Disqus - Latest Comments for dtatusko

Re: The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Recent Round of Layoffs

Drew Tatusko — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:51:14 -0000

Not sure if sharing names is a good idea? When I lost my job in 2010 I didn't want it shared around for my own privacy. This included the prayers of the people. Just my experience.

Re: The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Recent Round of Layoffs

Drew Tatusko — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:48:38 -0000

This shows that the church can't be insulated from the economic issues that have hit everyone. What we need now are smaller and more nimble organizations with a good mixture of smart creative personalities. It means having one person doing the work of five but more adeptly and more happily. In Seth Godin's terms we need more linchpins. May the Lord grant mercy on those who are struggling and anxious tonight.

Re: 95 Tweets Against Hell

Drew Tatusko — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:51:23 -0000

The Eastern Orthodox view has never subscribed to this medieval, and I venture to say unbiblical, view of hell. To quote: "Thus it is the Church’s spiritual teaching that God does not punish man by some material fire or physical torment. God simply reveals Himself in the risen Lord Jesus in such a glorious way that no man can fail to behold His glory. It is the presence of God’s splendid glory and love that is the scourge of those who reject its radiant power and light." This was the view of the church Fathers, saints, Jesus, and continues to be the view of the Eastern communion. If we look back over scripture all those sayings about weeping and gnashing of teeth side by side with the passages about the presence of God it all makes sense. Even at the 11th hour we will always have a choice to enter into the Kingdom. This is one among a host of reasons I am converting and no longer consider myself a Western Christian. http://oca.org/orthodoxy/th...

Re: Hi, my name is Chad, and I’m a ____ addict

Drew Tatusko — Sun, 29 May 2011 01:47:49 -0000

thank you for your honesty. we are only as sick as our secrets. the church is a sick place and immersed in denial because of its secrets. spiritual health begins with rigorous honesty and following a path to unburden us from the bondage of self. rigorous honesty and the understanding that god can and will restore us to sanity is the key to spiritual health. keep working your program. you will find greater spiritual health there than you may ever find in any church.

Re: a christmas story

Drew Tatusko — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 09:44:50 -0000

I think this was quite eloquent :) I think you read my thoughts exactly. Christ lives in spite of our mess. If that doesn't sum up the gospel I don't know what does.

Re: a christmas story

Drew Tatusko — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 09:42:44 -0000

Thank YOU!!

Re: giving joseph too much credit

Drew Tatusko — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 09:41:33 -0000

Huh?

Re: giving joseph too much credit

Drew Tatusko — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 09:41:21 -0000

Annie,

That is interesting and I am all for the use of extra-canonical sources. Whether or not he was righteous is these days in large part going to depend on which tradition is reading the story. I personally don't care if he was righteous or not. My only point here is that we read this story understanding that he and Mary were just people thrust in a really crappy situation by their God.

Re: death and the art of living

Drew Tatusko — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:32:24 -0000

Think about it Christologically where death is a going out from God in order to return to God.

Re: Why I Like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh

Drew Tatusko — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:03:09 -0000

what a religious illiterate. psalm 51. seriously.

Re: invisible margins of a white male body

Drew Tatusko — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:35:57 -0000

"...being willing to face and hold the anger of those who have been marginalized by people who look (or have sex) like you, being willing not to blame them, blow up and leave."

I agree with you. And I took a risk saying this in the fear that the language itself would create a misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.

That this sense of being marginal is largely a *chosen* space makes it qualitatively different. Which is why I understand you when you say you do not empathize. Apples and oranges.

Re: am i a bad presbyterian?

Drew Tatusko — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:23:39 -0000

Do tell! Where is my home rabbi?

Re: am i a bad presbyterian?

Drew Tatusko — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:23:09 -0000

Trust me. I have been thinking about it! Even if I cannot say the filioque bit :-) My sister is a candidate to be an Episcopalian priest and when I told her she was happy :-) I also like the trinitarian focus on worship, the book of common prayer, lesser feasts and fasts, and liturgy in general. So yeah... I basically am.

Re: am i a bad presbyterian?

Drew Tatusko — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:21:16 -0000

If this is a "bad" Presbyterian, then I am in some really good company with you, Brian above, and many many others. That gives me hope and joy. :-)

Re: am i a bad presbyterian?

Drew Tatusko — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:20:18 -0000

Thanks Brian. And I am hardly more knowledgable by humble colleague ;-)

Perhaps I am coming at this from the perspective of a "good Presbyterian" from our halcyon days at PTS. But your perspective here helps. Maybe I need to dump that and move on :-)

Re: am i a bad presbyterian?

Drew Tatusko — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:17:33 -0000

I think my issue with "I can't choose without God's help" is that it seems to need evidence. We make choices all the time without divine intervention, perhaps even all of our choices. It seems to be a post hoc error to say that after we make certain choices that some of them have divine intervention, while others do not. Paul's problem was that no matter what, he could not follow the law and continually failed to do so regardless of effort. Only Christ could do so and this is the reason for those in Christ having no condemnation.

