September 2021 - OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

Re: [Oe List ...] Our ever-dwindling Listserve
by Vera M Barber 16 Sep '21

16 Sep '21

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9/16/2021, Progressing Spirit, Remembering Bishop John Shelby Spong
by Ellie Stock 16 Sep '21

16 Sep '21

| | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong June 16, 1931 – September 12, 2021 | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Today we are honoring and remembering Bishop Spong. We are sharing just a few of his thoughts and wisdom, more can be found at Progressive Christianity.org and Progressing Spirit. We also have remembrances from those of us who have known him simply as "Jack". Unassuming and humble, he changed the face of Christianity forever. We love him and will miss him, and know that he will live on in all of our hearts. | | | | | | | | | | | | My heart sank when I was notified that Jack Spong died yesterday. In the 30 years that I have known Jack, he has had a tremendous impact on my ministry, our organization, PC.org, and the progressive Christian movement. He was a humble, but precise scholar. He was my mentor, guide, and teacher; but mostly he was my friend. His work will live on in the lives of many and continue to provide an intellectually honest approach to the history of Christianity and the impact on our daily lives. My thanks to Jack and his wonderful partner in life, Christine, for the difference they have made. ~ Rev. Fred C. Plumer | | | | | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong provided a much needed place for those of us who did not connect with traditional theology. He began to awaken within me (and, I suspect, many others) this “thing” that knew much of what I’d been taught in church was not necessarily the actual Gospel even though it frequently was taught as if it were. Spong helped demystify the Bible for me, helped wrestle it from the overtly possessive hands of literalist, and helped reposition it from a rulebook handed down from God to the guidebook from our spiritual ancestors about what a healthy spiritual life looks likes that it was mean to be. He gave us a spiritual home. He gave us permission to ask difficult questions and to expect non-hypocritical answers. He grew our faiths in ways we never could have imagined. He now joins those who know what is next and most assuredly is experiencing the Divine embrace. I give thanks for his life and how this world is better off because of it. We love you, Bishop Spong. You will be deeply missed. ~ Rev. Mark Sandlin | | | | | | | | | | | | I encountered Bishop Spong’s work for the first time when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree in Religious Studies from a secular university. At that point in my life, I was striving to reconcile my faith with my newfound exposure to the historical-critical method of biblical interpretation. When I picked up Bishop Spong’s books, I found an approach that helped to liberate me from more traditional ways of thinking about the divine mystery. In Bishop Spong’s life and writings, I have continued to find the inspiration to stand against Christian fundamentalism. Well done, good and faithful servant. ~ Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines | | | | | | | | | | | | Bishop Spong came into my life in the early 1970s when one Sunday he showed up at the church I attended — St Mark’s Episcopal Church, located on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Our church, headed by Rev. Jim Adams, welcomed skeptics and helped those among us who had trouble with a literal translation of the Bible find an approach to Christianity that fully used our brains and our hearts. Spong was a strong supporter of Adams, and in the 1990s encouraged him to establish The Center for Progressive Christianity, now known as ProgressiveChristianity.org. Spong’s open mind, scholarship, courage, and spiritual insights opened Christianity to new generations of followers. We pledge to continue that journey. ~ Janice Gregory | | | | | | | | | | | | Jack Spong was one of my giants. He has been a tremendous influence on my life as a pastor and theologian. I first learned of him upon reading his book Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism and recall being notably struck by his obvious scholarly competence, his persuasive argumentation, and his clear passion for the well-being of Christianity and the Church. His writings helped embolden me as a firm liberal Christian. As I've aged and become a voice within progressive Christianity and an author myself, I've come to make more room for paradox, mystery, and increasingly feel less of a need to understand everything, let alone know all the answers. May we honor Spong's legacy and may God bless our efforts to increase love and justice in a world that needs it. ~ Rev. Roger Wolsey | | | | | | | | | | | Click here to find Bishop Spong's books and videos and more on ProgressiveChristianity.org. Click here to find/access his Archived Writings and Articles on Progressing Spirit. | | | | | | | | | | | We are filled with gratitude to Bishop Spong for his courageous stands on issues of justice including gay and lesbian peoples and much more, and his efforts to save Christianity from itself. And we are in his debt for his critically acclaimed writings that teach us to grow up as people, as a believing people and as a Biblical people. His writings and courage and Biblical insights will continue to inspire many for generations to come. Also, his model of leadership that is not afraid to speak out and to lead and to absorb the knocks that come with critical thinking and leadership uplifts us all. I am happy to share wrote me in the year 2000 on the occasion of my 60th birthday. ~ Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox | | | | | | | | | | | | Whether welcoming the excluded, inspiring people to totally reevaluate everything they thought they’d ever known, or driving Fundamentalists to distraction, Jack Spong’s example and teachings demanded a response. Even in death, as haters fill online forums with scorn, Jack is living up to his cousin William’s advice: “The way you really get to the public is by having the right enemies, not the right friends. The friends don’t do you that much good, but the right enemies attacking you really do open up the possibilities.” Thanks, Jack, for modeling the kind of ministry that will continue to change the world! ~ Rev. David Felten | | | | | | | | | | | | Our Abraham is now gathered to his people. Fully and finally gathered into blessed memory of us all in the global progressive Christian movement. And gathered to folks far beyond our circle. Because, to put it in his own words, John Shelby Spong “lived fully and loved wastefully”, spilling out his compassion beyond boundaries of creed and culture. Jack Spong was a mentor to us all in the progressive Christian movement. His generosity of spirit – and that of his wife and partner, Christine – nurtured generations of progressive Christian leaders. I am grateful for their active encouragement in getting my books into print. And we’re all grateful for the legacy they created in Progressing Spirit, the theological journal of ProgressiveChristianity.org. May we ever and always “gather him to his people” by carrying his commitments forward! ~ Rev. Jim Burklo | | | | | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong was and will remain a hero to me. An extremely brave revolutionary, a social justice warrior, and a deeply faithful and spiritual human, Spong demanded that Christianity become radically inclusive if it were to remain relevant and true to the teachings of Jesus. One of the first religious faith leaders to come out in support of gay marriage, he also 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. He called for the right for women to be ordained and he lifted up a compassionate and authentic Christian path. He changed the face of Christianity for the better. He will be forever missed. ~ Rev. Deshna Shine | | | | | | | | | | | | I grew up in a sector of Christianity where Bishop Spong was portrayed as the epitome of theological evil, often by people who had never read his books or listened to him speak. When I found myself similarly characterized, I had the chance to meet many people whose Christian faith had survived because of his work. We were interviewed together and I remember thinking, "How could anyone speaking extemporaneously utter such complex, graceful, insightful, and yet clear and intelligible sentences?" Driven by a clear-eyed desire for truth and a compassionate commitment to justice for all, he was willing to be mistreated for those commitments. He challenged the Christian inheritance, not to harm it, but to expose its misunderstandings and mine it for its most enduring treasures. ~ Brian McLaren | | | | | | | | | | | Watch Bishop Spong's Sermon: What a New Christianity for a New World will Contain | | | | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong is one of the pioneers and patron saints of the progressive Christian movement. His commitment to asking questions, embracing science, and integrating modern knowledge with a robust understanding of Christian faith helped to create a space within the Church for an ever increasing mass of people who were otherwise pushed out of religious communities because of their own skepticism. His work and witness will endure for generations to come, and his spirit of compassion and curiosity will continually inspire seekers on the ever winding spiritual journey. He will be sorely missed. ~ Rev. Brandan Robertson | | | | | | | | | | | | It is impossible to number those who will mourn the death of Bishop John Shelby Spong. His direct influence, perhaps, if one could create an algorithm related to the sale of his books or size of his audiences. But those whose lives, understanding of Christianity and its expression, and passion for truth was shifted by a sermon preached by a Spong-read pastor, an unexpected broadcast lecture or hearing the sixth degree of either retelling, are as uncountable as stars on a clear summer night. Bishop Spong shone a light on faith, and in so doing, set our minds on fire. ~ Rev. Gretta Vosper | | | | | | | | | | | | Martin Luther King said there are two types of leadership: those that are thermometers, which measure the temperature in the room and do nothing, and those that are thermostats, which change the temperature. Bishop Spong was a church leader who unapologetically changed traditional Christian Theology to welcome the dispossessed, the disinherited, the disrespected, and the damned into the Kingdom of God. And in so doing, Spong called attention to biblical eisegesis and agenda-driven theologies that bring about present-day social injustices and institutional ills. Spong’s calling reflected the unending struggle to give voice and visibility to those relegated to the margins of society. ~ Rev. Irene Monroe | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Facebook | | | | Twitter | | | | Website | | | | Email | | | | YouTube | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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9/14/2021, Progressing Spirit: **Special Edition** - Bishop John Shelby Spong, June 16, 1931 - September 12, 2021
by Ellie Stock 15 Sep '21

