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BlogHere are the thoughts and news of the people in our community. Leave a comment as you wish. If you want to join the blogging ask Mark.
Thursday, May 19, 2005Living in the Story Well, the retreat day has been and gone. My countdown counter is at zero, and i need something other than Christmas to countdown to [because i can alright?!]. What fantastic weather we had on Sunday, a proverbial rose fo a day between two thorns! Tracy Knott did a great job on the weather even though she could make it!! Weather ended up just perfect for our afternoon of cricket, bouncy castle and BBQ. John and Adrian were the star chefs, and not all the food was covered in black!! Phil Norris helped us through 3 sessions. Session 1 - the nature of story - it forms our identity - how we approach the text - entering a stream of history, taking on a new identity as a people with a new story, encountering God and having our view of him adjusted, coming to the text relationally not scientifically - we read it cos we are committed to the author, it is a kind of 'incarnation' - need to take it seriously as a divine and human book. - We expect to meet God in the text - word get devalued, but God's word is creative/sustaining/enduring. - Get into the story - need to work in all types of literature, in all kinds of ways to find ourselves drawn into the story and living out of the context of it, stories are powerful values forming mediums and is the way that God has powerfully chosen to frame his text in. We need all sorts of ways to get us into God's story. The bible has given many and varied ways into the story [cf role of lament psalms] Session 2 cf an unfinished shakespeare play Act 1 - Creation - the overflowing generosity of the trinitarian God Act 2 - Crisis - the fall right from the start includes the promise of redemption Act 3 - Calling - Abraham's call "for the sake of the world" Act 4 - Christ - Climax of God's story, Jesus images God, kingdom of God initiated but not completed Act 5 - Church - Church lives in the inbetween times, the kingdom is 'now' but 'not yet' Act 6 - Consummation - the kindgom come, resurrection, not 'escapist' but through death to a new future. Session 3 - tentative practical ways to make living in the story integral to community life: practical, arts, writing, festivals, breaking bread, song choice, meditation, Christian calender I should also say that throughout the day Phil threw out loads of theological implications of keeping 'story' central. Some fo which were fairly provoking. These were not 'illustrations' so much as 'implications'!! Great quotes: - "Are we in God's image or is he in ours?" - "Theoleogy should always lead to doxology" - "We are not reading for information, but to formed and shaped as characters in God's Story" - "We need to live the life of the future in the present" - "The drive for the 'application' of a text can remove seeing God within the story" Implications for us: We need ways to draw people into the text/story rather than filter out the 'core truth' and deliver it to people. We need to be drawn in and surrounded by God's story in a way that causes it to form our reality in a world of multiple competing narratives ...... it seems to me. Lots more to say, but that is a good summary. Posted by: Mark | 9:26 am |
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