June 2014 - OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

Re: [Oe List ...] rocking the Methodist boat in Texas
by W. J. via OE 16 Jun '14

16 Jun '14

Methodism seems to be teetering on the brink of rebellion, confrontation, and schism.You can follow the rapid escalation of Methodist conflict in the following articles: Methodists fear split over same-sex marriage Methodists fear split over same-sex marriage Evan as more states legalize gay marriage, United Methodist leaders appear at an impasse. View on www.usatoda... Preview by Yahoo http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2014-03/time-split http://unitedmethodistreporter.com/2014/04/08/conservative-church-leaders-c… http://unitedmethodistreporter.com/2014/04/02/conversation-good-newss-tom-l… http://unitedmethodistreporter.com/2014/04/01/good-news-releases-statement-… In the light of the current 'conversation' in Methodist circles cited above, I find John Epps' characterization of the key conflict over the Discipline as a "non-issue" very puzzling. If I were a betting man, I'd bet about 50 million bucks that Bill McElvaney, Tom Ogletree, and Bishops McLee, Johnson, and Talbert (as well as many others) would NOT call 'ceremonies of homosexual union' a "non-issue" for United Methodists. I agree with John's implied point that at minimum it's a HUGE distraction from the REAL missional issues that the church should be struggling to address. But when I look through the keyhole of this so-called "non-issue" that threatens denominational schism (similar to the schism over slavery in 1844), what I see looming are the VERY SAME theological/cultural issues that define the cultural rift (I accidentally typed 'risk'--there's that too!) with the Tea Party radical right wing. The 'Good News' contingent is going whole hog to use Legalism, Literalism, and Authoritarianism to defrock noncompliant Methodist clergy, retired seminary presidents, and bishops. This is about instilling fear in bishops and clergy alike by using the Discipline to crack down on dissenters. So with all respect due to John, I cannot call this a "non-issue". Our profound cultural and theological biases around 'heteronormativity' are as much of a HUGE issue as our biases around the racial inferiority of people of color and female submission to male dominance (not to mention the economic imperialism of the "1%"). I grew up in what had been the Methodist Episcopal Church, South until the year before I was born. That geographic contingent in reunited Methodism retained its political and cultural clout as the lily-white Southeastern Jurisdiction until the Central Jurisdiction was dissolved in 1968 as a condition of union with the EUB's. I mention this ancient history to point out that the cultural legacy enshrined in the 'Good News' version of conservative southern Methodism is the legacy of slavery and 'White Supremacy' that their white male Methodist ancestors fought and died to preserve forever. Bishop Francis Asbury (whose name is legendary to this day in western North Carolina) wrote in his journal that on 11/30/1810 he spent the night (and very likely preached in the attic chapel) in the house Jacob Shook built in 1795 in what is now Clyde, NC near Lake Junaluska. Friday our troubles began at a foaming, roaring stream, which hid the rocks. At Catahouche I walked over a log, but then O the mountains- height after height and five miles over! After crossing many streams and after losing ourselves in the woods for a time, about 9 o'clock at night we gratefully came to Vater Shucks. If you visit Jacob Shook's house today, you can see a handwritten receipt for the purchase of several slaves. After he died in 1837 his house and farmland was purchased by members of the Welch family, who together had about 150 slaves. I mention this to illustrate that slavery was considered economically 'necessary' and normalized by this part of white Methodism as God's Will for Africans. Even Asbury failed to object, though he denounced slavery and pleaded for abolition with George Washington. In Clyde and throughout Haywood County the heritage of slavery is almost totally invisible today. The slave cabins are long gone, as are the descendants of slaves who worked the plantations. The county is about 96% white, 1% black, and only 1/2% Native American. The cultural reality of white male dominance is so pervasive, normalized, and unconsciously internalized that residents and visitors alike don't even think about it. When they visit nearby Cherokee, NC, they focus more on the lure of the casino than on the hidden-in-plain-sight reality of 'ethnic cleansing' that forced the vast majority of the Cherokee Nation to endure a death march to Oklahoma. Even this tragic history has been reduced to summer theatre for tourists. Since 1972 United Methodist clergy have been required to enforce the standards of 'heteronormativity' to eliminate what Aquinas called the 'vice against nature', which includes any and every sexual act except for heterosexual intercourse in the famous missionary position (reserved exclusively for those legally and heterosexually married, of course!). Aquinas seems unconcerned with the fact that 70% of women can't orgasm that way. Perhaps he was concerned only that women did their procreative duty, whether they enjoyed it or not. Reserving 'holy matrimony' for certain classes of people makes everybody else's sexuality second class, promoting 'sexual cleansing' in the church. The Legalism, Literalism, and Authoritarianism of the Methodist system leads to a Taliban concept of justice that inevitably exacts severe punishment of violators. Methodists exemplify the tyranny of majority rule with zero tolerance for minority views within the system. If your upcoming wedding would be welcomed in a Methodist Church, that's because you are enjoying hetero privilege (and probably taking it for granted). White male supremacy takes sexual privileging for granted. If you owned slaves, you could totally control and manipulate them sexually. You could have sexual intercourse and father 'illegitimate' children with people of color who were coerced or bullied, or who used your sexual interest to acquire personal benefits. Often family members could not protect them. You could invoke 'Racial Purity' to constrain and manipulate white women sexually. You could demand 'monogamy' from your wife to control her sexual interest in other people, while you ignored that standard in your own behavior. Now the likes of Maxie Dunham and Fred Phelps simply reflect the mindset of white male sexual privilege. Since Loving vs. Virginia they can't get away with railing against 'miscegenation.' Now their last refuge is their obsession with the evil of non-procreative sexual coupling symbolized in 'ceremonies of homosexual union.' And yet John Epps calls this a "non-issue." I say: wake up and smell the coffee, John! Marshall Jones ________________________________ From: JOHN L. EPPS <jlepps(a)pc.jaring.my> To: W. J. <synergi(a)yahoo.com> Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2014 8:14 PM Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] rocking the Methodist boat in Texas Thanks Marshall. When I was at Perkins, Bill McElvaney, Bill Holmes, and the late Will Bailey were the three Dallas "role models" for the forward-looking theologs. All three were students of Joe. It's good to see he's still pushing the envelope, though it's a shame that this non-issue takes so much energy. Quoting "W. J." <synergi(a)yahoo.com>: > more Methodist news from Texas: > http://um-insight.net/issues-section/supervisory-response-under-way-for-rev… > > Marshall ---------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail has been sent via JARING webmail at http://www.jaring.my

