October 2016 - OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

Re: [Oe List ...] Brian Robins completed life
by Rod Rippel via OE 15 Oct '16

15 Oct '16

When the first House was started in Perth WA my wife and I and our three children were assigned to be part of the colleagues there. Brian and Rhonda were the Priors and the Braithwaites were key regional colleagues. The steady leadership of the Robins was an essential element in establishing an active presence of the Movement in WA in the early 70’s. Rod Rippel From: J and J Barker via OE Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 1:11 AM To: oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net Cc: the telfords ; karennewkirk(a)creatingeternity.com.au ; Arthur Bruce Martin Subject: [Oe List ...] Brian Robins completed life To friends and colleagues near and far Early this morning the vigil of the Robins family ended when Brian breathed his last breath. This beloved giant of a man has left us and as all shall mourn his passing, there will nevertheless be a worthy celebration of his life. This will take place (for Australian colleagues) at the Modbury Uniting Church, 576 Monatague Rod, Modbury North, South Australia on Wednesday 19th October at 2pm. Any memories or tributes you may wish to share are very welcome. Grace and Peace JONATHAN BARKER On behalf of the Rhonda, Peter, Geoffrey, Robert and Jenny -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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Brian
by Stan Gibson via OE 15 Oct '16

15 Oct '16

Dearest Rhonda, you know how much Mariam and I loved Brian. One could go into such a long list of superlatives - but when all is said and done he simply embodied the best that humankind has to offer. We feel a need to do something to honour his passing. When I worked with Brian in Area Montreal, we often discussed the plight of Canada's First Peoples, and I know Brian cared deeply about their suffering. Mariam and I are spearheading the project described in the attachment. We want to dedicate our own work on this project in Brian's memory. Not with fanfare. Fanfare was not Brian's thing. But just in our own hearts. We are thinking of you all. With love and the deepest respect. Stan stangibson(a)ecologos.ca 647-347-1004 (Toronto) 647-473-6147 (Cell) 705-744-7619 (North Bay)

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Re: [Oe List ...] Brian Robins completed life
by Del Morrill via OE 15 Oct '16

15 Oct '16

Justin and I are so grateful to have had the opportunity to visit with the Robins while visiting Australian colleagues. We will miss the occasional memo from him and being kept informed about his and Rhonda's lives. From: OE [mailto:oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of J and J Barker via OE Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 1:11 AM To: oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net Cc: the telfords <thetelfords(a)gmail.com>; karennewkirk(a)creatingeternity.com.au; Arthur Bruce Martin <clinicdata(a)msn.com.au> Subject: [Oe List ...] Brian Robins completed life To friends and colleagues near and far Early this morning the vigil of the Robins family ended when Brian breathed his last breath. This beloved giant of a man has left us and as all shall mourn his passing, there will nevertheless be a worthy celebration of his life. This will take place (for Australian colleagues) at the Modbury Uniting Church, 576 Monatague Rod, Modbury North, South Australia on Wednesday 19th October at 2pm. Any memories or tributes you may wish to share are very welcome. Grace and Peace JONATHAN BARKER On behalf of the Rhonda, Peter, Geoffrey, Robert and Jenny

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Re: [Oe List ...] Brian Robins completed life
by Holcombe Wanda via OE 14 Oct '16

14 Oct '16

My heart is with the family and colleagues as we experience the sorrow of Brian's death, and the steadfastness to celebrate the great gift of Brian's life to us all and to history. Grace and Peace Wanda Wanda Holcombe 14900 Yellowleaf Trail Austin TX 78728 Cell: 512-619-3469 Email: wandah70(a)gmail.com Sent from my iPhone

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Brian Robins
by Lawrence Philbrook via OE 14 Oct '16

14 Oct '16

I celebrate the gift Brian was to me in my life and send condolences to Rhonda, his gentle yet powerful care sustain me and many others. His joy and honest spirt will be missed and yet is with us always With love and respect, Larry Philbrook

