A few words from Henri Nouwen's book Bread for the Journey

Reading Spiritually About Spiritual Things

Reading often means gathering information, acquiring new insight and knowledge, and mastering a new field. It can lead us to degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Spiritual reading, however, is different. It means not simply reading about spiritual things but also reading about spiritual things in a spiritual way. That requires a willingness not just to read but to be read, not just to master but to be mastered by words. As long as we read the Bible or a spiritual book simply to acquire knowledge, our reading does not help us in our spiritual lives. We can become very knowledgeable about spiritual matters without becoming truly spiritual people.

As we read spiritually about spiritual things, we open our hearts to God's voice. Sometimes we must be willing to put down the book we are reading and just listen to what God is saying to us through its words.

Hello friends,

I have listened to some suggestions for how to make engaging the Scripture text easier and perhaps more meaning on the blog. So here goes. On Sunday nights I will post the Scripture for the following Sunday right here. Below the text are questions to help you engage the text. If you want to see an example of how I engaged last week's text, please scroll down to "My engagement..." following the John 20:19-31 text.

I hope this is helpful and that you feel encouraged to click on "comments" just below the text and post you responses. ............Grace and Peace to all. ....Debra

John 21:1-19

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

Questions for engaging the text:

- What do I observe? What am I seeing? Does this passage raise questions for me?

- Is anything attracting me, drawing my attention, or repulsing me?

- What response is emerging within me? What is my response to what is attracting me?***

- In what ways might I specifically act on my insights in the world?

*** First 3 questions taken from The ART of Engaging Holy Scripture curriculum (see resources)

Bible Text and Engagement for Sunday, April 11, 2010

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

My engagement with the text:

I noticed that Jesus arrived among the disciples apparently unhindered by the locked door. He spoke to the disciples, “Peace be with you,” and they didn’t recognize his voice. Only after Jesus showed them his wounds did they believe it was him. The exact same sequence of events happened the following Sunday with Thomas. Again Jesus arrived, despite the shut doors, stood among the disciples and spoke. But Thomas did not believe it was Jesus until he touched Jesus’ wounds.

I was both attracted to and wanted to skip over the words, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” It seems like a big deal to have the power to forgive or not forgive. And even when I want to be forgiving sometimes I’m not. I realize that when I am not forgiving I am bound by it, the sting of the sin or hurt remains in me. I am not free and I am not peaceful.

The response that rises up in me is, Lord, I want your peace. Please help me to be forgiving so that your peace will be with me. Amen

After pausing and being still for a few minutes I felt peaceful. A bit later it occurred to me that when I am at peace in my self and with my self I can be at peace with others and the world. Even my desire to be forgiving opens me to peace that I can bring into the world. Debra

Luke 24:1-12 Reflection on Easter Sunday text

Alleluia Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia! Throughout the world this day people have sung and said these words. And I wonder – is this what was on the lips and in the hearts of Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the other women when “they did not find the body” of their beloved Jesus lying on the limestone shelf in the cool dark cave early that first Easter morning? Things certainly were not as they expected.

When things don’t turn out the way we expect, when we look into the darkness of an uncertain future, when emptiness and confusion fill us – how do we respond? I don’t know about you, but when things don’t work out in accord with the picture in my mind I don’t shout alleluia! When I am perplexed, disappointed, distressed or afraid it is hard for me to see any light never mind shout for joy.

So how is it the women who went to Jesus’ cave prepared to anoint his body with spices were able to find light in the darkness of his empty tomb? The two men (angels) in “dazzling clothes reminded the women that their friend Jesus did not expect his life to be a bed of roses. Jesus expected to be “handed over to sinners and be crucified,” to suffer and die, “and on the third day rise again” in new life. And the women remembered what Jesus had told them.

What if we shared Jesus’ expectation? What if instead of imagining that life is meant to be a steady state of ease and comfort we expected life to be an ceaselessly changing journey of possibilities and surprises? What if instead of imagining that difficulty, disease and suffering where signs of God’s absence we embraced our afflictions as occasions for relying on God’s grace? What if we allowed ourselves to relax into the experience of our lives – just the way they are? What if in the darkest moments – looking into the empty tomb – we remembered that life is endlessly emerging and that the spark of light arises from the heart of darkness? What if we walked The Way of Jesus, consenting to our lives as given and being raised into new life?

Neither consolation nor desolation is constant. Life is not a steady state. Day resolves into night; night is the dawning of day. It is the light found in the remembering of what is not present that is the light of hope. It is this light the women realized in the empty tomb.

Alleluia Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Please engage the "Weekly Bible Reading" for next Sunday and post your reflections.

