The Workshop

This web page is an open experiment in creating an ever improving information site on the Christian religion. The challenge to constantly improve quality and reduce cost is a fact of life. The process of creating the site will be a bare bones presentation right here.

7-7-05  The writing of a weblog has interrupted entries to this page. The creation of verbal web information is constantly taking on new forms. It may well be that the Blog thing is already on its way out. When the main contribution is the writer saying that he/she just can't think of something to say it is evident that the ship is about sink or just disappear. I know the feeling. The Blog scene is like a river that is 1000 miles wide and a quarter inch deep. My philosophy for using a weblog on this site is that it enables the development of an idea in a semi-public venue that forces a person to minimize the number of words. So a weblog will go on here until it sinks of its own accord. 

11-1-04  All Saints Day. Remembering those who have gone on before produces a demand for attention. The most recent National Geographic article on Evolution is a reminder of the interconnectedness of the creation. In our genetic memory is the creation since the beginning. How to access that memory!  The argument about God as creator is rather pointless in that we cannot settle the matter. In the underlying code is all we need to have. Is it not our duty to choose life or infinite chaos? The species is a self-correcting process. We simply cannot see ourselves from the outside in order to make a so-called objective judgment. Pictures of immediate ancestors gives a hint of the project before us. The only proof of their existence is our existence. 

10-26-04 Contrasts between viewpoints generate interest. By nature i tend to aim at a practical middle ground. Civility is surely not weakness and avoidance. In Germany a Hindu Durga festival is being assisted by Muslims who come to prepare food and handle other duties. What is  that all about in an era when Americans seem to exalt competition with aim of winner take all?

9-10-04 Lightly veiled items are of greater continuing interest than are bold show-it-all presentations. It is as if the whole truth of reality is more than people can process without jumping to conclusions and then moving on. What does that mean in this setting? Apparently the appearance of almost reality is a way to draw people into continuing attention and possible discovery. Mystery is charming. Especially mystery that is visceral and might lead to struggle for the mind and perhaps the body. 
      Try the idea this way. Christian/Muslim relationships have been conflict and competition since day one in the 7th century c.e. In 2004 the conflict is becoming open to public view. Christians apparently want to be nice people and not look at history as do some Muslims. I have heard that Americans will watch anything that has to do with competition. Perhaps put up a page that opens the subject of Christian/Muslim relationships and take on the hardest issues of all in a way that veils the underlying unthinkable subjects. Tempt people with blurred visions of violence and temptation. Say the unsayable and address the Bible and Qur'an situation, the gender issues in both religions, the jihads and crusades, theocracy and secular democracy, and food practices. Others will come to mind. Just do not give a glimpse of the underlying issues in each. 

8-26-04 Since calendar work is my primary focus it dawned at long last that a listing of the Christian sacred days for each month is in order on this site. Internet work is a matter of focus. What is the main point anyhow? In the world of religious information the complexity of it all easily paralyzes the creative mind. One can follow tracks of religious rabbits off into the thickets in all directions. A perfectly innocent looking event or person turns out to be this pathway into the universe that is both utterly charming and soon frighteningly vast. The investigator chances losing track of his or her identity. Finding ones way out of this maze is difficult at best. And yet I believe the adventure to be a necessary journey for those who are moving into the future. My work with calendar is beginning to pry open this door to time. Of course, this is a plunge into awareness of ever present mortality.  

5-29-04 Yes, neglect pure and simple! That is my personal feeling reaction but it could well be that the lively process of Christian understanding has made me take a rest stop on this pilgrimage. A flood of ideas on what should be on a site like this sweeps away all the clutter and leaves a rather barren table. So I search for the perfectly obvious. 

3-17-04 Spiritual Terrorism - there is an up to the minute topic. No, I am not referring to Islamic attacks. Rather this is to raise the subject of the internal violence practiced within the Christian Church. When attacks are made on the spiritual lives of persons it strikes me that terrorism is happening. When one group consigns others to eternal damnation with not relief, the spiritual lives of whose condemned persons is defamed seriously and wished to be dead. How can this web site make inroads on the attitudes and theologies that encourage such violence within the very community of the church of Jesus Christ? The issue will be addressed one way or another.  

3-5-04 Body is all the talk in Christian circles these days. "The Passion of Christ" provides bloody views of the physical body of Jesus Christ. The "Da Vinci Code" offers tantalizing options on how Jesus handled his body in relationship with other persons, especially Mary Magdalene. The problem for this web site writer is: How to present anything specific about the physical body of Christ without being filtered out by devices that review web pages? With all due respect to the doctrine of Incarnation, it would seem that the mystical body of Christ is more palatable to the appetite of most western believers. As the culture of the USA moves toward presenting all parts and function of the body to public view it would appear that Christians have been prepared for centuries by the Incarnation vision for such a time as this. Now what can I do about this?

