Rounding off "Home" with Jane Goodall

We recently spent three Sundays viewing the environmental film, Home. The story is beautiful but dire and leaves us with a sense of disquiet. Jane Goodall sees the same problems projected in the movie, but her take on our future is more hopeful. Dr. Goodall appeared on Bill Moyers' Journal on November 27. Thanks to the miracle of the internet (and the foresight to the technology committee at church) we'll be able to watch Moyers interview of Goodall on Sunday, December 27th in the Adult Forum.

Here's an introductory blurb for the website at Bill Moyers' Journal:

Dr. Jane Goodall is a familiar face to several generations around the globe. The young woman patiently seated near wild chimps in Africa first appeared in the pages of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC in the early 1960s. Her work with the chimps of Gombe National Park has been profiled in magazines, books, films and television documentaries numerous times in subsequent years. She is an inspiration to those generations who take her warnings about the state of the earth to heart:
I mean, isn't it great that high school students in some inner city area will greet me as I walk in, as though I were a pop star. That is so amazing. Because all that they've got out of what I've done is a message of hope. And the fact that our main message is "You make a difference every day. You matter. Your life is important."
Dr. Goodall now travels the world raising awareness about the dire situation facing the natural world — and many of its species. Her mission includes programs for communities in Africa to protect forests, create sustainable livelihoods and support health and education. The Jane Goodall Institute runs a global program to create a new generation of conservationists called Roots & Shoots.

You can watch the interview ahead of time, here, but I bet it'll be more fun in our group. Please join us. You'll be glad you did. And as always, superb, free babysitting is provided.

We're off on the 20th PLUS a Public Service Announcement

Many thanks to Dr. David Harker for his excellent presentation last Sunday.
We won't be holding the Adult Forum on December 20 due to the preparations with our Christmas Dinner at the Church.

So, I'll take this opportunity to make a public Service Announcement from one of our members, Elizabeth D. Leigh-Paffenroth, Ph.D.
Here it is:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR
RESEARCH STUDY

We are seeking subjects (ages 18-80) who have normal hearing. Participants will receive a free hearing evaluation, inner ear tests, and $40 (2-2 hour sessions). All testing is done at the VA Medical Center. For more information and to determine eligibility call the VA Audiology Service at 926-1171 ext. 7138 and ask for Elizabeth or email her at Elizabeth.Leigh@va.gov.

The Philosopher's Gene

This coming Sunday, December 13, we will host Dr. David Harker, Asst. Professor of Philosophy at ETSU. Dr. Harker will speak on a comprehensible view of the gene, the fundamental functional unit of heredity.
Dr. Harker joined the ETSU faculty in 2006 following his doctorate at the University of Illinois in Chicago, and a tour as a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for the Philosophy of Natural and Social Sciences at the London School of Economics. He has recently published in the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. Dr Harker's expertise is in the philosophy of science and biology and he teaches university courses on those topics.
Dr Harker spoke to our group last year and we are pleased that he agree to a return visit. Please join us for what promises to be a thoughtful presentation and discussion on a non-biologist's view of the gene. You'll be very welcome, and as always, excellent childcare is provided.

Mark Peacock's Calendars

Mark Peacock wrote to say his calendars for 2010 are available. You will remember his stunning photographs from an earlier forum. Here's a link to his gallery. And here's his letter:

Friends,
I thought you might be interested in my 2010 Appalachian Treks Calendar. It makes the perfect gift for those who love Appalachia! This twelve-month calendar features a different image each month of a beautiful scene from the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina (See attached image). The calendar is full-color, spiral bound, measures approximately 11"x17" when opened, and is printed on high-quality card stock.

Price $15 (plus tax and S&H), Quantities are limited!
(allow 7-10 days for shipping)

Click here to order yours today!

Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas,

Mark

Gallery: www.markwpeacock.com
Blog: http://appalachiantreks.blogspot.com/

Home, the movie

On Sunday, Nov, 22 we will begin watching the movie "Home". This is a film crafted of beautiful images of the natural world, showing what was, what is and what may be. Narrated by Meryl Streep, the film emphasizes that it isn't God that intervenes in the course of the world, it's us. Please join us. Loving childcare is provided.

The Evolutionary Psychology of Religiosity

Next Sunday, November 15, our speaker will be Myra Elder, one of my favorites.
Myra's going to speak on the psychology of religiosity. About this talk, Myra writes:

"Psychological Models of Religiosity:
How (and why) do we get religion? According to research in the field of psychology, religiosity is negatively correlated with IQ and educational level. Demographic research indicates that, the poorer the country, the more religious it is (the US is the rich outlier). On the other hand, being religious may be an evolutionary adaptation, because it includes four ways of knowing that advance the species: mysticism, ethics, myth, and ritual."

Join us this Sunday, November 15th, and see how Myra Elder plans to condense the fields of psychology, metaphysics, religion, and evolutionary biology into several digestible sound bites lasting about an hour.

More on Neuroscience, Bringing it back home.

We had a cancellation....so on short notice I added to the previous talk. It started our charge to dominate the earth as given in Genesis, then some Neuroscience, images and differences in brain function and response in individuals with defined genetic backgrounds (fMRI), then it went to the neuro basis of decision making, on to moral determinism and then whoop-ti-do through metaphysical reductionism, then on to the Gospels of Thomas and Matthew and ending up with a quote from Old Lodge Skins in Thomas Berger's "Little Big Man." And somehow, it all seemed to hang together.

Neuroscience 2009: at the edge of brain research

Last week I attended the 39th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago. So did more than 30,000 other interested people. The changes in the focus of neuroscience since I first attended this meeting in the 1980's have been astonishing. The implications of recent findings are important to everyone. The combined forces of modern genomics and brain imagery tell us more about ourselves than we may be immediately comfortable with. Here's what the description of one of the sessions on the societal impact of neuroscience had to say:

"New insights into the nature of the brain and mind can have great implications for such concepts as the self, soul, free will, or what it means to be human. Some of those implications are already causing discomfort in segments of the public, including some religious groups. This session discusses both the nature of those issues and ways the scientific community can best engage the public and find common ground, potentially minimizing potential tensions between the field and society and maximizing opportunity for progress." Social Issues Roundtable: Engaging the Public on Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Neuroscience Research Organizer/Moderator: Alan Leshner, Ph.D., CEO, American Association for the Advancement of Science

This Sunday, November 1, I'll show some of the findings this session was based on and we'll cover some of the implications.

Please join us at 9:45. The more the merrier. As always, free and excellent, loving childcare is provided.

The Psychology of Domestic Violence

Today, Sunday October 25, Dr. Paul Gabinet gave an excellent presentation on the psychology of domestic violence. This is a chilling topic, but it is a reality we need to confront. Paul is the Excutive Director of the Shepherd's Inn in Elizabethton, Carter County’s only shelter for victims of domestic violence. You can learn more about the Shepherd’s Inn by visiting the Missions page at First Presbyterian. Most communities the size of Elizabethton don't have a similar facilty. the Shepherd's Inn is a blessing for Carter County and a wonderful initiative for social justice.

Edgar Casey

Next Sunday, October 18, our own John Morrison will speak to the Adult Forum on Edgar Casey. who taught I haven't spoken to John about the details of his talk, so I copied the introduction from Wikipedia.

"Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945) was an American who was believed to be psychic. He is said to have demonstrated an ability to channel answers to questions on subjects such as health or Atlantis, while in a self-induced trance. Though Cayce considered himself a devout Christian and lived before the emergence of the New Age Movement, some believe he was the founder of the movement and had influence on its teachings.
Cayce became a celebrity toward the end of his life and the publicity given to his prophecies has overshadowed what to him were usually considered the more important parts of his work, such as healing (the vast majority of his readings were given for people who were sick) and theology (Cayce was a lifelong, devout member of the Disciples of Christ). Skeptics challenge the statement that Cayce demonstrated psychic abilities, and traditional Christians also question his unorthodox answers on religious matters (such as reincarnation and Akashic records).
Today there are hundreds of thousands of Cayce students, more than 300 books written about Edgar Cayce, members of Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. worldwide and Edgar Cayce Centers found in more than 35 other countries."

Casey taught: "Through prayer we speak to God. In meditation, God speaks to us."

Please join us at 9:45. We'll be glad to see you. Free Childcare is provided.

Follow-up to Mark Peacock's presentation

I want to follow-up Mark's presentation by saying thanks Mark, for sharing your work. Also, I'm posting the link to his blog (click here) and his website (click here). Both sites have hundreds of stunning photographs of the region.

When Mark's 2010 calendars are available, I'll post the link.

Mark Peacock's Appalachian Trek

I can't remember exactly how I stumbled onto Mark Peacock's website, but I am happy that I did. Next Sunday, October 11, Mark is going to present to the Adult Forum a collection of his stunning photographs of the region. It is some of the best local photography I have seen. Mark wrote on his site that he enjoys showing his work to locals to let those familiar with our regional wonders see them through fresh eyes. (Personal aside: I've always thought that the expression, "to see through fresh eyes" was related to a form of being born anew.)

Here's Mark's synopsis:

Appalachian Treks: The Photography of Mark W. Peacock. Please join Mark and the Adult Forum Sunday School Class as he presents his photography highlighting the natural and scenic beauty of this region. His presentation will include photos and descriptions of waterfalls, overlooks and many other destinations -- which will hopefully inspire us all get out and explore our corner of Appalachia! You will also be introduced to some of the events and colorful personalities that have shaped our local history.

...and a brief bio:

Born and raised in Morris, Illinois, Mark Peacock moved to the hills of east Tennessee to Johnson City in 1995 to attend Emmanuel School of Religion following law school school and praticing law at his family's law firm. He began teaching part-time at Northeast State Community College and was eventually hired by Milligan College in 1998 to teach courses in business, law and ethics. This year he added digital photography to his list of courses offered. Mark's love for photography was instilled in him by his grandfather, who taught him about lighting and composition and that photography at its best is really storytelling. Most weekends, Mark is out hiking and exploring the area with friends and his dog, Duke.

Please join us. As always, we'll be glad to see you. Excellent and loving childcare is provided.

Clean Water for all God's Children, and, We all live downstream...

This coming Sunday, September 27th, we are pleased to host Bob Armistead, who has spent years working on projects to provide clean water to folks who otherwise wouldn't have any. Most of us have a hard time imagining what that would be like.

We asked Bob for a synopsis of his presentation, and here's what he wrote:

"I am going to talk about a mission project of the Synod of Living Waters which was the burden of a Presbyterian Minister in Water Valley, Mississippi, Wil Howie. As soon as Wil began to talk about this to his friends it became a Spirit led brain-storm. Their subject was to design a small water purification system that would provide clean, drinkable water for people in Third World countries. They targeted niches where folk had never had drinkable water and who lived in out-of-the-way communities that might never ever have good water for themselves and their children.
This was thought of as a ministry to people in dire need. They hoped it would catch fire in churches as a mission. Therefore several scriptures came to mind:
Leviticus 19:34, Isaiah 41:17, Amos 4:8, Gospel of John 4:10 (From then on they called their project: Living Waters for the World), John 7:38, Mark 9:41.
From that Wil would say, 'Jesus Christ is Living Waters for your body and soul.'

The DVD will be shown called, CLEAN WATER FOR ALL GOD'S CHILDREN.

The title of my 8-minute talk is, WE ALL LIVE DOWNSTREAM.

Living Waters for the World's vision is to use the gift of clean water to bring together Christians in mission, and people of all nations for a life-changing experience with the Risen Christ. It is another way to show the love of Christ to communities with no drinkable water.
Our faith calls us to bring mission teams with national partners in need of clean water. We provide training in partnership development, health, hygiene, spiritual edification and water purification.

Our training center, CLEAN WATER U, has only been existence 10 years, yet 300 clean water systems have been installed, this one in Kenya by a team from FPC Tuscaloosa, and there are communities being served in 22 countries in the world.

This is more or less what this is about."

And there you have it. Thank you Bob Armistead! This will be a great opportunity to hear about clean water efforts in third world countries, AND we will have the chance to see how this project might fit into some "closer to home" water problems.

Please join us on Sunday morning at 9:45. We'll be delighted to have you.
Child care is provided.

A Week of Hiatus

The Adult Forum will not meet on September 20 as we make preparations for our annual "Dinner on the Grounds," and "Music Sunday". Please join us for the festivities, starting at 11:00

The Forum will resume on September 27th with a talk by Bob Armistead on the effort to bring clean water to third-world countries. Check back later from more details.

Improving Cancer Therapy with Storytelling

This coming Sunday, September 13th we are pleased host Dr. Joseph Sobol of ETSU Storytelling Program. The topic is unusual and fascinating.

Dr. Sobol is part of a group at ETSU that recently received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for studying the use of story-telling as a means of enhancing the treatment for cancer. This unusual approach seems immediately to be potentially brilliant and ground-breaking. Dr. Sobol is the group's expert on storytelling. In the upcoming Adult forum, he will give us his perspective on this fascinating topic.

Here's a synopsis of his presentation:
"For six years Dr. Joseph Sobol of the ETSU Storytelling Graduate Program has been working with a group of oncologists, family medicine specialists and qualitative researchers to write a major grant on the uses of storytelling in medical communication. We have recently received funding for the project, which is already underway. Dr. Sobol will speak about storytelling as a research methodology as well as a tool for enhancing empathy in the medical system."

Dr. Sobol's Bio:

"Storyteller, musician, folklorist, and author Joseph Daniel Sobol is an artist of wide-ranging accomplishments. An artist-in-residence for many years in North and South Carolina, he received a Masters in Folklore from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University. He toured the country from 1994 through 1999 with his award-winning musical theatre piece In the Deep Heart's Core based on the works of Irish poet W. B. Yeats. His book on the American storytelling revival, The Storytellers' Journey, was published in 1999 by the University of Illinois Press. In addition he has released a cassette and three CDs of music and stories, alone and with his group Kiltartan Road. His most recent recording, Citternalia: Celtic Music for Cittern was honored with a "Homegrown CD Award" by Acoustic Guitar Magazine, which called the album "a watershed project--dazzling speed and precision." After eleven years in Chicago, Illinois, doing folklore residencies with high school ESL and multilingual programs and performing regularly with some of America's top Irish traditional musicians, he is proud to have been named Director of the Graduate Program in Storytelling at East Tennessee State University (www.etsu.edu/stories)."

Please join us on Sunday morning at 9:45. We'll be glad to have you.

A Kingdom Without Walls

For next Sunday, September 6, we will continue the Living the Questions2 series with the chapter entitled "A Kingdom Without Walls." This is one of my favorites and it is typified by the following story:

"As Nikos Kazantzakis walked along a dusty path in his native Crete, an elderly woman was passing by, carrying a basket of figs. She paused, picked out two figs, and presented them to the author. “Do you know me, old lady?” Kazantzakis asked. She glanced at him in amazement, “No, my boy. Do I have to know you to give you something? You are a human being, aren’t you? So am I. Isn’t that enough?”

