- Dialogue - lists.wedgeblade.net

Have I mistakenly blocked our community from my email?
by ballardica＠gmail.com 23 Nov '25

23 Nov '25

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Accessing documents in the Archive
by Blase Sands 22 Nov '25

22 Nov '25

I was trying to access documents in the Archive using Google and no documents would load. Then I switched to Microsoft Edge and viola! Everything loaded easily. Just and FYI. Blase Blase Sands 1714 S 173rd Plaza Omaha, NE 68130 blase_sands(a)hotmail.com Cell: 402-957-5345

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Fwd: Maasai
by Richard Alton 18 Nov '25

18 Nov '25

*The Smoke That Thunders* The ICA has tried to have a global conference in Africa for many years and now we have finally done it. People from 20 countries (10 from Africa) gathered in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, to look at how we all are responding to the times we are living in. At these conferences one is always shocked by the people one meets and the projects one visits. Although the Falls, the smoke that thunders, is amazing. I was struck on the first day by a Maasai women fully dressed in her tribal garb. We broke into our working groups, and I found we were in the same group, Climate Change. Her name was Josephine Ndirias from Kenya. She turns out to be the Executive Director of the *Mukogodo Girls Empowerment program*. It turns out she is from Nanyuki, Kenya. I had been to Nanyuki to visit the ICA Canada project, ilnqwesi, and had lunch with one of the Maasai leaders, Saaya, who turned out to be Josehine’s cousin. “My goodness, what a small world.” It turns out that Josehine’s work is the continuation of the Maasai work started by by Asha Spencer and Miriam Patterson many years ago. Asha and Miriam were there in Nanyuki for a year. We spend the next couple of days chatting about people we knew- Josehine’ still talks with Miriam Patterson on a regular basis. And we went through all the people I use to know: the late Vice President Biwott who use to demand money and vehicles from ICA if we cared about our lives. I was totally startled by Josphine and our meeting. We could have spoken together for the whole Conference. Conferences do that for you- the people you meet! Over 100 people to meet in person. Wow, 4 from China and one from Hong Kong plus 15 from Nepal. But not only the people but the projects you visit! We visited *Ele Collection* (www.elecollection.co) whose purpose is to Remove all Plastics. They have women plastic bottle collectors all over the Town/Park collecting bottles. They pay them by the pound. The Ele-Collections says its goal is to clear Victoria Falls and the National Park of Plastics. Ele processes the plastic bottles into building and road material which they sell. This all came about from the owner and a friend walking in the National Park and being attacked by an elephant. The owner’s friend was killed. They finally killed the elephant. When they opened the elephant’s stomach, they found it was full of plastic bottles. No wonder the elephant was mad! Ele Collection is about saving the animals from the scourge of plastics. Ele is a business who gets a lot of support from local companies and is constantly expanding. We were all struck by the methodology and skills shown. They claim they are the only local plastic re-cycling system in the world. We had to come all the way to Victoria Falls to find them. On the way to Victoria Falls I read two books. Just finished Paul Kingsnorth book, *Against the Machine, on the Unmaking of Humanity*. He points out that we are facing “increasingly impossible lives in the high-tech globalized world that has resulted from the consumer economy”. We are slowly being capture by a world that is unreal and losing a sense of being human. This second book, *Inspiring Transformative Change*, is on image shift and its focus on enabling group processing is what will allow us to rediscover the real world of personal interaction and human consciousness. The *Change* book is written by Elise Packard and Jane Stallman. It will come out in early 2026. Great Conference- the people and projects were worth it. Conferencing is an amazing way to find the Human Element in Global Development! Go Africa, where we all find our roots! Dick Alton, lives with ICA’s Greenrise Community, helps manage ICA USA’s Global Fund and way too involved in the Methodist Church’s Net Zero by 2050. Getting ready for his 84th birthday. *Southern Africa is gifted with * On Sun, Nov 9, 2025 at 10:29 AM Richard Alton <richard.alton(a)gmail.com> wrote: > -- Richard H. T. Alton ICA Global Fund United Methodist Creation Care The Last Chapter T: 773.344.7172 richard.alton(a)gmail.com Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2 Won't you be my neighbor?

