Mail me comments, suggestions, warnings, flames, whatever
Jason,
How great it was to get your note. Your note came at a good time for me as well, becuase I had just watched an episode of "Picket Fences" where there was a trial concerning pornographic distribution on the Internet, and the wise judge of the show (whose sentiments I usually concur with) made the sweeping statement :
"All this talk about computer networks bringing us closer
together is a bunch of baloney", and when on to say that
Computer Communication made it easier for these young boys to
create a degrading animation using their teacher's likeness,
since it was "electronic" and not "face to face".
Well, your note and your finding a sense of common mission with
me just gives a good swift kick to that kind of argument. I have
found in many ways that Computer Mediated Communications have
done far more to advance a move back toward "personal communication"
than the previous alternatives of evenings spent at home before
the TV, or in some other kind of lonely isolation where we would
, deep down, prefer human interaction but find there is a lack
of legitimate opportunities for such, and the occasion seems
to be getting more rare.
I will soon be talking in my studies about a book called "The
Great Good Place" that talks about the lack of places in
society that he calls "third places" (after work and
family) where comfortable , relaxed, conversation can happen,
and issues can be explored with those whom we find a comradery
and sense of mutual support.
At 11:36 PM 2/9/96, you wrote:
. One of the things we
>delighted in was discussing the connections between all the wonderful
>religious traditions of the world - Sufism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism,
>Christianity, Native American religions, you name it. For us, it always
>came back to the word ONE. We also loved reconnecting with
the Earth.
I have found much to be thankful for in Matthew Fox's writings.
I have never heard him speak,, and would love to do so. He is
one of those kinds of "reconciling" voices that speak
in a meaningful language about theology in life, and have it
make sense at the gut level. I found the first of his books I
read in the new age section of a book store and was struck by
the title of "The Cosmic Christ" and knew upon a closer
look that it was something I wanted to explore.
I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church, and was involved at
many different levels including some of the deepest levels of
fundamentalism. After being exposed to some good questions about
the church by my Youth Minister, and studying Sociology in College,
and getting a very good theological education at Southern Baptist
Seminary in the days when it was still possible, I find people
like Matthew Fox to be encouraging signs that the Church still
has room for those who may have given up on Christ because of
the failure of the church to embrace them or to understand the
deepest yearnings of their spirits.
> It actually sparked a thought in me - one which I've had on a
>number of occasions, but didn't take too seriously for one reason or
>another - the thought of going back to school for theology and
>eventually entering ministry.
It sounds to me like you are a needed voice for the theological
community, which is not to say that the world of music, or of
those who are studying Eastern religions would not need a voice
such as yours either.
> After I finished I continued I followed this idea
>of ministry. I thought to myself, "could I really do that? the Church
>has been so oppressive!" But I followed that with, "the teachings
>themselves, wherever they are, are so beautiful."
That's wonderful. I know exactly what you mean. I still have
this sense of "Church??Ugh!!!!" and yet, I cannot
help but continue to return to helping , in any way I cam ,
to articulate something of what I feel is the embracing, compassionate,
ecumenical nature of the church. There is simply too much wisdom
out there that has grown up along a different path from where
we came from, but somehow arrives at similar truths and experience
the same compassion and love for life.
Then I said to
>myself, "might as well do a little exploring of Christianity on the
>Internet."
With all that's out there which is, should we say, less than
endearing to "seekers" such as you and I, I'd say you
were very much "guided" my way. Not that I think that
I have everything there is to know or even do the best job at
presenting it via the Web, I am glad that you found a kindred
soul, for there is much "oppression" out there in
the form of religion.
>I went directly to "What is a Christian". The first page I clicked on
>was yours. And here you are speaking these wonderful thoughts about
>Creation Spirituality, the unity of faiths, the Cosmic Christ. So now
>I'm thinking, this may be fate. . . And so I decided to E-mail you,
>introduce myself, tell you my story, thank you heartily for being a
>presence on this web.
I am very glad and thankful that you did. I don't know if you
saw the "flame notes" I got from ones like Constance
and some older guy whose name escapes me, but I have been in
need of some good sense that what I am offering is of any use
in the vast , sometimes "wasteland" of the Web. But
you know, it's like the world itself. And we can see offerings
from people we may well never otherwise see. I know that I would
know far fewer people if not for Computer Communications.
Not that the "flame notes" were going to convince me
to get out of this, but the ferocity of the attacks I got were
just tiring, and I had the feeling that there would be more to
come, and that the voices of intolerance and paranoia would become
too loud.
I've just never met anyone like you who is
>engaged in Christian ministry yet very aware and open to other
>traditions. My experience of most practitioners have been those who view
>Christianity as THE WAY and THE ONLY WAY to the exclusion of all other
>religions, and it's so good to see people like you and Matthew Fox with
>such healthy new (old?) ideas.
I'm even willing to say and agree with others that "Jesus
is THE WAY", but I feel that Jesus' presence and influence
extends to far greater circles than those of the "Western
Christian acculturated-types". It is the person of Jesus,
the movement of God incarnate in our midst, that bids us follow,
not the "Characatures" we receive from teachings which
often derive more of their points from cultural values than from
ideas that came to us from beyond culture , but came to us in
a way which moved its hearers to move out and tranform culture.
>Do you have any advice for someone who wants to become more involved in
>the Creation Spirituality movement and possibly move into ministry
>himself?
I know that Fox has an Institute in Culture and Creation in SanFrancisco,
and I know of The Church of the Saviour in Washington DC, (you
may have seen some of my stories about them, or read the book
I have online by their resident historian, Elizabeth O'Connor.
She is a wonderful writer. Check out the "Servant Leaders,
servant Structures" section under the "Community Section".
There is also a listing of all their ministries, and they are
a VERY embracing, accepting kind of a church that exists to do
mission, and they put their very lives into it.
I've just begun to explore your links, so I'm sure there's a
>lot to check out, but I would appreciate any word you could share with
>me. Thank you! I'm glad yours was the first Christian page
I came to.
Jason, thanks you so much for sharing yourself with me, and
I hope you will feel free to dialogue with me on anything you
find on my pages (or anywhere else for that matter).
I hope very soon to have a "forum/BBS" kind of setup
here where topics and leisurely fellowship can take place, and
so this can become a truly "Great Good Place". It seems
so tonight and late Friday night when I read your note.
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