Owner: Shuck and Jive URL:http://shuckandjive.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 10:57:00 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: A Presbyterian minister blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus and lightening up. John Shuck is the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, Tennessee (a liberal ch Site statistics:Click here
Brewster and Bono and the PCUSA 2007-01-11 19:33:00 I am thrilled that Brewster
and Bono are on the road again. Here is what Paul wrote regarding the finances with a letter stating how to contribute. You can contact Paul to get the strip e-mailed to your inbox everyday (the best way I think).Dear Readers, For those who made a pledge in the recent fundraising drive to keep Brewster and Bono on the road, your donation can be made by writing a check to "The Rockcross Press." (This is the publisher of the paperback book collection of the first 19 weeks of the cartoon. If you don't have this book yet, consider throwing in another $7.95 and the publisher will send you a copy.) The mailing address is: The Rockcross Press 6510 Auburn Ave. Bradenton, FL 34207 or You can use your credit card online at the Walking Across America web site. www.walking-across-america.com click on the donation button and you will be taken to the safe, secure, PayPal system. It may show up somewhere that the payment is going to Simple Miracles Pizza
Jesus Seminar in Miami 2007-01-12 05:25:00 The Spring 2007 meeting of Westar Institute is going to be February 28-March 3 in Miami
. It is going to be a good one. James Veitch's presentation is entitled "Killing for God." Here is a summary: September 11 is a critical defining moment for all of us who live in the English speaking Western world. It has brought into sharp relief the possibility of an ongoing 'clash of civilizations.' Killing for God and in the name of God have become trademarks of the conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere. This presentation reconstructs the important milestones in the pathway to September 11 and the response that created the 'war on terror.' It will address questions like: who are the 'terrorists,' what do they want, and why do they act in the ways that they do? And it will ask whether religious faith can be harnessed to empower the peace process instead of empowering terror.L. Michael White will speak about Christian origins with his presentation: "Rediscovering the Earliest Jesus Read more:Seminar
Tennessee Tunes 2007-01-14 00:43:00 One of our church members, Jim Miller, is a clever inventor and an amazing musician. He leads our Liturgical String Band when they play in church. Here he is in his attractive pipe hat.Check out his web page for a flavor of Appalachia! Didn't know you could have this much joy from turkey basters, did ya?Here is a video of the pipe hat in action:Pipe Hat - Jim & Fred Read more:Tennessee
Peaceful Protest Against War in Johnson City 2007-01-14 20:42:00 Tomorrow the nation celebrates the legacy and witness of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rev. King spoke boldly about the waste of human life and resources in Vietnam. We are wasting lives and resources in Iraq. Tomorrow, Monday, January 15th at noon, in Johnson
City, TN, there will be a peaceful protest against the Iraq War. All concerned Americans are invited to peacfully express opposition to the misuse of our troops. The protest will take place at the corner of North Roan Street and Mountcastle near the Johnson City Mall. The protest is pro-troops but anti-war.Today, CNN quoted vice president Dick Cheney: "He's the guy who's got to decide how to use the force and where to deploy the force," Cheney said of President Bush. According to a CNN poll two-thirds of Americans disagree with the decider. Perhaps the president doesn't hear us. Perhaps it is time for Americans to speak out so he does hear. Cheney also mentioned Iran: "Iran is fishing in troubled waters Read more:Peaceful
, Protest
Actions for Peace 2007-01-15 16:25:00 I hope you will join us at noon today (Monday, January 15th) for a peaceful protest against the war. In addition, please consider sending a letter to your congressperson. Faithful America has an easy way to do it. Note that Sen. Bob Corker and Rep. David Davis of Tennessee require a written letter but you can download it in printable form and mail it to them. Peace
,john Read more:Actions
Peaceful Protest Coverage in Johnson City 2007-01-16 00:36:00 Protest organizer Monica Lewis-Patrick holds a Dr. King sign at start of a pro-peace demon-stration against war in Iraq.Between 30 and 40 people held signs, smiled and waved to passersby on the corner of South Roan and Mountcastle today in Johnson
