Progressive Faith & Emerging Culture

Back in the blogosphere... (sort of)

2009-03-01T03:08:00.004-05:00

Just getting back on after living a busy, fruitful but blog-less life since last summer...

I've been satiating my blogging/journaling pangs with occasional Facebook notes, along with keeping up with the news on my Bloglines newsfeed account.

Mostly, though, I have spent less time navel-gazing and more time reading, being with my family and friends...

I'd like to get back into blogging a bit here again, as time and energy permit.

The whole web 2.0/social media/facebook/twitter phenomena really fascinate me.

The trend, like any sociological development says just as much about us as it does about the medium.

Right now, I am looking for ways to:

-do better, more intentional self-care
-read and practice the guitar more regularly
-be more emotionally nurturing and available as a husband, father, family member, leader and friend

Reflection helps me to do this- it is a major part of how I make sense of the world around me, relationships, and also how I seek to lead a better, healthier, happier, more productive life.

Here's to that!

Check back again this month- I hope to have some thoughts and reflections on social media, theology, and relationships as well as what I'm reading now, etc...

Peace,

John

Altruism- does it really occur? If so, Why do we do it?

2008-06-02T21:07:00.002-04:00

Lately I have been reflecting a bit on the concept of altruism. Here is how Webster defines it:

altruism. 1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others
2 : behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species

Why do we do things to help others when there is little if anything for us to gain for ourselves??

Take the man who saves a child's life for instance, by pushing the child out of the way of a moving bus only to be killed by it himself; or acts of kindness done to help others with no apparent benefit other than knowing that one has done good...

Ah! Maybe THAT is what it is all about- knowing in one's own CONSCIENCE, that one has done right by one's fellow human beings- even if there is no benefit (or even personal harm) that occurs as a result.

That is a radical concept...

Although there are certainly a lot of charlatans and false prophets out there teaching that we should give to get- like the Joel Osteens and T.D. Jakes with their version of the 'prosperity gospel' of do unto others so God will do unto you...

Radical, unselfish, abundant, undeserved love is what I feel the Holy One has called me to give- and calls us each to give of ourselves sacrificially. I am going to be perfectly honest with you- I am a LONG, LONG way from any semblance of sacrificial giving or truly altruistic service...

I suppose that is one lifelong lesson that requires a committment of conscience and a daily walk that upholds justice for the least of these, and gives radically without thought or concern for self...

Perhaps a large part of this life lesson is not ACCUMULATING, like we are conditioned to do almost non-stop in our society, but rather radical GIVING AWAY and LETTING GO of everything but God ultimately...

Peace on the Journey,

John

Bill Moyers interview with Jeremiah Wright

2008-04-24T22:18:00.005-04:00

Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a gifted pastor, deeply committed to social justice and ministries of compassion to "the least of these" in our world, as many of us know, has become the target of right-wing (and even some left-of-center) sound-bite political flame wars. In the age of viral video, those couple of 15 second clips have been held up out of context, twisted and referred to ad nauseum by those trying to somehow pull Barrack Obama down through some sort of guilt-by-association scheme (if that is the standard to judge the next president, then McCain and Clinton are both in deep trouble, by the way). Anyway... enough of my commentary for now- The entire interview will air on PBS on Moyers show this week- (here in Philly it is Friday 4/25 at 9:30pm).

In the meantime, check out these insightful video interview segments of Bill Moyers' interview with Rev. Jeremiah Wright (or click HERE to view it at Moyers' PBS site):

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

On the Lighter side...

2008-04-19T07:24:00.003-04:00

Check out this funny/quirky video short from Current.tv:

"Norwegian band cooks"

Now those are some crazy Scandahoovians!

Enjoy!

;-)

This would be even funnier if it were not so close to the truth...

2008-04-14T11:39:00.003-04:00

Here is Saturday Night Live's latest spoof of the 2008 presidential campaign, and the posturing for the media that occurred recently in General David Petraeus' recent report to congress...

Oh my...

;-)

Also- my apologies about the commercial at the end- please disregard the advertising...

Lessons of Life

2008-04-09T21:21:00.005-04:00

Randy Pausch, distinguished scholar, professor and innovator of "virtual reality" technology recently learned that he has life-threatening pancreatic cancer, with likely 3-6 months to live. He is just 47 and has a wife and three very young children. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and sinking into self-pity, as many of us would, he is teaching us all how to live like every moment matters. Watch his "Last Lecture" and hear his powerfully moving story:

Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture"

Randy, as he mentions in his last lecture, did not do it for us, or to be courageous, or even for himself. Rather he did it (the last lecture) for his children, so they would better know and remember him and understand what he had learned in life and found to be meaningful and important.

The "Last Lecture" video has been out for a while, but there was a follow up story that appeared on ABC last night- here is a link:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LastLecture/

Peace,

John

Dr. King's Legacy of Social Justice: 40 Years later

2008-04-06T20:43:00.008-04:00

As many of us may know, Friday, April 4th, was the 40th anniversary of that fateful day when Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., civil rights leader, preacher, activist and pacifist was shot dead at a hotel in Memphis, TN while in town to meet with striking garbage workers- the very next day after delivering his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" message.

Then there is that courageously prophetic sermon in which Dr. King denounces the Vietnam War and boldly calls for peace, which I reflected upon last February:

Can Love and War Co-exist?