The legal mandates in the Old Testament are unique among the other known judicial systems in the Ancient Near East in their consistent and outspoken advocacy of the weakest, least protected, and disadvantaged members of the society.

Social Justice: Realizing God's Vision

For next Sunday, August 30, we will return to the Living the Question series to focus on the chapter that explicitly addresses how we are called to work for social justice. From the reading text:

Being a person of faith demands balancing spiritual pursuits with action. In a society which is oftenunjust, inequitable, and whose very structures are responsible for generating untold suffering and poverty, we are compelled to pursue social justice as an expression of hope in realizing a better world.

For many, the thought of seeking social justice is an intimidating proposition. Yet God’s vision for the world can only be realized as each one of us sets ourselves
to practicing even the smallest task toward the goal.

“The prophetic life is one in which you live your faithfulness out of a steadiness, and that is often hard for us to do. We do really good with these rushes of faithfulness (but) the mortal life is the life of the mundane. It is doing the right thing day after day after day and moment after moment. It is not these big movements. It is not these big statements of great profound eloquence. It really is doing it every day. I cannot say it often enough: treating people fairly, decently – respecting them for who they are – knowing that none of us is perfect.”
– Emilie Townes,
Living the Questions

Please join us at 9:45. It's free! Childcare provided! You'll be very welcomed!

Our Eight Points of Progressive Christianity

Well, they're not exlcusively ours. The Eight Points come from The Center for Progressive Christianity a group that we are officially affiliated with. This is important to me, personally, because this website is the portal through which I discovered First Presbyterian of Elizabethton.

Our church website notes that we "affirm 'The Eight Points':

By calling ourselves progressive, we mean that we are Christians who…

1. Have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus;

2. Recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God's realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us;

3. Understand the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus' name to be a representation of an ancient vision of God's feast for all peoples;

4. Invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable (including but not limited to):
believers and agnostics,conventional Christians and questioning skeptics,women and men,those of all sexual orientations and gender identities,those of all races and cultures,those of all classes and abilities,those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope;

5. Know that the way we behave toward one another and toward other people is the fullest expression of what we believe;

6. Find more grace in the search for understanding than we do in dogmatic certainty - more value in questioning than in absolutes;

7. Form ourselves into communities dedicated to equipping one another for the work we feel called to do: striving for peace and justice among all people, protecting and restoring the integrity of all God's creation, and bringing hope to those Jesus called the least of his sisters and brothers; and

8. Recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly, and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege."

Holy Mackerel Hallelueha! Please join us at the Adult Forum on Sunday morning at 9:45 (childcare provided) as we revel in what we believe with lots of personal testamonies.

The Twelve Principles of Creation Spirituality

Our church website contains the Twelve Principles of Creation Spirituality. They, and some related text are copied below.
This coming Sunday, August 16, Rebecca Nunley will give us a presentation on these Principles and their context within our church. Regular attendees recognize Rebecca as one of our best presenters, one who consistently tweaks our hearts and minds to growth, even a little.
Please join us at 9:45. You'll be very welcome.

The Twelve Principles of Creation Spirituality

1. The Universe, and all within it, is fundamentally a blessing.Our relationship with the Universe fills us with awe.

2. In Creation, God is both immanent and transcendent. This is panentheism which is not theis (God out there) and not atheism (no God anywhere).We experience that the Divine is in all things and all things are in the Divine.

3.God is as much Mother as Father, as much Child as Parent, as much God in mystery as the God in history as much beyond all words and images as in all forms and beings.We are liberated from the need to cling to God in one form or one literal name.

4.On our lives, it is through the work of spiritual practice that we find out deep and true selves.Through the arts if meditation and selves we cultivate a clarity of mind and move beyond fear into compassion and community.

5.Our inner work can be understood as a four-fold journey involving:- awe, deight, amazement (known as the Via Positiva)- uncertainty, darkness, suffering, letting go (Via Negativa)- birthing, creativity, passion (Via Creativa)- justice, healing, celebration (Via Transformitiva)We weave through these paths like a spiral danced, not a ladder climbed.

6.Every one of us is a mystic.We can enter the mystical as much through beauty (Via Positiva) as through contemplation and suffering (Via Negativa). We are born full of wonder and can recover at any age.

7. Every one of us is an artist.
Whatever the expression of our creativity, it is out prayer and praise (Via Creativa).

8. Every one of us is a prophet.Our prophetic work is to interfere with all forms of injustice and that which interrupts authentic life (Via Transformativa).

9.Diversity is the nature of the Universe. We rejoice in and courageously honor the rich diversity within the Cosmos and expressed among individuals and across multiple cultures, religions and ancestral traditions.

10.The basic work of God is compassion and we, who are all original blessings and sons and daughters of the Divine, are called to compassion.We acknowledge our shared interdependence; we rejoice at one another’s joys and grieve at one another’s sorrows and labor to heal the causes of those sorrows.

11.There are many wells of faith and knowledge drawing from one underground river of Divine wisdom. The practice of honoring, learning and celebrating the wisdom collected from these wells is Deep Ecumenism.We respect and embrace the wisdom and oneness that arises from the diverse wells of all the sacred traditions of the world.

12.Ecological justice is essential for the sustainability of life on Earth.Ecology is the local expression of cosmology and so we commit to live in light of this value; to pass on the beauty and health of Creation to future generations.

Through study, ritual, celebration and action, these communities support justice, compassion, transformation and sustainability for the Universe and for all living beings. To find a list of Creation Spirituality communities on the web, go here.

A poem contributed by Libby Cornett:

this darkness is a rope, not a prison:
hand over hand i haul myself in
to touch your face, the blossom.
my fingers crawl toward heaven
leaving behind whirling shadows;

this darkness is a rope, not a prison.
i follow light through forgotten
canyons and grottos;
i touch your face and know that even the sun
has a mission: as it climbs it grows.

this darkness is a rope, not a prison;
not a cell from which i hasten.
freely, hand over hand i follow to
touch your face,
to open and open like a
night-blooming jasmine,
or a well widening with echoes:

this darkness is a rope, not a prison,
i touch your face, i blossom

-- maurya simon, changing light

Sick Around the World

T. R. Reid is a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post. In 2007-08 he put together a film showing how five rich countries provide universal healthcare for their citizens. (The U.S. is not one of the five.) His film, "Sick Around the World" appeared on PBS' Frontline last April, and it will play again, on Sunday, August 9th, right here at the Adult Forum. The film is almost 60 minutes long, so it will start at 9:45.
Please join us. You'll be totally amazed! Other wealthy nations have actually figured out how to do healthcare for way less money than we spend. If you know a congressman, encourage them to come along. They will be amazed, too! As always, all are welcome.

Cuban Health Care, a First-Hand Report

This coming Sunday, August 2, we are lucky to host Dr. Nancy Lanthorn who will speak on her recent trip to Cuba for the purposes of learning more about a strong health system in an impoverished country. Here's her synopsis:


"In Feburary, 2009, Dr. Lanthorn spent ten days in Cuba visiting various urban and rural facilities in three different areas to observe the Cuban health care system and the mental health care delivery system. She met with physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers and observed them at work. Although the educational system was another interest, there was not time to visit schools except at the University Level. She has prepared a program which provides highlights from this trip and will contrast the Cuban system with that of the United States. "

As a brief bio:

"Dr. Nancy Lanthorn is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Johnson City, Tn. After completing the program at the University of Wyoming and an internship at the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Foundation, Dr. Lanthorn worked for an educational cooperative with four school systems before entering private practice. Since then, she has practiced in Kingsport, Colonial Heights, Gray and Johnson City. "

Please join us. You'll be very welcomed.