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Fwd: Climate March Milestones
by David Zahrt via OE 15 Jun '14

15 Jun '14

*IN THIS ISSUE:* *Thank You Supporters!* <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_thankyou> Colorado Springs Rally <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_cosprings> <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_crossing> Crossing <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_crossing>into Colorado <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_crossing> Farewell, <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_newmexico>*New Mexico* <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_newmexico> Upcoming Events <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_events> DENVER: June 16 & 17 <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_Denver> Join us at Build our Energy Barn with Bold Nebraska: July 19 <#146a0fe2de02c1db_1469b02de32c8b09_bold> *RECENT NEWS:* *Colorado Springs Gazette* An article about the Marchers time in Colorado Springs. (read article) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *TruthOut* Comprehensive story about the March, mainstream media, and the climate justice movement. (read article) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *Taos News* An article about the Climate March coming to Taos and the National Climate Assessment. (read article) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *Santa Fe Reporter* A reporter visited with the Marchers about why they March and their activism. (read article) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *Santa Fe New Mexican* An article about the March as it headed toward Santa Fe highlighting Deb James. (read article) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *UPCOMING EVENTS:* *DENVER Rally: June 16* Evening of events starting with the rally and followed by a procession, dinner and symposium, and 350 Colorado March celebration. (details) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *Build our Energy Barn with Bold Nebraska: July 19th* Join the events at the renewable energy-powered barn build in the path of Keystone XL pipeline. (details) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> ___________________________ <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *KEEP IN TOUCH:* *Phone: (805) 270-5232 <%28805%29%20270-5232>* *Web: www.climatemarch.org <http://www.climatemarch.org>* * Join us on Facebook <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>* * Follow us on Twitter <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>* *Subscribe to our Feed <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>* * Send us an Email <info(a)climatemarch.org?subject=Email%20from%20Newsletter>* *March Milestones* *Thank You Supporters!* <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> You were there when we needed you most and for that, we are grateful! *We reached our May fundraising goal of $50,000 with a grand total of $50,262! *This was enough to fund the March to Denver <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>, which we will reach Monday. Your donations keep the Marchers marching, their bellies full, and their hearts warm. The Climate March is only possible with your help! *The final footsteps to Denver are for you, our fans and our supporters. * *Colorado Springs Rally* Photo by: Jimmy Betts; Colorado Springs, CO A large crowd gathered at the Colorado Springs rally on Tuesday despite being in the midst of one of the most conservative towns in the United States. The surprising and important turnout of over 150 people demonstrated the significance of the March traveling through a variety of communities to discuss climate action. Marchers met local activists at America the Beautiful Park and marched in song through downtown Colorado Springs with overwhelming enthusiasm. Rain showers and nearby lightening weren’t enough to frighten off the attendees who remained to listen to the speakers. A thread that wove the speakers together in unity was talk of the temporary closing of the Martin Drake power plant due to a fire in May. The community members commented on the opportunity to transition to renewables with the hope of keeping the plant closed. The discussion continued following a wonderful potluck at the All Souls Church after the rally. The group resolved to join forces in Colorado Springs and continue fighting the Martin Drake power plant. Special Thanks To: The Sierra Club, Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES), Sustainable Fort Carson, Citizens Climate Lobby, Green Cities Coalition, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church (ASUUC), Science Against Drake. ( <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>More Photos) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> (Video) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *Crossing into Colorado* Photo taken crossing into Colorado on May 30, 2014 By: Marcher Sean Fernand Glenn Today we crossed into Colorado! We all woke up as dry as we could manage, it has been a damp couple of days. Mack and I were cooking. He has been in silence now for six days and we are having fun communicating. We made oatmeal and put out veggies for lunch all with the wonderful help of our prep cooks. Seeing as it is Friday though, neither Mack nor I ate any of this food prepared. Fast Friday!!! So food is done, we pack up camp. We circle up. The usual routine hear info on the route, any announcements, and then we all set out together! Some patience was practiced and we made it out as a group. We stuck together all the way to the boarder, a mile and a half I believe, where we preformed our boarder crossing rituals, mostly taking pictures but also some looking back at where we have come from, a loud recognition of the states we have walked. And then a quick CO celebration. (Read more) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> _________________________________________________ *Farewell,** New Mexico* Photo By: Ahni Rocheleau. Marchers Jeffrey Czerwiec, Lala Palazzolo, and Jimmy Betts overlooking the Rio Grande Gorge in New Mexico. By: Ahni Rocheleau, New Mexico State Coordinator New Mexico is an arid drought-stricken land on the front lines of the climate crisis faced with utility companies that still prefer to expand fossil fuels instead of renewable energy sources. The Climate Marchers awareness campaign made an impact on this state’s residents and the Marchers themselves are still ooing and awing over the enchantingly unique New Mexican landscape, and the warm and loving people they encountered throughout New Mexico. We received so many responsive commentaries about the kind heart-felt welcome they received throughout this state; especially by Native American communities. The Zuni Nation made available their Detention Center during one of New Mexico’s gale-force windstorms and blessed the evening with a special Katsina ceremonial dance for the marchers. The people of the Acoma Pueblo came out for a community conversation, and the officers of the Laguna Pueblo provided a three-day escort through Laguna Pueblo lands where no roads could otherwise carry the marchers through safely. New Mexico is a young state so Marchers often were forced to walk through fields where no roads existed. Also, the march was made even more special by many of their generous hosts and we wish to publicly thank the Ancient Way Cafe, the Squash Blossom Farms, the Santa Fe Community, Santuario of Chimayo, Hanuman Temple of Taos, New Buffalo of Arroyo Hondo, and the Lama Foundation who offered great hospitality, among other generous contributors, which either housed and/or fed these dedicated Marching Spirits. (Continue Reading) <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> ___ Photo By: Ahni Rocheleau. Marchers join the March against Monsanto in Taos, New Mexico. _________________________________________________ Special thanks to: Fiesta Beverage, the Menaul School, Farm House Cafe, SMU Ft. Burgwin, Penasco Middle School Kewa Pueblo, Kagyu Mila Guru Stupa, Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum and Park, Sangre de Cristo Youth Ranch Camp, David and Donald Montaya, Santa Ana Pueblo, Taos Goji Eco-Lodge, Alma Duran, the City of Grants, and National Forest Service of New Mexico. _________________________________________________ *Upcoming Events* *Denver: June 16th & 17th* <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> *Our Colorado coordinator has arranged the following events in Denver with the help of many, including the Sierra Club, 350 Colorado, Clean Energy Action, Colorado Renewable Energy Society, and Citizens Climate Lobby. Hope to see you there!* *June 16: Rally, Procession, Symposium, and Celebration!* *Let us know you’re coming through the **Facebook Event! <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>* - *4:30 – 5:30 PM:* *West Steps of Capitol Building*: Join the Marchers and the community to hear from the Marchers and learn from local leaders making Denver a more sustainable place! There will also be live music! Organizations tabling: 350.org, Sierra Club, Citizens Climate Lobby - *5:30 – 6:00 PM**: **Banner procession* *through 16th Street Mall to the EPA building* displaying the call for action on climate change now! - *6:00 – 6:15 PM**: Short EPA Rally @ the Alliance Center*: Hear *directly from the EPA* about the recently proposed *Clean Power Plan <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>* to reduce carbon emissions from existing U.S. power plants! *Speaker* Shaun McGrath U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Administrator - *6:15 – 6:30 PM: Banner procession continues to the Mercury Cafe! * - *6:30 – 8:00 PM: Mercury Cafe, Downstairs*: *Dinner and Symposium Event: *Have dinner and discuss climate issues and solutions with many of the Denver community leaders helping to solve the most pressing environmental issues in Colorado! *$10 vegetarian buffet dinner!* - *8:00 – 11:00 PM**: Mercury Cafe, Upstairs*: *350 Colorado Climate March Celebration:* hosted by 350 Colorado with a portion of proceeds going to the Great March for Climate Action! Evening will include a screening of “*A Fierce Green Fire*” and live music! Suggested donation at the door. (more information <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> ) ------------------------------ *June 17: Denver* - *Government Engagement Training with special guest Great March for Climate Action — hosted by **Clean Energy Action <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>* *Time*: 6:00 – 8:00 PM *Location*: First Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman Street, Denver *Registration <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>* (*free!*) *About the Event*: Clean Energy Action is bringing together Denver community members and students to use our momentum for climate action to demand energy policy improvements from our state legislators. This 2 hour training will teach attendees the steps for having effective meetings with their state legislators, give participants the opportunity to organize groups for future visits and allow participants to sign up for legislative visits on the spot. *Link for the Event <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>, and the Facebook event <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…>* *!* _________________________________________________ *Join us at Build Our Energy Barn with **Bold Nebraska: July 19th* <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> We are thrilled to announce a joint event with Bold Nebraska along the path of the Keystone XL at the renewable energy-powered barn they built near Bradshaw, Nebraska. **Space is limited so register <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> TODAY! *MARCH:* *1:00 p.m*.: Join the marchers for a 1.2-mile march *9:00 a.m*.: Join the marchers for a 10-mile walk *AT THE BARN:* *3:00 p.m.:* Join Nebraskans for Peace <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=30012342&msgid=321928&act=P2RL&c=…> to help plant trees around the renewable energy-powered barn *4:00 p.m*.: Planting of flags at the barn in Nebraska and tipi camp in South Dakota, to symbolize that there is no legal pipeline route in either state *5:00 p.m*: Shared meal (Veggie options available. You are welcome to bring a side dish or dessert to share.) *8:00 p.m*.: “Above All Else” film screening (Documentary on resistance to Keystone XL in Texas) Thank you for your continued support! Ki Coulson, Communications Director Great March for Climate Action This message was sent to 4deezee(a)gmail.com from: The Fallon Forum | 735 19th St. #1 | Des Moines, IA 50314 Email Marketing by [image: iContact - Try It Free!] <http://www.icontact.com/a.pl/144186> Unsubscribe <http://app.icontact.com/icp/mmail-mprofile.pl?r=30012342&l=15845&s=P2RL&m=3…> | Forward To a Friend <http://app.icontact.com/icp/core/message/forward?m=321928&s=30012342&c=P2RL…> -- Peace, David -- Peace, David

