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Re: [Dialogue] Song reflection on Chicago Accelerate 77: "Footprints of Sikaa...
by LAURELCG＠aol.com 11 Sep '12

11 Sep '12

Thank you, Ellen, for sharing your wonderful gift so freely. Blessings, Jann McGuire In a message dated 9/11/2012 7:24:54 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, elliestock(a)aol.com writes: Hi folks, Attached is the musical notation for a song reflection on Chicago Accelerate 77 (Saturday, September 15): "Footprints of Sikaakwa". Below are the lyrics. Ellie _elliestock(a)aol.com_ (mailto:elliestock@aol.com) FOOTPRINTS OF SIKAAKWA Footprints of Sikaakwa journeyed lakeshore sands, creatures spinning stories in winds haunting the land, swimming, creeping, crawling—they came; flying, walking, stalking—they gamed; hunters, warriors, growers—they remained, living lightly on the earth of Sikaakwa. Footprints of Sikaakwa turned rivers, changed terrain, paving trails and forging rails, farm ways to factory days— exploring, trading, supplanting—they came; building, inventing, investing—they gamed, artist, industrialist, politician—they remained, sculpting rising skyline peaks of Chicago. Footprints of Sikaakwa converged from all directions, cultures clashed and merged, stewing desire and introspection— laboratory of urban life—they came; microcosm of courage and strife—they gamed; movements calling for justice—they remained, stirring brewing cauldron hope of Chicago. Footprints of Sikaakwa blaze new community, people working together to thrive sustainably— welcoming young and old—they came; joining the gifts of all—they gamed; waking to Earth’s vision—they remained, living boldly a real dream of Chicago. ejhs 9/09/12 reflection on Accelerate 77, Chicago “Sikaakwa” (pronounced: “Sheekakwa”): namesake of Chicago; French pronunciation of Algonquian (Miami/Illinois) name for a wild garlic/leek (Allium Tricoccum) (striped skunk) growing along the shores of Lake Michigan and the Des Plaines (branch of Chicago River) in the 1600s. _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net

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Re: [Dialogue] Happy Birthday, Doris Hahn
by PSchrijnen＠aol.com 11 Sep '12

11 Sep '12

Indeed, Happy Birthday Doris. and much love from Cologne on the Rhine, Paul In a message dated 11/09/2012 20:32:22 GMT Daylight Time, dm14(a)txstate.edu writes: Please join me in wishing Doris Hahn a happy birthday today. Diann McCabe, San Marcos, TX _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net

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Song reflection on Chicago Accelerate 77: "Footprints of Sikaakwa", musical notation/lyrics .9.3.12ff
by Ellie Stock 11 Sep '12

11 Sep '12

Hi folks, Attached is the musical notation for a song reflection on Chicago Accelerate 77 (Saturday, September 15): "Footprints of Sikaakwa". Below are the lyrics. Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com FOOTPRINTSOF SIKAAKWA Footprintsof Sikaakwa journeyedlakeshore sands, creaturesspinning stories inwinds haunting the land, swimming,creeping, crawling—they came; flying,walking, stalking—they gamed; hunters,warriors, growers—they remained, livinglightly on the earth of Sikaakwa. Footprintsof Sikaakwa turnedrivers, changed terrain, pavingtrails and forging rails, farmways to factory days— exploring,trading, supplanting—they came; building,inventing, investing—they gamed, artist,industrialist, politician—they remained, sculptingrising skyline peaks of Chicago. Footprintsof Sikaakwa convergedfrom all directions, culturesclashed and merged, stewingdesire and introspection— laboratoryof urban life—they came; microcosmof courage and strife—they gamed; movementscalling for justice—they remained, stirringbrewing cauldron hope of Chicago. Footprintsof Sikaakwa blazenew community, peopleworking together tothrive sustainably— welcomingyoung and old—they came; joiningthe gifts of all—they gamed; wakingto Earth’s vision—they remained, livingboldly a real dream of Chicago. ejhs 9/09/12 reflection on Accelerate77, Chicago “Sikaakwa” (pronounced: “Sheekakwa”): namesake of Chicago; French pronunciation of Algonquian (Miami/Illinois)name for a wild garlic/leek (AlliumTricoccum) (striped skunk) growing along the shores of Lake Michigan andthe Des Plaines (branch of Chicago River) in the 1600s. Hi folks, Attached is the musical notation for a song reflection on Chicago Accelerate 77 (Saturday, September 15): "Footprints of Sikaakwa". Below are the lyrics. Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com FOOTPRINTSOF SIKAAKWA Footprintsof Sikaakwa journeyedlakeshore sands, creaturesspinning stories inwinds haunting the land, swimming,creeping, crawling—they came; flying,walking, stalking—they gamed; hunters,warriors, growers—they remained, livinglightly on the earth of Sikaakwa. Footprintsof Sikaakwa turnedrivers, changed terrain, pavingtrails and forging rails, farmways to factory days— exploring,trading, supplanting—they came; building,inventing, investing—they gamed, artist,industrialist, politician—they remained, sculptingrising skyline peaks of Chicago. Footprintsof Sikaakwa convergedfrom all directions, culturesclashed and merged, stewingdesire and introspection— laboratoryof urban life—they came; microcosmof courage and strife—they gamed; movementscalling for justice—they remained, stirringbrewing cauldron hope of Chicago. Footprintsof Sikaakwa blazenew community, peopleworking together tothrive sustainably— welcomingyoung and old—they came; joiningthe gifts of all—they gamed; wakingto Earth’s vision—they remained, livingboldly a real dream of Chicago. ejhs 9/09/12 reflection on Accelerate77, Chicago “Sikaakwa” (pronounced: “Sheekakwa”): namesake of Chicago; French pronunciation of Algonquian (Miami/Illinois)name for a wild garlic/leek (AlliumTricoccum) (striped skunk) growing along the shores of Lake Michigan andthe Des Plaines (branch of Chicago River) in the 1600s.

