"We are all, by nature, clearly oriented toward the basic human values of love and compassion. We all prefer the love of others to their hatred. We all prefer others’ generosity to meanness. And who is there among us who does not prefer tolerance, respect and forgiveness of our failings to bigotry, disrespect, and resentment?"

 Have you ever felt that comforting tingly feeling that spreads around your body at just the right moment?

How about gathering with friends in a dark church surrounded by candles?

Join us for our X-Mas eve prayer service at St Matts at 10:00 PM on Dec 24th.

 

Sunday Gathering: Discussion on Failure

At Spirit of Truth's Sunday Gathering today, Grant introduced the discussion topic after referring to this video:



For those of you who don't have the time to watch, the argument is simple:

Failure happens.  We can either admit it and continue working towards our goal with a fresh perspective on what went wrong, repair mistakes, adjust our viewpoints and actually accomplish something...
or
we can pretend it didn't happen, or try to make excuses -which could lead to us making the same mistakes again, or cause us to limit the scope of our ambition unnecessarily.

There are some thought provoking stories within that video, but the last line really strikes me
"Has _________ failed? For me YES, but only because it hasn't failed enough."

During our One to One discussions we talked about our own failures without making excuses, without trying to redeem them by saying "but I learned ___"  just to admit failure, to be comfortable with it.
To recognize that we are loved, good, capable people without having to make up for every failure.

An exercise in liberation. Liberation from our own self doubt, and from believing that the world (and God) actually holds a grudge against us, actually believes we are worthless because of our failures...
its just not true.

Grant spoke about the ancestors and their liberation from Egypt, whereupon they spent 40 years wandering in the desert. 40 years to make a journey that should take a week or two.

Over my years hearing this story I have heard all types of explanations for the 40 years:

-punishment by God
-simply being lost
-poor leadership
-apathy
-preparation for war
-preparation by God (of the land)

or the one Grant offered

-preparation of the people, of the community to be worthy of the land


It took the Hebrews a lifetime of wandering, of failing repeatedly, admitting failures and staying focused on the vision ahead to make it.

Will we spend our lives hiding our failures and continually lowering the bar till we can make it
Or
Keep our eyes on a bigger prize, recognize what hasn't worked and try again?

The Religious Left?

This summer I was cleaning out old files in a file cabinet at the school in which I work. Teachers throughout the years had conveniently left us "contributions" so that future teachers and students could learn from the wisdom of the past. My school is full of this stuff which more often than not does not make sense in the random context in which it is found, and once again more often than not is thrown away when we need space. 

I was making space.

Along with photo copied packets that had been written originally on a type writer, and scrawled notes in cursive in 3 or 4 different people's penmanship the particular drawer I was cleaning out held a series of old audio and video tapes (that we no longer know how to play). I was lucky to find a couple of audio tapes that I could play in my car. One was a history of the blues from gospel and chain gang songs to modern styles.  The other was a collection of labor songs from the 1800s that  Bucky Halker had recorded.

This collection blew my mind for two reasons.

A) It was just great folk labor/protest music.

B) The references to God and heaven and socialist utopias.

Even as a history teacher this era is mysterious. I must admit I have studied more about world history than our own in the United States, but I was amazed to hear these songs of Jesus' intentions for a socialist utopia from the workers of the late 1800s. To me it was clear these people felt there was no distinction between being a progressive socialist and being a christian. 

I wondered how we strayed so far, for today it seems like all of my politically progressive minded friends shun religion with a passion. Even those religiously inclined will more likely say they are "spiritual" rather than religious, and more often than not will not claim to be Christian because of the stigma that surrounds the word in left leaning crowds. 

But there was a time when religious (even christian) did not mean exclusive of a desire for freedom, economic and social equality and justice for all. 

This is what we mean by "living into the narrative of love and justice," it has been around a long time, and will continue to exist... we are the inheritors of a great and wonderful tradition of working towards justice, and we are needed.

-Mike

The following excerpt was written by Rabbi Michael Learner
The whole text can be found here:

Imagine if John Kerry had been able to counter George Bush by insisting that a serious religious person would never turn his back on the suffering of the poor, that the Bible's injunction to love one's neighbor required us to provide health care for all, and that the New Testament's command to "turn the other cheek" should give us a predisposition against responding to violence with violence. 

Imagine a Democratic Party that could talk about the strength that comes from love and generosity and applied that to foreign policy and homeland security.

Imagine a Democratic Party that could talk of a New Bottom Line, so that American institutions get judged efficient, rational and productive not only to the extent that they maximize money and power, but also to the extent that they maximize people's capacities to be loving and caring, ethically and ecologically sensitive, and capable of responding to the universe with awe and wonder. 

Imagine a Democratic Party that could call for schools to teach gratitude, generosity, caring for others, and celebration of the wonders that daily surround us! Such a Democratic Party, continuing to embrace its agenda for economic fairness and multi-cultural inclusiveness, would have won in 2004 and can win in the future.

What are your thoughts?

December Update

It has been quite a while since anyone has posted. This blog has lost its way, 

but Spirit of Truth  is alive and thriving!

Yes we have been acting for justice in a variety of forms. This fall a series of actions were co-created in a large forum while we launched our Love Your Neighbor Campaign

The actions took the form of traditional religious stories or events that could be tweaked to fit a new narrative.

Read about it here. 

_____________________________________________________

What are some other cool things that have been happening around Spirit of Truth this fall?

-thanks for asking (makes it really easy to say this)

 

1. We have started having a monthly potluck gathering the first Sunday of each month. You should join us and bring some grub!
2. We have started reaching out to other community partners, working with Minnesotans for a Fair Economy and the OccupyMN movement. We even had a Sunday Gathering down at Occupy!
3. We started working on the next wave of our strategic plan. A new campaign for Love and Justice and Marriage Equality in the state of MN. 
4. In order to make sure that all of the goals of SoT are accomplished we started a leadership council.  The responsibilities of the council are being worked out slowly but we are eager to create a stronger and more sustainable SoT community. 