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Re: [Oe List ...] Canonball
by Jane Sharp via OE 14 Jun '14

14 Jun '14

It's been an exciting week for me as a second-generation OE kid and a self-avowed NPR junkie. Fun to remember Cannonball and think of the President being there. It was exciting to hear Al Lingo and see his photo on the NPR website. Thanks - Jane Sharp Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse typos. > On Jun 13, 2014, at 10:12 AM, Geraldine Tolman via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: > > And if you missed this, also on NPR today, check out Al Lingo: > > http://www.npr.org/2014/06/13/321380585/remembering-a-civil-rights-swim-in-… > > > On Jun 13, 2014, at 9:44 AM, Tracy Longacre via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: > > Listening to NPR just now. President Obama is going to Canonball today! > — > Sent from Mailbox > _______________________________________________ > 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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In the news
by James Wiegel via OE 13 Jun '14

13 Jun '14

http://www.npr.org/2014/06/13/321380585/remembering-a-civil-rights-swim-in-… Jim Wiegel One question that is helpful is, "What could we do right now that would be very scary, what of all the things on the list makes you go, 'Huh?!'" Let's do that one. Niyonu Spann James F. Wiegel jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com 623-363-3277 401 North Beverly Way Tolleson, Arizona 85353 Upcoming public course opportunities: ToP® Facilitation Methods: Sep 9-10, Nov 18-19, 2014 Click to watch video. Facilitation Graphics: Click to learn more. ToP® Secrets of Implementation (TSoI): Click to learn more. ToP® Strategic Planning: Oct 7-8, 2014 Click to learn more. Facilitation Mastery: The Mastering the Technology of Participation program begins on the East Coast on Feb 5-7, 2014 (contactNJackson(a)myfairpoint.net) and in Minneapolis on April 16-18, 2014(contact Linda(a)mntop.us) Click to watch video. (Preview) For online registration go to https://icausa.memberclicks.net/ The AZ ToP® Community of Practice meets the 1st Friday, 1-4 pm, at ACYR, 648 N. 5th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003AICP Planners: 14.5 CM for all ToP® courses

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Suburban mindset ?
by James Wiegel via OE 13 Jun '14

