Week 7: Exodus, Mark, and the "Two Books of God"

Present:  S.C., J.K., B.L., L.L., J.M., S.R., S.S., S.T.

After dinner, worship, and reflection on the past week through an "on-board" question, we discussed the readings. 

A personal story brought us to many Scriptural analogs.  We brought the strands together in a collect for our closing worship:

Collect for Encounters with "the Other"

God of us all, who spoke to us in many different languages at Pentecost, give us faith and courage to approach the Other also created in Your image, so that we may recognize and accept both our differences and those qualities that unite us. To the glory of God.  Amen.  

Next week

We have already discussed week eight, so we'll skip ahead to week nine in the Reading and Reflection Guide (RRG).    Worship:  Sarah          Dinner: Jeff (Jane will not be with us)    TR:  Bill 

Week Six: Genesis, Matthew, Diogenes, and the Week Eight Essay

Present:  SC, JK, JM, BL, LL, SR, SS, ST

2015-2016 So Far

In our sixth week of the program, we can look back on several chapters in our books.  We also set up our norms by elaborating a metaphor:  If EfM is a garden, then what does it need?

We've all shared our spiritual autobiographies, about ten minutes each, two or three per night after the first couple of meetings, finding ways to relate our lives to colors, some with visual aids.

This year, we've been "coming on board" in the context of worship, as the worship volunteer has posed a question for us.  I will email a PDF of a document that compiles dozens of ideas for openers.

Last Night

SS, worship, question, and TR;  meal, SC 

Our check in question was,  "What part of the life cycle of a butterfly best represents you in the past week?"  We pray for one "caught in a net," one "in the chrysalis" doing the internal work of change, one feeling tattered, and others.  We all were taken by Jeff's memory of a monarch migration, hundreds flying by throughout a day at the beach.

Our book discussion circled around the theme of creation, starting from Diogenes Allen's observation that Yahweh was "the God who saved the Hebrews from slavery" centuries before any mention appeared in scripture of His role in creating the universe.  That was set down in the context of salvation.  Those who attack our faith because "science can explain creation without God" attack a straw man:  we're not about the process of creation, but the why of it.

Matthew's gospel likewise draws parallels between Moses and Jesus, furthering our understanding of God's directing time, being not in time.

After a review of the Week Eight essay, our TR led from a personal experience to the metaphor of the wallflower at the dance, and this collect for our concluding worship:

Collect for a dance

Graceful and loving God, Who calls us to the dance, give us strength to cross the gym floor, to ask, or to say yes, so that the dance may be joyous, inclusive, and complete.  In Jesus name. Amen.  

Next Week

Readings for Week Seven.  Food: Bill and Lynn.  TR: Jane.  Worship & question: Jeff.

Weeks 33-34 combined, especially Ezekiel, Ephesians, and British Missions

Present:  Bill and Jen Nowicki, Jeff Karkula, Susan Rouse, Bill and Lynn Lovelace, Smoot.

Discussion seemed to center on "love," as Ezekiel and Isaiah both speak of God's ultimate love, to save the nations through His chosen people, and Ephesians (which may not be Paul's) speaks as often of "love" as Corinthians does. 

Next week, the 19th:  Finish the readings:  Daniel, Revelation, and "Culture Wars."  Susan will provide supper.   We plan an end-of-year supper "out" June 2 to catch up with Bill and Lynn, who will miss next week.

Mission

Present:  Bill N., Bill L., Lynne, Sarah, Jeff, Steve, Susan, Scott S.

We considered the traditional view of the church's mission, measuring success by how many people switch to Christianity from other religions or from non-belief.  Our answers brought in some of last week's reading, some of the article, and some lessons learned at St. James' from sermons, teaching, and experience. 

Next week:  Smoot will be out.  Readings will be those in the RRG for week 32. Food, Lynne;  Worship, Sarah; TR, Bill N.

