Metacentricities

I had a class today, where we were all going around the room, and the teachers had asked for a one word, or one phrase description of ourselves that would help them remember us. I said "I’m a mystic." Someone asked me once why I called myself a mystic. I had to think a minute or two. In that process, I realized that I came to that label not so much from a head space, but from a heart space, which is why I have a hard time sometimes explaining why I think I am one. But what’s also true is that every time I read mystics and about mysticism, I feel affirmed (and it gets easier to explain to people.)

In 2004 my good friend Cindy and I co-led a summer service. Cindy introduced me to Rev. Tom Owen-Towle’s concept of UUs as "free-thinking mystics with hands,"which, no matter my denomination, still fits me. I realize I’ve been a mystic for a long time, but I didn’t recognize what it was. I’ve always been looking for God, looking to be with God, wanting to know God. It does feel pretty hard-wired in me, though. I looked for God when I was a 14 year old who wanted to be confirmed as a Presbyterian. I looked for God when I joined the Nazarenes. I looked for God in the Tao, in the Dharma, in the 7 Principles of UUism. I’m still looking for God. Sometimes I feel like my search for God is like that math problem about when will you get from point A to point B if you cover 1/2 the remaining distance each step? (The answer is never.) I get closer, and closer, but never quite manage to touch God (although, in a subject for a different blog entry, sometimes God touches me.)

Being a Protestant mystic in 2006 is kinda strange (although I’m getting the impression that it’s not quite as strange as it might have been in 1906, or 1806.)  I’m not sure I’m a very good mystic (but maybe that’s also a subject for another entry.) And Protestantism (save the Anglicans and the Quakers) tried hard (and largely suceeded) to wipe mysticism and contemplative practice from their tradition. Thank Goddess some people are beginning to realize that wasn’t such a good idea (took them long enough). So maybe I get to be part of the new trend. Who knows. Mystic bloggers, anyone?

technorati tags: mysticism, mystics, protestant, God

I just read a great essay by Pam Noles about, among other things, the adaptation of "A Legend of Earthsea" by Ursula LeGuin by the SciFi channel last year. I read about this essay in BoingBoing, and there has been some interesting commentary on it.

It’s really nice to read the perspective of another black woman sci-fi fan, there are so few of us. And she’s a damn good writer, too.

technorati tags: sciencefiction, scifi, writing, race

I got a letter in the mail today. It’s not really significant, on one level. On the other, it is very significant. What I got in the mail was the confirmation of the appointment I have with Section A of the Committee on Ministry of the Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC), for what’s called an "In-Care" interview. The meeting isn’t until next year (2007), and there are steps to take beforehand. But it is the second step I’ve taken on the path to being ordained in UCC ministry (the first being joining New Spirit Community Church). I’m at the very beginning, but I’m also very cognizant of the fact that I have stepped off the path to UU ministry.

Some of you have read my piece about returning to Christianity. That path, that process, did not in any way preclude me from continuing on in UU ministry. In fact, there are plenty of UU Christians who are in ministry. So why am I leaving UUism?

There is basically only one reason, although that reason is multidimensional. The reason is this: where am I most likely to find a comfortable context (organizationally) to practice my ministry? No organization is going to be perfect, and if you know me, you know that I find it difficult when organizations don’t walk their talk.

I’m a pretty unique person in a lot of ways. But I am, basically, an African American lesbian Christian mystic. UCC churches, like UU churches differ widely, and there are surely some in the UCC that would not want to call an African American, and there are surely many that would not want to call an out lesbian. I’ve been dealing with issues of race and sexuality for a long time now, and am pretty used to it. Unfortunately, the UUA has a fairly abysmal record of ordaining people of color into full time ministry, and I know that both race and class are still huge issues in the UUA, issues that are not going away any time soon. The UCC is more ethnically diverse than the UUA, and I think they get class much better than the UUA. But this doesn’t mean I won’t be involved in issues regarding race, class and sexuality - those are ever present. In the final analysis, it was being a Christian that was the pivot point. In all honesty, I didn’t want to have to add the Christian battle, or the language of reverence battle, or the Jesus battle, to those other battles too. It just seemed like way too much to handle. There are few Christian-oriented or Christian-leaning UU congregations, and so it would not be likely that I’d be called to one. I didn’t want to have to worry that if I used the "G" word, or the "J" word too much in "worship" (can’t really use that word either) I’d offend someone. It felt too constraining. I also didn’t want to be in yet another of what I have percieved to be a somewhat aggrieved (though persistant and loyal) minority within the UUA.

