June 2013 - Dialogue - lists.wedgeblade.net

Georgianna McBurney
by Wilson Priscilla 14 Jun '13

14 Jun '13

Malibu cityhood advocate Georgianna McBurney passes away Memorial service is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday at Malibu City Hall. Story ShareShare Print Create a hardcopy of this page Font Size: Default font size Larger font size Courtesy of Jana McBurney-Lin Georgianna McBurney Posted: Thursday, June 13, 2013 12:00 pm | Updated: 1:39 pm, Thu Jun 13, 2013. Georgianna "Georgie" Edwards McBurney, a key leader in Malibu's efforts for cityhood, died peacefully in her home Tuesday, June 11, surrounded by friends, family, caregivers and her cat, Angel. She was 85. "Georgianna worked hard to make Malibu its own special enclave, by helping to gain cityhood in 1991, serving as a telecommunications commissioner, working to make the dream of Legacy Park a reality and doing whatever she could to protect and enhance the community," her family wrote. She is survived by her three children, Holly, Jana and John, son-in-law, Hui Hui, daughter-in-law, Elisabeth, four grandchildren, Shan, Jim, T. George and Tianna, and her cat Angel. A memorial service is scheduled at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, for Saturday, June 15 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Malibu Community Labor Exchange at 23595 Civic Center Way in Malibu. Flowers may be sent to Malibu City Hall 23825 Stuart Ranch Road. Alternatively, donations may be made to one of the charities Georgianna held close to her heart: Malibu Labor Exchange P.O. Box 2273 Malibu, CA 90265 or Accelerate 77 (a greening project in the 77 neighborhoods of Chicago she helped map), c/o ICA 4750 N. Sheridan Rd. Chicago, Illinois 60640. Priscilla H Wilson Prairie Village, KS Pris(a)TeamTechPress.com www.teamtechpress.com

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Re: [Dialogue] 6/13/13, Spong: The Birth of Jesus, Part XV. The Journey to Bethlehem
by ALICE M BAUMBACH 14 Jun '13

