chapters of Jesus and the Disinherited.  We admitted failing to understand fully "fear" in the experience of our own nation's  "disinherited."  Thurman told how fear can pervade the life of someone who has never specifically been touched by the dominant group.

Thurman's clear delineation of Jews' few choices under Rome also gave us a clearer understanding of why Jesus' own people would want him silenced:  His preaching of a kingdom here, now, within, was a form of resistance that threatened both the authority and self-respect of compliant Herod and isolationist Pharisees. 

Thurman's distinction between a religion about Jesus and of Jesus also struck us, and related to Paul in Acts, and even more in his letters.

Our TR was a fresh look at the familiar poem by Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken.  By the time we'd finished our reflection, we'd seen that samples from our culture are full of regret for chances missed and what might have been, while the examples we saw in our tradition suggested that any choice can be redeemed, whether or not it's an easy path.

Collect for Travellers
O God, Lord of travellers from Abraham to Paul, you give us the power of choice in our own journeys.  Grant us wisdom and imagination so that, as we live into our choices, whatever path we take may lead to You.  Amen.

Next week.
We read the rest of Thurman and also the essay for Week 17 in our Reading and Reflection Guide.
Jeff volunteered to bring food; Bill will prepare worship and a question.  Our TR will be a "provocative word" reflection on the word "disinherited." 

Week 12: Trinity and Double Vision

Present: SC, JK, BL, LL, JM, SR, SS.

Following dinner by Bill and Lynne, we had compline, part one, with Jane, and a question about our experiences seeing someone again who parted with us in some kind of conflict. Scharme later related these anecdotes to a question about maturity in the Reading and Reflection Guide, pointing to the ability to delay gratification, to remain calm in conflict, to accept criticism, and to "do more wagging, less barking."

Responding to questions in the Guide, Scharme saw God's people mostly concerned with "their allotment."  How do the Jews see themselves in these books?  "Chosen, obedient, powerful."  Joshua and Judges contained shocking violence, but also the softer theme that God comes into the world "through us." 

Bill and Lynne discussed Powell's chapter on John. Aside from what we discussed last week, Bill and Lynne remarked on a few unique features of the Gospel.  Love of Christians for each other is emphasized... Jesus speaks mostly of his own being...  the story concerns mostly three years' ministry in the vicinity of Jerusalem... the Holy Spirit is emphasized... Jesus appears as a Greek philosopher more than as a Jewish man.

Jeff and Jane discussed the doctrine of "Trinity" discussed in Allen and Dubose.  It was hard to get a handle on, for the authors, too.

TR: It Depends How You Look at It
We smiled at the whimsy of Arcimboldo's oil paintings, and appreciated the details, while feeling somewhat creeped out by the images.  We all experienced "double vision," losing the image of the "face" for seeing vegetative components.  In our TR, we recognized the experience as something akin to our experiences of parables, the Trinity, and the Eucharist.  We finished Compline.

Collect for Double Vision
O triune God,  Creator of our complex, interconnected world, help us to see and accept the beauty in its individual parts and relatedness, so that we may mature with Your grace.  Amen.

In Two Weeks (December 1)
Combine readings for Weeks Thirteen and Fourteen, which will include half of Thurman's book.
Food - Jane.   Worship - Susan.  TR - Jeff.
 
 

Week 11: Preparing a Room

Present:  SC, JK, BL, LL, JM, SR, SS  Absent: ST

After worship provided by Scharme from a portion of Psalm 78 and a question about any kindness we've given or experienced in the past week, we discussed Deuteronomy, John, and Diogenes Allen's eighth chapter, "Suffering from Nature and Extreme Cruelty." 

About Deuteronomy, we found the proliferation of laws and the added layer of "Priestly" institutions to be signs of this year's theme, "maturity."  The book's focus on keeping the Hebrew people intact and unadulterated seems to be a step in the direction of an exclusionary people, while references in the earlier Abraham story and later in the Prophets seem to direct Israel outward in mission to all.

