April 15th, 2007
Attendance at both services is down, as usual, the second Sunday after Easter.
Adult Education focuses again on prayer and Brent Dahlsing’s Grounded in Prayer. We went over questions about the difficulties we encounter in prayer.
Jim brings up our prayers for Bethany. As a group we talk about the emotions and troubled hearts we have as we pray for peace, for her and the family.
Paul felt like his prayers and his connection with God in prayer were stronger as a child. Paul also talks about the difficulty of staying in prayer as different concerns come into your mind.
Our group talks in general about prayer habits we try to define for ourselves and those we attempt to give our children. We talk about exercises in the book. One, about praying through the congregational directory, appears daunting but we do this as a church with our birthday prayers in the service. We talk about mechanical and conscious prayer.
The setting for the service today was the African American. I really admired Kim and Liz for stepping up to help lead the congregation.
The sermon is about Doubting Thomas, or Unbelieving Thomas as the Greek word is better translated. Pastor Dayle stresses something Marcus Borg has addressed in his writing. Thomas’ unbelieving is not a failure as was preached by many other sermons in the past. This is an immensely liberating perspective and, to me, understandable and loving with deep life lessons.
Instead of Thomas 'petulantly' saying “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands…” this moves to a request of what he needs to move from unbelief that God via Jesus answers. Thomas stays in community, the community does not shun him and he does not move away because of what he believes or does not believe.
This becomes an affirmation of inclusion. We come together with different experiences. Belief or unbelief is not a litmus test for being a Lutheran or a Christian. Instead there is more importance in belief as following Jesus and staying in community.
Attendance at both services is down, as usual, the second Sunday after Easter.
Adult Education focuses again on prayer and Brent Dahlsing’s Grounded in Prayer. We went over questions about the difficulties we encounter in prayer.
Jim brings up our prayers for Bethany. As a group we talk about the emotions and troubled hearts we have as we pray for peace, for her and the family.
Paul felt like his prayers and his connection with God in prayer were stronger as a child. Paul also talks about the difficulty of staying in prayer as different concerns come into your mind.
Our group talks in general about prayer habits we try to define for ourselves and those we attempt to give our children. We talk about exercises in the book. One, about praying through the congregational directory, appears daunting but we do this as a church with our birthday prayers in the service. We talk about mechanical and conscious prayer.
The setting for the service today was the African American. I really admired Kim and Liz for stepping up to help lead the congregation.
The sermon is about Doubting Thomas, or Unbelieving Thomas as the Greek word is better translated. Pastor Dayle stresses something Marcus Borg has addressed in his writing. Thomas’ unbelieving is not a failure as was preached by many other sermons in the past. This is an immensely liberating perspective and, to me, understandable and loving with deep life lessons.
Instead of Thomas 'petulantly' saying “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands…” this moves to a request of what he needs to move from unbelief that God via Jesus answers. Thomas stays in community, the community does not shun him and he does not move away because of what he believes or does not believe.
This becomes an affirmation of inclusion. We come together with different experiences. Belief or unbelief is not a litmus test for being a Lutheran or a Christian. Instead there is more importance in belief as following Jesus and staying in community.
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2:48 PM
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