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Book Review
by JB Webster 18 Jan '21

18 Jan '21

Here's my review of John Burbidge book More Than Halfway to Somewhere that I've posted five-star on the Goodreads site as well as on Facebook: Being associated with Order:Ecumenical for 30 years, Burbidge lived a rich life of adventure and service. He was a fresh traveler from his native Australia and anxious about what he was getting himself into: American culture, ghetto society and the initial existential impact of The Order's communal style struck him as a baptism of fire that “doesn't come close to describing it.” Later, as he became involved with advancing Institute community development programs around the world, he describes roller-coaster highs and life-threatening lows as well as vibrant human exchanges. As he hitchhiked Zimbabwe he had colorful conversations with a Yorkshire truck driver who welcomed him to stay a few nights with his family. Then there are hassles with Nigerian “Err-ways” and other zoo-like experiences at international airports. He describes balancing acts as he rode buses in India, Nairobi slums and much amazing and sometimes unexpected hospitality wherever he went. Strange foods such as raw crocodile. He emphasizes that travel is about people, not places and how travel is a learning experience. Overall, truly an engaging read. (Disclosure: I knew Burbidge when we were Ecclesiola colleagues [he would say “mates”] during a summer Ecumenical Institute research event.)

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Last Chapter Sign-ups
by Richard Alton 16 Jan '21

16 Jan '21

*The What:* We are piloting a workshop/seminar or series, that would allow people (no matter what age) to think seriously and intentionally about their final journey in life, their death, and make concrete decisions about their funeral/memorial service, organ or body donation, distribution of assets, obituary, burial/ cremation/ natural, etc. *The Why:* Many of us who have seen our parents or children die, are beginning to look at our own end of life decisions. In 2019 Dick Alton had a real-life health-related scare, followed by the unanticipated death of his partner of 14 years, Sally Stovall, which caused him to look death in the eyes. He discovered that one of the issues Americans in particular face, is a denial of death or anything to do with death. As an organization that has seen itself as one who brings significance to everyday life events, we are asking the question: “What could we create that would help everyone, no matter what age, to look at their own death, and make the necessary end of life decisions? *Our Ask:* The Third Cohort of the Last Chapter virtual learning community will take place on the fourth Friday from March - June 2021. May will be the third Friday to accommodate Labor Day plans. All classes will be from 9 am to 1 pm central. The Dates will be Friday, March 26th, April 23rd, May 21st and June 25th. If you would like to join this 2020 Virtual Learning Community. Please sign up here <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXUVbbZzhhnqvm-AFS9HH8lQKGCoybtkF…> or copy and paste this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXUVbbZzhhnqvm-AFS9HH8lQKGCoybtkF… 2020 Cohorts · Cohort 1: Evelyn Philbrook; Larry Philbrook; Beret Griffith; Paul Noah; Ellen Howie; Joan Knutson; Elsa Batica; Terry Bergdall; Jim Wiegel; Lynda Cock; Marilyn Oyler; Dharmalingam Vinasithamby; Dick Alton; Pam Bergdall; Seva Gandhi · Cohort 2: Ann Jaecks; Herman Green; Nancy Lanphear; Sandra Conant; Margaret Aiseayew; Catherine Welch; Judy Lindblad; Alan Gammel; Cheryl Kartes; Jan Sanders; Jann McGuire; Judith Hamje; Mary D’Souza -- Richard H. T. Alton One Earth Film Fest ( OEFF) Interfaith Green Network T: 773.344.7172 richard.alton(a)gmail.com **Save the Date! One Earth Film Festival 2021, March 5-14, 2021 * http:www.oneearthfilmfestival.org Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2 Won't you be my neighbor? -- Richard H. T. Alton One Earth Film Fest ( OEFF) Interfaith Green Network T: 773.344.7172 richard.alton(a)gmail.com **Save the Date! One Earth Film Festival 2021, March 5-14, 2021 * http:www.oneearthfilmfestival.org Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2 Won't you be my neighbor?

