Session 6 notes: Intimacy with God August 13, 2006
Posted by standrewsltq in Christian Thinking, Christianity: Comments and Questions, Faith, God, Religion, Spiritual Study, notes from the whiteboard.add a comment
Here are some brainstorming notes from the sessions held on July 16 & 18 2006. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments section.
How can we explain the prayer experience – are we still praying to “something” out there, separate from the world? Who or what am I praying to?
Inadequacy of the word ‘prayer.’
- we all bring our own limited meanings and constraints about what we think prayer is.Attempts to get close can result in “compartmentalism”(resource link: Honest Prayer, John Spong)
“Prayer cannot be a request made to a theistic deity to act in human history in a particular way.”
- special places and times to share our warmth
- our lives as an expression of our attempt to live closer to God
- our lives as a prayer – but it always seems to fall short
- anger is central to healthy relationships (also with God)
- every little bit of love helps
- public prayer compared with private prayer
- prayer is communication
- is prayer limited to talking? can drawing a picture, or watching the stars move be prayer?
“I listen to God and God listens to me.” – Mother TheresaTaking time = patienceTaking time to be thankful = “gifts” of time (waiting)(Resource link: Henri Nouwen, L’Arche Community)
“A person kneels before a duck to reflect upon the troubles and joys of life, and offers thanksgivings and expressions of hope. This search for the human spirit leads to love and a better world.”
(Resource link: When I talk to you: A cartoonist talks to God, by Michael Leunig)
Seeing our being as part of the human family
Activities that bring out our prayerfulness:
- dancing
- crochet
- running
- tramping
- gardening
- painting
- singing
relationship between me and the mystery / God beyond me
Experience of transcendence / Accessing the transcendent – living a prayer
Just because God wants to help someone, doesn’t mean that she can help them!
The presenters all seem “iffy” about prayer. It was good that they were honest about their doubts and fears. But it was also disappointing that they didn’t offer more motivation for prayer, or helpful tips!
Setting aside time is important.
Things that can help help:
- regular discipline of silence
- meditation
- reminding ourselves of something “more”
- treating everything we do as a prayer
Prayer experiences are gifts.
The atmosphere of a church can be conducive to prayer (because so many people have prayed there?)
Making love/making art – time has no significance
(Resource link: Prayers of Life by Michel Quoist)
Session 5 Notes: Evil, suffering & a God of love August 13, 2006
Posted by standrewsltq in Christian Thinking, Christianity: Comments and Questions, Faith, God, Religion, Spiritual Study, notes from the whiteboard.add a comment
Here are some brainstorming notes from the sessions held on 18 & 20 June 2006. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments section.
Who is God we are talking about?
- traditional view of God
- big mystery
- cant be inside yourself…?
- = “conventional wisdom” (Borg)
Who wants to sacrifice themselves?
but we all do it (in some way)
but what is the other option?
- selfishness
- fear of closeness, fear of opening yourself to others
Self-protection mechanism
- someone else will do it
- scared of the disappointment of hopes (e.g. Nthn Ireland)
- Can’t enjoy the good times without the bad…?
Acknowledge the reality of suffering
but there are different types of suffering = different causes of suffering
More important is our response – try to do something to reduce suffering
Not try to answer why
(but this is religion’s job?!)
the answer to why is what we do:
good responses: love, compassion, protest
bad responses: doing nothing, judgmentalism, not my problem (denial)
suffering is very important for our picture of the Divine
elements of our picture of the Divine include:
1. inner resources to respond (finding the God within)
2. others who support us
a) cross as a mistake = the senselessness of suffering
b) but fact that Jesus shared our suffering is an important source of strength for many people’s faith lives
a & b) together = integrity of love & forgiveness
******************
Don’t like the Korean fairy story – result more important than the path, it seems to be encouraging sacrifice or giving away what you cannot afford
All dumped onto God – no mention of other people (can we “send away” pain?)
= old models of God being resorted to
Does there have to be a happy ending?
Buddhist acceptance of pain and compassion of people to people
Compassion = when our souls are touched by suffering of others
There is an imprint within us that we can name sacred/divine
“I’ve never come across a baby that was evil!”
types of suffering need to be differentiated:
- torture
- horrific violence
- extreme illness
do we have to say why? E.g. the Cross as senseless violence
some explanations/reasons do not give meaning
can we accept random violence?
