August 2012 - OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

8/6/12, Spong: The Pacific School of Religion and Theological Education for Tomorrow’s Christianity
by Ellie Stock 17 Aug '12

17 Aug '12

Homepage My Profile Essay Archive Message Boards Calendar The Pacific School of Religion and Theological Education for Tomorrow’s Christianity I spent a week recently teaching in the summer session of the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. It was a demanding schedule of four hours a day from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on each of the five days of that week. This opportunity forced me to think about the state of theological education in the United States and to wonder about its adequacy to meet the crises the Christian Church faces in the 21st century. In this column I share those thoughts. The Pacific School of Religion illustrates well the past and the future state of training of church leaders. This seminary is part of the consortium of theological schools that surround the University of California in Berkeley. Each of these schools began its life as a west coast seminary serving its particular denomination. Each one, therefore, built its own chapel, dormitory, refectory and library. The unconscious, and therefore largely unspoken, idea was to re-create the English, Scottish, German and European model in which theological education is part of a university setting and presumably, in dialogue with the expansion of knowledge that is the essence of university life. It was essentially a Protestant model that sees ministry in terms of engagement with the world, not a monastic process of withdrawal from the world. Over the half century between the end of World War II and the end of the second millennium, Protestant Christianity went through many changes. Much of its self-understanding, while not admitted, had been tribal in nature. Episcopalians tended to be the worshiping descendants of English immigrants, Presbyterians of Scottish immigrants and Lutherans of German and Scandinavian immigrants. Roman Catholics also are primarily descendants of the nations of Southern Europe and Ireland. As is the case with all sweeping generalizations, this conclusion has many exceptions to the rule, but it is, nonetheless, broadly accurate. When the generations went by and intermarriage occurred people began to forget their country of origin and its special worship patterns and Christianity in America became homogenized and at the same time began to splinter into many patterns, sometimes quite congregational and individualistic as new identity was sought. Methodism became very much the Anglican Church Americanized and was the primary religion of the frontier as it moved westward. The United Church of Christ claimed its Zwinglian roots and took on a more radical flavor. Baptist and Pentecostal groups proliferated and began to exhibit an anti-intellectual bias. The Unitarians on the other hand took up the intellectual challenge, feeling stifled by the creeds and doctrines of the traditional churches. Inevitably, as the years rolled by denominational (i.e. tribal) loyalty began to fade. Each Christian tradition had within it those who wanted to walk the frontiers of new understanding and those who wanted to defend the “unchanging past” with increasing determination. This meant that cross-denominational alliances began to form that linked the progressives together on one end and the traditionalists on the other. Among the denominational seminaries, the realization also began to dawn that biblical and theological scholarship was not the possession of a single tradition. There is no such thing as conservative or liberal scholarship; there is only competent or incompetent scholarship. There was, therefore, no real need to have separate libraries at each theological school in a specific geographical area or to replicate professors in the same academic disciplines in separate schools. The case was still made that specific things like liturgy, chapel worship, clergy ordination formation, canon law and denominational history might need to be handled individually by the separate schools, but other disciplines were common to them all. These were the forces that pushed denominational schools toward a consortium. The schools around the University of California in Berkeley were ideally suited by dint of their location to lead this change. The first step was to combine all of the denominational schools’ libraries into a single facility able to serve all the students, thus maximizing the books that were available and the services that a large library could offer. The next step was to allow the enrollment of all students in any class offered by any part of the consortium, thus maximizing the courses that would be available and stopping senseless replication of teaching resources. Each school kept its own requirements for the awarding of degrees, but full credit would be accorded for classes taken at any member school of the consortium. The denominational schools thus became participants in an entity called “The Graduate Theological Union,” where doctorates were offered and a summer school, open to all of each school’s graduates, was available. So more and more of the students at each theological center studied and formed friendships among and with those who would be clergy in all traditions. Denominational concerns began a slow, but inevitable retreat. In time, the Berkeley Graduate Theological Union, for a variety of reason, some more noble than others, gave up its responsibility for the summer school, but one of its constituent members, namely the Pacific School of Religion, agreed to pick it up and to continue to run a fully accredited program, but on an ecumenical basis. I have been on the faculty of this summer school under the aegis of both the Graduate Theological Union and the Pacific School of Religion on six different occasions. Each of these opportunities has been unique and worthwhile. My classes have ranged from about fifty students to over a hundred. Representing a wide sweep of traditions, between half and two-thirds of these students were ordained graduates of a particular theological seminary, who were returning in the summer for “continuing education.” Others in the class were those still in pursuit of their divinity degrees and theologically interested lay people. My students this summer included ordained clergy who were Congregationalists (UCC), Presbyterians, Methodists, Disciples of Christ, Episcopalians, Quakers, Unitarians, Baptists and Roman Catholics. Two