“• our treatment of every human being is:”

The Adult Christian Formation Opportunity at Christ Episcopal Church Matagorda has prioritized the bullets from the Bishop’s list (see whole list below from 11/15) and we are working through them one at a time as a part of our exercises to be better able to share the faith.

The group chose 1^st : “• our treatment of every human being is:”

Try for yourself--

Complete the following:

(extra credit for short answers using only terms a seeker would understand in their ordinary every-day sense.)

"This unique Episcopal witness is articulated through the words of our Baptismal Covenant:"

• our treatment of every human being is:

The reference materials consulted were:

Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

People I will, with God’s help. BCP 294

Second Sunday after Christmas Day

O God, who didst wonderfully create, and yet more wonderfully restore, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. BCP 162

Human Nature

Q. What are we by nature?

A. We are part of God’s creation, made in the image of God.

Q. What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

A. It means that we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God.

Q. Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?

A. From the beginning, human beings have misused their freedom and made wrong choices. BCP 845

In the end the group found “dignity” to be too much a church-speak-usage to be of help with seekers.

The consensus is that, in common usage “dignity” is:

·        Most often associated with pride and with taking offense.

·        Considered something that people “have” or “loose” which is inconsistent with our view of humanity.

·        Is a self-possessed characteristic “my dignity” not a grace given from God.

Instead we chose “design” as a better phrasing for the world at large.

Will you … respect the design of every human being?

Weather in a ditch or in a palace, each person is designed by God for good and glory.

You can find someone in a ditch, or in misery - even self chosen misery, and leaving them there tell yourself (in the common sense use) that you are respecting the dignity of their choices.

You cannot give yourself the same false comfort (as easily) if you try to say “God designed all humans to live in ditches, or in misery, or in sin.”

So our answer was:

• our treatment of every human being is:

We respect every person as being designed by God for good and for glory. Our call is to help each other live into our design.

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