Responses to Rick and Rob

Rick, re your comment about chaplain disclaimers: I am in the midst of preparing for the first day of my CST & the Law seminar, which starts with Richard Gaillardetz’s essay on the Ecclesiological Foundations of Modern CST in Ken Himes’ new collection.  I was just contemplating the “dialogic discernment” which emerges from reflection on how to apply scripture and tradition to a local situation.  OK, the language of the chaplain disclaimer may be a little awkward, but what’s the harm in acknowledging the concrete fact that some folks are still struggling with these questions, and making the effort to meet folks more than half way?  I’m not sure if an effort to reach out with these kinds of assurances necessarily validates prejudice. 

Rob, re your thoughts on praising God in the midst of suffering: what came to me was that perhaps there is a fourth response which focuses less on sovereignty and more on mystery: in the midst of suffering, to contemplate that the greatest expression of God’s love is not through a show of power or causal control over circumstances, but the mystery of shared suffering, through the cross.  One reason for praise is that the mystery of the cross means that God’s real and transforming presence of love is a reality – even in the midst of our struggles with the fallen state of the world which may have caused the accident – and this is the reason why “it is well with my soul.”

Amy