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Reported death of Mary Woodbury
by Jim & OliveAnn Slotta 25 Jan '13

25 Jan '13

In a conversation yesterday with our son Jim, who is a friend of Ian Woodbury, we were made aware of the sudden death of Ian's mother, Mary, from Edmonton. Subsequently, we found this obituary and felt that the order ecumenical would want to be aware. Jim and OliveAnn Slotta in Denver WOODBURY, Mary Mary Ann Woodbury, 77, of Edmonton, passed away suddenly on Saturday, January 19, 2013. She was born in May 1935 to Grace and George Harker in Toronto, Ontario. Mary is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Clair Woodbury. They were married in Kingston, Ontario in May 1957. She is also remembered by her four sons and their wives, and eight grandchildren. Originally from Ontario, Mary lived in Newfoundland, New York, and Italy before moving to Edmonton in the late 1970's. Mary was an accomplished author of a number of best-selling books for young people plus several adult books. She was a fixture of the Alberta literary scene for decades and was one of seven Alberta women named as a Mistress of the Modern in 2012 for her lifetime of achievements. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Andrew's United Church, 9915 - 148 Street. Edmonton on Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. To send condolences, please visit: www.fostermcgarvey.com

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A guy named Jack McCarthy died last week. A poet.
by James Wiegel 25 Jan '13

25 Jan '13

I never heard of him until today. Listen to 2 poems -- The Victory and When the Cholesterol Catches Up With Me. http://standupoet.net/ Jim Wiegel ". . . In this whole world i don't know a more sly, more cunning, useful virtue than sheer dizzy pluck!" The Odyssey A Modern Sequel. Nikos Kazantzakis 401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353-2401 +1 623-363-3277 skype: jfredwiegel jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com Upcoming public course opportunities: ToP Facilitation Methods, Feb 12-13, May 14-15, Sept 17-18, 2013 ToP Strategic Planning, Nov 5-6, 2013 Facilitation Graphics, March 19, 2013 The AZ Community of Practice meets the 1st Friday of each month 1-4 pm Facilitation Mastery : Our Mastering the Technology of Participation program is available in Phoenix in 2012-3. Current program began on Nov 14-16, 2012 See short video http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=55 and website for further details. AICP Planners: 14.5 CM for all ToP courses

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1/24/13, Spong: Inauguration Day 2013
by Ellie Stock 24 Jan '13

