tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44476802006610461062024-03-19T06:10:09.505-07:00"The Bishop and The Seeker"Adventures in sharing our book to bridge religious differences<br>
<small>Ease religious tension, express your beliefs better, draw closer to your own spiritual home</small>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-11240029370914053512016-09-30T07:39:00.003-07:002016-09-30T15:18:59.671-07:00New Thought Diversity Training Questions Diversity<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Participants at Diversity workshop sponsored by Centers for Spiritual Living.<br />
Group photos by Tracy Rymes</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">[September, 2016] With some
trepidation I attended a diversity training offered this week by one of my
spiritual communities, Centers for Spiritual Living (CSL). My own local center
in Falls Church, Virginia, has experienced tension over the value of focusing
on diversity vs oneness. I feared the workshop might promote one set of right
answers. What I got was the opposite: an acknowledgment that privileging either
diversity or oneness falls short. For me, the workshop made clear that the only
way to balance these apparent opposites is via a compassion as open-hearted as
it is open-minded. I can feel shifts continuing in me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I was nervous going in because I have
a foot in three communities with different views. My predominately White center
of <a href="http://celebrationcenter.org/" target="_blank">CSL in Falls Church</a> teaches the oneness of all things behind cultural and
religious differences. My predominately <a href="http://highviewcf.org/" target="_blank">Black church in Fairfax</a> takes the Bible
literally and takes a bootstrappy, hands-off stance to politics. The pastor, <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/" target="_blank">my co-author Bishop Phil Thomas</a>, said at a recent Bible study, "I don't care
if they call you [the N word]. You need to just love them right back. Give them
some living water from your well. That's what the world is thirsty for. You've
got what it takes to fix this mess." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I am also active in <a href="http://www.transcendinclude.com/search?q=new+thought" target="_blank">Integral philosophy</a> which seeks to "transcend and include" all views. So some
of my perspectives could be labeled not only politically incorrect but
spiritually incorrect as well. And I'm not as mature as I'd like to be about
managing the contradictions. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">A CONTAINER OF OPEN INQUIRY: THROWING
OUT THE BOOK </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene Holden</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Last Saturday, 24 of us gathered at the Takoma Park center of CSL
DC. Half the group was White, half Black. Within seconds of walking in the door,
I knew I was in the right place. One of the co-facilitators, Eugene Holden from CSL headquarters in
Colorado, was joking informally with someone. Instantly I trusted him. I sensed
deep spiritual grounding and a broad perspective. I already knew the other facilitator,
Rev. Alex Escudero. She is senior minister at <a href="http://csldc.org/" target="_blank">CSL DC</a> and beloved for her compassionate
embrace of all peoples. Teamed with Holden, they would create a truly safe
space for all views. Indeed, they literally threw out the book on how the day
was supposed to be structured. The workbook for the class as originally
designed focuses on how spiritual centers can be more inclusive. They invited
us to read the workbook on our own time. Instead we would have mostly open
sharing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The facilitators invited us to share
how we are feeling in this anguished season of awareness that racial injustice
has not gone away. (The facilitators acknowledged the existence of a full array
of diversity issues, but the day's participants and current events focused this
day on race). Eugene started by saying
he was feeling anger, and under that was sadness. In fact, he said that some of
his fellow diversity trainers have been asking, "Does diversity
work?" I believe this opening catalyzed the expression of authentic and
radically mixed feelings that followed. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">MIXED FEELINGS ACROSS RACIAL LINES </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">We heard about the prevalence of racial
threats and slights that people of color live with. But we also heard
about mixed feelings in their reactions. [We pledged confidentiality, so I
received explicit permission from any individuals quoted below.] <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yxP8UkAbnR1eW5JurEPyoFGuAaMs3h04cgOhUlH2LqQ4uox4ZV-8doggWHUkEXPNEHNLStHBMcLD1Wt4rsNdigd-nMI9hmB0MYQ7uLVgmdNRcb6uSxYTeH71TRM_Z6Do2uEbZWSOXeY/s1600/raymont_thoughtful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yxP8UkAbnR1eW5JurEPyoFGuAaMs3h04cgOhUlH2LqQ4uox4ZV-8doggWHUkEXPNEHNLStHBMcLD1Wt4rsNdigd-nMI9hmB0MYQ7uLVgmdNRcb6uSxYTeH71TRM_Z6Do2uEbZWSOXeY/s1600/raymont_thoughtful.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Dr. Ray Anderson, an interfaith
minister, martial arts master, and personal hero of mine, reported being called
the N word from a passing car on a DC street just recently. He showed us a
trembling hand to express how he felt. "I know I am divine and they are
divine and we are One. But right then it was a blessing I don't have psychic
powers, because I wanted to flip the car." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">His close associate Tracy reported
growing up in the projects of New York where some of the police were Klan
members. But she also is friends with a White police officer and sympathetic to
his perspective. She sometimes finds herself blaming Black people for
contributing to tensions. She clutched her stomach in expressing the toxic brew
of rage, embarrassment, and shame that co-exists with a spiritual awareness of Oneness.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">OPEN HEART, NERD MIND </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">My heart opened as I heard these and other
stories. I have been aware for a couple decades that racial injustice did not
go away when I thought it did in the 60's. I know that minorities still face everything
from social slights to life threatening unequal treatment. Perhaps those
situations are far more pervasive than I realized, and getting worse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">But my heart response gets
sidetracked by my head response. I am a nerdy analyzer who sees at least two
sides to everything. I forget to acknowledge the truth in Side One before
barging on to Side Two. Having Black people in the room express mixed feelings
released the pressure I felt to argue for another side. I still did so on a
couple points--like when Rev. Ray said we call it "white privilege"
instead of "majority privilege" because white people are responsible
for most of the colonization around the world. I wish I'd said, "Yes,
that's true," before saying, "But every group favors a 'we' over a
'they.'" <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SPIRITUAL
OPTIMISM<br /><i> VS</i> SPIRITUAL BYPASS </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Luckily, a Black woman expressed some of my
contrary thoughts so I didn't have to. Her grandfather had worked hard to
succeed in tougher times. Everybody has to be responsible for themselves. We
attract what we project. In the long term of many incarnations, all will evolve
to wholeness.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev Sunday Cote</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">At about this point, Rev. Sunday Cote
of <a href="http://www.cslleesburg.org/" target="_blank">CSL Leesburg</a> gently reminded us of the slippery slope between personal
responsibility and blaming the victim. "Knowing we are One should not
preclude compassion or taking action to make it better," she said. Someone
mentioned spiritual bypass. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMri0MsmfPPKHh3TEbcz_4N621hVgP_sW3ZZ3MTFVPRLafqlcFakDT7ywqzAzbkOZFSjorVj-VlVZz4JCMIGavj3QhHJRzhBUANur7ik92QBs5ovxWubUeych9sIGHwjd8da5t7U36ICA/s1600/rev+Alex+2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMri0MsmfPPKHh3TEbcz_4N621hVgP_sW3ZZ3MTFVPRLafqlcFakDT7ywqzAzbkOZFSjorVj-VlVZz4JCMIGavj3QhHJRzhBUANur7ik92QBs5ovxWubUeych9sIGHwjd8da5t7U36ICA/s1600/rev+Alex+2008.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. Alex Escudero</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Indeed, Eugene then asked us to
discuss the value of ignoring differences vs celebrating differences as a way
to enhance oneness. Most of us were able to argue both sides of this key
question. The tension between them expresses what we call in Integral theory a
"polarity"-- two values that couldn't exist without each other.
Another aspect of Integral theory tells us that we will lean toward one pole or
the other at different phases in our lives. Our discussion brought home to me
the waste of energy in fighting over which value is better. We must find ways
to integrate them. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">PRIVILEGE WALK MAKES IT REAL </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">At one point we went outside to do a
"Privilege Walk" exercise. We lined up shoulder-to-shoulder. Eugene called out a series of questions. For
each one, we were to take a step forward or a step back. For example: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<ul>
<li>If your parents had to work nights
and weekends while you were growing up, take one step back.</li>
<li> If you were born in
the United States, take one step forward.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">At the end, I was one of the people
at front. Rev. Ray was in the very back. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Privelege Walk. You can see my head just above the trunk of the red car at left. Dr. Anderson is far right.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I loved the exercise. It made real
and universal the concept of "White Privilege," which has otherwise
sounded shaming to me. Someone pointed out that depending on who the
participants are, a white person could have ended up at the back. My Integral
friend David Hartful said, "Yes, but you'll rarely have a group in which
Black people end up in front." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">That was a major wallop moment for me
-- along with another person's observation that those in back could see
everyone else ahead of them. Those in front must choose to turn around and look
back. Another "Aha" moment. (See video of a Privliege Walk here: <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5f8GuNuGQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5f8GuNuGQ</a> </span> ) <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">THE HEAD SLAPPING MOMENT </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Hartful</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">But it was
David's final comment that struck me hardest of the day. David is an engineer
and a self-described "nerd" who shares my fascination with Integral
philosophy. ((Watch for his forthcoming blog on how <a href="https://www.meetup.com/kenwilber-98/events/229434265/" target="_blank">approaches to racism evolve</a>). He reports numbing himself to comments from Blacks that he "acted
white" by studying hard in college, reading voraciously, and getting a
good job. In our final round of comments he said, "It was good to be here
because so many White people came. I didn't know any White people cared." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Suddenly I realized how wrong I am to
take for granted that people know I care. (My husband Andy will tell you I make
the same mistake with him). Here I am impatient to say, "Come on team,
let's pull together." But I don't make time to express my sadness and
dismay at the slights and injustices some team members endure--and my
willingness to do whatever I can about it. For that I am sorry. I'm not sure
how best to make up for it. But I did ask several people afterward to tell me
about their personal experiences with racism. It seemed like a start.* <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">FINDING WHAT'S OURS TO DO </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The final
round asked each person to share what they wanted to do to make things better.
The room was long on enthusiasm, though short on specifics. I said I'll work to
be more mindful of not being part of the problem. I felt a bonding with everyone there and didn't want to leave.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">UNITING IN THE VALUE OF SPIRITUAL
PRACTICE </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">One last power moment I want to
share. Rev. Alex is from Colombia in South America. She mentioned her own mixed
feelings about identity. She is adopting the term Latinx over the gender-based
Latina or Latino. She showed us a video that tied together the cultural and
spiritual themes of the day. It features Jerry Tello, a Mexican American who is
internationally recognized as an advisor on gang prevention and family healing.
He recounts the impact of having a grandmother that prayed for him, letting him
know he was loved and cared for by a lineage of ancestors. I was deeply moved
and heard several sniffles in the room. It provided one more level of support
for those of us who believe that regular spiritual practice is one way we can
help. Check it out below. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M03I0rVQbwg" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">*AFTERWORDS: TUNING IN, SPEAKING OUT,
WORKING TOGETHER </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">A Black friend suggested follow-up readings for me. The
authors advise against asking people of color to share their experiences of
racism because it is too painful to do so. Instead I should do research via reading,
they said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The authors tell White people to
speak up for justice and to step in when we witness instances of bias. I can
recall three such instances in my life. Once I sat frozen while another White
person stood up against the insult. Once I spoke out. And the third time, which
was just this week, I used body language to convey support to the Black person.
I will pray to be more alert to such instances and to be guided for right action.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Part of what gets in my way is
complexity: that many apparent fixes bring new problems. And there is so much
suffering in the world. I have to trust Spirit to focus my efforts where they
can do the most good -- after I've done my homework. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Spirit may have nudged me two weeks
ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I was at a crowded Dunkin Donuts
where a couple I took to be Sudanese were arguing at a table behind me. The man
threw a cup of hot coffee on the woman. Then he seemed to be either blocking
her exit or trying to get her to come with him. I jumped in between them, gave
him the evil eye, and asked her if she needed assistance. He left as she called
the police. Later she said to me, "I don't need to stay with him and his
wife. I can get my own place." Dear God, I thought, is this a case of
domestic slavery? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
This incident
quickened my own impatient thought of, "We all better find a way to cope
with our own obstacles, cause we've got big stuff to work on together in the
world."<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-42731289771251068102014-01-23T07:30:00.002-08:002014-01-23T08:07:39.728-08:00Bahamas Day 1: Back Where it BeganThe palm tree out the window of a church in Harbour Island kicked off the divine adventures recounted in my book. Now my client there needs a new website, so it's time again to return. Here's a report of day one.<br />
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbbQbXLgkoZs5KF90DYKa-l2JwUajA7MmFA_3lC8lgHEsnQcJSa_p2vjuacVYNI38gF2cmw_1yxeABNvv7pFbiKclU8jTRjwith20lOkOm3GlZEqC2DAhAdeZf4gCxxlF-U9Q6n7l1x4/s1600/cargo_andy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbbQbXLgkoZs5KF90DYKa-l2JwUajA7MmFA_3lC8lgHEsnQcJSa_p2vjuacVYNI38gF2cmw_1yxeABNvv7pFbiKclU8jTRjwith20lOkOm3GlZEqC2DAhAdeZf4gCxxlF-U9Q6n7l1x4/s1600/cargo_andy.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy on the cargo ship SeaLink</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">ARRIVAL IN <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">NASSAU</st1:place></st1:city><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The look on the ticket
taker's face told me we were in for an adventure. Our </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> friends on both the big island and the little
island had warned us against taking</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> the ferry between islands on a Tuesday. Every
other day of the week it's "The Fast </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Ferry" packed with tourists who want to
see the small island and locals visiting </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> family or conducting business. But on Tuesday,
the same line runs a cargo boat </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> that makes several stops. We were the only
ones in line to buy tickets. "You do </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> realize you'll be on the Sealink, not the Bo
Hengy?" said the gal at the ticket </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> window. "It makes several stops, and the
order of stops is at the discretion of </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> the captain. It could be much longer than the
usual three hours. Much longer."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Strains of Gilligan’s <st1:place w:st="on">Island</st1:place> rang in my head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A three hour tour<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A three hour tour<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Just getting to the ferry had
been an adventure. Normally Andy and I fly directly </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> to the small island, Eleuthera, which is just
a five minute boat taxi from our </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> final destination, </span><st1:place style="font-size: 14pt;" w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbour</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.
But this time I decided to fly us from BWI to </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><st1:city style="font-size: 14pt;" w:st="on">Nassau</st1:city><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, capital
city of the </span><st1:country-region style="font-size: 14pt;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bahamas</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
on the big island. A new airport in </span><st1:place style="font-size: 14pt;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Nassau </st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-size: 14pt;">makes possible a direct
flight of only two and a half hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> It has been six years since we've been to our <i>Shangri la</i> at <st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbour</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype>, but over 20 years since we've
been to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Nassau</st1:city></st1:place>.
Driving into downtown <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nassau</st1:place></st1:city>
from the gleaming, ultra modern airport, ours jaws dropped at the changes. Massive
development on pristine roadways flanked by wide stretches of imported tropical
flora created a world class look -- <st1:country-region w:st="on">Monaco</st1:country-region>
or exclusive parts of <st1:city w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:city> or <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Coral Gables</st1:place></st1:city>. Private
homes on mangrove-rimmed lakes and the massive, half finished Bahia-Mar resort
which will challenge the storied Atlantis as the destination resort. Tucked
among them we passed the Chinese embassy, engine of much of the growth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Mind you, this kind of
development is not our thing. Although I admired the world-class design, my
heart beat faster as we entered the colorful jumble of old downtown with its
pedestrian-clogged narrow streets. Off to our left was the small “<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Paradise</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>”
that hosts Atlantis, its jutting coral towers piercing the skyline. The casinos
and time share condos around Atlantis form most peoples’ impressions of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nassau</st1:place></st1:city>. But we passed
beyond the high causeway connecting to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Paradise</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>
and pushed on to our little hotel, the
Red Carpet Inn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There was no red carpet at
the Red Carpet Inn. Also no windows. Try to imagine a hotel without windows.
There was a nice enough little courtyard with a few potted palms. But the
advertised pool behind the complex was closed and off limits “for maintenance.”
