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Remembering Frank Knutson
by Karen Snyder 24 Dec '23

24 Dec '23

Paul Noah asked that the following be posted from him and the letter Frank Knutson wrote him about his hopes for the July Archives Sojourn 2023: I knew Frank "Most Holy One” Knutson. We worked with others on collecting and presenting the archives of the ICA. While “tongue in cheek" was an operating principle of his constant humility he was very clear about the emerging task of the archive team. Here is an email from Frank May 24, 2023: Some reflections on our conversation yesterday about the Archives. As we talked about where the weight of the archives needed to be—the story of How it All Came About. If I were to put weight on our story, it would look like this; 50% Christian Faith and Life Community (CF&LC <>), 25% Order Ecumenical (O:E), 12.5% each, Ecumenical Institute (EI) & Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA). CF&LC began with the audacious objective to Renew the Church of Jesus Christ as Mission to the World. (Period). If they had stopped there and set out they would of failed. So the task was broken down to three stratagies—Contextual Re-Education, Structural Re-Formulation and Spiritual Re-Motivation. Genius. Now the task was doable—create structures, programs and methods to accomplish renewal. From these three strategies came; RS!, Imaginal Education, crucial methods, gridding, story/song/symbol, basis for the Academy, start of the Order—the basis for all that followed. The list goes on. We reached far back into history to the ancient church and religious orders gleaning strengths and weaknesses, adapting and updating to 20th century understandings those elements that provided historical contnuity. Brought down from the 'heavens' the primary symbols of the church—God, Jesus, Holy Sprit, humanizing and grounding them in everyday life. Probably our greatest gift. We are experiencing the last throws of the old time religion grounded in the second story universe—Mega churches, C.I.N.O. (Christians In Name Only), Evangelical movements, etc. The creation of our Commonness; rituals, songs, symbols, methods, structures, Religious Houses, is the basis for our successes This is the story to be told. The creation of HDPs, TMs, Social Process, NRMs, etc. are all secondary to the story of what it takes to create the programs necessary to the times. The two weeks this July would be well spent in writing the compelling story of How it All Came About. Frank

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Some poems for this Christmas . . . I seem to remember but cannot find a poem from the Ecumenical Institute that included the line "there is no santa clause . . "
by James Wiegel 24 Dec '23

24 Dec '23

Journey of the Magi - T. S. Eliot | | | | | | | | | | | Journey of the Magi - T. S. Eliot 'A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways de... | | | Poetry Foundation | | | | | | | | | | | Poetry Foundation Poems, readings, poetry news and the entire 110-year archive of POETRY magazine. | | | Remembering that it happened, by Wendell Berry | | | | | | | | | | | Remembering that it happened, by Wendell Berry | | | On the rage side, view this from Julius Ceasar https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx_tFOTckzyJs6xAdEeYixWlllgoM-Fr8n?si=mm-VsWKvB1… Jim Wiegel Theunknown is what is. And to be frightened of it is what sends everybodyscurrying around chasing dreams, illusions, wars, peace, love, hate, allthat. Unknown is what is. Accept that it's unknown, and it's plainsailing. John Lennon 401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353 623-363-3277 jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com

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A good group working on the israeli palestinian conflict
by James Wiegel 22 Dec '23

22 Dec '23

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"What a Gift" - a John Cock birthday reflection
by Lynda C 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

John turns 85 tomorrow December 19. This bit of poetry was written 10 years ago but still reflects the gratitude of being sustained. Check out the poetry and the links below. John would enjoy hearing from you. Contact only through my e-mail now. A photo or reflection of when he knew you would assist his memory recall. There are over 6,500 entries in Journey Reflection. Share with him one that has had special meaning for you. How grateful we are for our rich collegial connections through our shared endeavors through OE and ICA, and family and friends. Happy Holidays! I hear that another ICA December birthday fellow is over 100 on Christmas Day. Join us with greetings for Fred Karpoff! fdmkarpoff(a)gmail.com<mailto:fdmkarpoff@gmail.com> . We’ve only just begun! Grace and peace, Lynda (and John) Cock. Journey Reflection March 3, 2013 “What a Gift” blog link<http://www.rejourney.blogspot.com/> [cid:image002.jpg@01CE17DA.7EFEF2F0] What a gift to have Lived in you, body … Seeing through your eyes Dancing with your feet Breathing from your lungs Talking with your voice Hugging with your arms … And sensing with your spirit Bright blessed day Dark sacred night Love of my kin and Our common Earth! What a gift it is To live in you, body! Thanks for carrying me So long, so far, And oh so well … Most of all, Thanks for putting me In touch with spirit At the heart of it all. ***** ~jpc, 3/1/13 Nez: Thanksgiving is an awesome experience. Namaste. ______ Image: stock photo ***** Xtra Blog Post: From Star Dust<http://rejourney.blogspot.com/2010/02/sunday-dialog-cxcv.html> (Zen saying) ***** Journey Reflection ( > www.reJourney.blogspot.com<http://www.rejourney.blogspot.com/> > www.facebook., but com/TranscribeBooks<http://www.facebook.,%20but%20com/TranscribeBooks>