13 Jun '14

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/13/big-houses-art-museums-and-… Jim Wiegel One question that is helpful is, "What could we do right now that would be very scary, what of all the things on the list makes you go, 'Huh?!'" Let's do that one. Niyonu Spann James F. Wiegel jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com 623-363-3277 401 North Beverly Way Tolleson, Arizona 85353 Upcoming public course opportunities: ToP® Facilitation Methods: Sep 9-10, Nov 18-19, 2014 Click to watch video. Facilitation Graphics: Click to learn more. ToP® Secrets of Implementation (TSoI): Click to learn more. ToP® Strategic Planning: Oct 7-8, 2014 Click to learn more. Facilitation Mastery: The Mastering the Technology of Participation program begins on the East Coast on Feb 5-7, 2014 (contactNJackson(a)myfairpoint.net) and in Minneapolis on April 16-18, 2014(contact Linda(a)mntop.us) Click to watch video. (Preview) For online registration go to https://icausa.memberclicks.net/ The AZ ToP® Community of Practice meets the 1st Friday, 1-4 pm, at ACYR, 648 N. 5th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003AICP Planners: 14.5 CM for all ToP® courses

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Canonball
by Tracy Longacre via OE 13 Jun '14

13 Jun '14

Listening to NPR just now. President Obama is going to Canonball today!— Sent from Mailbox

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6/12/14, Spong: Part XXI Matthew - Yom Kippur and Sacrificial Blood
by Ellie Stock via OE 12 Jun '14