rabbis also enrolled enriching us all. An unexpected serendipity of the development of theological consortiums has been that the member schools have begun to define themselves more sharply. In my own theological training, my seminary and most of the Episcopal centers for preparing clergy defined their vocation as “generalists,” preparing men and women for ministry in the broader definitions of Episcopal Church life. One seminary might emphasize pastoral ministry, another liturgics, another intellectual concerns and another social action ministry, but generally Episcopal seminary graduates could serve almost all of our churches. As “normal” church life began to fade, however, in both importance and in its appeal to the increasingly secular population, this “general” preparation began to have a limited value and the cry for bolder action was heard, but all too often ignored as a threat to denominational support. When a fire destroyed the chapel at one seminary, the immediate emphasis was to build a bigger and better chapel to continue the same kind of liturgical activity that people are today abandoning in droves. Strange mottos like “progressive orthodoxy” were adopted to suggest that no radical new thrust in clergy preparation was required. The Pacific School of Theology, affiliated with the United Church of Christ, the Methodists and the Disciples of Christ traditions, however, decided that rising indifference to traditional religious activity represented a new opportunity. Their vocation, they declared in both word and deed, was to engage the world in which they found themselves living. Scholarship, therefore, would not be compromised to protect the insecurities of the faithful. Biblical studies would be encouraged to come out of the academy and be introduced to the people in the pews. If the operative church definition of God could not stand against the onslaught of scientific knowledge they would let that old definition die rather than trying to respirate it artificially. They would no longer be interested in defending the creedal formulas of the 4th century that no educated person in our age can accept. They would no longer be interested in coddling those students who still wanted to diminish women, people of color or gay and lesbian people. This school thus began to define itself publicly, to announce to would-be students exactly who they were and what their students should expect. If this was not the kind of theological education that applying students wanted then they should look elsewhere. People listened and took notice. The Pacific School of Religion still trains pastors, but pastors who want to live in, speak to and engage the religious concerns of the future, not the religious concerns of the past. So at PSR experiments with new forms of ministry appeared and things tied to an older world disappeared. Will it work? Will people gravitate toward this attempt to discover a future for Christianity? Only time will tell, but one sign of success is already apparent. The Methodist Theological School at Drew University in New Jersey went in search of a new dean a year ago. They found him on the faculty of the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. His name is Jeffrey Kuan, a professor of Old Testament. If the Drew Theological School can build a bold training center for clergy on the east coast to match the excitement that the Pacific School of Religion has created on the west coast, perhaps a new kind of clergy will emerge – those committed to Christian ministry, but not afraid of knowledge; those willing to rethink traditional symbols; those even willing to offend the ones who have not progressed beyond their 4th grade Sunday School understanding of God for the sake of the future. If that occurs, something new in theological education and clergy training will begin to appear. PSR gives me hope. So does Drew Theological School. I salute them both with great expectations. ~John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. Question & Answer Catherine Berry Stidsen, PhD, writes: Question: I wonder if you have ever thought abut producing a monthly homily for those of us weary to death of two hundred years of scripture scholarship being ignored in what we hear. Last week it was, “You are Peter...” and not one word about whether or not Jesus actually said it or even that the original building was to be of a polis. Some years ago I did this for some of my friends and posted them to me website at www.chartherineberrystidsen.org but I do not have your expertise or pastoral experience. I’m a Catholic laywoman, now widowed, who took seriously the documents of Vatican II and trained to the PhD level to be one of those laics who were to balance the clerical mind set in decisions in my church. Of course, I have no forum to do so. Anyway, just a thought from a weary traveler in Christian country. Answer: Dear Catherine, No, I haven’t though about producing a monthly homily. I write this column once a week and that is all I can manage. I also think a homily or a sermon is part of the life of a worshiping community and draws its strength and power from the common life of the worshipers. A sermon delivered by e-mail and read individually is not in my opinion an effective tool of communication. I certainly share with you a despair over much that passes as preaching. I will never forget listening to two dreadful sermons in a row from two different preachers during the Christmas season on the innkeeper from Luke’s gospel. One suggested that the innkeeper was sensitive to Mary’s need for privacy given her near term condition. The other said the innkeeper was like his mother for whom there was always room for one more around the dinner table. The thing of interest to me was that there is no innkeeper in Luke’s Christmas narrative or anywhere else in the Bible. That is a creation of pageant directors and myth makers. I see this column largely in terms of being an online class in Bible study. My hope is that as biblical scholarship is improved, it will carry preaching with it. Thanks for writing. I love listening to sermons as a worshiper in my parish church. We have a great rector and a great congregation. ~John Shelby Spong Announcements Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)johnshelbyspong.com or 503-236-3545. Copyright © 2012 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have a membership at our website. Our mailing address is: ProgressiveChristianity.org 4916 Pt Fosdick Dr, NW #148 Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Add us to your address book