24 Jan '13

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR Inauguration Day 2013 Inauguration day in America is a time of transition, the proper moment to articulate the hopes and dreams of the future. These things are more vivid if the one to be inaugurated is just beginning his or her presidency, but even when it is the beginning of a second term for a sitting president, it is still a time to take stock, to look at the issues that will confront this leader and to glimpse with anticipation what the future might mean. I suspect that is doubly so as the nation marks the second term of its first African-American president. The whole inauguration weekend was for me a solemn time of renewed convictions about the strength of our nation. I walked through this weekend in an unusual way, which I would like to share with my readers. This year’s inaugural weekend was framed between the 150th anniversary of the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln on January 1st, 1863, and the celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday on January 21st. President Lincoln prepared this proclamation long before he issued it, but waited for the tide of the civil war to turn in the Union’s favor before making it public. The President’s proclamation and executive power needs to be carried on the wings of a strong political tide in order to be effective. The emancipation of the slaves thus depended upon the recognition that the Union forces would be victorious. Following their success in the Battle of Antietam, Mr. Lincoln decided that January 1st, 1863, was the time to make this defining proclamation official. It was thus our reality in 2013 both to note and to celebrate the fact that 150 years and 20 days later, one who bore a racial identity with the slave people, had been twice elected to head this nation. That is the stuff of human dreams. Without Martin Luther King’s work, the presidency of Barack Obama would also not have been possible. For the inauguration of this African-American president to occur on the birthday of the civil rights leader was an incredible serendipity. The weekend began for me and my wife, Christine, at a gala, a black-tie dinner at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, held to honor and to support the university’s library. That library has, during the years of both my episcopacy and my retirement, been my place of research and study. There I have written some of my books. The administration and faculty of Drew University have welcomed me into their midst and have extended to me the use of that library in remarkable ways. The guests at this library gala were welcomed to the evening personally at the door by the President of Drew, Dr. Vivian A. Bull, and the evening began with a lecture by Dr. David S. Reynolds, the Distinguished Professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His title for this event was: “Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Battle for America.” In his presentation Dr. Reynolds took his audience deeply into the work and impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s life-changing novel that was published in 1852. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was destined to sell more copies than any other book in the United States, except the Bible, in the entire 19th century. This book was also turned into a number of plays that were performed countless times over the last half of the 19th century and well into the 20th century. The estimates are that more people saw the play than read the book. Uncle Tom’s Cabin put a face on the cruelty of slavery that nothing else had ever done before. It galvanized the abolitionist movement and in all probability made the civil war inevitable. This book, not surprisingly, was also resisted deeply in parts of the South. Laws were passed in Southern States banning the book, forbidding its sale and distribution and even making it a crime to possess a copy. One person was actually convicted of this crime and was sentenced to ten years in prison. It was not the first time, nor would it be the last, when the guarantees of the Constitution regarding the freedom of speech and expression would be trampled beneath the power of a virulent and fearful prejudice. Racism dies hard. When Dr. Reynolds was asked if he saw anything similar to this negative response to Uncle Tom’s Cabin in the political arena of today, he pointed to the recent use of the language of “States Rights,” including the claim to the right to nullify federal laws with which the states disagreed, such as the Affordable Care Act and the proposed requirements of a universal background check when purchasing a gun, the banning of assault rifles and their large capacity magazines. At the same time, he pointed to the blatant attempt in the last election to suppress minority votes. It appears that the emotions that led this nation into civil war are still abroad. This evening and this discussion was for us a poignant beginning to the inauguration weekend. On Sunday morning we went to our wonderful parish church, St. Peter’s, Morristown, NJ, where our worship was organized around the observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. The adult class focused on the writings of II Isaiah (chapters 40-55) where the prophet portrays the messianic vocation of the Jewish people under the symbol of the one called “the Servant” or “the Suffering Servant.” That book portrayed the role of “the Servant” to be that of the oppressed and powerless members of our society not trying to get even, but accepting and thus transforming and even draining the anger and hostility of the oppressors and the enslavers. The class compared the “power” of an Adolph Hitler or a Napoleon Bonaparte, with the “power” displayed by a Mahatma Gandhi, a Nelson Mandela or a Martin Luther King, Jr., and asked the question whose “power” was it that ultimately changed the world? When we went to worship we found the Emancipation Proclamation printed on the front of our bulletins. We sang Harry Emerson Fosdick’s great hymn “God of Grace and God of Glory,” which asks for the strength and courage necessary for “the living of these days.” We also sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic, We Shall Overcome and Lift Every Voice and Sing, which describes very powerfully what slaves had to endure from their “masters.” The Bible readings for that day included the charge given to Moses in the book of Exodus “to go down to Egypt and to set my people free.” The choir sang Negro spirituals like Ride on, King Jesus, and we were treated to one of the most powerful sermons I have ever heard from our rector, the Reverend Janet Broderick, on the lessons learned from the non-violent teachings of Dr. King. All of those things flowed together to prepare me for inauguration day. When that ceremony began the opening prayer