12 Jun '14

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR Part XXI Matthew Yom Kippur and Sacrificial Blood The primary Christian mantra incorporated into our hymns, prayers and sermons is some variation of the phrase: “Jesus died for my sins!” It comes out of a Christian definition of human life as fallen, corrupted by something we call “original sin.” It has given rise over the centuries to a fetish connected with “the blood of Jesus,” to which is attributed cleansing power. Protestant hymns in the gospel tradition include a wide variety of what might be called “bloody hymns.” One thinks of such titles as “Washed in the blood,” “Saved by the blood” and “There’s a Fountain filled with blood.” Salvation comes directly, these hymns suggest, from the “shed blood” of Jesus on the cross. This same mentality is also reflected in such familiar hymns as “Amazing Grace,” where that which makes God’s grace so “amazing” is that it “saved a wretch like me,” and “The Old Rugged Cross” where the blood of Jesus was shed “for a world of lost sinners like me.” In Catholic worship, the emphasis shifts, but it does not disappear. Catholics suggest in their liturgy that they are “cleansed” internally when they consume the wine of the chalice, now miraculously transformed by ordained hands into the “cleansing blood of Jesus.” Catholics tend to lean toward internal purity; Protestants toward external purity! All of these diverse words and practices derive originally from the Jewish Day of Atonement called Yom Kippur. This derivative, however, results not so much from Jewish practice, but from a later Gentile misinterpretation of Jewish practice. So today we seek to understand the Jewish practice of Yom Kippur. In subsequent weeks, we will seek to understand how atonement got so distorted in Christian circles. I am convinced that the possibility of having a Christian future depends primarily on getting “atonement theology,” as it is presently understood, out of Christian practice. Some of this material will be repetitive of the recent series on the use of the symbol of a “lamb” in Jewish worship. Bear with me in this one more time. Yom Kippur was conducted on one single day in the liturgical year of the Jews. That day was a time of deep penitence observed in a solemn assembly. Yom Kippur was sometimes called “The Sabbath of Sabbaths,” for on this day no work was done and the synagogue liturgy consumed the entire 24-hour period. Yom Kippur, even if limited to one day, still had about it some of the penitential feeling of Christian Lent. I have previously called it “instant Lent,” but the intensity of that one day exceeded anything we know of Lenten practice among Christians. Yom Kippur is described in the Torah, specifically in Leviticus 16 and 23. It was to be observed on the tenth day of the seventh month. It was marked by animal sacrifices and the animals named in Leviticus were specifically a bull and two he-goats. Over the centuries, however, as the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, first by the Babylonians in the sixth century BCE, and then by the Romans in 70 CE, the sacrificial animals changed their identification, finally reaching the place where animal sacrifice ceased. During that evolution of practice, the sacrificed animal was no longer a bull. In the Yom Kippur liturgy the two he-goats became a lamb that was sacrificed and a goat that played the role of the “sin bearer.” Atonement, which literally meant an act designed to create human oneness with God (at-one-ment), also came to mean something quite different to the Jews from what it would later mean in Gentile Christianity. The Jews did not see human nature as fallen and they did not interpret the story of Adam and Eve in the garden as a description of how human beings spoiled the perfection of God’s creation by eating the forbidden fruit and plunging the world into what came to be called “Original Sin.” That was a later Christian idea born in the 4th century when the creeds were being formed. This was never the Jewish understanding. What we think of and call atonement in Christianity developed primarily under the influence of a theologian named St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, a town in North Africa. If one reads the Confessions of St. Augustine, which is still regarded as a Christian classic, one gets a sense of the deep, permeating guilt that was present in this man, usually attached to his feelings about sexuality. This guilt idea permeated all of Augustine’s theology. This was where the traditional Christian understanding of atonement found its origin. Today, in my opinion, this guilt-laden atonement theology threatens to destroy the Christian faith. It is certainly fair to say that post-Augustinian Christianity wallowed in a definition of human sinfulness. Guilt became the coin of the Christian realm. Overcoming guilt was the primary meaning of salvation. Gentile Christianity defined human nature as hopelessly corrupted by what they called “the fall,” teaching us as its theological presupposition that all life was born in “original sin” and was therefore destined for hell unless this “original sin” was overcome. It suggested that the crucifixion was to be explained in terms of Jesus saving us from condemnation by absorbing the punishment that we deserved, a punishment which God presumably required. Even though you and I were the guilty ones, God decided to punish Jesus in our place. Only when the idea was accepted that the pain and bloodshed on the cross cancelled our sin, then and only then was salvation achieved. This “original sin” theology went so far as to teach that babies, who died without being baptized, were not only hopelessly lost, but they were doomed to an eternal hell. This conviction, harsh and unloving as it was, became too much even for the Christians to absorb and so in time, a section of “Limbo” was set apart for unbaptized children. This meant that while unbaptized infants were deprived of heaven and the beatific vision, they could nonetheless, along with such noble pagans as Plato and Aristotle, inhabit Limbo and thus avoid the flames of the “damned.” It was a compromise based on heightened sensitivity. This guilt-laden mentality, however, was not what the Jews understood Atonement and Yom Kippur to mean. The Jews had a sense of what human life was created to be, which they compared with what they had actually experienced human life to be. They did not want anyone to forget the fact that each of us could actually be more than we are. Therefore, Yom Kippur was their liturgical way of remembering who they most deeply were. Thus memory was awakened and renewed through the use of symbolic sacrifices. The animals chosen from their flocks to serve as the Yom Kippur sacrifice had to be physically perfect; they could have no scratches, bruises or broken bones. If these animals were to stand for that perfection for which human life had been intended, then these animals must reflect physical perfection. In time, these