Yr. C, Wk. 15: Life in Christ, part II

Christine led worship, an order for early evening, including a portion of Psalm 119. Noting the start of the new year on the Liturgical calendar, Christine asked us what new beginnings we foresee? We shared our answers during a brown bag meal. Mariel summed up a lot of our responses as "looking forward with hope, backwards with regret."

Yr. C theme: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Gene.

We responded to the last three chapters of Gatta's book Living in Christ.

Chapter Three, "The Liturgical Round"[Photo: A representation of the liturgical calendar on display in the Sunday school wing of St. James]

• It's comforting to realize that reading and interpreting Scripture is a communal activity, with communal meaning.
• Comforting, too, is what Gatta wrote about Psalm 119 and other scriptures that bother us with bloodthirstiness or tribalism. We don't have to start with the premise that God approves of the human behaviors and expressions in Scripture; rather, God asks us to reflect on the question, "Where am I in this scripture?"
• We found appeal in the idea that we join others around our community and world when we pray.

Chapter Four, "Prayer in Solitude"
• It's a primer on prayer techniques.
• Apophatic prayer presented Pete and the rest of us with a challenge that we liked, to approach God by emptying our minds of matters, images, and preconceptions that are not God. In Gatta's words, such prayer "washes everything away."
• Lectio divina was another appealing approach.
• We were struck by Gatta's observation (illustrated by Flannery O'Connor) that prayer doesn't always take away pain, but can intensify suffering.
• Mariel was interested how Gatta dealt with the efficacy of prayer for others. "I know that prayer changes the pray-er," Mariel said, "but does it do anything for the person we pray for?" Gatta says yes; Mariel reserves judgement.
• Erica shared how she has recently re-discovered the value of the kind of improvised colloquy prayer that many of us grew up with in evangelical traditions. She loves liturgical prayer, but allows that it can grow monotonous; the other style has been a refreshing change.
• Scott was especially interested in the "examen prayer," and Erica volunteered to lead an "examen" for worship in our first meeting of the new year.

Chapter Five
• Another primer on practices for deepening faith alone, by living under "a rule," or going to a retreat.
• Erica shared her experience with six days of silent retreat. We discovered that some of us harbor monastic fantasies!
• Scott shared Fr. Daron's recommendation of Into Great Silence (2005), a nearly three-hour documentary of life in a silent monastery in the French Alps.
• Pete, Erica, and Matt shared experiences with confession, and we did a little research on praying the Rosary.
• When Matt shared an app for saying the Daily Office, several of us shared how we were already doing some form of liturgical prayer each day, or how we wanted to start.

Theological Reflection

In his absence, Gene left us copies of the image reproduced here:



Susan knew what it was, but let the rest of us puzzle it out. That was more than half the fun, as we wondered about odd details -- the disembodied hand in the upper-left, what accounted for the evident change in characters on the left when we see them again on the right, the identity of the figure in repose at the bottom, the nature of that odd "noodle" object that sprouts from that figure and frames the other scenes.

The world of this creation was "intricate," and we found joy in its mysteries. If only we had the "key," it might speak more clearly to us as it evidently did to its original audience. Finally, Susan teased out of us the realization that this represents the "branch of Jesse's tree," Emmanuel. We Googled it, identifying it as a miniature dating ca. 1200 from the Lambeth Psaltery. 

Collecting our thoughts from the whole reflection, the theme emerged of the "great cloud of witnesses" and continuity over time. Our draft of a collect was missing something that Christine had offered, the joy that we found in the artistry of the design. Susan worked on pulling all these threads together.

CollectCreator God who walked with us and shared our human experiences, who continues to inspire and nourish us: As You made Jesse the root of your incarnation in history, help us to root our selves in your Holy Word so that we may mirror your glory and love in all we make and do. Amen.

Next Meeting will be January 7: We're doubling up with readings from both week 16 and 17. Brown bag dinner. Erica will lead the "examen" prayer. Pete will be bringing us a source for a TR.

Yr. C, Wk. 14: Life in Christ, part I

 With half the class ailing and away, we prayed the Daily Office for Early Evening, ate Scott's "goulash" dinner, and discussed the first half of Gatta's Life in Christ: Practicing Christian Spirituality.[Image: Icon of the Anastasis, "Harrowing of Hades," referenced in Gatta.]

Yr. C theme: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Christine, Mariel, Matt, Erica.

Discussion of Gatta's book, highlights:
• We were struck by Gatta's insistence that spirituality is communal: We pray "our Father" and "we confess that we have sinned."

  We might...let attendance slip because we harbor some complaints [about clergy, parishioners]. We might tell ourselves that we can meet God during a walk in the woods or sitting quietly on our back porch, and of course we can. (p.62)

  But after some initial "church-shopping," the Catechism calls it our duty to commit to attendance. Like stones in a bag, she writes, we rub each other smooth (63).
• Gene brought up Gatta's insistence that coming to church is not to "recharge our batteries." Rather, we are mandated to come "because we're part of the family: we need them, and they need us" (64).
• We all responded to the way that Gatta draws her examples from the Cultural Source as well as the Tradition Source.
• Knowing that Gatta was on the faculty when Fr. Roger was in seminary, we found many resonances between Gatta's text and messages that Fr. Roger drives home in his sermons and in his approach to liturgy.
• Gatta's emphasis on suffering struck some as negative. The illustration from Narnia of a dragon's painful shredding of skin to be restored to human form (13) was helpful. In connection to suffering, Scott read aloud Gatta's striking words, "Suffering and death are everywhere, from roadkill to mass shootings to tsunamis: We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now, and not only the creation, but we ourselves... (Rom. 8.22-23)" (30).
• Pete was struck by the idea that we are united with Christ and with each other in the "silence of God." Gatta quoted extensively from Silence by the Japanese novelist Shusako Endo (34). Gatta quotes the book to drive home the idea that baptism, in "marking us as Christ's own forever," gives us both an obligation to serve the world, but also a vision, that "Suffering serves as a kind of connective tissue for the whole human race," as even Jesus still carried his wounds in resurrection (36).
• Susan was struck by Gatta's use of time, the idea of anamnesis, translated as "remembrance" (51). It means that the past and future are "present" in the here and now. Gatta applied that to the sacraments of baptism, of passover / feast of unleavened bread (50), and eucharist. Even the corporate reading of scripture is a way to make the past present (67).
• Scott imagined giving a sermon to his students, based on the chapter "Reliving Christ's Death and Resurrection." He would say, "Do some Christians see belief in Jesus as a way to ward off suffering? Baptism, communion, and trinity teach us the belief in Jesus is a way to dignify the suffering that connects all of us." (Scott was later reminded of a similar idea expressed by Christian Wiman, poet and essayist who suffers excruciating bone-breaking cancer. See Scott's blogpost Beyond Belief in My Bright Abyss.)

Next Week: Brown bag dinner; Christine leads worship. We will be presenting Gene's TR in his absence. We are all reading Gatta, p. 86-end.

Yr. C, Wk. 13: Hidden God in a Messy World

For worship in this penitent season of Advent, Erica led us through the Great Litany. As we consumed our brown bag meals, she asked us to share what had made us grateful that day. We were variously grateful to leave work for EfM; to be home after a week of long-distance driving; to find the right response just in time for a neighbor's dog in need, for a parent, for the kids.

Yr. C theme: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Pete, Mariel.

Everyone offered what amazed / bothered / confused / delighted them in their readings for the week. (Mariel, absent, participated by email.)