14 Jun '13

Ellie Stock <elliestock(a)aol.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Birth of Jesus, Part XV > The Journey to Bethlehem > The creators of the birth narratives, Matthew and Luke, used two motifs in interpreting the life of Jesus of Nazareth. First, each was historically aware that Jesus hailed from Galilee, indeed from the village of Nazareth. Too often the gospels report that there was debate about his origins for this not to be true. Galilee was the rustic, poor, non-cultural part of the Jewish nation. Nazareth was an insignificant town in a looked-down-upon region. Yet, they could never escape the fact that Jesus was called “Jesus of Nazareth” and referred to as a Galilean. The claim of Jesus’ disciples that he was the messiah was thus ridiculed because of these historical facts of his origin. “Search the scriptures,” his critics invited the crowds to do, “and nowhere will you find the suggestion that the messiah will come out of Galilee.” It was thought even more impossible for the messiah to grow up in Nazareth. “Nothing good can come out of Nazareth,” they declared. History is sometimes quite inconvenient when myth-making is going on. This was the first motif of the birth narratives. > The place of Jesus’ origins seems not to have been an issue for Paul. Mark, the first gospel writer, assumes that Jesus was born in Nazareth and that he grew up there. When his place of origin began to be a problem for those eager to assert the messianic claim, the pressure began to build to locate his place of birth in a more noble setting. That was when the second motif around his birth appeared and had to be served. > There were many messianic images in Jewish history, but a major and consistent one was that the messiah had to restore the throne of King David. In time this meant that the messiah himself had to have a claim to be a descendent and thus an heir to the royal line of King David. That throne had been lost to the Jews since 586 BCE. In that year the Babylonian conquerors had destroyed Judah in warfare. In that war’s aftermath the Babylonians rounded up and murdered all the heirs to the final Davidic king, a man named Zedekiah, and they imprisoned him after putting out his eyes. When Zedekiah finally died in prison, the royal throne of the House of David was thus thought to be vacant. That was when the idea of messiah began to grow both in Jewish thought and in Jewish mythology. Messiah was part of the national dream of restoration. The royal line of King David was an important symbol in all the hopes expressed for “the coming kingdom.” One aspect of that hope was that the messiah would reflect his Davidic roots by being born in Bethlehem, the city of David. This hope was read into a text in the prophet Micah that extolled the little town of Bethlehem as the birthplace of Judah’s kings. Slowly, this town with its royal connections and its location in the land of Judah about six miles from Jerusalem, began to rise in the messianic dreams. Messiah must be of the house of David and he must be born in Bethlehem. > Matthew was the first to make this claim, but it was easy for him. He assumed that both Mary and Joseph lived in a house in Bethlehem. For this baby to be born there seemed quite natural. Matthew’s problem was that he then had to find a way to deal with history and with the fact that this baby, though born in Bethlehem, would grow up in Nazareth of Galilee. > Luke, who accepts Mark’s frame of reference involving Jesus’ Galilean roots, had the opposite problem. How could it be arranged for a couple who lived in Galilee actually to be in Bethlehem when the child was born? Luke hit upon a scheme that probably has some semblance of history to it and he used it to tell his magnificent story that is familiar to most of us today. There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world was to be enrolled. Was this a census? Was it for the purpose of taxation? Periodically we learn from the Old Testament that the Jews wanted to count their citizens. There are historical hints of a census ordered within a decade after the death of King Herod or around 6 to 7 CE. The idea that an empire-wide census, however, was ever undertaken stretches credibility to the breaking point. There were no records, no birth certificates, no marriage certificates, no death certificates. Travel was hard and slow. Records were stored nowhere. Luke, however, needed to have a hook on which to create his story of the Bethlehem birth of a child whose parents were citizens of Nazareth. So he used the presumed census to account for the fact that Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem. > This enrollment, Luke said, occurred when Quirinius was governor of Syria. That was an interesting addition. Luke has already related that the births of John the Baptist and Jesus had occurred when “Herod was the King of Judea.” We know from secular records, however, that Herod died in the year 4 BCE. On the other hand, we know that Quirinius did not become governor of Syria until the winter in which the year 6 CE turned into the year 7 CE. So, if Jesus was born when Herod was king, he would have been ten to eleven years old when this enrollment was ordered. The presumed history behind this birth narrative begins to wobble perceptibly. > Next we learn that Joseph, because he was of the house and lineage of David, must, as a pre-requisite of this census, return to his ancestral home to be enrolled. This, Luke asserted, was the key that resulted in a Bethlehem birthplace for Jesus.. Does this mean that all the direct heirs of King David had to make the journey to Bethlehem? David, who according to the Bible had many wives and many concubines, reigned in Judah from the year 1000 to 960 BCE. If we count a generation at 20 years, a rather generous number in a world where life expectancy was