John A Wilde

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2012-02-15T09:56:00.001-05:00

+ Shuck and Jive offers "Time for a Rebellion" by John Shuck. Excerpt: "I care that human beings will somehow manage to survive all the catastrophes ahead and preserve enough knowledge and hope to keep eating, breeding, and surviving, so that a remnant may start again in a few centuries and be the green shoot that will flourish for millions of years."

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2012-02-14T13:45:00.000-05:00

+ There are a few new quotes and other links and thoughts at the Abundancetrek page on Love. + I guess my favorite is the one by Teilhard de Chardin: "The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, humankind will have discovered fire."

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2012-02-09T14:38:00.000-05:00

+ C'mon. Get up and dance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXADx5ZosNc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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2012-02-08T14:00:00.001-05:00

+ This is fascinating. Go to http://www.centerforsacredsciences.org/publications/nothing-to-fear-but-fear.htm

Excerpt:

If Joel had been there when I was fifteen—or somebody like Joel, who knew what was happening—I might have saved 30 years of searching. That's one of the problems with our society. No one understands the nature of mystical experiences. You go to your parents, and there's shame. They say, "What's the matter with you? Don't think about things like that! It's the drugs. Drugs are bad. You're bad." Even the psychiatrists don't understand, because they're also living in delusion. So there's no support at all.

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2012-02-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

+ “Too often we believe thatif we had "a little more of this" or "a little more ofthat," our lives would be better. But would they really? Real abundancecomes not from without, but from deep within. Recognizing that we are alreadyrich—rich in spirit—is where genuine abundance dwells.” – Laura V. Hyde < http://getmotivation.com/prosperity/abundance-lhyde.htm

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2012-02-05T09:52:00.000-05:00

+ Wecan live in heaven even while we live on earth. No doubt about it. Enjoy! Be glad all over!

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2012-02-01T16:03:00.002-05:00

+ COMPASSION is at the heart of creation. The more compassionate we are, the more alive we are ... awake, aware, connected. Some of the characteristics of compassion are: Gentleness, Patience, Mercy, Humility, Kindness, Courage, Friendship, Honesty, Hope, Humor, Tolerance, Respect, Perseverance, Curiosity, Empathy, Trust, Devotion, and an Attitude of Gratitude.

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2012-01-30T14:15:00.001-05:00

+ Day Light Day Bright offers a great quote by Henry Van Dyke: "Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice; but for those who love, time is eternity."

+ Alternet offers offers "How Ayn Rand Seduced Generations of Young Men and Helped Make the U.S. Into a Selfish, Greedy Nation" by By Bruce E. Levine. It begins: "Thanks in part to Rand, the United States is one of the most uncaring nations in the industrialized world."

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2012-01-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

+ updated at 2:52pm EST on Friday, January 27, 2012

+ Devotion is one of the twelve heavenly practices on the amazing journey to sustainable abundance. I have collected a few of my favorite resources for this practice. Here goes:

+ The Mindfulness Bell can be set toremind you to take Mindfulness breaks.

+ Gratefulnessoffers a Gratefulness Word for the Day.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers a wise and insightful DailyPractice.

+ Spirituality & Practiceoffers a great guideto the spiritual practice of devotion by Frederic & Mary Ann Brussatwho also cover many other practices at their amazing website. Theyhave written thousands of book reviews, movie reviews, compilations of engagingquotes and educational guides.

+ InnerFrontier offers JosephNaft on the Practice of Devotion.

+ Inner Frontier offers Joseph Naft on thePractice of Prayer. It begins: "Prayer is the heart of the spiritualpath. When you ponder why this universe exists, you might speculate that theCreator needs beings who can pray, that in prayer a necessary exchange ofenergies and will flows between the created and the Creator."

+ Inner Frontier Weekly Work

+ The Church of I Am

+ Daily Word-- Unity's DAILY WORD is a devotional booklet used by millions. You can be apart of a global community united for peace and healing.

+ Daily Zen-- Zen Buddhism is closely associated with the Chinese TAO TE CHING. I havefound enormous inspiration and guidance by turning to this source often.

+ The Lectionary -- TheLectionary is a great way to read through the Bible on a daily and/or weeklybasis. Many Christian churches use the Lectionary.

+ Hymns -- While this particularwebsite is Presbyterian, it connects to other hymn websites. Start singing asyou listen to the audio accompaniment which is often provided!

+ Centering Prayer & Lectio Divina -- Father ThomasKeating has brought new life to ancient practices of the church.

+ A Course inMiracles -- I think you have to buy the book. I don't think the courseis on the web. I may be wrong. I have found ACIM to be a fantastic and verychalleging course developing a heavenly way of thinking beyond any egoattachment. I have been working on the text and the 365 lessons since 1989.ACIM is definitely not for everybody although a course in miracles in one formor another is a required course. Mary Ann Williamson applies many of theprinciples of ACIM in her books, lectures and website. For many, she makes ACIMcomprehensible!

+ WahiduddinNet offers A Daily Bowl of Saki, awonderful devotional tool on the Sufi practice of love.

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2012-01-23T09:14:00.001-05:00

+ updated at 9:57am EST on Monday, January 23, 2012.

+ Spiritual Literacy Blog offers "Just One Thing: Tune Into Others" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. Excerpt:

Empathy can be defined as the capacity to understand and respond to the unique experience of another. It is a skill that can be developed at an early age and applied to mend relationships and conflicts. We can sharpen our empathy by asking the right questions, avoiding snap judgments, learning from the past, and setting limits.

+ Inner Frontier offers another weekly installment in the Inner Work series on Sacred Impulses by Joseph Naft. This week's offering is on Joy. Here's an excerpt:

At the level of being conscious and fully aware, we rise into a natural, un-caused joy. We are suffused with joy in our awareness itself. Our very presence is joy. Sharing moments with friends and loved ones brings us joy. Taking actions that serve others brings us joy. Being useful, creative, or spontaneous brings us joy. Doing something well brings us joy. Dropping the burdens of egoism, dropping the defense of our pretenses, dropping our clinging, we are released into joy. We even feel empathetic joy in others’ joys. Our joy is no longer limited or in any way dependent. We live in joy.

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2012-01-21T15:53:00.000-05:00

+ My page on Stillness has a new look. It is easier to get to the links.

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2012-01-20T11:51:00.002-05:00

+ Here near Utica NY the sky has turned blue after a tiny bit of snow, much less than predicted.

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2012-01-18T11:24:00.000-05:00

+ Talking Points Memo offers "SOPA/PIPA Supporters Blast ‘Blackout Day’" by Carl Franzen. This article presents both sides. It seems like the legislation does have a good intent. But it could be used for censorship.

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2012-01-17T14:20:00.000-05:00

+ Naomi Klein has contributed immensely to our understanding of the effects of the radical capitalist policies which have increasingly dominated our planet for the past 4 decades. A few get fabulously wealthy while most of the rest of us see either little change or see our material wealth decline. Many have been reduced to poverty by these policies which its advocates still say will improve the lives of everyone.

She wrote SHOCK DOCTRINE which tells how the disciples of Milton Friedman have used crisis situations over and over again to implement these radical policies. Often they have taken advantage of situatons during and after some horrible repressive events such as the coup which overthrew the popularly elected Marxist president of Chile in 1973. There is now a documentary named SHOCK DOCTRINE which tells the stories of some of these terrible events.

Please watch it. Get informed. Try to change these destructive policies so often supported by the governments of the planet including the USA, the UK, Russia and Israel. Find ways to change policies.

Sadly, a vote for the Democrats here in the USA is not nearly enough since many Democrats support these repressive policies including, apparently, President Obama. At least he has done little to stop them.

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2012-01-16T09:48:00.000-05:00

+ updated at 10:04am EST on Monday, January 16, 2012 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR HOLIDAY + Frigid along the Erie Canal

+ The Charter for Compassion is a document that transcends religious, ideological, and national differences. Supported by leading thinkers from many traditions, the Charter activates the Golden Rule around the world. Read the Charter.

+ Here is the Gratefulness Word for the Day offered by Gratefulness.org:

Bless those who challenge us for they remind us of doors we have closed and doors we have yet to open. -- Native American Prayer

+ Here is the Spiritual Practice of the Day offered by Spirituality and Practice:

I am the caterpillar or the ant that the bird is looking for to eat, but I am also the bird that is looking for the caterpillar or the ant. I am the forest that is being cut down. I am the rivers and the air that are being polluted, and I am also the person who cuts down the forest and pollutes the rivers and the air. I see myself in all species, and I see all species in me. — Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village Chanting and Recitation Book / To Practice This Thought: Put aside the attitudes that separate you from all the rest of the Creation.

+ It is the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Here is a powerful statement he included in several speeches:

"Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."

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2012-01-12T12:20:00.000-05:00

+ Spiritual Literacy Blog offers "Does Twitter Prove We're Getting Sadder?" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. Excerpt: "Sadness is an honest response to the deep losses and the genuine suffering that people are experiencing. The challenges of this era call upon us all to focus on the inner work that enables us to develop the spiritual qualities — patience, resiliency, equanimity, joy, perseverance, hope — necessary to carry on despite the hard times."

APOLOGY TO MY FOLLOWERS

2012-01-11T12:51:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted much lately on my 3 blogs. I apologize to anybody who has come to read my blog posts with some regularity. You deserve better. I guess I have been distracted when I get in front of the screen by my Twitter and Facebook activities which I do find useful but I don't want my blogs to suffer.

So, I do intend to make a new effort to restore my blogging as a priority in my life. I would love to see my number of followers increase. That will depend on some consistency on my part in both quality and quantity.

I do think I have something unique to offer as we trek together toward more compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance on this planet.

Here goes!

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2012-01-11T12:35:00.000-05:00

+ Here is some powerful political analysis dealing with the New Hampshire primary, the concerns of the Occupy and Tea Party movements, the appeal of Libertarian Ron Paul and more > http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/11/rivals_attacks_on_romneys_corporate_record

STILL WAITING BUT GOD IS HERE AND I AM SEEKING AWARENESS

2011-12-24T14:29:00.004-05:00

God is with us. Right here. Right now.

Light overcomes darkness at all times, at this time, all the time.

It doesn't always seem that way. We live life sometimes as if we are separated from God and from each other. Christmas changes that. We become aware of our unity with our creator and all creation.

