Preparing for Discussion - Grace: Love is the Bottom Line

Next Wednesday we will be discussing session 7 of Animate: Bible, Grace: Love is the Bottom Line , presented by Jay Bakker.

 The following are some scriptures and questions from the journal and facilitator guide to get us started:

We talked already this week about some of the things that keep people from the church, from scripture, and from God. Bakker experienced a much more public crisis of faith than most of us, but the fact remains that most of us have been tripped up by one thing or another in our faith journey. The journal book lists some things that might create hurdles and challenges in staying connected to the church and the Bible - science, shame, guilt, and bad theology... Are there things that have pushed you away from the church at different points in your life? How did you come back?

Turn to Galatians 3:26-29. How does this passage "help us reconsider the social, political, and theological boundaries" of our current culture?

How might we help ourselves and others heal from the the misuse of the scriptures? Bakker has been especially active in homosexual communities trying to bring healing from the wounds that have been inflicted by the use of scripture as a weapon. I have mentioned before that some of the places where I have seen the most wounding is in the treatment of women and children.

Are there other times when you have seen scripture used as a weapon? ....or as a fortune cookie? ...or a fairy tale? The journal book suggests looking at these scriptures in reference to those misuses of scripture:

Leviticus 19:28
Proverbs 10:10
Matthew 10:34

There are so many passages in the Bible that are troubling...that can lead to a somewhat difficult relationship with the Bible, including this passage from the gospels: Mark 7:25-30. How can we understand this scripture in light of all the things we've learned in this series? In light of the message of grace and love offered by Jay Bakker in session 7? How about Deuteronomy 20:1-20?

How can we see these difficult passages in the light of the message of love throughout the Bible? In light of 1 Corinthians 13?

Are there things that keep you from reading the Bible? Fears about what the Bible really says or of misunderstanding the Bible? Has your relationship with scripture changed over the course of this study? Are you more inclined to look away or to dig deeper?

I want to say that I think both responses - to look away for a time or to dig deeper - are equally valid. There is a time and a place for hanging on to what you DO know and leaving the rest alone. There have been many times in my life when I've clung blindly to a faith and a God I just can't even come close to understanding. The minute I claim to understand God, I've made it clear that I don't really understand.  I think the key is to hang on to the things you know to be true. God created you. God knows you. God is a God of love and grace.

Peace!