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Re: [Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Fwd: The Transestablishment Stance
by Zoe Barley 02 Jun '19

02 Jun '19

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Fwd: @charlenielsen - Charle' Nielsen - #onbeing #gregoryorr
by Sarah H. Buss 02 Jun '19

02 Jun '19

As I listened to this Gregory Orr poem this morning at On Being, I could not help but think (a miracle in itself): Of Kaze Gadway and her preschool song “this is the day we have” which still resonates with this phase... senior citizen ☺️. Herman Green and his continuation of The Ecozoic Way. So “This is the Earth we have...”. I invite you Kaze (if we would not perish) and others among us to continue this indicative 😊. Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: Sarah Buss <sbuss(a)austin.rr.com> > Date: June 2, 2019 at 12:40:35 PM CDT > To: "Sarah H. Buss" <shbuss(a)mac.com> > Subject: @charlenielsen - Charle' Nielsen - #onbeing #gregoryorr > > > https://www.webstagram.one/media/ByK1dj-lg21 > > > Sent from my iPhone

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Re: [Oe List ...] An Osprey Moment
by Del Morrill 02 Jun '19

02 Jun '19

So appreciated, Randy. Thank you for the reminder. Del Facebook.com/del.morrill.85 Location: USA, Pacific Northwest, Washington State, Tacoma www.hypnocenter.com “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” -----Original Message----- From: OE <oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> On Behalf Of Randy Williams via OE Sent: Saturday, June 1, 2019 5:34 AM To: earthrise(a)yahoogroups.com; oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net; marybeth(a)marybethwilliams.com; Chris Williams <goose71666(a)yahoo.com>; Shannon Williams Wilson <wilsongulf2(a)yahoo.com>; Josh Williams <greatvibes(a)yahoo.com> Cc: Randy Williams <randycw1938(a)gmail.com> Subject: [Oe List ...] An Osprey Moment Years ago John Epps told the story (which he credits to Gary Tomlinson) of the Osprey who sees a ripple on the surface of the water and swoops down to claim her prey, only to discover that she latched onto a whale. And with the hook-like barbs on her talons, there’s no way she can let go. I admit I don’t remember what John was illustrating with the story or what point he was making. But the story itself made an impression and I have used it for years, most recently in a talk I’ve given the last six years, to our Leadership McKinney classes, on the subject of vocation, or calling. I conclude the story in my talk by saying that this Osprey, with the whale locked in her talons, is facing an existential crisis. The crisis is not that she has a whale in her talons; the crisis is, will she regard it as a burden to bare or a gift to share. I then suggest that there comes a time, perhaps even several times, when most of us have that kind of experience in which we are awakened to the fact that we have our lives on our hands and the world on our shoulders. And, like the Osprey, the experience precipitates an existential crisis; shall we receive this “life on our hands and world on our shoulders” as a burden to bare or a gift to share? I call it an “Osprey moment,” and how we answer the question of burden or gift makes all the difference. The most impactful Osprey moment of my life, at least until now, came with the death of MLK, when I felt most stridently the assault of the weight of the world and sensed the inescapable demand to do something in service to that world. It bore all the similarities to what Tillich called the “grace” happening, or what the New Testament writers called “metanoia”—to be born again. I went into the tomb, as it were, for three days immediately thereafter, and three years later it led me to the Order Ecumenical and many of you, and since then to every challenge and opportunity that has emerged. I reached 80 years of age six months ago, and that Osprey moment is as prominent in my consciousness now as ever before. Even now and ever so, I live in the tension between both the dread and the anticipation that the Osprey could visit again, and with her that haunting question, which I would have no choice but to answer. Randy

