May 2020 - OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

Covid-19 and Chaos Theory
by John Epps 15 May '20

15 May '20

We're all trying in one way or another to make sense of the current situation that has disrupted "normality". Attached is a small contribution to that quest. Comments, critiques, additions and corrections are welcome. John Epps

5 4

5/14/20, Progressing Spirit: Rev. Dr. Velda R. Love: We Will Never Be The Same – A COVID-19 Reality; Spong Revisited
by Ellie Stock 14 May '20

14 May '20

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#yiv7578328588templateHeader .yiv7578328588mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv7578328588 #yiv7578328588templateBody .yiv7578328588mcnTextContent, #yiv7578328588 #yiv7578328588templateBody .yiv7578328588mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv7578328588 #yiv7578328588templateFooter .yiv7578328588mcnTextContent, #yiv7578328588 #yiv7578328588templateFooter .yiv7578328588mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | We Will Never Be The Same – A COVID-19 Reality | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Rev. Dr. Velda R. Love May 14, 2020My present reality is Week Eight of shelter-in-place mandates due to the national and global pandemic, Coronavirus 19. In mid -March, senior leadership of the national office of the United Church of Christ in Cleveland OH, where I serve as Minister for Racial Justice, instructed us to begin transition to our places of residence and to cease from work-related travel. A real fear set in when told that if symptoms were present, we were to quarantine in our homes for up to 14-days or longer and seek medical assistance. I can honestly say that for the first three to four weeks I was anxious and extremely apprehensive about leaving the house for anything, including the mail. I took sheltering in place seriously. Being aware of my health conditions and frequently seeking my doctor’s advice assisted me in making wise decisions. I developed a monthly productivity schedule, unpacked files and tons of books, purchased a printer, bought groceries, and prayed for peace of mind to wait for the all clear to be given. Now, I’m grateful to be able to work from home. I acknowledge it’s a blessing, and I don’t take blessings for granted. At first there was speculation and doubt about what the country was actually dealing with. The mishandling and pervasive misinformation being shared by the White House led the general public to believe the symptoms were flu-like and nothing more. As people began to exhibit symptoms unfamiliar and unresponsive to flu remedies, the reality became clear, this virus was deadly, highly contagious, and spreading rapidly. The general public seemed to feel overwhelmed and uncertain as to what to do. There just wasn’t enough information or adequate protections in place. As evidence from China, Italy, Spain and the UK kept being reported, it was clear experts were not dealing with a known pathogen and there was no cure in the immediate future. New York and Washington were hardest hit in early March. Another reality began to take shape, the virus was being spread by close social contact—in people’s homes, places of employment, grocery stores, public transportation, and air travels. Untreated and undetected stages of the virus often caused immediate deaths leaving families with deep grief and unanswered questions. Then, there was a new reality that would alter life well beyond the dates initially set to return and resume life as we once knew it. An announcement that perhaps June would be the earliest return to a new normal. Social distancing would still be mandatory, face coverings, hand washing, hand wipes, office cleaning supplies, and no large gatherings in public spaces, restaurants, sporting events, concerts, plays, and movie theaters. One message, however, was becoming increasing clear:“We have to join together to fight this virus effectively. Now is not the time to be torn apart by hatred” In my work, I’m an educator, Womanist and Black Liberation strategist, and clergyperson with radical beliefs in liberation, equity, and justice for all. This leads to creating opportunities for clergy across denominations and laypersons to sign up for a year-long training (Sacred Conversations to End Racism), and life-long journey towards acknowledging we live in a historically racist society. I work alongside equally radical, courageous and outspoken advocates for social and racial justice at the UCC, such as the Rev. Traci Blackmon, Associate General Minister over Justice and Local Church Ministries. We work towards dismantling racism within the Christian Church, being part of a learning community committed to relearning history, correcting false narratives, and working towards radical shifts in policies and structures that harm communities of color. Ironically, COVID-19 has ushered in opportunities to develop long-term and sustainable ways for people of faith to see how the perpetuation of systemic and institutional genocide is eliminating vulnerable, impoverished communities of color, nationally and globally. African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans, according to a recent article published in USA Today, are communities experiencing higher rates of illness and death. “The virus is an equal-opportunity crisis … but the impact and the burden of it is not going to be shared equally,” says Dr. Ashwin Vasan, a public health expert and assistant professor at Columbia University in New York City. She went on to say that. “Like most things in society, it's going to be regressive. It's going to be felt disproportionately by the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized, and obviously that falls down in this country on communities of color.’’ Businesses have been putting their workers in harm’s way. Most recently, Amazon, Smithfield, and Tyson were cited as ignoring worker’s rights to wear protective face coverings, increasing work hours, demanding higher product output, and not allowing workers sick time and days off. The majority of workers are women, immigrants, and people of color. Again, the work scenarios are not new. They are simply exposed by COVID-19. The demand on workers, especially essential workers has always been stressful and oftentimes undervalued. However, with the increased need for production and caregiving in already stressed systems, we’re witnessing an increase in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual distress. The demand to show up and put oneself in harms-way increases the likelihood of exacerbating preexisting health conditions, which threatens the economic well-being of families, especially children. How will people of faith show up? Will the knee jerk reactions of shock and awe at the news that African Americans are dying at alarming rates elicit advocacy and activism for long-term strategies to correct structural and systemic injustices? Will people who claim to be Christians consider themselves “woke” because they write a check in support of a food pantry? Will Christians look internally at the role white skin supremacy still has in denying equitable access to healthcare, clean water, and environmentally safe communities? When will people of European and Anglo descent see the magnificent beauty of all people and sacred bodies and identities as valuable? As the Minister for Racial Justice, I will continue to create opportunities of mutual learning communities with the purpose of awakening people’s consciousness through reeducation. Racism must never be taught as a Biblical principle because God did not create superior people groups and cultures. Racism should never be tolerated in worship spaces, preached from pulpits, allowed in communities, or supported by local, state, and national government leaders. God didn’t create “minorities.” God created humankind, equal and very good. Racism has no place. Equal Justice Initiative founder and Executive Director, Bryan Stevenson tells audiences that American will never be free until it acknowledges the sin of racism. He insists that we can change the narrative, but in order to do that we have to talk about the horrors of genocide and slavery. He urges listeners not just to take up the cross of justice, but to stand up to power structures whose destructive policies disenfranchise black and brown communities. Truth telling is a powerful tool when confronting the traumas of Jim Crow, including lynching, mass incarceration, and unjust legal decisions that send more women and men to prison. I further encourage people of faith to take a closer look at their denominational affiliations to the wealth many accumulated during slavery. This examination exposes the complicity of the Christian Church’s role in supporting and profiting from the genocide of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans. Some claim the superiority of men over women by declaring God in masculine language. God is