I hope this doesn’t come across as either dismissive or whiny. My UU congregation is a community that was very important to my own journey, and one I treasure to this day. I am very thankful that there are communities like it in the world - that embrace diversity of spiritual paths, and provide community for all of that diversity. I hope that in my own ministry, in whatever form it takes, I’ll be able to balance the respect of religious diversity, the desire to provide a safe space for people who’ve been hurt by religion and a space for people to worship in the ways that work for them. It’s going to be an interesting journey, for sure, but it’s a different path than I’d expected to begin with.

technorati tags: ucc, ministry, ordination, uu

Two "events" (I use the term lightly) occured in that world of ones and zeros this week that are worth a mention. I bet that most of you won’t care a whole lot one way or the other about either of these, but they are both really interesting object lessons in how the digital world and the real live flesh and blood world interact in very interesting ways.

The first issue is that Wikipedia, that wonderful collaboratively edited on-line encyclopedia, which has been shown to rival (if not completely outshine) it’s traditional competitors in terms of bredth, depth and accuracy, has blocked a group of IP addresses (read: specific computers) from making changes to Wikipedia. What IP addresses are those, you might wonder? Are they in China? Are they attached to some particularly annoying 14 year old boys that like to vandalize entries? Nope. They are attached to the US Congressional offices. Yes, you read me correctly. Apparently, a number of congressional staffers have been caught egregiously changing their congresperson’s bio, to be completely favorable, and vandalizing others. Sigh. I thought we were all adults. Oh, nevermind.

The second issue is in the world of gaming, particularly what are called Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). There is one, I think it’s the biggest (5.5 million players), called World of Warcraft (WoW.) Think elves and dwarves and swords and magic. I’m not giving it enough credit, but then I’ve never played it. Anyway, there has been lots of talk in the blogosphere (mostly in the part of the blogosphere I don’t read) about their "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy toward LGBT folk. There is some interesting analysis about the policy in that link.

It is no surprise that not only the best (like Wikipedia itself, which is an amazing emergent creation of collaborative effort, as well as WoW, which is really an amazingly creative endeavor) but also the worst (silly behavior and discriminatory policies as mild examples) end up in anything that makes its way into the digital world. It is, after all, no matter what our intentions, still a reflection of all of what is human.

technorati tags: wikipedia, worldofwarcraft, virtual

I have some brilliant friends who will likely never blog (or at least aren’t now.) So I thought it might be a good idea for me to provide them with a bit of an audience for their great stuff. So I’m going to blog for them. That is, they will email me their text, and I will post it for them, under their names. Expect the first of these guest bloggers soon, who will give us really good insight into the new issues around Palestine and Israel.

If you are one of my friends (old or new) who would like to guest blog, drop me an email.

I caught a glimpse of her yesterday, having gone into the the city (um, that’s San Francisco) on BART (um, that’s Bay Area Rapid Transit) My urban public persona is very different than my New England semi-rural persona. My urban persona is more distant (behind the iPod), wary, observant, with a little tough swagger, a bit aggressive on the edges. My New England persona is open, expectant and soft, completely non-aggressive. I had noticed that my early few forays into the city were a bit, well, painful, whereas this time, it felt kinda normal. And my urban persona almost missed the blooming rosemary bush!!

I grew up in an suburban context, with frequent forays into über-urban territory (I think Manhattan counts as über-urban,) and I lived in Cleveland for 6 years. That urban persona that I thought I’d left permanently behind is finding her way back. I just have to decide whether or not I like her.

technorati tags: city, persona, behavior

I heard a great talk this morning by Herbert Locke, who is a professor at University of Washington. He gave a great talk at the Earl Lectures titled "America and the Theocratic Vision: Why America is Not a Christian Nation (and, Pray God, Never Will Be)". It was a fantastic talk, which looked at the original failure to create a Christian nation by the Puritans.

