Week 12: Trinity and Double Vision

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

Following dinner by Bill and Lynne, we had compline, part one, with Jane, and a question about our experiences seeing someone again who parted with us in some kind of conflict. Scharme later related these anecdotes to a question about maturity in the Reading and Reflection Guide, pointing to the ability to delay gratification, to remain calm in conflict, to accept criticism, and to "do more wagging, less barking."

Responding to questions in the Guide, Scharme saw God's people mostly concerned with "their allotment."  How do the Jews see themselves in these books?  "Chosen, obedient, powerful."  Joshua and Judges contained shocking violence, but also the softer theme that God comes into the world "through us." 

Bill and Lynne discussed Powell's chapter on John. Aside from what we discussed last week, Bill and Lynne remarked on a few unique features of the Gospel.  Love of Christians for each other is emphasized... Jesus speaks mostly of his own being...  the story concerns mostly three years' ministry in the vicinity of Jerusalem... the Holy Spirit is emphasized... Jesus appears as a Greek philosopher more than as a Jewish man.

Jeff and Jane discussed the doctrine of "Trinity" discussed in Allen and Dubose.  It was hard to get a handle on, for the authors, too.

TR: It Depends How You Look at It
We smiled at the whimsy of Arcimboldo's oil paintings, and appreciated the details, while feeling somewhat creeped out by the images.  We all experienced "double vision," losing the image of the "face" for seeing vegetative components.  In our TR, we recognized the experience as something akin to our experiences of parables, the Trinity, and the Eucharist.  We finished Compline.

Collect for Double Vision
O triune God,  Creator of our complex, interconnected world, help us to see and accept the beauty in its individual parts and relatedness, so that we may mature with Your grace.  Amen.

In Two Weeks (December 1)
Combine readings for Weeks Thirteen and Fourteen, which will include half of Thurman's book.
Food - Jane.   Worship - Susan.  TR - Jeff.
 
 

Week 11: Preparing a Room

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

After worship provided by Scharme from a portion of Psalm 78 and a question about any kindness we've given or experienced in the past week, we discussed Deuteronomy, John, and Diogenes Allen's eighth chapter, "Suffering from Nature and Extreme Cruelty." 

About Deuteronomy, we found the proliferation of laws and the added layer of "Priestly" institutions to be signs of this year's theme, "maturity."  The book's focus on keeping the Hebrew people intact and unadulterated seems to be a step in the direction of an exclusionary people, while references in the earlier Abraham story and later in the Prophets seem to direct Israel outward in mission to all.

We loved John's gospel.  From the all-encompassing start to finish, Jesus is presented as divine.  We loved human details along the way, where the author seems to get into the minds and hearts of Jesus and those he encounters.

Try as he might, Diogenes Allen can offer us little in the way of explanation for such extreme cruelty as the Holocaust and horrors abroad today.  We understood the differentiation between suffering caused by nature and by human will.  We also understood what he means by having "humility," which we took to mean, "Don't think suffering is centered on yourself.  Don't think God sent it to you for any purpose." But we decided, do look to God for support when we must suffer.

Our TR, starting with the "provocative word" excellence, took us through a range of mixed feelings. We finally settled on the image of an excellent hotel, chocolate on the pillow, toilet paper folded down, everything in its place, prepared for us.  This comforting image was mixed with the knowledge that it's exclusive, and the workers in the hotel can't experience the place in the same way.  Looking for analogs in our tradition, we remembered John 14:2-3, "In my Father's house are many rooms... I got to prepare a place for you."  We noted how any Episcopal altar guild prepares for service as meticulously as any luxury hotel, and how that exclusionary element doesn't apply where all the preparation is directed towards God, and we are called to "Service."

Collect for Hosts
Dear Father, you are innkeeper to the world, preparing for us a house with many rooms; yet your Son could find no room at the inn, only humble shelter in a stable.   Open wide our hearts to provide true hospitality for Your Spirit, that we may prepare a place in our lives for You and for others who may pass our way.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen. 

Next Week:  The mentors will provide the TR;  Bill and Lynne provide food;  Jane will provide worship.  

Week 10: Numbers, Luke, Suffering, and "Let us Now Praise Famous..."

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

Worship by Bill included a question based on our All Saints' Day reading from Ecclesiasticus:  what in the past week has brought to mind someone we remember who may be "famous" only to us?  Discussion of Numbers, Deuteronomy, Luke, and Diogenes Allen ensued.  

Our discussion of suffering brought to mind the poor "comfort" that "it's God's will." Susan provides this link to an emphatic rejoinder to such advice:  http://www.timjlawrence.com/blog/2015/10/19/everything-doesnt-happen-for-a-reason 

The TR took off from lines by Willie Nelson, from his memoir It's a Long Story: "You sing the blues to lose the blues.  You lift the burden by transferring it into a song. I'l be damned if I know why or how that miracle takes place, but it always does."

Our meditations took us eventually to the BCPs liturgy for confession, and this collect:

Collect for the 5th Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners:  Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Our final prayer was the unfamiliar second part of "Now I lay me down to sleep":

Father, unto thee I pray,

Thou hast guarded me all day;

Safe I am while in thy sight,

Safely let me sleep tonight.

Bless my friends, the whole world bless;

Help me to learn helpfulness;

Keep me ever in thy sight;

So to all I say good night.

Next Week

In addition to the readings for each year in week 11, read also p. 229 in the Reading and Reflecting Guide, concerning the "Provocative Word."  Dr. Rouse and I will provide the TR; I'll do food; Scharme will do worship and question. 

 

Week 8-9: Exodus, Luke, and a bit of Job

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

We enjoyed dinner from Jeff's household, then worship and thought-provoking "on board" question from Sarah.   Bill and Lynne led us deeply into Luke, noting the emphasis on women and other marginalized people, a huge emphasis on food, and what may be a doctor's interest in physical conditions.  Sarah and Jeff discussed Diogenes Allen's fifth chapter, for which the book of Job is an important source.  Note:  We read "week 8" a couple weeks ago, before our first TR.

After a break, we had a T.R. that brought us to the following collect:

Collect for Dealing with feral creatures who may bite the hands that feed them
Generous God, Who blesses us despite our ingratitude and profligate nature, make us ever-mindful of your gifts, so that we may share with those who doubt us and restore trust and wholeness to our communities.   

Next Week
Susan will bring food; Lynne provides the TR, and Bill will lead worship.  We're reading the texts for week 10 in the Reading and Reflection Guide.  

We do not plan to meet the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.

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.