EfM at Diocesan Council

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FridayOur own Jessica served as verger for the Diocesan worship service Friday evening, where Scott was concluding a day of reports and elections.

The event took place in the main gym of Holy Innocents Episcopal School, established in 1959 by the Episcopal church of the same name. Scott's mother taught there from the early 1970s to the early 2000s. Here's a photo of the same location, then and now.

At a presentation by The Office of Congregational Vitality (vitality@episcopal.org), Scott joined Sue and Sharon, co-mentors of the morning EfM group at St. James. The presenters advertised services offered to congregations regarding stewardship, leadership, and congregational discernment.

There we participated in an exercise based on John Westerhoff's list of Anglican characteristics. Stations were set up along the walls of the room for the "temperaments" centered on aesthetics, nature, history, moderation, intuition, comfort with ambiguity, open-mindedness, catholicity, and politics (but not "partisanship" -- one participant told us that a round-table discussion earlier in the day had turned ugly when partisanship got involved in a discussion of the phrase, "Behold, I am doing a new thing"). The other stations identified Anglican "spiritualities" described as mystical, pastoral, sacramental, communial, and liturgical.

We EfM mentors saw the four sources of a TR behind all those many categories. The presenters were using a procedure in the RRG called "TR in Motion."

The Bishop's sermon was a TR that drew on a poem about the "minutes" of our lives, and a bit of Isaiah. Before the prophet talks about "a new thing," there's a passage of remembrance of God's great deeds. Then Isaiah tells us to forget about all that -- Bishop Wright called that a "what the--?" move. The Bishop guessed that some of us might be anxious wondering what "new thing" we might have to do and reminded us that it's God who's doing something.

[See a fuller report at Scott's personal blog The Word Sanctuary.]

Yr. B, Wk. 10: Semantics Matter

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Worship and Check-in
Marilyn selected prayers that fit both the year's theme and our own individual personalities.

Before class, we learned that Nuno's family is now mourning the loss of two beloved pets in three weeks. We also heard from Kathy, suffering a setback in her recovery from surgery. They were in our thoughts at the beginning and end of the session.

Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World:
1st yr: Jessica; 2nd yr: Susan; 3rd yr, Pete, Nuno, Marilyn, Kathy ; 4th yr, Scott. Mentors: Susan and Scott. Absent: Nuno, Kathy.

Bob Marley relates to the church in ancient Ethiopia.

Discussion of the Readings
Jessica started us off with her reaction to reading so many instructions in Leviticus for slaughtering lambs, bulls, and other animals: "It makes me want to be a vegetarian." Scott picked up on the sacrificial lamb, mentioned in the Y4 book as one of many metaphors by which we understand how Jesus saves (e.g., ransom, conquering warrior, advocate, husband, Second Adam), metaphors that can "intensify" feeling and devotion.

Pete compared reading about the minutiae of temple sacrifice to reading about the hair-splitting that resulted in so much bad blood in the early church. Marilyn agreed. Scott asked for any modern-day example of emotional conflict over semantics. Susan cautioned everyone, "Semantics do matter." Jessica told us thta the difference between "marriage" and "blessing a union" caused the break-up of a church just this week. All agreed that, reading between the details, they did sense believers struggling to create community with God and each other.

Susan enjoyed Powells' charts that show at a glance differences among the gospels and different theories to explain how some portions of different gospels seem to quote each other or some unknown common source. Pete and Marilyn enjoyed learning about peoples that don't come to mind when Euro-Centric Episcopalians think about church history: Ethiopians' strong identification with Jews, and Syrians' affinity for the story of Jonah (as in, any enemy of Nineveh is a friend of ours). When Susan mentioned that the Ethiopian connection continues in Jamaica, we went down a reggae rabit-hole.

Theological Reflection
With two of five absent, we put off tonight's TR for next week.

Instead, we thought about ways that visitors to our class could get a good idea of what we do. Our ideas went into our blog's new Visitor Center. The link is located at the top of each new blog post and also in the upper-right-hand corner of our blog, over the EfM logo. And here it is again:

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For Next Week
Pete will lead worship; Scott will bring a source for the TR.

Yr. B, Wk. 9: Certified Saints

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Worship and Check-in
Nuno presented worship adapted from Mission St. Clare, including a vision of all the saints from 2 Esdras and a spoken hymn: "For All the Saints." (His closing was a recording of "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God," which left us all smiling.)

For a gathering question, Nuno asked what saints come to mind for us?

• Thomas Aquinas (for philosophy, but let's also remember his song Humbly I Adore Thee, topping the charts for 1000 years)
• St. Peter, St. Paul, and the church fathers (and mothers) whose writings and actions shaped the church
• St. Anthony, patron saint of lost things
• St. Francis, whose ministry included animals
• St. Teresa of Avila for teaching that we are Christ's hands and feet, now
• personal saints among family and friends (very appropriate for this Day of the Dead)

Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World:
1st yr: Jessica; 2nd yr: Susan; 3rd yr, Pete, Nuno, Marilyn, Kathy ; 4th yr, Scott. Mentors: Susan and Scott. Absent: None.

