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ed. 3.06 - October 2006 — visit CopperHouse at www.woodlakebooks.com |
Friends of the emerging way:What do you feel passionate about?If there is anything we need to be clear about as Western liberal Christians, it is our answer to this question.Think about your answer, and, when you’re ready to move on, I’ll tell you mine.
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IN THIS EDITION:
The Passion of Matthew Fox
Meeting the man behind the new CopperHouse book, The A.W.E. Project
Compassion, Justice, and Community
Finding vibrant Christian community at a horse-racing track in England
A Journey of Transformation
Waking up in Bethlehem after making a spur-of-the-moment choice in the U.K.
Adult Theological Re-education
Hearing Marcus Borg on one of the most important Christian tasks today
Transformation through Sacred Writing
Connecting to the divine through Psalm-inspired creative writing
You and CopperHouseCURRENT
Connecting to the passion and concerns of your life
Coming Next in CopperHouseCURRENT
Advent, Christmas, and the Emerging Way
Contact the editor
Tim Scorer
CopperHouseCURRENT Archive
view our previous issues.
Catalogue
Browse through our books
The Passion of Matthew Fox…On the New ReformationThe most significant parallel between our time and Luther’s time is this: the Protestant Reformation was a response to the modern era, which was launched by the invention of the printing press in the late 15th century. Similarly today, everyone, old and young, has been profoundly influenced by the inventions of the 1960s and beyond: the electronic media – the computer, the ipod, the web, the internet. All of this is totally transforming human consciousness, awareness, and information, just as the printing press did four centuries ago. Where is the religious response?On the Sacred MasculineOne of the most critical issues that has to unfold in our generation is the recovery of the sacred masculine, to balance the return of the divine feminine. The “masculine” we have been running on as a culture for centuries is not sacred masculine; it’s distorted masculine. It’s the masculine of making war, not only against ourselves, our bodies, and others, but against the earth itself. So men have a tremendous job to do in recovering the sacred masculine.On Jesus, the Earth-Based MysticJesus grew up in the green part of Israel, Galilee, and was very at home with the land and with all that grew on it. Indeed, many scholars today believe that he was forbidden to attend the synagogue as a child, because he was considered illegitimate, and so when others were praying in the synagogue building he was out in nature praying. That’s why not some but all of his parables are steeped in the processes of nature.Jesus tells us two things by his life and by his teachings. We, too, are to be wisdom mystics, earth-based mystics. With any great experience, gift, and blessing, there also accompanies it a great responsibility. There has to go out an enlightening of human consciousness about our profound union with nature and God and how they go together, as they did for Jesus and the other mystics of our wisdom tradition. All quotes in this section are taken from the recording, “An Evening with Matthew Fox, June 1, 2006”,
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| EXTREME INSIGHT |
 A new series brought to you by The Centre for Spiritual Development in Portland, Oregon, and the CopperHouse imprint of Wood Lake Publishing:The series features leading voices of the emerging Christian way, including Marcus Borg, Barbara Brown Taylor, Diana Butler Bass, John Dominic Crossan, Tilden Edwards, Sallie McFague, Brian McLaren, John Spong, Jim Wallis, and other prophetic voices of our time. Each “Conversation” in the series comes as either an audio CD or video DVD, with printed questions contained in an easily accessible, disk-sized re-closable binder. 
Conversations that Matter #1Talking Interfaith
ISBN 978-1-551455-52-B |
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Compassion, Justice, and Community
In June I had heard Matthew Fox say this: “We have to steer our creativity and imagination in the direction every great spiritual teacher of the world has taught: the direction of compassion and justice and community. It’s not enough just to awaken our creativity, we also have to steer it. We have to take our creativity back.”
Little did I know that within three months I would find myself in one of the most dramatic expressions of compassion, justice, and community I’ve ever experienced!
