Adult Spirituality Group notes

1.  This week, we entertained a question surmised from our reading about Jewish self-identity and their erroneous concept from old times that Israel was given to them.  (They first killed all people's on the land in Israel.) 
- Jews need to figure out how they're going to get beyond the victim/oppressor mentality.  For example, Jews have often taken unfavorable jobs, e.g., money changers.
- Jews have been out of Covenant repeatedly and been brought back.


2.  Ok, we're at the height/depth of the summer!  You should know our schedule.
For next week:  Let's read Chapter 6 (p. 46+), Prologue (p. 73+), & Chapter 7 (p. 80).

While members Rose & Pete will be on vacation, we need leaders for four Sundays:
8/24/14 - Charlotte will lead our book discussion.
8/31/14 - Our class is cancelled for Labor Day.r
9/7/14   - Charlotte will lead our book discussion.
9/13/14 - It is unclear who will lead the week's discussion.  Any volunteers?

P.S. - Charlotte made an Activist Plug -> Don't let the FCC allow a merger of telecommunication companies!  Please read the article by Bill Moyers
"Don’t Let Net Neutrality Become Another Broken Promise".

Adult Spirituality Group notes

Hearts aglow, we began by congratulating ourselves for our nuanced study of history and doing what is pointed out in an issue, entitled (see URL->) "Wade Deep: Bible Study as a Remedy for Shallow Faith" (Circuit Rider magazine May/June/July 2004). 

We soon lathered into discussion:

Chapter 3: You Know Where I Come From

The early Christian community appears not to have been particularly concerned about any aspect of Jesus' life before the launch of his ministry.  This later on became more important.  Reza Aslan, author of our book Zealot, spells out how Jesus was born in the tiny hillside village of Nazareth, not Bethlehem.  Mathew and Luke, in the New Testament, both tried to make Jesus fit into the Jewish myths and prophecies about the coming Messiah.  For example, "The Jewish Messiah is the descendant of King David; he comes to restore Israel, to free the Jews from the yoke of Roman occupation, and to establish God's rule in Jerusalem." (p. 28)

--This chapter reminded Pete Bailey of Joseph Campbell's book, (see URL->) The Power of Myth. 

Chapter 4: The Fourth Philosophy

This chapter discussed the philosophy that was context to Jesus in Palestine.  Jesus toiled as a tecton, a woodworker or builder, six days a week, from sunup to sundown, to build palatial houses for Jewish aristocracy, returning to his crumbling mud-brick home at night.  He would have witnessed for himself the rapidly expanding divide between the absurdly rich and the indebted poor.

--Check out the article, (see URL->) Sunday Homily: Pope Francis on Wealth Redistribution that tackles the chasmic wealth gap today!

The fourth philosophy was centered about the notion of zeal, after which our book Zealot is named.  Zeal implied a strict adherence to the Jewish Torah and the Law, a refusal to serve any foreign master--to serve any human master at all--and an uncompromising devotion to the sovereignty of God.  Many Jews in first-century Palestine strove to live a life of zeal in his or her own way.  During Jesus' lifetime, zealotry did not signify a firm sectarian or a political party.  It was an idea, an inspiration, a model of piety inextricably linked to the widespread sense of apocalyptic expectation that had seized the Jews in the wake of the Roman occupation. (p. 41)

For Next Week:
We should definitely read both Chapter 5 (p. 46+) Where is Your Fleet to Sweep the Roman Seas and the notes (p. 233+).  The notes will enrich our understanding of author Reza Aslan's research.

Adult Spirituality Group notes

This week: 
The Chapter 1 & 2 history helped paint a picture of the tumultuous revolutionary social/political context that Jesus was immersed in and communicated about, e.g.,

"As for the towns of these people that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance," God told the Israelites, "you must not let anything that breathes remain alive. You shall annihilate them all--the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canannites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jubusites--just as the Lord your God has commanded" (Deuteronomy 20:17-18).

Knowing the context helps one sift his 2,000 year message to our present day context.  (Some expressed interest in the book, (see URL) The Sins of Scripture:  Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love, by John Shelby Spong.) 

Jesus was Jewish and quoted old testament scriptures in his talks.  Rose Bailey mentioned that our church should invite (see URL) Rabbi Ted Falcon, who is a member of the Interfaith Amigos, for a sermon about: 
• How renewal of the covenant/10 commandments occurs several times in the Bible to supersede violence.
• How should we interpret the Old Testament today?

For next week:
Please be ready to discuss chapter 3, p. 25+ "You Know Where I Am From" and chapter 4, p. 34+ "The Fourth Philosophy".   Thanks!

Adult Spirituality Group notes

Right now is a great time to join our Adult Spirituality Group.  We're just beginning the book, Zealot - The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, by Reza Aslan.

(from cover slip)  "From the internationally bestselling author of No God But God comes a fascinating, provocative, and meticulously researched biography that challenges long-held assumptions about the man we know as Jesus of Nazareth. 

"Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher and miracle worker walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the "Kingdom of God".  The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order that he was captured, tortured, and executed as a state criminal.

"Within decades after his shameful death, his followers would call him God.

"Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Azlan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor.  Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God.  This was the age of zealotry--a fervent nationalism that made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews.  And few figures better exemplified this principle than the charismatic Galilean who defied both the imperial authorities and their allies in the Jewish religious hierarchy.

"Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction; a man of peace who exhorts his followers to arm themselves with swords; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity a secret; and ultimately the seditious "King of the Jews" whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his brief lifetime.  Aslan explores the reasons why the early Christian church preferred to promulgate the image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary.  And he grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself, the mystery that is at the heart of all subsequent claims about his divinity.

"Zealot yields a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told even as it affirms the radical nature of Jesus of Nazareth's life and mission.  The result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written brilliant portrait of a man, a time, and the birth of a religion." 

We should read the notes in the back of the book along with the extensive bibliography.  They are interesting for Rose because there is more detail and depth.

For next week:  Please read chapter 1 & 2 and be ready to discuss quotes that most engage you.  Thanks!

Adult Spirituality Group notes

Our discussion of Chapter 8 "Myths and Traditions" explored different churches communion rules & structures.  We were curious to learn how the wider community has authentic personal communion experiences:

The author cautioned "that once you decide that there are rules around who takes communion and who doesn't, you can get to the point where taking communion boils down to making sure a soul is freshly laundered and squeaky-clean before its body can take the bread and wine into its mouth. This gets very close to manipulating God.  And once you begin to make rules, there is no end to the rule-making."  (p. 89)

(interim pastor)  "When young and I attended a Lutheran church, I dressed up for God."
(Gudrun Murti)  "To dress up for God is good because we aren't most authentic if only base.  Our ideals are important, not just putting out our laundry for God."
(Day Murti)  "To be truly present in the moment is to not just bring one version of yourself, but all levels."

For next week, please read chapter 9, "A History In Brief" (p. 97+).
- As Nora recalls the history of the sacred meal--and how food and celebration have long been a part of our faith communities--she reminds us that Jesus used simple everyday routines "to bring us to our senses."  In what ways does sharing food with friends and family compare with the sacred meal of communion?
- Jesus washed his disciples' feet possibly as a way of showing them vulnerability.  Are there times we should be as humble and vulnerable before our friends and family?

The next book we plan to read is called Zealot - The Life And Times Of Jesus Of Nazareth.  Please check out the online review at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/books/reza-aslans-zealot-the-life-and-times-of-jesus-of-nazareth.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 .

Adult Spirituality Group notes

We discussed chapter 7, entitled "Magic and Thanksgiving": 

MAGIC - "We need concrete things that tie the ordinary to the extraordinary, like the long lines that tether a hot air balloon to the ground, to bring the kingdom of heaven near to us.  The hope is that these rituals will not diminish the holy nor make it mundane but are set aside to keep it close."

THANKSGIVING - "The Communion ritual is a way of putting aside time to give our thanks--and in that putting aside of time, we have the opportunity to see what our lives are like now and what they can become." 


For next week discussion, we'll read "Chapter 8: Myths and Traditions":

- Have you encountered rules and regulations about communion that have kept you from the table?  How would it feel to be denied this gift of community because of some transgression?
- How do you react to the statement, "You are a  guest at God's feast.  You are an honored guest"?  How does the openness of God's table compare to the gift of his grace in our lives?

Adult Spirituality Group notes

We consumed the chapter "Eating the Body and Blood":
During communion, we should think of Christ as being present, the sacramental bread is feeding the Church body of Christ, and the wine is the blood of Christ giving our congregation energy.  Our church needs to live Christianity and do the work of Christ.  "The larger narrative of the Christian religion has been a story, a metaphor into which I have fitted my life.  I am a character in this book."  (p. 72)

"Consecrating bread and wine for Communion is like a wedding feast:  it calls out of these ordinary elements their essential beauty and their life-giving core." (p. 66) 
 Day - I am curious about the above quote and this chapter as a whole because my formal first name is Deven (pronounced "Dayv-ANE"), short for Devendra the king of all elemental beings in Hindu mythology, similar to Zeus and Thor, with lightning and thunder as my weapon.  I like to directly intuit the subtle relationships in nature's intricate web.

Tom - For me it is richer to think of Jesus doing a miracle to turn water into wine.  "Jesus is said to have turned water into wine....  In the clear water of our lives lies undiscovered wine.  It is our charge, as men and women, as human beings, to commit ourselves to seeking and finding that heady spirit in our sisters, brothers, and ourselves.  (p. 66)
Rose - In our church, we never talk about the meaning of communion.  Some people can relate with a sermon, but for others who've had a tough complex worldly week, consuming the communion sacramental wafer and wine can better bring them into Christ's church body.  We should do a sermon on communion and coffee hour presentation about our book, The Sacred Meal, for the congregation.

Next Sunday 6/8, we'll discuss Chapter 7 "Magic & Thanksgiving" p. 75+.
Whatever you believe about the elements of communion, Nora reminds us that this is a ritual of thanksgiving.  What type of remembrances and thanks do you bring to the table?  Are there problems (baggage) that block you from being truly thankful?

In what ways would you like to see your life, your spiritual growth transform?  How do you think the regular practice of communion could keep you focused on a larger vision of God's grace in your life?