Aug
15
2010
August 2010
Dunedin
Programme:
Native American Pipekeepers’ Pow Wow
Aelred Edmunds is home again after participation in the Pipestone, Minnesota, Native American Pipekeepers’ Pow Wow.
He introduces his presentation on this event in this way:
“The respected Native American scholar Vine Deloria Jr., writes: ” … In spite of the overtures made in recent years by Christian denominations toward traditional Indian religions and practices – such as bishops wearing warbonnets at services, pipes and other traditional objects used to bless congregations, and occasional prayers for the Earth – one fundamental facet of Christianity must always detour any effort to come to grips with reality. Christianity was not designed to explain anything about this planet or the meaning of human life …
“This will be my point of departure. Is Deloria even approximately correct? Continue Reading »
Jul
15
2010
July 2010
Dunedin
Programme:
Professor Kevin Clements spoke to us on:
‘Honouring the Other: The Quest for Respect, Equality
and Small Goodnesses in Aotearoa-New Zealand’
Kevin is the Foundation Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies and Director of the New Zealand National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. He gave us this summary:
Continue Reading »
Jun
13
2010
June 2010
Dunedin
Programme:
Greg Hughson spoke to us on:
“Chaplaincy to a spiritually diverse campus community”
Greg, who is one of the Ecumenical Chaplains to the University, introduced himself:
Continue Reading »
May
17
2010
May 2010
Dunedin
Programme:
Donald Feist talked about the book:
“Thank God for Evolution”
Don said:
Continue Reading »
Apr
11
2010
April 2010
Dunedin
Programme:
David Kitchingman got us thinking about
“Just enough is plenty”:
Voluntary simplicity as a recipe for life – and for faith
Mar
14
2010
March 2010
Dunedin
Programme:
The Rev. Dr Rod Mitchell talked about:
“The Power of “Yes” –
– the need for a Bigger Story than any one religious tradition can offer.
Rod attended the 5th Parliament of World Religions held in Melbourne last December. He shared some of his impressions from his sampling of the more than 500 presentations, which explored major issues facing the various religious traditions in our global world. Rod’s presentation focused on finding new world views, which offer hope. Continue Reading »
Feb
15
2010
February 2010
Dunedin
Kia Ora,
Programme:
We started at 6 pm with a brief Annual Meeting. For the agenda and four reports click on the following links: Continue Reading »
Nov
15
2009
November 2009
Dunedin
Kia Ora,
Programme:
Where are you on the Sea of Faith ?
Again, for our last meeting of the year, we asked everyone to speak for three minutes. This time the question was:
If some close friend asked you about the Sea of Faith, what would you say to them based on your own experience?
We could choose to respond in terms of our own voyage – what changes had there been in our faith, or our understanding, in the last year or two?
Or we might prefer to speak more about the organisation – what was good about it, and what were its weaknesses, as we saw them?
Oct
12
2009
Dunedin
Programme:
Who Needs Jesus? –
Life in the 21st Century
Three people who were at the national conference reported briefly on the key speakers and introduced discussion on what they said about this topic.
Continue Reading »
Sep
14
2009
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z. September 2009
Dunedin
Programme:
The Rev. Dr Rod Mitchell talked about:
The 21st Century Religious Landscape –
as mapped by Ken Wilber.
Rod explained :
There will be three key elements to my presentation: Continue Reading »
Aug
17
2009
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z. August 2009
Dunedin
Programme:
Murray Rae discussed:
The War on Terror in Ruatoki.
Murray is a Presbyterian minister and is currently Head of the Department of Theology and Religion
at the University of Otago and Associate Professor of Theology. About his subject, he says: Continue Reading »
Jul
12
2009
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z. July 2009
Dunedin
Programme:
Aelred Edmunds invited us to:
“DROP THE CREED, BUT HUG THE SYMBOL!”
Aelred invited each of us to ask the following question: Could I consider working with chosen religious symbols (any tradition) while consciously, deliberately, by-passing the doctrines and dogmas connected with those symbols? Could there possibly be major benefits available from doing this?
Or is the whole idea no more than a fancy – maybe even a fantasy? Well, Joseph Campbell did not think so. Gregory Salyer writes of Joseph Campbell: “[He] was such a lover of the symbols themselves that he could give himself to them only, and remain detached from the creeds and philosophies which would invariably try to claim priority over the symbols and pre-determine their meaning.” Continue Reading »
Jun
15
2009
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z. June 2009
Dunedin
Programme:
David Kitchingman started us thinking about:
The Trouble with Jesus
May
17
2009
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin May 2009
Programme:
Marjorie Spittle and Andrew Meek opened up the subject of:
A Non-Realist Church
They asked: Is “non-realist church” an oxymoron with no future, or are there ways of doing church from a non-realist perspective? This topic seeks to explore options and possibilities which may extend from an opting completely out of any organized church (and starting your own?) to passionate guerilla tactics from within. Should be interesting! To get us thinking along these lines, the following was an extract from a presentation by Duncan Park at a Sea of Faith conference in Australia in 2000. Continue Reading »
Apr
18
2009
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin April 2009
Programme:
Arthur Templeton introduced …
“Lines that Etch”
Arthur explained: Continue Reading »
