Open Path

Time Travel In Death

By: Deshna Ubeda

My Granddad recently passed.  It was an amazing gift to be able to be present for part of his passing.  The full circle of life became so evident- to me it only makes sense that the circle would continue to revolve.  It doesn’t come to some halt- some place where souls are distributed.  Little by little he was stripped of his body, his mind, his fear. He died in peace- thankfully.  It had not been a peaceful three years.   

When I walked into the hospital room, he was laying on his side in a fetal position, cradling himself, curled up.  He looked up at me and smiled- such a bright smile- for a man diminished so.  I was shocked that he might recognize me in such a state.  The pain in his leg was really bothering him and it was obvious he was seeing a reality that was not visible to us.  I wanted to keep him smiling as he had when I looked into his eyes and told him, I love you.  So, I asked him if he remembered playing golf.  Again, that youthful twinkle touching his eyes, and he said, “oh yes, I remember.”  I said, “you were so good at golf!” “Yes, I was.” Smugly.  I said- to keep the conversation going, “I remember sneaking cookies from the kitchen while you were sleeping.”  He laughed and said, “I remember the time you were playing golf and it was pouring and you said, I am not going to quit!” That’s strange, I thought- what is he referring to? I have never played golf and if I had I certainly would have quit in the pouring rain.  It occurred to me then that the smile he was giving me was not a smile that I had ever received from him.  There was flirtation in it and a boyish confidence that I hadn’t seen in my granddad.   

I looked over at my Dad and saw him smile gratitude through his tears.  He had been through so much over the last three years with this man, this man that was once his strong father and had slowly but surely become his grumpy un-thankful teenager.  But it didn’t decrease the love he felt for the man and I could see his anguish.  

For lack of anything better to say, I said “I love you so much.” There was that smile again, with the one corner turned up.  “I love you too, he said.”  And then, “You probably should look at rings and pick out one you like.” Hmmm…was he referring to grandmas rings? Because those treasures had long since been dispersed to the family. Finally I realized then, that he wasn’t smiling or talking to me.  It was a very strange feeling to look into my granddad’s blue-grey eyes and know that he was seeing my grandma, not me.  Did I look like her at some point?  I don’t know.  But something about me, or the way I was talking to him triggered that reality for him. 

Over the next hour we slowly regressed, talking about “our” golf times and his fun in the club with his friends and about the great life “we” had together.    We time traveled back to before they were married and again, he told me to go pick out a ring.  He said, “I am trying to make an honest girl out of you.”  And “there's a big stack of papers over there for you to sign.” I promised him I would pick out a beautiful diamond ring and that I would sign all the papers. 

Then we went back a little farther and he said, quite seriously, “You know, its time that you decided whether or not you love me.”  “I do love you!” I said bravely.  And my dying granddad caressed my arm in tenderness. 

I said, “You know, I will be ok.  You can go now.  I’ll hold your hand and you can go.  I’ll be ok without you.  Do you know that?”

“No, I don’t know that.” He said sadly…lost. “I will.” I said.  Hoping he believed me, hoping he didn’t look too clearly at me and see the blatant act.  That he wouldn’t suddenly see me instead of her.

He was quiet for a while. “Its easing out little by little,” he said. I pictured his spirit lifting out of the tired old pained body.

“Do you see a light?” I ventured, after all, it was the first time I had watched a person dying.

“No, not yet,” the man that wasn’t really present and wasn’t seeing reality, so clearly replied.

“I’m ok.  So, you don’t need to worry about me anymore.  Ok?”

“Ok.”  A pause.  Was he going? No. “Its over there somewhere, on the shelf.” He pointed to the invisible shelf that did not exist in the sterile hospital room. “Ok, thanks,” I said.

“I’m just so tired.  I’m just going to stretch out here for a bit and take a rest.”

“Ok, that’s a good idea.  You take a rest.  I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Where are you going?” he asked, confused and scared.  I looked at my parents in trepidation. I couldn’t leave him like this, could I?  If I am her, I need to stay right?  I laid my head on his chest and heard his heart beating quite loudly and strongly.  Maybe he isn’t dying, I thought.  He’d be there in an hour. I hoped. “I’ll be back.” He held my hand, her hand, tightly.  Not wanting her to leave.  