This awareness is a gift from God. Sometimes it comes as a result of our spiritual practice. But there is no guarantee that any particular method will bring about this awareness. So, there are times when the only thing left to do is wait for God to give us this awareness. It comes in the fulness of time and we have no control over that.

Some people believe that the fullness of time has something to do with the calendar, the clock. On such and such a day Christ will come again. We have waited a long time for that to happen. It was supposed to happen this year according to some of the faithful. I see the fullness of time in a different way. Christ comes, awareness comes, unity comes, whenever the gift of love is given and received. This happens at all times, all the time, at this time. May we experience this amazing love today, tomorrow and all days.

love, john + www.abundancetrek.com + If there is anything I have learned about men and women, it is that there is a deeper spirit of altruism than is ever evident. Just as the rivers we see are minor compared to the underground streams, so, too, the idealism that is visible is minor compared to what people carry in their hearts unreleased or scarcely released. -- Dr. Albert Schweitzer (thanks to www.peterrussell.com - a quote of the moment)

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2011-12-12T11:10:00.002-05:00

+ TruthDig offers “Where Were You When They Crucified My Lord?” by Chris Hedges. It begins: "The Occupy movement is the force that will revitalize traditional Christianity in the United States or signal its moral, social and political irrelevance. The mainstream church, battered by declining numbers and a failure to defiantly condemn the crimes and cruelty of the corporate state, as well as a refusal to vigorously attack the charlatans of the Christian right, whose misuse of the Gospel to champion unfettered capitalism, bigotry and imperialism is heretical, has become a marginal force in the life of most Americans, especially the young." READ IT ALL.

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2011-12-09T09:39:00.001-05:00

+ Remember Compassionate Conservatism? Not so long ago there was actually some political unity supporting efforts to help the poor. In "The Disappearance of the Compassionate Conservatives", Jim Wallis of Sojourners pleads for the GOP to find its heart again.

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2011-12-07T13:57:00.001-05:00

+ For many years I have appreciated the motto: THINK GLOBALLY. ACT LOCALLY. And so now I am involved in the local Green Movement. Naturally the current focus is on Fracking since it is threatening to become a reality in much of upstate New York.

GreenLocal175 is working in a number of areas. Lately the leader, Richard Morris, has begun hosting a weekly radio show on the Utica College station, WPNR 90.7 fm. It is on every Tuesday from 6pm to 8pm. Fracking was the topic last night.

One of the guests, Bonnie Reynolds, is the campaign coordinator for Hydro Relief which is actively opposing any and all fracking in New York.

COFFEE BREAK 305

2011-12-02T10:18:00.001-05:00

+ SojoNet offers "What's Next for the Occupiers" by Bill McKibben

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2011-11-30T12:06:00.001-05:00

+ I found a couple of paragraphs in the Advent & Christmas Spirituality and Practice Course particularly meaningful yesterday:

We are in bondage today to so many things. We are held captive by expectations — to do the best, to have the most, to be the happiest, to know the right thing always to say and do and be. We are bound by expectations — from others, of ourselves.

Held captive by our status in life, by possessions, we feel that we must make decisions not just for today but also for retirement, for a spouse's security, for the future of real or anticipated children or grandchildren. We don't travel light like Jesus did. We have possessions to take care of and protect, worldly responsibilities that demand priority in our lives.
-- Beth Richardson

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2011-11-29T14:24:00.001-05:00

+ The Spiritual Literacy Blog invites us to dance! Read "Chief Unready" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. They reflect on some recent thoughts about dancing by Robert Fulghum and they offer this great quote by Rumi:

Dance, when you're broken open.

Dance, if you've torn the bandage off.

Dance in the middle of the fighting.

Dance in your blood.

Dance, when you're perfectly free.

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2011-11-28T16:12:00.001-05:00

+ The Sparrow Project offers "The Declaration of the Occupation of New York City" and is asking people to "help us raise the funds needed to print & distribute 100,000 copies of the Declaration of the Occupation via Kickstarter. This is definitely worth reading and contemplating, praying and acting.

+ Truthdig offers "Chalk One Up for the 99%" by Andy Kroll. It begins: "On the evening of November 8th, Occupy Wall Street, the populist uprising built on economic justice and corruption-free politics that’s spread like a lit match hitting a trail of gasoline, notched its first major political victory in the unlikeliest of places: Ohio."

+ Spirituality and Practice is always offering wonderful e-courses. I have just begun Child of the Light with Beth Richardson led by Beth Richardson, Sharon Conley, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. The Course promo says: "This Advent/Christmas e-course is based on Richardson's book Child of the Light. It is designed to help you find a quiet center, a time out from busyness, to be with God. Daily emails include readings, reflections, and prayers inspired by Advent hymns ..."

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2011-11-19T14:21:00.000-05:00

+ Paul Krugman on the Super Committee: "Failure is Good"

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2011-11-18T12:57:00.002-05:00

+ Shuck and Jive offers "Sex and the Presbyterian Obsession" by John Shuck which now includes some interesting and informative comments including two by me.

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2011-10-27T14:37:00.005-04:00

+ updated at 3:31pm ESDT on Thursday, October 27, 2011

+ I sent an e-mail to a Far Right organization called The Traditional Values Coalition which is leading an effort to cut the NIH budget by tens of millions. Here it is:

Dear Friends at the Traditional Values Coalition:

Really sad to see that you have such misdirected priorities when it comes to a moral federal budget. We need to cut the bloated Pentagon budget. We need to tax the rich who are benefitting so much from living here. We need to make sure our poor and sick have a strong safety net. Read the prophets. Read Jesus. Believe me, they would not be Republicans protecting the rich while the Middle Class and Poor are increasinglly cut off from our economic system.

I am sure NIH is not perfect but the research they do is vital. Targeting the NIH is simply misguided when it comes to making our budget moral. It is not very moral but that's not the reason. Again, read the prophets. Read Jesus. Read James. Find out what Christians and other compassionate people should be concerned about. Economic Justice is ALWAYS the priority of people of faith. I will pray that you see the Light and turn your attention to that traditional value.

love, john + http://www.abundancetrek.com/ + “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

+ Sojo.net is featuring this quote:

I advocate military engagement when I think it’s necessary, but really you can get more bang for your buck from civilian programs than you can from military engagement most of the time. You’ve got to have more options than just dropping bombs on people.
– South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, on why he’s working to protect foreign aid from budget cuts. (Source: McClatchy News)

Think how much good will we would create on the planet if we would spend tens of billions on all kinds of basic human needs rather than on military campaigns.

COFFEE BREAK 298

2011-10-19T08:44:00.005-04:00

+ updated at 10:49am on Wednesday, October 19, 2011

+ Yesterday I heard Diane Rehm interview Lawrence Lessig who has just published Republic Lost. You can hear this interview.

+ Perhaps you have 7 minutes to watch an informative clip from Monday night's Jon Stewart show. He interviews Ellen Schultz who has just published Retirement Heist. The greed at the top of so much of our business community caused many retirement funds to go from very secure to very insecure in the past decade. Go to the interview.

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2011-10-17T11:51:00.010-04:00

+ updated at 2:22pm ESDT on Monday, October 17, 2011.

+ In "America's 'Primal Scream," Nicholas D. Kristoff offers some important reflections on the Occupy Wall Street movement. He says it's resonating because most of us are quite aware of the growing income inequality here in the USA and elsewhere.

+ In "A Movement Too Big to Fail," Chris Hedges offers some important reflections on the Occupy Wall Street movement. It begins: "There is no danger that the protesters who have occupied squares, parks and plazas across the nation in defiance of the corporate state will be co-opted by the Democratic Party or groups like MoveOn. The faux liberal reformers, whose abject failure to stand up for the rights of the poor and the working class, have signed on to this movement because they fear becoming irrelevant."

+ In his latest sermon, The Myth of the Call, John Shuck has some very profound thoughts about the call of Abram and how it relates both positively and negatively to our current movements for compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance. Here is the conclusion of that sermon:

The myth of the call is rooted in patriarchal spirituality. The figure is Abraham. He gets the divine summons to leave what is familiar, to leave his comfort zone, and to be a blessing. The call to be a blessing is a source of power that we can tap into in our contemporary movements for justice and peace, such as the movement taking place around the country. That call to go out and demonstrate, to dream of change, and to act is a powerful and necessary thing.

The shadow of the call is fanaticism. Abram’s call involved a displacement of the Canaanites and the willingness to kill his own son for this vision. There is delusion, fanaticism, carelessness, and ruthlessness associated with this call. Abram needs a partner. He needs a strong Sarai. Before going off to sacrifice their son, he might ask her opinion first.

If there is a call, it is to all of us. It is a call to be as well as to do. The values of relationship, companionship, diversity, wisdom, partnership, nurturing, and compassion will make our movement for social and economic justice stronger, more sustainable, and will enlarge that circle of blessing.

+ It is high time for us Presbyterians to do what some courageous, prophetic Methodists are doing. Go to http://johnshore.com/2011/10/17/methodist-ministers-to-perform-gay-weddings-despite-ban/.

By the way, some prophetic and courageous Presbyterians are doing GLBT weddings but more are needed.

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2011-10-14T14:28:00.002-04:00

+ Jim Wallis, a longtime prophetic voice and activist for peace and justice offers some great thoughts on the causes of the success so far of Occupy Wall Street.
http://blog.sojo.net/2011/10/13/an-open-letter-to-the-occupiers-from-a-veteran-troublemaker/

COFFEE BREAK 295

2011-09-30T14:35:00.000-04:00

+ Elizabeth Warren is speaking out boldly for the wealthy and privileged to pay their fair share. See and hear her at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htX2usfqMEs

COFFEE BREAK 294

2011-09-23T12:27:00.000-04:00

+ Krugman's clarity about our current state of economic injustice is on display again at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/opinion/krugman-the-social-contract.html

COFFEE BREAK 293

2011-09-17T10:44:00.002-04:00

+ updated at 12:34pm ESDT on Friday, September 23, 2011

+ (My September 17 post) At last ... A good night at Fenway. The Red Sox improved their chances of being in the play offs with a big win over the Rays last night 4-3. Josh Beckett was the stopper. David Ortiz got the big hits.

Sept 23 UPDATE: But that was the end of the joy at Fenway. The disastrous homestand continued after that and the chances of the Red Sox making the play offs deteriorates daily.

