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SUPER ACTIVITY ZINE
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rt s & A ages m e • Po ring P lo • Co yers ews a • Pr icles & N re! o t • Ar much m d • An
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Lent
Issue two, Volume one February 17, 2010 Free
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In this issue... Missio Dei News
-Amy Van Steenwyk
Essays “Repent for the Un-kingdom of God is Near” -Mark Van Steenwyk
“Simple Steps to Living a Slightly More Just Life” -Jen Shirk
“Howard Zinn” -Bryn Harding
“Cherokee Deluge Traditions” -Djas Tackett
Praryers for Lent Poetry “Untitled” -Daniel Wicklander “Three Lexicons” -Karl E.J. Hokanson
Art contributions from... Jared Ingebretson and
Missio Dei News
In early January, we got to spend a couple weeks with Isaac Zika who was here visiting his brother. Shortly after that Vincent returned from the month he spent in Michigan with sad news. His grandmother, who had been very sick and awaiting his visit, passed away while he was there. He also decided to move back to Flint to be near his brothers and sisters. The move happened sooner than expected, and he and his wife Francis are already getting settled back home. We’re so happy that he will be surrounded by family and friends there, but we will greatly miss him here. We printed and assembled our first ever zine, the Happy Hawthorn. Sattler house was bustling upstairs and downstairs as we put the newly donated copy machine to work, compiled addresses, cut paper to size, stapled, and supervised little ones. Our newest housemate at Sattler House made the decision to move on to live with friends at the Living Wrench Collective in Portland, Oregon. We supported and encouraged that decision, although the reality of having people move on is always bittersweet. We look forward to our paths crossing again in the future...even the very near future since Mark will be there in early Februrary right after Der’k arrives. As expected, a lot of the focus since the last update has been on seeking people to fill present and upcoming spots in the three houses. We’re currently in the process of interviewing applicants, discerning together and extending invitations to move in. In late January we were finally able to have a retreat thanks to our dear friend Kirstin who opened up her family’s cabin for us and stayed with
her children to host us for the weekend. We enjoyed the beautiful snow, rain and mild weather while we were there. Thanks to our friend Sarah, who spent a lot of time doing activities with all the kids, the rest of us were able to participate fully in the times that we met together. As we took time to listen and be heard, most were happily surprised to find others among us with similar longings and goals. We left refreshed and hopeful for our future together. We have started having regular meetings for those of us that have expressed a commitment to be part of Missio Dei for a year or more. We are currently in the process of following up on the action steps suggested at the retreat and clarifying membership expectations. We continue to do work projects every other Saturday. Most recently we cleared the area above the garage and prepared it to use as a workspace for food redistribution and processing, studio space, cottage industries, and ect. Finally, as the Grave Oak goes to press we await the arrival of our newest member, Micaela Rose Ellens, who surely will be here by the time you read this. We look forward to a baby GIRL though perhaps we shouldn’t be so trusting in ultrasounds... ~
Repent for the Un-kingdom of God is Near
Lent is the 40 days of fasting leading up to Easter. It is a season of deep penitence...of discipline...of confession. It is a season to look deep within one’s self, and to give all that one finds there to God. It is a time to turn away from the path that leads to death and embrace the life-giving path of Christ. Well, at least that is what it is SUPPOSED to be. I mean, for most folks, Lent involves giving up chocolate or some other insignificant vice. I confess: in the past, my Lenten observance usually involved giving up sweets. And, if I had been honest with myself, my motivation had more to do with losing weight than it did with anything