As we find ourselves in the midst of midterm examinations, I can't help but notice that the leaves are finally turning- signaling the arrival of fall. It struck me just the other day how often we take the seaons for granted. Now, I am very much a person who prefers cold weather with a few warm days interspersed, as well as mild summers not getting above 70 degrees; but, as I was walking around Grounds the other day, it occured to me just how much we actually do need the different seasons and how much God wants us to notice them and appreciate them for what they are.
For most of us, Autumn is the time when the summer's bountiful crop is harvested and stored for the coming winter. It is the culmination of months of work in preparation of months where we work very little. It is also a time when thanks is given for our needs being met. As career oriented people and students, I think we forget the right we have to take time for ourselves - time to appreciate what is around us, time to seek the presence of God in the world around us.
Even in the smallest twig, the tiniest ant, the largest stone, and in the morning dew collecting on the grass as we stumble out of bed towards the coffee pot, is the spirit of God. In the changing colors of fall, God reminds us of the beauty and diversity of the world. He shows us how the rest of creation exists in a cyclical harmony with one another, that there is truth in the beauty of it all and that he through all of this, he is calling us (like a slightly off key note) back into that harmony: to recognise in ourselves the need for rest, knowing that there is a time for work, but that in the sometimes chaotic nature of daily life, we always are always surrounded by beauty and God's presence.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Economy of Grace
Canterbury invites professors from the University's faculty to speak on various topics of interest to the group. This week, we found ourselves in great company, as we were visited by Paul Jones of the Religious Studies Department. Professor Jones has always been a Canterbury favorite and we love the discourses resulting from his visits.
Our topic this time was "The Economy of Grace," which comes from the title of a book written by Kathryn Tanner titled Economy of Grace.
The discussions which followed were ones focused on the some of the ethical problems modern Christians face in a world where capitalism rules. Mr. Jones was able to get things flowing by introducing the theological ideas which stand behind the concept of Grace, in that the grace which mankind experiences stems from God and is eternal - never ceasing. We talked about how God's grace affects one's life in the sense that God is always seeking to strengthen his relationships with his creation and how he also seeks to begin new relationships with those who are not already in a relationship with him. One can go further and state that as Christians experiencing God's grace, one must also then disperse it to other human beings. In this way we broaches the notion of human relationships to one another. How can we as Christians relate to each other in a way in which we give of ourselves to the fullest, while simultaneously questioning when practicality must overrule ideality.
It became clear that a notion of Grace should be important to us all, in that it may be used in all areas of life towards the attainment of a world where one is conscious of one's actions in relation to another human being. Things to think about were how might one transfer the divine grace into economics, social questions, theological questions, political questions. An example that we were presented with, was what might happen were one to cancel all third world debts with any reciprocation expected; how does Grace influence political and legal debate on issues such as capital punishment or determining environmental policy? What are the ethical questions and reasonings which are attributed to altering the way in which these issues are approached.
A final point of interest would be the notion of distancing one's self from transactional thinking and simply deciding on something because it would be the ethically right thing to do, or would such a stance do more harm than good and vice versa.
A good place where one could begin to think about one's own responsibility to shown grace to others would be to think of (as Mr. Jones suggested) the rejection experienced by Jesus as he was under going cruxifiction.
Hope you all are enjoying the posts thus far and that they provoke thought!
Our topic this time was "The Economy of Grace," which comes from the title of a book written by Kathryn Tanner titled Economy of Grace.
The discussions which followed were ones focused on the some of the ethical problems modern Christians face in a world where capitalism rules. Mr. Jones was able to get things flowing by introducing the theological ideas which stand behind the concept of Grace, in that the grace which mankind experiences stems from God and is eternal - never ceasing. We talked about how God's grace affects one's life in the sense that God is always seeking to strengthen his relationships with his creation and how he also seeks to begin new relationships with those who are not already in a relationship with him. One can go further and state that as Christians experiencing God's grace, one must also then disperse it to other human beings. In this way we broaches the notion of human relationships to one another. How can we as Christians relate to each other in a way in which we give of ourselves to the fullest, while simultaneously questioning when practicality must overrule ideality.
