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Remembering a Child of Grace
by Dawn Collins 07 Feb '19

07 Feb '19

I offer this homage to a young woman whom I met infrequently during her childhood and also as a teenager. I give thanks for meeting Michaela even then as a youthful being of energy, wonder, poise and curiosity. She was ready to share with the world her unique and unrepeatable gifts and selfhood for which she will continue to be remembered in a moment and over a lifetime. Mark, Catherine, and Vida, may your memories be sweet as you journey together and await that day to arrive when you will meet again your precious Michaela, a child of Grace. Grace and Peace, Dawn Collins303 388 1454 We love the Creator/Source because the Source/Creator loved us first.- 1 John 4:19

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Re: [Oe List ...] Some reflections from Shadow Rock Church -- one ofthe founders was interviewed recently
by Zoe Barley 06 Feb '19

06 Feb '19

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Global Buzz February
by ICA International 06 Feb '19

06 Feb '19

Enjoy catching up with what is happening in ICAs across the globe.... Global Buzz Report: February 2019 Click above or copy and paste this URL into your browser's address bar http://globalbuzz.icai-archives.org/7dayreport-18/2019-02-01.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

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Re: [Oe List ...] Some reflections from Shadow Rock Church -- one ofthe founders was interviewed recently
by Ellie Stock 06 Feb '19

06 Feb '19

Thanks, Marshall--sounds good to me. This has been our main focus through the church (local congregation, presbytery, and PCUSA) and local community since "retirement" from the full time pastorate seven years ago. Most denominations have programs moving in this direction, if congregations dare use them and connect/network with other churches and groups in a wider movement. Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com -----Original Message----- From: W. J. via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Cc: W. J. <synergi(a)yahoo.com> Sent: Wed, Feb 6, 2019 11:29 AM Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Some reflections from Shadow Rock Church -- one ofthe founders was interviewed recently In response to Wiegel's 4 categories of church history:Early period -- clarity on the word about lifeMedieval period -- being the glue of societyReformation -- being the prophet and priestNow (or then, as in the last century) -- social pioneer Each of these foci was the leading edge of mission in its era, but each built on the 'ground' of the previous expressions/self-understandings of the PoG.So, if the O:E was called to create a leading edge of mission in the 20th century--or up until 2007--what form of the PoG is now being called into being?One guess: some 'thing' that focuses on global ecological transformation to envision and create a sustainable and equitable ecosystem with justice for all living beings--including future generations.And that's about all I can come up with @ age 78.Marshall On Wednesday, February 6, 2019, 6:07:48 AM PST, H. A. Tillinghast via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: May someone in his eighties retell the story of the church coming out of the last 25 years of biblical research.I First two centuries: Jesus movement struggles in its empire context to define the Kingdom as an alternative.II Constantine buys rights to “Christianity” and institutionalizes it to legitimize empire.III Church today again struggles to return to becoming a movement in midst of a global empire that now threatens the viability of the whole planet. Bud TillinghastLCXile Several Sources:“The Roman Empire and the New Testament” Warren Carter“God and Empire” J D Crossan“Everything Must Change” Brian McLaren“This Changes Everything” Naomi Klein On 6 Feb 2019, at 5:35 am, Richard Alton via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: That is great for somebody inn their 70sDick On Tue, Feb 5, 2019 at 10:09 PM James Wiegel via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Thanks for adding in, Troy. I found myself thinking about the old EI "story" of history of the Church (hmm, would be RS-IIc -- how's that for random memory access??) Early period -- clarity on the word about lifeMedieval period -- being the glue of societyReformation -- being the prophet and priestNow (or then, as in the last century) -- social pioneer I am thinking, in a local congregation, you don't have the option to just go for social pioneer, it cannot last ( Have to balance all 4 -- clarity on the word, being the glue of society, prophet/priest, social pioneer (this comment may not be at all relevant or clear, but, hey, I'm in my 70's -- 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 On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 4:30:37 PM MST, Troy Jarvis via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: I’m not acquainted with Jack, but think you are mishearing what the pastor is saying, which leads to what seems like you are questioning him. I am quite certain what his response would be to your questions (since I do know him), but you can ask him yourself through ShadowRock web site. He would not take offense. BTW, ShadowRock has been a sanctuary church for several years and Ken and others go down to ICE offices monthly for a gathering to let them know they are being “watched.” Ken has been pastor for, I believe, 11 years now. I share Jim’s concerns for existential Christianity. I trust the existential will always find a way. Troy Jarvis Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Jack Gilles via OE Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2019 1:59 PM To: OE Listserve Cc: Jack Gilles Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Some reflections from Shadow Rock Church -- one ofthe founders was interviewed recently I watched the video. Very good, but I take it this is the new pastor. His comment about “as long as the action doesn’t break the law” really hit me. What does he say about the sit-ins of the civil rights movement? How would he explain Bonhoeffer’s decision to kill Hitler? What makes the law (he says of the establishment) make breaking it a taboo? I wish she would have given back the image of the Trans-establishment. Gene Marshall has a wonderful diagram and statement on that. I worry about the future for that church. Jack On Feb 4, 2019, at 09:28, Jean Long via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Hi Jim - Did you actually go to Shadow Rock and talk to them or was this conversation something you found along the way? Jean On Thu, Jan 31, 2019 at 1:53 PM Linda and Milan Hamilton via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Thanks Jim, if I were to go back to the institutional church that is the kind of group I would be a part of. And it being a part of my old denomination struck me. My second choice would be Redlands UCC, in our town, which has not quite the intentional history but close. But I am in the bleachers cheering them on and doing my best to stay grounded in the Way Life Is. MM Sent from my iPad On Jan 31, 2019, at 11:33 AM, James Wiegel <jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com> wrote: North Phoenix. Remember the RS-1 worship intro about architecture? The building is shaped as a wedgeblade and the front is floor to ceiling windows looking out on the world. Wedgeblade instead of a cross. Shadow Rock UCC | | | | | Shadow Rock UCC | | | | 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 On Thursday, January 31, 2019, 12:29:54 PM MST, Linda and Milan Hamilton <lindaandmilan(a)gmail.com> wrote: Well that was a trip back to some good old 20th century grounding. A church actually basing it’s life on RS1 and evolving as a “social pioneer.” Where is Shadow Rock church? Sent from my iPad On Jan 31, 2019, at 11:25 AM, John C via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Thanks much, Jim. A fine 30” dialogue between ministers relative to foundational operating images of Shadow Rock Church then in 1970s and today. Notice that the wedge blade still stands. John and Lynda C. From: OE <oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of James Wiegel via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Reply-To: Jim Wiegel <jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com>, Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Date: Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 1:32 PM To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net>, Colleague Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net>, Judith Wiegel <judithwiegel(a)yahoo.com> Cc: Jim Wiegel <jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [Oe List ...] Some reflections from Shadow Rock Church -- one of the founders was interviewed recently Our Covenant: We covenant one with another to be that sensitive and responsive part of human society which perceives and responds to God’s newest thrust in the midst of history. The uniqueness and greatness of every life is radically affirmed. Our task together demands a comprehensive view of life, always pointed intentionally to the future. Our life together involves us individually and corporately in study and worship, always maintaining a proper balance between proclamation of the Word about life with the deeds which make life good. Those activities which eliminate age barriers, cut across religious dogma, reduce cultural parochialisms, and engage secular people with life’s ultimate possibilities will be worthy of our best efforts. Conversation with Rev. Robin Krieder | | | | | | | | | | | Conversation with Rev. Robin Krieder Shadow Rock Conversation with Rev. Robin Krieder. Rev. Krieder speaks about the founding of Shadow Rock and the ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Conversation with Rev. Robin Krieder Shadow Rock Conversation with Rev. Robin Krieder. Rev. Krieder speaks about the founding of Shadow Rock and the ... | | | 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 _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net -- 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 _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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Bob & Muriel Griffin's new book
by Nancy Trask 04 Feb '19

