In our most recent meeting, we realized that we sometimes have thoughts to share between classes, so we're adding an on-line disucssion. We've read chapters 1 through 4 so far.
To get the discussion started, I might ask:
- What stands out to you about the first 4 chapters or about the discussions we have in class so far?
- How do you understand the balance of religion and politics in Isaiah's time and in ours?
- What would happen if our government officials added the position of prophet to cabinets and councils, local, state and national?
The questions are wide open on purpose. Interact with the book, with each other and with your faith journey. What's coming up as important for you?
I find myself still musing over the section on swords and plowshares, identical in Isaiah and Micah. I keep imagining an 8th century minstrel whose song was quoted by both the prophets...
ReplyDeleteMartha
I was struck by 1:16-17...is this not basically what Jesus taught? And, thinking of our discussion at forum Sunday, is this not also a recipe for being more fully human?
ReplyDeleteLeslie
This is perhaps tangential, and yet I think it's related. Dr. Stephen Bezruchka of UW School of Public Health recently discussed on Democracy Now! the relationship between economic equity and health:
ReplyDelete"What turns out to be really important is the nature of caring and sharing in society. And the best factor that really impacts that is the degree of inequality. Where societies are more unequal, people don't look out for one another, they look out for themselves. Where societies are more equal--and economic equality is the thing that is most important in this--people look after each other, society looks after each other, and pretty well everyone does better. There's almost nothing that is better in a society that tolerates the extreme levels of inequality in the United States. And so, we end up dying younger than people in all the other rich countries, despite spending half the world's healthcare bill."
I see him pointing to the health and wholeness that are envisioned in God's realm of Shalom. I would say this man is a prophet.
These are the words of the prophet of Santa Barbara:
ReplyDeleteHear you arrogant people
you prideful Santa Barbarans
comfortable with money in the bank
while the poor go sick from lack of money.
Your own coffers shall be empty
your unshared wealth will disappear
witih the mst of morning.
Hear all you who pride yourselves
in your city's beauty,
lining your streets
with exotic plants that drink up rain.
The years of drought
will whither your azeleas.
Your cattle will die.
You will cry out to Lazarus
for a drop on your tongue.
Hear you coastal peoples:
Tourists bask on your beaches
while your own people sleep in doorways.
Now the sea itself shall rise up;
the waters shall drown your beach houses.
Fire will consure your mansions.
Even so, God shall watch over creation.
The spirit of Love
The generous heart
The faith of women and men
who see beyond pride and self
shall surely rejoice.
Justice shall be for all people
and the God of galaxies
shall dwell within. Penny D
I'm excited to be able to connect with you all!
ReplyDeleteCan the font size be made a little larger?
ReplyDeleteButterfli, if you have a PC and Windows, you should be able to increase the size of everything by hitting Ctl/+
ReplyDeleteSr. Joan Chittister is a prophet! At least 5 FCCers were at the lecture last night...I hope there were more that I didn't see. (One person was heard to utter "Preach it, Sister!" ;-) ) You can find her column "From Where I Stand" at http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/fwis/. The title of last night's talk was "Spirituality and Culture," so look through the archives for anything that sounds similar.
ReplyDeleteSorry to be late to today's meeting. I was looking at the Hebrew words for God in Ch.3. Karen wanted to know what the distinctions were. You were right Karen! One word was Yahweh. The other Sabaoth. So that's a combination of holy names meaning something like The One Who Is Lord of Hosts.
ReplyDelete