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10/13/16, Spong/Alexander: Thanks to Bishop Spong
by Ellie Stock via OE 13 Oct '16

13 Oct '16

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR Thanks to Bishop Spong Have you ever been pressured by friends or family to buy into today’s modern evangelical spin on Christianity? Or, have you ever been pressured not to share the latest scientific discoveries or academic scholarship for fear of disrupting the simple faith of others? As a child I was sent to Christian school and bible study groups. I was also a critical thinker, so that caused a lot of tension. I asked the whopper questions in class, and even caused so much doubt in one group that my teacher had to ask me to take it down a notch because I was causing others in the group to question their faith. Apparently I had to learn that thinking for oneself was not encouraged when it had to do with God. I didn’t want to be a jerk or anything, I just wanted to make some sense of what I was hearing, and I assumed others did too. I had the makings of a true reformer back then, but I backslid due to social pressure. Because of that pressure I decided to acquiesce, for two decades. Sometimes I even felt a sense of fear – or maybe it was guilt – for asking such questions, and having such nettlesome thoughts. It was as if I was the one being mentioned in Mark 9:42, where Jesus was quoted as saying it would be better to have a millstone hung around one’s neck and thrown into the sea instead of cause any of the little one’s to stumble in their beliefs. Some part of me felt that if I continued to express my dissonance that I might make God angry at me and risk a good old fashioned smiting. Some part of me conceived of God in a similar way that Jim Carey’s character Bruce Nolan did in the iconic movie Bruce Almighty – as a legalistic smiter! As I matured though, I found that my experience was not uncommon. Many who’ve been raised in the Church struggle to transcend the paradigm of conservative Christianity because they are fearful, even subconsciously, that they will open themselves to God’s disfavor. At the very least it just seems a lot safer to stay in the box. Losing friends can seem tolerable, but losing God’s blessing, not so much… This brings us to the good Bishop Jack Spong. His recent stroke got me to thinking. Here is a man who has led the charge for over fifty years toward an enlightened understanding of Christianity, leaving no question off limits. Yet by most accounts he has lived a charmed life. He certainly hasn’t been struck down by an angry and vengeful God. He is 85, and this is one of the first times I have heard of him being out of commission from speaking about his ideas. He has a wonderful wife. He has four successful children. And he’s had thousands, or maybe even millions of people express thanks for his life’s work. This is not a man who God has unleashed the devil on, a la Job. If anything, this is a man who has been blessed. Now, I no longer subscribe to those quid-pro-quo beliefs about God anyway. But if I did, I could look at Bishop Spong’s life and feel much more confident to venture out of the conservative Christian fortress without fear of retribution from a querulous God. It is clear to me that God is not going to punish us for using our brains. Bishop Spong’s life is a living example of that. We can think, dream, and even doubt without feeling scared of God’s judgement. The source of the universe is not an old, bearded, homophobic, temperamental, misogynistic, angry, genocidal, maniac in the sky. Peace, joy, compassion, and growth come from following love and truth wherever they may lead. Bishop Spong has been an excellent example of that. Because of his work, the Bishop’s teachings have been integral to the progressive movement throughout the past twenty years. For example, as I sat one recent morning looking over some recent essays from Bishop Spong, I found one with a Q & A from a reader asking how to make the Church relevant for modern day people (yes, a BIG question of our time). In his response, Bishop Spong wrote: “Most of our doctrinal explanations have long passed their ‘sell by’ shelf life.” I really loved that quote, and the way he can word things in such a prodigious way. I also appreciate how he offers a reconstructive framework to help us articulate a new, hopeful, and exciting path forward once we remove those expired elements. I have always valued the way Bishop Spong can articulate volumes of wisdom in a mere sentence or two. Before too long I was pastoring and leading church ministries – speaking to thousands of people. But at the same time I began to see how bent people were on agreement of beliefs. For the majority of Christians I met, the core of Christianity was about orthodoxy (right beliefs). The marching orders were to convince people to agree on centuries old beliefs, and then convince them to go out and convince others to agree on those same beliefs. Said like that it kind of sounds like a cult. Hmmm. When I noticed what I had gotten myself into I began reverting back to my childhood roots, asking lots of questions and challenging folk’s positions. I assumed that maybe they just didn’t know about modern Biblical scholarship, the historical Jesus, or open and inclusive paradigms. I realized quickly though that just like when I was a child, I was again surrounded by people who did not want to hear anything that conflicted with their deepest beliefs – no matter how obvious or factual it was. This was no longer eight year old children I was dealing with, but full grown adults now. Yet they were acting the same as the eight year olds I remembered back in primary school. Only now they were actively teaching and promoting this stuff to the next generation, so it seemed even more worthy