{"id":627,"date":"2012-09-19T09:27:20","date_gmt":"2012-09-19T13:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=627"},"modified":"2012-09-19T09:27:20","modified_gmt":"2012-09-19T13:27:20","slug":"var-_gaq-_gaq-_gaq-push_setaccount-ua-25646250-2-_gaq-push_trackpageview-function-var-ga-document-createelementscript-ga-type-textjavascript-ga-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=627","title":{"rendered":"<script type=\"text\/javascript\">  var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-25646250-2']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);  (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text\/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:\/\/ssl' : 'http:\/\/www') + '.google-analytics.com\/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();  <\/script>  <\/heat> Gen. 16: 1 \u2013 16 \u2013 The Birth of Ishmael &#8211; Held on Sunday, September 16, 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Gen. 16: 1 \u2013 16 \u2013 The Birth of Ishmael<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We began with introductions, a few new members, and a few older ones who were not present.\u00a0 There were so many coincidences; we begin on the September 16<sup>th<\/sup> with the 16<sup>th<\/sup> Chapter of Genesis.\u00a0 The story is that of the birth of Ishmael whom, for many Muslims, their progenitor and link with Abraham.\u00a0 And finally, there was this past week, the trailer of a movie that by all accounts was not well done and in the process demeans the Muslim religious traditions and at the same time resulted in violence across the Muslim world, our Ambassador was killed, a number of Muslims died.\u00a0 What a way to begin the year.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In response to the violence, I reminded us first that we are not our own but called to be of the mind of Christ in our response.\u00a0 As part of our background, I read two passages from the Vatican II documents which reveal the turn that our Catholic tradition made at that historical moment.<\/p>\n<p>The first was from the <em>Lumen Gentium, <\/em>The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chap. 2, \u00a716 <a href=\"file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/Dick\/Documents\/MS%20Word\/Personal\/St%20Anthony\/ScriptureStudy\/Genesis\/Year%202%20-%202012_2013\/Posted%20Files\/20120916_Yr.%202%20-%20S01-Post.docx\">http:\/\/bit.ly\/S5EtT4<\/a> and the second from <em>Nostra Aetate, <\/em>Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, \u00a73 <a href=\"file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/Dick\/Documents\/MS%20Word\/Personal\/St%20Anthony\/ScriptureStudy\/Genesis\/Year%202%20-%202012_2013\/Posted%20Files\/20120916_Yr.%202%20-%20S01-Post.docx\">http:\/\/bit.ly\/S5EHK3<\/a>. \u00a0Both of these passages are expressed in positive terms with the hope that respectful dialogue can begin and continue to foster improved relationship between the faiths of the world.\u00a0 It is clear that both that God intended there to exist a multi-religious world in which we are to live and, at the same time, God did not let us know precisely what these relationships are to be.\u00a0 It\u2019s up to us with God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n<p>I would encourage the reading of the notes <a href=\"file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/Dick\/Documents\/MS%20Word\/Personal\/St%20Anthony\/ScriptureStudy\/Genesis\/Year%202%20-%202012_2013\/Posted%20Files\/20120916_Yr.%202%20-%20S01-Post.docx\">http:\/\/bit.ly\/S5ER46<\/a>.\u00a0 One item worth noting is that in verse 3 the translation on the Bishops\u2019 website is<\/p>\n<p>Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his <strong>wife<\/strong>. [Emphasis Added.]<\/p>\n<p>The word to note is wife, whereas in other Catholic translations, the word is concubine.\u00a0 I point this out just to show how one word makes a difference.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Our Basic Questions +<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It comes as no surprise to those who have been following our efforts to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u201cRise to the Level of our Time,\u201d<\/span> <\/strong>that we approach the scripture from the lens of a questioning mind and a prayerful heart. The specific questions have become more precise over time.\u00a0 Our first question, who are the characters in the passage; to which we have added, and what role does each of the characters play?\u00a0 To get at the \u201crole\u201d question, we need to pay attention to what the characters say and do and also what we would expect them to say and do but they don\u2019t.\u00a0 The second question in some sense is the most complicated and that is the \u201cwhen\u201d question.\u00a0 What is the \u201cwhen\u201d of the passage?\u00a0 What is the \u201cwhen\u201d of the author?