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Fwd: Song: "Let the Earth Breathe" (youtube link and revised musical notation--9/03/12)
by Ellie Stock 08 Sep '12

08 Sep '12

Hi folks, Attached is the "final" musical notation revision (9/03/12) of the song "Let the Earth Breathe", written for our 50th ICA anniversary event held last May. Chenoa, our daughter, and I did a "homespun" audio recording of the song last weekend on her flipcam which is now posted on Youtube. Not perfect, but it gives an idea of the melody. Below is the link to Youtube for audio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLOrz3FIOs0 Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com Attached is the "final" musical notation revision (9/03/12) of the song "Let the Earth Breathe", written for our 50th ICA anniversary event held last May. Chenoa, our daughter, and I did a "homespun" audio recording of the song last weekend on her flipcam which is now posted on Youtube. Not perfect, but it gives an idea of the melody. Below is the link to Youtube for audio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLOrz3FIOs0 Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com

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9/06/12, Spong: "Think Different–Accept Uncertainty" Part XVI: The Story of the Crucifixion, Part One
by Ellie Stock 06 Sep '12

06 Sep '12

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR "Think Different–Accept Uncertainty" Part XVI: The Story of the Crucifixion, Part One Somewhere between a third and forty percent of each of the four gospels in the New Testament is concerned with the last week in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Clearly that was the focus of the gospel narratives – that was the emphasis of their message. Mark’s gospel has even been described as “the Passion narrative with a prologue.” John’s gospel devotes 9 of its 21 chapters (12-21) to the events of the last week in Jesus’ life, telling the story of the final meal as early as chapter 13. Even though these gospels were written forty to seventy years after the crucifixion, there is no doubt that the cross was still the center of the Christian message. Throughout most of Christian history, these passion stories have been regarded by the followers of Jesus as the accounts of eyewitnesses and therefore as historically trustworthy. The details drawn from these descriptions of the final events in Jesus’ life were liturgically burned into our memories and the narrative of the crucifixion has became, next to the account of Jesus’ birth, the most familiar part of the Christian story. Most of us know the general outline and even the details. It begins with the triumphant march into Jerusalem, which is celebrated on Palm Sunday, and then moves to the story of Jesus cleansing the temple of the moneychangers; the elaborate preparations for a meal that was soon identified as “the Last Supper” held in a borrowed space that became known as “the Upper Room;” the journey to the Garden of Gethsemane; the betrayal by Judas with a kiss followed by the arrest; the trial before the Jewish authorities; the threefold denial by Simon Peter marked by the crowing of the cock; the trial before Pilate; the release of Barabbas; the mocking of Jesus with the purple robe and a crown of thorns; the flogging ordered by Pilate; the journey to Calvary; the bearing of the cross by Simon of Cyrene; the crucifixion; darkness at noon; the cry of dereliction, “My, God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” the death of Jesus, and finally the burial assisted by one known as Joseph of Arimathea. Hymns have been composed for use in churches through the centuries, which served to enforce these vivid biblical images. One thinks of “Go to dark Gethsemane,” “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” and many others. Christian art, from the masterpieces that hang in the great museums of the world down to “the Stations of the Cross” found in humble country churches, all served to familiarize us with the major aspects and the unforgettable quality of this Christian narrative. The question still needs to be raised, however, as to just how much of this story is history? How much of it was a later attempt to portray Jesus as the literal fulfillment of the scriptural expectations? How much of this material was created in an effort to make history conform to already established lines of interpretation? After all each of these accounts was written between two and four generations after the events they purport to describe. In the first 1800 or so years of Christian history there was little questioning of the accuracy of these narratives, but in the last 200 to 300 years new sources of scholarship, combined with a critical approach to the study of the Bible, have opened these texts to us in many new ways and from this new knowledge dramatically new conclusions have forced themselves into our conscious minds. This scholarship began primarily in Germany, but has worked its way into all of the Christian academies of the world. The results have been salutary, deepening the faith of some, rocking the literalism of others. The first insight from this new scholarship came when the dates of the major writers of the New Testament were discovered and we were then allowed to begin to read the books of the New Testament in the order of their writing. Clearly the story grew over the years. Paul was first, writing all of his authentic epistles between the years 51-64. If we read Paul without the insights of the later gospels we discover that Paul had never heard the story of one of the twelve being the traitor. Paul did not portray the crucifixion as happening at the time of the Passover. Paul reveals no knowledge of an adventure in the Garden of Gethsemane and appears never to have heard of the roles that Pilate; Barabbas or Peter might have played in the story of the cross. He did not know of any “words” spoken from the cross; darkness at noon, or of a tomb of Joseph