Public Health in America

For this coming Sunday, July 26th, we are lucky to have as our presenter, Dr. Randy Wykoff, Dean of the College of Public Health at ETSU.
Randy will give a general presentation as an overview of public health issues facing our region, and the nation and he will present specific community-based interventions we can pursue to make things better.

Dr. Wykoff is fairly new to the area. He arrived at ETSU in 2006, and he has been making things happen since. It was Dr. Wykoff that brought Vice President Al Gore to speak at ETSU, and short afterwards David Kessler, former head of the FDA, as part of an outstanding seminar series that has been chocked full of public health luminaries.
Dr. Wykoff is in the midst of a distinguished career in Academic Public Health. He has published numerous noteworthy articles in prestigous journals, including the "New England Journal of Medicine." Dr. Wykoff worked at Project HOPE and at various positions in the federal government. He is a phyhsician trained in pediatrics, preventive medicine, and tropical medicine.
Randy earned his BS, MPH and MD degrees at Tulane. He enjoys Mandolin, Fly Fishing, and Kung Fu. He and Janine have five children.

Fell behind of Posting : Sufism and Creation

If you're one of the ones of people who look at this blog you'll not that I fell off the wagon with regular postings for July 12 and July 19.
Quickly, on July 12th, Rebecca Nunley gave another of her excellent presentations, this one on an overview of Sufism. Among other things, Rebecca gave us 10 Sufi thoughts:

There is One God, the Eternal, the Only Being, none else exists.
There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all Souls, who constantly leads all followers towards the Light.
There is One Holy Book, the sacred manuscript of Nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader.
There is One Brotherhood/Sisterhood, the human family, which unites the children of earth indiscriminately in the Parenthood of God.
There is One Religion, the unswerving progress in the right direction towards the ideal, which fulfills the life's purpose of every soul.
There is One Law, the law of reciprocity, which can be observed by a selfless conscience, together with a sense of awakened justice.
There is One Path, the annihilation of the false ego in the real, which raises the mortal to immortality, in which resides all perfection.
There is One Truth, the true knowledge of our being, within and without, which is the essence of all wisdom.
There is One Moral, the love which springs forth from self-denial and blooms in deeds of beneficence.
There is One Object of Praise, the beauty which uplifts the heart of its worshippers through all aspects from the Seen to the Unseen.

Thanks Rebecca.

On July 19 Dwight Cope lead the group with a presentation on Creation Stories from te LTQ2 series. I'm sure it was good.

Thanks Dwight.

Lives of Jesus

For Sunday, July 5 we will continue the LTQ2 series with the chapter on the Lives of Jesus. Here's the introduction to the reading:

"From apocalyptic firebrand to mystical faith healer to political insurrectionist, the various images of Jesus are celebrated and defended by true believers of every theological and political stripe. Walk into the narthex of any number of Protestant churches and you’re likely to find the sentimental blue-eyed, pink-skinned Jesus of artist Warner Sallman gazing beatifically upon your comings and goings. Enter the neighboring Catholic church and you’ll probably find the image of a beaten, bleeding, emaciated man suffering on a cross.


From the Gospels to illustrated Bible storybooks to portrayals in film, Jesus has been the subject of considerable “spin” over the ages. Each tradition and each individual puts their own emphasis on this remarkable figure. For many middleclass Americans, the ideal Jesus is the gentle, upstanding, right-thinking (and often somewhat androgynous) suburbanite with good posture. The notion that Jesus might have been a short, dark, Middle-Eastern peasant rabble-rouser is so far from many people’s capacity to comprehend, that all reason is rejected in favor of the gauzy Aryan visions of early childhood. A blond-haired, blue-eyed Jesus, meek and mild, is such a stalwart icon of Western culture, that to suggest anything contrary or corrective to that image is tantamount to heresy."

Please join us. We'll be glad to see you.

Torture is a Moral Issue

Nancy Barrigar will be our presenter next Sunday, June 28.

Here's her synopsis of her talk:

Can torture be justified in certain circumstances? Do "harsh interrogation techniques" make Americans safer? Can cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of prisoners be morally justified?
A recent poll by the Pew Research Center showed that support for torture actually increased among those who attended church more frequently. With a brief PowerPoint presentation we will look at the results of the survey. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is a member of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. We will view and discuss an 18-minute video from NRCAT entitled "Ending U.S.-Sponsored Torture Forever"

Ending US-Sponsored Torture Forever from Steven D. Martin on Vimeo.

And here's Nancy's brief bio statement:

An Elizabethton native, I have been a member of First Presbyterian since the early 1980s. My undergraduate degree is from King College with a major in psychology, and I received a Master of Arts in Teaching from ETSU. I spent 20+ years as an educator, the great majority of that in early childhood education. Since its inception, Gary and I have been co-moderators of the Peacemaking Committee here at First Pres. Peace, environmental and social justice issues are important in my life. Raising awareness regarding these topics seems to keep popping up on my to-do list.

Please join us for the Adult Forum, Sunday morning at 9:45. We'll be happy to see you.

The science of religion: a modern and ancient offering

Next Sunday, June 21, our guest speaker will be Hap Cawood, visiting from Dayton, Ohio. Hap comes to us by his connection with Harriet Baker.

Here's his synopsis of his presentation:

"My talk will be "The science of religion: a modern and ancient offering." This presentation aims to make the case that the Jesus' teachings, rightly understood, are in harmony with science, the Bhagavad-Gita and Pantajali's Yoga Sutras, and that one can prove this by direct experience. This talk will draw from Paramahansa Yogananda's works, such as "The Second Coming of Christ -- Resurrecting the Christ Within You," and will concentrate mostly on the methods and experiences of attaining divine realization, as noted in a number of esoteric Biblical passages. "

And a brief Bio from Mr. Cawood:

"After receiving my B.A. in English from Union College (Ky.), I taught in my hometown Harlan High School and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone. I then earned my M.A. degree in Journalism at Ohio State and worked for the Dayton Daily News 34 years as an editorial writer and editorial page editor. My Johnson City connection is that my younger daughter, Shuly, married Harriet Baker's son, Preston McKee."

Please join us for what promises to be an enriching presentation. The Forum starts at 9:45.

The Prophetic Jesus

Next Sunday, June 14, we will continue our series on Living the Questions2. Our lesson will focus on the section called "The Prophetic Jesus". This section addresses the questions of "what does it mean to prophesy?" "what do prophets do?" and, "what was the prophecy of Jesus (which has nothing to do with the rapture)?"

When Ghandi was asked the difference between himself and most Christians, Ghandi quietly replied, "I think he really meant it." (refering to Jesus' prophecy).

The voice of the prophet calls the people to remember who they really are, to act in ways that truly reflect their deepest convictions, and to discover what those convictions are.

As we explore this image of Jesus, I'll try to draw some connection to why Susan Boyle's videos from "Britain's Got Talent" have been viewed more than 100 million times. It'll be a stretch but I think it might work.

There are reading materials with the section, and if you would like copies in advance, just send me an e-mail.

As always, please feel warmly invited to join us at 9:45. There are reading materials with the section, and if you would like copies in advance, just send me an e-mail.