When we'd covered the board with specifics, we discerned a few overarching themes:
• Between Judges and Saints, we saw "superheroes" of faith.
• We saw an evolution in the way we perceived God -- or, in the way God reached us -- throughout the development of a kingdom called Israel, through the developments of the early church in Acts, on into the reshuffling and institutionalization of the church in its first 1000 years.
• We all responded strongly to an excerpt from Erica's reading that delighted her, that recast the sense of God's "absence" as "God's divine hiddenness." The idea that God is hidden while we are free to find our own ways related to all the failures and false starts we'd seen in our respective chronicles.

Theological Reflection
Scott turned to the RRG's instructions for theological reflection that begins with a "provocative" word (279), but, not wishing to provoke anyone, he offered what he called an "evocative" word, clean.

The word did evoke a wide variety of responses. Many of our associations with the word involved anxiety, even resentment over demands from childhood on, to be clean, to be neat, to clean up. Christine opened another angle on the word, associating the word with beauty and freshness. We all added names to a list of old-school commercial cleaning products. We saw moral judgement in the word, as in "clean living," a phrase that formerly connoted abstinence from immorality, that now connotes abstinence from unhealthy substances. We noted that a certain kind of grunginess is now looked upon as "authenticity." We cited religious / ritual cleanliness in our own Church and in traditions of other religions.


Energy seemed to rise most when we noted how the concept of being "clean" has been used for millennia to distinguish any dominant "us" from "them" -- people of another gender, class, nation, race, or faith, said to be unclean or, more recently, to carry diseases. We noticed an inconsistency all along, that those who have been disdained as unclean often are the ones who do the cleaning. Mark "them" as unclean, and they go from being different to being abhorrent - no sympathy or common civility required.

 References from our tradition included white robes "washed in the blood"; ritual cleansing by altar guild and priests; the stories of the much-abhorred lepers whom Jesus touched and St. Francis kissed; and Peter's dream in Acts that ended with the voice commanding him to eat, because "what God has declared clean, let no man declare unclean." At this point, Erica reminded us of a TR from last year that found spirituality in the messiness of conception, birth, and aging. "Thou didst not abhor the virgin's womb," we say in the Te Deum: God got down into our dirt when he was delivered through his mother's labor and laid in a manger.

We shared some insights: Once we've ensured health, safety, and efficiency, any further pursuit of "cleanliness" is idolatry. Someone came up with a succinct summary, "Cleanliness is not a destination."

Collect Suggested by "Clean" Loving Creator, for our sake you came down from heaven to experience the messiness and pain of this world, touching and healing lepers and the woman of the unclean spirit: open our eyes to see the dignity of all your creatures, that we may not shrink from what you have made clean. In Jesus' name. Amen.

I couldn't come up with the right search terms to find Erica's TR from last year, but I did run across another time that we dealt with some of these same themes:

For a TR, Gene brought us a poem that Jimmy Carter made from his mother's letter home from her stint with the Peace Corps in India: "Miss Lillian Sees Leprosy for the First Time." We focused on one line, "I faced her treatment every week with dread / and loathing -- for the chore, not the child."

Discussing times in our lives when we "steeled" ourselves to do a loathsome duty, we settled easily on the metaphor of putting on armor. (see post in 11/2018)

Next Week: Scott brings dinner; Christine leads worship; Gene offers a source for a TR. We are all reading Gatta, from the introduction through p. 86.

Yr. C, Wk. 12: Perspectives and Practice

Matt brought us the Celtic Evening Prayer from the Northumbria New Monastic Community. We took turns reading seven different "Expression of Faith" in the Celtic Liturgy. When we finished the liturgy, Matt asked us to "come on board" by explaining which of the expressions of faith spoke to us most directly this week.

Yr. C theme: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Gene, Christine.

Responding to Matt's question, Erica chose two verses that related to a conversation she'd had in the park that day:

Lord, You have always given bread for the coming day; and though I am poor, today I believe.
Lord, You have always lightened this darkness of mine; and though the night is here, today I believe.

Mariel and Matt both chose this verse:

Lord, you have always given peace for the coming day; and though of anxious heart, today I believe.

Scott responded to

Lord, You have always kept me safe in trials; and now, tried as I am, today I believe.

Susan chose

Lord, You have always marked the road for the coming day; and though it may be hidden, today I believe.

Sharing of reactions to the week's readings began with Yee's book, first chapter, reexamining Torah from the perspective of women and others who are kept mostly off-stage in the narrative. Pete was taken aback. "I thought stories were just stories," he said, but he appreciated how stories provide a common identity, and how a story retold can help to manage change within a community. We thought of ways that the USA has reimagined its own history, HAMILTON being a prime example: the facts of Hamilton's life haven't changed in the telling, but the emphasis and presentation reflects changes in our national identity. Matt told how the author of the essay on Torah, Carolyn J. Sharp, opened his eyes to aspects of the Garden of Eden story. Pete read to us three principles guiding the approach of the writers in Yee's book: to honor all subjects, to interrogate relationships of power, and to imagine reform.

Mariel's reading in MacCulloch also touched on gender in a chapter that traced the rise of monasticism in Christianity's first half-millennium. She wished MacCulloch had brought in other voices to challenge the assumption arising at that time that celibacy was a "higher calling" than marriage. "Be fruitful and multiply" and how Jesus skewered the Sadducees' story of one bride for seven brothers both stand in opposition to Paul's admonition against marrying, Mariel said. Much discussion followed of gender and an indifference of boys to stories and movies with females in positions of power (e.g., Matt's talk with teen boys outraged by the recent Captain Marvel film).

Erica distilled her week's reading to the difference between knowing God and knowing about God. Reading about a person isn't the same as knowing them in relationship; reading about God isn't the same as the practice or habits of worship, communion, and daily prayer. This idea of "practice" informed our Theological Reflection.


Theological Reflection
Mariel brought us a portion of Hail Caesar, the Cohn brothers' film about a Hollywood studio in the 1950s. In the scene, a studio executive invites clergymen of different traditions -- Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish -- to review the script of the studio's upcoming Biblical epic for assurance that the film "will not offend any reasonable American, regardless of faith or creed." The executive assumes that "reasonable" people can set aside very different views of the world to reach consensus. Hilarity ensues, because the executive's assumption is so wrong. The only thing they all agree on is that the lead actor is a big star.

We found this same situation throughout Scripture and the history of the church, right up to current conversations within the Episcopal Church about revisions to the prayer book. We listed the Council of Nicea, Jesus and his fractious apostles (Peter, John, James), Pilate and Jesus, Jesus and the Sadducees, and the Samaritan woman at the well.  The best example may have been Paul and the Thessalonians, to whom he said yes, you're right about being free to eat meat sacrificed to idols, but, no, don't do it if it'll upset the people who believe otherwise.

When we asked what can bring redemption or reconciliation where people disagree over reason and faith, "practice" was the way -- completing the three-legged stool that Episcopalians talk about when they explain their church's reliance on Reason, Scripture, and Tradition. We made notes for a collect, here filled out by Scott:

Collect Loving and all-knowing Father in Heaven, you see your children at odds over what's reasonable and precious: we invoke the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in practice of worship, communion, and prayer, through which alone we may find peace and comity in relationship with you. Amen.

Next Week: We skip the week of Thanksgiving, and return Dec. 2. Brown bag. Erica leads worship, and Scott brings something for a TR.