in which Jesus was buried. He does interpret the cross as part of a plan of salvation: “He died for our sins,” Paul wrote. He also suggests that this crucifixion was “in accordance with the scriptures,” by which he meant the Old Testament for there was no New Testament until well after the time of Paul’s death. That phrase also makes it clear that the attempt to see Jesus as the fulfillment of all Jewish expectations had been an early and regular part of the way the followers of Jesus processed the Jesus experience. When Mark, the first gospel, was written in the early 70’s, he undercut the literal reading of this story by telling us that when Jesus was arrested, “all the disciples forsook him and fled.” There were apparently no eyewitnesses! Mark was the first to mention Judas Iscariot, the denial of Peter or the story of Barabbas. We know now that Mark was the first to write a story of the crucifixion (Mark 14:17-15:47), but when we read this original narrative we discover that it is not an eyewitness account at all, it is an interpretation of the death of Jesus based on two passages out of the Hebrew Bible. The first is Isaiah 53, written in the 6th century BCE, and the second is Psalm 22, written probably in the 5th century BCE. From these two sources Mark draws most of the details of his story. From Psalm 22 he gets the cry of dereliction, “My God, Why?” the mocking attitude of the crowd and the division of Jesus’ clothes by rolling dice for his tunic. From Isaiah 53 he gets the image of Jesus’ silence before his accusers; the story of the two thieves crucified with him, one on each side, and the account of Jesus being with a rich man in his death, which Mark develops into his story of Joseph of Arimathea. Despite years of having been taught that this original story of the cross was an eyewitness account, we now know that it was never intended to be that. Matthew, written about a decade after Mark, copies most of Mark’s story making only a few editorial additions. Judas not only becomes darker, but Matthew has added other details to the Judas story. Only in Matthew is the price of betrayal put at thirty pieces of silver, only in Matthew does Judas repent and try to return the money, hurling it back into the Temple when it was refused, and only in Matthew does Judas then go and hang himself. Even these details do not appear to be memories of what actually happened, but were rather borrowed from other traitor stories in the Hebrew Scriptures and deliberately written into the Judas narrative. In Zechariah, for example, the shepherd king of Israel is handed over for thirty pieces of silver to those who buy and sell animals in the Temple and then the silver is hurled back into the Temple. In the stories around King David, a man named Ahithophel, who ate at the king’s table, betrays King David and when his trickery failed, he went out and hanged himself. Luke, writing about a decade after Matthew and also with Mark in front of him on whom he too relies, discovers that Isaiah 53 says that the “servant,” a mythological literary creation of this unknown author who dominates the writing of II Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55), was said to have made intercession for his tormentors. So Luke writes this detail into his story by having Jesus pray for those tormenting him: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke also takes the two thieves, who were introduced without commentary by Mark and who had both joined in tormenting Jesus in Matthew and turns one of them into being penitent. To him Jesus then speaks the words of assurance, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke also dismisses the cry of dereliction, “My God, Why?” and replaces it with words of trust and confidence, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” When we come to John, written near the end of the first century, some 65-70 years after the crucifixion, a very different story of the passion emerges. There is no agony in the garden of Gethsemane over whether or not Jesus will “drink this cup.” It was “for this purpose” that I was born,” John’s Jesus states. In John, Jesus’ mother appears for the first time at the foot of the cross where she is commended to the care of the “beloved disciple,” a figure of whom none of the previous gospels appear ever to have heard. The story of the authorities coming to hasten the death of the victims by breaking their legs is told by John for the first time, noting that Jesus was spared this final indignity because he was already dead. This, John says, fulfilled a prophetic word that “none of his bones were broken,” a reference to the lambs used in Jewish worship at both Passover and Yom Kippur. According to John, these frustrated authorities then thrust a spear into the dead body of Jesus, drawing from the wound both water and blood and fulfilling for John the words written in Zechariah, “They looked on him whom they pierced.” So, by tracing the details through their writing in history from Paul (51-64) through Mark (72), to Matthew (82-85), Luke (88-93) and John (95-100), we watch the story grow and we begin to embrace both how and for what purpose the details were added to the story of the cross. This was the first insight into just how few of the recorded events in the account of Jesus’ crucifixion were remembered history. There are some other things worth noting. Judas is even exonerated in the later gospels of Luke and John, when it is suggested that he is under the control of Satan and thus not responsible for his behavior. In a similarly dramatic way, Pilate is portrayed in a more and more sympathetic way as the time passes. He is pictured as finding no fault in Jesus and as seeking to find a way to release him. How much of this story is actual history and what are the implications if it is not? Those will be the questions I will address when this series continues. ~John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. Question & Answer Bryan from Arlington, Texas, writes: Question: First off, I want to thank you. I have read The Sins of Scripture and Jesus for the Non-Religious and truly enjoyed both works. Your progressive view of God and theology has certainly been inspiring to me. I admire your strength of character and integrity for standing at odds with your religious upbringing. You are a hero of sorts to me and I can't thank you enough. I know all too well what it is like to grow up and currently live in the buckle of the Bible belt. While my sociological and political views today are much more progressive, I grew up in Louisiana in a fundamentalist Bible church. My father was on the board of elders. After several years of doubting what he believed and following his divorce from my mom, he embraced atheism. For years I struggled with his conversion and felt so lost in my own spirituality. The old worn-out tenets of Deep South Christianity gnawed away at me. I felt like I would lose him to eternal hell. After a few years, my own search for what I believe and why led me to viewing YouTube clips of you and subsequently some of your books and essays. At this point in my life, I’m still charting my course on my view of a God and things of spiritual nature. I lean towards atheism, but could be considered agnostic or deist or even pantheist at best; I really don’t know how to characterize what school of thought I espouse. However, theism for me is dead or rather non-existent. It still feels really great to know that I don’t have to believe the Bible in a strict, literal sense anymore. I still struggle with guilt from time to time, especially the fear of death at times because of my apostasy. I would like clarification of the gospel writers. I know that Mark was the first gospel written around 70-72 CE shortly after the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans. I recently had a fundamentalist Christian state that her reasons for believing the literal account of the life of Jesus was because the gospel writers were “disciples” of Jesus. It would seem to me that obviously these were not first hand accounts of Jesus because the first gospel was written some 40 years after his death. And Paul gives us sparse details on the actual life of Jesus. Paul would seem to be a better fit for someone that actually “saw” Jesus. Do you believe that any of the gospel writers walked, talked with Jesus? Through reading Jesus for the Non-Religious, I realize that Matthew borrowed heavily from Mark and so on. Much of what was written in the gospels were filtered through the lens of Jewish heritage and the Old Testament. I just want to increase my consciousness on these points so that I can discuss cogently and truthfully with people I come across who are fundamentalist Christians. Answer: Dear Bryan, First, thank you for your generous comments. Second, thanks for sharing with me some elements of your own faith struggle. It is not easy sometimes to move beyond yesterday’s certainties when you have been disillusioned by them. My advice is simply to engage those feelings and not to be afraid to talk about them. For many people religion is part of their security system and they hide within its defensive walls from any study or knowledge that might threaten them. When those walls don’t hold, that person feels exposed, let down and angry. It is not surprising that you now wish to hurl the whole system overboard. Christianity is, I believe, far more than what you or I have experienced. Another path for you might be to decide to study Christianity, including the Bible, more deeply than you ever have done so before. To do this, however, you must be part of a church that welcomes such a dialogue. I hope you can find that. To answer your specific questions, your fundamentalist friend is simply wrong. I doubt if any of the gospel writers were eyewitnesses to what they wrote about in their gospels. First, the gospels were written between 40 and 70 years after the crucifixion. That same time frame embraces between two and three generations. If the disciples were Jesus’ contemporaries, they would be between 70-100 years old, far beyond the normal life expectancy in the first century. Second, they were also written in Greek, a language that none of the disciples or indeed not even Jesus himself appears to have ever spoken or written. Third, the gospels reflect the background of the liturgical year of the synagogue. Prior to their having been written, the memory of Jesus had already been incorporated into the worship life of the synagogue and interpreted through the Hebrew Scriptures to those who were present in those synagogues. Paul does not seem to have ever interacted with the Jesus of history. He does claim to have “seen the Lord,” but that is apparently a reference to the conversion vision. I wish you well in your conversations with your fundamentalist friends. I have never found that to be a productive avenue to pursue because religious discussions are not really about religion. They are about people’s personal security and anything that confirms their security becomes what they believe. People move out of fundamentalism only when they are ready to move, not when someone like you tries to push them. This was at least my experience when I was a fundamentalist. Most of the things I talk about in Jesus for the Non-Religious have been available in the world of biblical scholarship for almost 200 years. Fundamentalists have simply ignored these discoveries and insights if they could and they have denied them if they could not. I suggest that you simply love your fundamentalist friends but don’t try to argue with them. Live well! ~John Shelby Spong Announcements Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)johnshelbyspong.com or 503-236-3545. Copyright © 2012 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have a membership at our website. Our mailing address is: ProgressiveChristianity.org 4916 Pt Fosdick Dr, NW #148 Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Add us to your address book . .