Blessed are the poor in spirit...for theirs

This coming Sunday, June 7, our presenter will be 1st Presbyterian's very own, Rebecca Nunley. Rebecca's talk will focus on early transcriptions of the beatitudes. Here's her synopsis:


"For over 25 years Dr. Neil Douglas Klotz has pursued studying the Middle Eastern cultures and languages. His work translating original Aramaic scripture to English has been particularly fruitful. On June 7, I will introduce the first beatitude for discussion and comparison. The KJV translation "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

Rebecca Nunley was introduced to body prayer in 2000 and soon found the Dances of Universal Peace where she began training as a supervised leader in 2002. Rebecca is also a student of the Abwoon Interspiritual Leadership Program with Neil Douglas Klotz and Wisdom University of California. Rebecca leads dances with the Asheville Dance Cirle, annual URI meetings, and every other month in Elizabethton.

Please know that you'll be warmly welcomed to join us at 9:45

Into the Heart of Desire

On Sunday, May 31 our presenter will be Dr. Judy Tudiver. The full title of her talk is:

Into the Heart of Desire
Women’s Sexuality: Facts and Fiction

Judy gave a simlar talk in the Department of Psychology at ETSU in April. When the announcement came across my e-mail I thought it sounded like a good topic for the Adult Forum. Judy is a delightful person and an entertaining speaker.

Here's her synopsis

"We live in a highly sexualized culture; images of sexuality are everywhere. Yet there seems to be a significant disconnect between women’s sexuality as portrayed in the media and most women’s experience of sexuality and sensuality. Lack of desire and low sexual libido seems rampant for women. In this presentation the myths and confusion associated with women’s sexuality will be explored and what we really know about female sexuality will be examined in an effort to create a holistic model of female sexual desire."

"Judy Tudiver, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Johnson City, TN. She has over 20 years experience working with individuals, couples and families. For a decade Judy has been facilitating women’s sexuality groups and workshops as well as couples’ sexuality workshops with her husband, Fred Tudiver. Judy is passionately committed to her life as therapist, partner, mother and woman of a certain age. "

Please be warmly welcome to join us at the Adult Forum for this interesting topic. We'll be glad to have you.

Healing Prayer

This coming sunday, may 24, we're lucky to host Rabia Harris who will speak to us on Healing Prayer

Rabia writes:

"My talk at First Presbyterian of Elizabethton will focus on the revival of healing prayer within mainline Christianity, and the work of the ecumenical healing prayer order, The International Order of St. Luke the Physician, with which I am affiliated as a lay minster, having previously served as the founding convener (lay coordinator) of my local chapter in Western North Carolina.
"We will discuss how healing prayer compliments medical and alternative therapies, and the importance of healing at all levels, not just the physical body. I am willing to lead the group in a healing prayer and meditation time at the close of the session, if that is appropriate. I will have a printed article called, "'The Power of Healing Prayer,' available for distribution after the presentation"

"A resident of Mars Hill, NC, north of Asheville, I am an interfaith minister with the Alliance of Divine Love, though I remain a devout follower of the teachings of Jesus. At the present time, I am engaged in various activities of the ecumenical Christian community (oftentimes called The Body of Christ) through spiritual practices such as Centering Prayer and Taize chanting in addition to my activities as a healing prayer minister. "

Please join us for this uplifting session. As always, you'll be very welcomed.

Joseph Priestly

Next Sunday, May 17, Jeff Wardeska will give us a presentation on Joseph Priestly. I knew that Jeff had read the biography that came out recently, "The invention of air" by Steven Johnson, so I asked for this presentation. Thanks Jeff, for agreeing.

Priestly has been referred to as one of the people whose ideas changed the world. Priestly was one of the intellectual pillars of the "age of enlightenment", and according to the biography, was the "most hated man in all Britain." After coming to the US became friends with some of our favorite founders. Priestly was a social liberal, a free thinker, a libertarian, and a debunker of blind authortarianism. Priestly's contemporary, the renown conservative Samuel Johnson called him and "evil man." Geez, this sounds so modern.


Here's a Youtube video interview with Steven Johnson that's worth a 5-minute watch. The message is cogent statement about the value-system that establishes a wisdom-based relationship between science, religion and politics.




Here's Jeff synopsis:

"Joseph Priestley (1733 - 1804), while widely recognized as the discoverer of oxygen, was a leading intellectual of the 18th century, influencing many fields and setting the stage for many of our modern ideas in science, religion, as well as helping to shape the course of the fledgling United States. Thomas Jefferson once commented it was Priestley's writing that convinced him remain a Christian. However, he was a contoversial figure, one who narrowly escaped from a mob who burned his home and laboratory."

And a brief bio on our speaker:

"Jeff Wardeska has taught in the Chemistry Department at ETSU for many years and served as department chair since 2000. He is an inorganic chemist and is interested in the role of trace elements in living organisms. He and Brenda have been members of 1st Presbyterian Church, Elizabethton, since 1996."


Please join us at 9:45 in Elizabethton for this fascinating topic. We'll be glad to have you.

No Thanks for the Memories: Psychological Issues Facing the Returning Combat Veteran

Next Sunday, May 10, our very own Myra Elder will give us a presentation on the psychological challenges faced by our service men and women as they return from combat venues in the Middle East.

Here's Myra's synopsis of her presentation:

"The psychological toll of war takes generations to measure. After a brief historical introduction to issues specific to Appalachian veterans,we will cover the typical re-adjustment situations faced by returning soldiers. We will briefly overview the more severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which afflicts about 15% of combat veterans. The discussion will also include PTSD due to military sexual trauma. Finally, we will begin a dialogue about what we, as congregants, can do to welcome visitors/potential church members who may be struggling with these issues."

And here's a brief bio, that let's us know why Myra is qualified to speak on this subject:

"Myra Elder, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist at the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She has been working with combat veterans and their families for 14 years, through the Primary Care Clinic. She is a member of the center’s Sexual Trauma Response Team and the Women Veteran’s Advisory Council. She enjoyed being an adjunct professor for several years at Milligan College. She earned her doctorate at Temple University in Philadelphia, and she completed her internship at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, KY. Currently, she spends her free time playing “Duck, Duck, Goose,” “Hide and Seek,” and “Freeze Tag.”

Please join us at First Presbyterian in Elizabethton. You'll be very welcomed.

Hot, Flat and Crowded

On May 3, Jerry Gehre is going to speak on Thomas Friedman's book, "Hot, Flat and Crowded", and on our response to the book. Here's Dr. Gehre's synopsis of his presentation:

"In the book Hot, Flat and Crowded the author Thomas L. Friedman identified the convergence of three major trends: Global Warming, Global Flattening, and Global Crowding. These trends lead to at least five major problems facing the world. Mr. Friedman proposed several secular ideas working for solutions to the problems.
In the Christian environment we need to examine these trends and problems to determine if there is a role for Christians to assist in the solution to the problems raised by Mr. Friedman. Does the Bible point to a responsibility in the church? If so, what level within the church should be involved: National, Regional, and/or Local. In addition, what is the individual responsibility in resolving these problems regardless of their religious beliefs?"

Jerry's bio sketch reads:

"My professional career started In 1969 when we moved to Johnson City where I was a Professor of Economics at ETSU. Shortly thereafter my role changed to an administrator at the university. At the time of my retirement my duties included being an Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration. After retiring from ETSU I was a Professor of Management and subsequently, an Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at Tusculum College.
My wife Betty and I have three married children with two grandchildren. We enjoy traveling, attending Elder Hostels and artistic activities. My wife is a potter, china painter, and oil painter. My interests include rock and mineral collecting, lapidary and silver smithing."


