Week 12

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for everything we have in our lives. What would Jesus or Paul be thankful for if they had thanksgiving? Both religious figures wouldn't have been made timeless without the help of those influential in their lives and teachings. Jesus was probably thankful for Mary and Joseph similar to us being thankful for our parents. Paul would be thankful for his correspondents who he wrote frequently. Paul's writing offer readers with insight into God and how to lead a spiritual life. I found it interesting how Paul was so insightful about the coming of Jesus. He knew and fully believed that God's son would come to earth and spread the good news of his kingdom. Many believe that Paul can be considered too radical because of his beliefs in Jesus' coming. I also found it interesting how his letters offer perspective into a faith that hasn't been distinguished and are used in various churches in different contexts. Being thankful our religion and preservation of historical documents is another aspect of our God given life that should be added to our Thanksgiving dinner prayers.

Week 11

This week's readings are not connected and shed a different light onto two influential writers in the Bible. Marcus Borg lives on! The First Paul, written by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, is an insight into the apostle Paul who has been hailed as one of the most controversial figures of the Church. The first chapter jumps immediately into arguing if Paul is appealing or appalling. It claims that, "Paul's importance extends beyond the New Testament into the history of Christianity" (Borg and Crossan 3). His letters shaped various religions and theologians perspectives, therefore extending his appeal beyond Christianity. Paul was predicted to live around the time of Jesus, and his presence extends into roughy half of the New Testament. The appalling aspect of Paul is varying appreciation that has been embraced by religions (Protest, Lutheran, Judaism, Catholic, or Christian), therefore losing the uniformity of his role. The view of Paul can be seen from three foundational statements explained in the chapter:
1. "Not all of the letters attributed to Paul were written by him-- there is more than one Paul in the New Testament"
2. "It is essential to place his letters in their historical context"
3. "His message-- his teaching, his gospel-- is grounded in his life-changing and sustaining experience of the risen Christ" (Borg and Crossan 13).
I think its important to critically take all three foundational statements into account when reading Paul and understanding his character.
The second reading was John's gospel. John's gospel mentions Abraham, and seems to focus on the miracles and teachings of Jesus. His gospel begins with the miracle at the wedding at Cana and ends with the miracle of Jesus appearing to his disciples. My favorite aspects of John's gospel are the miracles (wedding at Cana, Jesus heals a blind man, Jesus walks on water, and feeding of the five thousand), and the lessons that Jesus shares about how to survive a earthly life. He offers advice about trusting in God, loving each other, and dealing with hatred. I found his gospel to be the most applicable to answering our questions about the faith. Overall, I think Paul and John offer different perspectives that without the other would value to the Bible and the reader's connection.

Week 10

Our view of Jesus and God has required us to paint pictures in our mind's eye about what they look like, how they listen to us, and what they ask from us. Borg's Jesus and Alice Walker's Color Purple both play on the innocence behind painting pictures about Jesus and God. I have been raised as a Catholic and given various paint brushes to help me relate to God and understand the importance of trusting faith. I remember being given stickers, magnets, jewelry and more that have been mass produced with images of God and Jesus and phrases/verses that remind me that Jesus loves and is with me. Borg draws on "three little phrases" that play a role in Christian life: "What Would Jesus do", "Jesus Loves Me-- This I know", and "For God So Loved the World" (Borg 305-306). These three sayings have helped guide Christians to trust in faith and turn toward away from temptation. I think the most popular phrase "What Would Jesus Do" has been used (unfortunately) as a marketing slogan and thrown around so much that it has lost its religious affiliation. The next two saying can also be used to help connect Borg's book with Alice Walker's Color Purple excerpt because Miss Celie's letter to Nettie. In the letter, Celie is writing about the conversation she had about what God looks like and how he loves everyone. Celie embarrassingly says that God is "big and old and tall and gray bearded and white. He wear robes and go barefooted. Blue eyes?" (Walker). Her description is much like the description I have in my mind's eye. Celie's friend laughs at her as she jokes about how Celie has white image of God. I think God's (and Jesus') image has very much been marketed similar to the WWJD saying unfortunately. I think that Celie's response to how God loves us is beautiful and very true. She says that "I can lay back and just admire stuff. Be happy. Have a good time" (Walker). I think this is very true. The best way to know how God loves us is to admire all the wonders around us that God created for us. I really enjoyed reading the Color Purple excerpt, and found it a much more typical everyday individual response to the question about the mystery behind Christianity. I have thought about what I think would be my response to what God looks it and how he shows his love, but what I think is important is not letting the fear of the unknown get in the way of not believing in God. I admit that sometimes these thoughts have crossed my mind, but staying mindful of the Catholic teachings is helpful in painting my picture of God.