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changes in the Heavenly Roster
by Sunny Walker 05 Sep '12

05 Sep '12

Someone is being kept quite busy "up there" - and no, I've not gone over to the dark side. I simply enjoy some of the old 2-story images on occasion and the death of my thoroughly agnostic, yet brilliant father who made sure I didn't really believe in it either is one of them. Dad, at 97 (after 70 years of marriage) finally let go around midnight last night. I re-read JWM's "The Time My Father Died." I can't remember if I'd shared it with Dad, but I know he would have gotten quite the bang out of the pine box story. He would have preferred a pine box as well, if we weren't allowed to simply roll him into a ditch and be done with it. I imagine few of you would have known him as he only came with Mom to one Summer program (might have been the big one in '84) and cheerfully did his duty setting the Great Hall for breakfast. He'd, on his own, read most of the "greats" of our history and maintained a disciplined, albeit rather stoic (or perhaps just west Texas stubborn) attitude throughout his life. I miss him and certainly celebrate all he passed on to me and our family. Blessings to Lynda and her family on a dad whose picture reminded me of mine and who I can imagine kicking up his heels with mine now in the "great beyond." Bye Dad. Sunny Sunny Walker SunWalker Enterprises 303-587-3017 (cell) 303-671-0704 (home/office) sunwalker(a)comcast.net Aurora, CO No mattter how far you've gone down the wrong road, turn back. ~ Turkish Proverb

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Fact-Checking Sites for the USA campaign
by Janice Ulangca 03 Sep '12

03 Sep '12

Two independent, non-partisan web sites to help voters check on facts. They include evaluation of statements from: political leaders of both parties; from political parties and action groups; from internet messages. Here is help with sorting fact from fiction, noting exaggeration or some important things left out. Politifact: This site won a Pulitzer Prize. It includes a "Truthometer" that categorizes statements with different degrees of truth, and provides links to more explanation of the issue. Find it at www.politifact.com/truthometer Fact Check: From the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. A " nonpartisan, nonprofit 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding." Among the recent articles: "Whoppers of 2012 - Early Edition". Whoppers from both parties. Access at www.factcheck.org More information >From the League of Women Voters: Nonpartisan information on elections and voting. Type in your address and see the choices on your ballot for the current election. Free web pages for local candidates. (In supported states and counties). www.smartvoter.org