creatures were also judged to be morally perfect. Animals, they argued, lived beneath the level of human freedom so they could not choose to do evil. So the animals to be sacrificed at Yom Kippur represented the human yearning for physical and moral perfection. By the time the gospels were written the attempt had already been made to associate the meaning of Jesus’ death with the sacrificial animals of Yom Kippur. This correlation was first introduced by Paul in I Corinthians, written about 54 CE, when he stated: “He died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures (I Cor. 15:3).” The sacrifice associated with Yom Kippur was the only Jewish worship symbol about which it was said that one “died for our sins.” So by that time, at least in the mind of Paul, Jesus had been connected with the Yom Kippur liturgy. Mark, the earliest gospel (ca. 72)) heightened this connection by saying that Jesus “gave his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).” The word “ransom” was also a direct link with Yom Kippur. When the Fourth Gospel had John the Baptist say of Jesus the first time he saw him: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29),” the identity between Jesus and the sacrificial animal of Yom Kippur had been fully established. In the Yom Kippur liturgy, the sacrificial lamb was slaughtered and its blood drained. The high priest, armed with the blood of this “Lamb of God,” would after elaborate cleansing rituals, enter the Holy of Holies, which was that part of the Temple in which God was thought to dwell. Once inside the Holy of Holies, he would smear the blood of the “perfect Lamb of God” on the “Mercy Seat,” which was thought to be God’s throne. With access to God now covered by the blood of the perfect sacrifice, the people believed that even in their sinfulness, they could still on this one day of the year symbolically be welcomed into the presence of God. They had achieved at-one-ment. They could come to God through the “blood of the perfect Lamb of God.” The other part of the Yom Kippur observance was the “liturgy of the goat.” The goat was brought to the front of the solemn assembly, where the high priest, taking its horns, would begin to confess the sins of the people. As this confession poured out the people were taught that their sins literally exited them and landed on the back of this goat. Thus the people would become sinless, at least for that liturgical moment, while the goat became the “bearer of their sins.” Later the sin-laden goat was presented to the assembly, which responded with curses and calls for the death of the goat. Something that evil should not be allowed to continue living. The goat, however, was not killed in this liturgy. Instead it was driven out into the wilderness bearing the sins of the people with it, leaving the people clean and sinless at least for a day. So on Yom Kippur, evil was set aside symbolically and the people were called to remember their creation and the perfection in which they had originally been made. Matthew must now develop a story in which this meaning of Yom Kippur can be connected to the memory of Jesus. When this series continues, we will see how he does that as his narrative of Jesus walking through the liturgical year of the synagogue continues. ~John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. Question & Answer The Rev. Jim Clinefelter, via the Internet, writes: Question: Thank you for your insights into the Sermon on the Mount and The Lord’s Prayer. I am a retired Presbyterian minister and for some time I have had difficulty praying the traditional words of The Lord’s Prayer. So much of it is devoted to asking, indeed begging, God. I find myself praying a modified form of the prayer that recognizes God’s presence on earth and alters the begging into affirmation. Here is how I pray The Lord’s Prayer: Ever Present Holy One, we hallow your name. Your kingdom comes and your will is done on earth through those who trust the vision of your realm. You give us daily bread; you forgive us and call us to forgive others. You do not lead us into temptation; you deliver us from evil; for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen. Do you have any suggestions for modifying the way I pray The Lord’s Prayer? Do you see any possibility of churches ever modifying the traditional Lord’s Prayer or is it too deeply entrenched and therefore beyond conscious awareness of most worshipers? Answer: Dear Jim, First let me thank you for your years of service to the Church as a Presbyterian minister. In our time, I believe clergy are too little appreciated and I am convinced that the pastoral role is still a vital and important one so I hope you in retirement are able to hear the words that Jesus was said to have spoken in one of his parables, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” In your translation of the Lord’s Prayer, you address in a sensitive way some of the problems that these words have produced because of their time and place in history. I will never forget a conversation I had with Buckminster Fuller at the Chautauqua Institute some years ago. The Lord’s Prayer reminded him, he said, of a bargaining session at a Middle Eastern local market as buyer and seller haggled over an acceptable price. I suggested to Dr. Fuller that he try his hand at rewriting it in contemporary English to reflect a contemporary world view. He did, but he edited his version of the Lord’s Prayer more each day of the week that we were together. By the end of that week, his version of the Lord’s Prayer was three pages long! My relationship with Bucky Fuller, as we called him, was one of the happier memories of my life. He even came to my diocese to lead the clergy conference for me. It was a mind expanding occasion for us all. No, I do not think that the churches will ever engage this issue. Most of them still introduce the Lord’s Prayer with some version of the words: “And now as our Savior has taught us, we now pray.” It is quite difficult to change words that for hundreds of years we have attributed to Jesus himself. It is interesting to note that they Lord’s Prayer is not found in either the writings of Paul or in the first Gospel, Mark, to be written. The Lord’s Prayer is, quite clearly, a prayer composed not by Jesus, but by the early church asking for the realm of God, which they believed they had experienced in Jesus, might be revealed to the entire world. “Thy Kingdom come; the will be done on earth as it is in heaven” makes sense only in that context. I think your words translate that purpose very well. Thank you for sharing it with me and, through this column, with my reading public. John Shelby Spong Announcements This month, at ProgressiveChristianity.org, we continue our discussion about Sacred Community as we delve into the topic of Prayer. Its bound to be a doozy! Sign up today, if you haven't already, for our free monthly eBulletins. They are full of articles, liturgies, books, events, and more. View some of our recent eBulletins here!

