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Summer Singing - Double CD set
by Timothy Wegner 22 Jul '13

22 Jul '13

Here at last. The Archive Team is pleased to announce that the two CD set of 31 songs, sung by OE/EI/ICA groups and Len Dressler, is now available for purchase. Enjoy the singing of Summer '72 with the opening ceremonies of the Congregations (where were you sitting). Experience a special selection of Joe Mathew's talk "The Peace of Christ in the Modern City". Go to ICA-USA.org. Click on the Bookstore and go to Books/DVD/CD. Place your order - $25.00 plus $6.00 p&h. You do not have to be a member to order and there is no "code". Purchase an additional one as a gift.

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Completed Life of Ruth Reames
by Jim Slotta 20 Jul '13

20 Jul '13

(from Jim Slotta in Denver) Dear ICA Colleague Ruth Reames has died. I am forwarding to the ICA and OE listserves an email from Ruth's brother, Phil Nelson. ICA Denver Colleagues know Ruth Reames to have lived an authentic life, and to have been a cherished friend and valued colleague. She was a spiritual leader of leaders. May GOD bless her soul as it joins her husband Mark in this last phase of life. She and Mark were United Methodist missionaries to Japan for 25 years. Shared here are comments from Sherwood & Eunice Shankland, from Sunny Walker, and from Catherine Welch: === Phil, Seth, family and friends, We stand together as the world stops for a moment on Ruth's amazing journey... We hear the roaring sound of peaceful silence as time marches on... We grieve and celebrate a life well lived... We appreciate the love and care of family and friends... We dare to grasp the torch of care that Ruth has passed on to us... In Peace we are grateful for another day... Blessings all around, Sherwood and Eunice === === And another quite bright star shines in the Heavens. Ruth is laughing at my 2-story Universe remark and I'm pausing as she settles back comfortably in her chair on my meditative council. Grace and peace be to all who were blessed by her presence, Sunny === === Thank you for sending us word of Ruth's passing. I don't think I've ever known anyone personally who lived her convictions more than Ruth. For example, when Ruth came to believe that using resources like paper products was unsustainable, she would pack up 20 ceramic cups and bowls and carry them to an event where a meal was being served. She rode her bike all around town to meetings and events, stating that although she needed a knee replacement, which she eventually got, the exercise would benefit her rehab. She showed generous hospitality to people of many different cultures and backgrounds. In recent years as her memory failed for details, she nevertheless retained a gracious appreciation for the familiar faces of friends. Our lives are deeply enriched by having known her. Grace and Peace, Catherine Welch === Begin forwarded message: > From: philhnelson(a)aol.com > Date: July 20, 2013 11:46:59 AM MDT > To: kathryn.smith.560(a)gmail.com, sunwalker(a)comcast.net > Cc: emshankland(a)comcast.net, catherine(a)welchbox.com, cynthia.walker82(a)yahoo.com > , annepps(a)pd.jaring.my, bbsample(a)ix.netcom.com, dmdunn1(a)gmail.com, eric.n.smith.1(a)gmail.com > , jslotta(a)earthlink.net, jlepps39(a)gmail.com, mleesugg(a)msn.com, oslotta(a)earthlink.net > , sherwoodshankland(a)comcast.net, sjsnelling(a)comcast.net, wfepley(a)yahoo.com > , matthewr(a)uwalumni.com, sarjamin(a)tkg.att.ne.jp > Subject: Re: Update on Ruth from Seth > > All -- > > Ruth passed away around 6 pm last night (Friday, July 19). > She died peacefully in hospice care. > I was fortunate to be there as she breathed her last breath. > > My best to all of you, > > Phil Nelson > > ps. I suspect this email list is incomplete. Please forward as you > see fit. > >

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Fw: [How to Stand in Solidarity with African Americans this weekend After Trayvon Martin
by Janice Ulangca 19 Jul '13

