- OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

Back issue: 10/24/19: Jessica Shine: Why The Church Must Die - Part 1; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 06 Nov '19

06 Nov '19

Back issue: 10/24/19 #yiv7615541282 p{ margin:10px 0;padding:0;} #yiv7615541282 table{ border-collapse:collapse;} #yiv7615541282 h1, #yiv7615541282 h2, #yiv7615541282 h3, #yiv7615541282 h4, #yiv7615541282 h5, #yiv7615541282 h6{ display:block;margin:0;padding:0;} #yiv7615541282 img, #yiv7615541282 a img{ border:0;height:auto;outline:none;text-decoration:none;} #yiv7615541282 body, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282bodyTable, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282bodyCell{ min-height:100%;margin:0;padding:0;width:100%;} #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnPreviewText{ display:none !important;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282outlook a{ padding:0;} #yiv7615541282 img{ } #yiv7615541282 table{ } #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282ReadMsgBody{ width:100%;} #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282ExternalClass{ width:100%;} #yiv7615541282 p, #yiv7615541282 a, #yiv7615541282 li, #yiv7615541282 td, #yiv7615541282 blockquote{ } #yiv7615541282 a .filtered99999 , #yiv7615541282 a .filtered99999 { color:inherit;cursor:default;text-decoration:none;} #yiv7615541282 p, #yiv7615541282 a, #yiv7615541282 li, #yiv7615541282 td, #yiv7615541282 body, #yiv7615541282 table, #yiv7615541282 blockquote{ } #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282ExternalClass, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282ExternalClass p, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282ExternalClass td, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282ExternalClass div, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282ExternalClass span, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282ExternalClass font{ line-height:100%;} #yiv7615541282 a .filtered99999 { color:inherit !important;text-decoration:none !important;font-size:inherit !important;font-family:inherit !important;font-weight:inherit !important;line-height:inherit !important;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282bodyCell{ padding:10px;} #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282templateContainer{ max-width:600px !important;border:5px solid #363232;} #yiv7615541282 a.yiv7615541282mcnButton{ display:block;} #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImage, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnRetinaImage{ vertical-align:bottom;} #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent{ } #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent img{ height:auto !important;} #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnDividerBlock{ table-layout:fixed !important;} #yiv7615541282 body, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282bodyTable{ } #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282bodyCell{ border-top:0;} #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282templateContainer{ border:5px solid #363232;} #yiv7615541282 h1{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:26px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;} #yiv7615541282 h2{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:22px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;} #yiv7615541282 h3{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;} #yiv7615541282 h4{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templatePreheader{ background-color:#FAFAFA;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:9px;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templatePreheader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templatePreheader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ color:#656565;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templatePreheader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent a, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templatePreheader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p a{ color:#656565;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateHeader{ background-color:#FFFFFF;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:0;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateHeader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateHeader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateHeader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent a, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateHeader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p a{ color:#007C89;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateBody{ background-color:#FFFFFF;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:2px solid #EAEAEA;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:9px;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateBody .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateBody .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateBody .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent a, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateBody .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p a{ color:#007C89;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateFooter{ background-color:#FAFAFA;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:9px;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateFooter .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateFooter .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ color:#656565;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:150%;text-align:center;} #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateFooter .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent a, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateFooter .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p a{ color:#656565;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;} @media screen and (min-width:768px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282templateContainer{ width:600px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 body, #yiv7615541282 table, #yiv7615541282 td, #yiv7615541282 p, #yiv7615541282 a, #yiv7615541282 li, #yiv7615541282 blockquote{ } }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 body{ width:100% !important;min-width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282bodyCell{ padding-top:10px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnRetinaImage{ max-width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImage{ width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCartContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionTopContent, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnRecContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionBottomContent, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnTextContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnBoxedTextContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageGroupContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionLeftTextContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionRightTextContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionLeftImageContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionRightImageContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageCardLeftTextContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageCardRightTextContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageCardLeftImageContentContainer, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageCardRightImageContentContainer{ max-width:100% !important;width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnBoxedTextContentContainer{ min-width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageGroupContent{ padding:9px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionLeftContentOuter .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionRightContentOuter .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent{ padding-top:9px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageCardTopImageContent, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionBottomContent:last-child .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionBottomImageContent, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionBlockInner .yiv7615541282mcnCaptionTopContent:last-child .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent{ padding-top:18px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageCardBottomImageContent{ padding-bottom:9px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageGroupBlockInner{ padding-top:0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageGroupBlockOuter{ padding-top:9px !important;padding-bottom:9px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnBoxedTextContentColumn{ padding-right:18px !important;padding-left:18px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageCardLeftImageContent, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnImageCardRightImageContent{ padding-right:18px !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-left:18px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcpreview-image-uploader{ display:none !important;width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 h1{ font-size:22px !important;line-height:125% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 h2{ font-size:20px !important;line-height:125% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 h3{ font-size:18px !important;line-height:125% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 h4{ font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 .yiv7615541282mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templatePreheader{ display:block !