only in the thirties, there would be about 48 generations between David and Jesus. If David had only 50 children, a rather small number for a king with a large harem, his direct descendants in 48 generations would be well over a billion people! Suppose it was a fact, as Luke asserts, that all of David’s direct heirs had to return to Bethlehem to be enrolled? It is no wonder there was no room at the inn! Historicity is shattered. > One final note, Luke tells us that Joseph had to take Mary with him for this enrollment. Why this was necessary is not stated. In that patriarchal era, women were not enrolled, counted or taxed. They were thought of as property, part of the male’s wealth upon which taxes were paid. If this baby is to be born in Bethlehem, however, Mary, Jesus’ mother, must be in Bethlehem. So Luke tells us that Joseph took her with him even though she “was great with child,” to use the beautiful language of King James’ English. “Great with child” surely means near to term so we can assume that she was in her last month of pregnancy. > How many of us have ever stopped to realize that Bethlehem was 94 miles from Nazareth? Do we embrace that the two options for transportation open to them in the first century were walking or riding on a donkey? Do we understand that this was a seven to ten day journey that would have to average nine to twelve miles a day? Are we aware that in this era there were no restaurants or hotels along the way? Now ask yourself, what man in his right mind would take his nine-months pregnant wife on a 94 mile journey on a donkey or actually walking, when the literal reason for taking her does not hold any credibility? It was a Roman Catholic lay theologian, Rosemary Ruether, who after reading this birth narrative in Luke, remarked that “only a man who had never had a baby could have written this story.” > Religious art portrays this journey to Bethlehem with Mary riding side saddle on a donkey led by a walking Joseph. That is little more than romantic imagination. In the text there is no donkey. That should not surprise us. In Matthew’s story of the Wise Men, there are no camels. In Luke’s story, there is no stable. There are no animals around the Christ Child in the stable because there is no stable. There is only a feeding trough, called a manger. That feeding trough could be out in the fields as easily as it could be inside a structure. Be aware that pageants and human imagination have created images for us that are in fact not biblical. > Luke’s story, however, has achieved its agenda. The Nazareth-based family has managed to be located physically in Bethlehem when the child is born. The messianic connection has been established. Mythology has been enhanced. > Luke does two more things that I have mentioned earlier in this series. I repeat them here, because we can see them now in context. He takes a text from the Wisdom of Solomon where the richest of all the Jewish kings says: “When I was born I was carefully swaddled, for there is no other way for a king to come to his people.” So Luke says that they wrapped the babe in swaddling cloths and this clue was given to the shepherds to help them find him. Second, he was placed into a manger, an image Luke borrowed from Isaiah 1. This one faithful Jew, unlike the history of his people in the time of Isaiah, would know from the moment of his birth who was his father and what largesse he received from the God he represented. There are many levels on which the stories of the birth of Jesus can be read. Literalism is not one of them. > So we will bring this study of the birth narratives to a conclusion next week. This is rich material, but it is not history and our analysis reveals that it was never understood by the authors of both Matthew and Luke to be history. It is a pity that the Gentiles who became both the majority and the dominant strain in the Christian Church after about 150 CE did not know the Jewish Scriptures well enough to understand what the original stories meant. Literalism is not only an expression of biblical ignorance, but it is a distortion of the gospel so dangerous as to be destructive of Christianity itself. > > ~John Shelby Spong > Read the essay online here. > > > > > > > > Question & Answer > Steve Dawson, from Milwaukee asks: > > Question: > The Episcopal Network for Science, Technology and Faith addresses food, climate change, biodiversity and water as important subjects for discussion, but "where's the beef?" Population explosions at the root of most of the problems humanity faces today. Is that topic too sensitive for thinking religious leaders to discuss publicly or are shrinking markets too horrendous to contemplate? > > Answer: > Dear Steve, > Just let me say first that it was a pleasure to meet and talk with you when I was recently in Milwaukee. > The question of population explosion is the central and critical issue that must be faced in any discussion of world hunger, genetically-mutated food supplies, climate change, biodiversity and water purity. To address population control, one must consider the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church as well as those leaders of business, who base all of their planning on the idea of ever-expanding markets and ever-growing bottom lines. That is a formidable set of foes. The objections of the Roman Catholic Church will be the easiest to overcome as most Roman Catholics, at least in the developed world, have long ago ceased to pay much attention to the pronouncements of their church on either birth control or abortion. > The profit motive and the need for expanding markets to keep the economy of the world functioning will be more difficult. It is the affected business enterprises that today fund most of the negativity toward environmental concerns and spread the incredibly false claim that global warming is merely