8:30am: WOKE UP, ROLLED OUT OF BED AND HEADED OVER TO HEAR BORG AND BRUEGGEMANN This morning's session Borg unpacked HOLY WEEK ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL OF MARK and Brueggemann spoke about GOD'S PRESENCE.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS:
1. BORG: Palm Sunday = Planned Political Procession; Overturning the temple tables = a social protest against the Temple Authorities who were participating in a system of dominance.
2. BRUEGGEMANN: How we read and see the Bible has to change!! "We MUST 'Out-Bible' the Christian Right!" (best quote#1)
3. BORG: Easter = women followers of Jesus flee in fear, the Empire has killed Jesus, God has vindicated and raised Jesus, God has said "Yes to Jesus!! And No to empire!!", God has proclaimed and invited to world to proclaim, "Jesus is Lord!"
4. BRUEGGEMANN: In the Bible Israel gets itself into trouble when the people go from being nomadic (a wilderness people wandering and relying on God's provision) to becoming settled farmers (begin relying on selves and gaining affluence). The story of Ezekiel- God says to the prophet, "Get a notebook, take names, cause I'm gonna kick a$$!!" (best quote#2), God says, "I can't stay in Jerusalem, it's become too sh#@@y." (best quote#3). God leaves Jerusalem and Ezekiel follows.
Overall what I got out of the session this morning was that what we need to be about in the Church is NOT the politics of America- when we do that we are participating in the politics of the Empire- but we should be IMAGINING what the world might look like if God's dream for it actually came to be real. After we imagine it as a congregation we should give LIVING IT OUT a shot.
12:00PM: HEADED OUT FOR OUR LUNCH AND OUR MINI-PILGRIMAGE
Gavo and I ate at a wonderful sandwich shop called Frankie G's Diner. I had a great burger and the service was terrific!!! By this time the sun was shining and the temp was about 73 degrees.
Gavo and I headed over to Christ Church- one of the historic places where both John and Charles Wesley preached. It was beautiful. I have to admit that as soon as I set foot on the grounds I experienced a very mystical presence. It was very meaningful to walk around knowing that the Wesley Brothers had begun their (humorously dismal) missionary effort right here (i know i'm a goober).
How does one tell if Gavin and Jonathon are really dorks? You catch them reenacting a Charles Wesley sermon under a live oak tree where Wesley stood. It's true- I bought a copy of Charles Wesley's first sermon that he preached at Christ Church and we both did a reenactment.
We said farewell to Christ Church and off we went back to Epworth and did a little exploring. We hit up the Arthur J Moore Museum where we were greeted by "GIANT JOHN WESLEY
EY ROBOT WITH LASER BEAM SHOOTING EYES".Next we strolled into a chapel that was a replica of the Lovely Lane Chapel where the Christmas Conference was held. The actual Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore was built in 1774 and the Christmas Conference which happened 10 years later is when the Methodist Episcopal Church officially became a denomination and ordained Francis Asbury as our first American Bishop.
We left the chapel and just walked the grounds. I had time to stop for prayer and meditation on scripture and soak in the sunshine and overall experience.
After we left Epworth we went for a nice (could have been if I had been with my wife)romantic walk on the beach. Gavin is a wonderful bff but walking barefoot on the beach in January in 75 degree weather just isn't as fun as with Jen. Sorry Gavo, no offense.
We went to grab some dinner just down the street from the beach at a great restaurant called Brogan's. Once again- GREAT SERVICE and the food was terrific!!
By this time it was about time to wind the mini-pilgrimage down and head back for the evening session.
7:00PM: BACK TO EPWORTH FOR EVENING SESSION WITH BORG AND BRUEGGEMANN
The night session was really good. Borg dealt with "Christians, Peace and Nonviolence" while Brueggemann spoke on "Problems in the Promised Land".
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
1. BORG: Most Christians do NOT know our historical and traditional teachings on war. In the Old Testament/Hebrew Scripture we have to struggle with God commanding war. In the New Testament- scripture heavily supports the "active" practice of nonviolence for Christians.
2. BRUEGGEMANN: 1. Affluence produces amnesia (we forget: our stories, our mandates, the miracles, and we lose our memory, and reference). 2. It is imperative that each new generation within our community is situated in the normative imagination of the past (they need to know the stories and imagine our world as it might be). They should be engrafted through the narratives. This is all done through "Intergenerational Transmission" (the older generations are responsible for embodying the stories and passing them on in the life of the Church).
3. BORG: Post Biblical stances on conflict and violence: 1. Early Church, 2. Just War, 3. Crusade Attitude, 4. Call To Arms When Country Calls. (Look for a post on this soon)
4. BRUEGGEMANN: 1. Self sufficiency leads to alienation and death. 2. Yahweh remembers AND forgets. Our future depends on Yahweh's both remembering WELL and forgetting WELL. 3.Church Congregation = "REMEMBERING COMMUNITY": a community who together performs acts that remember our stories.. (more on this idea in the near future).
NOW WE ARE BACK IN OUR ROOM CHILLIN'
It's been a great day!!! I've felt challenged, renewed, inspired, and in touch with my roots. Praise be to God. If you read this tonight or tomorrow, please keep Gavin and myself in prayer as we travel back home and bring our road trip to an end. Tomorrow we're up with the sun for morning prayers out on the pier overlooking the ocean.
shalom,
jonathon
3 comments:
i would rather have had erin with a romantic walk on the beach, so the feeling is mutual. &:~P
Sounds like fun. Did anyone deny Eucharist to a scorned lover?
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