August 2021 - OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

FW: Celebration of life for John Weir Singleton, 1931-2020
by Lynda C 05 Nov '24

05 Nov '24

From: Rob Singleton <rob.singleton(a)hsc.utah.edu> Date: Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 3:51 PM To: Rob Singleton <rob.singleton(a)hsc.utah.edu> Subject: Celebration of life for John Weir Singleton, 1931-2020 This email is sent on behalf of Louise Singleton- Dear Family and Friends, We plan a virtual Gathering of Gratitude to celebrate the life of John Singleton on August 8 at 11:00 a.m. MDT. The celebration will consist of a service and, after a five minute break, a virtual reception. Details of the service and instructions for how you can participate are contained in the attached Word document. Please register to join the celebration at: http://bit.ly/johnweirsingleton which also contains additional information. With love and appreciation to all of you who made John's life abundant. Louise Rob, Martha, David, and Will Louise Singleton 3101 Old Pecos Trail, Unit 509 Santa Fe, NM, 87505 lrsingleton85(a)gmail.com<mailto:lrsingleton85@gmail.com> J. Robinson Singleton, MD Professor and Vice Chairman for VA Programs, Department of Neurology, University of Utah Chief of Service, Neurology, Salt Lake City Veterans Medical Center Office 801-581-6770 Cell- 801-201-4525

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John Epps completed life
by John Epps 16 May '23

16 May '23

Dear Communion of Saints, John's earthly existence was completed on Wednesday morning, June 24, 2020. His last words were "thank you," the same words he wrote to you on June 9 in his brief comments, "Thanks for the memories." For five days we were privileged to be in the lovely Denver Hospice which enveloped us with grace and compassion. I am grateful for your many comments of appreciation for John in response to his "Last Collegium." His remains will be interred at the Montview Presbyterian Church Columbarium in Denver. Grace and Peace, Ann

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Adventures of Joe Biden--Inauguration Day!
by mellowmilan2＠gmail.com 25 Jul '22

25 Jul '22

I wrote a lot of 'Adventures of Obama' during the times now past. Ogden Nash, who wrote comic poetry in the 1920s, wrote 'Adventures of Isabel,' a 40 line poem in rhyming couplets. I took my poetic license and wrote a series of the Adventures of Obama in 10 line segments at a time. Each stanza tells the of encountering seemingly impossible odds and turning them into victory in unexpected ways. The original Isabel was a little girl who met a ravenous bear, an ugly witch, a one-eyed giant, and a despairing doctor and used her "magic" powers to win out in the end. I am continuing to use my poetic license with a nod to Ogden Nash in the Adventures of Joe Biden. Adventures of Joe Biden-Inauguration Day Joe Biden showed up for inauguration Knowing he'd face a divided nation Mitch and his minions known for obstruction Smiling as though there'd been no eruption Of venomous attackers hunting their heads At the urging of Donald who now they did dread Joe Biden, Joe Biden didn't worry Joe Biden didn't scream or scurry He calmly took his oath, made his stand And brought civility back to our land. Milan Hamilton January 20, 2021 Milan Hamilton 80 North Center Street Redlands, CA 92373 Phone: 909-556-5815 E-mail: mellowmilan2(a)gmail.com

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Remembering Lee Early
by Karen Snyder 17 Sep '21

17 Sep '21

Today, Tuesday, August 17, we celebrate the life and death of Lee Early. Lee was a man who stood tall through everything - literally and figuratively - whether it was working in community development in the Marshall Islands, facilitating planning with executives in corporations, loving his wife and three daughters and their families, or boosting social connections and self-confidence in his golf game. Plans for a memorial are pending. If you wish to contact Leah Early, she can be reached at leahearly(a)comcast.net <mailto:leahearly@comcast.net>.

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FW: Completed Life of Marileen Elizabeth Johnson
by Lynda C 31 Aug '21

31 Aug '21

Ann Johnson, daughter of Rev. Don and Marileen Johnson, has asked me to share with our OE community the attached obituary for her mother. Marilee and Don were part of the Local Church Experiment. They worked in the LCX in Salt Lake City and were part of the Edmonton Religious House in Canada. John and I met them when they were in Iowa and we were in Kansas City and later back in Chicago. Their teenaged daughter Mary Johnson was part of the Student House and later became a teacher with handicapped students at the time of her too early death in 1983. Don and John shared an avid interest in golf as well as the Local Church. Our connections rekindled when John began his writing. Their work in local community has been legendary with both California politics, and environmental concerns. I recall that Marileen and Don were part of the Campaign Managing team for John Gibson’s run for Mayor of Indianapolis. Marilee’s Christmas letters of all that she was doing with schools (she also was an educator) and local actions made me dub her as one of the Energizer Bunnies. Don and Marileen were married for 70 years!!! Don may be reached at 2855 Carlsbad Blvd, Unit 323 S, Carlsbad, CA. 92008. Or by e-mail at jdjohn2728(a)aol.com<mailto:jdjohn2728@aol.com>. Memories posted here will be shared with Don and Ann.. (Ann’s e-mail below.) We celebrate the life and service of this family and the completed life of Marileen. A memorial will be held in Sept. We give thanks for journey and friendship we shared. Lynda Cock From: "Ann Johnson (via Google Docs)" <annjohnson0208(a)gmail.com> Reply-To: Ann Johnson <annjohnson0208(a)gmail.com> Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at 5:04 PM To: Lynda Cock <lynda860(a)outlook.com> Subject: Marileen Elizabeth Johnson

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Re: [Oe List ...] FW: Completed Life of Marileen Elizabeth Johnson
by RICHARD HOWIE 31 Aug '21