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Obituary for Jim Baumbach
by Karen Snyder 17 Nov '25

17 Nov '25

Alice Baumbach is sharing information about Jim Baumbach’s death last Friday, November 14. His obituary (https://www.wichmannfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/james-baumbach-phd) reminds us of the work he and Alice did with the Ecumenical Institute/Institute of Cultural Affairs: He met his wife, Alice (née DesJardins), at Michigan State University and they were married in Warren, MI in 1962. In 1969 they joined the Order Ecumenical and the Institute of Cultural Affairs in Chicago, IL, whose mission was to teach religious and cultural courses across the country and build models of community reformulation that could be replicated around the world. Except for one year on the north side of Chicago, they lived on the west side in a ghetto community. While Jim worked at Nalco, Alice worked in-house with the preschool and the community center. One member of each family was assigned to work out so that the project could be funded. All of those who worked out donated their salaries. Both Jim and Alice felt this was the most empowering work of their life.

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Mary Lou Vergara Memorial Service - Saturday, September 13 at 11:00 AM Eastern time - zoom link below
by Karen Snyder 06 Nov '25

06 Nov '25

From: Margaret Gergen <margergen(a)gmail.com> > > > The celebration of life for Mary Lou Vergara is this Sat, 9-13-25. It would have been Mary Lou's 80th birthday! > > The service will be at 11 am Eastern time at St. Francis UMC in Cary, North Carolina where Mary Lou lived for the last several years since her retirement. I am here is Cary for the celebration and understand that Mollie Wallsteat and Rosa Torres are also on their way to attend. Mollie and Rosa worked with both Mary Lou and me during the years we were at the North Shore in Evanston (we called it our dream team!). > > For those of you who knew Mary Lou, who appreciated and admired her great gifts and who would like to be here in person, but can't, the service will be streamed via the link below. > > Please join us, if you are able, to celebrate the completed life of this remarkable woman. We were fortunate to have had her in our lives! > > Here is link > https://www.youtube.com/live/21kpUy7mO14?si=edhc4robjpnSfahn > > Take Care, > Margaret

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Fw: Celebrate Morning Night by Dr. Larry Ward
by Sunny Walker 24 Oct '25

24 Oct '25

FYI ------------------------------ *From:* The Lotus Institute <support(a)thelotusinstitute.org> *Sent:* Friday, October 24, 2025 4:32 PM *To:* sunny.sunwalker(a)gmail.com <sunny.sunwalker(a)gmail.com> *Subject:* Celebrate Morning Night by Dr. Larry Ward poems on race, nature, and spirit ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ *Celebrate **Morning Night** by Dr. Larry Ward* Dear Friends, We’re excited to continue celebrating the release of *Morning Night*, Dr. Larry Ward’s new poetry collection exploring spirit, race, nature, and healing. Here are a few ways you can join in, celebrate, and help share this work with your communities: *Celebrating the Poetry of Dr. Larry Ward | Morning Night Book Launch* *Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET* Join us for an evening celebrating Dr. Larry Ward’s first poetry collection, * Morning Night*. We’ll hear about Larry’s journey to writing this powerful book, enjoy readings from the collection, and much more. Come together with friends and the Lotus community for this special launch event! *Register* <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> *Morning Night Expands!* Good news—*Morning Night* is now available on BN.com! The ebook is also available on Bookshop.org, and the paperback will be coming soon. BN.com <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> Bookshop.org <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> *Host a Poetry Gathering* Looking to create a meaningful community experience? Download our Poetry Event Guide, filled with ideas and inspiration to help you host your own *Morning Night* event. Gather with others to read poems, reflect, and connect through creativity and conversation—at home, in a park, bookstore, or anywhere that feels right. If you’re interested in hosting an event, or have already started planning one, we’d love to hear from you! Please email us at support(a)thelotusinstitute.org. We also have a digital media kit available to help you promote your gathering. Download Guide <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> *#MorningNight Photo Share* We invite you to take and share photos that capture your connection with *Morning Night*. You might share: - A picture of your favorite poem or line - Yourself reading outdoors or in your sacred space - A creative shot that highlights the book in your part of the world Tag *#MorningNight* on Instagram and help us see how the poems are touching lives everywhere. If you don’t use social media, you can send your photos to support(a)thelotusinstitute.org. *Bulk Book Orders* Bring *Morning Night* to your community! - 50-book minimum - $9 USD per copy + shipping/handling - Complete the form below to place your order and help spread Larry’s poetry far and wide. Bulk Order Form <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> Dr. Peggy Rowe Ward on the Road with *Morning Night* Peggy will soon be taking *Morning Night* on the road—virtually and in person—to share Larry’s poetry and spirit with communities near and far. *First stop:* *Morning Night: A Celebration of Larry Ward’s Legacy and New Book*, hosted by Tricycle on November 4, 2025, at 1 PM ET. We’d love for you to join. Sign up below. Sign Up <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> Help us carry forward Dr. Ward’s teachings and sustain the Lotus Institute for generations to come. If you’re able, please support our fundraiser <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> . [image: youtube] <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> [image: instagram] <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> [image: spotify] <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> [image: facebook] <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…> The Lotus Institute, PO Box 1428, Pataskala OH 43062, United States Unsubscribe <https://g3j1.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=68fbfe5d552b6215b81c19bb&u=htt…>