He made a fascinating point, one which makes a whole lot of sense, and is a different perspective than I’d been thinking of this whole thing. My standard perspective about this is that we can’t, and shouldn’t be a Christian nation because all faiths (and people of no faith) need to be fully a part of and empowered in our society, etc. I’m sure he would agree with this perspective, but his approach was one that really speaks specifically to Christians, about Christians.

His point was that the Protestant concept of the "priesthood of all believers" that is, the idea that one is free to interpret scripture for oneself, and determine God’s will for oneself, and not be dependent upon a hierarchy for interpretation of God’s will, by necessity promotes democracy, and empowers dissent. The desire for theocracy by the Puritans was done in by the democratic nature of Protestantism, and the basic idea that everyone is free to interpret God’s will for themselves. And that we should never, like they did, confuse the kingdom of God (which is always an ideal) with any nation state.

It’s just the same now. Fundamentalists don’t get to decide for everyone how to interpret scripture, or how to decide what God’s will is, just like the Puritans didn’t 300 years ago. And we cannot let them continue to proclaim the ridiculous notion that the U.S. is God’s chosen instrument.

So perhaps again, that inherently democratic (and messy, and chaotic, and wondrous) process of each individual having the right to decide for themselves how to interpret God’s manifestation in their own lives, will eventually hoist the fundamentalists on their own petard.

technorati tags: christianity, protestant, puritans, progressive, fundamentalists

For those of you who have lived in Berkeley, you know the Berkeley Bowl. I knew about it, but it was always so crowded, and impossible to find parking, that I avoided it. But then, one Monday morning at 10:00 (perfect time to go) I went shopping. And I was a happy camper. I finally found a way to get good, wholesome food without breaking the (at this point tiny little) bank, like I would by going to Whole Foods (commonly nicknamed whole paycheck, or whole checkbook).

There is an entry on Tree Hugger about an article on Alternet - which puts Whole Foods to the WalMart test: can an entry-level employee at Whole Foods afford to shop there, even with the discount? The answer is, of course, no.

It’s nice to know that yes, Virginia, it is possible to get good wholesome food, at prices that won’t make you broke. Farmer’s markets, CSA programs, co-ops (I left the Pioneer Valley just in time for the River Valley Market coop to get going in Northampton) etc., provide a nice alternative to Whole Foods, which is, after all, simply another publicly traded company, and its major mission is to maximize profit for shareholders, not provide good, healthy, wholesome food at reasonable prices. Yes, they pay better than WalMart, but that’s hardly saying much, and they remain ardently anti-union. It’s nice to have alternatives.

technorati tags: organic, food, coops, berkeley, walmart

Remember Zork? I can’t even begin to think about how many hours my twenty-something self spent exploring the text-only adventure world of Zork. I loved Zork. Two friends independently sent me this hilarious post from defective yeti, which is a blog I have come across, but don’t read regularly. It’s hilarious. Even if you don’t remember Zork, you’ll still get a kick out of it. And, sadly, it’s all too true.

Oval OfficeYou are standing inside a White House, having just been elected to the presidency of the United States. You knew Scalia would pull through for you.

There is a large desk here, along with a few chairs and couches. The presidential seal is in the middle of the room and there is a full-length mirror upon the wall.

What do you want to do now?

> INVADE IRAQYou are not able to do that, yet.

> LOOK MIRRORSelf-reflection is not your strong suit.

> PET SEALIt’s not that kind of seal.

> EXAMINE CHAIRSThey are two several chairs arranged around the center of the room, along with two couches. Under one couch you find Clinton’s shoes.

…

technorati tags: zork, georgew, bush, iraq

In the five gazillion blog entries I will not catch up on, was this entry from Treehugger - a great environmental blog. It turns out, that Sweden’s goal is to eliminate the use of fossil fuels by the year 2020. Yay Sweden! If they can do it, we can do it. It takes conscious effort, a bit of money for research, and political will. None of which seems to be present in this country. I hope that perhaps Sweden’s example will help. Unfortunately, my bet is that Sweden will be sitting pretty while we’re living the end of oil nightmare.

technorati tags: energy, environment, oil, sweden