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Book List
by jlepps＠pc.jaring.my 15 Aug '12

15 Aug '12

Here's partial list of books that have influenced me: I. Business In search of Excellence Peters and Waterman: a documentation of how excellent companies operate humanly Built to Last Collins and Porras: documentation of how visionary companies operate beyond a quest for profits with a purpose of benefitting society Borderless Business Mann & Goetz: Essays on working effectively in the global society includes the social process triangle & corporate process triangle II. Society The End of American Exceptionalism Bechovich (sp?): The challenge to become one in the world of nations rather than THE one. Riding the Waves of Culture Trompenaars & Hampden/Turner: Identifying the characteristics of different cultures, both national and company. The Nature of Prejudice Gordon Allport: Somewhat old, but a classic on the dynamics of social and racial prejudice The Secular City Harvey Cox: the urban revolution has happened and is worth celebrating III. Theology Radical Monotheism and Western Culture H. Richard Niebuhr: Spells out the paradox of monotheism: All is unworthy and all is good! The History of Christian Thought Paul Tillich: A fantastic and readable story of how and why theology developed the way it has (transcribed lectures) The Noise of Solemn Assemblies Peter Berger: The Churchs sociological reality belies its theological intents Christ Without Myth Schubert Ogden: Getting beyond the stories to the reality that the Christ story communicates Bending History, I & II -- J.W. Mathews: Joes classic theological and sociological talks. IV. Fiction The George Smiley Trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honorable Schoolboy; Smileys People) John LeCarre: The hero was personally inept but professionally outstanding in serving a cause higher than the immediate circumstances. Were sort of undercover agents for the Other World, and Ive found George to be an inspiring role model. The Harry Potter Series (1-7) J.K. Rowlings: She sets up 2 parallel universes, one normal and the other wondrous (but they are actually the same universe); the business of wizards is to protect us muggles from perceiving the wonders that are present. Our mission, on the other hand, is to help our clients and colleagues to perceive and appreciate this wondrous universe. John Epps

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Re: [Oe List ...] Joyce Quimby
by Del Morril 15 Aug '12

15 Aug '12

Jaime, thanks for sharing this. Joyce, Don and their family were really important to us when we first opened the work in Japan. The pages on CaringBridge allow so little message letters, that I would be grateful if you have an e-mail address for her or at least one of her daughters. Many thanks, Del _____ From: oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Jaime R Vergara Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 1:49 AM To: oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net Subject: [Oe List ...] Joyce Quimby Those in this listserv who knew of the Quimbys (Tokyo and Manila), Joyce Quimby, like the rest of us, lives with her own case of 'physical disability', in her case, cancer. One of her daughters got her a page in CaringBridge and I would recommend that those of had known them might want to visit the site and sign-in, at least, or leave a word or two. <http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joycequimby> http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joycequimby Joyce husband, Don, was a CEO for Union Carbide in Manila until he was diagnosed with cancer from what I gathered was unprotected exposure to radiation while serving in Nevada in the early days of atomic radiation tests. He organized a Town Meeting that Mary Lou and I, and another Order member whose name I have forgotten (kiss my Alz), facilitated. From Majuro, I went back to do a follow-up, in time to give the eulogy at Don's funeral. As our memories wane, those who remember the Quimbys might give her site a read. j'aime la vie china

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Fwd: War Reality Show Worse Than Feared
by Herman Greene 15 Aug '12