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templatePreheader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templatePreheader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateHeader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateHeader .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateBody .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateBody .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateFooter .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent, #yiv7615541282 #yiv7615541282templateFooter .yiv7615541282mcnTextContent p{ font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;} } Churchianity Specifically. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Why The Church Must Die - Part 1 | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Rev. Jessica Shine October 24, 2019 The church isn’t just dying. In many parts of the United States, it is already dead. At least, its impact is. The pews are still warm, the offering plates clanking with coins, and the bodies are present. However the church itself is wasting away and has become irrelevant. It has become a hall to rent or a historic building. And that must die. The Church must die. Churchianity[1] specifically. The elevatin g of an organization or institution, and its importance over that of Jesus, is what I mean by churchianity. Often in America, the words church and churchianity are virtually interchangeable. And this gospel of its death is really good news. I know, I know, ‘but my denomination is part of the fastest growing evangelical groups.’ ‘America is Laodicea (an oft misquoted reference to Revelation 3), when will we wake up!’ ‘But the church is growing outside of North America.’ And yet, since 1990 The Pew Research Center reports that Americans have dropped from 92% to 70% reporting they believe in God. Not a Christian God only, as this statistic includes Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other faith groups. “The recent decrease in religious beliefs and behaviors is largely attributable to the “nones” – the growing minority of Americans, particularly in the Millennial generation, who say they do not belong to any organized faith.”[2] Often considering themselves spiritual but not religious because Churchianity doesn’t align with a current understanding of social issues, including homosexuality. The church in North America is following suit behind its predecessors in Europe, where the demise of the mainline institution was exacerbated by its lack of relevance and over emphasis on a constructed building rather than human presence. In other words, crusades ended and life kept moving and nobody missed the church. Too often it seems the church is creating another crusade to prove its relevance, only distancing those who really want to know more about Jesus and encounter the Teacher. Before you roll your eyes, understand I love the Church and what she has given me: rich experiences of building community, fellowship in other countries, a deeper understanding of scripture, the challenges (and blessings) of building community in suburbia as a woman of color, the collegiality of (a few) brothers (and more sisters) in ministry who are able to show mutual support. And yet, I could write a third testament on what Jesus never actually said, but Churchianity has made a dividing line or test of fellowship. For example: - Jesus never intended to start an institution or another religion apart from Judaism. Spoiler alert: Jesus was a brown Jewish person from north east Africa. (Feel free to argue, but there is no ‘middle east’ state, country, or continent. That label is for oppressive religious, political and economic purposes). - Jesus never intended to compete with other mystical viewpoints of the Divine. I.e. Jesus’ primary audience was his Jewish communities and occasionally their immediate captors (the Roman empire), not Buddhists, not Hindus, not that weird church down the street you keep getting postcards from. - Jesus really is the point, not churchianity. In the gospels and the scriptures that follow, Jesus invited his community to two simple practices. These were echoes from the Tanakh (Jewish scriptures most Christians, including progressives, harmfully label as the old testament). The two pillars of Jesus' community were gathering together for meals and the sharing of resources (communion), and baptism (regular ritual cleansing). - The Church is not a building or an institution. It’s people and we’re messy. Churchianity must die because it is a tool of the modern supremacist empire crafted by political powers who want a system to control rather than commune. It is ancient, but emigrated along with Christianity to this continent under the guise of fallacies like manifest destiny. Churchianity emphasizes things Jesus never said (or did). Churchianity has bought into the empire ideology that bigger is better, and that we must have more in order to prove our relevance or importance. I recently saw a billboard advertising a ‘christian’ event that included the word ‘conquer’ in the title. Paul and Jesus had plenty to say about ‘conquering’ ourself and our ego, yet the church has taken these and other teachings and created a mandate for us to ‘fix’ each other, or make each other into an image of godliness the church says is sacred. Stuff Jesus never said. And yet…. We need connection with each other. We need to sit across from each other at meal time, to laugh together, walk together, talk together. Jesus knew this and surrounded himself with people who would never willingly choose to eat together, even with someone like him. Jesus often honored and challenged the community that raised him. Honoring his mother’s request for wine at a wedding party or inviting himself to dinner with a tax collecting traitor. Jesus inserted himself into uncomfortable spaces because he understood the value of communing together. And yet, we face a loneliness epidemic in North America that includes a stark disconnection to the communal spirituality of our ancestors. In fact, most Americans aren’t even conscious of how their ancestors viewed the Divine. Friendship expert, Shasta Nelson says, “We know more people in history, and yet we feel like we have no one to confide in… modern day loneliness is not because we need to interact more, it’s because we need more intimacy. Frientimacy is a relationship where both people feel seen in a safe and satisfying way[3].” Unfortunately, Churchianity defines how we see each other, and horrifically also defines how we navigate friendship. And yet, according to Nelson, the single greatest factor for life expectancy is meaningful relationship. Not diet, exercise, or social issues like smoking or drinking. Let that sink in. Jesus commanded his followers to love radically, yet Churchianity insists we must modify our behavior before we can have community. The church has lost its relevance as community and within community, and so it will die. We need connection with the Divine. Beyond the science that proves meditative and prayerful practices actually help our healing, we inherently have an openness to God, Wonder, Awe (the Divine who has many names or no name). Writers of Progressive Christian children’s curriculum know this and often invite more of that curiosity forward to help kids become learners, rather than receptacles of pre-decided information. We are born with an inherent awareness and desire for communion with God, yet so little of our daily routine fosters that. Within the church, connection to the Divine can feel even more narrow and difficult. Stuff Jesus never said or did in his own life has been used to keep us within the confines of Churchianity and out of the realm of communion. In the tradition I came from, I was inspired by nature based awareness and practices of pioneers like John Harvey Kellogg, who founded sanitariums (and invented modern breakfast cereal). Kellogg and others wrote about the benefits of fresh air, exercise, moderation. Spiritual teachers embraced this ancient wisdom in a time when our air was being poisoned by gun powder and factory exhaust. The founder of the denomination that ordained me often advocated for fresh, whole foods, adequate sleep, and avoiding extremes. Our modern American society hasn’t been built by people who want to make us happy or holy. It’s been built and is still maintained by people who want to produce more faster, and who have taught us that our worth depends on what we produce. Unfortunately, like many dying corporations, the church baptized itself in a meritocracy mindset. And now, we are reaping the consequences of those ‘founding fathers’ as well as the Jesus movement (birth of modern evangelicalism) and the Jesus seminar alike. This is something I’ll be unpacking in an upcoming article, please keep reading. And yet, the Jesus of the gospels stands in stark contrast to production (and deconstruction) as a means to a fulfilled life. For example, in the book attributed to Matthew, Jesus goes to the desert after a show stopping baptism, complete with descending dove and heavenly proclamation. Instead of engaging cheering crowds he retreats. What?!? Then, when he returns to civilization, Jesus turns down an invitation to power and instead spends time with the homeless, prostitutes, and is accused of being drunk. Imagine what would happen in your city if Christians did what Jesus did? He loves his small community, this band of misfits and mismatched beings. Then the strangest twist… HE DIES. Jesus doesn’t ascend the lectern and deliver a speech to the religious leaders motivating them for the next general assembly or offer a vision of evangelism for the next 10 decades. He dies. And he makes sure his community knows how much he loves them. He offers them bread, wine, and his body. Jesus makes sure his mother has community, that his brother has community[4]. In how he dies and in how he lives, Jesus honors the deep need we all have for communion with each other and with God. And when Jesus is resurrected , he STILL doesn’t establish himself on a throne or political banner (I don’t actually care if you believe the resurrection part because it’s not important to my point or the point of the story). Instead, Jesus does weird stuff like sneaking up on two of his friends walking and grieving, but he hides his identity[5]! He hides who he is and asks them questions so he can be with them in their grief. He invites them to be vulnerable, and in their vulnerability to invite community. Then he shows up while his community is actually doing what he modeled for them and gives one mandate: peace[6]. ‘Do all of what you have seen and experienced , and trust that the same spirit that empowered me is empowering you.’ Jesus says this to a room of mixed races, religions, and sexes. To a room of people without theological training or certificates, or linguistic and exegetical prowess. These are the people (not plutocracy) to whom Jesus entrusts the ‘good news.’ People who have serious doubts about each other, and will argue with each other, and may even despise each other. And when one of them can’t believe it because he wasn’t actually there, Jesus shows up again and offers peace! What would happen if the church offered peace in the midst of doubt? If those who profess to follow Jesus shared a greeting of peace with those in turmoil? Most of us don’t actually need answers in our doubt, we need communion. To know we are not alone. And yet, the Church in North America is dying. And the good news is that it must die. Churchianity must die because it isn’t the way of Jesus. In many ways the church has usurped the place of Jesus in importance. A building, an institution, and a theology have taken the focus rather than the way of peace. In an effort to make things cleaner, decisions easier, and more streamlined, the wrestling and messiness has been replaced by committees and mandates. In some ways, that has been helpful. However, it has also prioritized uniformity over unity, and created competition amongst denominations rather than communal compassion for a mutual mission: to further the peace the Teacher offered. In doing so, the church has also marginalized those varied people that Jesus brought together and trampled on the peace that was tantamount to those communal gatherings. So here’s the really hard part (if you’re still reading this ). For those of us who do love the church, where does that leave us? Not just the idea of church, but also the people. As ministers, we must help midwife a transition. In North America, this means owning the complacency and complicit behavior of the church, which, through the guise of evangelism, enslaves people of color and indigenous people to white Anglo-Saxon language and culture, and robs them of their legitimate heritage[7]. By leading our congregations to do this difficult work, first internally, then as a community , we can help midwife this transition of death. We must own the white-washing of Jesus that we inherited from Romanism, Europeans, and those early pioneers who weaponized it against Native Indigenous people. We must midwife the church to die a good death by living differently in our world. Not just driving less, or driving a different car, but by detaching ourselves from a narcissist capitalist system that keeps us in debt and addicted to what we do not need to be happy. Rather than industrializing the church, we as clergy, must help make the church smaller and more relevant. We must be willing to return to our prophetic calling of living in commune with each other and the Divine, as Jesus did. We must be willing to live as Jesus lived, and die as Jesus died, not as a martyr but as a person opposed to a system of oppression who offers themselves up fully. The church and Churchianity must die. And thank God, it is, so that what can be reborn, or resurrected, is a new Community. Messy, meaningful, community. I believe when the churchianity of North America dies, or implodes, it will make way for small organic, messy communities to gather like they did after Jesus death. Much like Jesus gathered to himself. Much like they have in villages and tribes for centuries. In homes, in coffee shops, and in nature we will gather because we are yearning to connect with each other and with the Divine. We will share each other’s joys and burdens, without need for an employed minister or an institutional affiliation. Egalitarian community was the vision of Jesus and is rising up now in our midst through Black Lives Matter and occupy movements. This uprising is among the greatest fears of the empire of Churchianity. The late prophet, Rachel Held Evans wrote, “Death is something empires worry about, not something gardeners worry about. It’s certainly not something resurrection people worry about.[8]” Death is part of the life cycle, yet so many christians are in denial about the church’s impending death, and even fewer want to believe that it must die. I was too, until I realized that there was no room for me in the Church. Not for my whole self. What hurt even more was realizing that there isn’t room in the church for the people Jesus called community. Which meant there probably isn’t much room for Jesus. I wonder how the Gardener will lovingly tend and prune those thorny branches that seem bent on destroying the vine and roots. Perhaps when the church dies, then we will return to our Communal roots as an ecological partner and child of this planet, along with our relatives the trees, and winged, and swimming beings. Maybe then we will be true students of creation ever growing in community. Communing with each other and with God. ~ Rev. Jessica Shine Read online here About the Author Reverend Jessica Shine earned degrees in theology and divinity, but still hasn’t figured out how to walk on water. Despite this, she was ordained to ministry by the Seventh-day Adventist church and continues offering spiritual care as a clergy member of The CHI Interfaith Community (based in Berkeley, CA). With two decades of experience serving church communities, police officers, hospital staff, and teenagers, Shine has a passion for people and a skill for communicating in transformative ways. Her spirituality began in childhood, was influenced by Jimmy Swaggart and Mother Theresa, and continues in the Pacific Northwest where she resides on Kalapuya land. [1] I first heard this term from The Rev Deshna Charron, who graciously cited The Rev Dr Megan Wagner, PhD. Perhaps there are others who have also identified this term. [2] US Public Becoming Less Religious, Article, Web:https://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/ [3] Nelson, Shasta Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness. Seal Press, 2016. Print. [4] John 19:25-27 [5] Luke 24:13-35 [6] John 20:19-29 [7] Deep Gratitude to my friend and teacher, Patricia St. Onge, and her offerings. Here is a helpful beginning guide for congregations:https://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/make-it-right/indigenous-r… [8] Evans, Rachel Held. Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church. Nelson Books, 2015. Print. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By Susan I am changing from beliefs I was taught all my young life as the daughter of a minister with Southern Baptist Church. Though I do think my Dad wanted to “step outside of the box” of traditional beliefs. Ever since being “missionaries “ to West Africa back in 80’s and 90’s and I returned back to US I haven’t been the same as far as my “traditional beliefs” go. I didn’t fit into any Baptist Church anymore. I have wrestled with this for 20 years. Didn’t think I could talk to anyone I knew fearing I would lose their friendship. I read most of Dr Spong’s book “Unbelievable “ and realized I identified with most of his thoughts and beliefs. But still how can I be honest and share what I believe with the people I grew up with? Don’t think they will speak to me again. And some are my family members. How do I share my new beliefs when discussions come up? A: By Toni Reynolds Dear Susan, What a delicate and powerful question. I can empathize with you in some ways. My parents were raised Southern Baptist and I have found myself struggling with the same question as I continue to find myself more settled in a set of traditions that often feel like 180 degrees and half a plant away from Christianity. I have noticed in myself that I had to get clear about my motivation to share my beliefs with my family, and with others in general. I had to decide if I was more interested in being right, or being understood. Or, if I was more interested in changing their minds, to help them “evolve” like me, or, if I just truly longed to speak with them about a piece of my spiritual life that was enlivened for me at that time. That clarity of intention matters greatly. People know when we’re engaging with them for ulterior motives, such as changing them or judging them. For matters like this, where it can feel like relationships are at stake, it is so important to move with certainty about why you’re sharing such a deeply intimate piece of information. In my own experience, when I offer my new thoughts as less of my own and more as other ideas that exist in the world, things have gone more smoothly. If I enter a conversation and take the posture of “I know this better” or