04 Feb '19

Dear friends & colleagues, I may have missed an earlier publishing announcement of "Journey On" by Muriel C. Griffin & Robert A. Griffin, (c) the authors, 2018. I'm fortunate that they sent me their Christmas letter & noticed it there. "Journey On" is filled with stories & photos of their lives, and that of their 5 daughters/families. Their journey has taken them from Iowa to Liberia & eventually to ICA assignments in 5th City, OKC, Tokyo, HK, Osaka, S. Korea, Edmonton, WDC, back to IA, and then MA. They have created meaningful definitions of mission & family & community life on their amazing journey & now also new definitions of "retirement." I got my copy from Amazon yesterday & have already spent more than 8 hours enjoying it. My heartfelt thanks to Muriel & Bob & their daughters for their amazing life-work, and for this wonderful book of story-telling. Nancy Trask 515-505-0456 nancy50273(a)centurylink.net

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FW: Preschool Mindfulness Summit: Day 1 Interview Links for Today!
by Lynda C 03 Feb '19

03 Feb '19

Kaira Lingo will be presenting at 12:00 EST today at the Summit. And will be available for 24 hours free. For $99 one can have all presentations and materials for access for one year. From: <helenmaffini.activehosted.com(a)s2.asa1.acemsd4.com> on behalf of MindBE Education <info(a)mindbe-education.com> Date: Monday, January 28, 2019 at 6:11 AM To: Lynda & John Cock <lynda860(a)outlook.com> Subject: Preschool Mindfulness Summit: Day 1 Interview Links for Today! [https://helenmaffini.imgus11.com/public/7b9a6e17a7be14a6c365ba6402f49cb5.pn…] Hello Lynda, Today is Day 1 of the Preschool Mindfulness Summit! You will find the links below that you need to access today's interviews. [cid:image004.png@01D4B6F9.EC2310E0]Join our Facebook Group to ask questions and share insights! <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> Remember: each interview will only go live at the specified time, and they will only be available for 24 hours. All times listed are EST. DAY 1 - Jan 28: Preschool Positive Learning 9:00 AM EST Helen Maffini Opening Remarks<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> https://www.preschoolmindfulnesssummit.com/helen-maffini-opening-remark19<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> 10:00 AM EST Rick Hanson, Ph.D. Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strenght, and Happiness<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> https://www.preschoolmindfulnesssummit.com/rick-hanson19<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> 11:00 AM EST Lynea Gillen Developing Children's Imagination, Strength and Personal Gifts<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> https://www.preschoolmindfulnesssummit.com/lynea-gillen19<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> 12:00 PM EST Kaira Jewel Lingo <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> Pebble Meditation: Teaching Happiness and Peace to Preschoolers<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> https://www.preschoolmindfulnesssummit.com/kaira-jewel-lingo19<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> 1:00 PM EST Adam Avin Wuf Shanti- A Boy On a Mission<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> https://www.preschoolmindfulnesssummit.com/adam-avin19<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> 2:00 PM EST Dr. Leila Masson Tips on Calming your Preschooler: Nutrition and Lifestyle<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> https://www.preschoolmindfulnesssummit.com/leila-masson19<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> 3:00 PM EST Jenny Mills Mindfulness for Teachers: Putting on our Own Oxygen Masks First!<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> https://www.preschoolmindfulnesssummit.com/jenny-mills19<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> Don't have time to watch today's interviews? No problem! The All-Access Pass is only US$99 until the end of today, then it increases to US$129! We will give you one-year access to a membership site where all the interviews are stored, so you can watch them 24/7/365 for the next year. Catch any presentations you missed and consume the material at your own pace! Not only that you get cool bonuses like PDF books Act of Kindness and Breathe and lots of printable materials you can use at home or school! Every summit purchase supports ABCs and Rice a Cambodian NGO educating and feeding children. [cid:image005.png@01D4B6F9.EC2310E0]GET ACCESS FOR A YEAR <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> Kindly, Helen Maffini Director http://www.mindbe-education.com<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> P.S. Want to purchase the Preschool Mindfulness Curriculum? Includes 30 lessons, video tutorials, teachers guide, pintables, Facebook support group and more. Join for a special price of only US$149 during the summit including lifelong upgrades! [cid:image006.png@01D4B6F9.EC2310E0]Purchase Preschool Mindfulness Curriculum <http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> Be the change you wish to see in the world —Gandhi Click here to update your info<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/lt.php?s=84099ec958cadd77a131d8c4aba8f1a9&i…> | Unsubscribe<http://helenmaffini.acemlna.com/proc.php?nl=43&c=219&m=328&s=84099ec958cadd…> MindBE Education, PO BOX 003204, EC Almancil, 8135999 Almancil, Portugal, Portugal

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Re: [Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Bob & Muriel Griffin's new book
by John C 02 Feb '19