Surprisingly, when we came back, after a nourishing snack and a strong drink, an hour and many tears later, he looked right at me and there she was again.  My grandma, a lovely lady whom had long ago left us leaving only traces of herself, was there- young, healthy, in love with the man who lay before her.  What could I do, I had no choice but to continue with him on his strange journey. 

“Hey honey,” I said.

“Dad,” my dad whispered through blurry eyes.  “She called him Dad.”

“Hey…Dad.” I said. He laughed quietly, his eyes were heavy and darker, more distant.  He looked toward me but mostly past me as he held my hand. “Where did you go?”

“We went to look at rings!” my dad said.

“Good, good.  She likes the gold one with the three diamonds.  She told me.” He said to the space between us all. I sat down next to him, he brushed his hand along my arm and lightly over my breast. I had gotten mine from her, so… I looked back at my mom with raised eyebrows.  Umm… ok, I can do this.

“Hey, you know what?  Freddy’s in love.  I have noticed for a long time.” He said happily.

“Who is he in love with?”  No answer.  He had time traveled again, I think.

“I just want to rest.”

“I bet.  You have been through a lot.”

“It hurts so bad!” he looked at me fiercely, the anger we had seen much of in the last few years reining once again.  I rubbed his arm and leg. 

"The nurse will be in soon to help with that.” The gaze softened.

“We can hold hands and go together, you don’t need to be afraid.” I said, tears betraying my words.

“Ok, I just want to stretch out and take a little rest.”

“That’s a good idea. You rest.  I love you.”  I kissed him on his cheek and on his soft forehead that smelled of soap and old skin.

“I know you do… I am going to put my arm around you, you lay down with me and let’s take a rest.”  He used his right arm to lift his left arm around my back.  I lay down with my head on his chest.  He closed his eyes.  I could tell he wanted to go, but something was holding him back.  I lay there, crying, saying goodbye.  Smelling the smell of dying, feeling his heavy, still strong arm around me, hearing his heart quietly beat its unwillingness to let go.   It was time for me to go.  I felt sorry to be leaving him, to be taking her away from him.  But it was time for me to go. 

I said goodbye, knowing I was really saying goodbye.  I said goodbye, within my own heart to the granddad I once knew.  The granddad who fought over the remote with me, who told the same stories each year, who had a belly laugh, and a winning confidence.  The granddad who opened his home to me and my silly friends, who clipped coupons and always found the deal.  Whose old heart never betrayed him, who loved his wife for more years that I can imagine living.  

He passed the next day.  He had left the years of his early love and gone back even further, crying out for mommy, crying out in fear and aloneness.  Thankfully, the angel that is my mom, found within her the spiritual guide and prayed aloud in his last moments.  From within her she found the song that would finally lull him to the next dream.  He took his last breaths as she sang Amazing Grace.  How sweet the sound.

THE LAST CHRISTIAN

By: Adrian Gibb

14th October 2084

I am the last christian!

Ron died this morning, so I am the last! Of course, nobody knows this. Maybe a decade ago you could declare yourself a person of faith, if you were brave enough, but not today. It would be, almost literally, insanity to do so. Not that Ron or I would have been thrown into jail or tortured for our belief, but we would be seen to be as deranged as those, in my mother's youth, who declared themselves to be Julius Caesar or abducted by aliens. We would be ridiculed, mocked, perhaps even ostracised, and I have a career and a reputation I don't wish to lose. No I can't declare myself a christian, even though I am the last, I just can't, can I?

You see, though I hate to admit me, I have started to ask myself if maybe I am deranged? How can my belief, on an intellectual level, be tenable, if literally the rest of the world has abandoned it? How can I still hold my faith to be true and real when I am the only one who feels its reality and truth? My faith, once adhered to by the majority on this planet, is now like a river in drought. Its shell still stands, its structure can be seen, and what it once was is obvious, but the life has ceased to flow through its walls, and it crumbles, thirsty for droplets of purpose. I have to face facts, Dawkinsism is the philosophy of the world now. Faith is dead, everybody else can see that, by I still pray. Why?

I hate myself for my wishes! I wish I didn't read the gospels and tingle with inspiration. I wish I didn't see Jesus as the face of God, and believe in an empty tomb. I wish I didn't feel the presence, the real and tangible presence of the limitless divine when I pray, or watch a sunset, or give my last five dollars to a homeless man. I hate myself for wishing that the love I feel caress me when I think of a man who lived over two thousand years ago would go away. I wish these things. I wish they could just leave my mind, and that science and logic and reason and all that the rest of humanity feels comfortable with would satisfy me. But it doesn't! And my wishes remain just that. Hateful wishes.