We had to press a buzzer for entrance to the lobby, and the front desk was
barred and glass-enclosed like a liquor store in a red light district.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">No matter though. We were
happy. The reason we had come through <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nassau</st1:place></st1:city>
was to visit our friend, Henry Sawyer, and this hotel was close to him. I had tried to book us in a wonderful looking
and cheap little place even closer to Henry, The Orchard Garden. But it was
full by the time I made up my mind to go on this last-minute trip. I was
tempted to think my amazing hotel karma had finally failed me. But then I
realized it was probably God’s way of telling me we should get our little butts
over to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbour</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> as quickly as possible. And so we planned to spend just one night on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Nassau</st1:city></st1:place>, having dinner with
Henry, and then be on our way the next morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Except the next morning was
Tuesday—the day of the slow boat. Henry picked us up and drove us to the boat
at dawn. We wended our way to the docks
UNDER the arching causeway to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Paradise</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>. The sense was of
being in the bowels of the city. High
over our heads, limos carried pale-faced tourists to their pristine
destinations. Bellow, a rabbit warren of colorful wooden shacks sold fried fish
and booze. They were mostly closed now,
though a few men gathered around some of them, the scent of marijuana wafting
through. Gulls dive-bombed overflowing
trash dumpsters. “This is a wild place in the nighttime,” Henry said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaXEXWEt2MNHXlH7pJTVYBrAN0EYrwfzfE_9HkaCJ9YFlJ1wIOxCsiCmpusARbo0bscyv1SFdaa5auRkmWutkc4P4JC_3-4cdAc5Ronm_at8X5_elhFdz7LdeqHTkyASBTj37hPcRcCg/s1600/under_bridge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaXEXWEt2MNHXlH7pJTVYBrAN0EYrwfzfE_9HkaCJ9YFlJ1wIOxCsiCmpusARbo0bscyv1SFdaa5auRkmWutkc4P4JC_3-4cdAc5Ronm_at8X5_elhFdz7LdeqHTkyASBTj37hPcRcCg/s1600/under_bridge2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overhead, bridge to Paradise Island and Atlantis Resort. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We boarded our boat, climbing
stairs to the passenger compartment above the deck packed with crates, tires,
and baby palms. Instead of a restaurant
and lounge, a snack stand sold fruit salads, sandwiches, beer, and instant
coffee. With only one other passenger, we were able to get one of the tables
that would allow us to write these reports on our laptops. We settled in. What more could a person want?
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Indeed, the sunny day and
mild winds permitted us to finish the trip up on the observation deck, counting
the dozen shades of turquoise in the sea. The captain made only one stop, at
the quirky <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">island</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">Spanish Wells</st1:placename></st1:place>, a
former pirate abode. We were delighted by the glimpse we caught of its tidy
pastel colored cottages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOU7TjrVpYAxx2tPz0gal7Z2BEx8F2iBLMBs8yvH14qafFSWw3RQB18tSENcND_T_iv8dJOjfaC5qeRYRqLGSNJV9jAWPetGUnaoTec6R_Cy6zHhYxMG7RpNIv8Dmm4v5dGn7uLtdmPA/s1600/boat_boarding2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOU7TjrVpYAxx2tPz0gal7Z2BEx8F2iBLMBs8yvH14qafFSWw3RQB18tSENcND_T_iv8dJOjfaC5qeRYRqLGSNJV9jAWPetGUnaoTec6R_Cy6zHhYxMG7RpNIv8Dmm4v5dGn7uLtdmPA/s1600/boat_boarding2.jpg" height="443" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nassau resident Henry sawyer sees us off at the boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5WovPbwkszgDNXrtVJtzJOGP4BsJ2-P0ahfg_UQlb4snt6dLNP1ccB0L3AspVNGr54Jg-1Pqo8QB2epI2IZ2wPVLxd9pNNxK-6h45LwEHdxH1KJnj9QL4mWsOzW752txbiWyYEBEoPI/s1600/boat_boarding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5WovPbwkszgDNXrtVJtzJOGP4BsJ2-P0ahfg_UQlb4snt6dLNP1ccB0L3AspVNGr54Jg-1Pqo8QB2epI2IZ2wPVLxd9pNNxK-6h45LwEHdxH1KJnj9QL4mWsOzW752txbiWyYEBEoPI/s1600/boat_boarding.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TZa9E4SwDgXsftrHPszullziz7dfsr4LIG9Z815LMi6lAdrYorsFpR4wLJNbcrt35pBDC5s6AB1I7Cg7OUpPhx7XzKu43Tm0DalJbolYUnm3RFLpfn-51Cb7r1RkixZHmlgxJsxHLqs/s1600/cargo_observation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TZa9E4SwDgXsftrHPszullziz7dfsr4LIG9Z815LMi6lAdrYorsFpR4wLJNbcrt35pBDC5s6AB1I7Cg7OUpPhx7XzKu43Tm0DalJbolYUnm3RFLpfn-51Cb7r1RkixZHmlgxJsxHLqs/s1600/cargo_observation.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Observation deck all to ourselves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67z1jTYBK2g25avhKS9_tP0k5LQDc1dVcdqr5wKlYRaqqASR81JCra-y93o1vPis4UI9U25bn5UOtYpBDPhKp4j-DgAmjO-V2mW4GCVA-IYFoKiMyJb9YYRPwzch-E9wNyHgrWRUWTAk/s1600/boat_andy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67z1jTYBK2g25avhKS9_tP0k5LQDc1dVcdqr5wKlYRaqqASR81JCra-y93o1vPis4UI9U25bn5UOtYpBDPhKp4j-DgAmjO-V2mW4GCVA-IYFoKiMyJb9YYRPwzch-E9wNyHgrWRUWTAk/s1600/boat_andy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snack bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErq8VYSiidxclPTCQi7W62gv0g9MEMhwGI59nhyphenhyphenCBCb2XVyOHwuZ2Mm8iH52To0Ej0tKFbHuJcPfY4o2-lA4FeXdkDtdDK-Eg-09ok_-qJSoeH-PmIN0XZeSbnxFeeu4Gb59IZpulelE/s1600/spanish_wells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErq8VYSiidxclPTCQi7W62gv0g9MEMhwGI59nhyphenhyphenCBCb2XVyOHwuZ2Mm8iH52To0Ej0tKFbHuJcPfY4o2-lA4FeXdkDtdDK-Eg-09ok_-qJSoeH-PmIN0XZeSbnxFeeu4Gb59IZpulelE/s1600/spanish_wells.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dock at Spanish Wells</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But the best part of the trip
was the approach into <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbour</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Ever since I created <a href="http://myharbourisland.com/" target="_blank">a website about the island</a>
in 2001 for my client and dear friend Robert Arthur, I’ve wanted a photo of the village taken from the water. The water taxis we normally take are too
fast, too bumpy, and too low to get a good shot on approach. But now conditions were perfect. I took about
50 shots. You’ll have to wait for the final Website to see the winner, but
here’s an old shot to give you the idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7MR9jbgh5h6zJkOhceqblw8hZt_FHfID7Bo8NV3TKmQ_H20bXz6Aospd3A4sKt_15QignFcZOi5EylTMc5BdFJpjs1BU2MmNZHQ_8-5fu5klqOQ0odWcn6Jkkgc9ArxpUkultg1c6vo/s1600/bay_DOCK.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7MR9jbgh5h6zJkOhceqblw8hZt_FHfID7Bo8NV3TKmQ_H20bXz6Aospd3A4sKt_15QignFcZOi5EylTMc5BdFJpjs1BU2MmNZHQ_8-5fu5klqOQ0odWcn6Jkkgc9ArxpUkultg1c6vo/s1600/bay_DOCK.JPG" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
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Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-17054230816980827832013-07-22T11:12:00.000-07:002013-07-22T11:12:57.283-07:00"Sex, Mom & God," a fan puts me on to Frank SchaefferAs I reported in my <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-fire-of-god-love-or-hate.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I had a great conversation this week with a fan of our book from Austin, Texas, Daniel Butler. One highlight: Daniel put me on to Frank Schaeffer, author of this book:<br />
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<span id="ctl00_ctl00_cphContentMainFrame_cphSubContentMainFrame_lblTitle">"Sex, Mom, & God: How the Bible's Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politics - and How I learned to Love Women (and Jesus) Anyway"</span><img align="right" alt="Sex, Mom and God Cover" height="200" src="http://www.frankschaeffer.net/images/368_sex-mom-and-god-cover.jpg" width="131" /></h2>
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<a href="http://www.frankschaeffer.com/" target="_blank">In this video clip about the book, ex-Evangelical leader Frank Schaeffer</a> talks about his mother, evangelical writer Edith Schaeffer, and his reconsideration of his family's impact on the Christian right and conservative politics.<br />
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Some reviewers call it hilarious venom, and others call it graceful redemption. The San Francisco Book Review said</div>
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"This memoir/diatribe on organized religion is so shockingly bold and intimately revealing that it will spin your head around whiplash-quick, and cause you to double check to make sure you read the words correctly… Schaeffer comes to a jarring conclusion for fundamentalists, Roman Catholics, Jews, and Muslims alike, that if we don't set aside our dogma and start making a serious effort at getting along, we will end up destroying ourselves and everything we thought we believed in."</blockquote>
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I guess I'll have to read it to judge for myself.<br />
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Daniel and I actually talked more about Schaeffer's previous book: <b>Patience With God: Faith for People Who Don't Like Religion (or Atheism)</b>, as reported in this <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-fire-of-god-love-or-hate.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.<br />
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Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-37491187818223745712013-07-22T09:05:00.000-07:002013-07-22T11:39:55.643-07:00The Fire of God: Love or Hate?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry3KxvGWxxQ2TIQOZkqtSE-olh7knw9QWrjzQpoqeP7IVk8XnlfDGnMLDwthNOyGRzCaL6u1b442QrfpHT6hWl0lXNEWMwnXNwq_h8uOE0Mg6h2nx5BM8JMBgfKvaYtds09K_3wx_4GY/s1600/butler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry3KxvGWxxQ2TIQOZkqtSE-olh7knw9QWrjzQpoqeP7IVk8XnlfDGnMLDwthNOyGRzCaL6u1b442QrfpHT6hWl0lXNEWMwnXNwq_h8uOE0Mg6h2nx5BM8JMBgfKvaYtds09K_3wx_4GY/s1600/butler.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Butler</td></tr>
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I received a thoughtful, 8-page letter from a fan of our book in Austin, Texas, and got to meet the sender, Daniel Butler, an ex-evangelical who loves the lack of dogma and the social action in his Unitarian church but misses the sense of the sacred. We discussed all my favorite topics over coffee while his family vacationed in DC last week.<br />
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We are fans of all the same thinkers: Wilber, Haidt, Pirsig, Cayce, Tillich,and McLaren. He introduced me to the work of Hank Schaeffer, whose <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2013/07/sex-mom-god-fan-puts-me-on-to-frank.html" target="_blank">Sex, Mom, and God I'll write about next</a>.<br />
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I ran him out to Highview to get an autograph from my co-author Bishop Thomas. Daniel thanked us for the example we set of being able to discuss contentious topics openly and affably.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Butler and Bishop Phil Thomas at Highview Christian Fellowship</td></tr>
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"Teri was great to dialogue with, she just never got the part about God having a stern side as well as a nice side," Bishop said, referring to our chapter, "Learning to Love the Wrath of God."<br />
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"Oh I get it now," I said.<br />
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Daniel responded by telling us how Frank Schaeffer talks about the fire of God in his book, "Patience with God: Faith for People who Don't Like Religion or Atheism." Whipping out his Kindle, Daniel quoted a poetic passage about how some people could experience the fire or energy of God as terrifying while others could experience the same energy as radiating love.<br />
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Other topics from Daniel's letter that I may follow up on later:<br />
<ul>
<li>New Thought as less flaky than he thought</li>
<li>Postmodern moral flatland</li>
<li>Christ consciousness</li>
<li>Three Faces of God</li>
<li>How to tell right from wrong</li>
<li>Polarities</li>
<li>Parallels between Evolutionary Enlightenment and fundamentalism </li>
<li>Libertarianism</li>
<li>Homosexuality</li>
<li>Sex with sheep</li>
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His letter ends sweetly with this:<br />
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I like to think truth is a both/and dialectic where as you say, "Being and doing, faith and works, heaven and earth, conservation and progress, union with God and communion,"dance (awkwardly, but nonetheless, dance) together. I want to thank you and the Bishop for this glorious ride.</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMru0tZ9GhTDbEu9-QDz3NIqG3Vv877OUumunNCZRCTvQBzV16Iqi5B8rpW2f-5BwACP7RdJbx7ayG80XkBje43nZSuQB4UbJ27MG3GCoMg47zGAv66KswiKdXAEVYzQ-fB9Rj6jwSgE/s1600/butler_hugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMru0tZ9GhTDbEu9-QDz3NIqG3Vv877OUumunNCZRCTvQBzV16Iqi5B8rpW2f-5BwACP7RdJbx7ayG80XkBje43nZSuQB4UbJ27MG3GCoMg47zGAv66KswiKdXAEVYzQ-fB9Rj6jwSgE/s320/butler_hugs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Butler, Teri Murphy, Phil Thomas</td></tr>
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<br />Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-88711112369820500482013-03-09T05:06:00.000-08:002013-03-09T05:09:08.253-08:00"Does This Church Make Me Look Fat?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was hooked on the first page of, "Does This Church Make Me Look Fat," and by the end of chapter one, I forced myself to stop in order to draw out the pleasure I anticipate. The last time I got so excited by the first page of a book was for "36 Arguments for the Existence of God," which I eventually threw across the room feeling hoodwinked--despite its one scene wholly fulfilling its implied promise of reintegrating the divine in postmodern life.<br />
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This second memoir by Rhoda Janzen was just given me as a birthday present by my friend Laurie Moison--previously a powerhouse in the Evangelical women's movement (yes!) and now landing with a glorious splash in New Thought.<br />
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Reviews on the back cover say<br />
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"Snort-up-your-coffee funny, breezy yet profound....Too much spiritual writing these days claims that religious practice is about healing or developing the self. But Rhoda Janzen sets out on a path to become more loving, grateful, and helpful to others. This is particularly impressive given that she's writing about a period in her life when she's got a scary, life-threatening illness and a brand-new family."</blockquote>
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I sense that Janzen's journey may parallel aspects of my own joyride through goodness at a Black church as told in my book, <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">The Bishop and the Seeker</a>. Here's an excerpt from the first pages of "Does This Church Make me Look Fat?"<br />
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"Having divorced after a fifteen-year marriage, and having returned in a scattershot way to the dating scene, I naturally had limited faith in my judgment. So when I found myself falling for a Jesus-nail-necklace-wearing manly man, the kind whose hands were so huge they ripped his jeans pockets, I thought my common sense was all a-pother. </blockquote>
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Working against me was the fact that I am an egghead intellectual. Have you noticed that sometimes scholars do one tiny thing really well, but at the expense of more important things? For instance, I can diagram any sentence from the late fiction of Henry James. Why anybody would want me to is a mystery, but you'd be surprised at how many requests I get. We're talking about sentences that march on and on, to and fro, like a bewildered Energizer bunny. I have limited life-management skills, yet I can diagram these sentences with the speed of an idiot savant. Why is it necessary to diagram <i>any</i> sentence? you ask. Good Question.... </blockquote>
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My new boyfriend's vocabulary could have passed muster with toddlers and kittens... He caricatured the impossible male physique--chest like a scenic vista, cannon arms, a waist that disappeared into his jeans like a genie into a bottle... Put him in a suit, he looks like Secret Service. When you put other men in suits, they look like accountants or limo drivers."</blockquote>
So what could possibly persuade such a man to consider wearing green sequined panties?<br />
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The answer in the first chapter took my breath away. I'm hooked.Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-23487873338352404282012-09-14T09:35:00.001-07:002012-09-14T10:28:43.317-07:00Why Jesus, Moses, Buddha, & Mohammeded Crossed the Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Speaking the day after the death of U.S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens at the hands of a mob angered by a slur against Mohammed, Brian McLaren warned us that all religious and political belief systems build their identity by demonizing others--and all religions have a potential to make a contribution to peace. (Integral theory would explain this as levels of development within religions.) McLaren was speaking about his new book, "Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?" at an event sponsored by the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/">Emerging Christianity Meetup</a> in DC.<br />