some such, it has not gone well. This seems basic, but it’s a subtlety that changes the tone of a meaningful conversation. Know why you want to say what you want to say. Another aspect that has mattered greatly for me is adjusting what I expect of my family. I wouldn’t go to Dunkin Donuts and expect to order a Big Mac. As we grow and change we have to continuously check in about what we need and where we’re able to get it. If talking theology and spirituality enlivens you, and you don’t feel safe sharing those truths about yourself with your family, it may help to find some place to share your spiritual truths. If that’s the case, it will be important to properly mourn what it means that you’re family can no longer offer that for you. It need not mean that you disengage with them, but that you become more careful with yourself about how and what you share with them. We’re all on different journeys. Even that truth can be difficult to say in certain company. Still, when I can remind myself that everyone has the freedom to journey as they see fit, it helps me respect that mine may not be so well understood by others. So, when I find myself in conversations like the one you have in mind, I imagine finding a way to be “the curious one” in the conversation. Instead of answering their questions about what I believe, I often try and hear more from them about why they think and feel what they do. Are there things they believe that cause them to feel they’d be outcast if they said them out loud? Have they ever experienced something unexplainable? Something that doesn’t quite fit the traditional understanding of what’s possible or “allowed” by their faith tradition. Underneath the scripts and narratives they’ve memorized, are their differing thoughts, experiences that cause them to question. By centering my family in those conversations I have found that they share more similar feelings to me than I expected. And, I can leave the conversation with a better sense of the boundaries, what else actually can be talked about. A latent effect of this centering of their perspective every once in a while is that they have learned quite a bit about me, without my need to say anything specific. They have gathered enough information about my growth from my questions. Every once in a while they even surprise me with an intuitive read of where I’m located on a certain issue. It seems that we’re always learning about one another, even if it’s not explicit in a conversation. Susan, another challenging reality may be that you aren’t able to share your beliefs with your family. That may be a territory that you explore with a different set of select people in your life, people who “get you” in a way that your family used to. It may be that you only suspend this type of sharing with family for a short while. Change is happening all the time, they may be the next person you know to read Unbelievable and want to talk to you about it. Until then, ask yourself some questions about how you can feel like yourself without exposing so much of yourself that you lose precious relationships. Every relationship goes through seasons, and has its own set of expiration dates and limitations. It is possible, and normal, for this to happen between you and your family. I hope this was helpful in the midst of an uncomfortable aspect of human growth. I wish for you to find a way forward with your family that doesn’t jeopardize your emotional safety or integrity. There is definitely a way forward, I trust it will emerge smoothly ~ Toni 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. | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited The Universe, the Star of Bethlehem and Professor Alex Filippenko Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong April 30,2008 Whether I am on the lecture circuit, where I spend most of my time, or in my home a normal day for me starts about 6:00 a.m., when I go either to the hotel’s “fitness room” or to the first floor of our home to spend an hour or more on a treadmill. It would no longer be accurate to describe what I do there as “running” since, except for my warm up and cool down periods, I average a pace of somewhere between four and five miles per hour. My minimum goal each day is four miles and I rarely go beyond five. My other ambition is to burn over 700 calories each morning. Together my wife and I put over 2500 miles a year on a treadmill. I am confident that I would not keep up this long standing routine were it not for a second factor. While working on that treadmill, I am listening to books or lectures that come to me via tapes and CDs, or viewing and listening to university courses via DVDs. Reading books on tape has been a passion of mine since 1976, when I became aware existentially that the life of a bishop required an inordinate amount of time in an automobile. That was when I discovered that I could rent books on tape from a company in Long Beach, California, or get them free from my public library. The process transformed driving from drudgery into sheer pleasure. In those years I “read” on tape an average of 80 books a year. I am not a devotee of fiction, though I did read the complete works of Charles Dickens on tape about 20 years ago. My tastes rather run to history, biography, philosophy, science and studies in the fields of art and music. I like to read the classics that everyone knows about, but few have read in their entirety. I think of Charles Darwin’s “Notes from the Voyage of the Beagle” and his On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection. I have also read the multi-volumes series such as The Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant and The Second World War by Winston Churchill. Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire was another reading adventure. When I retired in 2000 my time in the car diminished so I transferred my passion for learning through recorded books to a treadmill, to long walks that I take with my wife and even to my hobby of cooking. To bake a strawberry-rhubarb pie while listening to a book being read on tape is a double source of joy. I carry a tape player with me like a piece of clothing. About a decade ago, I discovered through my public library something called The Teaching Company. This company searches out the best professors in America at universities and colleges, large and small, and contracts with them to put their courses on tape, CDs or DVDs, so that people like me can sit at the feet of the best teachers in this land, in effect returning to the university classroom. In this series I have taken such courses as the “Religions of the World” with Diana Eck of Harvard; the history of music, the history of opera, a course on the symphonies of Beethoven, the works of Mozart and the operas of Verdi all with Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, perhaps the finest teacher to whom I have ever listened; the “Great Artists of the Italian Renaissance,” taught by William Kloss of the Smithsonian Institution; “Shaping Philosophers of Western Civilization,” a course that began with Plato and Aristotle and journeyed through Augustine and Aquinas, before winding up with John Locke, David Hume, Benedict Spinoza, Emmanuel Kant, Rene Descartes, Blaise Paschal and many others, taught by Alan Kors of Princeton of the University of Pennsylvania. All have been thrilling breakthroughs for me in both acquiring knowledge and gaining insight. It is this learning experience that keeps me dedicated to the routine of daily exercise on my treadmill or in the hotel. I just recently completed the lectures, I think there were 48 in this series, entitled “Understanding the Universe,” taught by Professor Alex Filippenko of the University of California at Berkeley. Seldom have I experienced a more expansive vision of the size and majesty of the universe and of our place within it. Professor Filippenko is relatively young, obviously brilliant and clearly in love with his subject. He travels the world to view full eclipses. He follows every space probe, from the moon landing to the unnamed spacecraft that took pictures of Jupiter, with the glee of a schoolboy eating a banana split. He relates the debates among astronomers over such topics as whether Pluto should be called a planet or not with the same passion that marks the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry in baseball. He uses models to illustrate the relationships between various heavenly bodies. He explains why the consensus among astronomers is that the moon was created early in the earth’s history by a collision with the earth of a giant heavenly body about the size of Mars. This collision sent a massive chunk of the earth’s material into orbit around this planet, first as debris, but over an expanse of time, this debris formed itself into a heavenly body called the moon. Read On... | | | | | | | | Announcements Aquinas @ Orvieto with Matthew Fox Deepen your own spiritual journey as mystic and prophet with a 5-Day Retreat, July 5-10, 2020 in Orvieto, Italy with Matthew Fox, Claudia Picardi, Meschi Chavez, and Gianluigi Guglielmetti – Featuring a Special Visit by Rupert Sheldrake. Study the spiritual teachings of one of the greatest minds of Western civilization–Thomas Aquinas– with a preeminent scholar of Christian spirituality, Matthew Fox, in the amazing Italian town of Orvieto, famous for its views and art, where Aquinas himself taught and preached. Orvieto is located two hours from where Aquinas was born in Roccasecca, and where he died at Fossanova Abbey. And 90 minutes from Rome or Assisi! Register by October 31, 2019 for early bird price of $995. READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