COFFEE BREAK 292

2011-09-16T10:49:00.001-04:00

+ Updated at 11:53am ESDT on Friday, September 16, 2011

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "Praying the News: For Americans Living in Poverty" responding to the sickening news that our poverty rate is now the highest since the Census Bureau began collecting this data 52 years ago. I realize this sickening poverty rate is not Obama's fault but he should be fighting much harder for the wealthy to pay their fair share. Sadly he is all too often enabling the plutocrats who are causing this poverty. He seeks to unite with them even though they repeatedly show they do not care about the masses. For the past 30 years, the top 2 or 3 per cent have been taking more and more while the rest of us have either gained very little or have lost ground.

+ Here is something I found on Facebook (or, rather it found me!) which appers to be informative and prophetic > http://www.facebook.com/PublicReligion

+ Today's quote at the Spiritual Practice of the Day is something worth thinking about and praying about:

A society based on universal compassion is not just our only hope; it is an evolutionary imperative.

— Marc Ian Barasch in Field Notes on the Compassionate Life: A Search for the Soul of Kindness

COFFEE BREAK 291

2011-09-15T14:32:00.002-04:00

+ updated at 2:44pm ESDT on Thursday, September 15, 2011

+ The Spiritual Literacy Blog is always informative, often inspiring and prophetic. Here are two recent posts worth reading and considering.

Terry Tempest Williams Interview | It Would Be a Pity to Waste a Good Crisis

+ Oh dear. The Red Sox were in first place when I left the country 5 weeks ago ago but now they trail the Yankees by 4 games. What happened?

COFFEE BREAK 290

2011-09-14T09:30:00.005-04:00

+ updated at 12:36pm ESDT on Wednesday, September 14, 2011

+ Here is a great line from a great sermon recently preached by Barrett Lee:

The paradoxical irony of heaven’s economy is that those who keep forgiveness for themselves will lose it while those who give it away will keep it forever.

+ I am back from a month of travel in England and Scotland. I have been blogging about it at The Abundancetrek Travel Blog. You will find a link to some beautiful sunset photos.

+ My friend John Shuck is reading a good book and, of course, blogging about it at Breaking Up With God (Part 1) and Breaking Up With God (Part 2) and Meaning of Life, Part 72. Here is a quote from Sarah Sentilles, Breaking Up With God: A Love Story. She quotes Louis Dupre:

"I need God for all I am, Dupre said. And God needs me for all God is. God needs me to be God. God is the life force of everything that is, he said. God is everywhere, the core of everything that is. Most Christains and Jews are too afraid of pantheism to admit this, he said. Mystics are not afraid of pantheism. They know if God is not in the movement of my fingers, then God does not exist."

COFFEE BREAK 289

2011-08-05T09:44:00.010-04:00

+ updated at 12:42pm ESDT on Friday, August 5, 2011

+ A married Lesbian couple rushed into action during and after the Norwegian massacre. Why haven't we heard about this? Go to http://talkaboutequality.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/if-a-married-lesbian-couple-saves-40-teens-from-the-norway-massacre-and-no-one-writes-about-it-did-it-really-happen/

+ According to Jim Sleeper, Obama has the right vision but the plutocrats know how to stop him all the time in every way. Read "The Republic after Obama" by Jim Sleeper.

+ I discovered "Brave New World, Redux" by Jon Taplin. It is a thoughtful and distressing essay on the same theme as the Sleeper article, Economic Justice. Read the essay

COFFEE BREAK 288

2011-08-04T16:53:00.001-04:00

+ updated at 5:46pm ESDT on Thursday, August 4, 2011

+ Salon offers "Asthma and Clean Air: One Mother’s Fight in Texas" by Marcia G. Yerman. Excerpt: "I recently listened to a call sponsored by the League of Women Voters that discussed the need for citizens to be proactive. The participant that engaged me on a visceral level was Alexandra Allred, the mother of an asthmatic child. Her comments stayed with me as an example of a mother who had decided that speaking up and acting on her beliefs was essential—not just for her son, but also for the 7.1 million other children who have asthma."

COFFEE BREAK 287

2011-08-03T09:40:00.002-04:00

+ updated at 10:18 on Wednesday, August 3, 2011

+ I thought I would see if W2AVS could be found on the Internet and sure enough I found it. W2AVS was my Dad's Radio Amateur Call Letters from 1929 until he let it expire around 1940. Later he got K2KJ, a really good one, because he was in a special category of early hams. Go to http://hamgallery.com/qsl/country/USA/New_York/w2avs.htm

My dad is now 99 and lives in Chapel Hill NC.

+ September 24 has been designated as a day for worldwide action on behalf of dealing with the climate change crisis. Here is a website devoted to this movement: http://www.moving-planet.org/

COFFEE BREAK 286

2011-07-20T10:09:00.001-04:00

+ TPJ magazine offers "The Curse" by Loren Adams. This is a very insightful and very disturbing article about the current polarization here in the USA.

COFFEE BREAK 285

2011-07-19T14:49:00.001-04:00

+ Joyful Wandering -- 23 has begun on The Abundancetrek Blog. Comments welcome unless you post anonymously or with hostility.

+ I hope you enjoy the Playing for Change video up above this post (for now). You can get to it with this permalink.

COFFEE BREAK 284

2011-07-11T09:59:00.004-04:00

+ updated at 11:45am ESDT on Monday, July 11, 2011

+ Joyful Wandering -- 22 has begun at The Abundancetrek Blog.

+ Are the Republicans acting like a responsible political party? The Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks believes that they are not. A week ago, he wrote a scathing column, "The Mother of All No-Brainers." Excerpt: "The struggles of the next few weeks are about what sort of party the G.O.P. is — a normal conservative party or an odd protest movement that has separated itself from normal governance, the normal rules of evidence and the ancient habits of our nation." Read it all.

+ The Red Sox kept their hold on first place for the All-Star break as they swept the Orioles this week-end. Yankees took 2 out of 3 from Tampa Bay including a historic win when Derek Jeter got his 3000th hit with a homerun as well as a 5 for 5 day. Wow!

COFFEE BREAK 283

2011-07-08T09:28:00.001-04:00

+ The Red Sox delighted their fans last night by hitting 6 unanswered homeruns, defeating the Orioles 10-4 and moving back into first place as the Yankees lost to the Rays.

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2011-07-05T14:34:00.000-04:00

+ I'm back! I have been dealing with some other things but blogging is dear to my heart so you can count on more of these Coffee Break posts.

+ I just posted JOYFUL WANDERING -- 21 at The Abundancetrek Blog. This post will remain open for a few days and I am always hoping for some dialogue. In other words, comments welcome as long as they are sincere and from trustworthy correspondents.

+ As Baseball approaches mid-season and the All-Star Break, the Red Sox and Yankees are battling for first place in the American League East. The Yankees have been practically unbeatable for the past 3 weeks but have lost 2 in a row. They are one and a half games ahead of the Red Sox who have won 4 out of their last 5.

COFFEE BREAK 281

2011-06-22T13:27:00.001-04:00

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "The Happiest Countries in the World" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat.

Guess What? The USA ranks in the middle or toward the bottom in the category of affluent nations.

COFFEE BREAK 280

2011-06-07T12:37:00.001-04:00

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "Stop the Granny Bashing" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat.

Excerpt 1: "Less than one-third of Americans know that low-income elders now pay 25 % of their incomes for health care out-of-pocket, despite having Medicare."

Excerpt 2: "Only one in five knew that nearly 6 million older Americans are at risk of going hungry."

Excerpt 3: "The way a society takes care of its oldest members is a sign of its moral worth. Right now, things are looking bad for both senior citizens and America."

COFFEE BREAK 279

2011-05-05T09:09:00.000-04:00

+ The New York Times offers "The Torture Apologists" saying that efforts to justify torture after the killing of Osama bin Laden are cynical and destructive.

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2011-05-04T12:32:00.000-04:00

+ Red Sox versus Angels 6-0; Red Sox versus Blue Jays 3-1; Red Sox versus Yankees 2-1. Red Sox versus The Rest of the League 3-13. Since starting the season by going 2-10, the Sox have gone 12-5 and they now stand at 14-15. Go Sox!

COFFEE BREAK 277

2011-05-03T11:56:00.002-04:00

+ Thanks to Spirituality and Practice, I discovered that Sojourners offers "How Should We Respond to the Death of Osama bin Laden?" by Jim Wallis. Excerpt: "We didn’t get bin Laden as a casualty of bombing raids or drone attacks on the city that harbored him; instead, this was the result of careful intelligence and a laser-like focus on the man most responsible for 9/11. Some of us believe that should have been the U.S. strategy from the beginning." Read it all.

COFFEE BREAK 276

2011-04-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

+ More Light Presbyterians offers "An Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church From One of Your Baptized Kids" by Michael Adee. I am including this in its entirety as the Presbyterian Church (USA) gets closer and closer to realizing the vision of More Light which so many of us have desired for so long:

Grace and peace to all of you. I was baptized as an infant at First Presbyterian Church, Billings, Montana. I was taught faith, Scripture, the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and confirmed at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sulphur, Louisiana. As a kid and teenager, I loved going to church and being part of a church family. I sang in our church choir with my Dad, loved our youth group of four and the all-church potluck dinners. I had Jesus' bumper stickers on my 1963 VW bug when I was in high school. I probably annoyed some of my friends in high school and college with my Christian zeal.

When I affirmed being gay in my late twenties, the Church was no longer a safe or loving place for me, so I left the Church. I give thanks to God for being loved back to faith by Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. I was ordained and installed as an Elder there. I've served as an Elder at Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati and First Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I began serving as a volunteer with More Light Presbyterians in 1991 and on staff since 1999. I would not be in the Presbyterian Church, or in any church, if not for Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church and their unconditional welcome and invitation to serve God with them.

I believe the 219th General Assembly's Ordination Amendment 10-A offers this kind of unconditional welcome and invitation to faith, grace, salvation, church membership and ministry to all of God's children, not just some.

I've put a lot of my heart, thought, reflection on Scripture, prayer and my life experience into why I wholeheartedly support 10-A and believe it is a gift for God for our Church right now. Our Church will more lovingly and accurately reflect God's heart with the approval of 10-A.

My Top Ten Reasons to Support Amendment 10-A

1. This amendment returns our Church to the historic Presbyterian way of focusing upon faith and character as qualifications for ministry, not martial status or sexual orientation.

2. This amendment honors God's call to ministry and the recognition of gifts for ministry given by God to people regardless of gender, race, marital status, sexual orientation or other human differences.