31 Aug '21

Oh, that smile lives on in my memory. Such a privilege and honor to be in community with Marileen and Don. Love, Grace and Peace, Ellen Sent from my iPad > On Aug 26, 2021, at 10:10 PM, Lynda C via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: > > Ann Johnson, daughter of Rev. Don and Marileen Johnson, has asked me to share with our OE community the attached obituary for her mother. > > Marilee and Don were part of the Local Church Experiment. They worked in the LCX in Salt Lake City and were part of the Edmonton Religious House in Canada. John and I met them when they were in Iowa and we were in Kansas City and later back in Chicago. Their teenaged daughter Mary Johnson was part of the Student House and later became a teacher with handicapped students at the time of her too early death in 1983. > > Don and John shared an avid interest in golf as well as the Local Church. Our connections rekindled when John began his writing. Their work in local community has been legendary with both California politics, and environmental concerns. I recall that Marileen and Don were part of the Campaign Managing team for John Gibson’s run for Mayor of Indianapolis. Marilee’s Christmas letters of all that she was doing with schools (she also was an educator) and local actions made me dub her as one of the Energizer Bunnies. Don and Marileen were married for 70 years!!! > > Don may be reached at 2855 Carlsbad Blvd, Unit 323 S, Carlsbad, CA. 92008. Or by e-mail at jdjohn2728(a)aol.com. Memories posted here will be shared with Don and Ann.. (Ann’s e-mail below.) > > We celebrate the life and service of this family and the completed life of Marileen. A memorial will be held in Sept. We give thanks for journey and friendship we shared. > > Lynda Cock > > > From: "Ann Johnson (via Google Docs)" <annjohnson0208(a)gmail.com> > Reply-To: Ann Johnson <annjohnson0208(a)gmail.com> > Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at 5:04 PM > To: Lynda Cock <lynda860(a)outlook.com> > Subject: Marileen Elizabeth Johnson > > > > <Marileen Elizabeth Johnson.pdf> > _______________________________________________ > OE mailing list > OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net > http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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(no subject)
by ICA International 30 Aug '21

30 Aug '21

Reminder for entries This reminder is for the Global Buzz that will be published September 5th. 2021 (Please send your entries at least a day or more ahead) Please send all your entries by regular e-mail to: inform(a)ica-international.org with your entry as an attatchment. Send details of news items, training programmes, your peer to peer connections with other ICAs, any concerns you may have and of any events that are coming up at your location. Your report can be long or short, but remember that all other ICAs would really like to know about the things that matter where you are, and what you are doing as an ICA. Peter, for ICAI Communications Pour les entrées de rappel Ce rappel est à la Global Buzz qui sera publié le 5 septembre 2021 (S'il vous plaît envoyez vos entrées au moins un jour à l'avance) Veuillez envoyer toutes vos entrées maintenant par courriel ordinaire à : inform(a)ica-international.org avec votre entrée comme un attatchment. Envoyer les détails des articles de nouvelles, des programmes de formation, vos connexions peer to peer avec d'autres CIAS, de toute préoccupation que vous pourriez avoir et de tous les événements qui sont à venir à votre emplacement. Votre rapport peut être longue ou courte, mais rappelez-vous que toutes les autres CIAS aimerait vraiment savoir à propos de choses qui importe où vous êtes et ce que vous faites comme une ICA. Recordatorio de las entradas Este aviso es para el Global Buzz que se publicarán 5 mes de septiembre 2021 (Favor de enviar sus entradas al menos con un día de antelación) Por favor envíe todos sus entradas ahora por correo electrónico a: inform(a)ica-international.org con su entrada como un archivo adjunto. Enviar detalles de noticias, programas de capacitación, el peer to peer las conexiones con otros convenios o acuerdos internacionales, las preocupaciones que usted pueda tener y de los eventos que se aproximan en su ubicación. El informe puede ser a corto o largo, pero hay que recordar que todos los demás convenios quisiera saber realmente sobre lo que realmente importa, y lo que están haciendo una ICA.

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8/26/2021, Progressing Spirit: Rev. Deshna Shine: It is Time for Compassionate Nuanced Conversations, Part 1; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 26 Aug '21