Finally if you are new to Spirit of Truth, or you are just looking to periodically remind yourself what we are about here are some inspiring words from a speech that Spirit of Truth organizer Pete Marincel gave this fall.

Hello everyone. My name is Peter Marincel. I’m the organizer for Spirit of Truth. This skit you just saw- we created it because we wanted to be reminded of what’s going on in the world, and what religion has to do with it.  This is going on here every day. Every day.  One million people, good, decent people, being detained and deported, families destroyed.  Fifty million with out healthcare. But what does that have to do with us? With a faith community? 

            That’s what we’re here to answer today. I’m going to propose the beginning of that answer right now.  The faith story - the story of who God is, of who we are, of who is good, who is bad, what is right, and what is wrong - that story has been highjacked.  Taken by people - powers and principalities, some might say, and has been twisted around, and used to justify horrible, oppressive, loveless things. Like deportation, like obscene wealth hording, like exploitation of working people. What does it have to do with us? It’s our responsibility, as people of faith, to take that story back, to take back our faith, and make abundantly clear, that the kind of world you saw in that skit - is not God’s world, it’s not our world. It’s not ok.  

            But first, I need to tell you what I think I’m talking about when I say “faith.” Right? Half of you are probably like: What does that mean? And the other half are probably like: I know what that means - while rolling your eyes. 

            I have to start with my story.  Two years ago, Rev Grant Stevensen - a pastor here in the Twin Cities - came and found me and asked me to help him create a faith community. At the time, I was working for SEIU Local 26, working with Security officers in the Twin Cities to win decent wages and health care from their employers. So I didn’t know Grant very well yet, and I didn’t really think he knew me very well - obviously, considering his request.  I said "Maybe you should find someone else.  Like from a campus ministry or something."  He said to me:

“I know you’re a person of faith.  You know how I know?”

“How?” I said.

“Because it takes great faith to do what you’re doing.  It takes great faith to believe that workers can stand up to their employers.  It takes great faith to think something can change.  In this world, with everything going on, it takes great faith to believe in Goodness.”

So I said yes.  In the last two years, I’ve gotten much clearer about my faith, and what Spirit of Truth is about. My faith is in love. I think it’s the center of creation.  What I mean by that is that I think it’s what should drive our world, our actions, and our lives.  I don’t just mean love as in basic kindness and decency - although that’s part of it - I mean love as a commitment.  I mean the commitment to care for each other, a society that doesn’t let people fall through the cracks, an economy that serves the good of all, and a politics of everyone in, nobody out. That’s the love I mean. So, love is my faith.  To be clear, Christianity is my lens, like some of you.  I was raised in a country where Christianity is the central story, in a family that used that central story to teach me about love. But Christianity is not my faith.  Love is my faith.  Christianity is my lens.  I look with the lens of the Christian tradition, and see love.  We all have different lenses.  You each have a lens, different from mine.  But I’m willing to bet that the reason you are here - is because you see the same thing as I - that Love is the center.

            So back to why we’re here.  We’re here because there is a faith story out there right now that’s not about love.  Not about real love, the love that is commitment to each other and to the world.  We’re here to take that back. What does that love mean?  It isn’t just vague statements.

            Love looks like taxing the rich, and using it to take care of those who need resources.  Not because rich people are bad, but because concentrated wealth is bad, and because concentrated poverty is worse.  And because a society that allows people to be poor because of their education level, the place they grew up, or the color of their skin, has lost it’s soul.  Love looks like an immigration system designed to welcome people who wish to become our new neighbors and community members, without condition, and with gratefulness for the blessing that new neighbors bring.  Love looks like organized workers - so that each working person can benefit from the wealth and abundance they help create.  Love looks like an unconditional health care system, that is about keeping every person healthy, and treating every sick person, not a health care system that makes money off of people’s sickness.  Love looks like an economy that serves people, not the other way around.  Love looks like an economy that provides freedom for each person to discover the gifts God has given them, and to live a life free from economic captivity, and fear.

            This is the purpose of Spirit of Truth.  To be a home for people who have faith in love, and to be a voice of Truth, for what love looks like in the world here and today.  We didn’t start this movement.  There have been people working for love for thousands of years, from every corner of the earth, from ever walk of life. We are next. And you are all working for this love already, in different ways, in different places.  I know it. And that means you all have faith, too. I ask all of you to join us, in taking back the story of our faith in love.  Love can win.  Love will win.  But because of you, and all of us together.  Thank you.

Body and Soul

At Spirit of Truth, we talk and pray about human issues. We speak of people being denied their rights as humans-- as children of God-- to food, education, medical care, housing, jobs. These are, at their most basic, about keeping our bodies alive and healthy.

But we humans also have souls. And, in the experience we had this past Sunday (Love Your Neighbor: Faith Values for a Just Economy Campaign), we wrestled with these issues with our souls. We talked, we used our brains, of course, but we came together because our souls know God and God’s desires for human rights and dignity. We recognize God’s role in our work for justice.

So, in an effort to help people keep body and soul together, we must use our bodies and our souls to work for justice.

