Cyber-Community Update
I’ve had to turn on “comment moderation” here at the Blog of the Grateful Bear, thanks to a few rabid people who feel compelled to leave hateful remarks about my “gay lifestyle” (any time someone uses that phrase, watch out). I hope those of you who are genuine friends of this blog will continue to post your comments – I just have to approve them now before they appear online.
One thing I’ve really enjoyed about being a blogger is getting to know other bloggers around the world, sometimes actually meeting them in person (as I met Heidi a few months ago). I’ve developed several genuine friendships with people I care deeply about, friends I’ve never met in person.
One of my cyber-communities is Lectio Divina, a group that Carl McColman and I started to support our effort to read through the New Jerusalem Bible in 2006. The group has grown to 117 members from all around the world, and from many different faith traditions, including some who identify as Pagan. In that group, so many of us have gotten behind in our daily readings that we are taking a break in order to allow our members to catch up. The break will begin on March 1st (Ash Wednesday) and continue through the first full week of Lent. Readings will resume on a Monday-through-Friday basis (with weekends off) on Monday, March 13, 2006.
One of my friends in the group joked, “So let me get this staight, we’re giving up 12 days of Bible reading for Lent?” Well, Lent is really about reflection and prayer, so we could look at the 12-day break as a time of “catching up” with the Bible, deepening our experience of it by slowing down the pace. (I once gave up Christianity for Lent, but that’s another story...)
So that means we won’t “read through the Bible in 2006,” but I think slowing down will allow us to have a more meaningful experience of reading it if we’re not constantly struggling to stay “on schedule.”
For me, it will also free up some time to do other sacred reading. Jon Zuck (one of those wonderful friends I’ve never met in person) has started an interfaith reading group called WisdomReading, and I plan to follow along with them as they read through The Gospel of Thomas, one verse at a time (beginning tomorrow), and as they read the major Upanishads later on.
I also plan to read The Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), which my friends in the St. Luke’s Bibliophiles group are reading for Lent.
So many books . . . so little time . . .
~ Darrell (busy book bear)
One thing I’ve really enjoyed about being a blogger is getting to know other bloggers around the world, sometimes actually meeting them in person (as I met Heidi a few months ago). I’ve developed several genuine friendships with people I care deeply about, friends I’ve never met in person.
One of my cyber-communities is Lectio Divina, a group that Carl McColman and I started to support our effort to read through the New Jerusalem Bible in 2006. The group has grown to 117 members from all around the world, and from many different faith traditions, including some who identify as Pagan. In that group, so many of us have gotten behind in our daily readings that we are taking a break in order to allow our members to catch up. The break will begin on March 1st (Ash Wednesday) and continue through the first full week of Lent. Readings will resume on a Monday-through-Friday basis (with weekends off) on Monday, March 13, 2006.
One of my friends in the group joked, “So let me get this staight, we’re giving up 12 days of Bible reading for Lent?” Well, Lent is really about reflection and prayer, so we could look at the 12-day break as a time of “catching up” with the Bible, deepening our experience of it by slowing down the pace. (I once gave up Christianity for Lent, but that’s another story...)
So that means we won’t “read through the Bible in 2006,” but I think slowing down will allow us to have a more meaningful experience of reading it if we’re not constantly struggling to stay “on schedule.”
For me, it will also free up some time to do other sacred reading. Jon Zuck (one of those wonderful friends I’ve never met in person) has started an interfaith reading group called WisdomReading, and I plan to follow along with them as they read through The Gospel of Thomas, one verse at a time (beginning tomorrow), and as they read the major Upanishads later on.
I also plan to read The Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), which my friends in the St. Luke’s Bibliophiles group are reading for Lent.
So many books . . . so little time . . .
~ Darrell (busy book bear)
posted by Darrell Grizzle | 8:11 PM
9 Comments:
Interior Castle is a real gem! Looking forward to your reaction/absorption of it. It was fun to meet you in person - let's get together again before too long, eh? Maybe we won't talk _quite_ so long, or if we do, we'll plan something better than coffee.
Nice to come upon your blog. I've encountered you before at Whosoever.
You might tell your friend I encountered someone the other day who maintained they were giving up church for Lent.
While "spiritual" books are all well and good, you can learn just as much about "god" by reading just about anything...trash novels, magazines, on line material, and on and on.
It has been said the only way to tell the truth is to write fiction.
There is a local GSV potluck this saturday. I would hope to be able to see you there.
I have never been tempted (I use that word advisedly) to read through the entire Bible, simply because there are sizeable sections that don't really bear reading in the same way as, say, the Psalms, or much of Isaiah, would.
Do you really go through the Entire Canon, in sequential order? {shocked disbelief}
Oh, I am so behind in reading for Lectio Divina (hangs head in shame).
But, I have read Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli recently, and I feel comforted.
Sorry about the rabid poster. I've had trolls in the past, too. Ugh.
I am so sorry that you had to do this. I cannot understand people like that.
Continue to let your light shine. You are such an inspiration to so many!
You're a good guy! I am very pleased and proud to name you among my friends. Stupid people will *always* make stupid comments - whether in person or in cyberspace.
I have *SO* fallen behind in Lectio Divina. I got through half of the Jefferson Bible (though not a complete package) and then got sidetracked by "The Hero and the Goddess" by Jean Houston.
And then there are always movie viewings, discussion and dinners... Yay.
Cure for all those yucky feelings that come from hateful bloggers who are mean to gay people: Go see Brokeback Mountain again. :)
Works for me and I'm not even gay!
You are a big huggable bear with a heart for God and I thank you for a wonderfully enriching blog. I don't always post comments but I try to read once a week. :)
Btw, I loved chamblee54's comment: trash novels and magazines work as well for me in the hunt for God too.
Did you know that I am writing a column for UPI now? You might get a kick out it. :)
UPI Column
Julie
Wow! Thanks to all of you who have left such wonderful comments here. This is exactly what cyber-community is about.
I agree with chamblee54 that the Divine can be found in all things, including "trash novels"! My favorites in that category are the hardboiled private eye novels published by Hard Case Crime. They're like paperback versions of the old "noir" movies of the 1940's. (I spend a fair amount of time in front of Turner Classic Movies, too!)
And yes, in the Lectio Divina group we are reading through the entire Bible, including the deutero-canonical books not included in Protestant Bibles. Except for the occasional gem ("Love your neighbor as yourself"), reading Leviticus and Numbers is not exactly an uplifting experience! That's one reason we created the email group, to give ourselves some support as we slogged through the "begats," the specifications for building the tabernacle, the levitical laws, the numerous censuses (censi?) of Israel...
Alice, do NOT feel bad about falling behind in the readings!
Julie, your UPI column was great! I encourage everyone to go read it!
Darrell
the Grateful Bear
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