Living+Epiphany+–+Bringing+it+all+together


 * __ Week 6: Living Epiphany – Bringing it all together __**


 * Gathering: **Read page pg 353 "Bioregionalism" as we go around the circle


 * Recall: ** Last week we examined new insights found from our scientific knowledge of the cosmos. The quantum reality of connection and various other theories provide strong support for a renewed effort in updating our monoculture of domination towards a culture that is in stride with an increasingly diverse, conscious and communal cosmos. Today I am hoping to conclude by discussing the suggestions the book gives to move us towards transformative and necessary action for the future.

-One way of modeling society that embraces these characteristics is bioregionalism
 * //The “10 key characteristics” of living well://** Sustainability; Economic Justice & Equality; Biological & Cultural Diversity; Rootedness in Place; Self-Reliance and Openness; Democracy, Participation and Subsidiatrity (most local system); Cooperative Self-Organization; Sharing of Knowledge and Wisdom; Responsibility and Rights; Balance


 * Bioregionalism** (pg 355)– geographic entity defined by a watershed catchment area (key step-> native to place)

//-How do we get back to nature?// //-How do we move forward and recognize our problems in practical ways?//
 * Group Questions/Thoughts: **


 * Concluding Thoughts from the Text: **

Pg 292 Liberation --> “the conscious participation of humanity in the movement toward greater diversity, interiority (life giving expressions of creativity), and communion [is a definition of] the process of liberation.” Pg 293 Hope --> “In our…brief history…we have reinvented ourselves time and time again. We were born in the forests and savannahs of Africa, but were able to adapt…in the ice age. We began as hunter-gatherers, moved on to become farmers, and then reinvented ourselves as industrial, city-dwelling people. We…can reinvent ourselves…again.”

“We must learn to: -**embrace limits**, definitively renouncing the pseudo cosmology of consumerism and the economics of growth - find our meaning and fulfillment in our active participation in the process of cosmic evolution… (“Dream of the earth”) -**deepen our communion with our living planet**, the material and psychic source of our sustenance - seek out a **new kind of ethics (spot test) based on care and the enhancement of life**, creativity, and beauty”

Pg 298 “We will not make the changes we need to by cultivating guilt or by shaming people into action….we will be able to remake humanity only if we are passionately drawn toward a new way of living in the world… Beauty, awe, and wonder along with a deep love for all living things must be central sources of energy in the struggle to come” //ethics of beauty over ethics of duty are required for our evolution.//

__**How to Approach Action**__

Pg 350 “think of liberating action... in terms of the roles of the reformer, the prophet, and the visionary...
 * Reformer :** “Holding actions”– in defense of life seek to prevent further injustice and damage to the Earth
 * Prophetic:** “Actions that seek out structural causes or build alternatives” – educational, alternative progress indicators, community gardens, local currency
 * Visionary:**“Actions aimed at shifting perceptions and paradigms”– embody new cosmology, re-mything cosmic story, despair & empowerment work

//Q: Where do you fall in these categories? Where are your gifts?//

Pg 370 “Matthew Fox…the unity of mysticism and prophetic action,… devised a useful framework referred to as the four ‘paths’ of creation spirituality… In practice all four paths intermingle and interconnect…they create a way to frame reflections on the processes and dynamics involved in liberating praxis”
 * Read pg 369 bottom** “How do we go about working for liberation? How can we put our evolving cosmology into practice? How can we harmonize ourselves with the unfolding purpose of the Malkuta as we work to strengthen communion, broaden diversity, and deepen the interiority of the Earth Community?”


