Out of the Ashes
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
United Methodist Church of Arroyo Grande
Currently not scheduled.
Leader: Jamie Foster
A 6-dip (6-session) roller coaster ride through personal and communal tragedies, looking at characteristics of how those involved rose from the ashes. Sessions are 15 minutes each Sunday morning at 9:30am (between the first service and choir rehearsal). The sessions are mostly stand-alone, so feel free to come whenever you can. The class meets in the McMillen Room.
- 1. Feb 10 We Are Marshall
- 2. Feb 17 Fire at the Stricklands
- 3. Feb 24 Torture, War, and Other Hells on Earth
- 4. Mar 2 The Ingrid Croce story
- 5. Mar 9 Tough Days
- 6. Mar 16 Course Summary
General Resources
Out of the Ashes. A book by Patrick J. and Claudette M. McDonald. With a subtitle of "A Handbook for Starting Over", this is a somewhat academic look at five stages of personal recovery from a tragedy: disintegration, sifting, reconstruction, reintegration, and transcedence. Amazon entry. Google Books entry.
From the movie, "Starman", spoken by the alien (played by Jeff Bridges): "Do you want to know what I find most interesting about your species?... You are at your best when things are at their worst."
Look up Bible verses:
http://www.biblenews.com/
http://www.biblegateway.com/
1. We Are Marshall
Heavenly Father, May we learn to wait upon You, for You are our strength and our salvation. Amen.
The Story:
Marshall University suffers an airplane crash that occured on November 14, 1970 that claimed the lives of most of the varsity football team, its coaches, and prominent members of the community. See the movie, "We Are Marshall" (2006).
Key Points:
1a. Some tasks have to be done face-to-face. A phone call or a letter won't do. References the scene in the movie, "We Are Marshall" where the new coach admonishes the college president to get the freshmen waiver from the NCAA directly.
1b. It takes time. It took Marshall most of the 1970s to get back to a reasonably functioning football program. Normally, for competitive athletics, winning is the only thing that matters. The new coach makes it clear that in Marshall's situation, getting back on the playing field is far more important. Winning can come later.
To "wait upon the Lord" is to bind yourself to God, and give it everything you've got. From the Hebrew qavah, which means to twist as in making a rope. The new Testament Greek has a related word, hupomone (literally "to abide under"), an enduring hope.
Scriptures:
Isaiah 40:31
Psalm 27: 13-14
Materials:
1-We-Are-Marshall-themovie.pdf
1-Contemporary-news-accounts.pdf
1-Its-Always-With-You.pdf
1-Marshall-University-Wikipedia.pdf
1-Qavah.pdf
1-Hebrew-to-wait.pdf
1-Hebrew-wait.pdf
1-Intro-Hebrew-Verbs.pdf
1-Isaiah-40-31.pdf
1-Law-of-the-Fringe-wait.pdf
1-patience.pdf
2. Fire at the Stricklands
Heavenly Father, May we learn to see You in others, and to see the important things in life. Amen.
The Story:
The Stricklands lost their home, all their belongings, and the father of a grandson in a fire. Led by a community contractor, neighborhood businesses and friends rebuilt the home.
Key Points:
2a. Let others help. People of most religions are called to serve. You allow Christ to help you by letting his servants help you. Making a list might help you answer folks who ask "how may I help?". Appreciate the littlest of things.
2b. Grasp hold of the new perspective. Disaster survivors nearly always say they learned through the experience what was most important.
Scriptures:
Galatians 6:2
Mark 12:33
Hebrews 6:10
1 Peter 4:10-11
1 Corinthians 10:24
Materials:
2-stricklands-new-home.pdf
2-World-Scripture-SERVING-OTHERS.pdf
2-Serving-God-by-Serving-Others.pdf
2-Learning-to-Accept-Help.pdf
2-Accepting-Help-From-Unlikely-Sources.pdf
3. Torture, War, and Other Hells on Earth
Heavenly Father, May we learn to accept the past and move on to Your future. May we be prepared by "having faith" in the first place. Amen.
The Story:
The valley of torture is like an endless abyss. It seems so much worse when it's not a natural disaster or other "unavoidable" or accidental disaster, but intentional brutality brought about by fellow human beings. Father Cavanaugh keeps the faith in a German POW camp.