3. This amendment allows for local congregations to call ministers, elders and deacons who can best meet the needs within their own communities.

4. This amendment affirms the moral equality of all persons and ends discrimination based upon marital status or sexual orientation.

5. This amendment affirms God's diverse creation that we can see in Scripture and in our life together in community.

6. This amendment affirms the gift of love by God to persons not limited by gender or race; and it provides support for the beautifully diverse and sacred reality of love and faithfulness experienced by couples and families in our world today.

7. This amendment allows our Church the chance to shift from 37 years of debate, legislation and judicial cases about sexual orientation and to place our energies on mission, service and a hurting world that needs our care and ministry.

8. This amendment is a helpful solution to the 14 years of departure from the historic Presbyterian standards for ordination. It's time to be honest, G-6.0106b has failed our Church. This "fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness" requirement has brought nothing but hurt, suspicion, division and driven people away from our Church.

9. This amendment affirms that God's creation, God's love, God's grace and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are available for all persons, not just some.

10. This amendment affirms Jesus' commandment for us to love God, neighbor and self; and to recognize as Jesus' taught that all persons are neighbor in God's world, no exceptions.

Imagine, dream, pray and work with me for a new way of being Church and serving in our world with the passage of 10-A.

with hope and grace,
Michael

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2011-04-26T09:19:00.002-04:00

+ updated at 1:10pm ESDT on Tuesday, April 26, 2011

+ I love Baseball and particularly the Red Sox. I waited along with the rest of New England for a team to finally win a World Series. 1918 was a long time ago. I was a fan when they won the American League pennant in 1967 but lost the World Series in 7 games to the St. Louis Cardinals. Then, in 1975, they lost in 7 games to the Cincinnati Reds. And the same thing happened in 1986, this time to the Mets. But then, finally, in 2004, the miracle happened. They lost the first 3 games in the American League Championship Series to the Yankees. But then won the next 4. They went on to sweep the Cardinals in the World Series. It had been 86 years. It was a long wait for New England and all Sox fans. Then, in 2007, the Sox won another World Series.

This year, the experts predicted a banner season for the Sox as they strengthened their batting line-up with some high salary talent and continue to have a strong pitching staff. But it didn't start out the way the experts predicted. They lost their first 6 games in Texas and Cleveland. The Yankees came to town and the Red Sox showed some life, taking 2 out of 3. But then came 3 more losses. 2 and 10!

But now, Red Sox Nation is full of hope once again because our heroes have won 8 out of the last 9 including the last 5 in a row. 10 and 11. Go Sox!

+ TruthDig offers "The Corporate State Wins Again" by Chris Hedges. It begins: "When did our democracy die? When did it irrevocably transform itself into a lifeless farce and absurd political theater? When did the press, labor, universities and the Democratic Party—which once made piecemeal and incremental reform possible—wither and atrophy? When did reform through electoral politics become a form of magical thinking? When did the dead hand of the corporate state become unassailable?" Read it all.

COFFEE BREAK 274

2011-04-22T10:42:00.004-04:00

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. This is a Spiritual Literacy Blog post commenting on an article by Joseph Stiglitz in Vanity Fair.

I really appreciate the emphasis on Justice and Fairness Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat continue to offer. Spirituality without genuine efforts on behalf of compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance is no spirituality at all.

EARTH DAY 2011

2011-04-22T10:13:00.000-04:00

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "12 Spiritual Practices to Honor the Earth" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat.

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2011-04-11T10:37:00.003-04:00

+ updated at 4:04pm ESDT on Monday, April 11, 2011

+ The New York Times offers "Religion Does Its Worst" by Roger Cohen. Excerpt: "I see why lots of people turn to religion — fear of death, ordering principle in a mysterious universe, refuge from pain, even revelation. But surely it’s meaningless without mercy and forgiveness, and surely its very antithesis must be hatred and murder. At least that’s how it appears to a nonbeliever." Read it all.

I put this link on my Facebook nwall with the following thought:

This is a Must Read because the Extremists in both Christianity and Islam must be exposed and challenged and changed. Other Religions too.

+ Must work on tax returns now!

+ Still delighted by the Red Sox victory last night: 4-0 over the Yankees at Fenway with Josh Beckett at the top of his game. Maybe the Sox are beginning to recover from their terrible start. They are 2-7 now.

+ TruthOut offers "Why the Right-Wing Bullies Will Hold The Nation Hostage Again and Again" by Robert Reich.

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2011-04-09T12:33:00.000-04:00

+ Red Sox finally won a game. Now 1-6. One of their worst ever starts.

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2011-04-08T09:51:00.007-04:00

+ updated at 11:12am ESDT on Friday, April 8, 2011

+ The New York Times offers "The Truth, Still Inconvenient" by Paul Krugman.

Excerpt 1: "So the joke begins like this: An economist, a lawyer and a professor of marketing walk into a room. What’s the punch line? They were three of the five “expert witnesses” Republicans called for last week’s Congressional hearing on climate science."

Excerpt 2: "For years now, large numbers of prominent scientists have been warning, with increasing urgency, that if we continue with business as usual, the results will be very bad, perhaps catastrophic. They could be wrong. But if you’re going to assert that they are in fact wrong, you have a moral responsibility to approach the topic with high seriousness and an open mind. After all, if the scientists are right, you’ll be doing a great deal of damage."

Read it all.

+ Christian Century offers "Climate Report" by the editors. Excerpt: "Many national leaders talk about cutting spending so as not to burden future generations with the deficits created by this generation. These same leaders seem to have no problem, however, burdening the next generation with an overheated Earth, nor do they mind letting the next generation be the one to invest in renewable and sustainable forms of energy."

COFFEE BREAK 270

2011-04-07T09:37:00.015-04:00

+ updated at 1:48pm ESDT on Thursday, April 7, 2011.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "The Return of the Class System" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat.

+ Alternet offers "What's Really at Stake With the GOP's Awful Budget Plan and the Coming Government Shutdown" by Robert Reich.

+ This is from the School of the Americas Watch: "SOA Watch is mobilizing for a gathering in Washington, DC from April 4-11, 2011 to take our demands to the White House, the halls of Congress, and other places where military and foreign policy decisions are made. We’ll be joining with many of our partners in the Anti-Militarization conference, lobbying on Capitol Hill and for a march to the White House on Sunday, April 10, followed by a nonviolent direct action to shut down the SOA/WHINSEC and to resist the increasing U.S. militarization of the Americas!"

COFFEE BREAK 269

2011-04-05T09:29:00.001-04:00

+ updated at 11:01am ESDT on Tuesday, April 5, 2011

+ Al Gore offers "Terrific Editorial in Today's Journal of the American Medical Association." Excerpt from the editorial: "Scientific evidence shows that the world's climate is changing and that the results have public health consequences. The American Medical Association is working to ensure that physicians and others in health care understand the rise in climate-related illnesses and injuries so they can prepare and respond to them."

+ For April only, PBS is offering "Journey to Planet Earth -- Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization" on the internet. This is a powerful documentary featuring Lester Brown who continues to warn us that civilization is under great stress and we must deal with bthe danger or face the consequences.

COFFEE BREAK 268

2011-03-31T10:04:00.000-04:00

+ Jim Hightower offers "Dealing with Joblessness by Causing More of it" by Jim Hightower.

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2011-03-30T10:22:00.004-04:00

+ updated at 11:03am ESDT on Wednesday, March 23, 2011

+ Inner Frontier offers "The Illusion of Self" by Joseph Naft. This is the first of 9 in The Path of Liberation Series which will be offered over the next 9 weeks. Here are the next 8: Cracks in the Illusion; Peace of Meditation; Coexistence; Exposing the Illusion; Freedom in Presence; Not Making Something of Nothing; Be Your Attention; I Am.

+ Democracy: A Journal of Ideas offers "First Principles: Arguing the Economy" by The Editors. They write: "As the economy begins to show signs of life, it's important that progressives own the recovery. Despite the fact that conservative policies plunged us into the economic crisis, the right's ideas continue to dominate the discourse. It's time for new ideas and arguments that can restore broad-based prosperity, and for a sharper critique of conservative economics."

+ Shuck and Jive offers "Rev. Sally Bingham in Johnson City this Week" by John Shuck. She is the founder of Interfaith Power and Light. The post feature a Johnson City Press article about the Green Interfaith Network of NE Tennessee and SW Virginia.

COFFEE BREAK 266

2011-03-25T10:18:00.004-04:00

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "Worry Less, Care More and Find Out What Love Is Before You Die" by Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat. It begins: "In an article on the Huffington Post, Buddhist author Lewis Richmond (A Whole Life's Work) notes that the rampant criticism of the Baby Boom Generation is that they are spoiled and coddled. It has been said that if they chose a bumper sticker, it would say: 'Life is hard and then you die.'" Read it all.

COFFEE BREAK 265

2011-03-24T09:44:00.005-04:00

+ updated at 10:20am ESDT on Thursday, March 24, 2011

+ Democracy Journal offers "The 'Hood Robin' Economy" by Ezra Klein, a book review of Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer—and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class by Jacob S. Hacker & Paul Pierson.

EXCERPT 1: "In 1973, if you put the 1 percent of the country that had made the most money in a room and got them to empty out their pockets, you’d see 8 percent of all the money paid out in wages over the last year falling to the floor. If you’d repeated that exercise in 2008, you’d find 18 percent of the economy’s income on the ground. You’d better have a pretty big room."

EXCERPT 2: “It is surely no coincidence,” they write, “that almost all the advanced industrial democracies that have seen little or no shift toward the top 1 percent have much stronger unions than does the United States.”

EXCERPT 3: "As unions weakened, the nonrich lost their loudest voice in Washington. And that meant they became quiet indeed."

EXCERPT 4: What their theory explains, in the end, is not so much why median wages stagnated and income inequality skyrocketed, but why the political system has been so feckless and haphazard about responding. A political system where unions held more clout and politicians weren’t so addicted to the money provided by rich donors would be a political system that would likely have taken some of these problems much more seriously. But what worries me is that even that political system might not have responded effectively. And that’s at least in part because, for all the books written and all the peers reviewed, we’re still having trouble saying just what, exactly, is causing all this—and that makes the problem quite a bit harder to fix.