PICTURE THIS FAITH COMMUNITY
- 20,000 people of all ages and stages of faith development, gathered together on the
- at Cheltenham Racecourse — one of
- moving with great intention between tents, food booths, lounges, and outdoor stages
- finding their way to workshops, talks and debates, art and media galleries, cafés and clubs, concerts, alternative worship services, film screenings, outdoor drumming sessions, fringe theatre activities…
THIS IS
Greenbelt is an independent Christian charity working to express love, creativity, and justice, in the arts and contemporary culture in the light of the Christian gospel.
Go to the Greenbelt website at www.greenbelt.org.uk for a slide show of this year’s festival. But before you do that, read John Bell’s creative take on the festival.
A Journey of Transformation
It was the last day at Greenbelt, the holiday Monday, and I had to make my final choices from the vast array of options presented at every moment of the Greenbelt day. Something led me to The Hall of Fame, usually a location for the celebration of great horses and their riders, but today the setting for a presentation called “Palestine – Where To?” The presenter was the Ambassador for the Palestinian people, based in London. In the course of that hour, not only did I hear an impassioned plea for greater world attention to the plight of the Palestinian people, but I also met two people from the U.K. who have significant experience in the Middle East and who have travelled there with groups numerous times. They were so helpful and encouraging in their conversations with my wife and I that we decided to take the 12 unplanned days from our U.K. itinerary and spend them in the Middle East.
Our time there included four days travelling throughout the West Bank, with a Palestinian guide, gaining some firsthand insight into the reality of life for Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Our eyes were opened, not only to the experience of Palestinians, but to the impact on the people of Israel and Palestine of decades of militarization and internationally-supported conflict. Our journey has only just begun; next year we will return with a group of friends to experience a more thorough process of education and transformation, and to add other eyes and hearts to the procession of witnesses who must keep attending to the pain and suffering of the people of that troubled land.
I think of this experience in a number of ways:
- as a spiritual practice of witness and accompaniment,
- as a process of being transformed by saying “yes” to walking a path not of my making,
- as a way of experiencing the Bible both historically, sacramentally, and metaphorically, (while travelling in the Holy Land, we were constantly aware of the geographical setting; while reflecting on the lives of the people there today, we were frequently drawing parallels to biblical stories; while giving ourselves to the sacredness of that terrible and marvellous land, we were often conscious of our own deepening awareness of God in our lives and in the lives of others),
- as an entry into a well-established faith-based community of justice-makers.
Those are the kind of themes I have become familiar with through the writing and teaching of Marcus J. Borg, perhaps the single most influential writer in the field of emerging Christianity. His book The Heart of Christianity powerfully and cogently presents a vision of a new and persuasive expression of Christianity for 21st-century Christians.
Recently, Marcus Borg has been turning his attention to what he calls adult theological re-education (ATR). He takes his “heart of Christianity” teaching, makes a strong case for seeing adult theological re-education as an absolute priority for faith communities, and challenges us to think about how we will collectively go about that task. Here’s Borg’s latest thinking on ATR:
Adult Theological Re-education
Marcus Borg
Adult theological re-education within local congregations is one of the most important Christian tasks today. The primary reason is that a common understanding of Christianity a generation or two ago has become unpersuasive to millions of people in North America, both within the church and among those who have left the church or who have never been part of it.
A second reason is that the most visible form of Christianity today — dominating Christian television, radio, and most mega-churches — strongly and stridently affirms this earlier understanding. The most public face of Christianity makes it unattractive to millions. A third reason: congregations that have embarked on a program of adult Christian re-education often report that people from outside the congregation take part in it. Some who are not ready to attend worship, or who hear Christian language in a conventional way that makes little sense to them, are eager to be part of an educational group in which free inquiry and discussion are valued.
But the third reason should not eclipse the primary reason. Many Christians, almost certainly a majority, need theological re-education. Most of us over 50, and many under 50, grew up with a form of Christianity that worked reasonably well for our parents, grandparents, and more distant ancestors. It stressed believing in the central claims of Christianity for the sake of post-death salvation. Of course, it also concerned life before death. It spoke about the importance of living in accord with Christian teachings about behaviour –ideally, but not always, the central Christian virtues of love, compassion, and doing justice.
