January 2022 - Dialogue - lists.wedgeblade.net

1/20/2022, Progressing Spirit: Rev. Brandan Robertson: Why You Need to Be a Progressive Evangelist; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 20 Jan '22

20 Jan '22

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Brandan Robertson January 20, 2022It’s been one year since an insurrection was launched against American democracy and I find myself wondering, like so many others, how we’ve collectively arrived at such a dire moment. During the insurrection of January 6th, 2021, I had just moved back to Washington D.C. and was living in a new row home on North Capitol Street, about a half mile from the U.S. Capitol complex. As I stood outside the local Metro station that morning, I witnessed a stream of red hat wearing people emerging from the escalator and headed towards the rally outside the White House. I took a moment to examine these people and realized that if they weren’t wearing their MAGA clothing, I wouldn’t have known that they were far-right extremists. I was deeply perplexed as to how these folks could be so caught up in the web of lies President Trump had spread and why they felt the need to travel to D.C. to support the effort to overturn the election. A couple of hours later, I like most of the country, sat in my office staring at a screen of these very same people jumping barricades, breaking windows, and breaching the Capitol. I could hear sirens and helicopters outside of my house. I was angry. I was afraid. I found myself asking once again, “how could these people get so caught up in this lie that they are willing to kill for it?” I’ve wrestled with this question throughout the year since, and I’ve come to two conclusions: first, that when people believe there is no hope, they will do anything, and second, that progressive people, especially people of faith, have failed to share the hope embedded in our vision of the world. Let me explain. We now know that most of the people who showed up in D.C. for the insurrection were people whose own life circumstances had been anything but great in recent years. These were people who increasingly feeling left behind by a country and culture that they once felt in lock step with in regard to values. It’s easy to forget just how swiftly social progress moved in American public life in the past twenty years; the LGBTQ+ rights movement is a great example. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, all major political leaders stood opposed to gay marriage and equal rights for queer people. By 2012, the first black President was announcing his support for marriage equality. By 2015, gay marriage was declared legal by the Supreme Court. In fifteen years, the social stance of the nation drastically changed for the better for sexual and gender minorities. But many people who didn’t live in or near the coasts or urban centers didn’t receive the same convincing arguments, nor did they know very many openly LGBT+ people, and thus stood by wondering what had happened to their country that caused it to shift so dramatically from their strongly held values. Now ignorance is not an excuse for injustice. But it is an explanation for it. The Jewish Prophet Hosea wrote, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:1) Those who didn’t have access to knowledge or a compelling reason to do research on a differing perspective found themselves in an unexpected defensive posture as their once generally accepted beliefs were now in the minority. And this continued to happen time and time again. They felt less understood and were increasingly critiqued for what they believed and how they lived. In 2008 and 2009, conservative politicians caught on to this sense of fear and desperation from these constituents and began to play upon it, giving birth to the Tea Party Movement which essentially claimed that America was being taken hostage by anti-American politicians and activists and that a revolution was necessary to take our country back. For a decade, conservative political leaders and pundits played on these fears as progress continued, until the most opportunistic political leader of our lifetimes, Donald Trump, decided to step into the fray and use his showmanship-style to capitalize on these narratives for his own benefit. He convinced these people that he would fight for them and would turn back the progressive reforms that had happened in our country, returning the country to the “good old days” when his constituents’ values were the values of most of the nation. And when that power was voted away from Trump in 2020, of course, he drew on his constituent’s fear and the conspiracy theories he had spun to literally leverage them to fight- warning that if they didn’t, the end of their country and their lives as they knew them was imminent. When fragile hope is on the line, people will do anything to maintain it- even revolt against the very democracy they claimed to love. The thing is that we progressives had the narratives and the resources to share our hope and vision for the future with this portion of the country. We have a compelling message of what our country could become- more just and equal for us all. We spread this message effectively in urban centers, on the coasts, and in our progressive bubbles, but we rarely, if ever, did the work to share our vision with those who were not already on our team. Now, let me issue a disclaimer here: I’m not at all claiming that progressives bear responsibility for the actions of January 6th, or the xenophobic bigotry that millions of Americans bought into during the Trump era. But what I am saying is that we must do a better job communicating our progressive, inclusive vision of the world in the years ahead. Especially those of us who are progressive people of faith. Progressive Christians tend to shudder at the word “evangelism” because of the way it’s been hijacked by evangelicals to essentially mean “colonize and convert”. But the idea of evangelism, rooted in the Great Commission of Jesus is actually a powerful and progressive idea- to share with others a better way of living and invite them to join in. Afterall, Jesus didn’t say “go into the world and convert people to a new religion”, but rather, “go into the world and teach people to do what I instructed you to do.” It was a demonstration and invitation to a new way of living and organizing the world that benefited the individual and the society. You see, the more I look at the people who have bought into the right-wing narrative that are hell bent on launching a revolution to stop progress in our country, the more I’m convinced that they’ve not been offered a compelling alternative. For them, it’s either right wing revolution or destruction. But what if they heard that there was another way to be Christian- one that actually understandings cultural evolution and progress as a move of the Spirit of God, one that invites them to join with God as agents of the Kingdom of God, bringing heaven to earth for themselves and for everyone? To put this in a more straightforward way, progressive people of faith have not marketed ourselves well enough- we’ve allowed our primary marketing to be the negative demonization of Trump and others like him. But we have an unprecedented opportunity to chance this: In the virtual reality that COVID-19 has moved us all into, we are invited to use digital platforms to advocate for another way to be Christian, to be American, and to be human. A way that doesn’t fear progress but participates in it. A way that values tradition and heritage, but also strains forward to create a more beautiful world that our ancestors dreamed of. Every person reading this has the ability through the power of social media to communicate to the masses- not divisive messages and punitive debates highlighting our division, but inspirational and educational messages that cast a progressive, inclusive vision for the world and invite people to join in. I am not naive- our divisions run deep and will require much more than a Facebook post or TikTok video. But I also do know that hearts and minds are changed through slowly introducing new stories and perspectives that stir empathy and curiosity in our hearts. I know that when hope is in short supply, I return to the simple vision of Jesus that has endured for thousands of years: if we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will transform the world. I’ve seen this change my own life. I’ve seen meditation on this message cause dramatic changes in the way my congregants live their lives. The message of Jesus is what makes me a progressive. A parsing out of the Gospels implications for our world is what’s missing in most churches and dialogue around faith in the United States today. And if we are ever to see Christian nationalism rooted out of our country, it will happen because millions of people of faith will be compelled to adopt a more progressive, inclusive faith. And for that to happen, progressive Christians must once again heed the call of Christ and become evangelists of his progressive, inclusive vision for the world once again.