We look forward to hearing from you. Debra

Luke 23.1-49 Reflections on Passion Sunday text

Almost everyone was accusing Jesus of things he didn’t do and things he didn’t say. The Roman soldiers, the Jewish officials, the chief priests and scribes, even the people who only days before gathered to hear him teach and to be healed – they were all in a frenzy accusing Jesus. Only Pilate and King Herod did not accuse him. They found Jesus innocent, actually three times. But in the end they too were implicated in the wrongful death of an innocent man because both Herod and Pilate failed to use their authority to oppose the crowds that were swept away in an emotional fervor. The two men in authority failed to execute truth and justice. An innocent man was crucified and died.

When I ask myself, “Who are the bad guys?” I have to answer, “Everyone.” That makes me nervous. I wonder what I would have done if I was in that crowd? I wonder what I would have done if I was one of the priests, or King Herod or Pilate? When have I stood by and let an innocent person be slandered or wrongfully accused? When have I watched and done nothing when innocent people have been mistreated? Misunderstood? Judged? Condemned? Neglected? Forgotten? Abused? Too many times I haven’t slowed down to walk with an elderly person. Too many times I have not stopped, looked into a homeless person’s eyes and offered them a blessings. Too many times I’ve listened to hostile gossip. Too many times I have judged the people I say I love. Yes – I am one of the crowd, I am one of the officials who failed to exercise my authority and I have crucified an innocent man.

Still, that is not cause to despair. Then Jesus said, “”Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” In some bibles this verse appears in brackets because scholars cannot agree if it was in the original text and at some point was cut out, or if it was a later addition to the text. What matters to me is that it is there now, and I am grateful. Jesus’ words are an incredible affirmation of our human condition, “…they do not know what they are doing.” Isn’t that the truth! I cannot for a minute believe that the entire assembly of Roman soldiers, Jewish officials, chief priests, scribes and ordinary people were ill willed or evil. Nor can I believe that Herod and Pilate were inherently bad. I cannot believe that any more than I can believe I am ill willed or evil when I fail to seek and serve and save the suffering people in my world.

Who among us is innocent? Blameless? Pure and free of wrongdoing? Let me suggest that the answer is – not one of us is innocent. And the good news is we are forgiven because we are the beloveds of God, just the way we are. Does that mean we have license to be corrupt, self-serving or live without regard for the consequences of our behavior? Absolutely not. What it means is when we inevitably act and reveal that we “know not what we are doing,” we are already forgiven. Thanks be to God.

Most people today believe in God or in some mystery greater than them selves. More and more of these believers are deciding not to be identified with a religion. Even though the U.S. population continues to become less “religious,” 70% of North Americans report they believe in a personal God and another 12% believe in a higher power but not a personal God. (American Religious Identification Survey – http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/)

Today there are about 3.6 million non-affiliated believers. Many of these people call themselves “spiritual but not religious seekers.”

I wondered:

What would happen if we offered a safe place for seekers and believers to connect?

What would happen if we gave everyone the same meaningful and time-tested text to engage?

What would happen if we paid serious attention to how the text applied to the real lives of the seekers and believers?

What would happen if a community of believers and seekers discovered the Holy in their lives together? (Learning together http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_learning)

And so hOlybytes was born.

hOlybytes is a place to hear and to tell the good news that the Holy is present and active in all of our lives.

Dear friends,

I used to have a hard time reading the Bible. I would get all tangled up in questions. Is this true? Did this really happen? How can anything so old and so strange have anything to do with me? Still, I was intrigued. The Bible has been around for a very long time. People love it. People hate it. Either way, they just keep reading it. It is the most widely printed book in the world, published in thousands of languages and versions. WHY?

Ten years ago an Episcopal priest caught my imagination when he pointed out that I could read the Bible for information (trying to discover historical facts) or I could read the Bible for formation (trying to discover what the Bible has to say to me today). He introduced me to a method he calls The Art of Engaging Holy Scripture,based on an practice of reading the Bible that has been around since the 6th century known as lectio divina. (http://www.saintbarnabas.org/images/sitecontent/pdf/taehs%20information%20nov09.pdf)

Being in conversation with God through the Bible this way has changed how I see the Bible and it has really changed my life. The ancient text is alive for me. I find my self and my situations in the stories. But more than that, I find hope and experience joy and enthusiasm in my life. I feel more and more connected to people – people long ago and people today. And the sense of meaning and value in my life keeps growing.

I want to share this with you in a way that feels safe and invites you to participate as much or as little as is comfortable to you. We are all joined in the interconnected web of creation. We all have stories to share. I hope you enjoy the stories you read here and when it feels right, maybe you will want to share yours too. Come and see. Read other people’s stories. See how they are finding meaning and value for their lives in the words of the Bible.

Thank you for visiting hOlybytes.

Debra Asis
Seminarian
Church Divinity School of the Pacific