Discussion of the Readings
One thread of the discussion was protracted and recurring conflicts over doctrines that, to us, "didn't make an iota of difference" -- a joke that Nuno appreciated. We were amazed that the church survived at all. Through these disagreements we saw under Constantine's imperial church a competitiveness for power along with sincere concerns about truth. We noted that these conflicts will continue under other names at other times and places.

Another theme, one that would connect to our TR, was the proliferation of certified relics as different shrines offered destinations for pilgrims.

Theological Reflection
Pete shared on screen four slides: front-and-back of Pete's birth certificate in the Thai language, another in English from the US State Department, and a certificate of Baptism. We had a long list of observations and questions before we decided to focus on the concept of "identity through certification."

We explored that concept with perspective questions, this time looking for building, breaking, and bridging: building a new life or new community, creating an historical record; breaking common humanity, separating Us v. Them; bridging generations and countries.

We connected "identity through certification" to other sources.

• Tradition: Circumcision a seal, “You are sealed as Christ’s own forever,” blood on the door to identify Hebrews in Egypt, mark of the beast vs. Christ’s seal on the foreheads, Ashes on Ash Wednesday. When we looked for connections specifically to Jesus, we hit a new vein of ideas: “Render unto Caesar” the coins that bear the Roman imprint, Jesus consorting with outsiders, the marks he made on others (pressing spittle and mud in the blind eyes, telling the lepers to present themselves to the priests to certify healing), and his question about identity: “Who do you say that I am?” That last one made us think of God's answer I am what I am, refusing Moses the certification he sought to let people know he'd been with the real God.
• Culture: pedigree for animal breeders; travel papers such as passports but also forms under apartheid that asserted minority control over ethnic groups; tattoos--as souvenirs, at demarcation at Auschwitz, along with the Star of David, and as Gang Identification; and brands that mark status, with the egregious example of the SUPREME label.
• Action: Nuno shared a couple of personal experiences when certification was important.
• Position: None of this documentation is necessary to who you really are or your relationship with God.

Gathering insights and applications, we thought how certification of "provenance" for art and "pedigree" for animals (and debutantes) increase their value, and also questioned the system that makes that so. We connected this discussion to the readings for today, how the early church fought bitter fights certifying true beliefs.

Working together in a breakout room, Pete, Nuno, and Kathy composed this collect:

For Certification of Identity

Dear all knowing and all seeing God: You know our true identity better than we do. We pray that when we encounter strangers that we see you in them and recognize them as members of your earthly family so that we may be more true to your identity and desires. Amen.

Jessica and Marilyn wove different threads of the discussion into their collect:

Dear I am who I am and who knows who we are even before we are born: You seal us as members of your holy church through Baptism with love. We pray that those who do not know you come to the knowledge and love of you so that they might know the beauty of belonging, feeling connected by faith. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

For Next Week
Marilyn brings worship and a gathering question; Scott will bring something from the tradition source for a TR.

Yr. B, Wk. 8: Theological Reflections and 9/11

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2003 drawing by Gürbüz Doğan Ekşioğlu

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Worship and Check-in

As our reading this week was a reflection on 9/11/2001 by then-Archbishop Rowan Williams, Kathy brought us prayers for solemn remembrance of that day from three faith traditions: American Episcopal, Hindu, and Muslim.

Kathy's gathering question was about 9/11: where were you? who were you with? what were you thinking? With students... with our newborn... in a high school classroom... in bed by the radio... supervising little children's daycare. We spoke of horror at the collapse of the buildings and terror in the streets. "What kind of world have we brought our [child/children] into?" We felt an "overwhelming sense of community" that we hoped would last.

Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World:
1st yr: Jessica; 2nd yr: Susan; 3rd yr, Pete, Nuno, Marilyn, Kathy ; 4th yr, Scott. Mentors: Susan and Scott. Absent: None.

Discussion of the Readings

Our discussion of the Rowan Williams essay was rooted in our deep appreciation of his writing. We were taken by the way he interrupts himself (careful)...(let's say it out loud).... which modeled what he wrote about stopping, stepping back, taking a breath. Jessica was reminded how YHWH, pronounced without vowels, is the sound of breath.

Pete loved the weaving of religious, void, breathing space in and out of the whole essay, and the idea of "last words" in the title: last words texted to loved ones and motivational speeches to the terrorists. "The religious words were destructive; the non-religious words were 'gratuitous love when nothing could be done.'" Kathy felt the impact of the archbishop's phrase "the danger of religiousness."