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A Poem in place of an angry rant!
by mellowmilan2＠gmail.com 15 Jan '21

15 Jan '21

I've been working on this poem for a week. In light of today's second impeachment of a U.S. President ever, with my feelings of having been trampled under foot by a mob of insurrectionists and my head both feeling like it is going to explode or implode, I believe poetry is my only recourse😡🤬🤯 What If . . . What if we changed our thinking? Seems to me it has been stinking— Thinking, that is! And what if we transformed our vocabulary? Maybe a little less military? Hey! I just had one, A thought, I mean—check it out! Is it odiferous? Let’s eliminate all “isms” That might mitigate current schisms, See life through myriad prisms, Instead of only black and white Or absolutes: “You’re wrong! I’m right!” Capital’s essential, you know, For entrepreneurs and commerce flow. But adding “ism” always starts a fight: Smith or Keynes, Marx or Malthus; Each an ism in its own right. Being social’s a healthy attitude, Even communal, although a platitude. But tack on that suffix, we become bellicose, We can’t see our neighbor, at least not up close. My fellow Americans, sans ism, Be a patriot, proud of our national rhythm Don’t you think it’s off track? How to ever get it back? Let’s be fans—not fanatics And honor our heroes While shunning the ones who lead us astray. No need to name them; we know by their actions: “By their fruits you shall know them.” Eliminate factions. A new thought—a new verbiage, a better way!

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My son in law sent this . . . and from Pope Francis
by James Wiegel 15 Jan '21

15 Jan '21

https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Reclaim-our-common-home Jim Wiegel The unknown is what is. And to be frightened of it is what sends everybody scurrying around chasing dreams, illusions, wars, peace, love, hate, all that. Unknown is what is. Accept that it's unknown, and it's plain sailing. John Lennon 401 North Beverly Way,Tolleson, Arizona 85353 623-363-3277 jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com

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1/14/21, Progressing Spirit: Brian McLaren: Doubt, Faith, and Why Breaking Up (with Authoritarianism) is Hard to Do; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 14 Jan '21