02 Feb '19

“Journey Reflection” blog post coming up again soon to further dialogue with Muriel and Bob Griffin's new book “Journey On” of 264 pages and umpteen pics. What an awesome journey book! Do reach in and grab one of their books while you can. Namaste. John and Lynda From: Dialogue <dialogue-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of Muriel Griffin via Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Reply-To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Date: Friday, February 1, 2019 at 4:13 PM To: Order Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net>, Colleague Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Cc: B&M Griffin <murielcgriffin2(a)hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Bob & Muriel Griffin's new book Thank you Nancy, You were another part of our journey that we enjoyed; I remember the drama and corporate life with you in OKC and the times spent with you in Madison County, Iowa. Thanks for the memories. Love, Muriel ________________________________ From: Dialogue <dialogue-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of Nancy Trask via Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Sent: Friday, February 1, 2019 2:53 PM To: Order Community; Colleague Dialogue Cc: Nancy Trask Subject: [Dialogue] Bob & Muriel Griffin's new book Dear friends & colleagues, I may have missed an earlier publishing announcement of "Journey On" by Muriel C. Griffin & Robert A. Griffin, (c) the authors, 2018. I'm fortunate that they sent me their Christmas letter & noticed it there. "Journey On" is filled with stories & photos of their lives, and that of their 5 daughters/families. Their journey has taken them from Iowa to Liberia & eventually to ICA assignments in 5th City, OKC, Tokyo, HK, Osaka, S. Korea, Edmonton, WDC, back to IA, and then MA. They have created meaningful definitions of mission & family & community life on their amazing journey & now also new definitions of "retirement." I got my copy from Amazon yesterday & have already spent more than 8 hours enjoying it. My heartfelt thanks to Muriel & Bob & their daughters for their amazing life-work, and for this wonderful book of story-telling. Nancy Trask 515-505-0456 nancy50273(a)centurylink.net _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net

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1/31/19, Progressing Spirit: Syrdal: Wild Christ, Wild Earth, Wild Self: Spong revisited
by Ellie Stock 31 Jan '19