We loved John's gospel.  From the all-encompassing start to finish, Jesus is presented as divine.  We loved human details along the way, where the author seems to get into the minds and hearts of Jesus and those he encounters.

Try as he might, Diogenes Allen can offer us little in the way of explanation for such extreme cruelty as the Holocaust and horrors abroad today.  We understood the differentiation between suffering caused by nature and by human will.  We also understood what he means by having "humility," which we took to mean, "Don't think suffering is centered on yourself.  Don't think God sent it to you for any purpose." But we decided, do look to God for support when we must suffer.

Our TR, starting with the "provocative word" excellence, took us through a range of mixed feelings. We finally settled on the image of an excellent hotel, chocolate on the pillow, toilet paper folded down, everything in its place, prepared for us.  This comforting image was mixed with the knowledge that it's exclusive, and the workers in the hotel can't experience the place in the same way.  Looking for analogs in our tradition, we remembered John 14:2-3, "In my Father's house are many rooms... I got to prepare a place for you."  We noted how any Episcopal altar guild prepares for service as meticulously as any luxury hotel, and how that exclusionary element doesn't apply where all the preparation is directed towards God, and we are called to "Service."

Collect for Hosts
Dear Father, you are innkeeper to the world, preparing for us a house with many rooms; yet your Son could find no room at the inn, only humble shelter in a stable.   Open wide our hearts to provide true hospitality for Your Spirit, that we may prepare a place in our lives for You and for others who may pass our way.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen. 

Next Week:  The mentors will provide the TR;  Bill and Lynne provide food;  Jane will provide worship.  

Week 10: Numbers, Luke, Suffering, and "Let us Now Praise Famous..."

Present:  S.C., J.K., B.L., L.L., J.M., S.R., S.S., S.T.

Worship by Bill included a question based on our All Saints' Day reading from Ecclesiasticus:  what in the past week has brought to mind someone we remember who may be "famous" only to us?  Discussion of Numbers, Deuteronomy, Luke, and Diogenes Allen ensued.  

Our discussion of suffering brought to mind the poor "comfort" that "it's God's will." Susan provides this link to an emphatic rejoinder to such advice:  http://www.timjlawrence.com/blog/2015/10/19/everything-doesnt-happen-for-a-reason 

The TR took off from lines by Willie Nelson, from his memoir It's a Long Story: "You sing the blues to lose the blues.  You lift the burden by transferring it into a song. I'l be damned if I know why or how that miracle takes place, but it always does."

Our meditations took us eventually to the BCPs liturgy for confession, and this collect:

Collect for the 5th Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners:  Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Our final prayer was the unfamiliar second part of "Now I lay me down to sleep":

Father, unto thee I pray,

Thou hast guarded me all day;

Safe I am while in thy sight,

Safely let me sleep tonight.

Bless my friends, the whole world bless;

Help me to learn helpfulness;

Keep me ever in thy sight;

So to all I say good night.

Next Week

In addition to the readings for each year in week 11, read also p. 229 in the Reading and Reflecting Guide, concerning the "Provocative Word."  Dr. Rouse and I will provide the TR; I'll do food; Scharme will do worship and question. 

 

Week 8-9: Exodus, Luke, and a bit of Job

Present:  J.K., B.L., L.L., S.R., S.S., S.T.

We enjoyed dinner from Jeff's household, then worship and thought-provoking "on board" question from Sarah.   Bill and Lynne led us deeply into Luke, noting the emphasis on women and other marginalized people, a huge emphasis on food, and what may be a doctor's interest in physical conditions.  Sarah and Jeff discussed Diogenes Allen's fifth chapter, for which the book of Job is an important source.  Note:  We read "week 8" a couple weeks ago, before our first TR.

After a break, we had a T.R. that brought us to the following collect:

Collect for Dealing with feral creatures who may bite the hands that feed them
Generous God, Who blesses us despite our ingratitude and profligate nature, make us ever-mindful of your gifts, so that we may share with those who doubt us and restore trust and wholeness to our communities.   