15 Sep '21

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(max-width:480px){#yiv6132225248 h4{font-size:16px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6132225248 table .filtered99999 td .filtered99999 , #yiv6132225248 td[class=yiv6132225248mcnBoxedTextContentContainer] td[class=yiv6132225248mcnTextContent] p{font-size:18px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6132225248 table[id=yiv6132225248templatePreheader]{display:block !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6132225248 td .filtered99999 td .filtered99999 , #yiv6132225248 td[class=yiv6132225248preheaderContainer] td[class=yiv6132225248mcnTextContent] p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:115% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6132225248 td .filtered99999 td .filtered99999 , #yiv6132225248 td[class=yiv6132225248headerContainer] td[class=yiv6132225248mcnTextContent] p{font-size:18px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6132225248 td .filtered99999 td .filtered99999 , #yiv6132225248 td[class=yiv6132225248bodyContainer] td[class=yiv6132225248mcnTextContent] p{font-size:18px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6132225248 td .filtered99999 td .filtered99999 , #yiv6132225248 td[class=yiv6132225248footerContainer] td[class=yiv6132225248mcnTextContent] p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:115% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6132225248 td[class=yiv6132225248footerContainer] a[class=yiv6132225248utilityLink]{display:block !important;}} | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong June 16, 1931 – September 12, 2021 Bishop Spong provided a much needed place for those of us who did not connect with traditional theology. We love you Bishop Spong. You will be missed! | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | ProgressiveChristianity.org and Progressing Spirit Mourn the Death of Bishop John Shelby Spong There are few theological giants who shape the way that entire generations relate to their sacred texts. Bishop John Shelby Spong, through his intelligence, kindness, and love of scripture, did just that. Bishop Spong showed Christians who were ready to give up on their faith an authentic, intellectually honest approach to biblical interpretation that allowed many to remain engaged in their faith communities while demanding more theological rigor from both the pews and the pulpit. Bishop Spong was particularly closely associated with Progressive Christianity.org. He served as an advisor to us for many years and helped us to shape the Progressive Christian Movement. When he retired from writing his newsletter, now called Progressing Spirit, he entrusted ProgressiveChristianity.org with its care and trajectory. His life’s work was pivotal to empowering Christians to delve more deeply into their questions and not to accept easy answers and half-truths. His impact on the theological landscape of Christianity cannot be overstated. While Christians all over the world mourn his death, Bishop Spong wrote, “I prepare for death by living.” He knew whatever waits for us beyond this life is beyond our knowledge or control, so we must focus on living the best life we can in the here and now. His life was well-lived and genuine. “Death is ultimately a dimension of life through which we journey into timelessness,” he reminded us. He has now transitioned into timelessness and will be deeply missed. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Click here to find Bishop Spong's books and videos and more on ProgressiveChristianity.org. Click here to find/access his Archived Writings and Articles on Progressing Spirit. | | | | | | | | Watch our Website and Facebook Page for further details on his Memorial Service. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Facebook | | | | Twitter | | | | Website | | | | Email | | | | YouTube | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright © 2021 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You have subscribed to our Weekly Essay and/or Q & A emails. ProgressiveChristianity.org4810 Pt. Fosdick Dr. #80Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences | | | | |

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Society, Spirit & Self
by Robertson Work 14 Sep '21

14 Sep '21

[cid:58a81c85-a31c-48fb-ba00-76329ea2896d] Dear OE/EI/ICA family, Am excited to share with you sixty-five essays written from 1966 to 2021. Here is the book's Amazon URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578977001 I think that you will enjoy my reflections on experiences, ideas, and methods of the ICA and the OE, as well as many others related to societal, spiritual, and personal transformations. If you read the book, please share your reflections, and post a review on Amazon. This is the paperback. The e-book will be released in a few days. Soon it will also be available on other online platforms and through your local bookshop. Thanks to Tina Spencer, David Elliott, and Elsa Javines Batica for your pre-publication reviews. Please stay safe, healthy, and happy, Rob ............................................. Author page for my books: https://www.amazon.com/Robertson-Work/e/B075612GBF Blogsite: https://compassionatecivilization.blogspot.com/ Website: https://www.robertsonwork.com/

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9/09/2021, Progressing Spirit: Matthew Fox: Jennifer Hereth, an Artist-Prophet For Our Times; Spong Revisited
by Ellie Stock 09 Sep '21

