November 2016 - Dialogue - lists.wedgeblade.net

Fwd: ATTENTION: Recording of Standing Rock Conference Call; Day of Prayer with Standing Rock
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 03 Nov '16

03 Nov '16

Dear Friends-- to those who participated in Wednesday's 11/2/16 Joining Hands Resource Extraction and Climate/Environment Issues Conference Call on the Standing Rock Water Protectors and the Dakota Access Pipeline and to those who will listen to it via the recording, Thank you for your concern and participation and your support of the growing WATER IS LIFE! Movement Below are: 1) the link to the recording of the call. The recording is quite large so people will not be able to play automatically and will have to download. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwA4qiyREovDM2MyTDBueFNhb2c 2) A prayer by a Dine woman that is being prayed by many on this Day of Prayer with Standing Rock. 3) Information about Standing Rock Best updates are via the Indians Today Media website and facebook and twitter. The Standing Rock website also has additional info. If someone forwarded you information about the call but you would like to be on the call email list for follow-up and notification of future calls, please email me. Also, please feel free to forward this recording to others who might be interested. Again, thanks for gathering around the "Table". Ellie Stock, Convener Joining Hands Resource Extraction and Climate/Environment Issues Table elliestock(a)aol.com Hi Elinor, Today, nearly 500 faith leaders are gathering at Standing Rock for a day of prayer. Wherever you are, you are invited to join them. You are also invited to pray for Standing Rock with your faith community in the coming weeks. Download Christian community prayer resources. See Christian faith statements, calls to action, and news clips. Here is a prayer offered by Lyla June Johnston, a Diné poet who has been active at Standing Rock: We pray for our family at Standing Rock. We pray for Our Sister Water who is our life. We pray for the healing and safety of the Water Protectors. We pray for all those gathered at the Standing Rock camp. We pray for those who are suffering from the trauma Unleashed by the violence that occurred on 27 October. We pray for traditional communities that have borne The brunt of generations of violence, even at times, Turning that violence on themselves and each other. We pray for healing for the police; For the healing for the pipeline workers; For the bankers who fund the pipeline. We pray for the people who are so disconnected from their mother that they continue to injure her. We pray for those who are on the Forgiveness Walk on Sunday to the police station in Mandan, SD. We pray for healing for the hatred that was Generated on 27 October. We acknowledge the sins of our ancestors, the horrific acts perpetrated on our brothers and sisters as a result of the Doctrine of Discovery. We ask for forgiveness and healing from our sisters and brothers. We pray for unity and oneness for all creation. Without this healing we can’t think clearly, we can’t act rightly, and we can’t serve our Mother in the fullest manner. Amen. Please share this call to prayer on Facebook. Also, if you didn't see the action alert we went on Tuesday, please scroll down to take a look, and consider joining the Creation Justice community in urging President Obama to stop police militarization at Standing Rock. Grace and Peace, Shantha Ready Alonso Executive Director, Creation Justice Ministries P.S. There is great need for more organizing capacity at this amazing movement moment. Please chip in to support Christian communities' solidarity organizing! www.creationjustice.org/donate *************************ACTION ALERT************************* As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors and care for God's creation. For many months, the water protectors at Standing Rock in North Dakota have stood in peaceful opposition to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This pipeline would carry oil from North Dakota to Illinois, crossing lands and rivers that provide water to millions. The advocates at Standing Rock have resolutely declared that they are not protestors but protectors and defenders acting out of a sacred commitment to protecting all life. They say, “water is life.” Yet, they face violence. They have stood as peacemakers while government authorities and hate-filled hecklers deride them as criminals, rioters, and terrorists. Recent reports tell the story of children, women, and men gathering in prayer and song, only to suffer at the hands of those wielding batons and pointing rifles. We have witnessed an escalating, militarized response to their acts of nonviolence. Advocates have been arrested, strip-searched, and humiliated. This week, more than 400 faith leaders, including members of the Creation Justice community, will travel to North Dakota to stand with the Standing Rock Sioux as they protect our water. Together on Thursday, we are all invited to pray in solidarity with them. But right now, we must act for everyone's safety --- by calling off the militarized response. These offenses are part of a larger story of ongoing racial injustice. In a letter to the Attorney General, Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II reminds us that, “This country has a long and sad history of using military force against indigenous people–including the Sioux Nation.” That history is linked to the Doctrine of Discovery, a theme Creation Justice Ministries will further explore throughout next year. Now is the time for action. Stand in solidarity with Chairman Archambault and the water protectors in prayer and action. Call on our leaders to end the militarized response at Standing Rock. Connect with Us Creation Justice Ministries 110 Maryland Ave NE #203 Washington, DC 20002 (202) 827-3975 info(a)creationjustice.org www.creationjustice.org UNSUBSCRIBE Oct 27, militarized law enforcement agencies moved in with tanks and riot gear on water protectors who stand in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline—a massive pipeline project that would cut through four states, impact the water to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and violate sacred sites and ancient grounds. While native elders prayed in peace, they were attacked with pepper spray, rubber bullets, as well as sound and concussion cannons. By the end of the day, more than 140 people were arrested.1 Please, add your name and demand that President Obama reject this pipeline once and for all. My name is David Archambault II, and I'm the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which has long opposed the Dakota Access Pipeline project. This proposed pipeline presents a threat to our lands, our sacred sites, and our water. Current and future generations depend on our rivers and aquifer to live. Will you stand in solidarity and urge President Obama to reject the Dakota Access Pipeline, once and for all? Reject the Dakota Access Pipeline and declare this land a cultural district, eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, to ensure its protection. Sign the petition >From Sacred Stone Camp >From Bill Moyers: http://billmoyers.com/story/standing-firm-standing-rock-pipeline-protesters… Below are a few links and other info related to the Standing Rock Situation. 