14 Jan '21

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p{ font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media only screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv3363853681 #yiv3363853681templateBody .yiv3363853681mcnTextContent, #yiv3363853681 #yiv3363853681templateBody .yiv3363853681mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media only screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv3363853681 #yiv3363853681templateFooter .yiv3363853681mcnTextContent, #yiv3363853681 #yiv3363853681templateFooter .yiv3363853681mcnTextContent p{ font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;} } | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Doubt, Faith and Why Breaking Up (with Authoritarianism) is Hard to Do | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Brian D. McLaren January 14, 2021 I grew up in a 6-day creation sector of Christianity. Evolution, we were taught, was a Satanic deception to make us lose our faith. It was a banana peel on the slippery slope to hell; and it led me to my first theological crisis when I was 12 years old. I’d been that kid always sneaking off into the woods - I was the tadpole hunter, the newt finder, the turtle spy, the snake discoverer, the raccoon tracker, the birdsong listener, always coming home with wet feet from tromping through a puddle or swamp. My immersion in the natural world (augmented by lots of reading at the local library) led me to find evolution compelling. So, after considerable struggle, I secretly gave my pre-teen self permission to doubt what my Christian elders taught me. I didn’t throw out Genesis, I just let it be what it obviously was (to me, anyway) - not a science textbook, but a visionary poem celebrating the goodness of all creation. The biblical literalism and corresponding distrust of science that I learned in church back in the ‘50s and ‘60s still thunders from pulpits and Christian radio today. Disbelief in evolutionary biology won’t kill you, but distrust of the science of pandemics and climate change might, and being a faithful Christian is not a vaccine. As I’ve sought to understand why so many of my fellow Christians risk harming their lives, families, churches and communities as an expression of being pro-faith and anti-science, I keep returning to the work of social psychologists like Bob Altemeyer. A growing body of research suggests that about a third of us react to anxiety, change, grievance and shame with an almost uncontrollable desire to find some individual (usually a powerful male) or group (usually led by a powerful male) who makes us feel safe. Unfortunately, this very human need for relief renders us susceptible to becoming authoritarian followers. Authoritarian leaders are clever and they know the messages that will convincingly make followers feel secure: Don’t believe the experts; believe me. It’s not your fault; it’s those guys over there who are to blame. Don’t worry; I can bring the good old days back again. I alone can fix it. I have the simple answer to your fears. Authoritarian groups spin all kinds of scary conspiracy theories to keep followers feeling safe, innocent, fearful of others, aggrieved, and importantly, under their control. As a result, it’s hard to break free, whether your brand of authoritarianism is religious or political. When it’s a powerful fusion of the two, authoritarianism has cult-like power that can undercut both Christian faith and democracy. For over 40 years, clever politicians have formed calculated alliances with authoritarian religious leaders to manipulate followers for mutual advantage. They’ve groomed millions of us to deny the evidence for evolution, climate change, an historic pandemic, and recently, the clear outcome of an election. Because I’ve lived my six decades of life in close proximity to religious authoritarians, I have this instinct about what they are about to say even before they speak, and I can still feel their power. I remember the twelve-year-old me, anxious about how much I could differ from my conservative Christian upbringing without being rejected by my church. And then I think of literally millions of conservative Christians in the same predicament today. Exiting that authoritarian superhighway requires a safe off-ramp, and there is one available. I know because I’ve taken the exit ramp that leads from a naive and controlling religion to deeper and more liberating faith and spirituality, namely, doubt. Not the reactionary, angry, swing-to-the-other-extreme kind of doubt. Not the doubt-everything-so-you-can-be-a-smug-cynic kind either. Responsible doubt - the kind of critical thinking that tests inherited or accepted beliefs and explanations and releases us from being under someone else’s control. This kind of doubt is not the enemy of true faith, it is the enemy of authoritarianism. Until they experience a disruption or intervention of some sort, many of our neighbors will remain drawn to the euphoria of authoritarian followership. They’ll keep tapping into the desired high at a rally or church service, through conspiracy theories like QAnon, and through mass and social media that reinforce their followership. They will put themselves, friends and families in danger by refusing to wear a mask, and as a sign of their faith, many will refuse a vaccine too. Some of these activated followers might even arm themselves for civil war to protect the leader to whom they have pledged their allegiance. What can the rest of us do as this process unfolds? First, we can set an example of grace, hope, kindness and mercy. If we use the rhetoric of shame, fear and grievance, these emotions will spread like a contagious virus, driving people deeper into authoritarianism for relief. Alternative social spaces of grace, hope, kindness and mercy can provide our neighbors a safe alternative to authoritarian belonging. Second, we can model freedom from the fear of doubt. We can see doubt not as the end of faith, but as a passageway to a deeper and wiser faith. We can go public with stories about how we've faced our doubts and changed our minds. We can simply testify, “I used to see it that way, but I no longer do.” The conversations that ensue can be an exit ramp out of authoritarianism. Third, we can understand how hard it is to break up with authoritarianism. It might take months or years for people we love to get out entirely. If we lack empathy and patience, we can easily scare people back into the perceived safety of authoritarian belonging. If we create safe social space for people to face and process their doubts without judgment or shame, if we let them know that doubt isn’t something to be ashamed of, if we help them see that doubt is actually a sign of honesty, curiosity and growth, then they can pass through the portal of doubt into deeper, more honest faith. So if you are able, increase your savvy about the lure and power of authoritarianism. And set an example of a better kind of faith, faith that is willing to pass through the valley of the shadow of doubt in the pursuit of truth, goodness, justice, joy and peace on the other side. ~ Brian D. McLaren Read online here About the Author Brian D. McLaren is a best-selling writer, speaker, activist and an Auburn Senior Fellow. The author of over 20 books, his brand-new release is Faith After Doubt, St. Martin’s Press (January 2021). You may also be interested in his online resources on bias and authoritarianism, available at brianmclaren.net. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By A Reader What Christian principles can help us make it through difficult times like these? A: By Toni Anne Reynolds Dear Reader, It can feel so challenging to think that a tradition can remain relevant in a time of great tumult. I personally think that the most challenging times are the moments that birth the strongest aspects of a faith tradition. Despite not being able to gather in person there are many ways to stay grounded in Christian principles and find ways of connecting during this era of social distancing. I come from a faith community that used prayer trees. This can be especially powerful during this start of the new year, with the fresh energy of resolutions and high hopes for the times to come. Group prayer is such an old way of convening. You can organize a monthly or weekly prayer time and each of the members of your community, group can commit to join in prayer for 15 minutes at the same time. I know the gospel tells a different story of the moments just after Jesus’ execution, all of the disciples huddled together in one place. But Jesus and the disciples traveled with many people, and impacted many people. I suspect, with confidence, that their community was larger than the 13 of them. Surely, they experienced moments of separation, distance and uncertainty. These are the moments to employ the practices that were strengthened when things were “good”. Depending on your Christian persuasion, the principle of community is likely strong. This is a time of searching for new ways of being in community, but surely the strength of mind is always foundational. May you have the space to use your mind to connect with those in your community. My favorite principle is communion, at least in the form of eating together. You may already be doing something like this, but having a meal together via video call, or again, at a designated time, is a great way to use the energy of this connective principle right now. I know these seem like flimsy suggestions so I’ll end with the strongest one I’ve heard so far. If you were to wrap your arms around yourself as best you can, or simply massage your own feet or forearm, the brain doesn’t know the difference between it being your hand or someone else’s. But! The brain does register the contact as pleasing and helpful for that state of enjoyment we have when we receive a hug from another person. Healing touch is bringing on a whole new meaning in these times. So, as cheesy as it sounds, hug yourself, massage your own feet and do what you can to hear the voice of people who love you. ~ 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 relies heavily on the good will of donors. We want to continue to bring you the messages of progressive Christians via our Progressing Spirit Newsletter; however, the fact is, the cost of a subscription goes towards paying our authors. We therefore rely your generosity - specifically, if you are in a position to contribute to our efforts, we would be grateful for your donation. Help keep ProgressiveChristianity.org/Progressing Spirit 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 The Origins of the New Testament, Part XXIV: Introducing Luke Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong May 27, 2010 By the time the third gospel, the one we call Luke, was written, history had moved to the last years of the 9th decade at the earliest and quite possibly to the early years of the 10th decade. The Christian movement had journeyed beyond its earlier traumas and tensions and was now concerned about making a case for its legitimacy in the Roman Empire. I date Luke between 89 and 93, though with all proposed dating there is debate on both ends. This gospel, however, does reflect Christianity’s transition out of Judaism and toward to the Gentile world. The community for which Luke’s gospel was written appears to have been made up primarily of dispersed Jews, who no longer followed their traditions in a rigid pattern and, as a consequence, are beginning to attract a rising tide of converts from the Gentile world. These Gentile proselytes, as they came to be called, had little dedication to or interest in the cultic practices of circumcision, kosher dietary rules and unfamiliar liturgical practices such as a 24-hour vigil around Shavuot or Pentecost and the eight-day celebrations of the Harvest Festival known as Sukkoth. They were not intent on discarding or losing the meaning of these holy days, but they clearly were eager to reduce their place of importance and the hold they had once had on their lives. The author of Luke is unknown, but the tradition has always identified this book with Luke the physician, who accompanied Paul and is mentioned in both Colossians 4:14 and in II Timothy 4:11. Please recall, however, that Colossians is disputed as to its being genuinely Pauline, with the weight of scholarship against it, while no New Testament scholar of significance would attribute II Timothy to the pen of Paul, so this identification is tenuous at best. What we do know about the author of the gospel of Luke, and the same person clearly wrote the book of Acts as Volume II of his gospel, is that in all probability he was born a Gentile and had been drawn first into the ethical monotheism that marked Judaism. He appears to have actually converted to Judaism and to have joined the synagogue through which he moved into Christianity. He may well have been a convert of Paul’s, at least he has clearly identified himself with Paul’s point of view and he champions it in both the gospel and the book of Acts. The internal data that point us to these conclusions are plentiful. First, there is the genealogy of Luke in chapter three, which, quite unlike the genealogy in Matthew, carries the ancestry of Jesus back not just to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, but to Adam, who would have been understood in the world view of that day as the father of the whole human race, which would include the Gentiles. Also in Luke’s genealogy it needs to be noted that while he ties Jesus to King David, he does not carry that lineage through the royal lines of the kings of the Southern Kingdom as Matthew does, but suggests that the line ran not from David to Solomon but from David to Nathan. Biblical sources tell us of no son of David named Nathan, but David had many wives so he might have had many sons whose names we do not know. Where Luke got the name Nathan or why he settled on it is hard to say, but the moral hero of the story of David and Bathsheba was a prophet named Nathan, about whom I have written before. In other places, Luke appears to borrow names from Old Testament characters if it suits the message he is trying to articulate, so the connection with Nathan, the prophet, might be a good