We considered how Williams models theological reflection in this essay. We heard voices from different sources: the pilot who challenged him, Simone Weil's admonition not to fill the "void" of our knowledge of God with imagination but to "live with the void," the doctrine of the Trinity. He does not settle on a single conclusion.

The Trinity as an approach to comprehending suffering echoes what Ford writes in the 4th year book. Susan recalled Diogenes Allen's Theology for a Troubled Believer, a book which demonstrates how God's love for his creation meant freedom -- and with it, the risk of rejection: the crucifixion was part of creation, not an emergency fix-up procedure brought in midway.

Theological Reflection
In breakout groups, we worked through two exercises in the RRG. "Playing with images," Marilyn and Kathy found lots of resonances for the TV remote control as a metaphor. Nuno, Jessica, and Pete did the same with an unlit candle, seeing in it an image of potential, time left, a resource and guide and relating it to tradition and culture.

For "Feelings have Roots," we found images for the thoughts and feelings listed there. With some more specific words for "joy" in the "feeling wheel" on p. 355, Pete, Jessica, and Marilyn came back with "dog," and they seemed to have had a great time thinking about dogs in their breakout room. Nuno and Kathy found both sadness and joy when the thought "I can't do this" brought parenthood to mind for them.

For Next Week

 Nuno will lead worship. Pete will bring a source for our first full-fledged TR.

Yr. B, Wk. 7: When a Story's not "Just" a Story

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Worship and Check-in
For Tuesday, October 18, set aside for remembering St. Luke, Scott led worship with texts from Luke's Gospel accompanied by images of beloved stories that appear only in Luke. "Stories" would come up again later.

For a gathering question, Scott asked how the past week might be described as a weather report. We heard of one overhanging cloud (an unfinished project), a sunny weekend (U.T. v. Alabama), a change of season with a new job, "visibility for miles," stormy (mourning a beloved old cat), and the feeling of having slept through a whirlwind (thanks to Percocet).

Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World:
1st yr: Jessica; 2nd yr: Susan; 3rd yr, Pete, Nuno, Marilyn, Kathy ; 4th yr, Scott. Mentors: Susan and Scott. Absent: None.

Discussion of the Readings
One theme was our sense that the early Church was less unified and more fluid than we grew up believing. One was bothered by that the Christians kept themselves separate from others and guarded their rites, leading to rumors of love feasts and cannibalism. Raised ire and concern of the Romans – BUT at the end, their separateness and dogmatism were also a strength. To be fair, Christians were getting hit from all sides – dealing with whims of Roman government, attacks from Jewish authorities, dissent among churches over certain texts – and then a whole other set of growing pains when the state absorbed the church. Pete noted how different cultures took Christianity in different directions (e.g., among Jews in Syria).

Powell's book reminded Susan how the epistles were written decades before the gospels. Read in the order they were written, they suggest how the faith developed through conflict.

Beyond the usual ABCD, Marilyn offered "H" for "Heavy." She could hardly imagine the early martyrs, their individuality and determination to do what’s right – pushed beyond the boundaries – especially choice of Perpetua the mother locked away from her baby.

Jessica seconded Kathy's disappointment "for the little girl inside" that the Exodus story is not history in our sense of the word. Susan encouraged the "little girl" to remember that stories are powerful builders of community, drawing experience and beliefs into coherent, overarching visions. "A story" is not "just" a story: "A girl's heart should beat faster!"

Theological Reflection
Jessica and Nuno each offered a look back at experiences that shaped their perceptions of life in a multicultural world.

We are encouraged to "reflect" theologically on these stories to look for movements of God in our lives -- wholeness, brokenness, sudden recognitions, and new creation.

For Next Week
Kathy will lead worship. We are all reading the essay in the RRG for Week 8, which includes the former Archbishop of Canterbury's theological reflection on his experience in NYC on 9/11.

Looking ahead: We plan to take off November 22, and to have our last meeting of 2022 on December 20.

Yr. B, Wk. 6: Some Bad Guys Aren't So Bad

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Anyone want to move to New Zealand?

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Worship and Check-in
Jessica led us in worship from the prayer book of New Zealand. Then Jessica invited us to her patio with its fire pit.

Her question for gathering us was based on Sunday's Gospel reading: When in the past week have you felt like a leper? We answered variously about being the teacher in a class, the newbie at work who asks why they do it that way, the outsider, the one who expressed doubt, and being rolled through the airport in a wheelchair.

Nuno told of seeing someone else being treated like a leper. The staff of a Starbucks was paralyzed to see a person in a blanket lying alongside the drive-thru lane. We had an impromptu TR on this situation, bringing thoughts from the tradition and from the culture to bear.

Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World:
1st yr: Jessica; 2nd yr: Susan; 3rd yr, Pete, Nuno, Marilyn, Kathy ; 4th yr, Scott. Mentors: Susan and Scott. Absent: None.