Our own Harrison Taylor enthusiastically recommended Dr. Gehre after hearing his talk at the Presbyterian Center on ETSU's campus.

Please join us. As always, you'll be very welcome.

Suffering and Hope in Colombia

On Sunday, April 26, we will hear a presentation on Human Rights and conflict in Columbia, given by Becca Knight.

Here's Becca's synopsis of her talk:

Colombia, South America has been in a civil war for over forty years - and most Americans know nothing about this war, or that the US government helps to fund it. Fighting amongst the right-wing paramilitaries, leftist guerilla groups and the Colombian military often leave innocent civilians, union leaders, indiginous people, pastors and peace workers in the cross fire. There are more internally displaced people in Colombia (about 4 million) than in any other country in the world including Sudan. Come learn why you should care about human rights in Colombia and what you can do to help advocate for a peaceful US policy on Colombia. Becca Knight participated in an emergency peace delegation to Colombia as part of her work with Mennonite Central Committee. She will share powerful stories about suffering and hope in Colombia.

Becca is originally from NJ. She received her BA in sociology from Messiah College and her MS in Nonprofit Management from Eastern University (both schools are in PA). She spent the last few years working with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Washington, DC and is now the Director of Home Repair Ministries at Appalachia Service Project.

Please join us at 9:45. You'll be welcome, as always.

Dr. Fitsanakis continues...

On April 19, Joseph Fitsanakis will conclude his presentation on futility of military actions against terrorism in the middle east. The first part of Dr. Fitsanakis' excellent talk contained a number of compelling points worth our serious consideration. Please join us for part 2.

Why America Will Lose the War on Terrorism

On Easter Sunday, April 12, we will host Joseph Fitsanakis, Ph.D. who will speak on his view of the futility of the use of military might by the United States to accomplish is anti-terrorism goals in the Middle East. It's the first of a two-part presentation.

In synopsis:
For the last eight years, America has been fighting the wrong war, against the wrong people, with false assumptions, using the wrong kinds of weapons. The way it is currently being fought, the so-called “Global War on Terrorism” is unwinnable, no matter how many years the US keeps fighting in it. Joseph Fitsanakis will explore some of the reasons why this is so.

Speaker's Bio:
Dr. Fitsanakis holds a PhD in Political Science and is an author, lecturer, and activist. He is Senior Editor of IntelNews.org. He is also the founder of Democracy Now! Tri-Cities, and a Board member of the Appalachian Peace Education Center and the Martin Luther King Memorial Team, among other regional organizations. He has lived and studied in four countries and currently lectures at King College in Bristol, Tennessee. He and his wife, Dr. Vanessa Fitsanakis, are members of Central Presbyterian Church in Bristol, Virginia.

As always, please join us.

Cradle to Prison Pipeline

Last sunday we were privileged to hear a presentation by Ash-Lee Henderson on the "Cradle to Prison Pipeline" developed by the Children's Defense Fund. From the CDF website:

"Nationally, 1 in 3 Black and 1 in 6 Latino boys born in 2001 are at risk of imprisonment during their lifetime. While boys are five times as likely to be incarcerated as girls, there also is a significant number of girls in the juvenile justice system. This rate of incarceration is endangering children at younger and younger ages.
This is America's pipeline to prison — a trajectory that leads to marginalized lives, imprisonment and often premature death. Although the majority of fourth graders cannot read at grade level, states spend about three times as much money per prisoner as per public school pupil.
CDF's vision with it's Cradle to Prison Pipeline campaign is to reduce detention and incarceration by increasing preventive supports and services children need, such as access to quality early childhood development and education services and accessible, comprehensive health and mental health coverage. Emphasis must be shifted for the sake of our children and our nation's future"

Ash-Lee is an excellent, impassioned presenter.
For more information, see the Children's Defense Fund website.

HRT and the Women's Health Initiative

On Sunday, March 29 the Adult Forum will host Dr. Brooks Pond who will speak on the most recent findings of the Women's Health Initiative with respect to hormone replacement therapy.

Here's her synopsis of her talk:

"Is hormone replacement therapy right for you?
Menopause, which occurs in women at an average age of 51, results in diminished ovarian secretion of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This results in a number of consequences, including “hot flashes”, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and urinary symptoms. In addition, post-menopausal women have a greater risk for coronary heart disease and osteoporosis. As a result, there has been a focus on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women, which may include estrogen therapy or combined estrogen-progestin therapy. Although these hormones provide some obvious benefits during the reproductive years, there was still some concern about negative consequences of HRT after menopause. Therefore, in 1991, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and other units of the National Institutes of Health launched the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), one of the largest studies of its kind ever undertaken in the U.S. The WHI study comprised two large clinical trials including estrogen-only and combined estrogen-progesterone studies that sought to determine definitively the benefits and possible risks of HRT in postmenopausal women. However, both trials were stopped early due to adverse effects. As a result, there is still quite a bit of debate and confusion among clinicians, researchers, and the public at large regarding HRT. In this discussion, we will examine the findings and limitations of the WHI in order to gain a better understanding of the safety and benefits of HRT."

Brooks is a native of Kingsport. She graduated from Centre College (Ky) prior to entering the Ph.D. program in pharmacology at Duke University Medical Center. Following her Ph.D. she worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. Dr. Pond is currently on the faculty in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Gatton College of Pharmacy at ETSU.

As always, please accept our warm welcome to join us on Sunday morning.

More on the Myth Of Redemptive Violence

It seemed clear from the discussion that a lot of issues surround the meaning of the death of Jesus.

Our reading material identifies several interpretation of Jesus' sacrifice. Those are:

"Satisfaction Theory: Derived from ancient Jewish ritual practices (including the Day of Atonement) where animals were sacrificed to satisfy God’s need for blood. Jesus becomes the ultimate sacrifice to appease a God who is so offended by human sin, that only the spilling of his own son’s blood will bring satisfaction. Incidentally, Canaanite religions were not the only ones to sacrifice their children to appease Baal and other gods. There are a number of Biblical examples of Judean kings and leaders who also ritually sacrificed their children, much to Yahweh’s displeasure.

Substitution Theory: The death of Jesus is NOT a sacrifice, but a pay-offxto God. Human beings are so sinful that each of us deserves a horrible lingering and bloody death sentence. However, Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to step in and be our substitute. God would just as soon kill us for our sins, but the slaughter of the innocent satiates the Divine’s
blood lust.

Ransom Theory: If through sin, humanity is now stuck in and operating on the Devil’s “turf,” God had to pay off Satan in order to win our freedom. How? By paying with Jesus’ death.

Victory Theory: NOT a payment to the devil (which is the equivalent of giving in to terrorists), but a defeat-in-principle of the power of evil. Through Jesus’ “obedience unto death,” he showed he could take anything that the Devil could dish out.

Moral Theory: Embraces the idea that the real point of Jesus’ obedience and death was to provide an example for humanity to follow – to stay faithful to one’s convictions even in the face of injustice, brutality, and ignorance. The universe is structured to deal with consequences – and
consequences are not punishment. They’re just consequences. Jesus had to deal with the consequences of his actions and so do we."

The Myth of Redemptive Violence

For March 22,

It is with some genuine trepidation that I approach this topic. No other that I know will be more troubling for many Christians. No other topic is likely to so strongly stir passions, invoke despair or call so clearly on the anger intrinsic to our being.

Recently I mentioned to my beloved cousin, Catherine, that I did not accept the idea of substitutionary atonement. I do not believe the that Jesus died as a sacrifice necessary to save us from our sin.