15 Aug '12

I promise not to send a bunch of these to this list, but I think what NBC is doing is outrageous. Maybe some of you will wish to sign this petition and forward it. 33,000 have now signed this. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: RootsAction Team <info(a)rootsaction.org> Date: Tue, Aug 14, 2012 at 11:24 AM Subject: War Reality Show Worse Than Feared To: shirleysbb(a)gmail.com GRAPHIC: Roots Action logo header <https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6503/images/RA_Header.jpg> <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=GQQEluLGaEpdvsY8WZKmXgO 2nhK1zyn4> Shame! Shame! War is not a game! <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=40P2IqZ040b5u%2BoPD1fI5 gz4gQ2uIUDO> <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=8SatyLmrh3yehO9HOxWnmQz 4gQ2uIUDO> GRAPHIC: Sign here button <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ft82aEJDmVoQIENus7Q9ggz 4gQ2uIUDO> Share this action on Facebook <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=m1IL1GjnRvshVBKBHAKiXgz 4gQ2uIUDO> Share this action on Twitter NBC's "reality show" war competition "Stars Earn Stripes" debuted Monday as activists protested at NBC headquarters and delivered the petition that already <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=FiAchNO%2BtKffG40QsWAaH Qz4gQ2uIUDO> 18,000 of us have signed. Can you please <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=WrgumtIjBxLIuQM4jbxi%2B QO2nhK1zyn4> sign it and forward this to all your friends? And scroll down on the webpage for an amazing new video by Lee Camp called <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=KN06GSPvqv9Mp03mJEVLSwz 4gQ2uIUDO> "Why Can't War Be Fun for the Whole Family?" Nine Nobel Peace Prize laureates have called for the show's cancelation, writing: "Real war is down in the dirt deadly. People -- military and civilians -- die in ways that are anything but entertaining." Our wars kill huge numbers of people, primarily civilians, and often children and the elderly. NBC is not showing this reality on its war-o-tainment show any more than on its news programs. Other nations' media show the face of war, giving people a very different view of war-making. In the United States, our tax dollars are spent by the billions each year marketing the idea that war is a sport and associating the military with sporting events. Media companies like NBC are complicit in the propaganda. While 57% of federal discretionary spending goes to the military, weapons makers can't seem to get enough of our tax dollars. In the spirit of transferring veterans' care to the realm of private charity, "Stars Earn Stripes" will give prize money each week to "military-based charities" in order to "send a message." <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=AhFQHv5%2BexgBQAKDJjoCr gz4gQ2uIUDO> We have our own message that we will be delivering to NBC: Dont lie to us. One of NBC's corporate parents, General Electric, takes war very seriously, but not as human tragedy -- rather, as financial profit. (GE is a big weapons manufacturer.) A retired general hosting a war-o-tainment show is another step in the normalization of permanent war. Please sign a short petition to NBC. <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ox82R50bAKD%2FDjNyFvmCy Qz4gQ2uIUDO> Please forward this email widely to like-minded friends. --The RootsAction team P.S. RootsAction is an independent online force endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Bill Fletcher Jr., Laura Flanders, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, Coleen Rowley, and many others. - Partners: <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vcfyLvNHopba3mf5o%2Ficn Qz4gQ2uIUDO> <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=qfORuqlblh%2BlY75dLL66s Qz4gQ2uIUDO> <https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6503/images/vfplogo.jpg> Background: Nine Nobel Peace Laureates Call on NBC to Cancel <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=WrgumtIjBxIrGarzGXWXegO 2nhK1zyn4> "Stars Earn Stripes" <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=13YC9j5d5j32b%2FdHkn%2F igQz4gQ2uIUDO> NBC's <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=i1MKbDqlyzW8VsdRIr%2B%2 FqAz4gQ2uIUDO> "Stars Earn Stripes" -- produced by the TV "genius" behind Donald Trump's "Apprentice" and "Sarah Palin's Alaska." (Husband Todd Palin is a "Stars Earn Stripes" co-star.) <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=eG7Bi73%2Bvd2NF2OIffOti Qz4gQ2uIUDO> Democracy Now! Confronts Wesley Clark Over His Bombing Of Civilians -- During the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia commanded by Gen. Wesley Clark, civilians and a TV station were bombed, while cluster bombs and depleted uranium were used. (Had Clark done these things for another nation, NBC would probably favor his prosecution and certainly not employ him.) <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=EotwyNBH5EgWW6glXbnvXQz 4gQ2uIUDO> New York Times: Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon's Hidden Hand <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=bHoNbWobQDa6hPE6fcHHEAz 4gQ2uIUDO> Glenn Greenwald: The Pulizer-Winning Investigation That Dare Not Be Uttered on TV -- NBC news programs have repeatedly used retired generals, pretending independence but getting their pro-war talking points from the Pentagon. Resources to Help NBC Show the Reality of War: <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tEnnDOJkexQdUEN6qUAQPQz 4gQ2uIUDO> http://StarsEarnStripes.org <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=bmRImKEvmWB3AywCEaJ5kAz 4gQ2uIUDO> Donate button <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=sZ4i2pgbfd0msnHSEpx5dwz 4gQ2uIUDO> Facebook button <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=enVlHfaWTRI7iEI1nS%2BQA wz4gQ2uIUDO> Twitter button Click here <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vctjbs7m8Yt91K7HJ2DoDAz 4gQ2uIUDO> to unsubscribe and stop ALL email from RootsAction. To modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile, visit your subscription management page at: http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6503/profile/ <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=R9M9pnC1iykygmdYWz3lDgO 2nhK1zyn4> <http://www.salsalabs.com/?email> empowered by Salsa <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/TrackImage?key=1158332399> -- shirley summa brazda phd 255 carolina meadows villa chapel hill nc 27517 919-960-6741 cell: 213-700-2289

