[Thomas Dennett]

Last week I had mentioned the name of the book that our group has been studying and discussing.

Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most
by Marcus J. Borg

On the occasion of his seventieth birthday, the renowned scholar Marcus J. Borg shares how he formed his bedrock religious beliefs, contending that Christians in America are at their best when they focus on hope and transformation and so shows how we can return to what really matters most. The result is a manifesto for all progressive Christians who seek the best path for following Jesus today.

With each chapter embodying a distinct conviction, Borg writes provocatively and compellingly on the beliefs that can deeply ground us and guide us, such as: God is real and a mystery; salvation is more about this life than an afterlife; the Bible can be true without being literally true; Jesus’s death on the cross matters—but not because he paid for our sins; God is passionate about justice and the poor; and to love God is to love like God.

Borg calls all American Christians to reject divisiveness and exclusivity and create communities that celebrate joy, possibility, and renewal. Throughout, he reflects on what matters most, bringing to earth the kingdom of God Jesus talked about and transforming our relationships with one another. Rich in wisdom and insight, Convictions is sure to become a classic of contemporary Christianity.
Source: https://www.amazon.ca/Convictions-Learned-What-Matters-Most/dp/0062269976#:~:text=from%20Convictions-,Marcus%20J.,path%20for%20following%20Jesus%20today.

[Thomas Dennett]

And a couple of verses and a poem from another one of our openings:

Romans 15:13
King James Version
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Isaiah 40:31
King James Version
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Good Timber
By Douglas Malloch More Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/good-timber-by-douglas-malloch

[Thomas Dennett]

Here are some quotes that we opened up our Advent meeting near the week of Joy with:

“Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.” —Helen Keller

Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Joy is a choice purposefully made. Joy is an attitude of the heart and spirit, present inside each of us as an untapped reservoir of potential. -compassion.com

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