2-25-04 Ash Wednesday opens the door to examination of what the Web is coming to be. Information has much in common with ashes in that it is the product of the expenditure of energy  which rapidly and inevitably becomes the historic past out of reach and not subject to change.  Google and other search devices gather information in the billions of pages and provide algorithms that permit instantaneous search on any combination of words. A newest turn is www.bananaslug.com in which a Google provides a variety of subjects chosen at random can be added to ones search phrase in order to unearth the surprising sites that would otherwise be undiscovered. I must decide that this web site is becoming ashes as it is produced, accessed and read. 

2-7-04  The volatile reaction to the Super Bowl half time performance wherein Janet Jackson displayed a body part to nearly one hundred million viewers is instructive for media developers in the field of religion. The unparalleled internet search hits as reported by Lycos says that interest in the event has statistical weight. Perhaps we have in the last week witnessed a turning point in global cultural development brought about by a commercial entertainment "mistake". The calculated risk of surprising people with a common visual image in an uncommon setting is the name of the game.  

          One learning for me is that the Christian religion is fortunate to have a male figure as the human representation of God. Consider the reaction to a nude or almost nude female figure being killed on a public cross. Theology would not have a chance. A further question raised in the context of this website regards the possible mental template in humans related to the Christian version of the ultimate reality called God. We understand about the body templates operative in the human mind regarding sexual communication. What about spiritual/religious communication? What is it that simply demands attention and cannot be wiped from the remembering mind? 

1-14-04  Spelling errors can be rationalized to be a test of the viewers of a website. Today I noted that the Epiphany headline was spelled something like Epiphany. In the effort to make the front page look especially bright and appealing, the spelling of a word was purely incidental. The question is: does spelling of a word actually interfere with information transfer as long as the reader gets the drift of what is being said? A purist would certainly come down on the side of accuracy. However, it can argued that incorrect spelling of a word actually draws attention to the message and gives the reader opportunity to offer correction and feel superior to the writer. 

12-3-03 Debates within the Christian religion would seem to be useful presentations because the debates have drama and specific outcomes which then become the grist for the next debate. One could speak of these events as "Christian wars" because they are power struggles and their appear to be winners and losers, especially in the short range view. They would also display the diversity that is at the very heart of the Christian way. An example is the Council of Nicaea and the way in which the Council was used as a method for obtaining some unity among the competing schools of thought. I hope to pursue this and have a first presentation up soon.

11-29-03  Words are not enough on a web page. Colors and design count. The new Advent  page that goes up tomorrow is the next effort. And the words go to the back ground in my mind for the time being. There is need for a plan that creates a series of words that map out a future design - or else the project is time driven. The state of affairs in the Christian religion is apparently somewhat chaotic, according to readings of the time. It is of interest to note that religion itself was declared over several hundred years ago. 

10-22-03  Employment of uniquely Christian words, begun on 9-30-03, is a challenge in that there are words beyond measure available for inclusion. I am using a flow of consciousness approach in the confidence that exposure over many years to the tradition will bring to the surface the appropriate choices for this venue. The Kyrie relates to the liturgical language of the faith. The Wesley phrase is an opening to hymns and songs. Who knows what will next surface. Another helpful image is that of a fishing expedition. As the Words of the Faith appear they are thrown into the passing stream of consciousness like charming enticements for attention. From the shadowy safe places of existence the curious ones will emerge and perhaps ingest the sense of the meaning filled symbols called words.  

10-7-03  Page hits indicate by increasing numbers that the format helps to extend interest. Also the optimizing of the site by use of title, description and key word meta tags may help in search engine access of the web site. 

10-4-03 Actually changing the type size on the page is simple but challenging. I find myself saying, "This looks strange and different" - "Are things going out of control?" - "Is this really a good idea?" - "What will site visitors think?"  

9-30-03  The Kyrie (Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!) has been a central feature of Christian worship since early times. Today the Kyrie appears at the top of the web page. The intention is that it will gradually expand until the front page of the site is dominated by these words. Perhaps a musical setting can be added as well. 

9-28-03  Looking at a pop star web site leads me to consider that a picture or so of  Jesus would surely be helpful for this web site. Face and probably body - a series of still shots showing action situations. So how is it possible to speak to the same audience desire without a picture? Maybe tap into the fan club routine and see what can be learned. Fans adore or at least enjoy the star of the week. They may not even go to concerts or buy CDs but they are included in the support system.

