Here are some notes for our December 14th gathering:
We reflected on the experiences we have had together, their impact on our understandings of what it means for each of us to be a disciple, and where the Living Word will continue to hit ground in our lives.
For at least one of us, meaningful questions were more plentiful than concrete answers, which reminded me of Robert Raines' observation that the life of faith isn't so much about "finding the answers" as it is living the questions. We make daily decisions of faith; we live and act with intention (which is supple and creative, quite different than certitude); our communion with God reveals deeper connections we can experience with one another.
I offered Matthew 5: 48 as a powerful text for our consideration: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." What sounds at first like an impossible demand is actually revealed to be an "invitation to wholeness." The Greek term teleios, translated in the NRSV as"perfect," is not about flawlessness at all, but rather wholeness, fulfillment, or completion. What will it mean for us to be "whole" or "fulfilled" (wounds and all) in the image of our God? To be fully ourselves, individually and together, as God intended in our loving creation. We must note that Matthew 5:48, is placed at the heart of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, a sermon in which Jesus reveals the true character of our Creator.
One of us reflected on what it might mean to "perfect my vulnerability;" she pointed to the life of Jesus as example. Powerful, wonderful stuff!
A community that is "whole" will be one that offers encouragement, with the opportunity to discover and become the promised and gifted people we are, freely and lovingly with one another. The difficulties, tragedies, errors and pains in our lives are not to be denied; rather, they are part of our "becoming" and are claimed/blessed by God! We grow and commune in our trials and in our losses at least as much as in our successes. We become a commune-ity!
The assessment that "in a faith community, people aren't useful," was challenging and hard for some of us to accept. The point being that we do exist to bless, lift up, and enrich one another; our value, however, is never to be measured by "utility." Dynamic new understandings of self/others are available, rather than "fitting people in" to existing expectations and often tired routines. We get to explore the "new life' that God promises through Jesus!
Thanks to Karen and Charl for the excellent lunch, and to Debra for the cookies. And thanks to each of you--for you.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Book is Still Open
"Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." -- John 20:21-22
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the house of worship, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." --Acts 2:42-47
Have you spent much time in the Acts of the Apostles? It is a remarkable book that chronicles the birth and growth of the fledgling Christian church ("The Way") in the wake of Jesus' resurrection. There are vivid and inspiring stories of individual decisions and acts of faith, but they are always tied to the life and growth the larger faith community. Here, the very disciples who struggled so mightily in understanding/following Jesus throughout his ministry, abandoning him at the time of his arrest, now come to embody his Living Word themselves. The difference is startling, and even more thought-provoking when we realize that they are most emboldened when he is NOT physically with them anymore! Hence, it is a wonderful text for us as we consider our own common identity as a resurrection people.
Reflect on the description of Christian community from Acts 2: the grounding in prayer; the commitment to learning and growing in the faith constantly; the joy and gratitude; the ever-increasing "shared table."
Notice it is not just the meal, but also their identity and common fidelity that are shared. This leads to some dramatic acts of faith, where "divestment" in one shape of life becomes "in-vestment" in a new shape for their lives. The passages in Acts 4:32-37 mirror these.
What strikes awe in you at what the Lord is doing in our community faith? What are some the "signs and wonders" you perceive?
Of course, it is the Holy Spirit that fills, and gives new life, to the followers of Jesus, individually and together. Chapter 2 of Acts begins in Pentecost, making the ever-unfolding narrative possible, and the Spirit is constantly moving through the rest of the book. I find particularly meaningful the Gospel of John's alternate image of Pentecost: set on Easter evening, Jesus personally breathes the Holy Spirit into his disciples. The Holy Spirit is identified as the spirit of Jesus himself, and they are commissioned: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
This Sunday is our last Jesus 101 gathering. Prior to then, I would like each of us to take time to reflect on our learning, our growth, the questions that have been sharpened, paths that have been revealed to us. Take time to read back over the posts on our blog. The let's discuss where our learning and growth hit ground for the future of our daily lives (specificity, please!). In what ways is Jesus sending us as he has been sent? How are you being in-spired?And how do the movement of the Holy Spirit,and the growth of our own discipleship promise to impact (and offer new shape to) the life and mission of St. Andrew's Church?
The disciples (now "apostles") are out of spiritual elementary school. I perceive such movement among us. The book is still open, and new chapters to the story are being written.
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the house of worship, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." --Acts 2:42-47
Have you spent much time in the Acts of the Apostles? It is a remarkable book that chronicles the birth and growth of the fledgling Christian church ("The Way") in the wake of Jesus' resurrection. There are vivid and inspiring stories of individual decisions and acts of faith, but they are always tied to the life and growth the larger faith community. Here, the very disciples who struggled so mightily in understanding/following Jesus throughout his ministry, abandoning him at the time of his arrest, now come to embody his Living Word themselves. The difference is startling, and even more thought-provoking when we realize that they are most emboldened when he is NOT physically with them anymore! Hence, it is a wonderful text for us as we consider our own common identity as a resurrection people.