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Fwd: What the left can learn from evangelical churches
by Sunny Walker 18 Oct '25

18 Oct '25

>From a close colleague in Denver *Sunny Walker * *She/her/hers* *On **Arapaho, Cheyenne, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) tribal land* Certified Facilitator (Also Certified ToP Facilitator) ToP Methods Mentor Trainer - Upcoming Courses <https://www.top-training.net/w/> Virtual Facilitation Collaborative Senior Facilitator sunny.sunwalker(a)gmail.com 303-587-3017 For diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging inquiries: sunny(a)diversityinnovators.com www.diversityinnovators.com For virtual facilitation inquiries: sunny(a)virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com www.virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Kathryn Smith <kathryn.smith.560(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, Oct 17, 2025, 10:43 AM Subject: Fwd: What the left can learn from evangelical churches To: Catherine Welch <catherine(a)welchbox.com>, Sunny Walker < sunny.sunwalker(a)gmail.com>, Susan Craver Erickson <craversf(a)gmail.com>, Jim Slotta <jslotta(a)earthlink.net>, Richard Wagner <drwags59(a)gmail.com> Hi! Recommending this book, especially to you working in the gap between the 'what is and the not yet.' Kathryn *Undivided, The Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church* by Hahrie Han (2024) "…social technology…small groups...spaces where people could hold multiple truths at once…structured meetings, ongoing rituals, and planned campaigns…experiences of vulnerability and solidarity…not alone in feeling exposed... People needed those friendships and groups to cultivate and sustain the courage to act." The lessons of Hahrie Han's Undivided ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ Forwarded this email? Subscribe here <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJvZ3JhbW1hYmxlbXV…> for more What the left can learn from evangelical churches <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1745679&post_id=175894338…>The lessons of Hahrie Han's Undivided Henry Farrell <https://substack.com/@henryfarrell> Oct 13 <https://substack.com/@henryfarrell> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1745679&post_id=175894338…> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1745679&post_id=175894338…> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1745679&post_id=175894338…> <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvbS9…> READ IN APP <https://open.substack.com/pub/programmablemutter/p/what-the-left-can-learn-…> [image: Baptism, William P. Chappel (American, 1801–1878), Oil on slate paper, American] <https://substack.com/redirect/411257a1-ecfe-4e72-9156-b5b8ba2463e5?j=eyJ1Ij…> [Baptism by William B. Chappel, courtesy of the Met <https://substack.com/redirect/9e1bfa9e-218d-4823-9fa9-289438028f76?j=eyJ1Ij…> ] A few days ago, the MacArthur Foundation announced this year’s list of fellows <https://substack.com/redirect/7f538aa1-ad93-40db-b69a-8f10ea699636?j=eyJ1Ij…>. My colleague and friend, Hahrie Han, was among the winners. This is wonderful news for many reasons, one of which is that it should draw more attention to her ideas. Specifically, people should read her most recent book, *Undivided: The Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church <https://substack.com/redirect/77255301-3145-4e5a-be5b-e27dd4bb0734?j=eyJ1Ij…>*. Pledge your support <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJvZ3JhbW1hYmxlbXV…> *Undivided* began with a puzzle. Cincinnati, Ohio passed a ballot initiative with a supermajority in 2016, raising taxes to provide universal pre-school education with particular benefits targeted at Black communities. How could something like this happen in a racially divided city in the throes of Trumpism? The answers that Hahrie finds are contingent and messy, but also valuable for the left right now. In particular, she implicitly suggests that there is a lot that the left can learn from the evangelical movement, as well as currents within it that it ought directly engage with. Hahrie’s intellectual background leads her to answer different questions than most people who think about religion. She looks at the evangelical movement not just as religion, or way of living, but a way of organizing. There is a lot that non-evangelicals can learn from how the evangelical movement brings these together. NB, that the below doesn’t even try to capture the broader narrative of Hahrie’s book, which is narrative non-fiction, not applied social science. It’s my own extrapolation, drawing on one particular aspect of her argument. To really get what Hahrie is saying, you should buy the book. ****** Hahrie’s scholarship is all about civic action. Her first book, *Moved to Action: Motivation, Participation, and Inequality in American Politics, *looked at the circumstances under which people with very few resources, those who many political scientists would predict have no real opportunity to mobilize, can sometimes come together to pursue their collective interests. What she found was that people, even in the grimmest circumstances, could build