tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52993394834973540392024-03-04T23:04:00.380-08:00Calling MinistersEnvironmental Justice // Examining and Interviewing for UU MinistryRev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-21426114593483896742017-09-18T13:20:00.000-07:002017-09-23T11:44:33.763-07:00Acceptance in a Time of Climate Change Is it hopeless? Is humanity doomed to near term extinction?<br />
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Well, if you are pinning your hopes on the myth of progress, the answer is "yes." Progress had been foundational to my belief system, and it's been very, very hard to give it up. Doing so depressed the hell out of me. My sense of urgency around the need to address climate change brought me to the edge of burnout.<br />
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I figured, or I was forced to do so by depression, I must step back and slow down. I used the time I regained to read, speak, and correspond. I have also been preaching about my evolving understanding and adjustment.<br />
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I'm feeling much better now because I have accepted the near certainty that things are going to get a lot worse, and that it is very unlikely that we will acquire the political power and the technological know-how to significantly slow - much less reverse - environmental degradation. My research has also pointed out that this, not all the crap I learned in high school, college, and through the media, has been the history of humankind. Humanity is a cancer on the planet. It has finally grown to the point where it is very likely to kill its host.<br />
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To be hopeless isn't to be helpless. However, it does lead one to continually reconsider tactics and strategy. The goal no longer is progress, it's closer to hospice. Now isn't the time for despair; it's the time for compassion and courage. Here my experience as a chaplain is of particular use.<br />
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When ministering to the dying and their families, it was not my role to predict the time of death. It was to be present for others. In these circumstances, I always found that truth was more healing than bullshit. Without lying, I still could provide comfort to the dying.<br />
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Mother Nature is a serial killer. We have all known from a certain age that we were going to die: we just didn't know when. What I find most intensely disturbing is that the future I once imagined for my children is not likely to be available for them. That grief exceeds my fear of my own death.<br />
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It is absolutely appropriate to react to loss and even the anticipation of loss with fear, sadness, and anger. Acceptance is not surrender. It is humility, wisdom, and recovery.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-31890659774579091632017-09-09T09:59:00.000-07:002017-09-12T10:15:32.874-07:00A Time for Solidarity (Updated)Part 3 of 3<br />
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For many years the Unitarian Universalist Association has been trying to become more diverse across many spectrums including age, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. While we've had some successes, we have a long, long way to go.<br />
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So the provocative question from the UU minister was to imagine that you were sitting in a church pew and both the pew and the congregation were diverse. How would you feel?<br />
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Well, I felt all warm and fuzzy. It reminded me of my religious experiences growing up and how much I enjoyed being in diversity. All white congregations and associations make me nervous. There is over a 2,000 year history of Jews being oppressed by Christians and by Romans before them. Though I have never been a practicing Jew, I will always be tied to that ethnicity.<br />
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I am claiming no special virtue here. It's just that I was never "Carefully Taught."<br />
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The people who are due our admiration are those who were carefully taught and yet somehow managed to throw off the teachings.<br />
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I once believed that we were becoming a kinder, gentler, and wiser species. I will let people more knowledgeable than I argue over the direction we're heading. What I sadly, angrily, and confidently assert is that we are not moving quickly enough to avoid a massive human die-off.<br />
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Yet my assertion doesn't lead me to despair, it argues for courage in the face of a common enemy. Even though everyone is somewhat accountable for the situation that we are in, we are far from being equally accountable. Those of us living in a middle-class lifestyle in the US are more accountable than most. However, many of our sins are venal compared to those promoting fascism, nativism, sexism, racism, and other oppressions to line their pockets and retain their power. These people are more evil than any who preceded them because they are leading us on the path of ecocide.<br />
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We must resist their power and build our own through education and activism. We are called to be in solidarity. Do not fear your neighbor; fear those who are attempting to manipulate you and your neighbor for their own devious ends.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-16676999080120281352017-09-09T09:55:00.000-07:002017-09-12T09:58:42.990-07:00HomePart 2 of 3<br />
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In mid August, I attended and led workshops at a justice retreat for Unitarian Universalists in California. One of the other presenters was a woman, whom I admire, who is both a parish minister and a seminary professor.<br />
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She asked a question which I presume she thought would be provocative. It was very provocative for me, but not in the way that most people would imagine.<br />
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First a little background. When I was growing up in the 1950s and 60s, Unitarians were working very hard to attract more members of color, particularly African-Americans. This Sundays is school I attended in downtown Washington, DC, was quite diverse. I didn't know that this diversity was unusual.<br />
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It became even more unusual in the late 1960s when the majority of African-American UUs walked out. I'm sure there were many reasons for the walkout, but the proximate reason was the Association's refusal to release funds that had been promised for organizing efforts.<br />
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Fast forward 20 years. In the 1980s, I returned to UUism in Fairfax County, Virginia, a well-off suburb of DC. I noted a lack of diversity, but attributed it to the difference between the city and the suburbs.<br />
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In 2003, I entered seminary to find myself in a war zone. The level of meanness and mean spiritedness was amazing. However, like the psychologist who assures you that there is a pony underneath that pile of horseshit, I decided to stick it out.<br />
