The Meaning of Jesus
A Study in Holy Manners
A Cyberspace Discussion Group
Section
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General Introductions |
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The Meaning of Jesus
A Cyberspace Discussion Group |
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| SUMMARIES | REFERENCES | COMMENTS |
| SUMMARIES | |
| First Meeting. 25 September 2000. | 21 souls gathered at St. David's tonight. A general sense of expectation and "it's about time" was expressed. Nearly every person expressed that they were "seekers" and were hopeful of the opportunity of study and discovery - especially on this subject of Jesus. A few expressed aspects of past difficulties in this matter. A most tolerant tone was in the air. Wayne and Jock expressed their perspectives and a summary of the spiritual journey that has brought them to this place. It was agreed to meet mondays till Dec 4 with only Thanksgiving off. Those who cannot attend will check in on the web. All members are welcome to also be web participants. The evening was finished with a reading of Bill Phipps response to the Is Jesus God issue raised by the Ottawa citizen article in 1997 and to some extent has sparked conversation on the Jesus issue in the United Church since. Marion Pardy's comment on Holy Manners was felt central to the way we should conduct ourselfs. Additionally, the First Nation people's tradition of a talking stick/feather/stone was felt a most wonderful example of listening in Marion's way. See papers below in reference section. |
 Discussion Format |
The proposed format is: 1. 10 minutes housekeeping and followup, 2. 5 minutes for the Traditional View. A summary of the chapter and relevant discussion. 3. 5 minutes for the Revisionist View. A summary of the chapter and relevant discussion. 4. 10 minute break. 5. 50 minute general discussion of the interleaving of the two perspectives. These discussions to be taped and transcribed to these web pages as a starter and continuation of the issues raised. |
| Jock McTavish BIO | I was raised in a Baptist Garden... Click HERE. |
| Wayne Holst BIO | I spent most of my life thinking like a church
professional, rather than as a regular congregational member. My training as a pastor always had me asking myself 'how can I apply this discovery, insight, new information to a regular church setting?' ... Click HERE. |
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| REFERENCES | |
| Click HERE for an introduction to Marion Pardy and her comment about Holy Manners. | |
| A Statement by the Moderator, The Right Reverend
Bill Phipps, in response to discussion following
the article in The Ottawa Citizen on Friday,
October 24, 1997 I believe that in Jesus we know as much of God as is possible in a human being, but he did not reveal nor represent all of God. The God of the Bible is never completely known nor understood, yet is as intimate and compassionate as the most loving parent. Thank God that the general public is also interested in a credible expression of Christian faith in our cynical age. And thank God that we are rooted in a tradition which welcomes discussion, discovery, and transformation. May we debate vigorously with one another while always respecting each other as human beings, creatures of a God whose love is unconditional. I hope that the interest in the Ottawa Citizen article will be translated into study of Reconciling and Making New: Who is Jesus for the world today? (see next reference) This is an excellent study document authorized by the General Council, prepared by the national Theology and Faith Committee and mailed to every pastoral charge in May 1997. For the whole article click HERE. |
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 Today is a time of spiritual dislocation
for many Christians. A secular and consumerist
spirit pervades public life. The shopping
mall can be as much a Sunday morning destination
as is church. Many people identify themselves
as "spiritual" but not "religious".
They choose not to identify themselves with
any of the traditional churches of Canada.
Greater knowledge of the richness of the
world's religions, together with the arrival
of immigrants and refugees from all corners
of the earth, has brought Canada greater
cultural and religious diversity than earlier
generations might ever have imagined. For the whole article click HERE. It's about 20 pages. |
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| Also: Transcript of the pastoral message delivered by The Right Reverend Bill Phipps, Moderator of The United Church of Canada on Monday November 24, 1997, on The United Church of Canada's national weekly television programme, Spirit Connection, which is broadcast on Vision TV. Click HERE. |
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| Lastly: Executive of General Council Response to Issues raised by the Interview of the Moderator, the Right Reverend Bill Phipps, with the Ottawa Citizen. Click HERE. |
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| Whoever holds the talking stick has within his hands the sacred power of words. Only he can speak while he holds the stick; the other council members must remain silent. The eagle feather tied to the talking stick gives him the courage and wisdom to speak truthfully and wisely. The rabbit fur on the end of the stick reminds him that his words must come from his heart and that they must be soft and warm. The blue stone will remind him that the Great Spirit hears the message of his heart as well as the words he speaks. Carol Locust. Acacia Artisans. For the whole article click HERE. See also this excellent article HERE. | |
| A concern about understanding our intuitions
was raised in the sense of understanding
the presence and leading of God.This article
popped up searching for another thing. It's
relevant. Believing In Our Intuitions. James Redfield It is my opinion that we are entering a unique period in human history. We are understanding the details of how to live spiritually as never before. To begin with, we know that the mystical experience-that connection with the divine part of ourselves-is a real, perceptible event, not a belief or an idea. And when we begin to find this connection, all that the mystics of every religion have said suddenly becomes clear: we are not alone; we are part of a higher plan in the universe. In short, we are secure and guided through life and we now know the process through which this takes place. If we stay in our higher self-connection, we become ever more observant of the mysterious coincidences guiding our lives and the interplay of coincidence and intuition. For the whole article click HERE. |
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| COMMENTS | |
| From the United Online Forum: from S Lyster.
Jesus Myth or Human? Here is an excerpt from the first message. It starts an interesting dialogue. "So I ask all you good folks - would it matter to you if the Christian faith was a construction with no historical reference? Karl Barth would not seem to be bothered by this, as a neo-orthodox he was so against the search for the historical Jesus that it mattered not one wit the content of Jesus's history. So much so it appears to me that it would matter little if Jesus had ever lived at all. There's a new book out - with a retreaded theme - but this book has made the news. Read on - I'd like to hear your views. Raising a holy ruckus Authors Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy contend in their book "The Jesus Mysteries" that the Jesus of the New Testament was a mythical figure 'The Jesus Mysteries' opens a controversial can of worms September 21, 2000" Click HERE for the thread. Click HERE for the United Online Forum. |
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St. David's United Church.Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The United Church of Canada.
September 25, 2000