So I think total depravity is a conclusion in search of a reason for being. Basically it is a strange logical twisting of the more simple conclusion, human beings by nature choose and are peculiar in the entire cosmos as we know it by how they choose. To impose a divine determinism on that fundamental and observable reality seems unhelpful in my judgment.

Re: am i a bad presbyterian?

Drew Tatusko — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:12:08 -0000

The other piece is that I am not sure we know what "traditional Presbyterian beliefs are." It used to be the Westminster Confession which I am sure that some Presbyterians are still adamant about following...

Re: america the racist

Drew Tatusko — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:05:33 -0000

This is actually a style. http://thegrammarexchange.i... This is a common writing style that the NYTimes uses for all of their articles.

Re: the thirteenth step

Drew Tatusko — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:01:17 -0000

"Does this lack of forgiveness in one area of our lives mean that we are not "truly compassionate" in another? It may well be the case."

Damn you have a good mind!

I can't answer this for sure, but intuitively there would seem to be a correlation. Test it. If I am truly angry at my kids or wife, whatever and go to work, do I not carry that anger into the new social place? It is only after I release that anger before I can actually be mindful of others in another social place. Even if I vent to a friend, I still carry that anger so that I cannot be truly compassionate to others because I am primarily thinking of myself.

The point is that compassion is not just being "nice" but a principle of living that requires us to be vulnerable and take risks for others that may seem dangerous and often out of character. For Jesus love of neighbor and God are fused together which was a new thing with old ideas. We cannot love God until we can love our neighbor because it is in this activity that we are truly de-centered and directed towards the other. Loving our neighbor opens us up and makes us vulnerable because it requires us to attend to that which is not us. To do this requires us to open up our defense mechanisms and release our ego. But this is not something that we can do on our own and we must also be mindful of that which holds the order of everything together namely, God. Thus, loving our neighbor is a spiritual discipline that we can only accomplish through the help of God. This is about radical vulnerability.

If we cannot know God and be spiritually grounded without such vulnerability, which takes serious discipline, we cannot love our neighbor as fully as Jesus would have it. Buddhists call this mindfulness. It is the same idea of no-self in order to be fully aware of the other to love them fully and without condition. Imagine a world where we all behaved that way. Why not see if by an experiment we can learn this discipline together?

Re: the thirteenth step

Drew Tatusko — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:48:42 -0000

i re-read your question about point one and i think you re-worded it correctly. the human tendency is to become like whatever god we choose to be God. however, what is also clear is that in the great religious traditions in the history of humanity we cannot do this under our own power. submission, mindlessness, love, etc. all are reflections on de-centering ourselves - to become powerless before that which we believe is the ground of truth, beauty and goodness in the world. it is the cross, the eightfold path, the four pillars, the shema etc.

Re: the thirteenth step

Drew Tatusko — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:00:32 -0000

forgiveness is a part of compassion and love. without forgiveness of self and others one cannot truly be compassionate. i think compassion, derived from buddhism, is a more holistic ethic that includes forgiveness.

also remember that i am using aspects of the program, but not looking to continue the program. this is not an extension of aa, but something "like" aa for the religiously disenfranchised, disaffected, outcast, etc.

thanks so much for the thoughtful insights here!

Re: the thirteenth step

Drew Tatusko — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:19:52 -0000

thanks for sharing. i appreciate your openness. and i understand your comments. you will always get a range of ideologies everywhere. i do understand the culture very well since it runs deep in my family too.

the absolute i am trying to learn in my own life is one day at a time. some buddhists call this mindfulness. jesus used a wonderful little metaphor about lillies that neither toil nor spin. what i'm also trying to do is use an organizational philosophy to help those who already, to various degrees, feel broken somehow. the paradox is that this principle does not let itself be an absolute since it changes all the time!

it will be interesting to see how an experiment like this works with people i am not assuming are addictive in any way shape or form.

Re: the triumphal entry turned into a blood-thirsty mob

Drew Tatusko — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:33:56 -0000

Jonathan,

I think a lot can be reframed. Not sure if you saw my tweak of christus victor with this post: http://notes-from-offcenter... the one y'all are commenting on here is an extension of that by going backwards. next i should take it forwards to the ascension.

Re: the triumphal entry turned into a blood-thirsty mob

Drew Tatusko — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:51:55 -0000

yeah. i am planning on it. i am obviously very much in aulen's reinterpreted ransom theory camp e.g. christus victor. but mixed with some of jennings' political theory which is a must read.

Re: jesus the heretic

Drew Tatusko — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:21:43 -0000

they have lost their usefulness to some. clearly i think that's the case. but for a wide swathe of people they are vital terms that distinguish "true" believers from others and so, that's why i think it's important to continue to correct serious errors that block any constructive dialogue. i like defusing hostility with reason.