19 Jul '13

Forwarded by Janice Ulangca ----- Original Message ----- From: Rabbi Michael Lerner To: aulangca(a)stny.rr.com Sent: Friday, July 19, 2013 2:31 PM Subject: [How to Stand in Solidarity with African Americans this weekend After Trayvon Martin Tikkun to heal, repair and transform the world A note from Rabbi Michael Lerner Join or Donate Now! Janice, I just go off the phone with J. Alfred Smith, Sr. the senior pastor emeritus of the largest African American church in Oakland. He told me how this (Friday) morning, on a walk in a wooded area near his home and walking with a cane, he saw a white woman with a dog coming toward him, and momentarily he was filled with fear that the dog might attack him and if he lifted the cane to protect himself who knew if she might be carrying a gun or in some way put him in danger--a result of the Trayvon Martin murder.Finally, she smiled at him and he felt a relief of tensions. He told me he was crying when he heard from another pastor at his church that I had approached his church yesterday to ask if it would be o.k. for Jews and other spiritual progressives (of every ethnic, racial, religious or secular identity) to come to his church this Sunday so that we could show solidarity with the African American community. He said that he was so overjoyed with this gesture at a time when fears are so profound that he cried, and was still, at the moment he was talking to me, on the verge of tears. Yes, he said, do come, and do spread the word to others, "though just your presence, Rabbi Lerner, will speak volumes to Oakland's African American community about the solidarity of the Jewish community with our Black community." So that is why I'm writing to YOU to urge you to either come with me on Sunday or go to a nearer African American church this Sunday and let the African American community in your neighborhood or town know that they are not alone, that we understand their fear and stand in solidarity with them. No matter where you came out on the Zimmerman trial, you can still stand in solidarity with African Americans, support them in their grief, and signal to them that they are not alone. This weekend there will be at least a hundred demonstrations calling for justice in the murder of Trayvon Martin. You can call your local NAACP or go on line to find the one closest to you. We hope you will attend one. But I'm also asking you to try this other way to express solidarity with ordinary African Americans who are once again reminded of how pervasive and frightening the racism is that surrounds and for many defines the lives of African Americans in this country. We at Tikkun and the interfaith and secular-humanist-welcoming (i.e. you dont have to believe in God to join us) Network of Spiritual Progressives urge you to show up at your local African American churches in your town, and just be with people as they grieve and express their fears. You will encounter there a different section of the African American community than you'll find at the demonstrations. And those church-goers are actually likely to be very appreciative if you are coming. If you have time, you could draw up a short leaflet explaining why you are there.Or contact your local AfricanAmerican church and ask the pastor for his/her advice about the best way you can show solidarity. But J Alfred Smith Sr. made clear to me that people would welcome your presence even without alerting the pastors in advance.(Of course, if you are already part of an integrated church community and you believe that this issue is going to be discussed there this Sunday, then you don't need to go elsewhere to find solidarity with Africna Americans--just go to that community) If you are going to be in the S.F. Bay Area this weekend, how about coming with me to the Allen Temple Baptist Church, 8501 International Blvd, Oakland, Ca.? It would be great to be there with some other spiritual progressives. Lets meet there at 10:45 a.m. and try to sit together? Give yourself time to find parking in the area. Love and Blessings to you! Michael Rabbi Michael Lerner RabbiLerner.Tikkun(a)gmail.com ****************************** Below is an example of the way the murder of Trayvon Martin has been received by many African Americans. My heart and head ache this evening. My son Israel turned 15 last week and he's having a belated birthday party tonight. He asked me if he and his friends could go outside this evening and play "Cops and Robbers" with his Nerf guns. My stomach lurched and cold fingers of fear grasped at my throat when I imagined my dark son, dressed in a sweatshirt, running through the streets of our neighborhood. With a dry mouth and wet eyes, I angrily told him that he could not go outside and play a simple childhood game. I hope he knows that I am not angry with him, but I'm infuriated with the world we're raising him in. I'm angry at myself for limiting my son and denying him his youth because I'm petrified of what may happen to him for LWB (living while brown). I'm angry that black and brown boys are always seen as a threat, and never the joyful kids I know them to be. The verdict in the Trayvon Martin case has caused so much pain for so many, and our family grieves tonight. We mourn not just Trayvon and his family, but for the loss of innocence and freedom every brown and black kid endures with this verdict. -------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------