Yr. C, Wk. 11: Layers and Facades

Christine emailed us the liturgy for evening prayer when she couldn't attend, and Erica officiated. Matt's wife Hayden prepared for us chili with apples, a novel combination that we enjoyed with cornbread, and, for break, fall cookies. We came on board with reflections on the week past, including an anecdote about giving generously to someone asking for money at a gas station. This story of a stranger in need came up later, during our TR.

Yr. C theme: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Pete, Christine.

To get started on the readings, Scott read aloud Christine's reflection on "layers" of meaning and sentiment in John that allowed anyone, at any level of understanding, to get inside the story. Others stepped in:

• In Year 3, "layers" of history as the rising Islamic caliphate vied with Christians and Jews for hearts, minds, and territory in their world. They influenced each other. For example, the eastern church, blocked by Islam to the west, spread east.
• Erica loved a portion of Year 4's book that spoke of a "superabundance" of meaning that accrues to ancient texts through the centuries, until they mean more than they did at the start.
• For Matt, Deuteronomy "breathed," also gaining meaning with successive generations.

Mariel shared with us a photo from MacDermott's book of a cathedral of the Coptic Christians carved in one piece of "living stone," i.e., stone remaining where it was formed. 

[Photo: St. George Cathedral in Ethiopia, carved in "living stone"]

Theological Reflection
Erica brought us "Not Waving but Drowning" by English poet Stevie Smith. We explored the image of a swimmer far from shore, drowning in plain view but assumed to be just playing around when he waved for help. We decided to look at it, not from the point of view of onlookers, but from the drowning man's perspective. The image brought forth some powerful memories in our lives. We had trouble finding any way to redeem the situation as presented in the poem, until we agreed that the poem itself was a redemption of the incident. Our collect arose straight from notes under our columns for redemption, tradition, culture, and insights.

Collect for Those in Need Lord and Savior: when Peter, losing heart, sank beneath the waves, you reached out to pull him up: give us our eyes to see past others' brave facades when they need a hand, and let us not project facades to hide our own neediness. Amen.

Next Week: Brown bag. Matt leads worship, and Mariel brings something for a TR.

Yr. C, Wk. 10: Law, Community, and Salvation

Before our brown bag dinner, Pete dimmed the lights and lit a candle for a worship service that played off of the disruption of Daylight Savings Time, one aspect of the change of seasons. The question for us was, "What do you do during times of change? Do you tend to 'stay the course', or do you try to make a 'bold move?'" Some of us tend to love change, while others do stick to routine. Some of us are reluctant to make bold decisions in private, but willing to do so in work; some go the other way.

Yr. C theme: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: None.

First year set a theme for discussion with Pete's admission that Leviticus and Numbers seemed dry and repetitious. He wondered how any of these ancient laws are still relevant. We discussed how these books were assembled from case law over time, speaking to the many ways we manage to conflict with each other.

Susan suggested we look beyond the specifics to the values that the laws enforced. One important value behind many laws is identity. We shared examples of laws, such as dietary restrictions or dress codes, that help a group to define their identity. Mariel jumped in with thoughts from the third year book, as the history of the church in a time of councils was about church entities defining their identities.

[Scott's note: By coincidence, Saturday's selection in Forward Day by Day deals with Ezra, a book about maintaining Jewish identity through strict adherence to laws and practices. The same idea comes up in Gatta's pages about what we renounce in our Baptismal covenenant. I reflected on both sources in my own blogpost Episcopal Exiles at Home]

Erica's fourth year reading made her think just what she means by "salvation." She found provocative Ford's statement that salvation always has a communal dimension, and we discussed that. She found Ford's emphasis on "health" uninspiring, though the connection of our word "health" to "wholeness" made more sense. Christine related the talk of salvation to "liberation" in Luke, who, she said, "softened" some of the aspects of Jesus that are a bit edgy or harsh in other gospels.


Theological Reflection
Gene had us read Daniel 3.1-18, the story of the three young men who stand up to king Nebuchadnezzar. Verse 18 stops where they say they expect God to save them, but, even if He doesn't, they will gladly die rather than bow down to the idol. Our exploration of the story came to focus on the surprising extent to which the king seems to respect these three young men, and the effect that their faith has on him. Themes from earlier in the evening came up again, as we saw that this king ruled by whim, not by law; and the three men, expecting no reward or afterlife, put their lives on the line for the salvation of their Jewish community. Erica led us in composing the collect.

Collect O Just and Gracious Lord, who inspired Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to stand firm for their community and faith: Help us to look to the law you have written on our hearts so that we too can stand for justice and against oppression. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

After we concluded the collect, Gene shared a portion from King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail distinguishing just laws from unjust laws.

By email the following day, Erica shared with the group how Psalm 72, appointed for the day, fit so well with our TR, being a prayer for guidance and support for the King: "May he judge your people with righteousness."

Next Week: Matt brings dinner, Christine leads worship, and Erica brings something for a TR.

Yr. C, Wk. 9: A Jealous God

In the dimly lit centering prayer room, Scott led a service for All Hallow's Eve from the Prayer Book's supplement for Occasional Worship.  We took roles in a dramatic reading of the story of the witch of Endor.

Where the service calls for a homily,  we revisited a  TR on  "Halloween" (see November 1, 2017) which focused on  community and stranger. The question for dinner tonight was, "What experience have you had with a stranger in the past few weeks?" Answers involved a kind homeless man, an unfamiliar colleague's mistake, and helping strangers with directions and group photos.

Yr. C theme: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Gene, Christine.

Pete had cooked up a tasty Low Country Boil We ate helping after helping before we settled down to the reading.


Pete began our discussion, struck by the phrase from Exodus, "a jealous God." We found in it God's fierce protectiveness, and also God's steadfastness when, so often, the Hebrews kicked back, as Mariel said, "like children who want to do things themselves." This theme returned during our theological reflection.

From there, we saw a "tug of war" in scripture and in the church's early development between the impulse to build up places of worship and hierarchies of authority, and the conviction that true faith relies on God alone.

Theological Reflection
Exploring Susan's anecdote about an apparent theft, we developed the metaphor of a person finding their home's front door open. Feelings of insecurity and disruption brought to mind the Hebrews in the wilderness, and also the gospel story of the apostle Thomas. Naturally, we found analogs as well in Star Trek, Star Wars, The Hobbit, and the classic John Wayne film The Searchers.

Collect in Time of Disruption Lord God, you jealously guarded your chosen people in the wilderness even as they craved the comforts of Egypt and the security of gods they could handle: stay with us when, numbed by routine, we balk at the risks of your call to be a light to the people around us. Amen.

Next Week: Brown bag dinner. Pete leads worship. Gene brings something for a TR.

Yr. C, Wk. 8: Light Burdens and Na'aman's Easy Cure

Matt led a service from the New Zealand prayer book, familiar in outline but delightfully different in wording. Matt especially likes the many, many ways that the closing prayer names God: "Eternal Spirit, Earth - maker, Pain - bearer, Life - giver...." The worship service's Scripture from Matthew 11:25-30 included the line "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light," which provided Matt's question for our brown bag dinner, "What burden of yours has been lightened in the past week or so?" Answers included relief of different kinds: work completed, medical issue solved, decisions now in others' hands.

Yr. C theme: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: none!