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To see the whole story in Christianity, he advised that we never tell just one Bible story in isolation. Most Bible stories exist in counterpoint to other stories that make an opposing point. McLaren told us he had learned this lesson from Tom Boomershine, founder of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Djl0xACRCs">Network of Biblical Storytellers</a>. As an example, he says that when you tell the story of David vanquishing Goliath with a pebble, you should also tell that David was later denied an opportunity to build the temple because of his violent past. The Bible must be studied for its entire story arc he said--echoing a point Bishop Thomas made often to me in the adventure described in <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">our book</a>. McLaren also shared documentation from his book about how the slavery brought by Columbus decimated native peoples of the Caribbean in the name of Christianity.<br />
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After several jokes about his provocative book title, McLaren challenged us to imagine what it really would be like if the Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed found themselves on a road together. He believes there would be fellowship, compassion, and perhaps even some jousting in good fun--but none of the violence promoted by followers in each of the religions they founded. I liked the polarity in the way McLaren posed the question to us: "Is it possible for us to have strong faith--not a wishy-washy anything goes-- and still respect the beliefs of others?"</div>
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In questions at the end, my friend Stephanie Fast noted that the Bahai religion developed through periods of violent persecution in the Middle East and thus became a religion devoted to peace, citing their scripture "Better not to be religious than to kill in the name of religion."</div>
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McLaren noted the extraordinary devotion to peace of the Bahais, but cautioned against setting up any religion as the peaceful one--especially when it is new. The crowd laughed knowingly as he added, "My Mennonite friend tells me there is no conflict among Mennonites--but a lot of passive aggression."<br />
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A <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/events/74554742/">followup discussion about McLaren's book</a> will be held by the Emerging Christianity Meetup later in the month.<br />
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Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-39914586846198504672012-03-29T10:42:00.000-07:002012-03-30T04:17:44.879-07:00Being Known: Science & Faith at Emerging ChristianityA spacious openness to possibilities by both speakers marked another sizzling Meetup event for the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/">Emerging Christianity Conversation in DC</a>. About a hundred people packed the U Street Busboys & Poets on March 28th to hear Psychiatrist Curt Thompson and NPR religion reporter Barbara Bradley Hagerty discuss their books on science and spirituality.<br />
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<b>This is your brain on love, justice, and mercy</b><br />
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Thompson told us that neuroscience shows that the way we relate to each other, through our attention and the stories we share, rewires our brains. Therefore the most important choice we make is which "biggest story of all" we tell ourselves and others. None of us can be absolutely certain how and why we're here. But all of us want a better world. Therefore we should consider adopting a story that takes into account everything we know and produces the most love, justice, and mercy in the world. "For me," he said, "that story is the story of Jesus as told in the Biblical narrative." <br />
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It's rare to hear this kind of spaciousness around our choice of beliefs. And when I do hear it, it's usually from peers who have decided that the "Biblical narrative" is the story least likely to make a better world. So I was on the edge of my seat for the perspective from this doctor who prescribes spiritual practices for his patients.<br />
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Thompson is author of "Anatomy of the Soul: surprising connections between neuroscience and spiritual practices that can transform your life and relationships." He is also the founder of <a href="http://www.beingknown.com/">Being Known</a>, which seeks to help people "explore the integral relationship between deep, meaningful connections with God and others--being known--and the development of healthier minds, healthier communities and ultimately, a healthier world." Being Known posits that we most help others grow when we listen with interest and compassion to their stories. As one example, he told us that most sociopaths did not receive compassionate attention in their first 18 months of life, and thus their brains don't spark emotion centers when viewing images of harm to others.<br />
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<b>Science and Faith</b><br />
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NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty started her remarks by following the brilliant instructions of Meetup coordinator Glen Zuber to tell the experience that led to her interest in science vs faith. She told of interviewing a cancer survivor whose illness became a spiritual journey. During that interview, both women suddenly felt a warm, moist, compassionate presence in the room. It was so startling, that it launched Hagerty on a career of interviewing scientists about transcendent experiences.<br />
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Her book, "Fingerprints of God: the Search for the Science of Spirituality," examines scientific findings on questions like why some people are more spiritual than others; whether our brains have receptors for spiritual communication; and if is there any evidence for God at all. One scientist told her, "Neurons fire in you're brain when you feel love. But that doesn't mean love isn't a real thing."<br />
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<b>Listening in a (tag) cloud</b><br />
I experienced the evening as one of those "tag clouds" often seen in blogs, with the speakers' words ringing bells of crossover interest with my own passions and those of my <a href="http://www.meetup.com/kenwilber-98/">Integral Emergence Meetup</a>. For example, one of the regular SPIRITUAL PRACTICES that my INTEGRAL group engages in is Waking Down, a GROUP PRACTICE in which we simply LISTEN WITH COMPASSION to the STORIES each person tells. Also, my book tells MY STORY of encountering CHRISTIANS who do not believe in evolution, but who believe that the BIBLICAL NARRATIVE leads to the most LOVE, justice, and mercy in the world--an experience which birthed my interest in shifting focus from our BELIEFS ABOUT GOD to our SHARED EXPERIENCES OF GOD.<br />
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<b>More grist for a practice group</b><br />
I bought both Thompson and Hagerty's books. They're sure to provide grist for the project I'm considering of building <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2012/01/practice-group-for-naked-spirituality.html">a practice group around Brian McLaren's Naked Spirituality</a>.<br />
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<br />Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-62920605175493207452012-03-23T14:59:00.002-07:002012-03-23T14:59:42.501-07:00Rock Church Launches at State Theater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When the ushers offered earplugs to my grey-haired husband, I knew we were in for a ride at the first church service offered at the State Theater—the DC region's premier rock concert venue in Falls Church, Virginia. "The Surge" community church was launching an experiment in attracting the unchurched. My husband Andy—who loves anything new—was attracted by a high-class postcard we received in the mail. <br />
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Beneath posters for <i>Lez Zepplin</i> and a Michael Jackson dance party, we were greeted warmly by people wearing the kind of T-shirts favored by rock band roadies. We served ourselves coffee and snacks at the bar, and brought them to our ringside table. I have always loved the State Theater's layout of multiple levels with tables, bars, and balconies surrounding a mosh pit area below the stage. Lights were low, and a media team manned the <i>Star Trek</i>-sized control deck. Clips from <i>I Love Lucy</i> played on a giant screen over the stage. Kids were led to their program in the mezzanine lobby by a woman in a Mad Hatter's hat.<br />
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The "show" began with a rock band playing several Christian songs that weren't familiar to me—the singer in tight jeans and high boots showing off a great voice. Because we're used to the roof-rocking decibels at Black churches, Andy didn't need the earplugs. I noticed that the only people rocking out to the music seemed to be me and the sharply dressed young black visitors at the next table. "We're not Baptists," joked pastor Dwaine Darrah. But the crowd loosened up as soon as the band switched to a familiar rock tune as the pre-sermon selection: Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care of Business."<br />
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<i>If you ever get annoyed</i><br />
<i>Look at me I'm self-employed</i><br />
<i>I love to work at nothing all day</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>And I'll be...</i><br />
<i>Taking care of business every day...</i><br />
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Andy and I exchanged smiles; all our friends are—or want to be—self-employed. We'd never really listened to the lyrics before.<br />
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<b>Expanding the Margin </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastor Darrah speaks behind a stuffed penguin, <br />
one of several light-hearted touches at the opening<br />
service of the Surge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The song was a warmup to a sermon on "The Margin," which Darrah defined as the amount extra between what we have and what we need—in love, money, or our spiritual lives. He read from Luke 10:38, the story of Mary absorbing Jesus's every word while her sister, Martha, is distracted about getting the dinner served. "Why do we let so many things distract us?" the pastor asked. He ended the sermon by asking each person to consider spending five minutes in silence each day as our "homework" for the coming week.<br />
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<b>Silence as a common theme </b><br />
This theme spoke to me as a common one in several of the movements that I've been experimenting in. I belong to three spiritual communities:<a href="http://highviewcf.org/"> a predominately Black church in Fairfax</a> with a traditional Christian message and stomping praise, a <a href="http://celebrationcenter.org/">Spiritual Living Center in Falls Church </a>with a message of oneness and empowerment for the spiritual but not religious (SBNRs), and an <a href="http://www.meetup.com/kenwilber-98/">Integral Emergence</a> group that meets in homes around the region to experiment with practices for developing mind, body, spirit, and emotions. Lately I've been checking out <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/">the local Emerging Christianity movemen</a>t as well. All of these except the traditional Christian church emphasize regular silence as a key to spiritual maturation. So it was a delight for me to hear silence recommended alongside a Christian message.<br />
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<b>Opportunity for Experiment</b><br />
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I learned from Surge member Greg Johnson that the Surge is the May-December love child of an aging, ecumenical, congregation in McLean and the youth-oriented, <a href="http://newlife4me.com/">New Life Christian Church</a> with campuses in Chantilly and Haymarket. The McLean core continue to host community activities at the red a-frame they call "the barn" at the corner of Westmorland and Kirby Road: offering day care, language and exercise classes, monthly
song-writers' concerts, etc. Johnson, whose recent post at the <a href="http://www.thesurge.cc/blog.html">Surge blog</a> says that holiness is most easily seen in people, called the State Theater venture, "a first fumbling attempt at a risky, radical demonstration of good stuff God has given."<br />
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The possibilities are endless in such an amazing venue—I visualized battles of the bands, performance
art, small group discussions around tables, bust-out praise, speed
praying, and even silent contemplation. If The Surge keeps pioneering, they could open boundaries not normally crossed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photos by Greg Johnson </span></div>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-26905132140193056922012-03-13T07:49:00.001-07:002012-03-13T08:31:55.436-07:00Urban Meditation: My First Lectio Divina with Emerging Christianity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I loved my first experience of <i>lectio divina</i> in the Urban Meditation series of the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/">DC Emerging Christianity Meetup</a> last night. It perfectly balanced a key polarity I wrestle with in <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">The Bishop and the Seeker</a>: Following our hearts vs. following scripture.<br />
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<b>Divine Reading</b> <br />
Eight of us gathered in an architectural gem of an apartment building just off 16th street in Mount Pleasant. Coordinator Glenn Zuber started by reading from the work of Basil Pennington, a Cisterian monk who
brings contemplative practices into the lives of spiritual seekers. Genn told us that we would hear a scripture four times, each time from a different perspective or level. We were not to analyze or figure out its meaning, but simply let the "living Word" speak to us directly--to experience "union or communion with God." <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glenn Zuber</td></tr>
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Glenn did a masterful job of setting the tone by lighting a candle and guiding us through a visualization of releasing concerns to be fully present. Then he read Matthew 20: 20-27. In this New Testament scripture, the mother of James and John asks Jesus to make high places for her sons in his kingdom. After each reading of the story, we sat in silence, told our experience, or contemplated a piece of art depicting the story. Then we each wrote a brief prayer capturing our intention or request about what the reading illumined for us. We could choose for this prayer to be our "homework" for the week ahead.<br />
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<b>My Intuition is Your Holy Spirit</b><br />
<i>This is it</i>, I thought. This is a perfect synthesis
of the two points of view Bishop Thomas and I took in our book's
chapter, "My Intuition is your Holy Spirit." I start by arguing that no
holy book can cover every modern scenario, we must each follow our
hearts. He tapped into my own doubts by countering that we never have
clear vision or motivations; we must rely on a "standard" that stays
firm. And while I think of that standard as the world's wisdom
traditions--including the Bible but also science, I came to realize the
truth in what he said. We need an "all quadrant" perspective of sources, as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_theory">Integral theory</a> says (inner & outer, self & group). Bishop Thomas and I then had a great discussion about the Holy Spirit as the <i>dynamic</i> force that brings to life the <i>static</i> standard of the Bible. <i>This practice is a beautiful way to integrate them</i>, I thought. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mother of the sons of Zebedee presents her boys to Jesus. My eye was captured by that <br />
perfect sphere on the right. And what is that thing on the bottom right, anyway?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the session, our hosts Ruth and Jose served us pasta, wine, and a loaf of whole grain bread. While casual, the meal retained a sacred glow. <i>Lectio divina </i>(divine reading) is definitely a practice I want to integrate in the <a href="http://www.integral-life-practice.com/">Integral Life Practices</a> group of my <a href="http://www.meetup.com/kenwilber-98/">Intergal Emergence Meetup</a>.<br />
<br />
See more about Genn Zuber's work in this post: <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2012/03/networking-with-emerging-christianity.html">Networking with Emerging Christianity</a>. Why isn't there a Meetup like this in every city?<br />