09 Sep '21

| | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jennifer Hereth, an Artist-Prophet For Our Times | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox September 9, 2021 I remember my class on twelfth century spirituality taught by the late and great Pere M. D. Chenu, o.p., in the Institut catholique de Paris in 1968. I recall how he would bring large picture books of Cathedrals with their sculpture and stained glass to class and say, “there’s no way of understanding twelfth century spirituality without understanding its art.” Today I ask a question: “Is it possible to understand 21st century spirituality without looking at today’s art?” And if so, to whom should we turn? I highly recommend turning to artist/activist Jennifer Hereth who, during the recent pandemic enclosure time, looked back at her life’s work as an artist and teacher of art and activist who has visited Syrian refugee centers and Sri Lanka war-torn villages as well as the rugged streets of Chicago where she lives to gift us with a spiritual testament for our times. She calls her book An Artist Responds to Political Injustice and it is a true Testament to our troubled times. Not only her paintings and project, but her stories and telling of the process that moves her to act and paint is included. There is art theater, as when she heard on arriving at her class at the College of Dupage one Monday morning that 147 college students had been slaughtered by rebels in Kenya in the courtyard of their college on the previous Saturday. What to do about it? Together, she and her students decided to organize a “die-in,” a participatory performance. One hundred forty seven students and staff lay down in their college’s posh theater lobby, each with a number on their chest. As a drummer kept the beat, Jennifer called out each number solemnly. A Sacred ritual indeed. How to respond to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and congress’s ultimately refusing to pass any gun violence protections? Hereth painted a stained glass church window with two guns lying together in the form of a cross amidst bulls eyes and bullets and blood. The title of the painting? “My Gun is my God.” A blunt naming the idolatry that rules a big chunk of our culture. How to speak to human trafficking? Hereth painted a picture titled “Children are required to have sex 20 to 25 times a day” and paints a victim’s face along with 25 men, many of them old and out of shape, with their penises erect, lining up in a kind of “counting line” that “keeps track of the daily sexual partners this little girl has to endure, like a prisoner would keep track of the day in prison” on his prison wall. In response to the news that young girls were being sold by their fathers as suicide bombers, she pictured the suicide bomber-sold-girls on a series of baby bibs and onesies. In response to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, she created a series of artworks titled “White Lies Madder” which refers to the little “white lies” white people tell themselves to avoid the truth of continued and systemic racism in our county. One painting depicts a black man in a graduate hat in a prison uniform with this caption: “The Tales white people tell themselves so they don’t have to listen to the truth of black reality in America.” Truths such as the fact that while some young black people do graduate from college, many still go to prison. When the truth came out about the American government holding babies in cages, she responded as a mother herself: “Think how hard it is to let a stranger hold your baby”—much less take them away from you. Her response happened when she found a pile of discarded wooden painting frames and with her college students created a series of small cages. Each student spent time in the cages. “Some of the young men could barely fit inside. No one liked being caged.” They presented a performance piece of it in the lobby of the school, but college administrators were not pleased with the cages on display in a public spot and complained that they were “ugly”! Noted Jennifer, “Yes, caging humans is ugly.” They moved the cages to an art hallway further away and created a performance that was filmed by the school newspaper. It consisted of connecting the cages with wrapping paper and yellow police tape while people were in them. The caution tape was written in Spanish, “Cuidado, Caution, a warning.” One of Hereth’s most talked about and utilized pieces was a series of 88 cards called Teenage Archetype Card Deck: 88 Cards for Therapists & Teachers. The cards have been translated into Russian and utilized in inner city settings in America and around the world. Hereth lectured on them at Xian University in China and students responded by creating their own rap songs about the themes that they raise. The purpose of the cards is to evoke conversation around the pictured archetype. Adults dealing with teen-agers in therapy have employed it as a unique tool that gets young people to talk about their feelings. Among the archetypes depicted are these: Broken; Outsider; Sissy; Jock; Emo; Illusionist; Phoenix: Wise One; Sisyphus; and many more. When the card deck was published in the Ukraine, Jennifer traveled there and gave a workshop on the use of the card deck to thirty-five therapists. Teaching the cards in grade schools, high schools, colleges and to adults in many cultures, she concludes that “this is a good tie to emphasize global or universal thinking.” 88 Archetypes are that kind of thing. All profits from the sale of the cards go to the Bessie Coleman Fly Girls and Boys foundation, a Denver based non profit committed to helping minority girls and boys become airline pilots. The profession is very underrepresented when it comes to people of color and learning to fly can be very expensive. I have often maintained that there is a profound connection between art and justice and art and spirituality. Indeed, “art as meditation” has been a required course in every program I have created in my master and doctor of ministry degrees over a 45 year period beginning at Mundelein College in Chicago and then at Holy Names College in Oakland and then at my University of Creation Spirituality and the YELLAWE program for inner city teen agers in Oakland. I have also included it in numerous workshops and retreats over the years. I fully concur with Hildegard of Bingen that “there is wisdom in all creative works” and with Walter Bruggemann in his classic work on The Prophetic Imagination and with M.C. Richards in her classic work, Centering: In Pottery, Poetry and the Person. I have hired literally hundreds of artists over the years to teach art as meditation and with powerful results. Indeed, both M. C. Richards and, in full transparency Jennifer Hereth, have been part of my faculty. Whether artists teach movement as meditation or mask-making or clay or sculpting or painting or chanting or Tai Chi or massage or singing or circle dancing or any other art as meditation form, the balance and dialectic between the rational brain and the intuitive brain bring depth and insight to the students. It also prepares them to be both prophets and mystics with an alive spirituality. Many artists I have hired have thanked me for bringing their vocation in tune with their deepest values and spiritual practice. One, who taught movement as meditation, said to me one day, “this is the first time in my life that I have been able to teach and be completely truthful about my work with my students because it is the first time I am able to use the word ‘spirituality’ in my work. Few schools allow you to use that term but it is what all my art and vocation is about.” Art as meditation is indeed the “way of the prophets” and Jennifer Hereth’s life and work confirms it. I hope all ministers, teachers and therapists study her brilliant book, as An Artist Responds to Political Justice, and respond in their own way with their own imagination and their own students, parishioners or clients. One of the first things the fascist Pinochet did on becoming dictator was to fill the stadium with “enemies” he rounded up including artists and musicians. When the most famous folk singer in the country led the prisoners in the stadium with his guitar, Pinochet’s soldiers guarding the stadium took him aside and broke his ten fingers; when he could no longer play but sang anyway and the stadium with him, they proceeded to cut his tongue out as well. Then he stood up and swayed to music sung by others in the stands and the thousands stood up and swayed with him. There is a reason why fundamentalist christofascists who won a school board victory in New Hampshire a number of years ago, put out the word that as their first decree, “henceforth the word ‘imagination’ must never again be used in a public-school classroom.” Long live prophetic artists! * See Jennifer Hereth, An Artist Responds to Political Injustice (Charleston, S.C., Palmetto Publishing, 2020), pp. 36f., 56f., 48f., 