I was not even born yet when this happened, but my parents have told me all about it- my father and his best friend drove from Philadelphia to attend Dr. King's viewing and funeral, and I have read many of his books and heard/watched a lot of his great speeches and sermons, as well as visiting his tomb, former church, Ebenezer Baptist, (where we worshiped that Sunday), and the national historic site in Atlanta, Georgia.

What are the books and/or speeches of Dr. King that have made the greatest impact on you?Here are a few of mine:

Why We Can't Wait
Stride toward Freedom
Strength to Love
Letter from the Birmingham Jail
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, jr.

Several excellent books about Dr. King and his legacy that I have read are:

Pillar of Fire : America in the King Years 1963-65 (America in the King Years)
Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63 (America in the King Years)
At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68 (America in the King Years)

all by acclaimed author Taylor Branch

Martin, Malcolm and America by James H. ConeAnd the Walls Came Tumbling Down by Ralph Abernathy- an autobiography with many references to Dr. King (not all glowing, but very human) I also have the following books on my wishlist:

I May Not Get there With You, by Michael Eric Dyson

The Race Beat, by Gene Roberts

And, of course, there is the U2 song "Pride: In the Name of Love," (featured above) that is dedicated to Dr. King

"One morning, April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky...these men that took your life, they could not take your pride. In the Name of Love- what more in the name of love?" (may not be exact words, but close- beside the point though)...What writings, speeches, or events from Dr. King impacted you, your life and your ministry most deeply??

Peace,

John

Back in the Blogosphere!

2008-03-13T12:40:00.002-04:00

I have not been doing much blogging lately, as you may have noticed, but I am hoping to get back at it again soon.

Topics which I am hoping to look at in the coming weeks and months are:

-mindfulness and meditiation
-labyrinths
-more book and movie reviews
-spiritual/theological reflections on the holidays
-spiritual reflections on grief and recovery

thanks for stopping by and please check back again soon!

Peace,

John

Breaking the Ice

2008-01-22T18:38:00.000-05:00

It has been pretty cold here recently- not as cold as it was in Green Bay on Sunday (-3 degrees minus wind chill from what I understand), but still cold enough. I used to boast that I have ice water running through my veins due to my "Scandahoovian" ancestry...

I do have a pretty high tolerance for physical cold.

Emotional cold is an entirely different thing...

Lately my family and I had been on rather chilly terms after a bit of a blowout/misunderstanding over the holidays about who was going where when over New Year's Eve, etc, etc...

We just left and went home after what had been an otherwise nice day with the family...

In the past I always seemed to rush to try and make peace and apologize (even if I did absolutely nothing wrong) in order to try to make things better. This time around, however, I realized that sometimes I just need to tell it like I see it, and let people hear (in a civil way) what is on my mind and how I feel about that relationship.

I quietly went home with my wife and daughter and we spent time on our own- which was just fine with me... It is great seeing and spending time with one's family of origin, but it can be quite a puzzling, even bizarre experience when a family member gets a chip on their shoulder and it comes out in a surprising way.

I say let bygones be bygones... In order to do that, though, we first need to deal with issue directly... I cannot control what the other person says or does, but I can seek to act and speak with personal integrity...

That is ultimately what matters most, I think- having peace within oneself and with God... I can extend forgiveness and an olive branch, but what the other person does with that is up to them...

I am reminded of the sage words of Reinhold Neibuhr (more familiarly known to many as the "Serenity Prayer" that has been co-opted by AA):

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Amen and Amen.

Peace be with you and yours,

John

That's How the Cookie Crumbles

2007-12-17T19:13:00.000-05:00

I finally figured out what the 'cookie crisis' was with accessing my blogs and took care of it. Apparently either Internet Explorer 7.0 or my internet security suite had google on a 'block cookies' list. Anyway... problem solved- for now anyway...

This whole thing was kind of interesting- I didn't think I would miss blogging all that much because I have never been one who blogs so frequently their laptop or PC is like an additional appendage- I blog here when inspiration, or ennui strike...

It also got me thinking more about this whole reality that is the world wide web and how it has evolved from a few geeks working at huge mainframes in a couple of isolated college computer labs with way too much time on their hands to the global information tsunami that has occurred over the last ten or so years.

Sites like blogs (including this one), as well as those networking sites including facebook and myspace have forever changed the world communicates. Who would've thunk it?, as I believe the great philosopher Yogi Berra once said.

One the one hand, having a wealth of information, resources, media, communication, shopping and entertainment at one's fingertips without even leaving home is amazing!

On the other hand, some of the terrible stories we hear about in the news from time to time of pedophiles and stalkers trolling for vulnerable youth is, at the very least, unsettling, and more than a bit creepy.

These phenomena have been satirized by late night comedians ad nauseum- most memorably, perhaps, in Saturday Night Live (SNL) skits- including ones like the "I googled your name" skit, or the "internet safety tips" class held at a school that was attended by a room full of creeps and pedophiles... Funny on the surface, but with a elementary school age child in my home, it has made me very observant about setting and maintaining boundaries and monitoring internet usage.

Also- isn't it interesting how the term 'cookie' was adapted to also refer to a sort of tracking file that tells certain websites where your browser has been and when?

Finally, I just read an excellent book on e-mail ettiquette called simply "SEND"- it is by one of the op-ed editors for the New Yorker, and another journalist. Very insightful book that I highly recommend.