All of us had read the essay in the RRG (Reading and Reflection Guide) concerning the theories behind the process that EfM calls "theological reflections." Our veterans allayed some confusion that the first year students expressed. We discussed the fungibility of the four categories of sources. Scott asked about the "application" part of the TR, often short - changed in EfM groups, and we heard a lot of thoughtful responses:

• Erica finds herself pausing in harried situations to ask, "Where am I in the cycle?" She explained, "If I'm stuck in judgement, I know that I need to get to redemption."
• Christine admitted to having felt sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of information thrown at her, between Year One readings and TR processes, "but I learned to trust the process and this community," and she finds the TRs "interesting and elusive" in the sense of "hard to put in words."
• Susan observed that the TRs for her reinforce the need to step back from the particulars of any situation (or news event, or issue) to examine the universal. She has internalized this process.
• Mariel says that she has been "re-framing things," asking, when a situation disturbs her, "What redemption would look like in this situation, and what would it take to get there?"

Theological Reflection After Halloween cookies that Susan brought us from Douceur De France, we got down to our first theological reflection.

This week, Scott began from the Tradition source, reading with others several translations of II Kings 5, the story about Na'aman the Syrian Leper. Our focus became the moment when Na'aman feels indignant that Elisha seems to be disrespecting him, and he turns away -- when a servant says, "Had he asked you to do some difficult thing, you'd have done it." [Note from Scott: Only after EfM, I noticed the echo from the night's gospel reading, "My yoke is easy, my burden light."]

Gene broke through an impasse during the composition of our collect when he pointed out that we were confusing two separate issues from the story. Here's the final result:

Collect
O Lord, our mysterious and all - powerful creator and redeemer: When Na'aman the Leper felt rage and disappointment, You calmed him through a wise servant; help us let go of our expectations, to hear the Holy Spirit speak through unexpected voices. Amen.

Gene composed a lawyer's version: "Thank You for exceeding our expectations, even though Your miracle methodology does not meet with our standardized procedural criteria." Next week: Christine may be absent, but will send her thoughts on Luke. Pete will bring food; Scott will lead worship. Susan will bring a TR from the Action source (i.e., an experience). We go on to readings for Week Nine.

Yr. C, Wk. 7: the Stillness of God, Nuggets, and Images

Erica based our worship on Psalm 46. After we read verses 1 - 11 three times, three different ways, we silently meditated five minutes on whatever the images meant to us. Erica concluded with a lovely poem, "Teresa's Bookmark" by Teresa of Avila, which includes the lines "all things pass... God alone suffices."

Erica posed a question for us to answer during the meal, "For what in your life these days do you need to reclaim an awareness of the stillness of God?" Our answers ranged widely, and were deeply emotional - including concern about reaching out to someone, a process of discernment, a feeling that life is rushing or segmented, and a relationship in which "there is literally nothing I can do."

Christine's meal was more than sustenance, as she explained that the stuffed cabbage rolls are an old family recipe, and the confections for dessert were made joyfully with her mother, for whom so much of life is now a struggle.

[Photo: Christine's goodie bags, including wizard hats (PB stuffed Bugles dipped in chocolate), jack - o - lantern peeps and frosted ghost cookies]

Yr. C, Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year; Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: none!

Three strands emerged from our discussion of the readings:

• "Nuggets" of fact lie at the roots of so many stories both in Scripture and in History, and variations result from the authors' different purposes for story - telling.
• Accounting for Evil has led some to Manichean ideas of co - equal forces of good and evil. Plato and Augustine saw evil as a lack of good, not a force in itself. Ancient Jews and pagans alike thought evil was the result of their doing something wrong.
• We found layers or cycles in Old Testament, New Testament, history, and life itself.

After our dessert, we shared the images we'd brought.

[Photos: Two collages of images that in some way express the spiritual lives of the individuals in our class.]

Erica closed the session with a prayer of surrender by Loyola, that ended, "Give me only your love and your grace.  With this I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask."


Next week: Brown bag dinner. All of us are reading the essay "Seeking Meaning" (RRG p.52 - 61) that opens the next unit, Theological Reflection as a Life Skill. Matt will lead worship. Susan will be bringing a story for our first Theological Reflection.

Yr. C, Wk. 6: Webs and Imperatives

Christine led worship with a liturgy adapted from the prayer book, and posed a question for us to answer while we consumed our brown bag dinners: Have you any special preparations / reactions for Fall? Our answers often had a sense of ritual, and we agreed that ritual and seasons are naturally tied together.

Yr. C, Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year' Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: none!

Our discussion of the readings left a "web" of associations on the board, and a "web" was sort of the theme for the night. Erica wore spider - web themed leggings; a tiny spider dropped down in front of Scott's surgery - enhanced eye.

Pete got us started, reacting to the excitement and emotion in the stories of Jacob and Joseph. Christine highlighted the ways that Mark and Matthew told the same stories with choices, and we enjoyed a digression about Matthew's love of numbers. Third year's reading was about "setting boundaries," but Mariel and Gene saw those boundaries emerging from a "swirl" of inter - mixed influences.

When Scott asked if any themes emerged from this "web," we got a list of "messy" transformations from old to new, Jacob to Israel, a maturing of doctrine. We had nice things to say about "committees" ("together sent on a mission"). After a short break, we shared our stories of "imperatives" that nudged us towards greater maturity in our spiritual lives. Our drawings expressed these:

Next week: Christine will prepare food; Erica, worship. We will each bring a picture for sharing, one that somehow represents our spiritual lives.

Yr. C, Wk. 5: For what has been...

Panera Bread provided great sandwiches, salad, and cookies, courtesy of Mariel. Before we ate, we had worship led by Scott in the other room, with candle, apple slices with honey, scraps of paper, and flowing water. These were all elements of traditional Rosh Hashanah worship, for washing away scraps in our lives that hold us down, for remembering the sweetness of life, and for recitation of confession and praise. We considered the question, "What's sweet in your life recently, or expected in the near future?"

Yr. C, Living as Spiritually Mature Christians Class: Matt, Pete, first year' Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: none!

Our discussion of the readings took off from Matt's delight at engaging with Genesis again, after having read it in a very different context back at FSU. The issues of translation and feelings of delight / confusion brought out interesting comments from all participants in all years.

Following our cookie break, we added colorful images to the mandalas we're producing week - by - week, and told the stories that go with them. This week, we doubled up, with stories first of a person or event that contributed to our maturing spiritually; then, of a question that moved us forward in that maturing process. We practiced active listening, then capped each set with the prayer, "For what has been, for what is, and for what is to come, we give thanks."

We concluded with a collect for St. Michaelmas, which coincided this year with Rosh Hashanah, both being backwards - and - forwards looking remembrances. [Photo: Botticini, 1470, Florence - an image associated with Michaelmas: Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael with Tobias.] 




Next week: Brown bag. Christine provides worship and a question for our check - in time during the meal. We're doing the readings assigned for Week Six. We will be sharing stories of a "an imperative" that helped us to mature as Christians.

Yr. C, Wk. 4: Struggling with God

Gene led Scott, Pete, and Mariel in worship before our brown bag meal, and concluded the evening with a Prayer for the Human Family. For an ice - breaker, we followed the suggestion in the RRG's Week 4 to list each person's favorite stories in books and movies. The energy level was high as we added Watership Down, On Golden Pond, Rear Window, Forest Gump, All Creatures Great & Small and some more obscure treasures. We pondered the question, "What common threads run through your own favorites?" Our answer led naturally to the readings, which concerned, in part, how Jews and Christians chose the canon of books by which we worship.

Yr. C,Living as Spiritually Mature Christians. Class: Matt, Pete, first year' Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Matt, Christine, Erica, Susan.

