[Oe List ...] Salmon: On God

[Af]

John,
Our Greek professor taught that when the Greek "en" (ordinarily "in") is used with the plural object (them), it means "among".
Ellie






-----Original Message-----
From: JOHN L. EPPS <jlepps at pc.jaring.my>
To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Thu, Oct 14, 2010 9:54 pm
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Salmon: On God


As I remember, George, "within" is the same greek word as "among."
ohn E
Quoting George Holcombe <geowanda at earthlink.net>:
> Another add-on to the string, I certainly agree with the remarks here
 but have a further wonder -

 In reading Klotz's book, Prayers of the Cosmos, (p. 12) (recommended by
 Matthew Fox, for Fox fans) he works on the aramaic phrase "Abwoon
 d'bwashmaya" translated into English as "Our Father which art in
 Heaven," which may not have much in common with our translation.  Like
 most translations from language to language, some of it doesn't.
 "Abwoon," the word put in Jesus' mouth by the writers of the New
 Testament, doesn't translate directly into the Greek "Abba," which we
 have been taught to translate as "Father," though, since it was a
 familial and not a formal term could better be translated as "Daddy,"
 but the Aramaic is two root words - "Ab" which is gender neutral (and
 some Aramaic scholars point out it may refer to a female deity of the
 past) and "woon" which seems to mean in Aramaic something like the
 abyss from which all things come.  So maybe "mystery" is not such a bad
 translation of G-O-D or "Father" in our Bibles.  And since Aramaic,
 like many middle Eastern languages is more contextual than literal,
 tonal inflection and situation, can vary the meaning.  When I went to
 seminary, New Testament Greek was as far as we reached back, and "Abba"
 was the in-word, so it's not to hard to see how our theology got strung
 out from there.  The seeming fact that Jesus used "Abwoon" rather than
 the other popular terms for God in the Aramaic of his day, leaves us
 with another interesting conundrum, why that word and not the "normal"
 or "popular" ones like El, Illah or the unpronounceable ones, etc.

 The other interesting note is why did Jesus (writers of the N.T.) talk
 again and again of G-O-D being within rather than the God-in-the-Sky?

 Our Western Theological traditions may have some work to do yet. As my
 old professor Albert Outler used to say, "You pays your money and you
 takes "yer" choice."  But he would go on from there and say quietly
 "and that "ain't" the end of the story.  (BTW, he's the prof. that used
 to bug JWM to finish his doctrate.)

 Having ventured more into interfaith conversations the past few years,
 I'm wondering if we are not already in that secular-religious
 "religion" that we talked about, and what does that mean for us today.


 George Holcombe
 14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
 Austin, TX 78728
 Home: 512/252-2756
 Mobile 512/294-5952
 geowanda at earthlink.net

 ‎"The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for
 hope." -Teilhard de Chardin

 On Oct 13, 2010, at 8:08 PM, James Wiegel wrote:

 > Desmond Avery's book, Beyond Power:  Simone Weil and the Notion of
 Authority, would be a great study book -- I read it this summer (and
 had chance, celebrating their 40th Anniversary for extended
 conversations with the author).  As humans, we don't ever start from
 scratch and never come near thinking things through all the way.  We
 rely on all kinds of "authorities", kind of assuming they are right
 (which includes the authority of our own experience).
 >
 > "In every area of life, from personal well-being to international
 decision-making, the need for a better understanding of whom to obey,
 ignore, or oppose is conspicuous.  The writings of Simone Weil, whether
 admired for their brilliance or deplored for their shortcomings, offer
 a unique opportunity to construct such an understanding."
 >
 >
 > Jim
 >
 > The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to
 change; the realist adjusts the sails. William Arthur Ward.
 >
 > Jim Wiegel
 > 401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353-2401
 > +1 623-936-8671 +1 623-363-3277
 > jfwiegel at yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com
 >
 > --- On Wed, 10/13/10, Susan Fertig <susan at gmdtech.com> wrote:
 >
 > From: Susan Fertig <susan at gmdtech.com>
 > Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Salmon: On God
 > To: "'Order Ecumenical Community'" <oe at wedgeblade.net>
 > Date: Wednesday, October 13, 2010, 5:43 PM
 >
 > You said, “Where was God …” and then posited that He was in
 those moments in the manifestation of love.
 >
 > Life is the refiner’s fire.  I believe He doesn’t bring or give
 us trouble, but He allows it. And it is in those moments of greatest
 pain, or struggle, that the greatest intimacy with Him is possible.
 >
 >
 > Susan
 >
 >
 > From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On
 Behalf Of William Salmon
 > Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 12:05 AM
 > To: Order Ecumenical Community
 > Subject: [Oe List ...] Salmon: On God
 >
 >
 > Colleagues All--
 >
 >     One 20th and 21st Century danger is that of claiming a God that
 is too small. One of the blessings of the Order's proclamation of God
 as Mystery is that it forced us to acknowledge that which we are not.
 In order to embrace such a definition it was necessary to suspend our
 dis-belief. At least this definition does not fall off on moralism or
 pietism. It does become distorted by a false objectification.
 >
 >     I've never been comfortable with a God as Mystery, although I can
 theologically justify such a God; there is too much that we can not
 understand.
 >
 >     However, the objectification of all our old Christian Code Words
 is THE PROBLEM given to us in our Modern Worldview created at the great
 paradigm TURN during the 15th and 16th Century. The invention of the
 Scientific Method, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and
 Industrial/Urbanization birthed such an objectification yet still
 framed it in metaphysical analysis; for his time, Pipa is correct in
 his Passes: "God's in His (sic) heaven and all's right with the world."
 >
 >     The problem is clearly manifested at the Great paradigm TURN
 initiated by Einstein's physics. There ain't no Heaven and there's not
 a God to reside there! There never was and there never will be.The
 reason is this kind of God just ain't!
 >
 >     Isn't this the message of Jesus? Are you looking for the Lone
 Ranger? There isn't any, and I'm He! The one who comes to tell us that
 an objective God does not exist actually is the God we seek. Such
 information is more than the Truth, actually it is the experience of
 GOODNESS.
 >
 >     God is not an object that lives beyond the sky.Our faith-story is
 that God is EXPERIENCED as Love. We need to remember that Love comes to
 us as forgiveness, acceptance, passion, in familial, and as Tough Love
 ("Order Member, get your ass out of bed and into Daily Office!"
 Remember?)
 >
 >     This experience is no Mystery. It is as intimate as it is
 universal. We experience it in every aspect of creation from birth,
 driven through pain and joy, and then in death. Love comes to us at
 every turn.
 >
 >     Those who are awake to this GOOD NEWS understand the formula ALL
 IS GOOD, THE PRESENT IS RECEIVED AS A GIFT, THE PAST NOT ONLY IS
 FORGIVEN IT IS FORGOTTEN, AND THE FUTURE IS OPEN!
 >
 >     It is the work of the Awakened to demonstrate this TRUTH that the
 truth we seek actually is GOODNESS. The way in which we embrace this
 reality is to take the Leap of Faith; that is, to surrender by falling
 into the care of such Good News and ask others to come leap with us.
 >
 >     To die to our illusions of what Truth actually is becomes the
 profound experience of resurrection into blessed assurance.
 >
 >     The movie, "Joe Vs. the Volcano" (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan) tell
 this story is Spades, and Joe and Patricia actually make the sacrifice
 of jumping into a volcano for a group of people (a part of the Lost
 Tribes of Israel!) who are to chicken to do their own sacrifice. Why
 does Joe do this? He does it because he wants to, "Live like a king and
 die like a man." The result is that the movie ends by "taking us away
 from the things of man;" i.e., our illusions about the objectification
 of our old Christian Lexicon.
 >
 >     Because they make this leap, a WONDER occurs. (Observe this is
 not a MIRACLE. What happens is the result of Love, and that is not the
 TRUTH, but it is a GOODNESS.)
 >
 >
 >     Post-modern theology never asks the question, "What do we KNOW
 about God, Christ, HS, the Human Situation, Sin, Grace, etc." The
 question always is, "How do we EXPERIENCE these things."
 >
 >     Until this little exercise becomes second nature, all of us will
 continue to attempt to define the indefinable simply because it is not
 definable. It is experienced as close as our breath and our empathy and
 our sympathy. It is as close as living the surrendered life as a
 servant to our spouses, partners, friends and colleagues.
 >
 >     Now, Mother Nature is something else. Mom N is the culprit for
 much of what we blame God. Why did our son Wesley die at 20 years old