26 Aug '21

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and (max-width:480px){#yiv0634054920 h4{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv0634054920 .yiv0634054920mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent, #yiv0634054920 .yiv0634054920mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templatePreheader{display:block !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templatePreheader .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent, #yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templatePreheader .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templateHeader .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent, #yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templateHeader .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templateBody .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent, #yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templateBody .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templateFooter .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent, #yiv0634054920 #yiv0634054920templateFooter .yiv0634054920mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | It is Time for Compassionate Nuanced Conversations, Part 1 | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Rev. Deshna Shine August 26, 2021Humans have lost the art of nuance.Critical thinking has been reduced to memes and tweets.And I am f#*king exhausted.Okay, maybe it isn’t that extreme. Here I am wanting to discuss the complex topic of nuance and I am starting this column with zero shades of grey. And not even those shades of grey. Sigh.I have always been a middle path kind of gal. But these times in the United States and the world in general are arching ever more toward extremes. Blue or Red. Vaxxer or Anti-Vaxxer. Black or White. Evangelical or Progressive. Right or Left. You know this list is innumerable.It’s easy, even for this middle of the road walker, to get pulled into an epic rivalry of us versus them. I mean… they are just so ignorant!I see bold statements of belief splattered all over social media. I see mass shaming and name calling. Each side of every issue is a breeding ground for narcissism, white guilt, and over identification.Our teenage daughter shares at the dinner table that teens these days don’t get to be in the middle. That it feels there are literally only two sides to every topic. You love that star or you think she is a horrible person. You support that author or you boycott her. You love that music or you cancel that musician.When did we lose the right to be flawed, learning human beings that will never always get it right?Emboldened by a veil of anonymousness, social media platforms are the stage for every ego-centered extremist… and the rest of us, their cheerleaders who follow them, share their posts, applaud with our hearts and emojis, and constantly re-elect them as mayors of our beliefs and likes.This is who I am, we scream, with our fake photos and our two-second shares.Have we lost the art of compassionate nuanced conversation?Ironically, even those of us who are defending the right to nuanced gender and personal identifications get stuck in the cyclic whirlpool of mirroring beliefs and extremism.We grossly debate things we don’t understand. We skim the post sharing an article that we don’t take the time to read, we affirm internally our beliefs we have done little to no research on, and then we publicly declare which side we are on.In reality, the world around us is an infinite rainbow of nuance, complexity, and brilliance! Unlike other animals and living creatures, people are as unique as there are infinite shades of colors in this world. More so, even. We come with these spirits full of experiences and lessons, we come with unique fingerprints, DNA, personalities, likes and dislikes, smells and textures, skin tones, sexualities, body types, talents, and ideas.Our dreams are a waterfall cascade of magical and terrifying psychedelic adventures and narratives which show the diversity of our thoughts and imaginations. And yet… an issue becomes centered publicly and we often revert to just two sides. Again and again. Over and over.Exhausted by the trauma we experience as well as the trauma we subject ourselves to by trolling and scrolling, we have little energy for compassion or patience. We certainly can’t imagine having the energy for a compassionate nuanced conversation with, say, a right wing fundamentalist, or the ex-husband who is spewing anti-vax misinformation to anyone who will listen. I should say something to them, we think, and then, ugh, I just don’t have the energy for a conversation though. And so we scroll some more. Or we pour a glass of wine and start a Netflix binge.But are there really just two sides to most public controversies? Or do we only see those two sides on the media and social media that we begin to believe only those two exist? Are the vast majority of us somewhere in the middle?What about topics like racism which our daughter and her friends have proclaimed, is one of those topics which there is only one way or the other. Is there nuance to discuss there?Of course there is. Within the extremes of racism being, let’s say: bad or good, there is a cacophony of complex history, brainwashing, culture, economics, trauma and more. These all being interwoven with every other issue — climate change, economics, the housing market, religion, culture…Sure, we can agree, most of us reading this newsletter, there are moral values that are simply wrong or right. Racism is wrong.But is the racist bad? Not always! Can we teach them to be better? Yes, but it takes vulnerable conversation and a desire to understand the complexity of the situation… the nuance, let’s say.The toxic patriarchal conception of whiteness is harmful and destructive and has been historically oppressive, violent and racist.. But are white people bad? Not usually. Can white people learn to be anti-racist, non patriarchal allies willing to give up their comfort and their safety for the sake of their human siblings? Yes.Minds will never change when we are just shouting across the field at each other, aiming our weapons and firing.Minds will only change when we come face to face, ask questions, and share vulnerably with a willingness to understand each other and the nuance of the topic. And it's not always about changing minds. More often than not, it is about nudging (rather than shoving) people to consider alternatives, to act more justly, to find more empathy. On social media we shove. In real life, we can practice the nuance of the nudge.Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, shares his experience that one-on-one conversations with friends, family and colleagues are the most effective way of changing minds. “These are the real discussions I have been having with friends and colleagues and I know winning over people in this last camp may be the most difficult of all, because it does involve conversation – possibly a series of ongoing conversations – with loved ones, friends and perhaps a personal physician or trusted pastor, who can talk to the hesitant or reluctant person in a way that resonates with them personally. And victory will be hard won, measured one person at a time.”Tayo Rockson, on Medium, writes, “Growing up in two dictatorships, I saw how governments used these types of binary thinking to advance a message or policy to promote propaganda. It’s how colonialism and slavery grew — divide people into groups and label them enemies before even knowing them or giving them a chance to connect.”Nuance is necessary for conversation and a fuller understanding of an issue. And therein lies our biggest threat to compassionate nuanced conversations. We think we are having conversations on social media. We aren’t. We are in full on battle mode. We are having debates and wars. And texts, comments, likes or dislikes, or posts are not conversations. They just aren’t. They are, as John Herman, of the New York Times describes, performance, announcements, tokens, all of which are limited by the structure of social media which are “conflict machines.”And while we think we are having these conversations and making a difference, in reality we are just traumatizing ourselves further and getting more and more exhausted. Our emotional and energetic reserves are emptied. Borrowed, even, from future reserves.We need to reclaim the fullness of our humanity and our ability to be vulnerable and start talking to real humans, face to face again. We need to have real conversations and for real conversations we need compassion and nuance.To be clear, I am not saying we shouldn’t take a stand on such issues like racism, vaccines, theology, or queer rights. I am not calling for being a so-so person, a safe-in-the-middle-maybe person, a silent majority, a peaceful- avoiding conflict - kind of people. No. I am asking us to be brave and start having real face to face, compassionate, open minded and open hearted conversations again. And again. And… again.The problem is the middle is often too silent. Those of us complaining about the lost nuance have also lost the desire to have nuanced conversations. How many of us just sit here “watching the show” with trepidation?Fundamentalism leaves no space for nuance. But Jesus spent his life as a Rabbi teacher, speaking in and using nuance. Consider the story of the woman at the well, which holds so much nuance and complexity! More on that in Part 2. As progressives, we have to be willing to see things outside the boxes, to ask questions, and to challenge even our own beliefs.Will more shaming or judging open minds? Will closed doors?I fully