of challenging. Even the Sr. Pastor at my church at the time was a closed door to questions or open discussion. He simply told me I had a “hermeneutic of suspicion” that I needed to pray about… So I did what any Gen-X’er would do, I took to the internet to find relief. And thank God for the internet in this case. I found this Bishop from Newark who scratched my theological itch. He was a straight-shooter and I found him to be an absolute genius at re-visioning Christianity in the honest way that I craved to hear so many years earlier. At that time he was one of the few people out there who were speaking as intelligently and freely as I yearned to hear, while not feeling the need to sugar coat things to the point of ambiguity. He didn’t protract his language in order to keep crossover appeal within the church. He helped embolden me to escape the conservative evangelical paradigm before it took root within the all-too-famililar tidal wave of indoctrinational peer pressure I was under once again. Reading and watching Bishop Spong’s material during that time helped me realize that I wasn’t alone. Not only that, but there were educated and compassionate pastors out there taking it much further than I even thought possible, with great new ideas about where to go from here. His work helped convince me not to give up again. He also shared some tools that would help me not just come across as a doubter and a cynic, but as someone who could also offer a more interesting, honest, and sustainable vision for the future. I write this article to thank Bishop Spong, but also to encourage everyone out there who may be struggling to go deeper or be yourself publicly. You can absolutely feel free to think with a refreshed sense of theological freedom. If there is Truth out there, the only true way to pursue it is to seek it with no boundaries, blinders, or fear – no matter where it may lead. There are no rules in how we seek to grow in love for ourselves, for others, and for all creation. There is a large and growing community of innovative thinkers who will support and encourage you. And I thank Bishop Spong for his inspiration in my life, and his worldwide leadership in pioneering a new Christianity for a new world. Click here to read online —- Eric Alexander is a board member for ProgressiveChristianity.org and holds a master of theology from Saint Leo University. Some of his most popular articles are: I’m a “Gay” Christian – (sort of) and The 7 “at some points” of Progressive Christianity. He is also the author of Teaching Kids Life is Good, and the founder of an exciting new project called Jesism. Question & Answer Amy Villwock via the Internet, writes: Question: An eight-year-old girl in my congregation has a father who has cancer and will likely die soon. She told a family member that she knew her father would not die because she was praying “really hard” to God. How would you respond to this child? Answer: Dear Amy, There is a considerable distinction between reality and desire. This child is expressing her desire in very typical eight-year-old forms. At the age of eight, one believes that one’s parents can do anything and God is presented as a kind of parent figure with supernatural power. If one pleases God like a child pleases the child’s parents, there is an assumed payoff, i.e. the child gets the desire of his or her heart. Of course, life doesn’t work that way, but superstition and religion both feed that mentality. Christian liturgies are filled with unimaginative clichés: “Have mercy, O God”; “reward us not according to our deserving, but according to your gracious will.” In liturgy we act as if there is nothing working in our lives to commend us to God and so we are taught to throw ourselves on God’s mercy. This eight-year-old child is simply reflecting this permeating theology of Christianity. Perhaps it made sense when our primary picture of God was that of a super father or super parent, who lives above the sky, keeping record books on our behavior up to date while rewarding the faithful and punishing the wicked. If the church reflects this Santa Claus view of God, it should surprise no one that one of our children reflects it. I suspect this child has said this before and has been praised for her faith and faithfulness. What can we do or say to keep this child from having a rough time when reality moves into her fantasy world. She will survive. Most of us deal with reality when we are forced by reality to do so. In the long term, we must start by educating the adults who pass on this theology to this eight year old child. The first lesson that adults need to learn is that Christianity does not make one secure. It does not create peace of mind amid the chaos of life. Christianity rather gives us the courage to embrace the radical insecurity of life. It gives us the courage to live creatively when there is no peace of mind, to continue putting one foot in front of the other when chaos is the reality of our lives. No one escapes the difficult times of life – not the righteous, the sacred or those who are convinced they possess the true faith. Love this child. Set up a relationship with her that is so supportive and so honest that she may be able to give expression to her fears, which are well repressed in one who believes that her prayers can control the will of God. I wish you well. Life is tough, there are no easy answers. That is why Paul Tillich referred to the Christian life as having “the courage to be.” John Shelby Spong Read and Share Online Announcements Send Bishop Spong a Get Well Note! So many readers have asked how to send Bishop Spong a note letting him know they are praying and thinking of him during his recuperation. You can send your notes to admin(a)progressivechristianity.org and they will be forwarded to Bishop Spong.