1-from our PCUSA networks; 2-Actions re Presidential debate questions 3-Indian Country Today Media Network 4-an article in today's St. Louis Post Dispatch: Dakota and the Geography of Racism 5-Democracy Now, speaking with the founder of the Standing Rocks Sacred Stones Camp 6-Democracy Now, speaking with Chairman Archambault of the Standing Rocks Sioux 7-A Bill McKibben Article: Why Standing Rock Needs to Be a Two-Front War 8-Article about President Obama's Partnership and Initiatives with Native Americans FOR CONTINUED INFO AND UPDATES: Native American Media source--check section on Standing Rock articles: Indian Country Today Media Network - Official Site indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com Indian Country Today Media Network is your essential Native American news and information site offering superb online services in the areas of education, business and ... Sacred Stones Camp website: http://sacredstonecamp.org/faq Standing Rock/Sacred Stones Camp facebook tracking: https://www.facebook.com/CampOfTheSacredStone/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf https://www.facebook.com/SacredStoneCamp/posts/1778453112443719 Fighting for Our Lives: #NoDAPL in Historical Context BY Nick Estes 10/26/16 Little has been written about the historical relationship between the movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline and the longer histories of Oceti Sakowin (The Great Sioux Nation)... DAPL: Former Vice President Al Gore Supports the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe BY Al Gore 10/26/16 Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/department/headline-news Google: -Standing Rock; Cannon Ball -N. Dakota pipeline -DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline) -Sacred Stone Camp -Prayer Camps -Water Is Life or Mni Wiconi -PC(USA) Native American Ministries Contributions: Can be mailed to: The Synod of Lakes and Prairies 2115 Cliff Drive Eagan, MN 55122 Note on check: Dakota Access Pipeline Account #2087 or given online or by check hrough Presbyterians for Earthcare/Presbytery of Northern Plains: Donate to supplies for Standing Rock Make a donation through Northern Plains Presbytery (See Presbyterians for Earth Care --PEC--article at the end of the links) WATER IS LIFE! Ellie Stock elliestock(a)aol.com (314) 521-8418 Native American Ministries PCUSA | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Native-American-Ministries-PCUSA... Native American Ministries PCUSA. 1,704 likes · 22 talking about this. Rev. Irvin Porter is the Associate for Native American Congregational Support in... October 4 from PCUSA: Information and action needed: https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/native-american-groups-call-presb… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/eco-journey/2016/09/15/presbyterians-st… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/presbytery-northern-plains-sends-… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/presbyterians-join-lummi-nation-f… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/eco-journey/2016/09/02/lummi-totem-pole… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/eco-journey/2015/05/26/behalf-lummi-nat… Below is a link to "Dakota and the geography of racism" a 9/28/16 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article: http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/dakota-and-the-geography-of-racism/art… Standing With Standing Rock and Sacred Stone Camp ... www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-pruett/standing-with-standing-ro_b... Nodapl Dakota Access Pipeline Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Sacred Stone Camp Naomi Klein. This Blogger's Books and Other Items from... Reason and Wonder: ... Democracy Now! Speaks to Standing Rock Chairman David ... indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/30/democracy-now-speaks... ... Democracy Now! stands out for its stories on the ... Anchor Amy Goodman has since interviewed both Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II and ... Why Standing Rock Needs To Be A Two-Front War—Against Big ... www.countercurrents.org/2016/09/24/why-standing-rock-needs-to-be-a... Why Standing Rock Needs To Be A Two-Front War—Against Big Oil And Big Banks in Environmental Protection ... Bill McKibben wrote this article for YES! http://presbyearthcare.blogspot.com/2016/10/dakota-access-pipeline-and-stan… (below) My Trip to the Camp of Sacred Stones at Standing Rock Reservation by Rev. Paul Henschen, PEC Steering Committee Paul Henschen drove to Standing Rock Reservation, where tribes were camping to protest the Dakota Access pipeline, with water supplies and food from his Presbytery’s (Northern Plains) Earth Care Team. Here is part of Paul’s account, sharing what tribe elders had to say about the pipeline after a large delegation of Native Americans from the Northwest arrived bringing a huge Totem Pole they were taking to a tribe in Manitoba. After the procession that brought the Totem Pole ended, everyone gathered with drumming, chanting and dancing. Speeches were made to welcome everyone. Elders from all the tribes formed a circle and took their turn delivering speeches. They were very eloquent, and much of what they said was hard for me as a middle-class Caucasian to hear, but they spoke the truth. They talked of how the present white-dominated society was harming the earth and that this pipeline was just another in a long history of acts of desecration of the Creator’s world. They declared that this campsite was a place founded on prayer, and that no drugs or weapons were allowed. They spoke of how their people had been on this land from the beginning, and how white society had tried to get rid of them, but that they, the Indigenous People, would still be there in the end. They said that they would pray for what was happening at Standing Rock, and that they would especially pray for the whites, because they would need it when they came before the Creator and had to answer for what they have done to the earth. All the elders expressed a strong sense of family and unity for the tribes gathered there, and that the stance by the Standing Rock Sioux against the Dakota Access Pipeline had made them a stronger family. These and many other things were said—all of them with conviction yet with a calm and gentle spirit. Violence of any kind was forbidden. After two hours of speeches, songs were sung and a prayer circle was formed--much of this in Native American language. A press conference was held after which I left to return home. Going home I took a northerly route toward Bismarck, ND, and about 20 miles north of the campsite a roadblock had been set up by police. Why, I have no idea. They were checking vehicles headed south toward Cannonball and the campsite. The Native American elders had spoken of this roadblock and how many of them had to pass through it. Days earlier, the North Dakota governor had also sent police to the protest because of unfounded rumors. This roadblock seemed to be there as a reminder of police power—an action that was totally unnecessary. The Standing Rock Sioux and the other tribes of Indigenous People had gathered peacefully to protest—as is their right. Instead of coming together with them to learn, white society raised its ugly head in a show of force that created tension and resentment. As I stood there listening to the elders speak, there was a great deal of wisdom being shared that our white-controlled society needs to hear. I was personally challenged by what the elders said, and I am continuing to wonder how my life needs to change. And what will be the response of our society? Will we listen and learn from those who were here long before our ancestors arrived? Or will we stay on the same course toward destruction of the earth and ultimately of ourselves? Click here to donate to the Northern Plains Earth Care Team to purchase more supplies for them to take to Standing Rock. Mark your donation for Presbyterians for Earth Care Team and note that it is for Standing Rock. PNS article about Paul Henschen's trip Presbytery sends support to pipeline ‘protectors’ in ND Donate to supplies for Standing Rock Make a donation through Northern Plains Presbytery. Ask President Obama: Revoke permits for Dakota Access Pipeline PHP Fair Trade Coffee Trip to Nicaragua Apply by October 1st. PEC's next Conference Sept 26-29, 2017 Download Sept 2017 Save the Date flyers HERE See our new brochure! Take a look at our color brochure on our website. PEC has a new website Have a look and tell us what you think! Restoring Creation Loans from PC(USA) Apply for a low-cost loan for energy efficiency Recent Blog Posts A Picture Essay on the Shore The Cyclical Nature of Weather Connect with PEC: PEC's Website Become a member Email Us follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2016 Presbyterians for Earth Care, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a member of Presbyterians for Earth Care, or because you opted to join our email list. Our mailing address is: Presbyterians for Earth Care P.O. Box 9064 Asheville, NC 28815 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