39, 75-79. ~ Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox Read online here About the Author Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox holds a doctorate in spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris and has authored 35 books on spirituality and contemporary culture that have been translated into 74 languages. Fox has devoted 45 years to developing and teaching the tradition of Creation Spirituality and in doing so has reinvented forms of education and worship (called The Cosmic Mass). His work is inclusive of today’s science and world spiritual traditions and has awakened millions to the much neglected earth-based mystical tradition of the West. He has helped to rediscover Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, Thomas Aquinas. Among his books are A Way To God: Thomas Merton's Creation Spirituality Journey; Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Times; Hildegard of Bingen: A Saint for Our Times; Stations of the Cosmic Christ; Order of the Sacred Earth; The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times; and Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic – And Beyond. To encourage a passionate response to the news of climate change advancing so rapidly, Fox started Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By Hugh I just finished Bishop Spong’s book arguing for Matthew as 1st century synagogue liturgy. I found the arguments very suggestive and in some cases quite persuasive (I have never been a literalist). Accepting that the Gospel accounts of events in Jesus and the disciples’ lives are nonhistorical creations intended to reach Jews in a traditional Jewish liturgical framework, what *did* Jesus do and say that made the God’s presence in human life so clear to his followers, that it was worth teaching about in synagogues 50 years later? Are there particular nuggets from the Gospels that seem more likely to be “based on a true story? A: By Dr. Carl Krieg Dear Hugh, In many ways I feel unqualified to answer your question, which is an excellent one. Although I have read about Bishop Spong’s thoughts on Matthew I have not read the book, so on that you know much more that I do. The heart of your question pertains to the person of Jesus, what he said and what he did and how that impacted the disciples. I think it is very important to differentiate between the first disciples and the second generation converts who later joined the nascent community. What happened when Jesus met and gathered those who first followed him? What were the elements of those encounters? We really don’t know. My own guess is that they saw in him both what it meant to be a fully human being and they also experienced through him who God was. It was not that he did or said anything in particular, but who he was. He was a whole person in whom the disciples could see who they really were and could become. Because Jesus was not self-centered the divine could shine through him, and so the disciples discovered not only who they were but also who God was. [For a more detailed analysis, I refer you to my article Jesus and the Void, in progressingspirit.com.] The written gospels, all of which appear in the second half of the century, do not offer reliable first hand accounts of these “callings”. Indeed, they do not even mention the fact that there were women in the group probably equal in number to the men. It is difficult if not impossible to find those “nuggets” that would explain the power of Jesus’ person. Everyone would love to know what Jesus actually said and did. Even a scholarly gathering like the Jesus Seminar had to cast ballots on the probability of authenticity. We just don’t know. What we do know is that a small community followed him, and that despite the fact that Jesus was crucified, they were convinced that he was alive again in their midst, and that is what excited them and compelled them to tell the story. But then matters changed. As the disciples died a new generation of followers arose and the thinking and organization of the “Way” changed dramatically. The written gospels took shape in different locales with different purposes, and so also did other Christian writings of the same period. Much of that writing makes it painfully obvious that a reaction to the revolutionary impetus of Jesus and his disciples had set in. If Jesus had manifested equality of caring and sharing in the community of friends, much of the later writing rejects that vision, epitomized in the warning of 1 Timothy that slaves obey masters, women obey men, the church obey the bishops, and everyone obey the rulers. Not what Jesus had in mind. Allow me to add some speculative suspicion. It does not seem to me that any “belief” at all about Jesus was the first reaction of the disciples. They did not believe anything about Jesus. They experienced him, and that is quite different from “believing in”. My guess, contrary to common opinion, is that they did not even originally believe that he was the messiah, even though messianism was rampant. We might then ask when and why messianic conceptualization was applied to Jesus? It seems to me, and this is my speculative suspicion, that when the rich and powerful, who oppressed the poor for their own greedy benefit, saw that the Jesus movement revolution was not going away, they interjected and guided any belief that would transform the impetus for justice now to justice in the future, epitomized in a future returning messiah. I refer you here to my article Biblical Billionaires and the Taming of Jesus, Progressingspirit.com. ~ Dr. Carl Krieg Read and share online here About the Author Dr. Carl Krieg received his BA from Dartmouth College, MDiv from Union Theological Seminary in NYC and PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School. He is the author of What to Believe? the Questions of Christian Faith and The Void and the Vision. As professor and pastor, Dr. Krieg has taught innumerable classes and led many discussion groups. He lives with his wife Margaret in Norwich, VT. | | | | | | | | 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. | | | | | | | | | | | This Week's Featured Author FLASH SALE - DVD VERSION! 50% OFF YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2 USE COUPON CODE: TEACHDVD Are you searching for a way to connect children with an authentic spiritual experience that is inclusive, creative and multi-layered? A Joyful Path is truly progressive curriculum that is nature centered, joy-full, compassionate, and intelligent. This behavior over belief curriculum is non-dogmatic, inter-spiritual, and heart centered with an emphasis on the teachings of Jesus and how to follow them in today’s world. READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited Examining the Story of the Cross, Part VI: The Enigma Called Judas Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong April 14, 2011 The anti-hero of the Christian story in general and of the crucifixion story in particular is one who is known as Judas Iscariot. Scorn and ridicule have been heaped on this figure over the centuries of Christian history. Much anti-Semitism has flowed from the depiction of this character. No one anywhere names his or her child “Judas.” The name itself has become the synonym for betrayal, for being stabbed in the back. The phrase “thirty pieces of silver” is referred to in print time and time again in the context of other incidents of traitorous behavior. When Judas is depicted in Christian art he is portrayed in dark and sinister tones. Events in western Christian history from the Inquisition in the 14th century to the expulsion of the Jews from or the ghettoizing of Jews in almost every country of Europe at one time or another, to Martin Luther’s call for the burning of synagogues, to the violence and killing frenzy of the Holocaust in the 20th century are all rooted substantially in the biblical portrait of Judas and through him applied to all Jewish people. It does not escape notice that the name Judas is identical with the name Judah, by which the entire Jewish nation was called, Judas being simply a Greek spelling of that name. Given this history, what can we then say about the literal biblical character known as Judas Iscariot? Can 21st century people, employing the critical tools of biblical and historical scholarship now available to us, cast light on this figure? I think we can. The first questions we need to raise are very basic. Is Judas actually a person of history or is he a mythical character, a symbol that the original writers and hearers of the gospels would have understood, but whose meaning escaped later non-Jewish readers? To begin to answer these questions, I turn first to the record regarding this figure in the New Testament itself and see what light a critical study of those various books might say about this major character in the Jesus drama, which the gospel writers were creating forty to seventy year after the crucifixion. I begin with the earliest