Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 64; Daniel 5:13-30; John 17:12-19; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Psalm 53
During our Tuesday evening emerging worship experience we explored a dimension of the Road to Emmaus story that we didn’t explored last Sunday. We looked at the culmination of the story when the disciples responded to their experience with Jesus in the only way imaginable to them; they went back and shared their experience with the others. This led to an exploration of why it’s so difficult for those of us in progressive faith communities to talk about our faith. The same issue was raised for me in today’s reading from 1 Peter where the author urged his readers to “be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy”. One reason the group figured it’s so difficult for progressive folks to talk about their faith is that they were taught when they were young that sharing one’s faith involved simply sharing doctrine or dogma. A second inhibitor that prevents many progressive people from talking about their faith is the concern that it appear you are dismissing other faiths and other experiences. Of course, we talked about ways of sharing our faith that avoid those pitfalls. I’ll share some of those insights with you in the future. For today, however, I would encourage you to think about your comfort (or lack there of) in talking about your faith. What is it that makes you feel “ready to speak up”? What is it that makes you want to keep your mouth closed? Then ask for guidance to help you arrive at a way of finding your voicing so you too can speak - with integrity and passion. Til next time…
During our Tuesday evening emerging worship experience we explored a dimension of the Road to Emmaus story that we didn’t explored last Sunday. We looked at the culmination of the story when the disciples responded to their experience with Jesus in the only way imaginable to them; they went back and shared their experience with the others. This led to an exploration of why it’s so difficult for those of us in progressive faith communities to talk about our faith. The same issue was raised for me in today’s reading from 1 Peter where the author urged his readers to “be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy”. One reason the group figured it’s so difficult for progressive folks to talk about their faith is that they were taught when they were young that sharing one’s faith involved simply sharing doctrine or dogma. A second inhibitor that prevents many progressive people from talking about their faith is the concern that it appear you are dismissing other faiths and other experiences. Of course, we talked about ways of sharing our faith that avoid those pitfalls. I’ll share some of those insights with you in the future. For today, however, I would encourage you to think about your comfort (or lack there of) in talking about your faith. What is it that makes you feel “ready to speak up”? What is it that makes you want to keep your mouth closed? Then ask for guidance to help you arrive at a way of finding your voicing so you too can speak - with integrity and passion. Til next time…
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