 How about this application of the fan club idea. Everyone who respects and has any kind of positive feelings about Jesus is counted as ok. Like it says in the Gospel of Mark: "Whoever is not against us is for us." When Muslims honor Jesus as a prophet; Hindus respect Jesus as a guru; Jews consider Jesus a teacher of note; and Baha'is appreciate the words of Jesus, appreciation for that kind of support needs to made a public approach of the Christian faith. In one sense, they are part of the fan club. They are not "believers" but they honor the person. 

This strikes me as a positive way to enter the field of interfaith relationships. Express some appreciation since the person of Jesus is being honored. Don't worry about what the Creator will do with these people. Get beyond religious battles and let spiritual nature takes its course. Truth will prevail. Time will tell the ultimate story. Take a positive view of the future. Get out of the judgment mode. Put on the mind of Christ.  

9-23-03 The format that will be next is not yet coming into view. Having finished reading and reflecting upon Acts of the Apostles and noting the rather serene picture of the Apostle Paul in Rome awaiting trial I am more ease with waiting for the ideas to shape themselves in the sub-conscious and then on this page. As I begin reflecting on the Gospel of John it is apparent that the concept of WORD is what this web page is all about. How to claim the territory once again in the 21st century as the early church did at the beginning of the Christian time frame - that is the task. Since it is grant enough to overwhelm any sense of personal adequacy, I will be open in the confidence that what is appropriate will come to mind.  

9-16-03 It is becoming more apparent that a total revision of this site is necessary. As I study the religious state of affairs in the US now; coupled with some of the history of China in the early 1930s, there is a growing awareness that American culture has shaped all religious expression on this continent to the extent that one cannot "see the forest for the trees". From within, the flowing stream of events is all consuming. The surrounding geography flashes past as one moves toward some unknown destiny. In such a context what good is a web site like this one? 

Since Britney Spears and NASCAR lead the list of web points of interest this very day, according to Yahoo search analysis, is the message that focus needs to be on some person of note and on the statistics and human interest of whatever in Christianity is comparable to car racing?  In each instance a welter of points of interest and statistical detail may pique the interest of otherwise bored folks. 

1) The race between denominations is less than thrilling by far. Who cares! 
2) Clergy who seem to be racing to get the most lurid headline are a prospect. Not very positive in impact. 
3) Maybe choose some congregations in unlikely places and go into great detail about the dimensions of the places and the characters who make up the place.
4) Take some charismatic leader and do a fan type of page comparable to the Britney Spears thing. Just do it. Don't ask their permission - or maybe it would be best to get approval so it would be legal. Maybe even a contract. 

6-13-03 Ideas surfaced by Bruce Feiler in the book Abraham (William Morrow 2002) lead to considerations of the role of Abraham in Judaism, Islam and Christianity - the world's primary monotheistic religions. Feiler contends that the central role of Abraham is in being a single unifying factor that may enable conversation and even dialogue between these now contentious traditions. Perhaps the unique basic content of Christianity is best observed in relationships with other deeply held thought systems that have something in common but are often at each other's throats. 

Comparable dynamic is found in conversation that happens when a complete stranger asks about ones religious faith. The mind searches for essence and appropriate words that accompany the eye contact of a sudden human relationship. One is driven past explanation to the shaping of meaning filled words that make sense to another human. The immediate test of meaning communication is in the eye of the beholder. The spark of recognition - or the steady gaze of curious disinterest. There is no direct eye contact on the internet. There is a mediated contact  observed only if words are transmitted. Perhaps the mediated return contact is not necessary.  The spark of recognition may well be enough in and of itself. 

5-18-03 Consideration is given to finding the intense central core of this religion/faith system. The Christian community just following the life of Jesus had a multitude of expressions as people made effort to grasp what had happened in the life of Jesus Christ. It was much like being in shock after a mind bending experience. A biological event had happened with all of the time bounded uniqueness of living beings. Efforts to make sense of this were off in all directions. Eventually a formula of most commonly agreed upon understandings was established. In so doing the variety of early expressions were put in the deep freeze. Just now public attention is being given to these early authentic ventures. An example is Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels. 

Hybrid forms of Christianity are doorways to the experience of Jesus Christ that speak today as well. Traditional Christian beliefs are necessary for continuity and unity. Diverse Christian beliefs are necessary for continuity and relevance to each age. Tension between the traditional and the diverse is at the very heart of a living Christian global community.

The original questions set out in The Workshop:

1. What is needed on this site to speak on behalf of Christianity?

2. How can the present site be improved?

3. What will make the site attractive to hard working people?

4. How can information on the site be timely, if not ahead of significant events?

5. Is there any significant hard news in the Christian community?

6. Who are regularly published commentators that can be linked on this site?