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Praying with Standing Rock.
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 03 Nov '16

03 Nov '16

Today, nearly 500 faith leaders are gathering at Standing Rock for a day of prayer. Wherever you are, you are invited to join them. You are also invited to pray for Standing Rock with your faith community in the coming weeks. Download Christian community prayer resources. See Christian faith statements, calls to action, and news clips. Here is a prayer offered by Lyla June Johnston, a Diné poet who has been active at Standing Rock: We pray for our family at Standing Rock. We pray for Our Sister Water who is our life. We pray for the healing and safety of the Water Protectors. We pray for all those gathered at the Standing Rock camp. We pray for those who are suffering from the trauma Unleashed by the violence that occurred on 27 October. We pray for traditional communities that have borne The brunt of generations of violence, even at times, Turning that violence on themselves and each other. We pray for healing for the police; For the healing for the pipeline workers; For the bankers who fund the pipeline. We pray for the people who are so disconnected from their mother that they continue to injure her. We pray for those who are on the Forgiveness Walk on Sunday to the police station in Mandan, SD. We pray for healing for the hatred that was Generated on 27 October. We acknowledge the sins of our ancestors, the horrific acts perpetrated on our brothers and sisters as a result of the Doctrine of Discovery. We ask for forgiveness and healing from our sisters and brothers. We pray for unity and oneness for all creation. Without this healing we can’t think clearly, we can’t act rightly, and we can’t serve our Mother in the fullest manner. Amen. Please share this call to prayer on Facebook. Also, if you didn't see the action alert we went on Tuesday, please scroll down to take a look, and consider joining the Creation Justice community in urging President Obama to stop police militarization at Standing Rock. Grace and Peace, Shantha Ready Alonso Executive Director, Creation Justice Ministries P.S. There is great need for more organizing capacity at this amazing movement moment. Please chip in to support Christian communities' solidarity organizing! www.creationjustice.org/donate *************************ACTION ALERT************************* As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors and care for God's creation. For many months, the water protectors at Standing Rock in North Dakota have stood in peaceful opposition to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This pipeline would carry oil from North Dakota to Illinois, crossing lands and rivers that provide water to millions. The advocates at Standing Rock have resolutely declared that they are not protestors but protectors and defenders acting out of a sacred commitment to protecting all life. They say, “water is life.” Yet, they face violence. They have stood as peacemakers while government authorities and hate-filled hecklers deride them as criminals, rioters, and terrorists. Recent reports tell the story of children, women, and men gathering in prayer and song, only to suffer at the hands of those wielding batons and pointing rifles. We have witnessed an escalating, militarized response to their acts of nonviolence. Advocates have been arrested, strip-searched, and humiliated. This week, more than 400 faith leaders, including members of the Creation Justice community, will travel to North Dakota to stand with the Standing Rock Sioux as they protect our water. Together on Thursday, we are all invited to pray in solidarity with them. But right now, we must act for everyone's safety --- by calling off the militarized response. These offenses are part of a larger story of ongoing racial injustice. In a letter to the Attorney General, Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II reminds us that, “This country has a long and sad history of using military force against indigenous people–including the Sioux Nation.” That history is linked to the Doctrine of Discovery, a theme Creation Justice Ministries will further explore throughout next year. Now is the time for action. Stand in solidarity with Chairman Archambault and the water protectors in prayer and action. Call on our leaders to end the militarized response at Standing Rock. Connect with Us Creation Justice Ministries 110 Maryland Ave NE #203 Washington, DC 20002 (202) 827-3975 info(a)creationjustice.org www.creationjustice.org UNSUBSCRIBE

