Two month break!

Wow, I can’t believe it’s actually been two months since I’ve made an update.

Well Christmas was great, pre-Christmas was great, the new year was also great.

Lots of games, finished some television shows, started others, spent a lot of time in Kingston, and also out of Kingston but within Ontario

Lots of discussions about growth.

I think a lot of my relationships are improving, but sometimes it seems like I’m not actually improving at all.

Financially, 2020 isn’t shaping up too great.

For physical fitness, 2020 is okay, but might turn out better if I do things differently. I might need to go to pjysio

I’m looking forward to what 2020 has in store for me, 

Church @ The Gathering 

Doug Caldwell speaking on Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes

We heard the song from The Byrds, based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-14.

Discussion about a time when we spoke when we thought we should keep silent or a time when we kept silent when we should have spoke.

Why do we feel this way? What told us we should or shouldn’t have spoken?

A gut feeling?

Experience?

Conviction?

A nudge?

The value in the altercation?

With a nudge, do you get judged once? More than once?

What if you don’t respond right away?

“Why are you bringing this up now?”

The moment is fleeting

Is there a touch of fatalism?

Another reason why I find it helpful, Jesus said “my hour has not yet come “ (in John particularly) 

Where does Jesus get this feeling? Where is he looking? Where is he not looking?

He’s not looking at his watch, he’s not looking at a calendar, he’s not looking at Chronos time

The Greek meaning of chailos 

...

Being aware of this time develops over a nighttime

Give it more credit, it’s more than you’re feeling.

Story about Law Students struggles.

Second year applying for a thing. An article publishing.

But God said to Doug, don’t apply. This is t the right time.

Third year came around and God still said No.

Then he applied in January, and he got in this amazing firm full of people who were the right people to know.

It was a change, but Doug listened to Gods timing.

How do you know that the people who are saying that you’re wrong, and you are right?

A gut feeling.

God is a god of new beginnings. He will create something different if you miss the first one.

He is with us and is for us.

The difference between discernment and decision making?

Announcements

Queens clubs

And

Young Adult Bible Study.

(Backup) Week 4/5 of November I suppose

November, uhh

Last weekend I went to New York City for Anime NYC, awesome experience but short lived because I basically went right back to work.

Church @ The Gathering

Week 5/6 with Bill Morrow

...

The Gathering's six-part Book of Job series led by the Rev. Dr. Bill Morrow (Professor of Hebrew Scriptures at Queen's School of Religion) continues this Sunday, Nov. 24.  

Part 5 in the series focuses on the question: "What is Yahweh's Perspective?" (Job 38:1-15). 

If you wish you can read Job 38–39; 40:6–41:34 ahead of time.  All are welcome.

...

Yahweh is

What is the point of job 38-41

How would a suffering person benefit from the Yahweh speeches?

1. Is the world truly anthropometric?

Are chaos and order irreconcilable opposites?

Does the crested order perfectly reflect the character of god?

Spot the differences

Is the same dirty is job chapter 2 and in job 38-41?

No Satan, jo return to discussion in heavenly court.

The 38-41 deconstruction does not help the overarching persona of the book as a whole.

This particular god in 1-2 is a god who cannot he trusted, even by the wholly righteous to not behave cruelly and arbitrarily.

Destroying his servants welfare to serve his own narcissistic interests.

We lose something through the divine presentation of Yahweh’s speeches

According to Yahweh:

Two perspectives

Job 1-2 consults wi tu members of his heavenly council

Has absolute power

Job 38-42

...

Suffering and the exodus

“After a long time the king of Egypt died, the Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to god. God heard their groaning and god remembered his covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites and god took notice of them.”

Exidus 2:23-25

God is known as shadday, and reveals himself to Moses as Yahweh

The behemoth and leviathan.

Bill thinks that the mythical monsters that the people of the time believed existed in the world.

The creatures symbolize a certain degree of chaos in the natural world. Whether or not they exist the idea is important. These are the zenith of the argument that is in ch 38, Yahweh is taking responsibility that there is random and chaos in the world.