Lately my boss has been on a bit of a kick about people in the office (myself included) giving her 'too much information' about projects too frequently. I was in the habit of sending off a quick e-mail update as new developments occurred- which I thought was appreciated. Lo and behold, though, these updates apparently were not always deemed as helpful and timely by my boss as I thought she would find them. I still got a spectacular annual review, but that also got me thinking about how e-mail has changed how we communicate- both at home and work.

I think the internet and e-mail lends the impression to many that there is somehow a convenience factor- i.e. just send quick messages to people as the ideas cross one's mind then they can choose when and if to read them. Is the flip side of this equation, though, both with e-mail and internet a blurring of healthy boundaries?

Just a thought...

Peace,

John

Life's What happens... part deux

2007-12-17T07:46:00.000-05:00

In addition to the busyness of the holiday season, I have been having some sort of a 'cookie' problem with my laptop that has prevented me from logging in to the blogs. In the coming weeks and months I am hoping to reflect more upon interfaith dialogue in the public square, as well as meditative practices and current events.

We're getting ready to take a family trip to Disneyworld over the holidays, so I am sure I will have some arcane theological reflections to share about that whole odyssey in the not-so-distant future as well.

Peace,

John

Life's What Happens While your busy trying to blog

2007-11-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

This is my first entry on this blog in a good while... Life is busy and intense. My wife just lost her mother a few weeks ago and is bereft in grief- but has a lot of support (family, counseling, social support); my 7 yr old daughter is in a different activity almost every day and we're short-staffed in my department at work right now, so I have extra responsibilities there as well... I am also very actively involved in several leadership roles at church...

I am still managing to find time to "Be still and know that the Lord is God," but that time is getting harder and harder to protect- so thus I have not been blogging or watching TV nearly as much- which is probably a good thing, although I do enjoy reflecting on faith and life when I can find the energy and time.

God is very good, though, and my life is full of blessings. When we face challenges, somehow, some way, God gives us the strength we need. Until next time may we "pray unceasingly" and walk boldly in faith.

Peace & prayers,

John

Is the "New atheism" really so new?

2007-10-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been reading a number of books by several newly best-selling authors and self-minted spokespersons for the "new atheist" movement. These unapologetic maverick figures include evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, neurology scholar Sam Harris, and libertarian-leaning pundit Christopher Hitchens.

All three of these guys have had one or more national best-selling books with a common theme of why God a) is cruel, sadistic and unjust b) reminds them of their absentee, abusive or deadbeat dad, and c) doesn't (or at least probably doesn't) exist.

Some interesting coincidences:

Richard Dawkins was sent to a strict, repressive boarding school run by mentally and physically abusive clergy in England. In chapter 9 of his book "The God Delusion" entitled "Childhood Abuse and the Escape from Religion," he goes into detail about this personal trauma and disillusionment with the religious leaders he encountered as a child.

Sam Harris' mother was Jewish and emotionally distant father was Quaker. Sam refused to be bar-mitzvahed. Instead he dabbled in eastern new age spirituality, and the designer drug ecstasy. Instead of finding enlightenment, apparently he has only become more jaded and angry. He insists that Reason is supreme, and anything that is to be believed must be able to be proven scientifically or it must be false. He also lumps religious believers generally into one of two categories- fundamentalists, or moderates who enable fundamentalists. His scathing, venomous attacks on any organized religion and religious people have been described as "anti-theist"- going beyond not believing in a divine creator or religion to being almost militantly and vociferously opposed to even the notion of there being a higher power.

Christopher Hitchens, libertarian columnist recently wrote a book entitled "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything." The book has been a runaway bestseller- which apparently attests to the fact that this is a message that many people in the general public want to hear. Hitchens was also sent to a strict, authoritarian Brittish boarding school at an early age by his emotionally distant parents. As a young man he became a socialist activist in college, where he was a "third class honors" student leading a relatively undistinguished and short-lived academic career. He is widely regarded as coining the derogatory label "Islamofascism" in the weeks and months after 9/11/2001.

Bill Maher, a strongly left-leaning TV political satirist and comedian has also become a leading anti-religionist media voice. He was raised in his father's strict Irish Catholic religion, while his mother was Jewish, but not practicing. He rebelled against what he considered to be the hypocrisy of organized religion. His anti-religionist rants on his late-night program on HBO are a common theme of his. He apparently has a film coming out in which he travels around different parts of the world trying to show the worst aspects of religion. He does not seem to totally rule out the possibility of there being some sort of greater spiritual reality, but he rejects any notion of there being a benevolent, active or real deity or creator. Maher does have a social conscience, though, as well as a seeming concern for "the least of these"- at least in his public rhetoric.

Well, as it turns out, these are not original or compelling ideas. Buddhism, interestingly enough is a spiritual tradition that is atheistic- focusing on right living and enlightenment without believing in a God or higher spiritual power. Many figures throughout the course of history have expressed atheistic views- including Socrates and Epicurus in ancient times; Machiavelli in the mediaeval era; Hobbes in the pre-enlightenment era, whom all leaned toward atheistic perspectives. Thomas Jefferson, an American founding father, and deist (think divine clockmaker theory), systematically removed every reference to the miraculous or supernatural in the Bible, calling this tamed version of defaced scripture "The Jefferson Bible."

