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2/03/2022, Progressing Spirit: The Rev. Mark Sandlin: American Christianity as a Cover for Racism; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 03 Feb '22

03 Feb '22

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screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv3230069955 #yiv3230069955templateBody .yiv3230069955mcnTextContent, #yiv3230069955 #yiv3230069955templateBody .yiv3230069955mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv3230069955 #yiv3230069955templateFooter .yiv3230069955mcnTextContent, #yiv3230069955 #yiv3230069955templateFooter .yiv3230069955mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | American Christianity as a Cover for Racism | | | | | | | | Essay by Rev. Mark Sandlin February 3, 2022 Race plays a profound role in all aspects of life in the United States. When you stop to think about it, that is absolutely astounding considering that race, at least biologically speaking, doesn't actually exist. You see, for hundreds of years scientists assumed race was a biological reality because people look different to the naked eye: different skin color, different hair texture, different facial structure. “There must be different races!” But literally hundreds of scientific studies in the last forty some years have demonstrated there is no significant genetic difference between human beings regardless of differences in skin color, hair, and facial structure. Yet, we live in a nation, in a world, where we not only use slight cosmetic differences to marginalize, abuse, and take advantage of people. In extreme cases, we use it as a reason to kill them. It is imbecilic behavior that should be thwarted by the scientific facts of it. But, it is not. It makes me wonder if evolution quit working at some point. I mean, we certainly haven't evolved much on the issue of racism. What it really makes me wonder is how is there so much support for this kind of thing? What piece of our society continues to push and support such backwards way of thinking? Well, this may not be THE answer, but I think it's one of them. About 10 years ago, an analysis led by Wendy Wood, Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at USC College and the USC Marshall School of Business, found a positive correlation between religiosity and racial bias. But is religion really the problem here or is it something else? The analysis looked at data from 55 studies on religion and racism in America dating back to the Civil Rights Act. Combined, the studies include more than 22,000 participants, mostly white and Protestant. (And that's important, Protestant. Much of the current support for our racially biased government comes from the more conservative Evangelical Christian movement, not the Protestant). As the study reports: “A meta-analytic review of past research evaluated the link between religiosity and racism in the United States since the Civil Rights Act. Religious racism partly reflects intergroup dynamics. That is, a strong religious in-group identity was associated with derogation of racial out-groups. Other races might be treated as out-groups because religion is practiced largely within race, because training in a religious in-group identity promotes general ethnocentrism, and because different others appear to be in competition for resources. In addition, religious racism is tied to basic life values of social conformity and respect for tradition... The authors failed to find that racial tolerance arises from humanitarian values, consistent with the idea that religious humanitarianism is largely expressed to in-group members. Only religious agnostics were racially tolerant.” The analysis did not focus on how the racism/religion connection plays out in churches and religions predominantly populated by people of color, nor how non-Judeo-Christian religions affects adherents' racial attitudes. But the authors of the study hypothesized that their analysis would hold across world religions. Recognize here that the study did not find that religion causes racism. It's finding says that it is fertile soil for those who have tendencies toward racism. Progressive, Christian, author Anne Lamott puts it this way, “You can safely say that you've created God in your own image when it turns out God hates all the same people you do.” Or as I once put it, "If your religion doesn’t challenge you to care for people you might otherwise be dismissive of and, instead, reinforces your negative feeling about them, you don’t have a religion – you have a formalized structure for institutionalizing your biases." Basically, when religion isn't practiced with intelligence and compassion, it can easily be used as an authoritative confirmation of our biases. In churches that eschew the humanist perspectives of critical thinking and the innate value of individuals, perverting information to suit personal prejudices is far too easy. Add to it the dogmatic environment of most churches and it can be the perfect petri dish for growing cultures of racism. Putting racism into the hands of God also makes life easier when you are confronted with social injustices. If you can blame a group's oppression on the retribution of an angry god or some inherent deficiency, then you not only have no responsibility in it, but you'd be foolish to go against God. Not only that, you don't have to feel bad about the privileges that are given to you when you choose to not extend those same privileges to people who've already been judged by God (at least in your eyes). The harsh reality of race and religion in America is that religion has become a cover for racism. We all like to think that the idea "separate but equal" is something from a bygone era. That segregated lunch counters, race-divided bathrooms, signs reading "whites only" are concepts that died out in America decades ago. Except, well, they are not. A Public Religion Research Institute survey found that 10 percent of Americans believe business owners should be able to refuse to serve black people if they see that as a violation of their religious beliefs. Men were slightly more likely to agree than women, and Catholics slightly more likely than Protestants. Ten percent of the population may not seem like a lot, but it calculates out to about 32 million people. It also points to how racism and the concept of segregation are sadly still alive and well some 50 years after the end of Jim Crow. Yes, in the past five decades since the peak of the civil-rights movement, some racial policies have changed. For example, workplace discrimination has been outlawed. But, let's never forget that that doesn't mean prejudice has disappeared. It turns out that it is quite the opposite. The reality is that racial discrimination is now being touted as "religious freedom." Just as bad, the Trump era made many racists feel all too comfortable with publicly expressing their racism without feeling the need for anonymity as they may have in the past. Like I said, if your religion doesn’t challenge you to care for people you might otherwise be dismissive of and, instead, reinforces your negative feeling about them, you don’t have a religion – you have a formalized structure for institutionalizing your biases. You can wrap the law around it any way you want. You can call it religious freedom, freedom of speech, whatever you want. No matter what you call it, it remains morally repugnant and devoid of any god that I ever care to acknowledge. There is no space in a healthy spiritual community or life for racism, or for that matter anything that pits one group of people over another. That kind of thinking, that kind of acting, stands over and against everything that can grow a person or a community spiritually. That kind of thinking plays to the lowest forms of human pettiness and uses religion as a weapon rather than as a balm. It is a bastardization of spirituality and must be actively resisted at every turn and cast out like the demon that it is. It does not mean that we stop seeking to care for those who practice it. That would put us in a similar place of denying people for being different than us, but it does mean not sitting silently by as it is being practiced. It does mean actively resisting it in our churches and communities. We must call it out when we see it being done in the name of God. We must insist that our representatives stop supporting it with discriminating “religious freedom” laws and racially divided voting maps. We must persist in standing up to hate at every turn and in extending grace, acceptance, and love. Not just for the sake of our nation and for the sake of those who are the target of it, but for the health of our spiritual life as well. It is time for racism's religious cover to end. ~ Rev. Mark Sandlin Read online here About the Author Rev. Mark Sandlin is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) from the South. He currently serves at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. Mark also serves as the President and Co-executive Director of ProgressiveChristianity.org. He is a co-founder of The Christian Left. His blog, has been named as one of the “Top Ten Christian Blogs.” Mark received The Associated Church Press’ Award of Excellence in 2012. His Podcast The Moonshine Jesus Show is on Mondays at 4:30pm ET. Follow Mark on Facebook and Twitter @marksandlin. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By A Reader For the past two decades, you and your wife have traveled North America evangelizing evolution and big history. But recently your focus seems to have taken a more eco-theological and pastoral turn. What brought about this shift, and what would you say is the heart of your message and ministry now? A: By Rev. Michael Dowd Dear Reader,The shift culminated in 2018, just after Living the Questions published my video course, “Pro-Future Faith: The Prodigal Species Comes Home,” but was actually decades in the making. Here’s how it unfolded:I developed a passion for “evidential revelation” when I began my pastoral career in 1986, while attending Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Seminary). The following were especially significant. John A.T. Robinson’s book, Honest to God, and Gene Marshall’s essay, “What Reality Are We Pointing to with the Word ‘God’?”, helped me integrate the thinking of Paul Tillich, Rudolf Bultmann, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Gaian microbiologist Lynn Margulis, deep ecologists Joanna Macy and Dolores LaChapelle, and eco-feminist Sallie McFague were especially significant mentors. I discuss their influence in my video, “Honest to G🌎D: Reality 101”.In 1988 cultural historian Thomas Berry, cosmologist Brian Swimme, and bioregional educator Sr. Miriam MacGillis inspired a passion for big picture storytelling. Henceforth, interpreting the epic of evolution in spiritually nourishing ways would be my calling.My ministry took a practical, community organizing, sustainability turn in the late 1990s, and then expanded again soon after I remarried. Connie Barlow was a science writer and also a Thomas Berry enthusiast. From April 2002 until September 2020 she and I lived on the road, addressing some 3,000 religious and secular groups across North America on a range of subjects at the intersection of science, meaning, and "right relationship to reality.” (I see “reality” as God’s secular name, and “G🌎D” as reality’s mythic name.)In December 2012 I had a profound worldview shift. Watching David Roberts’ TEDx talk, “Climate Change is Simple (Remix)," woke me up to the looming climate consequences already unstoppable. Climate learning, advocacy, and activism took center stage, grounded in a passion to also learn the essentials of "ecological overshoot" (as presented by environmental sociologist William R. Catton, Jr.). I also dove deeply into the study abrupt climate change (10,000 years of change in half a human lifetime) and the rise and fall of civilizations. Key differences between unsustainable societies and Indigenous cultures are a current topic for learning and reflection. I find it helpful to regard the latter as having never been expelled from the Garden. Quite simply, Indigenous peoples did not violate what I now consider to be G🌎D’s first law: “Limits are sacred; violate them and your society will perish in a hell of your own making.”To freely share what I was learning in all these fields, I began audio recording and posting to Soundcloud classic books and articles that were only available in text format — a “sustainability canon” of sorts.I also began to create both educational and pastoral videos about how to cope and even thrive in existentially painful circumstances, including the ongoing collapse of both the biosphere and business as usual. “Post-doom” was the term I began using in 2019 to signify that becoming aware of the unstoppability of social and ecological downturns need not end in "doom." There are still opportunities for “finding the gift” and applying "love in action."As I see it, the shift from anthropocentrism (human-centeredness), to ecocentrism, (G🌎D-centeredness) points to a distinctly prophetic role for progressive religious and secular folk alike. Progressive faith leaders now have a once-in-a-millennium opportunity to speak on behalf of G🌎D (Life/Reality) in prophetic, inclusive, and universal (i.e., non human-centered) ways.This prophetic message is not grounded in old men or old books. Rather, evidential revelation (including the findings of science) is our "scripture", ecology is the heart of our theology, and our inspiration flows from the wisdom of women and indigenous leaders’ calls for environmental and intergenerational justice.What a time to be alive!