EXCERPT 5: And finally, we need to recognize that Americans haven’t accepted the status quo. Rather, they’re unaware of it. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely and psychologist Michael Norton recently asked people to estimate wealth inequality in this country. As it happens, most Americans think wealth is distributed vastly more equally than it actually is, and yet they would like something more equal still: When given a choice between various options, they chose the one most closely resembling Sweden, followed by the world in which every quintile has exactly 20 percent of the wealth. Only 10 percent chose our world. But the problem, as Hacker and Pierson point out, is that the political system isn’t listening. It’s time it did. The fact that we don’t quite know how to solve inequality and median-wage stagnation doesn’t make the situation any less urgent.

Read it all.

This is important stuff. We've got a huge problem here and we need to act. Or we will face a truly violent Class War down the line rather than the current mocking and mean-spirited political rhetoric which is bad enough. I think that an important game-changer might be to start blaming Politicians rather than Republicans. In other words, the Democrats have become enablers of the injustice. Who knows? Maybe it will be Republicans who do something about it if and when they respond to more and more voter discontent with the status quo. If WE THE PEOPLE demand significant policy changes and can demonstrate real ability to get voters out, then politicians of both parties and possibly other parties will get the message and stop pleasing the Plutocrats. Let us hope and pray for a far more informed and empowered electorate. Let us continue to work for "Change we can believe in."

COFFEE BREAK 264

2011-03-23T10:05:00.004-04:00

+ updated at 11:02am ESDT on Wednesday, March 23, 2011

+ Check this Out!

Here's the link to this great new idea: http://paper.li/HenryStradford/1299067224

+ Twitter was practically useless to me UNTIL I discovered the power of LISTS. So far, I have 3 lists: Spiritual Tweets, Compassionate Politics Tweets, Travel Tweets. Go to http://twitter.com/Abundancetrek.

+ "Joyful Wandering -- 10" has begun on The Abundancetrek Blog.

COFFEE BREAK 263

2011-03-22T10:33:00.004-04:00

+ No, I am not going to stop offering links!

Especially when an article is as important as this one. Thanks to the Spirituality and Practice Spiritual Literacy Blog, I discovered that The Huffington Post offers "America's Greatest Deficit is Spiritual, Not Merely Financial" by Brian D. McLaren. It begins: "With all the angst about the economy, the deficit, and a looming government shut-down, I'm still concerned that we're treating symptoms rather than diagnosing the underlying disease." Read it all.

+++++++

So, I am still offering links but I will also offer some thoughts regarding what McLaren is saying here.

At the end of this must-read article he asks three critical questions: He asks: "Is this our moment for spiritual leaders to step forward and offer a more penetrating spiritual diagnosis of what ails us? Could our spiritual deficit be the issue nobody's talking about? Are we ready to go into treatment?"

Good Questions. And I would assert that our only hope is that we move to a point where we can answer "Yes" to all 3 questions.

Please note that McLaren says we must see the difference between "'dress-for-success' religiosity, aimed at sending 'vote for me' signals to winnable religious constituencies" and genuine spirituality. How can this happen?

Let me offer two ways which might turn the tide: HOPE and PRAYER. I don't know which comes first but I do know we need both in huge doses. For today, let me say a few things about Prayer with the hope that I can offer something pertinent in response to the challenge of McLaren's vital questions.

The late, great Harrell Beck, my Old Testament Professor at Boston University School of Theology in the early 70s, would always begin his classes with a thoughtful and heartfelt prayer. He would often deal with current events. He would often repeat these words which he attributed to Earl Warren, the 14th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1953-1969): "What the world needs now is a political definition of compassion."

I would add Peace, Justice and Sustainable Abundance. Or, maybe that's my way of articulating the major themes of a political definition of compassion.

Prayer is the most essential component of an effective compassionate politics. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. knew how to pray and they showed us what compassionate politics is all about. Walter Wink, a more recent prophetic voice of compassionate politics, said: “History belongs to the intercessors who believe the future into being.” How do we do effective intercession? Or, how do we pray effectively and create more compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance?

Prayer must be understood to be more than words or thoughts or feelings. Amen means “let it be” or “make it so” and this means action. The Great Commandment says it very well: “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NRSV)

Loving requires action, effort, involvement, participation. Courage is needed.

Prayer embraces Thinking, Feeling, Saying and Doing. It is not complete until something happens, until something is done. This is what the world needs now. Prayer in its fullness. Prayer in its completeness. In its Wholeness. Holy Words and Holy Actions.

McLaren is asking the right questions and we must respond with creativity, compassion and courage as we face this crisis in our national and global body politic. This crisis endangers us but also offers a fantastic opportunity for spiritual growth for millions, even billions of humans. Let's take advantage of this opportunity. Let us join together in prayer and hope. It is absolutely essential that we do so if our nation and our planet is going to come out of this crisis with greater compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance for all.

COFFEE BREAK 262

2011-03-21T14:27:00.000-04:00

+ I have been blogging for about a decade now and you can find hundreds if not thousands of links related to this blog, my other blogs and my website. I love finding these links and offering them but it has been a little bit addictive and has probably gotten in the way of my own creativity as a writer focusing on compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance. So, I am going to try to do some blogging without linking. Well I'm thinking about it anyway!

COFFEE BREAK 261

2011-03-16T13:37:00.002-04:00

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "Praying the News: For Victims of the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami" by Frederic Brussat. Excerpt:

Lord, in your tenderness hold close those
who have lost loved ones in the
earthquake in Japan and the tsunami in the Pacific.

Wipe away the tears of those who have lost homes,
cars, boats, possessions, and pets in this tragedy.

Send helpers and wise counselors to offer
support and encouragement to the victims everywhere,
especially those who are in hospitals and shelters.

Lord, in your power bring hope out of the despair
which the people in Japan must be feeling.

Give them the strength and the courage to
weather the long storm of recovery and personal renewal.

For those who are homeless, grant them a new place
to live and work to help them flourish.

For those children separated from their parents.
give them shelter with people who care.

Read the whole prayer.

COFFEE BREAK 260

2011-03-15T11:21:00.001-04:00

+ Inner Work for the week: "Non-Directed, Creative Will Spontaneity, Conscience, Opening (Modes of Will: Part 10 of 11)" by Joseph Naft. It begins: "Just when we’re not looking, the creative energy slips the new into our life. In whatever way we come to it, when we do set aside, at least temporarily, our attachment to what we already know, to our habits and beliefs, to our established patterns of thought and action, to our tensions and defenses, then gaps appear within us, through which the new may enter." Read the rest.

COFFEE BREAK 259

2011-03-10T15:16:00.000-05:00

+ Jim Hightower offers "The Corporate/GOP attack on America's Middle Class". Excerpt: "But state budgets have been depleted by the economic crash caused by Wall Street greed and massive tax giveaways to wealthy elites – not by a firefighter's pension or a teacher's health plan."

COFFEE BREAK 258

2011-03-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

+ The Charter for Compassion is one of the most significant campaigns for world peace and justice now happening. 67,190 have signed as I write this at 12:48pm EST on Wednesday, March 2, 2011. I hope that number includes YOU.

+ As I often do, I am "attending" The Church of I Am in cyberspace. Here's the wisdom I am dwelling on right now (1pm EST, Wednesday, March 2):

If I penetrate to the depths of my own existence to the indefinable AM that is myself in its deepest roots, then through this deep center I pass into the infinite I AM which is the very Name of the Almighty.
-- Thomas Merton

Go to The Church of I Am.

COFFEE BREAK 257

2011-03-01T12:47:00.000-05:00

+ Shuck and Jive offers "Unprotected Texts: A Review" by John Shuck. It begins: "I have written about the Bible quite a bit on this blog. My general refrain is that we should not use the Bible as an excuse for not owning up to our own opinions. It is nice when you run across an articulate author who agrees with you (or at least you hope so!)" Read this review.

COFFEE BREAK 256

2011-02-28T17:06:00.000-05:00

+ Inner Frontier offers powerful ideas and practices for Inner Work in weekly segments. The current theme is Modes of Will. This week's focus is "Non-Directed, Sensitive Will." Excerpt: "Vigilance means actively staying in touch with our senses, through the sensitive energy, but without directing that contact toward a particular object. This is a form of the ancient Greek practice of common sense: simple, direct, immediate awareness of all our senses, actively driven by our will. We will ourselves to be in contact with all our senses, which naturally rouses the sensitive energy of awareness to mediate that contact. Vigilance transforms our life from flat shades of grey to vivid, full-color 3D, with layer upon layer of unexpected textures."

COFFEE BREAK 255

2011-02-24T11:27:00.002-05:00

+ With some trepidation (because I got shot down for my post on Monday) I posted again in the Spirituality and Practice course on InterSpiritual Meditation. First, an excerpt from today's lesson and then my post:

Today we begin our reading, reflecting, journaling and meditating with a verse from Taoist teacher Lao Tzu, followed by an excerpt from InterSpiritual Wisdom (book by course teacher Ed Bastian).

Empty yourself of everything.
Let the mind become still.
The ten thousand things rise and fall
While the Self watches their return.
They grow and flourish
And then return to the source.
Returning to the source is stillness,
Which is the way of nature.
— Tao Te Ching, Verse 16

The Subtle Breath

Even beyond the obvious importance of oxygen and controlled breathing for our physical and psychological health, there is also a subtler, spiritual aspect to breath. Indeed, many of the world's spiritual systems speak of this refined and subtle dimension of air and breath. For instance, the Indian systems refer to it as prana, while the Chinese systems call it qi. This is nothing less than the subtle "breath of life" that surrounds and permeates all living things. Sometimes it is described in terms of an inextricable connection between the subtlest elemental forms of both consciousness and air; the two "ride together," providing the foundation for all sentient life. Although science cannot yet confirm this most subtle connection, accomplished meditation practitioners often observe and experience the workings of this subtle "energy" in their meditations.

My post:

Breathing and The Sacred Word

Centering Prayer teaches us to keep coming back to a Sacred Word of our choice whenever we start thinking of anything else. I have been using a particular word for a decade or so and it seems to work for me not only in 20 minute Centering periods but also throughout the day. I definitely associate the word with breathing but I do believe the word is more important or at least as important. Breathing connects the word to my physical existence which is important. The sacred word goes beyond that to the stillness of the mystery of eternity.

The Tao Te Ching, it seems to me, teaches this wisdom extremely well. There is something beyond breathing, beyond the IN and OUT, beyond the Male and Female, the Hot and Cold, Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, Emptiness and Fullness. There is a source which is unknowable and yet pervasive.