Christian writings that we possess the authentic epistles of Paul, all of which can be dated between 51 at the earliest and 64 at the latest. This makes them just 21 to 34 years after the crucifixion, which makes these Pauline writings the closest writing we have to the historical events surrounding the crucifixion. They are also one or two decades before the first gospel (Mark) was written and four to five decades before the last gospel (John) was completed. So our first task is to examine what Paul, the original New Testament writer, had to say about Judas Iscariot. The answer surprises many. Paul said nothing about Judas. Not a single, solitary mention of his name! Pressing deeper we ask if Paul says anything about an act of betrayal. The answer to that question is vague, since it depends on how one Greek word is translated. In I Corinthians, written in the mid-fifties (54-56) Paul says in chapter 11, “On the night that Jesus was handed over, he took bread.” Paul then proceeds to relate the story of the institution of the Christian Eucharist, known as “The Lord’s Supper.” Note three things about this single reference. First, there is no indication in his text whatsoever that Paul identified the meal with a Passover meal. This identification would come later only when the gospels were written. Second, the word used in this single text is properly translated “handed over” not “betrayed,” which means that the idea of betrayal was based on a later, harsher rendering of that word. In the Pauline text by itself here is no indication that this “handing over” constituted an overt act of betrayal. At the very least it is not as strong a word as people have assumed in Christian history Thirdly, there is no sense in this original reference to the handing over of Jesus that it was the work of one of ‘the twelve.” So the first question we face is what do these omissions mean? Could Paul simply have assumed the truth of what came to be thought of as the “traditional view” of betrayal without actually mentioning them? That would be in the category of possible but not probable! An act as painful and scandalous as betrayal at the hands of one of the twelve would be hard to ignore. If such a tradition were known could it possibly have been omitted? I do not think so ,which leads me to suggest that it was not known. Recall that Paul was a student of the law as well as an educated rabbi and a rigid observer of Jewish liturgical forms. The words “handed over” are quite passive and do not seem to imply a planned act of traitorous behavior such as that described in the gospel accounts where Judas has contact with the Temple authorities well in advance of the act and even agrees on the amount of the payment that he is to receive for his cooperation. The clinching argument for me is that Paul, just four chapters later in the same epistle, describes the resurrection appearances by saying: “He (Jesus) first appeared to Cephas (Peter) and then to the twelve.” Note “the twelve!” Judas is still present. Could the traitor still be part of the intimate band of disciples if he had brought about the death of their leader? That is to me inconceivable! So, I conclude that in the writings of Paul there is no hint that one of the twelve was the traitor, which means that the Judas story has to be a story that developed after Paul’s time and is thus not an original part of the tradition. Recall that thirty years later Matthew would say that Jesus appeared only to “the eleven.” All of these data point to the probability that betrayal at the hands of one of the twelve named Judas was not a fact of history, but an interpretive addition to a developing tradition. When Paul was forced later to defend his own apostleship, an activity that permeates his authentic writing, would it not have helped his cause to refer to the defection of one of the twelve, to bolster his apostolic claim as one whom he said “was born out of due time?” Having filed these first seeds of doubt, based on contemporary biblical insight, I now turn to the gospels and trace in them the development of the story of Judas. Lining up the gospels in the order in which they were written and focusing only on what each gospel says about Judas, we discover that between Mark, dated in the early 70’s, and John dated in the late 90’s, the figure of Judas grows more and more evil. Judas is mentioned for the first time in written history in chapter three where Mark introduces the twelve and identifies Judas as the one who betrayed him. It is of interest to note that both Luke and John tell us of another one of the twelve who is named “Judas,” but who is not Iscariot. It appears that a good Judas is also in the Christian memory in the 1st century. When Mark first describes Judas‘ traitorous act, he does so in a fairly low key fashion. In this first gospel Mark mentions no bribe and no stated motive; he does say, however that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss at midnight. Then Judas disappears from Mark’s story and is never mentioned again. Matthew, the second gospel to be written (82-85), builds on Mark’s story, but he now supplies the motive, a bribe of thirty pieces of silver. Matthew goes on to tell us that Judas repented and hurled the thirty pieces of silver back into the Temple and then went and hanged himself. The Judas story is clearly growing. Luke, writing about a decade after Matthew, explains Judas’ actions as having been done at the impulse of “the devil.” John, writing between 95-100, suggests that Judas was a thief and that he would do anything for money. John also says that when Judas left the upper room to do the dastardly deed, he walked out of light into darkness. At that moment “it was night.” says the Fourth Gospel. As the years go by Judas grows darker. Next, we take all of the biographical details found in gospels about Judas and search the Hebrew Scriptures about other traitors in Jewish history to see if we can see any literary connections. The result of this search is that every detail attributed to Judas in the gospels is present in earlier stories of traitors in the Hebrew Scriptures. First we look at the Genesis story of Joseph being “handed over” by his brothers, a band of twelve, to be sold into slavery in Egypt. The brother who decided to receive money for this deed was named Judah. I do not think that is coincidental. In the David cycle of stories in the book of II Samuel the king was called “The Lord’s Anointed,” the same word that would later be translated “messiah.” He was betrayed by a man named Ahithophel, who also broke bread with King David around the table just as Judas was portrayed as doing at the last supper in the gospel narratives. This same Ahithophel, when he recognized the consequences of his actions, was said to have hanged himself. That detail is added to the Judas story by Matthew. The idea of being betrayed with a kiss is also found in the David cycle of stories when Joab, David’s military Chief of Staff was replaced after Absalom’s rebellion by a man named Amasa, Joab sought out his successor under the guise of congratulating him. When he found him, he drew Amasa by the beard to give him the kiss of friendship only to disembowel him simultaneously with a dagger. Mark has Judas kiss Jesus in the Garden to fulfill a signal given to the Chief Priests. Luke, writing in the book of Acts, suggests that Judas died not by hanging, but by falling down and having “all his bowels gush out.” Is the literary fate of the betrayed Amasa at work here? Finally, in Zechariah 9-14, the Shepherd King of Israel is betrayed to those who are traders in the Temple for thirty pieces of silver, which was then later thrown back into the Temple, just as Matthew says Judas did with his thirty pieces of silver. A study of Hebrew sources reveals Judas as a composite of Old Testament traitors described in the Bible. Perhaps Paul did not know about the Judas story because it had not yet been developed. The Judas story grows darker as the years go by because not being history it is still being created. Every detail in the gospel portrait of Judas can be found in earlier biblical traitor stories. Is it then not possible that Judas is a literary figure, a corporate symbol developed for an interpretive purpose to serve some apologetic Christian need? I think this conclusion is both possible and probable. What purpose would such a story serve? I will turn to that question next week and seek to address it then. ~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur • Holy Day Service Online September 10th at 6:15PM (PT) A digital age, adult conversation and service about forgiveness, atonement, re-centering, remembrance, and celebration. No dogma, no creeds, nothing you need to pretend to believe in. Interactive. (If you want to interact. You can also just watch.) Service conducted almost exclusively in English. READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Global Buzz for September
by ICA International 07 Sep '21

