Spirit of Truth newsletter 9/28/10
Our Conviction: God is Love, Love is the center of all creation, and Justice is the public expression of that Love.
Our Vision: The vision of Spirit of Truth is a Minnesota and world where love and justice are at the center of our community and society, and where people, through spiritual nourishment, real relationships, dignified work, and public voice, live valued, meaningful lives.
Our Mission: The mission of Spirit of Truth is to be central to realizing that vision. To be a community of people that through spiritual practices, community relationships, action for justice and faith live into the belief that love and justice are actually at the center, and to create a society that lives up to that belief as well.
What’s up next: This Sunday, October 3rd, at 11am, we’ll gather for our fourth Sunday gathering. We’ll share stories and experiences, and explore and celebrate our faith in love and justice through prayer and song.
After the celebration, we’ll have our first all-community co-creation meeting. We’re going to talk about what steps we’ve taken so far to live out our vision in the world, and what steps we want to take next. We have nothing but opportunity in front of us: In what new ways do we want to pray, and to reenergize ourselves? How do we want to build community with our neighbors in the Twin Cities? How will we act for justice in the world?
Join us for the celebration, and stay after to be part of waling this exciting path!
What’s been going on: We’ve had some really moving powerful stories and experiences in our first few weeks of gathering as a community. Our first week, Spirit of Truth leader, Cirien, shared her story. She told us about her experience, as a Jordanian-American, of becoming Arab the day after the September 11th attacks. She said that people started to look at her differently, and consequently, she started having to be different in the world as well. Out of this new way of being, she’s been part of a community of Arab Americans working for peace in the world. Others have shared their stories as well – about faith, about life, looking for meaning, and working for justice.
We have also been exploring music with Twin Cities artist Donna Pena, singing songs about justice and the promise of a new way of living together and of a God of love. At each gathering we try different prayers of silence or speaking, to ground ourselves in our faith.
While these gatherings have been happening, we’ve continued to build relationships with each other, and to build new relationships, and invite people to join us on path of Spirit of Truth.
Spirit of Truth
www.spiritoftruthtwincities.org
651-336-6726
pete@spiritoftruthtwincities.org
701 N Lexington Parkway
St Paul, MN 55104
The blog of the Spirit of Truth faith community about faith, the church, politics, justice and everyday life.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Jingoistic Hell
The news this week has been such a powerful reminder of why we are creating Spirit of Truth. You can't turn on the radio or open Yahoo without news of Pastor Olson, a would be Koran burner from Florida. The news of course can't give up on this for to turn away from the disaster that is Pastor Olson is like trying not to look at a car accident, it's scary and perhaps even repulsive but you can't tear your eyes away.
When this story began I was angry as hell at this pastor but as the media has hammered this thing to death, he and this story just seem more and more pathetic. What we should be talking about is not how one pastor can go off the deep end but how much of the faith community that calls itself Christian is just a few steps away from that end of the pool. You can't drive down the street without reading bumper stickers that imply "my god is bigger and better than your god". If you're like me you get unsolicited mass emails from family and friends that make the same point. It's as if the question of religious pluralism and understanding was nothing more than a school yard pissing contest.
It's really a sad state of affairs. One popular option is to take the whole notion of faith and decide it is irrelevant or maybe even dangerous. I think, though, that that misses the reality of what's happening here with Pastor Olson and all the bumper sticker hate mongers. These sentiments don't come from the deep traditions of freedom and liberation of Jewish and Christian faith. Those sentiments are pure jingoism justified and promoted through a twisted and perverted version of those faiths. I'm in favor of calling it what it is, ignorant hatred in the name of God. I'm not in favor of walking away from the grand narrative of freedom and liberation and handing it over to those who would twist it into its opposite message.
Spirit of Truth exists to create a space where love is possible. It exists to create a space where community can be grown. And it exists to create a space where we can hear the voice that speaks sometimes so softly in our own hearts that God is good. A community like that, would change everything.
Grant
When this story began I was angry as hell at this pastor but as the media has hammered this thing to death, he and this story just seem more and more pathetic. What we should be talking about is not how one pastor can go off the deep end but how much of the faith community that calls itself Christian is just a few steps away from that end of the pool. You can't drive down the street without reading bumper stickers that imply "my god is bigger and better than your god". If you're like me you get unsolicited mass emails from family and friends that make the same point. It's as if the question of religious pluralism and understanding was nothing more than a school yard pissing contest.
