Theology On Tap in the 'Burg

TOT On Its New Day and Time! - Let's talk about "Calling"

Our next Theology on Tap gathering is this coming Wednesday, June 2nd, at 6:00 PM at El Sol on 3rd Street in downtown Harrisburg. 

Janet suggested our topic for this week and is going to lead the discussion. 

She wondered:

"What does it mean to be “called”? Called as a vocation, occupation...? The role of the prophet of Biblical times, our times and other cultures... Or to be called w/in the Christian faith viewed through the lens of the different denominations. The “stigma” of using the term: “called by God”."

Here is a reading from Frederick Buechner from his book Wishful Thinking:  A Seeker's ABC.  This is probably the most referenced reading on the idea of calling or vocation:

"By and large a good rule for finding out [where you are called] is this:  The kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done.  If you really get a kick out of your work, you've presumably met requirement (a), but if your work is writing cigarette ads, the chances are you've missed requirement (b).  On the other had, if your work is being a doctor in a leper colony, you have probably met requirement (b), but if most of the time you're bored and depressed by it, the chances are you have not only bypassed (a), but probably aren't helping your patients much either. 

Neither the hair shirt or the soft berth will do.  the place God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

Being "Saved"

We are meeting this coming Sunday, April 18th at 7:00 PM at Molly Brannigans on 2nd Street. 

We will be discussing what it means to be saved.  We all come from a wide variety of backgrounds, so I am guessing we each bring our own perspective when we throw around the phrase, "to be saved." 

To spark our conversation, here is a quote from Frederick Buechner in his book Wishful Thinking: 

"Salvation:  It is an experience first and a doctrine second.

Doing the work you're best at doing and like to do best, hearing great music, having great fun, seeing something very beautiful, weeping at someone else's tragedy - all these experiences are related to the experience of salvation because in all of them two things happen: (1) you lose yourself, and (2) you find that you are more fully yourself than usual.

A closer analogy is the experience of love.  When you love somebody, it is no longer yourself who is the center of your own universe.  It is the one you love who is.  You forget yourself.  You deny yourself.  You give of yourself, so that by all the rules of arithmetical logic there should be less of yourself than there was to start with.  Only by a curious paradox there is more.  You feel at last you really are yourself.

The experience of salvation involves the same paradox.  Jesus puts it like this:  "He who loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39).

You give up your old self-seeking self for somebody you love and thereby become yourself at last.  You must die with Christ so you can rise with him, Paul says.  It is what baptism is all about. 

You do not love God so that, tit for tat, he will then save you.  To love god is to be saved.  To love anybody is a significant step along the way.  

You do not love God and live for him so you will go to Heaven.   Whichever side of the grave you happen to be talking about, to love God and live for him is Heaven......"

And some questions to ponder:

1. What is your understanding of salvation?
2. What is your experience of salvation?
3. How do you find his analogy of loving another helpful?
4. Do you find holes in his analogy?  If so, where? 
5. What do you mean when you say you or someone you know is "saved?" 

Our Shared Vulnerablity

Sometimes it seems a reading was intended, made, or meant for us.  I am a firm believer that the Spirit works in wonderful and sometimes unexpected ways.  This week's article comes from the Christian Century - where I usually go first to look for our weekly article.  It just so happens that it's perfect for the conversation about Ash Wednesday that we started at the end of our last TOT and in relation to the Alternative Worship service this past Sunday. 

First read Psalm 103:8-17a

⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

⁹He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.

¹⁰He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.

¹³As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

¹⁴For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;

¹⁶for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.

¹⁷But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear God.

Then read the Fear of Flying in the Christian Century. 

Here are some questions to ponder:

1. What is your experience of flying?  How vulnerable do you feel when flying?
2. What does it mean that we have shared vulnerability?
3. What does Stephanie Paulsell suggest we should do with this vulnerability?  What does she suggest we often do with it?  
4. How do you understand your own vulnerability? 
5. How is our vulnerability one of our strengths?
6. How is our vulnerability related to God and our relationship to God?

I hope to see you all at 7:00 PM this coming Sunday, March 7th at ABC for an interesting conversation, good food, and good beer! 

Making it Relevant

Our first Theology on Tap gathering for this winter/spring is this coming Sunday, February 21st at 7:00 PM at the Appalachian Brewing Company on Cameron Street. 

We'll be looking at an article by Craig Barnes, a professor at PittsburghTheological Seminary.  You'll find it here in the Christian Century.  

A few questions to ponder:

1. What do you think of his assumption about our "self" focused society?  Is that true?  Why or why not?
2. Do you agree that it is not about making our faith relevant?
3. What does this say about services like our alternative worship service?
4. Do you agree with his answer to the young seminarian and church member?  Why or why not?

Theology on Tap gatherings for the Spring of 2010

It is past time to get Theology on Tap back in swing.  Due to a busy spring here at the church as well as a regular Alternative Worship Experience (meeting every other Sunday night), it looks as if we will need to meet once a month for Theology on Tap. 

I'm hoping you will plan to attend and make these gathering all the more interesting. 

Here are the dates for this Winter/Spring:

• February 21st
• March 7th
• April 18th
• May 2nd

As always, I'll send e-mail reminders as well as update the blog with our topic of conversation.  If you have ideas for our conversation, please leave a comment!

Forgiveness

We are meeting this coming Sunday, November 8th at 7:00 PM at Appalachian Brewing Company on Cameron Street in Harrisburg. 