~ Rev. Michael Dowd Read and share online here About the AuthorThe Reverend Michael Dowd is a bestselling eco-theologian, TEDx speaker, and pro-future advocate whose work has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek, Discover, and on television throughout the United States and Canada. His book, Thank God for Evolution, was endorsed by 6 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, noted skeptics, and religious leaders across the spectrum. Michael and his science writer, evolutionary educator, and fellow climate activist wife, Connie Barlow, have spoken to some 3,000 groups throughout North America since April 2002. Michael and Connie live permanently in Ypsilanti, Michigan, from where Michael delivers Zoom homilies and longer programs. Sample sermons can be found here and here and here. This video: “Serenity Prayer for the 21st Century: Pro-Future Love-in-Action” is especially recommended as a introduction to his current body of work. Rev. Dowd’s websites: MichaelDowd.org / TheGreatStory.org / PostDoom.com | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together.Thank you for being a part of this community - join us on Facebook! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As a non-profit ProgressiveChristianity.org/Progressing Spirit rely heavily on the good will of our donors to help us continue to bring individuals and churches the messages of progressive Christians, Weekly Newsletters, along with the many other resources we provide. For years, the majority of our fundraising came at the end of the year. Looking at various ways to create a more reasonable amount of cash flow we decided rather than having a BIG ask at the end of each year, our more frequent asks give folks a chance to contribute when their funds are more flexible. We think that's a win for everyone. We also want to highlight the opportunity to become a sustaining supporter. If you are looking for the best way to help us continue to provide progressive Christian resources, become a sustaining supporter by choosing Recurring Donation. Help keep ProgressiveChristianity.org online and going strong - click here to donate today! * Another way to support us is to leave a bequest in your Will and/or Trust designating us a beneficiary. | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited What Do Christian Symbols Mean in a Land Where Christianity is No Longer Practiced? Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong December 1, 2022This church was built in 1866 by John J. Harris to be used as an Episcopal summer chapel serving vacationers in the Lake George, New York area. In 1869 it was deeded to the vestry of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Glen Falls, New York. It was closed in 1883. It re-opened in 1918 as an inter-denominational summer chapel and closed again in the mid 1920’s. In 1930 it became Presbyterian and was part of a five point rural congregation of the parish of the Glenn Falls Presbyterian Church, served by a circuit-riding preacher. It became independent once more in 1947, calling itself Harrisena Community Church in honor of its original founder. Its first full time pastor was called in 1952 and the congregation grew to a membership of 98 people. In 1969 the congregation called its third pastor, a newly-ordained American Baptist clergyman just graduated from the Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, the seminary that produced Martin Luther King, Jr. His name was Lamont Robinson and he arrived with his wife Dodi, who had also attended Colgate-Rochester, but trained to be a church musician. They were in their mid-twenties. This couple has now been at this church for 42 years. Today it has about 300 members; a newly-expanded building to house church and community activities, and a well-trained and talented choir of about 20 people. Its congregation, deeply dedicated to serving this basically rural community is made up of two distinct groups: retirees, drawn by the Lake, and long-time local and thus permanent residents. The blend is magnificent. It is one of the most exciting churches I have ever visited and Monty and Dodi Robinson have created in this place a spectacular gathering of people, who are self-defined as open, questing, questioning, stretching and progressive Christians. I am compelled to share with my readers the story of this church and of this remarkable couple.Harrisena Church is the focal point of community life around Lake George. Monty Robinson is a part of everyone’s family. Dodi Robinson has made it a place of exceptional music. To keep themselves up to date with contemporary biblical scholarship and theology, they have just instituted an annual Public Lectureship to enable their congregation and extended community to embrace new ways of thinking. I was privileged to be the inaugural lecturer in this series. It was for them a big venture, even a scary venture. Could they entice nationally known speakers to this remote and rural area? Would the community support or even appreciate this emphasis?They publicized the lectures widely through mailings, billboards and the media available to them, in this case a local newspaper called the Post-Star. In one published article a retired Methodist minister, who is not a member of the congregation, expressed the excitement that was building in the community with a bit of obvious hyperbole. Referring to my arrival he said, “It’s like having Bill Clinton come on Sunday morning! It’s that monumental!” Only my mother would have agreed with that assessment and not all people would regard that comparison as flattering, but it did reveal the expectations that are not untypical of this church.To take the pulse of this congregation, we have only to look at the liturgy and worship of their Church. They have turned the stated goals of the progressive Christian Movement in the United States into a statement printed on the back of the Sunday bulletin:We believe in the profound message brought to humankind by Jesus of Nazareth. We believe that it is in this message rather than the institutions conveying it that forms the most enduring foundation for a positive life. We believe that Christ’s message is at least as germane to the world today as it was two thousand years ago. We believe that this message better enables each of us to see and worship God in our own way. We believe that Christianity is enriched by human reason not in conflict with it. We believe that as a church family, we are responsible to one another and our community.Inside the bulletin they state that while Christianity is their pathway into the mystery of God, they are aware that there are other pathways that they must also honor. Their commitment is to be open to all people including, but not limited to: Conventional Christians and questioning skeptics-believers and agnostics-women and men-all sexual orientations-all classes and abilities.In this congregation, I met a woman who said that she was not only “out of the traditional religious box, but had never been in it;” others who were in various stages of their faith journey and even one just convicted of a felony and awaiting sentencing. Indeed, all were welcome.How has it been possible for this gem of a church to be born and to thrive in this relatively rural area of upstate New York? The answer is surely found in the leadership of its pastor and his wife. For forty-two years they have lived at the heart of this community, raising their family here and identifying with the people. As soon as they arrived, Monty joined the volunteer firemen and took training to be an Emergency Medical Technician working with the Rescue Squad. Dodi took the ten anthems that the church simply rotated every ten Sundays and stretched them into a music library that much larger churches would be proud to possess. To volunteer in activities that benefitted the whole community, regardless of creed or lack of creed, became the mark of the congregation. The Youth Group tended to be made up of non-church going teenagers and Monty made it a focus of his ministry from his first days as pastor until today. Alumni of that youth group have become significant leaders in the congregation.The current anxiety in the congregation is the contemplation of a future without Monty and Dodi. He is now 68. The time of his retirement cannot be many years away. Monty is such a fixture, indeed a lynchpin in the lives of so many that they cannot imagine life without his being part of it. He is also sensitive enough to wonder about the effect either he or his presence might have on his successor. Should he move away when the day of his retirement comes? To do so would be to ask him to move from all his roots, from all his friends and from the community that he has in large measure created. Retirement would thus be almost a prison sentence that would “send him away” for the balance of his life. If his moving away was a prerequisite for the new pastor to succeed, it would inevitably doom that new pastor, for he or she would always be thought of symbolically as the one who caused their friend, guide and spiritual leader to be lost to them. That is an emotional load that few can carry successfully. The future pastor will never replace this man and if that is the future pastor’s agenda, then he or she will fail. The new pastor must rather supplement Monty, build on his genius and appreciate his counsel.How did these two people accomplish all that they have accomplished? To quote a familiar commercial, they “did it the old fashioned way.” They earned the trust of the people in the community. They became an additional set of parents to every teenager. They did it life by life. No one’s needs were dismissed and no one’s confidentiality was compromised. There are few pastoral careers in the United States that continue in the same church for forty-two years, and fewer still that remain creative, exciting and life giving for themselves and for their congregations. Monty and Dodi Robinson are rare indeed in their accomplishments. There are few churches left in our society that are still the center of the life of the community they serve. Harrisena Church is exactly that. Unusual things like these do not happen accidentally. This pastor and his wife invested their entire careers in this single community. They constantly upgraded their skills, reinvented themselves and re-focused their ministries so as to be creative over long periods of time, not growing stale with familiarity. Monty and Dodi Robinson are rare specimens of a unique and unusual pastoral couple, each possessing quite independent talents. Colgate-Rochester Divinity School should honor them both with honorary doctorates. It was my privilege to meet them both; to enter into this congregation ‘s life for a single weekend; to be inspired by what I saw, and to embrace a picture of what I think the Church was intended to be.In 1993 this congregation decided to expand its buildings by erecting on its ten acre lot an assembly and educational facility to supplement its small stone sanctuary. The new structure would include an auditorium that would seat 250 people, a place in which they could house church dinners, public lectures, wedding receptions and even community functions. It was an enormous undertaking for this small congregation, but they believed it was a necessary one. When this building was nearing completion, the church trustees conducted a contest on what the new facility should be named. While these trustees were said to have received numerous suggestions, they kept the final decision secret until the day of the building’s dedication in 1994. There was a large plaque on the wall that when unveiled announced the winning name to the world. The plaque read “Robinson Hall,” erected “in thanksgiving for the lives, the presence and the ministries of Dodi and Monty Robinson.” That had been the only name submitted, they said, a fitting tribute to an incredible couple, whose names are not only on this plaque, but are written across the hearts of literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of people in the Lake George area.In our society, most of us are normally remembered for no more than three generations. Dodi and Monty Robinson will transcend that limit. Theirs is a ministry for the ages and people in that community generations from today will repeat the familiar stories and recall this unusual clergyman and his equally unusual and dedicated wife. ~ Bishop John Shelby Spong | | | | Announcements Schedule Monday, February 7: In the Heat of the Night with Rev. Darrell Hamilton Monday, February 14: Lillies of the Field with Rev. Darrell Hamilton Monday, February 21: To Sir, with Love with Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis Monday, February 28: A Raisin in the Sun with Rev. Dr. Jacqui LewisRead On... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Upcoming (and exciting!) events on The Global Schedule
by Sunny Walker 01 Feb '22