recognize that some doors need to remain closed and I encourage closing doors and setting boundaries when needed with certain people. Boundaries are a very vital part of healing from trauma, self care, and self love. God willing, those people have others in their lives who are willing to have compassionate nuanced conversations.It takes a lot more time and energy, but I am committing myself to careful research, bravery in conversations, seeking to understand the nuance in any given topic by asking questions and listening with an open mind, and a desire to learn new things and grow. I am committed to making room at the table so conversations can happen.Fatigue makes it hard for us to remember nuance and self compassion. So maybe we can start there. Prioritize rest, self care, and healing. Fill our cups until they flow over. Get off social media. Stop watching the news before bed. Get out of the house and into nature. Exercise, breathe, laugh, dance, sing, make love, receive love, fill our bodies with nourishing food. Rest some more. And then pause.Consider, is my cup full enough to spend energy on that conversation I have been putting off? If you feel a yes, well then by all means call ‘em up. Meet them for tea. Ask questions and be curious. Listen with an open mind and heart. If they are able to listen as well, share only what you know about. Share without name calling, without shaming, without the need to be right. Then go home, sage yourself and your space, drink a big glass of water, shake it off and let it go. Nap some more.It will take many of these small steps but it’s the only way forward.~ Rev. Deshna Shine Read online here About the Author Rev. Deshna Shine is Project Director of ProgressiveChristianity.org’s Children’s Curriculum. She is an ordained Interfaith Minister, author, international speaker, and 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 was Executive Director of ProgressiveChristianity.org, Executive Producer of Embrace Festival and has co-authored the novel, Missing Mothers. Deshna is passionate about sacred community, nourishing children spiritually and transforming Christianity through a radically inclusive lens. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By A Reader My husband of 38 years is a quiet fundamentalist. Everyday he listens to podcasts by J. Vernon Magee and Alastair Begg, two Bible literalists. He subscribes to Charles Stanley literature. I am a progressive Christian, although when I use the word “Christian” it carries a nuance with it that I’m not comfortable with. Whenever we have tried to discuss our beliefs I get attacked. I’ve also been told I’m going to Hell because I do not have a “personal relationship with Jesus” whatever that really means. I think all religions have merit and I can’t stand the “us” against “them” mentality that goes along with being “saved”. I have read many books that have opened my eyes about dogmatic religion and he refuses to read anything but fundamentalist articles. My question is: How do I not perceive my loving husband as ignorant? He’s so intelligent otherwise that I don’t understand how he can believe in the Bible as a literal history. A: By Brian D. McLaren Dear Reader,Thanks for this question. I think many people will feel a resonance with similar situations in their own families, whether with a spouse, a parent, or a child.Before I try to respond to your question, I can’t help but mention a tension within it. You called your husband “loving” and “intelligent otherwise.” But your husband also “attacks” and tells you that you’re going to hell. That is an incongruity many people experience, I think. Their partner, parent, or child is loving in general, but becomes the least loving when religious beliefs are the subject of discussion.The idea of multiple belonging helps me understand your husband’s behavior. Your husband “belongs” to your marriage, but he also belongs to the community of fundamentalist Christianity. He demonstrates his loyalty to that community by the teachers he chooses - and the influences he rejects. Being married to you is, in a sense, out of sync with his membership in that community, and to avoid conflict with you, he is usually “quiet” about his membership.Whenever you criticize his beliefs, he feels an acute conflict of loyalty. He is loyal to you, and to fundamentalist community. So he defends his community and its beliefs against what must feel to him like attacks by you … attacks on his community, which is part of his identity, which is part of him.So, here’s what I’d recommend, put very briefly in three steps. First, try to feel some empathy with your husband and especially with his predicament of multiple belonging. This should be easier when you realize you experience this tension too. You belong to progressive Christian (and other) circles whose beliefs are in conflict with your husband’s beliefs. That tension causes you pain.Second, once you feel that empathy, stop criticizing your husband’s beliefs. Understand that every criticism will feel like an attack, and every attack will engender a defensive or offensive response. Third, after cultivating empathy and desisting from criticism, try to show genuine curiosity. That doesn’t meaning asking, “How can an intelligent person like you believe such ridiculous things?” It means asking, “Tell me how it used to feel for you when I used to criticize some of your deeply held beliefs. I’m curious. I really want to understand.” If you want to talk about beliefs (again, only after spending significant time in the first two steps), stay away from argument. Instead, show sincere curiosity, “Tell me how you first came to believe in literal six-day creationism. Tell me what benefits it brings you. Tell me how your life would change if you lost this belief.” Again, this can’t be as a gotcha set-up, where he is vulnerable and you pounce.Through this process, I think you’ll come to understand that your husband isn’t ignorant. He’s human, and his beliefs are framed less by reason than by belonging to groups in which those beliefs are essential. If you’re interested in more on this subject, you might find the first six episodes of my podcast Learning How to See to be helpful.~ Brian D. McLaren Read and share online here About the Author Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is an Auburn Senior Fellow and a leader in the Convergence Network, through which he is developing an innovative training/mentoring program for pastors, church planters, and lay leaders called Convergence Leadership Project. He works closely with the Center for Progressive Renewal/Convergence, the Wild Goose Festival and the Fair Food Program‘s Faith Working Group. His most recent book is Faith After Doubt. He is the author of the illustrated children’s book (for all ages) called Cory and the Seventh Story, The Great Spiritual Migration, We Make the Road by Walking, and Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Brian is a popular conference speaker and a frequent guest lecturer for denominational and ecumenical leadership gatherings. He has written for or contributed interviews to many periodicals, including Leadership, Sojourners, Tikkun, Worship Leader, and Conversations and is a frequent guest on television, radio, and news media programs. | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together.Thank you for being a part of this community - join us on Facebook! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As a non-profit ProgressiveChristianity.org/Progressing Spirit rely heavily on the good will of our donors to help us continue to bring individuals and churches the messages of progressive Christians, Weekly Newsletters, along with the many other resources we provide. For years, the majority of our fundraising came at the end of the year. Looking at various ways to create a more reasonable amount of cash flow we decided rather than having a BIG ask at the end of each year, our more frequent asks give folks a chance to contribute when their funds are more flexible. We think that's a win for everyone. We also want to highlight the opportunity to become a sustaining supporter. If you are looking for the best way to help us continue to provide progressive Christian resources, become a sustaining supporter by choosing Recurring Donation. Help keep ProgressiveChristianity.org online and going strong - click here to donate today! * Another way to support us is to leave a bequest in your Will and/or Trust designating us a beneficiary. | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited Examining the Meaning of the Cross, Part IV: The Symbols of the Hebrew Scriptures in the Crucifixion Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong March 24, 2011The first narrative account of Jesus’ crucifixion in the Bible is found in the gospel of Mark written some 40-43 years, or approximately two generations, after the events it purports to describe. You may read it in Mark 14:17-15:47. It does not claim to be an eye witness account. Indeed it draws most of its details not from anyone’s memory, but from the Hebrew Scriptures. It is clearly an interpretive account designed to see the death of Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish messianic hopes. The two major sources from which Mark has crafted his story of the crucifixion are Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. We are generally familiar with these details primarily because we are familiar with Mark’s passion story. Our awareness of the original sources, however, is generally quite limited. From Psalm 22, Mark draws the only words that he claims Jesus spoke from the cross. Psalm 22:1 says: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Psalm 