City.Several of those folks were from my congregation. I met some new friends as well. The event was organized by Monica Lewis-Patrick and Sandra Garrett of "Concerned Citizens Against the War in Iraq." Our presence was met by enthusiastic response. People honked, waved, shouted, offered thumbs up signs, peace signs and smiles.It was a very different reaction then when I protested when the war began in Billings, MT. Times have changed. More people are realizing that this war was a bad idea.We had some drummers who chanted "No justice, no peace" and the presence of children reminded us of the future we are creating for them today. The emphasis was pro-troops but anti-war to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he Read more:Peaceful
, Protest
, Coverage
"More Candy, Less War" 2007-01-16 18:03:00 Protesters line up at the corner of North Roan Street and Mountcastle Drive Monday afternoon to demonstrate against the war in Iraq. (Lee Talbert / Johnson City Press)This is from the front page of today's Johnson City Press:Buildup Backlash - Anti-war protesters gather in NJC in conjunction with King birthdayAbout 50 anti-war demonstrators chanted slogans and waved placards at the corner of Mountcastle Drive and North Roan Street beginning at noon Monday, and they were met with a chorus of honking cars voicing their approval. The protest was in response to President George Bush's plan to send more than 20,000 additional American troops into the war in Iraq. "More troops means more war," one sign proclaimed. Some children playing on the sidewalks while their parents protested carried a sign that said, "More candy, less war" "This is a group of people from all walks of life, representing all political positions, exercising one of the few civil liberties that we have left, Read more:Candy
Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria 2007-01-17 15:23:00 Author and quilter, Kyra E. Hicks, asked me to review her children's book, Martha
Ann's Quilt
for Queen
Victoria on my blog. She sent me a copy and I read it to the children and to the congregation during a children's sermon.It tells the true story of Martha Erskine Ricks who was born a slave in 1817 on an East Tennessee plantation. Martha's father, George Erskine, also born a slave, had his freedom purchased by a Presbyterian minister, Dr. Isaac Anderson in 1815. Dr. Anderson was an opponent of slavery and purchased George Erskine's freedom so that he could study religion. At that time Dr. Anderson was the minister of the New Providence Presbyterian Church in Maryville, Tennessee. George Erskine earned his preaching license in 1818 and preached to both white and black congregations within and outside Tennessee for twelve years.The children's book begins:Martha Ann loved one chore most. Her special job was to place Papa's money in his old, red tin box. Martha Ann was
The Gospel of Mary and Christian Origins 2007-01-18 14:29:00 We have a big weekend at First Pres., Elizabethton. The Carl Jung Seminar has 85 people signed up so far with more expected at the door. You can still register and childcare will be provided.This Sunday I finish my third series in our adult class on Mary Magdalene, "There's Something About Mary." You can view the powerpoints of the first two classes on the church's web page.This week we look at the Gospel
of Mary. Karen King of Harvard has written an excellent book on this gospel, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle.The Harvard Gazette published an article about her work, Student of Early Christian
ities. Before she published her book, she wrote a preview about it and the importance of Mary for understanding Christian origins, Letting Mary Magdalene Speak.One of the important implications of the discovery and publication of these other texts (such as the Nag Hammadi collection and the discovery of the Gospel of Mary in the 19th century) is that t Read more:Origins