01 Feb '22

The Global Schedule for February is full of 11 fascinating presentations and workshops. To learn what is happening with the Learning Basket globally today, join any or all of the following presentations: 1. The Learning Basket DNA, Thursday, February 10 with Elise Packard. 2. The Learning Basket on the U.S. Border and in Guatemala, Thursday, February 17 with Joaquina Rodriqes and Angelica Rodriquez 3. The Learning Basket in Maharashtra, India, Thursday February 24 with Bhimrao Tupe and the Nagpur Team Don’s miss the papers and articles written about the Learning Basket program that are included in the Schedule invite. Catch up on this exciting program! February 4-6, Mission Joy: Finding Happiness in Troubled Times _A documentary film of the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu discussing Joy. There is a sign-in page on the Eden website. Register to receive the film link and password before Friday, February 4. Carl and Ellis Stock forwarded this opportunity to the Global Schedule. Join Michelle Zhang and Karen Lim to learn how to dance with fire in meetings and workshops. Take this opportunity to share learnings with our colleagues from the Asia/Pacific region. Wednesday, February 16. It's worth getting up early for - and it will be in English! After the very successful sharing event in December 2021, Michelle Zhang and Pat Nunis, two of the creators of the December campfire conversation are continuing the journey with a series of dialogues on "How can we create and maintain a stable and safe place for participants to share life stories?" There are 6 sessions between Friday, February 18 and Monday, March 29. Give your facilitation skills a boost with these global learning events! BE SURE TO SIGN UP! The Global Schedule of Events can be found here <http://www.icaglobalarchives.org/social-research-center-events/>. *Sunny Walker for the Global Schedule Team* *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 virtual facilitation inquiries: sunny(a)virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com www.virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com

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Please don't cc others when posting
by Timothy Wegner 01 Feb '22

01 Feb '22

Here's one of my very occasional administrivia messages (I try to keep these to a minimum) We are trying to debug posting problems for one of our users. When posting, please do not cc a bunch of other addresses in addition to the list address. If there are too many addresses, the mailman software will refuse to send it, but even a small number can be confusing. The best practice when posting is to have a single addressee, namely dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net. Also, be aware that if you cc yourself, the mailman software will suppress sending the list message to you, so you won't be sure your message was really posted. Hope all are well! We're fine here in Houston! Tim dialogue and OE list administrator

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FYI: A 2nd opportunity to see the "Mission: Joy" documentary about the freindship and wisdom of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu
by Ellie Stock 29 Jan '22

29 Jan '22

Hi Folks, A second opportunity to see "Mission Joy". Hope you are able to view it. Ellie :)elliestock@aol.com -----Original Message----- From: Lawler, Steve <slawler(a)eden.edu> To: Leadership <Leadership(a)eden.edu> Sent: Fri, Jan 28, 2022 8:01 pm Subject: A 2nd opportunity to see the "Mission: Joy" documentary about the freindship and wisdom of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu #yiv9700719080 P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}Dear friends, Because of the great response, we received to "Mission: Joy" https://missionjoy.org/ when we made it available to stream during the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday weekend, we obtained a second license for next weekend, February 4 the - 6th. The film is available from 12:01 am Friday the 4th until 11:59 pm on Sunday the 6th. We have created a sign-in page on the Eden site to provide the distributor with the number of people who view the film. https://www.eden.edu/events/mission-joy-screening I hope you will share this information with friends, colleagues, and family. And, you may want to watch it again. Having watched it three times, I am looking forward to seeing it again as each viewing provides new moments of inspiration and awe. We will release the link, and passcode to all who have signed up just ahead of the link going live at 12:01 am Friday am CST US/UTC -6 Please let me know if you have any questions, Wishing you joy in this time of challenges and hope, Steve Steve Lawler / Director Walker Leadership Institute / Leadership for the Common Good Eden Theological Seminary / 475 East Lockwood AvenueSt. Louis, MO 63119 / www.eden.edu o 314 918-2628 / c 314-753-7911 he/him

