Session 1 God: faith as a quest

What is Animate:faith? This series is designed to be a unique way of digging into some of the questions we all have about faith and spirituality. The facilitator is not the person who has the answers – even though they will share what they think about topics. This is all about having animated conversations about faith – our faith – the faith that gives our lives meaning and purpose.

We will work though each session at our pace – if something strikes us as interesting – we will linger there for a while. If something feels uninspiring – we will move along. Having Respectful Conversations Opening Questions:

Q: When you talk about God – especially with those who are not religious – how do describe God?

Q: Share images and pictures of God that you have had/seen through out your life – there is paper and pencil available if you would like to sketch something or jot down some thoughts. Come up with your picture of God – without trying to find the “right answer.” Share your images/thoughts –

some other group questions:

• Are there confessions that you need to make about your view of God? • How has your image of God changed/developed over time? • Are there images of God that you have let go of or embraced? • What Images of God really resonate with you?

God: Faith as a Quest – Guest Theological Expert: Brian Mclaren (some background)

Q: When, if ever have you felt disenchanted with your faith – what brought you back?

Read Isaiah 55 – Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Q: Old English maps would depict images of dragons at the edges of the map and declare “here be dragons” to designate the end of the known and the beginning of the unknown – what about God enchants you the most? What is known? What remains unknown?

(Video) Q: What inspired you about the video – what challenged or provoked you?

Q: Do you share the frustration that Brian has when he hears that the God that some Christians believe in is not the God that he believes in?

Q: What are some of the images of God that people who are not Christian have? How do we talk about God with them?

Q: Do you feel more like a “Fortress of Certainty” or a “Castle of Opinions” person – how would describe yourself.

Brian helps us map out some theological territory by providing two extremes – “absolute certainty” and “total relativism.” Where do you feel like your beliefs lie between the two extremes.

Q: What are some of the benefits of having beliefs about God that are absolutely certain. What are the drawbacks

Q: What are the benefits and drawbacks of having beliefs about God that are entirely relativistic and theoretical?

Q: Where do you mark yourself on the continuum – why? Neo- Atheist writers like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins have attacked Christianity and the belief in God on the grounds that it is not comparable with science and a modern world view and that religious people make the world worse – how might you respond to such a view? (Louie Giglio Video)

In the video Brian uses the doctrine of the Trinity as a example of how complicated it can be to answer the question “Who is God?” Q: What are some of the ways that we represent the Trinity? (feel free to sketch on the paper) – how do you understand how the Trinity is interrelated?

Q: What does the Trinity tell us about the nature of God

Q: How would you describe the Trinity to someone unfamiliar with the Trinity how God is three and God is one?

Q: Brian says that he sometimes feels like and atheist when he hears others describe God – how do you feel when you listen to folks describe God in ways that are very different than what you might be comfortable with (like the image in Isaiah 49:13-16)

Q: What arguments have you encountered against the existence of God? How do you react to these arguments? What do our reactions tell others about our views of God? How do we process these ideas within our own beliefs about God? What arguments (using the most positive connotation of the word) would you make for the existence of God? Brian uses two Greek terms in the video

• “kataphatic” which uses words and images familiar to us to describe God – how do these images help your conception of God and how you might relate to who God “is?” • “apophatic” which says that God is completely beyond understanding – God cannot be contained or understood by words or images – therefore – any words of images we use do not help – but hinder our understanding/relating to the Divine.

What do you make of Brian’s comment that we need to hold these two views in balance or tension so that we continue to seek or quest for God all the while knowing that God can never be grasped in hand or captured in a box or stuffed in the back pocket – God is not limited to our definitions of God?

Look at the picture below – these are what we might call “kataphatic” images for God. What images are helpful to you – and which ones are not? Talk about the “non-negotiables” that you might have in terms of how you see God…Can different folks hold different view of God and share and work together in one faith? Brian suggests that in apophaticism “reverent silence is sometimes the most eloquent form of theology” – that is – encountering the indescribable God in silence.

Q: What might we discover in silent meditation? If you have practiced silent prayer/meditation and would like to share – what are some of the insights that you have gained through encountering God in silence? Many would argue (as would I ) that our understanding of God is never finished/completed or static – there is a sense in which our image of God is continually evolving/maturing (and this means very different things to different people). When I was a child – I was told in Sunday School that God was a “rock.” I took that at face value. As a grew – my view changed – I saw that when we say “God is a rock” we meant that metaphorically – God is solid, God is firm, God is a stronghold (yet, God also can hurt when God is thrown at people).

Brian’s very formative book entitled: Generous Orthodoxy has at its full length title “Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, catholic, green, incarnational, depressed- yet hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christian” Q: How is it possible for one person to be all those things? What does it look like to be a “liberal/conservative” or “depressed yet hopeful?” Consider this in light of how the political scene has emerged over the course of the last 20+years. Each party has a very passionate (often extreme) base that

cannot seem to even speak to anyone who does not agree with the necessary tenants of their view. The body of Christ has this dynamic within it as well – what might we be about in this age as we speak about God?

Take a look at Philippians 1:6 and 2:12-13 in your group and talk about how the word unfinished is unpacked…then Q: How do you see/believe/experience God at work within you? Brainstorm for a few minutes some faith practices that you have engaged in. Write them on the chart below – make the practices as more Kataphatic or Apophatic… Q: How do you faith practices inform you about how you see God?

Q: How do you faith practices help you see faith as quest and not a destination? What does this mean for you as you live out your relationship with God among others that have different views than yours?

Select a few of the following Biblical verses and talk about them in your group – are there other Scripture passages that have been meaningful to you in your voyage with God? Kapaphatic – Matthew 6:9, Isaiah 5:1-35, Jeremiah 3:31-34, Revelation 4:1-11, Luke 13:34, Psalm 23 Apophatic – Romans 11:33-36, 1 Timothy 6:16, John 1:18

Embarking on a Journey

There are two predominating views of the Faith – the Embattled Fortress the Castle in the Clouds and, of course, these represent the extremes. One is very clearly delineated – but in its clarity there is a sense of impenetrability – a propensity to see anything that is different as an attack that must be defended against. One the other hand – the Castle in the Clouds seems open and inviting –affirming and accepting of many opinions – however it also hard to know what one stands for (if anything) and if faith is everything/anything – then it is nothing….why waste ones time? Q: How do you navigate between the two extremes – between the rock and the hard place? What has helped you in your journey or quest for knowing God?

Q: What did you think of Brian’s image of faith as a quest for God and with God? • Faith being a ship that we are sailing on • Beliefs are like planks in the hull – sometimes springing leaks and needing to be replaced. • Trials, disappointments and enigmas of life are the storms and icebergs that threaten our journey • God is both the goal and source of our journey, the ocean we sail upon and the wind that catches our sails • Theology is the necessary maintenance of the hull, deck and sails of our vessel • The point of the journey is not maintenance of the ship, the quest is: our experience of and with God

“You are already committed [embarked]." We are not outside observers of life, but participants.” Pascal What did you think about today’s discussion? Do you feel embarked or arrived. Do you feel that faith is indeed a quest or a destination? How do you experience God (day-to-Day and in more grand moments)?….how did today’s topic sit with you as an experience of God? if you have comments that will help the formulation of next weeks session you can always send your feedback to pastor mike @ pastor.mike.oberg@rlcpdx.org Next Weeks Session will be “Religion: Spirituality is not Enough” with our Guest Theological expert – Lillian Daniel