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SCMA National Women's Retreat 2000 Discussion Programme
Things to have:
1) Paper and pens to record notes, thoughts, doodles etc. Preferably
large sheets of paper and pastels, felts, crayones etc.
2)Outside 'stuff', leaves stones etc + material, candles, sculptures etc
for worship.
Overriding theme = "SPIRITUAL AFFIRMATIONS OF WOMANHOOD" (Consider
this
theme in all discussions, write it up large and stick it on the wall or
floor for frequent reflection. NB this time is for affirming womanhood,
not knocking masculinity, try to focus on your experiences as a woman
rather than just as a person).
Note: Depending on the desire of the group the following topics can be
used as discussion starters- or as personal musing points or people may
like to reflect on them in ones and twos and bring something back to the
group for shared discussion. There should be no compulsion to speak,
just to think and reflect!!! But try to work through the day steadily
and, let it flow but don't let yourselves get caught up on any one thing.
Discussion A) IN CONSIDERING IMAGES OF GOD WHERE DOES THE FEMININE FIT?
(1) Do you have an 'image'- physical, audial, metaphysical &etc of God/
The Creator/ The Universal spirit?
(2) Is this image - Masculine? Feminine? Genderless/ Sexless?
Discussion B) WITNESSESING THE FEMALE/ FEMININE IN LIFE.
(1) Consider Nature, The Earth, the seasons, birth, death and regrowth.
How do you relate to these things as a woman?
(2) Do they have aspects of gender?
(3) Consider the concept of Mother, what images do you relate to this
concept?
Discussion C) WORSHIPPING WITH FEMININITY
(1) In worship, do you bring your sexuality with you or do you worship in
spite of your sex?
(2) What is your perception of the dogma of Christian tradition on this?
(3) Can you imagine if or how your experiences of worship may have
differed if you were male?
(4) Where do your worship experiences place you in terms of 'closeness'
to God/ The Creator/ The Universal Spirit?
Discussion D) CAN GOD KNOW MY EXPERIENCES?
(1) If your image of God is NOT female or does not contain the feminine,
how does this affect your experience of God?
(2) If your image of God is female or containes the feminine what benefit
do you think this aspect of your belief has for you?
(3) How does this relate to you ego/ self esteem/ self belief?
(4) Is it possible to feel whole if your image of God does not contain
your gender/ sex or if you need to ignore/ deny it in order to worship?
(5) Can you imagine how the historical and modern Church would be
different if worship had been predominantly developed/ designed by women?
(6) What if women were the designers of Churches?
(7) What do you consider to be the collective effect, if any, on
womanhood of being essentially 'written out' of scripture and/or rarely
recounting, teaching or studying texts concerned with women's tasks and
women's experiences?
(8) In the Eurocentric Christian church which is predominant in
Aotearoa, who 'owns' women's sexuality, Historically? Now?
Discussion E) WHERE TO NEXT?
(1) Consider the scripture of the written word, The Bible, what is the
position of female and femininity in this?
(2) Consider the scripture of the created word, Life, where is the female
and femininity in this?
(3) Is it possible to create a new kind of 'scripture' through providing
testimony for each other on our experiences of God in the Female World &
the Female God in the World?
Section F) PREPARING WOMAN AFFIRMING WORSHIP
It is impossible for me to say how the group should do this since I am
not there, but I want to suggest a couple of things.
Firstly, take a break after these discussions, go for a walk, have some
afternoon tea and allow a little time to 'digest' what you have shared.
Secondly in preparing this worship to share consider:
- shape - of the space you want to worship in
- colour- choose some colours which represent for you some of what you
are thinking/ feeling, colour can speak to our senses, so collect some
flowers, material, draw with pastels, collect things from around the room
our outside etc.
- light - natural/ firelight/ candles/ darkness, this will provide an
ambience and set the mood for your worship.
- use natural things - stones, plants, feathers etc, these are your
representatives of the presence of The Creator God.
- You may find it helpful to worship in a circle, but allow plenty of
space for each woman to feel that her thoughts are sacred.
- Consider building a 'shrine' or centrepiece to provide a focus point
during worship.
- Try to include some symbols of your discussions for reflection on
during worship.
- Remember to leave space for silent reflection during worship, make this
a considerable time, at least five minutes, but don't time it!
- Consider including song, dance, poetry and spoken words, try and
incorporate them in a way which doesn't disrupt your meditation.
End the day with this group worship. Relax and enjoy it, be concious
proud and exhaltant of your femininity, it is of God it is Holy devine
and beautiful. Worship to the ends of your finger tips and toes with all
that it means to be WOMAN, I am in awe of you all.
I hope that you enjoy this day of discussion/ thought - it has grown out
of reflections and turning points I have reached in my own journey
through faith and through SCMA and especially from my time at the ASCM
women's sprituality conference in 98 to now.
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