In the 19th century, post-enlightenment era, Ludwig Feuerbach considered God a human invention and religion nothing more than mere "wish fulfillment." Friederich Nietsche, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud and Bertrand Russell would all pick up on this theme. Reason in the form of scientifically provable, quanitifiable fact was seen by these figures as the only source of real, believable claims of ultimate meaning.

Interestingly enough, each and every one of these above-mentioned figures had a negative experience either with their father figure or an abusive, authoritarian clergyman at a very early age.

I find this fascinating.

One of the primary fatal flaws with atheism and anti-theism is that they both seem to over-simplify religion and spirituality, and over-idealize human reason. In essence, the leading proponents of atheism essentially make reason itself a sort of idol that they then idealize and claim is the only way to any sort of meaningful life or discovery.

This narrow, reductive perspective, amounts to a sort of secular fundamentalism in many cases, I think. It fails to acknowledge that there are deeper truths that surpass and will always surpass human ability to measure and fathom. If we can't measure something at this time, does that mean it is not real or true?

What ever happened to the place of mystery and faith? The major stumbling block for many self-proclaimed "atheists" is that belief in a greater reality beyond human measurement or logic requires trust and what Soren Kirkegaard, the great Danish existential philosopher called a "leap of faith." Those persons who bear the emotional and mental scars of negative early experiences with parents and religious leaders find it next to impossible to even conceive of taking a "leap of faith" or exploring the mystery of the divine. Instead, people who have been hurt in this way often find themselves mired in fear, hurt, and anger- using rationalization as a means of assuaging their discomfort with the possibility of there being a reality or being greater than their human ability to comprehend.

This is a fascinating topic for me, because I believe that one's spiritual belief and faith must be rigorously questioned, tested, probed and explored. Shedding light only reveals what is real and true. The danger in this, I suppose is that we may be afraid of, or not like what we see when we shine that light on the deep inner recesses of the human spirit.

Peace on the journey,

John

Welcome, sweet baby James!

2007-09-08T21:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Friday September 7th, 2007, my little sister, Rachel gave birth to her first child, James Buni! He weighed in @ 9 lbs, and was measured at 22 inches- a big boy!

Here he is with his proud papa, Bunyan. Praise God for the miracle of new life in our midst! Everyone is happy and healthy, in spite of understandably being more than a little tired and sore.

We love each and every one of you, and join in rejoicing for the birth of baby James!

Love, peace, prayers and miracles,

John

Plumbing the Depths of the Spirit- One Song at a Time...

2007-08-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

During the summer months, while my wife and daughter are frolicking down at the shore and I am home working, I have a lot of evenings to myself. One of my passions is playing jazz (and blues and folk and classical and rock) guitar.

When I first started piano lessons as a boy, I would love to "play by ear"- and developed quite a knack for it some would say. The scales, velocity exercises, classical studies and cadences drove me crazy, though. I was, and still am 'decent' at it, but not great. I continued lessons into college (where I was a vocal-choral major). But I stopped taking lessons, because, in part I had lost passion for the instrument.

Well now, I have been playing and studying the guitar for almost ten years and LOVE IT. It takes a lot of hard work to begin to journey toward mastery of the instrument and the expression of musical art through that instrument. I still have a long way to go on that journey, but I feel good about where I am with it right now.Lately (for the past few months) in addition to velocity exercises, chord inversions and progressions, I have been working on a great jazz tune called "Lament" by jazz trombone great J.J. Johnson.

A seemingly simple melody with a very straight forward chord progression. Yet, I am finding there are so many nuances of expression within those notes if one really truly "plumbs the depths" of each musical nook and cranny that the melody evokes. This is the essence of jazz- focused, collaborative, synergistic creative expression through music.

Contrary to what some may think too- despite that jazz is a freer, more creative medium that incorporates improvisation, it takes excellent mastery of the instrument, knowledge of the genre, and fluency with the lingua franca, or common language of jazz. The great jazz masters- like Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis or Wes Montgomery, commanded such a mastery of the instrument and the art, that their performances and improvisations sound so effortless to the untrained ear.

This sense of "effortless," flowing musical expression, at its best, speaks to the deepest parts of the human Spirit.This does not happen by the artist just sitting down without having ever practiced or prepared and just starting to play. No- all the jazz greats first had to "pay their dues" in the woodshed practicing and practicing. Practice can seem tedious without a greater vision or sense of purpose in it. However, when the time is put in, and effort consistently made- the fruit of this labor can be amazing and almost ethereal.

After practicing "Lament" literally for several months on end- carefully learning all the chords, every last note in the melody, then playing the chords in all the possible inversions, and finally putting chords and melody together at the same time with embellishments and improvisations weaved in to fit with the chords- there was recently a moment of epiphany of sorts.

After practicing very methodically, note by note, chord by chord- playing the challenging spots over, and over, and over again until it went from labored stumbling to a smooth, beautiful effortless flow- I finally had an "a ha!" moment where I realized why I had been working so hard for all this time, and why my teacher had patiently guided and encouraged me through all that work and practice.I played (or 'comped') the chords into the digital "looper" I have in my basement hooked to an amp, then pressed the loop switch, and began my workout- I was finally ready to "plumb the depths" of this song- having put in the time, struggled through the practice leading up to this point. After a time or two through warming up, I began to feel a pull from my inner Spirit, guiding my fingers to the notes and chords that best expressed how this tremendously moving melody was speaking to my heart.