4 3

An Osprey Moment
by Randy Williams 01 Jun '19

01 Jun '19

Years ago John Epps told the story (which he credits to Gary Tomlinson) of the Osprey who sees a ripple on the surface of the water and swoops down to claim her prey, only to discover that she latched onto a whale. And with the hook-like barbs on her talons, there’s no way she can let go. I admit I don’t remember what John was illustrating with the story or what point he was making. But the story itself made an impression and I have used it for years, most recently in a talk I’ve given the last six years, to our Leadership McKinney classes, on the subject of vocation, or calling. I conclude the story in my talk by saying that this Osprey, with the whale locked in her talons, is facing an existential crisis. The crisis is not that she has a whale in her talons; the crisis is, will she regard it as a burden to bare or a gift to share. I then suggest that there comes a time, perhaps even several times, when most of us have that kind of experience in which we are awakened to the fact that we have our lives on our hands and the world on our shoulders. And, like the Osprey, the experience precipitates an existential crisis; shall we receive this “life on our hands and world on our shoulders” as a burden to bare or a gift to share? I call it an “Osprey moment,” and how we answer the question of burden or gift makes all the difference. The most impactful Osprey moment of my life, at least until now, came with the death of MLK, when I felt most stridently the assault of the weight of the world and sensed the inescapable demand to do something in service to that world. It bore all the similarities to what Tillich called the “grace” happening, or what the New Testament writers called “metanoia”—to be born again. I went into the tomb, as it were, for three days immediately thereafter, and three years later it led me to the Order Ecumenical and many of you, and since then to every challenge and opportunity that has emerged. I reached 80 years of age six months ago, and that Osprey moment is as prominent in my consciousness now as ever before. Even now and ever so, I live in the tension between both the dread and the anticipation that the Osprey could visit again, and with her that haunting question, which I would have no choice but to answer. Randy

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5/30/19, Progressing Spirit, David. Felten, Joshua and “The Longest Day”; Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 30 May '19