So what do I do? Do I accept the will of the masses and reject my faith, a faith that lives though I wish it to die? Do I declare my faith, with pride, with strength, and suffer the consequences? I would no doubtedly lose many of my clients, my boss, an ardent Dawkinsite, would probably sack me, and some may even suggest I have lost my mind. But so what, that doesn't matter right? I may be the last one, I may be the only one, but that doesn't mean my faith is not real! Right? It would be worth it! Even if I lost everything, it would be worth it. But would it? What if I am wrong? What if I am deranged? What would I be right, me, worthless me, and the rest of the world wrong? The numbers don't add up, do they?

So tell me, dear reader from who knows where, or when, what should I do? Please tell me, what would you do?

Talking About My Faith as a Progressive Christian

By Fred Plumer

I was sitting on an airplane last month reading a book by Calvin Mercer called Slaves to Faith. Mercer is a former fundamentalist Christian who has been “born again” as a competent theologian and university professor of religion. When he realized what he had been through and how hard it had been to break free, he became fascinated by the fundamentalist mind. At one point his interest was so great that he returned to school got a graduate degree in clinical psychology and was in private practice for over a decade. His book is wonderful primer on understanding the fundamentalist perspective on theology, the bible and Jesus the Christ. In this book, he also offers a psychological profile on the fundamentalist mind with some limited suggestions on how progressives Christians and others might dialogue with them.

When my seat mate saw the title of the book, he assumed that that title referred to the “born again Christian’s” commitment to Christ. In other words he thought we were on the same page. With a smile he said: “Wasn’t great when you have finally made that commitment? “ Now, whenever something like this has happened in the past I usually make some remark that assures this person that first, I am more educated than he is or she is, and second, we don’t agree. Although that does not always work it usually does and at least give me the first punch in what may be an uncomfortable ride at 30,000 ft.

This time I just smiled and asked him what he meant by that question. It took him less than five minutes to articulate how his life had changed when a friend took him to his evangelical church and within three months he had committed his life to Christ as his lord and savior. His next question was; “When were you born again?”

I had to think about my response since it was a full flight and we still had two and half hours left. So, I simply said, “I not certain what you mean by that?” I actually had become interested in how he would respond to that, so I tried to listen with an open mind. I was surprised how easy it was when I made the effort not to judge or critic his comments as he was making them. I did my best to shut down the voice that wanted to make fun of his naïveté and lack of biblical training. But I became far more fascinated by how comfortable he was talking about something that was so important to him.  It was clear that he had done this before on many occasions and that he was completely at ease and if I did not evaluate what he was saying, instead of how he was saying it, it was impressive. 

I suppose it had a special impact on me because we had been working on our most recent eBulletin that deals with learning to talk about progressive Christianity. Of course it will always be difficult to talk about one’s faith when we are talking about great mysteries and a lot of questions that will never be answered because they are dealing with issues and things beyond our comprehension. 

But is that hard to refer to Christianity as a path rather than a belief system-a path that is guided by love rather than fear? Is it hard to explain that this is a path that is more interested in fulfillment than it is in atonement? Is it that difficult to say that you have faith in a God or Divine Spirit or Sacred Unity or whatever you choose to call this energy-an energy that is part of all creation and is in and part of each and everyone one of us? Is it too difficult to say I don’t know how it works because it is beyond my comprehension but I know when I live my life a certain way, including intentional spiritual practices my life is more abundant, less anxious, more peaceful, less fearful, and at the end of each day, more joyful? Of course this begs the question. Do we really try and walk path? Do we have intentional spiritual practices and disciplines? Do we really believe that our path is about change and transformation? Do we think “our way” will actually lead to an experience of the Sacred or the Divine? Then why do we have such a hard time expressing ourselves and sharing our experience?

I suppose that if we really did live this way, we would have a much easier time on airplanes explaining what it means to be a progressive Christian. I would guess that if we had some of those experiences, we would have an easier time explaining what it is that we actually believe, not what it is that we don’t believe. I suspect that we would be a little more enthusiastic explaining why progressive Christianity can be a wonderful guide to one’s life.  But then if we were living it we probably would not have to explain it would we? For the record, I did explain my view of my faith and briefly shared what I saw as our differences. He looked at me like I was crazy and finally said, “That’s cool,” and went back to his computer games.  I put my seat back and took a nap…    

Will the Real Progressive Christians Please Speak Up?