The differences of the ch 1-2 job god and the 38-42 job god.

These writers are trying to find an idealistic and aspect of gods. What is god and what is his repationsuop to suffering. What is his relationship in this world.

Sugfrstinf that job discovers new aspects of god.

Gods omnipotence is potential, it is not always realized.

In the psalms it is understood that god is always able to interfere with the world. These psalms would not make any sense if the assertion of divine creative power was not realized. Thus gods omnipotence is potential, it is not always realized.

God is clearly indicated that he limited him self in 38-41.

This doesn’t mean god is unable to override them, thus exodus reference.

Corporation universe works out how it works out

Questions:

Cinderella Question:

The concept of jobs god changes

To what extent is what happens to us in life the will of God?

That’s all for now!

(Backup) First Gathering in November

A solid month since I’ve been to the Gathering?

Lots of Sunday events, crazy.

Picked up Maria from Toronto two weeks ago, went to the Murder mystery with QBGC last week on Sunday, and before that I think I was spending a lot of time with Brittney, so that’s been my Sunday’s for October.

Now I’m focusing on fixing my car (ha ha), cleaning my future living space downstairs, and ... whatever else I’m doing.

Church @ The Gathering

Bill Morrow speaking

Part two in a six part series on Job

“Did the devil make him do it?” Job 2:1-10

Agenda

Plot and characters

Testing motif

Utility of faith

Question

Outline of job 1-2

Who is job?  Who is Satan?

’Job is blameless and upright one who fears god and turned away from evil’

Job is the only one who gets this good of a review. 

He’s basically an all star, religious icon

Then he loses everything, and he is currently losing his health

Who is the Satan?

Hebrew root word ‘to be an adversary’

The gospels are especially prominent in mentioning Satan.

John 17:14-15

Satan was coming in from the field for a board meeting with ceo  universe.

He is Yahweh’s chief spy. Head of the security and intelligence.

The following chapters contain the war of words

It is an imaginative way to show Gods thought process,

The nature of the test. The benefit of not just, mwhy do bad things happen to good peoples

What ya Job about

The nature of faith:

Game theory and the Bible

Do we believe in God because God is useful?

Does everything that exists have to have a utilitarian value?

Questions:

Satan definition?

Not gods adversary, but he has an adversarial role.

Sometimes is called diabolus, the attorney general (prosecutor)

There to prosecute, not to persecute.

There is no obvious benefit to this test, but what about the act of refining.

What about the testing of Jesus?

Different from the testing of job. A different job world, Satan Is gods enemy in the testing of Jesus, not so in Job.

The blamelessness of Jesus and the blamelessness of job are not to be equated.

Job was the foremost of the people of the east.

Moving job away from god through circumstantial change.

How much was the book of job made with circumstantial irony?

Jobs family getting removed early on. Replaced with ‘new’ ones later on. They are a background to the story.

...

Timeline for Satan’s transition between job and Jesus.

Next week:

Traditions answers to why suffering comes on to people.

questions:

If “Jesus is the answer,” what is the question?

That’s all for now!

First Gathering in October

Sooooo,

Another break in between different posts.

Umm, last week was Tanendenega reserve. That was an excellent opportunity and I learned a lot. I didn’t really write it down, also I need to copy the pictures from Lisa...

Other topical things, QAC Queens Anime Club is going well, my car is still broken, my bike is also still broken, I’m going to Brittney’s grandpas 80th birthday next week (😬😬), 

I had a busy week last week, lots of running to work, walking to work, etc.

Still haven’t fixed the car, I don’t know if I’ll be able to fix that in a reasonable amount of time. I might have to not have a vehicle for a little bit. Fixing the bike will solve these problems 

Watched some TV with the couple I hosted, That 79’s Show in Netflix.

Church @ The Gathering

Speaker: Meghan Louprecht

Personal Counselor & Social worker.

Reading from John

Shining light into darkness

Mental health and well-being resources at queens and beyond.

Continuum model of mental health.

The distinction between being mentally unwell, and having good mental health. And between hCinf no symptoms of mental illness vs a serious mental illness.

