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Wondering Pilgrim

~ the ramblings of a perambulent and often distracted sojourner

Wondering Pilgrim

Tag Archives: Religion and Spirituality

Is “Progressive” progressive enough?

20 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

progressive, Religion and Spirituality

 

This is the gist of one of many conversations emerging from today’s conversations at Common Dreams.

 

For some, the term “Progressive Christianity/Religion” sits uncomfortably – it can sound and feel elitist, judgemental and lack distinctiveness in articulating the motives of the gathering momentum (which are diverse and multi-directional anyway).

 

The metaphor of midwifery, also introduced today, informs the dilemma. After all, it is not usual to name a child until after it is born!

 

For now, progressive in the sense, of “moving forward”, “non-static”, “evolving”, seems to be OK for a peg to hang discussions on.

 

The movement looks for expressions of faith that are practical, based on Jesus inspired action rather than defining and debating Christological abstracts, inclusive rather than exclusive in transforming community, and ready to be caught up in wonder and partnership across a multiplicity of scientific, artistic and social disciplines.

 

In some ways, it’s back to the beginning, the core business of those who called themselves followers of the Way.

 

If this is what is meant by progressive, we are in for an interesting ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Biocentric view of the Cosmos

03 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in environment, Personal, theology

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Anthropocentrism, Charles Birch, Christian Theology, ecology, Religion and Spirituality

A View of Earth from Saturn

A View of Earth from Saturn (Photo credit: alpoma)

Our lectionary reading stopped at verse 25 of the Creation hymn of Genesis 1  – before it got to the arrival of human beings on this planet!

This more or less enforced a biocentric rather than an anthropocentric reflection on the first Genesis creation story. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines anthropocentrism thus: “humanity as the central fact of the universe.”  In the first 25 verses, life in all its dynamic diversity, before humanity, is the focus.

Denis Edwards in Earth Revealing–earth Healing: Ecology and Christian Theology, makes these points:

  • Charles Birch (eminent Christian scientist/theologian) posits that a biocentric approach (emphasis on reverence for all life) “leads us to accept human responsibility for the fate of our world” and helps Christian apologists address a historical (and sometimes hysterical) charge of anthropocentrism.
  • Even so, “according to a typical allegation, “Christian arrogance toward nature”… is the major source of the contemporary ecological crisis. Even those who acknowledge much greater complexity in Christian tradition generally concede that the most dominant Christian traditions have been anthropocentric, in the strong sense of the term.
  • The most strident tradition is characterised as “Man as Despot” (a misreading of Genesis 1:26-28 and 9:2-3) ie humanity’s role is to subdue (rather than manage as steward) the earth (and exploit it)
  • Another prominent tradition,  “Stewardship and cooperation with Nature”, is based on a reading of Genesis 2:15, The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
  • “A third tradition is also sometimes acknowledged. Most famously found in St Francis of Assisi, it maintains that “we are fellow companions of other creatures, all of whom rejoice in the beneficence of God.” It can be supported by reference to Genesis 1 as a whole (read with its original theocentric intent) and several of the psalms, where “all the earth sings a new song.”
  • “One of the major theological responses to the ecological crisis, particularly to allegations of Christian culpability, has been to revisit one or more of these traditions. A significant number of theologians are trying to elevate the third tradition, suitably developed, to a more prominent position in Church and society”

My view is that a contemplative approach to the first part of Genesis’ Creation Hymn seems to draw us away from the heady rush to an egocentric perspective that is prone to project too much of our own inbuilt anxiety, hubris and neurosis onto the cosmos and its Creator. To dwell on the “isness” of the universe and its natural elements, absorbing the divine stamp without the interference of  the fact of my human-ness is to invite fresh dimensions of awareness.

Of course, one can’t maintain such a stance for long – after all, my humanity is itself a part of the universe. That’s just it! A part of – not a part from…

Our other reading was from John 1:1-14, culminating with the phrase “… the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”   The Word that was at the beginning and that is sung through the first 25 verses of Genesis.

See, all you who are worried about being absorbed into nothingness through my rambling – it turns out OK in the end!

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Vale Christopher

16 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

atheism, Christopher Hitchens, God Is Not Great, Religion and Spirituality

Christopher Hitchens

Image via Wikipedia

I am saddened at the death of Christopher Hitchens. I enjoyed his writing, even though I struggled to find the words and arguments to counter the blistering clarity and oh-so-reasonable logic of his wit.

We differed on much, but we also shared a few things.

