[Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Tree of Life Reflection
Richard Howie via Dialogue
dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net
Sat Oct 8 04:35:45 PDT 2016
Dear Ellie et al,
This month I am co-leading a retreat SABBATH: A Day Apart, with the
invitation to pray/meditate/contemplate our world and our part in
it. The 'bubblings up' tend to need a bit of stop/look/listen!
At the end of the month we are treating ourSelves to a road trip to
Cincinnati to have a bit of time with the Lindblads.
Love, Grace and Peace,
Ellen
On Sep 27, 2016, at 2:43 PM, Ellie Stock via OE wrote:
> Thanks for and building on your comments George and Jack and others
> (and I would look forward to hearing from others on this...
>
> The way I look at it is that the positive "bubblings up" that
> Hawken refers to in his book Blessed Unrest are, in fact, the
> Church as Social Pioneer; and some parts of some institutional
> religions are part of that evolutionary process which develops,
> grows, and proliferates as it differentiates, diversifies,
> complexifies, and communes, all dimensions of which have a common
> center with all else that exists cosmologically and
> microscopically. Sometimes the "bubblings up" are covert,
> underground wells and streams and sometimes they are more like
> rivers and lakes and oceans and rainstorms. But all are connected
> and working together in the long run as the nourishing veins of the
> planet and earth cultures as they learn how to work and live and
> thrive together creatively and sustainably.
>
> The dark side or involutionary efforts mentioned in the article
> highlighted by Jack are those that refuse to acknowledge and honor
> the reality and gifts of differentiation, diversity, complexity and
> communion and eventually (not necessarily without consequences)
> become dead ends or self-destruct. Human beings, in relationship
> to the entire Earth community, are making decisions that are part
> of both dimensions--the bubblings up and the dark side. They are
> life and death decisions. I'm trusting (Hope beyond hopes) that the
> bubblings up will prevail (oftentimes a messy, not without
> difficulty or struggle, process).
>
> Prayer, meditation, contemplation, (using these as secular/
> religious terms) etc. brings consciousness to the "center"/
> commonness/ connectedness/"Other World" that is BEING in/
> surrounding/under/all/ over all that is. The Bubblings Up are the
> fruit of this consciousness.
>
> Ellie Stock
> elliestock at aol.com
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jack Gilles <jackcgilles at gmail.com>
> To: George Holcombe <geowanda1 at me.com>; Frank Cookingham via
> Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>
> Cc: Ellie Stock <elliestock at aol.com>; Tracy Longacre via OE
> <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
> Sent: Mon, Sep 26, 2016 11:44 am
> Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Tree of Life Reflection
>
> Dear All,
>
> The ability to reconcile religion and science is dependent on the
> ability to recognize that all “things” relate to a common centre.
> The current scientific paradigm does not recognise a common inside
> with a common outside. Language itself is the basis of
> “separateness” and the Universal Centre is the Void (what we called
> the Other World) which is not in the domain of language. Instead,
> the main unifying dimension that most (certainly not all) scientist
> use for the Universe is “The Big Bang”, that states that all
> “things” had a common beginning in Space and Time. It is a theory
> that can never ever be confirmed in experience. So the Universal
> and the Particular must both be true beyond space and time. If you
> are willing to follow this path then here is a link that will give
> you the basis of understanding. http://www.cosmic-mindreach.com/
> Truth_Bias.html You will see he covers the Tree of Life.
>
> And if you want to dig much deeper into the understanding then here
> is a second link that expands on the first through the
> understanding of Quantum theory, light and much more. http://
> www.cosmic-mindreach.com/Unified_Theories.html
>
> That is why I feel work on the Other World was perhaps the greatest
> insight and research we ever did. Along with the NRM and Profound
> Humanness we did a pretty good job of what it means to live with
> integrity and in relationship with G.O.D.