1 0

Back issue: 10/17/19, Progressing Spirit: Toni Reynolds: Love Water; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 06 Nov '19

06 Nov '19

#yiv7082464049 p{ margin:10px 0;padding:0;} #yiv7082464049 table{ border-collapse:collapse;} #yiv7082464049 h1, #yiv7082464049 h2, #yiv7082464049 h3, #yiv7082464049 h4, #yiv7082464049 h5, #yiv7082464049 h6{ display:block;margin:0;padding:0;} #yiv7082464049 img, #yiv7082464049 a img{ border:0;height:auto;outline:none;text-decoration:none;} #yiv7082464049 body, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049bodyTable, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049bodyCell{ min-height:100%;margin:0;padding:0;width:100%;} #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnPreviewText{ display:none !important;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049outlook a{ padding:0;} #yiv7082464049 img{ } #yiv7082464049 table{ } #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049ReadMsgBody{ width:100%;} #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049ExternalClass{ width:100%;} #yiv7082464049 p, #yiv7082464049 a, #yiv7082464049 li, #yiv7082464049 td, #yiv7082464049 blockquote{ } #yiv7082464049 a .filtered99999 , #yiv7082464049 a .filtered99999 { color:inherit;cursor:default;text-decoration:none;} #yiv7082464049 p, #yiv7082464049 a, #yiv7082464049 li, #yiv7082464049 td, #yiv7082464049 body, #yiv7082464049 table, #yiv7082464049 blockquote{ } #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049ExternalClass, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049ExternalClass p, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049ExternalClass td, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049ExternalClass div, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049ExternalClass span, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049ExternalClass font{ line-height:100%;} #yiv7082464049 a .filtered99999 { color:inherit !important;text-decoration:none !important;font-size:inherit !important;font-family:inherit !important;font-weight:inherit !important;line-height:inherit !important;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049bodyCell{ padding:10px;} #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049templateContainer{ max-width:600px !important;border:5px solid #363232;} #yiv7082464049 a.yiv7082464049mcnButton{ display:block;} #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImage, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnRetinaImage{ vertical-align:bottom;} #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent{ } #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent img{ height:auto !important;} #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnDividerBlock{ table-layout:fixed !important;} #yiv7082464049 body, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049bodyTable{ } #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049bodyCell{ border-top:0;} #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049templateContainer{ border:5px solid #363232;} #yiv7082464049 h1{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:26px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;} #yiv7082464049 h2{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:22px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;} #yiv7082464049 h3{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;} #yiv7082464049 h4{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templatePreheader{ background-color:#FAFAFA;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:9px;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templatePreheader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templatePreheader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ color:#656565;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templatePreheader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent a, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templatePreheader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p a{ color:#656565;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateHeader{ background-color:#FFFFFF;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:0;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateHeader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateHeader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateHeader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent a, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateHeader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p a{ color:#007C89;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateBody{ background-color:#FFFFFF;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:2px solid #EAEAEA;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:9px;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateBody .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateBody .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateBody .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent a, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateBody .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p a{ color:#007C89;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateFooter{ background-color:#FAFAFA;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:9px;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateFooter .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateFooter .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ color:#656565;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:150%;text-align:center;} #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateFooter .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent a, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateFooter .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p a{ color:#656565;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;} @media screen and (min-width:768px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049templateContainer{ width:600px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 body, #yiv7082464049 table, #yiv7082464049 td, #yiv7082464049 p, #yiv7082464049 a, #yiv7082464049 li, #yiv7082464049 blockquote{ } }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 body{ width:100% !important;min-width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049bodyCell{ padding-top:10px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnRetinaImage{ max-width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImage{ width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCartContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionTopContent, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnRecContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionBottomContent, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnTextContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnBoxedTextContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageGroupContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionLeftTextContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionRightTextContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionLeftImageContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionRightImageContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageCardLeftTextContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageCardRightTextContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageCardLeftImageContentContainer, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageCardRightImageContentContainer{ max-width:100% !important;width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnBoxedTextContentContainer{ min-width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageGroupContent{ padding:9px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionLeftContentOuter .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionRightContentOuter .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent{ padding-top:9px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageCardTopImageContent, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionBottomContent:last-child .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionBottomImageContent, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionBlockInner .yiv7082464049mcnCaptionTopContent:last-child .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent{ padding-top:18px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageCardBottomImageContent{ padding-bottom:9px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageGroupBlockInner{ padding-top:0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageGroupBlockOuter{ padding-top:9px !important;padding-bottom:9px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnBoxedTextContentColumn{ padding-right:18px !important;padding-left:18px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageCardLeftImageContent, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnImageCardRightImageContent{ padding-right:18px !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-left:18px !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcpreview-image-uploader{ display:none !important;width:100% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 h1{ font-size:22px !important;line-height:125% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 h2{ font-size:20px !important;line-height:125% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 h3{ font-size:18px !important;line-height:125% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 h4{ font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 .yiv7082464049mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templatePreheader{ display:block !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templatePreheader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templatePreheader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateHeader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateHeader .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateBody .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateBody .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateFooter .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent, #yiv7082464049 #yiv7082464049templateFooter .yiv7082464049mcnTextContent p{ font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;} } Water’s presence in our reality is a precious, life-giving mystery. