Interested in joining us? Link to our Visitor's Center.
We started with concerns: our missing EfMer Kathy's tough circumstances at home, Marilyn's ailing dog Bessie, Jessica's upcoming procedure.
Marilyn's opening prayer introduced the idea of echoes. She then assigned us psalms to read in pairs, one reader echoing the other. Then we told of "echoes" in our lives. The phrase "Time will tell" repeated in a significant way... the chainsaw during yardwork... the puppy that has just found his voice... lines echoing the tune in the choral anthem... "Be still and know that I am God" heard at church and then again at the doctor's office... echoes in translations. Marilyn's prayer summed up these with a petition that we may find light in sleeptime and hear echoes of different voices.
Yr. C, Living as Spiritually Mature Christians, Unit 3 Developing a Sustaining Spirituality: 1st yr: Tom, Joyce, Donfred, Scott; 2nd yr: Jessica; 3rd yr, Susan; 4th yr, Pete, Nuno, Marilyn. Mentors: Susan and Scott. Absent: After the break, Nuno came from another meeting.
We all read the same essay written to answer the question, "What does systematic theology do for us?" We used chat to type our answers: moves toward wholeness...is a "recommendation for life"...brings the pieces together into a whole... gives a shape for our consciousness of the world around us... helps us to consider all possible dimensions... moves us towards coherence and consistency of doctrine, belief, and behavior... helps us to communicate our faith to others through different images, explanations, approaches... builds habitus, takes time and practice... provides a methodology of developing our understanding of our faith... offers opportunity to focus on religious belief in detail through the study of the scriptures.
These themes emerged from the discussion that followed:
- Theme of dogma, its actual meaning and its negative connotations. Systematic theology finds a way between authoritarian religion and the free-form kind. Dogma is an essential belief tested by time and ecumenical councils. We only have two dogmas: trinity and two natures of Jesus (fully human, fully God). Other “core” doctrines can be tested for what they provide to use on micro-, meso-, or macro- levels.
- How institutions can be an expression of love in society, i.e., love on a meso-scale.
- Theme of EfM practice echoing through the reading. Marilyn suggested that “playing” with faith, i.e., using the imagination, is what we do in Theological Reflection.
Tom brought us Rembrandt's Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee. Our discussion eventually focused on the patch of sunny blue sky in the upper left hand corner of the canvas: the storm is about to clear, but the apostles, fighting the waves, don't see the sky.
We found buy-in to this moment of panic: Tom’s ship 1979, Pandemic (t.p. crisis) … kitchen in restaurant… airplane turbulence. Like small business owner making a decision about closing or keeping going, for sake of employees. Darkness and panic are not necessarily bad things. Scared, there’s a gaggle of guys who do whatever they can to make sure they can go forward – worry… panic goes into action …energizing – seeing hope, thinking this might be the tipping point, there’s this final push through… pressing on.
Joyce related the image to Psalm 107 about those who went down to the sea in ships and experienced storms. This is also the Hebrews freaking out in the wilderness and the apostles forlorn in the upper room, just before God is revealed in the situation. It’s Dorothy when the house lands, and when the witch sets the scarecrow on fire; when Rick’s place is closed down by the Nazis. We looked at situations in the world today, the panic of citizens in Ukraine being mentioned specifically.
Gathering insights and applications, we heard another echo of “Be still and know that I am God!” Scott saw a collect emerging from the fourth column and volunteered to complete it. Here it is:
Eternal Father, strong to save those in peril on the sea: when we fight waves that mount to the heavens, remind us to be still inside and know You are the God who stills the waves to a whisper; and while we are in harbor, let your Holy Spirit urge us to study, pray, and serve others, for, by these habits, we prepare for storms we know will come. Amen.
Marilyn offered this prayer afterward:
Dear God, as I lay me down to sleep, relax the tension of my body; calm the restlessness of my mind; still the thoughts which worry and perplex me.Help me to rest myself and all my problems in your strong and loving arms.
Let your Spirit speak to my mind and heart while I am asleep, so that, when I wake up in the morning, I may find that I have received in the night-time, light for my way; strength for my tasks; peace for my worries; forgiveness for my sins.
Grant me sleep tonight, and tomorrow power to live.
We will begin at 7:30 to allow for participation in Shrove Tuesday events at our churches. Nuno will lead worship and pose a gathering question. We'll discuss the readings and adjourn at 8:45.
No comments:
Post a Comment