Aloha friends, I heard many people ask, "What's next!?" Several expressed a desire to have another experience like what we shared this Lent. A crucial piece of designing the next faith formation program is hearing from you! If you did not already complete an evaluation at the final session then I encourage you to take a few minutes with the form below. Mahalo! Create your own user feedback survey
Before each session, the facilitators and I meet to review the material and generate questions. There are always far more questions than time. So here is the full list of questions for Service: The Needs Right in Front of You. 1. When have you felt like a “real” Christian? In other
words, when did it feel like it all came together and you were doing just what God was calling you to do? 2. What makes someone a “faithful” Christian? OR Think of someone you know that you would call a faithful Christian, what about that person makes you think of them in that way? 3. In the video Enuma Okoro said, “If I didn’t have a cross to bear or some real discomfort, how could I be a genuine Christian?” Have you ever felt this way? Where do you think ideas like this come from? 4. In the video Enuma Okoro says that the church is not limited to a building but that “the church is found wherever we practice serving God by using our hands and feet to bring a fraction more of healing to the broken lives and places in our world.” What about this definition of church speaks to you? What about this definition of the church does not resonate for you? 5. In the video Enuma Okoro says that, “…service is rooted in seeing.” What does this phrase mean to you? 6. Talk about the assumptions and labels we use to talk about neighborhoods and towns of O’ahu. What are the “bad” parts? Who are the needy people? What areas seem to show up a lot in the news? 7. It is easy to often associate “need” with “crisis”. When we talk about people in need what images come to mind? What needs often go unnoticed? 8. When was a time you’ve felt in need? What helped you get through that time? 9. Much like sharing, serving is rooted in relationship and motivated by love. What relationships have been on your mind and heart lately? 10. Have you ever been on a mission trip? What was that experience like for you? 11. How have acts of service have felt meaningful in your life?
Our Lenten journey as come to an end. At our final session we
dove the topic of Service. The video segment featuring Enuma Okoro was powerful and helpful. Ms. Okoro invited us to reframe our understanding of Christian service from something that had to be done in far away places with grand gestures to something that could be experienced in our neighborhoods rooted in ongoing relationships.
I believe the central idea of her message could be summed up in her statement, "service is rooted in seeing".
Being attuned to those in our neighborhood.
Being aware of the needs of others that we pass by everyday.
Being mindful that in each person is the imago dei, the image of God.
Service grows from understanding the needs around us and being inspired to act because by serving our neighbors, we are serving the Holy One (Matthew 25).
Enuma Okoro's presentation reminded me of, what I believe to be, a core principle to following the way of Christ.
Available and Willing
In Genesis 3 we hear the first question God asks of creation, "Where are you?" It is a wonderfully profound question.
Throughout the scriptures we see men and women responding to that question, to the call of God, with three simple, and dangerous, words.
"Here I am."
This posture or disposition, speaks of being available and willing.
Being available and willing is about creating space; space in our mind, space in our heart; space in our schedule. The creation of space enables us to greet the daily interruptions of another, or an idea or a question with curiosity instead of hostility. The Holy Spirit rarely makes an appointment and instead shows up in surprising and unexpected ways throughout our lives. How can prepare ourselves to see our neighbor, to see the needs of others, to see what the spirit is doing in our midst?
We make ourselves available to the spirit of God by lowering the walls of anxiety that distance us from others. We make ourselves available by resisting the tyranny of the urgent. Through prayer, meditation, or a myriad of other Christian practices we can center ourselves on God and watch for what surfaces.
When we make ourselves available to God we will soon hear God's call. The question then becomes, are we willing to take the next step? Willingness is a matter of stepping forward and being physically, emotionally, and spiritually present. Willingness is entering into places of vulnerability, uncertainty, and sometimes taking a step of faith when we are unsure about the path’s destination.
Being available and willing is a continuous spiritual practice.
Last week we heard from Shane Claiborne, a founding member of the Simple Way (self described as a web of subversive friends, conspiring to spread the vision of "Loving God, Loving People, and Following Jesus" in our neighborhoods and in our world).
The video discussed money and faith, sharing and scripture, a theology of enough and income inequality (by the way, I found an interesting article on the topic, Economic Inequality: Should We Call it Sin?). It was a challenging and thought provoking session. Below is another video with Shane Claiborne expounding on the idea of enough.