By: Deshna Ubeda

Hi friends,
So, in my work for TCPC over the last 3 years- I have noticed that most progressive Christians do not really like to talk about their beliefs.  The comments on our TCPC Facebook are minimal though there are a large number of "friends;" when I am looking for articles I basically have to become a private investigator searching the world for hidden progressive Christian authors that aren't white-male-over-50; and in conversations one generally hears only two sides of the Christian perspective- those that think its a bunch of outdated crap and those that are trying to save the world, one soul at a time.

Now, before I go on, let me first say, that I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.  I grew up in a progressive Christian church and I didn't like to talk about it either to my fundamental Christian friends- (they would just tell me that Jesus loves me and they are worried about me burning in Hell for eternity) or to my non-religious friends, who generally just cringe when the word Christian is said.  I also have to confess that when someone asks me what do I do for work, my answer is usually, "Oh, I just work for a non-profit." And then I hope they don't ask me the name.  Which they usually do, so then I have to muster up my courage to say the words CHRISTIANITY.  The hard part is not jumping into a long confusing explanation that usually goes something like: "I'm not religious at all and I don't really relate to Christianity but I believe that Jesus was an amazing teacher and that his teachings have been grossly misinterpreted, stolen for the use of fear and power, and this organization is about promoting an approach to Christianity that is based on his true teachings from an educated point of view not from a misunderstood dogmatic point of view.  I am happy to support anything that stands in opposition to the tyranny, violent, unjust, exclusive, and ignorant fundamental Christianity."  Or something like that.  At which point they either say, "oh... cool" or "interesting" or just "hmmmm..." and I hope that I haven't offended anyone on either "side" of the spectrum. 

At our last board meeting, there was a large group of us standing in line for lunch and we told another customer to go ahead due to our large number.  She smiled, surprised (it was in California, after all, where people are constantly trying to get ahead) and one of our board members (a young woman pastor of all people) said, "Yes, we are nice- we are progressive Christians!" proudly.  Every single one of us, immediately shied away and acted like we had no idea what she was talking about.  We were embarrassed- not by our beliefs- oh no- but by the fact that so few people have any idea what progressive Christianity is and so we assume that they immediately associate it with fundamental Christianity.  We are NOT one of them, we want to shout in defense.

One of the challenges is that followers of progressive Christianity haven't really even agreed on what it is.  After all, being progressive means constantly being open to change and new awareness.  God, wouldn't it be easier to just hand those people that ask "what is progressive Christianity?" a heavy, well read book and say- "this is what we are and this is what we will always be. This is THE truth."  But progressive Christians are not known for taking the easy route.  In fact, we are trying to stand up to 2000 years of dogma and 50% of the population.

We began with determining what we aren't.  We are not fundamentals, we are not exclusive, we are not dogmatic, we are not bible thumpers, we are not ignorant, we are not brainwashed, we are not afraid, we are not haters, we are not closed minded.  Slowly, we are letting go of the comparison and becoming, birthing, and re-birthing who we are separate from that negative association.  We are compassionate, we are inclusive, we are educated, we are open, we are searchers, we are peaceful, we are earth friendly, we are social justice supporters, we are Jesus' students, we are walkers...but NOT, at least not yet, talkers.  Yes, there are a handful of scholars and theologians who have helped birth this movement that are continuing to talk about it and there are even a few of those that are women but far too many of us, pastors especially, do NOT talk about it.  They, we, are afraid.  Afraid of being misunderstood, afraid of losing friends, afraid of losing church members, afraid of being associated with all that we aren't. 

At a recent workshop that I helped organize, a group from a congregation attended and was very excited about the changes they could make to modernize their worship, to clarify their beliefs, and to hopefully draw younger people to their church.  But as they walked out of the workshop, I heard the pastor say, "Did you hear Ethel, she was really upset about changing things too much...Do you think the rest will feel the same way?  I mean, I can keep wearing the skirt if that makes people more comfortable..."  She was really worried.  Maybe they would lose the over 70 year olds to the change when the pastor really started talking or, gasp, wore pants.  But guess what?  Over 70's is what our churches are going to be left with if we, as progressive Christians, don't let go of our fear, muster our courage and say the words proudly, "I am a progressive Christian! This is what I believe and I am excited to tell you about it because it has changed my life for the better!" 