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Federal Budget Priorities & Faith - Part 2 of 2
by Janice Ulangca 03 Sep '12

03 Sep '12

Prioritizing True Human Security: With well over half of the discretionary budget dedicated to military spending, the United States is unable to invest in other areas that build substantial human security in our communities. Global threats to peace and security need not instill a national inclination to make an imbalanced investment in new weapons systems, detention centers, and militarized border walls, leading to disproportionate spending on the mechanisms of war and enforcement, while we become less secure in so many other ways. We believe a faithful budget must reevaluate these priorities, increase investment in the areas of health, education, and community well-being that are essential to true security. Our budget priorities should reflect a more balanced approach to the full spectrum of investments that build meaningful security for individuals, families, and communities. Meeting Immediate Need: As it always has been, the faith community itself continues to be committed to serving vulnerable populations at home and around the world. At the same time, we urge our nation to implement policies that will reduce poverty and hardship. As a united people committed to compassion and justice, we fulfill our calling as a people when we invest in a social safety net that will support the vulnerable in times of hardship, such as recession, unemployment, sickness, and old age. . Proactive stimulus policies and the elasticity of the mandatory safety net programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, are incredibly effective measures that have prevented millions from falling into poverty. Congress has the moral and pragmatic responsibility, even as it pursues long-term deficit reduction, to adequately fund critical human needs, social service, environmental protection, and humanitarian and poverty-focused international assistance programs, all of which ensure human security in its broadest sense. Accepting Intergenerational Responsibility: We cannot leave our children a legacy of debt, but neither must we leave them a legacy of rising poverty and growing inequality. As educational programs, adequate housing, health care, nutrition programs, job training, and other community services all fall victim to pressures to reduce the deficit, economic vulnerability continues to grow and more families find themselves one disaster away from poverty. Our nation's vital social safety net did not create the deficit, and the vulnerable populations served by the social safety net it should not bear the brunt of deficit-reduction measures. A Faithful Budget will seek wise and far-sighted ways to reduce the nation's long-term deficits while protecting the most vulnerable among us. Using the Gifts of Creation Sustainably and Responsibly: In the book of Genesis, God called Creation "good." . While the earth has been given to us as a home, and while its resources are bountiful and good, we have abused this gift, placing unsustainable burdens on our environment and its resources. . Environmental degradation has substantial, and potentially irreversible, short and long-term impacts, such as rising health care costs from air pollution and resulting respiratory problems; increased premature deaths due to the cumulative impacts of poor air quality; declining water quality in our communities; degradation of public lands; global climate change, which is already affecting some of the most vulnerable populations on earth; and loss of open space. A Faithful Budget must encompass a reverence for our created environment, making choices that protect air, water, and land-the entirety of Creation-gifts from God that must be available to and protected for this generation and those to come. Providing Access to Health Care for All: . A Faithful Budget will ensure access to quality health care by investing in wellness and making needed improvements in the health care system. Recognizing a Robust Role for Government: .People who need help paying rent or feeding their children come to us, frequently as a first and last resort, and we do all we can to provide the aid that compassionate love demands. And yet, faith communities and agencies cannot do it alone. The need is great as many who once gave to our ministries of mercy are now recipients of our charity. We need the government's continued partnership to combat poverty by providing a truly adequate short-term safety net, and by means of policies that serve to prevent poverty, reduce extreme inequality, restore economic opportunity for all, and rebuild a robust middle class.

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Federal Budget Priorities & Faith - Part 1 of 2
by Janice Ulangca 03 Sep '12

