"Called to Question"
Summer 2006 Bible Study
Chapter 15
"Called to Question"
Summer 2006 Bible Study
Chapter 15
| "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." |
With our two normal scribes truant, our lovely facilitator was kind enough
to pass on her notes and commentary on the evenings' experience. Take it
away, Rita!
We had an all-women review down at the old Country Church this week. Were
the men afraid of confronting the chapters on resistance, or were more
benign forces at work? The issue was undecided; however, we did agree that
the men of the Bible study are above average and generally not afraid of
difficult conversation. (We appreciate that!) As we took our seats, we
were surprised by a drop in visit from a queen. Amid the strains of Pomp
and Circumstance, Queen of the Week Nancy, who is celebrating a "significant
birthday" (80, if you just have to know), marched in to the gathering,
complete with purple robe, crown and scepter. Such a sight to behold!
She even brought her own birthday cake. Now that's my kind of queen.
Once we settled down, we jumped right into the topic of "Resistance: the
gospel imperative." Although the reading material was quite brief, it was
chock full of juicy tidbits to discuss. Pithy, pithy stuff. Man! We miss
Noel and her pithy comments. I could have wallowed in the chapter on
Justice all night, but fairness dictated we pushed on to Power in the
Powerless. It is impossible to capture the depth and breadth of the
conversations we have had around this book - you just gotta be there.
Needless to say, reading material about "Justice" and "Power to the
Powerless" coupled with a Primary voting day led us down the inevitable path
of politics. We were hopelessly mired in political discussion when 8:00
chimed, and a cake with blazing birthday candles appeared. The requisite
singing complete, we broke for coffee and cake - delectably moist marble
cake with lots and lots of frosting balloons. A veritable sugar bonanza
for those who are into frosting.
When we reconvened, we made a determined effort to stay on track, but we
still ended up hanging around until 9:15. It's always hard to call it a
night when we're with the Bible study group. We had a lovely closing
prayer to send us on our way, then took the discussion into the parking lot
for the Long Minnesota Goodbye. All in all, another wonderful evening of
fellowship and prayer.
Fyi... attached to the study notes was a copy of Sister Joan Chittister's
recent column in the National Catholic Reporter. You can link to the story
at http://ncrcafe.org/node/430" http://ncrcafe.org/node/430.
Here follows the notes from chapter 15...
Called to Question
Read page 129-130 starting with Joan's journal entry. "Once I see that what
calls itself virtue is really sin, I have no choice but to resist it."
Page 131 - "Maybe the really religious person must, in the end, give up
religion and cling to spirituality - to the essence - instead." How sad
that so many who seek justice and spirituality feel driven from the
religions that form the foundation of our very beings. Think of the exodus
of Catholic religious in the 60's and 70's or the women priests of today
facing excommunication for following the call of God.
"Where there is no effort to create justice, there is no love." Discuss.
Pages 133-134 starting at bottom of page 133 "The more difficult decision
comes when the passion for justice conflicts with the practices of the
church itself..." Think Jesus eating with the tax collectors and sinners
(Matt 9:10-13), the disciples picking and eating grain on the Sabbath (Mark
2:23-28)), the disciples eating without properly washing beforehand (Matt
15:1-10), Peter's vision on the rooftop (Acts 10:9-15), the parable of the
Good Samaritan, and on and on... Let's discuss this in terms of modern
issues.
Page 134 starting with Joan's journal entry. "Those who love a system enough
to want it to be what it says it is, too often find themselves labeled the
enemy within." Think of whistleblowers within corporations, Colleen Rowley
within the FBI, and of course there is Ann Coulter's assertion that those of
us who disagree with the President and this administration are guilty of
treason. What about the women and men in the Catholic church who challenge
the hierarchy on issues of a celibate, male priesthood or the GLBT
community, or birth control? "Why don't you just move to Russia if you
think it's so bad here?" used to be the snappy comeback whenever someone
challenged our national behavior. That sounds a lot like "Why don't you
just leave the church if you don't like it?" Just as witty, don't you
think? Such a thoughtful response...
Continuing page 134 "where does justice lie: to call the church itself to
grow - and so run the risk of undermining its credibility, or to excuse the
sins of the church and so run the risk of dooming it to condemnation by the
very gospel it claims to preach?" This quote really made me think of the
priestly sex abuse scandal. We see how those in authority in the church
tried to cover up the abuse in an effort to somehow not damage the church's
credibility, and how that backfired so terribly when the abuse finally came
to light. Again, when it was left to the church to deal with these issues,
they were swept under the rug. It was only when the outrage and anger of
the victims and their families pushed it into the public arena that the
church finally responded. So what of those Cardinals and Bishops who
"excused the sins of the church?" They not only did a disservice to the
victims, but they also did a disservice to the priest abusers. By keeping
quiet and moving them around, putting these priests right back into
situations fraught with the opportunity for the "occasion of sin," they also
denied these priests the opportunity for real repentance and forgiveness.
Organizations like SNAP and Voice of the Faithful constantly challenge the
Catholic Church to live up to the message of the gospel, and come away
feeling rejected time and again.
* "It is so easy to become hardened against any system that has become
hardened against you."
Page 136-137 "We proclaim Jesus, but we really follow Peter." Discuss.
Page 137 "The love of justice spreads danger everywhere it goes." Central
America, Haiti, South Africa - challenge the power structure and people die.
Page 139-140 "Do we celebrate Eucharist "in remembrance of Him" in "in
imitation of Him?" Joan's recent column addresses the issue of sexism
within our culture and our church. At the end of the column she says: "From
where I stand, the answer is clear. It's not only what sexism says about
women that's wrong. It's what sexism says about God that is the problem.
Sexism says that femaleness is the only thing in creation before which God
is powerless. It says that the God who parted the Red Sea, drew water from a
rock and raised the dead to life goes impotent before a woman. It says that
the only substance on earth that God cannot or will not work through is a
female. Poor God."
Page 142 "If the poor, the women, and the dispossessed sat at the tables
where theological decisions are made, there would be a different set of
sins." WOW! What would that list look like?
* "Only sheep need to be driven. People need to be led."
Page 144 "In the end power does not lie in wealth and authority; it lies in
having nothing to lose." I think of the thousands of Haitians who rally in
the streets for the return of democracy. They are being gunned down in
their neighborhoods, their homes, even the hospitals. What do they have to
lose? They might as well die in public, advocating for justice. Think too
of the suicide bombers in the Middle East. We are powerless against them,
because our soldiers fight from a mindset of wanting to live. Why? Because
they have something to come home to. Those who strap on bombs and get on
the bus feel they have already lost everything. They might as well take out
a few "infidels" on the way and hasten their journey to heaven.
* "I love the concept of 'refusing to endure evil.'"
Privileges for next week are:
Joan Chittister
"Resistance: The Gospel Imperative"
Sept 12, 2006
* "Does virtue lie in endurance - or indignation?"
* "And so the question haunts me: Would Jesus stay in the church
today?"
* "...the real spiritual question is not, Do I have the power to
change this? The real spiritual question is, Do I have the courage to say
no to it?"
Peace, Paz, Shalom,
Rita
Rik Murray
(612) 872-8694