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<br />Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-87759866901842295612012-03-12T09:36:00.000-07:002012-03-13T08:37:18.945-07:00Networking with Emerging Christianity<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTI_YidDkjhFI5p49uvkAPPyeBvUN59UxiYZgpxFsbAkYAEqVE0-m9_1yk3nfEtOTISdGCnZNn-selyPF0RqksE-OH6IgD7kAS5SC-K6jFCcj81080tgg1V5ajh4iqaHnCDvzYbHxkfYI/s1600/zuber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTI_YidDkjhFI5p49uvkAPPyeBvUN59UxiYZgpxFsbAkYAEqVE0-m9_1yk3nfEtOTISdGCnZNn-selyPF0RqksE-OH6IgD7kAS5SC-K6jFCcj81080tgg1V5ajh4iqaHnCDvzYbHxkfYI/s200/zuber.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glenn Zuber</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The
<a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/">DC Emerging Christianity Meetup</a> lets Christians ask questions and try out practices in a context bigger than their own churches. I met yesterday with coordinator Glenn Zuber to explore some parallels with my <a href="http://www.meetup.com/kenwilber-98/">DC Integral Emergence Meetup</a>. Our shared interests in practice groups, Brian McLaren, and a more integrated life sparked fresh ideas for both of us.<br />
<br />
After only a year, Glenn has almost 400 members in his Meetup. He sponsors a creative array of activities--from book discussions, to labyrinth walks, to <i>lectio divina</i>, and even parties for Spirit, Art & Wine. His biggest turnouts feature his friend Brian McLaren, pioneer of the Emerging Christianity movement. (See my review of one such event at "<a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2012/01/tough-questions-humble-men-at-emerging.html">Tough Questions, Humble Men</a>.")<br />
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<b>Bringing together Art, Science, and Social Justice</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI3SnCF5YJhluXdSOGETrKWJtYKVZhhmyh0kAIpf1tDZh7H6e_9JJXWLPm7kCq1ioysyat7u78BbTN1G0In182FseY4d6oAFM5cydE7765uFqkxm6d4DG3pqVCFysiGNJCItIb9V4geM/s1600/truth_beauty_goodness.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI3SnCF5YJhluXdSOGETrKWJtYKVZhhmyh0kAIpf1tDZh7H6e_9JJXWLPm7kCq1ioysyat7u78BbTN1G0In182FseY4d6oAFM5cydE7765uFqkxm6d4DG3pqVCFysiGNJCItIb9V4geM/s1600/truth_beauty_goodness.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can we bring them back together?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With background in both evangelical and mainline churches, Glenn has been an assistant minister and a teacher of religion, history, and philosophy (currently at Trinity and previously at Fordham, Manhattan College, Indiana
University-Bloomington, and Emmanuel School of Religion in Tennessee). He's looking for ways to integrate art, science, and social justice in the way Christians live and worship. He has tried opening a soup kitchen, but not yet found enough volunteers with sufficient commitment. His wife Jennifer heads a non-profit
that provides PR assistance to faith leaders who talk about
justice issues in the public realm. <br />
<br />
I gave Glenn a five-minute introduction to Ken Wilber's<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_theory"> Integral Theory</a>, He was especially interested in the perspective on truth, beauty, and goodness: that they were fused in Medieval times: art wasn't beautiful and science wasn't true unless the church said they were good. After the enlightenment, T B and G were burst apart and fragmented; Art could be about ugly things, and science could challenge notions of good. So now our job is to re-integrate them--voluntarily and at a higher level of awareness. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Spiritual Practices to the Rescue</b><br />
Both of us believe that regular spiritual practices pave the way for this re-integration. I'm eager to try out Glenn's <i>lectio divina</i> group and to share ideas from <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2012/01/practice-group-for-naked-spirituality.html">my Integral Life Practices group</a>. And some of the people in my Meetup who have left their Christianity behind may find Glenn's group a safe place to reconsider it. I'm also eager to explore the work of a postmodern Christian philosopher Glenn put me on to: <a href="http://peterrollins.net/">Peter Rollins</a>, who says: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If someone believes everything I believe I still have to ask “why?” I
need to work out how the beliefs function for that person. Do they act
as a security blanket preventing them from encountering the world, or do
they function as a means of more fully entering into the world they
inhabit?</blockquote>
<br />
<b>The Work in Networking</b><br />
Managing the Meetup has taken a lot of hard work and conflict
management, Glenn says. In fact he is thinking of writing a book on the possibilities and challenges
of Meetups.<br />
<br />
<i><b>UP Next</b></i>: I'll report<a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2012/03/urban-meditation-my-first-lectio-divina.html"> my experience of Glenn's <i>Lectio Divina</i></a> <br />
<br />Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-49518061676559392112012-02-24T06:34:00.000-08:002012-02-24T06:34:12.025-08:00Whitney Houston Funeral Brings World to Black Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yqq-V134aO8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whitney Houston's funeral shows off <br />
passion and authenticity of Black church</div>
<br />
Watching Whitney Houston's funeral with fellow guests in the lounge of New York's <a href="http://www.manhattanclubnyc.com/">Manhattan Club</a> doubled my enthusiasm for visiting Harlem's oldest Black church the following day. I figured that CNN anchor Piers Morgan’s amazement at the music, passion, laughter, and authenticity of a Black service would double the crowds at <a href="http://www.abyssinian.org/">Abyssinian Baptist Church</a>, which normally has strict crowd control for "tourists."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.abyssinian.org/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2TQdSvztFmmV4XxyhCIAUKBU98VzgzloNKyUw8SgNcWndv6VR71tKNo2ayF_9mnrwRVWh4v6LhcQHYkr8D6CnYmhk7fMmyOUtPME2Di2cGHk450rXYvyUdFB1Q6ubDDh4FLl2SA4Xb0/s200/abyssinian.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Abyssinian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Passing</b> <br />
We passed 500 tourists in line, put a knowing look on our faces, and
slipped in a side door--led by my husband's intrepid ex-wife Chan, who is Black and had attended Abyssinian occasionally when she lived in New York.<br />
<br />
I am used to being the only white face in a Black church because of my life-changing encounter with the pastor of<a href="http://highviewcf.org/"> Highview Christian Fellowship</a>, as told in <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">The Bishop and the Seeker</a>. But my family got more than we bargained for as we found
ourselves down a rabbit hole of winding hallways that led first into the children's program, then into the kitchen, and then into the line for the handicapped elevator. I kept
trying to blend in behind Chan, but the wheelchairs just kept coming. So we slipped around one
more hallway to find an alcove where members appeared to be waiting for
the early service to let out. As
the doors finally opened, the choir came out, making me suddenly afraid
we were about to walk out into the choir box. In fact it was the main
floor of the church, and the usher led Chan down
to the third row center--probably a VIP row, surrounded by the white-hatted deaconesses. The Rev. Calvin Butts
asked visitors to stand, and several of the deaconesses turned and greeted us warmly. But I think I
was still blushing when the service ended two hours later. Here's what the famous Reverend said about the Whitney Houston funeral.<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b>One funeral among many</b></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=962&category=ReligionMakers&occupation=Minister&name=Rev.%20Calvin%20Butts%20III" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieW7krCjZgfs3aBZgQHR3XBG4zZhs2wx8rmdDQqldSMtc2nhKurwzqxrvkhSOddHi2zr102CTkvztzOF2Bhpr5HNHvwPh6B5CbcbkYxQGl8YdThHgEHB0uplLxXJDpffWOYGEfCj3dA4Y/s200/calvin_butts.jpg" width="100" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. Calvin Butts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"I caught as much of the funeral as I could in between the chores my
wife had for me... I haven't called Cissy yet; I'll wait till all the
attention dies down, that's when people really need to hear from a
friend." Then he sai that sad as Whitney's loss was, another death was just as sad last
week. An 18 year-old chased into his home by police who shot him in
front of his grandmother, supposedly while dumping marijuana into the
toilet unarmed. "I have calls in to both the mayor and the police
commissioner about that, but they haven't returned them yet," he said. "They sure
are eager to talk to me around election time though."</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b>The REAL contribution of the Black Church?</b><br />
After polished traditional hymns, the sermon itself was on "narrow is
the gate," with calls for social justice via both personal and
political action.<br />
<b> </b></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.capecodafricandanceanddrum.com/calendar.htm" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnCgYXIIt6n-QTmY3qbk0GWVhscwkRa1Osn6aLqBI67atIY2dfdoilWti328ybTzwFWcKrfXeZj54Djim_JsqdbmJtksWcR9XOjQ7TuFEn5wY0gYrDj1xDvpkfYU2GJUnmv0wKzYxS3w/s200/tara.jpg" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara Murphy's<br />
sacred African dance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My family's conversation afterwards showed off the whole <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Dynamics">Spiral Dynamics</a> of values about church. Over smothered chicken and collards at Spoonbread 2, I said that much as I loved the polished elegance of the Abyssinian service, the unique contribution of the Black church is the more raw passion at churches like <a href="http://highviewcf.org/">Highview</a>. Chan, who came of age in the sixties, disagreed. That rawness fuels stereotypes and is an obstacle to development of the Black community, she said, while Abyinnian's polish--along with its social action and community building under adverse circumstances--is the real contribution of the Black church.<br />
<br />
Her daughter Tara Murphy, who leads a troupe for sacred African dance, said that ecstatic expression is key for all of us to connect with the Divine. (Tara had an ecstatic moment herself when one of her heroes, Judith Jamison of Alvin Ailey Dance Company, was presented as a new member during the service.) Tara's husband Chris said that modern life seduces us to believe that "progress" can solve everything. But humans need the meditative, mind clearing effect of ecstatic states--and if we don't get it in a context of sacred community, we'll seek it via intoxication with drugs, power, or possessions. "All of you are right," I said. These values are <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2011/07/polairities-religious-seekers-and.html">polarities</a>; they appear to be opposites, but each can be served in its time and place.<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Go Ahead, Visit a Black Church</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_lY8vh8FniRCdc0x_jrR6CmIibl_Kmmhi8se6ZwNLW2BHpW2kTeWb5QbEnnYrMTn-bGxI9VgiacUV7zFsAUl06UGW_1tPOejw-_y0gYPiAaZBppmyEHdGrXI0AzNtJ9EgphvGkvvAwc/s1600/abyssinian_teri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_lY8vh8FniRCdc0x_jrR6CmIibl_Kmmhi8se6ZwNLW2BHpW2kTeWb5QbEnnYrMTn-bGxI9VgiacUV7zFsAUl06UGW_1tPOejw-_y0gYPiAaZBppmyEHdGrXI0AzNtJ9EgphvGkvvAwc/s200/abyssinian_teri.jpg" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at <br />
Abyssinian's<br />
front door </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My hope is that the funeral of Whitney Houston will encourage many people to visit a Black church to experience for themselves the transcendent states possible in passionate praise. And with luck, you'll also stumble upon a church equally eager to encourage you to love ALL your neighbors with acts of service. But take it from me--come in the church by whatever door they hold open. For the gate may be narrow, but the path <i>is</i> straight.</div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_914130317"></span><span id="goog_914130318"></span>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-57078518675448245152012-02-15T10:58:00.001-08:002012-02-15T11:13:11.436-08:00Does Mature Prayer get Better Results?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHV5Vp5V5RBCc6S85AhqjrGjH9ZcnT9d5DDSOhhu6JLqn5VJVcnT7TZzpVZgonMoVFRqu0hb75TPRiBBtXeFaigWMEe2-fmNDXqYRGahgQWz_UHvaTtohBI_21RvO1tbuiz3cATG_Lpo/s1600/prayer_istockpaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHV5Vp5V5RBCc6S85AhqjrGjH9ZcnT9d5DDSOhhu6JLqn5VJVcnT7TZzpVZgonMoVFRqu0hb75TPRiBBtXeFaigWMEe2-fmNDXqYRGahgQWz_UHvaTtohBI_21RvO1tbuiz3cATG_Lpo/s200/prayer_istockpaid.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Jehovah's Witnesses get their prayers answered more often than members of any other religion, according to <a href="http://religions.pewforum.org/portraits">a Pew study</a> that Lynne Feldman called to my attention to via the Facebook page for<a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/141924882505433/"> Integral Spirituality Nexus</a>. This intriguing fact made me smile because of my adventure with a family of Witnesses recounted in my book. And it provided grist for an all-too-brief exchange about prayer among some Integral buddies of mine. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>New Thought Practitione</b>r: Affirmative prayer gets results by raising our level of consciousness around circumstance.<br />
<br />
<b>Interfaith Celebran</b>t: That may be possible for people who have achieved the level of "Christ consciousness," but not everyone should expect those results.<br />
<br />
<b>Me</b>: Ah, but a Pew study says the people in religions that are least focused on consciousness report getting the most frequent answers to prayer--with Jehovah's Witnesses at the top reporting one answered prayer a week.<br />
<br />
<b>Senior Integral Guy</b>: Of course we know from postmodernism that our experience (of the results of our prayers) is shaped by our conditioned beliefs about it.</blockquote>
<br />
This rich exchange could be mined for weeks. But only a few hours later I found a transcendent response in Brian McLaren's latest book, "Naked Spirituality: A Life With God in 12 Simple Words." In it he lays out four seasons of spiritual growth with spiritual practices appropriate to each one:<br />
<ul>
<li>Springtime of <b>Simplicity</b> (when answers about God are black and white, and worship is the best prayer)</li>
<li>Summer of <b>Complexity</b> (time for confession, petition, and intercession)</li>
<li>Autumn of <b>Perplexity</b></li>
<li>Winter of <b>Harmony</b></li>
</ul>
<br />
McLaren provides spacious definitions of confession, petition, and intercession, casting them in a mature and radiant light (with confession sounding a lot like shadow work). But then in his Complexity chapter he asks the big question:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Will our prayers do the trick, get the job done, flip the switch, close the deal, guarantee results, be effective? Will prayer change things? You may have already noticed that until now I've largely left these questions unasked, much less answered...<br />
<br />
Here's why. I'm writing about the summer season of complexity in the spiritual life as someone who has already passed through it a time or two; I've gone on to survive some autumn and winter seasons as well. These experiences have changed me...Back then I would have had a lot more to say than I do now about "praying effectively," "claiming your miracle." and so on.<br />
<br />
But from where I am now, with some autumns and winters under my belt, I actually think a better way to deal with these questions is to say, "Yes, think about these questions... But don't pretend you have solved them once and for all. Because later on you'll be seeing things from a different perspective, and from that perspective much will change. What seems like a problem now won't be so much of a problem then. <b>The important thing both now and then is to keep praying, whatever answers come or don't come... Because however much or little prayer changes THINGS, prayer certainly changes YOU, and you need to be changed</b>. Remember that you still have a long way to grow, and the best way to grow is to keep praying, to keep strengthening the sacred connection."</blockquote>
<br />
McLaren continues:
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOc0Sti5-nEf84LFm2bTBvFLN_fboPskeyikRD4IzsmJY2r9uHHmd-PINauIrg31qV_AOjiF48p6jshz6vOh0glegH0NmfpdgGLGpnYf22c6nB23LtdcXRenXaXjuamlFxMXGNEscJto/s1600/naked_spirituality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOc0Sti5-nEf84LFm2bTBvFLN_fboPskeyikRD4IzsmJY2r9uHHmd-PINauIrg31qV_AOjiF48p6jshz6vOh0glegH0NmfpdgGLGpnYf22c6nB23LtdcXRenXaXjuamlFxMXGNEscJto/s200/naked_spirituality.jpg" width="154" /></a>In life's summerlike season of Complexity, if we do not practice confession, petition, and intercession, we will not keep growing in the sacred connection. <br />
<ul>
<li>If we do wrong, then denial, pride, or shame will cause us to disconnect. [hence, confession]</li>
<li>if we're in need or pain, then exhaustion, anxiety or disappointment will cause us to disconnect. [hence, petition]</li>