Catherine asked, "Then why did he die?"

Why, indeed.

Jesus died because he was killed. He was killed by the establishment that refuses to encounter the presence of God in man. He was killed because he cast his net so broadly, because he called for justice, peace and inclusion, because he dared to tell the oppressed that their sins were forgiven. He was killed because he confronted an established power structure built on an inherent human trait: the love of power that uses fear and violence to control others and itself.

This trait is with us yet. It, along with our capcity for self-deception, is our original sin. But for many, it is sacred.

From the LtQ2 literature:
"The most potent religion in Western culture is not Christianity, but a belief in the redemptive power of violence. Although Jesus inaugurated a new order based on partnership, equality,
compassion and non-violence, his example and teachings have been eclipsed by an emphasis on a human unworthiness that demands and defends the need for Jesus’ violent, suffering, atoning death."

Walter Brueggemann points out that, “We are going to deal theologically with the problem of violence forever because it is intrinsic to our inheritance. The question for God for all of us who follow this God is whether we can resist that stuff that is intrinsically present in our existence.”

"Tennyson wrote that despite any love we may profess of God, despite our claims to revere love as Creation’s final law, we, and nature along with us, are 'red in tooth and claw.' After countless generations of ruthless competition for survival, it’s our nature as human beings to carry within us the primal urge to act out in violent ways. We are a violent species" – and we have folded that violence into out religion as a means of our salvation.

Myths are not 'true' or 'false'; they are alive or dead.
"In 1966, John Lennon was vilified for claiming that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. While he was probably right, he could have also said that the Myth of Redemptive Violence is more popular than Jesus. From even the most cursory evaluation, it’s clear that the Myth of
Redemptive Violence is not only alive and well, but has completely eclipsed Jesus’ teachings, example, and the basic principles of Christianity. In fact, the Myth of Redemptive Violence managed to infiltrate the writings and teachings of Christianity from such an early date, that many people are unable to separate one from the other."

But if we reject the myth of redemptive violence and discard the notion that Jesus died for our sins, where are we? How are our sins forgiven? Who redeems our souls? From whence comes our eternal salvation?

As always, you're warmly welcomed to the Adult forum.

What about that Stimulus Plan?

Dr. Steb Hipple, professor of economics at ETSU will lead a discussion on the rationale and potential efficacy of current ecnomic stimulus plan.

Join us. You'll be welcome.

The Life and Legacy of John Calvin

For March 8th, Harrison Taylor will be speaking on John Calvin. Harrison wrote his dissertation on Calvin so he is an authority. He presents a view of Calvin that is unlike the one preceived by most. Calvin was not exactly the man he has been made out to be in the popular press.

Here's Harrison's synopsis:

John Calvin-born 500 years ago - July 11, 1509 in Noyon, France. He was intended by his father [who was excommunicated from the Church] to be a priest---he studied at the University of Paris and other schools in the Classical tradition. Calvin converted to the Reforming movement-was forced out of Paris- and, while travelling, looking for a place to study quietly, was confronted by the Genevan reformer Wm. Farel, with a curse to stay. He began daily lectures [at 5AM] in Geneva on the Bible. His lectures used all the classical tools available. Farel and Calvin were told by the city Council to "preach the gospel of God and quit meddling in politics." Calvin replied "we serve a greater Master" and left for Strassbourg. In 1541 the citizens of Geneva asked Calvin to return. He walked back in September and sought to form a committee to write a church constitution resulting in a model of representative democracy. Calvin died in Geneva in 1564 leaving a legacy of eccumenical contacts, over 60 volumes of theological works and letters, and a grand educational system.

Please join us.

Buddha's Fingerbone

On Sunday, March 2, the Adult Forum will host Bill Stone, (more formally, Dr. William Stone, Professor and Director of Pediatric Research in the Quillen College of Medicine). Bill has spoken to the Forum previously, so regulars will know him as a bright, lively person.

Dr. Stone's talk is on the Buddha's fingerbone. Here's his description:

Hopefully, this talk (“Buddha’s Fingerbone”) with provide a sense of the intense and passionate conflict between Confucianism and Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty. This conflict reached its apex in 819 CE when the poet Han Yu (768–824 CE) composed a vitriolic attack on Buddhism. At the epicenter of this attack is the Famen Temple in China's northwestern Shaanxi Province. Buddha’s fingerbone was enshrined in this temple during the Tang Dynasty. Han Yu, a champion of rationalism, was almost executed for sending a letter to the Chinese Emperor denouncing the elaborate worship of Buddha's fingerbone which he called “a filthy object.” Surprisingly, Buddha's fingerbone was rediscovered by Chinese archaeologists in 1984 near the old Famen Temple. As will be discussed, the events of 819 CE at the Famen Temple still have great relevance to East Tennessee in 2009. Recent evidence suggests, however, that the original title of this talk might have to be changed to “Buddha’s Fingerless Fingerbone.”

As usual, you are warmly welcome to join us at First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton at 9:45.
(I can't wait to hear of the connection between a 9th century Chinese religous struggle and East Tennessee.)

CHARLES DARWIN: A CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFE AND LEGACY

We will celebrate Darwin's Birthday on February 22. The Adult Forum will be treated to a talk by our own Julie Wade. Though Julie is a familiar face at FPE, it is worth noting that she earned her doctorate in biology at Cornell University, and institution that is widely considered as one of the most prestigous academic centers in the world, particularly in the field of Biology. Julie served as a professor of Biology at Milligan college until her recent retirement. She is very well-qualified to speak on this topic. That said, she is a nice person with a friendly approach who will help us better understand the place of evolution in our world.

Here's her synopsis of her talk:

"Evolution by Natural Selection has been called one of the greatest scientific theories ever developed. This description of how life has changed over time was formally published 150 years ago by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. The theory then and now has impacted people in profound and substantial ways because it provides implications for how humans view themselves in relation to the natural world. We shall explore the amazing life of Charles Darwin, his Theory of Natural Selection, and the enduring legacy that he left behind."

Please join us on February 22.

Debunking the Rapture

This coming Sunday, February 15, we are going to continue the Living the Questions2 series. Our topic will be "Debunking the Rapture."

This popular topic challenges the notion the we are at the end of times and that Jesus will literally come again to "meet us in the air". We'll talk about how presumed imminent coming of the rapture supports an image of a violent Jesus, an angry God bent on retribution and punishment, how it fosters a world view consistent with the abdication of responsibile stewardship of the earth and our environment, and most notably, a world view that actively promotes war, death and destruction.

Here's a link to Barbara Rossing who appears in our video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frqIH5eATWg

And here's one to a site that underscores what it is that needs to be debunked, and why this is a serious issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjMRgT5o-Ig

As always, please accept our welcome to the Adult Forum. If you want the associated reading materials just drop me a line at david.roane @ gmail.com (no spaces)

Taking the Bible Seriously

Next Sunday, February 8, we study the second session of "Living the Questions." The title is "Taking the Bible Seriously," and if it had a subtile it would say, "but not literally".

This session is a thoughtful look at the a bit of the history of the Bible with some focus on how it's possible for different groups to view the Bible from different perspectives and arrive at very differing conclusions. We all know how much controversy spins around the Bible and how easy it is to draw completely opposing interpretations. This is nothing new. Sometime around 1800, William Blake wrote,

"Both read the Bible day and night, but thou readst black where I read white."

No doubt the debate on the "truth" of the Bible traces back to the original compliation of texts in the late 4th century. Today, there's probably as much strength of contention around the Bible as ever.