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1/27/22, Progressing Spirituality: The Rev. Michael Dowd: My G🌎 D, What Have We Done?
by Ellie Stock 27 Jan '22

27 Jan '22

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p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5962851942 #yiv5962851942templateBody .yiv5962851942mcnTextContent, #yiv5962851942 #yiv5962851942templateBody .yiv5962851942mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5962851942 #yiv5962851942templateFooter .yiv5962851942mcnTextContent, #yiv5962851942 #yiv5962851942templateFooter .yiv5962851942mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | My G🌎 D, What Have We Done? | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Rev. Michael Dowd January 27, 2022 On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan — the first time such a catastrophic weapon was used in conflict. As the city disappeared under a mushroom cloud, Captain Robert Lewis, co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that dropped the weapon, “Little Boy”, wrote in his journal “My God, what have we done?”I had originally planned to title this essay “Honest to G🌎D”, in honor of Bishop John A.T. Robinson’s 1963 book that inspired a generation of progressive Christians. But upon my third watching of the Netflix movie "Don’t Look Up”, I realized that the co-pilot's now-famous lament would be my lead.My thesis is simply this: A comet actually is heading our way. We ourselves set it in motion millennia ago. But only recently have scientists, echoing longstanding Indigenous warnings, charted its course and voiced the alarm. Its name is Anthropocentrism and these are the End Times because human-centeredness will prove to be nearly as devastating as the comet in the movie.By Fate or by Failure Fate, in human experience, is a future that happens to us regardless of our own actions. As defined by sociologist C. Wright Mills, “Fate is the summary outcome not intended by anyone but resulting from innumerable small decisions about other matters by innumerable people.” ~ William R. Catton, Jr.The gifts of awareness and understanding brought forth by the scientific endeavor have been trailing a latent and growing shadow. This shadow is now so immense and terrifying that there is much to lament about the course we have taken. Could it have been different?Let us reflect on just one facet of how the discoveries of science have been applied: access to and deployment of Earth's reserves of stored energy.To begin, might the British have said "no" to digging coal in Newcastle? What about using that coal to power steam engines for digging deeper, transporting it across oceans? Could Americans have said "no" in Pennsylvania or Texas to turning a foul-smelling liquid into black gold? What about fracking bedrock to dislodge the remaining natural gas and petroleum liquids in Ohio, Oklahoma, the Dakotas?What about leases for deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico? (Oops, the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in 2010.) Then selling leases again December 2021?And what about utilizing the same energy stores to produce plastic and to draw nitrogen fertilizers out of thin air?How, in sum, could any new technology that offered big and immediate human benefits have been thwarted by the mere possibility of future risks? Indeed, if problems did arise, the thinking went, human ingenuity would once again come to the rescue. We imagined there were no limits to the advance and growth of industrial civilization!I have come to accept that each step of energy extraction and technological deployment was, in a way, inevitable. No council of wise elders could have assessed the true costs and benefits — and certainly not if charged to consider the consequences seven generations ahead. Equally, for those in power, who could remain in power if they accepted a "no" vote of such counsel?What aggregation of peoples could survive long saying no to any new technology if a yes was eventually put in play somewhere else?Recent history offers an example. The Chinese found a way to mix chemical elements to produce the marvels of fireworks. But when other peoples on the Eurasian continent began using the same mixture for propelling cannonballs and bullets, "gunpowder" became a necessity everywhere in the world. Dubbed "the parable of the tribes," this kind of evolutionary arms race is regarded by some historians as a matter of fate. Ditto "ecological overshoot" and now also the anthropogenic causes of today's biodiversity and climate crises.Looking to the future, we come to this: Whether we arrived at our species predicament by fate or failure, the period of industrial exploitation is over. Peak energy, peak consumption, peak globalization, peak soil, peak phosphorus, peak food, peak habitat, peak progress — each is already in the rearview mirror.Progressive Christianity TodayFundamentally, it is time for progressive Christians to reckon with the very notion of progress — that anthropocentric “advancement” is even a good thing in the long run. What may well have presented as a template for human progress a half century ago can no longer be viewed through the same lens.I offer here a possibility. Let's stop trivializing God.As modeled in the title of this essay, I propose that "God" be spelled (and more importantly, taken to heart) as G🌎D. The planet in all its manifestations thus becomes the center of what is holy; not the entirety, but what rivets our attention. G🌎D, our living Creator, Sustainer, and End, is indeed our “ultimate concern" — that which we respect and revere, that which we serve above all else.Following on the teachings of Jewish scholar Martin Buber, the living biosphere transforms into a greater “Thou”, no longer a lesser “it”.Today's movement for the rights of nature (Earth jurisprudence) is another path toward biocentric valuation. Indigenous peoples are, in this case, leading the way. They and their allies have already secured legal personhood for sacred lands and rivers in Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and most recently in the Canadian province of Quebec. Surely, this is an inviting path forward for progressive Christians. A flag we can carry to demonstrate our alliance, our allegiance, our support might well be this: G🌎D.In a 2017 essay, "The Way Home for the Prodigal Species," and two recent videos, "G🌎D: Owning Our Error, Accepting Our Fate" and "Sustainability 101: Indigenuity Is Not Optional," I reinterpreted our biblical heritage in ecocentric ways. We are in fact the prodigal species. We have squandered not only our own inheritance but that of nearly every other form of life. Human-centeredness has proved to be the most heinous form of idolatry. The ancients may have dissed God; we are defiling G🌎D.Human-centeredness in our language, in our portrayal of the divine, in our notion of rights and responsibilities is inherently anti-future. It cannot be sustained. As Edward Goldsmith details in his magnum opus, The Way: An Ecological Worldview, virtually every sustainable culture that we know of held three things in common: (1) they related to the local, living presence of reality (what we dismissively call “the environment”) in a humble, reverential, I-Thou way; (2) this incarnational presence of the divine (G🌎D) was honored as the source of all benefits and all real wealth for the community; and (3) preservation of the health and wellbeing of the body of life was the sacred responsibility.Human wellbeing is thus a consequence of right relationship to reality — not the focal point for decision-making. Potawatomi botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer encourages us all to regard plants and animals as kin. More, they are "our first teachers." Fruit and flesh are gifts, warranting gratitude and reciprocal action.Meanwhile, and drawing upon early Greek expressions of ecological wisdom, American scholar William Ophuls presents humility, moderation, and connection as a trinity of virtues worth reviving.G🌎D’s Judgment“Sooner or later we all sit down to a banquet of consequences.