So, I am asking for your help.  Please, will the real progressive Christians Stand up and Speak up?

Together we can help the world see a different Christianity, one that is based on compassion, inclusion, justice and peace.

A Progressive Experiment

By: Fred Plumer

I recently taught a summer class for a group of enthusiastic seminarians. It was not a required course so it was self-selective.  They were very excited about the progressive Christian movement and my heart ached a little as I thought of them in their soon to be new positions in churches and the struggle that they were going to go through in their attempt to move their congregations out of the 19^th century. I tried to warn them and at one point said; “You know the progressive church is still an experiment.”

A couple of people got defensive assuring me that they knew of several progressive churches that had moved way beyond an “experiment.” But when I refer to the church as an experiment I am referring to its ability to sustain itself over a long period of time beyond personalities and even to be able to reproduce.

The question is: Can a church with a truly open and progressive theology, with a unique Christian spirituality, with an ethical consciousness for the Creation and its creatures, and with a social responsibility for the welfare of all citizens of the world, survive in our society today? The Christian church has survived for nearly 2000 years in part at least, because it provided easy answers, held eternal damnation over people’s heads and had, what the church explained, was an exclusive offer of life after death. The Christian church was built on dogma and doctrine created by the ambitious and powerful men who got to interpret those doctrines. Little has changed in our institutional churches. The church thrived for nearly 1600 years throughout the Western world as a socially dominant institution that was modeled after the hierarchy of the Roman Empire.

Up until the last few decades being part of the “right” religious institution allowed one to participate to some degree in its power. Most churches in America today still build on this model. And even though our current knowledge of the universe, our understanding of the historical roots of the church, and the growth of the anthropology of religions and mythology have changed scholars views and many of us, little has changed in the doctrines and dogmas that hold those institutions together.

Progressive churches have separated themselves from that model. They admit that they do not have the answers, only some of the important questions. They agree that there are many ways to be in relationship with that force or energy that we chose to call God. But they cannot accept the concept of a God that would punish “her” own children eternally because of a different belief. And they assume that whatever happens after death it probably has less to do with our beliefs in a church and more to do with the way we relate to all sentient beings and the Creation.

Today in churches people come and people go with little denominational loyalty, with even less theological sophistication and a variety of expectations, both objective and subjective about what church must be if they are going to stay. In the meantime the majority of young adults younger than twenty-five, have never been in a church. Although most of the current research indicates that there is a real and sincere hungry for spirituality,even “Christian” spirituality in Western World today, it appears that there is still a very small percentage of the general public who are willing to make a serious commitment in time or finances to fulfill that hunger. It should come as no surprise that fundamentalist churches have a much higher giving per capita then progressive or liberal churches. I suspect that the incentive is less from their love of Jesus, for spiritual fulfillment and more from their fear of God, however.

Maybe progressive churches will find new ways to get our message out to more people who are searching for a new expression of Christian Spirituality that fits their current understanding of reality. There are some indications that the Internet, websites like TCPC.org and scholars are helping that endeavor. Perhaps the progressive movement will continue to find language and terminology that can better communicate the unique nature of a religion that does not depend on a belief in a “sacrificial savior” but rather on a trust in a path taught by in an enlightened teacher, a belief in themselves and a faith in life. Perhaps we will discover a way to maintain spiritual communities that do depend on buildings, overhead, staff and administration.

Or maybe we will discover what part of the first century church discovered more than 1900 years ago, that without the myth of the fall of humankind and the resultant need for a human/God/Savior to fix things, and the fear of damnation, the church cannot survive over the long term.

But in the mean time, trust me, the progressive movement is an experiment, albeit an important and beautiful one, but an experiment just the same.  

 