For such a small contingent of members, we had a wide - ranging discussion of the readings. Mariel related to the idea that the Jews saw "history as the arena where they could watch God at work," and she was reminded that "Israel" means "struggler with God." The many voices struggling with each other in Jesus's day (Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots) were only the top examples. She recommended to Gene EfM's succinct study guide on line. Gene wondered at how the third year book condenses nine months of readings from EFM's first year curriculum into one piece. He loved the idea that the supposed shapers of Judaism were also the ones being shaped. Pete could relate the reading from Yee to the idea of struggle among diverse voices. He has been pleasantly shaken to have his notions of feminism and scripture opened up to so many perspectives: "I knew it intuitively, but I never thought about it. [The book] is eye - opening."
From Christine, about the second year readings:

My reading about the NT writings and the numerous methods used to study, scrutinize, translate, and/or interpret proved to be both fascinating and intriguing. I am Amazed, though, that simply put there is truly something wonderful within the writings of The Gospels, The book of Acts, the letters of Paul to the churches, The letters from Paul to individuals, The letters to the Hebrews, Letters by other people (Peter/James/John), and the book of Revelation. Something touches or reaches out to people (ancient to present day) that causes them to want to study these on so many levels, individually as well as scholastically....or historically or psychologically, the list seems endless but delightful. The sentence in Powell that put this into my mind was under the “Historical Criticism” topic: “Historians...view Jesus, Paul, and other figures of the NT as important...and they understand the emergence of Christianity to be one of the most significant developments in human history..” This, coupled with my somewhat naive but joyful outburst in a discussion with Fr Ben (Christ Church) just after the service Sunday about the Gospel and Sermon. He had mentioned Redaction Criticism and all the ways folks “come at the Bible” in his sermon. So I mentioned my current thoughts on how a piece of scripture could be so short but the study and discussion could go on for —ever! At which moment I raised up my arms to form a giant circle , imagine the “O” in the “O-H-I-O” game day cheer..that big O 😁. I forgot to mention to him my delight in hearing his mention of Redaction Criticism...he encouraged me “to let the water of the river just wash over me” and don’t get overwhelmed. That’s where my kind of “aha” moment came in. Also briefly the methods behind “exegesis” and “hermeneutics” were thought provoking and interesting unwrapping understanding for me as I walked through the various forms of study. Exegesis “refers to scholarly study of the Bible with and emphasis on the actual explanation of texts” Powell pg. 72. Hermeneutics “refers more to the philosophical reflection on the process of interpretation, including consideration of questions regarding what the goal of interpretation should be...” also pg.72.

Next week: We read Week 5 assignments, and we'll double up on the spiritual autobiography prompts (person or idea / question that helped us to mature spiritually). Mariel will bring our meal; Scott will lead worship. It's Rosh Hashanah!

Yr. C, Wk. 3: Building on Childhood Faiths

Susan led worship from the BCP when Gene was kept at work. Erica brought fixings for soft tacos. Our check-in question was anything spiritual or outstanding about the week just past, and our answers mostly focused on our responses to the readings. Our discussion of the early chapters in our different texts dovetailed with the stories we shared in three - minute monologues about a time when we felt a desire for God: most seemed to say that our childhood images of God have been challenged. We agreed that's a bit scary, a bit wonderful.

Yr. C, Living as Spiritually Mature Christians. Class: Matt, Pete, first year' Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Gene.

Katey sent word that she would be joining the morning EfM class, giving both of our groups the six - student quorum we need to continue. Next week: Erica will be absent. Gene will lead worship. It's a brown bag dinner night.

Yr. C, Wk. 2: "Spiritual Maturity" Theme

Mariel led worship, and, during the brown bag dinner, asked what gave you a moment of peace or joy in the past week or two?

Yr. C, Living as Spiritually Mature Christians. Class: Katey, Matt, Pete, first year' Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Scott, at Camp Fortson with 7th grade.

Here are Susan's handwritten notes:

Spirituality, maturity as a theme. Do you want to work toward maturity? Related categories of maturity. Christine: discussion made her feel good that [it's] not so easily solved since she still thinks about it. Matt - how much of this is out of our hands? Lots of different factors (micro - meso - macro). Mariel - "entantled" came to mind, as a physics "entangled: to describe reality. Pete [said] micro, etc. come into play in understanding Bible / religion. Erica surprised by look section on listening/spiritual maturity as a way of being, not just a resource issue. Mariel - bothered by p. 26 quote. Interesting discussion about human heart and knowing what God wants vs. what we want. Talked about ABCD method of reading. Maturity as process - the "adult" meaning (toward the ultimate) -- metaphors like entangled peaks/ valley. Matt - we apply the "check the box" mentality to religion too. Merit badge metaphor. Gene - this class gives us a set of tools. Concerning the RRG's metaphor of "colors" in life, Erica suggested that we listen to the song "You Decorate My Life" by Kenny Rogers.

Next week: Erica brings the food, Gene leads the worship.

Yr. C, Wk. 1: Living as Mature Christians, First Meeting

Starting with blessing from The Book of Common Prayer,p. 835, Scott posed a "coming on board" question to help us to get acquainted or re - acquainted: "What three words describe your summer?" We shared answers as we enjoyed Susan's pasta salad (sliced lemon and squash, herbs, sides of feta and diced chicken).

Yr. C, Living as Spiritually Mature Christians. Class: Katey, Matt, Pete, first year' Christine, second year; Mariel, Gene, third year; Erica, fourth year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Gene.

For the record, without attribution, our eight sets of chosen words included Insight … Memorial … Fitbit … Reconnections … Miles … Overwork … Re - alignment … Surrender. In the Pilgrimage Room, we lit a candle and followed the Canadian church's order of service printed in the RRG, including shared thoughts about the readings. We sensed the theme that mature faith entails action. Back in our EfM den, we combed the RRG's chapter for clues to what our group norms should be. We used Post - its to attach ideas to green, yellow, and red discs -- [see photo].

• What we must not do: Don't treat EfM as a personal therapy session … no advice … no politics.
• What we should remember: Speak in "I" statements, not "you" or "we" … cell phones for emergencies only … the commentary that we read is not sacred … we don't need all your most personal information … some people need more time to formulate their thoughts, so allow them time before jumping into a discussion.
• What we should do: Support each other and maintain freedom … respect privacy and confidentiality … evangelize about EfM … participate fully - come prepared! (but don't stay home just because you didn't read!) … listen with open mind and respectful heart … call or text when late or absent … relax and enjoy the ride!

First Years were curious about "Theological Reflection." Erica assured them that they would come to appreciate the practice. Mariel said that TRs put our faith in practice through group dynamics -- allowing space for the Holy Spirit to direct us. We dismissed with a benediction from the RRG.

Next week: Susan will lead discussion of the RRG's second chapter. Our materials will likely have arrived by then. Scott will be on retreat with 7th graders.

Yr. B, Wk. 36: Closing the Year

We met in the choir of the nave for a farewell service. After some checking in, we sang verses one and two of Hymn 24, "The day Thou gavest Lord is ended," then followed the order for devotions in the early evening.

Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: None.