It became clear that a notion of Grace should be important to us all, in that it may be used in all areas of life towards the attainment of a world where one is conscious of one's actions in relation to another human being. Things to think about were how might one transfer the divine grace into economics, social questions, theological questions, political questions. An example that we were presented with, was what might happen were one to cancel all third world debts with any reciprocation expected; how does Grace influence political and legal debate on issues such as capital punishment or determining environmental policy? What are the ethical questions and reasonings which are attributed to altering the way in which these issues are approached.
A final point of interest would be the notion of distancing one's self from transactional thinking and simply deciding on something because it would be the ethically right thing to do, or would such a stance do more harm than good and vice versa.
A good place where one could begin to think about one's own responsibility to shown grace to others would be to think of (as Mr. Jones suggested) the rejection experienced by Jesus as he was under going cruxifiction.
Hope you all are enjoying the posts thus far and that they provoke thought!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Inaugural Posting of the Canterbury Blog
Greetings and welcome to the Canter Blog for the Canterbury Connection at the University of Virginia. Wow! That was a mouthfull to say (or should I say type). If you're on Facebook and would like to check out our Facebook group, please visit the link attached to this posting.
So far, Canterbury has had a successful semester. We've seen lots of new faces at our weekly discussions and are glad for it! We hope you all keep joining us every Wednesday.
Our first few weeks were primarily focused on getting to know new students, worship with all of us, and bible study led by one of our students in the Young Priest's Intiative-Matthew Lukens. The next few weeks saw a talk on using Yoga as a form of prayer as well as a fun afternoon which we spent playing "The Name Game."
Dan Brown gave us the idea to play this particular game, promising it would be a great time. The game has very few rules and purely competitive. Participants are divided into 2 teams, there is a judge (in this case our Chaplain-Neal), a bowl, and a mother's worst nightmare - torn up sheets of paper with bits of writing on them. These pieces of paper found their way into this bowl and then the chaos ensued. Each team approximately 1 minute to give as many clues towards the mystery person's identity without actually saying their name. Exactly like rapid association. I saw blue you say the first thing that comes to mind - bubble gum.
Our last meeting was held on the Lawn for Canterbury's annual "Games on the Lawn." We enjoyed delicious Take - it - Away sandwiches, cupcakes courtesy of Hannah, and played non-competitive kick-ball on the lawn, in addition to Red Rover.
Keep checking back for more Canter News!
Yours,
Sean
P.S.- We at Canterbury are overly fond of puns involving the word Canter and anything that might pertain to Canterbury. There will definitely be more to come!
So far, Canterbury has had a successful semester. We've seen lots of new faces at our weekly discussions and are glad for it! We hope you all keep joining us every Wednesday.
Our first few weeks were primarily focused on getting to know new students, worship with all of us, and bible study led by one of our students in the Young Priest's Intiative-Matthew Lukens. The next few weeks saw a talk on using Yoga as a form of prayer as well as a fun afternoon which we spent playing "The Name Game."
Dan Brown gave us the idea to play this particular game, promising it would be a great time. The game has very few rules and purely competitive. Participants are divided into 2 teams, there is a judge (in this case our Chaplain-Neal), a bowl, and a mother's worst nightmare - torn up sheets of paper with bits of writing on them. These pieces of paper found their way into this bowl and then the chaos ensued. Each team approximately 1 minute to give as many clues towards the mystery person's identity without actually saying their name. Exactly like rapid association. I saw blue you say the first thing that comes to mind - bubble gum.
Our last meeting was held on the Lawn for Canterbury's annual "Games on the Lawn." We enjoyed delicious Take - it - Away sandwiches, cupcakes courtesy of Hannah, and played non-competitive kick-ball on the lawn, in addition to Red Rover.
Keep checking back for more Canter News!
Yours,
Sean
P.S.- We at Canterbury are overly fond of puns involving the word Canter and anything that might pertain to Canterbury. There will definitely be more to come!
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