I started with a basic statement of the melody as written over the chords- then I built on it, and built on it. I played, and I played, and I played- polishing the spots I had struggled with, and seeking to explore new creative musical territory as I went. The music was drawing my deeper and deeper- and at the same time God was speaking and ministering to my heart through this music- perhaps something like David must have felt when he played his harp and sung the Psalms he had written.

When I finally concluded the session, my fingers ached a little bit and I had gained a new callous or two, but it felt good- I had completed (or God had completed in me) a labor of love! This brought me the greatest peace I had felt in a long time, and was cathartic for me in many ways. Playing and studying the guitar is one of the ways that I meditate and plumb the depths of my inner Spirit.

I borrowed the metaphor "plumbing the depths" from the vocation of river pilots, who are knowledgeable experts at navigating a particular stretch of a river or waterway. They explore, learn about, study and get to know that stretch of river better than almost anyone around. They know where the channels and shoals are; they know where the sandbars and hidden rocks lie; they know the idiosynchrasies of the currents and weather conditions, and most of all- they know the best way to pilot a ship through that stretch safely and efficiently.

In many ways, God's Holy Spirit guides us in a similar way on our journey- a river pilot or jazz guitar master- has an amazing, genius-like skill in one particular, focused area. God's Spirit, though is always with us, always goes before us and knows the way.

Peace on the journey,

John

What I am reading this week...

2007-08-14T12:40:00.001-04:00

A History of Religious Ideas, by Mircea Eliade

Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition by John Cobb, jr. & David Ray Griffin

Einstein: His Life & Universe, by Walter Isaacson

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown

Finding the 'Thin Places'

2007-08-09T11:46:00.000-04:00

Both Barbara Brown Taylor, and Marcus Borg write about finding the "thin places" on one's spiritual journey. These are places along one's spiritual path where God's Spirit feels especially near. For some it is a moment or experience of transcendence, or a time when God reveals a vision of the future, or confirms a calling. At other times, these thin places can be moments of communion with God's wondrous creation.

In my personal journey, I have experienced these thin places most powerfully in my walks in nature. Eugene Peterson, in Living the Message, writes about how he and his wife take what he calls "Emmaus Walks"- walks in nature where they can restfully meditate on God's great love.

The photo shown above is from the Wissahickon Creek- which runs through Montgomery County, PA into Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. When I lived with my wife and daughter in Philadelphia, we were just a few minutes walk from this beautiful creek. I would go there often on long walks to be out in nature, get a little exercise, and meditate on God's presence in my life. For me, this was often a thin place.

In his wonderfully insightful book The Heart of Christianity, Borg writes of the ancient Celtic Christian concept of "thin places":

'Thin places' has its home in a particular way of thinking about God. Deeply rooted in the Bible and the Christian tradition, this way of thinking sees God, 'the More,' as the encompassing Spirit in which everything is. God is not somewhere else, but 'right here.'
. . .
A thin place is anywhere our hearts are opened. To use sacramental language, a thin place is a sacrament of the sacred, a mediator of the sacred, a means whereby the sacred becomes present to us. A thin place is a means of grace.

Worship can become a thin place, but so can a walk in a beautiful space in God's creation. It can be anywhere that we open our hearts to God and commune with the Holy Spirit.

Barbara Brown Taylor shares a bit about her struggle to find these places of spiritual renewal early in her ministry in her book Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith:

Sixty hour weeks were normal, hovering close to eighty during the holidays. Since my job involved visiting parishioners in hospitals and nursing homes on top of a heavy administrative load, the to-do list was never done. More often, I simply abandoned it when I felt my mind begin to coast like a car out of gas. Walking outside of whatever building I had been in, I was often surprised by how warm the night was or how cold. I was so immersed in indoor human dramas that I regularly lost track of the seasons.

After years of driving herself unrelentingly with long weeks, little rest, and even less time with her husband, she found herself feeling spiritually depleted and seeking a thin place. She and her husband discerned that God was leading them to make a move from the busy urban church in Atlanta. They went to north Georgia, and when they arrived, found a beautiful piece of land at the confluence of two large streams with the Chatahoochee River overlooking breathtaking mountains. They had found a place of rest, and reflection. They ended up buying a tract of land and building a home there.

In John's Gospel, there was another woman feeling depleted and empty- seeking living water:

Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but hoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.'

Where are the thin places in your life today? Do they seem few and far between? For so many of us they do all too often. Seek God's peace and you will be found.

Peace to you in and in-between the thin places,

John

Has sports reached a new low?

2007-08-05T00:30:00.000-04:00

Today, Barry Bonds tied (he broke it a few days after I originally wrote this). Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755. Apparently, the reaction from the capacity crowd at San Diego was a cacaphonous mixture of boos and cheers. There were also hundreds, if not more than a thousand fans who held up white pieces of paper with a huge asterisk printed on it.

Here is one sporswriter's take on this whole circus.

Bonds, of course, is still under investigation for lying about using performance enhancing drugs. His trainer Greg Anderson went to jail for refusing to testify and for obstructing justice, if I remember correctly. This whole sordid, disgraceful story was unpacked in the book Game of Shadows, written by two San Francisco sportswriters who thoroughly investigated Bonds' ties to the dubious San Francisco training supplement lab known as BALCO.

I am not sure what is more disturbing- that Bonds may well have done steroids and hormones then lied about it and been enabled by trainers, OR that owners, managers, and top league officials, including MLB commissioner Bud Selig seem to have all but turned a blind eye to the steroid and performance-enhancing drug problem.