Next Week
Susan will bring food; Lynne provides the TR, and Bill will lead worship.  We're reading the texts for week 10 in the Reading and Reflection Guide.  

We do not plan to meet the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.

Week 7: Exodus, Mark, and the "Two Books of God"

Present:  S.C., J.K., B.L., L.L., J.M., S.R., S.S., S.T.

After dinner, worship, and reflection on the past week through an "on-board" question, we discussed the readings. 

A personal story brought us to many Scriptural analogs.  We brought the strands together in a collect for our closing worship:

Collect for Encounters with "the Other"

God of us all, who spoke to us in many different languages at Pentecost, give us faith and courage to approach the Other also created in Your image, so that we may recognize and accept both our differences and those qualities that unite us. To the glory of God.  Amen.  

Next week

We have already discussed week eight, so we'll skip ahead to week nine in the Reading and Reflection Guide (RRG).    Worship:  Sarah          Dinner: Jeff (Jane will not be with us)    TR:  Bill 

Week Six: Genesis, Matthew, Diogenes, and the Week Eight Essay

Present:  SC, JK, JM, BL, LL, SR, SS, ST

2015-2016 So Far

In our sixth week of the program, we can look back on several chapters in our books.  We also set up our norms by elaborating a metaphor:  If EfM is a garden, then what does it need?

We've all shared our spiritual autobiographies, about ten minutes each, two or three per night after the first couple of meetings, finding ways to relate our lives to colors, some with visual aids.

This year, we've been "coming on board" in the context of worship, as the worship volunteer has posed a question for us.  I will email a PDF of a document that compiles dozens of ideas for openers.

Last Night

SS, worship, question, and TR;  meal, SC 

Our check in question was,  "What part of the life cycle of a butterfly best represents you in the past week?"  We pray for one "caught in a net," one "in the chrysalis" doing the internal work of change, one feeling tattered, and others.  We all were taken by Jeff's memory of a monarch migration, hundreds flying by throughout a day at the beach.

Our book discussion circled around the theme of creation, starting from Diogenes Allen's observation that Yahweh was "the God who saved the Hebrews from slavery" centuries before any mention appeared in scripture of His role in creating the universe.  That was set down in the context of salvation.  Those who attack our faith because "science can explain creation without God" attack a straw man:  we're not about the process of creation, but the why of it.

Matthew's gospel likewise draws parallels between Moses and Jesus, furthering our understanding of God's directing time, being not in time.

After a review of the Week Eight essay, our TR led from a personal experience to the metaphor of the wallflower at the dance, and this collect for our concluding worship:

Collect for a dance

Graceful and loving God, Who calls us to the dance, give us strength to cross the gym floor, to ask, or to say yes, so that the dance may be joyous, inclusive, and complete.  In Jesus name. Amen.  

Next Week

Readings for Week Seven.  Food: Bill and Lynn.  TR: Jane.  Worship & question: Jeff.

Weeks 33-34 combined, especially Ezekiel, Ephesians, and British Missions

Present:  Bill and Jen Nowicki, Jeff Karkula, Susan Rouse, Bill and Lynn Lovelace, Smoot.

Discussion seemed to center on "love," as Ezekiel and Isaiah both speak of God's ultimate love, to save the nations through His chosen people, and Ephesians (which may not be Paul's) speaks as often of "love" as Corinthians does. 

Next week, the 19th:  Finish the readings:  Daniel, Revelation, and "Culture Wars."  Susan will provide supper.   We plan an end-of-year supper "out" June 2 to catch up with Bill and Lynn, who will miss next week.

Mission

Present:  Bill N., Bill L., Lynne, Sarah, Jeff, Steve, Susan, Scott S.

We considered the traditional view of the church's mission, measuring success by how many people switch to Christianity from other religions or from non-belief.  Our answers brought in some of last week's reading, some of the article, and some lessons learned at St. James' from sermons, teaching, and experience. 

