Adult Spirituality Group notes, 5/15/11

On Sunday 5/15, we discussed the chapter, "Week 7 - Risen" to conclude the book, Calmly Plotting the Resurrection:

EMPTINESS - Thea W. highlighted that there are many ways to gain insights about God from one's personal experience in creation. "In God's house there are many mansions. Many rooms. There is a place for you who failed to keep alive or to love perfectly your own child." (p. 80)
- Rose B., a school teacher, responded that it's necessary to hold emptiness in one's heart for insights to arise. "Everyday, I lead class in group breathing exercise to center people's attention for study."
- Charles begins stressful encounters with a brief prayer.
- Don added that a person needs to release the sense of failure to persist for success.
- Bob, "We all benefit from finding emptiness, a balanced space to be able to focus and integrate disparate elements that cause stress."
- Day M. spring-cleaned and child-proofed the entire house & yard to prep for my sister's and nieces' arrival to allow them to experience the wonder of discovery untainted by the stress of dangers.

BOOK QUOTE ABOUT STRINGS - "We remain string to short to be saved until God forgives us and then we connect. We become something strong and useful and capable of holding other stuff together. String separated is nothing; string connected is something."(p. 83)
"It's important to not just house-clean our hearts, but to butler (organize & bring harmony) them." (Day M.)
"I think our reactions to others should be nuanced to encompass what they intend. Therefore, we should spend some time to craft our response to be able to be effective, heart-to-heart, not just have a visceral polarizing gut response that can pull people apart." (Francis)

Regarding DAY 4, Pastor Dan mentioned that his ministerial role is to be a keeper of the story, the vessel.
Regarding DAY 5, Rose B. noted that it's really important to have depth of conversations.

Charles passed out our next read, Seeing Gray- in a World of Black and White (Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics).
- For next Sunday, we'll read the Forward, Introduction, and Part 1 - Chapter One. (until page 8).