In the first 12 years of Bonds' career, he had never hit more than 40 home runs. Then, all of a sudden, the year after Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa battled for the home run record, under suspicious circumstances (fast forward to McGuire's huge 'no comment' in his testimony before the congressional committee investigating performance-enhancing drugs). THEN, the following year, Bonds bulks up by more than 25 lbs, sets a new home run record, followed the next year by swatting a mammoth 73 homers! A few of them which may still be orbiting the earth...

Also, his stolen base total went down significantly while his power numbers skyrocketed- presumably from the significant weight and muscle mass he put on all of a sudden....

So, here we are about 6-8 years later, and Bonds just tied Hank Aaron- one of the most prolific and highly respected men to ever play the game. What does the league commissioner have to say about what under presumably honest circumstances would have been a momentous achievement?? Here is his quote:

"Everybody has to make their own judgments."

Hmm... not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Wait, wait, surely one of his own teammates would be able to put a more positive spin on this:

"My impression?" teammate Dave
Roberts said. "From the outside, I had a certain opinion. Now that I'm
closer to it, I think he's getting a raw deal, plain and simple. … He's taken
shots from everybody. After a while, you clam up. People take him as a bad guy
because of it.
"He's never tested positive. The people that know him best –
teammates or guys who play against him – those are the people I listen to. And I
love having him as a teammate. I don't know how he's dealt with it his whole
career. Some of it might be warranted, but it goes both ways."

"Some of it might be warranted, but it goes both ways." Basically he seems to be saying- look I am still on this guy's team, so I can't say much, but I wouldn't be surprised if I found out he did it (Even though he has not officially tested positive since MLB officially instituted steroids testing- about a decade after they instituted a policy against it).

And what is with this mickey mouse "investigation" (if you want to call it that) put on by George Mitchell. Does he really think he is going to get anywhere by trying to compel people to talk about this taboo issue voluntarily?? The only people that seem to be talking about steroids are washed-up mediocre players who juiced themselves, like Jose Canseco, who has all but become a pariah in the pro sports world for naming names.

It all stinks if you ask me.

I have to ask, though- What is the greater moral of this whole disgraceful saga??

Is it that somehow Bonds will be or has been proved to be a bad role model for kids?? That is not the real issue- sports figure bad boys have been around since it all began. Even Babe Ruth drank like a fish and apparently had several different venereal diseases that he acquired from his many affairs.

The number of players involved in shady business deals or illicit off-field/off-court escapades are a dime a dozen...

No- the clincher for me, is that this goes straight to the root of not only damaging that player's reputation, but it exposes the whole sport as a fraud for tolerating (probably knowingly) such grossly unethical- if not illegal and unfair practices.

Then again, what does that say about "us"- the American public, who fill the stadiums, buy the millions in team merchandise, and watch the games and support the advertisers??

Are we not all enabling this by allowing ourselves to become passive voyeurs with a lust for more and more sensational feats??

I am a pretty devoted baseball fan. I have followed the Philadelphia Phillies since my grandfather took me to see my first game when I was six years old.

At some point, I think enough of the fan base needs to send a strong, firm message to MLB owners and the commissioner that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH- CLEAN UP YOUR ACT!

Unfortunately, it appears the only way this will ever be accomplished is if enough people vote with their feet and spend their time and money elsewhere.

After all, there is a lot more to life than watching pro sports. Here's to living life more fully instead of putting bad role models up on phony pedestals then watching them fall...

Put your faith in the TRUE ROCK, Jesus Christ, and you will never fail.

Peace in the Lord,

John

What I'm Reading This Week...

2007-07-16T12:51:00.000-04:00

Living Water... and lack of Water

2007-07-13T19:59:00.000-04:00

H2O
agua
l'eau
wasser
acqua
水
ύδωρ
вода
근해

Water is one of the most essential and basic ingredients needed for life. Every life form known to humankind relies on it to live and grow. It is also one of the key elements scientists look for when determining whether a given planet may be conducive to life. As many of us heard in health class- about two-thirds of our body is water that needs to be continually replenished, along with vital nutrients.

Water is universally understood in every culture and language as vital. A human being can potentially go for weeks at a time without food if needed- it is not healthy, and the person will grow weak, but one can survive. People cannot survive for more than a few days, however, without water to drink.

Sadly, though, despite 3/4 of the earth's surface being comprised of water, the amount of potable drinking water is dangerously scarce- particularly in developing nations. As a result, disease is rampant, and lack of clean water for drinking and bathing leads to serious illness or death for millions of people each year.

Even sadder than that, however, is the fact that a small percentage of the annual profits from the multi-billion dollar bottled water industry could provide clean water and sanitation to the entire developing world. I recently saw a sobering article on the global water situation and the bottled water industry in the NY Times called aptly "Bad to the Last Drop."

Among other shocking facts, the writer points out that:

More than 2.6 billion people, or more than 40 percent of the world's population, lack basic sanitation, and more than one billion people lack reliable access to safe drinking water. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of all illness in the world is due to water-borne diseases.
. . .
Clean water could be provided to everyone on earth for an outlay of $1.7 billion a year beyond current spending on water projects, according to the International Water Management Institute. Improving sanitation, which is just as important, would cost a further $9.3 billion per year. This is less than a quarter of global annual spending on bottled water.

