Hallmark cards, Theism, and Atheism

So, my friends and I have been doing some major research into alternative forms of church and ministry... looking at ways that we may put into action a concept for a church start/mission church idea outside of the box of traditional ministry.

In order to see what it is that people may really want, I've been asking many of the discussion boards I belong to this question.

If you were to start your own church, what would it be like?

I've really enjoyed hearing people's responses, so let me know what you think, as well.

Another interesting discussion I'm having is in my process theism class. GASP! What's that, you say? Well, I'm too tired to explain it in detail at the moment, but it takes the philosophy developed by Whitehead (mentioned before) and applies it to understanding of God and reality.

Anyway, in this class, we listened/read the credo "I believe there is no God" by Penn Jillette, the tall guy of Penn and Teller. It's very compelling and something to chew on. Here's a quote:

“I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies,
rainbows, and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough…
It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. ”

from dodo's to dadaism

My hometown newspaper has done a pretty good job at exploiting... oops, I mean informing the public about issues over the evo/ID debacle. Here's their list of articles...



Then there's the whole International Dadaism Month declared by our mayor recently... and the editorial responses to that are entertaining... a proposed Day of Reason based on Ayn Rand's philosophy. (rolls eyes) Sigh. This is what happens when too many academics congregate and start to breed. But I love it.

Wisdom from Whitehead

The quote on the top of this month's Metanexus Institute's newsletter... food for thought:

"You cannot shelter theology from science,
or science from theology;
nor can you shelter either one from metaphysics,
or metaphysics from either one of them.
There is no shortcut to the truth."
– Alfred North Whitehead, Religion in the Making

Whitehead is a scholar my theology and science prof respects a lot. He's pretty cool... deep into applying process philosophy/thought to this dialogue. Try out Ian Barbour's Religion in an Age of Science to get a glimpse of Whitehead's thoughts... among many others.

Does God exist in the gaps of people's minds?

Some pipsqueek on one of the message boards I peruse was trying to give scientific evidence that God exists and that evolution is crap. What's interesting is that after a few posts (where he seemed to be responding to MEGA negative feedback), he started on the "can't we all just get along" schpeel.... my response is "don't be antagonistic if you don't want to be antagonized." Seriously. His evidence came from some very interesting sources, all of which were creationist/biblical literalist websites... most of which were using philosophic/logic rhetoric to "disprove" scientific theory.

What's interesting about that approach in my opinion is that it really is taking apples to compare oranges... completely different epistemological paradigm for contemporary scientific method than that type of thinking which is kinda pre-Newtonian. It's like using Newtonian physics to explain quantum physics.... of course there's going to be HUGE GAPING HOLES because the intial premise (the basic building blocks) is completely different.

While I was seething at home in front of my computer, I looked at his recommended websites, always curious to see what the other side is thinking, and started looking for alternative websites to offer. The atheist websites I browsed are either just as unhelpfully antagonistic or utterly vague. But then Wikipedia amazed me once again with a fairly thorough look at the different views on the Existence of God. I really appreciated it, helped me wrap my brain around the positions of atheism... which, as a devout theist, I've often had trouble understanding. So, I posted that as an alternative reading source... and no one has bothered me. Guess it didn't really offend anyone... huh. Go figure.

Just don't be trying to scientifically prove the existence of God to me, that riles me up. Wonder why, since I'm Kansas born and bred? :) Besides, I really don't see any point. I have all the proof I need, but it's not exactly measurable by scientific means. ;) Really, that guy did me a favor, I learned a few things I didn't know before, maybe I should thank him.

kenpo, babies, and hot showers.

Sigh. Tonight I went to a karate class at my old "dojo"... It's a bit more small scale than that, but it's the people that make the dojo, not the space. I miss it terribly.

I actually abhor any other form of exercise. Well... that's not true... i just hate exercise for exercise's sake. I love martial arts/self-defense and I love hiking and backpacking and cross country skiing. I love the feeling of working out... but I hate walking in place for 1/2hour or lifting weights on a machine over the physical exercise of accomplishing a task or learning a new skill.

