Gathering Prayer: Holy One who is know to us by many names and in many ways, we give thanks for the blessings that we have in our lives. You know the thoughts of our hearts; hear our prayers. Be present now as we enter a time of thought and discussion.
Focus: In one of his sermons (3/2000), Borg talked about God. He said, “I want to talk about God today. I trust that it’s okay to preach about God. More specifically, I want to talk about the character of God, about how we see the character of God, and the effects of this on the Christian life……As a prologue, I want to explain a bit more about what I mean when I speak about the character of God. The character of God has to do with the very nature of God. It is deeper than the Will of God, for will flows out of character. And so my question is, What is God’s character? What does God care about? What is God’s passion? Our sense of God’s character, our perception of what God is like, is carried or conveyed by our images of God or metaphors for God.”
Probe 1.What image do you have of God? What does He look like? What words describe Him?
Sentences on the Subject: “And it is He who created the night and day, and the sun and moon.” Quran 21:33
“I am the Lord your God, “You shall have no other gods before me.“You shall not make for yourself an image or bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. “ (First Five of the Ten Commandments, paraphrased)
“Go out and stand on the mountain,” the Lord replied. “I want you to see me when I pass by. All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. Finally, there was a small, still voice,and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. 1 Kings 19
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4
“God is like the sun; you can’t look at it but without it you can’t look at anything else.” C.S.Lewis
See the video “Embracing an Adult Faith: God
Below is some “food for thought”, a few probes that might kick start a conversation. Read over them and pick one (or more, or none) to discuss. Remember to hold space for others to share and share only what you feel comfortable sharing.
Probe 2. Borg speaks of the “referent of God” and states that our relationship to God is shaped by how we refer to God and how we think of Him. Do we think of God as Being or Spirit? Is this what we teach our children?
Probe 3. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love … God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. “(1 John) Compare this vision of God to the one that you created in your mind’s eye when you read the paraphrased first five of the Commandments on the first page. Now consider Borg’s questions from the Focus: What is God’s character? What does God care about? What is God’s passion?
Probe 4. Anything strike you from this video clip that you wish to discuss?
The Takeway. God is……. A) good B) love C) an ever present help in a time of need D) more than I can imagine
Commission: Hold on to what is good. Love deeply. Honor others. Stay excited about life and your faith. Be joyful. Be patient. If you pray, have faith. Share with people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes. Be loving to those who hurt you. Be present; be in the moment. Be agreeable, even with those with whom you disagree. Be humble. Be a friend of people who aren’t considered important. Do the right thing. If possible, live in peace with everyone. And remember, no matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey- you are welcome here.
The video for this series can be view at Marcus Borg: Embracing an Adult Faith
My Thoughts and the Thoughts of Others 