Next week:  Smoot will be out.  Readings will be those in the RRG for week 32. Food, Lynne;  Worship, Sarah; TR, Bill N.

For May 5:  We have a Cinquo de Mayo theme for dinner, as we continue to invite people to join us for the open house.  
Taco shells soft and hard:  Smoot
Meat:  Bill L.
Guacomole: Susan
Cheese:  Steve
Salsa, and dessert:  Jeff (and Sally!)
Corn/bean salsa: Sarah

Globalization, Gender, and Peacebuilding

Present:  B. Lovelace, L. Lovelace, S. Thompson, J. Karkula, S. Rouse, S. Windham, S. Smoot

We considered Kwok Pui-Lan's three lectures collected in Globalization, Gender, and Peacebuilding. We had some expressions of strong disagreement with some of her statements in this book and a supplementary essay about the Anglican church as a "hybrid."   Much of what was agreeable also seemed unremarkable to us. 

However, we all found something to appreciate, if nothing more than the reminder that anyone engaged in dialogue with people of other religions should aware of so many pitfalls that Kwok identifies.  

For TR, see the separate TR page on this blog.   

Next week, we read pp. 174-180 in the RRG.   Susan will bring food; Bill L. will provide worship; and Lynne will bring material to start the TR.

Wk. 27: Amos, Hosea, James, and "Protestant Awakenings"

Present:  Bill N., Jen, Steve, Susan, Scott S., Bill L., Lynne, Jeff

Many of us were struck by the "Seven stages of the Resurrection" found in St. Augustine's Prayer Book.  Steve recommended the booklet, found at the Forward Day by Day website.

"Coming on board," many of us expressed how different aspects of the Holy Week services were moving, beautiful, and even funny and energizing.  

We found strong connections between the messages of Amos and James, and several expressed strong affinity for these books. We found the cautions to the rich.

Hosea's story seems very sad, and then he seems to develop a split personality, according to one web source.  Collins has a different take on that, and on prophets, too, not as "seers" but more like modern-day political commentators -- who make predictions only in the way that an editorialist or candidate might predict consequences "if we don't correct what we're doing."

Asked the question from the RRG, "What are the ddep hungers of those to whom James wrote?" we had answers that tended to see James as someone trying to bring back the sense of community and first sense of belonging to a church dispersed, losing its first fervor.

We saw differences in approaches to evangelizing natives and African slaves among the French, Spanish, and English who settled in North America in the 1600s.  English stood out for not engaging in evangelizing efforts, partly because the Puritans' doctrine of "election" made the effort seem superfluous, and the diseases that destroyed tribes seemed confirmation that these peoples could not be favored by God.  Divisions among the Puritans resulted in new colonies outside of Massachusetts Bay -- in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and eventually in Maryland and Pennsylvania, founded by outcasts of England's religious establishment.

Next week: We read Kwok's short book (three lectures) and the RRG chapters 28 (one page) and 29 (four pages).

For TR, see the TR page.

Ezra, Nehemiah, Timothy, and the Counter-Reformation

meeting of March 24.  Present:  S. Thompson, B. Nowicki , J. Nowicki, B. Lovelace, L. Lovelace, S. Rouse, S. Smoot.

We discussed Ezra and Nehemiah.   The call to give up foreign wives and to come back to the laws of Moses seemed to lead to centuries of strife.

About Timothy I and II, we heard Paul's pastoral letters to fledgling churches, warning them to stick to the right ways, and, significantly, to conform to the ways of the Roman empire, insofar as possible.  "Don't make waves" was Susan's sum up.

We heard about Henry VIII and his offspring, Protestant and Roman Catholic.  The MacDonald's chapter on the Counter - Reformation was refreshing in how much was motivated by sincere efforts to recall the heart of our faith.  So much of previous chapters had to do with politics and wealth!