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I came out of seminary with a battered head that would not stay bowed. And, yes, there were many kind and helpful people who picked me up when I faltered.<br />
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My next big mistake was going to a lecture on climate change. I came out of the lecture wanting to take a long walk off a short pier, praying that the speaker was off his meds.<br />
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"We are all going to die!" Can either be a trope in a horror movie or a simple statement of fact. On the other hand, I love this little story:<br />
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The seer came to the Queen and told her that he had wonderful news.</blockquote>
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"What is it?"</blockquote>
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"You are going to die, your children are going to die, their children are going to die, their grandchildren are going to die, and their great grandchildren are going to die."</blockquote>
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"Fool! Why do you give me such news? I should have your head removed from your shoulders."</blockquote>
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"Majesty, you not understand. You are blessed. You will die before your children die as they will die before their children die unto five generations. The greatest sorrow in life is watching your children die. None of you will suffer this."</blockquote>
After listening to the lecture on climate change and confirming the accuracy of the information presented, I knew that billions of parents would not be as lucky as the Queen.<br />
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(The story continues in part three: A Time for Solidarity.)<br />
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Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-63354275596412522182017-08-28T16:32:00.000-07:002017-09-09T10:15:00.919-07:00Angry All the Time<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Angry All the Time</b></span></div>
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No, I am not, but I feel I could be.<br />
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14 years ago I started Unitarian Universalist seminary. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I was a lifelong Unitarian and already had one career behind me.<br />
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This rant was interrupted by getting coffee, feeding the cat, and feeding one of the squirrels. The squirrel, whom I call my brave boy, put a smile on my face. Though he was the first I tamed, I hadn't seen him for a while.<br />
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I also have a brave girl. She has a notch in her right ear which makes her readily identifiable. The boy also has a conspicuous protuberance.<br />
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Back to seminary. What I found in seminary was a battleground worse than I had ever experienced at work, even worse than high school. There were just a few seminarians who were painfully obnoxious, but there was no adult supervision. Professors who did try to enforce some basic ethics were fired.<br />
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After I graduated from the seminary, the seminary president announced her retirement. The underhanded, unethical tactics she used to place her favorite candidate on the throne would have made Machiavelli blush.<br />
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I did an internship and a residency as a chaplain, specializing in psychiatric chaplaincy. I'd always been interested in both psychology and philosophy, having majored in the former and minored in the latter as an undergraduate, and this brought in both. Psychiatric patients are often questioning reality. How Socratic.<br />
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After residency, I decided to review the examining process for Unitarian Universalist ministers. I had developed expertise in examining during my first career and was appalled by what I learned of the UU process. An association that prides itself on its antiracism work was doing little to assure that its examining procedures would protect against systemic, often unconscious, racism and other forms of discrimination.<br />
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Recently the president, the COO, and the chief of operations of the UU Association resigned in disgrace because a selection process revealed the shortcomings that they had been warned about for over a decade. The joy of schadenfreude did not match the anger and disgust I felt.<br />
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Growing up half Jewish and half Christian, yet really neither as a Unitarian, was both a gift and a curse. It was a curse because I always felt like an outsider, often an invisible one because neither my name nor my appearance kept me from passing when I wanted to. It was a gift in giving me an unusual viewpoint.<br />
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(This blog post will be continued in the one below called "Home.")Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-40997544434884695902017-06-15T09:35:00.002-07:002017-06-15T09:37:45.400-07:00A Grumpy Old Man Replies to "Wake Me Up," Part II<br />
Okay, I don't know why but it is taken me a little while to get my grump back on again.<br />
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As I wrote in part one of this post (<a href="https://callingministers.blogspot.com/2017/06/grumpy-old-man-replies-to-wake-me-up.html">link</a>), I love the lyrics to this song. I also really like the song itself. I started getting grumpy when I watched the two music videos.<br />
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I must admit that if I had seen these 50 years ago I would've had a very different reaction. I would've focused solely on the beauty and the joy. But now I am disturbed by the narrative, particularly the narrative of the first video which is the official one. It supports ageism, lookism, and classism. It basically excludes all but the young and beautiful.</div>
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The other thing that disturbs me in both videos is that there is no evidence of a search for wisdom, only a search for joy. And joy, like hope, is quite suspect when we are in the process of making the planet uninhabitable.</div>
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No, I am not so grumpy as to want to banish hope and joy. I just want them to be mixed with grief and reflection. Our hope and joy will be deeper and richer once they have passed through the cauldron of anger and sadness.</div>
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So I say, wake me up now. I am sure to fall asleep again and cannot depend upon a single awakening to give me the wisdom to find true joy.</div>
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Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-70688583373458259292017-06-11T09:55:00.000-07:002017-06-15T09:08:22.755-07:00Grumpy Old Man Replies to "Wake Me Up," Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love the lyrics to this song:<br />
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<b>Wake Me Up</b></blockquote>