I miss the exhiliration of executing a move correctly or when the move doesn't happen the textbook way and you have think on your feet and kick their butt anyway. :) I miss the comraderie and the seniority of goading and encouraging people on... teaching a technique using different and new illustrations you thought up as well as the wisdom from your own teachers.

Contented sigh. I'm physically exhausted... I can feel the new strains and old ones surfacing, so off to the hot showers for me. Is it sick of me to say that I miss the aches and pains and bruises as well? :) My badges of honor, I guess. My head has been stuck in a book or in front of a computer the past 2 years, I don't even know where the time went.

Enough waxing. I babysat my friend's baby tonight. He's so wonderful... and even in his adorable polite perfect babyness, he wore me out. It takes so much patience and hyper-awareness to be responsible for little ones. I feel more ready than I was ever before, but the time has not yet come... if ever. We'll see. Until then, I'm content to be auntie Regan and hand over the tyke at the end of the night. :)

i could build a house of books

It's true. SIGH. I have, oh, I'd imagine a thousand books or so at least and the piles keep on growing. I try to get rid of the quick read fiction/paperbacks as soon as i read them, but other books keep on creeping into my life when I'm not looking.

Yesterday there were boxes of old books (probably from a retired or deceased pastor) in the student center and at first I was going to ignore them (good, Regan) but then a classmate starts reading off titles and I get sucked in. I then try to say "These are out of date and i'll never read them" Then I see John Bright's A History of Israel, a cricital work in bib studies, then I see a book on the Enneagram... before I know it I have 4 books stacked in my arms and I ran away before I grabbed anymore.

Then last night, when I should have been writing my theology of ordination paper, I skimmed through the enneagram book... it using it in a psychoanalytical way... really only focusing on the negatives of each point of the enneagram. It was rather depressing, actually. What was interesting is that while Type 2 (the giver) has historically been mine (see previous post... and many of the traits still resonate often), I find myself transforming more into a type 9... the mediator.

It's amazing, really, how we all change and evolve. Deep down I'm often still that passive type 2, but type 9 really is more about focusing on a goal while still avoiding and deflating conflict, versus sticking your head in the sand. Guess little (HAH! LITTLE?, that's funny) Regan is finally growing up.

My not-so-snarky finals rant & UCC coolness in all things cool

Actually, I'm not feeling very snarky at the moment... For once, I feel good about the ethics exam I just took. This time I at least recognized and could put something down for each of the terms/issues. Too many freaking words and people to remember. Why can't people all just follow the Ethics of Regan... it would make my life easier, and well, the world would be a much better place, because I know what's right. yeah, uh-huh.

What would the ethics of Regan entail, you ask? Well, we'd have to get rid of the idiotic notion that humanity is the top of the spiritual/sentient/ethical food chain. From there, I think the rest would fall into place, don't you?

Anyway, onto more exciting and interesting news, John Thomas, our beloved president is one of OUT Magazine’s "100 Most Intriguing Gay Men, Lesbians and Straight Allies,” the cover story of the slick publication’s December 2005 issue.

Thomas, who has headed the UCC’s national setting since 1999, is listed among nine “straight allies” for his leadership during the UCC General Synod’s deliberations in July that ended with a resolution in support of same-gender marriage equality. The story notes how the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Religious Leaders Roundtable “has lauded Thomas for his efforts and the UCC for its historic leadership in the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in its ministry.” (And, Ron Buford was also listed...)Buford, who is gay, was touted for his leadership of the UCC’s Stillspeaking Initiative.

There's a new line of headline/posters of the God is still speaking campaign... the promotion fo the UCC as a progessive, welcoming place... Here's my faves:

SHELTER for the SPIRITUALLY HOMELESS

Do you know every word, but NONE OF THE MEANING? (a picture of the bible)

Turn your other cheek, NOT YOUR BACK

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM doesn't have to be an OXYMORON.

red state, blue state... or JOYOUS STATE?

