I am delighted to welcome ladies' participation in our book discussion group that meets every other Wednesday at Common Ground at Fairhaven Church! We are discussing, Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis.
For Wednesday, Feb. 2, we will have read "Book 2: What Christians Believe". You are WELCOME to come, even if you have not yet started the book! There is no need to register. We look forward to meet you and to bring you into the conversation!!
Please feel free to become a "Follower" of this page! I would be thrilled for ladies to use this as a way of connecting by making comments or asking questions about what you have read between meetings. If you cannot come, why not post a few thoughts or at least follow what others might write. Come on! Be brave!! It will be fun!
Happy reading!! See you soon!
Debbie
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Assignment for Wed, Jan 19
Hi, Ladies! I'd like to pass along a little information concerning our book discussion for next week. First, we will meet in Common Ground as last time, but I will hopefully have reserved some tables over by the little stage. I will also have name tags! We will start as a whole group and then break off into random groups so that everyone has a chance to participate. Talking is learning!!
A bit of business...in case of bad weather, if Centerville City Schools has called off school, generally the church cancels its events. If the weather has cleared by evening we MAY meet. Check the church's website in that case.
As I "assigned" last week, we will be looking at all of "Book One" of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. There are a few things I'd like you to do ahead of time. First, please thoughtfully consider someone specific in your life whom you know is skeptical about faith issues. Keep that person in mind when you read over Book One. I would like you to write out a few helpful or insightful points you have gleaned from Lewis that you might be able to say in a conversation with this person at some point. Please bring this to the next meeting. We will share them in our small groups. I hope that this will provide all of us with insights we might not be able to have on our own.
Book One is entitled, "Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe." Write out how you might explain the following to a close friend...the Law of Human Nature, Moral Law, Right &Wrong, Goodness. You are not trying to win someone over...just trying to verbalize what these things mean. Do they mean anything different to you having read CSLewis?
Next, do a little internet search on Mere Christianity. You may be blown away by the amazing amount of material available covering this book. For next time, please bring at least 3 discussion questions based on Book One that are interesting to you.
Finally, highlight in your book (or write out separately) at least 2 paragraphs or passages from Book One. I would like you to identify the section(s) most interesting/helpful to you and then identify a part that either you did not understand or with which you are in disagreement. (I would like you to be prepared to talk in a small group about why you reacted this way about these passages.)
Please feel free to post thoughts, questions, comments on this blog. Let's keep the conversation going!!
I look forward to seeing you next week, Jan. 19th!
Debbie
A bit of business...in case of bad weather, if Centerville City Schools has called off school, generally the church cancels its events. If the weather has cleared by evening we MAY meet. Check the church's website in that case.
As I "assigned" last week, we will be looking at all of "Book One" of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. There are a few things I'd like you to do ahead of time. First, please thoughtfully consider someone specific in your life whom you know is skeptical about faith issues. Keep that person in mind when you read over Book One. I would like you to write out a few helpful or insightful points you have gleaned from Lewis that you might be able to say in a conversation with this person at some point. Please bring this to the next meeting. We will share them in our small groups. I hope that this will provide all of us with insights we might not be able to have on our own.
Book One is entitled, "Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe." Write out how you might explain the following to a close friend...the Law of Human Nature, Moral Law, Right &Wrong, Goodness. You are not trying to win someone over...just trying to verbalize what these things mean. Do they mean anything different to you having read CSLewis?
Next, do a little internet search on Mere Christianity. You may be blown away by the amazing amount of material available covering this book. For next time, please bring at least 3 discussion questions based on Book One that are interesting to you.
Finally, highlight in your book (or write out separately) at least 2 paragraphs or passages from Book One. I would like you to identify the section(s) most interesting/helpful to you and then identify a part that either you did not understand or with which you are in disagreement. (I would like you to be prepared to talk in a small group about why you reacted this way about these passages.)
Please feel free to post thoughts, questions, comments on this blog. Let's keep the conversation going!!
I look forward to seeing you next week, Jan. 19th!
Debbie
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Fairhaven Book Conversation
Welcome to the conversation!!!...First up is a rather ambitious book for discussion...For the next 5 months, we will be reading and discussing C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. It may go without saying that there will not be an exhaustive analysis of the entire book. The intention is primarily to provide a springboard for spiritual challenge and growth in community. To do this, my hope is to provide a safe and supportive environment for participants to share perspectives, to ask questions and to get to know and support one another in the process!
The "syllabus" will be dictated by the in-person meetings on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month (7-8pm) in Common Ground at Fairhaven Church. Please make every effort to attend so that we can get to know one other and benefit from each other's perspective. If unable to attend, however, participants will have the ability to share remotely by accessing this blog. Anyone can post questions, thoughts or quotes to which I strongly welcome your COMMENTS to enrich the conversation. Check it every few days or so to keep in touch with between meeting comments.
For the first two meetings, we will be reading and discussing "Book One": "Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe". This section can actually be the most challenging to many people. It is particularly applicable to those who are questioning or for those who have had exposure to philosophy. It is also very helpful for us to read this section as we consider our friends and loved ones who may be skeptical in matters of faith.
A few quotes for you to consider concerning the Law of Human Nature...
This is the quality peculiar to man, wherein he differs from other animals, that he alone is endowed with perception to distinguish right from wrong, justice from injustice." Aristotle
Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong, even if everyone is for it. William Penn
Quote #1 These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and universe we live in.
C. S. Lewis
COMMENTS?
Quote #2 For the trouble is that one part of you is on His side and really agrees with His disapproval of human greed and trickery and exploitation. You may want Him to make an exception in your own case, to let you off this one time; but you know at the bottom that unless the power behind the world really and unalterably detests that sort of behaviour, then He cannot be good. On the other hand, we know that if there does exist an absolute goodness it must hate most of what we do. This is the terrible fix we are in. If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all our efforts are in the long run hopeless. But if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow, and so our case is hopeless again. We cannot do without it, and we cannot do with it. God is the only comfort; He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. C. S. Lewis
Reactions? Comments? Thoughts?
The "syllabus" will be dictated by the in-person meetings on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month (7-8pm) in Common Ground at Fairhaven Church. Please make every effort to attend so that we can get to know one other and benefit from each other's perspective. If unable to attend, however, participants will have the ability to share remotely by accessing this blog. Anyone can post questions, thoughts or quotes to which I strongly welcome your COMMENTS to enrich the conversation. Check it every few days or so to keep in touch with between meeting comments.
For the first two meetings, we will be reading and discussing "Book One": "Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe". This section can actually be the most challenging to many people. It is particularly applicable to those who are questioning or for those who have had exposure to philosophy. It is also very helpful for us to read this section as we consider our friends and loved ones who may be skeptical in matters of faith.
A few quotes for you to consider concerning the Law of Human Nature...
This is the quality peculiar to man, wherein he differs from other animals, that he alone is endowed with perception to distinguish right from wrong, justice from injustice." Aristotle
Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong, even if everyone is for it. William Penn
Quote #1 These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and universe we live in.
C. S. Lewis
COMMENTS?
Quote #2 For the trouble is that one part of you is on His side and really agrees with His disapproval of human greed and trickery and exploitation. You may want Him to make an exception in your own case, to let you off this one time; but you know at the bottom that unless the power behind the world really and unalterably detests that sort of behaviour, then He cannot be good. On the other hand, we know that if there does exist an absolute goodness it must hate most of what we do. This is the terrible fix we are in. If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all our efforts are in the long run hopeless. But if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow, and so our case is hopeless again. We cannot do without it, and we cannot do with it. God is the only comfort; He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. C. S. Lewis
Reactions? Comments? Thoughts?
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