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Feeling my way through the darkness<br />
Guided by a beating heart<br />
I can't tell where the journey will end<br />
But I know where to start<br />
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They tell me I'm too young to understand<br />
They say I'm caught up in a dream<br />
Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes<br />
Well that's fine by me<o:p></o:p></div>
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I tried carrying the weight of the world<br />
But I only have two hands<br />
I hope I get the chance to travel the world<br />
But I don't have any plans<br />
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I wish that I could stay forever this young<br />
Not afraid to close my eyes<br />
Life's a game<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"></span> made for
everyone<br />
And love is the prize<o:p></o:p></div>
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So wake me up when it's all over<br />
When I'm wiser and I'm older<br />
All this time I was finding myself<br />
And I didn't know<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"></span> I was
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Now that does sound very grumpy does it? Well, grumpy comes in Part II. First I wish to express my appreciation for these lyrics.<br />
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The songwriter, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicii">Tim Bergling</a>, AKA Avicii or <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ΛVICII, was born in 1989. As I was listening to the song, as I have done several times, I was blown away by the maturity of the lyrics and their applicability to me, a man more than twice his age.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I have recently had an awakening. Coming out of the period of fear and despair from knowing how terrible a planetary crisis we're and the likelihood that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">environmental degradation </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">will continue to accelerate, I was feeling pretty hopeless. I was also feeling impotent because despite best efforts of many of us Earth becomes increasingly inhospitable to life, and there is good reason to believe that we are either past, at, or will soon reach the point of no return.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Thinking about the song and my depression reminded me of <i>Parsifal</i>, a version of The Legend of the Holy Grail. Parsifal while still a young man sees the Grail, but fails on his quest for it because he does not ask the question, "Who does the Grail serve?" He is still wearing his homespun under his armor, and he fails to ask the question because he was taught it was impolite ask questions</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">When he wakes up in the morning, the Grail Castle has disappeared, and he is forced to wander and face many challenges for decades before he develops the maturity in the confidence to be able to see the castle again.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Regardless of gender, many of us see a spark of divinity in our youth, but are too timid or too conforming to reach for it. We slog through midlife sometimes remembering and regretting our failure.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Old age is no easy journey either, but if we are very lucky, it may provide freedom for reflection and from the conformity into which we were raised. We reach point when we realize that it may be all over soon, so it's past time to wake up.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Waking up is not easy for most of us. Of course, even when we get a glimpse, a moment of insight, the temptation to go back to sleep is usually irresistible. Yet, over time, if we are blessed, our understanding of awakening and resting evolve.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well, I've gone on long enough. I will save the grumpy for Part II. </span>Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-60613203451478770812017-06-04T08:18:00.001-07:002017-06-04T08:18:43.612-07:00Lions and Tigers and Sunflowers oh my<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Believe it or not, the Wizard of Oz - both the book and the movie - predate me. (In fact, the book even predates my father's birth.) The first time I saw the movie, it was on a very small screen black-and-white TV. I was young enough to wonder whether an "oh my" was something I should fear.</div>
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The Sunflower Alliance is of much more recent vintage. It was formed to organize a protest on the first anniversary of the 2002 fire and explosion at the Chevron refinery in Richmond, California. We chose the sunflower because we are told that sunflowers remove toxins from the soil.</div>
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One of my readers wrote a lovely note about expanding my concern with human extinction to nonhuman extinction. We are in the midst of the Sixth Great Extinction. My friends at the Center for Biological Diversity Convinced me that without biological diversity humanity was doomed to extinction. So my reader's comment was right on track.</div>
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Here's where things get a little sticky. while I am concerned about the extinction of other species, I am not as concerned as I am about the extinction of my own.</div>
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When I made the mistake of getting involved in climate and environmental justice, I was overwhelmed by the injustices I discovered. I also met many people who were very passionate about the justice issues in which they were engaged.</div>
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For a while, I was nervous as a longtailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Everywhere I turned there was another injustice calling my name. For a while, I made the stupid move of arguing that the issues that most concerned me were more important than the issues that concerned others. Now I am grateful for their passions, and I ask what will happen to their issue as the planet becomes increasingly uninhabitable. I also ask them how their issue relates to other issues so that we and others might work in solidarity. </div>
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As someone once said, the ship is sinking and the poor and the underserved are on the lower decks. If we don't find a way to work in solidarity, we will all drown in the same ocean.</div>
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<br />Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-52832710328628820752017-05-18T19:07:00.000-07:002017-09-15T22:38:57.722-07:00Hope and Hopium Part II<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Hope and Hopium, or Where are the Princess Bride & Westley When We Need Them? Part II</h2>
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If you haven't read <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://medium.com/@earl.koteen/hope-hopium-or-where-are-the-princess-bride-westley-when-we-need-them-part-i-6e148b85d18c" href="https://medium.com/@earl.koteen/hope-hopium-or-where-are-the-princess-bride-westley-when-we-need-them-part-i-6e148b85d18c" target="_blank">Part I</a>, please do so before you continue.</div>
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As Paul Harvey used to say, and now for the rest of the story.</div>