guess. We also know that Luke was not impressed with royalty or with magi, as they both get de-emphasized in this gospel. In other notes that may give us insight into Luke’s values, we note that this is the first gospel, and thus the first place in the Bible, ever to mention the Samaritans, and Luke does so with sensitivity and inclusiveness. Only Luke, for example, tells us the parable of the “Good Samaritan.” That is just one more indication that his community has moved beyond the Jewish point of view. Later in the book of Acts (chapter two), Luke emphasizes anew the universal theme in his narrative when he suggests that when the Holy Spirit fell on the gathered Christian community. He is quite pointed in noting that Pentecost was a worldwide event in which the Spirit fell not only on the Jews but on the peoples of the world, who then proclaimed the gospel in whatever language those hearing spoke. To make sure that his readers understood this point, he named those who were present. They were: Parthians, Medes, Elamites, dwellers in Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Egypt and Rome (Acts 3:4-10). Clearly Luke envisioned a Christianity loosed from the ethnic limits of Judaism and propelled into being a universal faith. We note also that the author of this gospel makes no claim to his ever having been an eye witness, but rather mentions the research that he has done, which enabled him to produce this work. He says in his preamble that “many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of the things which are surely believed among us, even as they delivered them to us, which from the beginning were eye witnesses and servants of the word (Luke 1:1-5).” We can now be certain that Mark was one of these sources since Luke reproduces in his gospel about half of Mark. Many scholars also suggest that Luke and Matthew both had a common source made up of a collection of Jesus sayings from which they both quote frequently and almost identically. This popular hypothesis requires the existence of a now lost book to which the title Q has been attached. There are some other scholars, a minority, who dismiss the Q hypothesis and assert instead that Luke also had Matthew in front of him when he wrote and that, while he preferred Mark, he did use a number of Matthew’s additions to Mark and that is what created the similarities between Luke and Matthew that are attributed to Q. While the majority of scholars still follow the Q hypothesis, I for one have never been convinced of it. It is not important to enter that debate here; I merely state it as a way of keeping the argument open. Luke also introduces a number of things into the developing Christian story that have not to our knowledge been there before. The first one is the account of the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1). It is a fascinating story from many angles, but it is clearly not history. It reminds me of a song popular in my teenage years entitled, “Anything you can do, I can do better.” John is born to post-menopausal parents. That is a wonder, but it pales into insignificance in the light of the story of Jesus being born to a virgin. When the birth of John occurs, the neighbors gather to celebrate. When Jesus was born, however, it was not neighbors, but angels who come crashing through the midnight sky to celebrate his arrival. Clearly, when Luke wrote, there was still some tension between the followers of Jesus and the followers of John the Baptist. That is why there is such a concentrated effort in all the gospels to assert that John the Baptist, who was clearly the first of the two on the scene, knew that he was subservient to Jesus: “He must increase, I must decrease.” Luke pushes this to the extreme by having the fetus of John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth leap to salute the fetus of Jesus in the womb of Mary (1:39-45). In this narrative, Luke appears to have borrowed a story from Genesis and applied it to his narrative (see Gen. 25:12-23). In both stories, a baby leaps in the womb of its mother. In the Genesis story, it is Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, who is pregnant with twins. As these twins struggle in Rebekah’s womb, she seeks the counsel of an oracle to determine the meaning of this leaping only to learn from the oracle that the older son (Esau) would ultimately serve the younger son (Jacob). In Luke’s story the babies are not twins, but Luke does make them kin — perhaps cousins — but the meaning is the same, the older boy, John, will serve the younger boy, Jesus. The custom of taking material from familiar Old Testament sources, such as the book of Genesis to tell the Jesus story, is discernible in other places. In Luke’s narrative about the birth of John, he says that the Baptist’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, conceived him when they were both post-menopausal. That motif was clearly borrowed from the story of Abraham and Sarah, who did the same thing when Isaac was born. The names of John the Baptist’s parents were also, in all probability, plucked from Old Testament sources. Luke will portray John the Baptist not as Elijah, but as “the voice crying in the wilderness,” a phrase that comes from the book of Malachi. The immediate predecessor to the book of Malachi in the Bible was the book of Zechariah, so Luke uses that name for the father or immediate predecessor of John the Baptist. Identifying the source of the name Elizabeth for John’s mother is more difficult. There is only one other Elizabeth in the Bible and she is the wife of Aaron, the brother of Moses and the sister of Miriam. Elizabeth, written as Elisheba in Hebrew, and Miriam (written as Mary in Greek) would thus be sisters in law and thus their children would be first cousins. Only Luke implies kinship between Jesus and John and I believe that he accomplishes this by his creative use of names drawn from the story of Moses and his siblings. As we look more deeply into Luke’s unique way of telling the Jesus story, we will see again and again that Luke’s purpose is to interpret Jesus in the light of the Hebrew Scriptures not to recreate him historically. Unless we understand this clearly and thus free our minds from the shackling literalism that distorts the modern ability to study the scriptures, we will never be able to hear the powerful message of Luke. This new vision also introduces into the study of the Bible a playful kind of speculation that leads us deeper and deeper into its truth. As our consideration of Luke moves on that will become clearer and even more obvious. ~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements Good Mother Inner Child workshop In my upcoming Good Mother workshop, I’ll be sharing my secrets about how to internalize a Good Mother and why it is so crucial for your emotional health and well-being. Saturday, January 16, 2021 - Online from 10-4pm Pacific Time With storytelling & practical tools to internalize your Good Mother & heal your Inner Child. Price: $150 REGISTER HERE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Wonderful news from Georgeia today
by Herman Greene 13 Jan '21