31 Jan '19

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!important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv9560659431 #yiv9560659431templateBody .yiv9560659431mcnTextContent, #yiv9560659431 #yiv9560659431templateBody .yiv9560659431mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;} }@media screen and (max-width:480px){ #yiv9560659431 #yiv9560659431templateFooter .yiv9560659431mcnTextContent, #yiv9560659431 #yiv9560659431templateFooter .yiv9560659431mcnTextContent p{ font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;} } The evolutionary goal of both the universe and humanity are inextricably bound together | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Wild Christ, Wild Earth, Wild Self | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Guest Author Rev. Matthew Syrdal January 31, 2019 “But now I see you: wind, woods and water/roaring at the rim of Christendom.” – Rainer Maria Rilke Rilke poetically gives voice to a longing and lament, a sense of both awe and terror I want to explore for a moment. What we perceive as this seismic collapse of Christendom, our fractured institutional ways of self-organizing in Western culture — and perhaps even ecological disaster — is in some ways a necessary part of the comprehensive change of consciousness that is upon us. Many mainline church Pastors that I have spoken with or coached have experienced burn-out and disillusionment — an ominous foreboding, that like Lewis and Clark, we don’t have the necessary equipment for this next stage of the journey. The truth is, our problem has never been a lack of ‘knowledge’ as such, rather we have become dissociated in our human experience from the natural world. We lack a more intimate, experiential knowledge of Self, God and the World that is at the same time participatory, unified with the cosmos, and wildly alive. I am speaking of a somatic, intuitive and imaginal relationship with landscapes, seasons and deeper Earth processes themselves. What I am advocating for in this article is a perceptual shift, in our human modalities of relating to a living universe which is itself rooted in the Mystery and of Mystery — a wild discipleship, an apprenticeship. “To say that the root of every person and creature is in God, rather than opposed to God,” Newell confesses, “has enormous implications for how we view ourselves, including our deepest physical, sexual, and emotional energies” (J.P. Newell, Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation, 13). When Carl Jung said we are living ‘between myths’, he meant we are living in an age severed from a storied relationship with a Sacred world, in particular the more-than-human world of rivers and canyons, coyotes and birdsong, fungi and old-growth forests. Thomas Berry wrote, in The Great Work, "The universe was the world of meaning… the basic referent in social order, in economic survival, in the healing of illness… The drum, heartbeat of the universe itself, established the rhythm of dance, whereby humans entered into the entrancing movement of the natural world… That the human had such intimate rapport with the surrounding universe was possible only because the universe itself had a prior intimate rapport with the human as the maternal source from whence humans come into being and are sustained in existence… we, the peoples of the industrialized world, no longer live in a universe.” (Italics mine. The Great Work, 14) In Biblical terms, what we need are new wineskins. What has been missing from the traditional Christian sense of the imago Dei is what Berry termed the inscendent dimension of what theologians have termed divine perichoresis, or ‘sacred dance’ — the depth dimension of what Bill Plotkin calls the realm of soul. One might say that soul is not our ‘essential center’ or even animating principle as such, but rather our unique psycho-ecological purpose and place in the world. Soul’s purpose is much deeper than role, or religious vocation. The soul speaks in revelatory vision. It awakens us to a numinous world only discovered through the pan-human journey of psychospiritual descent. The apostle Paul captures this intertwining arc of destiny: “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed… in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:19-23). Paul is not just speaking of the creation metaphorically as our mother. Rather he is offering a profound insight that is both mystical and ordinary. It is an insight of cosmic intimacy – in a very real sense we are engaged in a courtship with the world in which we participate, a courtship expressed through the deep perceptions and movements of the soul. This includes a recovery of the divine feminine including the erotic energies which celebrate full bodied life to the fullest of all creatures and bioranges, By virtue of our creaturely humanity, and our capacities of soul, the depths of our inner nature is rooted in a greater conversation with the whole realm of nature itself. (Syrdal, The Indigenous Christ). It is as if the universe itself longs for our awakening. Perhaps this is the dreamworld meaning of Jesus’ parable, the Pearl of Great Price. Ancients across all cultures have attempted to explain this mystery. For the Aborigines it is The Dreaming, for the Greeks, the Anima Mundi. For Christians this dynamic depth dimension of the universe, the imago Dei, in which humans participate in a unique way became lost in translation. What I submit, is that the evolutionary goal of both the universe and humanity are inextricably bound together, and in order to discover our planetary role and calling we must reconnect to the deep wisdom of nature, an experience of the Indigenous Christ. It’s true, the word indigenous refers to something growing, living or occurring naturally in a particular region or or ecosystem. Indigenous originates from the latin indu meaning “within” and gignere meaning “to beget.” In other words, something is indigenous when it is born from within. This definition applies to that which is human in origin, or aboriginal, and of natural origin in the cosmos itself, with the implication that it has not been introduced from somewhere else. The mystical creation poetry of John chapter 1 speaks of this primordial begetting from within, “The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him…” (John 1:9-11) This means that incarnation is native to the human species — but we have forgotten, we fail to “recognize” — an undercurrent theme of the gospels. The Self, which is much larger than our conscious life, is rooted in the soil of a deeper memory and grounded in the imagination of the world itself. The miracle and mystery of being human is that we are actually incarnated beings, we are native to the cosmos, indigenous to the Earth — we belong. Original Belonging and Exile are twin themes that are patterned into the myth of the Garden, the most ancient stratum of Hebrew experience (and any indigenous people who are displaced from their land). David Abram writes “The Jewish sense of exile was never merely a state of separation from a specific locale, from a particular ground; it was (and is) also a sense of separation from the very possibility of being placed, from the very possibility of being entirely at home.” (David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous, 196) There is a part of each of us that re-members a preverbal and instinctual relationship to the world and all things wild. That childhood (or child-like) part of us is originally animistic, it remembers when we experienced the world innocently as alive and pregnant with diverse meanings. This element and energy of ‘wildness,’ of which animals and children are an expression, participates in a small but integral way in the cosmogenesis of the universe itself. Through our full human participation in the wild world — we are an expression of that original ‘wildness’. Wildness is at the sacred root of all being, it is the human and more-than-human diversity of life in its own unique, authentic, spontaneous, and instinctive creative expression and energy that enables all creatures to find food and shelter, to give birth, to sing and dance. These meaning are not assigned to the natural world or projected onto it by humans. The world in actuality participates in its own a priori meaning by virtue of the universe’s capacity for self-differentiation, communion, and self-organizing autonomy (Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry, The Universe Story). This wild, indigenous aspect or dimension of the world in each of us, through the Self, I believe is our way back to becoming fully human again in a world that has gone mad with self-absorption and greed. This wild, indigenous one remembers of how to fully belong to the world, in a way that is life enhancing — that we might participate in the healing of the world. In memory of a poet and earth elder who has shaped so many lives — including my own — Mary Oliver, I ask, “What will you do with your one, wild, and precious life?” ~ Rev. Matthew Syrdal Read online here About the Author Reverend Matthew Syrdal M.Div, lives in the front range of Colorado with his beautiful family. Matt is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian church (USA), founder and lead guide of WilderSoul and Church of Lost Walls and co-founder of Seminary of the Wild. Matt speaks at conferences and guides immersive nature-based experiences around the country. In his years of studying ancient Christian Rites of Initiation, world religions, anthropology, rites-of-passage and eco- psychology Matt seeks to re-wild what it means to be human. His work weaves in myth and ceremony in nature as a way for people to enter into conversation with the storied world in which they are a part. Matt’s passion is guiding others in the discovery of “treasure hidden in the field” of their deepest lives cultivating deep wholeness and re-enchantment of the natural world to apprentice fully and dangerously to the kingdom of god. Matt has been coaching, and guiding since becoming a certified Wild Mind nature-based human development guide through the Animas Valley Institute and is currently training to become a soul initiation guide through the SAIP program. | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By Pat One suspects that some institutional churches are still AFRAID if reality demands that scriptures are not to be taken literally. Why? A: By Rev. Mark Sandlin Dear Pat, Put simply, we prefer the self-serving feelings of charity to the self-sacrificing realities of justice. Charity does help those in need, but only temporarily. Who it helps the most is those of us who have a need to help, who feel it is our calling to aid those in need. Charity lets us feel like we are doing something to respond to need in a world that is overwhelmed with people in need. There’s really no risk in it and people are usually very supportive of such efforts. Justice, on the other hand, is hard. It frequently requires a great deal of sacrifice and you probably aren’t going to get a lot of people cheering you along the way. Probably quite the opposite. So, most spiritual communities simply don’t do it. Justice looks like words of love put into action. Justice looks like activism and spiritual communities tend to shy away from that. Justice requires you to not make nice with abusive systems. It requires you to rock the boat a bit and to take a stand on issues that are frequently political hot buttons. For too many churches, that sounds very… well, un-Church like. Too many of us think being “church” means being liked and all that standing up for something means standing against something and we just don’t like the thought of people not liking us because of it. After all, why risk having our friends think we are being “too political” or have them think we aren’t a nice, polite, docile reflection of Jesus? Why? Because Jesus was not nice and docile – at least not the way people have come to think of him. He not only confronted systems of injustice, but he tried to teach us to do the same. He did it standing in the tradition of great prophets of Judaism who never failed to stand up against abuse of power. They risked everything. They frequently were run out of town or put to death for it. Maybe that’s what we’re afraid of – the proverbial crosses we’d have to bear. I’m not sure. I certainly don’t think it’s because we’d rather see ‘the least of these’ carry the overwhelming burdens of a society structured to benefit the wealthy, than to be thought of as anything less than “nice.” Maybe we just haven’t thought it through enough. Maybe we just need new leaders to stand up and say “philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary,” with the passion and prophetic voice that Dr. King once did. Then again, maybe WE are the new leaders. It is time for us to reclaim the place of prophetic voice in the midst of our struggling society. As the wealthiest of folk step on and abuse the poorest in our nation by co-opting our government (supposedly “for, of, and by the people”) through the voice and influence of the almighty dollar, we must reclaim our prophetic voice. We must not stop doing the necessary and much needed work of charity, but we also must not stop there. We must push on, risking ourselves, risking ridicule, risking our places of privilege, and reclaim the biblical and prophetic voice of justice. Because, you see, charity and justice? They are a matched set. It is time to let justice roll. ~ Rev. Mark Sandlin Read and share online here About the Author Rev. Mark Sandlin is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) from the South. He currently serves at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. He is a co-founder of The Christian Left. His blog, has been named as one of the “Top Ten Christian Blogs.” Mark received The Associated Church Press' Award of Excellence in 2012. His work has been published on "The Huffington Post," "Sojourners," "Time," "Church World Services," and even the "Richard Dawkins Foundation." He's been featured on PBS's "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly" and NPR's "The Story with Dick Gordon.” Follow Mark on Facebook and Twitter @marksandlin | | | | | | | | 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 Miracles VI: Bartimaeus and the Healing of the Man Born Blind Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December 6, 2006 In this continuing examination of the miracle stories found in the gospels, I turn this week to the second “sight to the blind” narrative in Mark (10: 46-52), the story of blind Bartimaeus. Then I will look briefly at the only Johannine account of a miraculous restoration of sight (John 9: 1-41). We will, I hope, begin to see that while there are six ‘sight to the blind’ stories in the gospels, four of them look like little more than a retelling of one of Mark’s two episodes. Matthew gives us two versions of the blind Bartimaeus story (9: 27-32 and 20: 29-34) and Luke gives us one (18:35-43). John’s single restoration of sight narrative, even though he uses elaborate language and enfolds his story inside the interpretive web of Johannine theology, is still nothing but a retelling of Mark’s first story of the blind man from Bethsaida. So the first thing a modern expositor of the gospels needs to embrace is that there appear to be only two original traditions behind these six presumed to be miraculous accounts. As I tried to show in the previous column on this subject, Mark’s first story about the blind man from Bethsaida is filled with hints that it is not a miracle story at all, but is rather a parable about Peter who, like the hero of this story, was also remembered as a blind man from Bethsaida who came to his ability to see only slowly by degrees. Today, I will look at all of the biblical versions of Mark’s second story about blind Bartimaeus, and then to complete this analysis of sight restoration miracles in the gospels, I will look at John’s single story, to demonstrate that it too is not a new episode but just another version of Mark’s account of the man from Bethsaida. In Mark’s gospel, the story of the healing of blind Bartimaeus is set in Jericho just before the Palm Sunday procession sweeps down into Jerusalem. That proximity is important to embrace since the healing of Bartimaeus seems to feed directly into the Palm Sunday events. The first thing about this story that we need to note is that this blind man’s name is peculiar. Mark calls him “Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus.” When that name is read by those who understand Hebrew, its strangeness becomes obvious. In the Hebrew language “bar” means son; so Bar-timaeus literally means ‘son of Timaeus.’ This means that Mark’s phrase, “Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus” is an odd redundancy. This man is described as sitting at the side of the road begging, when he learns that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. Emboldened, presumably by Jesus’ reputation as a healer, this blind man calls out to Jesus, using one of the popular messianic titles, “Son of David.” The idea that the messiah had to be the son of David, and thus the legitimate heir of David’s throne, had been a growing part of the Jewish expectations for some time. That theme would later inspire the genealogies of Matthew (1:1-16) and Luke (3:23-38), both of which were written to assert that Jesus was in the direct line of succession to the throne of King David. This “Son of David” designation also inspired what is surely the legendary tale of Jesus’ Bethlehem birthplace since that was the city of David and the messiah’s destiny as the “Son of David” seemed to imply that he had to be born in David’s place of birth. This idea entered the Jewish expectations in the words of Micah (5:4) in the eighth century BCE. Matthew quotes Micah to explain why Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem. Luke also alludes to Micah when he has the angels sing: “Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord.” The association of Jesus with King David is a theme that will gain much favor. This information alone ought to alert readers that perhaps this story is not a simple miracle story that has to be understood supernaturally. This story is in the service of the messianic claim that Jesus fulfills the expectation of being the heir to David’s throne. In Mark’s Bartimaeus story, we are told that when this blind man hears the procession moving toward Jerusalem and learns that it includes Jesus of Nazareth, he is encouraged to cry out. Perhaps we can assume that he has heard tales of healing power attributed to Jesus. We noted in the previous column on this subject that Isaiah had said that when the Kingdom of God dawns, it will be marked by the ability of the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk and the dumb to speak. This means that if Jesus was to be the messiah, healing power must be said to have marked his life. So this blind man, using a messianic title, cries out to Jesus as the “Son of David.” Mark tells us that those with Jesus rebuke him, ordering him to be silent. That too is a familiar gospel theme, suggesting that the in breaking Kingdom can actually be kept under wraps, if people try hard enough to suppress it. His disciples had also rebuked the children who sought to come to Jesus. In Luke’s version of Palm Sunday (19:28-48), the Pharisees ask Jesus to rebuke his disciples, who were saying of him, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” In that story, Jesus responded by saying that the Kingdom of God cannot be suppressed and that if the voices of the crowd were silenced, “the stones would immediately cry out.” Sensing that their rebuke of the blind man was not shared by Jesus, the people informed Bartimaeus that Jesus was asking for him. Mark records that the blind man threw off his cloak and with great exuberance, sprang to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My teacher, let me see again.” The blind man responded. To which Jesus simply affirmed that the request was granted, “Your faith has made you well,” Jesus said. The text then says, “Immediately he gained his sight and followed him on the way.” Since the next episode is the Palm Sunday Procession, presumably the blind man was part of the parade. A contrast is clearly being painted in the entire passion narrative between the blind who know they do not see and yearn to have sight and the blind who do not know that they do not see and who, therefore, do not seek sight. The blindness in this story may then not be physical blindness at all. Mark has already described Jesus as speaking to those who have “eyes to see but see not and ears to hear but hear not.” (8:18). To see the meaning of Jesus, one appears to need more than simple physical sight, perhaps this is a reference to insight, second sight or the ability to see underneath the obvious. The story of Bartimaeus is filled with this kind of meaning. The differences found in the versions in both Matthew and Luke also provide data that suggest that later generations tended to literalize into supernatural tales what were originally interpretative signs. Matthew, first of all, is clearly confused by the duplication of the names, “Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus.” He deals with this confusion by omitting the names altogether and assuming that there are two people not one in this episode. Other than this change, he is fairly faithful to the Marcan original. Luke reverts to Mark’s single blind man but he too deals with the confusion of Mark’s peculiar naming by omitting the name altogether, then he follows the story line faithfully. In Matthew’s earlier version of this same story (9:27-31), Matthew still has two blind men who use the title, “Son of David.” Jesus touches their eyes, gives them sight immediately and enjoins silence upon them. One wonders why Matthew essentially tells this same story twice. One note that might cast light on this debate comes with the realization that the Matthean version of blind Bartimaeus comes in his text long after Jesus tells John the Baptist that he should look at the messianic signs of wholeness that gather around him to answer his query about who Jesus is. Perhaps Matthew needed to include a sight to the blind story before that claim by Jesus made sense, so he related one version of this story before his messianic claim was made to John the Baptist and the second afterward. Everywhere one turns in the several versions of this story, they all appear to have been originally messianic interpretative narratives, which were slowly turned into being healing miracles. When we turn to the Johannine story, it is also clearly a sign of the messiahship of Jesus. The single blind man is described as having been blind from birth. The theological interpretation of that tragedy is debated. “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” Neither, Jesus says. He was born blind so that God could be manifested in him. Jesus next claims to be the “Light of the world” who enables all to see. Then spitting on the ground to make clay Jesus anoints the blind man’s eyes. Once again the healing was not instantaneous. He had to go and wash in the pool of Siloam first. Only then does he see. Then he becomes the subject of a great debate. People wonder how his eyes were opened. For one to see things that others do not see in the world of darkness is threatening to the religious establishment so they excommunicate him from the synagogue. Since this man’s sight did not come through the established religious authority, it has to be evil. That was the conclusion of the “blind” ecclesiastical hierarchy. The story concludes with Jesus asking the now-seeing man, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” The man responds, “Who is it Lord that I might believe?” Jesus then overtly makes the divine claim for himself and the man worships him. John concludes this narrative with the words that seem to make it clear that this is not a supernatural miracle at all; it was about the people’s ability to see light in the world’s darkness; truth in the world’s distortion of truth: “I came so that those who see not might see and those who see might be made blind.” When the texts of the gospels are looked at deeply enough, they do not appear to be supernatural tales that defy the laws of the universe at all. Rather they are interpretative signs by which people processed the Christ experience. Thus, to read the miracle stories of the gospels as supernatural events is not only wrong, it is actually a distortion of the original intention of the gospel writers. It is a pity that literalists do not understand this. Our study of miracles will continue in the weeks ahead. So stay tuned. ~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements | | | How to Relax Your Ego with Miranda Macpherson ***FREE*** Online Event: February 6, 2019 * Open to the grace that lives at the very heart of your being * Receive the spiritual nourishment of a grace-filled life * Welcome every moment as an opportunity to invite grace into your life * Relax your ego and welcome the grace of Divine Presence Click here for more information/registration ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Global Buzz reminder
by ICA International 29 Jan '19