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7/17/13, Spong: Scandal in the Roman Catholic Church: The Charade Goes On!
by Ellie Stock 19 Jul '13

19 Jul '13

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR Scandal in the Roman Catholic Church: The Charade Goes On! The Roman Catholic Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, is the Most Reverend George Pell. He is a tall, impressive-looking man, whose career in his church has followed the traditional path of those who become significant Catholic leaders. He, like most upwardly mobile priests, received at least part of his training in the Pontifical College of Rome, where he came to the attention of Vatican leaders. Promotion came rapidly until he found himself the Archbishop of Melbourne in the Australian province of Victoria. Here he developed a leadership style that included a group of priestly advisers that stood somewhat outside the traditional lines of the church’s authority system. Their existence was not unknown to the wider public and they began to be referred to as the “Archbishop’s kitchen cabinet.” The membership of the group was certainly known to those who cared to know. This group even had a nickname. In some critical circles they were referred to as “the girls.” During this time, the Australian Catholic Church was reeling with stories of the priestly abuse of minors. There was a public cry for a “thorough investigation.” Some even wanted that investigation to be conducted by some authority outside the church, fearing that a church-led investigation would be little more than a cover up. That has been a common experience in other countries. It is quite difficult for any institution to investigate its own sins and shortcomings with any degree of objectivity. For that same reason in the world of politics, when corruption or misbehavior is suspected, there is always a cry from the party not in power for an “independent” prosecutor or investigator. The Roman Church, which has always shrouded many of its activities and operations in mystery and secrecy, resisted that call and announced that this investigation of the misbehavior of Catholic priests would be undertaken and directed by a much respected bishop, who was also a rising star in the Australian Catholic Church. His name was the Most Reverend Geoffrey Robinson. He and his investigating commission were appointed amid all the usual promises of thoroughness and the express commitment to “to get to the bottom” of this embarrassing episode. It was said by Bishop Robinson, upon his appointment to this crucial work, that he would not hesitate to recommend the purging and the punishment of those who were found to be guilty. Because of Bishop Robinson’s sterling reputation for integrity, the appointment of this committee under his leadership was accepted in good faith and its existence served to quiet the wolves who were howling around the structures of Australia’s Catholic Church. Revelation after revelation continued to find public outlet and each one served to rock this church to its core, eroding both its reputation for honesty and its presumed integrity. This Australian commission had to get beyond the usual defenses in which this church has traditionally dodged its responsibility by suggesting that the abuse was the result of “a few bad apples in the priesthood.” To support this point of view the argument of mathematics has usually been applied. It goes something like this: “Out of the thousands of Catholic priests around the world, the number accused of misbehavior is miniscule. When these few violating individuals have been dealt with and purged from the church, order will be restored and the dignity of the Church and its priesthood will also be re-established.” The church also offered the threadbare excuse that at that time this church did not have the proper protocols in place. They seemed not to recognize that it should not take protocols to recognize that child abuse is a crime. So also is the covering up of that abuse a crime. Three things were wrong with these smokescreens. First, the records indicated that the clerical abuse of minors had been well known to the hierarchy of this church for decades and it had not been dealt with. Secondly, it was discovered that offending clergy had not been purged, but had rather been transferred to another jurisdiction where the pattern of abuse could and did continue. Thirdly, it was discovered that the silence of victims had been purchased and apparently achieved to guarantee that the reputation of the church not be damaged! The leaders of this Church were far more interested in protecting their facade of righteousness than they were with rooting out the problem and dealing with it. A massive cover up was orchestrated from the very top, which serves very well to broadcast guilt, but does little else. Ultimately, it began to be clear that the clergy abuse of minors was a universal reality in this church all over the world. There is hardly a diocese in the Catholic Church in America that has not faced lawsuits and public accusations. There is hardly a prelate who has not been tainted with the charge of cover up. A problem this widespread cannot be dismissed as the result of “a few bad priests!” It was also then revealed to be a world wide phenomenon. Ireland, Canada, Germany, Scotland, Italy, England, Latin America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and many other nations and regions of the world reported a veritable epidemic