Rock on, UCC!!! I know, I shouldn't find such satisfaction from cutting taglines, but I do. Hey, I'm human... and according to the Ethic of Regan, as a human, I'm at the bottom of the spiritual plane, not top. :)

it's colder than, well, cold...out there

Well, it's time to put up the Teva's for the winter, I believe. *sniff* Even with socks, my toes are cold. I despise shoes... or perhaps its more indifference.

satiric journalism... or just full disclosure about the ridiculous nature of media...

I have become hooked on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report on the Comedy Channel. I've been an occasional viewer before, but the state of this nation makes me wanna cry or laugh, so I choose to laugh. I can't decide which is better, the entertaining banter of Daily and his guests and mocking of tv reports... or Colbert and his attempt to mimic conservative reporters without laughing.

Sufis Swarming My Head

So, I can tell that the great sufi poets have influenced a great deal in what I think about poetry. It's not as classically structured, who am I joking? I've always done what I want. But there is a density of quippy one-liners, similar to Thoreau as well. It almost always has heretical thoughts about the universe and God (read pantheism here), totally relies upon nature images and sensory illustrations, and has some type of spiritual/cosmic lesson to ponder. In some ways, it's quite a rut to be in creatively, in others, it's an amazing way to express those esoteric ponderings that are always brewing in my mind and heart.

Here's an example... (this could also be the influence of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and his Cosmic Christ/Light illustrations)

We exist as fractured light from a burning Source of Creation.
We never exist apart from that Star of Being.
Its light may bounce and bend until we lose sight of its brilliance.
Yet, our souls, those beams of natural light, cannot be,
Unless always tethered to the Sun.

Logos, a magnifying glass for the Truth of Being,
Concentrates the brilliance of creation into one single beam.
Logos Incarnate, the most beautiful of prisms,
Captures the intesnity of that solar flair within itself
And scatters the light in a million directions.

I know, burn me at the stake now. It's not done, yet, I don't think. If you haven't noticed, one part of the Trinity is absent... though in working of it, it's not so much the Spirit (the sense of that I hope is already conveyed in the first two sections) but us as the living representatives of Logos (and if you're not geeky enough, Logos is one way of talking about Christ in a cosmic way) today. I hope to end it with people of creation(God) being called to be extensions of that prism as best we can.

It's weird to be sharing some of this online. I've always been selective about what parts of my journaling I put online and what I leave to paper. I think paper is much more conducive to creative writing anyway. I'm currently working on something surrounding the Hebrew word nephesh which means life, spirit, well-being etc. It's a deeply rich word... like ruach which means breath, spirit, wind.

I'm also working on imagery with fog as cosmic mystery/tree as rooted faith/ and... something... maybe rolling stone? dandelion or helicopter seeds? as seeking faith. The seeking faith illustration is driving me nuts. Rolling stone is too cliche and too hard. Tumbleweed still pretty cliche and dead. Seeds, while perfect for connecting to the tree imagery would be weighed down by fog. I GOT IT! I think. What about a pine cone? Still connected to the tree... living with hope and promise of growth and life, and capable of going a long distance via many paths like animals/birds, storms, etc.

OK, now I'm rambling. Gotta go and do school work that I'm actually going into debt for and will hopefully get me a paying job someday.

Reverse evolution or just sheer stupidity

So, I remember in my evolution bio class in college we discussed the concept of reverse evolution, whether it can really happen, or if evolution is always a forward moving thing, even when a mutation or change of some sort seems to be detrimental. But today, I am all for the thought of reverse evolution... it's the only explanation.

See article about Kansas' decision to include intelligent design and stuff in science curricula.

Baboons control Kansas schools

I'll have to lament over it more later...

Authority Issues, Me? Never!

So, today in Ministry Seminar I became a little devious, opening my mouth when perhaps I should have kept it shut. In comparing the difference between the UCC and the Methodist church I'm currently working at, I talked myself in circles about the distrust I have in hierarchal structures and anyone or thing that says it has authority over how I act, what I think or say. It's one thing to not want to shock the public with my radical tendencies, but it's another to be micro-managed by supervisors, patronized by mentors or teachers, or told I have to believe a certain way, etc.