Spirit of Truth Newsletter June 2, 2011

Spirit of Truth Newsletter June 2, 2011

Hello! This is the Spirit of Truth newsletter, to keep us all up to date on what’s going on with our community.  If you know someone who might like Spirit of Truth, forward this on to them.  If you’d like to be taken off the list, or if you’d like to know more about anything you read here, reply and let us know.
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 been going on: Campaign Update

Thanks to all of you who helped us collect receipts is support of the retail cleaners at Cub Foods.  In the end we collected $105,499.68 worth of receipts! We met and exceeded our goal! We also had over two hundred signatures pledging to Cub Foods that our money will follow our values.  On Thursday, May 26^th, a group of thirty of us met outside Cub Foods headquarters in Stillwater, MN to deliver theses receipts, and ask that Cub Foods sit down and talk with the workers.  Click here to see a video of that event.

Our action in support of the people who clean Cub Foods comes during a time when workers have had to take drastic action to get Cub Foods to meet with them.   A group of twelve workers and community allies (including Pastor Grant Stevensen) staged a hunger strike, that last ten days, before it was called off for safety reasons.  It was a powerful action and a strong statement by workers and allies, but Cub Foods has still not moved.  The workers are in the midst of planning the next steps of this campaign.  Spirit of Truth will continue to support the campaign as well, and we will let you know as we have next steps.  In the meantime, join us for our regular Sunday gatherings to explore our faith, and to celebrate our belief in a God of love and justice. For more information about the Campaign for Justice in Retail cleaning, visit CTUL’s website, or the Action page of the Spirit of Truth website.

 What’s up next:

It is time for us at Spirit of Truth to take a minute to step back, celebrate what we’ve accomplished, and envision our next steps as a community.  How do we ant to grow? What actions do we want to take? Are Sunday mornings still energizing? What do we want to change? We are going to talk about these questions on Sunday, June 12^th.  We’ll gather at 11am (location to be announced) and have a retreat, with prayer and song, brainstorming, listening, and planning.  We will also have food and beverages.  The retreat will wrap up by 1:30.  If you’d like to get more connected to Spirit of Truth, and to be part of the conversation about what’s possible for our congregation, and for our world, please join us! If you have any questions, reply to this email, or call Peter Marincel at 651-336-6726. 

It is wonderful being in community and action with you all!

www.spiritoftruthtwincities.org

See How They Love One Another

Spirit of Truth is about supporting one another as we endeavor to live justly and to stand with those who have been treated unjustly. Recently I have heard about others, far from Minnesota, who support each other in this too. Since these stories inspired me, I offer them to you now, knowing that the Spirit will find a way to have them touch you too.

Recently, people fleeing the violence in Ivory Coast have found shelter in villages in Liberia. A woman named Marie, along with sixteen members of her extended family stumbled onto a village of about thirty mud brick huts. There a farmer named Saturday Wayee took them in.

They slept on the dirt floor of his hut and shared the food and water he gave them.

More arrived, about sixteen different groups in all. By the end of the month in which Marie first arrived, Saturday was sheltering 35 people in his small home.

He says it is hard to find food for everyone, but he continues his hospitality. During his country’s civil war, many people in his area fled to Ivory Coast. He says there is a feeling that when violence comes, you help those in need and they’ll do the same for you.

Saturday explained, “We are suffering with them because we are all human beings.”


The second story of people supporting one another comes from a different area of Africa. A young Kenyan medical student was studying in the United States. Returning home, he told his village community a story that had “burned a hole in his heart.” He described the September 11^th attacks. When he finished speaking, there was silence as they pondered the suffering that happened in ways almost unimaginable to the villagers. Then a plan emerged.
They invited the American ambassador to come. At his arrival, he was greeted by hundreds of people, dressed in scarlet tunics and beaded collars. They had a gift, they said, for the people of the United States, to help them heal from the tragedy. The gift was fourteen cows.
All of these people are doing the work of God.
In a book by Amy Hollingsworth, I learned my hero Mister Rogers believed the work of God is “seeing the eternal in your neighbor, that divine presence that allows us to show mercy to our neighbor—and to receive it.”

Food for Thought--and Action

Though we did not speak specifically about it, food was a theme of our Palm Sunday gathering and action.

First we brought a plethora of food to share. It is not surprising that eating together is mentioned so often in Scriptures, for the experience creates a bond amongst people, like singing and praying together. We did all three.

From the table we moved to the street. Food was again a bond between us, but this time it was to call for fair working conditions for those who clean our grocery stores. No matter who we are, what our work is, and where we live, we are all grocery shoppers. We stood on a corner of Snelling Avenue, in sight of a Cub grocery store, to let others know that we want those who work in the stores to be treated with the same dignity as customers.

The wind buffeted us while the sun blessed us. Some of the faces in our circle were familiar, some new to me. We ranged in ages from four months to ninety years. I feel I can say that we all believe that no matter who we are, what our work is, and where we live, all people are children of God and deserve dignity. As we prayed and sang, an eagle soared above us, circling a few times.

We took turns holding up palms and colorful signs for passers-by to read. These explained that CTUL workers are asking to meet with Cub managers, that we are customers who care about the cleaners, that the best value comes when people are valued. Many people in cars passed us. Some drivers stopped to receive information. Others stared straight ahead as if they had not noticed the group of people standing ten feet away from them. A fair number honked their horns in encouragement. In any case, our presence resulted in a lot more people becoming aware of this issue.

With the sun still shining, and the wind still pushing and tugging at the signs clutched in our hands, we headed back to our cars, knowing we had done what was right.

Newsletter March 31st

Spirit of Truth Newsletter March 31, 2011 (see below for what's coming up!)

Hello! This is the Spirit of Truth newsletter, to keep us all up to date on what’s going on with our community.  If you know someone who might like Spirit of Truth, forward this on to them.  If you’d like to be taken off the list, or if you’d like to know more about anything you read here, reply and let us know.