a matter of the earth wobbling on its axis, which, they assert, is a regular and periodic deviation in the history of the earth’s climate and that it is not caused by the human use of fossil fuels over the last 150 years. All of the arguments that this point of view presents are dismissed as nonsense by the scientific world. That fact, however, does not stop corporations from hiring pseudo-scientists to muddy the waters with their pseudo-scientific propaganda. > The way the world economy works, the cost of polluting the universe will have to become more expensive than the cost of ending that polluting process. That day seems to be drawing near with a rapid rise in bizarre weather patterns that produce droughts, floods, tornadoes and killer hurricanes. When coastal America is under water, when the subways of New York City are flooded, when drought greatly reduces the corn crop or the wheat crop in America’s heartland and causes the price of food to go up around the world, perhaps the political will to address population explosion will be present. > How it is addressed will then be the issue. I am not sure the world could or should follow the Chinese model. I think we accomplish the task of population control, first, by educating women so that they can make better choices for the quality of their lives. Statistics reveal a high correlation between the educational level a woman receives and the number of babies she produces. Second, through the tax structures of the various nations, we ought to begin to offer financial incentives for fewer children. For example, we need to enact a law that prohibits tax deductions for offspring after two children or that provides more financial aid for the first two children of each family to get higher education and no assistance for children after number two. When all of the children after the second one become very expensive to raise and educate, then the population growth rate will begin to come down. When it becomes stable and sustainable, the economic engines of the human enterprise ought to be dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life for all. > There was a time when family planning and birth control were considered sinful. I think we have reached the time in history where the lack of family planning and the unwillingness to use birth control must be deemed to be both sinful and irresponsible. > > ~John Shelby Spong > > > ***IMPORTANT NOTE: The book by Helnut Thielicke, referenced in last week's q and a section, is not entitled Parables as I suggested, but is entitled The Waiting Father. Thanks to a number of my readers for pointing this out. ~JSS > > > > > > > > Announcements > > The Latest Book from John Shelby Spong Is Now Available! > > > > Order The Fourth Gospel: > Tales of a Jewish Mystic Today! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic, John Shelby Spong argues that this last gospel was misinterpreted by the framers of the fourth-century creeds to be a literal account of the life of Jesus. Rescuing John’s Gospel from its creedal captivity, the author provides a unique primer about how to be a Christian in the post-Christian twenty-first century. > > The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic was designed first to place Jesus into the context of the Jewish scriptures, then to place him into the worship patterns of the synagogue and finally to allow him to be viewed through the lens of a popular form of first-century Jewish mysticism. > > > The result of this intriguing study is not only to recapture the original message of this gospel, but also to provide us today with a radical new dimension to the claim that in the humanity of Jesus the reality of God has been met and engaged. > > > > > Click here to read the: Preface of The Fourth Gospel- by Bishop Spong > > “Bishop Spong’s in-depth struggles with and work on the Gospel of John have resulted in a book that challenges dominant assumptions and interpretations. This book will help anyone who cares to think about faith in open, dynamic, hospitable, and inclusive ways.” > > — Tat-siong Benny Liew, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean; Professor of New Testament Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA > > “Leave it to Bishop Spong to uncover a message of universal hope that is deeply rooted in Jewish mysticism. Spong’s synthesis of Johannine scholarship will lead both clergy and lay readers to a new appreciation of the surprising origins and message of the Fourth Gospel.” > > — David Felten & Jeff Procter-Murphy, authors of Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity > > “Spong invites readers on a stimulating and challenging journey to read the gospel of John afresh and to consider Christianity from a new perspective. This is a must read for every Christian who has tried to make sense of this gospel.” > > — Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, Dean and Professor of Hebrew Bible, The Theological School, Drew University > > “Spong is always readable and informative, but this book reads like a cross between a detective story and an adventure saga that is founded on excellent scholarship. I could not put it down.” > > — Fred C. Plumer, President of ProgressiveChristianity.Org (read this whole review here) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)johnshelbyspong.com or 503-236-3545. > > > > > > > Copyright © 2013 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. > You are receiving this email because you have a membership at our website. > Our mailing address is: >ProgressiveChristianity.org >3530 SE Hawthorne Blvd. >Unit 1 >Portland, OR 97214 > >Add us to your address book > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Dialogue mailing list >Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net >http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net