\u00a0 And, most critically, what is our \u201cwhen,\u201d the \u201cwhen\u201d of our life at this time?\u00a0 A third question, what is the theme, purpose, plot of the passage?<\/p>\n<p>I have come to recognize another basic question that continues to emerge in me. \u00a0Since the bible is a historical document, the cultural values of the times are inevitably imbedded in the book.\u00a0 Since we also believe that the same bible is the word of God, then there are some values that are transcendent, meant for all people and all times.\u00a0 So we find ourselves in any given passage, affirming some values and rejecting others.\u00a0 This raises the fundamental question for me, what are the values that we affirm and what are rejecting and what is the rationale for such discernment?<\/p>\n<p><strong>My Refrain<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before we read though, let&#8217;s quiet ourselves, remember whatever we can from the background, our questions and, most importantly, pay attention to what happens inside of us as we read.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Reading: Gen. 16: 1 \u2013 16 &#8211; <a href=\"file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/Dick\/Documents\/MS%20Word\/Personal\/St%20Anthony\/ScriptureStudy\/Genesis\/Year%202%20-%202012_2013\/Posted%20Files\/20120916_Yr.%202%20-%20S01-Post.docx\">http:\/\/bit.ly\/S5ER46<\/a>.<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before going to the individual characters, I asked if anyone had a comment, question, etc. to make.\u00a0 This began a lively exchange that lasted for the rest of our session.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially our discussion broke down into two areas both of which are certainly worthwhile.\u00a0 The first area was raised by Dawn when she wondered how to move from the passage in its cultural and historical setting to our times, what does it mean for a modern woman living in the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century.\u00a0 The other was raised by Heber who reflected on the news covering the Muslim reaction, often quite violent, to the showing of a trailer to a movie that demeans their faith.<\/p>\n<p>I observed that it would be impossible to cover both of these areas in one session.\u00a0 We agreed to deal with the issues surrounding Heber\u2019s observation next week; should prove very interesting.\u00a0 And we turned our attention to the concern raised by Dawn.\u00a0 From hindsight I can say that we didn\u2019t have time even to do justice to her concern.<\/p>\n<p>As I mentioned earlier in this blog, the fundamental question, as I understood it, is that the bible as a historical document reveals inevitably the cultural of its time and as a the Word of God reveals what, in some way, transcends any given culture.\u00a0 The challenge is to distinguish between the two and on what basis to make that distinction.<\/p>\n<p>A startling example of this challenged emerged when Tim asked well what does God have to say; which was a natural lead into the words on the page.\u00a0 In the passage, God pursues Hagar.\u00a0 God is not presented as talking with Abram nor with Sarai but to Hagar.\u00a0 And what does God say, Return and Submit.\u00a0 Whoa \u2013 that seems to\u00a0 go against our modern set of values, doesn\u2019t it.\u00a0 Michael began to talk about the probable human results of such actions.\u00a0 Instinctively I went to the wall and took the cross off and brought it back to the table.\u00a0 It is startling how the story of Jesus confounds us.\u00a0 What are we to do with a leader who wields power in such a manner?\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t defeat the Romans; he doesn\u2019t reject those who rejected him.\u00a0 And the cross is only half of the picture.\u00a0 In response to Jesus\u2019 submission, the Father raises Jesus to a new life, an eternal life, a story for us humans to struggle with for as long as we live, individually, communally, and historically.\u00a0 No escape.<\/p>\n<p>Your responses, questions, and \/ or comments are welcomed. You can add them by clicking on the comment link at the end of this post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gen. 16: 1 \u2013 16 \u2013 The Birth of Ishmael We began with introductions, a few new members, and a few older ones who were not present.\u00a0 There were so many coincidences; we begin on the September 16th with the &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=627\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,10,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-change-in-the-catholic-church","category-culture","category-scripture","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=627"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":631,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627\/revisions\/631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}