Spirit and we worship God in spirit and in truth. Leaning towards patriarchal supremacy is an affront to God and creation. Liberation strategists, Womanist and many Feminists scholars and clergy support the work of decentering whiteness by advocating with communities of color. They see the value of creating a just world for all by creating strategies with timelines and sustainable solutions. We are learning from COVID-19 about how church folk gather, worship, and create space for the Spirit to enliven the community. The way forward requires using new methods to include and embrace technology as a way to bring people together. People of faith must leave the traditional Church buildings and go where Jesus gathers—in alleys, prisons, homeless shelters—talking with people, sharing words of inspiration and hope. COVID-19 is requiring people of faith to embrace a gospel that sets aside judgment and hate speech against all our sibling. We are learning from COVID-19 that enacting trauma on our neighbors has a social and moral cost. Violating our neighbors with hate messages, racism, and white supremacy, sexual assault and violence, and domestic terrorism are violations against God. Individuals who believe in and support anti-black, Latinx, Native American, and LGBTQ agendas cannot claim Christianity as their faith or Jesus Christ as their Savior. As people of faith, we are called to stand together to protect ourselves, and our sisters and brothers experiencing verbal and physical threats, and violence due to acts of racism and xenophobia. The global impact of Covid 19 should encourage all faith communities to affirm God’s very good creation. All people bear God’s image and likeness with equal status. God desires all people be treated with dignity and respect, to live free, and move about the earth without borders, walls, and threats of separation and annihilation. Perhaps God has given us this moment to pause and reset. ~ Rev. Dr. Velda R. Love Read online here About the Author Rev. Dr. Velda R. Love currently serves as Minister for Racial Justice in The Justice and Witness Ministries of The United Church of Christ. Velda has a working knowledge of critical race theory and creates comprehensive and strategic approaches for UCC national conferences, congregations, and staff colleagues to explore and understand the intersection of racial justice with other justice issues. Velda brings an African-centered approach inclusive of biblical and theological knowledge in liberation and womanist perspectives. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By Beth What does Bishop John Shelby Spong mean by "love wastefully"? A: By Rev. Deshna Shine Dear Beth,This is one of my favorite teachings by Bishop Spong. And here is a link to a great book of his where you can read more: Jesus for the Non-Religious. I attempt to interpret Spong‘s writings with a bit of caution, as he is a highly intelligent, deeply well-read, scholar, New York Times bestseller, author of over 20 books and has years of experience as a faith leader in the Episcopal Church. Bishop Spong is a hero to me. He is one of the first religious faith leaders to come out in support of gay marriage. He spoke on the national news channels and programs about Hell not being real and against the idea of Original Sin and the need for Atonement - the theology that we are born in sin and destined to sin and must atone for our sins. He is an extremely brave revolutionary, a social justice warrior, and a deeply faithful and spiritual human. I can share my interpretation of that idea, however, and my personal perspective. I believe what Spong was referring to was the idea that the most profound way we can be in relationship with God (the Divine, Great Mystery, Nameless One) is to love one another and to love deeply. To love without barter, to love without expectation, to love without the need of receiving anything back. Even, perhaps, to love recklessly and shamelessly with all of one’s heart. Spong believes that God is the source of all life, the Source of Love, the Ground of Being, and is present in every person and in all of Creation. Therefore, to Spong, the only true way to worship God is by living fully, loving wastefully, and having the courage to BE all that we can be in full authenticity. By loving wastefully, which he likens to plugging the old sink in the basement, turning on the tap full force and allowing the water to overflow into every crack and cranny, never stopping to ask does that crack deserve this living water, we can be overflowing with love. Loving wastefully means you love … and then you love some more. We have an infinite well of love within that we can always fill ourselves up with. To love is to feel love and to love wastefully is to love without fear or expectation or need. When we are tapped in to the Divine within us and to the Divine’s way of loving wastefully, endlessly and infinitely, we are not losing anything, in fact we feel more full. Dr. Vivek Murphy, in his book, Together, shares that the vast majority of us feel lonely. Often, we feel lonely even if we are around people we love because we are not having deep connections at all of these three vital levels: with the self, in relationships, and in community. We all seek deeper connections and we desire to receive more love. But we are afraid to give it. We are afraid of getting hurt. We are afraid of being empty, of losing love, we are afraid that in the act of giving love we are actually losing love. When in fact, when we take time to look within, we find that there is this deep well of love bubbling up within us, an eternal spring of Living Waters. We can discover that the experience of loving fills us up with love just as much, if not more, as the experience of receiving love. To worship God is to be love in this world and when you are overflowing with it, you are able to love wastefully. ~ Rev. Deshna Shine Read and share online here About the Author Rev. Deshna Shine is Executive Director of ProgressiveChristianity.org and Progressing Spirit and is an ordained Interfaith Minister. She is an author, international speaker, and a visionary. She grew up in a thriving progressive Christian church and has worked in the field for over 13 years. She graduated from UCSB with a major in Religious Studies and a minor in Global Peace and Security. She is a lead author and editor on the children’s curriculum: A Joyful Path, Spiritual Curriculum. She co-authored the novel, Missing Mothers. She is the Executive Producer of Embrace Festival. She is passionate about sacred community, nourishing children spiritually, and transforming Christianity through a radically inclusive lens. | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together.Thank you for being a part of this community! | | | | | | Join our FB community today! Spread the word, share with friends. Thanks! | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited The Origins of the Bible, Part XXVII: The Liturgical Books of Lamentations and Esther Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong July 16, 2009One of the things that seems to escape the notice of those who believe that the Bible was somehow dictated by God is that the Bible is first and foremost a liturgical book. That is, the Bible was written to be used on occasions of public worship. It was never intended to be read as history or biography. We have seen this principle many times on this journey through the scriptures in this column. We noted that the original story of Jesus’ passion and death on the cross, as it was composed by Mark (14:17-15:49), was not a description of how Jesus died; it was rather a liturgical reliving of the meaning of his crucifixion. It was originally written to be used by the Christian community while they were still part of the synagogue and thus still observing the Passover. In that early Christian adaptation of Jewish worship Jesus was likened to the Paschal lamb of Passover who broke the power of death. That is why Mark’s Passion narrative was written in eight three-hour segments. It was a liturgical piece designed to satisfy the demands of a twenty-four-hour vigil service. We also noted that Mark’s gospel itself was originally written to be read on the Sabbaths of the liturgical year between Rosh Hashanah and Passover. That is why it suggests that Jesus’ public ministry was one year in duration. That was the time span in which his life was liturgically remembered while the followers of Jesus were still involved in the life of the synagogue. The Christian church did not separate itself from the synagogue until at least 58 years after the crucifixion, by which time Mark’s Gospel had been around for at least 17 years. In other illustrations of the influence of liturgy on scripture we need to note that Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Psalter, was a hymn to the glory and wonder of the Torah. It was composed to be read at the Jewish festival of Shavuot, or