 with leukemia? Is God punishing him, or his parents. Not on your sweet
 bippy! Leukemia and childhood death is just The Way Life Is (TWLI).
 Yep, Mom Nature guarantees that leukemia and cancer, and crib death all
 have their place in the universe. She also is responsible for the depth
 of degradation that we selfish--read Un-Awakened--ass holes are capable
 of doing to beat up on those who don't UNDERSTAND GOD just like we do;
 how else can you explain 9/11?
 >
 >     Where was Love when 200 people jumped 110 stories? Or where was
 Love when the plane on the way into the Pennsylvanian earth when
 someone on board yelled, "Let's roll!"
 >
 >     Easy. Love was on board, and with the jumpers all the way into
 the ground. Then Love was in the rebirth of patriotism, and generosity,
 and actual care for those who hurt.
 >
 >
 >    Well, like always, I've said too much, much too badly.
 >
 >    Maybe this will stir your juices to begin to think in the methods
 of our Post-Modern worldview. Care to dialogue?
 >
 >    Inner Peace,
 >
 >    Bill Salmon
 >
 > ----- Original Message -----
 >
 > From: Susan Fertig
 >
 > To: 'Order Ecumenical Community'
 >
 > Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 6:54 PM
 >
 > Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Pedagogue list of last 20 years
 >
 >
 > I backslid into believing in the Trinity, and a God in control.
 >
 >
 > Susan
 >
 >
 > From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On
 Behalf Of David Walters
 > Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 8:44 PM
 > To: Order Ecumenical Community
 > Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Pedagogue list of last 20 years
 >
 >
 > What happened between you and Kazantzakis? Have you departed from the
 Crimson Line?
 >
 >
 > David Walters
 >
 > ----- Original Message -----
 >
 > From: Susan Fertig
 >
 > To: 'Order Ecumenical Community' ; dialogue at wedgeblade.net
 >
 > Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 3:30 PM
 >
 > Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Pedagogue list of last 20 years
 >
 >
 > Pedagogues:
 >
 > Don Clark (72-76, Venezuela courses and Houston Rel. Hse.)
 >
 > Christina Clark (Houston period)
 >
 > Sherwood Shankland (ongoing, beginning in the 70s)
 >
 > Bruce and Marcie Bunker (Venezuela, Caracas Rel. Hse.)
 >
 > Rafael Davila
 >
 > Steve Allen (courses in Venezuela)
 >
 > George and Wanda Holcombe
 >
 > George West
 >
 > And many others
 >
 > Guides:
 >
 > Herman Hesse (Journey to the East)
 >
 > Teilhard de Chardin
 >
 > Kazantzakis (at one time, not any longer)
 >
 >
 > Susan
 >
 >
 > From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On
 Behalf Of LAURELCG at aol.com
 > Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 1:00 PM
 > To: Oe at wedgeblade.net; dialogue at wedgeblade.net
 > Subject: [Oe List ...] Pedagogue list of last 20 years
 >
 >
 > I wanted to bring back this list. Hope my editing attempt didn't
 delete anything vital to its meaning. Here's mine.
 >
 > I have to go back a little further to the 80's when the 12 Steps of
 A.A. saved me and my family.
 >
 > Matthew Fox led me to the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality:
 Positiva, Negativa, Creativa, Transformativa.
 >
 > Starhawk on Feminist Thealogy, took me beyond the church's stance of
 female as less than fully human
 >
 > Rosalyn Bruyere on energy healing
 >
 > Thomas Berry and Bryan Swimme on the Universe Story and our moment in
 it
 >
 > Ann LaMott on writing and the importance of humor
 >
 > Barbara Kingsolver - myriad gifts
 >
 > Barack Obama - all is possible
 >
 > Richard Bartlett - importance of hallucinating the possible - it's
 all possible
 >
 >
 > Thanks for asking.
 >
 > Blessings, dear colleagues,
 >
 > Jann McGuire
 >
 >
 > This is interesting, perhaps add, what image did they help puncture
 or shape?
 > Robert Bly -- gave me back poetry
 > Nikos Kazantzakis -- I keep coming back to Saviors of God -- reminds
 me of the awesome journey
 > Rianne Eisler -- living in a post patriarchal time . . .
 > Vaclav Havel -- meaning can shape political realities
 >
 >
 > --- On Wed, 9/29/10, R Williams <rcwmbw at yahoo.com> wrote:
 > From: R Williams <rcwmbw at yahoo.com>
 > Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] New Pedagogy and New Pedagogues
 > To: "Order Ecumenical Community" <oe at wedgeblade.net>
 > Date: Wednesday, Septem
 >
 > Parker Palmer
 >
 > Peter Senge
 >
 > Margaret Wheatley
 >
 > Willis Harman
 >
 > Rachel Naomi Remen
 >
 > Robert Greenleaf
 >
 > Peter Block
 >
 > --- On Wed, 9/29/10, PSchrijnen at aol.com <PSchrijnen at aol.com> wrote
 >
 > David Whyte
 >
 > Richard McDonald
 >
 > Robert Bly
 >
 > Rowan Williams
 >
 > Thich Nhat Hanh
 >
 >
 > > START CLOSE IN
 > >
 > > Start close in,
 > > don't take the second step
 > > or the third,
 > > start with the first
 > > thing
 > > close in,
 > > the step you don't want to take.
 > >
 > > Start with
 > > the ground
 > > you know,
 > > the pale ground
 > > beneath your feet,
 > > your own
 > > way of starting
 > > the conversation.
 > >
 > > Start with your own
 > > question,
 > > give up on other
 > > people's questions,
 > > don't let them
 > > smother something
 > > simple.
 > >
 > > To find
 > > another's voice
 > > follow
 > > your own voice,
 > >
 > > wait until
 > > that voice
 > > becomes a
 > > private ear
 > > listening
 > > to another.
 > >
 > > Start right now
 > > take a small step
 > > you can call your own
 > > don't follow
 > > someone else's
 > > heroics, be humble
 > > and focused,
 > > start close in,
 > > don't mistake
 > > that other
 > > for your own.
 > >
 > > Start close in,
 > > don't take the second step
 > > or the third,
 > > start with the first
 > > thing
 > > close in,
 > > the step you don't want to take.
 > >
 > >
 > > ~ David Whyte
 > >
 > >
 > > People who are aware of this process and consciously cooperating
 with
 > > it are developing what David Whyte calls "True Presence" and a
 > > "Conversational Identity".  If you haven't gotten his Live in San
 > > Francisco DVD, you and Burna would just love it!  I think I ordered
 it
 > > for $15 on his website DavidWhyte. com
 >
 >
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