A question came up about the Protestant emphasis on marriage and children v. the R.C. mandate for celibacy of clergy.  We were reminded that the celibacy idea had its origin in problems regarding inheritance; the idea of "marrying the church" was an ex post facto justification for this Roman Church doctrine.

Next week:  The Lovelaces will provide food, and Lynne will bring worship;  Jeff is doing the TR. 

What does Transubstantiation Mean to You?

meeting of March 17.  Present:   S. Windham, S. Thompson, B. Nowicki , J. Nowicki, J. Karkula, S. Rouse, S. Smoot.

Our discussion of Philippians, Collassians, and "A Church Divided" brought us to the dilemma for believers who hear different things from different sources of authority.  "Scripture alone" was not a satisfactory answer, for we saw deadly conflicts that arose among those who studied Scripture closely.

The historical disagreements among Church "magistrates" and clergy over meaning of the Eucharist brought us to enunciate our own different positions on the topic.

Our TR featured a 1927 recording of Blind Willie Johnson's wordless performance of an old hymn. Writing about this now, I wonder that we didn't think about the line from Romans 8:26 about prayer, and how the Spirit "intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words."

We decided to schedule our open house for May 5. 

Weeks 22 & 23

Last week, we all read and discussed Diana Butler Bass's essay about integrating belief, behavior, and doctrine in a multicultural world.  (Scott's blog post about it is part summary, part reflection. See here.)  This week, we're back to reading in our own texts.

Our TR grew from a poem by Ella Wilcox Wheeler, "An Inspiration."

For the 10th, Bill N. has TR, Stephen has food, and Susan will bring worship.

Esther, Ruth & Jonah; I & II Peter: Ivan IV

St.Basil, Moscow: named for "holy fool"
8 buildings around one 8-sided building

We discussed what "story" means in the context of Scripture.  We find humor in Jonah; do we also find spiritual meaning?  God's providence is felt strongly in Esther ("You may be in this high position just for this purpose"), though God is named only in the added portions found in the RC version.   The topic of respect for non-Jews didn't come up, but two of these readings make a big deal of God's looking out for a Moabite woman and for the people of Nineveh; a third shows how Jews can prosper as a minority.

The bloodfest at the end of Esther and the arbitrariness of Xerxes reminded third year of Ivan IV "The Terrible."  Factors in making Moscow a "third Rome" included the city's being out of reach for the Islamic juggernaut. Other marauders - Khans ("Tartars") who invaded, then slowly converted. Other factors had to do more with personal politics among the privileged.  But we noted as well how cold, dark, harsh climate shaped liturgy and worship practices to draw whole villages together for a long time in cozy, warm, colorful, musical, harmonious worship.  "Individualism" and reform were born in warmer Western places; the orthodox doubled down on what they've had, and maintained it despite innovations imposed from above.

We agreed that we appreciate the context more when we read I & II Peter straight through; and knowing better the context of his time takes the edge off of his command for wives to obey their husbands.  We noted also that I Peter was written in the expectation of the impending ending of the world.  We discussed Peter's "marketing" of the faith by example more than by preaching and argument.  We wondered about St. James' church in this regard, as an hospitable place "not in your face."

Next week: We all read the 25-page essay about "Minding the Gaps" in the Reading and Reflection Guide (RRG).   Lynne will bring the TR; Jeff (and Sally!) will bring food; Jen will prepare worship.

For our TR, visit the TR page.

Wisdom books, Hebrews, and the Byzantine church

Our "coming on board" time brought out a discussion of "the tithe."  Here's a link to a digest of research I did on the topic as SJ's Senior Warden: Church Stewardship Campaign, ca. 1600.

We heard about how the politics and economics of the high middle ages fanned doctrinal differences into flame between Rome and Byzantium -- especially relating to the leavening of communion bread, the idea of Purgatory, and the use of icons.  East needed the West's protection from burgeoning Islamic kingdoms, and instead got sacked by Italians.  We did see loveliness in the idea that a rood screen, i.e., a wall of icons, can be a window.

