Making Sense of the Christian Faith

Session 3 Discussion Questions, "Missing the Mark"

1.  In what way does thinking about the human condition as being fundamentally insecure help you make sense of the world we live in?  What other ways of describing the human condition help you understand the problems and brokenness we see all around us?

2.  What are some of the ways in which we see ourselves and others trying to fill our "God-shaped hole?"  If it regularly doesn't work, why do you think we keep trying?  What are some of the problems that result from thinking we can fill our deep needs apart from God?

3.  A modern proverb says, "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."  In what way does the biblical story seem to be saying that "desiring too much knowledge" is also dangerous?

Read Genesis 3:1-24; Matthew 4:1-11

1.  From where does temptation come in each story?

2.  What is the response to temptation?

3.  What role does trust in God play in each story?

4.  How does the text seem to view the human condition?

5.  Where do we see similar temptations in our own lives?  How can we respond to them in light of the message of the story?



Making Sense of the Christian Faith

Session 2 Discussion Questions - "Original Blessing"

1.  Do you read the Bible as a devotional, as story that describes how things are, as history that explains how things came to be, as a confession of faith in the God of Scripture, or some combination?
2.  When you think of "creation," what comes to mind?  Is it a point in history?  Is it something that God does?  Is it something that we do?  What about the word creating?  How does moving from a noun (creation) to a verb (Creating) affect how you think about God's activity?
3.  If we extend "creation" to "cfreating and still sustaining," then where do you see God at work?  and where do you see God using humans - including you - to share in God's creative activity?

Read Luke 10:25-37

1.  How is the Samaritan serving as a steward of God's creation?
2.  Jesus lifts up the Samaritan as an example of someone who fulfills God's great commandments.  While we will spend more time discussing God's law in chapter four, for now it may be useful to consider how God's laws lead us to caring for our relationship with God, and our relationship with each other and creation.  Can you think of any laws - either in the Bible or in our world - that don't seem to be concerned with these two things?
3.  The Samaritan  extends his care for his neighbor by not only taking the man to the inn but also by paying the innkeeper to keep him for as long as necessary.  If we were to make this story contemporary, what other kinds of things might a "good Samaritan" do in this situation to care for neighbor?  (For example, we might advocate that lights were up on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem to make it more safe, or we might ask that more police be assigned to the roads, etc.)  Feel free to be creative.  Sometimes we most fully appropriate a biblical story by extending it into our own world and lives.

Making Sense of the Christian Faith

Session 1 Discussion Questions - "God Talk"

1. When have you felt most comfortable or at ease with your faith?  What were some of the factors that made it easy to believe?
2. Conversely, when has faith felt difficult or challenging?  When was it difficult to believe?  How did having other Christians around you help (or not) during this time?
3.  What are some of the adjectives that you might use to describe God?  Compassionate, loving, stern, just, tender?  What kind of picture do the words you choose offer you of God?  And where do you think your picture of God came from - Sunday school, your family, the Bible, experiences with and of other Christians?

Read Luke 24:1-35

1. Where do you see evidence of questions or doubt in these stories?  What do you make of them?  How are these doubts resolved?
2.  If the disciples had questions and doubts, how does that rflect on the questions and doubts we might bring to this study?  After reading these passages, how do you imagine the relationship between doubt and faith?
3.  Why do you think it seems that Luke emphasizes the believing community in his story about Jesus?  That is, Luke doesn't share any stories of an individual's encounter with the Risen Jesus.  Instead, Jesus appears to groups - of the disciples, of the two walking to Emmaus, etc.  What do you think this says about the importance of gathering with other Christians to talk about our shared faith?

Getting to the Heart of Interfaith

November 10 Discussion Questions

Question 1.  The authors talk about the mountain of spiritual paths and spiritual purpose.  Can you identify with this image?  Where are you on that mountain?  Where would you wish to be?

Question 2.  In the oasis story, people tended to believe theirs was the only one connecting to the deepest source, just as in the early stages of the interfaith dialogue, some imagine that their faith alone is true.  How would you encourage people to appreciate that there are many traditions connected to a single Source of life?

Question 3. The authors present inclusive spirituality as a spirituality shared by many different faiths and traditions.  If this is so, what do you think is the value of having different religious traditions?