from their understanding of their common circumstances to take action. As Elena, a farmworker whom she interviewed for the book, said, her activism came from “perceived injustice in her life and the life of people around her.” But it certainly helped when there some organizational frame (a farmer’s cooperative, a political party) that people like Helena could build around. This led Hahrie to further work on why some organizations can change the world around them, while others are less successful. Her second book, *How Organizations Develop Activists: Civic Associations and Leadership in the 21st Century *stressed the difference between "transactional mobilizing,” and “transformational organizing.” Lots of organizations focus on lowering the transaction costs of doing things - pressing a button to send an email expressing outrage to a politician. However, it is the ones that get people involved in deeper ways and build relationships that can forge enduring communities. Organizations do this less often than they might, because building such relationships is messy, difficult and hard. Her third book (co-authored with Elizabeth McKenna) on the role of volunteers in Obama’s 2012 campaign, not only shaped Democratic organizing, but received the notable backhanded compliment of being assigned as required reading <https://substack.com/redirect/9831bdc8-9954-41dd-9279-989a5df93fc0?j=eyJ1Ij…> for Republican National Committee organizers in 2016 and 2020. Republican organizers reportedly not only had to read it, but to take an exam on what it said. All this means that Hahrie picks up on different aspects of evangelicism than most outside observers. While *Undivided* is woven together by the stories of the individuals who she met and talked to, it’s also a story about how organizations win people over and provide them with opportunities to do things. For example, Hahrie discusses how evangelicals have changed the ways in which they look to convert people to their churches. Once, Protestant missionaries sought to woo individuals away from non-Christian communities by providing them not only with a religious message, but health care, education and other services. Then they started looking at the data: In 1955, … Donald McGavran challenged the iconic mission stations in a book called The Bridges of God. McGavran was a third-generation missionary who brought a data-based approach to asking why some missions were so much better than others at gaining adherents. After analyzing data on many missions, McGavran concluded that the traditional mission station approach was the wrong way to promote evangelicalism. Instead of isolating potential converts from their communities, McGavran argued, missions should integrate into the communities they sought to convert, drawing on preexisting social networks. Evangelicals in the US began to use sophisticated marketing techniques at more or less the same time, converting drive-by movie theaters and strip malls and other places in the middle of people’s shopping and lives into churches, and combining religious services with lessons learned from the entertainment industry. They wanted to bring in “seekers” - people who wanted meaning in their life but were not already committed to God. Their techniques to do this sometimes seemed cheesy but they often worked, fostering enormous new churches that could take advantage of economies of scale, just as businesses did. A lot of the initial energy of Crossroads, the church that Hahrie looks at, seems to have come from business people at Proctor and Gamble. Outsiders tend to overemphasize the consumer-focused cheesiness while paying less attention to the intricate honeycomb structures through which big churches build and maintain community, most notably small groups organized around particular interests. These groups were the building blocks of evangelical megachurches, creating venues within giant congregations for people to get to know one another and pursue a common agenda. ... In 2020, the median megachurch reported that 45 percent of its members were involved in some kind of small group. In a church like Crossroads, which boasted about 35,000 members in 2020, that would be about 15,750 people organized into small groups if each person belonged to only one. They generally ranged from six to ten people, meaning that Crossroads could have had anywhere from 1,575 to 2,625 small groups meeting regularly. Small groups created honeycombs of intimacy, connection, and loyalty in those churches. As French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “In democratic countries knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge.” Because people do not naturally possess the skills and inclinations for working with one another, they need venues for learning. Small groups taught people through concrete experience how to act together. Small groups provide a kind of social glue then, allowing people with different interests or problems to come together, and perhaps support each other. They explain why evangelicism has been so attractive to the conservative movement, as a kind of social substrate to provide it with energy and volunteers. But they also help explain why people are attracted to these churches in the first place. Megachurches provide a community where different people with different interests and problems can find others like them, provided those interests are compatible with the overall mission of the church. That broader mission isn’t set in stone, and is sometimes contested. Arguments over what the mission of Crossroads and the evangelical movement are what drive the main story of *Undivided*. Should the evangelical mission include a commitment to racial justice? And if so, how deep should that commitment go? ****** That’s the background to the puzzle that Hahrie’s book begins with. Volunteers from Crossroads contributed enormously to winning the ballot initiative. A grouping within the church had begun to engage with questions of racial justice, transforming many church members’ understanding of what their faith entailed. Church leaders created a curriculum that members could work through in small multiracial groups. This was unusual within evangelicism. As Hahrie notes, polling suggess that White Christians are more likely than any other demographic group to hold racist views, and evangelical churches have regularly struggled with racial integration. Even churches that nominally opposed racism were regularly unwilling to tackle the deeper issues of systemic injustice associated with it. But even if the story of Undivided was unusual, it was not completely unprecedented. There is a long, messy history of argument over race within evangelicism, especially as previously nearly completely White denominations looked to attract Black members. Some churches, such as Crossroads, provided opportunities for pastors and church members to push back against racism. The multiweek racial justice curriculum that Hahrie describes was more demanding than most such programs. It didn’t ask participants to run through a list of DEI shibboleths (the book is scathing on the efficacy of corporate DEI trainings, because the social science says they are more or less useless), but to actively engage with each other on potentially divisive racial questions. The stories that Hahrie recounts suggest that this was difficult, painful and highly imperfect. People didn’t understand each other at the beginning, and many came away unhappy and dissatisfied. It’s very hard to talk about awkward questions face to face. But talking face to face also makes it harder to be brutal or cruel to those who say embarrassing or difficult things (here, Hahrie draws a semi-explicit contrast with social media’s tendencies to abstracted cruelty and pile-ons). And doing so week after week with the same small group of people made it easier for people to take risks, to build connections, and to figure out how to forgive each other. There is a clear parallel between this process the civil society organizations that Hahrie studied earlier in her career. Again, building deep connections is messy, difficult and hard, but it allows people to accomplish things together. The program provided many of its participants with a “sense of community and … tools to speak out about injustice in their own lives.” That, in turn, inspired hundreds of church members to volunteer to pass a tax levy that was aimed at addressing structural racial injustices in education. Inspiration isn’t the end of the game, and it isn’t magical. Hahrie’s story is *not* a tale of people finding common cause, and converting a megachurch into a vehicle for social justice, so that everyone lives happily ever after. As this campaign was coming together, Black people were being killed by police, in Ohio and elsewhere. The push to address racial injustice created tensions within the church. Not everyone was happy to go along at all. A police officer involved in one of the more notorious incidents quietly attended services at Crossroads. The people who carry the weight of Hahrie’s story had to deal with difficulties, and personal conflicts with families and loved ones that sometimes ended in bitter ways. The end result of all their efforts was an ambiguous victory at best; perhaps not a victory at all. One of the implied lessons is that we often do not know what was victory and what was defeat until decades after. *Undivided *most emphatically does not present a simple linear progress towards justice.Instead, like all good non fiction, it tries to capture the complexities of its subject matter, rather than to smooth them away. ****** Still, I took away some lessons from it (these are my own notions after having read the book; they may or may not reflect Hahrie’s guiding intuitions). The first and simplest lesson is that evangelicism - even in White dominated churches - is not a monolith. Like all human institutions, it contains variety and disagreement, and evangelicism perhaps even more so than most, since it emphasizes the personal relationship to God, and accommodates new churches being founded around particular interpretations of that relationship. One of the most surprising aspects of evangelicism to me - as someone who grew up Catholic - was how individuals moved backwards or forwards across different churches to find one that fit their