It ultimately comes down to respect and trust... it's a two-way street for me. A title, degree, or even a position as a supervisor means squat to me if I don't trust or respect you. And why in the world would I give something like the bible ultimate authority over my faith and interpretation of Christianity? While one of the most packed anthologies of spiritual wisdom, it's also one of the most patchwork-written, inconsistent, and sketchy documents ever compiled. Besides, if God created us with the ability to observe the universe and society... would that not inform our decisions as well? Don't get me wrong, I have limitless amounts of trust and respect for many people as well as how the bible can inform my life and faith. But, for example, the Methodists have a "Book of Discipline" Just the very title makes my skin crawl. :) Thank goodness that within the UCC, I am not subjected to such harsh restrictions, or I'd never stay in the Church.

Becky and I went to Kaldi's in Kirkwood for lunch. I meant to run errands, but she was gone for 4 whole days, so we had to catch up. Kaldi's reminds me of the bohemian/hippy part of Lawrence... it makes me miss my home town. sigh. I'm not meant for this city living. Too many people, the very thought of no open space/countryside for 10 or more miles really freaks me out. Lawrence is perfect in that regard... all the benefits of a university town, only 1/2 hour to the city, and still 5 minutes away from farmland and lakes, etc.

I'm going to go and read more depressing stuff on the state of the world and how it's all going down the drain... mostly because of people in authority. :)

cannibals and the bible

So, i heard a horrifically funny story yesterday.

Someone I know had a pastor once who just loved and lived by the verse Micah 6:8... you know the one that says:

"What does the Lord require of you but to do justice,
love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?"

Well, this pastor decides to get the type of license plate on her car that you can chose a letter/number combo and placed her first choice as MICAH68 and then her NAME1 and her NAME2 as the 2nd and 3rd choices. Unfortunately, she did not mark the box that said "Do not change the numbers to random choices if these options are not available."

So she ended up with a license plate with random (or perhaps not so random?)numbers chosen which said MICAH33. Not knowing what that verse said, she immediately went home to check it out. This is what passage Micah 3:3 says:

"Who eat the flesh of my people, flay their skin off them,
break their bones into pieces, and chop them up
like meat in a kettle, like flesh in a cauldron."

To top it all off, this pastor is a vegetarian.

wow! talk about a lesson in the mixed messages of the bible.

sermons:coming down from the mountaintop

I've been trying to figure out how to have my sermons on here without requiring people to read through them all if they don't want to. This is when being a little more computer savvy would go a long ways. Alas, I'm just a poor seminary student whose geekiness shines through in ways other than computer know-how. So, here's a sermon I don't believe I ever preached, so I need to remember to keep it around. It's on the Ephesians text "that they may all be one" and I think on the ascension... maybe...

"That they may be one" is the passage on the UCC logo and yet, I don't think I ever took the time to find out which text it was from before. So, today as I'm looking at the lectionary passage for the day I preach at the church i'm hoping will license me as a lay pastor... THERE IT IS!!!

This past year has been a test or lesson on why I am UCC to the heart... why I am no longer Lutheran... and why, ultimately, there isn't much difference between the two. I'm going to school to learn how to pull out the tiny threads of differences in beliefs, to draw out the nuances of people's perspectives and discover multiple layers in every thought, word and deed of the church and its people. Then they give us tools to weave it all back together again, seeing the unity of all things, the similarities that connect us all to God. Through all this, the seminary helps us see a world made up of a kaleidescope of beliefs and experiences. And, then, when the professors have thoroughly turned our world upside down, made us dizzy with 4 syllable words and reeling from thousands of pages of reading, they pick us back up again, brush us off and say "Haha! Just kidding! Go back to your everyday life, go back to doing dishes and walking the dog... your mountaintop experience is over."

It's quite a let down sometimes, let me tell you! Here I am, on a roll, writing page after page of theological jargon, getting into the discussions on soteriology, ecclesiology, eschatology and every other kind of -ology... and then bam! Back to the real world.