30 May '19

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!important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv4429079122 #yiv4429079122templateBody .yiv4429079122mcnTextContent, #yiv4429079122 #yiv4429079122templateBody .yiv4429079122mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv4429079122 #yiv4429079122templateFooter .yiv4429079122mcnTextContent, #yiv4429079122 #yiv4429079122templateFooter .yiv4429079122mcnTextContent p{ font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;} } Joshua fit the battle of Jericho. | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Joshua and “The Longest Day” | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Rev. David M. Felten May 30, 2019 If people today know anything about the book of Joshua it’s likely to be just one story: “Joshua fit the battle of Jericho.” But Joshua asking God to “stop the sun in the sky” is probably a close second – and has clearly had a more dramatic influence on world history (and not in a good way). Right after the Israelites have crossed the Jordan River and destroyed Jericho, they proceed West and destroy a city called Ai. Seeing the Israelites do what they always did (leveling the city and slaughtering all the people), the neighboring Canaanites took notice. Perceiving themselves to be next on the menu, the residents of Gibeon hatched a clever plan. They went to the Israelites and lied. They fawned over Joshua and said, “You are SO amazing and we are SO impressed with you! We’ve travelled from a distant land to make a security pact with you. If you’re in trouble, we’ll help you. If we’re in trouble, you help us. Deal?” Not knowing that Gibeon was just over the next hill, Joshua agrees. As a result, the kings of five of Gibeon’s neighboring cities are not happy. Declaring the Gibeonites traitors, retribution is planned. The Gibeonites are surrounded and send word to Joshua: “We need help!” Joshua thinks, “What? Already?” and then realizes he’s been tricked. But a deal’s a deal, so he and his army march all night to attack before dawn. Facing the combined forces of the five kings from NATO (the North Amorite Treaty Organization) God tells Joshua not to worry and proceeds to “discomfort" the Amorites, throwing down giant hailstones that kill more Amorites than the Israelite army. Then, in one of the more impressive Biblical show-stoppers, God acts on Joshua’s request to “stop the sun” so that Joshua could get even MORE killing done. You probably remember it from the title in your Children’s Bible: “Joshua and the Longest Day.” But is that title correct? Here are some things to keep in mind as you read the story: - According to other Bible stories, it seems the Israelites preferred to fight at night. Darkness promotes confusion and keeps the enemy off-guard. - Note that the Israelites marched all night to attack before dawn (while it was still dark). - To escape, the Amorites ran to the West towards the Aijalon Valley. - Read Joshua’s request carefully: “Sun stand still over Gibeon and Moon stand still over Aijalon.” So, when Joshua makes his request of God, it’s first thing in the morning. The sun is in the East over Gibeon. Why would Joshua need to ask for more daylight when the day’s just beginning? Because he’s not asking for more daylight. He’s asking for more darkness. Then consider that “the Lord threw down huge stones from heaven on [the Amorites] … and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.” What kind of storm is big enough to hurl hailstones that kill more soldiers than the Israelites? One big enough to blot out the sun and create the darkness Joshua requested. The plot thickens when you look closely at the Hebrew. The Hebrew word translated as "stand still" does not, in fact, mean “stand still.” It literally means “to be silent, grow dumb” (see Strong’s Concordance #1826). In other words, Joshua is asking the sun to be “quieted” – to stop doing what the sun does, which is give light. The “loss in translation” gets even more maddening when you find out that the Hebrew word translated as "go down" (as in “the sun didn’t go down”) is “bo,” as in “come in,” “enter,” or “to be introduced” (see See Strong’s Concordance #935) – exactly the opposite of “go down” as the King James Version translates it. So, a story that has long been referred to in print and represented in art as “the longest day” should actually be “the shortest day,” the darkness of the previous night having been extended into what should have been daylight. Why does any of this matter? Primarily because it’s just one more example of how the inertia of tradition and the paranoia of theological gatekeepers has crippled the reputation of the Bible in the minds of modern people. If this story ever crosses the mind of non-church-going people (never mind if it’s the “longest” or “shortest” day), it is undoubtedly ignored as just another fairy story that justifies their having dismissed the relevance of the Bible long ago. And it does come up: Scientific Progress Goes “Boink” Perhaps the most infamous use of Joshua 10 was when it was cited by the Inquisition to condemn Galileo in 1633. Regardless of evidence to the contrary, the Church was dead-set on defending the Bible’s demonstrably inaccurate worldview that the sun revolved around the earth. Church leaders used Joshua’s “longest day” story as a proof text to condemn Galileo as a heretic. Even now, there’s an urban legend going around the internet called “The Lost Day,” a man claims that he was present when computers were calculating satellite orbits and, low-and-behold, a missing day was discovered! “Ha! Those godless NASA scientists inadvertently ‘proved’ the Joshua story to be true. Computers don’t lie, y’know!” But the purveyors of this story lie. They lie online, in articles, in sermons, in conferences and it’s even appeared in a “classic” how-to book on how to be a good Christian. NASA has even put out press releases to try and put the kibosh on the story, but that only fires up the conspiracy theorists: “See! They’re hiding something!” Never mind the evidence-based implications of what it would mean for the sun to appear to “stop” in the sky. The Earth, presently rotating at a speed of about 1100 miles per hour, would have to suddenly stop rotating. If that happened, inertia would cause everything on the surface, including the atmosphere, to still be in motion. Anything not anchored to bedrock: forests, cities, oceans, people, animals – everything – would suddenly hurtle away at 1100 mph. Now THAT should be in a movie! Even the Times of Israel panders to Biblical literalists with