2005 Ware Lecture "Gospel of Thomas"

[Davidium]

Hey all!

I just thought I would share with you a resource that we are exploring at the UU Fellowship that I work for. This week, we are beginning an exploration of the Gospel of Thomas, one of the non-canonical Gnostic Gospels of the Christian tradition.... and there is much in there that relates to UU, and I believe to my personal Deism as well...

At the fellowship tonight, I showed our Christian Covenant Group this year's "Ware Lecture" from General Assembly. It was presented by a Theology/History Professor at Princeton University, Dr. Elaine Pagals.

Now, it is available to watch on the internet, for anyone who might be interetsted, and I highly recommend it. The lecture was given at General assembly, and I attended it live. So, when you hear clapping and laughing in the background, one of those was me.

So, if you are looking at learning more about the Christian texts that were left out of the bible on purpose (and declared heresy by the church) watching this lecture might be a great way to start.

You do need to download RealPlayer if you dont have it, but it is free and there are links to it.

Here's the link to the lecture...

http://www.uua.org/ga/ga05/4073.html

I hope that some of you out there enjoy it as much as I did (both times!) and we can discuss it some on here.

This is the kind of thing that I mean when I say that there are jewels of wisdom that we Deists can find in revealed texts, so long as we sift through all the mud....

David

 

[Davidium]

I just thought I would add... feel free to skip the first 20 mins of the video.... it is just what they showed while people were filtering into the hall. Start with Rev. Bill Sinkford's introduction of Dr. Pagals...

David

 

[Green Gaia]

Wow. That was wonderful! I wanted her to continue for another 3 hours. Thanks so much for the link to that David for those of us who couldn't see it in person. I loved this. I've thought for a while about buying her books, but something else has always been above them on my list. They just got bumped up to the top! :jiggy:

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

That was very interesting thanks for puttiing it up Davidium

Terry
_______________________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

 

[Davidium]

I will just add this... Our Christian Covenant Group is now looking at her works....

What I wanted to add was a hearty thanks to the Techy staff at this year's General Assembly, because they put so many of the major events on the web. It is most likely that I will be unable to attend next year, as if things go right I will be in the U.S. Army Chaplains Officers Basic Course in Ft. Jackson, S.C. I've kinda been kicking myself over it, because I will miss the wonderful experience that is General Assembly. All the great lectures, workshops, and Sermons... All the fellowship and companionship.... all the celelbration of our free-faith.

Unitarian Universalists are lucky, becasue our Mecca moves around every year, and sooner or later it will be close enough to you to go.

Of course, I still plan to eventually make a pilgrimage to Boston, to visit 25 Beacon St, and to touch the Federal Street Church pulpit.... (Channings church).

My point is that, as I downloaded the Ware lecture yesterday to my computer, so I could take it to the church and show it to our Christian Covenant Group, their work in getting GA on the web will allow me to participate at least a bit. They will even be showing the events live via the web. How cool is that! If you cant make GA next year, on the Sunday night of GA, sit back, get a glass of wine and some popcorn, and watch it on the internet!

Skip church Sunday morning and watch the General Assembly Sunday Morning Worship live....

Watch the Opening Ceremonies Banner parade and try and pick out your congregations banner!

I think it is incrediable what they are doing... and beyond that, it is wonderful for me now, and I attended General Assembly. There were some moving sermons that completely blew me away. Rev. Patrick O'Neil's sermon at the end of the Service of the Living Tradition floored me. If you watch it, and you know that I am working towards UU ministry, you will understand why. But I was so enthralled by the sermon, I knew even then I didnt catch all of it... that there were layers beneath what I could perceive at the time.

And so, I came home and watched it on the web.... twice. The same thing with the Sunday Morning worship (which our own Lillithu had a hand in crafting ... sorry, I let the cat out of the bag, couldnt help it, it was wonderful ). I think I will continue to use it as a resource. In fact, I lead our "New to UU?" Newcomer's group in our local church, and I have taken to using some of what they recorded to introduce our new members and visitors to what our national denomination is like.

So, dont stop at the Ware Lecture... Dr. Pagals is great, but there is so much more available! The web will never replace going to GA, becasue the best part of attending is all the wonderful people you meet, (like meeting Lillithu)... But if you cant go, this is indeed the next best thing.

2005 General Assembly Coverage Page
http://www.uua.org/ga/ga05/

I highly recommend the Service of the living tradition (skip the first half if you bore easily, it is like a graduation ceremony), The Sunday morning worship (dont skip any of it!), and the Ware Lecture, but it is all wonderful.... And if you love Pete Seeger, this may be one of his last performances available on the web!

YoUUrs in Faith,
David Pyle
Galveston Island, TX
www.uugalveston.org

 

[Green Gaia]

David, have you read Dr. Pagels book, "Beyond Belief"? I'm reading it now, and it is amazing! I'm normally a very fast reader, but I can't read this book quickly. After every paragraph or even just a sentence sometimes, I have to stop and think about what this means!

:bounce

 

[Davidium]

It is on the list.... But the list is long.

It might have to get bumped up though, I have a copy. Right now though, I am giving priority to the UUA ministerial reading list and my school assigned books.

But, I might have to make an exception for Dr. Pagals book.

YoUUrs in Faith,
David

 

[Green Gaia]

I don't believe in coincidences. This morning at church we had two guest speakers talking about "callings" and a reference was made to the Gospel of Thomas and Dr. Pagels' book that I am currenly reading. From the Gospel of Thomas: 70. Jesus said, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you [will] kill you."

 

[Davidium]

Funny, that same quote came up in our Fellowship sometime this week as well.... And Dr. Pagals brought it forth in her lecture. I think it is something that spoke to many in the audience, and maybe that is filtering back into congregations.

Or maybe it was kismet.

I'm still on the road, and still pondering.

YoUUrs in Faith,
David Pyle

Currently in Knoxville, Tennessee....

 

[Green Gaia]

I think her lecture has opened up a lot of discussion of once again embracing and honoring things that we had pushed away from when trying to define ourselves as "something different" than what was already offered. Some of it should have been pushed away and are in direct opposition to our beliefs, but maybe not all of it. Perhaps we needed to do that at the time, but maybe we're ready to go back and embrace those traditions again. Maybe what we're trying to do is to come "full circle" back to where we started, but without losing anything we learned along the way. I don't know if we can be a fully mature organization without facing our past and embracing it instead of running from it. We say we embrace and accept all, I think it's time to really do that.

Just rambling...
Amy

 

[Davidium]

I recently bought a copy of "Beyond Belief" for my best friend, and Episcopal Chaplain named Rev. Chris. Chris and I will be reading the book together, in differnet states, and posting an online collaborative Journal section on our thoughts from it. I will let you all know where it is when we get started.

YoUUrs in Faith,

David Pyle
Currently in
Knoxville, Tennessee

 

[Green Gaia]

Wow, that would be wonderful to read, David. Thank you.

 

[Davidium]

Maize

I thought I would let you know that I have started "Beyond Belief" and begun my thread in the journal on it.... I know, I have 6 books I am currently reading, but I just couldnt let this one sit on the shelf any longer... It was staring at me...

Here's the link....

http://dynamicdeism.org/tpst/viewtopic.php?t=62

David