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson“G🌎D’s Judgment” is of course a mythic phrasing of “our banquet of consequences.” Accumulating over generations long before our own, this unwelcome feast can also be understood as “karma.” It is the inevitable fruit of anthropocentric institutions, governance — and religions.Industrial civilization is threatened by a "planet killer" of its own making. Here is where we now stand: • No matter who is voted into or out of office, no matter how many people take to the streets, become vegan, stop flying or reproducing, no matter how much ‘evolution of consciousness’ might be cultivated, and no matter how many solar panels and wind turbines are installed… • The ice of the world will keep melting and weirding out the jet stream. Methane and nitrous oxide (super-potent greenhouse gasses) will continue to belch from permafrost and polar seas. Forests everywhere will continue to incinerate, overwhelming our carbon-mitigation efforts. Acidifying oceans will continue to dissolve the calcium casings of coral, plankton, and shellfish. Hurricanes, tornados, heat domes, floods, droughts: all will grow ever more damaging, deadly.Our human-centeredness is causing the 6th mass extinction. Homo colossus is surely on the list. Homo sapiens may be, too.RedemptionDenial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance: where are you in the vaunted "stages of grief"? And is doom automatically the end point?Mid 2019, and building upon Paul Chefurka's notion of finding the gift on the other side of acceptance, I began to explore (with others) the possibility of compassionate “post-doom" forms of awareness. (I see “post-doom” as akin to compost theology, or regenerative grace — a secular name for resurrection.) Sure enough, multiple paths were already recognizable and inviting. Quite a few of my interlocutors (Paul Chefurka, Joanna Macy, among them) call upon Buddhist teachings for their ways forward. Several (notably, Shaun Chamberlain) speak of the emotional and spiritual equanimity he gains from Taoist writings.Post-doom conversations from a Christian platform were numerous: Richard Rohr, Damaris Zehner, Sid Smith, Robert Jensen, Gail Tverberg, and the Seminary of the Wild Guides (Victoria Loorz, Matt Syrdal, Brian Stafford, and Bryan Smith). I encourage readers of this publication to explore them all, as well as the mind-expanding post-doom resources and soul-nourishing “post doom, no gloom” zoom calls.But here, I will close with the final prayer of Jesus at his own end time, on the cross. For me, these words are comforting, even redemptive…”Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”~ Rev. Michael Dowd Read online HERE To listen to an audio narration of this essay, click HERE To see a video presentation of this essay, click HERE About the Author The Reverend Michael Dowd is a bestselling eco-theologian, TEDx speaker, and pro-future advocate whose work has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek, Discover, and on television throughout the United States and Canada. His book, Thank God for Evolution, was endorsed by 6 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, noted skeptics, and religious leaders across the spectrum. Michael and his science writer, evolutionary educator, and fellow climate activist wife, Connie Barlow, have spoken to some 3,000 groups throughout North America since April 2002. Michael has delivered two TEDx talks (“Why We Struggle and Suffer” in 2012, and “Reality Reconciles Science and Religion” in 2014) and a program at the United Nations. He has also conducted three acclaimed online conversation series: “The Advent of Evolutionary Christianity” (2011), “The Future Is Calling Us to Greatness” (2015) and “Post-doom: Regenerative conversations exploring overshoot grief, grounding, and gratitude” (2020-21). Dowd's work provides audiences with applications of evolutionary and ecological wisdom that break through the confusions of these rapidly shifting times.As of September 2020, Michael and Connie live permanently in Ypsilanti, Michigan, from where Michael delivers Zoom homilies and longer programs. Sample sermons can be found here and here and here. This video: “Serenity Prayer for the 21st Century: Pro-Future Love-in-Action” is especially recommended as a introduction to his current body of work regarding climate change, ecological overshoot, true vs. faux sustainability, and how to discern what to accept and what to passionately engage in.Rev. Dowd’s websites: MichaelDowd.org / TheGreatStory.org / PostDoom.com | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By A Reader With the continuing political polarity across our nation for those of different races, cultures, sexualities, and genders, where do LGBTQIA+ people find the resources and advocacy to thrive in today’s less progressive churches? A: By Rev. Brandan Robertson Dear Reader,This is an interesting question- the truth is that all around the world, thousands of progressive, inclusive churches are emerging that are drawing LGBTQ+ people and our allies out of the pews of non-inclusive churches into spaces of true inclusion and embrace. (To see many of these churches, check out GayChurch.net) For those who may not have a progressive, inclusive church geographically near them, many turn to the internet to find inclusive community. Through social media groups to progressive clergy on TikTok, millions of people are being connected to resources that help them reinivision their faith in ways that allow them to bring their full self to the table. In the past two years, for instance, I have gained a following of nearly 200k people on the app TikTok where I proclaim progressive Christian messages every week. I actually left ministry in a brick-and-mortar church, in part, to start a virtual faith community for these thousands of people and now every week through Metanoia Church, (metanoiacenter.org) hundreds gather via Zoom to be a part of a fully virtual inclusive community. So, our virtual world has made it easier than ever for people in every part of the world to be connected to resources and real community that embraces them just as they are. The last thing I’ll mention is that there are dozens of international non-profits dedicated for reformation within the Church around LGBTQ+ inclusion. Groups like Q Christian Fellowship, The European Symposium of LGBTQ+ Christians, One Body, One Faith, We Are Church, Changing Attitudes, and the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBTQ+ Lives all offer resources for LGBTQ+ Christians and our allies to cultivate a progressive, inclusive faith and I’d highly encourage you to check them out!~ Rev. Brandan Robertson Read and share online here About the Author Rev. Brandan Robertson is a noted spiritual thought-leader, contemplative activist, and commentator, working at the intersections of spirituality, sexuality, and social renewal and the author of Nomad: A Spirituality For Travelling Light and writes regularly for Patheos, Beliefnet, and The Huffington Post. He has published countless articles in respected outlets such as TIME, NBC, The Washington Post, Religion News Service, and Dallas Morning News. As sought out commentator of faith, culture, and public life, he is a regular contributor to national media outlets and has been interviewed by outlets such as MSNBC, NPR, SiriusXM, TIME Magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Associated Press. He leads Metanoia, a digital spiritual community at MetanoiaCenter.org | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together.Thank you for being a part of this community - join us on Facebook! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As a non-profit ProgressiveChristianity.org/Progressing Spirit rely heavily on the good will of our donors to help us continue to bring individuals and churches the messages of progressive Christians, Weekly Newsletters, along with the many other resources we provide. For years, the majority of our fundraising came at the end of the year. Looking at various ways to create a more reasonable amount of cash flow we decided rather than having a BIG ask at the end of each year, our more frequent asks give folks a chance to contribute when their funds are more flexible. We think that's a win for everyone. We also want to highlight the opportunity to become a sustaining supporter. If you are looking for the best way to help us continue to provide progressive Christian resources, become a sustaining supporter by choosing Recurring Donation. Help keep ProgressiveChristianity.org online and going strong - click here to donate today! * Another way to support us is to leave a bequest in your Will and/or Trust designating us a beneficiary. | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited What Do Christian Symbols Mean in a Land Where Christianity is No Longer Practiced? Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong December 1, 2022Italy is a Roman Catholic country! That was stated time after time as we journeyed through Florence, Tuscany and the Cinque Terre. The signs of this faith tradition were everywhere. The major tourist attractions in Italy, ranging from the Vatican to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, to the storied museums of the land in which the artistic creations of the Christian past are on display, all serve to make this Catholic history visible. Every Italian city is home to many churches, to stories of miracles emanating from a bygone era, to multiple shrines and to statues of religious heroes of the past. The influence of Catholicism obviously finds constant expression in Italian culture. The powerful mother of the Italian family, the “Mama Mia,” is undergirded by the image of the Virgin who is universally present. The suffering of the people, especially of those mothers who lost sons in the almost endless warfare throughout history between Italian cities or regions, is reflected in portraits of the Virgin at the cross cradling the limp body of her deceased son, Jesus. The “hot blood” of the Italian psyche is reflected in the images of the wrathful father God and in the sensuous appeal of Mary Magdalene. The great festivals and holidays of Italy all have Christian content, not only the universal ones like Christmas and Easter, but also the more favored local ones like the Flower Festival of St. Zita on April 27 in the city of Lucca, which commemorates one whose body, so the legend says, has been miraculously preserved from decay, so she is displayed in her final