<li>and if we're faced with the suffering of others, then we'll succumb to the temptations to disconnect through apathy, despair, self-distancing. [hence, intercession]</li>
</ul>
As a result our hearts will contract, not expand. And as a further result, the world, deprived of stronger compassion in people like us, will inevitably grow worse and suffering will increase.<br />
<br />
But if through confession, petition,and intercession, you and I strengthen the sacred connection in the midst of life's complexities, what will happen then? Won't we become--habitually, radically, truly--more aligned with God's compassion, more empowered by it, more resonant with its holy frequency? And won't more of us who are more filled with God's compassion help make a better world?</blockquote>
<br />
I absolutely love his perspective. There's still a few loose ends I'd like to tie up in that discussion among my friends. But for me, McLaren's answer transcends the questions. And McLaren's prayers for the seasons of Perplexity and Harmony are simply stunning as well. I am more and more intrigued about the possibilities for <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2012/01/practice-group-for-naked-spirituality.html">a practice group built around "Naked Spirituality</a>."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-25340614762827426542012-01-21T09:23:00.000-08:002012-01-22T04:51:18.603-08:00Tough Questions, Humble Men at Emerging Christianity Meetup<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYl50y_LbpIBmLSYLy0NjYsHGg3PClTr1-OcJfcjAzLisTT-h0n75nEmGug_ACP5RyT-fWFN06lDkzccMtusF0-iam3nmOPesmbGrbrXfOZLBLLAl2HE7QC4eEAhHsXkPU_aGPE9fHao/s1600/mclaren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYl50y_LbpIBmLSYLy0NjYsHGg3PClTr1-OcJfcjAzLisTT-h0n75nEmGug_ACP5RyT-fWFN06lDkzccMtusF0-iam3nmOPesmbGrbrXfOZLBLLAl2HE7QC4eEAhHsXkPU_aGPE9fHao/s400/mclaren.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left: Brian McLaren, Tim Kennedy, and Alex Bowen <br />
share space on the stage at Busboys & Poets <br />
with the overflow crowd of 150 Emerging Christianity Meetup fans<br />
as portraits of the Dali Lama, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King look on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8g9cSGWIIYRSCPM6Q6pjNXOkynotGhobC-RzU791GoWlX3BmtPOhj9rDR086pjRYhQ9iDjVmHleY_qOcCNNAytjmlnl6QBaQIem9IjuFzHe5RUYzfgcVCipiWXY-YSTHa_ojH36WZ_A/s1600/mclaren_portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8g9cSGWIIYRSCPM6Q6pjNXOkynotGhobC-RzU791GoWlX3BmtPOhj9rDR086pjRYhQ9iDjVmHleY_qOcCNNAytjmlnl6QBaQIem9IjuFzHe5RUYzfgcVCipiWXY-YSTHa_ojH36WZ_A/s200/mclaren_portrait.jpg" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian McLaren</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://brianmclaren.net/">Brian McLaren</a>'s call to a faith that is dynamically open to mystery kicked off a sizzling evening sponsored by <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/events/43931412/">Emerging Christianity Meetup</a> at Busboys and Poets last night in DC. Brian is a hero of mine for boundary busting books like "A Generous Orthodoxy," and "A New Kind of Christianity." But tonight he was appearing along with two young documentary filmmakers on the topic of staying civil while asking tough questions. <br />
<br />
The film makers, Alex Bowen and Tim Kennedy, are producing "Anything Less Would be Uncivilized" which tells peoples' stories of how asking questions shaped their faith. What impressed me most about these two earnest and sweet young men was the humility with which they approach their project. Besides starting off by acknowledging their wives with, "Behind every great man...stands a woman shaking her head," they both spoke of the need to stay humble by remembering that God loves the person you are debating with. I completely got from them that they are masters of walking that talk.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrH8RrkUgWGqNzS_ZqtjMXFxsi1dbloY5h96t1S9oKc-i0n6GxRYnKEYTbMmOKiAtBnuC23lOJxKOb2ivrA0kBmv-0aBk0JjHK1tnPPjrRPvXm4SlhOc56P3-8amz51ktjoGARYp6S5c/s1600/alexbowens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrH8RrkUgWGqNzS_ZqtjMXFxsi1dbloY5h96t1S9oKc-i0n6GxRYnKEYTbMmOKiAtBnuC23lOJxKOb2ivrA0kBmv-0aBk0JjHK1tnPPjrRPvXm4SlhOc56P3-8amz51ktjoGARYp6S5c/s320/alexbowens.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get this man a PR agent. Alex Bowen <br />
is much cuter than this photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaywoem0nieWU0tMSWnI0nRDoXe-Rtmoekb6zwyjelTEBE-0M2EZwbNx-XQ77yKcqHjdPpn7XkrCt9ND-mk2jYCT9fat6OLvH3Gd3HSl_ALs_1ktgVzo1vpL6rXqtCpbh62r8R8nF8uA/s1600/timkennedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaywoem0nieWU0tMSWnI0nRDoXe-Rtmoekb6zwyjelTEBE-0M2EZwbNx-XQ77yKcqHjdPpn7XkrCt9ND-mk2jYCT9fat6OLvH3Gd3HSl_ALs_1ktgVzo1vpL6rXqtCpbh62r8R8nF8uA/s200/timkennedy.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you tell why bald Mclaren said he wants <br />
some of Tim Kennedy's "hair karma"?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Questions from all over the map</b><br />
Questions afterwards showed the range of people drawn to this event. One
woman simply asked for an example of how it looks to ask a question in a
constructive way. Tim replied with a sweet story about the first time
he told his mother he wasn't going to church on Easter because he no
longer believed everything the church taught. "It was hard because I
wanted to say no in a way that showed respect for her." Alex broke in
with his own story of needing to apologize after roughly grilling one
interviewee in the film.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofX6_AbwIa4dQU4rhvS6Rt-CuvMQ_2176Kc_HYvE9EJWKZREkWtrsiv2MW-zAOOQGQv-7e5VeyBr_Qzj4iFGPFAG0uca7Kxk-PBoD83CWAtU0srzMnzokeLLQqJCetJiXvD8rebeaY7Y/s1600/godspell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Godspell" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofX6_AbwIa4dQU4rhvS6Rt-CuvMQ_2176Kc_HYvE9EJWKZREkWtrsiv2MW-zAOOQGQv-7e5VeyBr_Qzj4iFGPFAG0uca7Kxk-PBoD83CWAtU0srzMnzokeLLQqJCetJiXvD8rebeaY7Y/s1600/godspell.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our tablemate, the son of a pastor whose fresh-faced enthusiasm and
openness caused me to flash on the Jesus character in the movie <i>Godspell</i>, asked
how we can tell which kind of questions are good for the church. His quieter friend asked if listening to someone meant you had to agree with them: for example agree with a homosexual that homosexuality is not a sin. Another questioner set the record for most mixed wavelengths in one question: "I'm going to come right out and admit that I'm a born again Christian, so go ahead and throw rocks at me if you want. But clearly we all know anyone who believes homosexuals are sinners is following a degraded form of Christianity, just like those people who follow the Word-of-Faith movement. Is the reason we need to ask questions so that we can counter all those false Christianity movements?"<br />
<br />
McLaren's answer to this question was a tour de force in more ways than I have room to recount--as was Alex's answer when asked about the line between encouraging questions and becoming a universalist (one who believes all are saved.) "You have to be willing to go wherever your questions lead and be willing to be called a heretic, if necessary, just as Jesus was," he said. <br />
<br />
<b>Practices to Support Each Other </b><br />
Because of my interest in <a href="http://www.transcendinclude.com/2010/06/integral-transformational-practice.html">practice groups</a>, I asked, "What practices can we support each other with to help maintain the
humility it takes to be a good listener?" McLaren got a laugh by suggesting that apologizing
when we've been a jerk is so painful that doing so often may help stop bad listening--and also that our spouses are in the best
position to tell us when we need to do so. I'm exploring the possibility of <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2012/01/practice-group-for-naked-spirituality.html">building a practice group around McLaren's "Naked Spirituality: A Life With God in 12 Simple Words."</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Turn that camera around!</b><br />
My sense of the documentary clip Tim and Alex showed is that they've got it backwards. The experts and average people they interview have great ideas and stories to tell. But the film makers themselves seemed the best living role models for the thoughtful, good-humored, and respectful inquiry the film promotes. Their goal is very similar to that of my own book, <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/christian.htm">The Bishop and the Seeker</a>.which tells the story of my heart and mind-opening encounter with a Biblical literalist bishop. Join me in helping support the guys' project at <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1353636484/anything-less-would-be-uncivilized?ref=live">Kickstart</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://creativeinvironment.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnDUjhLQTRv1B_1mB4V6jv5XyTj9qTHHzL-cpsv0u556m-qbU09gZJb9DrzJkuSjjZrKtNs_C5iVLeosMJyPWCCPGzIH8nR_46Sfi3FCjnJT9Ti5H1KrQK7uaDLmLNJZum-ZLjeNwPJw/s320/film.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Follow ups</b><br />
50 people were turned away from this event, so watch for followups at <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/">An Emerging Christianity Conversation in DC</a>.<img align="right" border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTI_YidDkjhFI5p49uvkAPPyeBvUN59UxiYZgpxFsbAkYAEqVE0-m9_1yk3nfEtOTISdGCnZNn-selyPF0RqksE-OH6IgD7kAS5SC-K6jFCcj81080tgg1V5ajh4iqaHnCDvzYbHxkfYI/s200/zuber.jpg" /> This Meetup is run by Glen Zuber, an ex-pastor and professor of religion and founder of <a href="http://www.ionaconversations.org/who-we-are/">Iona Conversations</a>. <i>(Wilber fans</i>: If you check it out, notice how its goals align with the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness.) I'm looking forward to more!Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-26702760685531698102012-01-21T06:48:00.000-08:002012-01-21T09:29:09.154-08:00Practice Group for "Naked Spirituality"?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N-qPF6gqJn0/TxrIKo_pssI/AAAAAAhttp://brianmclaren.net/archives/books/brians-books/naked-spirituality-a-life-with-g-1.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOc0Sti5-nEf84LFm2bTBvFLN_fboPskeyikRD4IzsmJY2r9uHHmd-PINauIrg31qV_AOjiF48p6jshz6vOh0glegH0NmfpdgGLGpnYf22c6nB23LtdcXRenXaXjuamlFxMXGNEscJto/s320/naked_spirituality.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
I'm exploring the possibility of building a transformational practices group around the book by Brian McLaren, "<a href="http://brianmclaren.net/archives/books/brians-books/naked-spirituality-a-life-with-g-1.html">Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words</a>." The <a href="http://www.transcendinclude.com/2010/06/integral-transformational-practice.html">groups I've been experimenting with</a> for a couple years are built around maturing through stages similar to the "seasons" of spiritual growth that "Naked" lays out. What I have in mind is part house church, part meditation sitting, and part tough-love support group--all designed to help us maintain our "awakening" or "Christ consciousness" as we interact with others in our normal day.<br />
<br />
So far I've found rich community in groups based on<a href="http://sites.google.com/site/itpgroups/about"> a format by James Jones</a> and inspired by the books "Essential Spirituality" by Roger Walsh and "Integral Life Practice" by Ken Wilber and Terry Patten. As a next step, I'm drawn to the idea of mixing "spiritual but not religious" people
with the kind of open-hearted and open-minded Christians I'm meeting at
the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Emerging-Christianity-Conversation/events/43931412/">Emerging Christianity Meetup in DC</a>. I think they have much to teach those of us who may have thrown out the baby with the bathwater of the restrictive religions we grew up with.<br />
<br />
Watch for more info here, and please contact me if you're interested in helping to organize such a group. <br />
<br />
<br />Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-5521954530331408212011-07-09T05:21:00.000-07:002011-07-09T07:08:35.910-07:00Polairities: Religious Seekers and Finders both Right<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpBZlCOzgcpH8yhcG_wQ-IGjaxXNeJ4JfiRTeLBXfIOxpjnuIl6d0lfrDvgT42qFR93cXICvbe8qPmGoPNKN6UCjkhcnXuZaowwrSeW9niNUUI5z7SYhjO_2qt9wOgw7w6wQDuEaLN_M/s1600/Johnson_headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpBZlCOzgcpH8yhcG_wQ-IGjaxXNeJ4JfiRTeLBXfIOxpjnuIl6d0lfrDvgT42qFR93cXICvbe8qPmGoPNKN6UCjkhcnXuZaowwrSeW9niNUUI5z7SYhjO_2qt9wOgw7w6wQDuEaLN_M/s1600/Johnson_headshot.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barry Johnson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
More and more, I am seeing my experience as a spiritual seeker among those who believe they've found the Truth to be an uncovering of polarities. Barry Johnson, a leader in the hot field of <a href="http://www.polaritymanagement.com/">polarity managemen</a>t, defines polarities as "<span class="body">situations in which <i>both conflicting
points of view are true." </i>Polarities are unavoidable problems which cannot be solved, but can only be managed, he says.<i><br /></i></span><br />
<br />
Some of the polarities I run up against in my experiences recounted in The <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">Bishop and the Seeker</a> are<br />
<ul>
<li>Self vs. Group</li>
<li>Action vs. Surrender</li>
<li> Intuition vs. Standards</li>
<li>Union vs Communion with God</li>
</ul>
I hope to be using the concept of polarities in the future as I seek to "manage" these conflicts in my own life and in my several spiritual communities.<br />
<br />
<br />Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-90035952911791734772011-07-09T04:32:00.000-07:002011-07-11T09:20:08.157-07:00Rural Virginia Blocks Interfaith Retreat: Evil or Polarities?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-test-of-faiths-in-virginia/2011/07/07/gIQAMobv2H_gallery.html#photo=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAX3OQTdK_wdUxq3BYWIkuKFM2mLazyAJfAcXH-lrK3qNue-uj19-N0gmqum8vfNEsel58Hcm8BphyphenhyphenQVxCOgg1aKNf8el3CjFiiISe_KCv8BxQMJGa6Y3aay_okfQ0aRbpJtAIgeGtrk/s1600/laura_george_new_river.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WaPost photo of Laura George</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The week after I met <a href="http://theoracleinstitute.org/cms/board-laura">Laura George</a>, the <a href="http://www.pressherald.com/life/towns-opposition-to-spiritual-center-ends-up-in-court_2011-07-09.html">Washington Post ran a piece</a> (7/8/11) on her suit against the rural Virginia county that blocked development of her interfaith center in the wake of opposition from Christian churches. <br />
<br />
I had wanted to meet Laura because of the similarity of our missions to narrow the cultural tensions between those who might be labeled "spiritual" and "religious." Depending on your point of view, the quest of her <a href="http://theoracleinstitute.org/cms/">Oracle Institute</a> to reach out to Evangelicals has been beset by a run of very bad luck, by forces of darkenss, or by a case of <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2011/07/polairities-religious-seekers-and.html">polar value systems</a> inflaming each other where they could have been enjoying the kind of party Bishop Thomas and I had in the encounter chronicled in our book, <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">The Bishop and The Seeker</a>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img 125?="" border="0" hight="125' width=" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm9sVSUffyl0cWlISfu-gepYB3XfgFeuCCb4syeHhCb0Gx5lq3NOqjFQZB0AVYcv6G7g4WR8RXzdqvNjs-RwNCf8cfwCHMSa0k39XatCVK3yNgraSvbLvA_PudRsoLmsIM52MQq8yv48/s1600/pentacle.jpg" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pentacle logo of Oracle Institute<br />
represents five major religions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the very least, the story is a case of really bad marketing. Laura's institute selected for itself a name, a logo, and a building ("the Peace Pentagon") guaranteed to raise red flags of "new age sorcery" in a conservative Christian environment.We discussed Oracle’s use of the Pentacle icon, which Laura says stands for spiritual unity among the five primary religions (Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam). I counseled her to consider focusing instead on the values she has in common with the local folk. She says she seeks to teach no particular beliefs, but only to focus on the centrality of love. What does the Bible have to say about that? And in her interest in sustainable communities, there is much she could learn from the locals, I suggested. <br />
<br />
I met Laura on the 4th of July in her aptly named <a href="http://www.independenceva.com/">town of Independence</a>. Just the day before I attended<a href="http://newdaypulaski.webs.com/index.htm"> church in the nearby community of Pulaski</a>. Their Bible Study discussion of whether our thoughts can be sins proceeded from much more literal interpretations of the Bible than my own. But I think some new thinking may have been provoked on all sides. Indeed, my own family--which includes agnostics and Buddhists--had a rich discussion of the topic afterwards at lunch. Values and beliefs that seem opposite can have connection points at many levels that are invisible when one is taking sides. My prayer for Laura George is that her institute will have an opportunity to expand on that dynamic--whatever name or shape her building finally takes.<br />