I imagine that is what the apostles felt like when the resurrected Christ left them, finally ascending into heaven. First their world is turned uspide down by this man drawing them away from their fishing boats and other jobs, telling them the world is not as it seems...revealing the richness and beauty of faith in God. Then their leader, no, actually not just a leader, their Lord, their messiah, is executed by the government. Talk about a shock to the system. They think the mountaintop experience is over, time to go home... but WAIT! Christ resurrects from the dead, renewing and energizing their faith in him and his work in the world. The mountaintop experience is even more revealing, even more profound. This time, Jesus is more pointed about what they are to do, preparing them for when he leaves them again, ascending into heaven. Imagine the disappoint they must have felt to see Jesus rise up and leave... watching the incarnation, the inspiration of all that God is, go away... again.
Personally, I'd want to follow Jesus, leave all the trials and tribulations of this world behind. After all that talk of how wonderful being with his Father is compared to our world... Buy me a ticket, I'm going to paradise. It's like watching all your friends go to the Bahamas for Christmas, why aren't you taking me, Jesus?

But some of the scriptures read today tells us why. There is still work to be done. We are to be witnesses to the ends of the earth of what God has done through Christ. We are to continue the ministry Jesus began, reflecting God's love and grace to all the peoples. Easier said than done, boy, I tell you! I'm still looking over my shoulder, pining away for heaven, for those glimpses in my life of the resurrected Christ. The apostles were a bit stubborn about it too. In fact, angels had to come and tell them to get off their rear ends and get to work. They asked them: "Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?"

Now I'm a person that really likes to daydream, I like to stand, or sit, or lie around looking towards heaven, thinking about who God is, who I am, what tomorrow may bring. My mom, on the other hand, is a pretty practical person. I heard the other day the quote from Ben Frankiln that says don't put off doing something tomorrow when you can do it today. And I immediately thought of my mom and I. Busy, busy ,busy even when she's havng fun. It takes a lot to get my mom to sit down sometimes. And sometimes, it's just the opposite for me. :) It's not laziness. I'm a busy person, too, really, I am. Many days I leave my house near sunrise and get back 12, 14, 18 hours later. But, here's some examples: In her spare time, Mom likes to garden. In mine, I like to learn how the garden grows. Mom does Tae Bo, I do martial arts to learn the history and theories behind the moves. Mom reads mystery/crime suspense books and I read science fiction and fantasy. While we both are movie junkies, I also like watching those artsy flicks nobody can ever figure out. Mom became a lawyer and I am becoming a minister. There's nothing wrong with how either of us goes about things. The world needs people like my mom and I believe the world needs people like me too. But sometimes, when I'm stuck staring at the clouds, looking for heaven, I need someone like my mom to bring me back to earth and tell me to do the dishes. And sometimes, when my mom is doing the dishes, she needs someone to tell her sit down and read a book.

The messages in the scritpure read today are telling us to both slow down, pay attention to God, hand over our burdens to God and to also get off the couch and bring some of God's kingdom to the people around us. Nothing like a well-balanced lectionary to start the day off with... :)

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My sunshine has come...

I have found my anthem for this year... from an older Angie Stone CD I hadn't listened to in a very long while. It's funny how I never really noticed the lyrics before... now they mean something more I guess.

Artist: Angie Stone
Song: No more rain (in this cloud)
Album: Black Diamond
link to CD


Chorus:
My sunshine has come
And I'm all cried out
And there's no more rain in this cloud

There's no hiding place
When someone has hurt you
It's written on your face, and it reads
"Broken spirit, lost and confused"
"Empty, scared, used and abused, a fool"
Oh, ain't it funny that the way you feel
Shows on your face... Chorus

So you want to live and to you I shall give
All the space that you requested
Hope you don't live to regret it
So you say you're in your prime
Baby, don't waste your time
Remember my love, it's only a thin line
(It's never too late)... Chorus

Spring has come and winter's gone, my love
But don't look around for me, child
I'll be gone (I'll be gone, gone, gone, gone)
Not afraid because the seasons have changed
I'm gonna count my blessing then just follow the sun
Cuz you see... Chorus

(It's written all over your face, yeah)
And the smile you used to wear
Seems a little bit out of place
(Tracks of your tears)
People oh, hold on
In time it gets a little better, whoa... Chorus

Any Surprises Here?

