I listened to The Convocation Unscripted yesterday afternoon and was gratified that I am not alone in my frustration, sometimes fear, and finding a way forward that is productive and generative. I see resilience and hope in community, and mostly this happens in small ways. Big, malevolent things come at me/us, I/we respond with small acts of resistance, prayer, sermons, marches. I garner hope in small acts.
I have a prayer group that meets weekly for 15 minutes on Zoom to pray for our country. It is so good to gather in solidarity, resistance, and prayer. I offer an opening and closing reading, some of which I get from The Cottage emails and Steve Garnaas-Holmes' poems.
I am grateful for this community and the work that you do.
Each time I find myself becoming overwhelmed by the doom and gloom of of it all, I grab my dogs leash and head out into creation. I find that grounding myself in the softness of pine needles as they whisp acrossed my hand or gazing up into the clear blue sky with the puffiest of white clouds or even walking in a gentle.rain helps to ease my soul and reminds me that even in the midst of all that seems so wrong, God is still with us and surrounding us with oh so much beauty if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.
We live in a small development, with some retirees like me and some young families--enough young families that there are nine elementary kids that get on the bus in our neighborhood.
I have made a habit of timing my morning walk for when the kids and attendant adults are gathering at the bus stop. What a great way to start my day. Of course I am concerned about what kind of a world they will inherit, and it is so great to witness their energy and enthusiasm.
We love the Convocstion Unscripted but rarely can listen live, so we catch it later. It's so good to share this co.munity of reality! One thing I do to stay sane is stay away from all news and social media on the Sabbath.
Forgive the delay in commenting but I was on a 2 day media fast while I meditated, watch ng the tide come in and go out.
I have been accused of being too "chippy, chirpy, cheery" but it's not hope that I'm looking for. Apparently Greta Thunberg said "We don't need HOPE - we need AC TION." It is en- couragement and em-powerment we need to push back the powerlessness we feel as we watch ........ burn down, while we twiddle our thumbs in helpless despair.
Also, I don't look to TCU to tell me what's going on; I spend a couple hours most days learning about the world from a variety of sources. I DO appreciate the analysis from folk who understand the God Who Is Love to be fundamental to the solutions. It IS en—lightening to understand what various actions mean for us in our world.
Yesterday I listened to an address by John Valiant, author of "Fire Weather" and conversations about upcoming actions sponsored by Seniors for Climate. I intend to be a part of the march on Set 20.
I am working really hard to learn to have conversations with people about difficult things in a way that is engaging, rather than enraging, humble and respectful, instead of "I'm smart, you're stupid." (which has been my habit of decades). At the beach, I did talk with people from Australia to the Netherlands and places in between.
As a "can't see, can't walk, wrinkled old lady" I, along with bagillions of others, wonder if our grandchildren will be the last generation. I absolutely understand the enormity of the challenges we face. Even if we DO something, it may not be enough; but if we don't join together and TRY, there is no doubt in the catastrophe on our doorstep.
Thank you for this; it's deeply affirming at an epistemological level (and we are in an epistemological crisis in so many ways). I recently saw someone posting about how trying to inform people who are ignorant of what's happening makes rational, well-informed folks sound crazy, so it's good to have one's sense of truth recalibrated every once in a while, so to speak.
Grateful to spend a lot of time in a blue state where we are not in denial about the atrocities happening. I appreciate your conversations /perspectives because I want to be informed as I do my part to protect our rights, care for those on the margins and protest/make my opinions heard. I am also an empath so I care deeply about what's happening and it's not pretty.
A bit late to the party here, but it just so happens that I've been reading Diana's "People's History of Christianity," and it does help provide a sense of the cycles we have already journeyed through. I'm just at her quotation from Henry Emerson Fosdick (in 1922): "The course of human history is like a river, sometimes it flows so slowly that one would hardly know it moved at all; sometimes bends come in its channel so that one can hardly see in what direction it intends to go; sometimes there are backeddies so that it seems to be retreating on itself." She indicates that he says that human history happens in fits and starts, "a fight, tragic and ceaseless, against destructive forces." This doesn't make me feel more sanguine about what faces my teen grandkids, but it does provide some context for my own angst.
I am very grateful for the work of each of you and your work together. What particularly is staying with me from this episode is Diana's reminder that Christians, and others committed to love and justice, through all the centuries have suffered, have lived with hardships, and have persevered. I am more aware than ever of how my life has been relatively easy, yes with some great suffering but always with lots of support and all basic needs met.; I am reminded also of what Robby shared last time about with white and other privilege perhaps some of us are just not as prepared as those who have always had to struggle with oppression. So today I pulled out to start reading daily again Robert Ellsberg's All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Times.
I think this war will be fought at the dinner table. We have so many educated people now, what is needed is courage and the therapy to get over our own story, so that, we are unafraid to speak in dangerous places. Our enemies are parents and spouses. Sometimes kids. You saw it yesterday with the Epstein survivors speaking on camera in front of Congress.