  • A birth year. 1949 is a good vintage, and I think one generally feels some sort of affinity for those who begin their travels on planet Earth around the same time.
  • He was a dissident and stepped outside boundaries to argue his position on many issues contentious and otherwise.  He stridently destroyed the shibboleths he perceived.
    My dissidence has tended to happen within boundaries, but increasingly I have come to ride the perimeters, using the devil’s advocacy technique. In fact someone once asked if I saw myself as a boundary rider. I said my aim was to be a gate-opener.
  • He wrote a book – God is Not Great.  My life’s vocation has been arguing the opposite. Same topic, different perspective.
So yep, we differed in many ways, yet I have this felt affinity. And it seems funny attempting to align my pigmy reasonings with his gigantic intellect.  Maybe it’s simply our shared humanity – “Ask not for whom the bell tolls…”
I resonate with this reflection from John Shore:
Generally speaking, atheists have championed what we Christians too readily surrender: the sacredness of thought that’s uncompromisingly rational and unapologetically independent.
You can read the rest of it here.
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A benchmark for the ‘new’ atheism

25 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal, theology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

atheism, Jonathan Rée, New Humanist, postaday2011, Religion and Spirituality, Theism

Recent discourse between theist and non-theist positions has been strident – not the least because the platform has been the very wide educational one, both public and private. Government funding of chaplains, indeed the existence of chaplains, teaching of scripture, the saying of prayers, adding faith specific verses to the national anthem – all have raised the emotional investment of both sides in the debate.

Some of the rhetoric from either side has bordered on the banal.  Neither fundamentalist theists nor taunting non-theists have served their side of the argument well.

Today however, I read – Jonathan Rée – Varieties of irreligious experience | New Humanist – presenting an atheist position that I found helpful, respectful and refreshing.  Here, I thought, is someone I, as a theist,  could have a cappuccino and a chat with sans a sense of being humoured or set up for a pratfall. Without caricature or parody, Rée surveys a history of non-theist thought and philosophy vis-vis the theist stance without parody, caricature or rancour. No straw men here. I am sure that non-theist folk of good will would also appreciate the opportunity to weigh matters with “opponents” who were not looking to trip them up and “win” an argument.

Well -articulating his atheist position – Rée is able to move it to the middle ground where people can touch and appreciate a shared humanity. No lobbing clever hand grenades at an unseen and often imaginary enemy from the safety of an entrenched position . When the current public slanging match can move to a place where this kind of conversation can happen, we’ll be in a much better place. It depends on what our vested interests are.

I am indebted to A Feather Adrift for drawing my attention to this article.

Related Articles
  • The Many Ways not to Believe (3quarksdaily.com)
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Retreat to advance…

05 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Spirituality

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Margaret Silf, postaday2011, Religion and Spirituality

monastery

Yep, I’m off to cool my heels for a few days at the local monastery.

Contemplative author, Margaret Silf, is leading a retreat around the theme of “transformation.” It seems to sync with some of my daydreaming of late, particularly following discussions on committees and commissions that, confronted with the need for change, are tempted to tinker around the edges – or even change their nomenclature.

Hence committees become “action groups”, convenors become “team leaders” and so it goes… but the same old structures and methods remain.

Organisational behaviour seems to be going through a time of angst that reflects the mood of our times. There is a yearning for change that will unleash life, creativity and compassion – real community – but a fear that that too much is risked if we abandon familiar ways and stances, even though they crumble.

So it does one good to retreat  –  stand on a hill and survey the whole battlefield, identify purposeful objectives – then advance.

 

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If weeks had a theme…

03 Saturday Sep 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Blogging, Personal

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Christianity, postaday2011, Religion and Spirituality, WordPress

A Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) in flower.

Image via Wikipedia

… this one would be “breaking through.”

  • a vestige of human decency broke through when the High Court decided against the legitimacy of Australia’s “people trading” deal with Malaysia.
  • the annual Uniting Church School of Ministry considered scholarly data that pointed to where spiritual growth was “breaking through” globally in unexpected quarters and were confronted with the notion that denominational structures would need to make way or disappear. Get ready for a “third world” face to Christianity that will replace the “first world” visage. (My poor and inexact summary of three excellent presentations by Professor Robert Gribben, United Faculty of Theology, University of Melbourne.)
  • the launch of Dayspring’s tenth anniversary celebrations where keynote speaker, author Margaret Silf, reflected on “breaking through” as a necessary condition for transformation. You can break an egg destructively or creatively. For the hatching chick it is one of life’s first creative moments. For many in the church, restrictive structures and rigid, unreflected upon dogma can be a shell that needs to be broken for the creative life of the Spirit to do its work.
  • Then, of course, Thursday was the first day of Spring (southern hemisphere), the season of new life breaking through everywhere.
The theme needs to be celebrated with a change of blog dressing, hence the WordPress theme “Spring Loaded”
Related Articles
  • Fooling around with themes… (wonderingpilgrim.wordpress.com)
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What does it mean to cede control to the Divine Other?