Skillful Means

I run a progressive faith group that meets once a month. We watch a ten minute video, something relevant to what we have been discussing, then we have a guest speaker, usually a person of a particular faith, to explain the basic tenants of their beliefs. This is followed by Q and A and then a book discussion. Last wednesday our guest speaker was a Buddhist, of the Mahayana Buddhism branch, and he introduced us to a concept within his beautiful faith called Skillful Means, or Upaya.
A succinct description of this concept is "...the ability to bring out the spiritual potentialities of different people by statements or actions which are adjusted to their needs and adapted to their capacity for comprehension." (A Short History of Buddhism). As Raymond, the speaker, explains it, it is perfectly acceptable within his faith to manipulate and deconstruct messages of faith for the individual hearing it. If it allows the individual to achieve an overarching spiritual truth ultimately, then the teacher can use whatever expedient truth best fits to move the pupil towards that ultimate truth. Raymond also pointed out that if Skillful Means can be used in teaching the Dharma, it seems logical to extrapolate that outwards and see all faiths and religions as aspects of Skillful Means. It is a fascinating concept!
Later on in our discussion I was talking about the differences between more progressive Christians and conservative ones. Part of this included talking about a literal approach to the bible. Raymond commented, "Isn't this a prime example of skillful means? You achieve your ultimate spiritual truth in Jesus through a more metaphorical approach, while others need a more literal approach. Your approaches are right for each of you to achieve that truth. Surely then you can both respect each other as having the necessary skillful means?" Another member of the group agreed that this acceptance would be wonderful, and commented further that he always felt that spiritual paths are often chosen because of a personality type, an introvert will choose one path, an extrovert another.
It got me thinking if, perhaps, instead of 'pluralism', Skillful Means is a wonderful label and concept we should use in our approach to inter and intra faith dialogue. Maybe, for that matter, they are one and the same thing! If we accept that we are all seeking the ultimate spiritual truth of achieving a connection with and emulating the mystery that is the limitless Divine, then each faith, belief system, religion or even philosophy is a manifestation of the Divine teacher giving his pupil 'expedient messages' which are "...adjusted to their needs and adapted to their capacity for comprehension." If each of us genuinely allowed that notion to pervade the world, and allowed each person their expedient truth in freedom and with the utmost respect, perhaps we would, ironically, all be moving towards a unity in the ultimate spiritual truth!
Would welcome any thoughts.

Is Peace the New Fashion Fad?

By: Deshna

I have been traveling for the last few weeks down in Southern California and I noticed that so many people, young to old, were wearing shirts, bathing suits, hats, etc. with peace signs on them.  Now, before I go on, I have to admit that I myself recently purchased a bathing suit, shirt, and a hat that all have peace signs or the words peace on them. 

Living in Portland, it is clear that peace is certainly not a new logo or fad- cars, shirts, signs, and houses have been dressed in peace for years here- and I myself have been a big peace fan for as long as I can remember.  Often, friends and family members have affectionately made fun of my optimism and "hippie" attitude- calling peace an impossibility.  As I watch peace become more and more popular- I have conflicting feelings.  On one hand, it gives me hope that the next generation is courageously making a statement, wearing their beliefs, standing up for what they believe in.  At Disneyland, there were so many people with peace logos that I found myself wondering if we were possibly going to see another 60's like revolution in my lifetime and my heart surged with the power of numbers.  On the other hand, however, I worry that peace in this moment- especially when I go to Old Navy or Target and see all the latest peace-wear- is going to just be a passing fad. 

It is similar to how I felt when many of the large production companies started creating "green" products.  Like Clorox, for example with their "green" cleaning products.  At first, I was excited and relieved to see people waking up to the reality of how harmful and toxic common cleaning products can be.  But then I saw that those companies had simply added another product for a certain demographic, rather than decreased their production of their regular products.  So, right next to "Green Works" was a shelf full of clorox bleach products.  I realized then, they were just getting on the green wagon so they could expand their market, not to help the environment in any real way.

So, are the big companies- you know- the ones that basically run this country like Nestle- for example- just using this peace fad to sell more products?  And where are those shirts made?  The ones you can find at Target and Old Navy with their proud peace and love symbols- were they made in sweat shops in China?  Are they using the same harmful dyes and chemicals that have been polluting our environment for decades?  Are they made from cotton that was grown using pesticides- pesticides that are created by the same pharmaceutical companies that create needless drugs- you know the companies that really don't want us to be healthy??  (pharmaceutical companies are the second highest lobbyists in DC and make billions of dollars each year on cancer causing pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs).  There is no doubt in my mind that there are very dangerous revolving doors in our country and that the handful of the very wealthy people in our country really do NOT want us to be aware, educated and healthy. 

I'm not sure where the peace fad comes into all of this, but I am thinking that though I am on a budget and really can't afford it, the next peace shirt I buy will be from the locally owned shop down the street and not from Target, etc. and that it will be locally made.  Or maybe, I'll just find some plain organic cotton shirts and draw my own peace sign on them...