No matter how you count the references to finances, wealth, or poverty in the scriptures, money is one of the most talked about issues in the Bible. It's clear that it is an important topic to the faith. The challenge is that there is no overarching unified statement about money in scripture.
Some parts seem to imply that you should give 10% of your earnings.
Other parts speak of a jubilee, a release from debt and redistribution of wealth
Some parts refer to individual decisions while other parts speak to communal or societal guidelines
Jesus tells some to give away all that they have and yet he does not say that to all
While there may not be a simple formula for how we are to use the money we have, there are some clear and consistent messages related to money.
There is a clear message that how we practice our faith and how we use the resources we have are interwoven.
There is a consistent message that God cares a great deal for the poor.
There is a unified consistent message about love, about loving others and about drawing the circle of that love wider still, about plumbing the depths of that love.
It is clear that the questions of who we love and how we love must always be before us. And if Christ is our model for how to address these questions then some other truths become clear.
We see that love will lead us to give.
We see that love will lead us into relationship with those labeled as the least, the lost, the abandoned and the marginalized.
We see that love will be our source of strength as we journey in faith.
There is a wide spectrum between hoarding all that we have and giving away all that we have to the poor. Rather than throwing up our hands at the overwhelming idea of giving it all away, perhaps we can listen for the next small step of faith Christ is calling us to take in regards to our wealth and the world's needs.
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For our last session we will be discussing the video, Service: The Needs Right in Front of You with Enuma Okoro. You can learn a bit about Ms Okoro from the video below promoting her book "Reluctant Pilgrim".
Before each session, the facilitators and I meet to review the material and generate questions. There are always far more questions than time. So here is the full list of questions for Money: The Joy of Sharing. 1.What lessons about money did your family / the culture / your faith teach you when you were young? How have those lessons changed over time? 2.What makes money a difficult subject to talk about? 3.In the video Shane Claiborne says, “The best things to do with the best things in life is to give them away.” How does this sound to you? What prevents or gives pause to your giving? Is there another way to finish that phrase that is compelling for you, “the best things to do with the best things in life is to…” 4.Last week we talked about the sacraments as a way that we visibly seal our lives to God. How might the use of our financial resources be a way that we visibly seal our lives to God in the everyday? 5.In the video Shane Claiborne says that some people talk about their lives were messed up until they found Jesus, but in his own experience he says that, “My life was pretty together then I met Jesus and he messed me up.” In what ways has your faith helped put your life together and in what ways has faith messed it up? 6.In your opinion, how is the ever widening economic chasm related to the Christian faith? 7.The scriptures speak repeatedly about money and financial matters. What are verses from the bible that you remember hearing and/or reading? How have you understood these verses? How (if at all) have these verses shaped your decisions about money? 8.What messages (overt or implied) about money have you heard at Central Union (e.g. in a sermon or Bible study or at the Aloha Lanai, etc)? 9.Shane Claiborne advocates for a theology of enough; an idea referenced in Proverbs 30:7-9.
“Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die. Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need, or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, “Who is the Lord?” or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.”
How do you define what is enough and what is excess? What rubric do you use? What communities or individuals do you look to as a guide? 10.In the video Shane Claiborne says, “Generosity has to be provoked in us by love.” When, in your life, have you seen love provoke (or inspire) generosity? 11.In Acts 2:37-47 and Acts 4:32-35 the scripture says that the early church shared their resources in order to care for those in need. What are ways Central Union could pool or share resources (not just finances) in order to be a blessing? 12.What are the concerns or barriers to sharing our resources?
13.When have you shared your money, your time, and/or your effort in a way that was new for you or felt like a stretch? What came about in your life because of the gift you gave?
Aloha friends, In her discussion on the sacraments, Phyllis Tickle defines this church tradition in accordance with her Anglican tradition saying sacraments are,
"an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof".
It's a poetic definition. In the United Church of Christ, sacraments are,
"...ritual actions in worship which, according to Scripture, were instituted by Jesus. In the sacraments of baptism and communion we ask the Holy Spirit to use water, bread, and wine to make visible the grace, forgiveness, and presence of God in Christ."
The light from both definitions illuminate and create shadows or questions.
For baptism, do we sprinkle at infancy or do we dunk in adulthood?