I know, I know- everyone drinks bottled water- and hey it's better than say soft drinks or other less than healthy beverages. Up until I read that article, my family and I bought a case of bottled water per week. We recycle the bottles, but we still contribute to supporting this industry that is reaping outrageous profits while 40% of the world is without clean water.

"Living Water" is one of my favorite spiritual metaphors from scripture.

Zechariah refers to it as an image of life in the new Jerusalem.

John mentions living water as a metaphor of spiritual renewal and transformation in the life of the woman at the well.

In Revelation, living water is an image of eternal life under the care of the good shepherd.

As people of faith, or as spiritual seekers, we find great comfort and hope in this image and the promise of new life it brings.

How then can we tacitly support practices and industries that deny clean water, a basic necessity to life, to millions of people in the world today?

Not only has our government abolished vital clean water protections in recent years, but our consumption habits continue to have harmful consequences in the developing world far beyond what most people realize.

Will you join me in trying to help make a difference? Explore new ways to recycle, and support clean water for those who need it most- the least of these...

Here are a few organizations that are working to help bring clean water to more and more people please consider getting involved:

Clean Water Action

Global Water

Water Advocates

Sierra Club- Clean Water Center

Water for People

Global Water Challenge

Water Partners International

The Clean Water Network

Clean Water, Sanitation Goals for World's Poor

Peace and health, and Living Water to all,

John

What is the true meaning of Independence Day?

2007-07-04T13:55:00.000-04:00

For many, Independence Day is a time to gather with family and friends to watch fireworks, chow down on hamburgers & hotdogs, and celebrate American independence. I have tremendously deep and heartfelt gratitude for the many, many brave service people who have given themselves and made great personal sacrifices in service to the people of the United States in the name of freedom and democracy.

Here we are, though, Independence Day, 2007- four years and several months after George W. Bush cavalierly declared "Mission Accompished" and the supposed "end to major combat operations in Iraq," atop an aircraft carrier in his flight suit. Yet, the American troops killed since then are topping 3500 dead, 25,000 plus seriously wounded or dismembered, and sure to climb much higher before our brave men and women serving there in the armed forces are all brought home (which, with Gates, Petraeus, and others now pushing for a 'permanent presence' in Iraq is looking highly unlikely to happen anytime soon- if in our lifetime).

Why did we REALLY invade Iraq anyway?? Was it because Sadam really had Weapons of Mass Destruction? Obviously not. Was it to replace dictatorship with democracy? That apparently didn't work either- we have become occupiers and our respect and stature as a nation in the world community has continued to dwindle as Iraq descends further and further into civil war and lawless violence. Was it for humanitarian reasons? That has been debunked as well- thanks to Mr. Bush and his administration single-handedly seeking to demolish both the Geneva Conventions and writ of habeus corpus, as well as basic protections guaranteed in the Bill of Rights (like freedom from unreasonable searches and surveillance of U.S. citizens without a warrant or judicial oversight).

Mr. Bush has taken our nation backwards several huge steps, and we as the American people along with our other elected representatives have allowed him to do it. Our nation desperately needed a president who would be a uniter. Instead we got one who considers himself the sole "decider"- above accountability to any other branches of government, and apparently also beyond any accountability to the American people or even the American justice system- whose decisions he unilaterally invalidates at will.

To add insult to injury, in a desperate attempt to salvage his tarnished presidental legacy, Mr. Bush made a grand proclamation on July 4th trying to compare the war in Iraq to the American Revolutionary War for independence. The founders of our great nation and framers of the U.S. Constitution must be rolling over in their graves. The unilateral, unjustified war in Iraq and subsequent occupation has not and will not bring about 'freedom' it has led to greater anarchy and become a recruiting cry for radical Islamists.

Don't get me wrong- I give A LOT of credit to our brave service men and women who have put their lives on the line in service to our nation- or even more boldly made the ultimate sacrifice. What message do we send to the families of these brave soldiers when our president and his administration continues to feed us all a pack of lies and half-truths about why we invaded Iraq in the first place?? Does that sort of dishonesty and lack of accountability from our commander in chief not dishonor those who have served so bravely?

Yes, I know I know- Independence Day is a day to wave the American flag, put our hands over our hearts and bow for moments of silence in the hallowed national church of American civil religion- perhaps even including joining hands and singing a stirring rendition of "God Bless the USA." But what ever happened to the freedom to express dissent or speak out against perceived injustice- even if it is unpopular?

Does that only apply if one is of a certain background or ideological persuasion?

What happened to the American promise:

""Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

penned so eloquently by Emma Lazarus and inscribed on our own statue of liberty?

Has America become an elitist, exclusionary, hypocritical country- proclaiming freedom, then denying it to those who seek it unless they are privileged and well-connected? This is not the end of this story. The people will speak and be heard.

Beyond partisanship, beyond ideological differences we must all find the courage to stand boldly and speak truth to power- albeit peacefully- on important occasions, otherwise, I believe we lose our social conscience, little by little, until all that remains is apathy and indifference.

May we all find or reclaim that inner voice of justice and peace that speaks truthfully and faithfully even in the midst of pressured patriotism. In many ways, I believe that is one of the greatest sorts of courage.

May God help and guide us ALL- not just those of us within the borders of this nation.