After prayers, we each volunteered a favorite collect from the booklets prepared for us by Scott (printing) and Susan (covers and binding) [see photo]. We were already thinking of Greg and the loss of Scharme when we prayed this, from the end of the RRG's chapter 36:

Now, we pray, be with those who leave and with those who stay; and grant that all of us, by drawing ever nearer to you, may always be close to each other in the communion of your saints. All this we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Afterward, we repaired to La Cubana on the Loop for a fine dinner on the deck.
Information from Sewanee came in the mail the following day concerning procedures for two internet - based payment options. Copies will be sent out. I'm afraid that we do still need the signatures to confirm the addresses. I'm thinking of a clever way to do that via snail mail. I may have to consult a lawyer...

Yr. B, Wk. 35: From Alpha to Omega

Mariel's worship page included a fantastic image of legions of guardian angels assembled in clouds looking down on earth. A theme of trust and protection emerged from the scripture selections and prayers, and she asked us for any images of God's protection in our lives recently. Among the answers were the gazebo in Marietta Square (where sometimes people go to eat meals given them at a nearby soup kitchen) and a family home in another state.

Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Susan.

Erica started our discussion of the week's readings by telling us about the fight against Apartheid. "It was Anglicanism's time to shine after a century of mediocrity," she observed. We explored that thought, before picking up on these threads in her opening statement:

• Christine had read last week about Esther's "fight" for her people;
• the "fight" in heaven described in Revelation parallels the fight on earth, as the hierarchy in heaven mirrors the hierarchy on earth, said Mariel.
• "Hierarchy" of the sexes is a strong message in Hebrew Wisdom literature; Yee's book highlights some outliers in the wisdom literature and Psalms in the form of "Wisdom" embodied as a nearly co - equal to God the Creator. But the female voice in Song of Solomon presents as fully equal to her male lover in a celebration of carnal love -- that may also imply (1) an imagined pre - Fall Eve and Adam, or (2) analogy to God and His people
• Mariel expressed a theme that emerged from this week's readings across the board: when we think of male - female themes in our tradition, we should remember that God is always the bridegroom and we are all, male and female, the bride.

Theological Reflection
In keeping with the years' theme of multicultural experiences, Gene read to us from a book of sermons by a priest at Sewanee, who remembers in the 1960s taking a job at the same Dupont factory where his father worked. He, a white man, joined his trainer, a black man, at a table in the company cafeteria, between an all - black table and all - white table. Gene stopped reading at the point when the young man has been warned not to eat with the black man again.

We followed instructions for the "Dilemma" method, finding two positive goals: Preserving his dignity and self - respect, and preserving his physical well-being; or, as we came to think of it, saving face, or saving our face. From the Tradition source, we settled on Peter's denying his tie to Jesus three times, to be safe from suspicion. As we explored that story, we came to see it as part of a process in Peter's growth, to be followed by his telling Jesus three times "I love you," and eventually being crucified upside - down. We also thought of President Clinton's admission that his greatest regret was his decision not to use US power to halt horrific violence in Rwanda.

Our collect pulls together threads from the evening: wisdom, protection, "Alpha and Omega" in Revelation, "fighting," and the idea that Peter's denial was part of a process.

Collect when Facing a Threat O Lord, Alpha and Omega: though Peter, fearful for his life, denied you three times, you accepted his love three times and built your church on his apostleship; when we must choose between saving face and facing physical harm, may we remember how even moments of weakness can, in You, be steps toward greater strength, wisdom, and fulfillment of Your purpose. Amen.

Gene told us the rest of the story: The young man passed by his black friend the next night; but, in his shame, went on to become a participant in key civil rights battles of the next several years.

Our final prayer was for travelers, as we directed our thoughts towards Susan, en route to France as we met.

Next meeting will be May 28. We will meet 6:45 in the Choir for a short worship service. We'll walk to a year - end meal on the Square.

Interesting TR idea for next year: TR in Motion! See the RRG, p. 281.

Yr. B, Wk. 34: Wisdom, Jude, and Mixed Signals

Gene brought three sub sandwiches and three small pizzas from Newk's. It was a great meal for all! Christine brought a beautiful little copied version of an 1836 vintage Prayer Book for worship. [See Photo]

Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Erica.

Gene kicked off discussion by saying "If John was the first Baptist, Jude was the first Southern Baptist," a fire - breathing polemicist. Jude rails against "innovators" and "intruders" who are "waterless clouds" and "irrational animals." Jude's letter is not clear about what these interlopers actually taught, just that they represent the Anti Christ.
Christine found much to enjoy in the readings from Ben Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) and the Wisdom of Solomon.
Theological Reflection Scott surprised himself by launching into a story different from the one he'd planned! It involved an invitation to a celebratory meal that turned into an bitter, even poisonous, accusation. Our group was able to "buy in" to the situation, and we arrived at the metaphor of an intersection after a storm with mixed signals: one side sees flashing yellow lights and the other, red.
Chistine took our notes and created this collect:

Collect at Crossroads
Lord, at the intersection of zeal for Law and the Light of Christ, you brought Saul of Tarsus to a new community; when we are tempted to travel both far and alone, remind us to travel together so we may go far traversing the crossroads of strife, hunger, hardship and love, spreading the joy and good news as Jesus did with and through his disciples. Amen.

Next week: Brown bag; worship by Mariel; TR by Gene; Susan will be in France! Our final meeting of the year will be May 28 when Susan returns. Look for info: we'll worship at St. James and eat out on the Square.

Yr. B, Wk. 33: Bread and Wonder

It was a brown bag night. Gene led worship, Mariel brought some original collages for a TR, and Erica led the reflection.

Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Scott.

Theological Refection
I wasn't there, but I studied the board later. Aside from many Scriptural and Liturgical references to bread and desert, and cultural references such as to the obelisk in a wilderness from 2001: A Space Odyssey, the whole exercise seems to have generated many expressions of joy and surprise. (Has anyone read C. S. Lewis's memoir, Surprised by Joy?)

Collect for Bread
O Gladsome Light, O Risen Lord, You nourished the Hebrews with manna in the desert and fed the crowds in the countryside: Transform our hearts so that we see Christ in all our brothers and sisters, and join with them joyfully proclaiming the good news of salvation to a hungry world. Amen.

B: Erica is out; Gene brings our meal; Christine leads worship; TR is on the mentors!

Yr. B, Wk. 32: Ruth, Esther, Peter, Darwin and "Home"

Reading the chapter about the epistles 1 & 2 Peter, Mariel was reminded of a spiritual recorded in 1936 by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, "This World is Not My Home." She designed a worship including that recording as a canticle. Discussing the worship afterwards, we were struck by the haunting beauty of the voices, and by a couple lines in the lyrics: "Many friends and kindred have gone on before / And I cain't feel at home in this world anymore!" and "Heaven's expectin' me that's one thing I know / I fixed it up with Jesus a long time ago."
While we ate our brown bag dinners, we responded to Mariel's question, "What would Heaven be for you?"

Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Christine.

