Scripture in a Missionfocused. Congregation ORIENTINGCONGREGATIONALLIFETOWARDMISSION FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS PRACTICES

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1 ORIENTINGCONGREGATIONALLIFETOWARDMISSION FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS Faced with difficult questions, many properly turn to scripture to find insight and inspiration. Search the scriptures for the Living Word that brings life, healing, and hope to all. Embrace and proclaim these liberating truths. Doctrine and Covenants 164:6c As church leaders, each of us has all sorts of biases. We inherited some from those who raised us and others we picked up along our journey of life. Leaders invest themselves in the big things, in things they feel are important. It s no surprise then that all leaders carry some internal biases when it comes to scripture. Lesslie Newbigin, in his text Foolishness to the Greeks (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1986, 56) says, Every Christian reader comes to the Bible with the spectacles provided by the tradition that is alive in the community to which he or she belongs, and that tradition is being constantly modified as each new generation of believers endeavors to be faithful in understanding and living out scripture. There is a similar affirmation in Doctrine and Covenants 161:5. Be respectful of tradition. Do not fail to listen attentively to the telling of the sacred story, for the story of scripture and of faith empowers and illuminates. But neither be captive to time-bound formulas and procedures. Remember that instruction given in former years is applicable in principle and must be measured against the needs of a growing church, in accordance with the prayerful direction of the spiritual authorities and the consent of the people. Doctrine and Covenants 161:5 Scripture is the container of God s story and people view scripture through a variety of lenses. Scripture connects us to the larger story but we are not the story. Far too often, people try to make their situations the center of the story. Recent counsel to Community of Christ affirms the role of scripture for Christ s mission. Disciplined use of scripture allows God s Spirit to shape the congregation s participation in Christ s mission. Hear these words: Scripture in a Missionfocused Congregation by Larry McGuire Scripture is an indispensable witness to the Eternal Source of light and truth, which cannot be fully contained in any finite vessel or language. Scripture has been written and shaped by human authors through experiences of revelation and ongoing inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the midst of time and culture. Doctrine and Covenants 163:7a Walter Brueggemann, in the preface to his book, The Book that Breathes New Life, Scriptural Authority and Biblical Theology (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2005, xiii xvii), says contemporary studies have reshaped approaches to scripture by focusing on the text as a voice from and voice to the community of faith. The church s statement on scripture Scripture in Community of Christ ( provides guidance to congregational leaders on ways to interpret and apply scripture. Scripture in Community of Christ is a source of critical information for study and conversation by the congregation. It is important to apply the principles in Scripture in Community of Christ to worship planning and for preparation and delivery of sermons. Do not be afraid to allow the lens of the Community of Christ tradition of scripture to shape the testimony offered in worship and witness. PRACTICES 1. Dwelling in the Word 2. Lectio Divina 3. Using Lectionary Scripture and Dwelling in the Word for Worship Orienting Congregational Life Toward Mission 95