We've all seen the bumper-sticker that boasts, "God said it, I believe it, That settles it." Unfortunately, many use their conviction in the literal truth of the Bible as a weapon. The holy book has been used to justify slavery, white supremacy, war, the oppression of women, the exclusion of gays and a host of other evils. Much of this continues today, and there seems to be a relationship between the degree of literalism and the extent of Biblical abuse.

Literalists use a curious circular argument based on 2 Timothy 3:16 that reads, "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” They hold that the Bible is perfect and without error, therefore it must be the word of God, and because it is the word of God, it must be perfect and without error. And if this argument is not maddening enough, they quickly defend the point that if even the smallest point of the Bible is discounted, the whole thing should be pitched. Such dogmatic adherence to ancient scripture invites distortions and leaves the literalist, to paraphrase John Shelby Spong, hysterically defending the indefensible, while the critic is left thinking the word of God is merely irrational and meaningless.

Hopefully, there is middle ground on which we can find wisdom, truth, virtue and communion in the Bible, without having to put our brains into a intellectual vapor-lock. Dr. Harrell Beck wrote, “The Bible is NOT the word of God – but the word of God is in the Bible.” Please join us as we seek evidence of what that means.

If you are interested in the handout, just send me an email asking for one:
david.roane @ gmail.com (no spaces)

playing for change - Google Video#

Excuse me while I experiment with posting videos


playing for change - Google Video#

Joel Carillet: How Travel Teaches us to Love

Joel Carillet will be sharing stories and reflections that went into the shaping of his new book, 30 Reasons to Travel: Photographs and Reflections from Southeast Asia. (You can find more information on the book via his website, http://www.joelcarillet.com/.)

Title: 30 Reasons to Travel (or, How Travel Teaches us to Love)

Joel's Synopsis: Traveling, when done well, is nothing less than learning to love — loving things like adventure and change, yes, but even more learning to love people with names like Mustafa, Flora, Yangyang, Sikander, and Balram. It is learning to love places in all their complexities and contradictions, beauty and horror. It is learning to love our connectedness — that no matter what the religion, war, language, or worldview, we are, when all is said and done, neighbors in a world we share.

This could be good! It inspires me to post this delightful video from Playing to Change: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAjFnJuk1Aw

Professor H. Hashimoto speaks on Human Rights

On January 25th we were treated to a talk by Prof. Hidetoshi Hashimoto, Department of Political Science at ETSU. I, for one, was surpirsed that the mild-mannered Hashimoto turned out to be such a lively speaker on the topics of world travel and International human rights.

One of the compelling points from Dr. Hashimoto was that the top six countries carrying out the death penalty are China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, United States and Iraq. More people are executed in Texas than in all of Europe.

What is Intelligent Design?

On Sunday, January 18, we'll be treated to a talk on
Intelligent Design, presented by:

David Harker, Assistant Professor
Department of Philosophy
East Tennessee State University

Here's Professor Harker's synopsis of his presentaton:

"Education boards across the country continue to attack the teaching of evolutionary biology within our high schools, principally by urging that alternative theories deserve a place on school science curricula. The most prominent alternative view is known as Intelligent Design theory. But what is Intelligent Design? Is it science or religion? Is it a genuine alternative to evolution? In this talk I'll offer an overview of Intelligent Design and discuss some of the main reasons that are offered in favour of its being taught in our schools."

Suggested article: "What Is Wrong with Intelligent Design?" Quarterly Review of Biology, 2007, 82: 3-8. Available here: http://philosophy.wisc.edu/sober/recent.html

Our experience with other faculty from the Department of Philosophy at ETSU has been very good. I look to Dr. Harker to continue the fine tradition.

As always, please join us at:

First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton
119 W F St.
Elizabethton, TN

The Forum begins at 9:45

Session 1: An Invitation to Journey

The first session in titled: An Invitation to Journey. I'll be happy to send you a copy of the pre-class reading via e-mail. It's good -- deeper, I think, than the dvd. As a teaser, here are a couple of quotes:


"....“I think certainty is a vice in religion. I really think that we ought to rid ourselves of it. So, I would constantly want to hold this wrestling, this uncomfortableness, I do not have it together, we are struggling in this together, as the proper image of the Christian faith. We walk into the
mystery of God. We never arrive. And if we think we arrive we become an idolater.”– Jack Spong

"When Billie Holiday sang: “Thems that got shall get, thems that not shall lose…God Bless the child that’s got his own, that’s got his own,” she was tapping into a profound truth about life – and spirituality. Relying solely on doctrines and dogma passed on from others has seldomSo been a satisfying exercise for those longing for something deeper spiritually or thought-provoking theologically. To not ask questions is tantamount to forfeiting one’s own spiritual birthright and allowing other people’s experience of the divine to define your experience."

So, if you'd like a copy of the reading material (about 4 pages) just send me an email and I'll get it to you. Write to me at david.roane@gmail.com
(I would really like to post the reading on-line, but the publisher's website says that would be a violation of their copyright)

Welcome

'On January 11, 2009 we will begin the Living the Questions series, hereafter referred to as "LTQ"

LTQ is comprised of two formats. There are 21 twenty-minute video presentations, and reading materials. I'll post the reading materials on this site, and we'll watch the videos on Sunday mornings.

I've watched about half of the videos so far and they are pretty good. The series comes with a "Disclaimer" warning that the contents may be challenging or distrubing. LTQ would be a "banned book" in many venues, and the contents would be upsetting to many good folks in our community. However, I think it's right for the Adult Forum.

Here are some endorsements from the LTQ website:

“I have been a pastor for 16 years and this is by far the very best study I have ever participated in.”
Rev. Teri Johnson, First UMC, Brookings, SD

“I’ve seen no tool that matches LTQ2 for in-depth discussion.”
Rev. Dr. Steve Wayles, 1st Congregational UCC, Phoenix, AZ

“This is the very best study we have ever done at our church.”
Bonnie Frost, Coral Isles Church, Tavernier, FL

And this is a promo from the LTQ website:

LtQ2 is an open-minded alternative to studies that attempt to give participants all the answers and instead strives to create an environment where participants can interact with one another in exploring what's next for Christianity. Comprised of 21 sessions, LtQ2 may be offered in sequence or as three independent flights of seven units each: Invitation to Journey, Reclaiming the World and Call to Covenant. Like its prequel, LtQ2 includes downloadable and printable leader and participant guides with weekly readings and discussion questions. Each session may be conducted in one hour or expanded to include a meal and personal sharing. The 20-minute video segments include conversations with leading voices of faith, sermon and lecture clips, digital stories illustrating aspects of an evolving faith, and concrete spiritual practices and disciplines. The flexible DVD and resource materials can be used in variety of class, retreat, and other formats.

LtQ2 features all the contributors from the original Living the Questions: Nancy Ammerman, John Bell, Marcus Borg, Minerva Carcaño, John B. Cobb, Jr., John Dominic Crossan, Lloyd Geering, Culver "Bill" Nelson, Siyoung Park, Stephen Patterson, Tex Sample, John Shelby Spong and Emilie Townes. In addition, LtQ2 also features Rita Nakashima Brock, Walter Brueggemann, Ron Buford, Yvette Flunder, James Forbes, Matthew Fox, Hans Küng, Amy-Jill Levine, Meagan McKenna, Rebecca Ann Parker, Helen Prejean, Barbara Rossing, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Bernard Brandon Scott, Rick Ufford-Chase, Winnie Varghese and Mel White.