Clarion: Journal of Spirituality and Justice

Discernment: Testing My Own Voice by Brad Jersak

DISCERNMENT: TESTING MY OWN VOICE

In recent days I have been thinking about our dialogues with God and how we weigh them. I started noticing that when the prayer conversation alternates: God, then Brad, then God, then Brad, and son on, I was diligent to test what God is allegedly saying. I test to see whether the voice of God is really God or not God. I check that voice according to the three-legged stool of the Word, the Body and the Spirit, as recommended in Can You Hear Me? Tuning in to the God who Speaks.

But I neglected to test MY voice. And why should I? After all, it’s my own voice, isn’t it? Or is it? But when I began to categorize the themes that came under the umbrella of ‘my voice,’ I noticed something. On the one hand, there was the voice that agrees with and responds to God in faith. We could call that the voice of my ‘true heart,’ or the voice of the ‘new creation,’ or the ‘new me.’

On the other hand, there are these other voices that I assumed were my own as well: The voice of condemnation (beating myself up) that would then trigger the voice of self-pity (feeling sorry for myself), and the voices of shame, self-hatred, fear, worry, anger, and so on. In my head, I would hear and say, ‘I am afraid; I am angry; I don’t like myself; I’m not worthy,’ etc. Perhaps you know those voices as well.

War, Police and Prisons: Cross-Examining State-Sanctioned Violence by Wayne Northey

Podcast Download this episode (57 min)

 

The Western state arrogated to itself sole prerogative to commit violence against its enemies. The state’s domestic enemies are criminals, its international enemies whomever the current government declares such. This presentation addresses morally, philosophically and theologically the state’s right to commit violence, especially lethal violence. It will argue that issues of societal violence from schoolyard bullying to murder perpetuate ultimately due to state modelling in training and duties legitimated for its police, prisons and military. It will suggest an alternative.

A pdf of the presentation is available here.

The Making of Miracle -- Archbishop Lazar Puhalo

    Both religion and science — modern physics in particular— operate in the realm of faith based on the evidence of things not seen. Ask a physicist how many particles of non-baryonic "dark matter" he has seen, weighed and measured. "None", he will have to answer. "Why, then, do you believe in it." The only answer he can give is, "on the evidence of things not seen." Higgs Boson is another construct accepted on the evidence of things not seen. Cosmic string theorists must give a similar answer with regard to cosmic strings (although they are not so certain that they do exist).

    Quantum mechanics is not a final theory, but a transitional phase of physics. It has led us to understand that, from the perspective of human reason, strangeness and mystery are prevailing conditions of all existence. As we transition in modern physics, how much greater will the mystery become and how much more will the "strangeness" confound our reason?

American Exceptionalism by Brian Zhand

American Exceptionalism: The theory that the United States occupies a special place among the nations of the world and possesses a unique destiny in history.

I’ve heard it said, "American Exceptionalism is simply a fact." 

I'm sure it is.

Just like Greek Exceptionalism and Roman Exceptionalism and British Exceptionalism were facts too.

If you're not exceptional, you're just another nation. Exceptionalism is required of an empire.

Not to be uber-religious or anything, but I really do believe in Kingdom of God Exceptionalism. Really!

Plato's Cave -- Adaptation in Clay by Michael Ramsey

Plato's Allegory of the Cave: An adaptation in clay from Michael Ramsey on Vimeo.

"Reason, Faith, and Revolution: Reflections on the God Debate" by Terry Eagleton" -- Interactive Review by Wayne Northey

Interactions With Reason, Faith, and Revolution: Reflections on the God
Debate, Terry Eagleton, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2009, 185 pp.