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6/13/13, Spong: The Birth of Jesus, Part XV. The Journey to Bethlehem
by Ellie Stock 13 Jun '13

13 Jun '13

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR The Birth of Jesus, Part XV The Journey to Bethlehem The creators of the birth narratives, Matthew and Luke, used two motifs in interpreting the life of Jesus of Nazareth. First, each was historically aware that Jesus hailed from Galilee, indeed from the village of Nazareth. Too often the gospels report that there was debate about his origins for this not to be true. Galilee was the rustic, poor, non-cultural part of the Jewish nation. Nazareth was an insignificant town in a looked-down-upon region. Yet, they could never escape the fact that Jesus was called “Jesus of Nazareth” and referred to as a Galilean. The claim of Jesus’ disciples that he was the messiah was thus ridiculed because of these historical facts of his origin. “Search the scriptures,” his critics invited the crowds to do, “and nowhere will you find the suggestion that the messiah will come out of Galilee.” It was thought even more impossible for the messiah to grow up in Nazareth. “Nothing good can come out of Nazareth,” they declared. History is sometimes quite inconvenient when myth-making is going on. This was the first motif of the birth narratives. The place of Jesus’ origins seems not to have been an issue for Paul. Mark, the first gospel writer, assumes that Jesus was born in Nazareth and that he grew up there. When his place of origin began to be a problem for those eager to assert the messianic claim, the pressure began to build to locate his place of birth in a more noble setting. That was when the second motif around his birth appeared and had to be served. There were many messianic images in Jewish history, but a major and consistent one was that the messiah had to restore the throne of King David. In time this meant that the messiah himself had to have a claim to be a descendent and thus an heir to the royal line of King David. That throne had been lost to the Jews since 586 BCE. In that year the Babylonian conquerors had destroyed Judah in warfare. In that war’s aftermath the Babylonians rounded up and murdered all the heirs to the final Davidic king, a man named Zedekiah, and they imprisoned him after putting out his eyes. When Zedekiah finally died in prison, the royal throne of the House of David was thus thought to be vacant. That was when the idea of messiah began to grow both in Jewish thought and in Jewish mythology. Messiah was part of the national dream of restoration. The royal line of King David was an important symbol in all the hopes expressed for “the coming kingdom.” One aspect of that hope was that the messiah would reflect his Davidic roots by being born in Bethlehem, the city of David. This hope was read into a text in the prophet Micah that extolled the little town of Bethlehem as the birthplace of Judah’s kings. Slowly, this town with its royal connections and its location in the land of Judah about six miles from Jerusalem, began to rise in the messianic dreams. Messiah must be of the house of David and he must be born in Bethlehem. Matthew was the first to make this claim, but it was easy for him. He assumed that both Mary and Joseph lived in a house in Bethlehem. For this baby to be born there seemed quite natural. Matthew’s problem was that he then had to find a way to deal with history and with the fact that this baby, though born in Bethlehem, would grow up in Nazareth of Galilee. Luke, who accepts Mark’s frame of reference involving Jesus’ Galilean roots, had the opposite problem. How could it be arranged for a couple who lived in Galilee actually to be in Bethlehem when the child was born? Luke hit upon a scheme that probably has some semblance of history to it and he used it to tell his magnificent story that is familiar to most of us today. There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world was to be enrolled. Was this a census? Was it for the purpose of taxation? Periodically we learn from the Old Testament that the Jews wanted to count their citizens. There are historical hints of a census ordered within a decade after the death of King Herod or around 6 to 7 CE. The idea that an empire-wide census, however, was ever undertaken stretches credibility to the breaking point. There were no records, no birth certificates, no marriage certificates, no death certificates. Travel was hard and slow. Records were stored nowhere. Luke, however, needed to have a hook on which to create his story of the Bethlehem birth of a child whose parents were citizens of Nazareth. So he used the presumed census to account for the fact that Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem. This enrollment, Luke said, occurred when Quirinius was governor of Syria. That was an interesting addition. Luke has already related that the births of John the Baptist and Jesus had occurred when “Herod was the King of Judea.” We know from secular records, however, that Herod died in the year 4 BCE. On the other hand, we know that Quirinius did not become governor of Syria until the winter in which the year 6 CE turned into the year 7 CE. So, if Jesus was born when Herod was king, he would have been ten to eleven years old when this enrollment was ordered. The presumed history behind this birth narrative begins to wobble perceptibly. Next we learn that Joseph, because he was of the house and lineage of David, must, as a pre-requisite of this census, return to his ancestral home to be enrolled. This, Luke asserted, was the key that resulted in a Bethlehem birthplace for Jesus.. Does this mean that all the direct heirs of King David had to make the journey to Bethlehem? David, who according to the Bible had many wives and many concubines, reigned in Judah from the year 1000 to 960 BCE. If we count a generation at 20 years, a rather generous number in a world where life expectancy was only in the thirties, there would be about 48 generations between David and Jesus. If David had only 50 children, a rather small number for a king with a large harem, his direct descendants in 48 generations would be well over a billion people! Suppose it was a fact, as Luke asserts, that all of David’s direct heirs had to return to Bethlehem to be enrolled? It is no wonder there was no room at the inn! Historicity is shattered. One final note, Luke tells us that Joseph had to take Mary with him for this enrollment. Why this was necessary is not stated. In that patriarchal era, women were not enrolled, counted or taxed. They were thought of as property, part of the male’s wealth upon which taxes were paid. If this baby is to be born in Bethlehem, however, Mary, Jesus’ mother, must be in Bethlehem. So Luke tells us that Joseph took her with him even though she “was great with child,” to use the beautiful language of King James’ English. “Great with child” surely means near to term so we can assume that she was in her last month of pregnancy. How many of us have ever stopped to realize that Bethlehem was 94 miles from Nazareth? Do we embrace that the two options for transportation open to them in the first century were walking or riding on a donkey? Do we understand that this was a seven to ten day journey that would have to average nine to twelve miles a day? Are we aware that in this era there were no restaurants or hotels along the way? Now ask yourself, what man in his right mind would take his nine-months pregnant wife on a 94 mile journey on a donkey or actually walking, when the literal reason for taking her does not hold any credibility? It was a Roman Catholic lay theologian, Rosemary Ruether, who after reading this birth narrative in Luke, remarked that “only a man who had never had a baby could have written this story.” Religious art portrays this journey to Bethlehem with Mary riding side saddle on a donkey led by a walking Joseph. That is little more than romantic imagination. In the text there is no donkey. That should not surprise us. In Matthew’s story of the Wise Men, there are no camels. In Luke’s story, there is no stable. There are no animals around the Christ Child in the stable because there is no stable. There is only a feeding trough, called a manger. That feeding trough could be out in the fields as easily as it could be inside a structure. Be aware that pageants and human imagination have created images for us that are in fact not biblical. Luke’s story, however, has achieved its agenda. The Nazareth-based family has managed to be located physically in Bethlehem when the child is born. The messianic connection has been established. Mythology