Should we come forward to take communion from a pastor or should we receive the individual elements in our seats?
Does the significance of a sacrament come from our understanding of it's symbolism or does it have an inherent power regardless of our understanding? In other words, what role does the Holy Spirit play in the sacraments?
Christ instructed his followers to do many things, what separates some of them sacraments?
There is an undeniable and inscrutable mystery to the sacraments. Perhaps this is why I loved Phyllis Tickle's other comment on the them.
"Sacraments are an invitation into the mystery of God’s unbreakable bond with humanity."
When we speak of God as the Trinity, we are speaking of a mysterious relationship, one that we are invited to take part in. Perhaps the sacraments are one of the ways that we enter into that sacred and beautiful bond. We certainly hear this in the way that the United Church of Christ talks about baptism and communion. In the UCC Book of Worship it says, "Through baptism a person is joined with the universal church, the body of Christ" and that communion is "an earnest prayer for the presence of the Holy Spirit to unite those who partake with the Risen Christ and with each other, and to restore creation, making all things new". The sacraments are a mystery and they are a visible vow. Through the sacraments we publicly pledge ourselves to God and we receive God's promise to us and to all of creation. Perhaps this is why the most poignant question for me in Phyllis Tickle's discussion on the sacraments is,
"How shall we visibly seal our lives to God?"
Or to put it another way,
"How can our lives become an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace?"
In thinking about this question and about the sacraments (specifically the sacrament of penance), I was reminded of a beautiful application of this question highlighted in Donald Miller's book, "Blue Like Jazz". Check out the video below that discusses how they fleshed out grace.
I'm looking forward to seeing you next week when we jump into our next Animate theme, Money: The Joy of Sharing. Here is a clip of next week's speaker Shane Claiborne to give you some background and insight on his perspective.
Before each session, the facilitators and I meet to review the material and generate questions. There are always far more questions than time. So here is the full list of questions for Sacraments: A Tapestry of Traditions.
1.What “churchy” words would you appreciate a definition for? 2.In the United Church of Christ we celebrate two of the original seven sacraments (Holy Communion and Baptism). Which of the other five sacraments do you think it would be good to emphasize as a means of connecting with God?
Holy Orders: Setting someone apart for ministry (i.e. ordaining someone for the pastorate or diaconate)
Penance: Working to make it right. Penance refers to acts of confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Anointing the Sick: Offering a prayer for one who is sick, injured, or dying.
Confirmation: Saying yes! Affirming the baptism one received when an infant and joining the church.
Matrimony: Covenant of love between two people affirmed and blessed by God.
3.Share a time when participating in Holy Communion or Baptism felt significant for you. 4.Do you feel like you are making a pledge to God when you participate in Holy Communion or Baptism? If so, what are you pledging? 5.What questions did this video raise for you about the sacraments? 6.Phyllis Tickle share’s this definition of a sacrament, “Sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” How is this definition helpful for you? What questions does it raise for you? 7.A central question in the video is, “How shall we visibly seal our lives to God?” What about this question is compelling or intriguing for you? What about this question gives you pause or troubles you? 8.How shall we visibly seal (affirm/bind) our lives to God? 9.How much does the “how” of sacraments (e.g. baptism, sprinkle or dunk: communion, in our seats or come to the front), matter to you? What about the “how” is important to you? 10.Phyllis Tickle says that, “Sacraments are an invitation into the mystery of God’s unbreakable bond with humanity.” When was a time that sharing in the sacraments helped you feel connected to God?