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11/03/16, Spong/Gretta Vosper: Selling the Story
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 03 Nov '16

03 Nov '16

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR As Bishop Spong continues to recover, we are pleased to have as guest author this week Gretta Vosper. Selling the Story Attila the None The headlines are pretty clear. Both Pew Research Center and the Public Religion Research Institute have told us that people, especially young people, aren’t so much avoiding church as not even thinking it is relevant. In this American election year, those who identify as the Nones – people who state on census forms that they have no religious affiliation – have been declared the largest “religious” voting bloc in the country. Those seated in the pews of mainline, Protestant America can no longer assume they have the strong political voice they once did. Denying the dead canary In fact, In North America, Christianity is in decline in almost every sector. White Evangelicals deny the dead canary but even the numbers they can responsibly point to indicate a creeping loss of the hold they have on the hearts of the people. Young people used to leave church for a few years and return once they began their families. Now once they leave, they’re gone for good. It’s cold up here, too. It’s hard not to speak about American Christianity when it dominates so much of our news these past several months. But here in Canada, a country we like to believe we have won back from dark hues of evangelicalism that had been increasingly interwoven with the fiscally conservative values of our previous government, the same truths unfold. Mainline, liberal, and progressive Christianity everywhere is on the wane. Death catches up The immediate results are obvious. Aging congregations are no longer able to sustain historically significant church buildings. Amalgamations stave off closure for a few years as money freed up by the sale of properties temporarily refills the coffers. Membership shrinkage has, in many churches, become precipitous as death catches up with our aging demographic. In four consecutive years, all but two of the United Church of Canada congregations in my area lost over 22% of their membership. It is true that there are some demographics the church can include that might continue its survival. Canadian sociologist Reginald Bibby noted a few years ago that while Canada was not becoming an irreligious nation, the religions that would thrive are the same as those that thrived in the past: congregations that reflect immigration trends. In Canada, and I expect in America as well, those are primarily Evangelical Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Muslim communities. But what of those congregations whose white, European immigrant populations are no longer reflected in newcomers to either the United States or Canada? There is hope but you may not like it. That ugly “market” word Many don’t like thinking about the people they’d like to see in church as their “market”. I get that. It is a term that reeks of profit and self-preservation and, in the church, where we use careful words like “stewardship” to raise the money we need to survive, it feels ugly. But markets are also the people who are in need of a product. In social welfare organizations, the market is not the place you look to for buyers, it’s the place you look to for clients. Social welfare organizations that do well are those with a well-defined client; they are organizations poised to offer a “product” or “service” that meets a need. Clearly, if church is losing ground so significantly, it is no longer meeting a need. But does that mean the need no longer exists or does it mean that we aren’t able to meet it anymore? Naming the need Really good social welfare organizations take their lead from the corporate world and actually sell the need for their services, not the service itself. You’re not likely to support organizations doing work you don’t think is needed. Raise your awareness of the need and an organization has raised the chances you’ll support it. Christianity has been successful throughout history in the same way corporations are successful: it has sold the need for what it has to offer. It has sold the story that we’re inherently sinful people in need of salvation. Evangelicals can get that salvation through belief – distributed and reinforced by the church. Roman Catholics can get it through the sacraments – exclusively available through the church. It has worked for millennia. But we, those of us in the middle, who have been part of the great liberal tradition in the church, we’ve run out of the story. It doesn’t work for many of us anymore and it certainly isn’t working for younger generations. We don’t believe the story that we were born in sin and neither do they. We have lost the market because we haven’t come up with a need strong enough to replace the story of salvation, strong enough to build a market that needs us. It is as simple as that. For the last four decades, Bishop John Shelby Spong, has invited us beyond traditional Christian doctrine. He has done so by sharing his extensive knowledge of the Bible and helped us use that knowledge to struggle our way beyond the ecclesial rhetoric the church has built upon it. He has helped us recognize and cope with reality, not tempering it with a story of salvation that lets us off the hook. He made us accountable for ourselves, for what we do in the name of faith. He helped us deconstruct the god we had created and invited us to embrace an understanding of god that is decidedly non-theist. No small task within a religion focused almost exclusively on the image of a divine, omniscient being. Many of us who have been escorted beyond belief by Bishop Spong and others who have written in this deconstructionist genre, have found ways to translate the words of the Christian story and understand it metaphorically. When we do, our new perspective lets us hear the old words with new meaning. But our children and our children’s children are not interested in translations. They’ve rejected the story. They acknowledge science, embrace reason, and struggle with the tough realities of everyday life. They believe we’re all in this together, whatever “this” is. The “hope” part When I speak of church attendance and religious affiliation without slides, I have to “be” the graphic illustration. I use my arms to share the general direction of the statistics. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to draw the graph of the decline of church attendance in your mind. One arm starts high pointing up toward where the wall and ceiling meet; the other points gradually down from shoulder to elbow and then drops toward the floor. It’s an easy thing to get: decline, decline, disaster. Flip the graph But any graph of statistics can be read upside down. The dot that shows you how many people are making under $50,000/year is also showing you how many people are making over $50,000/year, assuming you know how many people you’re counting. A graph that shows you precipitous decline in the number of people attending church is also showing you precipitous increase in the number of people not going to church. Flip the graph and there’s your market. The “you may not like it” part We have two legitimate choices. 1) Call it a day I’m serious. If we have nothing to offer then we should enjoy the translations we make, the people we know, the liturgies that enrich our lives and allow them to slowly cease to be, acknowledging as we do, that the need we were meant to serve no longer exists. It is a very clean choice and one that I imagine many will embrace. Bishop Spong argues that Christianity, without bold changes should die. He’s right. But you could also …. 2) Find the need and write the story to tell it Again, I’m serious. I know you’re tired and you’ve tried everything, but I’m not finished yet. There is a need out there that I have become convinced is enormous. And it is something we know and know well. There is a need for hope. Not a magical, “lift my eyes to the mountains” kind of hope. Bishop Spong would preach that idea of hope down in a second. I mean a hope that is built in human relationship, a hope that grows in strength and power as human relationships grow in integrity and love, a hope that kindles our desires to create the goodness the world needs and provides us the energy and passion to bring it about. I mean hope in you and me. We are not gods; we cannot promise that good will out. But we are the potential for good and we can inspire one another to greatness. It takes work. Believe me. Both of these options take work. The first takes the work of grieving the loss of something that was once great, holding one another as you watch it die, and offering up an interwoven celebration and lament – the best kind of death you could wish for. The second takes muscle and tears, creativity and goodbyes. You need to remove every barrier to participation that exists and they are legion – almost everything you say, sing, or do will need to be assessed. And then you need to create of the dust that’s left, everything that builds well-being, edifies and convicts (yes, we will still need to name, acknowledge, and address the bad choices we have made), and invites right-relationship with oneself, others, including the global community, and the planet. It takes your everything. But it is totally worth it. Who we are West Hill United Church is a congregation that has learned to lean into the work of creating hope in our personal lives and in the world without the traditional language of Christian faith. We’ve taken Bishop Spong’s work to heart and built something new upon it – a community steeped in the costly values that undergird his theology without depending on that theology to support it. We build, confident that hope, life, love all require those same values, that same cost, and we pour our lives out as we live it. The cost The work has already cost us our Christian language, our favourite hymns, our holy book, and our all-powerful god. It forced from us a new story, one that we now tell with new images and metaphors, with courage and strength. We’re telling the story of how together, we can change ourselves, our relationships, the world. We are telling the story of hope, of the need for well-being, and for the gifts of community. That story, that new story has had a powerful effect on those who, until now, have felt that church is not for them. It might cost me my ordination. My denomination doesn’t like that I can’t describe my idea of god with the words “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”; I’m currently facing “defrocking”. Bishop Spong has been an incredible personal support during this time and spoke out boldly to the leaders of the United Church who undertook this process. It might cost West Hill its identity as a United Church of Canada congregation, membership in a denomination that has, until now, been on the forefront of progressive change in the churches of the world. Those losses will be sad ones. The story But the story we have told and the need we work to meet has built a congregation composed almost entirely of people who could not ever translate the Christian language or can no more, for whom the old story was a stumbling block, who do not believe in the magical power of prayer or that all goodness comes from an omni-powerful deity. Stripped of the supernatural narrative, we find ourselves engaged in the work of creating the goodness the world needs and we encourage one another in that work. To encourage is to give hope. The root word of encourage is the French word for heart – coeur. We hold one another in our hearts and find there, that our need for hope is both raised and met. ~Gretta Vosper About the Author: The Rev. Gretta Vosper is a United Church of Canada minister who is an atheist. Her best selling books include With or Without God: Why The Way We Live is More Important Than What We Believe, and Amen: What Prayer Can Mean in a World Beyond Belief. She has also published three books of poetry and prayers. Read the essay online here. Question & Answer Leif from Jackson, New Hampshire writes: Question: How do we know when God is speaking to us? Answer: Dear Leif, Someone once observed that "When I speak to God, it is called prayer. When God speaks to me it is called paranoia." That may be a bit jaundiced but it has a germ of truth in it. When people say to me that God has spoken to them, I get nervous. God was said to have spoken through a dog to the one known as "The Son of Sam" and told him to kill women in New York City about two decades ago. God was said to have spoken to the terrorists and told them to kill Americans on September 11, 2001. There is far too much subjectivity in such pious talk. But if God is conceived of after the analogy of Life, Love and Being then any actions which enhance life, increase love and expand being can be said to be a response to God. That is as far as I want to go. ~John Shelby Spong Read and Share Online Here Announcements Bishop Spong continues his recovery and thanks everyone who has sent him get well notes. If you would like to send Bishop Spong a get well note please sent it to admin(a)progressivechristianity.org and we will forward it to him. Did you know you can now purchase The Birth of Jesus in digital format - and for only $7.00! Click on below image for more information and to purchase. .