29 Jan '19

Reminder for entries This reminder is for the Global Buzz that will be published February 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 février 2019 (S'il vous plaît envoyez vos entrées au moins un jour à l'avance) Veuillez envoyer toutes vos entrées maintenant par courriel ordinaire à : inform(a)ica-international.org avec votre entrée comme un attatchment. Envoyer les détails des articles de nouvelles, des programmes de formation, vos connexions peer to peer avec d'autres CIAS, de toute préoccupation que vous pourriez avoir et de tous les événements qui sont à venir à votre emplacement. Votre rapport peut être longue ou courte, mais rappelez-vous que toutes les autres CIAS aimerait vraiment savoir à propos de choses qui importe où vous êtes et ce que vous faites comme une ICA. Recordatorio de las entradas Este aviso es para el Global Buzz que se publicarán 5 febrero 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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1/24/19, Progressing Spirit: The Church is Dying Because of Graying – But Not Why You Think
by Ellie Stock 24 Jan '19

24 Jan '19

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!important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6725855302 h4{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6725855302 .yiv6725855302mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent, #yiv6725855302 .yiv6725855302mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templatePreheader{display:block !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templatePreheader .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent, #yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templatePreheader .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templateHeader .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent, #yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templateHeader .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templateBody .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent, #yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templateBody .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templateFooter .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent, #yiv6725855302 #yiv6725855302templateFooter .yiv6725855302mcnTextContent p{font-size:12px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} This is simply about the church (remember, the people are the church) . | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Church is Dying Because of Graying – But Not Why You Think | | | | | | | | | | Essay by Rev.Mark Sandlin on January 24, 2019I often joke that I’m a pretty good minister, but not a very good Presbyterian minister. That being said, I am undeniably Presbyterian. So, on the weekends when I’m not in a pulpit, I’ve been a long-term resident of the back pews. (It may be that I’m a better Presbyterian than I give myself credit for.)Over the past three to four decades, I’ve noticed something. You probably have, too. The back of the heads that I find myself trying to see past have been gradually going gray or bald.It turns out that that anecdotal evidence is backed up but some pretty sobering numbers. A 2009 study out of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research shows that churches are indeed aging in terms of the average age of members. Some denominations, such as old-line Protestants, have a significant proportion of their congregations in which fifty percent of their members are over the age of 65.Even as church membership is declining (and in many ways directly related to it), the percentage of any given church’s older population tends to be increasing. Because of this, the Hartford Institute’s research tells us that “one-fourth of congregations will lose half their memberships in 20 years.”We have a problem. If the church is its people and not the building, the church is dying.However, it’s not dying because its aging members are dying, at least not precisely. The seeming oncoming demise is related to the aging of the Church.Before we look at that though, let’s look at how we got here, because part of this increase in the aging of the church is simply the mathematical outcome of the church losing its middle age members.There was a time, frequently referred to as “the good ole’ days,” when the church was the center of society. A large percentage of a community’s life centered around the church. It was not only the moral compass and center for their lives, but it was the social and philanthropic center of their lives as well. It was really unlikely that people would challenge the status quo that was being established. Challenging the thing that defined your community and was the center piece of many people’s daily lives and activities would have probably been a really good way to make sure you were not accepted by those who had power in the establishment and ultimately you would probably be pushed out to the margins of the circle of society, if included in it at all. So, the status quo that’s being established goes unchallenged and ever-unchanging.As you could probably guess, this kind of influence (and let’s just be honest: power) was somewhat intoxicating. The Church, particularly its leaders, began to believe the myth that they had established. The myth wasn’t that they were at the center of community, because in many ways they really were. The myth that they had begun to believe was that they deserved to be there, that it was by some divine right that they have so much influence and power.It shouldn’t be surprising that an organization founded on resisting the powerful and on including everyone, can point to a time when they became powerful and began excluding those who didn’t believe the dogmas, as the beginning of their decline.You see, over time, society began changing. The Church, in its perceived place of godly instituted influence and power, did not change even though it has a history of changing and, at times, doing so dynamically. The further society moved down the time line, the more society changed, and the more the church did not. With each passing year the Church became less relevant for a quickly changing society.We’ve ended up in a place where society has moved on and, much to the surprise of the Church, it has done just fine without us. People, it turns out, are a reflection of a very responsive and ever dynamic God and are able to find other social centers, other ways to express their philanthropic needs, and other ways to fulfill their spiritual desires. This is particularly true of young adults and middle-age folks whose busy lifestyles and philosophical outlooks leave them little time to bother with organizations that are stuck in the past rather than building a bright new future.The Church? Well, we didn’t fare so well. We continue to insist that we can repeat the things we used to do (maybe with a few minor adjustments, but certainly not with any changes that are significant or truly challenging) and expect to reap different results. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t work, and the Church not only continues to grow grayer and grayer, but more importantly it continues to be less and less relevant for more and more people under the age of 45. Our stubborn belief that we don’t need to significantly change has not only rooted us in the past, but, over time, it has created a significant age gap in our churches.And now we are at the payoff of this article. It is that age gap and the typical lifestyle of older adults that is contributing significantly to churches dying.Let me hash that out a little bit. Hopefully, it comes as no surprise that routines are very important for a high percentage of older adults. With aging can come a lot of unwanted change and the stress of deteriorating health. Also, you can become somewhat dependent on other people, which means you don’t always have control over how or when your needs are met. Routines help immensely with those issues. It’s not so unusual for seniors to begin to develop cognitive challenges, which of course, are easier to manage when your daily life is consistent and predictable.Now, here’s why all of this matters and how it is connected to churches dying: Do you know the single most effective way to get people to try a church out? An invitation from a friend. As a matter of fact, a Lifeway Research study found that ninety percent of new church members first attended because a member invited them.Let’s put the puzzle all together. Getting stuck in its dogmatic adherence to how things have always been while society moves forward created a significant age gap in the church. The predominate age group in the church is now older adults, ages 65 and above. Not only do a majority of folks in that age group prefer their days to be predictable and full of routine, it is safe to say that because of it they don’t tend to meet many new people.On top of it, most of the people they do know either already go to church or have decided over their lifetime