Circle

Lift up your eyes and fix them on the place beyond the horizon to which you are sent. Journey in trust, assured that the great and marvelous work is for this time and for all time.

Claim your unique and sacred place within the circle of those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ. Be faithful to the spirit of the Restoration, mindful that it is a spirit of adventure, openness, and searching. Walk proudly and with a quickened step. Be a joyful people. Laugh and play and sing, embodying the hope and freedom of the gospel. (Doctrine and Covenants 161:1)

One of the wonderful things about scripture is that it can speak to us in so many different ways. It may speak in one voice on one occasion, but bring a quite different understanding at a later time. The prophetic books in the Hebrew Scriptures, for instance, were written for one group of people, set in their culture with their particular set of problems, issues and circumstance, and yet the same text can often speak to us today. We contemplate the ideas expressed by the prophets with an eye to understanding their issues, but also listen to how the words may speak to us in our day and time.

Similarly, the concepts within a particular text may speak to an individual, a congregation, the entire church, or the global population!

In recent years we have learned to appreciate the insights that can be gleaned from the scriptures through the spiritual practice of Dwelling in the Word. During one of the worship times at the recent CPI retreat, we were invited to dwell in D.&C. 161:1 shown above. I have understood this passage as being addressed to the entire Community of Christ. See this way, verse 1b of the text challenges the church to claim its unique and sacred place within the circle of those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ. During those moments of contemplation, I began to consider the challenge in this text from a slightly different direction.

What if we applied those words on a personal level? What if the words were addressed, not to the corporate body but to you or me? What if we are individually challenged to claim our unique and sacred place within the circle? The suggestion would be that there is a unique place, a sacred place in the circle just for you, or for me. It would be a place that nobody else could fill. Yours would be a voice within the circle with which no one else could speak. The circle would be stronger because you were there, or weaker without you.

Similarly, how would it be if we were to challenge members or friends to step up and claim their own unique and sacred place in the circle? Are there post-congregational persons, perhaps youth or young adults who are passionate about peace and justice that need to be invited to participate in the Canadian National Conference? Are there people who care about feeding the hungry who should be invited to participate in or lead congregational efforts to abolish poverty and end suffering? Are there members and friends who work for peace that need to be nominated for the Canadian National Conference Peace Award? (Note: its not too late; we are still accepting nominations even though the website says the deadline is March 1, 2012.)

It is worth thinking about. Is there someone you need to invite to claim their unique and sacred place in the circle? Have you claimed your place?

Posted by Carman

Recommended (next)

This one is for those who will be preaching this year. The Gospel for Year B (2012) is Mark. For some good background reading on the second gospel you might like to go here . While you're there, by all means look around.

This is the Working Preacher website that always offers some interesting insight into the lectionary scriptures for the week.

Our CPI pastors will be especially interested in the January 15 essay. Ask any one of them the special significance of the fig tree.

I realize there are many links in this particular post, but all of them will bring you to this excellent resource for you "working preachers" reading What's the Good Word today.

Posted by Marion

Poets

The announcement concerning the 2011 Giller Prize Shortlist happened at the same time that I began spending more time with the poems of the prophet Jeremiah. Then almost immediately after came news that another poet, Tomas Transtroemer of Sweden, has won the Nobel prize for Literature. The juxtaposition of these three events has had me thinking about the role of poets and other artists in society.

It is probably clear to anyone reading the Book of Jeremiah that the book is largely poetry. Even though the text was originally written in Hebrew, the modern English translations still retain the unmistakable imprint of skilled, creative and careful crafting of words expressing ideas. For the reader, ingesting this text has the effect of savoring a delicious and sweet use of language applied to a very bitter subject matter; the conquest of the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel and the enslavement of its people. The central question is, if we are God’s chosen people, how could God let this happen? The author quickly posits an answer to this question, although not one the average person would have been likely to readily welcome. He certainly did not win a Nobel Prize, nor a popularity contest either!

Great writers; poets, novelists and other artists, always have something they wish to (or need to) say. In this sense, they perform something of a prophetic function. Their work often provides us with a new lens for looking at a given subject or situation. That lens often brings a different perspective than that which is upheld in the public media or the court of public opinion. Sometime we find their observations uncomfortable. Often we may disagree with their point of view. Whether we agree or not, however, we generally recognize that what such persons have to say matters, just as Jeremiah's words matter.

Sadly, I have not read any of the current list of work by the Giller nominees. Some are new young-adult authors who are being welcomed to the Canadian literary table, and that is a very good thing. They will no doubt bring a new perspective to whatever it is they are thinking and writing about, either now or in some future work. Even without having read these authors, I am pleased at their inclusion.

And so here we are, back to the subject of books in this blog. What a surprise! So let me ask you, read any good poets lately?

Posted by Carman

Why?

The disciples came up and asked "Why do you tell stories?"

He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight, it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories, to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen til they're blue in the face and not get it.

Matthew 13,
from the Message

There is a Zen saying that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. It seems to me that this something like Jesus is saying here. But the teacher is the story! Each story has something to teach. We may or may not be ready for the teaching; but we remember a story. The stories I've shared with you this week are stories I've heard for years. Some of them have been around for centuries, just waiting to teach something.

Another thing I've learned from stories is that they don't always teach the same lesson to the different people who hear them. And they don't necessarily teach me the same lesson I may have gleaned the first time I heard the tale.