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Trying to add to the conversation . . .what's really going on?
by James Wiegel via Dialogue 03 Nov '16

03 Nov '16

I found this helpful in trying to see the dynamics behind this political season. http://nyer.cm/cMac25h Download The New Yorker Today app: http://nyer.cm/ba5wYPW Jim Wiegel 401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353 Tel. 011-623-936-8671 or 011-623-363-3277 jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com "We are no longer living in an era of change. We are living in a change of era." Francis Upcoming public course opportunities click here http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=10 For online registration go to http://www.top-training.net The AZ ToP® Community of Practice meets the 1st Friday, 1-4 pm, starting again on Sept 5th at ACYR, 648 N. 5th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003 AICP Planners: 14.5 CM for all ToP® courses

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Raising Awareness and Support for Standing Rock Reservation to Protect Water Safety for Genrations
by Raymond Caruso via Dialogue 02 Nov '16

02 Nov '16

> >>>> Dear family and friends: >>>> >>>> Brief background >>>> >>>> As most of you know, we and others in the Boulder area (and around the world ) are helping support the Water Protectors in Cannon Ball, N. Dakota. While this has not been mainline news there has been coverage on Democracy Now, MSNBC, PBS and all the social media ( Ck links below to catch up ) . Also check Dianne’s Facebook she posts daily. >>>> >>>> This is turning into an epic showdown between the water protector forces of environmental sanity: ( Water is Life ) and the forces of fossil fuel exploitation. This is an indigenous movement with over 300 tribes from all over the world supporting the protection of water. The environmental and peace movement folks are also supporting from around the world. >>>> >>>> Not only does the Missouri River support over 18 million people with safe water, but ancient and sacred burial sites are located here and are being bulldozed up to lay pipeline. > >>>> Current Update > >>>> As we speak today , Nov 1, there’s a showdown being pressed by the oil pipeline company to start digging under the Missouri River at the Standing Rock res lands. The militarized police in riot gear and heavy armor vehicles are lining up to stop peaceful resistance by the water protectors. Hundred's have been arrested during last week’s confrontation. Many women and elders were arrested. There is targeting of journalists and lawyers ( lots of intimidation). While we were there this past weekend, a wild fire was started during the night by a pipeline worker. The fire came within range of the camp but the winds were favorable for the camps. We were in one of them. >>>> >>>> Legal action to permanently stop the pipe line is waiting for Obama/DOJ action to do this until a thorough environmental impact study and cultural burial grounds evaluation can be made. ( My thinking is that he won’t do that until the election is over). >>>> >>>> We would like your support and engagement in this process if you think it's justified after catching up on this potential catastrophe. >>>> >>>> We are taking direct action by supporting three families who are living up there right now in teepee’s/tents. They will need a lot more as winter arrives pretty soon. These three native families are our friends. >>>> >>>> In total: there is one family of 5 ( 3 kids) ;and another family of two. Plus one elder. They will be up at Standing Rock Res for the winter to continue the resistance of the pipeline. >>>> >>>> We are out to raise money to buy 2 winter wall tents and 4 wood camp stoves plus other winter supplies. Any help small or whatever will be helpful. ( Send a check or to my Paypal account. Or Our new address is: 3545-28th St #307/Boulder, CO . 80301). >>>> >>>> If your budget is too tight for financial support there are other ways to support: >>>> >>>> • Get informed thru these links: >> demoncracynow.org <http://demoncracynow.org/> (Who is supporting the Dakota Access Pipeline) >> TheJuiceMedia (Dakota Access Pipeline) >> http://www.treeswaterpeople.org/programs/tribal_renewable_energy/green_job_… <http://www.treeswaterpeople.org/programs/tribal_renewable_energy/green_job_…> >> >>>> Facebook link. Friend Dianne Greenwald ( the one with a picture of Dianne and Salvatore in Mexico) >>>> >>>> • Share these links with your family and friends ( social media) >>>> • Send your prayers and love not only to the Water Protectors but to those who have chosen to protect the pipeline.Water is life for ALL. >>>> >>>> • Write or call President Obama to stop the pipeline until environmental/sacred sites can be studied( 202-456-1111). >>>> • Go to Standing Rock > >>>> Dianne and I will be heading up to Standing Rock this next week with winter supplies including 4 season tents, tent stoves and food packed in the 1999 Ford Ranger. >>>> >>>> >>>> Much love, >>>> Salvatore and Dianne

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FYI Conference Call re Standing Rock, Weds, 11/2
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 02 Nov '16