that it just isn’t for them. Even if our older adults do find someone they can invite, the person is also likely to be an older adult, which isn’t going to help with the reality that “one-fourth of congregations will lose half their members in 20 years.”The Church is in a membership crisis more than most people are willing to admit. It’s not just that our numbers are dwindling. The problem is that we think that if we just put some effort into it, we have the tools and structure to turn it around. Frequently, this is even expressed as “if we just did (fill in the blank) like we used to, everything will be alright.” That is exactly and precisely wrong.We must recognize that we are now perfectly set up to not attract young adults and middle-aged folks. We are perfectly designed to get the results that we are getting. It’s going to take doing some things in radically new ways to turn the tides. We’ll have to embrace technology and social media more deeply than ever before. And, we will have to be intentional about breaking out of our routines. We will need to be deliberate about finding new ways to positively interact with younger folks. Nobody else can do it for us. There are no magical books or seminars that can make this easy.This is simply about the church (remember, the people are the church) breaking out of its safe routines and dogma, and deeply and lovingly engaging the community it is in.~ Rev. Mark Sandlin Read online hereAbout the Author Rev. Mark Sandlin is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) from the South. He currently serves at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. He is a co-founder of The Christian Left. His blog, has been named as one of the “Top Ten Christian Blogs.” Mark received The Associated Church Press’ Award of Excellence in 2012. His work has been published on “The Huffington Post,” “Sojourners,” “Time,” “Church World Services,” and even the “Richard Dawkins Foundation.” He’s been featured on PBS’s “Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly” and NPR’s “The Story with Dick Gordon.” Follow Mark on Facebook and Twitter @marksandlin | | | | | | | | Question & Answer Q: By Andy I read Bishop Spong's fine book Unbelievable; in one chapter, he talks about advances in science (such as the size of the universe) that have forced us to reconsider the tenets of our faith that were codified before those things were understood. I also read Neil Degrasse Tyson's most recent book: he says the universe is estimated to be 90 billion light-years across and contains 100 billion galaxies. My question: where is God in the universe? Is God bigger than the universe? How can God be both so big but small enough for us to have a chance of comprehension? A: By Toni Reynolds Dear Andy,Without pretending to know the precise answer to your question I’d like to consider a crucial element that helps me better understand this paradox you’ve focused on; that element being the subject-object paradigm that we are slowly transitioning out of.One of the key findings of quantum physics is that the mind is not separate from what it observes as its object. Quantum physics shows that the processes of our consciousness (what we use to know anything) are not separate from the world we see. It is partly showing us that every act of observation and knowing is an act of God creating. Human consciousness and what it interacts with are deeply entangled, constantly creating with one another. As such, we cannot define God as universal but then inquire about God as if God is an entity separate from us, or the process by which the inquiry arose. That’s where the confusion is brought in.The subject-object paradigm that existed when we thought we were separate beings, knowing of things as objects, is challenged because of these advances in science and quantum physics. It is indeed making more room to experience God beyond knowledge alone, making God more than an object to be known by the human subject. This is a liberating shift that will bring us to a fuller understanding of our intimate connection with God. However, the old paradigm is so deeply engrained that it will take us lots of practice and continued questions, like the one you posed, in order to work out the kinks and appreciate the paradox that God is both small enough to be felt within our beating hearts, and large enough to stretch to the outer edge of a universe we struggle to fully imagine. It makes God not a mere matter of comprehension but also of direct experience in the present moment and it frees us from assuming a type of power over Creation that we do not in fact have.These advances are showing us how logic and knowledge alone cannot grasp the fullness of God. These scientific advances in the understanding of our relationship to the universe are helping to heal us from a subconscious separation from God. This separation has caused us to think of ourselves as objects seeking God by our intellectual efforts, without surrendering to the magnificence and awe of what is here and now – of what is within and without all at once. The sciences are in some way bringing us back to the mystery of appreciating God, despite all the related knowledge and ideas we can gather. At the points where our minds seems to hit a limit and experience takes on a less logical yet deeply meaningful quality, God still exists. One may even say that the name “god” starts to hold less power over these experiential revelations, breaking us open to new names, symbols, and stories with which to better connect with the Divine.Andy, your question and readings on these things is putting you in touch with God in a deeply meaningful way. I hope you find deep nourishment as you continue to explore the elasticity of God-both within and far, far beyond yourself.All the best,~ Toni ReynoldsRead and share online here About the Author Minister Toni Anne Reynolds is committed to singing flesh onto the bones of the Christian tradition by incorporating recently found texts of the ancient world into liturgy, sermons, and poetry. Toni’s Christianity forms a holy trinity with the psychological medicine of Tibetan Buddhism and the eternal Life found in Yoruba traditions. Balanced in an eclectic faith and focused in theology, Toni’s ministry offers a unique perspective on life, theology, and spirituality. | | | | | | | | Please continue to send us your feedback… we are listening. We aim to give voice to many different perspectives that are relevant and inspiring along this spiritually progressing path. We are not here to tell you what to believe or how to act. We are here to support your journey, to share and learn together.Thank you for being a part of this community! | | | | | | | | Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited Miracles V: Did a Blind Man From Bethsaida Really Receive His Sight? Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong on November 29, 2006 In the fourth installment of my fall series on the miracles of the New Testament, I suggested that the healing miracles attributed to Jesus in the gospels might have originally been composed not to be tales of supernatural power at all. They served rather to demonstrate signs of the in-breaking of God’s kingdom attached to Jesus after his life had ended, when people began to understand him as “the one who would come,” “the expected one,” or “the promised messiah.” For evidence of this, I pointed to a story told only in Matthew and Luke where John the Baptist, in prison, sent messengers asking Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come or do we look to another?” Jesus told these messengers to tell John that all the signs the prophet Isaiah said would accompany the arrival of the Kingdom of God were present now in his life: the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk and the mute sing. In that episode, these signs were not descriptions of events that actually happened; they represented, rather, language being used to interpret Jesus as messiah. I concluded that column by saying that if that were a true reading of this story, as I believe it is, then two conclusions would follow. First, for far too long, we have been reading the gospels as literal books, when that was not what their original authors intended. Second, clues should be present in these miracle stories themselves that would make their original meaning obvious. I promised to demonstrate what I meant by that by looking next at the various “sight to the blind” stories where the accuracy of this proposed reconstruction should be visible. So let me now begin to bring into focus the gospel stories in which sight is restored to one who was blind and see if there is a dramatically different way to view them.When all the relevant biblical narratives that portray Jesus as giving sight to the blind are isolated, it appears that there are six distinct stories in the gospels. Two are in Mark (8:22-26 and 10:46-52), two in Matthew (9:27-31 and 20:29-34), one in Luke (8:35-43) and one in John (9:1-41). Since