Week Two, with Karen King, March 12: Martyrdom in the early Church
Its historical context, and a look at some of the writings of and about the earliest Christian martyrs. What does it mean for us now to embrace a faith whose creed and biblical canon was shaped by and fixed during a time of violence, and the possibility of martyrdom.

Week Three, with Karen King, March 19: Resurrection Faith
How do Jews, Christians and Muslims talk about resurrection? Karen will have recently returned from a seminar in Jerusalem in which Jews, Christians and Muslims, themselves living with the ever-present threat of violence, religiously approach life and death.

Week Four, March 26: The Holy Week Story
Who are the many characters in the events of the Holy Week and how did their choices reflect their best effort to be faithful to God and to one another in a time of crisis?

Week Five, April 2: Wrap Up
What are we prepared to say about Jesus’ choices in his ministry and especially during Holy Week? Which of those choices are we called to imitate? What does it mean for us, in 21st century America, to “take up our cross” and follow?

We will meet each week from 7:30-9:00. Child care will be provided.

I once spent a summer day at the mountain home of a well-known literary woman and editor.  She lamented the absence of birds about her house. I named a half-dozen or more I had heard or seen in her trees within an hour -

the indigo-bird, the purple finch,

the yellowbird, the veery thrush,

the red-eyed vireo, the song sparrow.

‘Do you mean to say you have seen or heard all those birds while sitting here on my porch?” she inquired.

“I really have,” I said.

“I do not see them or hear them,” she replied, “and yet I want to very much.”

“No,” said I; “you only want to want to see and hear them. You must have the bird in your heart before you can find it in the bush.

From “The Art of Seeing Things” by John Burroughs.

She suggested three dimensions to spiritually nurturing children and adolescents: provide experiences that deepen the child’s loving relationship with God; support a child’s participation in the community of the church; and help the child cultivate a practice of prayer.

Dr. Burnside’s particular interest is in helping children nourish their spirituality by the practice of mindfulness.  She defines spirituality as something that gives meaning and purpose to life.  Mindfulness is a practice of intentionally paying attention to the current moment, without judgment or censure.  Mindfulness contributes to prayer, which she understands to be the conscious recognition of the sacred, inside and outside ourselves.  Teaching children about the practices of mindfulness and prayer give them ways to cultivate meaning and purpose in life.

A theme underlying the evening was that adults can be richly nourished through their involvement in the spiritual development of children.  Participants were invited to reflect on the beginnings of their own relationship with God.  They talked about how they view children, in general and in COS specifically.  Each person identified key values they wanted to shape their efforts to help the young members of COS deepen their relationship with God.  It was a nourishing evening for all involved-and there was pizza, too!

According to McClaren, the book asks two essential questions: What are the world’s top crises, and what do the life and message of Jesus say to those global crises?  He believes many young people see Christianity as a failed religion because it fails to address systemic injustice, poverty, and dysfunction.  He thinks we can do better.

You may have an opinion on one or the other of these questions.  The group continues in February on the first two Thursdays, 7:30-8:30.  No need to read in advance-just come and join the conversation.

The Rev. Steve Smith, from Trinity Wall Street in New York City, offers an understanding of mission to contrast with more popular notions:

For most people, the word “mission” conjures up two images.  The first is from the bad old days of U.S. and European colonialism–a white missionary dressed in clericals, a Panama hat on his head, lecturing at the natives of any given country.  The second is contemporary–the evangelical Protestant or Mormon going door to door to recruit.  These images are part of the mission story.  But they are not entirely of the mission story.  Mission is much more than these two images.

Mission is our human participation in God’s on-going mission in the world.  God’s mission, which we join, is a mission of justice and peace so that all of us are able to live fully flourishing, fully abundant, lives.   Our joining in God’s mission is embodied in so many ways; the most are service with and for others (soup kitchens, school tutoring, Habitat for Humanity) and social transformation (actions that challenge the systems of oppression that keep so many of God’s children from fully flourishing).   In service and social transformation, the missionary moves across boundaries of human experience to share in the lives of others in a meaningful way.   Through mission we journey in companionship with others.   In that journey, we hope to realize the goodness that God desires for the world– for our neighbors near and far, and for us.

Over the next few months, I would like to explore how we, at COS, might be called to engage in mission within our own local community – especially to service with and for others.  I invite you to consider where there are areas of need within Arlington and where you feel the Spirit nagging us to pay attention.   I hope that we may have conversations and identify opportunities to work together,  journeying in companionship.   Realizing that we are all busy people with many responsibilities,  I envision us not trying to take on some major project but rather engaging in little ways that are meaningful–perhaps a collective work day here or there or small groups working informally.

Please let me know your thoughts and hopes.   I look forward to what surprises lie ahead for us,  as missionaries!

–Terry Hofmann