of priestly abuse. “A few bad apples” could not account for the world wide dimensions of this scandal. That was little more than a face-saving delusion. Every time this church proclaimed that the problem had been addressed and the wound cauterized, another public charge appeared. Some of the highest ranking cardinals in this church, including those in major Catholic areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago had their reputations soiled and their guilt exposed. Among the most guilty was Bernard Law of Boston. He was forced to resign, but in an act which cast doubt on whether “the old boys club” of the Catholic Church would ever deal honestly with this issue, he was immediately appointed to a prestigious position in the Vatican, where he had the “honor” of presiding over one of the funeral masses when Pope John Paul II died. That is a long distance from the prison cell that his behavior merited. Systemic revelations reveal not an individual, but a systemic problem. Systemic cover ups reveal both systemic knowledge and systemic guilt. The scandal even approached the office of the former Cardinal Archbishop of Munich, Joseph Ratzinger, who was at that time ruling over this church as Pope Benedict XVI. Meanwhile in Australia, Geoffrey Robinson’s committee began to ruffle feathers with the thoroughness of its investigation. No one in the hierarchy expected him to be this zealous, this willing to expose corruption in high places. When the report was issued, it was welcomed by everyone in Australia except the hierarchy of his church. He had violated a governing principle of that church, which had been incorporated into the vows of everyone chosen to be one of its bishops, namely that they would always protect the public reputation of the church. They never quite understood that one of the clearest ways to protect the public reputation of the church is to root out scandal publicly and to purge the church of offending priests and those hierarchical figures, who were guilty of covering up these crimes. The result of Bishop Robinson’s investigation was that his own faith and integrity began to be challenged and attacked by his colleagues. He was quickly marginalized. His report was received and, in effect, filed. His promising ecclesiastical career was derailed. There were many who believed that he might have been appointed the Archbishop of Sydney, a position in Australia like that of New York in America, where such an appointment is seen as almost always the preliminary to be given the Red Hat of a Cardinal. That, however, was not to be. His report gathered dust in the files of Rome and Sydney and his career was effectively ended. When the appointment of the new archbishop of Sydney was announced, George Pell, the Archbishop of Melbourne, was the choice. Pell himself was then accused of molesting a 12 year old boy when he was a seminarian, so he stood down while an investigation was conducted led by a committee of the church that finally cleared him not on the basis of established innocence, but on the basis of “insufficient evidence.” It was hardly a ringing exoneration. When he was chosen for the position in Sydney, he made public comments that were considered quite derogatory to homosexual people. When he was installed, his first message to the people of Australia was not some grand vision of the Australian Catholic and Christian future, it was an announcement that “unrepentant” homosexuals and those who “supported homosexual acceptance” and who worked for homosexual justice through an Australian organization know as “The Sash” were not to be welcomed to receive the Eucharist. He even said upon his appointment to Sydney that he hoped there were “no homosexuals” there. In despair over this appointment, Bishop Robinson offered his resignation as a bishop to the Pope, indicating that he could not in good conscience pledge his loyally to the new Archbishop of Sydney. In time, the Cardinal’s hat was placed on the head of George Pell. Recently, the scandal of priestly abuse and hierarchical cover up in the Australian Church broke out again publicly with seemingly incontrovertible evidence. In the ensuing trial Cardinal Pell formally admitted that a cover up had gone on in the Australian Catholic Church, though he claimed not to have been a part of it. He attempted to excuse it with the tired and uninspiring statement that the cover up was initiated “out of concern for the reputation of the church.” Nothing has changed. The cover up of the cover up is now exposed. Bishop Robinson in retirement continues to write and to lecture. He will not be silenced. Francis, the new Pope, recently announced that he was forming Council of Cardinals to advise him on problems facing his church. One of those appointed advisers is George Pell of Sydney. Do they think we don’t remember? Do they think we don’t know? The charade remains intact. John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. Question & Answer Scott Forsgren, via the Internet, writes: Question: Thank you for coming forward in your series on the birth of Jesus with the Christian story formation that has been withheld from lay people in our churches overt the past two centuries. I initially heard you speak when you were interviewed on national public radio this year. I was shocked, but delighted by your honesty and bravery. For, as much as I have tried for 40 years to become a good Christian, I have always felt guilt at the same time for all the non-Christians of