tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post6139061782365198115..comments2024-03-24T11:30:08.199-07:00Comments on Can you believe?: Newberg Friends and Quaker scaleJohan Maurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13771067774042071617noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-49736243653838615052008-02-18T07:38:00.000-08:002008-02-18T07:38:00.000-08:00Bill, I'm surprised at the leap you've made, that ...Bill, I'm surprised at the leap you've made, that in declining to support Joe Schriner for president I've given up the peace testimony! Is the peace testimony an absolute requirement to be part of your new church? Is the peace testimony built into the Constitution that governs the role of the president of the USA? If I were emperor of the universe, the president of the USA (if that role were even compatible with the best stewardship of the planet) would be a warmhearted evangelical with a pastoral love for a diverse, multifaith population and a strong sense of seamless-garment discipleship. However, I'm not that emperor. So I use my intelligence and intuition to make the best choice from among the actual options, none of which are perfect, including Joe.Johan Maurerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13771067774042071617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-82700898275643410382008-02-18T07:31:00.000-08:002008-02-18T07:31:00.000-08:00Johan, I don't think there ought to be an "aggrega...Johan, I don't think there ought to be an "aggregator" exception to the peace testimony. Sorry to see so many Friends abandon the peace testimony. When the whole idea of living peacefully seems to have fallen on such hard times, it hurts to see you and other Friends to essentially give it up.Bill Samuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752443575410023776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-59091297502401572062008-02-18T07:24:00.000-08:002008-02-18T07:24:00.000-08:00Kathy, I'm still laughing about your lines (in Lif...Kathy, I'm still laughing about your lines (in Life 103), "I want to know why God is so set against people being in their comfort zone. I mean, really." Thanks for your comments!<BR/><BR/>Bill, it's always good to hear from you. I see that you responded regarding Barack and Joe Schriner on Gregg's blog as well, and I think Gregg replied well. My own response is that Joe Schriner has not done the hard work of earning credibility with me. Like it or not, the two major political parties (and a select few of the minor parties) serve as aggregators of popular influence in this country, and I want to see some evidence of hard work spent in those trenches before I spend much time paying attention to boutique candidates, even if those candidates pose as "average Joes." I do not dismiss thousands of party faithful among the large parties as irrelevant or hacks. Back in 1980, I paid attention to John Anderson because he'd paid his dues before he went independent. Yes, there's unfairness in that mass aggregation process, but only one person at a time can be president; I want to see how the candidate copes with that basic filtering process.<BR/><BR/>Hello to Gregg and Chris, too. I sure wish I could figure out a way to visit San Francisco again. Has anyone seen an unprogrammed meeting that approaches the "meta" model?Johan Maurerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13771067774042071617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-80388015714065722412008-02-17T17:51:00.000-08:002008-02-17T17:51:00.000-08:00Johan, it was good to have you and Judy speak with...Johan, it was good to have you and Judy speak with us (at NFC) last week. Besides putting a face and voice to this page, it's exciting to hear the enthusiasm behind your work and future in Russia. Thank you for putting up with us three times in a row but please don't give Gregg any more ammunition for a higher raise! :) Thank you too for your contribution to Listening Life - our small group really appreciated your words. <BR/><BR/>(And I'm kidding about Gregg. He's worth his weight in gold.)kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05302679096959463436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-40286346684365814762008-02-16T20:08:00.000-08:002008-02-16T20:08:00.000-08:00Johan, you wrote: "Newberg Friends Church was not ...Johan, you wrote: "Newberg Friends Church was not a mega-church, but a meta-church." You said something similar when we met you and Judy back in 2005 in Newberg. I have thought of that often. I aspire for San Francisco Meeting to be a meta-meeting, in a sense similar to what Dick Sartwell said.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for a thoughtful reflection, as always.<BR/><BR/>-- Chris M.Chris M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05125825966802002625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-46980746098052734092008-02-15T18:28:00.000-08:002008-02-15T18:28:00.000-08:00I am writing regarding your note about reacting to...I am writing regarding your note about reacting to hearing Michelle Obama speak.<BR/><BR/>I would hope Quakers would look beyond lofty rhetoric. But it seems not.<BR/><BR/>Look at what Obama stands for - war, abortion, the death penalty, and conventional establishment positions on everything. If you believe he stands for change, I have some oceanfront property in Nebraska to sell you.<BR/><BR/>Don't be carried away by high flown rhetoric. Even the Devil quotes scripture. Look at Obama's voting record and his campaign positions. They are full of evil.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.voteforjoe.com" REL="nofollow">Vote for Joe Schriner</A>.Bill Samuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752443575410023776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217199.post-66011009143285479622008-02-15T14:40:00.000-08:002008-02-15T14:40:00.000-08:00We loved having you, Johan. I loved reading your r...We loved having you, Johan. I loved reading your reflections about speaking in three services. I have contemplated this many times, and often come down just where you are.<BR/><BR/>My favorite times are also my most difficult times: the times when in one service, the Holy Spirit has me lay aside what was prepared, sometimes just to listen to others, sometimes for silence, sometimes to say something different. I love that! But then comes the difficulty: what to do in the next service? Do I try to "re-create" the fluid movement of the Spirit? Do I go back to what was originally prepared? The answer is always found in seeking Christ, and paying attention to those in the room. Just as you wrote.<BR/><BR/>You'll also be interested to know that we are contemplating a change back to two services, with more time in the middle for community and connection. It would give us more time in the gatherings for others to speak and share their stories, more time for waiting in God's presence. They are, as you say, very difficult questions and decisions, ones that do not occur in a vacuum, but with a lot of history and struggle and prayer and discussion. <BR/><BR/>We will hold to silence, even in a loud culture. We will hold to peacemaking, and struggle to find ways to talk about it together. We will hold to face to face relationships as much as possible, and refuse to allow that to be an excuse to get out of sharing our faith with those who don't yet have community...which means wrestling always with the new, the different.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your reflections!Gregg Koskelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02413312070226184054noreply@blogger.com