Pentecost, when the giving of the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai was celebrated. In a similar fashion Zechariah 9-14 has a particular connection to the eight-day fall harvest festival of Sukkoth, or Booths. Perhaps that is why this part of Zechariah occupied so favored a position among the early Christians, who quote from this source constantly, building the Palm Sunday story on Zechariah 9:9-11. Once this pattern is discerned, two other little-known books of the Bible begin to make sense. I refer to the book of Lamentations, found immediately after the book of Jeremiah; and the book of Esther, found after the book of Nehemiah closes the “history” section of the Old Testament and before the book of Job opens the Wisdom section. I focus today on these two books as we near our completion in this “Origins” series of the Old Testament part of our study. Lamentations was a book written to be read on the Jewish observance of a holy day known as the 9th of Ab, which would come generally in our month of August. It is a series of laments over Jerusalem, designed both to recall and to bewail the fall of that city to the Babylonians in the early years of the 6th century BCE. The 9th of Ab was the day chosen to mark in every generation their ultimate national tragedy. People once attributed this book to Jeremiah, and that probably accounts for its placement in the Bible immediately following Jeremiah, but Jeremiah had been dead for hundreds of years before Lamentations was written. It is a book written for liturgical recital on this day of public fasting and mourning. Four of its chapters follow a form we know as alphabetical acrostics, that is, they each have 22 verses, one for each of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The book was designed to be a series of dirges to allow the defeats of history to be recalled on a day that was set aside for national mourning. Most Christians are familiar with this book only because it has been adapted for Christian use on Good Friday. Often Good Friday liturgies begin with these words from Lamentations: “Is it nothing to you all ye who pass by? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow with which the Lord has afflicted me.” By using these words from Lamentations on Good Friday, Christians were likening the death of Jesus liturgically to the death of the Jewish nation. Other words from Lamentations that have found their way into Christian worship include the 1822 hymn by John Keble, “New Every Morning is the Love,” based on Lamentations 3:22; the phrase used in Christian prayers to a God who has “taught us in thy holy word that thou dost not willingly grieve or afflict the sons of man,” from Lamentations 3:32; and the secular phrase that something is “worth its weight in gold,” which comes from Lamentations 4:2. This little book can be read in five minutes and it constantly surprises the reader with its message. A second little-known biblical liturgical work is the book of Esther. Like Lamentations this book was also written to be read in synagogue worship on a Jewish holiday. Esther is attached to the Jewish Festival of Purim, which normally comes in February or March in our calendar. It is a charming and purely secular story in which no Jewish religious practice is mentioned and the name of God is never used. I recall meeting a musician from New York, while we were both walking the Milford Track on the beautiful South Island of New Zealand, whose ambition it was to turn the story of Esther into a modern opera. I hope he does so, for it lends itself to that medium with great power. The story line of the book of Esther is fascinating. A Persian king named Ahasuerus, who ruled a kingdom that stretched from Ethiopia to India, was drinking with some royal guests and some of the leading citizens in the city of Susa. He decided to invite his queen Vashti into the feast so that these guests could stare with envy at her beauty. Vashti, however, refused to come, which created an embarrassing moment. If the king’s wife could defy her husband, then any wife could defy any husband and the power of patriarchy would be over. All women must give honor to their husbands, the text said, for this is “the law of the Medes and the Persians.” So in response to the Queen’s disobedience, the order was sent across the land that “every man shall be king of his home.” Queen Vashti was banished and a contest set up to pick the most beautiful virgin in the land to be the new queen. The choice fell on Esther, the niece of a Jewish man named Mordecai. It appears that her Jewish identity was unknown to the king. Later two of the king’s eunuchs conspired to remove the king from the throne, but their scheme was discovered by Mordecai and reported to the king, who had the eunuchs hanged and who then placed the good deed done by Mordecai in informing the king of this danger in the “Book of Memorable Deeds.” Meanwhile, the king reorganized his administration and appointed a man named Haman to be over all his affairs. Haman, drunk with his new authority, required the populace to bow down before him. They all did so except for one man, Mordecai the Jew, who bowed his head to no human being. This infuriated Haman and he initiated a plan to hang Mordecai and to destroy all the Jews in the realm. When notice of this intention became public, Mordecai asked his daughter Esther to intercede with the king on behalf of her people. She did so even though it identified her as a Jew and placed her in mortal danger by demanding the king’s attention. Still smitten by her charms, the king allowed this intrusion on his royal dignity and asked to hear her request. She invited him to come with Haman alone to a dinner she would prepare and at which she would make her petition known. They came, but she now said she would not make her request known until a second dinner that again only Haman and the king would attend. Haman was quite pleased to be included in these dinners along with the king and the queen and he began to fantasize about his increasing power. He built a gallows on which to hang Mordecai, his major nemesis. Before they attended the second dinner, the king has a restless night and in his sleeplessness read from the “Book of Memorable Deeds” where Mordecai’s act in saving the king was recorded. The next day he inquired of Haman what should be done for a man the king wanted to honor. Haman, assuming that he was to be the honoree, spelled out a list of public acts to be bestowed upon this fortunate man. The king agreed and directed Haman to do all of the things he had outlined to Mordecai the Jew. To his chagrin, Haman had to carry out this order on the one he considered his bitterest enemy. Things get even worse for Haman when he accompanied the king to the second dinner with Queen Esther to hear her petition. She asked that the law designed to annihilate the Jews be rescinded and that Haman, the author of this law, be executed. The king did as Esther had requested. The Jewish people were saved and Haman was hanged on the same gallows that he had erected for Mordecai. This escape from peril was then ordered to be celebrated annually on the Feast of Purim so that the Jews could recall the time when Queen Esther saved them from annihilation. It is an exciting story, but it hardly qualifies as the “Word of God,” especially when the Jews, now freed from annihilation, responded by slaying five hundred of their tormentors, including the ten sons of Haman. There is so much in the Bible that is lively and insightful to read, once we crack the pious framework and remove the outrageous claims to authority that have been placed into and around these ancient words. Human beings almost inevitably and intuitively seek the truth of God and it comes through many sources of which the Bible is one. The truth of God, however, cannot be captured in propositional form, for it is always bigger than the human mind can embrace. Our perception of truth evolves as human consciousness expands. We claim no finite book as the literal source of truth without becoming idolaters. The Christians of the world need to face the fact that the biblical books of Lamentations and Esther make that point in a very obvious way. Next week we will conclude our study of the Old Testament with a look at the work of the Chronicler, which includes Ezra and Nehemiah.~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements Saturday Morning Services, rB-style. Online 8am PST. JOIN RABBI BRIAN’S INCLUSIVE & FUN WEEKLY SERVICE. ALTHOUGH THE WORD “SERVICE” MAKES IT SEEM A LITTLE STIFF. I’D THINK ABOUT IT MORE LIKE SOME OF RABBI BRIAN’S FRIENDS ARE HANGING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT SPIRITUAL ISSUES. BUT, NOT ANYTHING WOO-WOO. OR OVERLY JEWISH. (NO HEBREW REQUIRED.) READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Gratitude for the ICA Social Research Center's service to people and planet in our time of crisis
by Robertson Work 14 May '20