the world who apparently were not going to make it into heaven and for having to consider setting my science education aside to accommodate the Garden of Eden story. Before this I did read one helpful book and took a class by the same name, When Science Meets Religion by theologian and nuclear physicist, Ian Barbour. This was the first time I had heard that Genesis doesn’t have to be taken literally. I have also, subsequently, been attending valuable classes on Buddhist psychology and learning to meditate. I devoured your book Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World and am now reading Eternal Life: A New Vision as well as listening to your lectures on YouTube. I must say that I do feel betrayed by the Church. I’ve put so much energy into trying to have faith. Clearly, I’d have been better off hearing the truth as a boy. But, with your words, a load has come off my shoulders at the same time. At this point, I am very grateful to you for your hard work and for the clarity I have gained from it. I am also feeling the urgency, however, to learn as much as I can from you before you put your pen down. Please don’t ever do that. Answer: Dear Scott, If your education as a modern Christian began with Ian Barbour, you could not have chosen a better teacher. The problem with the church is that most of our clergy do not want to embrace new learning because they are not sure that their own faith will survive the process. Frequently, they blame their own reticence on what they presume are the fears of the lay people they serve. I see no reason why lay people cannot learn anything that I have learned. I think we clergy regularly insult the intelligence of the people we serve. I am also convinced that any God who can be killed by new knowledge or new insights ought to be killed, for clearly such a God is a human creation. Imagine the idiocy of anyone feeling that he or she must protect God from new human knowledge! Truth does not die in the confrontation with new knowledge but it dies when we act as if truth can be captured inside the time warped and time bound concepts of any human form. The human perception of truth is never the same as truth and that perception is never static. There is no such thing as an inerrant Bible or an infallible pope! A living religion must always be interacting with unfolding truth. Do not fear that there are not others who can, will and are capable of picking up my work and carrying it on. Their name is legion. As long as I am able, however, I do plan to continue this column. I have just agreed to continue through 2014 with the option of an annual renewal as each year comes to an end. This means that there will always be a two year notice to my publisher and my readers before I cease to write this column. Thank you for your good words. ~John Shelby Spong Announcements Free curriculum for Supporting Churches! At ProgressiveChristianity.org we have an exciting opportunity for your faith community, our Supporting Churches Program. The Supporting Churches Program has so many benefits already – Your listing in our directory helps people find you when they come to our site looking for a progressive Christian community in your area. Supporting Churches also receive access to special ad space on our website, and you will have an opportunity to be highlighted in one of our upcoming e-bulletins. You receive a Welcome poster, as well as a free copy of our newly expanded 8point study guide. And right now, through August 31st, Supporting Churches can elect to receive a FREE copy of A Joyful Path, Children's Curriculum, Year One or Year Two. If you would like to receive this amazing gift of over a $300 value, after you have completed your Supporting Church Donation, please simply email us at contact(a)progressivechristianity.org and let us know which Year of A Joyful Path you would like to receive. Supporting Churches will receive the Group Curriculum which comes with a full color handbook and a DVD for digital use and teacher training. Learn more about A Joyful Path today and then take that next step! If your organization has already purchased Year Two and you would like to become a supporting church, please contact us and we can set that up for you. Email us today at contact(a)progressivechristianity.org to take advantage of this special offer. Join this growing band of churches who are changing the world through a more compassionate Christianity! And receive – for free! -- the curriculum that is changing the world through more compassionate children! What could be more perfect? Talk with the leaders in your faith community about revolutionizing your church experience- at ProgressiveChristianity.org we offer progressive liturgies, study guides, books, articles, and curriculum- all of which can literally progress your church. Becoming a Supporting Church is the first jump in that direction, especially with the current offer of a free one year children's curriculum. Your donation as a Supporting Church helps us continue to offer resources like the Bishop Spong Newsletter and our thousands of free resources on ProgressiveChristianty.org. Thank you! Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)johnshelbyspong.com or 503-236-3545. Copyright © 2013 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have a membership at our website. Our mailing address is: ProgressiveChristianity.org 3530 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Unit 1 Portland, OR 97214 Add us to your address book .

