Session 8

A field trip...

Attend Sunday worship at a congregation other than your own, preferably one in a denominational tradition other than yours. Listen carefully and take notes. In each of the portions of the worship service, listen to what is said (or read or sung). Listen to what is said by worship leaders and preachers in announcements, song introductions, prayers, litanies, unison readings, sermon, etc. Pay attention to interpretive comments (offering the meaning or significance of something). And most of all, listen so you can write down the answers these questions:

Writing Assignment #1:

1. Was Scripture used in the service, and if so, how and when? Was it interpreted in the service, and if so, what meaning was given?
2. Was any mention made of the present circumstances or situation faced by the members of the congregation or by people who live in the U.S., and if so, what was mentioned (e.g., a local or national political issue, an economic situation, social problem or opportunity, etc.)? Was there any attempt to correlate these circumstances with Scripture, any insight or message from Scripture brought to bear on the circumstance or situation, and if so, how?
3. Was there any reference to the experiences of congregational members, or to human experience in general, and if so, what? Was there any correlation made between these experiences and the sociocultural environment, and if so, what was the correlation? Was Scripture used in any way to illumine those experiences (and environment), or were these experiences used to illumine Scripture in any way?

Now READ Chapter 5, pages 235-39

Writing Assignment #2:

The discussion of the Christian resources on pages 238-39 focuses on Scripture, sociocultural contexts, the experiences of the people of God, and their interrelation. It also depicts the need for Christians to take up the work of perceiving, reflecting, interpreting and understanding in order that Christian actions may express faithful responses to God’s initiatives. As you think about the ways you use Scripture in your own pilgrimage of faith (e.g., for spiritual nurture, personal study, moral guidance and decision-making, etc.), describe the ways you think Scripture and Christian faith could function in arresting and counteracting the notion of race and the expressions of racism. Describe some of the ways you might seek to establish a relevant point-of-contact between the resource of Scripture and our situation of racism, and how Scripture might warrant responsible Christian action in dismantling racism.

Writing Assignment #3:

This section presents a discussion of the Christian Story that is based in the self-disclosure of the triune God, and describes this Story in terms of its fourfold function for the life of faith of the people of God. The discussion of these functions suggests that the Christian Story can and must be seen as an alternative to the myth of race, and that the myth of race is a perversion of the Christian Story. As you recall the discussion of the functions of the race myth (pp. 183-92 ) and reflect on this section, identify and briefly describe some of the ways the Christian Story can destabilize the race myth. Focus your observations on the functions of the race myth and the Christian Story: How can the Story work against the myth?

Writing Assignment #4:

At a general level, thinking about racism as sin is not difficult. But thinking about the particular ways racism breaks our relation with God and our fellow human beings is more demanding. This section discusses the sin of racism as opposition to God and others in terms of polar forms (pride and sloth, domination and servility, presumption and resignation) and the modes of false consciousness (dualism, deception, detachment, denial, dissociation). Think about some of the particular ways race and racism have been expressed in our sociocultural spheres, and reflect on the beliefs, attitudes, values and practices in these expressions. How does this section’s discussion help focus a theological perspective on race and racism? What polar forms can you identify and what modes of false consciousness are at work masking the reality of sin? Write down your thoughts.

Read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians "cover-to-cover" in one sitting.

Now READ Chapter 5, pages 260-75

Writing Assignment #5:

Paul’s understanding of both the "mystery" and the "new humanity" disclosed in Jesus Christ effectively challenges our in-group and out-group sensibilities. Retrieve Paul’s themes into your own situation by reflecting on and writing down the answers to these questions: In what particular ways does the "mystery" challenge your in-group attitudes, values and behaviors, both in and out of the church sphere? What difference does discerning the "mystery" make? What has hindered you from expressing the "new humanity"? What is Paul saying to you at these points of your pilgrimage of faith?

1. Share your observations from your worship at a congregation other than your own.
2. Christianity and Scripture have been (ab)used to support many racist beliefs, attitudes and practices (e.g., Christianity identified with European and European-American culture, use of Scripture to justify slavery). Identify examples and discuss the ways in which Christianity and Scripture are used to legitimate social, economic, political and religious practices (racist or otherwise) in our context. What does this suggest for how Scripture is viewed as a "resource"?
3. From a theological perspective, racism is judged to be sin. The Bible, however, does not speak directly about racism while it has a lot to say about sin. In addition to the themes discussed on pages 254-59, what other impulses in the scriptural witness to human sinfulness and God’s holiness can we draw on to help us discern race and racism as outside the purposes of God? What other insights can we glean from Scripture in order to help us understand the sinfulness of racism?
4. Discuss what it would mean and what would be required to express (or materialize) the way of faith, hope and love in our sociocultural context of racism. What would the "new humanity" look like as it expressed these virtues in the racialized spheres of everyday life? Think of specific situations and explore them.