Module One: In Three Dimensions
“The length of life, as we shall use it here, is not its longevity, its duration, not how long it lasts, but it is a push, the push of a life forward to achieve its personal ends and ambitions. ”
-Martin Luther King Jr, “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life”
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.
Ezekiel 37:1–2
Module One: In Three Dimensions
Study:
In preparation for this week's liturgy, please read Introduction and Chapter 1 of Jesus Wants to Save Christians. Please read the Wisdom for the Way essay titled, “In Three Dimensions” found here. Available on February 14, 2024.
After you have completed the above, choose one or more of the the following:
“An Introduction to Seven Stories,” on the Learning How to See Podcast
“Domination Stories” on the Learning How to See Podcast
“Three Dimensions of a Complete Life” a sermon by Martin Luther King Jr
The Horse and the Infant and Just a Man from EPIC Ensemble & Jorge Rivera-Herrans. Trigger Warning: These songs depict violence toward an infant.
The Liturgy
In Three Dimensions
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.
Ezekiel 37:1–2
The length of life, as we shall use it here, is not its longevity, its duration, not how long it lasts, but it is a push, the push of a life forward to achieve its personal ends and ambitions. It is the inward concern for one’s own welfare. The breadth of life is the outward concern for the welfare of others. The height of life is the upward reach for God. So these are the three dimensions. On one hand, we find the individual person; on the other hand, we find other persons; at the top we find the supreme infinite person. These three must work together; they must be concentrated in an individual life if that life is to be complete, for the complete life is the three-dimensional life. Martin Luther King Jr, “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life”
Opening Prayer
Creator God, who quickened the world, we gather in the name of life and breath. Spirit of Inspiration, nourish our souls. Save us from despair, apathy, and cynicism. Friend of the broken, teach us your definition of abundance. Show us the way that leads to life, truth, and joy—and console our weary minds who were looking for an utterly different salvation. Attune our hearts to the length, depth, and breadth of our cosmic experience, and help us to revel in the mystery of hope.
Amen.
Confession
Merciful holiness, we confess that we have participated in and, even, perpetuated violence. We have seen the one unlike ourselves and assumed that their presence threatened our own. We have circumscribed the infinite into something we can understand, and, in so doing, we have created a finite image of the Divine. We have brought our worship to the altar of this image, but it could never represent the abundance of infinite love, so we began to guard the finitude of our own devising. Forgive us, we pray, and give us the grace, the courage, to pry our clenched fists open.
Amen.
Passing of the Peace
Exchange this acknowledgment of confession.
From the freedom of confession, I greet the Christ in you.
From the freedom of confession, I greet the Christ in you.
The Inquiry
These questions will be used each week to guide a time of sharing. If you are unable to share, please raise two clasped hands and the other participants will offer you a blessing.
What joy have you encountered this week?
What suffering have you encountered this week?
What longs for salvation?
After each person shares, the group will offer a blessing to each person:
[Person’s name], in the name of Jesus Christ know you are beloved of God
The Reflection
Read aloud:
There is a lake on the high desert plateau of Oregon which flows from a spring into the bowl of a dead volcano. I have been fortunate enough stand up paddle this lake twice, and, as I stood on the surface of the impossibly clear water with only four inches of paddle board mediating the border between the water and the sky, I was engulfed by a sense of being in.
Being in the world. Being in the sky. Being a part of the world.
Now, I know that I exist other places, but, there, floating on the surface of the water, I felt in it.
Throughout this study, we will be exploring the question of Salvation. Spiritual seekers use this word extensively, but what do we mean by salvation? What are we being saved from? What are we being saved for? What are we being saved by?
I think I brushed the edge of it while floating on the surface of Hosmer Lake. As I stood pinioned between the infinity of the sky and the profundity of the depths, I could sense the edge of Truth. Dr. Martin Luther King used the analogy of three dimensional living when speaking about living a complete life. As earth bound creatures, we have a tendency to live flat, unaware of the depths below us and the infinity above. The concrete, asphalt, and unattainable heights reinforce our illusion. This is all there is. Just me, trapped in a present dictated by the decisions of the past. There is plenty of evidence of the brutality of the world. It seems like we are met by violence every where. The violence of being reduced to a soundbite, productivity unit, or object. The violence of being used to living in a web of metal detectors. The violence of scarcity. We certainly do not have to use very much imagination to think of the world as being in need of salvation.
But what if we leave the surface? What if we plunge into the water? Let’s find out.
The Practice
And You Shall Live centers on breathing spiritual practice. Each week, participants will be offered a breathing practice with an optional silent prayer mantra.
This breathing practice is a pyramid practice. The metronome below can be used to provide a measured rhythm to the breaths. The practice starts with an inspiration for one beat and an expiration for one beat without pausing between breathing in or out. After each expiration, one beat is added to the next set until you are breathing in for seven beats and out for seven beats. At that point, the process is reversed, the breaths becoming shorter by one beat after each expiration.
Breathing Practice:
In, Out
In, In, Out, Out
In, In, In, Out, Out, Out
In, In, In, In, Out, Out, Out, Out
In, In, In, In, In, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out
In, In, In, In, In, In, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out
In, In, In, In, In, In, In, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out
In, In, In, In, In, In, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out
In, In, In, In, In, Out, Out, Out, Out, Out
In, In, In, In, Out, Out, Out, Out
In, In, In, Out, Out, Out
In, In, Out, Out
In, Out
Prayer Mantra:
Dry Bones
We Have Dry Bones
We Have Found Our Dry Bones
We Have Found Strength In Our Dry Bones
We Have Found Strength Down Deep In Our Dry Bones
We Have Found Strength Down Through Sorrow Deep In Our Dry Bones
We Have Found Strength Down Through Joy and Sorrow Deep In Our Dry Bones
We Have Found Strength Down Through Sorrow Deep In Our Dry Bones
We Have Found Strength Down Deep In Our Dry Bones
We Have Found Strength In Our Dry Bones
We Have Found Our Dry Bones
We Have Dry Bones
Dry Bones
For Thought
The question . . . is whether there is Spiritual healing, and if it exists, how it is related to the other ways of healing, and further, how it is related to that kind of healing which in the language of religion is called “salvation.” (Tillich, Systematic Theology, Vol. III, p 277)
Read Aloud:
The dry bones of hopelessness and despair can learn to dance again, but salvation and healing come through death and resurrection. Teach us to dance. Amen.
The Response
These questions can be used to help the group engage with the reflection.
What did you notice during the Practice?
What did you notice during the Reflection?
How would you like to grow in response?
After each person shares, the group will offer a blessing to each person:
Christ, give us the courage to hear and be heard.
Responsive Reading
Adapted from Titus 3 and Ezekiel 37
A. Be obedient, be ready for every good work, to speak no evil, to be gentle and kind.
B. The Lord set me down in the middle of a valley;
A. We were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.
B. It was full of bones.
A. God our Savior saved us according to mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
B: He led me all around these bones;
A: This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
B: There were very many lying in the valley. The bones were very dry.
Closing Prayer
Spirit of Truth, we live in a world enmeshed in deceit. We are assaulted by images of what we should be, what we should desire, what it means to be happy. We learn that the world cannot be trusted—no one is coming to save you. Source of Love, we long for you to make sense of the brutality of life. Hold us in your embrace until we are saturated by love. Let that be a baptism of salvation for the world.
Blessing
Go, love the world, knowing that you are accompanied and encouraged by Love. This, then, is salvation, to be loved and to love even though you die.