Ron Cole : off the map...navigating life.

who you really are...

image of God born of God's breath vessel of divine Love after his likeness dwelling of God capacity for the infinite eternally known chosen of God home of the Infinite Majesty abiding in the Son called from eternity life in the Lord temple of the Holy Spirit branch of Christ receptacle of the Most High wellspring of Living Water heir of the kingdom the glory of God abode of the Trinity. God sings this litany eternally in his Word. This is who you are.

a litany of the person - anonymous trappist monk

how radical...is your orthodoxy

We've heard the term " Radical Orthodoxy " being bounced around the the realm of cyberspace.  It was a treat to hear the leading thinkers and founders of the movement, John Milbank and Catherine Pickstock in conversation, opening the depth of what they see as radical orthodoxy. The podcast is about 51 minutes. The conversation reaches back to pre-modern faith of pre 1300's...and looking forward past postmodernity.

Have a listen...is this orthodoxy to radical for you?

This past week CBC “Ideas” ran a program looking at the movement, and now you can download the podcast. Here is the description:

On Radical Orthodoxy

The modern world seems bent on its own destruction. A theological movement called “Radical Orthodoxy” believes it has uncovered the roots of the modern mistake. David Cayley talks to the movement’s founders and leading writers, John Milbank and Catherine Pickstock.

CBC Ideas

Worship...from industry to art

As a musician on a worship team, I share Brian McLaren's frustration. How often do we prepare something for a Sunday morning, that is nothing more than an appetizing meal for the hungry consumer. Why do we avoid the tough stuff? When it comes to pain, sorrow and the utter mystery that sometimes surrounds us...where are the lamentations...songs and cries from the valley? Where is the worship, that comes from the imagination of Jesus?

From Genesis...to BiosLogos

Just finished reading Francis S Collins book, " The Language of God." Francis S Collins is one of the worlds leading Geneticists, the leading scientist in the " Human Genome Project." A follower of Christ, and a passionate scientist who seeks to merge creation and evolution.

Having  a post-secondary education in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, and working in a clinical laboratory for almost 25 years, I have never been at odds with the idea of creation and evolution not being compatible...that they are not a threat to each other. In fact in my mind, they express a more awesome, and mind boggling image of a creator God. Anyway, below is are a few word bytes of Francis S Collins...

A God, who is not limited is space or time, created the universe and established the natural laws that govern it. Seeking to populate this otherwise sterile universe with living creatures, God chose the elegant mechanism of evolution to create microbes, plants and animals of all sorts. Most remarkably, God intentionally chose the same mechanism to give rise to special creatures who would have intelligence, a knowledge of right and wrong, free will, and a desire to seek fellowship with Him. He knew these creatures would ultimately choose to disobey the Moral Law.

Francis S Collins proposes to name theistic evolution as BIOS through Logos, or simply BiosLogos. Bios as the greek word for " Life ", and Logos as the greek word for " Word." To many beievers the Word is synonymous with God, as powerfully and poetically expressed in those openninh lines of the Gospel of John, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Woed was with God, and the Word was God." " Bioslogos " expresses the belief that God is the source of all life, that life expresses the will of God.

Bioslogos doesn't try to wedge God into the gaps of our understanding of the natural world; it proposes God as the answer as the answer to the questions science was never intended to address. such as " How did the universe get here?" " What is the meaning of life?" " What happens to us after we die? Unlike the theory of intelligent design, Bioslogos is not intended as scientific theory. Its truth can be tested only by the spiritual logic of the heart, the mind, and the soul.

How is this consistent with the theological concept that humans are created, " in the image of God." Well perhaps one shouldn't get to hung up on the notion that this scripture is referring to physical anatomy...the image of God seems alot more about mind and spirit than body. Does God have toe nails? A belly button?

How could God take such chances? If evolution is random how could he really be in charge, and could he be certain of an out come that included intellegent beings at all?

The solution is readily at hand, once one ceases to apply human limitations to God. If God is outside of nature, then he is outside space and time. In that context, God could in the moment of creation of the universe also know every detail of the future. That could include the formation of the stars, planets and galaxies, all of the chemistry, physics, geology and biology that led to the formation of life on earth, and the evolution of humans, even right to this moment and beyond.

In that context evolution could appear to be driven by chance, but from God's perspective the outcome would be entirely specified. Thus God could be completely and intimately involved in the creation of all species, while from our perspective, limited as it is by the tyranny of linear time, this would appear a random and undirected process.