03 Sep '12

To USA Colleagues, In this political season, are you concerned that "Christian" priorities are being discussed mostly from the perspective of the far right? And that candidates need to be held accountable for treating facts with respect? The Peace with Justice Committee of our county Council of Churches has put together a packet of materials which will go to all affiliated churches and other faith communities that have worked with us on past community efforts. The materials are non-partisan, dealing with policies rather than with particular candidates or parties. I spent much of last week editing the longer material into 2 pages for the packet, so that church adult groups could discuss them. In two messages are some excerpts that might interest you personally or a church group where frank discussion is encouraged. A third message has 2 good fact checking web sites which hold both parties accountable for ads and candidate assertions, and a link to a League of Women Voters site which you may find helpful re races in your own area. I hope you will be as involved as possible in this election. Janice Ulangca Preamble to Priorities for a Faithful Federal Budget "By following our sacred imperative to 'love our neighbor as ourselves,' we not only can pass a budget that makes sense, but pass a budget that begins to create a more just society and a healthier world" said the Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). By March 2012, the Faithful Budget Preamble was endorsed by 37 religious denominations and organizations. Included are Network, a national Catholic Social Justice Lobby, and United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Friends (Quakers), ELCA (Lutheran), Unitarian Universalist, Presbyterian, Progressive National Baptist, and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) social justice groups. Other endorsers include Reform Jewish and Muslim groups, Bread for the World, and the National Council of Churches of Christ, USA. This Faithful Budget is being promoted by the national "Nuns on the Bus" tour as well as local events in several locations including central New York. (Video of national Nuns on the Bus tour at www.billmoyers.com Click on Moyers & Company, then full show from August 24, 2012.) Here is Part 1 of an overview of the Preamble to Faithful Budget priorities. Link to the full document at www.faithfulbudget.org ----------------------------------------- THE PREAMBLE Our Message to Political Leaders We write as communities of faith where respect and care for one another is a sacred imperative and we are learning to "love our neighbor as ourselves." But American society as a whole is, or should be, also such a place, where we delight in the value of each and every one, and gladly accept a mutual responsibility for one another's wellbeing. . In the current political and economic climate, neither party is giving voice to the needs of the families who are struggling to overcome poverty. It is simply not true that we must reduce assistance for the poorest among us in order to achieve fiscal recovery. A Faithful Federal Budget can advance fiscal responsibility while increasing support for the poor and vulnerable, by focusing on job creation and economic revitalization, an equitable tax system based on fairness, and true human security over disproportionate military spending. . In this time of global economic crisis, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other communities of faith, guided by our sacred texts, advocate a constructive vision of the directions needed for a just society and a healthier world. . Principles of a Faithful Federal Budget Restoring Economic Opportunity: The opportunity to work hard and improve one's economic condition is a value that defines this nation. But it is a reality increasingly available only to those who are already wealthy. . The principles of "liberty and justice for all", as enshrined in our Pledge of Allegiance, seem hollow in light of the pace at which wealth and opportunity have shifted from the many to the few. We believe that everyone deserves equal opportunity and must have equal access to the building blocks for success. We urge Congress to make the long-term investments needed to sustain the United States' economic renewal, create economic opportunity for all, and work toward ending poverty. This requires investments in high-quality, affordable education, sustainable jobs with living wages, and policies that help families to build assets. Ensuring Adequate Resources for Shared Priorities: >From the time a federal income tax was established, the concept of a progressive tax system, based on the ability to pay, has been widely accepted as fair and equitable. Over the last several decades our tax system has grown less progressive, and now frequently places more of a tax burden, as a percentage of income, on the middle class than it does on the wealthiest among us. . Investment in the renewal of our nation's economic well-being and protecting the poor and vulnerable will itself serve to reduce the long-term deficit. Such investment should be financed through an equitable tax system founded on fairness, where those who have reaped extraordinary benefits contribute proportionately to the good of all. (Continued in Part Two)

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imagery
by darrell walker 02 Sep '12

02 Sep '12

Colleagues, I have about completed the first draft of an account of my spirit journey. Below is the cover and first page which explains the cover. I think the imagery might have served EI well on the cover of RS-1 ads. What do you think? Darrell Walker in Phoenix Attack by the Holy Spirit A survival manual by Darrell Walker The wild goose embodies the untamable and unpredictable nature of the Spirit and is a reminder that the Spirit is a disturber as well as comforter. It is a symbol for the Holy Spirit used by the Celtic people of Scotland and Ireland. In the Celtic tradition the Holy Spirit is represented as a bird, but not the peaceful and serene dove landing on Jesus at his baptism. Why did the Wild Goose speak to those ancient Celtic Christians? To begin with, wild geese aren't’t controllable. You can’t restrain a wild goose and bend it to your will. They’re raucous and loud. Unlike the sweet and calming cooing of a dove, a goose’s honk is strong, challenging, strident and unnerving – and just a bit scary. In much the same way the Spirit of God can be, demanding and unsettling. Think about the story of Pentecost, and the impression the disciples made on the crowd. People thought they were drunk and disorderly! Its one thing for a gentle dove to descend peacefully on Jesus – it’s something all together different when the Spirit descends like a wild, noisy goose! Taken from Eternal Echoes webpage

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