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Love Water | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Toni Reynolds October 17, 2019 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, we’re told that nothing existed except darkness and Water. As soon as God swept over the face of the deep, sound was used to command the emergence of light. From that moment forward a dance with Water proceeded, yielding all the elements of life we now know and struggle to appreciate. It wasn’t until recently that I read this creation account and heard so clearly the voice of Water. Everything that God called forth comes from the Water, everything we know in our world today was created except for Water, it was already here. Even among scientists there is continued debate about where Water came from, how it got here. No matter the angle, Water’s presence in our reality is a precious, life-giving mystery. Woman Stands Shining, also known as Pat McCabe, is a Diné/Navajo and Lakota activist, artist, and ceremonial leader. She reminds us that all the Water that has ever existed on earth, is still here. The closed network of our atmosphere has kept the Water used in ritual by our ancestors in close connection to us. Imagine, for just a moment, that this account of God sweeping over the Water to bring forth life is true. It would mean that the very voice of the Creator is still alive in the water we use and abuse with our individual and collective habits. If that creation account doesn’t work for you, imagine your own ancestors. Peoples who drank, sang, bathed, blessed, sailed, were displaced, simply lived -they all had access to the same water as you. This stirs something deep in my soul. To recognize the intimate connection with voices, stories, and songs from a time so long ago that I cannot even fathom the era. Even to think about the Water present for the ancestors of my own lineages - those stolen and first tortured on the waves between Africa and the Americas. The rivers used for cleansing, childbirth, baptism, and initiation... it sweeps me to a state of sheer bewilderment. How such a connection could be possible leaves me searching for healthier ways to be a part of this creation that has held so many human lives and stories. In a similar vein as the offerings from Woman Stands Shining, Dr. Masaru Emoto has left us with profound understandings of our creative connection to Water. Dr. Emoto’s Water study has reached worldwide recognition as it demonstrated the impact of positive, negative, and indifferent attention. It is a scientific way, to understand how our words help to create the world around us, Dr. Emoto’s study leaves me thinking about how Water responded when it first heard God’s loving, creative voice. I currently live near Newark, NJ. Recently I was in a neighboring city with my partner when we saw a flyer posted in city hall. It was information about an upcoming water drive. Thinking of the need to use an entire day to collect potable bottled water for residents of Newark, NJ angered me. Here there are whispers of Newark entering a water crisis equal to that of Flint, MI. Still, I wasn’t ready to accept how serious the water crisis is here in my area. It was troubling to see this flier. Poisonous water is such a deep disrespect of the world we have inherited, not only because it jeopardizes life for all living creatures, but also because most every major tradition of the world has so clearly stated how deeply tied to the Creator is our Water. It feels like we are disrespecting a loving parent. We are certainly missing the mark. As the Water crisis in my own neighborhood begins to mirror the Water crisis of cities around the world I begin to feel overwhelmed. Though my current spiritual life has taken me out of traditionally Christian practices, I can’t help but think about the presence of Water in the Christian traditions. Not only in scripture, just at the beginning of Genesis, but all throughout the Bible. Water parting in Exodus, Jesus baptized in River Jordan, Jonah in the whale in the sea, Jesus turning Water to wine, I’m sure you can think of others yourself. Water is everywhere. Even in the Teaching of the Twelve (or sometimes known as the Didache) are instructions about how disciples are to perform baptisms when Water is too scarce to use. That’s how central to the Christian practice Water was - it was central to the twelve-step manual for disciples. I wonder what would happen if we began to nurture a close relationship to the building blocks of life, central to so many traditions and all of life as we know it. My attempt here is to call attention to the ways our daily lives remain disconnected from the electric and vibrant reality of the elements that make up our world. To cultivate an acute awareness of the life that teems around us while our intellect, electronics, and logic tempt us into thinking that the world is dead and only available to use for convenience. I wish to encourage small habits, ritual, and focus that can be integrated into daily life, and ideally encourage you to participate in communal acts of gratitude and recognition of the elements. Personally, I am implementing a small practice of action in my daily life. Rather than remain in my head about these issues I am seeking for embodied, practical, life-affirming ways to demonstrate my faith and gratitude for this world we’ve been given. It would be easy to write for days about why we should be more careful of our water, both practically and spiritually. Regardless of levels of comfort to the Bible, it seems to me that each of us is responsible for having a personal connection with the things we rely on for life. So, let’s explore that. When someone brings your food to your table, you say thank you. If someone holds the door open for you as you enter a building, you say thank you. When Water stretches from the earth to your faucet, what do you say? I realize that talking about Water this way can cause a feeling of strangeness. Talking to creation is left for hippies, people who we perceive to have lost their minds, and prophets of times long-past. I think we can begin to normalize this idea of connecting with nature in our own moment of time. This way, we will know we’ve done our part to keep the Creator-made world healthy and available to all. In order to encourage repairing and establishing a connection with Water, I’m offering the suggestions below. They come from my own spiritual practice and participation in rituals with the traditions of beloved spiritual teachers, close friends, and family. They are, at least, versions of practices I have seen done by priests, monks, shamans, and healers. They are available to you even if you do not identify as a priestess, monk, pastor, or shaman. I hope you will consider implementing at least one as a way of doing your part to support the elements we depend on as well as to connect with the Divine Source. On the next rainfall place a small cup of Water on a windowsill until it is full. When it has gathered enough rain speak a prayer of gratitude into the glass. Give the Water to the plants in your home, inviting the wisdom of the sky and water to dwell in your inner world. Another option is to take that same blessed Water to the nearest park or outdoor space, even the front of the place where you live will suffice. Give the Water back to the ground, river, or lake, asking for your blessings to be carried as deep, far, and wide as is possible. Your song will seamlessly join with those of every person who’s ever prayed, creating connection where there has been fracture, healing where there has been wound, and vision where there has been destructive void. If you are in a place where rain does not frequently fall, implementing a small version of Dr. Emoto’s experiment remains a powerful option. Simply write a word, the name of someone you deeply love, someone to whom you aspire to be like, or a prayer of affirmation. Place the prayer under your container of drinking Water. Recite the word, name, or prayer before drinking. I love the power of three, so I recite the intention three times before drinking the water. However frequently you wish, allow your voice to be as the Creator’s speaking life over the Water. To honor the Water inside and outside of you, find a local river clean up project. Volunteer your time to the Water nearest to you. Check with American Rivers to see if they work in your area, and when they can use your help. Generally, this is a wonderful resource to learn more about Water, how our global systems are affecting it, and what you can do to shift things. There is no limitation to ways you can be in touch with Water. The more you learn about it, the more inspired you will become to create rituals that send your gratitude to Water. If nothing else, do what you can to become more mindful of the state of Water right now. You can always learn more about Woman Stands Shining. Further investigate the legacy of Dr. Masaru Emoto. Seek ways to support other Water Defenders around the world, simply type the words, or a variation of, into your preferred search engine and learn of ways to connect with people repairing the human relationship to Water around the world. Please enjoy every precious bit of water you get to experience, and be grateful for every drop of it. ~ Toni Reynolds Read 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. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By A Reader How should I respond if my young children take the stories of the Bible literally when I don’t believe in a literal reading? A: By Cindy Wang Brandt Dear Reader, Similar to the way you respond to children who believe in the myth of Santa and tooth fairies. As a family, you can choose to not participate in those particular myths at all, and from the get go, prioritize telling your children this isn’t real, these stories never happened, but you can enjoy them as fictional accounts that lots of people in the world have fun imagining. Perhaps this works for you, but to me, it feels like it robs children of a season of whimsy and delight. Or, you could fully immerse yourself in their world of imaginary thinking, and pretend with them it’s all real. Bake Santa cookies and tell stories of the elf’s adventures in the night. Although with this route, at some point when they outgrow their developmental stage of fantasy, you’ll have to contend with your white lies, as benign and well-intentioned they may be; and some children may not take well to this, breaching your trust with them. I think the best of both worlds is to affirm their imagination, honoring their brain development, and scaffold their understanding for more nuanced criticism as they grow into mature cognitive processes. It is possible to affirm their steadfast literal belief in stories while not necessarily endorsing their views. Validate their enthusiasm with open-ended questions, like, “Wow, you think that’s how it happened? How would you feel if you were Jonah in the belly of a big fish?” Entertain their imagination, not in a condescending way, but to participate in their mental world with empathy. When they begin asking direct questions like, “Mommy, did the fish REALLY swallow Jonah?” That’s a sign they are starting to mature and test the boundaries of fact or fiction. This would be a good time to scaffold our responses—challenging them to a higher-level of thinking without overwhelming them. Follow your child’s lead and interest to investigate with them how marine animals consume their food, whether humans can survive in the belly of animals. Let them connect the dots because there may still be a phase where they can hold both facts and fiction in tandem. And of course, as they grow into even higher maturity in teen years and beyond, you can engage in deeper discussions of how ancient mythologies came to be, and offer your personal beliefs in how you hold biblical stories as valuable (or not) in your own life. ~ Cindy Wang Brandt Read and share online here About the Author Cindy Wang Brandt is a progressive Christian writer, but she has not always identified as progressive. In fact, she grew up conservative evangelical and was a career missionary for 5 and a half years. Cindy's experienced a radical faith shift and writes often about how that shapes who she is today. Along the way, she became a parent. Trying to navigate parenting when your faith has and is evolving has been complicated—but nobody ever said