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Crockers' new contact info
by Marilyn Crocker via OE 11 Oct '16

11 Oct '16

Hi Colleagues, Thanks to Wanda Holcombe's prompting, I am updating our dear friends in this network with our new location. After 17 years, on September 22nd we moved from our beloved 1792 farmhouse in West Newfield, Maine to a wonderful retirement community in Wells, Maine (close to the Atlantic Ocean and many commercial, cultural and caring services.). This independent living community, Wesley-by-the-Sea, is a project of the Preachers Aid Society of the UMC in New England for UMC retirees and spouses. It provides affordable housing in a lovely setting surrounded by green space and is Leeds certified construction (gentle footprint in every way on the earth.) Lots of the same benefits we had in the woods of West Newfield are here: clearly visible stars in the sky at night; quiet space with only the lovely sound of the Portland to Boston train hooting in the distance occasionally; wild turkeys, skunks and who knows what else to keep life interesting We love being here in this new space, and delight in the colleagueship of so many folks in ministry we have known over the past years since returning to New England, and also those who are new to us. Address: 62 Charles Wesley Court, Wells, ME 04090 Phone: (207) 502- 7737 Cell for M: (207) 432-1208 Email is the same. Please keep in touch with us. Grace, peace and love, Marilyn & Joe

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Long article on utopian communities and their coming into fashion once more
by James Wiegel via OE 09 Oct '16

09 Oct '16

I thought you would want to read A Critic at Large: Couldn’t Be Better, by Akash Kapur. The return of the utopians. http://nyer.cm/3GvEsVB Download The New Yorker Today app: http://nyer.cm/ba5wYPW Arthur C. Clarke had one answer. “The newspapers of Utopia . . . would be terribly dull,” he wrote in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The Polish poet Wisława Szymborska, who, like so many of her Eastern European compatriots, lived through the ravages of two dystopian utopias, hints at some deeper possibilities. In her poem “Utopia,” she writes of an “Island where all becomes clear,” where “Unshakable Confidence towers over the valley,” and where “The Tree of Understanding, dazzlingly straight and simple, / sprouts by the spring called Now I Get It.” And yet: For all its charms, the island is uninhabited, and the faint footprints scattered on its beaches turn without exception to the sea. As if all you can do here is leave and plunge, never to return, into the depths. Into unfathomable life. Jim Wiegel 401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353 Tel. 011-623-936-8671 or 011-623-363-3277 jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com "We are no longer living in an era of change. We are living in a change of era." Francis Upcoming public course opportunities click here http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=10 For online registration go to http://www.top-training.net The AZ ToP® Community of Practice meets the 1st Friday, 1-4 pm, starting again on Sept 5th at ACYR, 648 N. 5th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003 AICP Planners: 14.5 CM for all ToP® courses