02 Nov '16

Hi Folks, FYI, if anyone is interested, I will be convening a conference call on Standing Rock that is hosted by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Joining Hands Partnerships. These are periodic calls related to Resource Extraction and Climate/Environmental Issues. Call # is at the top, more info about the call below. Ellie Stock elliestock(a)aol.com WEDNESDAY,11/02/16, 3:00PM EST/2:00PM Central, IS THE NEXT RESOURCE EXTRACTION AND CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AUDIO CONFERENCE CALL. COME GATHER AROUND THE TABLE! PHONE #: 605-475-3215 Access Code: 180305# THE FOCUS: WATER IS LIFE! MNI WICONI! STANDING WITH NATIVE AMERICANS AND OTHER WATER PROTECTORS AT STANDING ROCK VS. DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE (DAPL) [Black Snakes] NEW information below and actions that be done NOW before the call. Thank you for your continued concern and action. Oct 27, militarized law enforcement agencies moved in with tanks and riot gear on water protectors who stand in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline—a massive pipeline project that would cut through four states, impact the water to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and violate sacred sites and ancient grounds. While native elders prayed in peace, they were attacked with pepper spray, rubber bullets, as well as sound and concussion cannons. By the end of the day, more than 140 people were arrested.1 Please, add your name and demand that President Obama reject this pipeline once and for all. My name is David Archambault II, and I'm the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which has long opposed the Dakota Access Pipeline project. This proposed pipeline presents a threat to our lands, our sacred sites, and our water. Current and future generations depend on our rivers and aquifer to live. Will you stand in solidarity and urge President Obama to reject the Dakota Access Pipeline, once and for all? Reject the Dakota Access Pipeline and declare this land a cultural district, eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, to ensure its protection. Sign the petition >From Sacred Stone Camp >From Bill Moyers: http://billmoyers.com/story/standing-firm-standing-rock-pipeline-protesters… Dear Friends, The time for our call is almost here and the situation at Standing Rock, ND is intensifying. In case you have missed the news, Native American and other WATER PROTECTORS from all over the country and world are gathering to support the Sioux at Standing Rock, N. Dakota as they try to protect their land and water from the encroaching Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Their mantra, as in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and so many other places is WATER IS LIFE!. So I thought I'd share a bit about how we are supporting that effort here through the Presbyterian Church (USA) networks. The PCUSA is supporting the Sioux's effort to protect their land and water at many levels: presbytery, synod, GA and through groups like the Joining Hands Partnerships and Presbyterians for Earth Care/Earth Care Congregations. Below is information about how we are trying to support the effort. Our next Joining Hands Resource Extraction and Climate/Environmental Issues Call is going to be Wednesday, November 2, 3:00PM EST/2:00PM Central. The focus of this call will be the N. Dakota Pipeline and Native American WATER IS LIFE movement and gathering at the Sacred Stones Camp in Standing Rock. The Rev. Irvin Porter, PC(USA) Associate in the Office of Native American Intercultural Congregational Support and The Rev. Paul Henschen, Coordinator of the Northern Plains Presbytery Presbyterians for Earth Care Team (see his article at the bottom about his trip to the Sacred Stones Camp) will be on the call. The Northern Plains Presbyterians for Earth Care Team has been involved in taking supplies to the camp. Anyone who is interested is welcome and invited to participate in this call. Joining Hands is trying to connect the dots between our Joining Hands work with resource extraction that has affected indigenous communities in Peru and Bolivia and also the Presbyterians for Earth Care/Earth Care Congregations with what is happening in N. Dakota. There are many ways we can be supportive of N. Dakota, if not being there, then financially and by contacting our congress members and President Obama. In St. Louis, the Joining Hands Peru Partnership and the Earth Care Team together, as well as individuals have given financial support for supplies for the Sacred Stones Camps. I hope many of you will be able to do the same. Maybe some adventurous spirits might be interested in travelling there to see first hand what is going on. Below are a few links and other info related to the Standing Rock Situation. 1-from our PCUSA networks; 2-Actions re Presidential debate questions 3-Indian Country Today Media Network 4-an article in today's St. Louis Post Dispatch: Dakota and the Geography of Racism 5-Democracy Now, speaking with the founder of the Standing Rocks Sacred Stones Camp 6-Democracy Now, speaking with Chairman Archambault of the Standing Rocks Sioux 7-A Bill McKibben Article: Why Standing Rock Needs to Be a Two-Front War 8-Article about President Obama's Partnership and Initiatives with Native Americans FOR CONTINUED INFO AND UPDATES: Native American Media source--check section on Standing Rock articles: Indian Country Today Media Network - Official Site indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com Indian Country Today Media Network is your essential Native American news and information site offering superb online services in the areas of education, business and ... Standing Rock/Sacred Stones Camp facebook tracking: https://www.facebook.com/CampOfTheSacredStone/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf https://www.facebook.com/SacredStoneCamp/posts/1778453112443719 Fighting for Our Lives: #NoDAPL in Historical Context BY Nick Estes 10/26/16 Little has been written about the historical relationship between the movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline and the longer histories of Oceti Sakowin (The Great Sioux Nation)... DAPL: Former Vice President Al Gore Supports the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe BY Al Gore 10/26/16 Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/department/headline-news Google: -Standing Rock; Cannon Ball -N. Dakota pipeline -DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline) -Sacred Stones Camp -Prayer Camps -Water Is Life or Mni Wiconi -PC(USA) Native American Ministries Contributions: Can be mailed to: The Synod of Lakes and Prairies 2115 Cliff Drive Eagan, MN 55122 Note on check: Dakota Access Pipeline Account #2087 or given online or by check hrough Presbyterians for Earthcare/Presbytery of Northern Plains: Donate to supplies for Standing Rock Make a donation through Northern Plains Presbytery (See Presbyterians for Earth Care --PEC--article at the end of the links) WATER IS LIFE! Ellie Stock elliestock(a)aol.com (314) 521-8418 Native American Ministries PCUSA | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Native-American-Ministries-PCUSA... Native American Ministries PCUSA. 