March on Washington 2007-01-19 21:54:00 This is from United for Peace and Justice: A week from now people from throughout the country will start boarding buses and trains for their long trips to the nation's capital. Others will get up early on Saturday morning to make sure they're part of what promises to be one of the most important mobilizations against the war in Iraq. In our national office the phones are ringing off the hook. Read More You can board a bus from Johnson City. Here are details from Mike Garrett of concernedTNcitizens:We are working on getting a charter bus to go from here to DC and back that Saturday (January 27th). Note: before we can secure the bus, WE WILL NEED SOME COMMITMENT from people, including the money needed to secure a seat. [1] The details thus far: Cost: $60 per rider Depart JC on Saturday, 1/27, at 2:00 a.m. (Location TBD)Arrive DC Capital area around 9:00 a.m. for the Rally, scheduled to start at 11:00.Depart DC around 8:00 p.m. for return to JCArrive JC around 4:30 a.m. Su Read more:March
, Washington
Scripture and Skepticism 2007-01-21 19:59:00 I just found out about this organization, The Committee for the Scientfic Examination of Religion (CSER), which will be holding a conference next weekend at UC Davis. You can read about the conference here. James Tabor at UNC-Charlotte sent me an e-mail about it and his new book, The Jesus Dynasty: A New Historical Investigation of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity (2006).I will check that out further. James Crossley has been talking about this on his blog Earliest Christian History. Crossley is the author of Why Christianity Happened, a book published by the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. I referred to that book on an earlier post.Back to James Tabor. His blog is entitled The Jesus Dynasty Blog and he speaks about the conference on this post.The conference entitled "Scripture
and Skepticism" (University of California at Davis, 25-28 January 2007) was called to consider comparative approaches to sacred scripture in the three book religions—J
Empowering Presbyterians Through the Press 2007-01-22 15:46:00 Our local paper, The Johnson City Press
, has as its by-line, "Empowering People Through the Press." Presbyterians were empowered over the weekend. Last week, James Brooks of the Press reported on our peace demonstration on Martin Luther King Day. I sent him an e-mail thanking him for the article. He wrote back that he would like to do an article about me in the Faith section of the paper. Always ready to indulge in shameless self-promotion, I agreed. Here is that article: RADICAL REVEREND Area church leader says views result of personal growth, study, reflection By JAMES BROOKS Press Staff Writer jbrooks@johnsoncitypress.com The Rev. John Shuck is that rarest of breeds, a liberal minister in a conservative Christian environment. "Part of a minister's job is to offer people permission to grow and explore, and not necessarily end up in some predetermined place," Shuck said. "Sometimes parishioners will come to me and say they wonder about the is
Jung Seminar: A Great Success! 2007-01-23 16:48:00 John and Carolyn Martin filled the house over the weekend with The Language of the Soul: The Psychology of Carl Jung. I still don't know the exact count, but we had between 105 and 110 in the Martin Hall for the presentation.John and Carolyn walked us through Jung's basic thought and explained terms such as symbol, psyche, soul, archetype, personal unconscious, collective unconscious, shadow, ego, persona, anima/animus, projection, and complex.We experience symbols through our unconscious. We feel them before we think about them. The symbol table helped us to understand many of the symbols that are common to all of us.The iceberg was on the wall most of the time as a visual image of the psyche. It is a beautiful picture that shows us that 90 percent of the iceberg is below surface of the water.John and Carolyn said if we can only take away one thing from the seminar, remember the iceberg. Ninety-percent of that which influences our thought, behavior and emotions is "underwate Read more:Great
, Success
, Seminar
Showing him the way 2007-01-24 13:50:00 It is time for Americans to take action. This Saturday, thousands of Americans will go to Washington D.C. to make a visible demonstration for peace. United for Peace and Justice provides information, news, and a schedule of events. They also have sample letters and e-mails that can be sent to senators and congresspeople.At First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, our Peacemaking Committee has set up a table in which individuals can sign letters (or write their own) and the committee will mail them to our two senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, and our representative, David Davis.I watched the president's state of the union address last night and the response by Virginia Senator, Jim Webb. Senator Webb said what needed to be said with clarity and conviction. You can read a transcript of Senator Webb's address here.Senator Webb served as a Marine in Vietnam. This portion of his speech is worth repeating:Like so many other Americans, today and throughout our history, we