~ Rev. Brandan Robertson Read online here About the Author Rev. Brandan Robertson is a noted spiritual thought-leader, contemplative activist, and commentator, working at the intersections of spirituality, sexuality, and social renewal and the author of Nomad: A Spirituality For Travelling Light and writes regularly for Patheos, Beliefnet, and The Huffington Post. He has published countless articles in respected outlets such as TIME, NBC, The Washington Post, Religion News Service, and Dallas Morning News. As sought out commentator of faith, culture, and public life, he is a regular contributor to national media outlets and has been interviewed by outlets such as MSNBC, NPR, SiriusXM, TIME Magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Associated Press. He leads Metanoia, a digital spiritual community at MetanoiaCenter.org. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By Roy I come from a very conservative Christian family, and back in my younger days I believed in God. However I started losing faith in God. I can no longer believe in a God. I am still a Christian because I like Jesus and his message of peace and love. Is it possible to be a Christian and not believe in God? A: By Kevin G. Thew Forrester, Ph.D. Dear Roy,I have discovered in the authentic path of human spiritual development that our mature response to life is not to believe, but to question why. Belief is usually taken to mean our mind’s assent to propositions about reality, such as we find in the various creeds (and “credo” is Latin for belief). Jesus, like Buddha, however, is a wisdom teacher who is always asking questions. He is a person of abiding curiosity. His questioning, from my experience, is rooted in his basic trust of Reality. And that trust reflects his love. You might consider your “loss” of belief as the beginning of your journey of an authentic faith rooted in curiosity. Faith is a matter of trust in your experience, which is far different from belief. I would suggest you be curious about the questions that matter to your heart; trust that they do indeed matter and are sacred. Jesus, as a Jew, was a person who followed his heart and its deepest longings and stirrings. For me, such a path is the heart of the Christ movement. I wish you well. ~ Kevin G. Thew Forrester, Ph.D. Read and share online here About the Author Kevin G. Thew Forrester, Ph.D. is an Episcopal priest, a student of the Diamond Approach for over a decade, as well as a certified teacher of the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition. He is the founder of the Healing Arts Center of in Marquette, Michigan, and the author of five books, including I Have Called You Friends, Holding Beauty in My Soul’s Arms, and My Heart is a Raging Volcano of Love for You and Beyond my Wants, Beyond my Fears: The Soul’s Journey into the Heartland. Visit Kevin’s Blog: Essential Living: For The Soul’s Journey. | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together.Thank you for being a part of this community - join us on Facebook! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As a non-profit ProgressiveChristianity.org/Progressing Spirit rely heavily on the good will of our donors to help us continue to bring individuals and churches the messages of progressive Christians, Weekly Newsletters, along with the many other resources we provide. For years, the majority of our fundraising came at the end of the year. Looking at various ways to create a more reasonable amount of cash flow we decided rather than having a BIG ask at the end of each year, our more frequent asks give folks a chance to contribute when their funds are more flexible. We think that's a win for everyone. We also want to highlight the opportunity to become a sustaining supporter. If you are looking for the best way to help us continue to provide progressive Christian resources, become a sustaining supporter by choosing Recurring Donation. Help keep ProgressiveChristianity.org online and going strong - click here to donate today! * Another way to support us is to leave a bequest in your Will and/or Trust designating us a beneficiary. | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited Studying Christian Art in Florence Italy Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong November 17, 2011The Florence Museum, known in Italy as the Musei Firenze, is best known for the massive marble statue of the youthful King David sculpted by Michelangelo. Housed in the section of the museum known as the Galleria dell’Accademia, this magnificent work of rare genius was accomplished with meticulous detail designed to reveal the beauty and splendor of the human body. The David statue draws thousands to the Galleria daily. This museum, however, also houses some of the world’s best known religious paintings. My wife Christine and I spent a day there in early October and I could not fail to note, as I have done before, that these masterpieces of religious art have played a significant role in the literalizing way that most people read the gospel narratives. Most of these well known paintings were commissioned originally to hang in churches during the time we call the early middle ages up to the 18th century. Since most people in that era could neither read nor write they gained much of their knowledge of the biblical story by looking at art. It never occurred to them to think that art was an interpretive idiom and not a literal one. They thus tended to see these paintings more like photographs that supposedly captured reality rather than as pieces of art that interpreted reality. That is also why what we call the “Stations of the Cross” were developed and became an almost universal mark of pre-reformation Christian churches. People could literally follow the final events of Jesus’ life as they walked past the scenes depicted in the paintings or wood carvings on the church walls. There was no such thing as critical biblical scholarship in those days. God was assumed to be the ultimate author of the scriptures. The people were not allowed to embrace the differences or the contradictions found in the various gospel accounts of the life of Jesus. So Christian art portrayed the mother of Jesus, frequently dressed in the garb of a nun, as present at the foot of the cross, even cradling the deceased body of her son. When Mel Gibson made his blockbuster movie, The Passion of Christ in 2004, this late developing image (and non-biblical without a gargantuan stretch) formed a central theme in his story. A search of the four gospels, however, will reveal that the mother of Jesus was nowhere near the cross in the earlier writings of Mark, Matthew or Luke, which were the first three gospels to appear. She makes her first appearance at the cross only in the Fourth Gospel, which is generally dated between the years 95-100. Her purpose in this appearance was so that Jesus could commend her to a figure who also is unknown outside the Gospel of John, the enigmatic figure referred to as “the Beloved Disciple.” He then, we are told takes the mother of Jesus to “his own home,” so she is not at the cross when Jesus dies. For those who study the Fourth Gospel seriously there is debate about whether this author intended to suggest in this episode that the mother of