has been enhanced. Luke does two more things that I have mentioned earlier in this series. I repeat them here, because we can see them now in context. He takes a text from the Wisdom of Solomon where the richest of all the Jewish kings says: “When I was born I was carefully swaddled, for there is no other way for a king to come to his people.” So Luke says that they wrapped the babe in swaddling cloths and this clue was given to the shepherds to help them find him. Second, he was placed into a manger, an image Luke borrowed from Isaiah 1. This one faithful Jew, unlike the history of his people in the time of Isaiah, would know from the moment of his birth who was his father and what largesse he received from the God he represented. There are many levels on which the stories of the birth of Jesus can be read. Literalism is not one of them. So we will bring this study of the birth narratives to a conclusion next week. This is rich material, but it is not history and our analysis reveals that it was never understood by the authors of both Matthew and Luke to be history. It is a pity that the Gentiles who became both the majority and the dominant strain in the Christian Church after about 150 CE did not know the Jewish Scriptures well enough to understand what the original stories meant. Literalism is not only an expression of biblical ignorance, but it is a distortion of the gospel so dangerous as to be destructive of Christianity itself. ~John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. Question & Answer Steve Dawson, from Milwaukee asks: Question: The Episcopal Network for Science, Technology and Faith addresses food, climate change, biodiversity and water as important subjects for discussion, but "where's the beef?" Population explosions at the root of most of the problems humanity faces today. Is that topic too sensitive for thinking religious leaders to discuss publicly or are shrinking markets too horrendous to contemplate? Answer: Dear Steve, Just let me say first that it was a pleasure to meet and talk with you when I was recently in Milwaukee. The question of population explosion is the central and critical issue that must be faced in any discussion of world hunger, genetically-mutated food supplies, climate change, biodiversity and water purity. To address population control, one must consider the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church as well as those leaders of business, who base all of their planning on the idea of ever-expanding markets and ever-growing bottom lines. That is a formidable set of foes. The objections of the Roman Catholic Church will be the easiest to overcome as most Roman Catholics, at least in the developed world, have long ago ceased to pay much attention to the pronouncements of their church on either birth control or abortion. The profit motive and the need for expanding markets to keep the economy of the world functioning will be more difficult. It is the affected business enterprises that today fund most of the negativity toward environmental concerns and spread the incredibly false claim that global warming is merely a matter of the earth wobbling on its axis, which, they assert, is a regular and periodic deviation in the history of the earth’s climate and that it is not caused by the human use of fossil fuels over the last 150 years. All of the arguments that this point of view presents are dismissed as nonsense by the scientific world. That fact, however, does not stop corporations from hiring pseudo-scientists to muddy the waters with their pseudo-scientific propaganda. The way the world economy works, the cost of polluting the universe will have to become more expensive than the cost of ending that polluting process. That day seems to be drawing near with a rapid rise in bizarre weather patterns that produce droughts, floods, tornadoes and killer hurricanes. When coastal America is under water, when the subways of New York City are flooded, when drought greatly reduces the corn crop or the wheat crop in America’s heartland and causes the price of food to go up around the world, perhaps the political will to address population explosion will be present. How it is addressed will then be the issue. I am not sure the world could or should follow the Chinese model. I think we accomplish the task of population control, first, by educating women so that they can make better choices for the quality of their lives. Statistics reveal a high correlation between the educational level a woman receives and the number of babies she produces. Second, through the tax structures of the various nations, we ought to begin to offer financial incentives for fewer children. For example, we need to enact a law that prohibits tax deductions for offspring after two children or that provides more financial aid for the first two children of each family to get higher education and no assistance for children after number two. When all of the children after the second one become very expensive to raise and educate, then the population growth rate will begin to come down. When it becomes stable and sustainable, the economic engines of the human enterprise ought to be dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life for all. There was a time when family planning and birth control were considered sinful. I think we have reached the time in history where the lack of family planning and the unwillingness to use birth control must be deemed to be both sinful and irresponsible. ~John Shelby Spong ***IMPORTANT NOTE: The book by Helnut Thielicke, referenced in last week's q and a section, is not entitled Parables as I suggested, but is entitled The Waiting Father. Thanks to a number of my readers for pointing this out. ~JSS Announcements The Latest Book from John Shelby Spong Is Now Available! Order The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic Today! In The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic, John Shelby Spong argues that this last gospel was misinterpreted by the framers of the fourth-century creeds to be a literal account of the life of Jesus. Rescuing John’s Gospel from its creedal captivity, the author provides a unique primer about how to be a Christian in the post-Christian twenty-first century. The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic was designed first to place Jesus into the context of the Jewish scriptures, then to place him into the worship patterns of the synagogue and finally to allow him to be viewed through the lens of a popular form of first-century Jewish mysticism. The result of this intriguing study is not only to recapture the original message of this gospel, but also to provide us today with a radical new dimension to the claim that in the humanity of Jesus the reality of God has been met and engaged. Click here to read the: Preface of The Fourth Gospel- by Bishop Spong “Bishop Spong’s in-depth struggles with and work on the Gospel of John have resulted in a book that challenges dominant assumptions and interpretations. This book will help anyone who cares to think about faith in open, dynamic, hospitable, and inclusive ways.” — Tat-siong Benny Liew, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean; Professor of New Testament Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA “Leave it to Bishop Spong to uncover a message of universal hope that is deeply rooted in Jewish mysticism. Spong’s synthesis of Johannine scholarship will lead both clergy and lay readers to a new appreciation of the surprising origins and message of the Fourth Gospel.” — David Felten & Jeff Procter-Murphy, authors of Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity “Spong invites readers on a stimulating and challenging journey to read the gospel of John afresh and to consider Christianity from a new perspective. This is a must read for every Christian who has tried to make sense of this gospel.” — Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, Dean and Professor of Hebrew Bible, The Theological School, Drew University “Spong is always readable and informative, but this book reads like a cross between a detective story and an adventure saga that is founded on excellent scholarship. I could not put it down.” — Fred C. Plumer, President of ProgressiveChristianity.Org (read this whole review here) Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)johnshelbyspong.com or 503-236-3545. Copyright © 2013 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have a membership at our website. Our mailing address is: ProgressiveChristianity.org 3530 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Unit 1 Portland, OR 97214 Add us to your address book