Aloha friends, At our second session I shared my belief that each small group discussion needs to be guided by some shared norms of behavior or ground rules for how we are with one another. While every group should determine for themselves how to communicate and how to listen with respect, I did offer three suggestions. Believe the Best: One of my favorite lines in the much beloved 1 Corinthians 13 chapter on love says, "Love believes all things." I think this little phrase says a lot. In it I hear a call to give the benefit of the doubt, to begin from a place of trust, and to assume good intentions. In the context of small group discussion, this can be talked about as making a distinction between intention and impact. In our small groups let's listen to one another believing the best of intentions in the speaker. As we listen, let us be cognizant that what someone intended to say is not necessarily the same as how we heard it, or the impact it had on us. Before we craft a respond based upon the impact of someone's words, let us first seek to understand their intentions. And let's begin that journey from a place of trust. Tell Your Story: The lasting power of our sessions will likely come from the stories we share with one another in our small groups. Because of this, I encourage you to take a step of faith and trust the members of your group with some of your story. Conversely, reinforce the safety and sanctity of the small group discussion time by not telling the stories of others. Let the members of your group tell their own story. This speaks to confidentiality. It would be good for each group to discuss what expectations and assumptions they have around confidentiality. Yet, a good place to begin is with the guiding principle that you tell your story and you let others tell their own story. Step Up / Step Back: Every group is a mixture of personalities and communication styles, introverts and extroverts. Every group can benefit from a bit of self moderation. If it seems as though you haven't shared your ideas or given your story then I encourage you to step up and add your voice to the mix. If you keep hearing your voice, you answer every question, or your a bit winded from all of the talking you've been doing then consider stepping back and making space for others. The facilitators of each group are their to help ensure that all are heard and/or valued. Yet each group member has a role to play in this to through self moderation. Guidelines like this are what help us foster meaningful conversation. Here's the kind of scenario we're trying to avoid.
Before each session, the facilitators and I meet to review the material and generate questions. There are always far more questions than time. So here is the full list of questions for Food: Eating with Jesus. 1.What was your last great meal? What did you eat? Who were you eating with? What made it memorable? 2.What value was placed upon food in your family? What rules or norms accompanied meals and/or food? 3.When have you experienced food as a barrier to relationships? When has food helped you build relationships? 4.Has there ever been a time when you were hungry or under nourished? How did that feel? How did it feel to overcome your hunger? 5.What is the role of food in your life? 6.Sara Miles says, "Jesus provides the only meal that can’t be bought and can’t be eaten alone." What does this mean for you? 7.How many of you thought the video was about food as sustenance for life or about the quality of food (organic versus not organic)? What if food was a metaphor for something else? (ie, Lord’s Prayer, the bread of life, etc). 8.Does food bring you closer to God? 9.Pay attention to the food rules and messages about food this week. Bring your observations back next week to share with your group. 10.What role does food play at Central Union? What kinds of foods do we eat? What unspoken expectations or customs do we have around meals at church? 11.Food provides a means of sharing God’s love – God’s life – to everyone. How can you use food or a meal time to share God’s love this week? Reflecting on food as a way to bless, include, and build relationships, how might you do a meal differently this week?
12.How might you share a meal this week with someone you don’t typically eat with? If no ideas come to mind then this might be a place for prayer. Ask God to place someone on your mind and heart to share a meal with.
Before each session, the facilitators and I meet to review the material and generate questions. There are always far more questions than time. So here is the full list of questions for Prayer: Oriented Toward God.
1.What feelings does the word “prayer” well up within you?
2.When is a time you felt as though a prayer was answered? When is a time you felt as though a prayer was not answered?
3.What have you heard the church say about prayer?
4.How does the promise in Romans 8:26-27 make you feel about prayer?
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
5.What parts of the Lord’s Prayer speak to you? What parts of the Lord’s Prayer spark questions for you?
6.What kind of experiences have you had where prayer seemed to make a difference in some way?
7.What kind of experiences have you had where prayers offered by someone else seemed to make a difference in your life some way?
8.What are barriers in your life to prayer? Or, what makes it difficult to pray?
9.If you were going to designate a certain part of your house or a particular time of day to prayer, what would it be?
10.This coming Sunday, the unison prayer in the 7AM and 9AM worship service will be:
“Father of Lights, search us and know us. Disturb us and rouse us from our sleep. Awaken us by the dawn of your presence. Enlighten our courage; enliven our compassion; illuminate our creativity so that by our works the world would see flashes of you. We pray this in Christ’s name, he who is the light of the world. Amen.”
What (if any) parts of this prayer might be something you say this week? In other words how might this prayer connect with your life and shape your prayers?
11.Brian McLaren talked about four moves in the Lord’s Prayer, how might one (or more) of these moves be life-giving for you?
Wake Up: “Our Father in Heaven…”
Tune Up: “Your Kingdom Come…”
Ask: “Give Us this Day…”
Re-enter: “Lead Us Not into Temptation…”
12.What would it look like for prayer to be life-changing for you? What might change in your daily rhythms of life?
13.What might you experiment with this week in regards to prayer?