a 2017 headline that read: “‘Joshua stopped the sun’ 3,224 years ago today, scientists say” -- yet another opportunity for thinking people to roll their eyes in amusement. “But God can do anything” Another argument people make to defend the literal historicity of Joshua 10 is that “God can do anything.” If that’s really true, then God is a heartless and immoral ogre. Just a couple of words to think about: Holocaust. Cancer. Tsunami. Anyone who defends a God who selectively interferes with the laws of nature, manipulates such things as the law of gravity, and the orbit of the heavenly bodies in the sky – all to facilitate more nationalistic murder and mayhem – but stands idly by in the face of contemporary global crises, has got some pretty scary ethical and theological problems. So why is this story even in the Bible? If you’re familiar with the diaries of Julius Caesar, you probably know that Caesar “padded” the story to play better in Rome. As with Caesar’s diaries, Joshua 10 is “padded” military history and nationalistic propaganda created to glorify the heroes of old. Some scholars think it might be a mash-up of stories from a variety of sources, each reflecting distant memories of dramatic events: maybe a Connecticut Yankee-style well-timed eclipse, or the providential timing of a massive thunderstorm that coincided with a significant battle of some kind. In short, it’s a mythic folk tale chock-full of propaganda and outdated cosmologies. But as long as the reader is aware that they’re dealing with tribal, mythic, and pre-scientific world views, the story provides a glimpse into the cultural and political reality of the authors. It’s only when these stories’ very human origins are not taken into consideration that their prejudiced and antiquated ideas compromise humanity’s progress and paint the divine into an indefensible corner. Does it make sense to refer to this story as the “longest day”? Nope. Did Joshua ask for more daylight? Nope. Bad translations and unscrupulous theological operatives have completely misrepresented this tale for their own purposes. Why does it even matter? Because scientific progress has been undermined and reputations ruined over its misuse. In 1992, the Vatican finally issued a public decree announcing that the Catholic Church now believed that Galileo had been right. The earth actually does revolve around the sun. Then in 2000, 367 years after condemning him, the church issued a formal apology to Galileo. But Joshua 10? It’s still out there being misused as “proof” that “God can do anything”, and the Bible is literally and historically accurate (for example, apologists go to extraordinary lengths HERE, HERE, and HERE). Back in the 1920’s Harry Emerson Fosdick warned, “If we don’t allow young people to use their brains, we’re going to lose a whole generation.” And since then, the church has indeed “lost” multiple generations. Going forward, we don’t have to just allow people to use their brains, we have to show them how to use their brains – especially when it comes to the Bible. It’s precisely stories like Joshua’s “longest day” that can be used to deprogram people and rehabilitate the Bible for its cultural and sociological value – along with acknowledging (and offering profuse apologies for) how the Bible has been misused over the centuries. In the end, Joshua 10 is one of those stories that has been almost hopelessly misinterpreted over the millennia. Originally just a ham-handed propaganda piece to glorify and justify the brutal Israelite conquest of Canaan, it has been profoundly twisted to make scientific and theological points it was never intended to make. It should be included, along with all the obsolete Biblical proof texts defending slavery, homophobia, and the subjugation of women, as another case study in the promotion of critical thinking and the advancement of humanity beyond its primal, tribal roots. Without throwing them in the dust-bin, it’s time to pull back the curtain on the original purpose and origin of these long-maligned and misused tales. They’re not history. They’re not science. And as long as we resist letting low-information Bible readers or literalists try and make these stories say what they were never meant to say, they offer us a glimpse into the mind-set of the imaginative and gifted propagandists who laid the foundation of Western civilization. ~ Rev. David M. Felten Read online here About the AuthorRev. David M. Felten is a full-time pastor at The Fountains, a United Methodist Church in Fountain Hills, Arizona. David and fellow United Methodist Pastor, Jeff Procter-Murphy, are the creators of the DVD-based discussion series for Progressive Christians, “Living the Questions”. A co-founder of the Arizona Foundation for Contemporary Theology and also a founding member of No Longer Silent: Clergy for Justice, David is an outspoken voice for LGBTQ rights both in the church and in the community at large. David is active in the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church and tries to stay connected to his roots as a musician. You’ll find him playing saxophones in a variety of settings, including appearances with the Fountain Hills Saxophone Quartet. David and his wife Laura have three children. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By Barb I have months to live. I'm not too hooked into christian symbolism but I would like to communicate with a person. I get that Spong is saying that we find God in us. And as such, the eternal also resides in us. My questions are more basic: does it matter which religion you pick to express your beliefs? Is there a Hell? A: By Fred Plumer Dear Barb, I am sorry you are having these kinds of concerns as you approach your last days or months on earth. I have said for decades that it does not matter which religion you chose, but rather, to ask: "Does this religion open up the world to me more, or does it close it for me?" I know of no Biblical scholars who believe in the concept of hell or a place of punishment after we die. Nor do most progressive clergy feel that way. The idea that religion is about punishment is frankly very sick according to most people who are serious scholars of the Bible, or frankly any religion. I believe life is a wonderful gift; I am 78 years old and closing in on my own death. I have no fear and it is not because I was clergy for over twenty five years; but it is because I have lived a long and wonderful life. It has been a gift and a blessing. And though I am still a progressive Christian by birth, I love the Buddhist tradition and the Jewish one as well. I will feel