14 May '20

Dear colleagues, After this week's ICA Social Research Center sojourn, I wanted to express the following gratitudes: gratitude to the core team and to all of us who participated; gratitude for our turning from documenting our past service to responding to the needs of the present and future; gratitude for our commitment to serving the suffering world; gratitude for letting go of self-congratulations and turning to compassion and service; and gratitude for living our stance of working "on behalf of" the least, the lost, and the last. I was touched by the Andrew's statement about there being three ICA USA staff. You and I, however, constitute a servant-force of, let's say, 100 colleagues, who are former staff, and mostly "retired." We have the time, energy, skills, and commitment to offer ICA methods and models to individuals, organizations, movements, and the movement of movements (MoM) to mitigate climate chaos, regenerate ecosystems, promote green energy, help alleviate the suffering of the viral pandemic, defeat rising fascism, promote participatory governance, say no to misogyny, racism, and xenophobia, promote human rights, social justice and universal healthcare and education, and promote peace and nonviolence. You and I know many individuals and groups that need ICA methods and models. You and I can promote, write and speak about, and offer these methods and models where they are needed. I see of us each doing that as long as we have the energy to do so, as we continue to learn new insights, methods and models from others. I think that it would motivate each of us to answer the following questions (which you will recognize): What are your greatest hopes for people and planet in 2030? What are the current obstacles and forces that could block that vision? What actions are needed to deal with those blocks and move toward that vision? And which ICA and other methods and models are needed to do those actions? In mystery, love, and gratitude, Rob Work Compassionate Civilization Collaborative (C3) ................................................................................................ New book (2020): Serving People & Planet: In Mystery, Love, and Gratitude https://www.amazon.com/dp/1684716160<https://www.amazon.com/Serving-People-Planet-Mystery-Gratitude/dp/1684716160> Previous book (2017): A Compassionate Civilization: The Urgency of Sustainable Development and Mindful Activism https://www.amazon.com/dp/1546972617 Blog: https://compassionatecivilization.blogspot.com/<https://compassionatecivilization.blogspot.com/><https://compassionatecivilization.blogspot.com/> LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsonwork/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/compassionatecivilization/

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Fwd: [Dialogue] Teresa Lingafelter -- a fine remembrance of Teresa from Catherine Whitney
by Timothy Wegner 13 May '20

13 May '20

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: James Wiegel via Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Date: Tue, May 12, 2020 at 5:23 PM Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Teresa Lingafelter -- a fine remembrance of Teresa from Catherine Whitney To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net>, Michael Shaw < d.michael.shaw(a)comcast.net> Cc: James Wiegel <jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com> TERESA LINGAFELTER, BELOVED FRIEND – MAY 10, 2020 Teresa was physically small, but she had a big presence. I think anyone who knew her would agree with that. She was razor sharp intellectually, and for that reason she could be testy sometimes, even gruff. In all the years I knew her, I can’t remember Teresa ever letting an idiotic statement stand without rebuttal. If you were the one spouting the idiocy, it could sting. But then, an instant after she slayed your foolish dragon, she would open up with a laugh, a silly joke, a sweetness and a vulnerability that was disarming and warming. She was a good friend. Teresa was always youthful, with her wide, devilish smile, her forceful point of view, her robust struggles and great delights. But in other ways she seemed older than her years. When I first met her and her husband Bob, along with the band of miscreants who formed a community development cadre at the University of Washington we called Ithaca (yes, after Ithaca of the Odyssey), she was much more mature than me. I skated on the surface; Teresa was deep. She set me straight on many occasions, and I loved her for it. After the UW, Teresa and I lived through various cycles, including working together during an intense period in the seventies when we put our minds to the big idea of social change. After Bob died in 1996, there was a new dimension to our relationship—the humbling fact of our fragility. If we’re lucky, there are people who come along in life and completely upend the way we think and live. Teresa was like that for me, as was Bob. The Lingafelters barreled into the world, working in some of the most crisis-stricken parts of the nation and the globe, and shook progress from the trees. They were talented and committed, and after Bob died, Teresa proved that she was a genius in urban planning. All those footprints of change. It was something to watch. Down through the decades, separated by place, circumstances and divergent careers, our little Ithaca group survived as a touchstone of our lives, separate and common. We started getting together occasionally a while ago—kind of a “what’s up?” retreat. More recently we’ve met every two years for a few days at a wonderful house on Whidbey Island in Washington State. I describe these gatherings to friends as college reunions, but they’re not exactly that—more about the future than about memories. We talk about the issues of the day, the change we can make in our disparate corners, and what it will look like to grow old together. That’s what grieves me most—the idea that I won’t grow old with Teresa. We were looking ahead to our next gathering when Covid struck. My last view of Teresa was on March 21, smiling out of her Zoom box on our first group get-together. She didn’t make it to the second. A brain tumor, hidden from view, its effects masked by the strains of the circumstances surrounding Covid, sneaked up on her while everyone’s attention was focused elsewhere. She didn’t survive the ordeal. The loss is unspeakable, but in poetry Teresa’s steady voice speaks to me. I can close my eyes and hear Teresa reciting lines from a poem by DH Lawrence, an old favorite called We are Transmitters: Give, and it shall be given unto you is still the truth about life. But giving life is not so easy. It doesn't mean handing it out to some mean fool, or letting the living dead eat you up. It means kindling the life-quality where it was not, even if it's only in the whiteness of a washed pocket-handkerchief. Go in peace, Teresa. Jim Wiegel <http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=123> “That which consumes me is not man, nor the earth, nor the heavens, but the flame which consumes man, earth, and sky." Nikos Kazantzakis 401 North Beverly Way,Tolleson, Arizona 85353 623-363-3277 jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com <marilyn.oyler(a)gmail.com> www.partnersinparticipation.com On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 02:39:48 PM MST, Michael Shaw via Dialogue < dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Friends, Molly received a phone call this afternoon from Sarah Phillips today telling her that Teresa Lingafelter passed away on Mother's Day. The link below was from a GoFundMe page that was set up by Teresa's daughter, Rebecca. There are 3 separate posts that share the last days of Teresa's journey. https://www.gofundme.com/f/teresa-lingafelter-home-care Peace, Michael Shaw d.michael.shaw(a)comcast.net 040414 _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net