resting place, visible behind glass and serving as a tourist attraction not unlike Scotland’s Loch Ness monster. Underneath these overwhelming, religious facades, however, is a vast and pervasive emptiness. The external forms of religion reflecting the Catholic faith no longer seem filled with religious content. The city of Lucca in Tuscany illustrates this reality. Lucca, a small city of less than 100,000 people, has eighty-seven churches dotting its landscape with their steeples punctuating the skyline. Sixty-seven of these churches, however, have been officially deconsecrated and turned over to secular purposes. Of the twenty that remain, attendance is very low with only a few of the pews occupied on any given Sunday. The myths of miracles continue to be passed on, but with the glimmer of make believe, a vain attempt to capture the magic of their religious past. No one, save for some of the elderly and uneducated, still ascribes any reality to the details. They remain as cultural artifacts of a time that is no more. In the Middle Ages almost the entire purpose of life was to prepare the faithful for the life to come. It was focused on penance; pilgrimages and the spiritual discipline of mortification, combined with prescribed acts of kindness and generosity were thought to assure one of the bliss of heaven. Guilt was the omnipresent reality in that system that motivated all behavior. Today, life is centered in the present. The search for pleasure now has long since replaced the yearning for bliss later. Wine is the beverage of choice and it is drunk in great quantities at dinner and is anticipated as fully as is the food. Clearly it gladdens the hearts of the Italian citizenry. Lots of homes have small vineyards from which their own wine is made. They cannot imagine alcohol control as a function of government. Few ever associated wine with the sacrament of the Eucharist. They would understand those words culturally, but they would never employ them. Biblical ignorance is also rampant throughout the land. The Catholic Church never put a premium on Bible Study and the last two hundred years of critical biblical study has not made a significant impact on either the Catholic hierarchy or the priesthood. It has certainly not permeated the minds of the average person. If one were to tell an Italian audience that none of Jesus’ disciples wrote the gospels or that the miracles were far more symbolic than historical, they simply would not listen. Jesus was born in Bethlehem one Italian told me, totally unaware that the stories of the miraculous birth of Jesus, which includes moving his birth from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of David, did not enter the Christian tradition until the 9th decade of the Christian era. The artifacts of their Christian past are simply like pieces of antique furniture, honored by, but not used in a typical household. The people are proud of their artistic treasures. Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the statue of King David as a youth, was adopted as symbolic of an insight into modernity by the people of Florence, but none of them could tell me why a Jewish king, who reigned about 3,000 years ago, was chosen to be a symbol of a new age. Yet this gigantic, nude statue carved and chiseled with incredible skill and talent, draws millions of viewers a year. The non-biblical aspects of what they assume to be biblical portraits are astonishing. As I noted last week there were numbers of paintings of Jesus and John the Baptist, playing together as children under the careful watch of Mary and Elizabeth, found in every museum. Yet there is not a shred of evidence in the Bible of any association between Jesus and John the Baptist in childhood. Most of the tradition that has grown up around this theme reflects only an earlier story of the relationship between Esau and Jacob in Genesis. In both narratives, the elder must decrease and the younger increase. The Stations of the Cross, painted and hanging as portraits on the walls of churches, tell the story of Jesus’ passion with little regard for the facts related in the biblical narratives. So the people enjoy the art, ask no questions about it and generally ignore its meaning. What do empty religious symbols mean? What power sustains them? Why do these symbols remain so prevalent when the faith that gave them meaning has so little residual power? That was the issue that intrigued me. While I was in Italy, I saw only one person wearing a cross. So rare was this experience that I inquired if she would be willing to tell me what that simple act meant to her. It was an intrusive question, but she responded without taking offence. “I’ve always liked the symbol, she said, but I don’t like the things it traditionally stands for – suffering, pain and death. It says to me that one human life lived out his destiny by giving his life away – so for me it is a sign of radical freedom,” an interesting non-religious response. That response, however, helped me to answer my own questions about the continued impact of Catholic forms in a nation and a culture that has largely abandoned Christianity’s content. Certainly the Italian people are not obedient to the rules of their church. The birth rate in Italy, 1.2 children per family, is the lowest in all of Europe. Does anyone really believe that this startling rate is achieved without birth control or legal abortion? Churches are closing, worshippers at those that remain open are few and the number of priests is in free fall. The tourist guides wink knowingly when they relate the miracle stories connected with the various shrines. The Pope is treated like a piece of furniture or a maiden aunt. No one is unkind, but no one pays attention to anything he says. “He is not popular,” one Italian told me. “Why is that?” I inquired. “Because he’s German,” came the answer. “The Germans are blunt, they say what they think and don’t care who likes it. Previous Popes knew how to make everyone think the Pope agreed with them.” When the substance of Christianity is largely absent from Italy’s life, but the ancient forms of Christianity are everywhere there is bound to be confusion. One can, however, move beyond the forms of the past without moving beyond the substance to which those forms were originally but pointers. If we identify the forms with the substance then when the forms die the substance also dies. That is where institutional Christianity is in Italy, indeed in Europe and increasingly in the United States. Yet most people still seek in some way meaning, ultimacy and God, but so often it is the dead forms of the past that force our search to remain inside the increasingly empty symbols of yesterday. Traditional Christianity is clearly dying in Italy – perhaps it has already died. The human experience, however, which traditional Christianity once interpreted, is as real today as ever. Our task is to find new forms through which our eternal yearnings can find expression. That is never achieved by reviving the past. It comes by embracing the future, walking courageously into it and in the process redefining the meaning of being human. To accomplish this Christians must begin by freeing ourselves of binding creeds and dated liturgies. We need to cast aside pious ignorance, the fear of science and of new insights. We probe the dimensions of our humanity, identifying those things that lift us beyond our limits and those that force us to live behind defensive barriers. We look at the freedom and the wholeness of Christ and seek those same qualities in ourselves without worrying about what will become of our traditional and familiar symbols. People living today might not recognize what the Christianity of the 22nd century evolves into being, but we must nonetheless be about this journey. Perhaps the secularity of Italy gives the Italians a head start, while we in America still have to push aside the thin, lingering religious veneer. We still see at political rallies in America a hard and harsh presence called “the religious vote,” which suggests that those without health care insurance be allowed to die; boos a gay soldier, who has served courageously, when he seeks equality under the law, and tries to define the religion of a presidential candidate as a “cult.” The Bible is still quoted to defend popular prejudices. Christian liturgies remain pre-Copernican and Christian theology pre-Darwinian, while we search for meaningful answers to such perennial questions as: Who am I? What is my purpose, my destiny? Who is my neighbor? When we begin to ask those questions in honesty with no preconceived religious answers, the time will have arrived for the Christian faith to be born to new dimensions of truth. I yearn and work for that day with confidence that it will arrive.~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements Exploring Engoldenment1-Hour Course + Live and Recording of Q&A Session + A specially created film of Kabir poetry - Online January 31st. READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright © 2021 ProgressiveChristianity.org, a 501(3)c. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 4810 Pt. Fosdick Dr. #80, Gig Harbor, WA 98335 253-507-8678 - contact(a)progressivechristianity.org You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. | | | |