was delivered by Myrlie Evers, the widow of Medgar Evers, a black civil rights leader who was murdered in Mississippi in 1963. The inaugural poem was written and read by Richard Blanco, the gay son of immigrant parents. The benediction was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Luis Leon, a Cuban immigrant, who serves at St. John’s Episcopal Church, across the street from the White House. A diverse nation was on display. For those of us who had lived through those days of transition there was great joy. The climax of the inaugural ceremony was the address from our newly installed president. It focused primarily on domestic affairs, as the world faded into the background with its ten years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and even the worldwide economic collapse that greeted his first term. It was a moving speech both in content and in symbol. An African-American president began his second term by quoting Martin Luther King, Jr., by referring to “Stonewall,” the place where the gay rights movement had begun, by emphasizing the oneness of the people who populate this land, made up, as he said, of those with different skin colors, different genders and different sexual orientations. He called our nation’s leaders not to solve the problems of the ages, but to address the issues “of this day.” He singled out the plight of women who still suffer from vast economic disparities. His critics would later call it a “left-wing” agenda. I call it a “moral vision” for our nation rooted in the values of our American past. As we listened throughout the day, signs of the birth of a new political sensitivity were apparent. Senator Schumer of New York introduced his Republican co-chair of the Inaugural Committee, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, as “my colleague and my friend.” Former President Jimmy Carter reported on former President George H.W. Bush’s health, revealing both a recent telephone call and a longer time friendship. The wife of Republican majority leader, Eric Cantor, had served with Senator Schumer’s wife in picking and tasting the menu for the inaugural luncheon. Small signs, yes, but every long journey starts with a single, small step. When the day was over, the nation settled down to wait for action. I believe we will receive it. My reasons for optimism are these: A far more comfortable and confident president is in the White House, a Senate with an increased Democratic majority has lost its most extreme negative voices to either retirement or to resignation, the House has a decreased Republican majority led by a leader, who now shows signs of being fed up with his far right vocal minority. I expect him, not to surrender his principles, but to seek common ground for the nation’s well-being. All of them see an aroused electorate, weary of political posturing, yearning to see pragmatic action, not continued brinkmanship. Half a step forward is better than no step or even a step backward. Perhaps inauguration day harbors good things to come. ~John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. Question & Answer Charles Bond from Rockford, Michigan, writes: Question: I understand and support that “you do not think of God theistically,” i.e. what could be called the God of the Old Testament. But, as I have read, the study of theology is based on accepting the fact that a transcendent reality called God truly exists, i.e. there is a God existing outside the material universe, but having an influence or some sort of presence on earth. Do you believe in this concept of a transcendent God and, if so, do the experiences of the disciples and apostles that you attribute to them being transformed into their world-conquering evangelism represent an example of God’s actions here on earth through the mind invasions that produced their seeing an image of Jesus? These concepts seem to me to be a necessary part of including in any “New Christianity.” What do you think? Answer: Dear Charles, Thank you for your letter. It reveals, however, the constant problem we have in trying to develop a working concept of God. Does God exist? Existence is a human category, describing a human perspective. Can God be bound with that kind of vocabulary? Transcendent is another human word that I use, but it is not a word that applies to God. It applies to our experience, to a human awareness that there is something real beyond our ability to know or even to perceive. What we must do is to recognize that we human beings can in the last analysis say nothing about God; all we can describe is our human experience and in that experience, we assert that we believe that we touch “otherness,” transcendence, and the word we have used to identify that experience is “GOD.” Are we simply being deluded? I do not think so. Is there something real that calls us beyond the limits of the human? I believe there is. That is as far as I can go in discussing God. It is not satisfactory to those for whom God is part of their personal security system. It is, however, enough for me because whatever I experience God to be drives me deeper into the commitment to live fully, love wastefully and to be all that I can be. The disciples clearly had an experience of Jesus following his death that convinced them that death could not contain his life and that they could see a God presence in him that was beyond any human boundary. That was resurrection. When they tried to explain it, we got stories of graves that were empty and visions that inspired. The New Christianity will have to see language and theology, creeds and doctrines as pointers to truth not vessels in which truth is somehow captured. ~John Shelby Spong Announcements A Note from Progressive Christianity.org We are pleased to inform our readers that John Shelby Spong's book Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World has been named one of the ten best religious books published in 2011, by Lee Harmon, a well-known religious blogger (The Dubious Disciple). Harmon called Bishop's Spong's book: "A thoroughly enjoyable journey through the Bible, detailing each book's origin and historical setting. Possibly Spong's best." Progressive Christianity.org, Bishop Spong's online publisher, would like to note that this book was a series of columns during the years 2009 and 2010, before it was turned into a Harper-Collins book, so our subscribers got to read the content of this best-selling volume long before the reading public. These essays can be found in the essay archive. Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)johnshelbyspong.com or 503-236-3545. Copyright © 2013 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have a membership at our website. Our mailing address is: ProgressiveChristianity.org 3530 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Unit 1 Portland, OR 97214 Add us to your address book