Susan read aloud from Christine's email responding to this week's readings for First Year. Christine liked the EfM Reflection Guide's suggestion to think of Esther and Ruth first as fictional stories, then as history. Suspenseful and entertaining, the strong women show courage, faith, and wisdom as they advance both their own interests and those of their Jewish community.
Mariel connected Christine's comments about the "perseverance" of "outcasts" in "no way out situations" to the second year readings. Mariel found helpful the quotation marks in one Bible that made clear how much in these letters is quoted from hymns and liturgy that early Christians already knew. Mariel has come to understand how those early Christians, not wanting to "rock the boat," bowed to prevailing customs regarding gender roles and slavery that we find objectionable today, because Christians were already considered to be "antisocial deviants" for not buying into the state religion.
With a smile, Gene said that he will give as good a summary of the epistles attributed to "John" next week, since he did the wrong reading.
Erica was intrigued by the reading in year three. She explained several different trends in Christianity during the century 1815 - 1914. Protestant women channeled religious fervor into social causes, fighting prostitution, drunkenness, and slavery; philosophers tried to figure out this new world that science was revealing about the origins of our planet (in geology) and of life (through Darwin); the reaction to Darwin et. al. was fundamentalism in Protestant circles, seances and spiritualism among many others, and ultra - Montanism among Catholics. Erica was surprised to realize that Papal Infallibility and Immaculate Conception are both recent tenets of Roman Catholic faith, dating from the late 1800s. In a world made frightening by science, Erica said, "fundamentalism put God in a box" for security's sake.
After a few minutes to read an excerpt from Paul Lakeland's book Constructive Theology, we bogged down quickly in discussion of how Lakeland's use of the word "universalism" apparently opposes what the rest of us mean by the same word.



Theological Reflection Erica read us A Ruined House by Mick Manning, a wonderfully - illustrated book that had charmed her two boys. As the author explored the 17th - century manor, now home to flora, fauna, insects and birds, we explored the aspects of the subject that struck us most. After awhile, we realized that the home itself was our metaphor, and that we had already explored its "world" for creation, brokenness, judgement, and redemption. We found many cultural analogs and scriptural connections, mostly from Ecclesiastes. In the end, we ran out of time, but Scott finished the collect at home, with quotations from Ecclesiastes 12 and from Isaiah.

Collect for Facing Ruins
Dear Lord, Ancient of Days: in the days when housekeepers tremble, when the strong are bent, when our windows are dimmed, comfort us with Your promise to raise up the temple from ruins in three days, and sustain us with your promise to send forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, that, faced with ruin or decay, we may be inspired to take part in Your creation of a new heaven and a new earth. Amen.

Next week: Another brown bag night; Scott will be out, but Erica will lead the theological reflection; Gene will lead worship; Mariel will bring the source for the TR.

Looking ahead: May 7, Erica will be out of town. Susan goes to France (!); We'll have our final meeting in the nave of St. James May 28, followed by dinner on the Marietta Square.

Yr. B, Wk. 30 and 31: Wisdom, Mission, and The Lone Ranger

Our worship grew out of Psalm 136. Covering the whole story of creation and Israel's salvation in chronological order, the Psalm follows each act of God with the refrain, "His love endures forever." After a few verses of the original psalm, we added in thanks for God's influence in our own lives, in three chronological steps from childhood to the present.

We enjoyed white bean - and - tuna salad on arugala, with fresh fruit on angel food cake for dessert, prepared by Susan.

Class: Christine, first year; Mariel, Gene, second year; Erica, third year; Scott and Susan, co - mentors. Absent: Christine.

Themes of mission and wisdom seemed to run through the whole evening.

We discussed the short essay about mission in the RRG, agreeing that our tradition has revealed truth to offer people of other faiths. We can tell, we can show by example, but beyond that, it is not up to use whether they, in the words of the BCP, will "find and be found by God."  So our mission is more broadly what we do as the body of Jesus in the world, to continue his works of healing, feeding, and confronting self - centered, hierarchical views of justice.

We also discussed the readings for week 31. Scott and Susan made observations from Powell about the wisdom books of the Hebrew Scripture. Mariel commented on James, which seems to have been a sermon that was generalized into wisdom about how to live as a Christian in community. The "works" that James holds in opposition to "faith" are what we spoke of earlier as Jesus's mission, not the set of religious rituals that Paul dismissed as mere "works." Erica felt some affinity for the philosophers of the Enlightenment, although not all of them were so wise as they thought they were.

TR
For tonight's theological reflection, Scott brought a news story recorded for the NPR program RADIOLAB, aired May 12, 2017. Listen. We listened to the story of "Laura" between minutes 3 and 8.

Sitting on a jury, Laura had tried to persuade fellow jurors to acquit the defendant, guilty or not, on grounds that the crime of possessing two ounces of methamphetamine wasn't worth a two - to - six year sentence. We learned that such "jury nullification" of a law does have many precedents in England and America, going back hundreds of years, but that it can also be "a trap door to anarchy," punishable as contempt of court. We called this "The Case of the Clueless Revolutionary."



When we considered the thoughts and feelings that Laura must have had, we found buy - in, and came up with the metaphor of a vigilante, complete with story line: The Lone Ranger rides in to defend the farmer's widow and little son from the corrupt banker and sheriff who've come to foreclose on her farm. But what if he learns that the banker and sheriff have families of their own?
We agreed that Erica found a perfect analog in Saul of Tarsus: persecuting Christians, Saul suddenly doubts the premise of his mission. We reached an idea of how redemption can come in this kind of situation. At 9:17, we adjourned, leaving Scott to compose the collect for mission, to include these notes: Saul of Tarsus, "certainty runs counter to empathy," righteousness should include humility, and the restoration of community: "My work here is done." Hi - Ho Silver, away!

Collect for Mission
Dear Lord, you send us to continue your son's earthly ministry, to be a light to the world, preaching the gospel to every creature, bringing healing and reconciliation, standing for justice: let us not, like Saul, be so blinded by our own certainty and righteousness that we fail to appreciate those we encounter, but let us through empathy and humility be builders of community. Through Jesus we pray, amen. 

Next week: Holy Week, no class; resume on April 23 with week 32 readings.  Brown bag. Erica brings something for a TR, and Mariel leads worship.

Yr. B, Wk. 29: "Faithful Neighbors"

Gene brought a thoughtfully composed worship service before hurrying off to court. In keeping with the week's reading Faithful Neighbors, the service juxtaposed a prayer from the Qu'ran with Psalm 16, the BCP's confession and the Apostle's Creed. The closing prayer went along with a poem by Rumi, "The Darkness": "Be refreshed in the darkness. / Doesn't a moment of silence / restore beauty to the voice?"

(Class: Christine, Year One; Mariel and Gene, Year Two; Erica, Year Three; Susan and Scott, co - mentors, are reading Year Four. Absent: Gene.) 

While we partook of our brown bag meals, we answered a question from Forward Day by Day, inspired by Paul's lament in Romans that he struggles with doing the things he doesn't want to do, "What are you struggling with? How do you involve Jesus in your struggle?" Our sharing of observations about the reading connected like dominoes across the board. At the end of an hour, Erica's daughter was not the only one restless, and we adjourned with prayer and this collect from the BCP, printed with images of Islamic design in his worship packet:

Collect for Diversity
O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by ever - widening circles of fellowship, and show us your presence in those who differ most from us, until our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Next week: We double up on readings for week 30 (a short essay in the RRG on "Vocation") and week 31. Susan will bring food; Scott will bring a TR and also the worship. Looking ahead, we plan to take Holy Week off, and to finish the final reading May 14. We will have a final meeting with worship and dinner on May 28.

Special request from Scott For worship on Tuesday, please jot down in your RRG examples of God's activity in your life from childhood, early adulthood, and recently, for a total of three times when God gave, taught, led, provoked, provided, or otherwise blessed you. Tuesday evening, I'll provide a framework for everyone to offer their thanksgivings aloud.

I'm taking a cue from FORWARD DAY BY DAY's March 30th meditation on Psalm 136, a chronological list of God's great acts on behalf of His people. The writer says that her own personal version would include thanks for God who "gave me a family in which I was loved... in which I was surrounded with music and art and books...."