God is Lavender 2007-01-25 18:31:00 On this blog I have been attempting to work out my own theology for the twenty-first century. On the right of this blog you will find the categories, Preliminaries, Context, Creation, and God. I am still working on God! In a previous post, What Color is God?, I approach the question of God from a variety of contexts. The idea is that while we may think of God as beyond all images, nevertheless we are constantly describing and approaching this mystery from our human experience.In the Book of Genesis, the writers tell us that humankind is created in the image of God. If we wish to see a reflection of God, we look at humankind. What does that mean? I will leave the question unanswered. I do know that my prejudices tend to color God in a way that is limited to my experience. Therefore, my ethics and experiences are shaped by my image of God. As a Christian Protestant, the image of God has largely reflected patriarchal and Europeon culture. To put it somewhat flippantly, Read more:Lavender
Come on Now Peace Bus 2007-01-26 16:10:00 Tonight (Friday) is a good night to head down to the Acoustic Coffee House at 413 West Walnut in Johnson City. Music by The Feral Throes and The Worthless Son in Laws. You need to check out the Acoustic Coffee House web page. They have some great Bush clips, like this one in which the president is asked about the number of Iraqi deaths. Then at 11:00 p.m. we are having a rousing send-off for the Peace
Bus to Washington D.C.Tomorrow (Saturday, January 27) there is a demonstration in Johnson City at two p.m. at the intersection of North Roan and Mountcastle Drive to support the troops and to oppose the war and the escalation of troops. Bring a sign or pick one up at the Coffee House. Some rules:Don't impede trafficBe courteous to everyoneStay on the sidewalkMake some noiseIf you grab a sign at the Coffee House return it for the next rally.United for Peace and Justice has more information about the March in Washington.Check here for some Songs for Peace and of course Peace Train b
The Gospel According to Jazz 2007-01-27 18:28:00 You want to check this out next weekend. This is from an e-mail from Matt Wilson:THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAZZ will enjoy two encore performances in preparation for its participation in the regional Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival next month in Georgia.After its initial run at Milligan College last fall and its participation in the state theatre association festival, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAZZ was chosen as one of the TOP 7 COLLEGIATE PRODUCTIONS IN THE SOUTHEAST(11 states)--quite an honor for Milligan College and for Johnson City.Fueled by the vibrant, joyous tones of jazz, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAZZ is a whimsical and poignant reminiscence on the Gospel
according to John for a post-Katrina world. The 26-piece jazz ensemble features musicians from the Milligan and ETSU communities as well as noted local vocalist Loretta Bowers and lead trumpet and trombone players who each have extensive recording and touring credits. This is a musical, theatrical, and spiritual
Peace: From JC to DC 2007-01-27 22:52:00 CNN has posted the latest from the peace demonstration in Washington DC. It doesn't give an estimate of how many folks were there. The report said "tens of thousands."We saw thirty-two of them off early this morning just after midnight from the Acoustic Coffee House in Johnson City.Today in Johnson City at the corner of Roan and Mountcastle about 25 of us demonstrated on behalf of peace and for our troops. Sorry, no pics. The response again was overwhelmingly positive with a few folks in disagreement. Several Presbyterians were there along with some folks from the Quaker meeting in JC. Old and young were there. One little guy passed out Hershey's kisses. Peace
is going to happen.I speak only for myself here. I am not only in favor of ending the war in Iraq, but I am in favor of a new consciousness regarding war and peace in general. I believe in humanity. I believe at the core of our being we are compassionate, peaceful, loving, and intelligent. I believe that this is
Folger's Joy 2007-01-29 12:17:00 Fiddle Tunes Go South - Folger's JoyIt is Monday morning. It is snowy and windy. Gotta go to work, anyway. Here is Jim Miller to help you start off the day with a cup of Folger's Joy.
