No Java & Jesus

Sunday, July 23rd

On the 23rd at 9 am, Diane Dulin & Tom Beilman will be doing a presentation on Palestinian Justice. Please join!

Here is a little at-home reading about Phoenix Affirmation 8:

Affirmation 8. Christian love of neighbor includes walking humbly with God, acknowledging our own shortcomings while honestly seeking to understand and call forth the best in others, including those who

consider us their enemies.

Luke 18:9-14: Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Luke 6:27-29: “But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your cloak do not withhold your coat as well.”

Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.

John 15:18-19: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

As Christians, we recognize that we are misfits both with respect to God’s Realm and the world. We are misfits with respect to God’s Realm in that we rarely live up to the principles and ideals we espouse. We are misfits with respect to the world in that the ideals for which we strive frequently do not conform to the ways of the world.

We affirm that the Path of Jesus is found where Christ’s followers love those who consider them their enemies as much as they love themselves, striving humbly to embody the “fruits of the Spirit” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We confess that we have moved away from this Path when we have promoted a notion that people of faith are morally or ethically superior to those without faith.

Further, we have moved away when we have supported any cause, no matter how just or righteous, without reflecting the “fruits of the Spirit” toward all.

Objective Questions

Name one recent, completely unexpected act of kindness that you have experienced.

Can you recall an incident where someone, possibly your enemy, unexpectedly performed a profound act of grace?

Do you remember seeing a deliberate act that caused pain or suffering for someone else?

Reflective Question

How did you emotionally respond after witnessing the act of grace?

Interpretive Questions

We are often tempted to ignore the profoundly good or bad acts of others. Why?

Some positions voiced by Fundamentalist Christians evoke a visceral response in more liberal Christians. As a progressive liberal Christian, what should I do with that emotion?

Decisional Questions

How can we create opportunities genuinely and effectively engage our Fundamental Christian siblings, while embodying the fruits of the Spirit?

What can/will I do to offer alternative actions that embody the fruits of the Spirit?

List of Phoenix Affirmations by content:

1. Walk fully with Jesus, don’t deny other faiths
2. Prayer, meditation, scripture
3. Celebrate creation
4. Worship includes art
5. Engage people authentically across diversity
6. Stand with poor and oppressed
7. Separate church and state
8. Walk humbly with God, seek to understand enemies
9. We and all people are loved
10. Sacredness of minds and hearts, doubt and belief
11. Care for bodies, time for rest, reflection, recreation
12. Meaning and purpose, discernment of calling

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