"Called to Question"
Summer 2006 Bible Study
Chapters 10, 11 and 12
"Called to Question"
Summer 2006 Bible Study
Chapters 10, 11 and 12
| "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
A great big thank you to Claire for filling us in on the happenings down
in
the hall at the old country church!
Last night our small group welcomed Julie, a newcomer who joined us
looking
for an activity at St. Joan's where she could get involved, and we
enjoyed
her reflections adding to the evening's discussion. A number of us
had
met Julie in various ways and times previously, and we look forward to the
continued richness of her participation in the bible study.
Attached are the notes handed out at bible study last night. We
continued
with last week's tradition of diving into these
three chapters wherever those present were drawn. It was a lively and
very
personal conversation.
We were treated to a lovely home-baked chocolate cake, rising high and
creamily topped with a smooth rich chocolate frosting. How can you beat
that? With a big squirt of whipped cream into your coffee cup before
adding that fine Free Trade decaf we all love. The Youth Ad Hoc
committee
just happened to be touring the Youth Room right next to the kitchen at
8:00
so we were blessed to be joined by them in the rapturous 9x13 pan of
bliss.
Privileges for next week, Tuesday September 5 on Chapters 13, 14, 15
Here follows the overview...
Hearing someone else's story illuminates our own. And so we continue
with
the next 3 chapters of Joan's reflections on her life, with many quotes
lifted straight from Joan's book as jumping points for our discussion
tonight.
*** Chapter 10: Commitment: The place of change in the spiritual life
***
Joan tells the story of another novice who left after taking first vows as
an important event to illustrate the two questions that need to be asked
about the nature of commitment: 1.) When does it happen? 2.) What is it
about?
Daily. To move always.
*** Chapter 11: Balance: Going through life whole and holy ***
Discuss "busy". Joan states that business requires its own kind of
spiritual discipline and practice.
p. 85 Joan describes a "spiritual posture" for good mental health; to be
gentle, humble, and that exterior calm leads to interior quiet.
What is "your thing" that when you are busy at it, you are a co-creator of
the world?
p. 87 Joan talks about attitude, and the quality of our lives when we
shape
a spirituality of balance. Peace is a choice.
*** Chapter 12: Darkness: A way to the light ***
Joan too tells of sinking into little daily depressions, finding things
unbearable, and stewing in the juices of yesterday. And then tells of
when
her safe and familiar vocation was shaken up and she survived and changed.
Even though she admits that reluctance to change has been the scourge of
her
life.
Think about when it was a wrenching thing to pull them up and move on.
Joan talks about putting roots into the earth of her comfort zone and
refusing to move into the light! And, that the spiritual life does not
come cheap. It is a walk into the dark with the God who is the light that
leads us through darkness. Joan says that darkness is the way we come
to
see. That darkness is a very spiritual thing.
Think about darkness in your life. About suffering. About the desert.
About coming out the other side, into the light. P. 92
Joan talks about the cross teaching us hope. About surviving our
crosses,
rising alive from the grave of despair.
When have you given hope to another, by showing that you survived?
By showing that you cared about those in darkness?
Besides hope, suffering brings patience, to wait for the light we cannot
see.
Suffering can lead us to be poor with the poor, to be oppressed with the
oppressed, to go beyond ourselves, to reach out beyond our own pain. We
must see ourselves as ambassadors of understanding. We suffer in order
to
become the presence of God ourselves.
What about the sin of "security"?
Here's her punchline: The God of the Dance beckons us out of the caves of
the soul to faith and trust and new beginnings. But we prefer the dark.
Somehow we need to retain what is valuable from the past and move with
courage and vigor into the future. Read p. 95 and this:
Darkness is one of the ways to God; darkness is on the way... so long as
we
don't stop there.
Peace.
SJA Bible Study Chapters 10,11,12 August 29, 2006
Joan says, Commitment does not end at its beginning.
Clinging to yesterday.
Thank you Claire!
Peace is u
Rik Murray
(612) 872-8694