Yr. B, Wk. 28: Mission

Erica led worship from the prayer service booklets that she created for us earlier in the year. Scott assembled chicken Caesar salads on the spot, while we answered Erica's question about how EfM has affected us. We also followed a tangential question from Mariel, why some people seem to "get" belief while others, who aren't even curious about belief, seem perfectly fine without it.

(Class: Christine, Year One; Mariel and Gene, Year Two; Erica, Year Three; Susan and Scott, co - mentors, are reading Year Four. Absent: Christine.

We followed the A - B - C - D format for sharing our thoughts about the reading in Faithful Neighbors.

• Amazed at the correlation between interfaith education and evangelism; the common thread of hospitality among different faiths.
• Bothered by the observation that interfaith interest seems contingent upon physical proximity to the place of worship for an unfamiliar faith community.
• Confused n/a
• Delighted by the observation that Jesus in his missionary work neither proselytized others nor dominated them (contrasted to world mission conference in 1910); that the word "missio" is used to describe the Trinity, i.e., the Father's sending forth Son and Spirit; God's "crossing boundaries"; while evangelism is our work, conversion is God's; "compete in goodness."

TR
Gene was inspired by a question in Faithful Neighbors about what "artifact" one might bring to an interfaith gathering. He brought for us an article from the 1930s at the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous, "We Agnostics." It concerns the uneasiness that some AA members have with acknowledging "a higher power," and asserts that even agnostics can experience the feeling of awe that opens them up to the possibility of a power greater than self.

Our reflection began with "buy in" from experience. We could attest to being drawn into faith through experiences outside of religious instruction. We agreed that the experiences all felt like emerging from a cave into an open starlit sky. We worked from that image, remembering right away Abraham's vision of the stars in the sky, and Job's being overwhelmed by the vastness of creation and the Creator's glory. [Photo comes from redmoonrising.com, a page that deals with both Abraham and Job].

We collaborated on a collect that really did pull together strands from the whole evening, from Erica's question to the reading to the end of the TR:

Collect for Mission
God, lover of souls, seeker of souls: lead us, push us, and call us outside the boundaries of our own making into the wide expanse that Job recognized when he looked up to your heavens, that we may fulfill the mission you've given us, to lead, nudge, and call others to You. Amen.

Next week: We finish reading Faithful Neighbors. It'll be a brown bag night. Gene brings worship. Scott will initiate the TR.

Yr. B, Wk. 27: Treasuring "What is New and What is Old"

We prepared our individual responses to particular lines of the Lord's Prayer, assigned via email. We repaired to the Pilgrimage room to offer these texts and images in a short prayer service. (See the blogpost previous to this one.) When we returned to the meeting room for brown bag dinners, we shared our answers to Scott's question, "What's a good idea you had in the past week?"

(Class: Christine, Year One; Mariel and Gene, Year Two; Erica, Year Three; Susan and Scott, co - mentors, are reading Year Four. All present.

Starting from an observation about Hebrews by Mariel, we took turns offering pieces from our own readings that built on what the previous person had said. Soon, we had two main groupings of observations: "Missing, wanting tradition, ritual, comfort," balanced by breaks with tradition, fragmentation of institutions, internal conflict and "new awakenings."

Mariel capped the discussion with a piece of Scripture from Matthew 13.52, a micro - parable that the rest of us admitted to having overlooked. Jesus concludes his similes for the Kingdom with this: "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

TR: At the mentors' request, Mariel had prepared a demonstration of what she learned during St. James recent workshop on Lectio Divina.  She walked us through a "lectio" reading of three scriptures assigned for the day.

Next week: Scott brings dinner; Erica leads worship; Gene will bring a source for the TR. We are all reading Faithful Neighbors: Christian - Muslim Vision and Practice, introduction and text to page 85.

Our Lord's Prayer: Liturgy with Personalized Readings

Prepared by the evening EfM class, March 19, 2019. Prior to the worship, members of the group had time to choose a line of the prayer and to find or create a text and / or image to share that in some significant way corresponds to that line. [Photo: All the images and texts displayed in one place.]

Clockwise from upper left, images and texts corresponding to kingdom, temptation, will, bread, Father in heaven, forgive, and name.

Worship Centered on the Lord’s Prayer
Prayer Leader (Scott) from Matthew 6.7

Jesus said, “And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

All (in unison)

Our father who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Leader from the BCP, Collect for the 2nd Sunday of Advent and Psalm 19.14

As we now repeat these words, let us pause after each clause to offer corresponding text or images taken from scripture, our culture, and experience, so that we may more fully read, mark, and inwardly digest the prayer.

All from Psalm 19.14

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.

Prayer Leader

Now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say…

All

Our Father, Who art in heaven…

Reader One

I offer a corresponding reading from Genesis 1.3-4, with an image from a book, The Art of God, the Heavens and the Earth. 

And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

(At the conclusion, the reader says…)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.

All

Amen.
Hallowed be Thy name…

Reader Two

I offer a corresponding reading from Exodus 2.13-14, with an image of the burning bush made from Hebrew calligraphy.

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, “What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 

(At the conclusion, the reader says…)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.

All

Amen.
Thy kingdom come…

Reader Three

I offer a corresponding reading from Isaiah 6.6-9, with images from the Isaiah portion of the Knesset Menorah, and Edward Hicks's Peaceable Kingdom.

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

(At the conclusion, the reader says…)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.

All

Amen.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…

Reader Four

I offer a corresponding image: a photograph of a Celtic "thin place" where a violinist can be imagined to be making beautiful music, doing "God's will."

(At the conclusion, the reader says…)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.

All

Amen.
Give us this day our daily bread…

Reader Five

I offer a corresponding reading from Sara Miles, Take this Bread: a Radical Conversion.

I grew inside my mother, the way Katie grew inside me. I came out of her and ate her, just as Katie ate my body, literally, to live. I became my mother in ways that still felt, sometimes, as elemental and violent as the moment when I'd been pushed out from between her legs in a great rush of blood. And it was the same with my father. He had helped make me, in ways that were wildly mysterious and absolutely powerful. Like Jesus, he had gone inside somebody else's body and then become a part of me The shape of my hands, the way I cleared my throat, the color of my eyes: My parents lived in me -- body and soul, DNA and spit. That was like the bread becoming God becoming me, in ways seen and unseen.

(At the conclusion, the reader says…)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.

All

Amen.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…

Reader Six

I offer a corresponding reading from Genesis 45.4-15, with an image from The Brick Bible.

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 

(At the conclusion, the reader says…)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.

All

Amen.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…

Reader Seven

I offer a corresponding image, a stock photo for the word "temptation."

(At the conclusion, the reader says…)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.

All

Amen.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

(Silence, while the images and texts are placed together in full view. Then the leader continues…)

Prayer Leader

Finally, let us pray for our own needs and those of others: For the church, and this church; for those who govern and hold authority; for grace to do your will in all that we undertake; for those in any need or trouble; for the departed. We remember especially those on our prayer list, and any we remember now, silently or aloud. (pause) We give thanks for the blessings of this life. (pause) Finally, we collect all our thoughts into one prayer that the Lord taught us, saying…

All (in unison)

Our father who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Leader

Let us bless the Lord.

All

Thanks be to God.

[Since we put this together, the images and readings have come to mind as I've prayed the familiar words. This fits in with the reading by Timothy Sedgwick concerning kataphetic worship -- i.e., using significant images to stimulate meditation and awareness during prayer.]