Importance of failing
We have choices but different ability to choose
Balance valuing yourself/ego with humility
Session 4 notes: Restoring Relationships August 13, 2006
Posted by standrewsltq in Christian Thinking, Christianity: Comments and Questions, Faith, God, Religion, Spiritual Study, notes from the whiteboard.add a comment
Here are some brainstorming notes from the sessions held on 16 & 21 May 2006. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments section.
Three biblical paradigms:
1. Bondage/Liberation
socialisation = ‘role models’are we just our socialisation?
We have an essential self beyond our socialisaiton
How conscious are we of our socialisation?
Key to liberation is awareness of our social conditioningMaking present events of the ancient past – how?2. Exile/Return
dominant culture issue
dark side of the return was breaking up lives and families
new ways of thinking about these dynamicsis
a “non-oppressive” dominance possible?
Our personal experiences of living overseas contain this element of “coming back”
3. Sin/Forgiveness
atonement = at-one-ment
point of Jesus death:– a mistake? Just senseless violence?
- or was he aware of the consequences & risks of his actions/ following his convictions?There is meaning (for many people) in knowing that Jesus shared in suffering
Bloodied imagery/metaphor of Christianity – but there are also important blood connections…?
God does not kill or want us to suffer
Guilt & manipulation are part of the experience of many with sin/forgiveness
Martyrdom = challenging structures and powers, (but it is wrong to be an intentional martyr)
- something worth dying for is first however worth living for!!
What about a fourth paradigm – the “Not-good-enough” paradigm?
Constant talk about sin & sacrifice – what to do when you feel guilty?
Language of God “overwhelming”
violence seems wrong – better is God transforming it
– individual responses/reactions
God love is seeds with potential when nurtured…
Session 3 Notes: Creativity and stories of creation August 13, 2006
Posted by standrewsltq in Christian Thinking, Christianity: Comments and Questions, Faith, God, Religion, Spiritual Study, notes from the whiteboard.add a comment
Here are some brainstorming notes from the sessions held on 18 & 23 April 2006. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments section.
Myths – ‘alive’ or ‘dead’?
What God can’t cope with – irresponsibility
“Hebrew” word plays used by Spong and other liberals
“dominion” equates to responsibility
– I take responsibility but seek guidance for the right way
= finding a middle of seeking the divine – about being truly and fully responsible.
- this is all huge leaps of interpretation!!?
Forgiveness – cheap?
Must have consequences?
Coming from a positive place
Guilt/sin very pervasive in our culture – the “young people” so hung up? Probably…!
It is about trust & rebuilding trust
Being free and dealing with our egos
Guilt a healthy sign?
Or not a good place to start:
Traps you
Weakens
Not about the right things or the important things
Do I have to forgive God for making me the way I am?
Being ‘good’ – what is that?
About being whole
Optimal sets of relationships
Repentance is a corrective mechanism
Public acknowledgement of our mistakes and doing something about it
Sense of grace = place of harmony = where I want to be
Creativeness keeps on going – we all participate in this
Openness of creativity – letting things grow in a “looser” way
Session Seven notes: Social Justice September 19, 2006
Posted by standrewsltq in Blogroll, Christian Thinking, Christianity: Comments and Questions, Faith, God, notes from the whiteboard, social justice.add a comment
What breaks my heart?
Passion for God = passion for justice
Jubilee principle – can we make it work?
- are we egalitarian in NZ?
Eucharist = peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with Koolaid
= loaves & fishes
Consumer treadmill we are on
If the system gives you power, we don’t want to give it up.
Solid principles of government?!
we don’t learn from history
the pain is denial – we don’t want know the reality of injustice
What is justice? What do we mean?
Everyday things are important and I can do something about those
We are too individualised and have lost our social concern.
Feeling of helplessness – there is nothing I can do.
Crippling, can’t escape – but we do not need to make ourselves feel guilty but rather make ourselves change!
The little things do count e.g. Miss Memo “deep etiquette” – about integrity
Are there non-peaceful ways to bring justice? (e.g. Just War?)
But how we going about achieving justice is also important
What about “buying peace” – making justice attractive
Distributive or restorative justice – forgiveness needs also to have some recognition of the injustice (e.g. Truth & Reconciliation Commission in South Africa)
Why do victims of injustice often become perpetrators? (e.g. Middle East)
Understanding other cultures – different forms of logic and justification