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Give the Global Archives Some Input!
by steve har 16 Jul '13

16 Jul '13

The Global Archives is -starting 8 new Global Collections in September. -putting Collections online for easy access. Please help get the the Collections focused. click here: help new Collections start-up<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Xttq1NTtuzjFrUklchorjek70Kvorg5LNsIyZhLFZU…> Publications Team, Global Archives

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Request for Prayers
by Wilson Priscilla 16 Jul '13

16 Jul '13

Our colleague, Joe Thomas has surgery scheduled this Tuesday to remove a tumor from his lung. Please pray for his recovery and good health. Priscilla H Wilson Prairie Village, KS Pris(a)TeamTechPress.com www.teamtechpress.com

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Groundbreaking thinking
by Janice Ulangca 16 Jul '13

16 Jul '13

Colleagues, So much bubbling right now. And our "movement" needs to be part of it if we are to find the relevant niches/roles for our unique experiences going forward. I've been very interested in the list serv discussion of Charles Taylor's "The Secular Society" - along with Michael Dowd's "Thank God for Evolution". Some familiar names, along with some perhaps not so for all of us, are coming up on a phone call this Saturday. Ken Wilbur's ideas have been discussed by many of us - we read Riane Eisler's book "The Chalice and the Blade" - and I remember hearing Barbara Marx Hubbard at 4750 the summer we heard people like Jean Houston. Laszlo's book "The Chaos Point" we studied here in Binghamton the year it came out. For those interested in the deeps of current reality, including the role of consciousness, this phone call might be worth checking out. Janice Ulangca ------------------- Saturday, July 20, 2013 12pm US Pacific / 3pm US Eastern Sign up to listen live or receive the recording The evidence is mounting from every direction: the materialist paradigm of science is breaking down. Data that traditional scientists tried to ignore or dismiss has become more robust every day. What will replace the materialist paradigm? And how will that new paradigm change how we think about... everything? In this groundbreaking online event, some of the foremost thinkers of our day will look at the implications of startling evidence that materialistic science cannot explain, such as non-locality - that consciousness is connected at a distance, instantly - and what they are calling the Akashic Field - a kind of record-keeping function for the cosmos. They will look at how the cumulative body of evidence forces a major, even historic shift in how we see the nature of reality. Consciousness comes to the foreground, not as an evolutionary afterthought but a prime mover and causative factor. How might this reshape the paradigm at the very foundations of science? And how might it lead to the evolution of our culture and our consciousness? Join us for scintillating insights, powerful dialogue, and a spirit of adventure into the unknown. You'll hear powerful insights from pre-eminent panelists, including scientists, philosophers, and futurists who are in public dialogue for the first time: a.. Ervin Laszlo - Author of more than 80 books and one of the most prodigious, systemic thinkers of our day b.. Ken Wilber - Renowned integral philosopher who has bridged worlds from spiritual practice to complexity theory to create a comprehensive map of our Kosmos that includes our interiors c.. Barbara Marx Hubbard - Celebrated as a visionary and futurist for her ability to see future trends and possibilities d.. Riane Eisler - Bestselling author, social scientist, pioneer of the "partnership paradigm" e.. Duane Elgin - Futurist, social visionary, author of five books, former senior social scientist with Stanford Research Institute This teleseminar event is completely free. So invite your friends and allies and skeptics as well to join you for what is sure to be 60 minutes of brilliant and provocative insights that give you a powerful glimpse of what the science of the next millennium just may look like. Even if you can't make the call live, do sign up and you'll receive access to a recording.