Introduction

I had generally felt uninterested in the recent spate of neoatheistic publications, including The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and God is Not Great, by Christopher Hitchens. Both books and the “God Debate” are the focus of the book under discussion. In 2010, Eagleton, a noted literary critic and theoretical Marxist, is slated to give the most prestigious series of theological lectures in English today: The Gifford Lectures at the University of Edinburgh, on “The God Debate”, that will continue his probing this theme. With Eagleton’s offering, I suddenly realized how vital to our very humanity this discussion is! What, if after all, both the dilemma of the human condition and its solution cut far more deeply than the best offerings of secular good works done by say the International Red Cross, the Canadian International Development Agency, or the American Peace Corps? What if, after all, most of the Christian West with its early inversion of the Cross into ultimate symbol of violence, the Sword, was massively unfaithful to humanity’s ultimate destiny of peace that Judeo-Christian Scripture knows as the Kingdom of God? This publication raises these issues exquisitely and much more. To read the rest of this article, download the pdf file here: Download Book Review of Reason, Faith, and Revolution

When I say . . . by Al Sergel

When I Say

For far too long perfectionism has been the hand over my mouth muzzling the truthful confession that I believe will prove to be another significant demarcation in my following of Jesus, my friend and Lord.

"I am a sinner."

"All have sinned and fallen short..." is not some nonchalant, politically correct excuse I use, but a celebratory song that I sing. A song, like a knife, that has a melody which cuts through the clouded piety my own thoughts, ideas and assumptions.

I fall short.

I sin.

It's easier to live in a vacuum where my throne room - with my idols, with my absolutes - is controllable...manageable.

It's perfect...perfect.

Yet, pinching my heart is another way.  Truly foreign to my ways, is a way of love.

Confession of a Radical by Brian Zahnd

Recently I was speaking with a pastor whose political views I would describe as “God and Country zealotry.” In the course of our conversation, which had taken its typical political turn, he said, “We must defend Freedom, Democracy and Capitalism in the name of Christ.” 

That is quite a claim. But is it true? Must Rousseau freedom, Jeffersonian democracy and Laissez-faire capitalism be defended in the name of Christ? Let’s think about it for a moment. 

Freedom. It’s the promise of every empire. It's what Rome and all the rest promise. And it's always what we go to war for. Freedom. Political Freedom. Economic Freedom. Individual Freedom. “The land of the free and the home of the brave.” The vocabulary of patriotic fervor. As if there were no Freedom until Jeffersonian democracy arrived on the scene. So what was Jesus talking about? Jesus and Paul seemed to have a thing or two to say about Liberty and Freedom, but they never breathed a word about political democracy or economic capitalism. Have we been seduced by the blandishments of empire? America may be a kinder, gentler Babylon, maybe the kindest, gentlest Babylon there's ever been (though native Americans and African slaves may beg to differ, not to mention the civilians of Hiroshima and Nagasaki). Be that as it may, America is still a Babylon. And as such it has nothing to do with the kingdom of Christ…other than to be a rival.  

Radio Orthodox Canada with Archbishop Lazar Puhalo

Archbishop Puhalo is now releasing mp3 audio files with teaching series on such topics as the reasonableness of faith. The following link provides an introduction to the series and the service in general.

http://archbishoplazar.podbean.com/mf/web/aimg2r/1-THEREASONABLENESSOFFAITH.mp3

The Spiritual Transformation of Social (Justice) Work by Dr. Edward Kruk

THE SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIAL (JUSTICE) WORK:
A CHARTER OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES CORRESPONDING TO VITAL HUMAN NEEDS
Edward Kruk, Ph.D.

First Presented at First North American Conference on Spirituality (May 2006)

ABSTRACT

This paper explores core elements of a spiritual foundation for transformational social work. The concept of social justice, defined here as “seeing that no harm comes to another,” which lies at the heart of both eastern and western religious and spiritual traditions, will be examined in relation to needs essential to human growth and integrity. A theoretical framework for social (justice) work (practice and pedagogy) based on a responsibility-to-needs conception of justice—as opposed to a rights-based approach—will be articulated. A draft Charter of Social Obligations, corresponding to vital human physical, psychological/emotional, social and spiritual needs, will be discussed and applied to two case examples. Social justice as harm reduction serves the goal of spiritual transformation in cases of spiritual trauma. Here the spiritual is regarded not as an autonomous realm, but as something expressed in the relations between people. As Canda (1999) demonstrates, spirituality involves understanding the interconnectedness of all people, inspiring a sense of mutual responsibility. This presentation will provide a framework to operationalize this central principle.