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The death of Rev. Zan White
by David M Dunn 14 Aug '12

14 Aug '12

Colleagues. I've attached a flyer that announces the death of Rev. Zan White, the husband of Jan Peterson, the Chairperson of the Huairou Commission's Secretariat. Zan died last week in a drowning accident. I understand from Dick Alton that Jan and her husband have been colleagues who lived in a religious house many years ago. I wonder if others know of the Zan White-Jan Peterson family and have any memories they could share. David ps. I'm currently working with two of Jan's staff members on a Grassroots Women's Community Justice Guide, a resource for facilitating women's land and property ownership in Africa, to be published by the Huairou Commission next month. David Dunn 740 S Alton Way 9B Denver, CO 80247 -- dmdunn1(a)gmail.com 720-314-5991

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Joyce Quimby
by Jaime R Vergara 14 Aug '12

14 Aug '12

Those in this listserv who knew of the Quimbys (Tokyo and Manila), Joyce Quimby, like the rest of us, lives with her own case of 'physical disability', in her case, cancer. One of her daughters got her a page in CaringBridge and I would recommend that those of had known them might want to visit the site and sign-in, at least, or leave a word or two. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joycequimby Joyce husband, Don, was a CEO for Union Carbide in Manila until he was diagnosed with cancer from what I gathered was unprotected exposure to radiation while serving in Nevada in the early days of atomic radiation tests. He organized a Town Meeting that Mary Lou and I, and another Order member whose name I have forgotten (kiss my Alz), facilitated. From Majuro, I went back to do a follow-up, in time to give the eulogy at Don's funeral. As our memories wane, those who remember the Quimbys might give her site a read. j'aime la vie china

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Re: [Oe List ...] Books that addressed me
by LAURELCG＠aol.com 14 Aug '12