Jesus was to be understood as a literal person of history or as a symbol for Judaism, the mother of Christianity, and consequently, whether the Beloved Disciple was himself a person of history or a literary creation to represent the move of Christianity beyond the boundaries of Judaism into being a new entity. By commending his mother to the Beloved Disciple, Jesus was saying that the movement he was starting had to carry Judaism faithfully into a universal vocation. To support this symbolic conclusion, with which Rudolf Bultmann, who is probably the leading New Testament scholar of the 20th century, is identified, we note that only in this gospel is Jesus made to say, “Other sheep have I that are not of this fold. Them also I must bring until there is one flock and one shepherd.” None of those interpretative nuances, however, appeared in any of the artwork that I saw in the Florence Museum. Literalism was the only visible or viable interpretation, the only way to “read” the painting. I also saw three paintings, all dated in the first ten years of the 16th century that depicted not only Mary and the infant or youthful Jesus, but also, and always slightly larger, the youthful John the Baptist. These boys are portrayed in these paintings as closely associated in childhood, even growing up together. One of these paintings was by Bogliadini, one by Francesco Foschi and the third by Francesco de Ros. They had all painted the common myth that asserted a physical kinship between Jesus and John the Baptist. This kinship was defined by John Wycliffe in the early 14th century to be that of first cousins, his assumption being that Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Elizabeth, John’s mother, were sisters. There is only a tiny fragment in the Bible that will support such a conclusion and this single word does not appear in the tradition until the late 9th or early 10th decades. It is found in Luke alone, who is also the only writer to give us an account of the birth of John the Baptist. Typically, however, Luke compares John’s birth to the birth of Jesus, with John the Baptist always coming in less fantastic and less supernatural. It was as if Luke were saying that anything John could do, Jesus could do better. John was born to post-menopausal parents says Luke. That is pretty impressive, even though we now believe that this story was based on the Old Testament story of the birth of Isaac to his post-menopausal parents, Abraham and Sarah. Most scholars even doubt the historicity of the names attributed to John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, finding Old Testament antecedents for both. When John was born, said Luke, the neighbors all gathered to rejoice and his father Zechariah’s inability to speak was broken as he sings: “Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers for he has visited and redeemed his people.” Jesus, however, was said to have been born of a virgin, setting him apart from every other human life and, when he was born, it was not the neighbors who gathered to rejoice, but a host of angels who invaded the midnight sky to sing to shepherds. Luke’s tales of the biological origins of both John and Jesus were designed to bring the story of these two infants into proximity. He then embellishes this conclusion by having Mary, expectant with Jesus, go to visit Elizabeth, described as her “kinswoman,” (that is the single word) who was expectant with John. This visit, we are told, took place “in the hill country of Judea.” Even in this episode the purpose of the story is still to affirm Jesus’ superiority to John, for we are told the fetus of John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth leaps to salute the fetus of Jesus in Mary’s womb and that Elizabeth acknowledges the superiority of Mary’s child to her own. That is, I might add, a quite unusual thing for a Jewish mother to do! No one that I know of regards this episode as literal history. It is based to some degree on the story of Esau and Jacob contending together in the womb of Rebekah in the book of Genesis. The facts are historically that at first the Jesus movement and the John movement were related in that Jesus was originally a disciple of John and was baptized by John. Jesus’ first disciples were formerly disciples of John. Second, there is much evidence in the book of Acts and in the Fourth Gospel that there was a deep competition between the two movements with the followers of Jesus hard put to explain why Jesus had been baptized by John. By the time we get to the Fourth Gospel, written near the turn of the century, John does not baptize Jesus at all, but simply becomes a witness to him as messiah. Surely revisionist history is at work here. No hint of anything but objective history, however, is present in these famous paintings. They show Jesus and John as infants and as small children playing under the care of Jesus’ mother who was supposedly John’s Aunt Mary. Biblical scholarship was simply unavailable to the artists and was considered unnecessary by the people for whom they painted. Finally, there were many generic portraits of the crucifixion. I noted that every one of them portrayed Jesus bleeding from his side as well as from the nail prints in his hands and feet. The wound in his side was once more, however, a late addition to the crucifixion story, not making its appearance until the Fourth Gospel, written somewhere between 95 to100. In this gospel alone John says that a soldier went to hasten Jesus’ death by breaking his legs, but, finding him already dead, he hurled a lance or a spear into his side as a kind of coup de grace. The first three gospels know nothing of this spear wound. John adds it, he says, to show that it was the fulfillment of a text found in Zechariah (12:10): “They looked upon him whom they pierced and mourned for him as one mourns for an only son.” To portray Jesus as the fulfillment of the scriptures was a major theme in the early Christian movement and the memory of Jesus was frequently bent to portray that fulfillment. Indeed biblical scholars now even see the first description of the crucifixion, written by Mark in the early 70’s, not as the account of an eye witness at all, but as an interpretive piece of writing designed to portray the death of Jesus as the fulfillment of the scriptures. Mark’s account, we now recognize is not based on an eye witness, but primarily on Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. So what we have in the great works of medieval art is not scholarship, but an uninformed biblical ignorance designed to undergird the traditional version of the Christ story. Those images imprinted on our minds by this art have helped to squelch biblical scholarship through the ages and to teach us that any deviation from literalism is actually a deviation from “the true faith.” So in the life of the church scholarship was undermined as an act of unfaithfulness and even of heresy and those who dared to think outside the box were destined in that earlier era to be burned at the stake. In our day they are only destined to be marginalized as “troublemakers.” If one wonders why institutional Christianity is declining, perhaps even dying, in the modern world, one has only to look at how the art of the ages was used to support the literalism that turned the Bible itself into an idol. In the battle for the soul of Christianity and for the soul of the Christian Church in the 21st century, we must rescue the Bible from fundamentalism. A visit to any great museum to view the Christian art of the past makes this abundantly clear. ~John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements An Introduction to The Art of Circling Join our interactive group with international sensation and mindfulness practice leader, Andrea Bendewald, founder of the Art of Circling. Over the last eighteen months, Andrea’s circles have grown internationally as women from all over the world have participated in these transformational gatherings held virtually. January 29, 2022 12:30pm Pacific Time - READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Environmental Film: FACING ADVERSITY, CHOOSING EARTH, CHOOSING LIFE
by Ellie Stock 19 Jan '22