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Re: [Oe List ...] A Run-in With History
by Nancy Trask via OE 12 Jun '14

12 Jun '14

Dear Dick and Jack and all. So glad Jack included Dick's witness in his message. I must have been asleep at the wheel that day. Great luncheon miraculousness! Great colleagues and great friends! Thank you for sharing it. Nancy Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone <div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Jack Gilles via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> </div><div>Date:06/11/2014 5:55 PM (GMT-06:00) </div><div>To: Richard <dick_alton(a)hotmail.com> </div><div>Cc: Order Ecumenical <oe(a)wedgeblade.net>,Marti Scott <mscott(a)euclidumc.org> </div><div>Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] A Run-in With History </div><div> </div>Great witness Dick! Isn’t it awesome how our work still continues to address lives. Journey on brother. Grace & Peace, Jack On Jun 11, 2014, at 5:42 PM, Richard via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: A Run-in with History Monday, May 9th I am pretty involved with my local Euclid Av. United Methodist Church particularly as chair of the African T/F which supports ICA Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS and another project in South Sudan. So today is the Northern Illinois Methodist Conference and the Conference asked if I would do a table on our African work. Sure. So go to Conference that has about 1,000 people. Get table set-up and people stop by. Lunch comes and my pastor and the Euclid delegation ask me to go to lunch..sure, as they had a Conference special at Culver’s across the street. We go over and get in line which goes out the door. I am sort of not listening but know my pastor is speaking to two older men behind her. Suddenly, I hear them talking about Paul Tillich and You are Accepted. I look at the man talking and he has a retired pastor badge on. I said I had been with the Ecumenical Institute and knew the paper. The pastor said he had the paper in his brief case and carried it with him always. He asked if we could sit together along with his friend who turned out to be a seminary professor. This retired pastor (Thomas Babler) said he had actually met Joseph Mathews in Singapore. He was a seminary intern in Singapore when Mathews came there. Thomas was in a group of about 8 people who met with Joe. Two of the people in the meeting were from the Singapore House. They sat in a circle and Joe asked them to stand and he proceeded to walk around the circle and stand facing each of them, staring deeply into their eyes. As he stood facing you he would breath very deeply.. the pastor said it was like he was breathing spirit into you Then Joe gave a talk. The one thing that stood out for Thomas is that Joe said they were going to put a religious house in each of the 24 time zones around the planet Now the older seminary professor said he had actually been at Union Seminary when Tillich was a professor and heard Paul Tillich give the You Are Accepted sermon at Union. Amazing what can happen over a lunch The next Day I happened to be in an office of a friend of the Institute and on his wall he had what is an appropriate Tillichan quote: “ The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted” Mother Teresa Dick Alton, spent the best part of my life in a Religious House and may never have left. Richard H.T. Alton 166 N. Humphrey Ave, Apt, 1N Oak Park, IL 60302 T:1.773.344.7172 richard.alton(a)gmail.com Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back Babe Ruth _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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A Run-in With History
by Richard via OE 11 Jun '14

