Y'all,

For any who care, I have been keeping track of how the votes are lining up
with regards to the confirmation of the election of Gene Robinson at Ecusa's
General Convention.  Obviously, if it is approved it will dramatically
affect our ecumenical talks with the Episcopal Church.  Because of the
nature of those clerical and lay delegates who go to convention (ie those
either wealthy enough or activist enough to devote two and half weeks to
Convention) there is no doubt that Robinson will be approved by the House of
Delegates.  The vote in the House of Bishops will be much closer.  At
present, it stands as 22 for approval, 29 against, and 58 undeclared.  A
simple majority of 53 is needed for approval.

As of now, approval of liturgies for same-sex unions has about as much of a
chance of being approved as Mike+ and Paul+ have of singing at the Met!

Mark+

----- Original Message -----
From: "charles scott" <charlesrscott@...>
To: <faithandlife@...>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 10:45 AM
Subject: [FaithandLife] PRAYER BEFORE LECTIO DIVINA --The Story


>
> --------- Original Message ---------
>
> DATE: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 08:40:27
> From: "Mark Clavier+" <anglican@...>
> >Mike+,
> >
> >
>
>
> Fr. Mark wrote:
>
> Mike+,
>
> I spent my entire Bible Study on this yesterday, but from a different
angle. I first instructed them about worldviews, or metanrratives, and how
they dominate our perception of reality.  I then explained to them that we
are now moving from an Enlightenment worldview to a postmodern one, and how,
in postmodernity, the story or the narrative is everything.  In a sense this
is less a development than a restoration.
>
> When you look at Acts, you don't find Peter, Stephen, and Paul teaching
doctrine.  Almost always they tell a story, and almost always, that story is
the epic of Israel culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
>
> This is very different then how we have proceeded with teaching the faith
for the past 300 years (and more especially the past 100).  During this
time, doctrine was the thing taught.
> <snip>
>
> In the postmodern world, the Church is going to have to get back to the
story.  Doctrine remains important, not because it gives us a bunch a rules
about God and ourselves, but BECAUSE it tells us how to read and live out
that story correctly.  And by reading and living out the Biblical
metanarrative (to which I would add the history of the Church) that people's
lives will be shaped and their faith nurtured.
>
> <snip>
>
> Mark+
> ------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Mark+
>
> Your post resonates with me.  The manner you described your Bible Study
reminded me of the professor I referred to in my last post, and the person
who has had the most influence on the manner in which I try to teach.
>
> He was a graduate of a Disciple of Christ Seminary and had a B.D. from
Harvard as well.  He was near the end of his long career when I had the
pleasure of being led by him in the study of Greek and Gospels.  Though he
was well past retirement age, he still had the ability to be excited by his
studies, which he continued.  In the mid 1950's, I recall his excitement
about the discoveries at Qumran and the texts as they appeared.
>
> He was not typical of Bible fundamentalists of the mid last century. His
thorough knowledge of the history of the times made his descriptions of
scenes in the life of Christ vivid, compelling and believable.  That is why,
when I found N.T. Wright's books, they excited me for here was an Anglican
who knew how to tell the story.
>
> My Gospel professor would draw a class of a 150 into the story.  He was
capable of anger and tears and unashamed of showing emotion in the midst of
an eloquent exposition.   His classes were the best attended, with more
people signing on than there was space available in normal classrooms.
Arrangements had to be made to hold his classes in large halls.  Some would
repeat as auditors year after year, so as to miss nothing in his 4-year
cycle of Gospel lectures.  The man was demanding.  Laziness was not
tolerated. He expected a person asking a question to be able to stand up to
an oral examination in front of his peers as to how much he had read, from
what sources, and his understanding of the material.  He personally read all
papers and his critiques included corrections of grammar and punctuation as
well as clarity and comprehension of the subject.  I still prize a paper
written 45 years ago that has his signature and a "well done" comment, more
highly valued by his students t
> han our Diplomas.
>
> Your line "the story or the narrative is everything.  In a sense this is
less a development than a restoration" would have brought a bright smile and
a nod of the head, and a hearty amen from the old man who impressed on us
how important restoring telling of the story is in our times.  The story is
everything.
>
> Charles+
>
> --------------------------------
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> Get advanced SPAM filtering on Webmail or POP Mail ... Get Lycos Mail!
> http://login.mail.lycos.com/r/referral?aid=27005
>
> --
> To unsubscribe, send ANY message to
<faithandlife-unsubscribe@...>
>
>