19 Jan '22

Dear Friends, The first film in 2022 winter/spring environmental film series hosted by the Ferguson Eco Team, (Ferguson/St. Louis, MO), will be FACING ADVERSITY, CHOOSING EARTH, CHOOSING LIFE and shown Thursday, January 20, 7:00 PM Central Time, followed by a reflection conversation. Due to COVID, the viewing will be via ZOOM. To register for the ZOOM linK: https://bit.ly/FETJan2022 . A ZOOM link will then be sent to you to access the event. Facing Adversity: Choosing Earth, Choosing Life is a 70-minute documentary that explores the speed, depth and magnitude of our growing planetary crisis, and the opportunity we have to meet this crisis consciously – with eyes and hearts wide open. Through a broad, whole-systems perspective, the film examines key challenges (climate change, inequities, species extinction, overconsumption, and more) and explores the deeper transformation being called forth from humanity. Woven throughout are stories from around the world illustrating both heart-breaking impacts and inspiring resilience. Engaging with this paradox — an unfolding global crisis paired with the opportunity to awaken to and serve the well-being of all of life — is the work of our lifetimes. The film features Duane Elgin, Victoria Santos, Jack Kornfield, Joanna Macy, Nate Hagens, Beena Sharma, Lynne Twist, and other contributors who are grappling with this paradox and offering guidance for navigating the times ahead. FACING ADVERSITY is based on the important 2020 book CHOOSING EARTH, Humanity's Great Transition to a Mature Planetary Civilization, by Duane Elgin, also author of the popular 1981 book, VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY. To register for the ZOOM linK: https://bit.ly/FETJan2022 . A ZOOM link will then be sent to you to access the event. If you would like a flyer for the event, we can mail it to you personally as an attachment. For more information, please contact: Carleton Stockcarletonstock(a)aol.com or Ellie Stockelliestock(a)aol.com

