Calling in the Context of Collapse

Intro –

We are deep into Parable of the Sower. Just in case you haven’t been following, for this week

we are up to Chapter 6 in the book. A quick recap of some of the major events that have

happened.

Chaps 1-3 Summary - https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/parable-of-the-sower/section1/

Chap 4-6 Summary - https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/parable-of-the-sower/section2/

Preface –

Collapse can bring anxiety. The moment we are in is an anxious one. An appeal to folks about

how we should delve into this reading in a way that faces reality without getting caught up in

anxiety, despair and scarcity. We read Phillipians 4:4-9 when Paul is in jail and writing to the

congregation in Phillipi. He is in jail so he has some street cred in sharing these four reminders

1. Ground yourself in gratitude

2. Be gentle with others and yourself

3. Hand your worries to God!

4. Focus more time on the true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent

and worthy of praise things.

The Core Themes

1. God is Still Speaking– Calling in Chaos

2. Is the Church in Tune

3. Building Kin(g)dom-

4. Leadership from the Margins (The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth)

This Week The Power of Kinship

 Tempting to see all the bad in this book because things are really falling apart

 It is scary because it hits so close to home.

 The conversation between Lauren and her father underscores Paul’s point to focus on

where you can help people

 Explaining Kin(g)dom – Kin; systems of justice; with God @ center. Start from the heart

 This week I challenge us to take his suggestion and see where things are working

 In the last few chapters we see some powerful examples of good kinship and where it

falls apart – acknowledge the bad and lift up the good!

Where Kinship is fails:

Mrs. Sims – killing herself

Amy Dunn -dying because not one is looking out for her

Where Kinship is working:

Getting to the baptism

Shooting practice

Collective protection of the Moss (who did put folks at risk)

The Ingredients for Effective Kinship

1. Ubuntu - Acknowledge that they need each other to survive!

2. Don’t have to agree on everything to covenant with each other

3. Find the balance between personal freedom and collective responsibility

Of course there are ways in which this community fails – most importantly in the fact that they

are so focused on maintaining what they have that they are not able to plan towards the future,

but in many ways they get it right. If they put their energy towards mobilizing to a new future –

they would be unstoppable.

We can cultivate these things within ourselves and within the larger world because these are

traits that we really need right now.

Reflection Questions -

1. When you hear the concept of Ubuntu, do you find it comforting, terrifying or a little of

both? Do you believe that you need others or are you trying to make it as independently

as possible? How are you called to lean more into Ubuntu?

2. Where in your life are you in covenant relationship with people who are different from

you? How do you see God moving in those relationships? If not, where are there

opportunities to practice being in deep committed partnerships with folks you may not

like or agree with much?

3. God gives each of us personal gifts while also calling us to collective action. Spend a little

time reflecting on where you see your personal calling lining up with collective calling.

Where could you be going more deeply in this balance?