Decided to leave the
hotel early and head over to Bexco. Had a chat with Andrew Dutney on the same
bus. In a crowd of several thousand, it's not always easy to spot familiar faces, so it was good to chat. We were reminded of Facebook photos of Deidre Palmer's installation as Moderator in the SA - sorry to miss such an occasion. Great to see the way Deidre used the space at Adelaide West UC for her installation (not up on the platform but close to the entrance/exit - I like to think it has a diaconal & missional imperative in the use of space where Deidre is serving the gathered church - represented by Synod members, and responding to the challenges of the day - represented by the proximity to the exit doors leading out of the auditorium. But maybe that's reading too much into it though knowing Deidre such thinking would be woven into the structure and use of space in the installation service).
Anyway, back to Busan and WCC!
The morning prayer introduced new music and then we had the first Bible Study. I was in the English speaking plenary, but there were quite a number of smaller groups in English, Korean and other languages. The first study was based on Genesis 2:4b-17, the tree of life. It was written by Jione Havea, a minister in the Methodist Church of Tonga. He ‘encourages readers to engage Scriptures critically and imaginatively. He is a senior lecturer in Biblical Studies at United Theological College, Charles Sturt University, Sydney. He cited Norman Habel so he was clearly well researched in his interpretation of Gen 2.
Anyway, back to Busan and WCC!
The morning prayer introduced new music and then we had the first Bible Study. I was in the English speaking plenary, but there were quite a number of smaller groups in English, Korean and other languages. The first study was based on Genesis 2:4b-17, the tree of life. It was written by Jione Havea, a minister in the Methodist Church of Tonga. He ‘encourages readers to engage Scriptures critically and imaginatively. He is a senior lecturer in Biblical Studies at United Theological College, Charles Sturt University, Sydney. He cited Norman Habel so he was clearly well researched in his interpretation of Gen 2.
He made a really
interesting point about the famous painting from the Sistine Chapel of Adam and
God reaching out to each other (ET style). He noted that Adam’s limp wrist is
not the strength of someone who is capable of tilling and tending the earth,
and that the hand he reaches out to God with is his left hand, signifying
disrespect. Just what was Michelangelo trying to tell us?
It was an engaging
study, with a mixture of input and small group discussion. My small group had
two people from the USA (one from Kentucky, one from Kansas) and a man from
Iran. He was fascinating.
Our small group discussions were concluded with music - ‘Gangnam style’ which apparently refers to a part of Seoul for the ‘upwardly mobile/nouveau riche’ types. I need to find out more about this story – sounds interesting.
Our small group discussions were concluded with music - ‘Gangnam style’ which apparently refers to a part of Seoul for the ‘upwardly mobile/nouveau riche’ types. I need to find out more about this story – sounds interesting.
The study finished
with the prayer:
God of life, give us
the courage to value and protect life
to commit, act and live justly
mindful of differences
for gender and colour divides are deep
but deeper are the currents of inclusiveness
and to do more than pray
for life is your gift to us
for living our gift for all.
to commit, act and live justly
mindful of differences
for gender and colour divides are deep
but deeper are the currents of inclusiveness
and to do more than pray
for life is your gift to us
for living our gift for all.
God of life, courage
and destiny
lead us to justice and peace
that we may affirm who we are. Amen!
lead us to justice and peace
that we may affirm who we are. Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment