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January is a time of latest beginnings, hopeful resolutions and a time for brand spanking new alternatives to discover shiny concepts. Within the theological world it’s a season referred to as “epiphany.”
That is the season the place we see what’s revealed and woke up as we glance to the story of the three clever sages within the Christmas Story. Following a superb star, they arrive bearing symbolic presents to the brand new born little one, Jesus. Epiphany celebrates this new season of “aha” and consciousness. It’s a mythic name to knowledge.
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At Hillhurst United this month, we’re exploring shiny concepts by welcoming clever guests from the west (from Vancouver Faculty of Theology) to share their ardour and perception. For 4 Saturday mornings, from 9 a.m. to midday, and the next Sunday mornings in worship, the professors lead in a collection referred to as Epiphany Explorations. Over 500 people have joined within the dialog.
We started with New Testomony scholar Dr. Harry Maier, who kicked off the collection inviting listeners into the subversive nature of parables as a strategy to awaken the unconventional knowledge in regards to the kingdom of God. Likening it to a weed that’s tenacious and ample, he recommended parables had been usually unlikely surprises slightly than one ethical level or riddle.
“It’s extra about an expansive, beneficiant, even humorous view of God’s grace overturning peoples private piety,” he suggests. “It’s like going grocery procuring in Calgary and ending up in Saskatoon, saying, ‘How did I get right here?” It’s about surprising surprises slightly than pedantic moralism.
Secondly, we welcomed Dr. Ross Lockhart, director of missiology, who shared his analysis on Christianity in Vancouver — probably the most secular postal code in Canada. Paralleling the analysis with Calgary, he recommended the decision of the “cathedral of nature” is difficult the will of native church for individuals to attend on Sundays.
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This inevitable name requires individuals to search out new methods and occasions to satisfy and requires a necessity to beat the hesitancy to share the excellent news of the Christian religion.
He likened it to our connection to democracy: “Most individuals, if requested, ‘Do you consider in democracy?’ would reply sure, 9 out of 10 in favour. If requested, ‘Did you vote?’ it could be extra like 6 out of 10 would say ‘sure.’ Lastly, if requested, ‘Are you a member of a political social gathering?’ Possibly 2 out of 10!” would reply sure.
This parallels the identical method individuals view faith. There’s an total openness to it, however an absence of dedication to point out up. “We have to assist individuals have interaction, commit and share excellent news to assist remodel the world,” Lockhart says.
The symposium additionally welcomed Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan, who teaches Hebrew research, to mirror on her guide: From the Mouth of Donkey, Re-imagining Biblical Animals.
The guide seems to be on the position of animals within the Bible to be the mouthpiece of God, with animals reflecting moral themes, allegorical meanings and allusions to God’s nature.
The epiphany collection concludes this weekend with Dr. Mari Joerstad, professor of Previous Testomony, who will discover the position of anger within the Hebrew scriptures as a strategy to inspire change. As a standard sense teacher, she sees the Hebrew scriptures as a group of tales of how we’re referred to as to look after the earth asking the query: “What if we handled all of creation —crops and stars, soil and rivers — as our kin? . . . Understanding biblical texts will not be merely an mental train, however an train in easy methods to dwell.”
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Our consideration to local weather justice makes it our collective calling. It’s a name for trustworthy people to familiarize themselves and to root themselves within the scriptures searching for knowledge on the journey.
Epiphany is about exploring an awakening, about new concepts and interesting in world transformation. It’s about new methods of considering and being. That is our hope and invitation to individuals — in particular person and on-line — who might want to entertain a brand new strategy to begin the 12 months grounded in good theology, the place the bible and newspaper are companions in a related theology.
Rev Dr. John Pentland is lead pastor at Hillhurst United Church. Go to the church’s web site, hillhurstunited.com for particulars on Epiphany Exploration.
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