14 Aug '12

Here are some of my favorites, post-Order: One Day at a Time with Al-Anon saved my life. Many self-help books on co-dependence followed. At a Journal Workshop by ira Progoff, taught me how to process my life in a profound way. Creation Spirituality and courses by Matthew Fox gave me the next three fields of thought. The Universe Story by Bryan Swimme and Thomas Berry taught me the new cosmology. Truth or Dare and other books by Starhawk helped me feel like a full human being, even as a woman. Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes gave my wild interior permission to be, Seven Experiments That Could Change the World by Rupert Sheldrake - grounded morphic fields.. The Biology of Transcendence by Joseph Chilton Pearce - many others on development of consc'ness. The Field by Lynne McTaggart reports of quantum physics practical experiments not generally reported. The Bond by Lynne McTaggart - same as above, for biology and other sciences. The Spectrum of Consciousness by Ken Wilbur taught me a new way to see individual and cultural development. Evolutionary Enlightenment by Andrew Cohen gave me back Saviors of God for the 21st century. Got me meditating meaningfully and in a disciplined way for the first time. The Invisible Garment by Connie Kaplan, my classmate at UCS- personalaized spiritual development based on one's birth chart and A Colorful Life, same author, how angelic spheres are evolving and leading us to evolve. Please don't dismiss this as "new age." It's not. Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake taught a course on "The Physics of Angels." We don't have the secular, scientific words for what our forebears in the faith called angels. But there's plenty of evidence that those energies are around. Without my O:E education and the books to which it introduced me, I'd have no way of appreciating any of these later ones, so most of those on Gene Marshall's list are priceless treasures in my life. Writing Illness as Initiation: An Unlikely Heroine's Journey pushed me to ground all this in my life, so it's also a treasure to me. Thanks for starting this string, Ken, Jann McGuire, D.Min. . In a message dated 8/13/2012 1:06:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, hfgreene(a)mindspring.com writes: This is great. I’m filing all these emails. Keep them coming. I’ll have to pull mine together soon. Herman ____________________________________ From: oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of John Cock Sent: Monday, August 13, 2012 3:13 PM To: 'Order Ecumenical Community'; 'Colleague Dialogue' Subject: [Oe List ...] Books that addressed me 10 books that most addressed me and still inspire and guide (pretty much in this order): Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer ("Costly Grace") Shaking of the Foundations, Tillich ("You Are Accepted") Courage To Be, Tillich ("The Power of Being") Saviors of God, Kazantzakis ("The March" section) I and Thou, Buber (Part I into II) Befriending the Earth, T. Berry (little book--first real intro to TB) Grace and Grit, Wilber ("Who Am I?") Called To Be, memoir (whole thing) One Taste, Wilber ("A Spirituality that Transforms," Feb 11) The Great Work, T. Berry ("The Great Work") (and was addressed again by working on Bending History (I) and Brother Joe) Not exactly what you asked for, Herman, but I enjoyed the reflective time of pulling the books off the shelves and thumbing through my markings--profound journey. I give thanks for these saints and others, John John P. Cock >Daily "Journey Reflections" on ... Google: _www.reJourney.blogspot.com_ (http://www.rejourney.blogspot.com/) Google Plus: _https://plus.google.com/u/0/114307312715975337692/posts_ (https://plus.google.com/u/0/114307312715975337692/posts) Facebook: _https://www.facebook.com/transcribebooks_ (https://www.facebook.com/transcribebooks) Twitter: _https://twitter.com/transcribebooks_ (https://twitter.com/transcribebooks) >Web Page: _www.transcribebooks.com_ (file://www.transcribebooks.com/) >Amazon Author (+books): _http://tinyurl.com/n467ka_ (http://tinyurl.com/n467ka) _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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Re: [Oe List ...] A Mini-Library for a 21st Century Spirit Movement
by David Walters 13 Aug '12

13 Aug '12

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Books that addressed me
by John Cock 13 Aug '12

13 Aug '12

10 books that most addressed me and still inspire and guide (pretty much in this order): Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer ("Costly Grace") Shaking of the Foundations, Tillich ("You Are Accepted") Courage To Be, Tillich ("The Power of Being") Saviors of God, Kazantzakis ("The March" section) I and Thou, Buber (Part I into II) Befriending the Earth, T. Berry (little book--first real intro to TB) Grace and Grit, Wilber ("Who Am I?") Called To Be, memoir (whole thing) One Taste, Wilber ("A Spirituality that Transforms," Feb 11) The Great Work, T. Berry ("The Great Work") (and was addressed again by working on Bending History (I) and Brother Joe) Not exactly what you asked for, Herman, but I enjoyed the reflective time of pulling the books off the shelves and thumbing through my markings--profound journey. I give thanks for these saints and others, John John P. Cock >Daily "Journey Reflections" on ... Google: www.reJourney.blogspot.com Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/114307312715975337692/posts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transcribebooks Twitter: https://twitter.com/transcribebooks >Web Page: www.transcribebooks.com >Amazon Author (+books): http://tinyurl.com/n467ka

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Re: [Oe List ...] Fwd: OpEd Tuesday August 14
by LAURELCG＠aol.com 13 Aug '12