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A daughter takes stand, shaming father
by Robert A Griffin 16 Jul '13

16 Jul '13

Dear friends and family, Nancy's courage and clarity in writing what shows up now on her face-book makes me ashamed that I have taken so few stands which put me into ANY real threat or danger. Thank you, Nancy Bob Nancy Griffin says: It is not justice when a man gets off for killing another man. Self defense? Hard to believe. Allows a person to get off after provoking another person to violence. We can be sure things would have been different if the neighborhood watch guy had been black and the teenager had been white, holding everything else the same. If you don't believe that, pay attention. I am a white woman. Five other white women agreed on this verdict. I understand why they did, but it still is not justice. I place the blame on our society which continues to give unfair advantage to white people. If you don't agree with me, you can still engage about this. We need to be able to discuss difficult matters like this to exist together in this world.

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Mailing lists cleanup
by Timothy Wegner 15 Jul '13

15 Jul '13

I try to minimize posting mailing list business, but here is a little bit that seems necessary. I am attempting to cleanup the mailings list subscriptions. I unsubscribed nearly all the emails that are marked "no mail" by "the administrator". These are emails that are subscribed but don't get any list mail. (Your email account on which you received this is obviously not one of these, because you are getting this message!) Some of you might have subscribed more than one email on purpose so you could post messages to the list from multiple places without getting the list mail in all those places. It's also possible that I did this for you when I saw attempts to post a message from an obviously valid person using an non-subscribed email (I sometimes do this in self-defense so I don't have to approve a lot of messages). So - if you got wedgeblade.net email saying one of your accounts was unsubscribed, that is what is going on. Probably nothing needs to be done, but write me if you think I got it wrong, and you want the other email (the one the message said was unsubscribed) subscribed. Your humble mailing list worker is doing his best working on your behalf. He hopes to get it right before he dies! <grin!> Tim

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FW: Ready for a New Mission? by Kathryn Alexander
by Sunny Walker 14 Jul '13

