pat loughery

Saturday AM

Shortly looks at John 4
Reads Romans 14

When we have arguments about orthodoxy, we must also be faithful to Romans 14.

1. We have to resist the urge to categorize people through destructive and paralyzing dualisms. (“oh, he’s liberal. She’s conservative.”)
2. We have to listen and seek to enter the other person’s experience in order to be compassionate. Give ground, not just in location but in mind. BTW, this is what a liberal arts education is supposed to do –
3. Let your heart grow larger through the pain of diverse opinions. Make room in your heart for diverse opinions; you don’t have to agree with them all. Parker Palmer in Politics of the Brokenhearted: When your heart is stretched, it can explode like shrapnel or with fragrance and compassion.
4. Humility precedes improvement. A major source of humility is history. We live in the racist, violent, colonialist
5. Do what you can. Change on your denomination level. if not, then on your church’s level. If not, then on your small group’s level. if not, then stop complaining and invite somebody over for dinner.
6. When you try to be a Generously Orthodox church and are criticized for it, do not become bitter.

A prayer that somebody sent Brian:
“Bless my enemies, O Lord. […]” Full text on Brian’s website.
By Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic who had spoken out against Nazism and was turned in by fellow orthodox leaders.
on Brian’s website