13 Aug '12

Thank you, Jaime. Excellent. Blessings, Jann McGuire In a message dated 8/13/2012 4:22:43 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, svesjaime(a)aol.com writes: The following are both in the Saipan Tribune. London Olympics hacked in haste to beat deadline. Sharing it with the listserv. (I thank George H. for the JWM quote in the second article.) If curious, you are welcome; not, see you at the bend. j'aime la vie Memorable Music and Metaphors of Madness at Marshgate The evening was billed as a Symphony of British Music, bringing together the best musical stars of the last 50 years, characterizing the tenor of the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The Olympic stadium is on Marshgate Lane in Stratford, London, and madness was a theme early on in the varied performances. We could not resist the alliteration in the title. Britain of Winston Churchill, complete with a speechifying PM, along with images of tabloid journalism, the Cardiff cliffs, street sweepers, the London Eye of the famed Millennium Park Ferris wheel, and cars, cars, cars, set the tone for the evening, beginning at mid-evening summertime in London. Simulcast in the web but delayed on CCTV by a couple of hours for the morning audience, we missed much with the anchor's Zhongwen bantering and the sporadic English subtitles, especially of the performers. The Empire that first employed oil to power its naval fleet, and became preeminent world power in the 19th century, was authentic in displaying what the world have wanted from its factory lines ever since. Who hasn't drooled over the majesty of the Rolls Royce, the chic leopardine sleekness of the Austin Martin, and the durability of the workhorse Land Rover? Yup, the oil guzzlers were up on stage without apology. Very elegantly and arrogantly British! Impressive was the parade of the international colors, followed by the march of medalists, and joined by the assembly of athletes to the side of the mid-field ramps that served as routes to the stage, and later, the Olympic flames, seen from above to be shaped like the Union Jack. Fitting for the occasion was the medal award ceremony for the marathon, with first finisher from Uganda, the sole medalist from the land of the much-maligned Idi Amin. Recognition of the without-which-there-would-not-be-a-smooth-Olympics, the Volunteers, was poignant to us as we remember our Olympic hosting adviser from Sydney of Pinoy descent and pediatric training, who made the trip to London earlier to share her wisdom, undertaking such challenges while living with the scourge of cancer. Volunteers were much heralded in the running of the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai Expo that their tribe henceforth shall be a mainstay in every international sport gathering. Employed on stage were former British Empire Commonwealths such as Indian drums and colorful Sikhs, along with memorable performances of the band Queen, joined by Jessie J in the vocals for We will, we will Rock You! A noticeable style of singing in the field started with monotone chanting, reaching a screeching height of screaming. I suppose, we are showing our age re electric metal rock! Comedian Eric Idle of the Monty Python fame tore the stadium down when he emerged from the bowels of the earth after a feigned failed cannonball shot into the rafters, pranced, and sang on stage ("always look at the bright side of life") with the Spice Girls, nuns and the dancing Sihks, et al. The Who took a big chunk of the blood pudding, with hit songs like "Baba O'Riley," "My Generation", and their signature song from their musical Tommy, "See me, feel me/Listening to you." Earlier, Kaiser Chiefs rendered their classic "Pinball Wizard". The night extravaganza went beyond its three hour schedule, but we stood when the Greek colors went up with the anthem to honor the Games' country of origin, and to remember how the euro that affects as all is critical in the economy of that land. The singing of the Olympic anthem is lofty and dignified if one is a church-going person, but perhaps, for the seculars of our likeness, it is time to jazz it up. Passing of the Olympic interlocking Penta Rings from London back to IOC President and on to the Mayor of Rio de Janiero stood us up for the perky national anthem of Brazil. Aerial view of the stadium with the Union Jack in the middle surrounded by lit Brazilian colors in circles was phenomenol visual assault. A street sweeper-attired performer (looks like one of the athletes but I could not decipher the Zhongwen commentary) left on stage with an English security officer trying to point out that the performances was over, was a foil to get the next site Rio in Brazil, its Carnival dancers, a float, lively EuroAfrican beats and samba steps, Amazon motiffs, native costumes, and Pele!, on stage. London Olympics coordinator Stephen Coe said in his farewell address: "we lit up the flame, and we light up the world." He added, "we saw what tenacity, ambition, and imagination can do." Wondered what that would do were we to refocus efforts on such daily human issues as poverty and war. Haunting in this regard were the children's voices that sang John Lennon song Imagine during the ceremony, followed by a projected image of the Beatle member himself singing his song in a somber moment. Snuffing of the Olympic flame surrounded by a lit up stadium, and a last burst of fireworks, the fires were passed on to the emerging Brazilian bird in the background. "In our time Britain got it right", said Coe. British version of madness is usually mayhem. This one went just fine. "You and me, we can light up the sky," went an ending song. And in a characteristic British fashion, "We can rule the world!" Nah. Jacques