Peace be with you,

John

Re-visiting the Labyrinth

2007-07-04T13:23:00.000-04:00

This week, while on vacation at the Delaware shore, I re-visited the beautiful labyrinth at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Lewes, Delaware. Here is an earlier reflection of mine on labyrinths; and here are a few photos from my most recent trip (click directly on the image to see a larger rendition of it):

A Couple of interesting surprises...

2007-06-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

Recently I saw a couple of interesting quizzes on another blog I frequent- they are from Mingle2...

One of them is this geeky cute thing called "Could You Pass 8th Grade Science"... (I got a B- back then):

That was surprise # 1 from that site- although I remember answering more than 26 questions back then... had to memorize all those factoids and formulas- heck even Einstein didn't memorize all his formulas- but anyway that was funny- especially since I have always seen myself as more of an artiste and definitely not a scientific kinda guy... Nice to know I could at least make it through the 8th grade if I found myself back there again, Tom Hanks style or something (although it was actually the reverse scenario in that movie)...

So What's the other interesting surprise?? From that Mingle2 site again- this blog's rating (in the very outside chance you have Victorian sensibilities or something and actually give a hoot- my blog's 'rating' according to their blog rating system based on frequency of certain apparently risque words):

Mingle² -

(Note: the above rating is for this blog "Progressive Faith & Emerging Culture," which desipte my occasional tackling of controversial subjects has received a questionable G rating (unlike BIG the above listed movie which received a PG rating- for the fart jokes or something I guess- go figure)...

Moving Beyond the Me-Mirror

2007-06-29T23:36:00.000-04:00

I am realizing more and more that to achieve meaningful growth I need to focus on one specific goal at a time and strive tirelessly each day toward that goal. No obstacle can prove too great, unless I allow it to be. I am not alone- G-d is guiding me. Though I am flawed and wonderfully imperfect I am precious and unique as are each of my fellow human beings on this earth with me. In order to grow, I must make regular, meaningful, deep sacrifices- not once or twice- not just when it is convenient or profitable in the short-term, but time after time after time.

I must challenge myself to step beyond the me-mirror deeper into the vision toward which the Holy One would have me strive.

Peace,

John

Sky's the Limit...

2007-06-29T01:50:00.000-04:00

Recently I have been reading "The Wild Trees," by Richard Preston... it is a fascinating book about pioneering adventurers who explore the mightiest trees in the world.

These trees are not the 6 or 8 foot variety whose young lives we cut short to decorate our living rooms for a week or two in December, or even the 40 or 50 footers we plant to shade our homes or beautify our front yards.

Many of these gentle giants rise 350 feet or more into the sky, are more than 25 feet in diameter at the base and are over 1000 years old! Yes, that's right- more than a millennium- some perhaps 2000-3000 years old.

Nestled in the alluvial plains near creek beds in coastal northern California, the mighty redwood forests- what remains of them stand proud- deeply rooted in the earth where they have lived for hundreds and hundreds of years. Once the land was filled with them, but now they are now scarce.

According to Preston, less than 4% of the mighty trees that stood when the westward expansion of the 1840s and 50s arrived around the time of the gold boon still stand today. The rest of them have been felled by logging companies and builders- cut down to clear the way for "progress." A precious few remain- some of which are just now beginning to be explored. It has been speculated by some that perhaps up to half of the world's undiscovered species live in the canopies of the great forests. There is a whole world up there that only a handful of humans have seen. The world of the mighty trees is a vast, robust new frontier that must be protected and sustained before it disappears.

I lived in Oregon for about six years during my adolescence. One of our favorite places to go was the beautiful Oregon coast- with its rugged rock formations, awe-inspiring surf and majestic vistas. There are few sights more breath-taking than seeing the sun set out across the ocean against the rugged silhouette of Haystack Rock. We made many trips there during our residence in Oregon.

It always broke my heart, though, to drive through the coastal mountains and see for miles around nothing but bare stumps on muddy hillsides where once great trees had stood. I know that we rely on the lumber industry for most of our furniture and paper goods, but seeing that unforgettable site caused me to ask time and again- 'Is it really worth it??' Is the damage our consumption habits and tastes as Americans is doing to the earth really worth it??

We are cutting the forests bare, fishing to the point of endangering many species of fish, polluting the seas and the earth and the air to an extent greater than anytime in the history of humankind. To use a bad mixed metaphor or note of irony- global warming is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the damage human industry and consumerism is doing to the earth.

The technology existed decades ago to complete convert our power generation and vehicles to renewable energy such as solar power and other fuels that are much less harmful to the environment. Who prevented this? The oil industry, the auto industry and all the other big energy special interest lobbies who have tens of billions of $$$ contingent on continuing to rape the earth with reckless abandon. They have the big money, they have the big lawyers, they have the media mouthpieces to propagandize- and so far big industry has had their way.

It doesn't have to be that way in the future though- we can each help make a difference. Support local and national efforts to protect the environment, clean up neighborhoods, reduce waste, recycle, promote renewable energy sources.

There is a saying from a cartoon that is pretty telling of the human condition that says "I've seen the enemy and it is us!" We are our own worst enemies when we allow ourselves to become blinded by short-term profit or hollow gains and lose our vision and soul.

Like the mighty redwoods, in order to grow, be healthy and flourish we need to be grounded and connected in mind body & spirit to that nourishment that sustains rather than feeding our limitless appetite for destruction. After all- we were created in God's image. Our faith is the fertile soil that nourishes our lives- for "...with God, all things are possible."

Peace in the Lord,

John