And one final note:  I really thought I had voted for a President that believed in peace.  I'm starting to wonder if he, too, was just jumping on the peace fad...

Spiritual Ecology

We just sent out our latest eBulletin on Spiritual Ecology- The Environment in Progressive Christianity.  My job is to gather all the articles, books, reviews, music, and other material and lay out the eBulletin with all the photos and links.  Often, depending on the subject, I have to go asking and searching for articles or books- progressive Christianity is still relatively new and undiscovered so not a whole bunch of literature is being produced.  However, with this ebulletin, we were overwhelmed with submissions and choices.  That certainly makes my job easier!  Obviously, the environment is a hot topic right now and for good reason. 

Much of what was sent my way was the darker side of the picture with estimations, studies, and predictions of the end of a safe earth.  Those of us that are not in denial know that these are critical and scary times, that we have grossly mistreated our planet and that we are now rapidly seeing the negative affects of such selfishness.  I included a couple of those scare you into action pieces, but the articles and perspectives that really touched me and inspired me the most were the ones like: Oneness.  Just a blog that I found while looking around.  Simple yet beautiful, in which the author is filled with gratitude for the gift of nature, of life, of breath, touch, smell and thought. 

"As my eyes opened this day..and again awakened into a new morning, the thought arose in my mind: ''I am part of all of this''....and I smiled! My heart is most grateful...for every experience lived, I know Love and its living Source. I can walk, run, dance and hop,...I can breathe...I can breathe..not only that! I can smell and detect the exquisite fragrances and scents of flowers...my favorite magical children of the earth...they are children in disguises ..you know?"

Yes, we need to drastically change our ways in regards to the environment.  Yes, we are seeing the moment in history when our actions are exponentially coming to fruition and it does scare me, especially when I think about my daughter and the life that she will have.  And what about her children?

But I think it is just as important to teach our children to be in awe of nature each day, to be filled with gratitude for the beauty and gift of the earth.  To remind them to take deep breaths, to slow down and look around, to look up, to listen and feel.  How blessed are we to be able to feel the warmth of human touch, the tickle of the wind on our skin, the drops of life that fall from the sky, to lay in the sun-warmed grass, to squish our toes into moist sand, to taste the richness of the fruits whose juices dance in our mouths, and to be nourished by the rainbow colors of the vegetables that the earth gifts us!

When you wake in the morning, do you say thank you?  Do you take a moment to fill your lungs with sweet breath?  Are you filled with a sense of wonder at it all?  Yes, there is reason to fear for the future of our planet and sometimes we need fear to drive us to change, but isn't it possible that instead of fear, we can use our gratitude and appreciation of the earth as a healthy alternative to fear?  That we can teach our children to love and care for the earth because of how thankful they are rather than how afraid they are of what might happen if they don't?  And what would your day look like if you woke up each morning and said a prayer of thanks, if you noticed each sensation, each color, each breath... at least for a few minutes?

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Sitting on the Edge of the Fence

By: Fred Plumer

At the risk of letting this blog page become a message or discussion board, I feel compelled to respond to publicly to Adrian's comments since his questions are so well written, and so universal. I believe that the vast majority of people who quietly refer to themselves as Christians today, like Adrian, are also sitting and the fence. And as I visit congregations all over the country, I have discovered that many of them are trying to function with a fence down the middle of the sanctuary that is much like the ignored "elephant in the room."

Actually this fence that he refers to has been there for nearly two thousand years although ignored by the vast majority of Christians over the years. At one point, by the end of the second century, it was divided into two large camps-those who believed that Jesus was God or and those who believed he was an angelic human who had a godly nature. It turned into a battle between the followers of Bishop Athanasias and the very popular Greek priest and theologian, Arias. The divide was clearly defined at the cost of many lives in the Forth Century when Constantine demanded a unified Christianity. Over a period of several decades Bishops were called together to vote on who and what Jesus was. As it turned out, the defining moment occurred in Nicaea in 325 when the Athanasias followers were able to get a majority vote for what became the Nicene Creed. The Arians were defeated and the power-brokers bishops who favored the God/Jesus began to clean out the Arian followers. The were deemed heretics and the fully human Jesus disappeared into the mist of mythology.