14 Jul '13

Kathryn Alexander is a ToP grad (from YEARS ago, mid-90s). I found the comments below a valuable reflection Sunny From: Ethical Impact, LLC [mailto:ethicalimpact@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2013 10:04 AM To: sunwalker(a)comcast.net Subject: Ready for a New Mission? by Kathryn Alexander <http://emailStats.fullpartnerpro.com/images/pro_emailStats_20130606110049.g if?emid=13640s46544> <http://www.ethicalimpact.com/utility/showarticle/?objectID=91227&proAppName =EthicalImpact> Ready for a New Mission?. Large Combine Caterpillar <http://www.ethicalimpact.com/images/database/7997.JPG?proAppName=EthicalImp act> I got an interesting email in my inbox this morning. It was from the <http://www.globethics.net/gtl> Globtheolib, a group that is focused on sharing religious thought worldwide. They are committed to ensuring that the Christian church community is a learning community. What struck me, however, was their definition of church: "The church has often been described as being built on four pillars: (unity and communion); (mission); (justice and peace) and (worship)." I want to change worship to reverence, but with that one small change what a powerful statement for a spiritually integrated society: unity and communion, mission, justice and peace, and reverence. Could we say that a healthy and spiritually vibrant society would have as its mission the expression of reverence as a vehicle to engendering unity and communion with all life as a means of ensuring justice so that enduring peace become possible? I like that and it makes a wonderful home for the Sustainable Values SetR! Isn't that statement above aligned with nature's intent, that all actions create the conditions that support life? Wouldn't that mission do just that? If we acted in this way, then could we use the expanded health and vibrancy (a favorite word, just now) of the environment (both human and natural) as a measure of how well we are doing? If we took this path, then we would learn how to see more clearly what we do and can do to enhance and develop our mission while, at the same time, unlearning those beliefs that lead to actions that undermine our mission. Surely the church has a role in that transformation? Surely religion has a role in that transformation! One of the issues I've been wrestling with lately is how to show people their mistakes without making them wrong. When we have black and white thinking and we are passionate about wanting to be 'good,' then it is easy to feel that anything else is 'bad and/or wrong.' A very big part of unlearning is self-forgiveness if self-identity is mixed up in being 'good.' If 'good' is seen as 'successful' then the very definition is tightly tied to the current structures and beliefs of society and change becomes quite threatening, indeed. Those who choose another path - a path closer to the mission described earlier, may not look 'successful' as they are working and living outside the mainstream. This often equates to making them poor role models - if 'success' is your goal. By redefining 'good' as living this mission, then perhaps we can shift without having to see past behavior as 'bad' but just as inappropriate. By understanding that old actions and beliefs don't make that mission's goals possible, then turning to new actions and behavior just makes sense. When you live as you have been told to do, when you have achieved success in doing so, (money in the bank, respect in your community) then how can those actions be harmful? We make peace with the disparities we see by expressing reverence in very select areas, instead of making it a way of life. There is an article in <http://www.businessweek.com/> Bloomberg Business Week, May 20-28, 2013 that can serve as an illustration. In the article on <http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-16/caterpillars-doug-oberhelma n-manufacturings-mouthpiece> Doug Oberhelman and Caterpillar, there is a long discussion about the pain Caterpillar workers are feeling as their wages are being reduced (in some cases by 50%) while executives have theirs increase by 56%. Oberhelman stresses that Caterpillar needs to stay 'competitive' and so they are 'forced' to cut wages, but he says that , "I'd love to pay people more. I'd love to see rising wages for everybody." While reverence often seems a stretch in business, it starts with respect and the deep appreciation that can follow that. If Oberhelman actually respected Caterpillars workers would he be so quick to reduce their wages? A welder, Emily Young, was quoted in the article as saying, "you're basically expendable" since there are five workers waiting for your job. This does not indicate respect for the knowledge and skill gained over time, when workers are just seen as 'bodies' to do labor. Where is the 'unity and communion' that hears and responds to the pain the workers are feeling and expressing in walkouts and strikes? The adversarial relationship suggests that there is nothing unified in the relationship between labor and management and certainly very little 'communion.' We have many examples of companies who have worked to develop a feeling of unity with their workforce (Zappos is an example) and who have developed ways of being in communion so that all points of view are heard, to know that those companies are exceptionally successful. Success is NOT defined by sacrificing a part of the whole, yet it can be achieved by that means, at least for a time. Caterpillar is a good example of the difference between 'successful' and 'good,' between the difference that following our mission, as defined above, can create versus just achieving monetary success. The confusion between 'good' and 'successful' drives much of the behavior we moan and complain about. This confusion can make good people do bad things, and still feel good about themselves. Until we have a large enough agreement on what our 'mission' is - as a society, we will continue to be hoisted on our own petard and we will remain caught on the horns of a dilemma of our own making. <http://www.ethicalimpact.com/utility/showPage/index.cfm?objectID=EthicalImp act,23584&proAppName=EthicalImpact> Get Off the Horns of Your Dillemma - Get Coached! _____ List Origin Statement: You are receiving this email because you have opted-in as an RSS via Email Subscriber of 'EthicalImpact Blog RSS'. Blog posts are published as they are created. 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