Jesus Shows Up -- Sermon by Lorie Martin

“They saw Jesus…”

 “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”  So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”  Jesus knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum.  By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.  A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.  When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.  But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”  Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.”  John 6: 12 – 21

Read once through, then again very slowly entering into the various components of the story and the life of Christ and His disciples.

 Overview:

1. God shows up in the grand scheme of things. – The Seen Part of our Journey
2. Question:  Will He show up for me/you/us personally? – The Unseen Part of our Journey
3. He does show up. He always comes. He never leaves. – The Waiting Part of our Journey
4. He gets me to where I am to land. – The Reality of our Journey
5. Personal Listening Experience – Your invitation to encounter God for you

With God on Our Side (with Kevin Miller and Ron Dart)

Are the Gospels Mythical? by Rene Girard

Are the Gospels Mythical?

Rene Girard
(first published in First Things April 1996)

From the earliest days of Christianity, the Gospels' resemblance to certain myths has been used as an argument against Christian faith. When pagan apologists for the official pantheism of the Roman empire denied that the death-and-resurrection myth of Jesus differed in any significant way from the myths of Dionysus, Osiris, Adonis, Attis, etc., they failed to stem the rising Christian tide. In the last two hundred years, however, as anthropologists have discovered all over the world foundational myths that similarly resemble Jesus' Passion and Resurrection, the notion of Christianity as a myth seems at last to have taken hold—even among Christian believers.

Erasmus, the Great Tradition and the Eastern Fathers by Ron Dart

  The name of Erasmus will never perish
John Colet (1516)

Erasmus has published volumes more full of wisdom
than any which Europe has seen for ages.
Thomas More

The chief aim of Erasmus in his life’s work as a humanist scholar was to restore theology. In his times this meant to replace the theology then being taught and practiced as a professional science by a more adequate study of Holy Scripture and the Fathers of the early Church.

John Olin

 Those who have dipped into the life and prolific writings of Erasmus (1466-1536) might be aware of the importance and significance of the Praise of Folly. Others know Erasmus well because of his Adages and Colloquies. The voluminous correspondence of Erasmus holds the attention of others. The clash between Luther and Erasmus is part of Reformation lore and legend.

The fact that Erasmus was put on the Index makes him an activist and writer of some interest. The peace theology of Erasmus makes him an anomaly of sorts in the war stricken 16th century. Many 1st generation Anabaptists cut their peace tradition teeth by sitting at the feet of Erasmus in Basel. Erasmus was front and centre in heralding and doing new translations of the Bible. But, Erasmus was deeply committed as a Christian humanist and renaissance scholar in bringing to the fore the Fathers of the Church.

President Obama's Speech to the Muslim World (Cairo, Egypt)

Reconciled to What? by Brad Jersak

Reconciled to What? Personal and Public Reconciliation in Canadian Aboriginal Context
by Brad Jersak with thanks to the Honourable Iona Campagnola

Recently, I was honoured to attend a gathering hosted by the Lytton First Nation, entitled ‘Bright New Day’ Workshop. The facilitators of the event were John McCandless and Chief Robert Joseph. Approximately sixty registrants attended, half of whom came from a variety of Aboriginal communities and organizations, while the other half represented a wide range of governments and businesses that have a stake in building relationships with the First Nations communities. It seemed symbolic that the modern facilities selected for the event were unfinished but that could enjoy meeting in one large circle within a tent with a grass field as the floor. Significant too was the fact that we were situated on the grounds of what had once been St. George's Residential School, with all the loaded history that its memory carries. To have a conference on reconciliation among such people in such a place was a profound experience that I will not forget. Before I go on, I want to thank the Lytton First Nation for welcoming me to the traditional territories of the N’Laka’Pamux Peoples. You treated me with great hospitality and respect.