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So the answer to the question is that the Princes Bride and Westley are characters in a fairy story and a movie. Though the Princess Bride and Westley may inspire - and I certainly hope they do, they cannot make a difference in the reality in which we participate.</div>
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Which leads me to discuss the difference between hope and hopium. Now some of you have never been exposed to the word hopium. It refers to the drug, a liberal placebo not a literate drug, that is been ingested by many of our allies. </div>
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We are headed to a future that is so much darker than our present. Our present is so much darker than my childhood in the 50s and my adolescence in the 60s. If you don't get this, please, please drop me a line and explain what you are missing. </div>
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For the first time in human history, we are actively colluding with the extinction of our species. Before, we only colluded with the collapse of particular civilization. But we've run out of space. </div>
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Previously when a civilization collapsed the survivors moved somewhere else. We've run out of somewhere else, and we now threaten the biosphere. We have become a cancer on the planet.</div>
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I may be wrong. I would be most grateful if I were wrong. Please give me feedback that that will help you and me differentiate between hope and hopium.</div>
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Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-6904733105079830102017-05-14T22:48:00.001-07:002017-05-14T22:48:32.887-07:00Hope & Hopium, or Where are the Princess Bride & Westley When We Need Them? Part I<div style="text-align: center;">
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<img alt="Image result for princess bride" border="0" 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" 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As someone who played soldier through much of his childhood, it's a little embarrassing to admit how much I love <i>The Princess Bride</i>. Now it's true that I had much more admiration for Ulysses than Achilles and was much more interested in developing cunning than brute strength.</div>
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There is so much to admire in the characters of<i> The Princess Bride. </i>The courage of The Princess Bride, Westley, and Inigo Montoya. The cunning of Westley. The wisdom of The Grandfather. </div>
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On the flipside, like Vizzini, I have often been too smart by half, and as inarticulate as The Impressive Clergyman. Like Prince Humperdinck, I have overplayed my hand and come to regret it.</div>
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I would love to live in a world where virtue is usually rewarded and vice punished. I visit such worlds in fiction, but they seem further and further removed from my understanding of reality.</div>
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Though this will seem an aside, when I bought a Volvo, I suddenly noticed there were a lot more Volvos on the road. This was in the early 1970s, and Volvos may have come more popular in my community. However, I suspect that the larger cause for my change in perception was my purchase.</div>
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I do sometimes question to what degree my newly acquired sense of the evil in this world is a consequence of the ministry that has called me. Have things gotten that worse, or is it merely that my perspective has changed?</div>
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While I make no claims to objectivity or omniscience, I definitely come down on the side that says that things have become much worse and will become even worse than they are now. We are making the planet increasingly inhospitable, and we are likely to make it uninhabitable. </div>
Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-50753663938074424882017-05-10T07:43:00.001-07:002017-05-10T07:43:22.671-07:00Finding My Voice, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, I don't expect to have it this bad. I do know climate scientists to have received death threats, but I am only likely to receive the curses of an annoyed reader.<br />
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No, what is held me back is fear of loss of reputation and/or employment. When I worked for the federal government, I regularly attended what I jokingly referred to as one of my bosses schools of diplomacy. My sense of injustice was often stronger than my discretion.<br />
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After I retired and started to prepare for the ministry, I had peers, professors, supervisors, and the Ministerial Fellowshipping Committee to please. Life became a little easier once I was in final fellowship, but the habits of a lifetime are not easily discarded.<br />
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In both my careers, I liked to observe and assess the present and to predict and to prepare for the future. That's why I became a planner in the first and a justice advocate in the second.<br />
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However, you might say that I've been a court prophet in both my careers. It's safer and more lucrative to be in the court than in the wilderness, but it's hard to be entirely forthright when part of your job description is to please royalty. Even fools, whose job it was to tell the ruler unpleasant truths that everyone else was afraid to share, sometimes had their heads chopped off. While I never worked for the Red Queen, I did have a boss who often threatened to cut me off at the knees.<br />
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Now I'm entering the wilderness, or the wilderness is entering me. No person or organization has quite the hold on me that I once felt. Because the main challenges of prophecy aren't insight: They are compassion and courage.<br />
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In the Emperor's New Clothes, Hans Christian Anderson points to how an innocent can see clearly. However, most of us do not remain innocent beyond childhood and many of us don't even have that luxury.<br />
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And maybe even encourage courage is a wrong word. Many people whom we view as courageous do not think of themselves as being so. It's not all false modesty. Sometimes the most "courageous" actions occur without thought or through a feeling of compulsion to do the right thing.<br />
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After a lifetime of semi-obliviousness, a little over 10 years ago, I came to realize how catastrophic our future is likely to be. I have spent these last years honing my Chicken Little routine. Of course, the difference between me and Chicken Little is that the air is burning, the seas are rising, and the land and water are being polluted. Yet very few want to hear a story of doom and gloom, and even fewer are willing to take effective action.<br />