The Great Warming 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Has anyone seen the film, The Great
Warming? It was released in the Fall of 2006, but it didn't make it to our area. Click the pic of Keanu Reeves and Alanis Morissette to see the trailer.It looks like a good film, but I haven't heard much about it. On the movie's website they link to a review in the New York Times. The website is nicely done.If you hit the blue button you can calculate your impact on the globe.The reviews say the movie provides hope. This is from the NY Times:Without undermining the urgency of the situation, the film radiates optimism that the human race can seriously explore its role in keeping Earth a habitable planet, and has already begun to do so. As long as the political leaders who hold the power to implement a larger plan of action remain in "climate denial" (in the words of Stephen Schneider, a biologist from Stanford University), "The Great Warming," along with "An Inconvenient Truth," the other widely released documenta
Presbyterian Gayman: Where Are They Now? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In the late 90's, an on-line satire site, The Presbyterian
Gayman, spoofing the very real Presbyterian Layman, offered solace and humor to those of us discouraged by the right turn in our denomination. Unless you are informed about Presbyterian politics and what was going on at that time, most of it will slip by you. It's kind of like reading the book of Revelation 2000 years after the fact. The creators remained anonymous and I still do not know who they are. My hunch is that they were seminary students at the time. In 2004, after the General Assembly in Richmond, it resurrected for a brief period only to go silent once again. The resurrected PG wasn't quite as good as the original, but hey, I'm not complaining.So what happened to the creators of PG? Two speculations:The cynical view: They graduated from seminary and with their M. Div.'s in hand and optimism in their shiny pupils were called to a little country church in Indiana. They became brave enough one Sunday to
Jazz Concert at First Presbyterian! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I just got the word from Rick Simerly. Put a big circle around March 24th and 25th on your calendar. Milligan College professor and world-class (no exaggeration) jazz trombonist Rick Simerly and friends will play a jazz concert for us Saturday night March 24th at FirstPresbyterian
, Elizabethton.It will be a quintet with trombone, alto saxophone, guitar, bass and drums. It will start at 7:30 and end around 8:45 with a reception in Martin Hall. Then on Sunday, Rick and friends will provide the music for a jazz worship service at 11:00 a.m. Rick is offering his services gratis, but there will be some kind of admission to pay for the band. More information on that to come.Meanwhile catch The Gospel According to Jazz this Saturday (Feb. 3) or Monday (Feb. 5) at Milligan College. This is a big deal for the college and the music and drama department.Back to Rick. Check out his web page and listen to samples from his album Obscurity and Simple Complexity. Check out the bands wi Read more:Concert
The Peace Bus Returns 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Here are some reports from the Johnson City Peace
Bus to Washington DC on Saturday. Before I get to those, I want to announce that I plan to participate in The Christian Peace Witness for Iraq on Friday, March 16th. If you would like to attend you need to register as there are limited sites in the National Cathedral. If you wish to attend, register. If you wish to go up as a group, e-mail me, and I will work on getting transportation. We will go up Thursday and come home Saturday. More details to come.Back to the events of last Saturday, January 27th.I reported earlier on our local peace demonstration in Johnson City. Joseph and Vanessa Fitzanakis made a day of it. They first participated in a demonstration in Abingdon then joined us in Johnson City. Here is a pic of Joseph and Vanessa in Abingdon. They looked pretty much the same in JC! This pic was taken by an Associated Press reporter. Vanessa, left, and Joseph Fitsanakis stand on a corner in Ab Read more:Returns
Closer to the Bones of Jesus (and a Better Understanding of his Life) 1970-01-01 00:59:59 When Robert Funk convened the Jesus
Seminar in 1985, it decided early on the question of whether or not Jesus was apocalyptic. See Perry Kea, The Road to the Jesus Seminar, Robert W. Funk, Milestones in the Quest for the Historical Jesus, and Lane McGaughy, The Search for the Historical Jesus in the Fourth R (online).Did Jesus believe that God's kingdom would come in power in his lifetime? Did Jesus think he was the anointed one (messiah) who would inaugurate the restoration of the kingdom of Israel and break the yoke of Roman oppression? Albert Schweitzer concluded this in his 1906 classic, The Quest for the Historical Jesus. The majority of the Fellows decided against Schweitzer. Jesus, they concluded, was not apocalyptic and that the apocalyptic movement was a later corruption to his original message. The original message of Jesus could be found in his authentic parables and aphorisms. The kingdom of God that Jesus preached was within the individual and within the com Read more:Understanding
, Bones
Concerned Tennessee Citizens 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Here is a new blog for ConcernedTNCitizens
. This is the header: This blog space has been created for all Concerned TN Citizens of Upper East Tennessee
. Concerned TN Citizens is a group of folks in Upper East Tennessee who are concerned with ending the war in Iraq and further acts of aggression for the purposes of corporate profit or establishing permanent, de-stablizing military bases in the Middle East. Concerned TN Citizens is open to people of all faiths and political affiliations.
