[Oe List ...] OE Digest, Vol 83, Issue 34

[Debra Harris-Watson]

 Re: Songs (multiple posts) and CRITICAL CONTRADICTIONS (Lynda Cock) 

Songs:
I am fascinated by the idea of somehow getting songs into broader audience (both 
the Order songs and re-cast hymns) that reflect new global realities and shifts 
of consciousness. Even when going to a Unitarian church I found myself singing 
things I didn't believe-yet would try to get into the spirit of the meaning.  
Same for many Buddhist chants, Hindu songs, chants and hymns etc etc.  There is 
the experience of both living out of and feeling the meaning of these songs on 
an interior level. Yet also sometimes I experience a shift that happens in and 
of itself just thru the act of singing.  These shifts occur, whether I'm 
singing alone (and no one can hear me- least of all my 15 yo son with his 
mortified "mom!" exclamations) or most of all when I'm singing something deeply 
meaningful with others who resonate from their spirit as well.  It's similar to 
the benefits of meditation or prayer while by oneself- of value in and of 
itself- yet can be a totally different experience while in a group- sometimes 
expoentially so.

Re: Iowan ballot measure to direct 3/8 of one cent of sales tax to the 
preservation of water, land and soil.

What if we were able to presearve teacher positions and other civil measures via 
this method? Here in Texas (or maybe just in Houston) we could pay an 
additional 0.07% of of our property tax and presearve most educationally related 
positions.  I wonder if we were given this option on the ballot, how people 
might vote, even in "decrease taxation" conscious Texas?  I know many would give 
a resounding yes! or a yes to similar extremely modest 0.1% tax to the 
presearvation of the environment,or  public parks etc.  It is one way to gauge 
direct will of the people in a civil society, allowing us to vote on what is 
most meaningful and directly affects our lives.  I understand the need to 
eliminate graft, waste, fraud and to collectively "tighten our belts" in some 
areas.  Yet I for one do not want to have 35-40 kids per class, nor eliminate 
ancillary art, music, nor librarians or PE, or even supplemental science 
classes.  This is exactly what we face at the school where I work. (my school 
nurse position was also on the chopping block but re-instated because we have 
over 800 students and special need students.) Such is the state of affairs...

Debra Harris

Message: 5
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:08:09 -0400
From: "Lynda Cock" <llc860 at triad.rr.com>
To: "'Order Ecumenical Community'" <oe at wedgeblade.net>, "'Dialogue
ICA'" <Dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] 9 CRITICAL CONTRADICTIONS
Message-ID: <A8C62EEFB4C04DF0B9EA24D93536D77B at LyndaPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Seeing David's mention of the homestead reminds me that the current issue of
Nature Conservancey magazine makes mention of (p.67) "working with four
landowners to conserve 333 acres in the Loess Hills using conservation
easements. The easements will protect native prairie in western Iowa from
developemnt and connect important parcels of protected land at the
Conservancy's Broken Kettle Grasslands Perserve.... The Conservancy now has
9,300 acres...Iowa's largest native prairie... which features many plants
and animal, including bison.....

Also on p. 20-21, a beatuiful color picture of the Loess Hills, telling the
story of the ballot measure that Iowans instituted to direct 3/8 of one cent
of sales tax to the preservation of water, land and soil.

Thank you, David and Lin and Jo and Wayne and other family members for your
part in this model building for other states to do the same. 

Lynda Cock 




________________________________
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/oe_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20110326/ef8cf214/attachment-0001.html>