Most Christians today are totally unaware that the vast majority of things they believe about the person-hood of Jesus of Nazareth are the result of a huge political struggle between the followers of Arias and politically savvy Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria. Probably one of the best accounts of this often ignored piece of our church history is covered in an excellent book by Richard E. Rubenstein, When Jesus Became God.   According to Rubenstein and others there were several votes taken in different parts of the empire, before and after Nicaea that were a very close. The struggle between these factions continued for decades in spite of the arrests, the deaths and the torture that the Arian followers faced before going underground.

What would have happened if the Arians had won the battle? What would Christianity look like today or would it even exist? That of course is a very interesting question. I would suggest that it would have been difficult to build a church institution without a Savior whose access was controlled by that same institution. But of course we will never know. 

The real issue is, what can Christianity be today? I believe the primary reason that our Christian churches are failing today is because they do not know what they believe, or more importantly, why they are in existence except to be a church. What is the purpose of the church today?

In my opinion scholars have done a pretty thorough job of deconstructing the myth of the one and only God/Jesus over the last half a century. The historical legs of Triune God have been systematically kicked out from under the stool, and most students of religious courses in our universities and seminaries are well aware of that. Scholars like Robert M. Price, Burton L. Mack and Tom Harpur among others have so thoroughly deconstructed the historical Jesus that they have even questioned if there really was a historical Jesus.

Harpur posits that the story of Jesus is no different than the story of Osiris and Horus of Egyptian mythology, right down to the virgin birth, the suffering servant, the god/human savior and the death and resurrection in three days. (The Pagan Christ) All of this information is available today to anyone who wants to do a little research. Certainly most serious clergy and seminarians have read some of these books.

The result is that a lot of main-line clergy and church leadership really do not know what to teach or why they are teaching it. The are uncomfortable teaching things they no longer believe in and they are even more uncomfortable talking about real change in positions with which people have become comfortable in their congregations. So they sit on the fence and muddle. The talk about social justice and teach about the historical Jesus but seldom confront the most serious flaws in their belief system. So the prayers stay the same; the rituals stay the same; the sermons are evasive and uninspiring and the people who were spiritual hungry, go away feeling even more hungry.

So what do we do with all of this. We get off the fence and look to see what is really there. Together we recreate a new and compelling Christology and a viable theology. What is there is a profound and beautiful path that can help us realize and actualize the truth of our tradition-that all living creatures are a spark of the divine and we have the capacity to incarnate that divinity through our faith, our mind and our actions. If we take the Christ path seriously and joyfully, we can incarnate the divine from within and begin to see the divine in others. We have both the power and destiny to deify the world. Now that is something that we can get excited about.

So what is this path. It is a way of being, of seeing and hearing our reality differently. It is contemplative and engaging. It is all right there in front of us, in spite of the efforts to bury it in depths of the early church's biases. But the one thing that I am certain-it does not start with a Savior but rather with a teacher. A very special teacher, I believe, who has been there.

What would be your three great reforms?

Being raised in Australia the heavenly sport of cricket has played a large part in my life. One of the most famous of our commentators is someone called Ritchie Benaud, famous as a player, even more famous behind the mic for close to half a century. He was asked once what makes a great player and he replied something like, "I would say 90% of people can identify problems, only about 10% will try and come up with solutions!". To this end, I thought I would ask the question above. Let me explain:

I was recently having a conversation with someone about the failings of organised religion and was challenged to come up with three great reforms, effective immediately, which I thought would radically help the Church. I pondered over this, and this is what I came up with. These are my three great reforms!

1) SEPARATION: The figure, teacher and meta-physical presence of Jesus, as discovered in and through the NT, should be immediately separated from the doctrine and dogma of the church developed in the name of Jesus. One can and should be a follower of Jesus without necessarily being a follower of a particular church.

2) EMPHASIS: Emphasis must be placed on the NT or 'Greek Bible' over the OT or 'Hebrew Bible'. Within the NT emphasis should be placed on the words and teachings of Jesus above all and any other apostles. Within the words and teachings of Jesus emphasis should be placed upon the Golden Rule and the Greatest Commandment above all.

3) INCLUSION: There should be an immediate rejection of any exclusivist dogma relating to salvation, whether based on a person's faith (or lack there-of), race, gender, political orientation or sexual orientation. All peoples should be, and already are, within the embrace of the loving Jesus.

So there you go, that is what I came up with. Of course there is more I could have included, but that is the point, challenged me to come up with those I found most important. Now if you want to critique my reforms, please feel free to do so, but I would really love to hear your own reforms.

If you could, how would you broadly change our faith, and make it better?