Elizabeth Scripturient (the delinquent, ecumenical (hermionesviolin) wrote,
Elizabeth Scripturient (the delinquent, ecumenical

[CAUMC] LtQ 4.1 "restoring relationships" [2006-01-04]

notes from the handout (and ensuing discussion):

* "re-ligio": "re-link" -- religion should be about reconnecting with the divine and with each other

* "At the heart of the Biblical tradition is the notion that truth doesn't come to us primarily as fact, creed, or scripture.  It is best conveyed through story" (p. 1).

* three major "macro-stories" (Marcus Borg) of the Bible:
1. bondage and liberation
2. exile and return
3. sin and forgiveness [I wanted them to include a primer on Jewish ideas about what sin is/means]

1. bondage and liberation
* Exodus story... I couldn't help thinking about Joel's class and the observation that God wanted Pharaoh to free the Israelites so that they could worship YHWH -- that it's not quite "liberation" in the way we might perceive of it (e.g. being totally self-determining) ... which then segues into thoughts about how slavery was such a normative part of their worldview at that time
* The "Canaanite" perspective was mentioned -- about how in those same stories of liberation and hope, God endorses conquest and genocide.  I was pleased at this, because of course I get twitchy when the God of the Bible is conceived of as fuzzy-wuzzy.

2. exile and return
* This opened with Psalm 137, ending with "How could we sing the LORD'S song in a foreign land?" and it reminded me so strongly of Monday Night in Westerbork.

3. sin and forgiveness
* even the writers of the time didn't entirely understand Jesus' death
* "Christ died for our sins" can mean "to save us from our sins" or "because of/on account of our sins"
* various atonement theories (satisfaction, substitution, ransom, victory, moral)
Mike dug into the problematics of some of these/how they were articulated here, on a very detailed level.  I was glad that thoughtful discussion was had even though I was feeling too tired to participate much.
As discussion went on, I was also noticing that none of the atonement theories particularly pinged me, though it's definitely something I wanna study further.

* Micah: "Do Justice, Love Kindness, and Walk Humbly with your God."


Trelawney affirmed my patience.  Hello, irony.  I had arrived a few minutes after seven, concerned because recently they've been starting promptly at seven, but I was the first person there except Trelawney, who had been waylaid by Gary and was still making photocopies.  It hadn't really occurred to me that I was being patient, which I guess says something.

Meredith said she loved my outfit (patchwork blouse, black brocade jacket, black pants and boots as per usual) and also Affirmed my articulateness or something -- again with the irony.  She said I seemed very deliberate in my speaking and that there was one word I used which she was impressed by, though she couldn't remember it now.

Eric affirmed Mike's use of the word "fealty."

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