Statistics mental health in Canada

Fast facts from the 2019 Canadian national college health assesssment:

What is, and isn’t, helpful.

Not recognizing the seriousness, or letting people feel shut down when they come forward.

“How can I _____ when I feel this way?”

Coming from a place of fear

“In the beginning was the word...”

We, as Christians, need to step toward acknowledging people and their struggles.

Your mistakes do not define uou

You are not alone

It’s ok to not be ok

You matter

What’s going on?

What do you need?

Resources at Queens:

Online: SWS Site

“People are the experts of their own experience.”

Give them space and let them articulate themselves.

Giving them an audience for someone to listen.

Citing the Christian community as a place that connects you and gives you an additional protective factor.

Questions:

When have you felt or noticed “there’s a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in?”

When have you felt part of a community - what made that happen for you?

That’s all for now!

First time at The Gathering Fall Semester

Soooooooo,

It’s been such a long time.

Yup.

Well. Basically my summer was spent seeing how I like dating in my mid 20’s. 

It’s going pretty well.

Obviously meeting new peopke has a lot of things involved.

Also actually spending a significant amount of time introducing myself, first impressions, trying to figure out how I should act. Yknow. All the things that I find stressful.

Church @ The Gathering

Eric Bateman speaking tonight

Take care! How to deal with stumbling blocks Matthew 18:1-9

I did the reading of Matthew

Readers of fantasy

Tolkien and George rr martin

How they portray those who are evil.

Tolkien created black and white

Rr Martins goal was to have a much more gray area.

Quote from the Russian writer.

People doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, the wrong thing for the right reasons

Tolkien has evil out there in the world, Martin has evil in our heart.

Tolkien’s evil is this vast unstoppable force. Hopelessness is felt when you think that evil will steamroll you. The only way for good to survive is for the world to fundamentally change.

Our hopes and dreams can feel like we’re slugging through evil, those stumbling blocks

Many of these are thugs that stem from ourselves. We’re our own enemy.

Evil out there, evil in here.

How do we navigate this evil, how do we thread the needle and achieve our goals.

...

Quote from _____ Katie’s message

Saving ourselves from the blind spots of our own hearts.

We neeed to care for one another, we all need care.

A care. Something that weighs us down, it makes us stumble and be weary.

Jesus says to take care. (Take heed, watch out, be diligent, be watchful, be careful!) strongly worded passage.

We are weighed down with responsibility.

Are we causing our brothers or ssidters to stumble?

Is there something that I’m hanging on to and not letting go.

Care is a responsibility. To love them, to feel deeply for them and to want them to thrive!

How can I love mu children well if I’m not being watchful, and being aware of their needs?

This vogilence can feel like a burden.

The anxious burden of care is the cost of living and of being loved.

As the church we accept this burden. And we are especially careful not to put obstacles in someone’s way.

First part of the Hippocratic oath.

Doing no harm.

We cannot even leafs the starting line if we are acting as stumbling blocks. 

Don’t contribute to the evil out there

Don’t add to the evil in here.

Do no harm.

Luckily it is not all vigilance and anxiety and a burden.

Once we learn this, we can enjoy the second type of care

We can actively provide the thing our brothers and asieters need. The mutual love that comes of acting in each other’s best interest.

Watching the children to make sure they aren’t playing in traffic vs playing with them, reading them a story.

For followers of Jesus there is an even greater hipe. We have the happy ending of our world to look forward to.

When Christ removes all stumbling blocks, in the world out there and in here!

Discussion questions:

1.a) What kinds of care does the church excel in?

B) What kinds of care does the church need to improve?

2. What kinds of things do we need to be more careful of, or watch out for better, so that we can enjoy more caring relationships with others?

Last Gathering of the semester

So last week my car window got smashed and I lost my gym bag, aside from that a totally normal week.

I posted on social media about it, basically I’m just super salty about the loss, since it’s almost zero in a financial sense, it’s just the inconvenience of it all.

Church @ The Gathering

Palm and Passion Sunday

Announcements

...

