OFF RETS

First Presbyteriar: Church of Lake Forest
Officers Retreat
May 18-19, 1990
John M. Buchanan
SESSION TWO

Review —- as necessary ~ theology of God calling to
Journey

Theme this morning is'that God_provides what Wwe

need for the journey of faith ta which he calls us.
os —

What we need is not always what we want ~ oP
nt
think we need.

a _

A reading from John Updike
The Wallet (copies 0. 222-237)

Bible Study ey baVS |
More or Journey motif
Tspael in Eaypt | tribes - thrjye — slavery
in meantime Moses is being prepared.
pull ruses
miraculous survival, grows up in
official housenota, [murders , Eaypt ian Ly

hides - hears voice - returns
— \purwiva, bus
i

stirs up trouble, organizes Israel,
negotiates - successfully.
Israel walks out - to Red Sea
jst. incident -
Ex. 14:10-12
It would have been better to
sepve the Egyptians than to die
in wilderness .
The Escape
The wi iderness
2 ud. 16:1-3 hunger
quaits & manna

are 17: 1-7 Thirst & water

Comment -
wa Yh i \berwnes
“MurmUuring motit™

people prefer security to freedom te. a
stability to Journey/adventure < TWA of reas Ms

<r

nema Fersttorker,
routine to novelty . . Rm Warr as

— Glowmast FF

personally - @ psychological dynamic
Freud and separaticn amcety. - cla \&s ane Geer .

Poovwa — Bettlehneim and the pawer af “Leaving Home”

wet ot
yv pA oni?

fairy tales Cues | Errcliccnmch ran >

You & Leaving home is necessary to become full

person >
it 7s also dangerous as all sorts of fairy
eee
tale characters Jean
=- Hansel & Gretel
Littie Red Riding Hood

q sense - that life is always calling us to leave

settled securities benind.
——. fl —

the danger of settling for comfort : eorly, dans q ww

Cite Kurt Hahn and Qutward Bound, WIT and yee ode
Gordonston School - pra va

after war 0.B. Schools -
(“To Serve & Strive and Not to meld’ te bhycetes Tsle4

(we are addicted to ease/comfort - and may

\ miss a lot) _

Harriet Tubman and underground rai iroad
s\aven. wir es ocd os risks op frredun.

tr © T — God comes and provides in wilderness: when people

are vulnerable, poor - empty -— and have left their

securities.

same is true spirtual ly {the point of Jesus’

Daihen ae

parables about loaded camel making i= through eye ote
of needie.

we have to be needy in arder to receive Ba tes
God’s good gifts. ies

Nowen @aPrayer > With Open Hands

/
our trouble 7s {oun hands are too full

+

tells about psychotic woman in E.R.

clutching a smal} coin as if she'd jose
life if she released her grip.

(without that wallet, I'm notfring)
H. N. quote - p. 5 3/18/90 (*)

daring promise Ty GO will previde
-Yive us resources we need for the
Journey

There are occasions when we must leave

established securities
-at 6 - ta school

-at 18 - to college

4

“When you are invited to pray you are asked to open
your tightly clenched fists and give up your last coin.
You hold fast to what is familiar, even if you aren 't

proud of it. You find yourself saying: ‘That's just
how it is with me. I would like to be different but
it can't be now...’ Once you talk like that you've

already given up believing that your life might be
otherwise. You feel it safer to cling to a sorry past
than to trust in a new future.”

{With Open Hands, p. 4]

“marr lage
-—new career op unemp joyment
empty nest

“divorce

begecsA
_ +4 c . add Yar
oss of friends - when Pa we for Usb
comes a day when we know our poverty - hunger and
shrowah
thirst. ov
ooal eee
Cromise is, God will pravide. e,
~ a efythx
Journal - Gift Inventory —_
' Are A i
Personal ~- What has God given you? WwW

oul

- Whet do you most need? yA 4

Church - Same we
Discussion - (3's) cea wl

Closing - John 4:7-15