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Remember Kenneth Boulding?
by James Wiegel 18 Dec '23

18 Dec '23

"What this means is that for any individual organism or organization, there are no such things as "facts." There areonly messages filtered through a changeable value system. This statement may sound rather startling."This from the paper we used in the 1969 version of the Imaginal Education Colloquy . . . See below an article on the history of "the fact" An obituary for the fact | | | | | | | | | | | An obituary for the fact Farewell to a friend of social harmony (1500–2000) | | | Jim Wiegel “…the long work of turning their lives into a celebration is not easy. Come and let us talk“. The Sunflowers. Mary Oliver

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Blue Skies
by Sharon Fisher 18 Dec '23

18 Dec '23

Friends, I thought many of you would be interested in seeing this video clip of Al Jolson singing "Blue Skies" in "The Jazz Singer," one of the first talkie movies. This is a video clip showing him singing a few versions of "Blue Skies." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djd1XfwDAQs I love this song! It works well in lots of settings. Grace and peace, Sharon -- saf1220(a)gmail.com c: 503.807.7385

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Bob and Sarah Booher
by Lynda C 17 Dec '23

17 Dec '23

With Bob and Sarah Booher’s permission, I am posting the sad news that Bob has entered Hospice care at their apartment at The Village 1471 Long Pond Road, Apt 303E, Rochester, NY. 14626. They would welcome notes, memories and reflections that you may wish to share. Photos and old stories would add to the conversations. They are very pleased that their very supportive children and grandchildren are nearby. Sarah keeps things lively from her power wheelchair, which greatly enables her to get around more easily. Spirits are good, but Energies are low so phone conversations are difficult. Email to both addresses: pmainc(a)stony.rr.com<mailto:pmainc@stony.rr.com> for Bob and gefbooher(a)stny.rr.com<mailto:gefbooher@stny.rr.com> for Sarah. We send our care for this strong couple as they care for each other. We are grateful for our shared journeys through the Local Church Experiment, time in Area NY, all the Chicago gatherings, and most recently through the Archives. Lynda and John Cock

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Re: [Oe List ...] [Earthrise] the significance of our individual choices.
by Nancy Trask 16 Dec '23

16 Dec '23

I was also blown away by the lovely letter & gift from Jim & Karen. Many thanks! I’ve been playing Jim’s Indian flute music to relax for the night. Peace, Nancy Trask On Sat, Dec 16, 2023 at 5:07 PM George via Earthrise < earthrise(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: > I often wonder whether our individual lives bear much of any > significance. I do try to live my life as if it did and I suppose the > question is really what does one consider as significant. > > Elise and I just received the Troxel's holiday greeting. I was deeply > impacted and deeply appreciative of the news of Jim Troxel's investment > and engagement of his last year or two in the Native American flute. > > Not only did the news surprise me I might have expected some new > programmatic venture or some courageous partnership with some exotic > experiment in human community; but instead, as a final act of a living > ventures he decides to get a stick with little holes and go make a > beautiful noise to all the earth. > > What a great witness to life and using all one's creativity in investing > one's own significance in a human venture that honors the life they have > and continue to live. > > Thank you Jim for your particular choice and for your significant gift > to the world. > > ++++++++++++++++++++++ > The name of the group, "earthrise," refers to the photo taken on December > 24, 1968, showing the Earth rising over the horizon of the moon. The image > has become a powerful symbol of mystery, awe, and responsibility. For more > information about the grop, contact earthrise.community(a)gmail.com. > >

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How It All Began
by Karen Snyder 16 Dec '23