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:

1.      April 17th – Palm Sunday pot luck and vigil in support of workers that clean Cub Foods – each of you is invited! As many of you know, Spirit of Truth has been organizing with the members of the Justice in Retail Cleaning campaign (click here to learn more about the campaign).  On Sunday, April 17th, we are going to take action to move the campaign forward.  First, we’ll gather together at St Matt’s for a pot luck meal.  We’ll eat together, meet each other, and talk about the campaign.  Then we’ll all go together to hold a vigil near a local Cub Foods.  The vigil will highlight our faith values and what Palm Sunday has to do with this campaign for justice.   This will be a powerful event if all of you join us to make a real, values-based statement to Cub foods, and to the people who clean the stores and have put their jobs on the line to speak up.   Please come join us!  You can RSVP by clicking reply to this email and letting us know.   You also might get a call or individual email from another leader at Spirit of Truth.  See you on April 17th!

2.      Receipt Collection – As part of this same action, we will be launching a period of collecting grocery receipts, and asking people to sign a card that pledges to use our money to follow our values, including the value of dignity for workers.   Why are we doing this?  We want to show Cub Foods that we are people who have strong values for justice, and that collectively, we spend a lot of money on groceries.  It will help Cub understand how important it is to sit down and talk with the workers leading the campaign.  We’ll be collecting receipts all through the month of April, and into May, so start saving them now! Not a Cub shopper? That’s ok.  We are collecting all kinds of grocery receipts, not just Cub receipts.  The point is to show how much economic power we have as a group, regardless of where we get our groceries. Interested in joining us? Reply to this email, and we’ll make sure to get you the pledge card and figure out how to get the receipts.

 We continue to meet every Sunday morning at 11:15.  Please join us to learn more about the people involved, and what Spirit of Truth is all about!

 Thanks,

 Peter Marincel

651-336-6726

www.spiritoftruthtwincities.org

Palm Sunday: What Jesus and a Donkey Have to Teach Us

Our Palm Sunday gathering is approaching so I read the scripture of Christ's entry into Jerusalem in Mark 11:1-11 and Matthew 21:1-11. I also read a few commentaries and one gave me a new perspective on this old story.

The word "triumphal" is often used to describe this event in Jesus' life. This sounds amazing, even dazzling, doesn't it? But when you look at the elements that made up this scene, the word "humble" is the only way to describe it.

Jesus enters, riding a donkey. Not a magnificent horse, which can prance, fling its mane and offer its rider a lofty perch from which to look down upon people. No, this was a donkey. Actually, it was a donkey's colt--not even a grown-up donkey! And a borrowed one at that.

Donkeys have admirable traits but flamboyant isn't one of them. They are smaller than horses and not as fast. They are ridiculed, and aspects of donkeys are used to ridicule people in many ways.

They are the animals that, to this day, carry the burdens of the poor. Even Scripture describes this animal as "a beast of burden."

And as to the young donkey in Jerusalem, there was no leather saddle for Jesus to ride on, no ribbons or bells for decoration. Jesus' disciples took off their cloaks and placed them on the animal's back, a makeshift kind of seat that may have been threadbare, dusty or even smelling like fish.

The people who came to accompany him laid their cloaks on the road for his passage. Others cut branches from trees to strew on his path. They wanted to honor him, but the shirts off their backs and the nearby nature were all they had to offer.

Yes, it was a triumphal moment because it was a a proclamation that the crowds of people believed him to be a prophet who had come to them from the Lord. But it was not majestic, not a procession of a king of wealth. There were no musicians, banners, no sedan chair held high.

Even at one of his greatest moments of glory, Jesus made it clear that he was a king for the lowly and humble in a society. His example teaches that for those with resources, the riches are not the treasure.

Some questions to ponder this week: What is your burden to carry? What is your treasure?

This Sunday's conversation - what would it look like to organize our money behind our values?

Hi Spirit of Truth,

I want to take a moment to get you caught up about our conversation last Sunday, and the one coming up this Sunday, especially for those of you who weren't there last week.

Our one to one conversations, and our group discussion was about money.  We talked about how in our world, money is a huge source of power.  It is the way we get things done, and the way people who make important decisions for our communities, get into decision making positions.  Our question was: WHAT IF YOUR MONEY FOLLOWED YOUR VALUES?  And not just the money you spend for leisure, or even just the money you give away to charity or causes.  What if as a community, we started to learn how ALL of our money could be used for our values, instead of values we don't agree with?  What could that look like?  

So that's what this week's conversation will be about - the next step.  During our prayer time, we'll talk more about that question, explore what we've been thinking about this week in relation to money, and what it has to do with our faith.  Then after prayer, we'll gather for a co-creation meeting around the tables, and talk about next steps.  I'll bring some proposed ideas for further exploring and maybe acting on this concept of using our money for our values, and we'll discuss and make decisions.  

This topic had a lot of energy last week.  In the world as it is, money is power.  And if we want to change the world for the better, we can't shy away from the money conversation.  I'd like to invite each of you to come be part of this on Sunday!

We'll also be giving quick updates on the CTUL campaign, and our pot luck and action coming up on Palm Sunday, April 17th.  

Take care all, and see you on Sunday at 11:15!

Pete

Vigil for our Families (SEIU Sponsored)

What could possibly force a child to support their able bodied parent? Over 1,950 immigrant families in the Twin Cities have had their primary bread-winner fired in the last 18 months as a result of actions by ICE (US immigration and Customs Enforcement). Why? Because they are immigrants and our broken system gives them no way to be here legally. Workers at Chipotle who made your burritos, Janitors who cleaned your offices at night when you were home, these are the victims of our countries’ broken immigration system. Children pulled from schools, houses falling into foreclosure, communities torn apart, these are the results of our country’s broken immigration system.

