[Oe List ...] Death of Gordon Cosby

[Marilyn Crocker]

Margaret, John, Lynda and Forrest, thank you for initiating this
thanksgiving for a completed life, and that particular life's ramifications
well beyond what the deceased might have envisioned.

 

May we all be such a pebble in the pool that sends out rings of possibility
to others.

 

Grace, peace and gratitude,

 

Marilyn

 

Marilyn R. Crocker, Ed.D

123 Sanborn Rd

West Newfield, ME 04095

 

From: oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net
[mailto:oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Margaret Aiseayew
Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2013 5:37 PM
To: 'Order Ecumenical Community'
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Death of Gordon Cosby

 

I think one of the big differences made by your choice is the community in
which we all participate.  I lived just two blocks down the street from the
Church of the Savior when I worked in D.C..  Stopping in there was a breath
of fresh air that kept many of us going in the churches where we were
working as Shepherds of the Streets.  It seems a bit absurd looking back,
but when I got back to Iowa, no one in my congregation would believe me that
the babies of heroin addicts were born addicted.  I went to the one doctor
in our congregation after my presentation and said something like, "Why
didn't you say something?  You know I was telling the truth!"  He shrugged
his shoulders and said that there was no point because no one would have
believed him either.  Needless to say, I finished college and came to the
Institute where I was hoping to meet a modicum of consciousness.  A part of
the strength of our community comes from the fact that where that modicum of
consciousness was absent, we most often had ourselves in situations that
demanded it anyway.  When our second generation talks about those who grew
up in the Order, I am always wanting to raise my hand.  Even though I chose
to be there, it was not an easy path to take to growing up.  Considering the
other options in society, it wasn't an unreasonable choice.  I often feels
like we need to start again with the earth rather than the church and those
who care about water, air, soil and sustainability might flock through the
doors.

 

From: oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net
[mailto:oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Lynda Cock
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 7:21 PM
To: 'Order Ecumenical Community'; 'Colleague Dialogue'
Subject: [Oe List ...] Death of Gordon Cosby

 

Forrest Craver sent the message below about Gordon Cosby's death.

 

During our time in the WDC House and during the Local Church Experiment, the
Cocks, Cravers, and others were pleased to have Rev. Gordon Cosby,
co-founder of the Church of the Savior in WDC, speak and be part of our
House Church. 

 

This was especially significant for us because Gordon and Mary Cosby had
been the influential and challenging leadership of a college CSM (Christian
Student Movement) retreat that we attended back in 1960. After seminary and
in an early parish, we studied the books written about the Church of the
Savior, as well as the article in Time magazine about the Ecumenical
Institute. We were in Virginia at another congregation when Bill Newkirk and
Carl Ennis visited, urging us to recruit a PLC and then an RS-I. 

 

So we were torn between Church of Savior and EI. EI provided a place to
live. Trusting the mystery and George Holcombe, Jim Addington (PLC), Marilyn
Miller, and Phil Townley (RS-I for our parishioners), we made our big
journey to the West Side in a blizzard during March 1969 ... 44 years ago
this month. The rest is history. 

 

Journey on, Gordon (and Joseph), with deep gratitude for your combined
history-changing work. 

 

Lynda Cock (and John) 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Forrest Craver [mailto:forrestecraver at gmail.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 11:34 AM

To: JPC/LLC

Subject: Please post this list servs

 

Our colleague Rev. Gordon Cosby, a 4th generation Baptist minister ,died
yesterday. A four decade colleague of JWM, every summer Gordon and JWM would
meet at Kirkridge with Oliver Nelson to plot church renewal strategies.
Gordon's obit will appear in today or tomorrow's Washington Post. His
memorial service will be held at Foundry UMC in DC.

 

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