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Fwd: [Dialogue] Teresa Lingafelter
by Timothy Wegner 12 May '20

12 May '20

This was posted on the dialogue list, cross posting here. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Michael Shaw via Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Date: Tue, May 12, 2020 at 4:39 PM Subject: [Dialogue] Teresa Lingafelter To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Cc: Michael Shaw <d.michael.shaw(a)comcast.net> Friends, Molly received a phone call this afternoon from Sarah Phillips today telling her that Teresa Lingafelter passed away on Mother's Day. The link below was from a GoFundMe page that was set up by Teresa's daughter, Rebecca. There are 3 separate posts that share the last days of Teresa's journey. https://www.gofundme.com/f/teresa-lingafelter-home-care Peace, Michael Shaw d.michael.shaw(a)comcast.net 040414 _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net

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Re: [Oe List ...] A Reflection on the Doctrine of Discovery
by Zoe Barley 08 May '20

08 May '20

Thanks, Ellie. And I love the Grapes and peas, my daughters favorite. We're still hoping to open up the Chautauqua house. Time will tell. Zoe Sent using myEarthLink On Thu May 07 09:56:59 MDT 2020 Ellie Stock via OE wrote: Hi Folks, Hope you are doing well in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic and sheltering-in-place--day # #56 and counting here. On another subject, but not totally unrelated, for the last few years part of our work related to environmental and racial justice has included facilitating seminars and presentations on the Doctrine of Discovery, 15th Century Papal Bulls that commissioned explorers to the New World, and how it continues to impact these critical issues nationally and globally. In case you are looking for something to read while sheltering-in-place, attached is a reflection on the Doctrine of Discovery and some of its impacts and implications past, present and future. Take care and be well. Grapes and peas~ Ellie :) elliestock(a)aol.com (mailto:elliestock@aol.com)

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Marianna Bailey invited you to “Marianna Bailey's Zoom Meeting”.
by Marianna Bailey 08 May '20

08 May '20

Marianna Bailey invited you to “Marianna Bailey's Zoom Meeting”. when: starts: Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 9:00 PM EDT ends: Wednesday, April 29, 2020, 1:00 AM EDT Repeating event. invitees: and you. See replies - https://www.icloud.com/calendar/eventreply/?t=2_GEZTKOJXGM4TMNJTGEZTKOJXGM4… reply: Accept - https://www.icloud.com/calendar/eventreply/?t=2_GEZTKOJXGM4TMNJTGEZTKOJXGM4… Decline - https://www.icloud.com/calendar/eventreply/?t=2_GEZTKOJXGM4TMNJTGEZTKOJXGM4… Maybe - https://www.icloud.com/calendar/eventreply/?t=2_GEZTKOJXGM4TMNJTGEZTKOJXGM4… iCloud is a service provided by Apple. Apple ID: https://appleid.apple.com/choose-your-country/ Support: https://www.apple.com/support/icloud/ww Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/icloud/ww/ Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/privacy/ Copyright 2020 Apple Inc. One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014 USA. All rights reserved.

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“Marianna Bailey's Zoom Meeting” has been updated.
by Marianna Bailey 08 May '20

08 May '20

“Marianna Bailey's Zoom Meeting” has been updated. when: Tuesday, April 21, 2020, 5:00 AM EDT - 9:00 AM EDT Repeating event. invitees: and you. See replies - https://www.icloud.com/calendar/eventreply/?t=2_GEZTKOJXGM4TMNJTGEZTKOJXGOM… updated by: - Marianna Bailey reply: Accept - https://www.icloud.com/calendar/eventreply/?t=2_GEZTKOJXGM4TMNJTGEZTKOJXGOM… Decline - https://www.icloud.com/calendar/eventreply/?t=2_GEZTKOJXGM4TMNJTGEZTKOJXGOM… Maybe - https://www.icloud.com/calendar/eventreply/?t=2_GEZTKOJXGM4TMNJTGEZTKOJXGOM… iCloud is a service provided by Apple. Apple ID: https://appleid.apple.com/choose-your-country/ Support: https://www.apple.com/support/icloud/ww Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/icloud/ww/ Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/privacy/ Copyright 2020 Apple Inc. One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014 USA. All rights reserved.