1,704 likes · 22 talking about this. Rev. Irvin Porter is the Associate for Native American Congregational Support in... October 4 from PCUSA: Information and action needed: https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/native-american-groups-call-presb… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/eco-journey/2016/09/15/presbyterians-st… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/presbytery-northern-plains-sends-… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/presbyterians-join-lummi-nation-f… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/eco-journey/2016/09/02/lummi-totem-pole… https://www.presbyterianmission.org/eco-journey/2015/05/26/behalf-lummi-nat… Below is a link to "Dakota and the geography of racism" a 9/28/16 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article: http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/dakota-and-the-geography-of-racism/art… Standing With Standing Rock and Sacred Stone Camp ... www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-pruett/standing-with-standing-ro_b... Nodapl Dakota Access Pipeline Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Sacred Stone Camp Naomi Klein. This Blogger's Books and Other Items from... Reason and Wonder: ... Democracy Now! Speaks to Standing Rock Chairman David ... indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/30/democracy-now-speaks... ... Democracy Now! stands out for its stories on the ... Anchor Amy Goodman has since interviewed both Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II and ... Why Standing Rock Needs To Be A Two-Front War—Against Big ... www.countercurrents.org/2016/09/24/why-standing-rock-needs-to-be-a... Why Standing Rock Needs To Be A Two-Front War—Against Big Oil And Big Banks in Environmental Protection ... Bill McKibben wrote this article for YES! http://presbyearthcare.blogspot.com/2016/10/dakota-access-pipeline-and-stan… (below) My Trip to the Camp of Sacred Stones at Standing Rock Reservation by Rev. Paul Henschen, PEC Steering Committee Paul Henschen drove to Standing Rock Reservation, where tribes were camping to protest the Dakota Access pipeline, with water supplies and food from his Presbytery’s (Northern Plains) Earth Care Team. Here is part of Paul’s account, sharing what tribe elders had to say about the pipeline after a large delegation of Native Americans from the Northwest arrived bringing a huge Totem Pole they were taking to a tribe in Manitoba. After the procession that brought the Totem Pole ended, everyone gathered with drumming, chanting and dancing. Speeches were made to welcome everyone. Elders from all the tribes formed a circle and took their turn delivering speeches. They were very eloquent, and much of what they said was hard for me as a middle-class Caucasian to hear, but they spoke the truth. They talked of how the present white-dominated society was harming the earth and that this pipeline was just another in a long history of acts of desecration of the Creator’s world. They declared that this campsite was a place founded on prayer, and that no drugs or weapons were allowed. They spoke of how their people had been on this land from the beginning, and how white society had tried to get rid of them, but that they, the Indigenous People, would still be there in the end. They said that they would pray for what was happening at Standing Rock, and that they would especially pray for the whites, because they would need it when they came before the Creator and had to answer for what they have done to the earth. All the elders expressed a strong sense of family and unity for the tribes gathered there, and that the stance by the Standing Rock Sioux against the Dakota Access Pipeline had made them a stronger family. These and many other things were said—all of them with conviction yet with a calm and gentle spirit. Violence of any kind was forbidden. After two hours of speeches, songs were sung and a prayer circle was formed--much of this in Native American language. A press conference was held after which I left to return home. Going home I took a northerly route toward Bismarck, ND, and about 20 miles north of the campsite a roadblock had been set up by police. Why, I have no idea. They were checking vehicles headed south toward Cannonball and the campsite. The Native American elders had spoken of this roadblock and how many of them had to pass through it. Days earlier, the North Dakota governor had also sent police to the protest because of unfounded rumors. This roadblock seemed to be there as a reminder of police power—an action that was totally unnecessary. The Standing Rock Sioux and the other tribes of Indigenous People had gathered peacefully to protest—as is their right. Instead of coming together with them to learn, white society raised its ugly head in a show of force that created tension and resentment. As I stood there listening to the elders speak, there was a great deal of wisdom being shared that our white-controlled society needs to hear. I was personally challenged by what the elders said, and I am continuing to wonder how my life needs to change. And what will be the response of our society? Will we listen and learn from those who were here long before our ancestors arrived? Or will we stay on the same course toward destruction of the earth and ultimately of ourselves? Click here to donate to the Northern Plains Earth Care Team to purchase more supplies for them to take to Standing Rock. Mark your donation for Presbyterians for Earth Care Team and note that it is for Standing Rock. PNS article about Paul Henschen's trip Presbytery sends support to pipeline ‘protectors’ in ND Donate to supplies for Standing Rock Make a donation through Northern Plains Presbytery. Ask President Obama: Revoke permits for Dakota Access Pipeline PHP Fair Trade Coffee Trip to Nicaragua Apply by October 1st. PEC's next Conference Sept 26-29, 2017 Download Sept 2017 Save the Date flyers HERE See our new brochure! Take a look at our color brochure on our website. PEC has a new website Have a look and tell us what you think! Restoring Creation Loans from PC(USA) Apply for a low-cost loan for energy efficiency Recent Blog Posts A Picture Essay on the Shore The Cyclical Nature of Weather Connect with PEC: PEC's Website Become a member Email Us follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2016 Presbyterians for Earth Care, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a member of Presbyterians for Earth Care, or because you opted to join our email list. Our mailing address is: Presbyterians for Earth Care P.O. Box 9064 Asheville, NC 28815 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Resource Extraction and Climate" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to resource-extraction-and-climate+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to resource-extraction-and-climate(a)googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/resource-extraction-and-climate/1581ac212…. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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about Hillary...
by W. J. via Dialogue 01 Nov '16

