I hope you had a chance to catch Part 1 of my conversation with these Biblical scholars. In this episode Eric and Floyd get deeper into the details of the Convergence Lectionary. In Eric’s words, here’s what the curriculum with cover:
For those of you unfamiliar with the Lectionary, it’s a group of Bible texts that tens of thousands of churches use every week for worship, which means it has a profound influence on the beliefs and actions of millions of Christians. In the case of the Convergence Lectionary, it’s not biblical texts but 6-week THEMES that focus on CRITICAL AREAS that society actively needs to talk about in our day and find higher ground. Here are the 12 six-week THEMES of the Convergence Lectionary, organized according to the Three Great Loves that Jesus himself said were most important:
Christian love of God includes:
1. Walking fully in the path of Jesus, without denying the legitimacy of other paths that God may provide for humanity;
2. Listening for God’s Word which comes through daily prayer and meditation, studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and attending to God’s present activity in the world;
3. Celebrating the God whose Spirit pervades and whose glory is reflected in all of God’s Creation, including the earth and its ecosystems, the sacred and secular, the Christian and non-Christian, the human and non-human;
4. Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural.
Christian love of neighbor includes:
5. Engaging people authentically, as Jesus did, treating all as creations made in God’s very image, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality, or economic class;
6. Standing, as Jesus does, with the outcast and oppressed, the denigrated and afflicted, seeking peace and justice with or without the support of others;
7. Preserving religious freedom and the church’s ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of church and state;
8. Walking humbly with God, acknowledging our own shortcomings while honestly seeking to understand and call forth the best in others, including those who consider us their enemies;
Christian love of self includes:
9. Basing our lives on the faith that in Christ all things are made new and that we, and all people, are loved beyond our wildest imagination – for eternity;
10. Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, and recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth;
11. Caring for our bodies and insisting on taking time to enjoy the benefits of prayer, reflection, worship, and recreation in addition to work;
12. Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose; a vocation and ministry that serve to strengthen and extend God’s realm of love.
Make sure to follow #SFTSedge on social media for more information. Contact Floyd Thompkins at fthompkins@sfts.edu to let him know you’d like to be part of the beta testing for this life-changing resource.
Links discussed:
- San Francisco Theological Seminary
- Darkwood Brew
- The Phoenix Affirmations
- Gifts of the Dark Wood
- Tri-Faith Initiative on The Daily Show
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