In the twenty first century, in an increasingly technologiacl society, a battle is raging in the hearts and minds of humanity. Many materialists, noting triumphally the advances of science in filling in the gaps of our understanding of nature, announce that belief in God is an outmoded superstition, and that we would be better off admitting that and moving on. Many believers in God, convinced that the truth thet derive from spiritual introspection is of more enduring value than truths from other sources, see the advances in science and technology as dangerous and untrustworthy. Positions are hardening, voices becoming more shrill.

Will we turn our backs on science because it is percieved as athreat to God, abandoning all of the promises of advancing our understanding of nature and applying that to the alleviation of suffering and the betterment of humankind? Alternatively will we turn our backs on faith, concluding science has renedered the spiritual life no longer necessary, that the traditional religious symbols can now be replaced by engravings of the double helix on our altars?

Both of these choices are profoundly dangerous. Both deny truth. Both deminish the nobility of humankind. Both will be devasting to our future. And both are unnecessary. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. He can be worshipped in the cathedral as well as the laboratory. His creation is majestic, awesome, inticate, and beautiful...and can not be at war with itself. Only we humans can start such battles. And only we can end them.

Saint Augustine writes, " What kind of days these were, it is extremely difficult, or perhaps impossible for us to concieve. " He admits there are probably many vailid interpretations of the Book of Genesis: " With these facts in mind, I have worked out and presented the statements of the book of Genesis in a variety of ways according to my ability; and, in interpreting words that have been written obscurely for the purpose of stimulating thought, I have not brashley taken my stand on one side against a rival interpretation which might possibly be better." ( Saint Augustine, The literal meaning of Genesis 20:40 )

The book is a great read, a combination of CS Lewis's , " Mere Christianity ", and NT Wright's " Simply Christian ". The book is beautifully written, a great merger of science and faith...all weaved through Farncis S Collins own conversion.

tearing apart religion...

But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.

At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces.

The above brilliant piece of creativity is by J Nobel. This was one of the last creative acts in the Sorrow to Glory liturgy. J came up and ripped the temple curtain from top to bottom, in the silence of the room the sound almost pierced you. When J was done, this was read...

In this hour darkness, sorrow and death come

They cover lives, and the earth like a curtain drawn for night

Your shed blood, and life sacrificed tear to shreds this curtain of sorrow

Through it we see the dawn of a new day, the Glory of God

After the above words, people came forward and started cutting a piece of the curtain to take home with them at the end of the evening...as a reminder.

Can you imagine the people in Jerusalem going to the Temple and seeing the curtain ripped wide open and revealing the holy of holies. For the Pharisee's, the temple priests, the charade was over. They could no longer hide the truth ...the Glory had left the temple long ago.

The Glory would now find its place in a new temple...in the hearts of man.

Easter Sunrise...Gyro Park

Mary Magdalene rose very early on that third day as a new day was dawning, to journey to the garden where Jesus had been laid. In shocking amazement she discovered the enormous stone that entombed Jesus had been rolled away...Jesus was missing. Or was He...

Looking for something different this Easter. Join my friends from The Place, as they celebrate the dawn of a new day, the reality of the new creation. We celebrate the wondrous news that Jesus is not MIA, but the glorious discovery that He now dwells in and with us.

So set your alarm, we gather at 6:00 am ( yah, that's right...it's not a typo error ). We meet right on the beach at Gyro Park around a blazing fire. So join us, you don't need to be a member of the community, the neat thing last year was I met a lady and her husband, not members of a church...but this had become an annual pilgrimage for them.

Here's the Map...see you there...bring a friend.

Sorrow to Glory...a wrap

Well after a week in Saskatchewan with family and friends celebrating my father inlaws life, who passed away on the 18th of March, and James flying back to Ontario to celebrate the life of his grandmother Grace...we both returned Friday. Just enough time to catch our breath and set up and get ready for Saturday evenings " Sorrow to Glory ", at Uvic's Interfaith Chapel.

This evening was a bit of a creative twist which incorporated interactive stations of art which drew participants into a personal space of reflection and mediation. This part of the evening lasted about an hour and then we moved into a gathering of Lenten reflection and liturgy...there was a flow of movement, word, music, image all weaved through the thematic tapestry of sorrow to glory.