13 Jan '21

God answers prayer, right? -- __________________________________________________ Herman F. Greene 2516 Winningham Road Chapel Hill, NC 27516 919-942-4358 (ph & fax) hfgreenenc(a)gmail.com

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grief and the New Year
by W. J. 09 Jan '21

09 Jan '21

Good morning from the Left Coast.When Twitter permanently removed Donald Trump's account yesterday, I became aware that what we are experiencing is a sudden, precipitous 'political death.'What I think we're all experiencing, to some degree, is the 'layering' of many forms of personal and corporate grief. Simultaneously. So that focusing on one layer can obscure the others.So, rather than expound on grief like a theological expert, I'm just offering an outline of my thoughts, so that each of us can build upon them or change them in true 'corporate mind' fashion.I'm sure that Jack will be up for this, and maybe many more!Here goes. 'Happy' New Year!Marshall Grief and the New Year being the sensitive and responsive part of society (HRNiebuhr) awareness that we participate in the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross) political grief – sudden loss of a hero/saint: assassination, dethronement, impeachment (Humpty Dumpty effect) social grief – loss of our ability to be physically together in community and denial of our desire for others (Covid-19 pandemic) economic grief – loss of job, career, means of sustenance, economic fabric (the Great Depression) personal/familial grief – loss an intimate relationship due to death, divorce, miscarriage, or estrangement grief over our awareness of our mortality, anticipatory grief, mass extinction events grief is a natural social process holding on and letting go grief and transformation individual grief and corporate grief denial of the grief process, inability to grieve, ‘rebound’ relationships

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Accessing Global Archives of ICA/EI
by Karen Snyder 08 Jan '21

08 Jan '21

Earlier this week Herman Greene was looking for the Knox paper from the New Testament course of the Global Academy. That paper is now available on the Global Archives website. For those wishing to access such a file, here are steps that should make finding information easy: Go to the archives website: https://icaglobalarchives.org <https://icaglobalarchives.org/>. On this ‘landing page’ (opening page), you see above the ‘Welcome' in the black box are five categories. To the right of the “Publications” category is a magnifying glass symbol to SEARCH for files you are interested in. Click on Search and a black box appears above it. In the black box on the far left is the word ‘Search’. Type identifying word(s) related to the file you are looking for on top of the word ’Search'. For example typing ‘Knox’ in the box reveals “Religious Curriculum”. Clicking on “Read More" takes you to all the Academy Religious Studies courses. Scrolling down is “RSIIB New Testament”with boxes for each session. Clicking on Session I Biblical Method, reveals the Knox paper. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please contact me, and I will do my best to help you. Karen Snyder 312.758.2551 karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com