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Three Angels Gave Their Gift to History
by Wanda Holcombe 12 Jun '13

12 Jun '13

Peter, Tony & Georgianna....you are my 3 strange angels & will forever be part of my life: DH Lawrence's poem kept going over & over in my brooding over the greatness of the these 3 that were part of my life in so many ways & will forever be part of my history as well.... Not I, not I, but the wind that blows through me! A fine wind is blowing the new direction of Time. If only I let it bear me, carry me, if only it carry me! If only I am sensitive, subtle, oh, delicate, a winged gift! If only, most lovely of all, I yield myself and am borrowed By the fine, fine, wind that takes its course through the chaos of the world Like a fine, an exquisite chisel, a wedge-blade inserted; If only I am keen and hard like the sheer tip of a wedge Driven by invisible blows, The rock will split, we shall come at the wonder, we shall find the Hesperides. Oh, for the wonder that bubbles into my soul, I would be a good fountain, a good well-head, Would blur no whisper, spoil no expression. What is the knocking? What is the knocking at the door in the night? It is somebody wants to do us harm. No, no, it is the three strange angels. Admit them, admit them. ....dh Lawrence

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Special birthday present for Marge Philbrook
by Terry Bergdall 12 Jun '13

12 Jun '13

Marge's 85th birthday party was held today at 4750 with many people in attendance. A donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent a contribution to ICA-USA for $8,500 (eight thousand five hundred dollars) with some specific instructions. To celebrate her eighty-fifth year, Marge is to designate portions of this $8,500 contribution, in amounts as she sees fit, to the seven major current program areas at ICA-USA. These are: - GreenRise Uptown for creating a green culture within the largest nonprofit service center in the Midwest; - Resilient Communities via the “Accelerate 77” program in Chicago neighborhoods; - Service Learning for leadership development with university students; - Learning Basket for early childhood education and family literacy; - International Initiatives in support of “peer-to-peer” work with other national ICAs; - Global Archives for preserving and passing-on ICA wisdom to future generations; - Technology of Participation (ToP). For the many of you who shared stories about Marge, I thought you would enjoy hearing about this special birthday present. Terry Bergdall

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The Completed Life and Death of Antonio "Tony" Perry Elizondo
by Ellie Stock 11 Jun '13

11 Jun '13

Jon, We give thanks for your father and colleague Antonio and remember you and your family in prayer. Carleton and Ellie Stock On Sat, Jun 8, 2013 at 2:35 AM, jonzondo(a)juno.com <jonzondo(a)juno.com> wrote: Dear Community, Debra and I would like to share the announcement that our father, Antonio Perry Elizondo passed over earlier this morning. Zorba and all other spirits of power, passion and dance are surely singing and preparing for his arrival in that Spirited next place. More details will follow as we move with and into this process. There will be a memorial service in The Woodlands, TX (north side of Houston). It is completed in Beauty, Amen. Jon Mark Elizondo ____________________________________________________________ Fast, Secure, NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband. Try it. http://www.netzero.net/?refcd=NZINTISP0512T4GOUT2 _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net -- __________________________________________________ Herman F. Greene 2516 Winningham Road Chapel Hill, NC 27516 919-942-4358 (ph & fax) hfgreenenc(a)gmail.com _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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Re: [Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Special birthday present for Marge Philbrook
by beretgriffith＠charter.net 10 Jun '13

10 Jun '13

How exciting to hear about the generous contribution in honor of Marge's 85th birthday. Marge will be a great steward of the gift. Beret Griffith On Sun, Jun 9, 2013 at 9:14 PM, Terry Bergdall wrote: Marge's 85th birthday party was held today at 4750 with many people in attendance. A donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent a contribution to ICA-USA for $8,500 (eight thousand five hundred dollars) with some specific instructions. To celebrate her eighty-fifth year, Marge is to designate portions of this $8,500 contribution, in amounts as she sees fit, to the seven major current program areas at ICA-USA. These are: - GreenRise Uptown for creating a green culture within the largest nonprofit service center in the Midwest; - Resilient Communities via the “Accelerate 77” program in Chicago neighborhoods; - Service Learning for leadership development with university students; - Learning Basket for early childhood education and family literacy; - International Initiatives in support of “peer-to-peer” work with other national ICAs; - Global Archives for preserving and passing-on ICA wisdom to future generations; - Technology of Participation (ToP).

