Yr. A, Wk. 2: Tending the Garden

For worship, we read the liturgy that Scott composed for 2:30 am, Prayer for a Restless Night. The check-in question was about how we're sleeping these days.

We took turns answering questions about the reading that appealed to us in a list provided by Scott. We were drawn to the questions about listening, whether to take notes when we listen, and about different applications to the analogy of water's being shaped by the cup: We speak differently in different "worlds"; do we experience God differently in different contexts?

Living Faithfully in Your World:
Year Two: Marilyn, Pete, Nuno; Year Four, Christine. Mentors: Susan and Scott. Absent: None.

We used "chat" to gather class norms in terms of this year's "world" metaphor, thinking of "earth" and "turning soil" in a garden. [Photo from Christine; gracias.]

• Let the sunshine in
• Joe Dirt: “Life’s a garden, man. Can you dig it?”
• Don't criticize other peoples' gardens
• Plant a seed and watch it grow. Love Blooms
• Gardening and our spiritual lives require daily rituals
• Be prepared to dig deep.
• Let others tell you about their plants and garden design.
• Plant multiple seeds so they will vary.
• Nurture the tender little ones and they will grow strong
• Dig below the surface to dig up the truth
• Tend to the garden weekly; don't neglect what we're doing.
• Share your tools in your toolbox
• Don't over-prune the discussion. Let it keep going if it's going somewhere.
• Sometimes things will grow all on their own given time
• Many hands make light work: share thoughts on the blog, and respond to others' thoughts.
• Open-ended questions are like water and fertilizer; leading questions are like choking weeds. Don't choke the dialogue.
• Some insects are helpful and beautiful; don't reject something just because it's alien.
• All things in the garden aim towards Heaven. Who can say what is prettier, a rose or a daisy? Each is its own creation.

Next Week Susan will prepare worship.

We hope to have books before next class. Pete is ready to copy the first two chapters of Collins's Values book for fellow 2nd years; Scott may be able to do the same for Christine for Ford, ch. 1. Christine: One of your readings is an essay by Ballard that's printed in last year's RRG, pp. 192-200.

Preparation for the Spiritual Autobiography: For your eyes only, look back over standout people, places, events, books, and then select a 5-10 year period of focus. Think of one of the different "worlds" you lived in during that time, and prepare to tell us how your faith was impacted by that world. (In later weeks, we'll explore other worlds from that time in our lives and tell how faith was sustained or challenged, how we felt God's presence, and how we felt grace.)

P.S. Here's a link to an article about the Hamilton bassist whom Scott met on the Silver Comet Bike Trail.