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Fw: Tuto and Da,ai Lama: An inspiring doumentary
by Ellie Stock 17 Jan '22

17 Jan '22

Hi Folks, Sorry for sending this so late. We just watched and were inspired by the documentary "Mission: Joy" about the friendship between Archbishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama and wanted to share it with you. In these challenging times, we think you will find this movie a source. Access to the film runs kut tonight. If you have time, you can watch "Mission: Joy" by going to https://vimeo.com/showcase/missionjoyscreener2021. The password is joy 122. The film's subtitle, "finding happiness in troubled times," is shown in the way these two wise elders interact and in the lessons they have to share. As the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King approaches, this documentary shows us again what can be done when religious leaders act on behalf of the common good. I hope you and yours are staying healthy. Grace and peace, Ellieelliestock(a)aol.com

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1/13//2022, Progressing Spirit: Kevin G. Thew Forrester: Liturgy: Corporate Practice of Presence; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 13 Jan '22

13 Jan '22

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screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv9595326565 #yiv9595326565templateBody .yiv9595326565mcnTextContent, #yiv9595326565 #yiv9595326565templateBody .yiv9595326565mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv9595326565 #yiv9595326565templateFooter .yiv9595326565mcnTextContent, #yiv9595326565 #yiv9595326565templateFooter .yiv9595326565mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Liturgy: Corporate Practice of Presence | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Kevin G. Thew Forrester, Ph.D January 13, 2022When Christians gather for liturgy; when we assemble for saying prayers, singing songs, hearing sermons; when we come together for Eucharist, it is simply assumed that we are engaging in worship. The last stanza of “An Affirmation of Faith” in the beautifully written A New Zealand Prayer Book, states: “You are our God. We worship you.” The mostly unquestioned and dominant vision of liturgy for millennia is that we gather to worship God, with kindred expressions in both Judaism and Islam. I sketch below a different, non-dual vision, reflective of the human experience of Reality in which every person is a human of Being. Presence and Jesus In this vision I am not speaking about presence as the presence of a god. Holy Mystery is not a reality that comes and goes. We are appreciating God as Presence. Presence is not a quality of a being but Being itself as the beating heart of existence. Theism is much too small. Being can in no way be circumscribed. Presence is a way of speaking about how Being, or Holy Mystery, is the Reality, the essence, of you, of me, and of every creature. All that exists only exists insofar as Being is its true nature, its essence. What the story of Jesus’ baptism points to is the beginning of his realization, in biblical poetry, that his Abba is his very heart. As he meditates, shares meals, teaches, dances, converses, grieves, his realization deepens. His egoic will is being transformed into “thy will,” which means his egoic wants are becoming transfigured into the soul’s spontaneous flow of living as Holy Mystery. Day-by-day, as his own defensiveness and egoic hungers diminish (what we call kenosis), Jesus is realizing his true nature is nothing other than Being. Presence is his being. This presence is not an abstract concept, or a theological position, but a palpably direct experience of being an authentic human being whose essence is boundless love. Softness, receptivity, non-judgment, sweetness, kindness, clarity, authentic strength, wisdom: these are some of the qualities of love, of Being, that Jesus comes to know directly and invites his community to realize as well. Jesus’ life, his path – and the liturgy of a gathered community – is about the personal realization of the presence of Being as the truth of our nature. In this realization of presence is begun the basic healing of the human heart and the unfolding of the soul. We begin the move from guarded egos to spontaneous souls. We not only fall in love with Reality, but we also realize that our own Reality is love. Love – the practice of being with the truth of the given moment – is the path. A Vision What might liturgy be for a Christianity become aware that Holy Mystery, or Being, is the Reality that is always already our true nature? When God language is no longer about some separate particular entity, but utterances of persons become aware that they are humans of Being. Anxiety about winning a god’s salvific favor has ceased to hold relevance. What matters to the human heart is the soul’s unfolding realization: her being is simply Being manifesting uniquely here and now in this beautiful fragile form. This Reality holds equally true for all creatures, great and small, sentient and insentient. Within this vision, Jesus, like Siddhartha, is a wisdom teacher because he has personally realized this truth as his own true nature and the true nature of Reality itself. In biblical language, he experiences his Abba as his heart. Jesus’ response is of one who has fallen in love, like a child with her mother, discovering that love itself is the fabric of life regardless of circumstances. Just as the realized Siddhartha takes on a new name – Buddha – so too does Jesus acquire a new identity in his personal realization – Christ. Both new identities, in this vision, bespeak human beings become fully aware of their own true nature, fully alive, fully human. With each – Siddhartha the Buddha and Jesus the Christ – there is the awareness that their personal realization requires tending, nurturing, struggle, practice, part of which is individual, part of which is essentially corporate. Human realization requires the support and presence of others in our lives rooted in a similar experience and thus committed to a similar vision. And so, Siddhartha the Buddha calls together and forms his sangha, and Jesus the Christ invites his disciples into a beloved community. The call is an invitation to experience the same realization as the teacher. Practice – both individual and corporate – will be the path and means of realization. Liturgy, Practice, Presence Within this vision, the “work of the people,” or liturgy, is the soul’s practice of becoming the truth of what and who we truly are. I am using the ancient word “soul” as shorthand for describing how each creature is Being present in a particular place and time. The ego, or personality, is the soul “contracted” by defenses and desires to secure the love it needs to exist; the spontaneity and freedom that is Being is blocked and mostly unconscious. The awakening of the soul is the person learning to live spontaneously as presence, their true nature. In liturgy, we gather to discover and deepen our awareness that there is no gap between us and Holy Mystery. Drawing upon Julian of Norwich we could say that grace and peace are always in in us, because they are us, but we do not always act from that love and peace. We become lost in our blindness to our own truth. We come to liturgy battered and bruised by our own inner critics, attachments, identities, societal prejudices – by the effects of human blindness. Liturgy is where we practice together and directly experience in our practice that in truth, we are love incarnate longing to live as such. In and through our practice we are gradually being born into the freedom that is our true nature. We gather to hear stories, sing songs, receive teachings, and be fed. Each of these, in this vision, has become a spiritual practice of presence. Liturgy – as a whole – is here re-grounded in a receptive listening flowing from the practice of meditation. Too much of corporate liturgy is busy “doing” rather than relaxed “being,” more reflective of cultural anxiety than spiritual awareness. Each authentic spiritual practice within liturgy flows from emptiness into embodiment such that it sparks curiosity, reignites the fire of soulful longing, and supports us in the gradual realization of our own Christhood. The path of Jesus is the soul’s gradual awakening to the truth that she is fully alive and thriving, become a living Christ. I envision liturgy that ceases to be the worship of a deity. It becomes our corporate spiritual practice of realizing that to be an authentic human being is to be nothing other than the unique presence of Holy Mystery here and now. Liturgy is the consistent corporate practice of together becoming the Reality of our true nature. ~ Kevin G. Thew Forrester, Ph.D Read online here About the Author Kevin G. Thew Forrester, Ph.D. is an Episcopal priest, a student of the Diamond Approach for over a decade, as well as a certified teacher of the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition. He is the founder of the Healing Arts Center of in Marquette, Michigan, and the author of five books, including I Have Called You Friends, Holding Beauty in My Soul’s Arms, and My Heart is a Raging Volcano of Love for You and Beyond my Wants, Beyond my Fears: The Soul’s Journey into the Heartland. Visit Kevin’s Blog: Essential Living: For The Soul’s Journey. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By John Is the Bible the final authority in Christian faith? A: By Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers Dear John, For Protestants, the unspoken assumption is that yes, the Bible is the final authority in Christian Faith. I grew up in a church tradition that took the Bible so seriously that we liked to say, Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent. Unfortunately, not everything that the Bible speaks about even matters anymore, nor do we consider its assumed premises to be equally moral. Take slavery for starters, or the second-class personhood of women. Both are “biblical.” Likewise with the idea that we should not speak about things the Bible doesn’t speak about—a kind of theology from silence. That leaves out of lot of things we all believe in now, even things we cherish. Electricity for starters, and the true manna of the church, the potluck casserole! So, it really depends on what you mean when you use the word “authority.” If that means infallible answers to any questions we might ask, then the Bible falls short. But if that means the collection of stories which comprise our formative and normative Story—which, though bound by time and culture still rings true in its essence so long as it is continually reinterpreted— then yes, the Bible is “authoritative” (as opposed to the final authority). But we should not be looking for a Paper Pope, as the Protestant approach to scripture is often described. Rather, we should remember that what is truly normative for our faith and life is love, and where love shines through the ages in scripture, we should celebrate it and be guided by it. But where the Bible warps the concept of love, or even distorts it, then we should fearlessly object. The Bible should be a signpost, not a hitching post, and we should take seriously all the other sources of truth, beauty, and wisdom in the world. Not every sermon needs to come from the Bible, nor does every word of the Bible deserve to be preached on. But whenever we use scripture to give authority to our preaching and teaching, our approach should always be guided by four principles: It should be biblical responsible, intellectually honest, emotionally satisfying, and social significant. As the United Church of Christ likes to say, “Never place a period where God has placed a comma. God is still speaking.” ~ Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers Read and share online here About the Author Rev. Dr. Robin R. Meyers is retired senior minister of Mayflower Congregational UCC Church, Oklahoma City, Distinguished Professor of Social Justice Emeritus in the Philosophy Department at Oklahoma City University, where he still teaches. He is the author of eight books on religion and American culture, the most recent of which is, “Saving God from Religion: A Minister’s Search for Faith in a Skeptical Age.” More information is at RobinMeyers.com | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together.Thank you for being a part of this community - join us on Facebook! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As a non-profit ProgressiveChristianity.org/Progressing Spirit rely heavily on the good will of our donors to help us continue to bring individuals and churches the messages of progressive Christians, Weekly Newsletters, along with the many other resources we provide. For years, the majority of our fundraising came at the end of the year. Looking at various ways to create a more reasonable amount of cash flow we decided rather than having a BIG ask at the end of each year, our more frequent asks give folks a chance to contribute when their funds are more flexible. We think that's a win for everyone. We also want to highlight the opportunity to become a sustaining supporter. If you are looking for the best way to help us continue to provide progressive Christian resources, become a sustaining supporter by choosing Recurring Donation. Help keep ProgressiveChristianity.org online and going strong - click here to donate today! * Another way to support us is to leave a bequest in your Will and/or Trust designating us a beneficiary. | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited Facing the Political Realities of Institutional Church Life in the Launch of Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong November 10, 2011On November 8, 2011, my publisher, Harper-Collins, released my newest book under the title Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World. The date of a book’s release is always a significant day in the life of an author, not unlike, I can at least imagine, the way a mother must feel when she gives birth to a baby. This book has been a growing part of me for the last three years, but during that time I could still change it, redefine concepts, rearrange parts, clarify places of confusion, improve a sentence here and there and even re-check a fact or a text. I still controlled this “baby’s” development. The publication date, however, signals that those days are over and separation between the parent-creator and the independent offspring has begun. The book now begins its own life. People will relate to it in a variety of ways. Some will find things in it that I did not know were there and did not even intend to be there. The book will receive a variety of responses, many of which will say more about the responders than they do about it. If past books are a guide, there will be expressions of appreciation from those who feel that it frees them from some of the restrictive and destructive ideas of their religious past, while others will express hostility since they will experience it as attacking their religious security. The first questions I will face in its launch will be about my motivation in writing it. Did I intend to upset the religious sensitivities of my critics? Is it simply an expression of my hubris that I place myself in opposition to traditional ideas that people assume, falsely I believe, have always marked the Christian faith? No matter how well prepared I am after years of experience as an author, it still amazes me to read the words of some reviewers and critics, who do not know me personally at all, but who will still ascribe motives of their own creation to my work. I am reminded once again that I should never underestimate the level of biblical ignorance that marks the lives of so many people, including some who actually head up fundamentalist theological seminaries and who presume to speak for God on television and radio. So before that tide begins to come in, I thought I would introduce this book personally to my readers and recall something of its birth and growth. People might be interested in this first hand bit of background that will put this book into the context that I, as its author, have envisioned for it. I have always had a dual career. My calling has been to the life of a priest and my church elected me to act out that calling in the role of a bishop. For 21 of my 45 year career I worked as a priest in cities like Durham and Tarboro, NC, and Lynchburg and Richmond, VA, and for 24 years I served as a bishop in the exciting and dynamic Diocese of Newark, which contains the suburbs of New York City west of the Hudson River in the seven northernmost counties of New Jersey. I found my priesthood the most deeply satisfying and personally fulfilling years of my career; while my years as a bishop were the most challenging and stretching. In both phases of that ministry, however, my life was marked with a hunger for knowledge and a deep thirst to understand and to communicate the symbols of my faith story in the language and concepts of my time in history. Early in my career, I expanded my ministry to a teaching role at such conference centers as Kanuga in Western North Carolina and then the Chautauqua Institute in Western New York. I spent summer vacations in places like the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, in graduate classes. I decided later in both Lynchburg and Richmond that my particular vocation was to introduce the people in my congregation to the world of biblical scholarship. I discovered that this knowledge when shared was generally welcomed and was received as my giving these people “permission to think” about God, the Bible and religion in ways that they somehow felt had been denied to them in the past. When I was elected bishop, I determined that I would be a teaching bishop, available to challenge and be challenged by the people I served. I deliberately went public in books and in lectures to open people to the theological debates of our generation. I wanted to give the clergy who worked with me the freedom to venture beyond the boundaries behind which so often both they and their congregations hid in a kind of false safety. To keep up with the scholarship in the field that is necessary to do this task, I did special study units at such eminent theological centers in this nation as Union Theological Seminary in New York City, Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge and ultimately included stints in the UK in such roles as “Scholar in Residence” in both Magdalen College and Christ Church at Oxford. I was elected Quatercentenary Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1992. I also read voraciously, primarily concentrating on the area of the study of scripture. Later in my career I was elected “a fellow” in the Jesus Seminar and in 2000 was named the William Belden Noble lecturer at Harvard University. I was invited to teach at Harvard Divinity School, at both the Graduate Theological Union and the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA and at the Theological School of Drew University in Madison, NJ. With one foot in the academic world and one in the institutional church, I became aware of the enormous gap that exists between the two, about which I have spoken in this column just recently. Things that are essentially commonplace and even “old news” in the academy appear to be controversial and to create enormous tension in the congregations as well as becoming a source of great negativity and suspicion at “denominational headquarters.” In the academy to treat the Bible literally is regarded as absurd. In the churches, however, many people know of no other way to read scripture and their clergy actually collude in this ignorance. Do we really think that our people still believe that a star can travel through the sky so slowly that wise men can keep up with it? Can they still believe that God dictated the Ten Commandments when they discover three different and mutually contradictory versions of these Commandments in the Bible? Do they think that God simply did not get them right the first time? In the church in many places Darwin and evolution are still opposed in the name of “preserving the faith.” In academic circles evolution is the basis of biology and is assumed in the modern practice of medicine. Even when we get our flu shots we learn that the flu strains evolve from year to year to adapt to the vaccines of yesterday. In the light of what we know today about genetics and reproduction, can people still believe in the Virgin Birth as biology? In the light of what we know about what happens to a human body within minutes after it dies, can people still think of the resurrection as the resuscitation of a deceased body after three days? In the light of what we know about astrophysics and the size of our universe, can people still treat the story of the ascension of Jesus to return to God as a literal event? God has not lived above the sky in the educated Western world since the days of Galileo. Beyond these conceptual problems if people actually studied the Bible they would be well aware that these treasured books disagree with each other on very essential matters like who constituted Jesus’ twelve disciples and even on the basic details of the Easter story. There is hardly a detail in the Easter story found in one gospel that is not contradicted in another. Church leaders, who surely must be aware of these realities, seem eager not to allow it to be shared. Indeed, they tend to suppress this knowledge. Perhaps this is why there is something like a conspiracy of silence going on in our churches that prevents the knowledge available in the academy from filtering through the pulpit to engage the lives of the people in the pews. Institutional leaders, including many clergy, seem to fear that truth and scholarship might disturb the faithful and cause the institutions to decline and their revenues to drop. These leaders, perhaps fearful of controversy, need to realize that the people who are still in our churches do not live in a vacuum and that the number of people who find little or no meaning in the way Christianity is presented is increasing. Church leaders counter these realities with the assertion that the fundamentalist churches are growing and they offer this as a rationale for not doing the hard work of Christian scholarship. There is a statistical germ of truth in that assertion, but who among us thinks that ignorance will finally prevail or that cultivating an ecclesiastical fortress mentality that is resistant to new knowledge will finally succeed? Fundamentalism, in both its Catholic and its Protestant forms, is in fact increasingly ghettoized in our society today and the modern world is becoming increasingly non-religious. I still believe that Christianity can engage the modern mind in significant dialogue if we dare to take the biblical and theological knowledge that is currently available seriously. I believe that we ought not to seek to dodge, but to address the questions that impinge upon us daily from the world of knowledge. I have seen this engagement bear fruit when it has been practiced. I believe it can happen world-wide. To be a resource in this effort is why I wrote Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World. I want to make the knowledge available in the world of Christian scholarship equally available to the people in the pews and in a language they can understand. The seminary I attended had these words as its motto. “Seek the truth, come whence it may, cost what it will.” That has also been the motto of my ordained career and this book is published as a part of that same conviction. Truth and God can never be in conflict. If they are, either what we call truth is wrong or how we define God is wrong. I want us to be able to look at both possibilities.~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements The Saturday Service Rabbi Brian’s spirituligious service Available on n Zoom, Facebook/YouTube and Audio Only Saturdays at 9:00 – 10:00 am (PT) READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Environmental Film: FACING ADVERSITY, CHOOSING EARTH, CHOOSING LIFE
by Ellie Stock 12 Jan '22