<br />
<br />Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-33552493278197734292010-12-14T05:37:00.000-08:002010-10-08T06:06:07.011-07:00Comments from those reading the bookPlease share here how the book is affecting you. Here's a starter comment from Julie Estep of Chico, CA, one of the first people to buy it.<br />
<br />
"I suppose it need not be said that the book is a “bridge-building” tour de force, given its ambition and scope. It echoes and grounds conversations that, doubtlessly, innumerable New Agers, meta-philosophers, mystics, and non-traditionalists have been constructing in their heads for decades. Your book provides a succinct, precise, and unique mirror, which is one of the many things that make the piece so valuable. Readers will say: “OmiGod! Yes! Exactly! Thank you!”"Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-27691245513645414342010-10-07T17:03:00.000-07:002010-10-08T05:50:45.903-07:00Highview Series 5: "My Intuition is Your Holy Spirit"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqtjXbh_FeWpPqqoL87kWZa2A_tT9jRxW-LNxtVWkUv9P_A35MdqUb9UqqDf28SWz692uKPcyjDWPLgeLNk7PnzddAKBkbWV4EU4cZG4k4S3_o1CBizgbX9wsMe2ZvyM7NBKTV5I5PjI/s1600/highview_bishopteri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqtjXbh_FeWpPqqoL87kWZa2A_tT9jRxW-LNxtVWkUv9P_A35MdqUb9UqqDf28SWz692uKPcyjDWPLgeLNk7PnzddAKBkbWV4EU4cZG4k4S3_o1CBizgbX9wsMe2ZvyM7NBKTV5I5PjI/s1600/highview_bishopteri.jpg" /></a><b>Follow our hearts or follow the scriptures</b>? This was one of the main themes throughout the dialogue in <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">our book</a>, so Bishop Thomas and I saved it for the last night of our discussion series at <a href="http://highviewcf.org/">Highview Christian Fellowship</a>.<br />
<br />
At the beginning of our story, I'm all for "heart" or direct divine guidance, and he's all for the unchanging standard of the Bible. But as our story progresses--and as our discussion series progressed last month--you could see both sides expanding to include some of the other's conviction<b>: </b>me because I realized how susceptible we humans are to mistaking ego for revelation, and Bishop Thomas because my concession of that freed him to focus more on the mature spiritual stages in which we have wholly incorporated the scriptures into our way of being. Indeed, I came to see that most of my peers absorbed the Judeo-Christian ethic so thoroughly in childhood that they don't appreciate how much it still <i>does </i>serve as a "standard" against which they measure their intuitions.<br />
<br />
"You call it Holy Spirit, we call it Spirit," said Rev. Trish Hall, minister of my other church, The <a href="http://celebrationcenter.org/">Celebration Center for Spiritual Living</a>."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bMsjuUci2nrN9hwP5NUxQuw8OfsWj3bocSsPz4s-RwXqyt-KjwyliQbtiM_k8zB6dpUFWMq-K4WPMQPrKkVXa7tIRGp4CfxNZBKxNEJkT1fkwQ_rCxxAWVGJTuX0mL5eu0_U3usI090/s1600/highview_boyd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bMsjuUci2nrN9hwP5NUxQuw8OfsWj3bocSsPz4s-RwXqyt-KjwyliQbtiM_k8zB6dpUFWMq-K4WPMQPrKkVXa7tIRGp4CfxNZBKxNEJkT1fkwQ_rCxxAWVGJTuX0mL5eu0_U3usI090/s320/highview_boyd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>One Standard, Two Answers</b><br />
From Chapter 27 of "The Bishop and the Seeker," we read how I challenged Bishop T about a situation in which I seemed to be getting divine guidance that contradicted scripture. A friend was in the hospital, but I got a feeling that I <i>didn't</i> have to go visit her that day.<br />
<br />
"Scripture tells us we should fulfill other responsibilities," he said.<br />
<br />
"Ah. So you're saying a decision to <i>go</i> could be supported by scripture, and a decision <i>not to go</i> could also be supported by scripture?" I asked.<br />
<br />
"Yes, it depends on the situation." he said.<br />
<br />
"But suppose I didn't have other responsibilities that evening. I just had a feeling my friend didn't need me--perhaps because she had other visitors or was being discharged. Shouldn't Spirit be able to communicate to us new information like that that isn't in the scriptures?"<br />
<br />
"You can take that attitude," he said. "But you may be wrong." <br />
<br />
And THAT was a major "aha" for me. When I follow my inner knowing, I risk the possibility of being wrong. If I follow the pre-set standard and things don't work out, its not my responsibility. So how responsible am I willing to be?<br />
<br />
<b>Overcoming "the World" </b><br />
"But what about the affect of the world on us?" asked one participant. And that made me realize that both our traditions, Christianity and New Thought metaphysics, share a passion to overcome the influence of "the world" of public opinion. Personally, I was lucky that my mother taught me, "Never follow the world, most people are boobs." But of course, that left me prone to judgment which may be just as difficult to overcome.<br />
<br />
<b>Following up</b><br />
Several people asked at the end of the evening if we could continue the discussion informally, which I will be happy to do. Just let us know if you'd like to sit in.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefRwR-D7GcIcO35F2oBd6-d6vdO6Xny_Xe-XyPLYEa5imO83-vpLMx7RU6EFUo6ER0wZNn0-JOBkVSomi1g8Mwpvyd23hJ7M27AeimK7R716y-WMxJL2elvoTAXsLNRXaY2lHmRH8uGo/s1600/highview_bishop_teri_trish.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>All My Ministers</b><br />
My favorite photo of the series: <br />
Me between Rev. Trish Hall of Celebration Center, and my co-author Bishop Thomas.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefRwR-D7GcIcO35F2oBd6-d6vdO6Xny_Xe-XyPLYEa5imO83-vpLMx7RU6EFUo6ER0wZNn0-JOBkVSomi1g8Mwpvyd23hJ7M27AeimK7R716y-WMxJL2elvoTAXsLNRXaY2lHmRH8uGo/s1600/highview_bishop_teri_trish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-84477636588599788412010-10-06T05:51:00.000-07:002010-10-08T06:07:08.544-07:00Highview Series 4: Living for Heaven or Earth?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBdxq-83Sdrs32H-1a2UqzRUD4O7H8HBFRROe-wLyMVmweXu5LNEgZqH6gSnUyvl8X-SfF5YKbtcGiuXDUo6KVFFLRaTKZigW0MzbpYKTx8gxqxEgAmRSafCEVc0A5pnTsnAFokwq67M/s1600/highview_laurie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBdxq-83Sdrs32H-1a2UqzRUD4O7H8HBFRROe-wLyMVmweXu5LNEgZqH6gSnUyvl8X-SfF5YKbtcGiuXDUo6KVFFLRaTKZigW0MzbpYKTx8gxqxEgAmRSafCEVc0A5pnTsnAFokwq67M/s1600/highview_laurie.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the fourth week of the book discussion series of <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">The Bishop and The Seeker</a> at <a href="http://highviewcf.org/">Highview Christian Fellowship</a>, Laurie from <a href="http://celebrationcenter.org/">Celebration Center</a> served as seeker of the week, reading from Chapter 20, "Living for Heaven or Earth." Laurie is featured in chapter 17, "Wicked and Evil Isn't That Bad," in which she spars with Bishop Thomas asserting everyone is basically good. She ends by saying, "I'm not going to say another word until I've gone to ministerial school to learn to express myself properly." And today, several years later, she returns half way through the ministerial program of <a href="http://www.onespiritinterfaith.org/index.html">One Spirit Interfaith Learning Alliance</a> in New York.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkArepDHCTXAwdc6U6WQ81BEhnnZ8vrKYPrADsezLjFJPKNvs_NiZwMs16JpetWAEw4Ha20UrHyBZZH_A_9nLHSfQ2o_ILIVVye786dNEWGhbZa_dtBC51tc7FDQnjudldvE6doXpyA0/s1600/highview_laurie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkArepDHCTXAwdc6U6WQ81BEhnnZ8vrKYPrADsezLjFJPKNvs_NiZwMs16JpetWAEw4Ha20UrHyBZZH_A_9nLHSfQ2o_ILIVVye786dNEWGhbZa_dtBC51tc7FDQnjudldvE6doXpyA0/s1600/highview_laurie2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Several times during the evening Bishop Thomas repeated his main theme of this series, "Telling Seekers the Truth about the Bible." "If Christians want to draw others to their faith, we need to focus on building relationships with them and using our lives as examples."Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-37445877816040890622010-09-18T13:50:00.000-07:002010-10-08T06:13:02.065-07:00Highview Series 3: Seekers of the Week, Mark & Rev. Trish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDF4B-WlZeWN_kFNRTDobwxI9gZDRv4KP9QWdrmbjQofGOrz0gCAcs0ui4oKR6zodG8bnACS-bOwJMCkL4-xFbcRTzf3q2TmQMHlKQEkef6FvFpBarpb9jZ3r_HTi3IofjGVeRqQ3VzM/s1600/highview_markbishop_folks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDF4B-WlZeWN_kFNRTDobwxI9gZDRv4KP9QWdrmbjQofGOrz0gCAcs0ui4oKR6zodG8bnACS-bOwJMCkL4-xFbcRTzf3q2TmQMHlKQEkef6FvFpBarpb9jZ3r_HTi3IofjGVeRqQ3VzM/s200/highview_markbishop_folks.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AEWVssgevQ6oStkaNpFUlYHlyy45eVd7T71RklQ-bpk1rMGp7ZowYHk1lksSjeSd-Awsm9Th0j6ulSY1evFij_QpkFagEU38-fLFcDHrlID86owh-Fso0vzjGqWErlCSbvfmSJtgI88/s1600/highview_bishopandmark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AEWVssgevQ6oStkaNpFUlYHlyy45eVd7T71RklQ-bpk1rMGp7ZowYHk1lksSjeSd-Awsm9Th0j6ulSY1evFij_QpkFagEU38-fLFcDHrlID86owh-Fso0vzjGqWErlCSbvfmSJtgI88/s1600/highview_bishopandmark.jpg" /></a></div><br />
(Sept 15: Fairfax, VA) "Seeker of the week" Mark Gill didn't get far in his questions about how a loving God could send people to hell at last night's discussion at <a href="http://highviewcf.org/">Highview Christian Fellowship</a> of the book I've co-authored with Bishop Thomas, <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">The Bishop and The Seeker</a>. In my absence, Mark and Bishop Thomas read aloud from Chapter 8 in which Bishop tells me no Christian has any business worrying about who is going to hell, and each person is responsible for only as much light as they are given.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Mark is an ex-Pentecostal turned "spiritually homeless" by dogmatism, hypocrisy, and what he learned at divinity school. "I didn't backslide," he told the group, "I fled. And now I'm just interested in finding a higher level of truth." Reading as me, he got a laugh with the final line, "Wouldn't you be fired if anybody knew you believed these things?" he says to Bishop Thomas. "That's the first thing I thought as I read this book," Mark added on his own.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3DK8CCNSGOLALPqJTvagljU5yXwQyby7kOkJctN0B2uzqnGnRQcX4b7cZyAUKxeCNetcVrZXCq2n9vU1Tiu1e041mYyOwkz1jNHux1hTsOrQ6UU7WbMM1dZsdkzPUc9kkScmz74xdTM/s1600/highview_participants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3DK8CCNSGOLALPqJTvagljU5yXwQyby7kOkJctN0B2uzqnGnRQcX4b7cZyAUKxeCNetcVrZXCq2n9vU1Tiu1e041mYyOwkz1jNHux1hTsOrQ6UU7WbMM1dZsdkzPUc9kkScmz74xdTM/s320/highview_participants.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A young woman from Highview asked about atrocities in the Bible, and Bishop said he would answer some of those questions separately, but they generally arise from taking stories our of context.<br />
<br />
Mark said that what attracts him to this series is the unusual opportunity to learn each others' views of God in a safe environment that welcomes questions. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Learning the truth</b><br />
"But I come to learn the truth," said one participant.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Bishop Thomas said that worrying about conditions for salvation can distract Christians from the mission Jesus outlined in Luke 4:18: "To preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed." <br />
<br />
<b>Rev Trish on New Thought </b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMzd8UXTz0JrOrQPYiPOj9zJ8RSM5vQ5h1wDfyCKyzwl0g5__lD2U3VS9Vr-KGbHzhGFunYO48Rfz8NuxmgldIJdn8tu_aaijgvVyaHwjQAehDRL4ZQG-3UIJim0rbaXQWNvrpeB1gdM/s1600/highview_trishbishop2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMzd8UXTz0JrOrQPYiPOj9zJ8RSM5vQ5h1wDfyCKyzwl0g5__lD2U3VS9Vr-KGbHzhGFunYO48Rfz8NuxmgldIJdn8tu_aaijgvVyaHwjQAehDRL4ZQG-3UIJim0rbaXQWNvrpeB1gdM/s320/highview_trishbishop2.jpg" /></a></div>Rev. Trish Hall joined the discussion. She's the senior minister at the other church I belong to, <a href="http://celebrationcenter.org/">Celebration Center of Spiritual Living</a>, an interfaith center in the New Thought movement. She shared her view of the need to continually honor our own divine nature within. She said that we could all get along in the world by realizing the commonalities among our beliefs rather than letting religion tear us apart.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bishop Thomas responded that she might have an idealistic view because of her life circumstances.<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Since you brought up the subject ..."</span> said Rev. Trish, and she shared some of her background of extensive childhood abuse.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);">"I am not the victim of my past. Victimhood is a choice. I know I am free to choose how I experience my life. I choose to live life fully and to serve God and hopefully make a difference ..."</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div><br />
In the quiet that followed, Bishop Thomas skipped his customary wrapup comments."I can't add anything to that," he said. "Let's close with a prayer."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUkRp92Il_IhcKjP7x25sFCfqOgV7BbM4fkU_8XA20C-BQCb69tdMlDM_SZ4UqGiJkXwwPfTF51Aq-NQHWiaZaPwlf_HpCmodvWYQkib1tsu_KRoQ_9E16cC-sR-H3ZNumOb2_CrE44E/s1600/highviewcf_trishbishop3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUkRp92Il_IhcKjP7x25sFCfqOgV7BbM4fkU_8XA20C-BQCb69tdMlDM_SZ4UqGiJkXwwPfTF51Aq-NQHWiaZaPwlf_HpCmodvWYQkib1tsu_KRoQ_9E16cC-sR-H3ZNumOb2_CrE44E/s320/highviewcf_trishbishop3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
Because I had to teach that night, I am relying on reports from attendees. But several people told me how much they appreciated Rev. Trish's warm, engaging, funny, and personal stories in explaining her beliefs. The feeling was mutual and Rev. Trish declared her intention to return for the remaining two sessions.<b> </b>Folks also reported enjoying Mark's sincere quest for truth.<b> </b>"He was in his element," I heard.<b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>Two more Wednesday nights</b><br />
<br />
<b>September 22: </b>Laurie from Celebration Center takes my place as seeker of the week. Laurie is a ministerial student at the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York. They'll be reading from Chapter 20, Living for Heaven or Earth?<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>September 29: </b>I return to discuss Chapter 9, "My Intuition is Your Holy Spirit"<b></b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
Please join us for the series:<br />
"Telling Seekers the Truth About the Bible" <br />
Robert Frost Middle School, Cafeteria<br />
4101 Pickett Rd, Fairfax, VA <b></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGee82FSaExriQ1lw_0HKhukSUDOMdqlorduXV5_05z1ycZ3F2sVIGljPa96uxmfPaNzEVB5l6WsEjaId_BxMnQnKK_64180puAc9BOot9cltUYERY5MaTGpOeqPPAUISXDoJ7eKh4vfc/s1600/highview_hugs_bishoptrishmark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGee82FSaExriQ1lw_0HKhukSUDOMdqlorduXV5_05z1ycZ3F2sVIGljPa96uxmfPaNzEVB5l6WsEjaId_BxMnQnKK_64180puAc9BOot9cltUYERY5MaTGpOeqPPAUISXDoJ7eKh4vfc/s1600/highview_hugs_bishoptrishmark.jpg" /></a></div><b><br />
</b>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-63536534892495620432010-09-06T03:40:00.000-07:002010-10-08T05:57:26.786-07:00Highview Series 1: Taking Off the Church Lady Hat<a href="http://ayubtube.webs.com/"></a>The first night of our book series for <a href="http://highviewcf.org/">Highview Christian Fellowship</a> commingled so many roles, levels, and cross currents that I started off by putting on and then removing my "church lady hat" to symbolize our need to step out of usual ways of being.<br />
<br />
<b>Staying for the Ride </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ayubtube.webs.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXy-BrLPNhJ4yeVt2OL9xyvpV-LBPQiAniXXMIetm9MCUnk-PLG5M4yIYb2JSRBkvWkR7b2uTIl6FCzE5sN3vhgvb0NBDdKh59IZMN2x54p_mAgIRpo55To24FiRZ5mY2sLEIft-YKSs/s1600/highview2.jpg" /></a></div>For starters, Bishop Thomas and I read from the chapter in "<a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">The Bishop and The Seeker</a>" in which I tell him that the plan of salvation sounds like the plan of an insecure person without much imagination, and he asks me to come up with a better plan.<br />
<br />
We asked people how the reading shows off things that do or do not encourage open communication. Several people noted that Bishop Thomas remained calm, listened, and did not take offense even though my comments were blunt enough to be potentially offensive.<br />
<br />
"To do that, you have to have enough love for people to stay with them for the ride," Bishop Thomas said.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyTVlsvqgErwdK_vudZA2DtZ6E1dQfn2VYNRKVMIdl2Mnu1r6CZiT-AIzAJjEYKFbsbcIxo3CUR0TsY_lH104y8DUSKp97f2ODzMqCHEuOGBNQ4gYJ-Vg-0DyHP9lTelPwez34eKNsxE/s1600/highview3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyTVlsvqgErwdK_vudZA2DtZ6E1dQfn2VYNRKVMIdl2Mnu1r6CZiT-AIzAJjEYKFbsbcIxo3CUR0TsY_lH104y8DUSKp97f2ODzMqCHEuOGBNQ4gYJ-Vg-0DyHP9lTelPwez34eKNsxE/s1600/highview3.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>But what about "Truth"?</b><br />
Min. Daryl Ladd said, all this exchange of ideas is fine, "But did you ever get to the Truth with a capital 'T'?" <br />
<br />
