Erica's question for "coming on board" was "Where have you found peace" in the past week, and "how have you struggled?" Answers to the first part included homely activities, meditation, and immersion in art, physical activity, and work; the second part brought some emotional responses. Gene volunteered that he takes his theme for the day from whatever plays on the radio when he arrives at work. This day, the song was "I Can't Get No Satisfaction!" Scott volunteered that he finds peace in donning his mask and efficiently shopping at Publix.
Members of the class enlarged upon comments about their readings that they posted on the blog.
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: Matt.
Theological Reflection
Our discussion brought us to an image of an individual averting their eyes from a situation of possible exploitation in the park.
Collect for Empathy
Lord, creator and sustainer: you asked questions that probed the hearts of the people you met, Will you sell your possessions and follow me? Can you surrender your authority to be newborn? Do you wish to be healed? Train our imaginations so to empathize with those we meet, that we, too, may ask the questions that lead to safety, growth, and health. Amen
Erica's final prayer came from a Buddhist sutra, praying for "no deception... no wish for another's harm.. to protect others as a mother would do...."
Next Meeting: Scott will lead worship; Susan will provide a source for the Theological refection.
5 comments:
Third Year read Chapter 23, entitled “To Make the World Protestant,” which explains the efforts of 18th and 19th Century Protestant missionaries to spread their respective faith traditions to lands and cultures beyond Europe and the Americas - specifically to Oceania, Australasia, Africa, India, China, Korea, and Japan. The last section of the chapter surveys the splintering of Protestant denominations in the United States, in part reflecting this nation’s dynamic, freedom-loving, opportunity-laden character. (The chapter title seems to be a takeoff on Woodrow Wilson’s reasoning to go to war with Germany in WWI - “to make the world safe for democracy.”)
AMAZED BY…the co-dependency of the opium drug trade and the success of funding Protestant missionary work in China. It makes sense, but it’s kind of a shock that Churches benefited from the human misery caused by the opium trade. (p. 896)
BOTHERED BY… how little I know about the history of all the Protestant denominations that evolved in this country over the past 200 years. I know their names - Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Congregationalists, Seventh Day Adventists, Quakers, Unitarian, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. - but so little about their origin and development. I think that could be a fifth year in EfM. I found myself delving into Wikipedia to learn more details about Joseph Smith. (pp. 906-908) Now there’s an interesting character. I’d like to read Fawn Brodie’s bio on him: “No Man Knows My History.” Yes, I found that on Wikipedia.
CONFUSED BY… starting the chapter with a discussion of slavery and abolition. It’s an important issue, of course, but it doesn’t fit with the main theme of the chapter: missionaries - their successes and failures. The issue does fit in the chapter’s timeframe (1700-1914) so perhaps that’s why it was stuck in there. Thematically, it belongs in the next chapter: “Not Peace But a Sword.”
DELIGHTED BY… the story of William Wade Harris, a native Liberian, who while imprisoned (as a subversive because he criticized the government) saw a vision of the Archangel Gabriel who told him to prophesy to villagers in the Ivory and Gold Coasts. Upon his release, Harris abandoned European-style clothing, wore a simple white robe, and walked barefoot, tirelessly preaching the coming of Christ. Amazingly, wherever he went, he left behind permanent Churches in his wake. What a life! Reminds me of St Paul. (pp. 887-888)
1 John, 2John, 3 John
The three letters of John break down into one important letter of advise and two shorter letters addressing leaders in a specific church. The first letter is to the Jewish Christians who remain faithful to the original teachings of the apostles..that Jesus is the messiah, of human and divine being. Second John and Third John address conflict & schisms happening within the church concerning “deceivers” emerging who teach “progressive” ideas that move beyond or away from Jesus’ teachings and from Jesus as messiah, of divine and human nature.
Who knew that such short bodies of text could hold so much depth & volume of information, guidance, wisdom, and tension. Also, clearly the John that composed these letters cared deeply for the readers, for future generations, for the church, it’s future,and the salvation of people through Jesus.
