Today I went to what the Bishop billed as a "listening day," one of about eight she is doing around the synod. It was at Good Shepherd in Westboro, MA--a beautiful church.
The day started out with (what else?) coffee and small talk in the fellowship hall, and then moved into the sanctuary for the morning. Bishop Payne took on her role as teacher then, talking about listening and being heard and preaching, using as a template Walter Bruggerman's book The Word That Redescribes the World.
Some gleanings from that session:
- we can no longer assume that people know the biblical stories, we need to "re-text" them so they may reap the benefits of the gospel
- we need to stop accommodating the culture of aquisitiveness and "inconvenience" people, for that is what gives energy for mission
After a hearty lunch of soup in bread bowls, salad, and dessert, we had a brief worship and then the Bishop listened to us talk--about whatever crossed our minds. Part of this session was devoted to getting us ready to receive the draft copy of the sexuality social statement--due out March 14th. But mostly it was just a discussion of ministry concerns and joys. It was good.
All in all, I'm glad I went. It was refreshing, uplifting, educational, and therapeutic. Here's one of the prayers we used in worship, to close:
By your word, eternal God, your creation sprang forth, and we were given the breath of life. By your word, eternal God, death is overcome, Christ is raised from the tomb, and we are given new life in the power of your Spirit. May we boldly proclaim this good news in our words and deeds, rejoicing always in your powerful presence; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord...AMEN
No comments:
Post a Comment