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Re: [Oe List ...] OE Digest, Vol 10, Issue 16
by Bill Schlesinger 22 Jan '13

22 Jan '13

Not my experience. Border Patrol does a lot of search and rescue. Look for the 'vigilante' folk to behave this way. I've known many Border Patrol agents; not one didn't understand and respect most of those coming to work and feed their families. Bill Schlesinger Project Vida 3607 Rivera Avenue El Paso, TX 79905 (915) 533-7057 x 207 (915) 503-1014 FAX pvida(a)whc.net www.projectvidaelpaso.org _____ From: oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of David Flowers Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 1:50 PM To: oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] OE Digest, Vol 10, Issue 16 it's my understanding Government agents in Arizona steal blankets left for brown-skinned people wandering in your desert out there - it is their intention these people die of exposure, Chicago cops don't do that. On Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 12:30 PM, <oe-request(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Send OE mailing list submissions to oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to oe-request(a)lists.wedgeblade.net You can reach the person managing the list at oe-owner(a)lists.wedgeblade.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of OE digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: I miss Chicago (Mary Laura Jones) 2. Re: I miss Chicago (Beret Griffith) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:39:44 -0600 From: Mary Laura Jones <mljones2022(a)gmail.com> To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] I miss Chicago Message-ID: <CAA8E2rF4Gf7LA4573j+T7Fh4WGfnqX4jbohPhq1kAWDomwZtBg(a)mail.gmail.com <mailto:CAA8E2rF4Gf7LA4573j%2BT7Fh4WGfnqX4jbohPhq1kAWDomwZtBg@mail.gmail.com > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Thanks joan definitely smile worthy mary laura On Jan 20, 2013 9:23 PM, "Joan" <jfknutson(a)aol.com> wrote: > Thought for some of you on this list, it might bring back memories. Joan > > *In Mesa Arizona the other day and I saw a bumper sticker on a parked > car that read, "I miss Chicago." > > So, I broke the window, stole the radio, shot out two of the tires and > left a note that read,***** > > *"I hope this helps!"***** > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > OE mailing list > OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net > http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net > >

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Re: [Oe List ...] OE Digest, Vol 10, Issue 16
by David Flowers 22 Jan '13

22 Jan '13

it's my understanding Government agents in Arizona steal blankets left for brown-skinned people wandering in your desert out there - it is their intention these people die of exposure, Chicago cops don't do that. On Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 12:30 PM, <oe-request(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: > Send OE mailing list submissions to > oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > oe-request(a)lists.wedgeblade.net > > You can reach the person managing the list at > oe-owner(a)lists.wedgeblade.net > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of OE digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: I miss Chicago (Mary Laura Jones) > 2. Re: I miss Chicago (Beret Griffith) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:39:44 -0600 > From: Mary Laura Jones <mljones2022(a)gmail.com> > To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> > Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] I miss Chicago > Message-ID: > < > CAA8E2rF4Gf7LA4573j+T7Fh4WGfnqX4jbohPhq1kAWDomwZtBg(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Thanks joan definitely smile worthy mary laura > On Jan 20, 2013 9:23 PM, "Joan" <jfknutson(a)aol.com> wrote: > > > Thought for some of you on this list, it might bring back memories. Joan > > > > *In Mesa Arizona the other day and I saw a bumper sticker on a parked > > car that read, "I miss Chicago." > > > > So, I broke the window, stole the radio, shot out two of the tires and > > left a note that read,***** > > > > *"I hope this helps!"***** > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > OE mailing list > > OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net > > http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net > > > > >

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News from Realistic Living
by Ken Fisher 20 Jan '13