we know, however, that both Matthew and Luke had Mark before them when they wrote, it is interesting to note that all of the “sight to the blind” stories in both gospels appear to be nothing more than variations of Mark’s second story. To complete this narrowing process, the single “sight to the blind” story in John appears to be based substantially on Mark’s first story. So, in reality the six stories can be reduced to only two.To be fair there are other generic references to the miraculous recovering of sight on the part of those who were blind in the gospels of Matthew (15:31 and 21:14, 15) and Luke (7:21), but they contain no narrative content. So we note that while the claim of restoring sight to the blind is regularly made for Jesus, a careful study of the gospels reveals that only the two narratives in Mark appear to be the source of this claim. Everything else is a variation on one of these two stories. The first thing we need to embrace is, therefore, that very little data actually stands behind this dramatic claim. In this column and the next one in this series, I will search within these two primal stories from Mark for illumining clues.I begin that task with a detailed scrutiny of the account of the healing of the blind man from Bethsaida. (Mark 8:22-26). It is filled with hidden messages and enigmatic words. An unnamed blind man from Bethsaida is brought to Jesus begging for his sight. Jesus takes the blind man by the hand and leads him out of the village of Bethsaida. Then, we are told, Jesus spat on the blind man’s eyes and “laid his hands upon him.” Jesus asked him: “Do you see anything?” The blind man responds by looking up and saying, “I see men but they look like trees walking.” Once more, Jesus lays his hands on this man’s eyes. This time we are told that it was only when there was an intense stare between Jesus and the blind man that his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.” The story ends with Jesus sending the newly cured man directly home.What is the meaning of this strange tale? Why is the healing something that takes place in stages? What does “looking intently,” mean? Perhaps the clue to understanding this story is found in the next immediate episode in Mark’s text (8:27-33). Most people hear the Bible read in church only in brief segments with no attention paid to its context. Yet following this restoration of sight story is the account of Peter’s confession at a place called Caesarea Philippi, in which Jesus asks his disciples this question: “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples respond with a variety of possibilities. You are John the Baptist returned from the dead. You are Elijah. You are one of the prophets. Jesus then was portrayed as probing deeper into each disciple with his next question: “But who do you say that I am?” That was when Peter blurted out in his typical and aggressive style: “You are the Christ, the maschiach (the messiah).” It was a title that for the Jews was filled with a variety of images. Mark portrays Jesus as accepting that answer and imploring them not to tell anyone until the final events in his life occurred. One can hear in this narrative, echoes of previous discussions and debates about Jesus that surely go back to the oral period of Christian history, that is the time after his crucifixion in 30 C.E. on one side and the writing of the gospels some 40-70 years later on the other. There were two prongs to this debate. First, there was the conviction that Jesus was the messiah, for which they cited all the signs. On the other side there was the indisputable reality that Jesus had been killed, a fact that seemed to invalidate all messianic claims. For the Jews the messiah was to come in vindicating triumph. It was the destiny of the messiah to be victorious not to die. How can Jesus be the messiah and also be the crucified one? That was the debate. Peter has the first half right. You are the Christ, the messiah. I’m sure this Caesarea-Philippi story is written as if Peter expected some kind of emotional applause for his insight.Jesus, however, is portrayed not as rejecting that designation, but as seeking to expand the meaning of messiah until it embraced the things that had in fact already happened to him. So Jesus is portrayed as explaining to the disciples what kind of messiah he was called to be, lest they misunderstand the reality of his death. That is the moment in which Mark proceeds to put on Jesus” lips the first prediction of the passion (v.31). He will repeat this two more times (see Mark 9:30-32 and 10:33, 34) to make sure that his disciples knew that Jesus had understood his destiny. “The Son of Man,” said Jesus, using the popular New Testament image of messiah, drawn from the book of Daniel that had added many supernatural connotations to that word, “is not coming in triumph.” Rather, “he must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priest and the scribes, be killed and after three days rise again.” In these words, Jesus was made both to challenge and to redefine the popular messianic expectations.Mark’s narrative implies that this redefinition was more than Peter could embrace. Clinging to the popular notion of the victorious messiah, Peter was said to take Jesus “and to rebuke him.” Jesus, however, turned and challenged Peter severely, calling him “Satan,” and saying, “You are not on the side of God but of men.”I believe the clue to understanding the juxtaposition of these two stories is that to both the blind man and to Peter sight comes through stages. The theme of Peter’s internal struggle to understand Jesus expressed at Caesarea Philippi will be repeated in the next chapter in Mark’s narrative of the transfiguration. There we are told that Peter had a vision of Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah on top of a mountain. In this mountain-top experience, Peter suggests the erection of three tabernacles, one for each of these participants. He is rebuked by the heavenly voice speaking out of the cloud, which states that Jesus is not to be regarded as one of three Jewish heroes, but as the one in whom both Moses and Elijah find their fulfillment.Surely we recognize that all “after the fact predictions of things to come” are never history. Mark’s gospel was written some 40 years after the crucifixion. Predicting the future is quite easy if you have already lived it, but are writing it as if it is still to come. The purpose of this narrative was to suggest once again that Peter came to his understanding of Jesus slowly like the blind man came to sight over a period of time. When we add to this interpretative process a little noticed fact from the Fourth Gospel informing us that Peter came from the town of Bethsaida, the pieces begin to click together. The story of the blind man from Bethsaida was originally a story, perhaps a parable, about Peter’s conversion.There is still one further connection. In this episode about the blind man from Bethsaida, Mark says that sight came only when Jesus stared at him intently. In Luke’s account of Peter’s denial of Jesus during the crucifixion, Jesus and Peter are pictured as staring intently at each other. Luke’s exact words are: “The Lord turned and looked at Peter.” That intense stare, which Mark says gave the blind man from Bethsaida his sight, is also portrayed later as giving Peter, another blind man from Bethsaida his sight. It took Peter some time to understand that messiah means giving yourself away even to those who will kill you. For if the nature of love is to be self-giving, then the nature of divine love must be totally self-giving.Our first conclusion then is that Mark’s story about a blind man receiving his sight is not a miracle story at all, but a description of the process of bringing Peter’s blindness about who Jesus was into his ability to see. This “healing story” is thus about developing eyes that can see beneath the surface to truth. It is not about sight but about insight or second sight. Suddenly, what we once called a miracle story begins to open us to a very different meaning.~ John Shelby Spong | | | | | | | | Announcements | | | Events and Updates Unitarianism and Unitarian Christianity. – A Call to Assemble This is a public notice to all individuals who seek to live a faith toward the beliefs of Unitarianism and Unitarian Christianity. The call is herein made for all the faithful to assemble. This is not a call for clergy only, but for the layperson as well. If you feel it is time for our faith to become what God would have it be. And you are willing and able to participate in a meeting to be held at a central location in the United States, at a time and date to be established. Then please respond to this email address: UnitarianAssembly2019(a)yahoo.com This call for members of this Committee will be open from this date until midnight on February 17th, 2019. Click here for more information ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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