Kristin you need to get in touch with Melinda Gates and run for office. Actually ALL of you are exactly who we need as elected. You are genuine believers WITH knowledge of history. YOU ARE THE PEOPLE we need to lead and encourage others.
I’ve been going to weekly prayer vigils (Sundays 5-6pm). It feels good to gather with 50-200+ people of faith. We hear readings, prayers, testimonies and we sing and chant. We were hopeful last Sunday. Looking forward I read Isaiah 58:6-12.
Not sure about this Sunday.
The conditions inside are literally inhumane.
I can’t close it but I can show up on Sunday afternoons as a witness of my faith.
BTW - it’s an hour and a half drive from my home in Naples.
You all are such soul sustenance for me. You each and together give me courage to speak and lead bravely. This conversation has sparked me further. I pastor a UCC congregation and bring you into the pulpit regularly. Thank you for sharing your scholarship, your faith, and your humanity into this space.
I find encouragement by listening to people like you, and from Scripture. Yesterday I read Psalm 94:1-23 from The Message. The words are spot on for such a time as this. Some excerpts:
3-4 God, the wicked get away with murder—
how long will you let this go on?
They brag and boast
and crow about their crimes!
5-7 They walk all over your people, God,
exploit and abuse your precious people.
They take out anyone who gets in their way;
if they can’t use them, they kill them.
They think, “God isn’t looking,
Jacob’s God is out to lunch.”
12-15 How blessed the man you train, God,
the woman you instruct in your Word,
Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
I’m breaking the cycle of doom with a long weekend in Disney with the wife. Our son just found out today he passed the bar exam, adding a little more levity. I’ll definitely listen when we get home. I appreciate all 4 of you so very much! ☺️
I listened yesterday. One of the panelists stated the feeling that one goal of this particular program is to model how the rest of us could learn to process our own feelings. Do you all know your listeners well enough to know our level of maturity when it comes to processing our feelings? Do you have evidence that listening to free association for 30 minutes is an effective teaching strategy? Please consider that there are so many worthwhile podcasts available than it is impossible to listen to many of them. Unlike written reports, we don’t have the option of scanning. If the majority of your followers find comfort in your present choices, by all means continue on course.
I listened to The Convocation Unscripted yesterday afternoon and was gratified that I am not alone in my frustration, sometimes fear, and finding a way forward that is productive and generative. I see resilience and hope in community, and mostly this happens in small ways. Big, malevolent things come at me/us, I/we respond with small acts of resistance, prayer, sermons, marches. I garner hope in small acts.
I have a prayer group that meets weekly for 15 minutes on Zoom to pray for our country. It is so good to gather in solidarity, resistance, and prayer. I offer an opening and closing reading, some of which I get from The Cottage emails and Steve Garnaas-Holmes' poems.
I am grateful for this community and the work that you do.
I appreciated the podcast yesterday
I find it hard to find many people willing to talk about the present delemma
It’s almost like cognitive dissonance ( nothing wrong here everything is fine) but it’s not fine it’s messed up and similar to pre war2
Yes depressing but at least I had 4 people willing to discuss and bring this out of the shadow of denials out there
I won’t criticize your efforts because there are not that many people doing what you’re doing that I know of anyway
Thankyou🙏👍🥰
Each time I find myself becoming overwhelmed by the doom and gloom of of it all, I grab my dogs leash and head out into creation. I find that grounding myself in the softness of pine needles as they whisp acrossed my hand or gazing up into the clear blue sky with the puffiest of white clouds or even walking in a gentle.rain helps to ease my soul and reminds me that even in the midst of all that seems so wrong, God is still with us and surrounding us with oh so much beauty if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.
We live in a small development, with some retirees like me and some young families--enough young families that there are nine elementary kids that get on the bus in our neighborhood.
I have made a habit of timing my morning walk for when the kids and attendant adults are gathering at the bus stop. What a great way to start my day. Of course I am concerned about what kind of a world they will inherit, and it is so great to witness their energy and enthusiasm.
We love the Convocstion Unscripted but rarely can listen live, so we catch it later. It's so good to share this co.munity of reality! One thing I do to stay sane is stay away from all news and social media on the Sabbath.
Forgive the delay in commenting but I was on a 2 day media fast while I meditated, watch ng the tide come in and go out.
I have been accused of being too "chippy, chirpy, cheery" but it's not hope that I'm looking for. Apparently Greta Thunberg said "We don't need HOPE - we need AC TION." It is en- couragement and em-powerment we need to push back the powerlessness we feel as we watch ........ burn down, while we twiddle our thumbs in helpless despair.
Also, I don't look to TCU to tell me what's going on; I spend a couple hours most days learning about the world from a variety of sources. I DO appreciate the analysis from folk who understand the God Who Is Love to be fundamental to the solutions. It IS en—lightening to understand what various actions mean for us in our world.
Yesterday I listened to an address by John Valiant, author of "Fire Weather" and conversations about upcoming actions sponsored by Seniors for Climate. I intend to be a part of the march on Set 20.