very lucky if this is all there is. However, I have been doing some reading on Near Death Experiences. These happen when some people die, sometimes for minutes and sometimes for hours, but then come back and live again to talk about what they experienced. At the very least they seem to suggest that our death can be a positive thing, with the possibility of something afterwards. But the interesting thing is the consistency in the way the literally thousands of people have told the same story, even though their deaths have been so different. At any rate please do not worry about hell or a judging God. I assure you that those things have been set up over the years as a way to control the masses. The concepts are outdated and wrong. May you have a pleasant passing with out worries. Warmly, Fred Plumer Read and share online here About the Author In 1986 Rev. Plumer was called to the Irvine United Congregational Church in Irvine, CA to lead a UCC new start church, where he remained until he retired in 2004. The church became known throughout the denomination as one of the more exciting and progressive mid-size congregations in the nation. He served on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC) for five years, and chaired the Commission for Church Development and Evangelism for three of those years. In 2006 Fred was elected President of ProgressiveChristianity.org (originally called The Center for Progressive Christianity – TCPC) when it’s founder Jim Adams retired. As a member of the Executive Council for TCPC he wrote The Study Guide for The 8 Points by which we define: Progressive Christianity. He has had several articles published on church development, building faith communities and redefining the purpose of the enlightened Christian Church. His book Drink from the Well is an anthology from speeches, articles in eBulletins, and numerous publications that define the progressive Christianity movement as it evolves to meet new challenges in a rapidly changing world. | | | | | | | | 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 Fourth Fundamental: Miracles and the Resurrection, Part III Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong August 15, 2007 In this series we first sought to identify the places in the Bible where miracles seem to appear in groups. There are only three: The Moses-Joshua cycle of stories, the Elijah-Elisha cycle and the Jesus-Apostles cycle. We then raised the question of whether there might be a connection between these three biblical collections. To destabilize the literal approach to the Bible, we noted that there is no evidence anywhere that we are able to locate that Jesus performed miracles until we come to the 8th decade writing of the earliest gospel, Mark. That means that it was at least forty years after the crucifixion before miracle stories appeared in the Jesus tradition. Next we examined the Moses miracle stories, which had to do with the power to change the world of nature. We then pointed out the many similarities between the nature miracles ascribed to Jesus and the nature miracles ascribed to Moses, concluding that these narratives may have been a deliberate attempt to interpret Jesus by magnifying Moses stories and retelling them about Jesus. A new pathway into the interpretive process is thus opened. Today we take the second step by looking at the cycle of miracle stories told about Elijah and Elisha. Here once again we find primarily accounts in which nature is manipulated to serve the needs of Israel, making them strongly reminiscent of Moses stories. Elijah and Elisha call down fire from heaven on their enemies, cause both rainfall and drought and both expand the food supply to prevent starvation. One healing story, however, does make its way into this cycle, the account of Naaman, the Syrian being cleansed of his leprosy by washing in the Jordan River. This is the first time that a personal healing miracle is recorded in the biblical story. It would be almost a century later before healing stories came to be a part of the thinking in the Jewish world, but when that happened it was not as miracles that happened in the here and now, but as signs that would accompany the coming of the anticipated Kingdom of God at the last day. That is, healing episodes entered the Jewish mindset on a regular basis only when they were associated with the end of the world or eschatology. This idea makes its first appearance in the Hebrew Scriptures in the writing of the prophet Isaiah who lived in the eighth century BCE about a hundred years after Elijah-Elisha. At that time the Assyrians were the dominant power in the Middle East. They had built a mighty army with horse drawn iron carriages providing history’s first “panzer divisions!” Their ruler Sennacherib was both a great military leader and a fearful tyrant. The Assyrians swept over all competition in the area. The opposing tribes fell one after another. In 721, after a pitiful attempt at resistance, the Northern Kingdom of Israel became one more victim of Assyrian power. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom fell, the king was executed and the people were marched off into captivity never to be heard of again. They simply disappeared into the DNA of the Middle East and became known as the “ten lost tribes of Israel.” The little kingdom of Judah seeing the hopelessness of their situation and, in large measure under the influence of Isaiah the prophet, accepted vassal status instead of resisting. Isaiah seems to have been of a royal family and he clearly served as an advisor to several kings much like Bernard Baruch of a generation ago who served several presidents from Roosevelt to Eisenhower or in our time David Gergen who served Presidents Nixon, Ford, Bush and Clinton. With half of the Jewish nation gone forever, and the other half now an Assyrian puppet with no realistic hope of ever being independent again, the people of Israel no longer seemed to expect God’s vindication inside history. Now they began to dream about the end of the world when the Kingdom of God would dawn. Isaiah, in the 35th chapter of his book, spelled out the signs that would announce the coming of the Kingdom of God. You will know that the Kingdom of God has arrived when the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap and the mute sing, he wrote. It was a powerful image and it became part of Jewish messianic thinking, later becoming one of the ways through which the gospel writers interpreted Jesus of Nazareth. To understand how this passage from Isaiah shaped the gospel story is insightful. In both the gospels of