11 Jun '14

A Run-in with History Monday, May 9th I am pretty involved with my local Euclid Av. United Methodist Church particularly as chair of the African T/F which supports ICA Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS and another project in South Sudan. So today is the Northern Illinois Methodist Conference and the Conference asked if I would do a table on our African work. Sure. So go to Conference that has about 1,000 people. Get table set-up and people stop by. Lunch comes and my pastor and the Euclid delegation ask me to go to lunch..sure, as they had a Conference special at Culver’s across the street. We go over and get in line which goes out the door. I am sort of not listening but know my pastor is speaking to two older men behind her. Suddenly, I hear them talking about Paul Tillich and You are Accepted. I look at the man talking and he has a retired pastor badge on. I said I had been with the Ecumenical Institute and knew the paper. The pastor said he had the paper in his brief case and carried it with him always. He asked if we could sit together along with his friend who turned out to be a seminary professor. This retired pastor (Thomas Babler) said he had actually met Joseph Mathews in Singapore. He was a seminary intern in Singapore when Mathews came there. Thomas was in a group of about 8 people who met with Joe. Two of the people in the meeting were from the Singapore House. They sat in a circle and Joe asked them to stand and he proceeded to walk around the circle and stand facing each of them, staring deeply into their eyes. As he stood facing you he would breath very deeply.. the pastor said it was like he was breathing spirit into you Then Joe gave a talk. The one thing that stood out for Thomas is that Joe said they were going to put a religious house in each of the 24 time zones around the planet Now the older seminary professor said he had actually been at Union Seminary when Tillich was a professor and heard Paul Tillich give the You Are Accepted sermon at Union. Amazing what can happen over a lunch The next Day I happened to be in an office of a friend of the Institute and on his wall he had what is an appropriate Tillichan quote: “ The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted” Mother Teresa Dick Alton, spent the best part of my life in a Religious House and may never have left. Richard H.T. Alton 166 N. Humphrey Ave, Apt, 1N Oak Park, IL 60302 T:1.773.344.7172 richard.alton(a)gmail.com Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back Babe Ruth

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Fwd: GMCA Update June 9
by David Zahrt via OE 11 Jun '14

11 Jun '14

*Mon Jun 9*—As usual we ate breakfast, packed our lunch, packed the trucks, and sang the Thank You song to CB who has assisted us since Taos, NM and soon will be leaving us. It was sung as a Round. Dear friend, dear friend Shall we tell you how we feel? You have given us such pleasure. We love you so; we love you so. Then the route was reviewed, announcements made, and the Marchers set off. We drivers restored the barbwire fence and took the vehicles to Florence to get gas. We waited at the Coyote Café until Sarah could confirm our next campsite; an RV Park south of Colorado Springs on Hwy 115. We were directed to the campsite in early afternoon. I’ve been told that Ethan plans to return to the March when we get to Colorado Springs. He likes to drive the Gear truck. There are so many practical and technical details to get from one campsite to another that I would appreciate having the option of driving the Gear truck or Marching. On this trek I’ve discovered that there is a completely new daily routine from what I had at home to get all of my belongings packed up, tend to my health, and be able to find my equipment when I need it. I have my name on everything. Many of the younger Marchers leave their belongings--shoes, socks, duffle bags, blankets, etc. around, so when it’s time to leave, their stuff sometimes goes in the Lost-and-Found. The newly elected City Council had its first meeting. I sat in and found it difficult to hear the conversation. One of the topics was resolving issues that come to the Judicial Panel. Another was the continued conversation on the possibility of some Marchers joining the People’s Climate March in NYC in Sept. There were several new Marchers that have joined us. They plan to March with us for a short time. -- Peace, David

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