I am working really hard to learn to have conversations with people about difficult things in a way that is engaging, rather than enraging, humble and respectful, instead of "I'm smart, you're stupid." (which has been my habit of decades). At the beach, I did talk with people from Australia to the Netherlands and places in between.
As a "can't see, can't walk, wrinkled old lady" I, along with bagillions of others, wonder if our grandchildren will be the last generation. I absolutely understand the enormity of the challenges we face. Even if we DO something, it may not be enough; but if we don't join together and TRY, there is no doubt in the catastrophe on our doorstep.
Thank you for this; it's deeply affirming at an epistemological level (and we are in an epistemological crisis in so many ways). I recently saw someone posting about how trying to inform people who are ignorant of what's happening makes rational, well-informed folks sound crazy, so it's good to have one's sense of truth recalibrated every once in a while, so to speak.
Grateful to spend a lot of time in a blue state where we are not in denial about the atrocities happening. I appreciate your conversations /perspectives because I want to be informed as I do my part to protect our rights, care for those on the margins and protest/make my opinions heard. I am also an empath so I care deeply about what's happening and it's not pretty.
A bit late to the party here, but it just so happens that I've been reading Diana's "People's History of Christianity," and it does help provide a sense of the cycles we have already journeyed through. I'm just at her quotation from Henry Emerson Fosdick (in 1922): "The course of human history is like a river, sometimes it flows so slowly that one would hardly know it moved at all; sometimes bends come in its channel so that one can hardly see in what direction it intends to go; sometimes there are backeddies so that it seems to be retreating on itself." She indicates that he says that human history happens in fits and starts, "a fight, tragic and ceaseless, against destructive forces." This doesn't make me feel more sanguine about what faces my teen grandkids, but it does provide some context for my own angst.
and thanks to all here
I am very grateful for the work of each of you and your work together. What particularly is staying with me from this episode is Diana's reminder that Christians, and others committed to love and justice, through all the centuries have suffered, have lived with hardships, and have persevered. I am more aware than ever of how my life has been relatively easy, yes with some great suffering but always with lots of support and all basic needs met.; I am reminded also of what Robby shared last time about with white and other privilege perhaps some of us are just not as prepared as those who have always had to struggle with oppression. So today I pulled out to start reading daily again Robert Ellsberg's All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Times.
I think this war will be fought at the dinner table. We have so many educated people now, what is needed is courage and the therapy to get over our own story, so that, we are unafraid to speak in dangerous places. Our enemies are parents and spouses. Sometimes kids. You saw it yesterday with the Epstein survivors speaking on camera in front of Congress.
Kristin you need to get in touch with Melinda Gates and run for office. Actually ALL of you are exactly who we need as elected. You are genuine believers WITH knowledge of history. YOU ARE THE PEOPLE we need to lead and encourage others.
I’ve been going to weekly prayer vigils (Sundays 5-6pm). It feels good to gather with 50-200+ people of faith. We hear readings, prayers, testimonies and we sing and chant. We were hopeful last Sunday. Looking forward I read Isaiah 58:6-12.
Not sure about this Sunday.
The conditions inside are literally inhumane.
I can’t close it but I can show up on Sunday afternoons as a witness of my faith.
BTW - it’s an hour and a half drive from my home in Naples.
You all are such soul sustenance for me. You each and together give me courage to speak and lead bravely. This conversation has sparked me further. I pastor a UCC congregation and bring you into the pulpit regularly. Thank you for sharing your scholarship, your faith, and your humanity into this space.
I find encouragement by listening to people like you, and from Scripture. Yesterday I read Psalm 94:1-23 from The Message. The words are spot on for such a time as this. Some excerpts:
3-4 God, the wicked get away with murder—
how long will you let this go on?
They brag and boast
and crow about their crimes!
5-7 They walk all over your people, God,
exploit and abuse your precious people.
They take out anyone who gets in their way;
if they can’t use them, they kill them.
They think, “God isn’t looking,
Jacob’s God is out to lunch.”
12-15 How blessed the man you train, God,
the woman you instruct in your Word,
Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
while a jail is being built for the wicked.
God will never walk away from his people,
never desert his precious people.
Rest assured that justice is on its way
and every good heart put right.
I’m breaking the cycle of doom with a long weekend in Disney with the wife. Our son just found out today he passed the bar exam, adding a little more levity. I’ll definitely listen when we get home. I appreciate all 4 of you so very much! ☺️
I listened yesterday. One of the panelists stated the feeling that one goal of this particular program is to model how the rest of us could learn to process our own feelings. Do you all know your listeners well enough to know our level of maturity when it comes to processing our feelings? Do you have evidence that listening to free association for 30 minutes is an effective teaching strategy? Please consider that there are so many worthwhile podcasts available than it is impossible to listen to many of them. Unlike written reports, we don’t have the option of scanning. If the majority of your followers find comfort in your present choices, by all means continue on course.