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A Reflection on the Doctrine of Discovery
by Ellie Stock 07 May '20

07 May '20

Hi Folks, Hope you are doing well in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic and sheltering-in-place--day ##56 and counting here. On another subject, but not totally unrelated, for the last few years part of our work related to environmental and racial justice has included facilitating seminars and presentations on the Doctrine of Discovery, 15th Century Papal Bulls that commissioned explorers to the New World, and how it continues to impact these critical issues nationally and globally. In case you are looking for something to read while sheltering-in-place, attached is a reflection on the Doctrine of Discovery and some of its impacts and implications past, present and future. Take care and be well. Grapes and peas~ Ellie :)elliestock@aol.com

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5/07/20, Progressing Spirit: Jessica Shine: Why The Church Must Die - Part 3; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 07 May '20

07 May '20

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Jessica Shine May 7, 2020It’s done. Over.With a few clicks I have ended the longest adult relationship I’ve had. I sold my 2005 Subaru Legacy.In the span of a few days I listed and sold a car I had owned since I graduated with my master’s degree and began formal ministry. That car has outlasted a marriage, an engine (timing belt), and my relationship with the church. Besides my parents, family, and a few close friends, this car has been the longest enduring companion to my story - 342,000 miles of it to be exact.Why didn’t I sell it sooner? There were so many reasons to keep it. The exterior was clean. The black leather interior was spotless. The heated seats, moonroof, and all-wheel drive had provided ease for so many memorable trips to the beach, the snow, and everywhere in between.I had been ready many times to end that relationship before 15 years. There were plenty of reasons to upgrade, sell, downsize, and the like. Part of me was tied to that car, for better or worse. It was mine. I bought it (with some help from Abuela, gracias) and paid for it myself. I was used to it so why sell it? And it was so fun to drive! And… it was just a car. There will be other cars. If I’m being honest I don’t even need a car. We have a paid for 2008 Prius, which like many of you, is not being used much these days. And my wife and I would love to be car-free at some point, though with a 16 year-old that seems like a lofty goal. It’s really tough to dream about a new car because I loved that car. I was used to it, it was used to me.No this isn’t an ad.Here’s the point: “Sometimes we confuse the Church with the church we’re familiar with.” Wait, I thought this was about a car. Nope. It’s about my inability to let go of Jesus and to let go of my love for the Church, while simultaneously hoping the church I’m familiar with will change. Or that the church I’m familiar with will give me a reason to stay. Or a reason to believe it won’t die too. Did you get that? Let me say it differently.In two previous articles I’ve shared why the church must die, and why I believe it is or has been dying. Some of my fellow readers (People of Color, LGBTQ, differently-abled) have seen what I’ve seen, felt what I’ve felt. Others have been offended or triggered, mostly well-meaning folks of privilege who don’t want things to change. That’s just it - don’t confuse the Church with the church you’re familiar with. The familiarity of the leather, the wheels, the pews, or the committee meetings are not the vehicle ordained by the Divine to cultivate sacred community. They are just parts. Parts break, rust, fade, become outdated (or were never really equitable).In a conversation this week with The Reverend Dr. Randi Walker[1], recently retired church historian and pastor, I was struck by the quote above. I asked her what she sees for the church in the next 10-20 years, based on her historical understanding and life experience within a progressive Christian denomination. I often ask this question of more mature folk, partly because I’m trying to understand my journey and partly because I don’t want my formation rooted in fear. So, I choose to ask for help from those who have been around the block, since it turns out I don’t know everything.Dr. Walker was quick to respond and her surety assured me. “The Church will go on. The Church has been around for a while (she chuckled). Sometimes we confuse the Church with the church we’re familiar with…” We went on to marvel at all the ways the ‘Church’ is showing up for each other and larger community during this pandemic. Who knew that the Church could adapt so quickly? Who could have guessed that Easter services would be larger than usual because accessibility has changed. Who knew that we could have virtual small groups, that telephone trees would make a comeback, and that pastoral care could be done while a millennial is installing wifi for a 90 year old who hasn’t been to church in years (thanks also Randi for this!).[2]Part of what died in my spiritual journey was the ‘church I was familiar with’. The theology, the liturgy, the denomination were never the sacred community (shocking I know). They were agreed upon points, and honestly, there were still factions within that sect (spoiler alert… there are factions everywhere). When I left the church I was familiar with, I thought I was leaving it all. Jesus. God. But I couldn’t. Because, for me, Jesus wasn’t the church. And it wasn’t the church that had changed, it was me. I was becoming more of me and there wasn’t room in that iteration of the church. So are all churches bad? Close minded? No. Is a church a church a church a church? No.Like Randi’s words though, I had confused the Church with the church I was familiar with. I wonder if that happens for you too? Perhaps with the church, or with family, or with your own life.We are designed to thrive in community, that is what makes us Sacred. We already exist in community though. And when we acknowledge our connection to every living being and relative on this planet, we move into Communion. Nothing like a pandemic to pull the curtain back on this truth: that we have been connected all along. Our food sources. Our water source. Our transportation. Our employment. Our ways of life.So, how do we experience this type of Sacred Community? That celebrates the newness of life and growth. That comforts us when we weep through loss and death. That is present in our fear, our anxiety, our unknown. This is what Jesus does, this is Church. It is full of wonder and mess. How do we experience it? Most often, I’ve experienced this sacred community when I offered it freely.I’ve said previously we must midwife the death of the church. Let me clarify: the church we’re familiar with. The challenge is that most of us (progressives and ex-evangelicals) aren’t ready to let go of that church. And yet… it will die.What is familiar right now in terms of the church you’re familiar with? How are you more or less welcoming because of Covid? Are you identifying the gaps in accessibility? What needs to die in the church you’re familiar with? How will you honor that cherished familiar part?Welcome to midwifery.~ Rev. Jessica ShineRead online here About the Author Rev. Jessica Shine earned degrees in theology and divinity, but still hasn’t figured out how to walk on water. Despite this, she was ordained to ministry by the Seventh-day Adventist church and continues offering spiritual care as a clergy member of The CHI Interfaith Community (based in Berkeley, CA). With two decades of experience serving church communities, police officers, hospital staff, and teenagers, Shine has a passion for people and a skill for communicating in transformative ways. She is a descendant of Mexican, Indian, and Western European immigrants. Her spirituality began in childhood, was influenced by Jimmy Swaggart and Mother Theresa, and continues in the Pacific Northwest. She dwells on lands where Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla and many other tribes made their homes. Shine also co-hosts a podcast on death and dying called “Done For” (available on iTunes, Google, and at doneforpodcast.com) [1] Walker, Randi Jones The Evolution of a UCC Style (United Church Press: Cleveland, 2005) though she has written several books and is currently working on another, this was my first introduction to Dr Walker’s work.