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Re: [Oe List ...] Tree of Life Reflection
by George Holcombe via OE 08 Oct '16

08 Oct '16

Thanks, Ellie, your posts are helpful. My struggle at the moment is how little I know of all the infusion of scientific discoveries from the underpinnings of DNA to the Dark Holes and planets beyond planets, and how disconnected religion, institutional, spiritual and otherwise is from the world I think I’m living in. Your readings, some of which I’ve read, are encouraging. It would seem to me that religion has always grown out of its experience with the world. Floods, earthquakes, star bursts have led to understandings of a god who creates, punishes, saves, guides, etc., and to understandings of how to relate to each other, as those perceptions of reality shifted religion has had to reinterpret its stories both of the world and its relationships to each other. My understanding is at the heart of all religion is the love of neighbor as the only sane course, with lots of qualifications from time to time to allow hatred, distrust and separation in certain circumstances. I believe religion, spiritual, institutional and otherwise all have a role to play in our conscious lives, but what is it now? In talking to the millennials I know, who have the time to talk with an old geezer, they do not appear to have much of a grasp of the past and less interest in formal religion, spiritual or otherwise. Their focus seems to be almost exclusively on the here and now, especially as viewed through their digital lens. Some call this secularization. What does this mean for us going forward? The horrible conditions of poverty and injustice in so many parts of the world from North Dakota to the poor even in the wealthiest nation in the world, along with climate change, gets such little play. Again our knowledge is minimal and our religious response fuzzy at best. The Pope has made some loud statements, but most religions remain somewhat muted. Large foundations like the Gates, Clinton’s, the work of the Carters catch the headlines, but by and large they have side stepped formal religion. The furious wars such as in Syria have produced minimal response from the religious dynamic. Is there a new religious dynamic afoot that we don’t see? (Remembering the RS-I illustration of the church working underground) And will it reconnect with our scientific search and the quest for justice, peace and love? I do see folks here and there trying to forge a new reality. An attorney I know who is a woman, who has given herself to working on behalf of the immigrant families imprisoned on our Texas border and working to change laws using science and reason, those in North Dakota, and so many here and there. Is this the new form of religion? Can you know any of this and sit on the sidelines? So much to explore. George Holcombe 14900 Yellowleaf Tr. Austin, TX 78728 Mobile 512/252-2756 geowanda1(a)me.com "Whatever the problem, community is the answer. There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about." Margaret Wheatley > On Sep 23, 2016, at 5:06 PM, Ellie Stock <elliestock(a)aol.com> wrote: > > > Hi George, > > Greetings from St. Louie! Hope you and Wanda are doing well. > > Following up on your listserve email and what I just sent re science/theology... this is just an addendum... > > Sunday, August 21, Carleton and I led Second Presbyterian Church's annual outdoor service (coordinated by our Earth Care Team) and picnic at a nearby park in the Turkish Pavilion which had 14 tables set up in a circle. The theme of the service was The Tree of Life. The tables were covered with green cloths with helium earth balloons attached. In the middle was a covered card table with an earth beach ball on it, flowers, the offering baskets, two toy red-eyed tree frogs, and 2 pots of sunflowers on the floor next to it. An Earth banner was at the designated "front" of the circle. > > During the service, instead of a sermon, I did a Scripture/Arts Reflection, using a painting done by a friend and colleague of ours--a physician and member of First PC, Ferguson and resident of Ferguson. A picture of the painting was on an easel in the front of the pavilion by the Earth Banner and was also printed on the bulletin cover. > > This is one way we try to weave together the science and theology themes at the local church level.. Last Sunday we studied PC(USA)'s "Affirmation of Creation". Over the years at the church from which we retired, I have done studies on evolution and Christianity and other "Big History/Picture" themes (not creationism). > > Attached are copies of the bulletin and the Scripture/Arts Reflection. > > Ellie Stock > elliestock(a)aol.com > > > > > > > > > > <21st Sunday in Ord Time 2016 - Aug. 21, 2016.docx><SCRIPTURE-ARTS, Second PC, Outdoor service, 8-21-16, LARGE PRINT.docx>