Stillness is one good word (not my chosen sacred word) to use to describe this eternal mystery. It is beyond breathing but yet intimately connected to breathing.

But I really don't know what to say and or what to believe or what to do. As today's S&P reading of the day says, it's always about STARTING OVER. It is a mystery and there are no words that adequately describe what's happening when we become centered in our breathing and stillness.

So ...

Breathe deeply. Breathe fully. Be still. Be silent. Be centered. Be grounded. Lighten up. Loosen up. Let go. Let God. Celebrate. Enjoy. Be glad all over!

I hope this connects with today's lesson. I don't tend to think in logical ways.

love,
john

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2011-02-23T12:46:00.007-05:00

+ updated at 8:47pm EST on Wednesday, February 24, 2011

+ Can We Still be Friends? < One of Todd Rundgren's best songs. Enjoy and Grow and Change!

+ On my Connections Galore Page, I have just added a slew of spiritual websites which I have discovered in the past couple of years. Most of the rest of the list are BIG FAVORITES. 26 new links. 67 Oldies but Goodies links.

+ The Spiritual Literacy Blog offers "From Cairo to Madison: Hope and Solidarity Are Alive" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. It begins: "In an inspiring article posted on Global Exchange, Medea Benjamin celebrates the oneness and the hope shared by protesters in Egypt and Wisconsin. In both cases, ordinary people have taken to the streets to stand up for basic human rights. Demonstrators in Madison had their spirits lifted when an Egyptian engineer named Muhammad Saladin Nusair held up a sign in Tahrir Square saying: 'Egypt Supports Wisconsin Workers - One World, One Pain.' Signs in Madison included one that said: 'From Egypt to Wisconsin: We Rise Up.'"

COFFEE BREAK 253

2011-02-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

+ Mother Jones offers "It's the Inequality, Stupid: Eight charts that explain everything that's wrong with America". These charts are very informative. They reveal just how much the Plutocrats are gaining at the expense of the rest of us.

COFFEE BREAK 252

2011-02-21T10:56:00.005-05:00

+ updated at 8:34pm EST on Monday, February 21, 2011

+ Blue Sky and White Snow and Clouds and Wind and Flowing Water and ...

Here in the Mohawk Valley, people really appreciate a day when the sun is shining and the sky is blue, particularly in February. The forecast for Sunday, yesterday, was Cloudy All Day. There was not a cloud in the sky all day! WOW!

And so we enjoyed snow shoeing in a nearby park. The brook was flowing. Still mostly ice but lots of water flowing as well because we just had our first big thaw of the season. Heavenly.

Friday was warm, almost 60 F.

Saturday was very windy and cold and snowy. What a contrast.

And then yesterday's surprise.

I woke up to a new 4 inches of snow. Then flurries. And now the sun is out. I simply love the blue sky. I love snow too. It's wonderful.

+ The InterSpiritual Meditation Course I am taking through Spirituality and Practice is focusing on Mindfulness this week and particularly, Breathing. In the forum one person shared a Thich Nhat Hahn teaching:

Smile,
breathe,
and go slowly.

COFFEE BREAK 251

2011-02-18T15:52:00.002-05:00

+ A wonderful Spirituality and Practice course comes to an end today: Practicing Spiritualty with Brother David Steindl-Rast. The lessons are readings from his books. Lesson 40, the last lesson, is "Come Alive." What makes you come alive? Here is the reading:

Sometimes people get the mistaken notion that spirituality is a separate department of life, the penthouse of our existence. But rightly understood, it is a vital awareness that pervades all realms of our being. Someone will say, "I come alive when I listen to music," or "I come to life when I garden," or "I come alive when I play golf." Wherever we come alive, that is the area in which we are spiritual. And then we can say, "I know at least how one is spiritual in that area." To be vital, awake, aware, in all areas of our lives, is the task that is never accomplished, but it remains the goal. Since we all know what it means to be alive in at least one area, we have some sense of what it must mean to be ablaze with the Holy Spirit in all of one's life.
— Brother David Steindl-Rast in MUSIC OF SILENCE

You can find a lot of wisdom from Brother David and others at http://www.gratefulness.org/

COFFEE BREAK 250

2011-02-17T09:53:00.002-05:00

+ updated at 7:58pm EST on Thursday, February 17, 2011

+ The Nation offers "A Prayer for America" by Representative Dennis Kucinich. Excerpt: "We're living in a tragic version of Bill Murray's movie "Groundhog Day," where day in and day out we slumber in the arms of the national security state awakening to the color Orange. Our physical bodies are transparent to the security x-rays, but our government is opaque. How extensive is FBI spying? Who sent the anthrax which killed five people? Did the FBI fumble scientific evidence? Some fret about WikiLeaks while the lives of dutiful US soldiers and countless innocents are destroyed. War is a masqued ball, our goverment waltzing the freedom phantom abroad and dancing with its flickering shadow at home. Iraq. Afghanistan. The anthrax attack. The Patriot Act. Pray for America, indeed."

+ Huffington Post offers "This Lent -- Looking Inward, Looking Outward" by Jim Wallis of Sojourners. Excerpt: "If just one of the proposed cuts is passed -- $450 million in contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis -- approximately 10.4 million bed nets that help prevent malaria will not reach people who need them; 6 million treatments for malaria will not be given; 3.7 million people will not be tested for HIV; and 372,000 tests and treatments for tuberculosis will not be administered."

+ The Nation offers "'What's Disgusting? Union Busting!' Chant Wisconsin Crowds That Swell to 30,000; Key GOP Legislators Waver" by John Nichols. Excerpt: "Where Tuesday’s mid-day protests drew crowds estimated at 12,000 to 15,000, Wednesday's mid-day rally drew 30,000, according to estimates by organizers. Madison Police Chief Noble Wray, a veteran of 27 years on the city’s force, said he had has never see a protest of this size at the Capitol – and he noted that, while crowd estimates usually just measure those outside, this time the inside of the sprawling state Capitol was 'packed.'"

COFFEE BREAK 249

2011-02-16T10:02:00.010-05:00

+ updated at 1:53pm EST on Wednesday, February 16, 2011

+ I have been gathering idea for what I am now calling THE NEW FAITH FOR THE NEW EARTH for many years. I want to share these ideas as much as I possibly can and so I am now starting this new series of posts on THE NEW FAITH FOR THE NEW EARTH. Your ideas are welcome. Please share them in Blog Comments, on Facebook and Twitter, E-Mails, etc. I invite you to GO TO THE FIRST POST OF A SERIES ON THE NEW FAITH FOR THE NEW EARTH at The Abundancetrek Blog.

+ EzineArticles offers "We Are Not Our Names, Our Titles, Roles, Religions, Bodies or Colors - We Are Spiritual Beings" by Maria Erving. Excerpt: To be enlightened is not reserved for only a few, it's for all of us; to connect with the light within and let it shine to the world.

I follow this wise woman on Twitter. Go to http://twitter.com/mariaerving

+ Inner Frontier offers Inner Work. This week's lesson is "Directed, Unitive Will: Love (Modes of Will: Part 6 of 11).

Excerpt 1: One form of actively directed will working with the unitive energy is compassion. We see another person or an animal suffering and we suffer with them, as if it were our own. We feel compassion. With the unitive energy, their suffering is our own. One natural response is the wish never to cause harm, because harming someone else feels like harming ourselves. That harmlessness radiates and elicits the same in others. When you meet someone whom you immediately sense as harmless, you more easily feel your natural kinship, your shared humanity. Harmlessness feeds back to compassion, because seeing another person’s suffering affronts your attitude of non-harming and invokes your compassionate response.

Excerpt 2: Self-acceptance opens the door to accepting others unreservedly. Aware of own inner challenges and struggles, we see the same in others. Aware of our own desires for meaning, fulfillment, service, peace, love, and fun, we see the same in others. We intuit that we are not as different as we appear. If I can accept my own challenges, limitations, and motivations, then I may be able to accept that in my neighbor. If I can accept who I am, then maybe I can accept my neighbors for who they are. Then acceptance can reach such a state that it disappears. The question of whether or not to accept vanishes. We just are, as we are: my humanity, your humanity, our humanity.

GO TO THE LESSON.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers THE 12s. So far, THE 12s features:

12 Spiritual Energy Boosters: When you have run out of energy and are feeling draggy and depleted, check out these spiritual practices. They are designed to boost your spirits and renew body, mind, and soul. GO TO THE 12s.

AND

12 Uplifting Quotes on Courage: Looking for some inspiration? Some encouragement in a challenging time? Here are 12 uplifting quotes about courage to help you step out into a fuller way of living. GO TO THE 12s.

COFFEE BREAK 248

2011-02-15T10:42:00.004-05:00

+ Updated at 12:45 pm EST on February 15, 2011

+ Shuck and Jive offers "From Cosmos to Cosmogenesis," a sermon for Evolution Sunday by John Shuck. Excerpt: "It is time to get off the fence regarding one of the foundations of human knowledge. So six years ago, Dr. Michael Zimmerman, a biologist from Butler University started the Clergy Letter Project. The idea was to procure 10,000 signatures from clergy who affirmed evolution to counter the viewpoint of some religious people that evolution and Christian faith were incompatible. As of today, 12,711 Christian clergy have signed the letter. That number goes over 14,000 when Unitarian and Jewish religious leaders are included. In addition to the letter, churches have been asked to raise the level of discussion in their congregations regarding science."

+ Cloudbusting

+ I love Kate Bush. Enjoy!

+ All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons by Jay Walljasper deals with the growing gap between the wealthy and the rest of us and how all of our wisdom traditions promote the common good rather than the competitive individualism embedded so deeply in current economic trends. Spirituality and Practice offers a book review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. Here's an excerpt from this review: "Given the poor state of the American economy, the degradation of the environment, the confusion of the Internet, the disrepair of democracy, the decline of communities, the time is ripe for the newly emerging commons movement. Walljasper give us hope that it is taking hold as urban gardeners, hometown champions, Greens, whistle-blowers, health care advocates, defenders of libraries, fighters for water justice, and local artists are all involved in the creation of new forms of sharing. As Bill McKibben states: 'The commons is a crucial part of the human story that must be recovered if we are to deal with the problems now crowding in on us.'" Read the review.