2 The congregation s journey is constantly shaped and informed by its relationship with scripture. The congregation s encounter with God as revealed through the testimonies of people who lived in a different time continues to shape the congregation s understanding of God s faithfulness. The witness of scripture about the life, ministry, death, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and empowerment through the Holy Spirit shapes the congregation s witness today. That witness includes assuring an always present God even in places and circumstances where people do not expect to find God. The experience of being shaped by the witness of scripture is to live into an imagination of what God is doing in the world. Pastors and congregational leaders are called to inspire the congregation with God s vision for the world. Congregational leaders who learn to depend on the witness of scripture are shaped by it. They learn to enter and live in an imagination of what God is doing in their world. Inagrace Dietterich, PhD, director of theological research at the Center for Parish Development in Chicago, says, The cultivating of faithful imaginations is crucial for Christians who in this life walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), since faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrew 11:1). If we cannot imagine a time of reconciliation and healing, when God will dwell with God s people and wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more (Rev. 21:3), then we are enslaved to our present experience of alienation and death. If we cannot imagine a time when the poor will hear good news, when the captives will be released, when the blind will recover their sight, and the oppressed will go free (Luke 4:18), then we will be overwhelmed by the poverty, suffering, and injustice of our world. If we cannot imagine a time when God s will is done on earth as in heaven, then to pray the Lord s Prayer is an exercise in futility. Faithfulness is not only about submitting our wills in obedience, but, about opening and trusting our imaginations in delight and wonder. Inagrace Dietterich, In Good Company: Becoming Faithful Readers and Doers of Scripture Cultivating Faithful Imaginations The Center Letter, 39, no. 2 (Feb. 2009), 1 It is critical that leaders engage themselves and their congregations in practices that shape them to be able to discern God s voice for their time and place. By doing this, congregations live into the imagination of what it was like when scripture was given and live into the faithful imagination of what scripture is calling them to become. Scripture is always larger than the church. Scripture is always trying to shape the church for something larger than the church can see. Scripture invites the congregation to go deeper with God. Scripture is not for dwelling on questions of curiosity that do not lead into a deeper life with God. When people whittle a text down to an easily embraced size to fit their comfortable way of thinking and behaving, critical insights are lost. It is critical to listen 96 Pastors and Leaders Field Guide to a text in its context. It is also critical to listen with the imagination of what the Holy Spirit is doing to shape the leaders and the congregation. It is important to embrace the whole message, not just a few manageable parts. Listening to scripture is a spiritual practice. It is a practice that people can use in all areas of spiritual development, everyday life, and congregational life. Dwelling in the Word is an adaptation of an ancient spiritual practice known as lectio divina (see both practices at the end of this article). Dwelling in the Word is a practice of listening to scripture and one another about what God is doing in the present time and context. It is a practice that frees people to experience the mystery of God in scripture and how God is moving today. The practice opens people up to the invitation from God to shape and be with them for mission. Dwelling in the Word is a spiritual practice that encourages participants to be open to what God is doing in the world. By listening to one another, individuals and the community are shaped by the scripture to respond to God s movement in their life and community. Individuals or groups can practice Dwelling in the Word. It is a practice of praying about and listening to a portion of scripture. When reading a passage of scripture each participant listens for words, senses images, or identifies phrases that capture their imagination. Participants explore and share with one another what God intends for their ministry in the midst of the words, images, or phrases. End by asking, How is the Holy Spirit shaping or influencing you and your congregation to respond in mission? (See for Bible study resources and approaches to Bible study called Some Reliable Tools for Serious Bible Study and Bible Study for Spiritual Formation by Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith.) Dwelling in the Word is a practice to use in priesthood meetings, in leadership team meetings, as part of the worship experience, and always, as a way to discern where God is calling the congregations leaders and members to serve in mission. For centuries people have practiced listening to scripture to prepare them for witness in the time and place they lived. Now we look to the scriptures to equip the congregational leaders and the congregation to follow where God is already moving in neighborhoods and communities of the congregation. (See the practice Using Lectionary Scripture and Dwelling in the Word in Worship. ) Listen to one another. Listen for the themes of what God is saying. Explore the themes and implement experiments that help test where God may be leading the congregation in mission. When in the midst of discovering ministry and mission in a neighborhood, town, or city, take time to reflect on a particular word, phrase, or image from the

3 scripture and ask God, What are you up to here and how are you calling me or the congregation to respond? God is up to something in the life of the congregation and its neighborhood, community, and world. A mission-focused congregation cultivates the practice of listening to God and one another and dares to imagine that God is present even when no one expects God to dwell in their life, neighborhood, or community. QUESTIONS Following are questions to explore as pastors and congregational leaders encounter God and engage themselves and the congregation in scripture: What comes to your mind when you hear the word imagination? What does faithful imagination mean to you? As you think about faithful imagination be open to the notion that experiences, words, and symbols have many meanings. As you explore a scriptural passage ask, What faithful imagination is emerging and is shaping my ministry or the congregation s ministry? What is my experience of the story of God? How are the people in this scripture experiencing the story of God? Where are they on their journey? How does their experience and journey relate to my journey? How is this story of scripture my story? What does this passage tell us about God? How does this passage speak to us as individuals and as a community of faith? How does this passage shape us to receive our neighbors and our world? Orienting Congregational Life Toward Mission 97