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Details for Memorial Service for Barbara Alerding
by Terry Bergdall 10 Jun '13

10 Jun '13

>From Pat Alerding Horgan (Bill Alerding's sister): The memorial service for Barbara is being held on Friday, June 14 at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel at Robin Run Village, 5354 West 62nd Street, Indianapolis, In. 46268. We hope to have a small memorial mass here in Connecticut for family and friends in late August. We have not made those arrangements yet. Thank you for your help in letting ICA friends know.

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To Earth's (Our/My) Sisters
by Ellie Stock 09 Jun '13

09 Jun '13

For Marge's 85th, for Georgianna, for Barbara, for all our Sisters on the Journey--past, present, future... SISTERS To Earth's (Our/My) Sisters-- Who~ bravely dance their daily paces, shine extraordinary light on ordinary places, where others faint or fear to tread, where laughter is born and tears are shed. Who~ steadfast, courageously with bolding care encourage unheard voices to dare, to share-- whose own struggling and vulnerability forge the way for new beginnings and brighter days; Who~ spirited, passionate, seized by wonder endure times and worlds so torn asunder-- Daughters of the Universe, Mothers of Earth, Midwives of Vision contracting to birth; Who~Friend of the forgotten, Madonna of the Trail league so the beleaguered cannot fail-- builder of community, hub of life, Heart of compassion, mind of delight; Who~creative, innovative, for justice, for peace, no shrinking violet: advocate for the least-- doormat for none, servant to All, risking, responding to Mystery's Call; Who~teacher, mentor, pioneer and guide to children who trust and adults who confide-- focus and frame Reality's Face, girded with humor, gratitude and grace; Who~strong in weakness, discerning need, choose to embrace the necessary deed-- unknowing, uncertain where that path leads, release gifts of healing, hope and possibility; Who~relentless, persistent, not seeking fame, through weariness or suffering, not desiring fortune's claim, charm and disarm obstacles' wedge, chiseling, expanding evolutionary edge. Child of sisters past, Grandmother of sisters to come, Link incredible sacrifice, bequeath unconditional love-- Wisdom of the stewing Cosmos, gentleness of the cooing dove, Incarnation, protector, celebrant of Creation's Covenant. To Earth's Sisters (Our/My) Sisters, Exemplars of Mystery, Creation celebrates You as you BE with BEING itself in history. Namaste Ho Carleton and Ellie Stock

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Completed life of Barbara Alerding
by Terry Bergdall 08 Jun '13

08 Jun '13

Friends of Barbara Alerding: We join with you all in celebrating the completed life of Barbara Alerding, June 6, 2013. Please take note of the memo below and get the word around to those you know will want to know. Terry, please send this note to the ICA list serve. John Gibson ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Patricia and Denis Horgan <thehorgans(a)comcast.net> To: "Gibson, R. John" <jgibson99(a)sbcglobal.net> Sent: Friday, June 7, 2013 8:12 AM Subject: Barbara Alerding--sad news Dear John: I wanted to let you know that Barbara died peacefully yesterday June 6 around noontime. Denis and I were there for five days and left on Tuesday to return to Connecticut, knowing we would need to return in a few weeks. While there we could see that Barbara had lost weight and had become much weaker. We arranged for hospice services to be provided to supplement the care she was already receiving. Yesterday morning she dressed and went to breakfast, but she ate almost nothing and went back to her room to lie down. When her nurse Bob went to wake her for lunch, around 12:15 p.m., he found no pulse. He used his stethoscope and could hear a faint heartbeat, then after a minute or so, he heard nothing. We are grateful that Barbara died peacefully and without pain. She is safely home. Denis and I will return to Indiana late on June 12. Pastor Sam Johnson, the chaplain at Robin Run who Barbara loved so much, will lead a memorial service in the chapel at Robin Run on June 14 at 2:00 p.m. Barbara donated her body to Indiana University Medical School as Bill had done. We will have another memorial service in Connecticut for the family here in a few weeks. We had a good visit with Barbara when we were there. We went out for walks once or twice each day. She was happy to be out in the good weather and to see the trees, flowers and birds. Twice we sat in that nearby gazebo and just sang songs. Would you let Margaret Taylor know - I don't have her address or email. Also, I'm not sure how to contact the ICA list serve to let them know. I sent an email to Joaquina Rodriguez this morning. I have yet another request. If you feel up to it and if it is convenient, would you consider giving a short eulogy at the memorial service on June 14? I will call you this afternoon or tomorrow to discuss that. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughtfulness and for all of your kind visits to Barbara. Take care -- Pat Alerding Horgan Tel: 860-561-3899 Cell: 860-874-2653

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