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| Beyond the Biography of Jesus: The Journey of Quadratos | |
Book I Book I Study Guide |
Book II Winter 2007 |
Spiritual Practice:
Pray the Gospels
Each issue of the e-newsletter will address possible prayer practices that open the gospels and the journey of quadratos to daily life.
This Advent, begin a daily practice of gospel reading and prayer - called lectio. Take the Sunday gospel passage as a text to pray over and over. Read it slowly - three or four times at each sitting. Let the word move from your head to your heart. After reading, sit quietly with the text for a few minutes.
Begin on the Monday before the Sunday you hear the text in church. Repeated reading and praying of the same text moves its grace from our heads to our hearts and then into our lives. On Sunday, you will be prepared for your community's worship and ready to deeply receive the gospel text and your pastor's message.
The idea of not just reading the gospels, but praying them, may be new to you. We will discuss different forms of lectio prayer and meditation in coming newsletters. And more information about the practice of praying the gospels will be in Book II.
Tell Us
Email us your comments - both appreciation and suggestions. Give voice to the Heyoka. Tell us what would you do not like, or with what you disagree. Teach us how to make the e-newsletter better serve you.
Send us a note - newsletter@quadratos.com - tell us how you are applying Quadratos. If you have a website, send us a link.
Quadratos Immersion for Spiritual Leadership
(July 2007 - May 2008) is for pastoral leaders who wish to develop skill in using the three-year gospel reading sequence to provide spiritual formation for their communities, organizations and individuals. For more information, read the article in this e-newsletter and/or contact breadoflife.org
eNewsletter - Focus for 2006-2007
November 06
Overview of Three-Year Cycle, Year III Gospel - Luke, and Year III: Sunday Gospels of Advent
February 07
Year III: Lent-Easter and Luke-John
May 07
Year III: Sundays Gospels from Pentecost through August
August 07
Year III: Sundays Gospels from September to the end of Year III.
Some have suggested an e-service (monthly or seasonal) for preachers, homilists, catechists etc. This idea is under consideration. For the first year of the e-newsletter, we will stay with the present format. Let us know how this serves or not.
"When the old culture is dying, the new culture is created by those who are not afraid to be insecure."
-- Rudolph Bahro
Quadratos News Issue No. 2
November 2006
The Four Questions
Recently, I was asked to state the four questions of Quadratos in simple language. These sentences tumbled out.
- How do we face change? - Gospel of Matthew
- How do we endure suffering? - Gospel of Mark
- How do we receive joy? - Gospel of John
- How do we serve? - Gospel of Luke/Acts
Look for these in Book II.
From Alexander's Desk
E-NEWSLETTER SIGN UPS - THANK YOU
Thanks for signing up for the e-newsletter! This one quick act is an important contribution in our effort to secure a large publisher. Why do we want that? The large publishing houses are the avenue to reach the national media-print, radio and television. The national media is where the work of Quadratos can enter the cultural discussion on Christianity and the gospels. We hope that in early 2007, we can interest a large publisher to buy Books I and II, edit them into one book, and have it in major bookstores by Lent of 2008. That book will be quite different from these, as it will be more a general discussion of Quadratos and its importance for Christianity and all of us. Please spread the word - ask three friends to signup for this e-newsletter. THANK YOU. Together we are bringing a different message to our world.
WHERE IS THAT DESK?
Since early September, I have been on the road - speaking about Quadratos up and down the West Coast, as well as across southern Colorado. This past week, I flew to Mexico. Here in a provincial village, high in the western mountains, I am completing (please God!) work on Book II. Can you hear the horses clopping on cobblestone?
WHEN WILL THE SECOND BOOK BE OUT?
This was the most asked question of the Fall. I am grateful for your urgings, and a bit timid to give a date. I am learning! The best estimate is mid-February - the beginning of Lent. If you have signed up for the e-newsletter - you will receive an email announcement as soon as it is ready for purchase.
Welcome, Luke! Welcome, Year III
For those Christian traditions following the Three-Year Sunday Gospel Reading Cycle, Sunday (Nov. 26) we bid farewell to The Year of the Gospel of Mark (year II or year B). And a week later, on Sunday (Dec. 3), we greet The Year of Luke (year III or year C).
Many - but not all-Christian traditions begin the New Year with the Season of Advent. Advent encompasses the four Sundays before the Feast of Christmas. This year the First Sunday of Advent - the first day of the new Christian year - is December 3rd, and the Fourth Sunday is December 24th. Advent this year is three weeks and a day - the shortest it can ever be.