Key Points:
3a. A key to the future is to accept the past. And part of accepting the past is to talk about it.
3b. Have faith, going in (i.e. be prepared). "My faith got me through."
Scriptures:
Ephesians 6:16
1 Corinthians 16:13
Materials:
3-tortured-LA-support.pdf
3-write-to-life.pdf
3-Simple-Faith-of-a-Prisoner-of-War.pdf
3-Faith-Was-There-POWs.pdf
3-Biblical-references-to-faith.pdf
Archived stories of WW2
4. The Ingrid Croce Story
Heavenly Father, Grant that in our own process of recovery: others may be helped and we may be made stronger for the next. Amen.
The Story:
Just a couple months after moving to San Diego, Ingrid Croce's husband, singer/songwriter Jim Croce, died in an airplane crash leaving Ingrid and their 2-year-old son, A.J. Ingrid's recovery included opening a restaurant in the old Gaslamp District, thus helping to pull it from the ashes, too. The experience also prepared Ingrid for her son's brain tumor and blindness at age 4 and their house burning down 10 years later.
Key Points:
4a. Their can be resurrection synergies (from Greek syn-ergos: together working). One climber helps the other in the process.
4b. Sometimes, valleys come in waves. Overcoming the first makes one stronger for the second.
Scriptures:
Romans 8:28. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." The phrase, "in all things . . . works," is from a Greek verb having the same meaning as the English word "synergy." Synergy means the combination of two or more items has a compounding, not just additive, effect. For example, one shall put a thousand to flight and two shall put ten thousand to flight, not just two thousand; that is synergy. That is the concept in Romans 8:28. Though everything that happens to us may not in itself be good, the combined effect of all that God allows us to experience will produce a compounded benefit.
Romans 8:36-37. God synergistically compounds the effects of our experiences (both wonderful and catastrophic) to benefit us. As a result, we are more than successful, more than conquerors, benefitted more than could be expected from the experience itself. That does not make our hardships any more pleasant, but it does enable us to face them with confidence.
James 1:2-3. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
We are made stronger and more effective when we use our wilderness experiences to mature and grow closer to God.
Materials:
Croce's Restaurant and Jazz Bar (their web site)
4-article-ingrid-croce.pdf
4-autobiography-ingrid-croce.pdf
4-Croce-Restaurant-brief-history.pdf
4-interview-with-ingrid-croce.pdf
4-interview-with-ingrid-croce-b.pdf
4-jim-croce-discogrpahy.pdf
4-wikipedia-A-J-Croce.pdf
5. Tough Days
Heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of love, especially the ability to love. It keeps our eye on the ball. Grant us the wisdom and grace to properly honor our parents even when difficult. Amen
A mother barely survives a very normal day with several kids, but still reads the stories and give hugs and kisses at bedtime - and means every ounce of them. Sometimes caring for elderly parents can be trying, but we honor our parents, and in the process have no regrets. The Commandments are a good thing.
Key Points:
5a. Love is strength; it does conquer all.
5b. Appropriately honoring your father and mother is the right thing to do, and ultimately leads to a healthier parting.
Scriptures:
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your (B)days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
Materials:
5-a-Moms-day.pdf
The Mom Song (very fun video)
5-Coping-with-Elder-Care.pdf
5-parent-of-your-parent.pdf
5-Coping-With-Your-Difficult-Older-Parent.pdf
6. Summary
Heavenly Father, As the time of the cross fast approaches, we are reminded of your greatest Resurrection ever. May we grab hold tightly to the base of that cross as the basis of our own resurrections. Amen.
Key Points (brought together from above)
1a. Some tasks have to be done face-to-face.
1b. It takes time.
2a. Let others help.
2b. Grasp hold of the new perspective.
3a. A key to the future is to accept the past.
3b. Have faith, going in (i.e. be prepared). "My faith got me through."
4a. Their can be resurrection synergies (from Greek syn-ergos: together working). One climber helps the other in the process.
4b. Sometimes, valleys come in waves. Overcoming the first makes one stronger for the second.
5a. Love is strength; it does conquer all.
5b. Appropriately honoring your father and mother is the right thing to do, and ultimately leads to a healthier parting.
Five Stages of Recovery
Disintegration
Sifting
Reconstruction
Reintegration
Transcedence
Scriptures:
Psalm 71:20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
Psalm 86:13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.
Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."