Rogge, IOC President, bid his grateful adieu. The Who's "See me, feel me, touch me" from Tommy anticipated Copacobana of Rio. So, all right, Rio, top this one. Here we come, Copa! Got your thongs ready? Jaime R Vergara All of yesterday, thanks; all of tomorrow, yes; all of today, let it be! America’s got talent We have two singing presidentiables competing for our attention. Obama did Al Green's Let Us Stay Together, while Romney belted out the beloved hymn of America the Beautiful. That each camp found cause to point out deficiencies in the renditions is simply an unavoidable political hazard. Singing, of course, is the language of the heart. The phrase 'Singing Revolution' refers to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania’s response to the Nazis in WWII, and the Russians during the Cold War. They were forbidden to sing in public any of their rousing national songs. The Baltic folks just kept singing, and a recent PBS docu has the Lithuanian defying their Soviet lords until the Berlin Wall came down, and the flowering of their voices bloomed and is now digitized for the world. The first act of a baby when transitioning from water-based existence to air-based breathing is to sing. Well, not exactly to the tune of Beethoven’ s Fifth but the waaah wailed when heard has been known to keep a father’s heart to skip a beat, and a mothers throat to utter a deep sigh of relief. We taught Peace Corps Volunteers in the early 80s employing the immersion method. One went to class with nothing but the language being learned. This has pedagogical merit. A baby's way of learning a first tongue is to hear it spoken, and then to mimic what one hears. Thus, we learn language by first hearing, then repeating, before we are confident enough to speak on our own. Schooling adds reading and writing. We learn to read, utilizing sounds symbolized by the alphabet. After third grade in the PSS curriculum, a student reads to learn. We get familiar with syntax (grammar) and expand word meaning (vocabulary). We are taught to recognize ratio and afix them with numbers. We objectify patterns that evolve into what is logical and/or reasonable. Cognition is birthed. Intelligence is measured in terms of its facility with words and numbers, and it expresses sense experience, emotional state, mental discipline, and willed decision. Hearing words delivered through familiar music is one of the natural methods of getting fluent in a language. Singing has become a lost art in our schools since we treated music as an academic course. Somehow, we managed to kill the spirit of singing with either irrelevance (too much reliance on classical forms), or justifiable boredom (the inanity of the mathematical scale). We let pros sing our national anthems at public events, promoting their trademark vocal styles rather than lead a crowd in communal singing. One of the remarkable features of the Olympics is the playing of one's national anthem when receiving the gold. Almost invariably, a member of Team China in the medal platform visibly sings Qilai, Qilai (Arise, arise!), when the national anthem is played. Team America was once a meaningful term. Our 1992 Basketball Team was dubbed the Dream Team. The Dallas Cowboys called themselves America's Team. Somewhere along the line, tearmwork got sidelined as stardom shined in the skies. We hope the current team of superstars retrieves the reputation. Christianity evolved first as Team Ecclesia (the Household of God) in the manner of the expected one, Messiah in Hebrew, and Κριστοσ in Greek, before it became idolatrous and began singing the glories of Jesus Christ Superstar! So this dichotomy is not new. China's French Open champion Li Na bolted out of the Team and went solo on claims that economic gains favored the team's interest too much. She is not very popular, and her lackluster performance in London, losing her first game, did not receive much sympathy. Liu Xiang of the 110m-hurdle capped the gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics, was hounded by all kinds of ailments, got healed and was poised to reclaim a medal in London. He walked around tagged by a lion's share of favorable media. He stumbled on the first hurdle of his heat, and went through tendon surgery. The papparazzi are still on his tail. His expressed sentiment is: "winning a medal is not what matters; participation does," according to his coach. He shares his means liberally (e.g., Sichuan earthquake) and remains one of Team China's staunch members. Talent in current American parlance is a stardom category, with competition understood as one besting another. America's Got Talent on TV mirrors our politics. Wisconsin's Paul Ryan notwithstanding, Republican conservatives still shun Romney, and Obama tries to prove he is mainstream and centrist to the Democrats. I would rather that he be liberal and progressive. Obama leads the polls and has an edge on 9 of the 10 swing States in the coming election. The contest, however, is doomed to be another lose-lose affair, as once more, governance get stuck in grid lock, and the American people will wail their whine unto the heavens! Team "Yes, we can" got sidelined by BHO the reluctant superstar! An old guru once wrote: Hope appeareth, but it is not your Hope—you do not have anything to do with it. It just appeareth. It comes as a stranger, as an alien—it just appeareth! You do not even know why you hope. How in the world could you hope when there is absolutely nothing to justify any hope? The presidentiables are singing. That's hopeful! Jaime R Vergara All of yesterday, thanks; all of tomorrow, yes; all of today, let it be! _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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