"Called to Question"
Summer 2006 Bible Study

Prologue, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2

"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."

Thank you Bob for keeping us in the loop.

The group plunged right in to what looks like a gripping book, Joan Chittister's "Called to Question, a Spiritual Memoir". The author kept a journal of reflections from a wide variety of thinkers and mystics, and in this book, she expands those reflections to the inward life, immersion in life, resistance, feminist spirituality, ecology, and dailiness.

Our facilitator for the night led us through the Prologue, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 in a series of guided readings, rather than presenting from an outline, so this report will be short.

As soon as the facilitator read her chosen quotes, other members chimed in with theirs. At least for the Prologue and Chapter 1, we virtually read the whole text aloud again. At one point, the author wrote of old beliefs "lying like shards of a broken jar" at her feet after events or her questioning took her to a deeper level than the clichés of spiritual immaturity. One was the old belief that only Roman Catholics could enter heaven. Early in her childhood she knew this to be wrong, because her Presbyterian father was the kindliest, gentlest, most saintly man she knew. Later, as a superior in the Benedictine order, she and her peers rolled their eyes when a cardinal in Rome insisted on mandatory daily mass for all sisters, even though the shortage of priests left most convents priestess.

We were directed to consider what "shards" we see at our own feet at this particular point in our spiritual journeys. Several of us related profound changes in our beliefs and practices as we grew, and noted how the Catholic Church itself had cast off many of the old rules, such as requiring that only the priest could touch the host and chalice.

Break time came, but the treats did not - no one had volunteered for this privilege, and even the storied "box of perpetual cookies" was absent from its usual place in the church refrigerator. Five loaves and two fishes were not to be found. How lacking was our faith! How empty were our tummies! We did manage a pot of decaf, though, so the table fellowship survived.

Our undaunted leader dragged us back to small groups in which she assigned us a Lectio Divina, which is a repeated reading and silent reflection on a passage, followed by sharing of our insights. The reading tonight was from Letters to Young Poet by Ranier Maria Rilke (1903). When we completed the reading, we each prayed over the person to our right for blessings related to the insights that person had shared. A wonderful exercise! Thanks, Maggie.

Next week: Tuesday, August 15, 2006: Chapters 3, 4, and 5 of Chittister "Called to Question"

• Facilitator: Denise
• Opening prayer: Louise
• Treats: Jean
• Closing prayer: Nancy

Hanta Yo!
Rik Murray
(612) 872-8694