personal approach and values. Given all of this, it is not as surprising as it might initially seem that a big evangelical church could commit for a while to a campaign centered on racial justice. Hahrie quotes a sociologist who estimates that roughly a third of evangelicals are “other” evangelicals who accept the theological tenets of evangelicism but implicitly or explicitly reject the particular brand of right wing politics that often go along with them. But there are more subtle lessons too. One of the reasons that evangelical churches have succeeded in their own terms is that they don’t simply welcome converts, but build their organizational structures and practice around identifying seekers and bringing them into the fold. That can become a political style too. The late Charlie Kirk created a political organization that was notable for ruthlessly targeted perceived enemies. He was not interested in debate in the ways that liberals, who are open to changing their own minds, at least in principle, are. However, Kirk used debate not simply to demolish opponents, but to try to win converts to the cause, exploring what swayable people believed and wanted, and trying to blaze a path for them towards his own political faith. That is something that the left could learn from: treating people who don’t agree as seekers, and trying to figure out how to bring them on board. So too, people on the left should note how evangelical churches provide a honeycomb of variegated spaces for people to find community with others. The breakdown of other forms of organized social life have created a vacuum of meaning in American society. There are a *lot* of seekers, who are not just looking for God, but for community connections. A large, rather loose structure intended to provide general coherence, form and identity, combined with a multitude of opportunities to construct smaller cross-cutting groups can be a singularly attractive proposition. Furthermore, as should already be clear, evangelical churches like Crossroads are more apt to transformational organizing than the transactional mobilizing that more traditional political organizations prioritize on both the left and right. People who get deeply involved in church life are transformed by their relationships. They are also likely to be able to apply the organizational lessons they have acquired in other contexts too. Again, large swathes of American liberalism and the left are structurally bad at offering those kinds of opportunities, because they have doubled down on shallower transactional forms of organizing. But the most fundamental lesson that I took from Hahrie’s book is that creating justice is extraordinarily hard and demanding. It requires hard work, courage and grace. We live in a technocratic society, which often substitutes ritual for labor. We put up signs in our yards as signals of welcome, and sometimes imagine that this is sufficient on its own. We work in organizations that require diversity training, through online videos and multiple choice questions that substitute legalistic box checking for sustained thought and practice. We yell about how bad things are on social media, but don’t always do much to try to make things better. The reason is not that we are bad people, but that it is *really hard* to try to change things, rather than going through the motions of saying they ought be changed. There aren’t clear and obvious paths. Even when people of good will agree that something ought be done, they may ferociously disagree over how to do it. We don’t know how to succeed, or if we will succeed. And getting politically involved seems frightening and contentious. Making it less hard and frightening involves forgiveness and acceptance. Hard work, courage and grace: of these three, grace is often the hardest. It’s what Francis Spufford, an Anglican, is talking about when he describes the Human Propensity to Fuck Things Up <https://substack.com/redirect/6a89a6d3-bb9b-4014-a61e-4c1788d6b31b?j=eyJ1Ij…> as a starting point for living a Christian life. We are all wretches, undeserving of what we have, but from that can come both the hope that we can do better, and forgiveness of those who, like us ourselves, are entangled in their faults. Again, this is something worth learning. Hahrie’s book describes how the notion of grace can be weaponized to excuse the gross abuse of power. But she also explains how it may be the beginning point too of our struggles against injustice, as imperfect human beings, trying to make things a little better. Pledge your support <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJvZ3JhbW1hYmxlbXV…> Like <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1745679&post_id=175894338…> Comment <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1745679&post_id=175894338…> Restack <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvbS9…> © 2025 Henry Farrell Unsubscribe <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJvZ3JhbW1hYmxlbXV…> [image: Get the app] <https://substack.com/redirect/e6775c31-5af7-438c-ba13-f130809428ed?j=eyJ1Ij…>[image: Start writing] <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vc2lnbnV…>