How many sermons have you heard of the good Samaritan, or the scattered seeds, or the widow sweeping her home? And how many different "lessons" have you considered? Too often we may have believed that this or that lesson is the correct meaning. This must be what Jesus really meant by his parable.

But I think otherwise. I think the story may indeed have different lessons to teach at various times and to new generations of hearers. When we are ready we can learn the lesson that is right for us. Even these ancient stories can give us new insights if we let them. Let your heart be open to whatever new lesson the Spirit wants to teach. Let the story nudge you into a new direction.

That's my advice today at the end of this week of stories.

Posted by Marion

Clarity

In the blog post Action, I mentioned Kris Judd’s invitation to Dwell in the Word. The following thoughts are offered as a further reflection on that process.

Dwelling in the Word is a practice all disciples can use in their personal spiritual formation. It is a way of exploring scriptural passages more deeply and reflecting on what those verses have to say to us. You can find guidance about using this spiritual tool by clicking here, and scrolling down to “Personal Spiritual Practices.” It is a method you may find very helpful.

For the month of June, those who have joined this journey with Kris have been reflecting on Doctrine and Covenants 163: 1-4. On a recent morning, as I read this page again, my attention was caught, not by the words or phrases in the document itself, but by a sentence in the preamble.

I place these words in the church’s hand, trusting that the Spirit will enable the faith community to hear the call of God today with increasing clarity.

Clarity! Isn’t that what each of us is searching for? Do you, like me, spend huge amounts of time searching for this elusive commodity? Whether walking, driving, working, resting, sleeping, praying, or reading, aren’t we always searching for greater clarity in our lives? Isn’t it a major desire of our hearts to have a clearer sense of our life’s purpose, or said another way, of God’s purpose in our lives? And here is that word, embedded in a document we have read over and over again.

The search for clarity is what calls us to greater depth in our personal spiritual practice. It is what moves us to want to Dwell in the Word, or listen to inspiring music, or mediate. or pray. Without it, we may always harbour doubts about whether our actions are in sync with our life’s true purpose.

But the phrase used by President Veazey is “increasing clarity.” Somehow that seems to sum it up just about perfectly. No matter how much clarity we attain, there is always more to be seen and understood. Our understanding is always partial and we May have just scratched the surface. We can always go deeper. Of course we will need to put the clarity we have achieved into action while we do that, but like scientist probing the mysteries of space, the quest is never fully achieved. There is always more to see.

May you be blessed with increasing clarity as you go about your journey with God today.

Posted by Carman

Favourites

One of the blogs we follow (it’s RevGalBlogPals over in our sidebar) posted a request for favourite scriptures the other day. At first I thought I didn’t really have any, or at least not five of them I could quote off the top of my head. I used to think I just could not remember chapter and verse at all! But that has changed.

One of the first I recall thinking “I can remember that!” was Jeremiah 31:31. Paraphrasing a couple of verses that begin there: God said, I will make a new covenant... I will put my law into their hearts and I will be their God and they will be my people.

And I recall the old question used to divide the congregation. “Are you a Great Commission Christian or a Lukan Manifesto person?” In other words, do you prefer Go into all the world and make disciples (Matt 28) or would you rather bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind and let the oppressed go free (Luke 4)? I know, I know. It needn't be either/or and can be both/and.

Of course I was delighted to find Mark 12:28 And Jesus had spent all day arguing with the Sadducees. That felt like a verse made just for me, after all, how bad can it be if Jesus spent the whole day arguing? And another I often think of, especially if the dampness has got into my joints: Strengthen the weak hands; make firm the feeble knees (Isaiah 35:3).

Many have grabbed hold of some of the later passages from the Doctrine and Covenants, and there is some wonderful poetry there as well as memorable scripture, but I still like Section 119:8b a whole lot: all are called according to the gifts of God unto them…let them labour together for the work intrusted to all.

Why I even had a passage from the book of Moroni read at my ordination: whatsoever thing is good is just and true; nothing that is good denies the Christ but acknowledges that he is. (Moroni 10: 6) I like the rest of that chapter pretty much too. And I expect several of you to be thinking of King Benjamin’s words.

Several of those who commented on the Gals’ blog quoted Micah. And it’s true. You really can’t beat it: He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

So there you have some of MY favourites. Care to share some of yours? And do you remember chapter and verse?

Posted by Marion

Scripture

I'm thinking about favourite scripture verses this morning. I've got a couple that I have posted on my bulletin board. I remember when I first read Isaiah 35:3 I did a big "whoopee! that's for me!"

I must have been feeling particularly achy that day:
Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees.

It's probably a good thing I didn't find Mark 12: 28 any sooner than I did. How bad can it be if Jesus spent a whole day at it?

And Jesus had been all day arguing with the Sanhedrin.

I've had great conversations with various groups of people about whether we feel more drawn to the Great Commission or the Lukan Manifesto.

Matthew 28: Go into all the world and make disciples...
Luke 4: Tell the good news to the poor, set the captive free, bring sight to the blind...

That's the kind of conversation a few of us had under that famous Erie Beach tree. Would you believe we spent almost two hours on Matthew 1:1-17. It could be because most of us skip over that part when we read Matthew's gospel. Who knew there was just so much treasure in a list of Jesus' ancestors!

Oh what we're missing!

Anybody care to share your favourites? And a couple of lines about why would be great as well.