Time	Sunday, March 20 · 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Location	Incarnation Catholic Church 3817 Pleasant Ave Minneapolis, MN

 For more information visit here Working Partnerships

or here at the facebook event page

Pride

Lately I’ve been thinking about the idea of pride.  It’s a word I hear often, and I have conflicting feelings about its use and meaning.  So I thought I’d take a minute to put my thoughts down about it. 

It seems to me that there are at least two different kinds of pride.  They have distinctly different sources, and vastly different effects on the world. 

The first kind of pride is the destructive kind.  At its essence, this kind of pride is really about insecurity.  It’s about defensiveness.  It is the kind of pride that makes me feel a false sense of superiority, because really, I feel inferior.  At the heart of this kind of pride is fear – fear that I am not good enough, and so I have to be defensive, and degrade others.  This kind of pride leads to outward defensiveness, spitefulness, and even hate.  This pride, I think, is the kind mentioned in the Psalms, the kind that leads to destruction.   It is this kind of pride that I fear, and try to stay away from, although often unsuccessfully.

But there is another kind of pride – a beautiful kind.  I believe it is the kind of pride that it takes for the Egyptian people stand up and fight every day for democracy and freedom.  I believe it is the kind of pride that it took for the black and people of color in South Africa to wage a decades-long fight against the evil of white-enforced apartheid.  I think it is the kind of pride that it takes for a fifteen year old transgender teenager to make it through high school, up against  bigotry, hate and fear.  I think it’s the kind of pride that it takes for Mario and his coworkers to stand up for decent treatment at their jobs.

I believe this kind of pride is about the confidence, or at least the courage to declare the inherent dignity and priceless worth of each of us.  This kind of pride is a celebration of the beauty and wonder that is each of us – even in the face of societies, of governments, of churches, and of people who tell us differently.  I believe at its center, this pride is a declaration, an acknowledgement, and a joyfulness that each of us is beautifully created, and valuable and wonderful beyond all measure.   This pride paves the way for the fight against oppression. 

This is the pride that I want.  This is the pride that I have for my community, for my neighbors, and for my world.  This is the pride I hope to act out of every day.  When it comes right down to it, this is the side of the fight I want to be on; Pride in our mutual worth and dignity, and dedication to the love and justice that recognizes that worth.  This is the pride that will continue to feed me so I can organize, and build power for justice. 

There’s a passage in the Judeo-Christian creation story that says, “And God saw that it was good.”  I imagine God with a big smile, swelling with pride in the beauty and worth of that creation. 

Hey Spirit of Truth

The Growth and Action Committee wants to know if you have any ideas for upcoming actions? 

What kinds of "tactics" show our faith in action?

Some examples in planning are prayers and songs, but what else could happen?

Give it some thought...     ask a friend...    do some research...

"What does a faith community do to attract attention, make a stand, fight injustice, show love and faith in humanity?"

Spirit of Truth has a unique opportunity to show the world what people of faith in love and justice do differently when they are up against the odds. We all know of examples of what people who believe in hate can do to get attention, but what can people who believe in love and justice do?

Please add some suggestions in the comments below, or bring them to church, or contact a member of the Growth and Action Committee

*Action Alert for CTUL*

The CTUL campaign for cleaning workers rights has elevated with ongoing daily actions to get Mario his job back.

Many of the planned actions have already happened, you can catch updates here

SoT is hoping to help out with a significant presence at the next two planned events

• Tuesday 3/15 6pm
• Thursday 3/17 10am Workers will make a big announcement about the next steps in the campaign

The Tuesday event will be performance based, so come out to see something great!

Thursday's morning event will be a chance for the CTUL workers to let the companies know they mean business. They need all the support they can get for this event, so if you can take off work, or show up please do.

RSVP at the facebook page

Some of you may be wondering what you can do to keep workers rights from being thrown under the bus. You may not be able to visit Madison, or Ohio or the dozen other places where the law is being changed to hurt working people, but you can stand up right here with the workers who clean your grocery stores!  Stand in solidarity with your community members. Stand in solidarity for those who are made invisible by unfair hiring and firing practices. Stand in solidarity with those who wish for a better world for all.

It's not fair.

Once when I was about seven years old I was upset about something, who knows what now, but I believed that I had been treated unfairly by my family. I decided to run away to teach them a lesson. I went into a cellar at the side of our house that could only be reached from outside and I waited. I cried and felt sorry for myself. I imagined that I would have my revenge when my family discovered I was gone and that it was all their fault. I cried some more and no one came or noticed that I was gone. Some time passed that felt like a long time to a child. I realized that I was bored and would have to come out of hiding. I stopped crying and waited until my eyes stopped being puffy, at this point if anyone noticed I had been crying it would be embarrassing. I came out and found nothing changed around me, no one knew I was ever missing.

I told this story to Pedro in a one-on-one conversation one Sunday. I started it with laughter and disclaimers about how insignificant my experience of “unfairness” is. Pedro listened. He didn’t roll his eyes or belittle my story as I feared I might deserve. He just said that he saw how sensitive I was and that I should be glad and proud to have these feelings because they are what make us human.

It turns out it’s not only humans that react to situations they believe to be unfair. Researchers have found that dogs and monkeys will stop doing tricks if they witness that other animals are getting better treats for the same actions. That’s how basic the concept of fairness is.

Children first learning about fairness often misuse the expression, “it’s not fair!” They learn early on that fairness is an important principle that adults take seriously. Children will say it’s not fair when they really mean that they don’t like what is going on. Unfairness might be a good argument to employ to get a reversal of a decision that goes against their preferences, so they use it liberally and hope it will work.

As we become older and wiser we learn to evaluate situations with a little distance. We see that there is a difference between what we would most like to have happen and what is fair. We become objective, or do a little better at it, at least.

So how do we, as a faith community committed to promoting justice in the world, evaluate what is just and fair? The world is complicated and there are many conflicting opinions about what is fair.