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<br />Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-36948054682323314702017-05-07T10:36:00.001-07:002017-05-07T10:36:38.605-07:00Finding My Voice, Part II started this blog to guide Unitarian Universalist ministerial candidates through the fellowshipping process. Much of the material here is useful for anyone preparing for an interview.<br />
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My ministry has evolved from a focus on organizational development and human resources to one that's focused on climate and environmental justice. It is taken many years for me to find my voice as an environmental justice minister.<br />
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Though I have a reputation for being quite outspoken, I have been timid and tentative in my public writing. Though most people have a great fear of public speaking, my fear has been much more of public writing. Of course, the level of discourse that sometimes appears on the web has done nothing to assuage those fears.<br />
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But I'm getting older and more ornery as environmental degradation accelerates, threatening life on the planet. Facebook has also taught me how to deal with the slings and arrows of outrageous readers.<br />
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My truth is that we need to prepare for a dramatic reduction in human population if not human extinction. I have been to the stages of grieving several times and will surely go through them again, but this is no longer a time for despair (a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there). It is time for discernment and for courage.<br />
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While the scope of our crisis is precedented, the nature of it has multiple precedents which we can document going back to the invention of agriculture 10,000 years ago. I actually find it a relief to know that what is happening now merely a normal human pattern writ large<br />
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Ministers are taught to develop a prophetic voice. It's important to know the difference between the common understanding of prophecy and the religious understanding. The common understanding refers to Nostradamus and others who make vague predictions about future. Some of these prophets are called economists.<br />
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The religious understanding of prophecy is truth telling, especially telling truth to power. Prophets come in two varieties. There are prophets within the court who tell royalty what they want to hear. There are prophets in the wilderness who tell the elites what they don't want to hear.<br />
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<br />Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-14262137667626106242013-06-26T19:42:00.000-07:002013-06-26T19:42:18.202-07:00Hello again, naturallyLong time since I've posted. Physics continues to outrun politics, but there is a glimmer of hope for solidarity--inter-racially, intergenerationally, and interfaith.<br />
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Not enough people yet realize the magnitude of the problem, but that's beginning to shift. Gaia remains our best ally, far more persuasive than any human voice.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-85391777392921487872010-08-15T18:28:00.000-07:002010-08-15T19:37:10.608-07:00Climate Change BooksJust the other day I got another request to post a bibliography of some of my climate change readings and recommendations. Below is the list of books along with some comments. <br /><br />If you're going to read just one or two books on the subject, please start with Hamilton and Hansen. <br /><br />Please note that I have not read all the books from cover to cover. They keep coming in faster than I have been able to absorb them, and this is one field in which new info arrives every day.<br /><br />I will do future posts on websites, blogs, films, and videos<br /><br />The place to start: <span style="font-style: italic;">Requiem for a Species</span>, Clive Hamilton (2010)<br /><br />Time to awaken:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Climate Wars</span>, Gwynne Dyer (2008, 2010)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Six Degrees</span>, Mark Lynas (2008), also an excellent video<br /></li></ul>Good general guides:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Rough Guide to Climate Change, 2nd ed.</span>, Robert Henson (2008)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Our Choice</span>, Al Gore (2009)<br /></li></ul>From the pens of scientists:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Beyond Smoke and Mirrors</span>, Burton Richter (2010)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Flooded Earth</span>, Peter D. Ward (2010)<br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Storms of My Grandchildren</span>, James Hansen (2009)<br /></li></ul>Politics and Psychology of Misunderstanding and Manipulation:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Merchants of Doubt</span>, Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway (2010)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Predictably Irrational</span>, Dan Ariely (2008)<br /> </li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Science of Fear</span>, Daniel Gardner<br /> </li></ul> The movement and societal consequences:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Blessed Unrest</span>, Paul Hawken 2007</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Climate Hope</span>, Ted Nace (2010)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Eaarth</span>, Bill McKibben (2010)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Hope for a Heated Planet</span>, Robert K. Musil (2009)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Necessary Revolution</span>, Peter Senge et. al. (2008, 2010)<br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Overshoot</span>, William R. Catton, Jr. (1980)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">A Paradise Built in Hell</span>, Rebecca Solnit (2009)</li></ul>Theology:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Archetype of the Apocalypse</span>, Edward F. Edinger (1999), technically psychology; however, with significant theological implications<br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Comforting Whirlwind</span>, Bill McKibben (2005)<br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Longing for Running Water</span>, Ivone Gebara (1999)<br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">A New Climate for Theology</span>, Sallie McFague (2008)</li></ul>Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-64967936772980686832010-03-17T06:39:00.000-07:002010-03-17T07:22:50.506-07:00I Should Have Thunk It: Creationists & DeniersEver have one of those moments when you either literally or metaphorically hit your forehead with the palm of your hand thinking "Of course!" When I saw this blog post (<a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/03/climate-change_deniers_take_a.html">link</a>) by Stephen Stromberg of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Washington Post</span>, I thought, "Of course, climate change deniers kissing cousins of creationists. The inbreeding is obvious."<br /><ul><li>Creationists imagine an impossible past and demand from scientists certainty that is contrary to the scientific method;</li></ul><ul><li>Deniers imagine a nearly impossible future and demand from scientists certainty that is contrary to the scientific method.