Putting It All To Gather!

I composed most of these thoughts in this post while sitting poolside at the Treasure Island in Las Vegas. Sin City. An adult playground. Would this be a disconnect with a proclamation of Social Justice and the Cosmic all inclusiveness of Christ? I think not...maybe so, a little...but if so this would be one of the least of my sins of which I'm guilty of in this life of mine. And I know that Christ is present all ways and everywhere. I would like to close this message with a couple of long quotes from Rob's book. I'm playing a bit with the word Together in the title for a reason. I'm hoping to "gather" a bit of commonality I see and have tried to relate to the combined work of Bell, Rohr, and McLaren. To me it is much clearer to view a difference between Jesus and the Christ. We have the omnipresent Christ from the dawn of creation and the incarnation of the man/God Jesus into history. And then the Cosmic Christic Nature of the Resurrected Jesus leading us all onward and upward into the Kingdom of God. I really appreciate the message of Rob but it seems to be more clear to me when viewed with a difference between Jesus and Christ - Not that there really is a difference. Except when viewed with the hindsight of what We As A Species have done to creation in the name of Jesus. Subjugating the earth and her inhabitants in His name. We have the "Holy" Roman Empire, the "Holy" wars (talk about an oxymoron), "Purifying" inquisitions, witch hunts and the like. We created a Warrior King to the sorrow of the Prince of Peace. We can do so much better; In the Name and Spirit of Christ! Pax Christi! RV

"When people use the word "Jesus", then, it's important for us to ask who they're talking about...Are they referring to a token of tribal membership, a tamed, domesticated Jesus who waves the flag and promotes whatever values they have decided their nation needs to return to?....Are they referring to the supposed source of the imperial impulse of their group, which wants to conquer other groups "in the name of Jesus"? ...Are they referring to the logo or slogan of their political, economic, or military system through which they sanctify their greed for lust and power?

Or are they referring to to the very life source of the universe who has walked among us and continues to sustain everything with his love and power and grace and energy?

Jesus (I would say Christ) is both near and intimate and personal, and big and wide and transcendent."

"...a crown, much like a mansion or a car, is a possession. There's nothing wrong with possessions; it's just that they have value to us only when we use them, engage them, and enjoy them. They're nouns that mean something only in conjunction with verbs.....That's why wealth is so dangerous: if you're not careful you can easily end up with a garage full of nouns."

"When we baptize, we lower people into the water, and then bring them back up out of the water. The water signifies death; being raised up out of it signifies life." Interesting that the name Las Vegas means The Springs. It was an early watering stop for pioneers moving West and North. All things will be reconciled to Life..Love..Christ!