--- Spirituality & Culture

A Defective Rendering of Liturgy

How do people
who are excluded
by the gender/sexual policies of church hierarchy
cope
during Liturgy?

How do they deal with
the marginalization presented in the present rendition
of Liturgy?

How do we get a Christ-Like
all-inclusive Liturgy
we deserve?

The hierarchy’s use of exclusive language
cuts Sisters-in-Christ
right out of existence,

[St. Athanasius: “Becoming by Grace what God is by Nature”] Theosis is about the revelation of divinity in the Sacrament of Natural Order. Fidelity to Sacrament is fidelity to divine revelation, what is, understanding Godlikeness and conscionable, Godlike living. Authentic living is enabled in the pursuit of Godlikeness, in understanding and in living.

As Christians who seek to live faithfully to divine purposes, we must ask ourselves, “how do we advance or frustrate divine revelation? How have we culturally digressed from Godlikeness and caused the frustration of nature, of divine revelation? How do we fail to understand that RELIGION IS ABOUT GODLIKE RELATIONSHIPS AND IRRELIGION IS ABOUT UNGODLIKE RELATIONSHIPS?

My dear friend, and spiritual companion, John, created a "fictional" (but perhaps not so fictional) dialogue between different 'bishops' concerning the Liturgy. The serious question raised here, is to whom does the Liturgy belong? Is it the province of the hierarcy and clergy only or is it the Work of the People (of all of us, hierarcy, clergy and laity).

If the Liturgy is the Work of All of us (at least that is what Vatican II taught), why is the Liturgy being snatched away from the People, and being reverted back to pre-Vatican II days? Why is it being changed back to something that does not even bear a likeness to the Lord's Last Supper with his disciples? Celebrant's(Jesus') back to the disciples? Celebrant (Jesus) wearing embroidered, brocaded vestments, or with silken trains yards and yards long? Celebrant (Jesus) giving his disciples Communion on their tongues? Were the disciples more devote, holy, and sinless than we are? But I will let John present his version of the Bishops' conversation.

A Post for NCRcafe: Exit to Entrance
By Marie Schickel Rottschaefer
Vol. 2 No. 3 July 7, 2008

The goal of these posts is to give a brief overview of developments that have relevance for us in the early 21st century, particularly in seeking solutions for pressing people and planet problems.

Faith Metamorphosis
Last time I proposed that humanity’s faith in the future as elaborated in Christianity is once again metamorphosing into a new faith -- a post-axial age one because of intellectual revolutions that are convincing us of the need to accommodate to the contemporary realities that we face. But the current metamorphosis is simply the latest in defining moments in the history of the changes in belief systems. The following are highlights.

A Post for NCRcafe: Exit to Entrance
By Marie Schickel Rottschaefer
Vol. 2 No. 2 June 23, 2008

The goal of these posts is to give a brief overview of developments that have relevance for us in the early 21st century, particularly in seeking solutions for pressing people and planet problems.

Nota Bene to Exit to Entrance Readers

In previous writings such as New Search, I have tried to either define terms or refer the reader to a reference. Almost all of my writing is based on other peoples’ writings except for my modest creative attempt to weave those writings together to draw a reasonable conclusion by connecting the dots. You, the Readers, may reach your own conclusions. IF YOU WISH FURTHER EXPLANATION, THE REFERENCES ARE THERE TO ACCOMMODATE YOU. THERE YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWERS YOU SEEK.

As in many things in the church we have a misnomer here. God is not Holy. God is not the fountain of all holiness. Holiness is or can be the sole property of man. God is God, God is Awesome, holiness is a measure of our attempt to reach toward God. Love the Lord with all your heart, your mind etc.. That is holiness.
Now for the question.
If a man does not conserve the resources that God gave us...If he does not recycle and regenerate creation...

NCRcafe
Spirituality and Culture
New Search --- New Name

A Post for NCRcafe: New Search For Ultimate Reality
By Marie Schickel Rottschaefer
Vol. 2 No. 1 June 2, 2008
The goal of these posts is to give a brief overview of developments that have relevance for us in the early 21st century, particularly in seeking solutions for pressing people and planet problems.

Greetings café confreres! It is good to return after about a six-month absence due to knee surgery. New Search For Ultimate Reality has a name change. It will be called Exit To Entrance. In these posts I will be attempting to strengthen my claim that in the twenty-first century we are moving from the end of the Axial Age faith to a post- axial age faith (for those who consider themselves as faith seekers). The term, “post-axial age,” is a provisional description. The journey itself will reveal the nature of this age, also characterizing in time, the name of this age.

ENERGY and RECONCILIATION belong together like lyrical words and music do. They belong together because they make sense and intensify each other. Lyrics without music are flat and less inspiring; music without lyrics is so much background noise.

The effective togetherness of lyrics and music, of reconciliation and energy, is the togetherness of special fit, as in “packaging”. In this case, “packaging” is in dimensions of harmonic energy (superstrings), as in the resonant bonding of energy packets, in the substantive arrangements of durable configurations that seek out and correspond by means of compatible (sensible) resonances (energy waves). [Reference: Brian Greene, “THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS, Space, Time and the Texture of Reality” © 2004, Vintage Books, A Division of Random House, Inc., New York]

Together, Eucharist (altruistic self-donation) and evolution are the internal and external dynamics of the cosmic, transformational Soul/ Body. Faith and reason together authenticate the intentional roles humans play and qualify the successes of altruism and evolution.

Faith and reason are the underpinnings of religious belief and social governance; religion and civility authenticate each other even as faith and reason authenticate each other. We cannot live life fully except we engage reason intentionally and in the lived expression of collective wisdom (public faith expression).