spiritual. One year, I gave up soda, only to find a “loophole” a week or so into it where I decided to drink DIET soda. Hallelujah! The reason for Lent isn’t dietary…it is the living into a story. By fasting for 40 days, we journey with Jesus Christ, who fasted and was tempted by the Devil for 40 days. Here’s the story (as recorded in Luke’s 4:1-13): Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Lent is our attempt to embrace this episode in the life of Christ. It is also a time when we repent from the ways that we have fallen into temptation. We, like Jesus, struggle with the devil. Except in our case, we usually lose. This passage is often used as a guide in resisting personal temptation (to cling to scripture in the face of personal temptation). For example, many a teenager has probably been told that they should try to picture Jesus’ stern disapproving face or quote bible verses so that they can resist lust. That’s a noble enough endeavor, I suppose...but it misses the point of this particular story. ;) Rather, it is about Jesus being tempted to exalt himself over others in the all-too-common ways that every ruler or leader tends to exalt him or herself. Each of these temptations are actually quite subtle. Satan offers Jesus a Messiah-ship based upon his ability to provide sustenance, by seizing political power, or by performing a remarkable miracle in the center of religious devotion, thus seizing religious power. These things weren’t simply temptations because of the one offering them. In other words, Jesus didn’t simply refuse the devil because it was the devil making the offer. Rather, in and of themselves, these temptations of economic, political, and religious power
opened ways for Jesus to be a King that were antithetical to the Kingdom of God. Yet in each of these ways, Christendom has been seduced by Satan’s advances. Throughout history, we the Church have worshiped the suffering servant while we have embracing power and domination. We have gone to the ends of the earth under the banner of a cross as we have sought social, political, economic, and religious dominance. As we enter into this Lenten season, we are called upon to confront these temptations to pursue the Kingdom of God (or, perhaps it is better to call it the “un-kingdom of God”) in ways that are antithetical to the kingdom. Often, we understand repentance purely in the negative. This is unfortunate. While repentance certainly has a negative component (saying “no” to the bad or inadequate), it necessarily includes a positive component. We not only repent from something; we repent for something. We repent for the kingdom of God is near. In Franciscan spirituality, the penitential life is understood as saying no to things like wealth and comfort so that we might be more able to say yes to the good things of God. It is like clearing the junk out of one’s basement so that it can be turned into a workshop. We limit the various objects of our attention and devotion so that we might be more aware of God’s presence
and able to respond to his invitation to participate in the good things God does. Lent is about rejecting domination in all of its form, and becoming servants. It is about rejecting oppression and embracing liberation. It is a time where we look deep into our souls to pluck out the roots of Empire. It is a time where we look closely at our practices and resist any practices that contribute to the suffering or exploitation of others. It is a time when we cast down religious, economic, and political “power” over others and pursue religious, economic, and political alternatives that liberate. And so, as we enter into our Lenten journey with growing awareness of our own complicity and compromise, let us seek to grow deeper into the goodness of God. This is the heart of repentance–to lament and leave the old behind as we enter joyfully into the new.~
Simple Steps to Living a Slightly More Just Life This note is the result of about a year of contemplation on what it means to live according to Micah 6:8--”And what does the Lord require of you? To live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Much of it was gathered in books, in random conversations, or observed in the example of friends I have come to know and love over the past year.