 * Praxis: A fourfold path toward liberation & Make Living Epiphany Cards **

 //**Living Epiphany Reflection Cards:** To be a place to motivate gentle action, you are encouraged to create one and record ideas or thoughts you have on how you could use the 4 fold paths in your life and what type of action you engage in (reformer, prophet, visionary). I suggest that this card also be a physical record of your learning from our discussions and you are encouraged to add pictures, colour, soil, string and other things that remind you of our discussion over the season of Epiphany. Designing and regularly meditating and reflecting on your card could be a weekly practice you engage in over the season of Lent.//

**Path 1)The Via Positiva** = rooting ourselves in the goodness of creation and awakening to awe, beauty and praise //-the act of worship in an expansive sense// “O creative Breath, Father-Mother of the Cosmos ebbing and flowing through all forms

O shimmering Sound Thy radiant Name dances in and about all-that-is” **Renderings of the first line of Lords Prayer from Aramaic**, pg 372

pg 372 cultivating awareness as key to “liberating forms of power-with and power-from-within” pg 373 begin by “taking time to engage in what we truly love to do...these activities can become a ‘gateway to reverence’ that enable us to develop a greater sense of awareness. Extend our practice to include mundane activities...as well as those places and situations where beauty has been sullied...leading us to the Via Negativa” -pg 374“every breath is a sacrament, an affirmation of our connection with all other living things, a renewal of our link with our ancestors and a contribution to generations yet to come. Our breath is a part of life’s breath, the ocean of air that envelops Earth...With each breath we take; we inhale atoms that were exhaled by every other human being, and nearly every other living creature, who has ever inhabited the earth”

**Path 2) The Via Negativa** = emptying ourselves, clearing space for the sacred to dwell, lament and letting go, the “fertile darkness” (pg 376) of the pregnant void //-the act of preparing for the incarnation// “Prepare the ground of our being and hallow a place for the planting of thy presence

Penetrate the deepest recesses of our hearts and clear a space where thy shining Name may enkindle us.” **Renderings of the second line of Lords Prayer from Aramaic,** pg 375

pg 377 “overcoming our addiction to consumerism implies that we learn to let go of that which we do not truly need...in shifting to a simpler lifestyle... we can move toward other sources of value and enjoyment” Pg 379 “letting go...prepares the ground for intuitions to arise”

//-the act of the resurrection as a symbol of discerning “new” ways// “In this nuptial chamber where desire bears fruit conceive the creative potency that enables us to say, “I can.”
 * Path 3)The Via Creativa = **the way of creating and giving birth, of reuniting to the empowering vision of the Malkuta; reconnecting ourselves to the great cosmic story and aligning ourselves with its unfolding purpose, new insights and perspectives

Let the rhythm of thy counsel reverberate through our lives so that it may empower us with thy creative vision.” **Renderings of the third line of Lords Prayer from Aramaic**, pg 377

pg 378 “the key to transformation is to find the appropriate action for the place and time in which we are present. Given the subtle play of dependent co-arising, even small shifts in our perceptions, thoughts, and beliefs – and how these in turn colour our words, emotions, and deeds – can have a real effect in the world” pg 378 “the ability to effect change depends not on brute force but rather on the subtle webs of relationality inherent in power-with and the self-organizing potential of power-from-within” //Perhaps this is what Jesus tapped into in promoting creative non-violence// Pg 382 “By...tapping our intuition, creativity can serve to restore our sense of vision and purpose. We can then move beyond the delusion of despair and the prison of preconceptualizations to new hope and new possibilities”

//-the act of incarnation// “So that, fully united with the vortex of thy desire, we truly embody the light of thy purpose.
 * Path 4)The Via Transformativa = **the path of embodying the vision and giving it a form; working actively to transform the world

Harmonize our own goals and purposes with thine own; As from the emanation and vision, so too in form.” **Renderings of the fourth line of Lords Prayer from Aramaic**, pg 382

pg 382 “to make something a reality, we must first come to see clearly //what// we desire and then we must //ask//, with all our being, that it come to fruition” pg 383 “as an act of incarnation, manifestation presupposes that we first work to purify our own personal desires, that we practice the paths of invocation, letting go, and creative empowerment combined with intuitive discernment...only then can manifestation become an act that opens the way toward liberating transformation” pg 385 “we do not acquire that which we desire, we become it” pg 386 “It is not...sheer force that triumphs but rather persistent energy working with the natural flow of the Tao” ex. Matt. 7:7 expanded Aramaic translation Neil Douglas Koltz, martial art of Aikido “blending with the energies of the aggressor” pg 388 “We must cease to work in ways that directly exploit the planet or our fellow human beings. All our work, all our activities, must seek the ongoing sustenance of life and/or the process of transformation leading to a more just and sustainable world...” pg 389 “in considering these questions we still need to find ways to sustain ourselves and our families. This may mean that we will need to reorient our lives gradually...take time to discern where and how we can best work and... move progressively in that direction” consider “gentle action” pg 387 as a means of change