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Fwd: Now This is the Way to Cook
by Joan 25 Jan '22

25 Jan '22

Great idea!

5 4

Fwd: DID YOU KNOW???
by Joan 25 Jan '22

25 Jan '22

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FYI: Zoom Conversations with Matthew Fox: Be Involved in the Great Turning: Join Us Tomorrow Tues, 1/25!
by Ellie Stock 24 Jan '22

24 Jan '22

Hi Folks, FYI: See below: Zoom conversation with Matthew Fox, Order of the Sacred Earth regarding responding the present/futre times of societal collapse and the future of Earth and rebirthing community. Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com -----Original Message----- From: Order of the Sacred Earth <orderofthesacredearth(a)gmail.com> Sent: Mon, Jan 24, 2022 5:32 am Subject: Be Involved in the Great Turning: Join Us Tomorrow! 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collaborate with a dynamic global Earth-centered community in 2022? Read on for more information and be involved! | | | | | | | | | Order of the Sacred Earth | | | | Dear Beloved Community, Happy (almost) Lunar New Year to you all (February 1st)! It feels like life is speeding up and inviting us to come out of our caves of 2020 and 2021. Join us tomorrow (information below!) for an online council to connect with the amazing folks within the OSE community and to get involved! Please read on for other ways to collaborate in moving our communal efforts forward as we create a more just and ecological human presence on Earth. As so much continues to change in our world, it's often difficult to keep track of it all and to stay focused. As our lives continue to be challenged in this time of collapse and rebirth we feel that community is more important than ever. We give thanks for the privilege of being alive by making space for Earth to move through us in unique and new ways. We strive to listen and respond from the inner knowing that we are each held and supported by life. In this way, we allow ourselves (again and again) to trust in life's intelligence as we seek to bring forth vitality and connection. We're calling in the strength necessary to show up for the substantial grief and loss we're all experiencing in order to give our best efforts to the Great Turning now underway. | | | | It is in this spirit that we gather tomorrow around our virtual council fire. Join us on Tuesday, January 25th at 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern time for our monthly OSE Council Meeting. | | | | | | Our Councils are on the last Tuesday of each month. Join Matthew Fox, Skylar Wilson, Mariko Middleton and others from the global OSE movement as we come together to listen, share, and to support one another within this growing movement. There are many ways to plug into our network as we create more avenues for cross-pollination and community support so please come with an open heart and mind! | | | | Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88665302478 Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478 One tap mobile +13017158592,,88665302478# US (Germantown) +13126266799,,88665302478# US (Chicago) Dial by your location +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 876 9923 US (New York) +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478 | | | | This will be a time to connect in community around the themes of working sustainably and consistently to build and expand a culture that honors the sacredness of the Earth and all life. Our intention is to create a container for connection and networking with other mystic warriors who are putting forth the intention and effort needed to make a difference within these crucial and challenging times. We have also enjoyed providing a space for new people to join us to learn more about this movement and share how they are being called to participate in the Great Turning of humanity. In the past, we've had between 12-65 people join us from all over the world so the format changes from month to month. There will be time to briefly share what you're up to, what is present in your heart, or anything else that feels relevant to you and this movement. More than anything, this is a place to listen to one another and what has been happening within our extended network of ecoregional Pods who are meeting and rooting into their communities while creating change in both internal and systemic ways. | | | | | | Here are two video recordings of recent council meetings in case you're curious: https://youtu.be/ouo4okdROIw https://youtu.be/q9o6YJhKQ_M | | | | | | | | | | If you haven't already, please check out and subscribe to Matthew Fox's daily meditations: https://dailymeditationswithmatthewfox.org/ | | | | | | | | Again, we would love to hear from you! Please send us your ideas, stories, essays, poems, content, related and important events etc. and spread the word about this community within your circles so that we may continue to grow in service of all that we are. In community, Skylar, Matthew, and Mariko | | | | Join an Online Collaboration Group to Support the OSE Community in Developing A Place for Deeper Conversation for Organizing Effectively! Anita Manuel and Jesse London are exploring/creating an online space to connect for discussion, community making, and collaboration to organize Earth-Centered community. This is a space to hold some of the messy confusion and chaos present in our current moment while remembering our very real connections with life. It's a space for practicing pragmatic decision-making/acting within the web of life while simultaneously being faced with so much complexity. This could include exploring collaborative decision-making processes like Circle Forward: https://circleforward.us/lifting-up-gerard-endenberg-founder-of-sociocracy/ Please Contact Anita and Jesse for more information and to collaborate: orderofthesacredearthoc(a)gmail.com and almanuelnw(a)gmail.com OSE Community Member Seeks Your Stories Do you have a short personal story that describes an experience of awakening to racial/social/ or environmental justice in ways that changed your life? Often this can begin in the realm of a deep contemplative experience. Together with friends from the Game Changer Intensive sponsored by the Pachamama Alliance, we began to uncover and share our stories convinced that they were powerful tools capable of shifting oneself and others toward engaged acts of justice. Once the stories appeared, they kept coming: The Poor People’s March brings me for the first time face-to-face with police brutality. While hitching a ride from Texas to Michigan with a migrant family we confront racism. A Day of the Dead celebration brings healing to the family of a murdered child. Viewing a bomb shelter exhibit at the age of five convinces me that a nuclear war can never be won. If you are interested in meeting others who are writing stories for awakening dreamers and moving toward the Great Turning, contact: Marijo Grogan at: marijogro(a)gmail.com. Connect with Conservation Biologists and Restoration Efforts in your Ecoregion! At the last gathering of the Council, Conservation Biologist Tom Baugh (hiddensprings2(a)gmail.com) introduced us to an order of saints who are responsible for an incredible type of verifiable miracle. We called them Conservation Biologists, or Ecologists and their colleagues are Stewards or Rangers. And we described their miracles as quite literally the restoration of life on Earth. That is truly a miracle in this day and age. These saints are often funded and supported by specialized nongovernmental organizations and sometimes governments. For example, the Bezos organization recently contributed $100 million dollars to the World wildlife Fund to save life on Earth (talking about buying indulgences). Also very recently, and more to the point, the government of Scotland approved the reintroduction of a small animal (about a meter long) called a beaver into Scotland. This little rodent does amazing things with logs, limbs and twigs, building dams across streams and other flowing water. The dams create ponds and the ponds attract plants, fish, birds, and other life of Earth. The last wild beaver in Scotland was killed some 400 years ago. Other saints and their support teams have introduced beaver in other places with outstanding results. The miracles in this case include cleaner water better, storm water control and improved habitat for many forms of life… including humanity. Is this a little thing, a small miracle? Well maybe, but over the past several months I have read reports claiming that a beaver pond here and a beaver pond there add-up to helping offset climate change…and that’s a big miracle. The reintroduction of beaver is only one of the efforts throughout Europe undertaken by the many of the 'rewilding' efforts and those efforts are succeeding. Saints…miracles and returning life to Earth....meditate on that! ~Tom Baugh is a Biologist with a focus on Ecology and 30+ years experience in various aspects of Conservation Biology with one university and two US federal agencies. He has worked in wetland habitats from the US deserts and coasts, to the southern Appalachian Mountains and with numerous taxa from fish to plants. Tom is a member of several professional organizations and is published in the scientific, technical, and 'popular' literature. Contact Tom to find out how to get your hands dirty while helping to create miracles in your area: hiddensprings2(a)gmail.com. | | | | | | | | | Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the OSE! Even a small donation would go a long way for growing our non-profit organization! Among our goals for the coming year, we plan to make a directory of all of the local groups around the world who are participating in this movement. In this way, we hope to facilitate the support and cross-polination of the work that you are each doing on behalf of the healing of our Earth-based communities. Donate via Paypal to: orderofthesacredearth(a)gmail.com Donate via Check to: Matthew Fox Legacy Project PO Box 424533 San Francisco, CA 94142 Memo: Please indicate this is for the OSE (we have other projects that go into a different account). All of the work we do to gather support for the Earth is done freely and any donations received simply help our reach to extend further! | | | | | PS: Visit us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Orderofthesacredearth/ | | | | | | | | | | Click the graphic above to purchase a copy of the book, ' Order of the Sacred Earth'. | | | | Click the graphic above to hear about the Order of the Sacred Earth. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright © 2022 Order Of The Sacred Earth, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Order Of The Sacred EarthPO BOX 424533SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94142 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. | | | | |

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Fwd: We MUST Keep Printing Newspapers!
by Joan 23 Jan '22

23 Jan '22

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Re: [Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Stoicism
by Ellie Stock 21 Jan '22