01 Nov '16

Susan wrote:Values??? The only values I see are abject greed, a pathological allegiance to lies, and arrogant flaunting of her ability to circumvent the law. She has done absolutely nothing to improve the lives of the poor and disadvantaged yet claims she has in the face of all evidence to the contrary. I've heard for years about this possible connection to EI/ICA, and I truly hope it's not true. It would be a horrible embarrassment to the movement. Since I started this ball rolling by simply pointing to this CNN report (http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/30/politics/clinton-faith-private/) I will comment, but NOT on Susan's diatribe (after all, we need one outlier to voice the hatred Hillary and Bill have kicked up).Instead, I invite you to consider what it might mean for us as a group to have had some notable history-bending influence on a presidential candidate.Hillary was a 1964 "Goldwater Girl" in a cowgirl outfit--the result of her family's influence and that of Park Ridge and her Methodist background. Then Rev. Don Jones entered her life and expanded her horizons.I invite you to honor what the Ecumenical Institute did to 'explode' the limited context of the religious pablum offered by the Methodist Church in the 1960's--not to mention its antecedents in Texas back in 1950's.Hillary's Methodism has 'stuck' profoundly within who she is. But it is Methodism profoundly changed and leveraged by our work.Never forget that this happened historically. And never belittle or dismiss our efforts or deny the impact of our mission in an earlier era and another cultural context. If you do, I'm comin' after you!MarshallRecently I immersed myself in Bonhoeffer's 591-page biography by right-wing evangelical author Eric Metaxas. Here's the bottom line (saving you the cost and time to read the book--though I highly recommend it!): he didn't have clean hands. And he was WAY more elitist and entitled than you can imagine. And SO German!So before you go jumping all over Hillary, you might want to reread and chart Bonhoeffer's Freedom paper. Carefully!And if you want to know exactly what Hillary said to Joe Thomas, you'll have to ask him! Keeping in mind his propensity to embellish.

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