Question 4.  One of the controversial moments the authors describe involves the sharing of communion.  What were your impressions of this moment?  What are your feelings about this kind of interfaith sharing?

Question 5.  The end is always also the beginning.  As you think about what you have felt and learned during your reading of this book, how have you changed?  What new thoughts and ideas are emerging for you?  Where will you go from here? 

As you contemplate that question, what possibilities come to mind?  Can you imagine ways in which you can expand interfaith dialogue and understanding in your world?  What are your hopes for what this could bring about?

Getting to the Heart of Interfaith

October 27 Discussion Questions

Question 1.  As you read about the spiritual practices in this chapter, which appeal to you the most?  How can you imagine using them to deepen your interfaith understanding?

Question 2.  What spiritual practices do you have that the authors have not discussed?  How have they affected your life?

Question 3. Can you think of any things that you normally do in your life that are actually spiritual practices for you?  How do you experience them as spiritual practices?

Question 4.  The authors present spiritual practices from each of their traditions and believe such practices create the inclusiveness that supports positive change in the world.  How do your spiritual practices translate into compassionate action in the world?

Question 5.  You have seen how each of the Abrahamic traditions provides specific practices for helping us deepen our spiritual journey.  Can you imagine practices that are not tied to a particular religion, but could be shared by all?  What would it be like to see all of life as part of our spiritual practice?

Getting to the Heart of Interfaith

October 20 Discussion Questions

Question 1.  The pastor, the rabbi, and the sheikh traveled together to the land holy to each of them, but each perceived it very differently.  The situation stimulated deeper conversation about some of the differences between them.  Have you ever been on such a journey?  When differences were discussed?  Did they help people get closer, or did they provoke anger and greater distance?

Question 2.  Pastor Don recognized the pain that has come to others from his Christian tradition.  Perhaps all traditions can identify with this in their past.  What are the difficulties that you perceive emerging from your religious tradition in the past or in the present?  What pain has it caused others?  Do you think such past pain can be healed?

Question 3.  Rabbi Ted was struck by the paradoxical impact of religious institutions.  He noted that although they develop to support a more universal spiritual experience, they tend to become focused on matters of their own survival.  Does this reflect your experience with institutions of your faith?  Are you aware of the purpose for which those institutions began?

Question 4.  Sheikh Jamal was the only Muslim on this trip to the Holy Land, and he was immediately singled out for special questioning upon landing.  To his surprise, the people from whom he had anticipated difficulty turned out to be supportive of his interfaith mission.  How would you have felt watching him being pulled aside by security officers?  Have you ever experienced unexpected hospitality?

Question 5.  Sheikh Jamal was pained by the violence on both sides of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and by the wall of separation that has been erected between the two peoples.  He wondered about the walls that we create in our own lives, and the acts of violence we commit in our own “holy land.”  Are you aware of walls you build in your own world?  How do you understand the walls of separation that people build to protect themselves from others?

Question 6.  Each experienced Israel and Palestine differently.  Which experiences did you most identify with?  With which did you have greatest difficulty?  Would you be interested in sharing such an interfaith journey – whether literally or metaphorically?  With whom?  What do you think it would take for you to prepare to move beyond “safe” territory to embark on such a journey?

Getting to the Heart of Interfaith

October 13 Discussion Questions

Question 1.  The authors talk about what they really like about their respective traditions.  If you are a member of a faith tradition, can you share what especially appeals to you about your tradition?  If you do not identify with a formal religion, what do you especially like about the way you have chosen?

Question 2.  When you find things about your own path that you really like, do you feel that those things make your path better than any other?  How do you handle questions from others about this?

Question 3.  When you find awkward aspects of your path, do you find yourself avoiding them?  Explaining them away?  Can you share one aspect of your path that you find awkward?  How might you interpret this in a more universal way?

Question 4.  In what ways do you feel that your own path is misunderstood?  What would you like others to know about your beliefs?  Is there anything others do or say that particularly pains your?

Question 5.  Are there issues you have with aspects of another faith?  Would you be willing to share these concerns?  If another has such concerns about your faith, what could you do to respond without defensiveness?