21 Jan '22

- Below are several website for Michael Dowd. If you go to the Great Story website there is a link to Post Doomsday videos/conversations, including a link to open zoom conversations he has on Wednesdays and Saturdays to talk about issues related to the present and future well-being of the planet. Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com - - The Great Story website (by Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd) www.thegreatstory.org/who_we_are.htmlThe Great Story website (by Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd) Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd, soon after their launch (in 2002) of their itinerant work as "America's Evolutionary Evangelists." ♦ ITINERARY ♦ Contact Barlow and Dowd. ♦ Highlights of this website. "The Good News of Evolution" May 2009. New Dimensions Radio interview. - What Is The Great StoryThe Great Story (also known as the Universe Story, Epic of... - ItineraryItinerary Dowd & Barlow. Rev. Michael Dowd is a bestselling... - Podcast SeriesCOMMENTARY evolutionary sciences and ideas for inspiration... - Writings by Connie BarlowConnie improvised a story to accompany a guest sermon by... - Climate ResourcesAAAS "What We Know About Climate Change" project, published... - Video, Audio, and Text Publications by Michael DowdThe Rev. Michael Dowd is a former pastor and sustainable... - Programs and Presentations by Michael Dowd ... - The Great Story www.thegreatstory.org/programs.htmlCONNIE BARLOW and MICHAEL DOWD offer programs and presentations for a range of audiences and institutions on a variety of topics within these broad areas: Connie: evolutionary ecology (published books & papers by Connie) Michael: "Thank God for Evolution!" - based on his 2008 book by that title - The Great Story (A Reality Based Religion led by Michael Dowd ... un-denial.com/2017/12/19/the-great-story-a...The Great Story (A Reality Based Religion led by Michael Dowd) Michael Dowd recently introduced himself in a comment on one of my blog posts. Reviewing his large body of work has been a pleasant surprise because I thought I was aware of most of the thinkers and activists in the overshoot space, and Dowd has some excellent fresh ideas. - Michael Dowd - Great Transition Stories - - greattransitionstories.org/team/michael-dowd - In December 2010 Rev. Dowd hosted the acclaimed conversation series, “The Advent of Evolutionary Christianity,” and in June 2011 he and Connie launched a 5-week online course with Evolving Wisdom, titled, “Evolutionize Your Life.”. Celebrated by liberals and conservatives alike and uniquely gifted at building bridges between believers and non-believers, Michael shares “The Great Story” — humanity’s common creation story — in ways that uplift and expand heart, mind, and soul. - Standing for the Future - The Great Story thegreatstory.org/standing-for-the-future.htmlBig History — the Epic of Evolution or Universe Story — is humanity's first and only inclusive, globally produced, evidence-based creation story. In this culminating episode, Dowd shows how this Great Story provides clear and compelling guidance to help our species 'obey' (honor) physical and ecological processes that have been at work for hundreds of millions of years. - The Great Story Website created by Connie Barlow thegreatstory.orgVIDEO series AUDIO series. • Story Beads • Timeline • Parables • Death. • Experiential • CLIMATE SCIENCE • Sacred Sites. • The Future Is Calling Us to Greatness (56 interviews) • Classic Quotes • KID's Curricula • North America. - The Author | Thank God For Evolution thankgodforevolution.com/the-authorThe Rev. Michael Dowd, a big integrity / big history / epic of evolution enthusiast, is one of the most inspiring speakers in America today. He is the author of Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World, a book endorsed by 6 Nobel laureates and other science luminaries, including noted skeptics, and by religious leaders across the spectrum. - Related searches michael dowd the great story | michael dowd movie | mike dowd | | michael dowd documentary | michael dowd 75 | | michael dowd wife now | michael dowd documentary online free | | rev michael dowd | where is mike dowd today | - -----Original Message----- From: Milan Hamilton via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Cc: Milan Hamilton <mellowmilan2(a)gmail.com>; dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net Sent: Fri, Jan 21, 2022 12:49 am Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Stoicism I majored in philosophy also and especially Studied Kierkegaard with one of the preeminent American teachers of SK, But can’t say I got much beyond the surface until RS-1. I do think there was more depth to Stoicism as a philosophy than hearing the word elicits in our psyche. But as to offering a way into the question Dharma is raising, I would suggest reading Jem Bendell’s Deep Adaptation paper and if interested getting into the conversation on the Deep Adaptation Forum; secondly, Michael Dowd’s “Post Doom” series of 78 fifty minute interviews on You Tube with all sorts of climate scientists and writers, as well as some of his own videos; third, check out Joanna Macy’s “The Work that Reconnects.” These are some resources we have found helpful to avoid getting stuck in one or more of the philosophy rabbit holes,Stoicism being only one of them.Humbly, Milan H. Sent from my iPad On Jan 20, 2022, at 10:20 PM, Dharmalingam Vinasithamby via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Thanks everyone for your responses. Some of these touched on what is happening to our planet, which is also what triggered my question. It is clear that we have pushed our biosphere over the tipping point into a trajectory that will bring mass extinctions, perhaps even that of our species, in its wake. Whatever we do cannot change this, at least till after several decades. So whatever good we do, we won’t be around to see its result.So the question for me is what does it mean to say Yes to life in this situation and to live out of that stance. To use a metaphor, if we are led to the gallows, can we approach it saying Yes to what our life has been and what is going happen? By “can we”, I mean how do we generate the courage and spirit for this. A related question, how do we tell others what is in store truthfully and yet not leave them without hope or drive? If we live like this, could it be described (in a positive way) as Stoicism? I remember we seemed to have reservations about this during our RS1 courses. But I’m not sure whether they were about the popular understanding of Stoicism, as Karen illustrates in her email, or something deeper in that philosophy. Dharma On Friday, 21 January 2022, 11:17:28 am MYT, James Wiegel via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Does anyone recall (have notes on) the lecture introductions from RS-1? They were quick and insightful, and I don't find anything in our archives on them . . . One intro, maybe on Saturday afternoon -- would have been an intro to the freedom lecture / section / holy spirit / life style was a series of little triangles . . . Everyone lives out of some sense of their final reality What am I upagainst in life? what is my situation?and they have "A word" that releases them -- gives me the capacity to liveand a life style that comes out of that Anyway, I think one of them was the final reality is bad, and the word was just survive, and the life style was the stoic I don't quite remember the other ones . . . and the one course I had on philosophy did not emphasize the stoics. 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 85353623-363-3277jfwiegel(a)yahoo.comwww.partnersinparticipation.com On Thursday, January 20, 2022, 07:54:09 PM MST, Karenbueno via Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Stoic: I'm fine. Me: Are you telling the truth?Stoic: Well, even if I hurt, what can I do. I will just bear it.Me: Have you tried what the doctor advised?Stoic: Oh, I probably will soon. Stop worrying about me. I'm fine. Another day--Stoic: I don't see how we need to worry about climate change. It will destroy us and the rest of life on the planet soon.Me: But shouldn't we do a few actions that might help.Stoic: Oh, we are too far gone. The oceans are rising, the ice is about gone. We might as well just enjoy the life we have.Me: but what about our kids and grandkids and their kids?Stoic: Look. We are human. The planet it too far gone. We may as well just accept it. Another day--Stoic: Well, I think we have gone as far as we can to abolish racism in the United States.Me: I think there is still a lot of suffering from racism. I think we should find some way to pay reparations.Stoic: You pay for it. I have some other things I want to do with our money. Another day--Me: Did you hear about how the Wisconsin government is giving back some of their land to the Indians?Stoic: Oh for Pete Sake. That war is long over, and we are getting along fine. Another day--Stoic: Listen to those shovels! They are finishing my work!Me: No, honey, they are digging your grave. Another day--Me: They say that faith is belief in things not seen.Stoic: Ha. Sounds pretty magic to me!Me: But if you trust that the creative power of God is in charge, you can have hope that the future is open, and we can act!Stoic: Naptime now. Karen Bueno -----Original Message----- From: Dharmalingam Vinasithamby via Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> To: OE Listserve <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net>; Dialogue List <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Cc: Dharmalingam Vinasithamby <dvinasithamby(a)yahoo.com> Sent: Thu, Jan 20, 2022 5:27 pm Subject: [Dialogue] Stoicism Dear colleagues, I need help with an idea I’m trying to sort out. If you have the time and inclination, I would love to hear from you on the following: Saying Yes to life and Stoicism. Stoicism seems to be understood as a relationship to life where you keep going on despite the odds. There is also an inuendo that this may not be humanly possible and that internal pressures will eventually cause the person to crash. What I want to know is, was that the Stoicism that Zeno founded or merely a degraded understanding? Why did we as an Order cast it in a negative light? What was our beef with it? Was it a reaction to the degraded form or were we looking at it in its original sense? regardsDharma_______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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