20 Jan '13

Dear Colleagues, Here's the news from Realistic Living. Gene turned 81 on January 3rd, and is 'back', after overcoming 'a pause' occasioned by recent surgery. Joyce will be 79 on February 19. They founded Realistic Living in 1984, regularly publishing a journal and many books since that time. I much admire there life-time commitments to social activism and recreating Christian practice and theology for the 21st Century. Here in our little village of Sharbot Lake Ontario, Pat and I use Joyce's Ignatian-like solitary on a near daily basis, and weekly we use the format of RL's Christian Resurgence Circle - dance, study and prayer. We are planning our third trip to Bonham for June. Recently, he wrote (with the significant input of four others) The Road From Empire to Eco-Democracy. It is being well reviewed and used as a study book in a variety of contexts. He has just competed a protean work, The Enigma of Consciousness - A Philosophy of Profound Humanness and Religion. Together, these books represent a comprehensive and futuric tour of a new social vehicle and a new religious mode. For me, they provide contemporary screens for discerning where it is that the human community is having, or can have, breakthroughs in creating a new world. As well, they provide an enthralling invitation to deepen ones personal spirit practices and social engagements. The Road can be ordered from Amazon or from: Gene Marshall 3578 N. State Highway 78 Bonham TX 75418 $21 - postage free Gene Marshall <jgmarshall(a)cableone.net> Enigma can be downloaded free from http://www.RealisticLiving.org/PDF/Enigma/ His latest book is entitled The Love of History and the Future of Christianity - A Manifesto for a Post-Christendom Christianity. Every human community is 'awe-struck'. What is unique and worth forwarding into the future about Christianity? We look forward to its completion. Realistic Living's resources can be found at http://www.realisticliving.org/ Staff member Alan Richard, maintains RL's highly imaginative and spiritually informative Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Realistic-Living/199360680077780 May the spirit of love, trust and freedom enliven us all. Ken Fisher

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1/17/13, Spong: The Birth of Jesus, Part VII. The Role of Ruth: The Seductress
by Ellie Stock 17 Jan '13

