Oct 14-16, 2005
Who is this stranger? Who is the “historical” Jesus, the interpreted Jesus, the figure in our own imaginations? We will approach him as stranger and try to discover the power that makes him the subject of myths and movies, doubt and dogma, the darling of the Right and the hero of the Left.
We will do this by asking questions: What did he say? What did he do? What is he called? Why is he remembered? Who followed him then? Who follows him now? How has he been used and misused? How do we read the records of his life? Who wrote them? How trustworthy are they? We will read some reports about him with open eyes and critical minds and, hopefully, with fresh imaginations.
We will also explore the Jesus within, our own images of the stranger. We will do this through journaling, talking, contemplating images of him, listening to songs, stories, reflections, and poems, and by consulting our own unconscious. How does a figure like this affect our own self-understanding?
Please bring a recent translation of the New Testament (New Revised Standard, Zondervan, Good News, Jerusalem, New English) and please read the gospel of Mark at least twice. And bring your journal and your questions, but please leave your preconceptions at home.
Carl Scovel is a father, husband, grandfather, and retired Unitarian Universalist minister, having served at Kings Chapel in Boston for decades. One hundred of his four-minute radio talks are reprinted in Never Far From Home (Skinner House, 2003). He is currently the most widely respected and well-loved UU retreat leader, and is a sweetheart of a human being. We are honored to welcome him on his first public retreat at Rowe Conference Center.