Hi folks

Are you participating in a book study for Lent? Are you doing journalling?

What are you doing this year for Lent?

This is in global issues because I can't think where else to put it.

When I lived in Montreal, there seemed to be discussion groups and community action group everywhere. It was normal that I would asked to speak or to lead a discussion at better than once a week for the full year. There was a current events group tof some 200 people that I spoke to once a month for some 15 years. There were retired groups, book clubs, sports clubs, service groups.And I certainly was not the only person covering the circuit.

I have always found these threads very helpful - and was just thinking over why that is so. Why should we discuss.

1. I've learned that I don't think well on my own. I need to make points with people because in doing so, I realize how flimsy some of those points are, and maybe I'd better think some more.

2. There is what we say, and what other people hear us say - and the two can be quite different. We have to learn to take that into consideration when we make our points.

 Not really sure which forum this post should belong to, but here goes...

I moved to Ottawa, Canada last December, and haven't yet found a church/spiritual group.  I got burned out on mainstream church about 3 or so years ago, after I realized that I was only going to church because I had to (I was the audio technician) and that I was getting more out of the books I was reading during the sermons than I was actually getting out of going to church.

A testimony given by a poster  last week has sparked much controversy, discussion and debate. Now  those of us who are Christian are people of the Story. We know the Christian story ( in one way or another) and as we live and walk the path of faith in our own lives, we add our story to the tapestry.

We tell our stories and hear stories from other travellers - some Christian and some not and these stories make our faith firmer  , more open and more accepting.