New Expressions

As I promised this post will show you what I'm up to recently. In fact, I am returning to what I was doing before I was “so rudely interrupted” by the world. I was making art! Specifically sculpting in stone. You can see my work at my website
http://cairnhcobb.com

Maybe we can blog about spirituality and art at http://Sharingthesacred.blogspot.com I will not generate much at that blog but will be glad to respond to your questions, comments, and ideas.

Blessings along the path of peace- cairn

My farewell address

Hello there. I don't know if people check my blog but just in case anyone does I thought I would check in and let you know what I'm up to. Let me explain:

I accidentally came into public awareness in 2004 when I wrote No Longer a Christian which was first published on http://www.commondreams.org/ Because of the overwhelming responses I continued to write.

I always identified in a strange way with Cindy Sheehan. We both accidentally gained public attention at around the same time (mine much smaller is scope than hers). I find it interesting that we both decided to take a break or change our expression at nearly the same time and for similar reasons.

For me, I feel I have said all I have to say with words and I'm tired. Like Cindy, I thought that by now things would be drastically different than they were in 2004. I had visions that Christians would recognize and repent from the violence of war and the exclusion of some people from the family of God.

I think many/most Christians agree with what I write but deep inside are unwilling to make waves, stand up, or take a risk. People want to be accepted and loved by others. For the most part Christians like the church /state religion where they can feel like they can have their cake and eat it too. Our faith requires us to be unpopular, rejected, hated and scorned during times of widespread injustice just like Jesus was. Jesus' true followers can't eat the cake of worldly power.

We are past the time for leaders to show us the way. We know the way! We just need to be committed to it. I can not imagine why in 2007 every church is not a "peace church" I have been preaching to the choir but the choir is more interested in pageantry than in service and worship.

(this blog is getting long so I will post another with information about what I am doing now- It's been good to explain here in this post and I am thinking perhaps I might come full circle and write one more thing for Common Dreams explaining the absence of my voice. )

Farewell address published on http://www.ecapc.org/ (in April or May- I‘ve lost track of time)

Tag, You're It ! by Karen Horst CobbLast in the series: Meditations for God's Peaceful People

I never intended to be a "writer." I just wrote something in 2004 about the Jesus I know and sent it to the Common Dreams website. I didn't expect that my words would be published but when they were I guess I became a writer. To date more than 10,000 people from all over the world responded to that first article and I’ve written many more. Most people who respond say, “I thought I was the only one who felt this way.”The meaning of Christianity is gradually being taken back from the powerful “religious right.” Hypocrisy, greed, self interest, lust for power and the calls for ostracizing and punishing some “sinners” is being challenged. Jesus' kindness, generosity, understanding, and humility are the values the world is craving.I have written weekly meditations here on this space for more than a year. I will be taking a break from that but will continue to write articles for the larger audience of Common Dreams (and perhaps some more in-depth pieces for ECAPC). I know there are many other voices emerging to inspire us with meditations for God’s Peaceful People. Perhaps one of those voices is yours.We have been reading this week about the end of Christendom and the emerging of an enlivened community of believers. It seems the church is being challenged to rethink institutionalized ritual left over from the powerful Roman Empire and to rediscover what it means to live with Christ. The vision I see for the emerging church is not one where we are divided as leaders or followers, teachers or students, speakers or listeners, writers or readers. We can move away from hierarchies of power and prestige and simply be a loving community.The “corporate model” designed to reach goals in efficient ways is not the only way. We all know the shortest route between two points is a straight line and this is how we often approach Christianity. We set goals and then evaluate our progress. My prayer is that instead, we embrace the idea of an inclusive spiral which gathers in many to the centering heart of Christ.I want to thank the gathering community of ECAPC for extending grace to me as I have shared from my heart. I encourage everyone to not remain silent. Take a stand against injustice and proclaim the unconditional love of Christ. Speak out even if your not sure anyone is listening, Take action even if you are the only one, write even if you think you’re not a “writer.” Have confidence in what you know about the love of Jesus. The world is aching for the simple lessons we learned in Sunday School.May blessings abound as we walk together on the winding narrow path where the way is sometimes hard but brings life.“Tag, you're it!”_______________Note of appreciation: Karen has written this column on Saturdays since summer 2005. ECACP is greatly indebted to Karen for the faithful wintness, the passion, the prophetic clarity and the unfailing compassion of her writing. Thank you, Karen. You can express your appreciation to Karen at http://cairnhcobb@msn.com/