Seeing Jesus through a 21st Century Lens. That was the title of a seminar weekend given by Michael Morwood, June 22-23, 2018 in Bend, Oregon. I now live near Bend. This event was intended to serve a regional audience. Even so, we had attendees from as far as Texas, Illinois and Minnesota.
I want to give some highlights from Michael’s talk. We will post a video of the event on our YouTube channel soon.
Images of God
First, Michael reminded us “we are living through the greatest shift in theological thought, ever.” The shift takes us beyond belief or doctrine. The pressing issue before us now is how we understand “God.” “Our biggest obstacle is our image of God,” says Michael. Readers of Marcus know that he too underscored that our images of God matter; they shape what we think is real, how we live in relationship to one another, and what we live for. Marcus moved us beyond the God of Supernatural Theism and suggested we consider “is-ness” another possibility. Michael engages us this way: “What are you asking me to imagine? What are you asking me to imagine when you say Jesus is Savior or rose from the dead, or when you use the word God or the Christ, what are you asking me to imagine? How does ‘this’ imagination, this picture of Reality, resonate with what we know about Reality in the 21st Century?” And with that, we were given a view of the cosmos, our own beginnings, through a dazzling image from the Hubble telescope.
Michael affirms, as all the great religious traditions do, that God cannot be named. Even so we cannot help but attempt to describe our experiences. Michael uses referents such as “Breath of Life, Creator Spirit, All That Is, Sustainer of All, Creative Energy, Eternal Light, Life.” Michael prefers the descriptor “The Great Mystery.” And invites us to reflect on who are we in relationship to this Mystery.
The Great Mystery
Michael also urges us to see that the stuff of The Great Mystery, which began some 13 billion years ago, and continued its remarkable evolution 4.5 billion years ago on our planet, is the very stuff we are made of. Yes, we are made of stardust. This is not a glib, fanciful remark. It is one for us to ponder. The Great Mystery is all about awe and wonder. And we are part of it.
The nature of Reality is demonstrated in us. “To see God is to experience reality here and now,” Micael reminds us. We all are inhabited by “God.” Even as we inhabit “God.” He asks this question: “What blocks you from seeing God in you?”
God is not Disconnected
Michael brought to our attention the mistaken category of what he calls “the theology of separation.” The idea that God is disconnected from all things. (We live two stories in our tradition; one that says God is everywhere and another that says God is remote.) If there is any “original sin” Michael proffers it is “the theology of separation.” He urges us to stop telling this story of disconnection. Understanding that everything is interconnected is not new. Consider this quote Michael shared with us from 4th century Gregory of Nyssa:
For when one considers the universe, can anyone be so
simple-minded as not to believe that the Divine is present in everything,
pervading, embracing and penetrating it?
This is but a brief and incomplete review of the weekend. Additional conversation included two young clergy supported by their denominations to explore Christian community “outside the temple walls” and an important conversation about “The Christ,” where that title comes from and how we understand it today.
Future Generations
The weekend with Michael Morwood challenged, deepened, and energized the conversation about seeing Jesus and seeing Christianity through a 21st century lens. It encouraged us to ask questions about Reality, our life together, about love, and what kind of life we are providing for future generations.
Jesus in his day changed religious imagination and how to imagine God and our relationships. That is our task as well. Change religious imagination. Re-imagine God. And how we shall live. Through a 21st century lens.
This is just the kind of conversation we encourage.
A word about Michael’s most recent book, Prayers for Progressive Christians. I highly recommend it. Michael gives us fresh language and prayers for communion and rites of passage as well as invitations for imaginative meditation. He also gives a succinct summary of what constitutes “progressive Christianity.” This book is an inspiration and resource. We feature it on our website this month.
I continue a conversation on our website suggesting the paradox that our finitude is our hope.
Another quote from 4th century Gregory of Nyssa (The Life of Moses). Perhaps a little obscure. But a poetic reminder that we love through the face:
Hope always draws the soul from the beauty which is seen to what is beyond, always kindles the desire for the hidden through what is constantly perceived. Therefore the ardent lover of beauty, although receiving what is always visible as an image of what we desire, yet longs to be filled with the very stamp of the archetype. And the bold request which goes up the mountains of desire asks this: to empty the Beauty not in mirrors and reflections, but face to face.
Thanks for this readings! I read many mysteries online about their sightings on Jesus. For me he is always watching and listening in us, we may not see it but we feel it. He guided as a path where we can learn from it and foresee for the future. It’s within us to follow and to know which path would you go.
Jesse. Marcus was a great reader of mysteries too! More detective stories….”who dunnits” and where do the bodies lie? Jesus sitings. I am with you. He is always there. A powerful presence. And reality. Of what is possible. A light unto our path. Then and now. And may we see him, face to face, even in each other. He is our humanity. Humane humanity. It is everywhere. Amidst our strife.
Marianne,
Please forgive my questions if they seem blunt. I so desperately want to understand. Jesus sitings…Am I to understand this as humans attempting to imitate Jesus and how he lived or am I to understand this as Jesus is a reality, existing as an entity that infuses himself into our human bodies? I apologize, I am new to this thinking and trying to understand the message here and in Dr. Borg’s books with an open mind, independent of the religion I grew up in. Thank you.
Thank you – lovely reading for a lovely morning at Ring Lake Ranch.
Susan. Have responded to you via email. We will stay in touch. So grateful you and Marc and I have shared pilgrimage on many levels…and in many locations…..