</li></ul>Please notice the insertion of the word "nearly" when referring to the future. Anyone who believes that s/he has the future on lockdown should be sentenced to watching endless reruns of the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/plotsummary"><span style="font-style: italic;">Minority Report</span></a>, where "precogs" are used to arrest people for "precrimes" that haven't happened yet. Naturally, in the movie someone messes with the system to get the results he wants. The fact that I can't predict how many people will die from climate change next year--much less in 20, 50, or 100 years--is not an argument against acting now.<br /><br />Reading the comments below Mr. Stromberg's post, I feel like I'm in a rerun of <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053946/plotsummary">Inherit the Wind</a>, a thinly veiled retelling of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_Trial"><span style="font-style: italic;">Scopes Monkey Trial</span></a>. In this case, the wind we will inherit will be fatal, especially to the poorest and most vulnerable. Are the deniers making these foolish and offensive comments real people, or are they the paid minions of Big Coal?Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-570459298790060232010-03-16T07:09:00.000-07:002010-03-16T07:23:58.728-07:00Hopeful News - Climate ChangeSunday morning, I saw this <span style="font-style: italic;">Candorville</span> comic (<a href="http://www.gocomics.com/candorville/2010/03/14">link</a>) and felt hopeful. If even the comics are recognizing the difference between weather and climate, the word is getting out. Then I looked up Darrin Bell, the author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Candorville</span>, on the web, and found out that he's a fellow Berkeley resident. Goddess, is the word escaping the Berkeley bubble?<br /><br />Well, this <span style="font-style: italic;">U.S. News and World Report</span> <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/03/scientists-take-another-run-at-climate-change/1">article</a> tells us:<br /><blockquote>Eight Nobel-prize winning economists and scientists have joined more than 2,000 others in signing a letter today that urges the Senate to take swift action on climate change.</blockquote>Now, how do we help the Senate find the political will and courage to take that action?Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-81866221348447068112010-03-09T04:01:00.000-08:002010-03-09T04:32:04.194-08:00Evil & Climate Change"Evil" is not a word I normally use, especially in reference to people. Instead words such as ignorant, misinformed, deluded, and ill, more easily trip off the tongue.<br /><br />Yet now I'm increasingly drawn to the word evil when I read articles such as "<a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/big_picture_solutions/murkowski-resolution.html">Attack on the Clean Air Act</a>." We've come a long way from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profiles_in_courage"><span style="font-style: italic;">Profiles in Courage</span></a>. <br /><br />None of these politicians would strangle their own children. Yet by their actions they are threatening to strangle their children and grandchildren and ours as well.<br /><br />This debate has brought to mind the Robert Lewis Stevenson's story <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bottle_Imp">The Bottle Imp</a>. Like the sailor at the end of the story, have these people decided that they're already condemned to hell and have nothing to lose, or are they merely self-deluding? <br /><br />This wonderful video of Dan Gilbert may explain what's going on with the climate deniers and help us step back from condemnation and return to the search for collaboration. We and they must not "remain sleeping on our burning bed."<br /><br /><span id="the_code"><embed src="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.7.1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="500" height="313" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#000000" flashvars="id=5230948&vid=5230948&autoPlay=0&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=&embed=1"></embed></span>Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-37983634925696104272010-03-03T10:27:00.000-08:002010-03-03T10:54:43.503-08:00The MFC & the OlympicsNo, I'm not about to suggest that interviewing become an Olympic event, even though some schools have interviewing competitions and prizes.<br /><br />Rather I was caught by the parallels between the MFC interview and an Olympic event when a speed skater said that she had had an emotional breakdown on the day of her event. Her statement was part of an NPR segment on the psychological preparation and coaching. It was good to hear of the preparation and that the skater recovered from her breakdown and earned a silver metal.<br /><br />Both Olympic athletes and ministerial candidates spend years preparing for "tests" that are over in minutes. The emotional and psychological tension can be quite intense.<br /><br />An MFC member once said, "We're not so scary." Another posited that successful candidates will face much greater challenges once they become ministers. Yet there is something special about the years of preparation and the few brief moments of the "test" that is different than other challenges. The parallels should led us to question how we prepare ministerial candidates and what we might learn from Olympic coaching.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-68323778664812827002010-02-24T06:59:00.000-08:002010-02-24T09:18:00.238-08:00Babies, shoes, climate changeI'm a long-time lover of philosophy. Yesterday, I was watching the philosopher Peter Singer in the film <span style="font-style: italic;">Examined Life</span> (2008), which I am pleased to say is available instantly on Netflix and was distributed by my cousin's company Zeitgeist.<br /><br />Singer was standing in front of a Manhattan shoe store, selling, I believe, Manolo Blahniks--Carrie Bradshaw's favorite shoes in <span style="font-style: italic;">Sex and the City</span>. Singer said that the setting reminded him of a hypothetical that he developed early in his career.<br /><br />Suppose you were walking along and saw an infant in a very shallow body of water. You quickly determine that the infant will drown unless you instantly rescue her, but you will destroy your shoes as you run into the water.<br /><br />Singer reports that nearly everyone says that they will save the child and damn the shoes. Yet for the price of a pair of expensive shoes, several starving children might be saved.<br /><br />I see some limitations to Singer's argument, but it did get me thinking: What would people do if they realized that our current activities will be condemning billions of children to horrible and unnecessary deaths by starvation and dehydration?<br /><br />The answer isn't obvious. At the website "<a href="http://www.globalissues.org/article/715/today-over-25000-children-died-around-the-world#Whyisthistragedynotintheheadlines">Global Issues</a>," Anup Shah reports that around the world 25,000 children die everyday:<br /><blockquote>The silent killers are poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses, and other related causes. In spite of the scale of this daily/ongoing catastrophe, it rarely manages to achieve, much less sustain, prime-time, headline coverage.