For myself I will try to hear the humanity in other’s stories, as Pedro did for me. I will ask if the same rewards are given for similar jobs, even animals know that this is fair. And I will consider if a plea for fairness is about greed or about dignity, we are no longer children and we can tell the difference.

The Story is Old but The Hope is Always New

Is a movement happening before our eyes? Are we playing our part? Participating with Spirit of Truth these last weeks with the organization CTUL as they fight for basic worker rights and praying each week for the workers in Wisconsin, and watching events unfold in the Middle East it feels like a moment pregnant with possibility and hope. Of course anyone who has ever been pregnant or loved someone who was knows that pregnant moments come with their own share of anxiety and fear. That's what this moment feels like. Quadafi has the guns, Walker has the Govorner' s office, and here locally the management of Carlson companies and Cub foods feels like it can just ignore calls to stop treating people like trash.

Its the same story. Locally, nationally and internationally, those in power will disregard the humanity and the dignity of those who make them wealthy, if they can. This story is very old. On Sunday at Spirit of Truth we read a portion of the ancient story of Moses and the Israelites fight with Pharaoh. It was a fight for freedom, for an end to slavery, for human dignity and a chance to rebuild a community with love and justice at the center.

The same tactics and the same false accusations were leveled against the enslaved Israelites as Gaddafi, Walker and Carlson Co. are making against workers today. On the day Moses demanded freedom for his people Pharaoh responded, " You want them to have a break! No! (in fact) You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. but you shall require them to make the same quantitiy of bricks as they have made previously; do not diminish it FOR THEY ARE LAZY; and that is why they cry let us go and worship our God. Let heavier work be laid on them, then they will labor and pay no attention to these lies about being overworked" Exodus 5:6-9.

Teachers are you listening? Store cleaners, street repairers, police officers, fire fighters, are you listening? The struggle that you are in is thousands of years old and the tactics are the same! You are called greedy. You are called lazy! These are the same tactics the powerful have always used to shame and dis organize the oppressed!

But remember what happens next. Pharaoh and all his stand ins are relegated to the dust heap of history! It is true that in the struggle for liberation and freedom some will pay a higher cost than others. In Libya some will die. In Wisconsin perhaps some will be laid off. We already know in Minnesota some will be fired. These costs are high and those who pay them deserve our respect and our support. Most of all we owe each other continued belief that those on the side of human dignity, those on the side of justice, those on the side of fairness are on the right side of history.

I believe that each person is the image of God. We cannot believe that and be neutral when human beings are tossed aside like trash. There is a moment happening now that calls us to take sides in an ancient struggle for the values of love and justice.

Facing Injustice

I went to Stillwater to participate in the action with workers who clean Twin Cities Cub Foods stores. It was a beautiful day and not too cold to appreciate it. Stillwater was its lovely self, the gracious old homes overlooking the river which stretches far and wide there.

We had come to work for justice. That is an easy phrase to say, and just as easy to feel good about when saying it. But it became more than words for me as we met two contracted cleaners from CTUL, Mario and Jesus, and prayed together in the parking lot. It did not have the exhilaration of a large demonstration, but we were connecting with each other in a way that cannot happen in bigger actions.

In Cub headquarters, a receptionist called someone to come listen to our speakers. Most of our time there I was unable to hear the conversation so I focused on people’s facial expressions. The Cub Foods’ representative appeared to be listening to both the Spanish and English explanations of why we had come. He also seemed very uncomfortable.

Mario presented requests for meetings regarding working conditions. It would be daunting for me to try and present something important to someone who does not speak my language, which is what Mario had to do. But what I saw was his calm persistence. I could hear and see Brandon, who courteously, and also persistently, presented the simple fact that Cub Foods employees and contracted cleaners are all human beings. It was uplifting to hear those words in this setting. The idea that we are all children of God is not something that gets tossed around a lot in a non-religious setting.

But it was Jesus whose face made the words “work for justice” become very real to me. He is a young man whose job was taken from him by the acts of people with more power than he holds. On his face I read worry, distress, and a little fear. I don’t mean to speak for him, I don’t know how he was feeling, but that is what my heart read. From that moment, I became motivated by the very realness of Jesus’ life struggles and I felt rather than thought about the injustice and pain.

One of the reasons injustices happen is that there are faceless components to them. Who actually decided to cut wages and staff while increasing workloads for the cleaners? Those people remain faceless. When you go shopping for groceries and the floors are clean, the shelves are stocked neatly, etc., you don’t even think about who cleans, who stocks, who orders food, who delivers it, who grew it. They are all faceless.

But when you see faces, it all changes.




*For more information about this event please click on the picture below

Love and Justice Influential Themes in News “Comments” Sections

The above headline is obviously fictional, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post, I’d like to explore the possibility of making it real.

A recent post by one of my Facebook friends stated, “There are many things to be depressed about regarding world events lately, but the most depressing thing for me? -- reading "comments" under news stories.” It quickly generated 11 comments agreeing with the sentiments. I could just as easily have made that post. My daughter has told me countless times, “Mom, you’ve just got to stop reading the comments!”

These public conversation spaces have been taken over by people filled with fear and hatred. Why have we in the justice and faith communities allowed this to happen? We obviously care or we wouldn’t feel “depressed” after reading the comments posted in these spaces.

There is a knowingness within me that says these spaces could and should be used to spread the message of love and justice. I believe wholeheartedly that people who share our values around justice and who want to participate in creating a better community, could actually use these spaces to change the conversation, bringing the whole community into a better alignment with love and justice.

I believe that there are many people waiting for such a “movement” to emerge and that the time for the justice and faith communities to claim these public spaces is now!