31 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal, Spirituality

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Jacob, postaday2011, Religion and Spirituality

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel; illustration b...

Image via Wikipedia

This is the question I didn’t address in this morning’s harangue based partly on Jacob’s nocturnal struggle with a mysterious strong man.

I would have said that Jacob didn’t cede control to the divine being with whom he wrestled all night. He managed to extort a deal – only then did he release the mysterious entity before the break of day. He demanded to know the angel’s name – but that was not forthcoming. What he earned from the encounter was a wound resulting in a chronic limp, a blessing, and a new name meaning “one who has striven with God.”

The surrounding saga yields context and meaning to this particular encounter in Jacob’s journey, but it gives pause to consider what is meant by “letting go and letting God.” Is this oft heard injunction the most helpful to grow by?

Jacob needed release from the tentacles of deception of self and others if he was to thrive. He needed to confront his wound, acknowledge and accommodate it in order for it to become an internal resource by which he would understand a new way of perceiving himself and others. This kind of release can only come with pain and struggle – and it was a long one that lasted all through the night. What if Jacob had “let go and let God” or otherwise ceded control? I wager the result might have been quite different – he could have remained as wimpy and as deceitful as before.

Just asking!

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Battling the self within…

02 Saturday Jul 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Ministry

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Hypocrisy, postaday2011, Religion and Spirituality, Romans 7

One of tomorrow’s texts, Romans 7:15-25a, contains Paul’s self-revelation of the battle within. Like all of us, he so often fails to achieve the high ideals that he’s sold on. Woe is him! But it is his faith in Christ that rescues him from despair.

Nevertheless, the reality Paul describes readily attracts the label “hypocrites” upon those who seek to follow the Way.  Why? In the eyes of some critics I have heard, it’s because followers can’t ever hope to live up to the kind of selfless love that Jesus inspires. Funny, I thought the word had more to do  with its base meaning – “actor” thus “someone who pretends” they are something they are not.

I see Paul and most followers of my acquaintance doing the exact opposite – they are giving us the real deal – not some pious showmanship. The faith in Jesus that Paul says rescues him from despair is not some magic bullet either. It’s hard work focusing attention and awareness on what the desert guides of the third century of the Church called logismoi (literally “self-talk”). Continual focus on the call of Jesus helps us to discern, question and challenge the “self-talk” that leads to multiple defeat.

Whether we are hypocrites within or without the Church, such self-attention is indispensable firepower in the constant self-battles we face.

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Epiphanies of Grace launched

13 Sunday Mar 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Dayspring, postaday2011, Religion and Spirituality

Dayspring Centre for Christian Spirituality & Counselling today launched Epiphanies of Grace: Poems and Psalms from the Dayspring community. The launch marks the tenth anniversary of Dayspring’s official presence on the Perth scene.

Dayspring began as a brave venture exploring the possibility of contemplative spirituality amongst folk from a largely conservative and evangelical context – a bit like mixing oil and water, some would wryly observe. Through its program of retreats, workshops, accredited coursework and an extremely well accredited spiritual direction program, Dayspring has acquitted itself well as an ecumenical ministry.

This has not been without its struggle. Dayspring has had its lean times – energy, money and personnel wise.

At the launch, I recited my Orchard Psalm from 2003 and I feel it describes Dayspring’s journey as well as my own at the time. It’s based on Colossians 1:3-14 and was written after helping with some work in New Norcia’s monastery orchard.

Lord, you not only would have me bear fruit
but you say it is already so…
As I look back over my labours and strivings
I see that these have come to nothing –
yet there is richness and fruit abundant –
all the outcomes of your grace!
Were all my strivings worthless then?
Or is there some symbiosis
between my poor labours
and the fecundity of your grace?

In the monastery orchard,
I see fruit trees and vines,
simply being what they are,
bearing fruit in rich fullness.
Yet we laboured to complete the frames
to protect the fruit from marauding fowl.
The frames and the labour that went into them
did not produce the fruit;
however, they guard and protect
what grace has given.
So, Father, may I see my labours –
a response to your grace, to guard and protect,
that all may taste the prodigality of your love!

The book is available from Dayspring at $20 AUS

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Churches across Australia assist the world’s newest nation

03 Thursday Mar 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Ministry, mission, Personal

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

National Council of Churches in Australia, postaday2011, Religion and Spirituality, Southern Sudan

Act For Peace is the action arm of the National Council of Churches in Australia. The annual Christmas Bowl Appeal raises large sums of money for its programs. This report shows how churches across the land contribute not only prayer, but muscle, towards peace building endeavours that carry the hallmarks of sustainability and justice, particularly in Southern Sudan.

Churches across Australia throw their support behind the Christmas Bowl.

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