</blockquote>The question that floats through my head is how do we present the risk of global catastrophe in a way that compels action. Normally reasonable people who would never have a second thought about ruining their shoes to save a baby will argue that we need to build more coal-burning power plants.<br /><br />An optimistic friend of mine believes that we will develop the technology to mitigate the effects of carbon and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. I sure hope he's right.<br /><br />In the meantime, thank the Goddess for Annie Leonard, the creator of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Story of Stuff</span> and this new <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA6FSy6EKrM">video</a> on cap and trade, who turns these complex issues into messages that are easy to understand and share.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-61206454038675046702010-02-21T04:42:00.000-08:002010-02-21T05:19:43.874-08:00Leaving LegaciesYesterday I attended a program on "Faithful Generosity" sponsored by the Pacific Central District of the UUA and led by Laurel Amabile, Director of the UUA Annual Program Fund. It got me thinking once again about legacies, a subject that has been much on my mind of late.<br /><br />Although UUism as measured by the average age of members isn't aging as quickly as I am, the last figure I saw on the former was that it was at 50-something and rising. My experience with the Berkeley Fellowship of UUs, where the average age was and remains much higher (it's coming down), made me more aware of the need for action if my generation -- the front spear of the Baby Boomers -- and the generation that preceded it are to leave a legacy of UUism to the generations that follow.<br /><br />I've also been thinking about "legacy" in negative terms as well. I fear the environmental legacy we are leaving future generations.<br /><br />I'm happy to report that I see a positive nexus between the two concerns. We can leave a legacy of UUism and a more positive environmental legacy by increasing UU focus on environmental issues. In our ranks, we have the scientists and engineers; the organizational specialists, community organizers, and therapists; and the ministers to create change. We also have the capacity to engage young adults and youth around these issues. Now is the time to face these challenges. Now is the time to rejuvenate UUism.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-34303465577325773802010-02-14T10:06:00.000-08:002010-02-14T11:08:44.584-08:00Ambivalence & Ambiguity"I hate to write."<br /><br />"But you're blogging."<br /><br />So went part of my quasi job interview earlier this week.<br /><br />I absolutely hated writing as a child. I write left-handed, and started writing back in the days of fountain pens. I spend excruciating hours writing a simple thank you note because I didn't know what to say (beyond "thank you"), I couldn't spell, my hand would smudge the ink, and my father insisted that the product be perfect. I was, however, productive in filling the trashcan with failed efforts.<br /><br />For years I struggled with pens, pencils, erasers, correction fluid, and typewriters. Thirty years ago, I bought an IBM Selectric with a memory for my then wife the writer (tho it was way outside our budget). It was one of those presents that was more like a loan because I was looking forward to using it myself.<br /><br />When a word processor was installed in the office, I would sit next to the typist as she entered my work. Soon I was using the machine myself, despite the ridicule of my peers, e.g., "Finally found a job commensurate with your skills." Of course, in time, the shoe was on the other foot as my peers turned to me for guidance on using our first computers.<br /><br />I tried and failed with speech recognition software. Then when David Pogue, the NYTs tech columnist, announced that Dragon was greatly improved, I tried it again and fell in love. (How appropriate to retell this tale on Valentine's Day.) I have been a Dragon evangelist ever since.<br /><br />Yet with all these improvements in the process of writing that have removed so much of the frustration and drudgery, I still found myself not writing as much as I thought I should. It then occurred to me that some of the reluctance had more to do with potential outcomes than with process.<br /><br />When I speak to you to person, I get to watch your reactions and to clarify and correct and even apologize when necessary. When I speak to you over the phone, there is a wealth of information in the timing and the tone of your replies. Writing is much more iffy. It lacks immediate feedback.<br /><br />The man who was my main mentor in strategic planning was fond of saying that high tolerance for ambiguity is a key competency of creative and effective leaders. (There's a good intro to the topic at this Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambiguity_tolerance">article</a>.) It's also critical for creative planning.<br /><br />The science on climate change is clear: it's happening and human actions are contributing to it. What will happen 20 years from now, much less 50 or 100, is more ambiguous. <br /><br />Woody Allen once noted that life is full of opportunities and obstacles. He wrote that the purpose of life was to seize the opportunities, avoid the obstacles, and still catch the 5:30 train to Long Island. May we seize the opportunities to go green, avoid the obstacles of ambivalence and ambiguity, and catch the movement to reverse the damage we've done.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-28828484823593654282010-02-13T07:16:00.000-08:002010-02-13T08:07:07.956-08:00Climate ChangeThe sharp-eyed among you will notice that I've added "Climate Change" to the subtitle of this blog. It is not from a lost of interest in ministerial interviewing and examining, but from being drawn to a ministry of climate change. I am becoming increasingly convinced that we are headed toward an avoidable disaster if we do not address the amount of carbon we are pumping into the atmosphere.<br /><br />The topics of ministerial examining and climate change are related. If we do not form and develop ministers ready to address this issue, we do a disservice to humanity and to all life on this planet.<br /><br />Over at the blog <a href="http://tenminutesorless.blogspot.com/">10 Minutes or Less</a>, Mike Durall recently posted the following quote from Robert Wuthnow, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christianity-21st-Century-Reflections-Challenges/dp/0195079574/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266074716&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Christianity in the 21st Century: Reflections on the Challenges Ahead</span></a>:<br /><blockquote>Liberalism should be a counterculture to secularism, not a reaction to fundamentalism. It needs to present itself as a third way.<br /></blockquote>Though I'm not a Christian, I am a liberal. Dictionary.com gives 13 definitions of the adjective form of "liberal." Some that are relevant here are the following:<br /><blockquote>1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.<br />4. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.<br />5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.<br />6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.<br />7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.<br />8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.<br />11. not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.