I’m going to start adding a comment to a news story once a day that bring my values of love and justice to some news story. And, I’m going to use social media to let people know what I’m doing. If you join with me in this endeavor, together we can create a movement that spreads our message of love and justice!

I’m looking forward to the day when reading the news and comment sections are an inspiration! How about you?

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Newsletter 2/23/11

Spirit of Truth Newsletter February 23, 2011

Hello! This is the Spirit of Truth newsletter, to keep us all up to date on what’s going on with our community. If you know someone who might like Spirit of Truth, forward this on to them. If you’d like to be taken off the list, or if you’d like to know more about anything you read here, reply and let us know.

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:

1. Action with workers who clean Twin Cities Cub Foods – February 28^th, 10:30-12:00, St Matthew’s Lutheran Church. So here’s the deal, as many of you know, Spirit of Truth is getting active in the Campaign for Justice in Retail Cleaning (read more about the campaign here). Cub Foods, as well as many other big box retailers are treating those who clean their stores atrociously. Those workers are speaking up to demand decent working conditions. They are asking Cub Foods to agree to a code of conduct, guaranteeing some basic rights and levels of wage and benefits. Spirit of Truth members have decided to take an active role in supporting our fellow community members and help put pressure on Cub to do the right thing. Why? Because we believe this campaign, here and now, is where God’s love and justice is at work. Click here for more information about next Monday's action. Can’t make this one? We are going to be partnering with the workers in this campaign often in the next months, with more actions to be announced. Let us know if you’re interested, and we’ll keep you in the loop.

2. The new online center for Spirit of Truth – Spirit of Truth BLOG. We’ve reinvented the blog, and we’re now using it for almost everything we do online. The blog entries will be a chance for members of Spirit of Truth to talk about their faith and justice work. There will be a new entry about these topics at least once a week. It will also be a place to stay up to date on actions and announcements. Finally, there will be a section on the blog dissecting and discussing the language of religion and faith. If you’re new to Spirit of Truth, and really want to get a feel for what we’re about and what we’re doing, the blog is a great place to check out. You can “follow” the blog by clicking on the icon on the right hand side of the site. You can join the conversation by commenting on existing posts, or getting in contact with us to become an author on the site.

What’s been going on:

1. We continue to meet every Sunday from 11am to noon. Sunday gatherings are a place to explore our faith, and our own stories. Why do we care about justice? What is going on in our communities? What does our faith have to do with all of this? How are we going to act? We have multiple ways at getting at these topics; prayer, conversation, stories, singing and meditation. We’ll continue to try new practices as we feel we need them. Everyone is welcome and invited!

2. Coffee visits – we continue to have coffee visits, also called one to one conversations, depending on your choice of language. We believe learning each other’s stories is a big part of how we create community, and how we build the base on which we can act for justice. If you’d like to know more about Spirit of Truth, meet anyone from our community, or share some of your story, let us know, and we can set something up.

www.spiritoftruthtwincities.org

http://spiritoftruthtwincities.blogspot.com/

Spirit of Truth Faith Community

701 N Lexington Parkway

St Paul, MN 55104

Peter Marincel, organizer:

651-336-6726

petermarincel@gmail.com

*ACTION ALERT*

Dear Friend,

The Spirit of Truth faith community is joining retail cleaning workers that clean Cub Foods and other big-box stores in the Twin Cities in an action taking place on Monday, February 28th. A delegation of workers and community allies will travel to Cub Foods corporate head quarters in Stillwater where the workers will present their concerns around wages, benefits, and working conditions to Cubs' CEO and ask that they be addressed. There are more details about the workers' campaign here: www.ctul.net

Can I count on you to join us?

Monday, February 28th

11:15 am

Old Courthouse (across the street from Cub HQ)

101 Pine St, Stillwater

There will also be two options for carpooling to the action:

10:00 am

Bethany Lutheran Church

2511 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis

10:30 am

St. Matthews Lutheran Church

701 N Lexington Ave, St. Paul

We can also arrange for a ride if that would work best for you.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you can make it or not and whether you will be carpooling and/or need a ride. We would love to have you join us!

Sincerely,

Brandon Nessen

www.spiritoftruthtwincities.org
www.ctul.net

God's Gifts and Poetry

In the Spring of 2006 I was backpacking around Europe. Somewhere along the line I found myself begging for a bed at a hostel in Bucharest, Romania. The woman said, "Well there are two beds left, but are you American?" I said "yes" and she said... "oh that wont work." I asked why not and she said that there was a man in the room who was CRAZY and that he would get upset if there were any Americans in the room.
I had dealt with anti-American views before but I hadn't heard of anyone getting in a fight over staying in the same room, so I asked why he was so anti-American. She said that he was American, but was afraid of other Americans and once again exclaimed that he was CRAZY. So we came up with a plan to tell him that we were Canadian.

Over the course of my week there I discovered that this man was not CRAZY but was suffering from paranoid-schizophrenia. He was convinced that Americans were spying on him and clearly had felt abused by the American Government. The man was tormented both day and night by hallucinations and night terrors which is undoubtedly why he was so afraid and so CRAZY seeming to other people at the hostel.
I also found out that he was incredibly friendly to his Canadian roommate (me) and asked many questions about my homeland (which I had to laugh at, but never revealed my secret). Beyond his extreme politeness and friendly chitchat I also found out that he was a brilliant musician, possibly world class. Along with 5 identical American Passports he brought instruments where ever he traveled and practiced at all hours to the delight of those of us who hadn't written him off.

This was the sad part... I realized after a week of being there that everyone in the place was completely unaware of this man's talents, his gifts, his wonderful presence... they were all so scared of the CRAZY man.