OK, I swear I will stop putting all the tests I'm taking on here, but here is one more... my political tendencies...

You are a Social Liberal (76% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (8% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

The Apiru Champion

So, I'm on a test taking kick these days. I took the myers-briggs again... no changes, still an ENFP. I've been thinking about ANE (ancient near east) culture and stuff all day. There's so many parallels to back then to today. So, as an advocate for the underdog, I have named myself the Apiru (pre-Hebrew)Champion!!!!

ENFP===The Champion
You scored 54% I to E, 15% N to S, 33% F to T, and 63% J to P!
Your type is known as the Champion type, which is part of the larger group called idealists. Nothing occurs that does not have some deep and ethical significance in your eyes. You see life as an exciting drama. You are very charismatic, yet tend to be too harsh on yourself for not being as genuine as you think you should be. 3% of the population shares your type.
As a romantic partner, you need to talk about what is going on in your life. You are a strong supporter for your partner's efforts to grow and change and be happy. You need to feel that same support from your partner. Expressive, optimistic, and curious, you are eager to enjoy new experiences with your partner, whom you wish to be your confidant and soul mate, as well as play mate. You are uncomfortable sharing negative emotion, though, and tend to withdraw from confrontation and process your feelings privately. You feel most loved when your partner appreciates your creativity, accepts your uniqueness, and sees you as the compassionate person you are. You need to hear your partner tell you how much you mean to them and would love if they did thoughtful spontaneous things to demonstrate it.
Your group summary: idealists (NF)
Your type summary: ENFP

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 53% on I to E

You scored higher than 11% on N to S

You scored higher than 43% on F to T

You scored higher than 75% on J to P

I am the Reincarnation of Mother Teresa... wait, I'm too old

So, I ran across all these online tests I took a year ago from Tickle.com. Some interesting stuff. Here's my Enneagram results...

Regan, you're a Type 2 - The Humanitarian

Friends, family, and colleagues probably appreciate your caring and generous
nature. They're also apt to know that when they come to you with a problem,
you'll usually offer a shoulder to cry on and unparalleled compassion. As a
Humanitarian, you're likely to be seen as a loving and helpful person with a
kind heart.Being a member of this type puts you in good company. Mother Teresa,
with her tireless devotion to aid the sick and destitute members of society, and
Bishop Desmond Tutu, with his emphasis on nonviolent protest against racial
injustices, are also Type 2sThis means that compared to the eight other
Enneagram types, you have a strong sense of empathy for other people. In fact,
you're the kind of warm, sincere person who can be uniquely capable of seeing
the good in others.

Well, that's me to a tee... okay, maybe on a good day... actually, it's probably only true right after I ate a good piece of chocolate. Which means any future children I may someday have will want to invest in bulk. ;)

Headline: Treehuggers delay coming of Christ

So, I'm reading a plethora of articles and books in preparation for writing my paper on Christian Environmental Ethics, but have a found a particularly juicy book of essays by evangelical Christians called The Care of Creation. In an essay on eschatology (for some meaning end times, armageddon, return of Christ, etc.) a professor at a bible college responds to his students' relevant question....

"If the end of history will involve the annihilation of creation, does
not Christian involvement in green issues serve to delay the Lord's
return?"

SIGH. I always knew this thought was lurking in the back of some people's brains. Probably the same people who see the recent hurricanes as a sign of an immanent armageddon. The author of the essay does give a provocative argument using none other than Jurgen Moltmann's theology of hope (saying that creation transforms daily towards the promised future kingdom of God) combined with Paul's call to use our spiritual gifts for today's problems.

UCC or bust

So, today I was browsing some of my classmate's blogs and pondering how little I ponder on the importance of my denominational affiliation. Why, after 5 years of membership in the United Church of Christ, does this collection of God's people still fit me so well?

In my web wandering, I came upon this article from last December and a response to the response of our national ad campaign. The Compassion of the Christ. It sums it up pretty well... in a round about way... the only way the UCC does stuff, you know.

I'll think about this stuff some more and write about it later....