17 Jan '13

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR The Birth of Jesus, Part VIII. The Fourth Woman in Matthew’s genealogy: The Wife of Uriah The fourth and final woman included in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus with which he opens his gospel and simultaneously introduces into the Christian tradition the story of the virgin birth, is the best known of them all. Matthew in this genealogy, however, does not ever call her by her name. He refers to her rather as "the wife of Uriah," but those who are familiar with the Jewish scriptures, as Matthew’s audience would surely have been, know from the story in the 11th chapter of II Samuel that her name is Bathsheba and you and I can read her fascinating story any time we want simply by turning to that chapter of the Bible. For those who might not be familiar with this narrative these are the details. In the spring of the year,” is the way the author of this book of Samuel begins his story. The spring of the year is the time when “the sap rises,” romance is in the air and, this author observes, it was also the time “when kings go forth to battle.” King David, however, did not follow the familiar script for this year so he remained in Jerusalem while dispatching his army into battle under the command of his trusted military chief, a man named Joab. Joab’s assigned task, said the author of II Samuel, was to “ravage” King David’s enemy, the Ammonites. Not only was he to conquer the land of Ammon, but his army was to accomplish this by besieging and then destroying the capital city of Rabbah, while the king remained safe and secure in the comfort of his palace. Thus the stage was set in which this particular episode would transpire. It would be while the king was at home far from the battlefield, that he would have the adventure that would determine not just the history of the Jewish people, but also through them, the history of the world. Great changes do attach themselves sometimes to seemingly unimportant details. It was in the late afternoon one day when King David, perhaps bored, decided to stroll out onto the rooftop of the royal palace to enjoy the warm spring breezes. Because his palace was the tallest building in the city, he could look down on all the roof tops of the other homes below. On this day, to the delight of his lecherous eyes, his gaze fell upon a young woman, who was bathing herself in what she believed was the privacy of her own roof top. David was immediately smitten by this woman’s charms and, as heads of state are prone to do, he assumed that his desires should be fulfilled. So David, after inquiring as to her identity, sent a messenger to this woman’s house, bearing his personal invitation for her to come to the palace and to have a “tryst” with the king. She came. Whether or not she had a choice, we do not know. The rights of women were very circumscribed in that patriarchal society. Bathsheba’s roof top bath was described in this text as necessary for “purifying herself from her uncleanness,” which was a euphemistic way the Bible described the fact that she had just completed her menstrual cycle. This detail is essential to the developing plot of this story, since it demonstrated conclusively that she was not pregnant at that moment. When she arrived at the palace David greeted her and then “took her and lay with her,” the text informs us. The act complete, this woman, having served her defined purpose, returned to her own house. In all probability David thought little more about the incident. It was probably not the first time, nor would it be the last, that this kind of activity had happened in his life. It was, however, destined to be a life-changing experience in Bathsheba’s life. In a few weeks Bathsheba, noticing some unusual, but revealing circumstances, sent a message to the palace marked “for the king’s eyes only.” In this message she informed King David that she was pregnant with his child. David, seeking to create some room in which to maneuver, asked her how she could be sure that this baby was his child. “You are a married woman,” he reminded her. Why do you assume that this is not your husband’s child? It was then that Bathsheba informed him that though she was indeed married, her husband, Uriah, was a professional soldier and that he had been away for months serving in the king’s army under Captain Joab in the war against the Ammonites. “There is no way O King,” she concluded, “that you are not the father of this baby.” David felt the noose tightening around his neck. He was not, however, ready to take responsibility for this fact and so he opted for plan B. He would dispatch a messenger to his army chief Joab, ordering him to grant a furlough to Uriah the Hittite. His cover was that he wanted to receive a first-hand report from someone in the field of battle and he had chosen Uriah for this “signal honor.” While on this special leave, David reasoned, Uriah would stay in his home, lie with his wife and when the baby was born, they could claim that this infant had just come early. It would not be the first time in that pre-DNA world that such an explanation had been conceived of and successfully employed. So a very surprised Uriah received orders to return to Jerusalem in order to provide a personal and private update for the king on the course of the battle. Uriah, however, did not choose to return to his own house. He, rather, slept quite ostentatiously in the street at the gate of the king’s palace. David’s plans were foiled again. He had not counted on Uriah being the ultimate “boy scout.” Uriah told the king that it would simply not be fitting for him to enjoy the pleasures of his home, his wife and his bed while all his comrades were still camping out in the fields, eating K-rations and risking their lives in the siege of Rabbah. “I could not think of doing such a thing,” he concluded. David must have thought to himself, “What a turkey!” Now he was forced to resort to plan C. The king next took out the royal quill and on a piece of royal parchment, he wrote out new orders to be carried to Joab, his military captain. He sent these new orders to Captain Joab via the hand of Uriah, who was returning to his duty on the battlefield. The king’s orders directed Joab to charge the gates of the city of Rabbah with a “V” shaped flying wedge. These orders also directed Joab to place Uriah the Hittite at the point of the “V” thus giving him the “honor” of leading the charge. It was a position in which few survived. It was done as the king commanded and Uriah was struck down and killed immediately. Joab then sent the king a message to inform him that his problems were over and that Uriah was dead. In turn, David sent for Bathsheba and she came to his palace to be one of his wives and thus a member of his harem. Bathsheba turned out to be a wife who exercised considerable power. After the child of her adulterous liaison with the king died in infancy, Bathsheba’s second son by King David, whose name was Solomon, was destined to succeed King David at his death, though he was not close to being the first-born son and thus the presumed