A few months later I wrote a poem called "They Call Him Crazy" about this man.
the last stanza is as follows:

They call him Crazy
He looks on while faces turn to mock, mitigating another mountain.
Those fortresses built high to barricade, from the impending raid.
We're locked out from his artistic bouts, on mute to his glorious flute.
And when we joke about his unsure future, past and present,
we miss the God-sent presents that he has, and we haven't.
but they call HIM CRAZY.

Its crazy to miss out on the opportunity to see God's gifts, or God in another person.
Part of the reason I love Spirit of Truth is because we practice as many ways as we can come up with to enjoy and celebrate God's gifts in each other. We look for the truth in each other. Beyond the personal we look to change our community so that we can recognize the good in all people and so that none are excluded or oppressed. We seek Justice for all people so that all God's gifts are present. To do anything less seems crazy to me.

A week or so ago at a worship gathering Pete read the following from 1st Corinthians:

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.  There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.  To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.  It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

In the comments section below I implore you to share

What is your spiritual gift and how will you use it? 



As a society I fear we are missing the gifts of millions...

What will we do about it?

Co-creation and Sticking it to the Man

What lead Anne to the subject of her last post (Bigger Than We Imagine) is also a great example of the co-creative aspect of Spirit of Truth(SoT). At SoT all members are encouraged to bring their story and their energy to create a better SoT and a better world.  The idea for co-creation is extremely important because at Spirit of Truth we believe all people are important and so is their perspective.  Last week during a reading from Corinthians discussing that exact idea, a chain reaction of events took place that lead to the focus of this weeks discussion on language.

The following is an example of co-creation through a simplified story of what occurred this week.

Bigger than we imagine

As part of our discussion today, we touched on the topic of names for God that are stumbling blocks for us. These names have negative connotations and keep us from experiencing God's love. A bit later, I was reading at home and came across this line: "God is always bigger than our image of God."

We can, and should, use religious or spiritual names or descriptions of God that are helpful. But it may also be helpful to realize that no matter what words we choose, God is still bigger, is still more, than what we imagine. More loving, more understanding, more awesome than our image of God.

Sojourner Truth said, "Oh God, I did not know you were so big."

Can you expand your image of God?

God, bagels and community

Community is an integral part of a spiritual and religious life. I was baptized into a church community when I was ten days old, and was part of it for my whole childhood. I knew which woman was known for baking especially good cakes. I knew that two women who always came together were sisters and one was caring for the other who had very crippling arthritis. I knew which men were ushers and which families were related. I knew who rang the church bell and where the bell rope hung. When I came back from Communion, I could expect that my grandmother, always so warm and loving, would not see me for she would be deep in prayer. However, my grandfather, generally a serious man, would give me an exaggerated wink as I passed their pew.

When Paul and I were first married, we were blessed to become part of a church community. For the next thirty years, this community gave us treasured friends, celebrated the baptisms of our babies and helped us raise our children to feel loved by God, it got us through the deaths of both of Paul's parents, and fed us lots of doughnuts over the years. It was because of that community that my spirituality became an adult experience, and it was there that I shared times of truly feeling the presence of God. When that time ended, I was bereft for two years.

When Spirit of Truth began regular services, I decided I’d go a couple of Sundays, never expecting it to become my main spiritual community. However, by the second time, I knew these were people with whom I could again feel the presence of God. I had a new home.

Bagels instead of doughnuts, but still the same God.

Spirit of Truth Newsletter, January 31, 2011

Spirit of Truth Newsletter January 31st, 2011

Hello! This is the Spirit of Truth newsletter, to keep us all up to date on what’s going on with our community. Take a look, and see what you think. If you know someone who might light Spirit of Truth, forward this on to them. If you’d like to be taken off the list, or if you’d like to know more, reply and let us know.

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:

1. Sunday Gatherings: We continue to get together every Sunday at 11am for prayer and celebration. Our gatherings are not formal, and are non-traditional. We sing songs, have discussions, and do some meditative prayer. We often stick to a topic or theme such as freedom, forgiveness, etc. Or someone tells a story. We listen to each other, and the ancestors through readings or quotes. The gathering is about an hour long, and people usually stick around for pastries, bagels, coffee and visiting. If you’ve been interested in checking it out, please do, we’d love to have you there.

2. Action: Spirit of Truth is about acting for justice. We believe that a faith community should exist to ACT on our values, not just talk about them. So, we’re organizing with a group of people in the Twin Cities that clean Cub Foods stores and other buildings in our neighborhoods. We’re partnering with them and the worker justice center called CTUL, to get Cub Foods to act with integrity and treat these workers fairly. They are asking for a code of conduct from Cub Foods so they can count on a decent standard of living. Cub foods and the other big box stores are part of our community, so we have a responsibility to speak up. Click HERE for more information about this campaign. Stay tuned to Spirit of Truth for upcoming actions. If you want to get involved right now, reply to this email, and we’ll get you started with us!

3. Spirit of Truth Blog: We are working to spruce up the blog, and start using it regularly and diversely. We envision the blog being a place where we can have good discussion about our faith and values, where we can keep each other up to date on what’s happening, and where people new to Spirit of Truth can learn about what Spirit of Truth is through the words of the leaders themselves. You can subscribe to follow the blog as well. We will be up and running with at least weekly postings in the next couple of weeks.

What’s been going on:

Things have been moving at Spirit of Truth. New people are joining us each week. We are trying new songs, and new conversations each Sunday. We are also working to set up more conversations about values and action outside of those Sundays. We call these conversations Spirit Moves, because they travel around the cities. If you’d like to have a conversation about values and action, or any issue that is important to your faith, let us know.

New energy is central to Spirit of Truth. Come join the conversation and the action in any way you feel compelled. If you believe in love and justice, we need you!

www.spiritoftruthtwincities.org

Spirit of Truth Faith Community

Peter Marincel, organizer:

651-336-6726

petermarincel@gmail.com