ETSU to Celebrate Black History Month 1970-01-01 00:59:59 February is BlackHistoryMonth
and there are several activities scheduled at East Tennessee State University. Tricities.com published this article:February is Black History Month and East Tennessee State University will honor its cultural diversity with events including a theatrical production, formal dance and lecture series."It was very important to do this," said Lea Brown, of the ETSU Black Faculty and Staff Association. "It's a good example of how we create a diverse campus environment"Brown, who has been at the university for 12 years, said she's seen an evolution in both student and community participation during that time. However, she'd like to see celebrations expand beyond campus boundaries."I would love to see more citywide events," Brown said. "I would like for it to carry over the whole Tri-Cities"The following events are scheduled at East Tennessee State University. Read More Read more:Celebrate
Marcus Borg Study 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Beginning February 15th, I will lead a study of Marcus
Borg's latest book, Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary.The study will be held Thursday mornings from 10:30 until noon in the Martin Hall beginning February 15th. It will run February 15, 22, SKIP March 1, then resume, March 8, 15, 22, and 29.Anyone may come! Invite your friends! Read the first chapter, "Jesus Today: Telling His Story" for the first meeting. Marcus Borg has been helpful to many people who wish to integrate scholarship with faith.Here is the preview from the publisher:Almost two thousand years after his death, Jesus continues to be front-page news in the United States. Recent polls show that over 84 percent of Americans agree with the statement, "Jesus is the Son of God." From Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ to Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code to the mega-selling apocalyptic Left Behind series, we remain haunted by Jesus. Yet American Christians are deep Read more:Study
The Forbidden Gospels and Evolution 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I am enjoying a new blog by April DeConick, biblical studies professor at Rice University. She puts some important questions out there such as this one:Why do so many scholars hold so strongly that the New Testament Gospels, particularly Mark, Matthew and Luke, are more accurate and reliable for reconstructing history than the non-canonical when it was proven by Professor Wrede in 1902 (The Messianic Secret) that the author of Mark was a theologian not an historian?Her blog is called The Forbidden
Gospels Blog and below is the conclusion to her post, The Accuracy and Reliability of New Testament Gospels?The sayings of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels are no more the verbatim words of Jesus than those recorded in the Gospel of Thomas, the Dialogue of the Savior, or the Secret Book of James. They are just more familiar to us because they have been part of the Christian tradition for so long. Has familiarity been mistaken for historicity? Read MoreThis coming Sunday is Evolution
Sunday.
Why I am participating in the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq 1970-01-01 00:59:59 On March 15-17, I am going to participate in the ChristianPeaceWitness
for Iraq
.So far about ten from First Presbyterian have decided to participate. Others are welcome. If you would like to participate, e-mail me.Why do this? I speak only for myself. I believe that in the words of Jesus and John the Baptist that the kingdom of God is at hand. Now is the time for a change of consciousness. Not some day. Not in the future. Not in "heaven" after we die. Now. Here, on Earth. What is this change of consciousness? It is the recognition that we are one human family. It is the recognition that wars for resources are infantile and will result in our destruction. It is the recognition and the will for all governments to cooperate with one another, to share our resources and to prepare for a post-petroleum age. Why are we at war in Iraq? Rarely, do we find those who advocate for an increasing military presence there speak so candidly as to the why. I appreciat
Prayers for Peace 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Here are some images and prayers for peace from various traditions from the website Souled Out.Baha'i Prayer for Peace
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech. Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.Christian Prayer for Peace Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be known as the Children of God. But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from those who tak
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