It's really a sad state of affairs. One popular option is to take the whole notion of faith and decide it is irrelevant or maybe even dangerous. I think, though, that that misses the reality of what's happening here with Pastor Olson and all the bumper sticker hate mongers. These sentiments don't come from the deep traditions of freedom and liberation of Jewish and Christian faith. Those sentiments are pure jingoism justified and promoted through a twisted and perverted version of those faiths. I'm in favor of calling it what it is, ignorant hatred in the name of God. I'm not in favor of walking away from the grand narrative of freedom and liberation and handing it over to those who would twist it into its opposite message.
Spirit of Truth exists to create a space where love is possible. It exists to create a space where community can be grown. And it exists to create a space where we can hear the voice that speaks sometimes so softly in our own hearts that God is good. A community like that, would change everything.
Grant
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Where we've been and where we're going
Last night some of the leaders of Spirit of Truth gathered to have a conversation about where we’ve been and where we’re going next. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation about what’s in front of us. As we begin our weekly celebrations, we want to be intentional that our community is always acting on this belief: That God is love, love is the center of creation, and justice is the community expression of God’s love.
Here’s what we came up with:
1. So far, Spirit of Truth has been in a period of discernment through relationship building. That means that through meeting with each other, sharing our stories and ideas, we’ve listened to God and learned about what Spirit of Truth should be. Read about our vision here.
2. Now it’s time to start trying out practices and activities that live into that belief. First up is our weekly gatherings. Starting this Sunday at 11am at St Matt’s (701 N Lexington Parkway, St Paul, MN 55104) we’re going to gather as a community to explore our faith in love and justice. This will not be our only practice, and this one will continue to change as grow as well. But we’re excited to get started, to have something tangible to gather around.
3. We also made a list of what we have and what need to live out this vision.
a. What we have: A group of committed leaders that have helped envision Spirit of Truth; a set of a few hundred relationships, many of them excited for this new phase to start; Facebook page, website, blog, all up and running; the support of the ELCA, members of St Matt’s and all sorts of allies; space in which to gather; and a clear vision for Spirit of Truth.
b. What we need: A program, and some structure around which to keep building, experiencing; more co-creationors, members interested in coming and creating what Spirit of Truth will be; a more diverse group, and practices that are intentionally invitational across cultural, racial, age and gender lines; evaluation tools and practices; and enough money to be sustainable.
4. Next steps:
a. Weekly gatherings where we try out celebration together
b. All of us to make invitations to Sundays
c. Next leadership meeting: Directly after celebration (around 12pm) on Sunday, October 3rd.
Join this Sunday, at 11am at St Matt's (701 N Lexington Parkway, St Paul 55104), and see what all this is about!
Pete Marincel
Here’s what we came up with:
1. So far, Spirit of Truth has been in a period of discernment through relationship building. That means that through meeting with each other, sharing our stories and ideas, we’ve listened to God and learned about what Spirit of Truth should be. Read about our vision here.
2. Now it’s time to start trying out practices and activities that live into that belief. First up is our weekly gatherings. Starting this Sunday at 11am at St Matt’s (701 N Lexington Parkway, St Paul, MN 55104) we’re going to gather as a community to explore our faith in love and justice. This will not be our only practice, and this one will continue to change as grow as well. But we’re excited to get started, to have something tangible to gather around.
3. We also made a list of what we have and what need to live out this vision.
a. What we have: A group of committed leaders that have helped envision Spirit of Truth; a set of a few hundred relationships, many of them excited for this new phase to start; Facebook page, website, blog, all up and running; the support of the ELCA, members of St Matt’s and all sorts of allies; space in which to gather; and a clear vision for Spirit of Truth.
b. What we need: A program, and some structure around which to keep building, experiencing; more co-creationors, members interested in coming and creating what Spirit of Truth will be; a more diverse group, and practices that are intentionally invitational across cultural, racial, age and gender lines; evaluation tools and practices; and enough money to be sustainable.
4. Next steps:
a. Weekly gatherings where we try out celebration together
b. All of us to make invitations to Sundays
c. Next leadership meeting: Directly after celebration (around 12pm) on Sunday, October 3rd.
Join this Sunday, at 11am at St Matt's (701 N Lexington Parkway, St Paul 55104), and see what all this is about!
Pete Marincel
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