>
> Grace & Peace,
>
> Jack
>
>
>
> On Sep 26, 2016, at 11:01, George Holcombe via Dialogue
> <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
>
> Thanks, Ellie, your posts are helpful. My struggle at the moment
> is how little I know of all the infusion of scientific discoveries
> from the underpinnings of DNA to the Dark Holes and planets beyond
> planets, and how disconnected religion, institutional, spiritual
> and otherwise is from the world I think I’m living in. Your
> readings, some of which I’ve read, are encouraging. It would seem
> to me that religion has always grown out of its experience with the
> world. Floods, earthquakes, star bursts have led to understandings
> of a god who creates, punishes, saves, guides, etc., and to
> understandings of how to relate to each other, as those perceptions
> of reality shifted religion has had to reinterpret its stories both
> of the world and its relationships to each other. My understanding
> is at the heart of all religion is the love of neighbor as the only
> sane course, with lots of qualifications from time to time to allow
> hatred, distrust and separation in certain circumstances. I
> believe religion, spiritual, institutional and otherwise all have a
> role to play in our conscious lives, but what is it now? In talking
> to the millennials I know, who have the time to talk with an old
> geezer, they do not appear to have much of a grasp of the past and
> less interest in formal religion, spiritual or otherwise. Their
> focus seems to be almost exclusively on the here and now,
> especially as viewed through their digital lens. Some call this
> secularization. What does this mean for us going forward?
>
> The horrible conditions of poverty and injustice in so many parts
> of the world from North Dakota to the poor even in the wealthiest
> nation in the world, along with climate change, gets such little
> play. Again our knowledge is minimal and our religious response
> fuzzy at best. The Pope has made some loud statements, but most
> religions remain somewhat muted. Large foundations like the Gates,
> Clinton’s, the work of the Carters catch the headlines, but by and
> large they have side stepped formal religion. The furious wars
> such as in Syria have produced minimal response from the religious
> dynamic. Is there a new religious dynamic afoot that we don’t see?
> (Remembering the RS-I illustration of the church working
> underground) And will it reconnect with our scientific search and
> the quest for justice, peace and love?
>
> I do see folks here and there trying to forge a new reality. An
> attorney I know who is a woman, who has given herself to working
> on behalf of the immigrant families imprisoned on our Texas border
> and working to change laws using science and reason, those in North
> Dakota, and so many here and there. Is this the new form of
> religion? Can you know any of this and sit on the sidelines? So
> much to explore.
>
> George Holcombe
> 14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
> Austin, TX 78728
> Mobile 512/252-2756
> geowanda1 at me.com
>
> "Whatever the problem, community is the answer. There is no power
> greater than a community discovering what it cares about."
> Margaret Wheatley
>
>
> On Sep 23, 2016, at 5:06 PM, Ellie Stock <elliestock at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> Hi George,
>
> Greetings from St. Louie! Hope you and Wanda are doing well.
>
> Following up on your listserve email and what I just sent re
> science/theology... this is just an addendum...
>
> Sunday, August 21, Carleton and I led Second Presbyterian Church's
> annual outdoor service (coordinated by our Earth Care Team) and
> picnic at a nearby park in the Turkish Pavilion which had 14 tables
> set up in a circle. The theme of the service was The Tree of
> Life. The tables were covered with green cloths with helium earth
> balloons attached. In the middle was a covered card table with an
> earth beach ball on it, flowers, the offering baskets, two toy red-
> eyed tree frogs, and 2 pots of sunflowers on the floor next to it.
> An Earth banner was at the designated "front" of the circle.
>
> During the service, instead of a sermon, I did a Scripture/Arts
> Reflection, using a painting done by a friend and colleague of
> ours--a physician and member of First PC, Ferguson and resident of
> Ferguson. A picture of the painting was on an easel in the front
> of the pavilion by the Earth Banner and was also printed on the
> bulletin cover.
>
> This is one way we try to weave together the science and theology
> themes at the local church level.. Last Sunday we studied PC
> (USA)'s "Affirmation of Creation". Over the years at the church
> from which we retired, I have done studies on evolution and
> Christianity and other "Big History/Picture" themes (not creationism).
>
> Attached are copies of the bulletin and the Scripture/Arts Reflection.
>
> Ellie Stock
> elliestock at aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> <21st Sunday in Ord Time 2016 - Aug. 21, 2016.docx><SCRIPTURE-ARTS,
> Second PC, Outdoor service, 8-21-16, LARGE PRINT.docx>
>
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