07 Sep '21

Enjoy catching up with what is happening in ICAs across the globe.... And please click the link below for the latest issue of the Global Buzz Global Buzz Report: September 2021 or copy and paste this URL into your browser's address bar http://globalbuzz.icai-archives.org/7dayreport-21/2021-09-01.php Read the latest ICAI Winds & Waves Magazine brought to you now on Medium.com See here: https://medium.com/winds-and-waves ICAI Communications

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ICA Global Schedule of Events
by Karen Snyder 02 Sep '21

02 Sep '21

September is here with a choice of study, conversation and training. If you missed the inspiring “Miyawaki Approach to Reforestation” presentation hosted by Mary and Cyprian D’Souza, here is the link that will give you access to the recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yorr1nklVs-wac9ZRtS9gJnhnWvnzx3A/view?usp=… <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.goog…>. For SEPTEMBER, click on this link: https://icaglobalarchives.org/social-research-center-events/. <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ficaglobala…>to see three types of events: studies, significant conversation and training. There are five events posted: * two book studies, Courage To Lead- Fall Series,and Doughnut Economics - 7 ways to think like a 21st century economist * an eight week training with Common Earth; September 16th Sarah Patterson will give an introduction to this series; and * High Tea with Judy and Ellen continuing the "Dialogue on Aging". The plan is to send monthly reminders to check in and sign up for events that appeal to you. You may have noticed that the ICA USA Facebook page is beginning to announce events ten days before they occur. Please check the website for upcoming events and times during the month. Remember: YOU are invited to: Offer a presentation you are interested in giving; Recommend other people to present; Participate in any of the events and encourage your friends to attend; and Give feedback by emailing: icaglobalschedule(a)gmail.com <mailto:icaglobalschedule@gmail.com>. Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you. The Behind the Scenes Team of the 2021 ICA Global Schedule of Events Alan Gammel, Seattle, USA ~ Robyn Hutchinson, Australia ~ Virginia Kanyogonya, Toronto, Canada ~ Jan Sanders, Toronto, Canada ~ Karen Snyder, Chicago, USA ~ Sunny Walker, Denver, USA NOTE: The Global Schedule team is working with the ICAI Global Communications team, recently re-established by the ICAI General Assembly (GA) in July. This team focus includes: ICAI website, Winds and Waves, the Global Buzz, ICA/OE list serves, and specific language groups and social media. We look forward to developing the best possible user friendly ways of sharing our stories, achievements and challenges, via these platforms.

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9/02/2021, Progressing Spirit: Dr. Carl Krieg: Mystery: Beyond Understanding; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 02 Sep '21