Among the reminders and metaphors intertwined around God, and Jesus, as Love & Light, the themes of love and hate, light and darkness, truth or falsehood, life and death, and the humanity of Christ all swirl about in a complicated yet beautiful manor. Often hard to follow but ultimately illustrating Gods Love for us through the gift of his Son Jesus who illuminates “us” through his Baptism and Crucifixion. (Body & Blood)
The conflict and schisms between the false teachers/deceivers within the church had reached a point where their presence became unwelcome and in fact notice had been given that they were not be be housed or fed by other churches within the area. Though hospitality and “loving your neighbor” were important messages within the Christian teachings it was advised they were “antichrists” and so were a threat of the darkness.
While tensions in churches has continued through history, and today in big and small ways, it seems easy to believe that tensions began in the second generation, once removed, from the original apostles who witnessed Jesus’ baptism, ministry, teachings, and crucifixion. The old saying “seeing is believing” comes to mind as I’m sure that came into play along with the ever “wandering and creative” mind of the human condition.
See you all tonight.
I read chapters 3 (Deception) and 4 (Hate) in Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman.
Amazed/Delighted:
I love Thurman’s writing style. Direct, poetic, passionate, concise, lots of analogies, examples, and questions. I loved the prayer of his that I found to use for worship, as well as two other on the same webpage:
https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/explorations/teachers/howard-thurman/prayers-mantras
He is considered to be a “mystic,” and I’m fascinated to learn more about his beliefs and spirituality.
In chapter 3, he discusses how oppression leads to deception in various ways, one being that those who are oppressed use deception as a survival mechanism. This made me think of Chinese culture, where deception is commonplace and expected, due to decades of totalitarianism, oppression, and abuse of the Chinese people by their government.
This deception causes those who are oppressed to lose their moral grounding in an effort to survive. Jesus teaches that we must ground ourselves in honesty and sincerity because the only truth that matters is God’s. Thurman says, “There must always be the confidence that the effect of truthfulness can be realized in the mind of the oppressor as well as the oppressed. There is no substitution for such a faith.”
Bothered: It must be really hard to be honest and sincere when one’s life (or the well being of family/children) is at stake. I’m not sure in my life that I’ve ever really had to do that.
Amazed/Delighted: The chapter on hate discusses poetically and beautifully the destructive effect of hate on the person experiencing it, that it turns us to ash in the end, that it doesn’t matter how well justified our hatred is, the destructive effect is the same, “that there is a fundamental justice in life, upon which the human spirit in its desperation may rely.”
Bothered: It’s so hard not to hate, especially when your reasons for hating are really good.
Year one was Daniel & Maccabees 1 & 2:
AMAZED: The apocalyptic visions of Daniel in Chapters 7-12. They were actually kind of “trippy” with the descriptions of the 4 winds and the 4 beasts and the little horn with the human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogantly. Also, the ram with two horns and a male goat with one horn between the eyes. All very vivid & psychedelic.
BOTHERED: Antiochus Epiphanes was one spiteful dude. It seems as if he was obsessed with making the Jewish people as miserable as possible. Sound like another guy who lived in Germany a while back. History does seem to repeat itself.
CONFUSED: That different Christian churches could view Maccabees 1 & 2 so differently. The two books are part of the canon in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, but not in the Protestant church, as well as the Jewish religion. (I guess I don’t know my history yet…I’ll have to wait until year 3).
DELIGHTED: The tales of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego. They got themselves into some pretty tight situations (the furnace and the lion’s den), but their faith and obedience to God saved them. I was not that familiar with Daniel, and my only real passing knowledge was from the mildly religious cartoons Veggie Tales. My girl’s loved the Veggie Tales episode “Rack, Shack, & Benny” where Nebuchadnezzar wanted everyone to worship a chocolate bunny. It was complete with the song that started like this: "The bunny, the bunny, I love the bunny". For some fun viewing here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwux4JUF4W8.
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