The Syrian family that is new to Kingston, their cousin will say the lords prayer in Armenian

Noel Henry is the speaker for today.

The triumphal entry of Jesus and the condemnation of Jesus.

Lots of drama when Jesus enters Jerusalem with shouts of hosanna, but it all leads to the cross where he is condemned and persecuted.

The journey in between is what we’re talking about.

Jesus death is on his mind, when he’s on the mount of olives “father take this cup from me”

Noah’s story about his father. And his heart attack etc

Sometimes our prayers are also met with silence

As we hear our crosses it is important to cling close to God.

Hebrews 

“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, do not grow weary and... when you feel sorry for yourself, consider Jesus. Consider the difficulty of his life and death and resurrection...’

...

The Prince became a Pauper.

When we do this we share in the cross of Christ.

“God weeps, god cries, and god suffers with us #emmanual”

For we who die with him are raised with him.

Never let go of god, consider him for he has a hold of resurrection.

Discussion question:

How dies Christ participate in your journey?

No bible study unfortunately,

That’s all for now!

First time at The Gathering

Announcements:

• New layout of the Tables
• Easter Sunday event, welcoming an Armenian family
• Next week is the final Gathering event
• Easter Friday?

Church @ The Gathering 

Third Sunday of lent

Johanna is talking! As the Guest Speaker!

Story about parents buying her? ticket to Europe?

Bible study call out!

Explanation about the inductive study method.

Start of passage: Jesus reveals his passion

Peter pulls Christ aside,

This reveals Christ’s ministry and Peters place in it.

Has there ever been a point in your life that was so shocking that you didn’t know how to respond?

This is the first time the disciples (in Matthew) have heard this idea.

Matthew Henry, (worked in England)

Matthew waited until the disciples learned about the resurrection to reveal _______

Jesus has built his ministry to this moment.

Only after peter realizes Jesus true identity as Christ

Peter realizes the messiah has a great role to play, contrary to their Jewish heritage.

Peter learning about death and resurrection.

“Only a couple people got resurrected...” I googled it

Peter did it privately, taking Jesus aside, recognizing Jesus superiority as the Christ.

It was not Peters place to rebuke him publicly.

Defining a Christian, doing something because it is the best for that person, not because we want it.

“There are times when find live seeks oout deflect us from the perils of the path of god...

...Real love obeys the commandments set before us...”

Jesus response demonstrates this, “get behind me Satan!”

Peter screws up a bunch, Satan here means adversary.

We see ourselves in Peter, seeing the times when god is not on our side, Jesus is revealed as messiah and then killed? Unfair right?

These are our stumbling blocks,

I’m not smart, ______ enough etc

These untruths.

We are stuck in the secular world,

Fitting in, doing the easy thing.

God is calling us to do something far harder.

We need someone who can stop us, look at us, and tell us we are wrong.

Recently, Johanna researched a poet

“I would always choose sorrow,

In sorrow, god is always with you.

The words of our friends is god speaking to us.

What we pray for is a physical hug and physical words of reassurance.

These are gods words spoken to us from those on earth”

Isaiah “I know the plans I have for you... ...plans for hope and for the future.”

All the bad things are opportunities for blessings.

“Whoever wants to be a disciple must deny themself.

...what good is it if someone gains the world but forfeits their soul.”

Christian’s are to deny themselves.

There will be suffering, there will be joy.

Accepting that God is uppermost in our lives

Just like Jesus we each carry a cross.

This is having something turn out differently that we wanted, and knowing that we can do nothing to change it.

The cross was a death sentence in biblical times.

For us this means that we walk in the valley of the shadow of death, knowing we can’t change anything.

For peter at the time it was unimaginable for the messiah.

Verse 27,

Quote “Jesus warmed hsi daicoles that he must go to Jerusalem and he must die.

That was the shame, but that was not the end.

It was the beginning of the unleashing of that power.”

Questions

What is/are the cross/es in our life?

What is it that society expects if he that differs from what God expects?

Bible study later!

That’s all for now!