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Re: [Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Rhythm within award!!!! Yea, Karen!!!!!!
by Ellie Stock 10 Oct '25

10 Oct '25

Thank you and congratulations, Karen, on this award. So well deserved as your life of service has reached so many people and engaged them in the movement of caring for Earth and All that is in it. Carleton and Ellie Stock On Friday, October 10, 2025 at 03:04:22 PM EDT, James Wiegel via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Karen Snyder Receives the Rhythm Within Award | | | | | | | | | | | Karen Snyder Receives the Rhythm Within Award | | | What a treat to know such people!! Jim Wiegel Theunknown is what is. And to be frightened of it is what sends everybodyscurrying around chasing dreams, illusions, wars, peace, love, hate, allthat. Unknown is what is. Accept that it's unknown, and it's plainsailing. John Lennon 401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353 623-363-3277 jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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Patricia Tuecke
by Sunny Walker 02 Oct '25

02 Oct '25

Patricia Tuecke is turning 90 on October 18 and I’m sure that she would be joy filled to hear from you. If you would take a few minutes and make a video with your birthday best wishes and a favorite memory that you would like to share. I apologize for the lateness of the notice, but if you could send them to me at tuecke(a)gmail.com by the 16th, I can download them to a display screen that will be on Pat’s desk. For those who don’t do tech, Pat’s address is 11552 SW Lesser Rd, Portland, OR 97219. Thank you for helping to make Pat’s day memorable. Greetings To All Dan *Sent on behalf of Dan* *Sunny Walker * *She/her/hers* *On **Arapaho, Cheyenne, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) tribal land* Certified Facilitator (Also Certified ToP Facilitator) ToP Methods Mentor Trainer - Upcoming Courses <https://www.top-training.net/w/> Virtual Facilitation Collaborative Senior Facilitator sunny.sunwalker(a)gmail.com 303-587-3017 For diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging inquiries: sunny(a)diversityinnovators.com www.diversityinnovators.com For virtual facilitation inquiries: sunny(a)virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com www.virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com

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Marshall Islands - link to article. Disregard previous.
by Sunny Walker 02 Sep '25

02 Sep '25

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/02/marshall-islands-picks-up-pie… *Sunny Walker * *She/her/hers* *On **Arapaho, Cheyenne, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) tribal land* Certified Facilitator (Also Certified ToP Facilitator) ToP Methods Mentor Trainer - Upcoming Courses <https://www.top-training.net/w/> Virtual Facilitation Collaborative Senior Facilitator sunny.sunwalker(a)gmail.com 303-587-3017 For diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging inquiries: sunny(a)diversityinnovators.com www.diversityinnovators.com For virtual facilitation inquiries: sunny(a)virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com www.virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com

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