12 Jan '22

Hi Folks, Regarding the 1/20/2022 viewing/conversation of Duane Elgin's documentary, FACING ADVERSITY, CHOOSING EARTH, CHOOSING LIFE, if you are unable to participate you can go to the CHOOSING EARTH website (see below) where there is a link to both the trailer and the full 70-minute documentary FACING ADVERSITY, CHOOSING EARTH, CHOOSING LIFE. I hope 2022 is a good year for you and all of us as we seek ways to choose Earth for the sake of present and future generations. Ellie :)elliestock@aol.com - Home - Choosing Earth choosingearth.orgChoosing Earth is choosing the well-being of all life. This is a time of great uncertainty as we recognize we face a global mega-crisis. Helping to catalyze personal and social awakening to the critical challenges to humanity’s future. Fostering a relational consciousness grounded in our connection with Earth and a living Universe. - EventsThe Earth is in crisis on all levels from destruction of the... - The TeamCo-Director. Coleen develops and leads educational programs... - Choosing EarthFill Out the form below to receive more information about... - DocumentaryAbout the film. Facing Adversity: Choosing Earth, Choosing... - BookDuane has revised Choosing Earth and a new edition will be... - AboutThe goal of the Choosing Earth Project is to foster... - ResourcesA new story and new consciousness:. Findhorn New Story Hub:... - DonateWe are currently fundraising for our July 1, 2021 – June 30,... - Tools for GroupsA major goal of the Choosing Earth Project is to provide... - From: OE <oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of Ellie Stock via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Sent: Monday, January 10, 2022 1:43 PM To: dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net>; oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Cc: Ellie Stock <elliestock(a)aol.com> Subject: [Oe List ...] Environmental Film: FACING ADVERSITY, CHOOSING EARTH, CHOOSING LIFE Dear Friends, The first film in 2022 winter/spring environmental film series hosted by the Ferguson Eco Team, (Ferguson/St. Louis, MO), will beFACING ADVERSITY, CHOOSING EARTH, CHOOSING LIFE and shownThursday, January 20, 7:00 PM Central Time, followed by a reflection conversation. Due to COVID, the viewing will be viaZOOM. To register for the ZOOM linK: https://bit.ly/FETJan2022 . A ZOOM link will then be sent to you to access the event. Facing Adversity: Choosing Earth, Choosing Life is a 70-minute documentary that explores the speed, depth and magnitude of our growing planetary crisis, and the opportunity we have to meet this crisis consciously – with eyes and hearts wide open. Through a broad, whole-systems perspective, the film examines key challenges (climate change, inequities, species extinction, overconsumption, and more) and explores the deeper transformation being called forth from humanity. Woven throughout are stories from around the world illustrating both heart-breaking impacts and inspiring resilience. Engaging with this paradox — an unfolding global crisis paired with the opportunity to awaken to and serve the well-being of all of life — is the work of our lifetimes. The film features Duane Elgin, Victoria Santos, Jack Kornfield, Joanna Macy, Nate Hagens, Beena Sharma, Lynne Twist, and other contributors who are grappling with this paradox and offering guidance for navigating the times ahead. FACING ADVERSITY is based on the important 2020 bookCHOOSING EARTH, Humanity's Great Transition to a Mature Planetary Civilization, by Duane Elgin, also author of the popular 1981 book, VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY. To register for the ZOOM linK: https://bit.ly/FETJan2022 . A ZOOM link will then be sent to you to access the event. If you would like a flyer for the event, we can mail it to you personally as an attachment. For more information, please contact: Carleton Stockcarletonstock(a)aol.com or Ellie Stockelliestock(a)aol.com #yiv3422071612 P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}

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A moment of awe ...
by Timothy Wegner 10 Jan '22

10 Jan '22

Folks, if you haven't gotten your copy of Mike Tippett's "The Directory" (or if you have gotten it but not looked at it yet), have a look at the six pages following the one page introduction. These six pages have an alphabetic listing, with two columns on a page, of the 520 names of colleagues who have died, with those who died this year in bold. My response was to be struck by a moment of awe and mystery, and to briefly see a vision of the timeline of my own life, viewed from outside time. As moderator of the oe and dialogue lists, I am well aware that one important function of these lists is to share news of passings. But seeing the list of all 520 saints moves that reflection to a whole new level. Tim, who just moved into most likely the last quarter century of his life. Tim Mike can be reached at movementdir(a)aol.com

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Might be an interesting study book
by James Wiegel 09 Jan '22

09 Jan '22

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09G2GKWRS/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk Jim Wiegel “A revolution is on the horizon: a wholesale transformation of the world economy and the way people live.” Fred Krupp

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Contemplative Monk--Hafiz
by Ellie Stock 08 Jan '22

08 Jan '22

Hope Beyond Hope?Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com Contemplative Monk--Hafiz Contemplative Monk January 5 at 3:39 AM · I sometimes forgetthat I was created for Joy.My mind is too busy.My Heart is too heavyfor me to rememberthat I have beencalled to dancethe Sacred dance of life.I was created to smileTo LoveTo be lifted upAnd to lift others up.O’ Sacred OneUntangle my feetfrom all that ensnares.Free my soul.That we mightDanceand that our dancingmight be contagious.~Hafiz

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Earthrise Witness: Wise Hope
by Karen Snyder 07 Jan '22

