"Is Jesus God?"
Summer 2003 Bible Study

Chapter 9

"St. Joan of Arc Bible Study is an open and growing group that meets for fellowship and to discuss the Bible and other faith-centered literature. Our informal study group draws from biblical scholarship, historical perspectives, current events and personal reflections. We welcome honor and respect the personal ideas and spiritual journeys of all who join us."

Greetings

I can only tell you from hearsay how smashing the gathering was last Tuesday when another first time facilitator took the plunge. Several sources told me it was a grand meeting, set at the Triune Tables in Hospitality Hall.

A dear one filled in admirably for treats as well. It is rumored they enjoyed an unbelievable variety of Ben and Jerry's best ice cream and frozen yogurt and very special fancy cookies. Are you kidding me! French, I'm sure. And I wasn't there! That really frosts a fellow. That will teach me to miss bible study.

We had been discussing the Trinity quite a bit this session so one of us got the official Catholic scoop on this slippery concept.

253 The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity".83 The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: "The Father is that which the Son is, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God."84 In the words of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), "Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature."85

254 The divine persons are really distinct from one another. "God is one but not solitary."86 "Father", "Son", "Holy Spirit" are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son."87 They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds."88 The divine Unity is Triune.

255 The divine persons are relative to one another. Because it does not divide the divine unity, the real distinction of the persons from one another resides solely in the relationships which relate them to one another: "In the relational names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of their relations, we believe in one nature or substance."89 Indeed "everything (in them) is one where there is no opposition of relationship."90 "Because of that unity the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son."91

Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about. It makes perfect sense to me.

Here is the overview. We wish we could inject the warmth and passion of the participation.

SJA SCRIPTURE STUDY SUMMER 2003
IS JESUS GOD? by MICHAEL MORWOOD
CHAPTER 9- IMPLICATIONS FOR MINISTRY

*A Change in Ministry ... In this chapter, Morwood begins "every Christian Community seeks to act as Jesus acted, wanting to make the spirit that moved Jesus visible to all today."

Jesus' approach to ministry was two featured; affirmation (recognizing, naming and affirming the presence of God's Spirit in peoples lives) and the call to witness (calling people to act in accord with this presence).Jesus' ministry consisted in trying to persuade people to share his belief and hopefully that belief would transform their actions. It follows that this, therefore, should be the heart of Christian ministry.

But is it? Does Christian ministry seriously model itself on Jesus' life? Do most Christian churches follow His example, but simply have too many trappings that camouflage or obscure Jesus' message that living in love is living in God? Is Jesus' message so simple that we must make it complicated? Why?

Morwood convincingly states that "Being with People in their lived experience of being vulnerable, broken, joyful, needy, searching and questioning," is a Jesus skill.

This prerequisite for ministry seems so easy to understand, but genuinely living this, for me, proves to be very difficult and requires constant and daily focus. Does it ever become second nature? How difficult is it for each of us to be authentic Christians and minister as Jesus did? Is it even possible?

*Creative Ministry- Creative ministry affirms that our God is intimately a part of the ups and downs of our every day lives. Morwood claims that this sustaining, sacred presence gives meaning to our lives and is the bases of "there is more to life than meets the eye." Have we ever said or heard from others "my life has no meaning"? Is there an age that is more vulnerable to this? What can we do?

*Morwood Takes on the Sacraments- Baptism, for early Christians, was a pledge to the community to live in love, to be open to the spirit, to be the body of Christ in the way they lived and to celebrate the memory of Jesus. Unfortunately, Morwood skips early history of the other sacraments, but goes on to say that in the Middle Ages, the sacraments were reduced to liturgical rituals. We now had a middle-management group, the priests, to confer the sacred on passive recipients. We, the body of Christ were dependent on the liturgical rituals to take away original sin, to bring Jesus to us at communion, to confer gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc. Morwood asserts that the important issue is how to best use the sacraments. (small group discussion?)

1. can sacraments have application and meaning to committed Christians?
2. can sacraments have relevance and meaning for Christians who do not commit themselves to institutional belief and practice?
3. How is the church community to respond to "non-practicing people who knock on the door seeking the sacraments? They are seen as a challenge. "What would Jesus do?"

The above guidelines, according to Morwood nourish and motivate vibrant Christian communities and, importantly, make the "non-practicing" feel welcomed.