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2011-02-09T15:20:00.002-05:00

+ updated at 3:25pm EST on Wednesday, February 9, 2011

+ LiquidCompass.net has some interesting radio stations. Right now I'm listening to Coldplay on Lightning100, Nashville's Independent Radio. Before that, I heard the Avett Brothers. Daily from Noon to 3 EST, The Thom Hartmann Show can be heard at http://den-a.plr.liquidcompass.net/standard_plr/audio_player.php?id=THSIO&playerType=silverlight. He is a very Liberal and very Intelligent and very Wise talkshow host.

COFFEE BREAK 246

2011-02-02T11:33:00.003-05:00

+ updated at 2:37pm EST on Wednesday, February 2

+ I appreciate this post -- http://www.evolvingchristianfaith.net/2010/12/trinitarian-calling-unity-in-and.html -- and made a comment. More recently, this blogger offered "Introducing Slavoj Zizek." I made a comment not published yet.

+ a RETWEET: For the last week, Democracy Now! has covered the protests in #Egypt closely. View all of our reports in our archive: http://ow.ly/3P0O1

+ Spirituality and Practice is offering a course on InterSpiritual Meditation. It began Sunday. Not to late to sign up. I wrote the following on the Introductions and Intentions pages:

I believe we must work on creating a new faith for a new earth. The planet needs a new narrative, a compelling story we can all hear and enjoy and sing and dance to the beat. It has begun. Actually it began a long time ago. But we still have a long way to go.

A course like this which brings together people from different wisdom traditions is essential. I wouldn't miss it, even though it overlaps with the other S&P course I'm taking.

Sign Up!

JOYFUL WONDERING -- 1

2011-01-27T11:56:00.009-05:00

+ updated at 1:07pm EST on Friday, January 28, 2011

+ ANYTHING GOES in this series of posts here on 2 of my blogs -- John A Wilde and The Abundancetrek Blog -- which I begin today, January 27, 2011. Well, that doesn't mean I will share everything I think or believe. Not yet anyway. But I will share a lot and I would sure welcome some support and encouragement and wisdom from fellow joyful wonderers.

+ The COFFEE BREAK SERIES OF POSTS will definitely continue and be a priority because I simply enjoy finding web pages filled with wisdom or important information on the subjects of COMPASSION, PEACE, JUSTICE and SUSTAINABLE ABUNDANCE. The world needs far more of these things.

+ On my Abundancetrek homepage I have changed my vision from "The New Church for the New Age" to THE NEW FAITH FOR THE NEW EARTH. Have I become Post-Christian? No, I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I think I am becoming REALLY A CHRISTIAN as I open up more and more to wisdom and compassion from all over the planet. We are lucky to live in an age when we can receive and realize the wisdom of so many great sages of the ages including many, many current sages. A website which offers this wisdom on a daily basis is Spirituality and Practice, the best website on the planet by far.

+ I haven't updated my CONNECTIONS GALORE PAGE recently but it will still get you to many of the best websites promoting Compassion, Peace, Justice and Sustainable Abundance. Another place to look is right here on the sidebar where I continue to find websites and web pages on these themes and more.

+ The need to BEGIN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN is taught by many sages of the ages. We need a childlike awareness and appreciation of our constantly changing reality. Nothing remains the same. A great Zen Master particularly emphasizes this need. I can't locate the book here in my study at the moment. It should be on the Priority Shelf!

+ NEW JANUARY 28:

+ One of my favorite theologians is Harvey Cox. Recently he wrote THE FUTURE OF FAITH. In it, he quotes Einstein, one of my favorite scientists:

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who knows it not and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle.

It was the experience of mystery--even if mixed with fear--that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which are only accessible to our reason in their most elementary forms--it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute the truly religious attitude; in this sense, and in this alone, I am a deeply religious man.

( I found this at http://einsteinandreligion.com/mysterious.html. It goes on there for another paragraph which is also profound but I disagree with his belief that we can't have a life beyond this one. There are too many experiences in my life which suggest that a life beyond this one is indeed likely but I agree with Einstein that punishment in eternity is not what God is up to.)

I will possibly come back to both Cox and Einstein in these posts since they among the most intriguing of the planet's are joyful wonderers, past and present.

COFFEE BREAK 245

2011-01-27T10:35:00.007-05:00

+ updated at 1:00pm EST on Thursday, January 27, 2011

+ ANOTHER REASON TO BE HOPEFUL FOR THE PLANET: Recent Opinion Polls show that 55 per cent of Americans rate President Obama favorably while only 19 pre cent rate Sarah Palin favorably. I have nothing personally against Sarah Palin but she has a lot to learn if she truly wants to be a global leader. I don't agree with a lot of Obama's agenda, but I do find him at least somewhat curious, imaginative, compassionate and open-minded. He may indeed be rememberred as a great global leader. I am glad that most of my fellow Americans are far more apptreciative of Obama than Palin. Also, opinion polls reveal that far more Americans dislike the Tea Party Movement than like it. Check out Polling Report.

+ Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living offers "10 Surefire Ways To Live Below Your Full Potential" by Celestine Chua.

+ "To have hope is not to seek the surprise of a Hollywood happy ending, which is unrealistic optimism. To have hope is to remain open to the possibility of surprise when everything turns out worse than we could ever imagine. Despair assigns reality a deadline, whereas hope knows that there are no deadlines. This is how hope truly thrives in the midst of hopelessness." - Brother David Steindl-Rast in COMMON SENSE SPIRITUALITY. Read an excerpt on Gratitude from this book.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers "Words Matter: Taming the Tongue, Renouncing Hurtful Speech, and Vowing to Practice Right Speech" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. It begins: "America has become an adversarial culture where competition and winning at any cost are rampant in all departments of life. The hatred and paranoia of talk-radio hosts fills the airwaves with toxins that adversely affect anyone who hears these rants. Now this phenomenon has spread to large media operations like Fox News where ratings and corporate sponsorships seem to be dependent upon just how much the on-air personalities denigrate the opposition; tune in and you'll soon be treated to a smorgasbord of right-wing rhetoric about big government and other pet peeves of angry political analysts. Meanwhile, on the road, candidates smear each other in TV ads and casually call it all part of the game of getting elected. What we have here is a scary dumbing down of democracy, now regarded as an unsavory blend of entertainment and blood sport."

Another Excerpt: In his speech at the memorial service in Tucson on January 12, 2011, President Barack Obama pointed to a different way. He said: "At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized, at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do, it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds."

Read More.

COFFEE BREAK 244

2011-01-26T11:06:00.001-05:00

+ Spirituality and Practice offers an Excerpt from Zen Heart: Simple Advice for Living With Mindfulness and Compassion by Ezra Bayda. Here's an excerpt from the excerpt: "When things upset us, we often think that something is wrong. Perhaps the one time this is most true is when we experience fear. In fact, as human beings, a huge portion of our energy is expended in dealing with anxiety and fear. Fear motivates how we act and react, and even how we dress or talk. But fear makes our life narrow and dark. It is at the root of all conflict, underlying much of our sorrow. Fear also blocks intimacy and love, and, more than anything, disconnects us from the Being Kindness that is our true nature." Read More.

COFFEE BREAK 243

2011-01-25T11:59:00.003-05:00

+ THE CLASS WAR LAUNCHED BY AMERICA'S WEALTHIEST IS GETTING MORE SAVAGE. How can we stop this dangerous and disturbing trend? One thing I need to do is stop blaming others for this and simply point out the facts and find ways to inform and motivate.

Spirituality and Practice offers "The Class War Launched by America's Wealthiest Is Getting More Savage" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. Excerpt: "In an article for Alternet.org, Larry Beinhart, author of Wag the Dog, ponders the meaning of the United States's move toward higher and higher levels of income inequality. In 1962, the wealthiest 1 percent of American households had 125 times the wealth of the median household. Now it's 190 times as much.This rising tide is not lifting all boats. While college students are sinking into debt, many middle-class families are homeless, and children from low-income families have only a 1 percent chance of reaching the top 5 percent of income distribution. Meanwhile, corporate profits are up 106.7 percent and CEO compensation is up 282 percent. Beinhart calls that class warfare. Tula Connell predicts that if things continue as they are right now, the United States by 2043 will have the same income inequality as Mexico. This widening economic inequity is something to be taken very seriously. One of the possible ways out is the idea and the ideal of the commons as a way of reinventing politics and working for the common good."

COFFEE BREAK 242

2011-01-21T12:02:00.004-05:00

+ updated at 12:14pm on Friday, January 21, 2011

+ You might like to light a candle for some one or some thing.

+ You might like to have a Mindfulness Bell on your computer. Ring!

COFFEE BREAK 241

2011-01-20T10:38:00.002-05:00

+ updated at 2:53pm EST on Thursday, January 20, 2011

+ Gratefulness.org offers a Labyrinth.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers 12 Spiritual Energy Boosters, an inspiring slideshow.

+ The New York Times offers "What I Learned From Sargent Shriver" by Bono of U2.

COFFEE BREAK 240

2011-01-19T13:58:00.005-05:00

+ updated at 3:15pm EST on Wednesday, January 20, 2011

+ I am taking another internet course offered by Spirituality and Practice: Practicing Spirituality with Brother David Steindl-Rast. It is inspiring and illuminating. It's now in Day 10 of 40 but the lessons are relatively short. You can catch up. You can join in on the marvellous sharing in the forum at any time. You don't have to go back to the beginning. The cost is $29.95 and worth every penny. You would be helping to support the best website in the universe.

+ Democracy Now! offers an interview on the recent events in Tunisia. Blurb: "We speak with journalist Anthony Shadid, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, who is in Beirut where the government collapsed last week. Tunisia has 'electrified people across the Arab world,' Shadid says, 'mainly for that prospect of change, that change can actually occur in a lot of countries that seem almost ossified at this point."

+ The Spirituality and Practice Newsletter is always a good read. The current one is definitely a good read. It begins with the following Teaching Story: "There is a story about Achaan Cha, a famous meditation master in Northeast Thailand. He was accused by someone of having a lot of hatred. Achaan Cha replied, "That may be so, but I don't make any use of it." An answer like this comes from a deep understanding of one's own nature. It is a rare person who will not allow himself defiled thought, speech, or action." — from Be an Island by Ayya Khema

Read the rest of the newsletter.