[2] https://www.abqjournal.com/1448769/virtual-church-offerings-bring-forth-rea… | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By Jeanne After reading near death experience reports, and the all-encompassing love that seems to accompany folks in a near death experience, I am wondering why we need a savior. I've been a Christian all my life but John Spong has raised some questions for me. I think Jesus was an excellent teacher and a good role model but do we really need a savior? A: By Rev. Lauren Van Ham Dear Jeanne,Thank you for this deep and fundamental question. Spong and others have worked thoughtfully, tirelessly to unpack a story, questioning at each layer its science, believability, and historical context. Many Christians and non-Christians look to Jesus, as you suggest, as a teacher and role model. Therefore, if we back away from the understanding that there is a savior (a being), I believe the question still worth asking might be, “do we really need saving?” Responding for myself, the answer is an absolute YES. Life on Earth is hard! It comes with suffering. I need to be saved from all the ways I intentionally and unintentionally do harm to others and to myself simply by doing my best to live an engaged, good and loving existence. A few examples include: - Reacting thoughtlessly and impulsively instead of responding with curiosity and compassion - Failing to speak up for [insert name] when they were marginalized or attacked for being who they are - Judging, and judging (and judging some more) the ones who live their lives differently from the way I think they should (Ha!) - Withholding my gifts for fear of failure, fear of success, or just the self-defeating spiral of perfectionism - Falling repeatedly for the insatiable demands and ridiculous timelines of the marketplace even though they create hunger in psyche, soul and spirit Perhaps you relate to some of these, or wish to add your own? In my work as a Spiritual Director, I talk with many individuals who do not practice a particular Faith tradition, nor do they ascribe to a “savior;” but nearly all of them are on a search for experiencing the “all-encompassing love” you reference in your question. “Saving” is the act of protecting from harm or destruction, and in theological terms, saving (salvation) redeems us from the ways we have missed the mark. Redemption is active; it implies that one can find a way through one’s mistakes, patterns, or dark nights to experience forgiveness, new behaviors, and healing for oneself and others. Religious teachings and spiritual practices offer “tools” to help us find guidance amidst the confusion, community in the isolation, and some form of comfort in the pain and grief. In Sanskrit and Pali, the ancient sacred languages of India, the word for salvation is jivanmukti. Jivanmukti translates to mean, “spiritual release or salvation achieved while still alive.” I find this to be an encouraging and active invitation for us all. Jesus joins spiritual teachers from all the world’s religions by affirming that Love is the destination – here and now, as well as wherever we may or may not travel after taking our last breath. When we undertake the practice of redemption, life offers more meaning, added dimension. We can do this in many ways -- through prayer, meditation, dreamwork and music, as well as volunteering, taking classes, standing for justice, and stretching ourselves to the spaces that feel a little uncomfortable or unfamiliar. Practicing salvation happens when we work to reduce the harm and suffering in this life, when we engage in acts of redemption for ourselves and with others. With salvation, it is possible to know, experience and even embody (for moments) all-encompassing love. And who doesn’t want that? ~ Rev. Lauren Van Ham Read and share online here About the Author Rev. Lauren Van Ham, MA was born and raised beneath the big sky of the Midwest, Lauren holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, Naropa University and The Chaplaincy Institute. Following her ordination in 1999, Lauren served as an interfaith chaplain in both healthcare (adolescent psychiatry and palliative care), and corporate settings (organizational development and employee wellness). Lauren’s passion for spirituality, art and Earth's teachings have supported her specialization in eco-ministry, grief & loss, and sacred activism. Her essay, "Way of the Eco-Chaplain," appears in the collection, Ways of the Spirit: Voices of Women; and her work with Green Sangha is featured in Renewal, a documentary celebrating the efforts of religious environmental activists from diverse faith traditions across America. Her ideas can be heard on Vennly, an app that shares perspectives from spiritual and community leaders across different backgrounds and traditions. Currently, Lauren tends her private spiritual direction and eco-chaplaincy consulting practice; and serves as Climate Action Coordinator for the United Religions Initiative (URI), and as guest faculty for several schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited The Origins of the Bible, Part XXVI: The Wisdom Literature Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong July 8, 2009Four books of the Old Testament are generally regarded as being the constituent parts of what has been called “Wisdom Literature.” They are Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. We have treated the book of Job earlier in this series (see Origins of the Bible XXIII) and will not repeat that. Job is also listed along with Jonah and Ruth as “protest literature” and it wrestles with the eternal human question of the meaning of justice and the nature of God. Today, I will focus on the other three of the “Wisdom” books, all of which are attributed in the mythology of the Jews to King Solomon, who was regarded as the wisest of the kings of the Jews. That reputation is based primarily on a story found in the first book of Kings, chapter 3, which portrays Solomon as asking God not for wealth or long life, but for the gift of wisdom to enable him to be a good king. When one reads what the rest of the Bible says about Solomon, however, the idea that his life was marked by wisdom is a very strange claim. He had a harem of 1000 wives. He quite literally dissipated the goodwill of his father, King David. Finally his unwise policies resulted in a rebellion at the time of his death which resulted in the secession of ten tribes from his kingdom to form the nation of Israel, also called the Northern Kingdom. For rebellious Jews to be willing to give up their ties with Jerusalem and the Temple and to break forever the sense of Jewish unity, which contributed over the centuries to Jewish weakness and a history of persecution, strikes me as anything but wise. Mythology, however, has strange power and the image of wise King Solomon has hung on despite the witness of history. The Wisdom Literature claims King Solomon in the same way that we noted earlier that the Book of Psalms claimed King David as its author. In neither affirmation is history well served.Turning first to the book of Proverbs, one discovers quickly that this book is in reality a compendium of four separate works augmented by several poems and a few appendices. Book I runs from Proverbs 1:1-9:18 and consists of ten extended discourses containing admonitions and warnings, plus two poems in which wisdom is personified. One of them (8:1-36) appears to have influenced the prologue to the Fourth Gospel in which the logos is personified in quite similar language. This first book appears to have been composed in the late 4th or early 3rd century BCE, some 