Matthew and Luke, we are told that John the Baptist, who was in prison, began to despair that he might perish before the Kingdom, about which he had preached, actually arrived. As these gospels tell that story, Jesus was the object of the Baptist’s hopes and now perhaps he was also the cause of his despair. So they portray John the Baptist as sending messengers to Jesus with a simple question, “Are you the one who should come (i.e. the messiah) or do we look for another?” These gospels say that Jesus did not answer that question directly. Rather he told the messengers to return to John and tell him what they saw and heard. Then Jesus quoted directly and specifically from Isaiah 35. That is, Jesus claimed that the signs of the Kingdom’s arrival were present in him: the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk and the mute sing. Then Jesus was said to have added two other details to Isaiah’s list that reflected quite specifically Christian values, “The dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” The synoptic gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke depict Jesus as being surrounded by and even causing these signs of the Kingdom. There were the stories of the blind man from Bethsaida, whose blindness was healed in stages, and of Blind Bartimaus, the son of Timaus, who received his sight. There were stories about Jesus restoring hearing to the deaf, about Jesus loosing the tongue of the mute so that they could speak and stories about Jesus making the lame, the paralytic and the withered capable of walking. The point of this brief analysis is to suggest that the miracle stories that involve healing might well not be accounts of remembered supernatural deeds that Jesus did at all. It suggests that by treating them as literal stories we have badly misinterpreted the gospel writers’ intentions. The more probable explanation of the healing miracles is that when the gospel writers began to interpret Jesus as the messiah who came to inaugurate the Kingdom of God, they wrapped these signs of the Kingdom around his memory. The Jewish audiences for whom the gospels were originally written would have recognized the words of Isaiah that lay behind these narratives. If these stories were added to the tradition by these gospel writers as a way to identify him with the expected messiah, it would be easy to understand why there were no miracle stories in any earlier source, Paul, Q or Thomas, the only three sources that anyone suggests might have been prior to earlier the gospels. If you have journeyed with me this far, one final thing needs to be done. We must look deeply and critically at these miracle stories and ask what kind of blindness or deafness it was that Jesus actually cured? Is it the physical blindness or deafness of those whose eyes do not see or whose ears do not hear? Or is it the spiritual blindness of those who have eyes to see but see not, those who have ears to hear and hear not? Is Jesus talking about sight or insight, hearing or understanding? To focus this question look, for example, at the story of the blind man from Bethsaida, whose seeing is cured in stages. A close reading of Mark’s context makes us wonder whether Mark actually intended this to be a miracle story. I see it, rather, as a parable about the life of Peter. Please be aware that Peter hailed from Bethsaida, and that Mark’s gospel has, prior to this story, just told us that at Caesarea Philippi Peter had identified Jesus with the expected messiah, by naming him ‘the Christ.’ As that story continued, however, Jesus began to explain that the messianic role, which he was claiming, had to be lived out through the pathway of suffering and death. That was a concept Peter was not willing to accept and so Peter said: “No, No, Jesus that is not what messiah will be,” revealing that he did not really see. His sight had to be restored in stages. Indeed the gospels are clear that Peter was destined both to deny Jesus and forsake him before he would see. So my conclusion is that Peter was the blind man from Bethsaida. This would mean that it was a very different kind of blindness about which Jesus was concerned. It may also have been a very different kind of deafness, crippled status and an inability to speak the truth that was the real meaning of the miracles. Are miracles understood as supernatural interventions necessary to the Christ story? I clearly do not think so. Paul apparently did not think so. The world we live in today does not operate on the basis of miracles. Ours is an ordered world, not a chaotic world. There is, however, a force that is driving this world toward life, wholeness and, dare I say, toward God? God is the love that heals, that expands, that binds up our wounds, that sets us free to be. This is the God we meet in Jesus. That is why the disciples of Jesus who composed the first gospels claimed for him the role of messiah and then added to his life story healings, that were first introduced in the Elisha cycle and then later portrayed as the signs that Isaiah said would mark the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God. We misread them as literal events, rather than what they are, interpretive signs. Do miracles happen today? Do prayers get answered by an intervening deity in miraculous ways? Something deep in us yearns to believe that, but such ideas have lost their credibility in our world. What has not lost credibility is that the God, who is the source of all our life, infuses life with the power to transcend our limits. The God who is the Source of love expands our capacity to love and thus to become more human, more loving, more whole. God who is the ground of being gives us the courage to be all that we can be. This is the God that people claimed they saw in Jesus. When we experience this God we do see, we do hear, our lameness gives way to wholeness and our tongues are loosed to speak of truth far beyond its normal limits. Others might call this a miracle. I call it entering the experience of God, which is the same thing as entering the fullness of your humanity. ~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements | | | A Virtual Journey of Mastery™ 9 Steps to fully experience the Awakened Master you are. Summer Journey – July 2 – September 3, 2019 In a select group of Awakened Masters, you experience a powerful 9-step process to: * Identify and align with your life’s purpose * Achieve the goals most important to you * Liberate yourself from limitations READ ON ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Global Buzz reminder
by ICA International 29 May '19