COFFEE BREAK 239

2011-01-18T09:37:00.003-05:00

+ updated at 10:10am EST on Tuesday, January 18, 2011

+ My favorite Street Pastor said the following in "Jesus Goes Viral," his Sunday sermon: "Like John, Andrew, and Simon, I too have experienced Jesus as surprising, inviting, and revealing. Growing up in the Bible belt of the American south, I came to think of Jesus as a fiery judge. I was afraid of him. But as I grew to know him better through the Scriptures, I heard his stories of the lost sheep and the prodigal son. I saw him forgiving sinners and befriending the outcast. Like John the Baptist, I was surprised at who Jesus turned out to be. Like Andrew, I found him to be a warm and welcoming person who wants to be close to us. In time, I came to think of Jesus as my friend. Instead of fearing him, I grew to love him." Read the whole sermon.

+ "Prophet, Artist, Fisherman," John Shuck's sermon honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. is a real gem. Excerpt: "Prophetic energizing is imagination. It is the imagination of the artist. It is the imagination of the fisherman who discovers he is an artist. It is an imagination that looks to the future and sings we will overcome. The language of the poet is the language of the prophet. It is the language of hope." Read the whole sermon.

ARIZONA REPRESENTATIVE GRIJALVA SPEAKS TO AMY GOODMAN

2011-01-11T13:37:00.001-05:00

"Politics in Arizona Have Become Fueled by Hate...Driven by Anger": Rep. Raúl Grijalva on Shooting of Giffords. Go to http://www.democracynow.org/2011/1/10/politics_in_arizona_have_become_fueled

COFFEE BREAK 238

2011-01-11T11:10:00.010-05:00

+ updated at 4:01pm EST on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 (1/11/11)

+ Thom Hartmann offers "Could better gun control have prevented the Arizona massacre?" It begins: "Could better gun control have prevented the Arizona massacre? The President of the Brady Center to prevent gun violence perhaps put it best in an interview yesterday saying, '[Loughner] probably couldn’t have gotten a job at a fast food joint if they checked out any references, but we allow him to buy as many guns as he wants.'" Read More.

+ Repeal Healthcare Reform? Most Americans are not in favor. Check out a recent poll that shows only 37 per cent of Americans think it is Too Liberal. Don't let the GOP noisemakers fool you. Scroll down to "CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 17-19, 2010. N=1,008 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 3" at http://www.pollingreport.com/health.htm

Scroll down to "McClatchy-Marist Poll. Nov. 15-18, 2010. N=810 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ± 3.5" and discover something very important: A majority of Americans either want the Law to stand OR WANT TO EXPAND IT SO IT DOES MORE!!! ‎35 per cent said "Change it so it does more" as compared to 11 per cent saying "Change it so it does less." 33 per cent said "Repeal it." So, more people actually want to expand it than want to repeal it! ‎16 per cent said" Let It Stand."

Sadly, the GOP wants to make us believe most Americans are against it because it is Too Liberal. This is simply NOT TRUE as the CNN Poll definitely says that only a minority think it is Too Liberal. Go to the Polling Report.

+ “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” -- Micah 6:8

+ The hate and violence rhetoric of the Right Wing is definitely a huge problem in this nation. Let's stop the denial. Yes, some on the Left also have this flaw in their character but it is not nearly as pervasive. The Talking Points Memo Muckraker offers "Before Shooting, A Campaign Season Rife With Gun Rhetoric" by Rachel Slajda. It begins: "The person who shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), a federal judge and 18 other people Saturday may or may not have had a coherent political philosophy or a rational motive. But his actions still come after a campaign season rife with gun imagery and borderline violent rhetoric. There is, of course, Sarah Palin's map in which targeted districts were marked by crosshairs (spun as "surveyor's symbols" by Palin aides), but there was much, much more over the 2010 campaign." Read More.

COFFEE BREAK 237

2010-12-31T13:09:00.002-05:00

+ updated at 1:15pm on Friday, December 31, 2010

+ Last night we enjoyed viewing Eat, Pray, Love. Spirituality and Practice offers a great review of this 2010 movie. The soundtrack is wonderful. The quest for meaning and intimacy is very important, try essential. We are all on this quest.

Excerpt 1: "Throughout history, people looking for spiritual renewal have undertaken pilgrimages to sacred sites. They have set out with great seriousness and high hopes for the energizing of their faith. Along the way they have squared off against obstacles and often found spiritual companions with whom they could share their experiences and insights. Sometimes they have wandered off the established route in order to follow the dictates of their hearts. They know that where they go is not as important as how they get there. Or as writer Henry Miller once put it: "Our destination is never a place but a new way of looking at things."

Excerpt 2: "The emotional scene in which Richard opens his heart and describes his battle with guilt contains genuine firepower."

COFFEE BREAK 236

2010-12-15T15:27:00.000-05:00

+ Talk of the Nation (NPR) offers "Neurotheology:Where Religion and Science Collide." Host Neal Conan interviews Andrew Newberg, author of Principles of Neurotheology. This is happening on air right now and will be available permanently after 6pm.

COFFEE BREAK 235

2010-12-08T09:47:00.007-05:00

+ updated at 11:04am EST on Wednesday, December 8, 2010

+ TruthDig offers "Happy as a Hangman" by Chris Hedges. Chris is always provocative. Here he challenges us to stop being complicit with America;s m,any crimes. Being innocent now means we are guilty.

+ Democracy Now! offers "Abandoning "Net Neutrality," FCC Chair Backs Two-Tiered Internet Fees." Blurb: "The Federal Communications Commission is being accused of abandoning "net neutrality" rules that would ensure a free and open internet. On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski unveiled proposals that would allow internet service providers to charge higher fees for faster access to online content. We speak to Josh Silver, co-founder of the media reform group Free Press." Listen, Watch, or Read the Transcript.

Will this be another victory for the Plutocrats?

+ "Remembering John Lennon" will be aired on The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR. Blurb: "On the thirtieth anniversary of John Lennon's death, a look at why the music of the former Beatle still stirs the imagination of millions around the world. The political and musical legacy of John Lennon." Listen at 11 am Eastern or anytime you want to on the internet.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers an excerpt from Bead One, Pray Too: A Guide to Making and Using Prayer Beads by Kimberly Winston.

COFFEE BREAK 234

2010-12-07T10:45:00.001-05:00

+ From Ogden Nash to Johnny Nash! This is a very special song. < CLICK.

COFFEE BREAK 233

2010-12-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

+ People can't concentrate properly on blowing other people to pieces if their minds are poisoned by thoughts suitable to the twenty-fifth of December. ~Ogden Nash

COFFEE BREAK 232

2010-11-30T11:50:00.011-05:00

+ updated at 2:13pm on Monday, November 30, 2010.

+ A new song for us to sing (like at the Joyful Noise Cafe this Friday night at First Presbyterian Church, Utica NY):

Presbyterians for Earthcare Hymn

"IN A ROUND WORLD"

Written by PEC Member, Manley Olson
To the tune, "Morning Has Broken" Presbyterian Hymnal #469

In a round world, no corners to hide in,
All life connected, part of the whole.
God made but one earth which needs protection.
We face this challenge, we claim this goal.

From space one sees a lovely blue marble,
A floating speck in the star-filled sky.
This was the insight told by the psalmist;
We are but dust, yet seen in God's eye.

Gone are the days when we could be masters,
Using earth's gifts for our selfish ends.
Our role today is that of God's stewards,
To be a church that speaks and defends.

Only our God can create a species.
Can we preserve what God has designed?
When we destroy life, we change the balance
In ways not thought of, with ends not seen.

It's time we alter our basic outlook
Renounce dominion, give up our pride.
Working with God, restoring creation,
In a round world with nowhere to hide.

Words by Manley Olson. Copyright 1995 (date), Manley Olson, used by permission.

The words of this hymn may be reprinted without special permission in a program or worship service bulletin for one-time use only, provided that the following statement is included:

For other uses please request permission in writing from Manley Olson, 1974 W. Summer St., St. Paul, MN 55113 Presbynet: MANLEY OLSON

+ The Diane Rehm Show offers an interview with Anne Rice promoting a new book but also speaking about other books and her commitment to Christ but not in any established church.

+ More Magic. Here is "Dig a Pony" by the Beatles on the rooftop on YouTube.

+ WallWritings offers "Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve" by James Wall.

+ Shuck and Jive offers "Thanks WikiLeaks" by John Shuck.

+ How about some Cars? Here is MAGIC on YouTube.

COFFEE BREAK 231

2010-11-24T08:53:00.012-05:00

+ updated at 4:56pm EST on Wednesday, November 24, 2010

+ For the first time in 4 years, I updated The Abundancetrek Movies Page. Here are some recent favorites:

TEMPLE GRANDIN

AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

PHOEBE IN WONDELAND

INVICTUS

THE DRUMMER

SAY ANYTHING

YESTERDAY

WAKING NED DEVINE

AWAY WE GO

A SERIOUS MAN

ONDINE

EVERYBODY'S FINE

EVERLASTING MOMENTS

ENLIGHTEN UP

SERAPHINE

KEEPING THE FAITH

REMEMBER ME

+ Democracy Now! offers "Dr. Gabor Maté on ADHD, Bullying and the Destruction of American Childhood". This is a very interesting interview. He believes peers are now far more influential than parents. This is NOT healthy.

+ TruthDig offers "Fail and Grow Rich on Wall Street" by Robert Scheer.

It begins: "Welcome to the brave new world of post-bailout capitalism. The Commerce Department announced Tuesday that corporate profits are at their highest level in U.S. history, and the Fed released minutes of an early November meeting in which officials predicted a stagnant economy and continued high unemployment."

It ends: "What has occurred is what former International Monetary Fund chief economist Simon Johnson referred in The Atlantic back in May of 2009 as 'The Quiet Coup,' in which the financial industry is fully in charge of the government’s response to our economic problems. The result, he noted, is 'the reemergence of an American financial oligarchy' that had been broken by the banking regulations imposed during the New Deal in response to the Great Depression. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s sensible regulations were gutted by Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and tragically Obama has failed to restore them. The Wall Street lobbyists got their way and unfettered greed prevails. How else to explain last quarter’s outrageous profit figures?"

+ I am continuing this week's focus on the spiritual practice of solitude as I update "Joyful Wandering -- 6."

+ Shuck and Jive offers "If the Oil Runs Out: Peak Oil Film Set In 2016". John Shuck, my favorite blogger, continues to educate us on the crisis of peak oil which many believe has been reached. If they are right, the oil will get more expensive quite rapidly and our fragile oil-based economy is in for a lot of turmoil to say the least.