22 then goes on to say in verses 7 and 8, “All that see me laugh me to scorn. They shoot out their lips and they shake their heads saying, ‘He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him.’” Compare these words with Mark 15:29, “They that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘Ah, thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself and come down from the cross….He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel come down from the cross that we may see and believe’.” Psalm 22 continues with these words, “I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint…My tongue cleaveth to my jaws…They pierced my hands and feet…I may tell all my bones.” All of these images and ideas are written into Mark’s story of the cross and they grow in form through the other synoptic accounts. When John writes his version of the crucifixion almost thirty-five years after Mark, he has Jesus cry, “I thirst” and he attests to the fact that none of his bones were broken. Psalm 22 goes on to say (v. 18) “They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.” Mark writes in 15:24: “And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them what every man should take.” No, Jesus did not miraculously fulfill the “predictions” of the Hebrew Scriptures in some predestined way, as I was once taught in my fundamentalist Sunday school, the gospels rather were written with the Hebrew Scriptures open and the gospel writers conformed their memory of Jesus to fit the expectations of those scriptures, which enabled them to interpret him in the light of these Jewish expectations. Mark’s original passion narrative is thus not the report of an eye witness to the crucifixion at all. It is, rather, an example of how the disciples of Jesus searched the Jewish scriptures for clues that they could use to prove that Jesus was in fact the expected messiah. We are not dealing with history in the story of Jesus’ passion, but with interpretive material drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures. The other favorite passage from the Old Testament that was used to illumine the entire Jesus experience in general, but the story of the crucifixion in particular, was what we now call “the servant passages” from II Isaiah (40-55). Much of that text is also familiar to us not because we have read Isaiah, but because George Frederick Handel drew from it as the basis of his magnificent oratorio known as “Messiah.” The best known images from this section of Isaiah’s servant passages are found in chapter 53. Mark’s narrative of the crucifixion shows a deep compatibility with this part of II Isaiah’s work. “He was wounded for our transgressions…by his stripes we are healed.” These are among the familiar words from Isaiah 53. “He was despised, rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” are also words said of the “servant”, but they have been applied so deeply to Jesus that most of us think these words were actually written about Jesus. II Isaiah says of the Servant that he was “numbered with the transgressors.” I am convinced that it was from this reference that the story of Jesus being crucified between two thieves or malefactors was derived. It is interesting to watch the story of these two thieves develop. In Mark their presence is noted, but they are not quoted as having said anything. In Matthew, a decade later, both of them revile Jesus and pour out hostility on him. By the time we come to Luke, perhaps a decade later, only one thief reviles him while the other in penitence is made to say to Jesus: “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Later in Isaiah 53, we are told that the servant “made his grave with a rich man.” From this reference, I believe, came the developed story of Joseph of Arimathea who was said to be a ruler of the Jews and thus a rich man. To portray Jesus as having been buried in Joseph’s tomb served two purposes. First, it “fulfilled the scriptures” and second it covered the embarrassment of the apostolic abandonment, which was so real it could not have been denied, with a proper burial. Another indication that we are not dealing with eye witness history in this narrative comes a bit earlier in Mark’s text when he announces that when Jesus was arrested, “all of his disciples forsook him and fled.” Please note the text of Mark says “all” not “some.” It is hard even today, but necessary if we are to engage the Jesus story honestly, to face the high probability that Jesus died alone. There was no eye witness tradition that the gospel writers could draw on about the crucifixion because there were no eyewitnesses. The final evidence that this first narrative of the cross was not history comes from a deeper analysis of Mark’s whole passion story. It is divided into eight three-hour segments. The hours are marked and are meant to be noted. It is written in a twenty-four hour format. Let me trace it. In 14:17 Mark notes that “when evening came they were gathered in one place” for the Passover meal. The phrase “when evening came” means that Mark was telling us that it was approximately 6 p.m. on the day we now call Maundy Thursday. We know from other Jewish sources that the Passover meal normally included the extended family and it lasted about three hours. That measure of time included games, the meal itself and the recitation of Israel’s historical beginnings, usually told by the male patriarch in response to the question, “Father, why is this night different from all other nights?” asked by the youngest male child. The Passover ended with a hymn and the gathered family members then left for their own homes. Mark tells us in this first segment of the passion of Jesus, that at the end of the meal they sang a hymn and departed into the night. It is thus now 9 p.m. We are then told that Jesus and his disciples went into the Garden of Gethsemane, where it was said that Jesus took three of his disciples to “watch” with him while he prayed. They were, however, unable to perform this duty without falling asleep. Indeed they could not watch with him one, two or three hours. The second segment of the twenty-four hours was thus over. Jesus then comes out of the garden to meet Judas and the contingent of solders from the Temple guard. It is midnight. The darkest deed in human history is to take place at the darkest hour of the night. Jesus is then taken to the Sanhedrin for interrogation. This interrogation takes us from midnight to 3 a.m. The third segment of the vigil is complete. The period of the night between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. was called “Cockcrow.” Into this segment, Mark has installed the story of Peter’s threefold denial before the “cock crowed,” presumably one denial for each hour. Then right on cue, Mark says, “When morning came,” which means it is now 6 a.m. Here Mark tells us the details of the trial before Pilate; the introduction of Barabbas; the torture, and the mocking purple robe and crown of thorns. Mark then says “it was at the third hour” or 9 a.m., when they crucified him. At the sixth hour or 12 noon Mark says “darkness covered the whole earth.” It lasted, not surprisingly, for three hours. At 3 p.m. Jesus uttered, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and died or as the Elizabethan translation we call the King James Version says, “He gave up the ghost.” >From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. we hear of the negotiations of Joseph of Arimathea to bury him in his tomb, a task that is completed before the sun goes down to mark the beginning of the Sabbath, the day of rest. Two things become obvious in this study. First, most of the familiar details of the crucifixion story are not eye witness accounts of things that actually happened. They are rather interpretive accounts based upon the Hebrew Scriptures in which Jesus is seen, despite the fact that he had been crucified, as the anticipated messiah. Second, they were not written to describe what actually happened, but to lead worshippers to new insights through a twenty-four hour liturgical vigil. Just as the Jews had marked the beginning of their life as the people of God with a three-hour liturgical celebration known to us as “The Passover,” so Christians decided to mark the beginning of their life as a distinct people called to a new relationship with God in which they found salvation with a matching liturgical act. In the process they stretched the three hour Passover into a twenty-four hour vigil. What we are reading as Mark’s story of Jesus’ passion is a liturgical rite in which they could relive the last events in the life of one they believed was messiah and through whom they were convinced that they saw God in a dramatically new way. We have been blinded to the holiest moments in our faith story by our failure to grasp the fact that the story of the cross is not literal, but interpretive. Its purpose was not to tell us how Jesus died, but who Jesus was and how his death revealed that. Armed with this clue, we can enter an entirely new dimension of the Bible itself.~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements Pathway to Awareness Acceptance and Compassion Online August 30th - October 4th Life is a mixed bag of challenge, dissatisfaction, loss, joy, and contentment. Contrary to this reality, we have a strong desire to experience that which is comforting, convenient and pleasurable. So we suffer because of the gap between our desires and the reality of daily living. How can we cope with this? READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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FW: Rod Rippel Memorial August 18, 2021
by Lynda C 21 Aug '21