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Witness
by Richard via OE 08 Oct '16

08 Oct '16

The Magical Garden The last few months have been full and want to share some of these experiences. Is this not what a witness is about? So first, one of my neighbors was reading the book titled: ‘ The Secret Garden’. She said it was an amazing book about a garden that healed the sick around us. It talked about how the garden turned people from being spoiled and mean spirited, even cripples to walkers. The garden, working in the garden, hanging out with people and birds and animals nurtured the spirit, makes one healthy and invigorated. This was almost a Jesus story ‘ get up and walk’… the amazing power of being part of creation. So I am noticing how nature cares for the soul. Secondly, We went to visit my daughter, Kay, and her partner Scott to see their new location in the state of Washington, near the town of White Salmon on the Columbia River. They live in a commune called Atlan (remember CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- He believed that every square inch of the uni-verse, every millisecond of time, is a battleground over which the forces of light and the forces of darkness contend). . First, Kay and Scott live in a teepee and have an out door kitchen and a compostable toilet that has a sign on it, ’if you need to pee, find a bush”. Actually, the most amazing thing about the visit was that Kay announced that she was 8 weeks pregnant. They are planning to upscale to a tiny house that Scott is to build. Kay is currently the bread winner in the family as she teaches Yoga in a prison and works as a counselor with families in trouble while Scott stays home working with the community on property development and trades his handy man skills for help from others. Just wanted you to see an example of what the next generation is looking like and how nature is getting bigger. After visiting Scott and Kay, Sally Stovall (my partners) and I headed off to Breitenbush, a very isolated retreat center (no internet or phone service) that is run by another commune. We were there for three days for ‘a re-connecting with nature’ workshop. We climbed trees, star gazed and walked in the woods and used all of our senses to experience the out of doors. It’s amazing the stars you can see when you have no outside lights- I saw two shooting starts. Can’t get closer to nature. Even had hot springs that were, “clothing optional”. These two examples illustrate what we are trying to grasp in our lives. But even more remarkable was the experience with our local Methodist congregation’s elementary age Sunday school. In our September lessons, inspired by our summer nature adventure we decided to move the kids outside. We started by taking walks around the block looking for animals, smelling the flowers, listening to the insects, hugging trees, etc. This past Sunday we brought a blanket and put it in front off our Butterfly Garden. While we were getting settled we noticed a Monarch caterpillar on our milkweed. The amazing thing about the caterpillar was that it was just eating away like mad on the milkweed. It did not seem to matter that there were a bunch of kids watching her eat. It was awesome to have our garden provide us with a magic moment for our kids, but it has happened before. Two years ago when we started the native garden which our kids helped plant. We asked them to bring their parents to observe the workings of the garden. Lilly brought her father (a lawyer) after worship and just as they arrived at the garden a Monarch butterfly appeared and started flying around the garden, landing here and there. Brian was pointing his finger at the butterfly for Lilly to help her follow it when the butterfly landed on Brian’s outstretched finger. We were all stunned! First, that it landed on his finger and second that it just sat there on Brian’s finger. We joked that the Butterfly would never haved landed there if it had know Brian was a lawyer. Yes, a Magical Garden…. you just have to get out there with your finger out. Dick Alton, ICA colleague, 1968-2016. Still volunteer with ICA USA, ICA International, help with Africa ICA’s work with HIV/AIDS. Now Chair local Methodist Green Action Team, Co-chair Interfaith Green Network, core team One Earth Film Fest and work on Green Community Connections. Just accepted co-chairing the Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC’s Episcopal Task Force on Sustainability. Oh, yes, coach our local church softball team that made it to the championship game. 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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