29 May '19

Reminder for entries This reminder is for the Global Buzz that will be published June 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 juin 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 junio 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.

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Rick Stanley's Completed Life
by Mari Crocker 27 May '19

27 May '19

Dear Colleagues, Those of you who are related to “second generation” OE members likely already have learned the sad news about Rick Stanley’s passing on May 22nd. His Mom, our dear colleague Anna, had just arrived at our home in Wells for a visit when she received the news. Rick experienced a heart attack while at his workplace in North Carolina a few days earlier, and the family sent his sister, Denise, to immediately travel from Maine to be at his side. Please hold his Rick’s parents, Anna and Dick Stanley, in your thoughts and prayers as they drive to North Carolina early next week; and also give thanks for the unconditional love Denise Stanley has consistently showered on her brother (and so many others.) As Joe Crocker would say, “The Mystery gives, the Mystery takes away. Blessed be the Mystery in our lives.” Grace, peace and love, Marilyn Crocker

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REMEMBERING Sally Stoval (Emerick).docx
by Sherwood Shankland 24 May '19

24 May '19

Hey Dick - here are the notes that arrived via the OE List in the past few days. So many of us are with you in spirit on Saturday as you celebrate Sally's amazing, unrepeatable, well lived life and her completed journey among us. (Share the attachment as you see fit.) Blessings as you breath in and breath out in gratitude on Saturday. In Peace, Sherwood Remembering Sally Stoval .on behalf of all of us who are struggling with this one taken so soon. Lynda Sally Stovall was an amazing woman. She walked her talk as a founder of Green Community Connections and as a founding member of the One Earth Film Fest. both huge undertakings, and are successful, due in large part to Sally's work. Beret and Paul I am shocked and saddened to hear that Sally has passed away. It was such a pleasure to reconnect with her, and you Dick during my time on the ICA Board of Directors. Her passion and exuberance was always reflected in her radiant smile. May you and her close loved ones find Peace in your grief. Joyce Sloan Oh my, my, my. how our journeys fly, fly, fly. Sally's death is a jolt. I had not known of her illness, so I was caught off guard by the news. Dick you have been so very lucky to have Sally as a spirit buddy in your 'silver sneakers' years. Her captivating smile invited conversation and beamed affirmation. She is greatly missed as I'm sure you already know. Blessings in these days of grief and reflection, and on the road ahead. Grace and Peace, Sherwood and Eunice. "The new woman--what does she look like? Strangely enough, she doesn't look like anybody. We are never again going to be able to have one figure who holds for us what it means to be a woman. ... All kinds of new images are coming, but no single encompassing image. This is part of the complexity of the 20th century. ... If you want to know what the new woman looks like, just turn and look. She is seated right beside you. She is already here." LaDona Wagner (Donna McCleskey) For me, Sally, like so many on this list, lived the journey and challenge of "The New Woman" that has so deeply affected our planet and energized our lives over the last 3/4 of a century. I am more than grateful. Celebrate and memorialize her life on Saturday. Sing loud songs from full and broken hearts, Eat together, flavorful and nutritious foods. Remember Sally well. Jim Weigel We will remember Sally this weekend Dick and to all her dear family and friends, we send our loving sympathy. In peace and love, Isobel Bishop. Dick, my heart is with you and all who knew and loved Sally. Blessings as you celebrate her this weekend. Love, Sunny I was so sorry to hear of Sally's death. I stand with you as you celebrate her unique unrepeatable life. Joan Knutson Dear Dick, I am so very sorry to hear of Sally's passing. I mourn and also celebrate her full and creative life. God bless you. Nancy Trask Dear Dick, I am surprised and saddened of Sally's passing. Thinking of you and all your family relations as we celebrate her completed life. Elsa and Addi Batica We join you and the family in celebrating Sally's amazing life. I am grateful for the times when we were together and I got to know her humor and gentle determination. Jan Sanders What a legacy Sally leaves in Chicago with her dedication to the ever expanding creation of the Environmental Film Festival for all of Chicagoland. This model was a real awakenment event for the many beyond the usual "preaching to the choir" in Chicago's 77 neighborhoods, educating thousands over the several years. There are many who are looking at what Sally and you have done as a model for their own communities. She has demonstrated a very Trans-Establishment pioneering miracle. I'm so grateful that I had a chance to meet and tour some of Chicago's gardens with her last year when I was in Chicago. Our care and prayers for you and for Sally's family with two very close family losses. Grace and Peace, Lynda and John Cock We live in the Word and we die in the Word. Sally was a beloved colleague and a powerful presence. Her life is pronounced good and complete. May we hold her in our hearts as well as Dick and the other members of her family. I miss her. And the Community says Amen. Grace and Peace, and Love. Jack Gilles