600 years at least after Solomon’s death.Book II, which includes Proverbs 10:1-22:16 and Book IV, which includes 25:1-29:27 makes the overt claim that these words are “the Proverbs of Solomon.” That claim is strange on many levels, but it should be noted that even the book of I Kings claims that Solomon’s wisdom covered only the phenomenon of nature, not human behavior.Book III is composed of Chapters 22:17-24:42 and appears to have been based on a much earlier Egyptian book of Wisdom, which is dated about 1000 BCE. and is entitled the “Instruction of Amenenope.” To this book is attached the first of five appendages 24:23-34. The others, which were attached to Book IV, constitute (1) a dialogue between a skeptic and a believer (30:1-9); (2) proverbs of a numerical type (30: 10-33); (3) the counsel of a Queen Mother to a young monarch (31:1-9); and (4) a portrait of an ideal wife of a prominent man (31:10-31). I have taken these divisions from the New Oxford Annotated Bible, but one can get them from almost any study of the book of Proverbs.The content of the book of Proverbs has insinuated itself into the common wisdom of our society far more deeply than most people imagine. One only has to recall such familiar sayings as, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” “He who troubles the household will inherit the wind,” “A soft answer turns away wrath,” “A good name is to be chosen above great riches,” “Spare the rod and spoil the child” (not exactly the quote from Proverbs, but close and it is most often repeated in this form) and “Train up a child in the way he(or she) should go and when he (or she) is old he (or she) will not depart from it!” Many people, including prominent politicians, repeat these phrases with little knowledge that they derive from the book of Proverbs.Wisdom literature became popular among the Jews in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE, following the return from exile that began around 540. The cultural assumption was that the time of the prophets had passed. Divine revelation could no longer be anticipated and the voice of God was no longer heard, so people searched for guidance in life, in the accumulated experience of human wisdom. The wisdom message, cited time after time, was that good living would be rewarded, not in some afterlife, which at this time hardly existed as a concept in Judaism, but in the quality and integrity of their present life. When that did not seem to work out, as was the case in the story of Job, there was a sense of religious disillusionment. It was that feeling of disillusionment that became particularly apparent in the second major work in the Wisdom section of the Jewish Bible to which I now turn.The book of Ecclesiastes, or “Qoheloth the Preacher,” a title by which this book is also known, is far more a philosophical treatise on the meaning of life than it is a testimony to belief. It even expresses despair about the reality of God and questions the primary beliefs of the Hebrew religion. Portraying God as the “inscrutable” originator of the world and the “determiner” of human fate, Ecclesiastes is skeptical of the human ability to make change and finally declares that no human accomplishments make any difference in determining one’s ultimate fate. Thus, for this author, there is no clear meaning in life and no ultimate purpose for life. This means, says this book in its recurring theme, “All is vanity.” There is also no hope for life beyond this life in this book, for it asserts that death brings only oblivion.One wonders how a fourth century BCE work of this nature managed to get accepted into the Hebrew canon of Scripture, since it appears to be at odds with most of the Jewish understanding of God. Two reasons are traditionally cited. First, in the first two verses, the book is attributed to the son of King David, a verse that was interpreted to imply authorship by King Solomon. The second is that an orthodox postscript was added in 12:9-14 that concludes with the admonition that “we are to fear God and keep God’s commandments knowing that God will bring every deed into judgment.” That is a strange ending for a very different book with a very different message and undoubtedly comes from the pen of a later editor, but this ending probably allowed the book to gain entrance into the sacred text.I have always liked the honesty of Ecclesiastes and the fact that this almost nihilistic writing could find a place in the scriptures of my faith tradition. I suspect, however, that those who claim a magical revelationary source for the Bible always skipped this faithless, despairing work.The final book in the Wisdom section is entitled The Song of Solomon. This is a book of lyric poems or fragments of poems about courtship and human love. One commentator suggested that these poems were really bawdy songs sung in a Jewish pub by males lusting after the body of a female. Others have said that they are courtship songs written to be sung at weddings. Still others have suggested that these narratives portray a god and goddess in love. Whatever the explanation, the fact remains that The Song of Solomon is erotic and it does extol the beauty and wonder of physical love and sexual attraction. It is quite obvious when reading this book that Israel never produced a Queen Victoria or a Victorian period of sexual repression.This writing also made it into the Canon of Scripture first by claiming, as it does in the first verse, that it was the work of wise King Solomon and, second, by being allegorized. Hosea, the eighth century BCE prophet, had understood God as the husband of Israel (Hos.7:16-19) and so these love songs were said to have been between God and God’s bride, the Jewish people. In the Christian era, they continued to find allegorical interpretations by playing on the metaphor of the Church as the bride of Christ, a theme stated most overtly in the book of Revelation (21:2, 9). The Song of Solomon has also been interpreted through the ages as describing “the intimate experience of divine love in the individual soul.”The Wisdom Literature formed another movement in the unfolding life of the biblical narrative. One other note of some historic interest is that the concept of “wisdom” was thought of as feminine and was indeed feminine in the Greek language into which these Hebrew Scriptures were destined to be translated. So it was that appeals to the “divine Sophia” (the Greek word for wisdom) helped to temper the heavily patriarchal character of biblical thinking about God. Many people would in time see “wisdom” as an aspect of the Holy Spirit and thus advocates for the feminine in the definition of God for the first time found in the “wisdom literature” a scriptural basis to support their claims. That concept, once so foreign in our faith story, has now moved to the place where more and more of us are willing to see God first as both mother and father, and second to recognize that whoever God ultimately is, God is finally beyond the limited language of human gender divisions. In time with our sexist preconceptions opened up scholars began to discover in the biblical text ideas that moved us beyond seeing God as an enlarged and unlimited being like ourselves. Then we found other divine images that were transpersonal, viewing God after the analogy of the wind, or the power of love or even after the analogy of a “rock.” In each of these metaphors we began to see how it is that most of our God-talk is not really about who or what God is, but about making sense of the human experience of the “holy.” There is a difference. So embrace the truth found in the biblical “Wisdom Literature,” savor it and transform it into the symbols of your own experience. That is finally the only way to read this ancient, sacred and mythological book we call the Bible.~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements It's not too late to make a difference even though Giving Tuesday Now was 2 days ago. We need your help. We expect a shortfall of approximately $30,000. 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