4 PRACTICE DWELLING IN THE WORD OBJECTIVE To read and hear scripture as a spiritual practice that leads to new understandings. Dwelling in the Word is a practice based on our understanding that God continues to speak to us in the context of our day and calling. Listen for God s voice in scripture to connect with God s mission in Christ. Listen to the voices of others about what God is doing in their lives. This practice is not about gaining information about scripture. Rather, it is about listening to how God is speaking, calling, and sending us to join in Christ s mission to our communities and the world. PROCESS Provide a printed copy of a scriptural text. A printed copy allows participants to hear and see the words for reflection. Read the scriptural text out loud and pause for a few minutes to allow people time to reflect on what they ve heard. Read the passage a second time. Ask people to make note of a word, phrase, or image they are drawn to as they hear it read again. After a short pause, form into small groups of no more than four or five people to provide opportunities for each person to share their responses to questions like ones provided below. If someone wishes to remain silent, that is acceptable. It is important to make sure the reflections are personal and do not become an exercise in biblical interpretation. Here are some questions: Is there a place I feel drawn to dwell or explore? What words, images, or phrases are speaking to me in this text? What is God s invitation to me in this scripture? What is God s invitation to our congregation in this scripture? This is a practice of discovery, be expectant that God s mission in Christ is among you as you gain insights from listening to one another and to God. PROCESS TIP Be patient with the practice. Encourage participants to remember it is a spiritual practice that invites scripture to transform our understanding and our way of being and doing. Do not let this become an intellectual exercise which will limit the transformative impact of this practice. Like any practice, this will take time to fully understand. 98 Pastors and Leaders Field Guide

5 PRACTICE LECTIO DIVINA OBJECTIVE To let scripture soak deeply into us as we interact with a particular passage or story. To help persons listen prayerfully for what God wants to say to us through scripture. (Lectio divina is a Latin term for sacred reading.) PROCESS 1. Select a passage of scripture. Scripture stories may be especially helpful as people are learning this exercise. 2. Invite the group to sit quietly and enter a time of prayerful reflection. Breathe calmly, relax your body, and offer a prayer for guidance as you interact with the selected scriptural text. 3. If in a group, briefly describe the four ways in which the scripture will be read and reflected on. Don t worry about the Latin words they are there simply to help us talk about the four ways of experiencing the scripture. 4. Read the scripture four different times, allowing time for meditation and prayer between each reading. Before each reading, remind the group of instructions for praying with the scripture through lectio, meditatio, oratio, or contemplatio, as you proceed. Lectio read the passage to get a sense of the story. Who are the characters, what is the setting? Imagine the scene, the sights, sounds, smells, emotions, and tensions involved in the story. Enter the scene and allow it to become real to you. Meditatio read the scripture again but this time for meaning and understanding. Ask questions. Why was this story recorded? What are the surface and underlying meanings? What does this story tell me about God? If I were in the story, who would I be? Whom do I most relate to in the story? Oratorio read the passage again, and this time pay attention to your emotional responses. What feelings surface as I read this scripture? Do I feel joy, sorrow, fear, anger, or guilt? Share your feelings with God in prayer. Ask for help in listening deeply to these emotions and meanings. Contemplatio enter a time of receptive prayer. Let go of the images from the scripture and all other thoughts, interpretations, and worries. Breathe deeply and calmly, entering a profound silent state of listening. Wait for whatever God may bring to you in the quietness. If any insights or impressions come, note them with gratitude and then return to receptive listening. If no particular awareness comes, let your mind return to the scripture passage. When you feel your prayer and meditation has ended, offer a word of thanks to God, open your eyes, and return to the room around you. Orienting Congregational Life Toward Mission 99

6 PRACTICE USING LECTIONARY SCRIPTURE AND DWELLING IN THE WORD IN WORSHIP OBJECTIVE Utilize the Dwelling in the Word practice to bring scripture alive with personal reflection and sharing in congregational worship. PROCESS Ask an individual in the congregation to reflect daily on the main lectionary scripture for the upcoming week. The individual should reflect on the following questions: Is there a place in the text where I feel drawn to dwell or explore? What is God s invitation to me in this scripture? What is God s invitation to our congregation in this scripture? As part of the worship experience, ask the individual to share reflections on one or all three of the questions. Depending on the length of the worship experience you may want to set a time limit for sharing. Integrating this practice into the service involves more people in the study of scripture and provides opportunities for personal sharing as an important dimension of worship. Alternative Process: Provide the congregation the lectionary scripture to reflect on daily for the upcoming week. The congregation should reflect on the following questions: Is there a place in the text where I feel drawn to dwell or explore? What is God s invitation to me in this scripture? What is God s invitation to our congregation in this scripture? The presider or someone else designated will lead the congregation through a sharing exercise as part of the service. Ask people to get into groups of three, have someone in each group read the scripture aloud, and invite the group to share their reflections on the lectionary scripture for about five to seven minutes based on one of the questions. In smaller congregations, the entire congregation may share in the experience together. 100 Pastors and Leaders Field Guide