This was a moment we knew we would face. Would it enhance the discussion or derail it?<br />
<br />
Bishop T responded, "What you mean is, did Teri ever get saved, and that's an adventure in missing the point." (He was referencing the title of a book by <a href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/">Brian McLaren</a> about how Christians miss opportunities to expand the Kingdom by focusing on salvation.)<br />
<br />
Mother Venita, a senior member of the church with a lifetime of labor organizing behind her, said she was impressed by an idea in the book about "transcending and including" the good aspects of outside ideas. "I find I am attracted to some of the values in Buddhism, so I tell myself, the bottom line is whether its compatible with salvation through Jesus." <br />
<br />
<b>Surprised at who's in heaven</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSh_eG90uiPxjcr8fxu1oKfclvuklsznkvMeVX5hZ49H3a9zvnYcxSafXStc3FBnG9QkZ_KQI9_X6gzOWhq_oEgzGEszc7fh3LzIDIv4T-qljS6aUuvDc95tuRG3WWAFMZHDQFeLHSYc/s1600/ayubportrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSh_eG90uiPxjcr8fxu1oKfclvuklsznkvMeVX5hZ49H3a9zvnYcxSafXStc3FBnG9QkZ_KQI9_X6gzOWhq_oEgzGEszc7fh3LzIDIv4T-qljS6aUuvDc95tuRG3WWAFMZHDQFeLHSYc/s1600/ayubportrait.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ayub Kaddu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Visitor <a href="http://ayubtube.webs.com/">Ayub Kaddu</a> is a Ugandan whose encounters with Christians in his gardening business has caused him to return to the cow worship of his ancestors. Ayub asked what would have happened if Teri had persuaded Bishop Thomas to her views. Bishop said there was no possibility of that since he is grounded in absolute truth.<br />
<br />
But he also said that when all of us get to heaven, we may be surprised as we look around and see who's there and who's<i> not</i>.<br />
<br />
At that point my friend Amy Roth, a Christian and ex-NBC reporter; chimed in that I am one of the most Christian people she knows--regardless of whether I call myself Christian or pass the official definition of salvation. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Why do this?</b><br />
"You might be wondering why I did this and whether it was worth it for me," Bishop said. "I can tell you the time I spent getting to know Teri's point of view strengthened my own faith and made me a better Christian, a better man, and a better pastor."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGgwaCDDhDsSeSc9oC4q-IScprUs9CfmLL5f2WFctnh1AUSeGBC3bnwVitkqw1JI-dw6ie6a7O-GD4RPtSAbGaBrkWybFZnzGv21_5uOfEmDKxxX2k4NGKVK51otCQeNdivufbk7guVU/s1600/amy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGgwaCDDhDsSeSc9oC4q-IScprUs9CfmLL5f2WFctnh1AUSeGBC3bnwVitkqw1JI-dw6ie6a7O-GD4RPtSAbGaBrkWybFZnzGv21_5uOfEmDKxxX2k4NGKVK51otCQeNdivufbk7guVU/s1600/amy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy Roth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Amy interjected, "Teri, can we ask you the same question? Given that you don't seem to have persuaded Bishop to your views, was all the time you spent worth it to you?"<br />
<br />
"Oh, God," escaped my lips. "This was one of the juiciest experiences of my life. I might still have a slightly different understanding of salvation--one I would like to share with the group--but I have more love for God, for all Christians and especially my Highview brethren, and a richer experience of life every day. Plus I've had a chance to become <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMuyZ-WJT94">one of your best praise dancers</a>" (which got me a laugh--if you check out the video, I'm the one on the end going left when everybody else goes right).<br />
<br />
Visitor Mark introduced himself as an ex-Pentecostal turned atheist by his experiences in divinity school. He said he couldn't agree with either Teri or Bishop's views in the book, but he acknowledged how unusual and refreshing it is to have a discussion like this that is based in good will.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NHkNyj8J-iEW5TXhUthyPt8__ClKjkyGBibuKXOVRfVMiAhJgmsA9F8HW2zuVaF7F-Uf94RUXMOwdYieovYbWShKjf08LIXp0ckHHiXJ6g1u-mlsfbEkc5q9gCp60pKJ_gtag5Jdhmo/s1600/highview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NHkNyj8J-iEW5TXhUthyPt8__ClKjkyGBibuKXOVRfVMiAhJgmsA9F8HW2zuVaF7F-Uf94RUXMOwdYieovYbWShKjf08LIXp0ckHHiXJ6g1u-mlsfbEkc5q9gCp60pKJ_gtag5Jdhmo/s1600/highview.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Warm welcome and connections</b><br />
Afterward Sisters Reedis and Bridget served homemade refreshments while my husband Andy sold books. I noticed Mark in extended conversation with Daryl, visitor Chris in conversation with Mother Venita, and Ayub getting his picture taken with everyone. Chris is an agnostic foreign service officer who has served in countries where religion is often an excuse to kill. He told me later he was surprised by how warmly welcomed he felt by the Highview people. Ayub told me he didn't understand the points about "Truth," but he could tell there were good people at Highview, and especially Bishop Thomas.<br />
<br />
Two questions were put in the "parking lot" for future sessions: How Teri experiences salvation, and--as a challenge to the seekers from Bishop Thomas--name any question that the Bible doesn't have an answer to. <br />
<br />
<b>Participate Virtually in Next Meetings</b><br />
I encourage anyone reading this to participate virtually in the next meeting by posting here your response to Bishop's challenge. We will raise your questions in future sessions and post his answers here. <br />
<br />
Meetings are all Wednesdays in September<br />
7-8 pm<br />
Robert Frost Middle School, Cafeteria<br />
4101 Picket Road<br />
Fairfax, VA<br />
<br />
Also please check our list of <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/ten.htm">Ten things you can do to help promote the book</a>--which includes a survey of questions you'd like to see discussed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6lN7gy1EzK46nm_os3bRKG_r7Q6x0FfNcCnZ0n3zhfeRXjOPJ0B9qoPr0KpHo_ZxLxEL_tX3t5mdCac9Hu2xJlay5WkLDH51wVm_o45uJkV7Fq4DJQ7152Y0yVu1zYmSbvr7jr9TdC0/s1600/ayub_amy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6lN7gy1EzK46nm_os3bRKG_r7Q6x0FfNcCnZ0n3zhfeRXjOPJ0B9qoPr0KpHo_ZxLxEL_tX3t5mdCac9Hu2xJlay5WkLDH51wVm_o45uJkV7Fq4DJQ7152Y0yVu1zYmSbvr7jr9TdC0/s200/ayub_amy2.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Schmoozing</b>: After the discussion, Ayub discusses the problem of land theft <br />
in his native Uganda with Amy, Public Affairs Director at <a href="http://ijm.org/">International Justice Mission</a>, <br />
which has an office in Uganda.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-65852785079851566372010-08-18T09:54:00.000-07:002010-10-08T06:07:53.986-07:00Christianity vs. Interfaith: Erring on the Side of Love<div style="text-align: center;">Will all be drawn to God eventually or are we free to choose? </div><div style="text-align: center;">Must we be guided by the scriptures or by our hearts?<br />
Is Christianity the only path? </div><div style="text-align: center;">How can those who take different perspectives on these questions work together for good in a hurting world? </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAVJKLa16_Fx-bNJ0wDtvFEq3DHZyWnnNa3L6w77ezGnrELPkt3-jM2Z07NUZ9yHJswpqnXNO3wbtzMlDiqtCnEbWrpeIQejYw1dophDWpHUrzqf07y2jSvnXHKUbpvU5GW1kiMwmnd4/s320/table_prayer.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />
<b>Opposites across the table?</b> <br />
At the table on my left, three strong, handsome, Black, Christian men, their bald heads seeming to emphasize their embodiment of the traditional virtues of piety, humility, and endurance: Bishop Phil Thomas of <a href="http://highviewcf.org/">Highview Christian Fellowship</a> flanked by his lieutenants Deacon Greg Coulter and Minister Eric Holder. On my right, two golden-haired women from the interfaith and New Thought movements: the older, Rev. Joyce Liechenstein who co-directs the <a href="http://www.onespiritinterfaith.org/index.html">One Spirit Interfaith Seminary</a> in New York (OSIS), and the other--dressed in the flowing ochre robes of an angel--Rev Trish Hall of the <a href="http://celebrationcenter.org/">Celebration Center of Spiritual Living</a> in Falls Church, Virginia (CCSL). Anchoring the other end of the table from me was the woman who brought us together for this meeting, Laurie Bolster, who is both a practitioner at CCSL and a ministerial student at One Spirit. <br />
<br />
The amazing and electric meeting was arranged at the request of Rev. Joyce who came down from New York to meet me and Bishop Thomas after Laurie passed her our book. The Sunday afternoon meeting capped a weekend of activities with local graduates and faculty of OSIS, including a book discussion at the home of faculty member Barbara Kinney and a visit to the morning meditation at CCSL and to the Highview service <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMuyZ-WJT94">at which I was dancing</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvQ3k21BhQ414Z-sS6jCYEj8uZ8B3_ltJf1qiwfTc69xLP7-jG7uCZsxSbEH9j8bJJBJov-MPQwcA2vdWJo3iNqtL2e-1xQdIkwp0ldkxPCBmTA1KFmT344Z7U0VNvYKEVqpQJ1HDROA/s1600/ccslvisit.jpg" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Following meditation at Celebration Center for Spiritual Living, from left:<br />
Rev Joyce Liechenstein, Rev. Trish Hall, Rev. Rene Ragan, Barbara Kinney. <br />
The three guests are faculty of the <a href="http://learningspirit.org/sc/index.htm">interspiritual counseling department</a> of OSIS, <br />
an arm of One Spirit Learning Alliance, OSLA </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMuyZ-WJT94" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkU1A4wgwfMGpoLdFZl5NjOR7nrgQb033Lv-Z6WMIu_6Le_RXEFs5k9PM-tzXrLzRYZOfm5CDbuTsIZxuvAcAX-szCHjIhhngWWnIrdRG0uQ5PfCK2J10gWidOLatha0mtN_4jy4vqK4/s1600/dance.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on the left dancing at Highview. Click for Youtube.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I can capture the essence of topics covered at this extraordinary meeting, but I can't capture the sparkling openness, humility, teasing, love, and spirit of cooperation that underpinned them.<br />
<br />
<b>Salvation vs. Enlightenment </b><br />
I started the meeting by reading from page 89 of <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">our book</a> Bishop's surprising description of salvation. <br />
<blockquote>In Buddhism and Hinduism and all those, you have to keep striving for perfection. You have to go through all those deaths and rebirths trying to learn lessons. But when you’re saved, you’re perfect now. There’s nothing else you have to do. So you have nothing to be afraid of. Your holiness is complete, right here, right now. And that is so magnificent, so freeing, so empowering, that if you really understood it, you’d never do anything to defile it. </blockquote>In the silence that followed, Bishop Thomas got the first of many laughs saying, "That's my story and I'm sticking to it." <br />
<br />
I told the group I got so excited by how that definition echoes my understanding of "enlightenment," that I ran with it farther than Bishop T. is comfortable--to the place of knowing, as he himself said, that even the Ten Commandments no longer apply as I make my choices from love rather than from the law.<br />
<br />
<b>Scripture vs. Direct Revelation</b><br />
This pulled Bishop T right back into our main dispute throughout the book: whether there is one standard we can rely on to know HOW to express love--the Bible as the "manufacturer's manual" on how best to run our lives. Rev. Trish jumped in to say indeed there is a standard, but the best way we can know it is through direct revelation.<br />
<br />
Alexandria Hospital chaplain Ed Preston (who along with his wife Diane had opened their lovely home to us for the meeting) jumped in from the peanut gallery to remind us of the New Thought teaching that we all create our own realities.<br />
<br />
"We can do that, but we'll have to take responsibility for the consequences of the realities we create," said Bishop T. Revs Trish, Joyce, and Ed echoed agreement.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNaZEbO4fMZTkTc-7ZwLywCxf1cIQd3URkNZKwPiE40uvOk40hr070RG5qskJDNHoYpJeU3-0Oli7tuS7q2cUSSERHz1sI4ItjJjzcYJcKtq5_w12lS4rbrQg8b3P-MIfUWcqCHMTfLA/s1600/table_bishop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNaZEbO4fMZTkTc-7ZwLywCxf1cIQd3URkNZKwPiE40uvOk40hr070RG5qskJDNHoYpJeU3-0Oli7tuS7q2cUSSERHz1sI4ItjJjzcYJcKtq5_w12lS4rbrQg8b3P-MIfUWcqCHMTfLA/s320/table_bishop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Will All Return to the One or Can We Choose? </b><br />
Rev Joyce, who at 75 and well under 5' makes me think of a diminutive medieval abbess crossed with a marketing CEO, flipped rapidly through her heavily marked Bible. She cited Saul, the prodigal son, and references in Ephesians and Colosians to God's "secret plan" to bring all creation together and make known that "Christ is in you." "These verse tells us that ALL will be returned to God," she said, "So who's going to mess with God's plan?" <br />
<br />
"We are," said Bishop Thomas. "We mess up. 'Many are called, but few are chosen.'"<br />
<br />
"I'm not so sure about that verse," said Rev Joyce. The Jesus seminar tells us we may have only a dozen accurate quotes from Jesus. So I like to pick and choose the verses that sound really good to me." (laughter)<br />
<br />
"So do I," said Bishop Thomas (louder laughter). "Scripture says now we see darkly. But Christians believe we must <i>choose </i>to accept God's offer to return to Him. People are fee to choose <i>not </i>to return." <br />
<br />
"Oh yes, we can refuse, but only for so long," said Rev. Joyce. She told of the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Testimony-Light-Helen-Greaves/dp/0854351647">Testimony of Light</a>, in which a deceased nun reports back to her friend that even in the shadowlands on the other side, angels come every day to continue bringing light. "Though I could be wrong," she said. The older I get, the more agnostic I am as I realize how much is mystery to us."<br />
<br />
"Well I pray you're right, but the scripture tells me differently. This is where we'll have to agree to disagree."<br />
<br />
<b>Sermon Exchange!</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief6POssZYOOku46QCjl6PcsrNGAwroEUdOI9JmPMpMomtB4E7_1daALeDGqD2x1FXhzs0sZnMppfcCwM-0GWRmtoZtAaJR3nFI4DoZqnbs7KDibw0AvxzzvGMi_Z9KSiVVSM6BH1eiDY/s1600/grapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief6POssZYOOku46QCjl6PcsrNGAwroEUdOI9JmPMpMomtB4E7_1daALeDGqD2x1FXhzs0sZnMppfcCwM-0GWRmtoZtAaJR3nFI4DoZqnbs7KDibw0AvxzzvGMi_Z9KSiVVSM6BH1eiDY/s200/grapes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As they plucked grapes from a bowl between them, Bishop Thomas said he doesn't like to get involved in theological discussions like this while people are hurting. "We pastors are like the fellows who cut a hole through the roof to get their paraplegic friend to Jesus for healing. We have to do whatever it takes; we have to cut a hole through the roof while everyone else is dallying."<br />
<br />
Rev. Trish agreed heartily. "We need to learn how to move people into a better understanding of what we call enlightenment: getting our human selves out of the way so we can have that greater experience of God as light."<br />
<br />
"Well I could let you preach that at my church," said Bishop Thomas.<br />
<br />
"Sermon exchange!" exclaimed Laurie and I simultaneously.<br />
<br />
"Well I could let Rev. Trish preach at my church," said Bishop T. Even with the people who are far out in New Thought, like Dale (referring to the top of page 130 in our book), the errors they make are erring on the side of love. My people would understand that. But I would have to be careful what I said in your church because folks are so sensitive about how things are said. I can sound a little rough sometimes because of my Pentecostal upbringing."<br />
<br />
<b>Marching in Iambic Pentameter</b> <br />
<table cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr><td>Bishop T said pastors must do like Sergeant Carter in the old TV comedy <i>Gomer Pyle</i>: While all the other marines are marching in order, someone must correct Gomer who's always out of step, "marching in iambic pentameter." (Bishop T. has a way of creating poetry on the fly like this, but the broad grin I withheld turned to awe when I later checked the definition of Iambic pentameter: <i>a particular rhythm that groups of syllables called "feet" establish in a line of verse, a line made up of five pairs or "iambs" of short/long, or unstressed/stressed, syllables</i>.</td><td><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xeMlVBwLGLu1qR-FsKjJ17znUtxz7iUIxccr2e_AZykTh2b6loZw1mik2g3XvF-moCjuV52_CQVPNDKknRAXoZU3oE5JRvMfO1zPcgYgylr-fVIf-OSjd3hBeuISPvxB9TY0NyZ7P2M/s1600/GomerPilemarch.jpg" /></td><td><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKXoBnW1i-wP2VEKCDEwZPCFqq3P_eUmlOfEc2n4Wm6YxlFpKHeR06taNtIxEMF49PoBh54tv2nRikhduBJ4_Nfhb0BAIvRLkriWpG9Q9tr5lTxmVuhizRNSMcokTl6IsjnCmwfsJc1I/s1600/GomerPyle.jpg" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
