Dinner was provided by Scharme, and worship by Jeff, followed by the question, "What word best describes your past week?"
Our discussion concerned the prophets Amos and Hosea, who both aimed to discomfort the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of complacency. Scharme commented on how relieved she is, at last, to detect plain old narrative behind the words, and to feel a strong strain of human feeling and sympathy in the teachings, following weeks of violence, some of it arbitrary.
Readings from Powell and Allen both concerned the idea of salvation and afterlife. Our second year fellows commented that Paul presents "models" for how we "participate" in Jesus' death and resurrection, all of them incomplete ways of understanding, none of them to be considered the actual, only, complete explanation. Lynne was struck by the fact that Paul wrote in Romans to a church that did not know him personally -- so much of the letter may have been intended as introduction and preparation for controversy.
About Allen, we had as much difficulty putting in words what we got from Allen as Allen seemed to have for what he intended. We were struck by his anecdote about scientists' mockery at a forum, where the audience didn't grasp a difference between indefinite extension of life and "eternal life." The stories of the resurrected Jesus all contain mysterious elements that suggest his friends didn't recognize him, that ordinary natural law did not apply, and that, in some way, life after death is both a a physical, tangible thing, and a transformation. (I'm reminded of Father Roger's making this point at a blessing of animals, when he assured us that a new physical creation would certainly have animals.)
Sarah brought us this provocative word. Our thoughts and feelings about "comfortable" came at the word from opposite angles. The word connotes fluffy pillows, but literally denotes "giving" or "having" strength (fort). We summed these up in a collect:
Collect for Comforters
O God our strength, who brought the Israelites out of comfort into the wilderness, call us forth from empty comforts into service, so that we may strengthen others and grow into instruments of Your grace and power. Amen.
Next Week
Scott brings worship; Sarah brings food; and Bill will provide the TR.
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