parenting is easy. However, she is convinced that one of the best ways we can make an impact in the world is to invest in the slow, unseen labor of cultivating values of hospitality, creativity, equality, social justice, and deep spirituality in the next generation. | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together. Thank you for being a part of this community! | | | | | | Join our FB community today! Spread the word, share with friends. Thanks! | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited The Origins of the Bible, Part V: The Elohist Document Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong April 23, 2008 Most people do not seem to realize that events in what we call the secular world of history shaped so much of the writing of the biblical story. When I get to the formation of the gospels in this series, it will become obvious that the Jewish war with Rome that began in 66 CE in Galilee and ended in 73 CE in Masada shaped the content of all four gospels in a dramatic way. In 70 CE, in the midst of that war, the city of Rome fell and the Jewish nation for all practical purposes disappeared from the maps of the world until it was restored in 1948 under the plan that had been set out in the Balfour Declaration of 1917. To read the gospels with no sense of the historical context in which they were written leads to dramatically ill-informed understandings. Not only did the cataclysmic effects of this war shape the apocalyptic “end of the world” chapters in Mark, Matthew and Luke, but I would argue that the story of Jesus” transfiguration makes no sense unless the reader is aware that the Temple in Jerusalem has already been destroyed. This is one of the ways that we are able to date the gospels so accurately. Likewise, in Jewish history a wrenching and datable split in the nation of the Jews was responsible for the development of the second strain of written material that would someday constitute the Torah. This split was basically between the Joseph tribes in the north that came to be called the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the powerful southern tribe of Judah, from whom the north chose to separate itself around the year 920 B.C.E. This Jewish division, however, had its roots in a far more ancient time. Some scholars even suggest that the escaping slave people from Egypt, about whom the book of Exodus writes so lavishly, were not all of the Jewish people, but perhaps only those who would later be called the Joseph tribes. Certainly Joseph is the central figure, according to the biblical narrative, in the settlement of the Jews in Egypt. At the time of their escape the narrative tells us that life in Egypt had degenerated for the Jews because a Pharaoh arose in Egypt “who knew not Joseph.” Joseph, according to the Hebrew memory that stretched back some 400 years according to the book of Exodus, had risen to power in Egypt, achieving a position in the land second only to that of the Pharaoh. The Torah said that Joseph had done this through his prescience and foresight that enabled him to build up the food supply in time of plenty and then to administer it in time of famine. This allowed the Egyptian nation to survive hard times. When the Jews made their exit from Egypt, the book of Exodus informs us the Jews took with them the bones of Joseph so he could be buried in the soil of his former home. Joseph was a figure clearly identified with the Jewish slave people who came out of Egypt. More Semitic people than just the fleeing slaves, however, were included in the Jewish nation and clearly made up the conquering army that overran the Canaanites. In defense of this historical reconstruction of the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, these same scholars see evidence in the Torah itself, that during the wilderness years the escaping slaves came together with other nomadic Semites in an oasis named Kadesh to form a common cause. Their common ethnic kinship was recognized, as was their common heritage. Eventually they formed a political alliance and began to think of themselves as a single united people, but organized in a loose confederation. Even their folklore made it clear that while they recognized their kinship, there was always a distinct difference between the two groups. This split was accounted for in the biblical story by suggesting that their father Jacob has actually had two wives. Leah, the first one, was the mother of Judah, whose descendants formed the tribe that settled the South. Rachel, the second wife, was the mother of Joseph, whose descendants settled the North. There were of course other tribes, indeed twelve it was said, but they tended to be satellites of the two major tribes. The Northern Kingdom was later called the “Ten Tribes,” while the tiny tribe of Benjamin tended to be associated with Judah as the remaining two. They were more an alliance than a unified people. The biblical book of Judges described this phase of Jewish history. Survival in that day, however, required them to become a strong and unified nation. The way to reach that goal was to have a king. The first king of the unified nation was Saul, who was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul was not, however, able to bring about the needed unity or to pass the throne on to his son. The second king was Saul’s military captain, David, a member of the dominant tribe of Judah. About Judah’s power the Joseph tribes of the North were already apprehensive. David, with both military and political skill, unified the country and reigned for 40 years, passing on the throne to his son Solomon who, in turn, reigned for another 40 years. It was during the reign of Solomon that the first strand of the Bible identified today as the “Yahwist Document” was created to tell the story of the history of the Jewish people. As we noted in a former column in this series the “Yahwist Document” had a clear political agenda. It extolled the royal house of David, the capital city of Jerusalem and the Temple in Jerusalem from which the religious life of the nation was organized. The theme of this writer was that each of these centers of power was an expression of the will of God. To rebel against the king, the high priest or the city of Jerusalem was to rebel against God. Tensions, however, between these two ancient Jewish groups grew during the reign of Solomon as the people of the North felt that they were over taxed to provide the wealth of the people of Jerusalem. When Solomon died around the year 920 BCE the throne passed in an orderly fashion to his oldest son, Reheboam. The people of the North, however, were not ready to pledge their allegiance to Reheboam without some changes and so, led by one of their military generals named Jereboam, a delegation came to Jerusalem to negotiate their grievances with the new king. Those negotiations were not successful and when they collapsed the new, and perhaps rash, young King Reheboam decided that he must put this rebellion down with brute force. The people of the North, led by Jereboam, then organized for resistance and in the ensuing civil war won their independence. There were now two Jewish states: The Northern Kingdom that would build its capital in Samaria and the Southern Kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem. The only written narrative that either group possessed at this time was the Yahwist document that was so pro the institutions of the South that it would hardly do for the rebellious tribes of the North. That version implied that the Northern Jews had violated God’s chosen House of David, God’s dwelling place in the holy city of Jerusalem and God’s chosen high priest. It condemned all that they stood for and it did so in the name of God, so the Jews of the North began to feel a need to create a new version of the sacred history of the Jewish people. Once again a court historian was appointed, but now by the king of the Northern Kingdom, to write this story. The result was a second version of Jewish sacred history. There were many differences between the two documents. This writer called God by an earlier Canaanite name El or Elohim, so his work became known as the “Elohist Document.” For the Elohist writer Joseph, not David, was the hero. We see that idea develop in the story about Joseph being the favorite son of Jacob, his father. That is also why Joseph was said to have received the coat of many colors. Rachel, Joseph’s mother, was portrayed by this writer as Jacob’s favorite wife, while Leah, Rachel’s older sister and the mother of Judah, was pictured as having “eyes like a cow” and was actually thrust on Jacob by their scheming father, Laban. This “E” document also portrayed Judah as the evil brother who sold Joseph into slavery. He de-emphasized Jerusalem, relativized the Temple and reopened and re-sanctified the ancient shrines in the north. Finally the divine right of kings was dismissed by this writer, who claimed that the king was not chosen by God to rule the people, but was elected by the people and was, therefore, subject to the will of the people. If the king violated his trust, the people were competent to remove him. This was the claim that solidified the rightness of their rebellion against King Reheboam. While these differences were sharp, many of the stories in the two histories were nonetheless quite similar. By around 850 BCE the Elohist narrative appears to have been substantially complete. Now there were two Jewish nations, two kings, two worship centers and two sacred stories that were read in worship and each was called “The Word of God.” The two Jewish nations fought each other in numerous indecisive wars and formed competing alliances with foreign powers, frequently on opposite sides. When Assyria became the major Middle Eastern power, the Northern Kingdom joined Syria in armed resistance, while the Kingdom of Judah formed an alliance with Assyria and accepted vassal status. In 721 BCE the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom and exiled most of its people to lands under their control. Then they imported peoples to repopulate the land that had been the Northern Kingdom. In time these foreigners intermarried with the remaining Jews and their descendants became known as the half-breed Samaritans. After this defeat, however, some unknown person managed to escape to the South and brought with him or her a copy of the Elohist document. Over the years in Jerusalem the two sacred stories were merged. The dominant Yahwist version was given priority, but the Elohist story and the point of view of the lost Northern kingdom succeeded in being intertwined with it. By the turn of the century, certainly before 690 BCE, the sacred story of the Jews had become the Yahwist-Elohist version. The scriptures of the Jews were growing. There would be more changes and transitions to come, but this was stage two in the development of the Torah. Stage three will be discussed when this series continues. ~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements The 17th Annual Community Multifaith Summit Introducing the Platinum Rule The Key to Building Community October 27th in Seattle, WA we are convening the 17th Annual Community Multifaith Summit, to bring diverse spiritual people together to engage with one another, learn from one another and plan ways to improve our communities. READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