02 Sep '21

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screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv3031022403 #yiv3031022403templateBody .yiv3031022403mcnTextContent, #yiv3031022403 #yiv3031022403templateBody .yiv3031022403mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv3031022403 #yiv3031022403templateFooter .yiv3031022403mcnTextContent, #yiv3031022403 #yiv3031022403templateFooter .yiv3031022403mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mystery: Beyond Understanding | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Dr. Carl Krieg September 2, 2021In our technological world, it may be difficult to believe that reason has its limits. Not that the accumulation of knowledge is limited or even limitable, but by definition there is that which is unknowable. Sometimes, the deeper we dig, the more profoundly aware we become that at the center of reality are dimensions that defy linear and logical analysis. Whether it be in the realm of science, quantum or cosmic, or in the realm of metaphysics, oftentimes mystery is the ultimate order of the day. Leaving science to the scientists, I would like to here consider two theological questions that defy logical analysis, one aspect of the nature of the biblical God [hereafter shortened to simply God, with a capital G] and one aspect of the nature of human beings. We are all familiar with the concept of god as a person. Such a god, male or female, exists some place in the universe and exhibits human characteristics, such as love, and perhaps anger. The deists thought that god created the universe and then retreated to somewhere to do something else. Such a god is not a god one relates to, but the image is there of one who exists as a person. So too for the god people pray to or turn to in daily devotion or non-daily disaster, sometimes asking for help, sometimes giving thanks. God is personal, loving and caring. That implies, of course, that god is involved with our lives, unlike the deist god who is absent. There is definitely an attraction to believing that god is a person with whom I can relate personally and individually. Such a god may be omnipotent or not, performing miracles and creating disasters or not, but at least a person to whom I can relate. The problem is that locating this god is difficult. The old man sitting on a throne seems a bit infantile. But where might this god be? On the other hand, one could believe that god is not a person, but rather the sum total of the universe. Not that the stuff of this world is god in a purely pantheistic sense, but that god inheres in reality and is the Ground of all that is. In distinction from deism and theism, the word panentheism is used to describe a divinity that can be personal but not a person. How that works is never really described convincingly, most likely because it can’t. Tillich tried in his “Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality” but whether he succeeded or not is debatable. The question remains: how does one attribute the concepts of love and caring to Being? Is god a person or being? If god is a person, where is this god located? Or, if god is a dimension of what is, how does one relate personally to this deity? The dilemma must resolve as dialectic, which is to say that we must say both truths, which is to say that we have moved on from linear logic to imponderable mystery. The reality of God as both person and as being transcends our ability to comprehend. That’s just how it is. The second issue pertains to human nature, and it comes in two parts. The first part pertains to how we got to be the way we are, and the second part deals with how we can escape the way we are. There are at least two approaches to these questions. St Augustine, followed by Luther and Calvin, was of the conviction that all of humanity suffered from a common disease. Taking the Yahwist story of the Garden literally, and thereby misinterpreting the meaning of the myth, Augustine concluded that all human beings had inherited from Adam and Eve original sin, a disease that was inescapable, universal, and damnable. Baptism washed the slate clean, and there was some special dispensation for those outside the influence of the Christian church who never got the opportunity to be baptized, but the problem was universal. Why we are the way we are, for Augustine, is a linear sequence. Adam was free, chose to eat the fruit, was cursed by God, and we suffer the consequences. That was not the Yahwist’s intent in writing the story, but it’s what we got. There really is no sense of mystery here. The cause of sin is logically explained. Continuing, we ask whether a person, by sheer force of will, is able to escape this original sin? As you might expect, the answers fall into two categories, yes and no, and the history of Western theology is replete with the arguments back and forth. Calvin was one who answered in the negative and brought this line of thinking to its logical conclusion: God predetermines who will receive grace and thereby escape eternal damnation. This is hardly a point of view that would challenge a person to live a more loving life, except that you never know if you are among the elect, so you better keep trying. Some escaped that uncertainty by arguing that God favored the elect with financial success, which, of course, put a knowing smirk on the face of the wealthy. On the other hand, those who argued in the affirmative, asserting that all persons do have the power to escape original sin, have a tough time explaining why the world is in such a mess. And on a personal level, we can probably all agree that all too often we do not live up to our best intentions. The problem with Augustine’s framing of the situation is that the problem is described in a linear and logical fashion, and therefore the solution to our problem is described linearly as well. The choice is either grace or free will. Setting aside the concept of original sin, there is another way to frame the question. I have written often describing how our human nature matures. [See The Void and the Vision.] Briefly, we come into the world bombarded with sensation and we must make some sense out of it. Our brain begins to organize and categorize the sensory input coming our way, building a structure of interpretation, and voila, we all create our own world. We see reality with our own special spectacles. That process seems pretty much agreed upon, but there is more. Given that we relate to other people, and given that those other people have created their own little world just as I have, we have two ways to relate. I can either assume that I am right and everyone else is at least mostly wrong, or I can realize my own narrow-minded limitations and try to learn from others, thereby slowly overcoming my self-contained world and rounding out my own perception of reality. Given those two choices, one might assume that a certain percentage of us would go one way and the remainder would go the other, all things being equal. But that is not what happens. We all choose the same outcome. We all apparently have an egocentricity problem, and by that I mean that we proceed along a personal natural process by which we are enabled to make sense out of the external reality. At some level, we all absolutize the little world we have created, unable to understand and accept that other folks perceive and think differently. And that’s the puzzle: what’s wrong with us? There is no requirement that we develop in a self-contained fashion and thereby diminish our perception, but it happens to everyone. There is no necessity that this process should be inevitable. Why this is so transcends our understanding, but there it is. Given this universality of world-creation, the next question pertains to whether or not we have the power to escape or to not absolutize one’s world? Or does one need God’s help to accomplish that? There are plenty of folks who believe that we do have the power to escape our world and overcome our self containment. My own personal answer is to say that we need God’s help, and that this help comes in those moments of self-transcendence, moments in which we are temporarily liberated from our confinement. [Again, see my book, The Void and the Vision.] But even there, as the moments come, there must be some dimension of our being that is open to receive them. And thereby mystery re-enters the situation. We need God’s help, and we must be open and accepting. Both are necessary. There is no logical explanation. That’s just the way it is. Taking this all together, in the original sin model, a linear description of the problem produces linear answers, and we are forced to choose between free will and grace. One or the other. In the brain development model, although we don’t inherit a disease, we do come into the world with a neuronal sequence that mysteriously and inevitably leads to the development of a private and self-contained worldview, escape from which involves an interaction of personal will and divine grace. Not either/or, but both/and. With respect to the two issues we have considered, divine nature and human nature, we conclude then that both are a mystery. At the most basic level, both we and God defy logical analysis, and we must rest content in that knowledge, or lack thereof. Resting content implies a certain quiet and peace, suggesting that perhaps the best way to relate to the mystery is simply to acknowledge it and be still.~ Dr. Carl Krieg Read online here About the Author Dr. Carl Krieg received his BA from Dartmouth College, MDiv from Union Theological Seminary in NYC and PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School. He is the author of What to Believe? the Questions of Christian Faith and The Void and the Vision. As professor and pastor, Dr. Krieg has taught innumerable classes and led many discussion groups. He lives with his wife Margaret in Norwich, VT. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By A Reader Do you believe in the power of prayer? A: By Rev. Deshna Shine Dear Reader,I believe in energy. I believe in the physics theory that no energy is ever lost in the universe. I believe thoughts are energy, and even more so, that words are energy. Science has discovered that all human matter and physiology are made up of energy. What I am certain of is prayer changes the person praying. Our thoughts in prayer (or anything we spend time focusing our brains on) become written into the neural connections of our brains. As Bruce Lipton, a biologist, writes, “The cells in your body react to everything that your mind says.” (1) When we pray, the frontal lobes of our brain are activated and the parietal lobes go dormant. This is the area of our brain that takes our sensory information and creates a sense of self, orienting that self in the world. When that part goes dormant, we can lose a sense of self. If we are praying and connecting with what we feel to be God, or Spirit, during that time we can feel a sense of sacred oneness, a blurring of the lines between self and other. (2) There are also many scientific studies that show words have energy and can affect living beings being spoken to. Plants exposed to kind words grow more and are healthier than ones who experience silence or negative words. A Japanese scientist and water researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto studied the effects on water from sound vibrations and specifically human emotional sound vibrations. Using high speed photography, he found that words of love and gratitude formed beautiful geometric shapes in the water crystals and that negative words on the same water in another sample destroyed the shapes and formed broken, smashed crystals. (3) Who knows if God hears our prayers… I certainly have no idea. But god within me certainly does and the life around me certainly does and for that reason prayer remains a powerful way to shift the energy both in and around us.