As the meeting came to a close, Bishop Thomas said, "We're not going to solve our differences. I hope discussions like this can help us find enough common ground that we are not bickering and can work together to impact the world in the way God wants it impacted, leading people to a life of abundance in Him."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYBBZUmIpst2VZP28yqFhBc_qc5kvk1cHFcECs5oFWLXYYuPQ-8FEdQcX-SANxckAHSao40lv4ZlI-bOylLZCt0fwZR8pA7j5-qepr1VQq4BCQRCwE3G6cG3xfLnKKCKfHCIOF4t2vlM/s1600/table_bishop2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYBBZUmIpst2VZP28yqFhBc_qc5kvk1cHFcECs5oFWLXYYuPQ-8FEdQcX-SANxckAHSao40lv4ZlI-bOylLZCt0fwZR8pA7j5-qepr1VQq4BCQRCwE3G6cG3xfLnKKCKfHCIOF4t2vlM/s400/table_bishop2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I believe there was more love and trust in the world at the end of this meeting--and more clarity as well.Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-20907268603580358122010-08-03T05:38:00.000-07:002010-10-09T05:41:19.715-07:00Abraham and Aristotle: What is Interfaith Metalogue?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDylemBuU6xCsdk5qUvFuHS2B70TNh6po46WOjAkOCyTbnwWxSdOcW7ix91eWb4_xZawRU-V7d8cH7AFnx54ER6CYQ9PdCDLRNXa-O1j4q9FlJNuLJ8LDyzKcsd9nGhcZcowKOaBhXNM/s1600/abraham_group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDylemBuU6xCsdk5qUvFuHS2B70TNh6po46WOjAkOCyTbnwWxSdOcW7ix91eWb4_xZawRU-V7d8cH7AFnx54ER6CYQ9PdCDLRNXa-O1j4q9FlJNuLJ8LDyzKcsd9nGhcZcowKOaBhXNM/s400/abraham_group.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1679734955"><span id="goog_1679734965"></span><span id="goog_1679734966"></span></span><span id="goog_1679734956"></span>Carol Haave, Judith Latham, Amy Roth, Ed Preston, Teri Murphy, <br />
Chris Sandrolini, Frances Eddy, Onley, Dr. Ahmad, Edie Russo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<a href="http://sites.google.com/site/itpgroups/about-james-jones"><img align="right" border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqTp99vCtfNhoRgvzV2gWOkOS1yRkacwHToObNe5pf_YThyphenhyphenoljQtcj3ZdqYZtEx3i15yIKbFc1DNjD_u9QOPUvqmKSOLIPCjCn48ph4bMMRvxLQmK3lM26teog6HTEy-Be7iyehBh-fQ/s200/JamesJones.jpg" vspace="10" width="50" /></a>(Arlington, VA) Presenting <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">Bishop and Seeker for</a> an <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/abrahamandaristotle">interfaith salon</a> yesterday, I focused on how the book does or does not demonstrate the move from interfaith dialogue to interfaith metalogue. This approach was suggested to me by James Jones, Integral Institute co-founder and lay leader at <a href="http://unityoffairfax.org/index.shtml">Unity Fairfax</a>.<br />
<br />
I read three dialogues from the book, two with my favorite Muslim imam, <a href="http://www.minaret.org/Staff.htm">Dr. Dean Ahmad of the Minaret of Freedom Institute</a> who was at the salon, and one with my co-author, <a href="http://highviewcf.org/">Bishop Phil Thomas of Highview</a> who will attend the next salon.<br />
<br />
We placed several themes on the table:<br />
<span id="goog_1679734977"></span><span id="goog_1679734978"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li>Dialogue is normally advocacy for one's own position. Metalogue seeks something beyond</li>
<li>Metalogue is a conversation about the conversation one is having--which is what Bishop Thomas and I shared during the period we were editing our own dialogues for the book. </li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.onespiritinterfaith.org/interspiritual_counseling/faculty.htm" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img align="right" border="0" hieght="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIAfsr9PiIVXlBfCgXG18YG_c9ZE4KtD2yj4cd1s1iTK9jsfIr81COSJD0ry64sbH191cNLnOosY7dRVoo4gmkvoYW2PKbQsfEHvyZHZ9nYENQZJb95ehBpag6NssF0vGiYGfXZtxVrs/s1600/barbara_kinney.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><li>Metalogue requires that at least one of the participants be aware of the context from which they are speaking: how are my beliefs about this question shaped by history, society, and my own personal upbringing and psychology? James used his favorite term "intersubjective context" here, creating a connection across the room with Barbara Kinney, a developmental psychologist and interspiritual counselor from <a href="http://www.onespiritinterfaith.org/index.html">One Spirit Learning Alliance in New York</a>. Barbara added that in metalogue, one notices one's own shadow projections--the part of ourselves we deny and see exaggerated in others</li>
<li>I thought Barbara offered the best definition of metalogue as co-creating something fresh that transcends the participants' prior beliefs </li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://minaret.org/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lqfo4o6fjkX3u8uxwZ105GsWd3n2iyeUf4uMgN41Lv6TU-F15EglyYOnfh4ho411yfy2iY1WlL6436x11VkCumqRZHRU4NGPnRIS3dcYgw6aLxaaQwje6KHAGzR7e7edAFQhlJXJDC4/s1600/dean1.jpg" width="50" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><li>But then Dr. Ahmad offered a definition that took my breath away, "Normally we dialogue <i>about </i>worship, but perhaps it becomes metalogue when we dialogue <i>as </i>worship."</li>
</ul>And then <span id="goog_1679734968"></span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/22/AR2007022201654.html">Voice of America reporter Navbahor Imamova<span id="goog_1679734969"></span></a> brought us back to reality saying, "I don't believe in interfaith dialogue. People from different religions have a nice discussion in a fancy roomy while outside members of their own religions are fighting. To do any good, we need to be talking about differences within our own religions."<br />
<br />
<img align="right" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ28kubNeeoWL6OG9uPep23QrYLZ2DbDptqSaDbOE2gfe6Svj4EINX816jHh8SC8AocvyjE-WLHS6lsl40GmCcriZ0QIjFqz355MMgzHlj-gP2pvgbF9f0LnMnOmh1oyxJekJoXmgOtUk/s1600/amy.jpg" />Amy Roth of <a href="http://www.ijm.org/">International Justice Mission</a> offered that <i>The Bishop and the Seeker</i> does exactly that by modeling how to have the kind of dialogue that opens fresh possibilities. "Seek and ye shall find," she said--which also took my breath away, because it happened to be what I'd had inscribed on the cake we were just about to share.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVRoyxB7Fbu8UrWyVXj2xeIUxtcQrd1nLVwqfiYOC8Ut8JGF-io7YcpXhZGDGU8jKfOUInINbMOMbwz6LmUhxOggD436gwYuk32fnHKzsXN_NuVrxX4024zF7SbCv6KGaD28NG5K5GAs/s1600/abraham_cake.jpg" /></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrryvmzelQ9LVOYslxIiuvZW55FOzcLRrOTJ0IhFFAR2Mi-EF9bjq6QgjBjmAZCruq6B1ang2VMzTR9djFgy9Im9ozJjk9kQLwUUI0a2RaxJZq8ClzzFtLa8FtBA5yDKbJObpSjNmFZvs/s1600/judith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrryvmzelQ9LVOYslxIiuvZW55FOzcLRrOTJ0IhFFAR2Mi-EF9bjq6QgjBjmAZCruq6B1ang2VMzTR9djFgy9Im9ozJjk9kQLwUUI0a2RaxJZq8ClzzFtLa8FtBA5yDKbJObpSjNmFZvs/s320/judith.jpg" /></a></div>The salon was a regular meeting of <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/abrahamandaristotle">Abraham and Aristotle and All their Children</a>, which is graciously hosted by retired Voice of America producer Judith Latham. In September we will meet for part 2 in which we'll look at the polarities in religious beliefs about materialism, literal translations of holy books, and the role of government in enforcing "God's law."Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-90735965790355751582010-06-20T07:01:00.000-07:002010-10-08T06:00:00.081-07:00Incubator Day 5: Integral Christianity?<span style="font-style: italic;">Continued from <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2010/06/integral-incubator-day-4-email-from-ken.html">Day 4</a></span><b><br />
<br />
Co-creation vs Surrender </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross Hostetter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As the tension between co-creation and surrender is one of the themes of <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/">my book</a>, when we were given the chance to sign up for a second coaching appointment, I decided to let the Universe choose. Earlier in the week, I had scrambled to get the appointment I wanted, so this time--even though I had three top choices--I let the other participants sign up first. Which three slots were left open? Yep, the Universe threw the choice back at me. I picked <a href="http://www.boulderintegral.org/about/#crew">Ross Hostetter</a>, an attorney who runs the business end of Boulder Integral and is writing a book on <a href="http://integrallife.com/future-christianity">Integral Christianity</a>.<br />
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My project of dialoguing with orthodox Christians would appear to be outside the focus that most Integral Christianity work has taken. Most the focus has been on expanding states of consciousness with meditation and contemplative prayer. (A broader picture is explored in Aqal Journal Spring 2006 including this great <a href="http://mymurphys.com/transcend/images/congregational_quadrants_chart_from_AQAL_journal.pdf">chart showing how congregations live in all four quadrants</a>. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Buy the full issue <a href="http://aqaljournal.integralinstitute.org/Public/Default.aspx">here</a>.</span>) Ross did seem more interested, though, after I showed him the <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/aqal.htm">video clip of me and Bishop Thomas</a> that I received the congratulatory note about from Ken Wilber. Ross recommended I contact the publicist used by Michael Dowd for his book <a href="http://thankgodforevolution.com/">Thank God for Evolution</a>.<br />
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<b>Transformational Practice Groups</b><br />
I also took the opportunity to share with Ross my enthusiasm about bringing spirituality into our daily lives via the small group process for transformational practices developed by my mentor James Jones. That's my group in DC in the photo below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/itpgroups/testimonials-1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERs8AwJSShD6zMMoM_3lfJEU98VZBpd9UXA6hprMg__SX-vWfVjkybF090y2cHQ1zO132LMgimxgb0zon2t2VOnfv_UGUpQzpKzHOH-abBGoXBXstnssxnUC53YboMMtE2FJbOAiCXZ4/s320/dc_itp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Transformational Practices Group in DC.<br />
From left: Justin Frank, Anita Conner, Amy Roth, Marianne Josem, Teri Murphy, and Malcolm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sites.google.com/site/itpgroups" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIZlfFU_NYklDyFRWpJXA4as5SNTmd_GM0vDD_9bUfp2siBOnYuK62AB7e-__kUYgCwxCWZ9uD3wCDe3LzhyphenhypheniDDBdijiAN4uMbF6WlBKX0-S3jc7y_o8A5mVMU4_TIBtREZZhQQzjtiY/s320/banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transformational Practice Groups</td></tr>
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<b>Closing Rituals--and a Surprise</b><br />
Our final day brought lots of hugs and chances to circle up for assessment and appreciation. Several people mentioned how Rev. Karen Francis had changed their image of Christian pastors. "You made it safe to say 'Jesus' again," said one person as everybody laughed. (Rev. Karen told me privately that her own experience in the New Age movement made her aware of the need to reintegrate a direct divine connection back into Christianity.)<br />
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And then Nomali surprised us--and I think Jeff as well--by telling an idea for future Incubators--focusing them on interest areas: integral education, integral health, integral Christianity, etc. The mere idea of an Incubator focused on Integral Christianity set of an explosion of ideas in my head. Would it be for people who want to launch a project that promotes Integral Christianity or for people who want to launch any kind of project from an Integral Christianity flavored "Big Womb"? I had been thinking that an Integral Incubator is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But now I'm thinking ONE may not be enough.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFY1azPa7KFLfBHutJF3sHPPTebaLmv9KNbd433GNbbjTr-7zzL-O-bVtz_67cH-szQpYmADwM9zGTLv3zCa7o2CDTZ6oiPI4Ub0qeuc5yxdcFVoBZhfXI9uSl3OyWJqegS_d8jGMvQIo/s1600/wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFY1azPa7KFLfBHutJF3sHPPTebaLmv9KNbd433GNbbjTr-7zzL-O-bVtz_67cH-szQpYmADwM9zGTLv3zCa7o2CDTZ6oiPI4Ub0qeuc5yxdcFVoBZhfXI9uSl3OyWJqegS_d8jGMvQIo/s1600/wall.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">more photos at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=1449780433&aid=62538&s=20&hash=e2df6c86f7bcfb2c8809cb706e0344f3#%21/album.php?id=1449780433&aid=62538&s=0&hash=9cc3bdfd58e2ad0423d4cafa08460cec">Integral Incubator's Facebook</a><br />
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</div>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447680200661046106.post-74812560929883823732010-06-18T05:36:00.000-07:002010-10-08T06:00:35.618-07:00Integral Incubator Day 4: Email from Ken Wilber<a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/aqal.htm" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484094043177289458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsPrjamtHmf3uWg4VpM0IxOeRZl3wO8eMR9Pm8-U-z5Xn4Jw6dKtZU3KjFHdo9BZ4PkcRjltSINbWbVcf2uGoQwwAtwrpq3rQhGKDmhLMqMcds8y0crATpiL9ChZRL7NLKa9lV_3omDs/s200/video.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 107px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 145px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Continued from <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2010/06/integral-incubator-day-39-making-new.html">day 3.9</a></span><br />
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I rubbed my eyes a bit when I saw Ken Wilber's name on an email in my inbox. Two days earlier Jeff Salzman had suggested that I send Ken a link to this <a href="http://bishopandseeker.com/aqal.htm">short video clip</a> of my dialogue with Bishop Thomas. What I'm finding is, when I just tell people about my dialogue with orthodox Christians, most say, "That's nice, dear." But when I show them this clip they say, "Oooh. You've got something there." And so Ken's note, received <span style="font-style: italic;">after </span>I spoke with him Wednesday, said simply<br />
<blockquote><tt>Jeez, just got this now, Teri. Love it! Thanks so much....</tt></blockquote>I was, of course, thrilled for this validation by the person whose work has provided so much of my inspiration for building bridges across religious conflict.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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And now the good news</span><br />
But that may not have been the most exciting thing that happened yesterday. I was curled up on a bench outside the meditation room in a scrumptious blue blanket Nomali had provided in response to my "special care request" for needing a daily nap. Through the closed door, I heard the most <span style="font-style: italic;">amazing </span>video clip being taped. In the most professional and compelling voice you can imagine, I heard something like this (rough paraphrase).<br />
<blockquote>Are you tired of an America torn by strife and mired in old approaches that aren't working for 21st century problems? This new show, America, Next Version, will showcase groundbreaking solutions to our technical, financial, and quality of life problems. New ideas from a broader perspective that show us how to transcend old problems while including the best of who we are. In each show, we start with a prayer:<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">We open ourselves to the Divine power that is always embracing us and enriching us with everything we need. Divine loving energy that knows all the solutions to our every need is pouring through us now, empowering each of us to step out and do our part to create a renewed America...</span></blockquote><br />
<a href="http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=13165&promo_id=1" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484101624864689042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PkUC6PfjfP8NXnmTa1WYW-ZRx_v6yRAWRWyBNveoZHmRfVEUJY81LZxC10OaDB25nh1I8u3p0E8roMXlnxop_mtm0XA-jmgCtBOomStzUPlFTJnjW10t9ZR38NT7exwKbWW3-oGYIIY/s200/seth_braun.jpg" style="float: right; height: 129px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 129px;" /></a>As soon as the voice stopped, I bust through the door and asked, "What was that!" A handsome young fellow in a sharp suit told me he was taping his application to be on the Oprah show, and I'd be able to see the clip and vote <a href="http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=13165&promo_id=1">for it on the Internet</a> in a day or two. "This guy is going places," I thought. So I gave him the postcard about my book and told him he had to interview me. "This looks teriffic," he said. "I'll reach you through Facebook."<br />
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Thank God Nomali, who seems to be a jack-of-all-trades, (she was designing and sewing her own clothes at age 9) has graciously agreed to help me figure out Facebook tomorrow.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Elevator Speeches</span><br />
Our last activity of the day was the long-awaited "elevator speeches." After much coaching during the week, we were each given 60 seconds to tell about our project in the way we might do in a chance encounter, such as in an elevator. Being an old Toastmasters hand, this was a hugely fun challenge for me, and my turn got a great response. In fact everyone rose to the occasion, and I heard passionate, funny, and moving appeals that made me wish we could start the week over so I could spend more time with each person. Luckily, we've got one more day. <a href="http://bishopseeker.blogspot.com/2010/06/incubator-day-5-integral-christianity.html">Next</a>>Teri Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07980257720461885774noreply@blogger.com1