21 Aug '21

Rod Rippel Born in Moberly, Missouri ▪ December 26, 1934 Completed this life on Earth in La Mesa, California ▪ June 11, 2021 Celebrating the completed life of Rod Rippel, ▪ Celebrating the life of Rod Rippel. Pauline shared the attached program of Rod’s celebration and asked me to post it to our OE List . The memorial service, which was held August 18, is recorded on Rod’s memorial You Tube. View Video<https://gmail.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1b08d68e39a068469583540f9&i…> ___________ John and I encountered Rod and family on the West Side of Chicago as we began our intern year in 1969. His family had begun their journey with OE in 1968. After Chicago his family served in the Sydney Religious House, then Taiwan, then the Detroit Religious House. In the words of remembrance of the recorded service, the music and in the songs, the influence of those years was apparent. “When the Saints Go Marching In” was part of the prelude. The postlude was a lively Zorba theme to which the family lead the congregation out with clapping in celebration of this well-lived life of care. Check out some of Rod’s poetry and reflections on the ICA Archives website under Publications: https://icaglobalarchives.org With his wife Pauline, and sons Steve, Curtiss, and Clifford and their families, we celebrate Rod’s passion and delight in life and his years of influence within the church and community. Note that Rod’s Memorial Gmail listed in the service program will connect you with Rod’s family. Rodrippelmemorial(a)gmail.com<mailto:Rodrippelmemorial@gmail.com>. You are invited to share memories, photos, memorabilia. If you wish to be in touch with Pauline, her contact is peacepwr(a)cox.net<mailto:peacepwr@cox.net>. Grace and peace, Lynda and John Cock, Davidson, NC

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8/19/2021, Brian McClaren: Progressive Christianity and the Preferential Option for the Young; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 19 Aug '21