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In memory of Nan Grow -- please join us on January 9
by Marsha Hahn 08 Jan '21

08 Jan '21

Rebecca Grow has asked me to forward this invitation to a memorial for Nan Grow: We invite you to join us in an online gathering to honor the lifeof Nan Grow on Saturday, January 9, at 2:00 p.m. US Eastern Time. We wish we could be with you inperson, but, given the continuing need for social distancing during thepandemic, we will meet via Zoom Webinar. We are inviting several people whohave known Nan at different times in her life to tell stories and sharerecollections of Nan. The event will include poetry, prayer, and we will evenhear from Nan in a video clip. If you would like to attend, please click this link to register: https://bit.ly/nangrow The process is quick. In your confirmation, you will receive alink that you would use to join us for the event. Close to January 9th, wewill send reminder emails. These emails will include links to access the event and to obtain the program sothat you may follow along. If you do not already have Zoom downloaded on your computer ordevice, you will need to do so prior to the service. You can download itfor free. We hope you can help us memorialize Nan’s amazing life. Many thanks, Bill, Brad, Ian, and Rebecca Grow P.S. Please feel free to forward this message to others whomight be interested.

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Re: [Oe List ...] Today’s Disgusting Display
by W. J. 07 Jan '21

07 Jan '21

With apologies to Clement Moore (and Santa Claus): And sticking his [middle] finger in front of his nose, he entered his 'copter; to heaven he rose.He was heard to exclaim as he flew out of sight: "I'll be running again; but till then, a good night." --Marshall On Thursday, January 7, 2021, 08:26:42 AM PST, Catherine Welch via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: #yiv5340240524 #yiv5340240524 -- _filtered {} _filtered {}#yiv5340240524 #yiv5340240524 p.yiv5340240524MsoNormal, #yiv5340240524 li.yiv5340240524MsoNormal, #yiv5340240524 div.yiv5340240524MsoNormal {margin:0in;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:sans-serif;}#yiv5340240524 a:link, #yiv5340240524 span.yiv5340240524MsoHyperlink {color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5340240524 .yiv5340240524MsoChpDefault {} _filtered {}#yiv5340240524 div.yiv5340240524WordSection1 {}#yiv5340240524 What a great way to de-escalate from the dismay of yesterday! Thanks! Catherine Welch, Denver Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: John C via OE Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2021 3:29 AM To: Order Ecumenical Community Cc: John C Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Today’s Disgusting Display Thanks, Milan! Give Thanks for the New Year! John Cock On 1/6/21, 8:36 PM, "OE on behalf of Milan Hamilton via OE" <oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net on behalf of oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: With (no) apologies to Ogden Nash for the many poems I have written based on his ‘Adventures of Isabelle’—my many ‘Adventures of Obama’ and my first ‘Adventures of Joe Biden’—I could not constrain myself today, watching the disgusting and wrenching display in our nations capital— so here is my response: The Adventures of Joe Biden Joe Biden spoke to an unruly mob Who shut down the Congress while doing its job Of confirming the election of two thousand-twenty As Trump’s minions bleated their protests a-plenty Our make-believe President, Rudy and Don by his side Encouraged his minions to stand by his lies And march down Pennsylvania, the street not the state Where surely their welcome could prove his estate As President-for-life and all would end well But his fans, or fanatics, continued to swell Their over-sized hopes for a coup of their foes Breaking windows they entered and chaos they chose But Joe Biden said calmly to them and their hero Stand down and respect institutions we cherish If we don’t stick together we surely will perish Your hero’s revealed for the con man he is You were promised a future—well here it is! I’ll be your President—that’s one thing that’s written It’s called the Constitution and it says I’ll be sittin’ FOR FOUR MORE YEARS! Milan Hamilton 01 06 21 Sent from my iPhone _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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