This week's topic was suggested by Mandy and I think it is a good one.  She saw and episode of House that made her wonder about forgiveness.  Here's the scenario from House:

One of the doctors goes to confession, feeling guilty about killing an African dictator who was planning to slaughter thousands of people the moment he got better, even though he felt it was, morally, the right thing to do. The priest was pretty rigid on the issue, saying unless he confessed and went to prison for the rest of his life, God would not forgive him.

Here is a reading from Wishful Thinking, a book by Frederick Buechner a pastor and writer:

To forgive somebody is to say one way or another, "You have done something uspeakable, and by all rights I should call it quits between us.  Both my pride and my principles demand no less.  However, although I make no guarantees that will be able to forget what you've done, and though we may both carry scars for life, I refuse to let it stand between us....to accept forgiveness means to admit that you've done something unspeakable that needs to be forgiven, and thus both parties must swallow the same thing:  their pride. 

This seems to explain what Jesus means when he says to God, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."  Jesus is not saying that God's forgiveness is conditional upon our forgiving others.  In the first place, forgiveness that's conditional isn't really forgiveness at all, just Fair Warning; and in the second place, our unforgivingness is among those things about us which we need to have God forgive us must.  What Jesus apparently is saying is that the pride which keeps us from forgiving is the same pride which keeps us from accepting forgiveness, and will God please help us to do something about it. 

When someone you've wronged forgives you, you're spared the dull and self-diminishing throb of a guilty conscience. 

When you forgive somebody who has wronged you, you're spared the dismal corrosion of bitterness and wounded pride. 

For both parties, forgiveness means the freedom again to be at peace inside their own skins and to be glad in each other's presence."

Here are some questions to ponder:

1. What do you think of the priest's reaction? 
2. How are consequences and forgiveness related?
3. How does forgiveness change us?  What does it offer? 
4. Does one have to "pay the consequences" in order to be forgiven?
5. How does God's forgiveness relate to our forgiveness of one another?
6. How easy is it for you to forgive?  Both big and little things. 
7. What does it matter that God forgives you?

Home Funerals

We are meeting this coming Sunday, October 11th at 7:00 PM at the Appalachian Brewing Company on 50th North Cameron Street in Harrisburg. 

We'll be discussing the lively topic of funerals and burials.  Please read this article from the Christian Century. 

Here are some questions to ponder:
1.  What are the funerals like that you have attended?
2.  What are some advantages and disadvantages of our "typical" practices around death?
3.  What do our practices around death have to do with our faith?  Does one inform the other?
4.  What do you think are the advantages of a home funeral?  Could you ever perform one for a loved one?
5.  What do you think of in relation to your own death?
6.  How do you want to be buried?  Why?

Ah, You Are Beautiful

We are meeting this coming Sunday, October 4th at 7:00 PM at Lancaster Brewing Company at 469 Eisenhower Blvd.  For directions, go here. 

Our reading this week comes from the Christian Century and Stephanie Paulsell, a professor at Harvard Divinity School.  Please read Old-Fashioned Love Song. 

The verses she refers to from the Song of Songs or Song of Solomon are:

Ah, you are beautiful, my love;

ah, you are beautiful;

your eyes are doves.

Ah, you are beautiful, my

beloved,

truly lovely.

Here are some questions for reflection:

1. How have you experienced this Fall so far?  How has your rhythm changed or not changed since Labor Day?
2. What are some of your spiritual practices? 
3. What do you think of Stephanie Paulsell's idea to look at life through the lens of "ah, you are beautiful?" 
4. How might this change your relationship to your daily life?  To others?  To the world? To God? 

Theology on Tap Fall Dates

Fall is almost upon us (I'm claiming summer as long as I can) and its time to gather with Theology on Tap again! 

 

Here are the dates for the fall:

 

Sept 27th

Oct. 11th

Oct. 25th

Nov. 8th

Nov. 22nd

Dec. 6th

 

As in the past, we'll meet at 7:00 PM.  We need a new site.  Anyone have any ideas?  We need it to be semi-quiet, have decent food, and good beer.  :)

 

Send any ideas my way and please put those dates on your calendars!  I look forward to seeing you all on the 27th!  It will be here before you know it. 

"Sunlight looks slightly different on this wall than it does on that wall..."

Our next Theology on Tap gathering is this coming Sunday, May 10th at 7:00 in the upper room at Ceoltas on 2nd Street. 

We'll be discussing this article from the Christian Century. 

I'm also offering a poem by the great Persian poet, Rumi (1207-1273), which I believe to be of the same theme:

Move beyond any attachment to
names.
Every war and every conflict between
human beings
has happened because of some
disagreement about names.

It’s such an unnecessary foolishness,
because just beyond the arguing
there’s a long table of companionship,
set and waiting for us to sit down.

What is praised is one, so the praise is
one too,
many jugs being poured into a huge
basin.

All religions, all this singing, one song.
The differences are just illusion and
vanity.

Sunlight looks slightly different on this
wall than it does on that wall.
and a lot different on this other one,
but it is still one light.
We have borrowed these clothes,
these time-and-space personalities,
from a light,
and when we praise,
we pour them back in.

Here are some questions to ponder:

1. I was recently discussing childhood behavior (esp. on the playground) with my senior high youth.  They were saying that they were even meaner to each other when they were young.  They thought the name calling was really bad in middle school.  Why is that?  How do our children learn to denigrate and belittle others? What purpose does the name calling serve?
2. What were you taught as a child about Christianities role in relation to other religions as a child?
3. What do you believe now?
4. How much interaction do you have with persons of other faiths or traditions? What have you learned from those interactions? 
5. What do you think of the Rumi poem?  What is he trying to say?  Do you agree with him?
6. How have people of faith hurt others outside their community?
7. What are some of the gifts that people of faith have to offer?