The remembering that brings us into paradise is both about bringing to mind what we've already known or experienced, and about a dream for the future, for what is possible in God's creation. Remembering is about the truths of our faith as well as the possibilities for making those truths real now and in the future. p. 17
In acting classes at Gannon, we teach our students that when they create a character for a scene or play, their performances are more realistic when they see the character not just from the lines and actions of the scene or play that they are performing. They have to see that character in a sense of the continuum of time. Whether you are playing Laura Wingfield from The Glass Menagerie or Eugene Morris Jerome from Brighton Beach Memoirs, you have to see the character as being both the sum total of their life experiences and also on a projection to a myriad of possible futures.
We, too, are the sum of what we've seen, what we've been, what we've done, etc. Each one of us is also filled with hopes for the future. As the Body of Christ, we must not be distracted by the many sad failures and proud accomplishments of our past. Collectively, we do share in each of them, but are neither burdened nor falsely proud by them. They have created in us strong desires about what we hope to accomplish next.
What do we feel are the Church's greatest accomplishments? What have been our worst moments? How do we take what we've been, look at where we are, and make plans for a future that is brighter than either our past or our present?
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2 comments:
The churches greatest accomplishments: a personal memory.
In my very short history in the Episcopal faith, the very best memory was my very first day back to a church (the first Sunday after Easter), after way too many years of being unchurched. What I was looking for was unknowingly told to me by John D. that Sunday morning. He told me (or it seemed to only be me at the time) that this is God's table, any person baptized in their faith is welcome to this table. This is not what I learned in the RC tradition. This to me was not right about the RC tradition. I really feel I was abondoned by the RC church. What I did learn in the Episcopal church is what made sense to me. This is God's table. It belongs to us. This is the greatest thing about the church. I was taught to share, in every day life, growing up. I was not taught to share in the RC tradition. There was too much contradiction when growing up.
The proclaiming of God's table is a truth to me. No matter what I was taught as a girl. This invitation enveloped me. This is what I believe. This is my future. The simple act of breaking bread with others we don't know, is the future.
K.
I wish i wasn't always on a soapbox- LOL i mean really, someone writes something very nice uplifting- ME- NOPE! i always have to be mouthing off jumping onto some sort of cause - its tiring and i wish i could shut my brain off!
K's comment is very uplifting and very nice, and i agree 100%. breaking bread around the table with all of our brothers and sisters, whether we know them or not.
i think that by far the WORST event in the churches history would have to be the crusades. that whole christian church killing mass ammounts of people and invading many lands all in the name of God- thing, is by far the WORST that we could do. on the upside, it doesn't take much to outshine that! as long as my rifle stays locked up in the gun cabinet i think im outshining those peeps by far!
the goal for the future should be the same thing- to accept all to the table, so keep loving everyone as God loves us. That is not only a CHALLENGE for the ages (considering my last post) but its truly the MOST IMOPRTANT- per the Being Himself- that sticking to that as a long term plan can only get better!
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