For May 5:  We have a Cinquo de Mayo theme for dinner, as we continue to invite people to join us for the open house.  
Taco shells soft and hard:  Smoot
Meat:  Bill L.
Guacomole: Susan
Cheese:  Steve
Salsa, and dessert:  Jeff (and Sally!)
Corn/bean salsa: Sarah

Globalization, Gender, and Peacebuilding

Present:  B. Lovelace, L. Lovelace, S. Thompson, J. Karkula, S. Rouse, S. Windham, S. Smoot

We considered Kwok Pui-Lan's three lectures collected in Globalization, Gender, and Peacebuilding. We had some expressions of strong disagreement with some of her statements in this book and a supplementary essay about the Anglican church as a "hybrid."   Much of what was agreeable also seemed unremarkable to us. 

However, we all found something to appreciate, if nothing more than the reminder that anyone engaged in dialogue with people of other religions should aware of so many pitfalls that Kwok identifies.  

For TR, see the separate TR page on this blog.   

Next week, we read pp. 174-180 in the RRG.   Susan will bring food; Bill L. will provide worship; and Lynne will bring material to start the TR.

Wk. 27: Amos, Hosea, James, and "Protestant Awakenings"

Present:  Bill N., Jen, Steve, Susan, Scott S., Bill L., Lynne, Jeff

Many of us were struck by the "Seven stages of the Resurrection" found in St. Augustine's Prayer Book.  Steve recommended the booklet, found at the Forward Day by Day website.

"Coming on board," many of us expressed how different aspects of the Holy Week services were moving, beautiful, and even funny and energizing.  

We found strong connections between the messages of Amos and James, and several expressed strong affinity for these books. We found the cautions to the rich.

Hosea's story seems very sad, and then he seems to develop a split personality, according to one web source.  Collins has a different take on that, and on prophets, too, not as "seers" but more like modern-day political commentators -- who make predictions only in the way that an editorialist or candidate might predict consequences "if we don't correct what we're doing."

Asked the question from the RRG, "What are the ddep hungers of those to whom James wrote?" we had answers that tended to see James as someone trying to bring back the sense of community and first sense of belonging to a church dispersed, losing its first fervor.

We saw differences in approaches to evangelizing natives and African slaves among the French, Spanish, and English who settled in North America in the 1600s.  English stood out for not engaging in evangelizing efforts, partly because the Puritans' doctrine of "election" made the effort seem superfluous, and the diseases that destroyed tribes seemed confirmation that these peoples could not be favored by God.  Divisions among the Puritans resulted in new colonies outside of Massachusetts Bay -- in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and eventually in Maryland and Pennsylvania, founded by outcasts of England's religious establishment.

Next week: We read Kwok's short book (three lectures) and the RRG chapters 28 (one page) and 29 (four pages).

For TR, see the TR page.

Ezra, Nehemiah, Timothy, and the Counter-Reformation

meeting of March 24.  Present:  S. Thompson, B. Nowicki , J. Nowicki, B. Lovelace, L. Lovelace, S. Rouse, S. Smoot.

We discussed Ezra and Nehemiah.   The call to give up foreign wives and to come back to the laws of Moses seemed to lead to centuries of strife.

About Timothy I and II, we heard Paul's pastoral letters to fledgling churches, warning them to stick to the right ways, and, significantly, to conform to the ways of the Roman empire, insofar as possible.  "Don't make waves" was Susan's sum up.

We heard about Henry VIII and his offspring, Protestant and Roman Catholic.  The MacDonald's chapter on the Counter - Reformation was refreshing in how much was motivated by sincere efforts to recall the heart of our faith.  So much of previous chapters had to do with politics and wealth!

A question came up about the Protestant emphasis on marriage and children v. the R.C. mandate for celibacy of clergy.  We were reminded that the celibacy idea had its origin in problems regarding inheritance; the idea of "marrying the church" was an ex post facto justification for this Roman Church doctrine.

Next week:  The Lovelaces will provide food, and Lynne will bring worship;  Jeff is doing the TR.