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Fwd: Sally
by Richard Alton 24 May '19

24 May '19

Dear Friends and Colleagues, Sally Stovall (Emerick) passed away today at 4:27pm with her sister, daughter, and friends. There will be a memorial service this Saturday, May 25th at 3pm, Euclid Av. UMC, Oak Park, Illinois followed by a meal. All are welcomed to help celebrate a life well lived Thanks, Dick -- Richard H. T. Alton One Earth Film Fest ( OEFF) Green Community Connections Interfaith Green Network T: 773.344.7172 richard.alton(a)gmail.com **Save the Date! One Earth Film Festival 2019, March 1-10* http:www.oneearthfilmfestival.org Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2 -- Richard H. T. Alton One Earth Film Fest ( OEFF) Green Community Connections Interfaith Green Network T: 773.344.7172 richard.alton(a)gmail.com **Save the Date! One Earth Film Festival 2019, March 1-10* http:www.oneearthfilmfestival.org Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2

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Re: [Oe List ...] Fwd: Sally
by Ellie Stock 24 May '19

24 May '19

Dear Richard, You and Sally's family are in our prayers. We give thanks for Sally--for her passionate service for care and justice. We are grateful we were able to be together briefly in DC in 2017 for the Climate Justice March and worship Westminster PC with Marie Sharpe. We will be with you in spirit as you gather together Saturday to celebrate the gift of her life. Grace and peace, Carleton and Ellieelliestock(a)aol.com -----Original Message----- From: Richard Alton via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> To: ica-dialogue <ica-dialogue(a)igc.topica.com>; Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Cc: Richard Alton <richard.alton(a)gmail.com> Sent: Tue, May 21, 2019 06:47 PM Subject: [Oe List ...] Fwd: Sally Dear Friends and Colleagues, Sally Stovall (Emerick) passed away today at 4:27pm with her sister, daughter, and friends. There will be a memorial service this Saturday, May 25th at 3pm, Euclid Av. UMC, Oak Park, Illinois followed by a meal. All are welcomed to help celebrate a life well lived Thanks, Dick -- Richard H. T. AltonOne Earth Film Fest ( OEFF)Green Community ConnectionsInterfaith Green NetworkT: 773.344.7172richard.alton(a)gmail.com*Save the Date! One Earth Film Festival 2019, March 1-10http:www.oneearthfilmfestival.org Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2 -- Richard H. T. AltonOne Earth Film Fest ( OEFF)Green Community ConnectionsInterfaith Green NetworkT: 773.344.7172richard.alton(a)gmail.com*Save the Date! One Earth Film Festival 2019, March 1-10http:www.oneearthfilmfestival.org Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2_______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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