heir to the throne. With the assistance of a priest named Zadok, a military leader named Benaiah and a prophet named Nathan, Bathsheba maneuvered to secure the throne for her son. King Solomon in turn secured the power of the royal family that was destined to rule the people of Judah for over 400 years. That is Bathsheba’s story as found in the Bible. In his genealogy, Matthew traces the royal line from Solomon through the kings of Judah until the royal family was destroyed by the Babylonians in the period of history that is called the Exile. Then he picks up the genealogy and traces it from the Exile to a man named Joseph, The conclusion of his genealogy says “Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus is born, who is called Christ.” Thus the genealogy with which Matthew opened his gospel and which served to introduce the story of Jesus’ “supernatural” or “virgin” birth is brought to a conclusion. Now as we come to the end of this opening genealogy ask yourself, what was Matthew’s purpose in beginning his gospel in this way and why did he deem it necessary and appropriate to say that the line that produced Jesus of Nazareth began with Abraham and traveled through the royal family, then into the exile and finally it arrives at the life on which the whole story is to focus? Finally, what is he trying to communicate when he places into the background of Jesus, four well known women in Jewish history, all of whom by the standards of that day were sexually compromised women? He is informing his readers at the very opening of his story that the line that produced Jesus of Nazareth flowed through the incest of Tamar (Gen. 38), the prostitution of Rahab (Joshua 2, 6), the seduction of Ruth (Ruth 3) and the adultery of Bathsheba (II Samuel 11). That appears to be what the text of Matthew’s gospel reveals. Perhaps that accounts (at least in part) for the fact that throughout most of Christian history, the first 17 verses of Matthew’s first chapter were skipped and ignored. They were called “the most boring verses in the Bible,” the “who begat whoms,” and no one was encouraged to look at them or take them seriously. Perhaps this strange introduction reveals that there is far more to the story of the virgin birth than we have imagined in the past. We will continue to look at Matthew’s birth narrative in subsequent weeks. Then we will turn to Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. Studying the Bible can be quite exciting once one removes the blinders of literalism and begins to look at the texts for what they are. So stay tuned. We will move next to Matthew’s proof text found in Isaiah 7:14 and then to the wise men and their familiar gifts. It is a fascinating study. I hope that you are finding it so. ~John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. Question & Answer John McKee, from Texas, writes: Question: I am a retired United Methodist minister of the Central Texas Conference of the UMC and am most interested in your writings. I have not only read, but have copied your articles and used them as a teaching guide for persons I know are interested in a more authentic understanding of Holy Scripture. A question rose in my mind as to the worship practices of the Followers of the Way whom you state remained in those early years (some eighty) as part of synagogue worship. I am aware that Paul had a meeting of the minds, so to speak, with Peter concerning the practice of circumcision of those Gentiles who wished to be part of this new movement. If so, were the Gentile members of the “Way” welcomed into the synagogue to worship (without being circumcised)? You may have already made a comment about this, but I must not have incorporated it into my thinking. Being in my 82nd year, I am not as alert as I was in my seminary days…Lo!! With appreciation for your ministry, I am a joyous follower of your philosophy. Answer: Dear John, Thank you for your questions and for your years of service in the Methodist ministry. The issue about the early Church is complex and I have probably had to make it seem simpler than it really was. There were a variety of Christian groups in the early years of the Christian Church. Almost all of them were first associated with and shaped by the synagogue. As the movement began to grow beyond the boundaries of Judaism in the 6th decade, they began to attract Gentile attention. Paul was a key figure in this. Some of the more orthodox Jews led by James, the Lord’s brother, and by Peter, at least at the beginning, were insistent that the only way into Christianity was through Judaism and that meant circumcision, kosher laws and Sabbath Day observances. Paul was the champion of those Gentiles who were drawn to theology and liturgy, but not cultic practices. In the early years, there were people who agreed to the orthodox requirements and people who did not. This tension divided the early church rather fiercely. Much of this conflict is reflected in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, written in the early 50’s. I have just finished reading a book by Dr. James D., Tabor, who is chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who offers a fresh, provocative and insightful perspective on the early years of the Christian movement. His book is entitled Paul and Jesus. I commend that book to you and to all my readers. The meeting of minds with Peter, to which you refer in your letter, was described in the book of Acts (chapter 15), but be warned that Acts is probably a 10th decade piece of work at the earliest, and it specifically champions Paul’s perspective. Furthermore, by the time the book of Acts was written, the battle was over and Christianity was well on its way to becoming a Gentile movement. My emphasis in the article to which you are referring is that long before the church and the synagogue split, which historians choose 88 CE as the most likely year, the Christian faith had become so deeply shaped by synagogue worship and synagogue liturgy, to say nothing of having wrapped Jesus so tightly in both the Jewish Scriptures and Jewish messianic expectation, that the only way we can discover the original meaning of the Jesus story is by recovering that Jewish background and reading the gospels with well-informed Jewish eyes. That is what I sought to do when I wrote what is still my favorite book, Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible with Jewish Eyes, where this material is spelled out more fully than I can do in a question and answer format. I send you my best. ~John Shelby Spong Announcements The New Study Guide for the 8 Points of Progressive Christianity is now available from ProgressiveChristianity.org Read More Here or Click on the Image below! Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)johnshelbyspong.com or 503-236-3545. Copyright © 2013 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have a membership at our website. Our mailing address is: ProgressiveChristianity.org 3530 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Unit 1 Portland, OR 97214 Add us to your address book

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