 * Living Epiphany – In Sum: **

Over the past 6 weeks we have explored many different ‘epiphanies’. We have journeyed from Christmas, the birth of Christ, to Lent, the preparation for the cross and resurrection of Christ. In celebrating the incarnation of God in humanity through Jesus, we are called to **living well** in **expansive harmony** as Christ modeled and God intends. Let us continue to align our lives with this sense of living (r)evolution, where we **unify our prayer and action** in ways that work towards the kingdom of God while **recognizing our role in the cosmic story-dance of ever deepening diversity, interiority and community**.

Pg 391 “To be truly effective, all our actions for change must be infused with the playfulness and celebration inherent in all creative endeavors...play, in particular, lies at the very heart of our humanity...if we do not take this into account, we will soon become de-energized and depressed by the struggle.” “[It is the] joy that flows out of the deepening of our compassion... ‘the joy in the joy of others’... [that] becomes unstoppable... this force - this life energy... creates and sustains this song... [It] enkindles us with wonder... [and it] will drive the Great Turning toward a new era for humanity and all the Earth.”

-What types of action do I engage in (Reformer, Prophetic, Visionary)? How can I use this way of thinking about how I live to align my lifestyle with the epiphanies that Jesus, God and others have shared with me?
 * Encouraged Questions and Thoughts: **

-Consider making a "Living Epiphany Card" and work on adding to it over the next year.

-If you have read some of this wiki or been involved in the discussion consider sharing some[| feedback here].


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Additional Resources: **

David Peat on "[|Gentle Action]"

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"[|Spirituality in a Time of Crises]" by Mark Hathaway

[|Very good talk]by Velcrow Ripper Canadian-born and internationally renowned documentary filmmaker, a well regarded as a public speaker, spiritual seeker and cinematic activist. After viewing his work, however, one might be more inclined to describe him as a representative of love and peace in the age of global crisis. In this interview, Velcrow talks about his long history of shooting the world's "ground zeros" and what's in store for Occupy Love, his third film in the Fierce Light trilogy.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Examples of Hope and Gentle Change: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Examples of gentle action]

We live, work, and worship together here, sharing our resources and our hope.We seek ways to live out the Biblical vision of " jubilee ", trusting that God will bless our attempts to live as followers of Jesus Christ.That search takes us into all kinds of situations and connects us with people from all over the world. As we see for ourselves the power of God's love in one situation after another, we are filled with celebration.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Jubilee Partners] **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[] (living on earth) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[] (las gaviotas video)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gaviotas Community: **An oasis of imagination and sustainability in the remote, barren savannas of eastern Colombia

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|The Tao of Liberation: A Critical Review] by Steven E. Wallis <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Response to Steven E. Wallis] by Mark Hathaway

**__Sustenance in a Time of Labour__**
 * Prayer **

“With passion and soul may we generate the sustenance and understanding we need to take the next step. Loosen the cords of past mistakes and disentangle us from frustrated hopes, as we, too, release others and restore to them that which has been usurped. Let us not be enmeshed by the nets of delusion or become lost in the forgetfulness of distractions which divert us from our purpose, but illuminate for us the opportunities of the present moment. For from thy fertile ground springs forth the empowering vision, the life energy that creates and sustains, and the harmonious song that enkindles wonder, From age to age, let it in truth be so.” **Renderings of the fifth through eighth lines of Lords Prayer from Aramaic pg 389**