Reflect on the description of Christian community from Acts 2: the grounding in prayer; the commitment to learning and growing in the faith constantly; the joy and gratitude; the ever-increasing "shared table."
Notice it is not just the meal, but also their identity and common fidelity that are shared. This leads to some dramatic acts of faith, where "divestment" in one shape of life becomes "in-vestment" in a new shape for their lives. The passages in Acts 4:32-37 mirror these.
What strikes awe in you at what the Lord is doing in our community faith? What are some the "signs and wonders" you perceive?
Of course, it is the Holy Spirit that fills, and gives new life, to the followers of Jesus, individually and together. Chapter 2 of Acts begins in Pentecost, making the ever-unfolding narrative possible, and the Spirit is constantly moving through the rest of the book. I find particularly meaningful the Gospel of John's alternate image of Pentecost: set on Easter evening, Jesus personally breathes the Holy Spirit into his disciples. The Holy Spirit is identified as the spirit of Jesus himself, and they are commissioned: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
This Sunday is our last Jesus 101 gathering. Prior to then, I would like each of us to take time to reflect on our learning, our growth, the questions that have been sharpened, paths that have been revealed to us. Take time to read back over the posts on our blog. The let's discuss where our learning and growth hit ground for the future of our daily lives (specificity, please!). In what ways is Jesus sending us as he has been sent? How are you being in-spired?And how do the movement of the Holy Spirit,and the growth of our own discipleship promise to impact (and offer new shape to) the life and mission of St. Andrew's Church?
The disciples (now "apostles") are out of spiritual elementary school. I perceive such movement among us. The book is still open, and new chapters to the story are being written.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Faith of God
God's faith in us is always greater than our faith in God. Consider God's faith in us as yet another expression of God's immeasurable grace. What does this mean for our discipleship?
The Christmas narrative will remind us that God comes among us defenseless; in the Christ child, God's blessed future for the whole world is placed in our hands for our care. The baby is fragile enough to be crushed by human violence, to be set aside and abandoned, or to be received and nurtured to fullness of life. Let those metaphors resonate within you.
The birth narrative further stimulates our reflection:
1) The world's salvation is carried and born into the world by a vulnerable, unmarried, "unprepared" young woman who at first cannot imagine being God's favored one (Luke 1:26-38).
2) Her companion is scandalized by God's action and quietly seeks to excuse himself from the narrative, tempted to deny their connection on "reasonable" grounds. Instead, he responds to the divine invitation not to be bound by fear (Matthew 1:20) and commits himself more deeply to the emerging covenant.
3) In spite of outward appearances and worldly wisdom, this fragile birth carries the power to turn the world upside down! (Luke 1:47-55).
4) It is a harrowing (and thrilling) life or death story (Matthew 2) in which people from outside the traditional religious community--"foreigners"--play a critical role, embodying a faith that they were not taught in any Sunday School!
Relating to our recent Sunday conversation, this story is full of journeys. God's faithful people are always "on the Way." It is an awesome and peculiar privilege we have, one that is initiated by God's grace, rather than anything we muster for ourselves.
Mother Teresa wistfully said: "I wish He didn't trust me so much." But behold her life!
The Christmas narrative will remind us that God comes among us defenseless; in the Christ child, God's blessed future for the whole world is placed in our hands for our care. The baby is fragile enough to be crushed by human violence, to be set aside and abandoned, or to be received and nurtured to fullness of life. Let those metaphors resonate within you.
The birth narrative further stimulates our reflection:
1) The world's salvation is carried and born into the world by a vulnerable, unmarried, "unprepared" young woman who at first cannot imagine being God's favored one (Luke 1:26-38).
2) Her companion is scandalized by God's action and quietly seeks to excuse himself from the narrative, tempted to deny their connection on "reasonable" grounds. Instead, he responds to the divine invitation not to be bound by fear (Matthew 1:20) and commits himself more deeply to the emerging covenant.
3) In spite of outward appearances and worldly wisdom, this fragile birth carries the power to turn the world upside down! (Luke 1:47-55).
4) It is a harrowing (and thrilling) life or death story (Matthew 2) in which people from outside the traditional religious community--"foreigners"--play a critical role, embodying a faith that they were not taught in any Sunday School!
Relating to our recent Sunday conversation, this story is full of journeys. God's faithful people are always "on the Way." It is an awesome and peculiar privilege we have, one that is initiated by God's grace, rather than anything we muster for ourselves.
Mother Teresa wistfully said: "I wish He didn't trust me so much." But behold her life!
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