07 Jan '22

Thank you Sandra for your powerful reminder of the importance of hope in our lives today. The term ‘wise hope’ speaks to my heart. As I emailed you, in the Archives we have the perspective that anything that happened before today has become history - or herstory - and can be included. And special thanks for your willingness to have your words added to the Archives. In response to Ellie’s comment about resurrecting hope lectures, there are a few hope talks on the Archives website at: https://icaglobalarchives.org/collections/exploring-inner-life/spirit-life-… <https://icaglobalarchives.org/collections/exploring-inner-life/spirit-life-…>. If you have other messages about hope you feel would be helpful to add to these, please email them to me as a PDF to add to the website: Wise Hope, Sandra Conant, January, 2022 Harbingers of Hope <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/7591.pdf>, David McCleskey, 19th Guardians Consult, October 17-19, 1980 The World of Hope <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/7983.pdf>, Global Research Assembly, July 1980 To Deal with the Whole, To Care for the Whole, To Hope for the Whole <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/7037.pdf>, Joseph Slicker, October 10, 1975 Hope: 1975 Sydney <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/541.pdf>, Joseph Mathews, August 23, 1975 Living Endlessness <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/6852.pdf>, Ron Clutz, 11th Global Research Assembly, July 5, 1975 Consciousness of Hope Beyond Hope <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/6718.pdf>, Gene Marshall, Global Research Assembly, July 3, 1975 Hope Beyond Hope, <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/7293.pdf> Notes, Gene Marshall, 1975 And Hope Appeareth <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/7252.pdf>, Gene Marshall, Collegium, December 30, 1974 Hope <https://wedgeblade.net/gold_path/data/meth/100288.htm>, Advent 1974 Hope <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/4346.pdf>, Joseph Mathews, Seventh Guardians Consult, October 13, 1974 Hope <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/539.pdf>, Joseph Mathews, Guardians Meeting, October 12, 1974 Fifth City: A Sign of Hope <https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/14916.pdf>, Joseph Slicker, January 1974 Peace, Karen karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com > On Jan 5, 2022, at 11:17 AM, Ellie Stock via Earthrise <earthrise(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: > > Maybe time to resurrect the Hope Beyond Hope lectures... > > Ellie > elliestock(a)aol.com > > >> On 5 Jan 2022, at 4:15 am, Sandra Conant via Earthrise <earthrise(a)lists.wedgeblade.net <mailto:earthrise@lists.wedgeblade.net>> wrote: >> >> WISE HOPE >> >> In this time when “optimism” seems naïve and the despair of hopelessness is unacceptable, I’m thinking about what others have called “wise hope.” The idea has been around a long time, but it was Vaclav Havel’s letter from prison that first impressed me: >> >> “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. “ >> >> Then there’s Rumi: >> I died from a mineral and plant became, Died from the plant, took a sentient frame; Died from the beast, donned a human dress - When by my dying did I ever grow less? >> >> Finally, the image that has been on my mind lately is the journey of metamorphosis. A squat, ugly worm is born. Its life consists of munching its way through countless leaves and growing fat. Somehow or the other it weaves a shell and has an indefinite period of “life in the mush” as a friend called it many years ago. At some point, the cocoon breaks open, and a brand new, totally different creature emerges. It can be a small brown moth or a Blue Morpho or a Monarch, but whatever its frame, there’s simply no denying that it’s a miracle. The source of its happening is pure, unadulterated mystery. >> >> And somehow, these elements are combining to give me a sense of what I mean with “wise hope”. No, it’s not optimism about the future or dreams of life returning to “normal”. The entire world has been traumatized with the relentless reminder of its powerlessness. It’s not having MY personal timeline for ‘life in the mush’ or even for what will emerge when the cocoon opens. >> >> Confidence in a future with meaning must reside in the certainty that it will look different, that it may not be at all what you want, that positive change may not happen before you die. So it’s a miracle to be able to say “thank you” and dwell in gratitude that we’re here for this awakening. It’s a miracle that you’re alive, that every day comes new and opens a portal to the future. >> There’s a singer I love named Carrie Newcomer. Besides writing rich, thought-provoking songs, she has a quirk I appreciate. Her songs just sorta end. She’s singing, then she’s not singing. The song hangs in the air, unresolved. And there’s a whiff, a tiny whiff, of anticipation. >> >> Perhaps that’s as close as I can get. >> >

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Re: [Dialogue] [Earthrise] A Contemporary Christmas Story
by Ellie Stock 06 Jan '22

06 Jan '22

Thanks, Jo--cause for great gratitude and celebration! Ellie :) -----Original Message----- From: Jo Nelson via Earthrise <earthrise(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> To: earthrise(a)lists.wedgeblade.net; ICA Dialogue List <dialogue(a)wedgeblade.net> Sent: Wed, Jan 5, 2022 12:13 pm Subject: [Earthrise] A Contemporary Christmas Story A witness of sorts — some of you may have read this through a link to my blog in the Nelson annual family letter. This is a true story, happening in real time. The baby is due in a week. These events have brought me to a state of profound joy and gratitude. In these uncertain and dark times, I think we need a storyof joy and hope. Interestingly, it has resonancewith the story of the Christmas season. Itell this story with deep gratitude. It is shared without names, photos orprecise locations for privacy and safety reasons. August An Afghan family has educated all of its children, including7 girls, and 5 of the children, now adults, are in the Western world. Theiroldest son is a lawyer and supports his parents, his wife and children. TheTaliban offensive targets their regional city, killing a lawyer. They threaten his friend, the oldest son ofthis family, and his family, with death. The lawyer flees the regional city for Kabul, leaving his pregnantwife and 2 small children with her family in a nearby village, and his elderly parentsin the house he built for them. The Taliban try to burn down the house of the parents, whohide for several days, fearing they will come back. Finally they gather their daughter-in-law andthe children, and decide to brave the dangerous road to Kabul to join their sonrather than wait for certain death in their city. They escape Kabul just after the airport bombing at the endof August on a flight chartered by a non-profit group, with only theirbackpacks of documents and a few clothes. For the next 4 months they are shuttled from refugee camp torefugee camp, from Doha, to Frankfurt, to Pennsylvania, to New Mexico, toMichigan, homeless but relatively safe. DecemberOn the last day of November, the whole family are admittedto Canada as refugee claimants. Animmigration official stages their papers compassionately so that each becomesan anchor person for the next, allowing them all to enter immediately. They reunite with their youngest son, who is already inCanada, but have to stay in a motel for 3 weeks because there is no availableplace to rent. The cost is astronomicalfor a family of 6 with no income. Friends (including a young real estate agent) and the familywork frantically to find rental housing for a family of 4 adults and 2children. Several landlords refuse to rent to a family with only inadequategovernment support. One landlord has a vacant house for rent, but then decidesthat he is not going to rent. He plans to sell the house in January. A family friend who has tutored one of the daughters and hasknown the family for more than 10 years appeals for donations for householdgoods, clothes, and children’s toys, and many generous people, neighbours,family, and friends of friends respond. One family shares the request withtheir young children, who go through their toys and clothes and donate severalboxes, while a pregnant woman donates baby things that she has herself beengiven. Finally a wise man, a colleague and deep friend of the familyfriend, decides to break the logjam. Heworks with the real estate agent, and within 36 hours, he has signed anagreement with the landlord/seller to buy the vacant house with the conditionof immediate occupancy. The next day thefamily gets the key and moves in. Thecollected household goods, clothing, and children’s books and toys aredelivered by the family friend, and 2 days later the rental agreement issigned. The baby, due in a few weeks, will not have to be born in astable, or in a refugee camp. The family does not have to fear bombs orTaliban, and is safe and secure in Canada. They can go on to establishthemselves here. The family is overcome with gratitude. Everyone who contributed as well as the family itself isfeeling the joy of the season. Prayersof gratitude have been offered up in several religious traditions. ++++++++++++++++++++++ The name of the group, "earthrise," refers to the photo taken on December 24, 1968, showing the Earth rising over the horizon of the moon. The image has become a powerful symbol of mystery, awe, and responsibility.

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