But its emphasis was on believing now for the sake of heaven later. And it commonly saw Christianity as the only way to heaven — a belief not too difficult in a world in which everybody one knew was Christian. Times have changed.
READ MORE...Transformation through Sacred Writing
Contemporary PsalmGod of Life, what do you want for me now? This boat will not be bullied; this ride not sabotaged. Look! The water turns red with Kokanee, When I was small, swimming carefree days away, I will begin again. Vicki Obedkoff, from Writing the Sacred: A Psalm-Inspired Path to Appreciating and Writing Sacred Poetry by Ray McGinnis.Vicki Obedkoff’s passion for social justice comes from her Doukobor background and 30 years of
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There are many books that we might add to Marcus Borg’s list of resources for theological re-education in faith communities, but there’s one in particular that I have used many times with great satisfaction and that I have recommended to numerous other small group leaders:
Writing the Sacred: A Psalm-Inspired Path to Appreciating and Writing Sacred Poetry
by Ray McGinnis (Northstone, 2005).
This is a wonderfully creative resource that will help individuals and groups discover the power of the Psalms as sacred texts for their own lives. The text is rich, the learning processes are clear and helpful, and the contemporary Psalms, by Ray McGinnis and many others, are inspiring. Read (on the left) a contemporary Psalm by Vicki Obedkoff, a Psalm that belongs in this fall season in the Northern Hemisphere. Then read what Ray has written for CopperHouseCURRENT about a recent experience of transformative education.
Ray McGinnis:
At a workshop at Transfiguration Episcopal Church in San Mateo, east of San Francisco, 16 people gathered to explore the Hebrew Psalms. We sat in a circle of chairs, with a worship centre in the middle of our gathering. Lighted candles and a miniature stone labyrinth drew our focus.
You and CopperHouseCURRENT
Friends, I want to keep building relationships with people of the emerging way through this letter of news and reflection.
Has this edition of CopperHouseCURRENT touched on anything that matters to you, something that you might even name as a passion?
- Will you try writing a “Question and Answer” poem in the way Ray McGinnis suggests?
- Could you imagine going to
- How is adult theological re-education showing up in your life? Do you need to make plans for ATR, or just give yourself to the mystery of the unknown path and go out not knowing how you will be transformed?
- What did Matthew Fox say that made you sit up and pay attention?
- Will you write to CopperHouseCURRENT with your response to anything you have read in this edition?
Hoping to hear from you,
Tim Scorer, ed.
Contact Tim at copperhousecurrent@woodlakebooks.com
Coming Next
Advent, Christmas, and the Emerging Way
“The Couple’s Advent Journey”: a 28-day process of reflection for couples who want to make the busy season of Advent a time to bring spiritual depth and new meaning to their relationship.
Selections from The Midwife’s Story:
Meditations for Advent Times
by Nancy Reeves
(Northstone, 2003).
Order now in preparation for Advent.
Alternative Christmas celebrations to engage all ages in the spirit of the emerging Christian way.
Seeing the story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus from the perspective of a 21st-century Palestinian.
Selections from
The Season of Hope
A Companion Through the Days of Advent and Christmas
by Cathie Talbot
(WoodLake, 2006).
Order now in preparation for Advent.
Simple spiritual practices to deepen the 12 Days of the Christmas season.
“Advent-ure”: a simple process of Bibliodrama for use in small Bible study groups.
About UsCopperHouse is a publishing imprint of Wood Lake Publishing Inc. located at 9590 Jim Bailey Rd, Kelowna, BC, Canada.To find out more about us go to www.woodlakebooks.com Tell a friendHelp us spread the word by clicking here.Contact the editor Tim Scorercopperhousecurrent@woodlakebooks.com
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