Discussion of the Readings
"I've found a friend in Paul," Marilyn said, to her own surprise. His concern for equality of those shut out of the early church has put a dent in his image as combative and disdainful of women. "Without him," Pete said, "we wouldn't be here now" as a church. "I'm not mad at him anymore," Kathy said.

We also found ourselves feeling some sympathy with the Gnostics, and wanted to know more. "Heresy" comes from a phrase for "self opinion," which lacks the fire-and-brimstone connotations of the word "heretic."

The first year readings helped Jessica to appreciate the interplay of legend and history in scripture. We digressed to think of legends in American history, e.g. Thanksgiving.

Hospitality, the patron-client relationship, and the ancient concept of honor: these are foundational elements of culture in the ancient world that modern readers may fail to appreciate. [That may go the other way: Susan has reminded us that our concepts of history, rights, and freedom were not known in Biblical times.]

Theological Reflection
Following the wide-ranging discussion, we responded to the question on page 51 of the RRG, looking for a core value that emerged for each of us as we considered our past for the spiritual autobiography exercise. We heard to give room to grow, kindness is a choice, openness to all, to speak out the truth, the dignity of all people, all beloved of God. These are some of examples from the "Position Source" in the TR process.

We heard spiritual autobiographies from Marilyn and Kathy, and responded with thanks: For what has been, for what is, for what will be, we thank you, O God.

For Next Week
Scott brings worship; Nuno and Jessica will share their spiritual autobiographies. We're doing the readings for week 7.

Yr. B, Wk. 5: Where there is Doubt, Faith

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Worship and Check-in
Susan brought us Compline from the Northumbria Community website. For this day, October 4, when the church remembers St. Francis, we concluded with the prayer, "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace." In keeping with the theme of our reading discussion, I'll observe that the its power is not diminished by the knowledge (new to me) that the prayer did not originate with Francis.

We had fun describing our weeks in headlines: BIRTHDAYS ABOUND ... OH MY! WHAT'S HAPPENING? ... UTTER JOY ... THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING ... IT'S FALL, Y'ALL ... SMOOT SMASHES BLOG RECORD

Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World:
1st yr: Jessica; 2nd yr: Susan; 3rd yr, Pete, Nuno, Marilyn, Kathy ; 4th yr, Scott. Mentors: Susan and Scott. Absent: Marilyn (unable to connect Zoom from plane to CA).

Discussion of the Readings
Kathy started the discussion with her admission that her "inner child" was crestfallen to learn that the "Golden Rule" did not originate with Jesus. Everyone was able to connect their readings to Kathy's mix of interest and sense of loss that scholarship in archaeology and history has in some ways altered the images we've carried from Bible stories, maybe all our lives. Examples included the translation of "young woman" to mean "virgin," the serpent in the garden of Eden, and the location and date of the Nativity.

Jessica related Nuno's observations about different Biblical angles on "speaking in tongues" to the story in Genesis of the Lord's confusing humanity's languages to forestall competition. Nuno observed that the confusion was resolved at Pentecost, when all the languages heard one message via the Spirit.

From years 2 and 4, comments concerned trusting the testimony of the sources without imposing on them our modern conceptions of history or actual on them. The 4th year book stresses that the truth of the faith was derived from a set of propositions, but worked out along with the details and doctrines through living it, teaching converts, choosing the books of the New Testament, and changing along with the Roman Empire. More on this in coming weeks, as 3rd year gets the details.

Theological Reflection
From images we took from our readings of the week, we selected the Burning Bush to explore in the manner of a TR:

• Feelings? Senses? (in the world of the picture) Seeing earth and heaven uniting from plant to fire in sky… cleansing fire… warmth? Freakout! Barefoot – prickly little plants with thorns… Not like a campfire, but more like the fiery furnace (overwhelming)
• Thoughts? (in the moment of the picture) I want to run away. Take my sandals off. This is bigger than me or Game of Thrones! No one is going to believe me.
• What is the nature of Creation in the world of this image?: the unity / joining of earth and heaven
• What is Sin in this moment? Deny that it was real…”I didn’t see that” Moses fails to understand … Fears it as chaos and runs away. The pain in his feet is confirmation that it’s real –
• What then would be Redemption? recognizes the sacredness... empowerment to face the difficulties ahead

This exploration brought out two elements I'd not thought of before: the pain in the feet, and the unifying of earth and heaven in the way we pictured the flames.

Pete shared a chapter of his spiritual autobiography.

For Next Week
Jessica will lead worship and bring a gathering question. Kathy and Marilyn will each share a portion of their spiritual autobiographies. We all do the readings for week 6. The "Respond" assignment on pp. 51 of the RRG is provocative. We'll set aside some time to reflect on "core values and commitments" that we've heard "uncovered" in our own spiritual autobiographies, and on the kind of dialogue that the RRG describes.