16 Dec '23

Do you remember the email Ed Feldmanis sent last week quoting Frank Knutson, who challenged us to be reflecting about "How it all began” in terms of the life of the Institutes? Aimee Hilliard sent these words by Frank about his perspective some time ago. Enjoy! HOW IT ALL BEGAN REFLECTIONS ON THE ECUMENICAL INSTITUTE BY FRANK V. HILLIARD One could say there were two beginnings, both of which started with the Army - Notre Dame game of 1946. The game is ranked 7th on the all time great games of college football, but in my opinion it should be ranked first. It is ranked 7thpurely because of bias for offensive, rather than defensive, football. The game was the last game of the season and was held at Yankee Stadium. Both teams were undefeated with Army having a 25 game win streak and two national championships the two previous years. There were four current and future Heisman trophy winners on the field that day. At quarterback Notre Dame had Johnnie Lujack who became famous as a star for the Chicago Bears. Notre Dame also had an end named Leon Hart who won the Heisman his senior year and is the only lineman in the 20th century to win the Heisman. Army had Doc Blanchard and Felix Davis, both of whom won the Heisman and are the only tandem backfield to win the Heisman. They had not lost a game in their storied career at Army. Blanchard was called Mr. Inside and Davis was called Mr. Outside. Davis had a rushing average of 8.26 yards per carry which still remains an NCAA record. Upon graduation from West Point both Blanchard and Davis, the two most celebrated athletes of their day, were assigned to serve out their army career in San Antonio. Here the story begins. Jack Lewis, a former head cheerleader at the University of Texas, was a Presbyterian minister serving as chaplain at the University. He got the idea of asking Blanchard and Davis to come to Austin to be introduced at halftime of the U.T. intramural championship football game. To his surprise, they accepted. Lewis planned to give a speech at halftime to what he thought would be three or four hundred people. When word got around that Blanchard and Davis were coming, over 5,000 people showed up. Lewis said later, that he realized he didn’t have anything meaningful to say to the students at halftime. After brooding about this, he asked his board if he could have a year’s sabbatical…to see what was happening in the Church. Of course, a Presbyterian minister would go back to his roots in Scotland. There, Lewis became enamored of a group of ministers and laypeople who were working together rebuilding an old abbey on the island of Iona. They had formed covenanting groups throughout Scotland doing theological studies and prayer. They became known as the Iona Community. “Lewis also became fascinated with the residential style of religious instruction at Cambridge and Oxford. He began formulating a plan incorporating both the dedication of the Iona group and the insights of Cambridge and Oxford. He would establish a student community alongside the University of Texas where students would commit themselves for a year of Christian living and study while continuing their regular courses at the University of Texas. With contributions raised from churches and with a small grant from the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., he purchased an old motel located a block from the campus. He formed a board of directors, put up a sign, and began recruiting students to join in the experiment.” Thus the first beginning. Lewis soon realized that he needed a professional teacher and director of curriculum . To get funding for this phase of the project, he went to the Danforth Foundation to ask for $10,000. Lewis presented his plan to create a residential program in which students would study theological education part time while they attended the University. According to stories Lewis later told, he was interrupted in making his request, by the Director of the Foundation, saying, that this was a tremendous idea and would $40,000 be enough. ($40,000 was a lot of money in the 1950’s.) With this grant, Lewis hired Joe Mathews to the new post. Thus the second beginning: a story of Joe Mathews and the corporate ministry which articulated their audacious task as “Renewing the Church for the sake of Renewing Society.” Here I interject my own story. I had graduated from Perkins Theological Seminary, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where Joseph W. Mathews had been my professor. I was in a deep struggle. I did not want to leave the ministry as a vocation but felt that I could not be effective as a pastor in a local congregation. One day, as I was especially down, I remembered Joe saying that he had had some hard times in his life. So I decided to telephone him in Austin. I told him my quandary and I asked him, what had helped him in hard times in his life. He said, “The Church of Jesus Christ, Our Lord.” I said, “Oh, Joe, don’t give me that kind of bull.” Joe responded, “If you feel that way, why don’t you come to Austin and we will talk about it.” The very next day, I drove to Austin where I saw a group of clergy and laity working together and teaching a theology that was relevant to everyday life in a fashion that thrilled me. As Bonhoeffer said, the power of a corporate group is greater than the sum total of it’s individual parts. Consciously or unconsciously I realized this. Joe offered for me to become an intern. I immediately said, YES. I tell my story because this is a story of many of those who became a part of the faculty because they realized the power of working corporately with Joe Mathews as our leader, a man we all deeply respected. The facts are that I witnessed us growing from a small group of families, both clergy and laity in Austin, Texas to a faculty of over 2,000 with Chicago as our headquarters and located in some 55 cities in the US and over 35 nations in the world. Oh, the Army vs Notre Dame game? With the two greatest offensive teams of the decade playing for the national championship, it ended in a nothing to nothing tie. The radio announcer, Stern, kept saying, “I am glad that I am not on the field today. I’ve never seen hitting this hard.” A nothing to nothing tie, now isn’t that the greatest game ever!?!

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Re: [Oe List ...] Remember Kenneth Boulding?
by James Wiegel 16 Dec '23

16 Dec '23

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