Ecclesiastes and Job both seem to be bitter pills wrapped in sweetness, and we found the sweetness part less convincing.  Still, knowing that life really doesn't work out the way promised in Proverbs, it was reassuring to us to find the reality in our scriptures.

We discussed how animal sacrifice is countermanded in Hebrews, but also ridiculed in Hebrew prophets. The ideas in Hebrews are part of a long tradition, though the other tradition seemed to dominate at the time of its writing.  We noted that the idea of punishment and atonement, so strong in Hebrews, is not so strong elsewhere in our scriptures.  One of us asked, "Did God change?"  The answer seemed to lie more in the awareness of the worlds in which the Scriptures were written, where the priestly classes made their livelihood from traditions that predated the Exodus, and the political class benefitted from the same traditions.

Speaking for myself, as I re-read this, I can see Scripture as a rood screen:  We have ancient politics, arcane traditions, and alien culture sometimes blocking a clear perception of God in Scripture, so that He appears to be changing from book to book; but we can often glimpse God through the iconic images among the flat wood panels.

The TRs are summarized on the TR page.

Romans

Read the assignment and enjoyed the Author's perspective.  Never thought about the Gentiles taking over when the Romans kicked the Jews out.  Apparently they ran the Roman Christian Church while they were gone.

I also enjoyed the "shout outs" to women in Rome as major players.  Wonder what happened in the Roman Catholic church?  Popes in the coming years seemed to have relegated women's role to secondary and that continues to this day.

Bill

Psalms, Paul, and Parishes

The first year cohort's favorite psalms brought out favorites from others.  Second year's discussion of Paul also brought out our favorite sides to him.  Discussion of the use of Hebrew Scriptures by Jesus and Paul gave us an answer to those who say that the New Testament supersedes the Old.  In Pauls' day, even more, now, wisdom was created by communities over the ages as they lived with these texts.

For reasons that had more to do with a shift in economics, a system of parish churches arose, analogous to the system of serfdom.   Pastoral care and personal salvation became more important than sponsorship by patrons.

Dinner next week is by Bill and Jen; Worship is Bill L.; S. Thompson brings the T.R.

See the TR page for a bit more about the TR.

That Underground River of Emotion

Last night we discussed the article by Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston in our Reading and Reflecting Guide.  He surveys the rise of "spirituality" in America as a line on a graph that splits apart from "religion" during the same late-20th century period.  He foresees reintegration and conflict as our quests for spirituality break barriers in our "compartmentalized" Enlightenment lives.

For theological reflection, we worked from one image in Charleston's text, of spirituality as a "river of emotion" that breaks through the "crust" and wreaks havoc.

Next week, Bill and Lynne do dinner, Steve brings in the TR, and I have worship. 

High Contexts and Dialogue, "Bush was Blazing"

We discussed the second half of Erik Law's book, especially with regard to inter-denominational dialogues and inter-faith.

Next week, we read the section of the RRG 78-95, including the challenge to find an image for a single most interesting passage. 

Our TRs are briefly summarized on the TR page (see right-hand column).

The book about "brickianity" by the non-denominational preacher Rob Bell is Velvet Elvis.  My reflection on it Seeing Through Brick Walls is on my blog The Word Sanctuary.

Our responses to "The Bush was Blazing..."

As the temperature dropped, we met for Epiphany and pizza.  Our discussion of Law's The Bush Was Blazing but Not Consumed yielded enough material to keep us raising new ideas for an hour.  We reached some consensus on the ideas that the book so far focuses more on ethnic differences than on religious ones; that the "win/lose" approach distorts relationships; that "we're all basically the same" overlooks important differences.

From this discussion, we thought of times when we felt powerless or powerful.  A wide-ranging TR resulted.

Next week, we finish the book.  Bill and Jenni will do dinner; Jeff brings the TR; and Smoot does the worship.

Look here soon for a reflection by Wayne. 

I wrote a reflection on Law, combined with McCulloch and some other sources:  Anglican Exceptionalism.