PLEASE SHARE WITH US
How will your church community mark the change from the Gospel of Mark to that of Luke? How will you mark this change in your home, in your spiritual reading, in your prayer? Email us and share what you do. Next issue, we'll pass along your thoughts and ideas.
Year III and The Gospel Of Luke
When the four-gospel reading sequence was restored to Sunday worship, our Christian churches entered a new era. We no longer have one Christian year that takes us on the journey of Jesus' life. Now, each year - in the three-year cycle - is distinct. Each year flows from a particular gospel. And each year focuses our communities and each of us on a particular aspect of the spiritual life and the practices that help us be more skillful Christians.
Download the full article in PDF format...
Applying Quadratos - Here is What You Are Saying
FROM DELLA AND MIKE
Parents of an adopted six year old girl in Austin, Texas
"We have just finished reading Book 1 for the third time, and want to share how it is helping our family. We adopted a six year old girl from an orphanage in Siberia a year ago, and have spent the last year struggling. After trying many different parenting strategies, we knew we needed professional help, and were blessed to find a wonderful therapist. One of the books he asked us to read was The Journey of Quadratos. We were still early in therapy and it was a challenge to start over with our attitudes toward our daughter. Our therapist had also asked us to read a book on parenting. We started it first, but got so frustrated that we thought we'd read some of Quadratos instead.
It is the best thing we could have done! Even though we have read the gospels, we had never heard about the history of their writing. It amazed us how easy it was to relate that history to our lives. Suddenly the daily (sometimes hourly) mood/attitude swings that we were feeling seemed ok. There were times in the beginning when we wanted to give up because we were not sure how we could do what was needed. Quadratos helps us remember the feelings will pass, so we can relax, stay focused, pray and keep going. It is still a challenge for us to react appropriately to our daughter's behavior, but it is getting easier. We are grateful to have inspiration and guidance from Quadratos - thank you so much. We are ready for Book II."
FROM REV. LOUISE SLOAN
Disciples of Christ pastor in Los Angeles, CA
"I find myself thinking several times a day about Quadratos and how the four-fold sequence is manifested in so many areas of my personal life, counseling with folks from the church, and in my prep for the weekly Bible Study. There are so many ways it can be incorporated into worship and the liturgy-much more than just using the lectionary cycle.
When I sat down with my finger labyrinth and looked at the design, I immediately flashed to your comments. Of course - the labyrinth holds the four-fold sequence - and is a meditation on the Journey of Quadratos in the Gospels and in life. It makes so much sense!"
"The three things that intrigue me most at this time are developing my understanding of Quadratos and applying its principles to Bible study, spiritual development in congregational life, and the preparation of worship and liturgy."
Quadratos Immersion for Spiritual Leadership -
A Pilot Project
From July 2007 through May 2008, Dr. Alexander Shaia and Rev. Marjorie Hoyer Smith (along with Sandra Lommasson and Jean Holsten) will work intensively with a small group of persons in spiritual leadership through a series of 6 retreats. Co-sponsored by Bread of Life and Spirit in the Arts, the purpose of this pilot is to create a prototype for denominational and spiritual leaders wanting to tend the Spirit consciously in their particular part of the Body of Christ.
Both content and process are designed to immerse participants in an experience of the 4 spiritual movements which comprise Quadratos. Our time together will integrate learning the framework with practical application in the particular setting of each participant. The design will give participants a working familiarity with the four-fold cycle along with spiritual practices which enable each movement to take root and open to the next for personal and corporate transformation.
APPLICATION PROCESS
For more information and an application please contact Bread of Life at 916-648-1803 or go to the website at breadoflife.org. The group size is limited and we seek a mix of persons in denominational and spiritual leadership (either ordained or lay) across the ecumenical church. To date, we have accepted five of a possible twelve participants.
PROGRAM DATES AND PLACE
July 17-19, 2007; September 12-13, 2007; November 12-13, 2007; January 14-15, 2008; March 3-4, 2008; May 12-14, 2008. All retreats will be held at Auburn Mercy Center near Sacramento, CA.
PROGRAM COST
$1325 payable in installments after acceptance ino the program.
COMING NEXT: MIDWEST TO EAST COAST
We are looking for a location - Midwest to East Coast - where this series might be offered beginning Winter/Spring 2008. If you know of a place, or have a retreat facility to suggest, please Email us.