19 Aug '21

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Many draw from the lineage of liberal Christianity that goes from Luther and Calvin to Schleiermacher and Rauschenbusch to Fosdick and Niebuhr to Coffin and Borg to Diana Butler Bass and Catherine Keller today. Interwoven with this lineage have been feminist theologians like Rita Nakashima Brock and Katherine Tanner, and queer theologians Dale Martin and Marcella Althous-Reid. Some trace their lineage through various strains of the Radical Reformation, whether Mennonite or Quaker, drawing from the work of Rufus Jones, Elton Trueblood, and John Howard Yoder. Still others are rooted in Black theology - in a lineage that includes Howard Thurman, Kwame Bediako, James Cone, and Wil Gafney.Increasingly over the last twenty years, Progressive Catholics have also become part of this conversation, especially through liberation theologians like Gustavo Gutierrez, Jon Sobrino, and Leonardo Bosch, and theologians drawing from the mystical and monastic traditions like Richard Rohr and Ilia Delio. Progressive or Post-Evangelicals are also bringing their gifts an energies into this progressive community, having been exiled from an Evangelicalism that sold out to the Religious Right and Trumpism.This convergence and cross-pollination, to me, are truly hopeful signs. Another hopeful sign: the decades-long decline of Mainline Protestantism seems to have hit bottom in the US, at least temporarily, after a long slide. (See https://dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/nothing-is-as-it-was.) In fact, Mainline Protestants have once again surpassed Evangelicals as a percentage of population, after decades in second place. (See https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/10/opinions/american-evangelicals-protestantism….) However, before progressive Christians breathe a sigh of relief and use this data as a permission slip for complacency, I must raise a yellow flag of caution, if not a red flag of emergency.Mainline Protestants, by and large, are perched on a demographic cliff, with an average age of 54 and climbing. Like Catholics and Evangelicals, their retention rates of the young are unsustainably low, with more of their young in each generation joining the ranks of the religious nones. (See https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/18/mainline-protestants-make-….) On top of those statistics, for many, the “e-word” (evangelism) is taboo, which means that recruitment is off-limits, which means continuing decline is inevitable.If you believe, as I do, that the world needs a vital alternative to regressive and right-wing Christianity, then you should join me in raising the alarm — and calling for radical action among forward-leaning Christians. I call this mandate a preferential option for the young. This call is not intended as a rejection of the older term, a preferential option for the poor, derived from Catholic social teaching. It is, instead, intended as a double challenge. How will progressive Christians who are disproportionately prosperous, well-educated, and old … become a movement characterized by partnerships across generations, races, and social classes? Be assured, few of the young, and virtually none of the unco-opted young, want to perpetuate the racial, gender, and class-based hegemonies of the past. To empower the young is to empower racial, gender, and socio-economic diversity.The original Christian movement demonstrated this preferential option for the young. Obviously, it reflected the ethos of its thirty year-old founder who was dead by thirty-three, and who understood that his message would create tension between generations (see Matthew 10:34-36).The first generation of young disciples who weren’t martyred eventually grew old, and special honor was understandably given to the senior leaders of the movement. Within a century, the youthful vigor of the original movement became harder to detect, with internal turf wars, power struggles, and belief-policing replacing the founder’s original outward vision of speaking truth to power, proclaiming liberation to the oppressed, and deploying nonviolent peacemakers willing to suffer and die as witnesses to peace. That outward vision would gradually become the exception rather than the rule, and a preferential option for the old became the new norm.Thankfully, new vitality occasionally flared up in young reformers like Francis of Assisi, who began his ministry in his early twenties.Claie joined him when she was only eighteen, and soon was leading her parallel movement. St. Teresa of Avila ran away from home at twenty to begin her visionary work, and St. John of the Cross joined her movement when he was twenty-five. Among Protestants, Martin Luther was thirty-three when he nailed his ninety-five theses to the Wittenberg door (as the story goes). John Calvin was nineteen when he began writing his Institutes of the Christian Religion, and twenty-six when the first edition was published.The Christian movement, at its most vital, has been a youth movement. The Christian movement, at its most depressing, has been a gerontocracy.That’s why I say that wisest thing older generations of white Christians could do starting now would be to invest unprecedented trust, money, opportunity, and coaching (without control) in rising younger generations, women and men, straight and gay, of diverse racial and economic backgrounds, listening to them, learning from them, trusting the Spirit to be alive in them, and then getting behind them. The old white boys’ club of the religious gerontocracy has reached its expiration date.And not just in religion. In politics, business, education, and other professions, the same pattern predominates: older generations holding onto power, too seldom investing in the future beyond their own retirement. There will be no new day without new, young faces.Yes, we need true elders as much as ever, if not more. Instead of hoarding their power and wisdom, we need them to empower and equip younger leaders, especially leaders from groups that have been historically marginalized.But the sad truth is that conventional Christianity — both liberal and conservative, progressive and regressive — currently depresses, disillusions, drains, and drives away many of its brightest and best by the time they hit thirty. Those with seniority status occupy leadership positions, sometimes because they embody the spirit and vision of our founder, but often, because the system rewards compliance and suppresses creativity.This transformation goes far beyond mere inclusion. No young person wants to be included to be consumed as an organization’s fuel for self-propagation. The answer at all levels of the Christian system, as far as I can tell, will involve going beyond inclusion to true partnership and true investment … investing in young people who are more concerned about the urgent realities of climate justice, racial justice, and economic justice than they are about nostalgic doctrinal debates, power struggles, and liturgical policing.It is especially for the young that I have just finished writing a book called Do I Stay Christian? (It will be available in August 2022.) I would never want to induct new generations of the young into a gerontocracy whose rocking chair is one rock away from tipping over a cliff. But I can imagine no greater opportunity than for younger generations to engage with the good news of Jesus, a radically progressive message, and to let it inspire a new youth movement for these pivotal times. I can imagine no greater honor for people my age and older than to become the advocates and supporters for these young visionaries.To all of my peers and seniors, then, I issue this challenge: what will you do to invest your wisdom, wealth, and energies in a preferential option for the young?The only alternative, of course, is for aging Christians to spend their remaining years “micro-managing their own decline,” as a sage Lutheran pastor once put it. That’s expensive. It’s depressing. And it’s inevitable, unless we wake up fast, before tipping over the demographic cliff.~ Brian D. McLaren Read online here About the Author Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is an Auburn Senior Fellow and a leader in the Convergence Network, through which he is developing an innovative training/mentoring program for pastors, church planters, and lay leaders called Convergence Leadership Project. He works closely with the Center for Progressive Renewal/Convergence, the Wild Goose Festival and the Fair Food Program‘s Faith Working Group. His most recent book is Faith After Doubt. He is the author of the illustrated children’s book (for all ages) called Cory and the Seventh Story, The Great Spiritual Migration, We Make the Road by Walking, and Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Brian is a popular conference speaker and a frequent guest lecturer for denominational and ecumenical leadership gatherings. He has written for or contributed interviews to many periodicals, including Leadership, Sojourners, Tikkun, Worship Leader, and Conversations and is a frequent guest on television, radio, and news media programs. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By A Reader What have we learned and can apply today from the Nag Hammadi Scriptures? A: By Toni Anne Reynolds Dear Reader,As you can imagine, the Nag Hammadi Scriptures are full of many relevant lessons for life today. Despite being thousands of years late to the biblical literature game, this group of books is a well spring of lessons. What I love most about your question is that we need not dive into any particular book to find a powerful lesson to apply to today. The mere fact that an entire corpus of sacred writings was found not even 80 years ago tells us that we don’t know as much about ourselves as we think we do. Along with poetic repetitions of familiar lessons about God, the Nag Hammadi texts are precious to people for different reasons. Friends with more monastic persuasions live with the Gospel of Thomas, slowly chewing on each saying over the course of several weeks. At least five artistic friends are using Thunder: Perfect Mind as the framework for originally composed songs, opera, and performance art. I am partial The Secret Revelation of John and the ways it points to a connection with Kemetic/Afrikan cosmology. In short form, the Nag Hammadi Scriptures are as diverse as the experiences each of us is having with the Divine. Similar to the way people have found out long hidden truths about their family lineage, the general Christian history has been incomplete without this special group of holy texts. Now that the long lost relative of the Nag Hammadi Scriptures has been introduced to the wider family, the sacred work of reorienting our identity can begin. Soon enough, it is a reorienting that we will get to do as more texts are unearthed and translated from the ancient world. Namely, the continuous discoveries made at Oxyrhynchus. We simply have no idea how nuanced and intricate the early Christian understandings of God were. Nor do we have a vast sense of how those understandings influenced practical applications of belief outside of canonized spaces. To my mind, the most important lesson to be learned from this collection of texts is: there will always be more to learn about where we come from, stay flexible.~ Toni Anne Reynolds Read and share online here About the Author Minister Toni Anne Reynolds is committed to singing flesh onto the bones of the Christian tradition by incorporating recently found texts of the ancient world into liturgy, sermons, and poetry. Toni’s Christianity forms a holy trinity with the psychological medicine of Tibetan Buddhism and the eternal Life found in Yoruba traditions. Balanced in an eclectic faith and focused in theology, Toni’s ministry offers a unique perspective on life, theology, and spirituality. | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together.Thank you for being a part of this community - join us on Facebook! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As a non-profit ProgressiveChristianity.org/Progressing Spirit rely heavily on the good will of our donors to help us continue to bring individuals and churches the messages of progressive Christians, Weekly Newsletters, along with the many other resources we provide. For years, the majority of our fundraising came at the end of the year. Looking at various ways to create a more reasonable amount of cash flow we decided rather than having a BIG ask at the end of each year, our more frequent asks give folks a chance to contribute when their funds are more flexible. We think that's a win for everyone. We also want to highlight the opportunity to become a sustaining supporter. If you are looking for the best way to help us continue to provide progressive Christian resources, become a sustaining supporter by choosing Recurring Donation. Help keep ProgressiveChristianity.org online and going strong - click here to donate today! * Another way to support us is to leave a bequest in your Will and/or Trust designating us a beneficiary. | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited\ Examining the Story of the Cross, Part III: There Never Were “Seven Last Words” From the Cross Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong March 17, 2011One of the most dramatic services of Holy Week for me has always been the Good Friday “Three Hour Service.” It was designed to enable Christian worshipers in some dramatic way to watch by the cross as their Lord died. The traditional content of that three-hour service traditionally consisted of sermons or meditations on what were called “The Seven Last Words,” which were supposedly the words spoken by Jesus from the cross as he died. Normally, the three hours were divided into a series of eight mini-services of twenty minutes or so in duration. After one introductory sermon setting the stage for the day, each segment thereafter in this liturgy would usually consist of a reading from the gospel that included the quoted word from the cross; perhaps a Passiontide hymn like “Go to dark Gethsemane” or “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”, some prayers, which were characteristically of a penitential nature, and perhaps some silence for meditation. There was opportunity for worshipers to come and go after each of the “words.” A few, as the final act of their Lenten discipline, would stay for the whole three hours. Sometimes these services would be ecumenical with clergy from various traditions taking one of the “words.” Sometimes a number of churches would join in the observance and an outsider would be brought in to preach on each of the “Seven Last Words,” a pattern that would at least give consistency to the overall message. Sometimes the local pastor would himself or herself do the entire three-hour service that, in my experience, would either be a work of supererogation for which the preacher would feel profoundly virtuous, or an intensely moving personal experience. In my career I have participated in each of these formats; I have been one of many in a community service; I have done the entire service in the church I was serving; I have been the guest who did the “Words” in another city, and I have sat in the pews and listened to another for the entire three hours. The three most memorable three-hour services that I can personally recall are first, when I was invited to be the Good Friday preacher at St. Peter’s Church, Charlotte, the downtown Episcopal church in which I had been raised as a child; second, listening to a priest of my Diocese, David Hegg, in my present parish church, St. Peter’s, Morristown, New Jersey, preach on the death of Jesus on Good Friday, after he had experienced the death of his 27 year old daughter in an automobile accident just six days earlier, and, third, during the year that I had the privilege of teaching at Harvard I spent Good Friday listening to Dr. Peter Gomes, the senior minister of Memorial Church in the Harvard Yard and one of the great preachers of our time, do each of the seven words. That three hour Good Friday liturgical pattern has, however, fallen into general disuse and for two major reasons I think. First, churches located in the heart of business districts in the cities of this land have given way since World War II to churches located in the suburbs. A noon to three p.m. service in the suburbs might not have a critical mass of people in the homes who might attend a midday service. A city-center church where business people and shoppers could drop by for a convenient part of the three hours was the final expression of this tradition. In recent years even in city-center churches this traditional Good Friday observance has thus been replaced with some lesser version, perhaps a one-hour services or, at best, one and a half hour services with perhaps a service toward the end of the three hours dedicated to the children, designed, I felt, to perpetuate the illusion of yesterday’s tradition. In many churches preaching has been replaced with liturgical music appropriate to the day. The second reason for the demise of the Good Friday three hour service was, I believe, the fact that critical biblical scholarship has over the past 200 years demythologized, to use the word Rudolf Bultmann made famous, the way we understand the Bible. The literal manner in which we once read the New Testament is simply no longer possible. One of the casualties of that critical study is that we now recognize that Jesus did not actually say any of the supposed “seven last words” from the cross. In order to reach the number seven people had simply collapsed the four gospels into a single blended collage, as if we could create from these separate sources a single historical and accurate narrative. In our pre-literate biblical days we also did this with Christmas pageants, which were almost uniformly designed to blend Matthew’s story of Jesus’ nativity, which was the earliest of the birth accounts, with Luke’s story which was both the other and the latest. The two stories are radically incompatible in many details, but that did not stop pageant producers from putting them together so that Matthew’s star in the east leading the magi to Bethlehem became the last scene in the story following Luke’s account of the angels’ visit to the shepherds and their journey to the manger in search of the baby. Most people, influenced by too many pageants, still today think of these two stories as a single whole. The “Seven Last Words” has had a similar history. In the first two gospels, Mark written in the early 70’s and Matthew, composed about a decade later, the only “word” Jesus was said to have spoken from the cross was what came to be called, the “Cry of Dereliction,” which is “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This intensely human cry, however, became an increasingly difficult “word” to attribute to Jesus as Christian history moved and the humanity of Jesus was increasingly replaced by various claims of his divinity. Scholars also noted that this cry, while attributed to Jesus, was actually the first verse of Psalm 22, a psalm that clearly was used early in Christian history to interpret the crucifixion. I will look at the influence of that psalm in the story of the crucifixion later in this series. When the third gospel, Luke, was written, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” disappeared from his story and instead Luke created three brand new “words” from the cross that no one had ever heard before. The mythical figure developed in II Isaiah (40-55), called the “Suffering Servant,” had clearly been influential in shaping Luke’s story of the cross. The “Servant” was said to have made intercession for his oppressors so Luke had Jesus do the same, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they have done” was the result. In Luke, for the first time, one of the two thieves crucified with Jesus was said to have become “penitent.” In the earlier gospels both thieves were said to have reviled him. In his penitent state he was said to have begged Jesus to “remember him” when he came into his kingdom. To this plea, Luke has Jesus promise, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Finally, instead of the final word from the cross at the moment of death being a fearful cry of forsakenness Luke has Jesus replace it with a note of triumph: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” When we come to the Fourth Gospel, written near the end of the tenth decade, the author omits everything that Mark, Matthew and Luke have all proposed that Jesus spoke from the cross and he creates three entirely new sayings designed to satisfy his understanding of the death of Jesus. The first was: “I thirst,” a note that also has its roots in Psalm 22. The second was: “Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother,” which helped the author to develop the character of the one he called “the beloved disciple.” It is also noteworthy that only in this final gospel is there any reference to the presence of the mother of Jesus at the cross. Lastly, John suggests as Jesus’ final word from the cross: “It is finished,” which catches up one of the Fourth Gospel’s unique interpretations of Jesus as the author of the new creation. The fact is that in all probability Jesus never said any of these words from the cross and they certainly do not present a complete and harmonious story, since the “seven words” never appear together in any book of the Bible. Despite the loss of this homiletical trick of preaching on the “Seven Last Words,” I still think there is a place for a three-hour Good Friday service. I believe it should be an offering to the community everywhere a church is located in a business setting to which commuters flow in and out each day and where Easter shoppers are present in abundance. I would, however, like to give “The Seven Last Words” an appropriate burial as the format of this Good Friday liturgy. In their place I would suggest that the three-hour service be dedicated to understanding the unique way in which the passion story is interpreted by each gospel writer. One year, for example, this Good Friday service would be based on the passion story according to Mark. The next year Matthew’s passion narrative would form the content. Luke’s story of the cross would be the emphasis for the third year. Finally, in a fourth year to complete the cycle, John’s gospel account of Jesus death would be examined in depth. The clergy conducting these services would themselves in their preparation be forced to embrace the perspective of each gospel writer in order to lead their congregations into the way each gospel writer interpreted the death of Jesus. Both clergy and their congregations would then be able to experience and to embrace the unique ways in which the story was originally told, to see how each gospel writer added new details, to observe the ways in which the story grew through the years and finally to engage the interpretive task in the quest to understand why the various additions were made. Above all, this approach would help people know that, while the fact of the crucifixion is history, the interpretive details of each gospel writer are not. Good Friday would be transformed into a day of entering the interpretive process that might serve to draw us more closely to this Jesus, instead of being used, as is the case so often with Good Friday preaching, as a means of eliciting guilt for what we did to Jesus. I have never known guilt to help us grow into wholeness. Such a tradition might help us recover the Jesus of history and the meaning of the cross itself.~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements Ritual Leader Training August 26th - 29th, in Redwood City, CA Do you want to be a successful Ritual Leader but aren’t really sure how to do it? There are many secrets to creating successful rituals and infusing them with spiritual magic and heart. READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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