1 0

Global Buzz November
by ICA International 06 Nov '19

06 Nov '19

Enjoy catching up with what is happening in ICAs across the globe.... Global Buzz Report: November 2019 Click above or copy and paste this URL into your browser's address bar http://globalbuzz.icai-archives.org/7dayreport-19/2019-11-01.php And: read the latest ICAI Winds & Waves Magazine brought to you now on Medium.com See here: https://medium.com/winds-and-waves ICAI Communications

1 0

Thinking of Vance Engleman - The past is approved.
by englewoman＠verizon.net 05 Nov '19

05 Nov '19

"The past is approved. The unknown and mysterious future is open, yet to be shaped. In this brief encounter with the present, our unrepeatable gift of life is on center stage. ...Now is the time to celebrate your incredible potential: celebrate the significance of every life as equally valid, precious, and deserving: and most of all, celebrate THE JOURNEY! May it never end." ~Vance S. Engleman. In Search of Profound Humanness *** photo from Sewickley Ashram.

1 0

HAPPY HALLOWEEN
by Ellie Stock 01 Nov '19

01 Nov '19

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! (Grandson, Emmet Joseph, son of Ahren and Charity) Carleton and Ellie :)

7 6

Global Buzz reminder
by ICA International 29 Oct '19

29 Oct '19

Reminder for entries This reminder is for the Global Buzz that will be published November 5th. 2019 (Please send your entries at least a day or more ahead) Please send all your entries by regular e-mail to: inform(a)ica-international.org with your entry as an attatchment. Send details of news items, training programmes, your peer to peer connections with other ICAs, any concerns you may have and of any events that are coming up at your location. Your report can be long or short, but remember that all other ICAs would really like to know about the things that matter where you are, and what you are doing as an ICA. Peter, for ICAI Communications Pour les entrées de rappel Ce rappel est à la Global Buzz qui sera publié le 5 novembre 2019 (Veuillez envoyer vos entrées au moins une journée à l'avance) Veuillez envoyer toutes vos entrées maintenant par courriel ordinaire à : inform(a)ica-international.org avec votre entrée comme un attatchment. Envoyer les détails des articles de nouvelles, des programmes de formation, vos connexions peer to peer avec d'autres CIAS, de toute préoccupation que vous pourriez avoir et de tous les événements qui sont à venir à votre emplacement. Votre rapport peut être longue ou courte, mais rappelez-vous que toutes les autres CIAS aimerait vraiment savoir à propos de choses qui importe où vous êtes et ce que vous faites comme une ICA. Recordatorio de las entradas Este aviso es para el Global Buzz que se publicarán 5 noviembre 2019 (Favor de enviar sus entradas al menos con un día de antelación) Por favor envíe todos sus entradas ahora por correo electrónico a: inform(a)ica-international.org con su entrada como un archivo adjunto. Enviar detalles de noticias, programas de capacitación, el peer to peer las conexiones con otros convenios o acuerdos internacionales, las preocupaciones que usted pueda tener y de los eventos que se aproximan en su ubicación. El informe puede ser a corto o largo, pero hay que recordar que todos los demás convenios quisiera saber realmente sobre lo que realmente importa, y lo que están haciendo una ICA.

1 0

Sneak Preview of the ICA Global Archives Website and the 2019 Fall Sojourn
by Wendell Refior 25 Oct '19

25 Oct '19

*Colleagues – <please forgive any duplicate email>* *Sneak Preview* !!! The *ICA Global Archives Website* is still a work in process. Help prepare for its launch via the ICA Board on Nov. 22nd*. Peek* by clicking this LINK to the *website*: Icaglobalarchives.org <http://icaglobalarchives.org/> You are invited to *join us* in building this exciting way to share our Common Wisdom and the growing treasure trove of Documents, Manuals, Course Materials, Conversations, Songs, Photos, Lectures and Videos of our Mission plus many Stories of our Human Development Projects. *You may want to work from home* via Virtual Participation as an option as well. *ICA Archive Website Launch-Chicago, IL* *November 11-22, 2019* *Please come any of these dates for a variety of tasks!* *Preparation* *November 11-13* *Archives Sojourn* *November 14-18* *Wrap Up* *November 19-22* Locate and scan files Identify holes, simplify language Final entries Enter on website Respond to feedback Finalize edits Get feedback from colleagues Discuss next phase of archives Celebrate with ICA Board Contact Person: *Karen Snyder* at karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com *Archives Advisory Council*: Lynda Cock, Doug Druckenmiller, Steve Ediger, Chris Eversole, Ruth Gilbert, Jack Gilles, Beret Griffith, Mary Laura Jones, Frank Knutson, Diann McCabe, Jo Nelson, Paul Noah, Mark Poshepny, Wendell Refior, Oliveann Slotta, Karen Snyder, Jeanette Stanfield, Nelson Stover, Tim Wegner, Jim Wiegel ,,,, Also, over two dozen other frequent or occasional contributors are adding content or writing descriptions of our courses, our work in mission, and stories of our interior life and journey. See the *Attached* for more details. -- Wendell

1 0

A conversation on revolution grounded in Ferguson and St. Louis
by James Wiegel 23 Oct '19

23 Oct '19

The Historian and the Revolutionary | | | | | | | | | | | The Historian and the Revolutionary Harvard professor Walter Johnson and rapper Tef Poe reflect on their friendship, shared activism, and the place ... | | | Jim Wiegel “That which consumes me is not man, nor the earth, nor the heavens, but the flame which consumes man, earth, and sky." Nikos Kazantzakis 401 North Beverly Way,Tolleson, Arizona 85353 623-363-3277 jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com

1 0

Re: [Oe List ...] Celebrating the completed life of Ray Richmond, with a party at the Wayside on Nov 17.
by Sunny Walker 20 Oct '19

20 Oct '19

1 0

Re: [Oe List ...] Celebrating the completed life of Ray Richmond, with a party at the Wayside on Nov 17.
by Del Morrill 20 Oct '19

20 Oct '19

Will be there in spirit. Del Facebook.com/del.morrill.85 Location: USA, Pacific Northwest, Washington State, Tacoma <http://www.hypnocenter.com/> www.hypnocenter.com "Think your best thoughts; speak your best words, looking to your own conscience for approval." (Susan B. Anthony) From: OE <oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> On Behalf Of John & Robyn Hutchinson via OE Sent: Friday, October 18, 2019 3:15 PM To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net>; 'ica-network' <ica-network(a)ica-international.org> Cc: rjhutchinson48(a)gmail.com; 'Sandy Michel' <smacddt(a)hotmail.com> Subject: [Oe List ...] Celebrating the completed life of Ray Richmond, with a party at the Wayside on Nov 17. Dear colleagues, We invite you to be 'with us' at a celebration of Ray's life at 2pm on Sunday, 17 November at Wayside Chapel, Kings Cross, Sydney. We understand that many on this list would want to know of this celebration, and will be there in spirit. Grace and Peace, Robyn and John, on behalf of Sandy, Karen and the family <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai gn=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> Virus-free. <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai gn=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> www.avast.com

2 1