Monday, October 13, 2014

13. The Great Conversation (We Make the Road by Walking)

Beating a sword into a plowshare (the cutting edge)
Engage

1.  What one thought or idea from today's lesson especially intrigued, provoked, disturbed, challenged, encouraged, warmed, warned, helped, or surprised you?

2.  Share a story about an argument where both sides were partly right.

3.  How do you respond to this vision of the Bible as a library full of difference of opinion, yet carrying on an essential conversation about what it means to be alive?  Which set of voices do you identify with most — priests, prophets, poets, sages, or storytellers?

4.  What's one of your favorite stories — one that you like to hear again and again?  What's your favorite thing about that story?

Activate

5.  Listen for voices who fit in the tradition of the priests, prophets, poets, sages, and storytellers in today's culture.  See if you perceive points of agreement and disagreement with their counterparts in the biblical library.

Meditate

6.  In silence, imagine hearing a vigorous conversation going on.  Then, let the conversation gradually fade away so that silence envelops you.  In that silence, open your heart to God's wisdom.

We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation ~ by Brian D. McLaren, 2014

1 comment:

Shirley said...

I liked the viewpoint of the Old Testament being great conversations among the various voices of priests, prophets, poets, sages, and storytellers. The comment that to be alive is to seek wisdom in this great conversation and to keep it going today was a thoughtful commentary of the book.

I also liked the reference again of Adam and Eve wanting the knowledge of good and evil (actually I don't know that they wanted the knowledge of just found the forbidden fruit tempting because it was forbidden), but learning that good and evil is not a way to differentiate between "us" and "them", but that the line of good and evil runs--and moves--within each of us.