"Ministry occurs in the
water, and the water shall not
overcome
it." Isn't that how John 1:5 reads? No? I seem to
be reading "water" into all kinds of places this week. I
certainly don't know why. I have my marching orders from Rev. Marie Lang,
the Church Administrator: "You and Mark need to be the Pastors.
Ministry needs to continue. Ministry will continue." The water
shall not overcome First United Methodist Church!
The water will not
overcome WORSHIP!
The Word will be preached.
The Chancel Choir will sing. The organ will play. The Common Ground
Band will rock. Prayers will be prayed. The Peace will be
passed. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The water will not
overcome SMALL GROUPS!
Small Group book discussions
begin the first week in February. The book being discussed is Embodying Forgiveness - A Theological
Analysis by L. Gregory Jones. I am crazy excited for us to
dig into this book! It is challenging on so many levels. Here is a
summary:
A topic unjustly neglected in
contemporary theology, forgiveness is often taken to be either too easy or too
difficult. In this exciting and innovative book, L. Gregory Jones shows how
practices of Christian forgiveness are richer and more comprehensive than often
thought. Forgiveness, says Jones, is a way of life that carries with it
distinctive concepts of love, community, confession, power, repentance,
justice, punishment, remembrance, and forgetfulness.
In Part 1 of Embodying Forgiveness Jones first recounts Dietrich Bonhoeffer's
own struggle against the temptation to make forgiveness either too easy or too
difficult in his thought and, even more, in his life and death at the hands of
the Nazis. Jones then considers each of these temptations, focusing on the
problem of "therapeutic" forgiveness and then forgiveness's
"eclipse" by violence. Part 2 shows why a trinitarian identification
of God is crucial for an adequate account of forgiveness. In Part 3 Jones
describes forgiveness as a craft and analyzes the difficulty of loving enemies.
He deals particularly with problems of disparities in power, impenitent
offenders, and the relations between forgiveness, accountability, and
punishment. The book concludes with a discussion of the possibility of certain
"unforgiveable" situations.
Developing a strong theological perspective on forgiveness throughout, Jones
draws on films and a wide variety of literature as well as on Scripture and
theological texts. In so doing, he develops a rich and comprehensive
exploration of what it truly means to embody Christian forgiveness.
How do you join a Small
Group?
- Complete a sign up online at http://www.fumcb.org/small-group-sign-up/ starting
Sunday, January 19th.
- Fill out a paper form available
in the Sanctuary and at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Place forms in
the Offering Plate/Offering Basket during the worship service.
How do you acquire a book?
- Books are available for purchase
during the work week at First United Methodist Church at the Atrium Door
front entrance. The book will be available on Sunday mornings at the
"Office Table." The cost is $19/book. If the cost is
prohibitive, please contact Rev. Stacee (sgehring@fumcb.org).
- You may download an electronic
version on your personal electronic device.
If you have any questions about
Small Groups, please contact Rev. Stacee (sgehring@fumcb.org).
Your prayers and patience are
greatly appreciated during Watermageddon 2014. This is certainly not the
end of the story for First United Methodist Church.
Cheers!
Rev. Stacee
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