<br /></blockquote>With some hyperbole, Tom Brokaw referred to my parent's generation as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Generation-Hardcover-Brokaw-Tom/dp/B000UDBVFU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266075623&sr=8-2"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Greatest Generation</span></a>. I do not want our children or our grandchildren to refer to us as "The Infamous Generation" or "The Inept Generation," the generation that failed to act even though we knew we were undermining the conditions that sustain life on this planet.<br /><br />Working in strategic planning for many years, I learned that my (and your) crystal ball is cloudy. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Long-View-Planning-Uncertain/dp/0385267320/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266076643&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Art of the Long View</span></a>, Peter Schwartz persuasively argues that we can't predict the future and provides useful "scenaric" approaches for developing strategic vision. <br /><br />We cannot "know" the outcomes of current environmental damage the way we can know the history of environmental damage and our contributions to current and historical damage. Caution in making predictions is warranted. However, such caution does not argue against prudence and action. It's time for change.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-69657064770235135542010-02-03T08:58:00.000-08:002010-02-03T09:57:08.053-08:00The Enemies ListDuring the Nixon Administration, some of his staffers complied a list of enemies (political opponents) with the intent to harass them. More info about it is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon%27s_Enemies_List">here</a>. Though it was complied nearly 40 years ago, last year I heard Daniel Schorr, then of CBS, now of NPR, speak w/ quiet pride of having been on the list.<br /><br />Before I matriculated at Starr King School for the Ministry, I thought of Walmart as a great place to get reasonable quality at excellent prices. I loved the greeters and the courtesy of the staff. On one of my early visits, I had trouble locating cleaning supplies. A staffer walked me half way across the store and pointed to the right shelf. Reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Discipline-Market-Leaders-Customers-Dominate/dp/0201407191"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Discipline of Market Leaders</span></a>, helped me understand its business model and sources of its success.<br /><br />At Starr King, I learned that Walmart was the enemy. It didn't treat its workers fairly. It had had a devastating impact on small local businesses.<br /><br />Now Walmart is making headlines for its sustainability efforts. According to their website, their sustainability goals are "to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell products that sustain people and the environment. " This <span style="font-style: italic;">Fast Company</span> <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/142/attention-walmart-shoppers-clean-up-in-aisle-nine.html">article</a> concludes that there will be some challenges along the way.<br /><br />The future of UU ministry will be about conflict and collaboration. It's easy to identify mistakes and problems. It's harder to identify strengths and opportunities to collaborate. UU ministers should be prepared to do both.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-12799194127361562572010-01-31T13:32:00.000-08:002010-01-31T22:22:56.445-08:00New Century Summit & the Future of UUismWell, the New Century Summit of the UUA Pacific Central District is over, and and follow-up actions are planned. The topics identified for cross-congregational teams were youth, global/public engagement, community, generosity, outreach/evangelism, spiritual deepening, diversity, and transformation.<br /><br />Many of the participants share my passion for addressing climate change. One of them, who works for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, told us that the Aquarium is preparing an exhibit on the impact of climate change on the world's oceans.<br /><br />There's a beautiful view of the SF Bay from the UUC Berkeley, which hosted the Summit. Overlooking the Bay, I found it almost inconceivable that humanity has the capacity to wreck the atmosphere that is needed to sustain life. It reminds me that Henry Nelson Wieman, a UU theologian, once defined "God" as that upon which life depends. It's a special kind of hubris to deny the consequences of our actions, yet the experience gave me a new understanding of deniers.<br /><br />On a lighter note, I just commented on this <a href="http://tenminutesorless.blogspot.com/2010/01/churchs-search-for-reason-to-be.html?showComment=1264973390823_AIe9_BE6GR4inh-7JLBcHAmo_Nb7uLJm3vEZPxEd7Fxix_i7fS5-wZ7rW7hu38bR4j8rlP5m1SiN4Q7HrnAhHIR3jCDPh4GtwmF7gzW2ELUv9nfHAeYMIcnrVP8bjYztpJvMgoK2Pi1lebt2SuYXv5GlcLRTKAauXGpLuhmhlctED0DnPJv335eWNL03aNniykBmi1axKmx32mRIJ8_9SLh9uqcrWvE1m6tqme-31IfXexDC4Am0-ZwJ8Gpk7M4XhB7_kV8J9G4l#c4307660958771029470">post </a> at "Ten Minutes or Less," Mike Durall's blog of helpful hints for busy clergy and lay leaders. Mike and UU moderator Gini Courter were the keynoters at the Summit. His post reminds us that competencies for UU ministry are a moving target because the expectations of UU (and other) congregants are changing.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-36610476145920364642010-01-27T09:51:00.000-08:002010-01-27T10:08:39.417-08:00Sausage Making, Blind Men, & the Elephant in the RoomIn response to my 1/25 post about the "<a href="http://callingministers.blogspot.com/2010/01/pluperfect-storm-commission-on.html#comments">Pluperfect Storm</a>," AKA the 4 reviews of UU ministry, Politywonk wrote the following:<br /><blockquote>Sausage-making comes to Boston... If they are serious about democracy, they will take the time to coordinate all of this into a simple proposal that Denominational Affairs Committees can pick apart point by point.</blockquote>If she means that by putting together lots of ingredients we'll end up with a yummy product, then I'm in agreement. <br /><br />I'm reminded of the Indian story of the blind men (or men in the dark) and the elephant found at this Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant">link</a>. In my mind, the point of the story is that we each are limited in our perspectives and rather than trumpet their finality, we should be in dialogue to generate a more complete picture. In that light, I hope that multiple scenarios are developed that inspire rich reflections by denominational affairs committees.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299339483497354039.post-17847298556108516802010-01-26T04:54:00.000-08:002010-01-26T05:23:01.525-08:00Go Tell It on the MountainThis weekend the Pacific Central District of the UUA is holding a New Century Summit with Gini Courter, the UUA Moderator, and Michael Durall, congregational consultant and author of <a href="http://www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=1050">The Almost Church Revitalized: Envisioning the Future of Unitarian Universalism</a>. Along with the other issues that may arise there, hopefully intercongregational issue groups will be formed to address climate change and the future of lay and professional UU ministry in the District. I will report my impressions after the Summit.Rev. Earl W. Koteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005561101579907650noreply@blogger.com0