It was an incredible evening of intimacy...that left me breathless. I found writing the initial liturgy was almost like writing a play in which the community would act out. Liturgy is often called the " works of the people ." It was my hope and prayer, that this evening as we gathered we would own it. That with the liturgical frame work, like a loose knit tapestry...we with the Spirit of God, would weave our lives into it. The Spirit of the evening did just that, like a gentle breeze it guided us into a greater understanding of " Sorrow to Glory."

In the center of the flow, Randy engaged us with an inspiring reflection of Blaise Pascal's encounter of Glory in the midst of his sorrow and dispair. Looking at Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa...we discover the greatest glory is found in places of sorrow. We live in a culture infatuated with glory, but Jesus reveals that when we engage the places and spaces of sorrow in the world around us we discover, and reveal the Glory of God.

Two friends deserve a huge thanks, Christine who did an awesome job of choreographing the evening, and " J " who created a great interactive space of creativity. Thank you once again Poasis, for revealing the Kingdom through creativity.

And James Kingsley has some great glimpses of the evening which can be viewed here... Images of Sorrow to Glory.

revisionist theology...

Jesus summed it all up as ... Love. God and neighbour. How much your willing to give, how much your willing to accept. It sounds so simple.

the passing of a dear friend...Sorrow to Glory

I will be away for a week. My father in-law, Almont, dear friend, mentor, passed away on the weekend. I fly off to Saskatchewan on Friday afternoon to attend the funeral, give the eulogy. There will be saddness, but there will also be a great celebration around a man that lived his life so well. May his grandchildren glean some the wisdom from how he weathered the seasons of life.

I thank all of my friends who have sent me e-mails, who have lifted my father-inlaw in prayer...we have all felt their peace and comfort.

Like I say, I will be back Friday March 30th...Just in time for this...

Sorrow to Glory


An evening of art exhibition and group participation will take place at 7 pm on Saturday March 31, 2007, at the University of Victoria Interfaith Chapel http://www.uvic.ca/buildings/cha.html)

The event, named Sorrow to Glory, will gather together a multi-sensory display of visual image, sculptural design, audio performance, and written reflections on the seasons of Lent and celebration of Easter.

Sorrow to Glory aims to make possible an interactive and contemplative reflection. The event features artists, musicians, poets, liturgists, storytellers and church leaders representing a variety of faith communities throughout Greater Victoria. It is their desire to offer participants an environment wherein connection to the Good News of redemption can be realized.

The evening will begin with a time of undirected exploration of the displays, followed by a directed corporate service.All are welcomed, although some materials may not be suitable for young children. The University Interfaith Chapel is fully wheelchair accessible. Entry is free. Donations accepted towards facilitating future events that foster the development of the Christian art community in Victoria.

For additional information on the event or artists featured, please contact:Main Contact: Christine Neufeld, Event CoordinatorPhone : 250- 881-4466Email: Christine.neufeld@gmail.com

Alternate Contact: James Kingsley, CommunicationsPhone + 250 477-9731 ext 234Email jkblogspot {at} gmail {dot} com

faith communities and transformance art...

Pete Rollins of Ikon in Belfast shares some great thoughts around gathering each week, here's a taste...

For those involved with forming post-secular faith communities (often called emerging cohorts) the role of any particular gathering is rarely about bringing clarity and ideally never about outworking singular interpretive strategies. Rather there is an embrace of what may be called ‘transformance art’. Transformance art seeks to create a context which invites revelation. It seeks to do this insomuch as it endeavours to employ ingredients such as music, art, poetry, prose, pillow fights (you would understand if you had been at the last ikon), ritual and reflection to form a rich new wine that ruptures the old wineskins of our current thinking and praxis. Much like the films of David Lynch the best question at the end of an ikon gathering may not be ‘what does it mean’, but rather, ‘how have I been moved, challenged and changed in the engagement’.

By attempting to decentre interpretive strategies through the formation of a theodrama which immerses individuals in a tactile-audio-visual context, transformance art seeks to evoke an openness to respond to others and that Absolute Other many of us call God.

This is what I call ‘transformance art’ and it is, I would tentatively suggest, a new art form (derived from very ancient Judeo-Christian ideas) which the emergent cohorts are experimenting with and which may well change how we structure faith communities in the 21st century. It may also mean that more faith gatherings take place in venues like art galleries rather than church buildings.