~ Rev. Deshna Shine Read and share 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. 1 https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/FINDING-MY-RELIGION-Bruce-Lipton-cell-3… https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1043104433 https://dailytimes.com.pk/291794/the-science-behind-power-of-words/ | | | | | | | | 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! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Your support is helping expand Progressive Christianity. Read that again. I hope it makes you feel as hopeful as it makes me feel. ProgressiveChristianity.org is one of the largest sources for progressive theological perspectives as well as resources. It's hard to overstate its value (and I believed that long before I worked here!). Our social media outlets are also amazing spaces for meeting and connecting with other Progressive Christians. Every time one of you donates or makes a reoccurring donation, it expands our ability to do all those essential offerings even better. And that, gives me hope! So please, if you are able, consider making a donation or a reoccurring donation to ProgressiveChristianity.org. Every time you do, you are helping Progressive Christianity reach more people with valuable resources and, we believe, making the world a little better for all of us. Thank you! Rev. Mark Sandlin, President 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 V: Barabbas – Another Interpretive Figure Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong April 7, 2011In Mark’s original story of the Passion of Jesus, he introduces for the first time in any written Christian record the figure of Barabbas. In this story we are told two things: First, it was a Roman custom to release a prisoner at the feast of the Passover, one whose freedom the people desired. Second, the Roman authorities were holding a prisoner whose name was Barabbas, who had been part of an insurrection in which a murder had been carried out. In occupied Judah an insurrection might be an act of terror against the oppressive rule of Rome where Roman soldiers and Jews who collaborated with the Romans were regarded as targets for death. It does not have quite the same meaning that we might have in our society when a person is designated a murderer. In Mark’s narrative, nonetheless, the crowd asks to have Barabbas not Jesus released to them. When Pilate asked what then should he do with Jesus of Nazareth, the response of the crowd was “Crucify him! Crucify him! The first hint I had that this story might be something other than history came when I decided to research this supposed custom of the Romans freeing a prisoner at the Passover. I could find no reference to such a custom anywhere in either in Roman records or Jewish records. This Marcan narrative appears to be the only place where such a “custom” was mentioned. One-time customs are always a bit suspicious. Next I looked at the name ‘Barabbas.’ I am not fluent in either Hebrew or Aramaic, but I do know the meaning of many Hebrew and Aramaic words. Barabbas contains the familiar term for God – Abba. It was the name Jesus, somewhat uniquely, was said to use for God. It is a name that has an intimate, deeply personal connotation about it. So the last half of Barabbas’ name turns out to be nothing less than the word for God. Turning then to the first part of the name we discover that “bar” is also a familiar Jewish word. It means “son.” Jesus says to Peter at Caesarea Philippi, “Blessed are you Simon, bar Jonah, for flesh and blood have not revealed these things to you.” Bar-Jonah means son of Jonah. The name “Bartimaeus,” in the account of the restoring of sight to Bartimaeus, means the son of Timaeus. So the name Barabbas literally means “son of God.” So Mark was telling us in his story of the passion of Jesus that at the time of the crucifixion, there were two figures, not just one, about whom the “son of God” claim was being made, one was Jesus and the other was Barabbas, so the intrigue builds. As this passion drama played out one son of God, namely Jesus, was killed, while the other son of God, Barabbas, was set free. With this distinction now clearly worked out, my mind began to roam over the Jewish liturgical terrain against which I now was beginning to understand that the story of the crucifixion was written, and new possibilities began to open that a literal reading of these texts would never be imagined. Let me develop a few of these possibilities. Jesus was called in the early days of the Christian movement “The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” In Jewish worship tradition, two holy days required the sacrifice of an animal, normally a lamb. One was Passover where the blood of the paschal lamb was placed on the doorposts of Jewish homes in order to repel the power of death. We have already observed in this series on the passion of Jesus the way in which the Passover shaped the story of the cross. There was, however, another Jewish holy day in which another animal, again normally a lamb, was sacrificed for the sins of the people. It was called Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement, which came on the tenth day of the Jewish month of Tishri, which would place it in October in our calendar. It is that liturgical observance that I want to examine in this study. In the traditional observance of Yom Kippur, two animals are brought to the High Priest. They could be lambs or goats, but as the tradition developed it tended to be one of each. These animals in this liturgy represented what human beings yearned to be. The people felt a need to come into to God’s presence, but considered themselves unworthy to do so. So they developed a liturgical act which employed a symbol of the perfection they felt they lacked. That is why this lamb had to be physically perfect, with no scratches, scars or broken bones, and since the lamb was thought to live below the level of human freedom and could not, therefore, choose to do evil, it was also assumed to be morally perfect. So on the Day of Atonement the people came to God through the symbol of the perfect Lamb of God. As this liturgical act developed the first of these animals was taken by the High Priest and slaughtered as a sacrifice. Then armed with the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, the High Priest would enter the part of the Temple known as the Holy of Holies, where God was believed to dwell. The throne of God inside the Holy of Holies was called the Mercy Seat. The High Priest would proceed to smear the blood of this lamb onto the Mercy Seat. The understanding was that sinful people could now come into the presence of God “through the blood of the Lamb of God.” Atonement was achieved at least liturgically and estrangement was overcome. Next, the other animal, normally a goat, was brought to the High Priest. Bowing over the goat with his hands on the goat’s horns, the High Priest would begin to confess the sins of the people. The symbolism here was that all of the sins of the people came out of the people and landed on the head and back of the goat, making the goat the “sin bearer,” thus leaving the people sinless and again at one with God. Then as the bearer of the people’s sins, the goat was thought to be so evil and unworthy of continued life that the gathered worshipers pronounced curses on it and called for its death. The goat, however, was not put to death, but was set free and driven into the wilderness taking the sins of the people with it. The goat was called the “scapegoat” in the Bible because it had to pay the price and suffer the affliction due to others for their sins. So in the Yom Kippur liturgy there were two animals representing the deepest aspirations of the human race for oneness with God. One was killed and its blood placed between God and sinful human lives. One was set free, carrying with it the sins of the people. Is it possible that in Mark’s original story of the crucifixion that he wrote into his narrative quite deliberately the symbols of Yom Kippur and used them to interpret the death of Jesus? In Mark’s passion story two people called the son of God are present, Jesus of Nazareth and the fictional Barabbas. As such they matched the two animals of Yom Kippur in that one was sacrificed and the other set free. The blood of the first was said to be the means whereby sinful people could have their sins covered by passing through the blood of the lamb of God. The other animal by being set free became the sin bearer, who carried the sins of the people away. Both aspects of Yom Kippur were seen by Mark to be part of the meaning of Jesus. The story line he is following seems to suggest this. In the Yom Kippur liturgy the sin bearer was cursed by the people and they called for its death. Is this not reflected in Mark’s story when Jesus is condemned to die and is made to hear the curses of the people and the calls: “Crucify him, Crucify him! If that analysis rings true, it would be one more indication that Mark, who wrote this first version of the crucifixion in the eighth decade of the Christian era knew that he was not writing history and it never occurred to him that anyone would ever read these words literally. He was interpreting the death of Jesus under the recognized symbols of Jewish worship. Jewish people attending the synagogue would recognize what he was doing and would hear and understand his words as Mark intended them to be heard and understood. Passover clearly was used to interpret the death of Jesus while Yom Kippur provided the background to the symbolic language which the gospel writer employed. Barabbas was thus a symbol not a person. This interpretive process worked well so long as most of the Christian readers of the gospels were Jewish and were thus familiar with Jewish liturgy. By the middle of the second century of the Common Era, however, the Christian Church had become predominantly Gentile. They did not know, understand or even care to learn about the Jewish symbols of worship. When Gentiles began to read the gospels they assumed that Mark was writing literal history. Over the centuries, their literalized understandings of the story of the cross were expressed in their hymns, creeds, doctrines, art and particularly in the” Stations of the Cross.” Without a Jewish background they knew of no other way to read them. With the advent of critical biblical scholarship in the early years of the 19th century, doubts began to be raised about their literal and historical accuracy. That was when creeds and faith began to wobble. How, people wondered, does the death of Jesus free us from our sins today? Is that not the claim that literal reading Christians still try to make? Does not this assertion, however, transform God into a punishing ogre, the ultimate child abuser who kills the divine son in order to forgive our sins? Does this make logical sense? Armed with this new insight we can now look anew at all of the symbols in the crucifixion story. Was there really darkness at noon on the day of the crucifixion? Did the veil in the Temple really split from top to bottom between the holy place and the Holy of Holies when Jesus died? Did Jesus really quote from Psalm 22 from the cross? Literalizing the story destroys the meaning of every detail. If one is not able to believe these literalized symbols, the only alternative here is to give up the story altogether. So mindless fundamentalism and secular humanism become the only two possibilities. What a shallow treatment of this magnificent Jewish portrait this is. The Passion story is much more than that.~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements New Windows on The Cloud of Unknowing September 6, 2021 - October 1, 2021 In this one-month e-course, Bourgeault opens these new windows on The Cloud of Unknowing, showing how a medieval text can be profoundly relevant to our own times. READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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