1. Live locally. Supporting local businesses is a great way to keep jobs in our area. It also takes a stand against unethical labor practices like unlivable wages and child labor. 2. Bank at Credit Unions or at banks that are giving back to their neighborhoods. Some banks contribute to developing the community by investing in local businesses that improve low-income areas. 3. Know your neighbors. There is no question that the worst areas of the city are often plagued with violence, unemployment, drug abuse, and prejudice. However, there is a certain safety in knowing your neighbors and taking ownership in your community. It tends to make you less afraid and helps you to understand people better. It enables you to reach out in compassion instead of fear and condemnation. 4. Bike, bus, or carpool as much as possible! This is a great way to steward the world we live in and treat it like the precious gift it is. It’s also a fun way to get to know all sorts of interesting people. 5. Recycle and use less water and electricity! Ron Sider, in his book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, cites that while the western world makes up about only 20 percent of the world’s population, we use about 80 percent of the world’s resources. We tend to live as if we are entitled to this! There are many financial benefits to recycling and using less energy like tax
cuts and credit earned on utility bills. Research to find out what incentives your city may offer. 6. Be resourceful. If something rips, don’t throw it away! Sew it. If something breaks, fix it. Don’t just toss things you don’t like any more. Donate them to people who could use them. 7. Rethink ownership. What do I really need as opposed to what I want? I’ve been thinking about this one especially lately and realizing how much money I waste while people all around me are talking about being distressed financially. When I’m tempted to believe I’m just scraping by all I need to do is pull out my receipts, sigh, and realize how many hundreds of dollars each month could have been directed towards helping others. 8. Buy high-quality items the first time. So much money is saved when we buy high-quality products that we can use and reuse, sometimes for a lifetime, instead of buying things we have to use and replace all of the time. So think about purchases ahead of time and save up for quality. 9. Learn to love. Jesus said the world would know that we are His disciples by our love for one another, not because we don’t drink or smoke or swear. He also said that we don’t deserve any credit for loving our friends and family because everybody does that. Instead we should be like our Father in heaven who loves everyone, regardless of whether they love Him in return. But the truth is we aren’t very good at loving our friends and families most of the time. How can we ever learn to love our enemies? As part of the body we should have a deep commitment to loving each other. Often that is messy and confusing, but I long to live like I am committed to people, as if I intend and desire to have them around for life. ~
PRAYERS FOR LENT Lent is the 40 day period of fasting, penitence, and sorrow, leading up to the feast of Easter, recalling Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness. The season is actually 44 days long, since Sundays are not counted; Sunday is a day to celebrate the risen Christ, not a day of sorrow. The following is a daily prayer for the Lenten season, which concludes on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter). [Facilitator read regular aloud, All read bold aloud]
Scripture Reading Monday: Matthew 27:45-46 Tuesday: Luke 23:34-38 Wednesday: Luke 23:39-43 Thursday: John 19:26-27 Friday: John 19:28-29 Saturday: Luke 23:44-46 Sunday: John 19:30 [prayer after a time of meditative silence]
The Lord's Prayer Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come; Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil; For yours is the kingdom, And the power, And the glory, Forever. Amen.
Evening Sending
Evening Prayer [Begin by lighting a candle. After a long moment of silence, the evening prayer facilitator begins.]
Call to Prayer In the Lord...[sing or read 3 times] [create space for contemplation]
A Jesus Prayer My strength and my failing are you. My inheritance and my poverty, My war and my peace, The judge of my poor tears, The cause of my hope. † Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. _____________ † a prayer from Pedro Casaldaliga
O Lord, the Great and Awesome God you have given us a covenant of love but we have sinned against you and our neighbor. O Lord, forgive us. Remember us in the land of our sojourn. Pull us away from the road that leads to death and give us life. We ask this through Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Morning Prayer [Gather by standing in a circle, facing one another. After a long moment of silence, the morning prayer facilitator begins the morning collect.]
O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother or sister; for You are blessed now and forever. Amen.
Call to Prayer
Scripture Reading
In the Lord... [sing or read three times]
Sunday: John 6:29-35 Monday: John 8:12 Tuesday: John 8:57-59 Wednesday: John 10:11-13 Thursday: John 11:21-27 Friday: John 14:5-7 Saturday: John 15:1-8
[pause for contemplation]
The Prayer of St. Ephrem O Lord and Master of my life, cast from me the spirit of indifference and despair, lust of power and idle chatter. But give me, Your servant, the the spirit of wholeness, humility, patience, and love...
[prayer after a time of meditative silence]
The Lord's Prayer... Sending
[same as evening prayer]
A Recipe for Hospitality Vegan Chili
(this will make a lot of food!)
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons olive oil 4-5 medium onions, coarsely chopped 4 large yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped 8 cloves of garlic, minced 6 tablespoons cumin (or whole cumin seeds) 4 tablespoons chili powder 1 small can Chipotle Sauce, or 5-6 whole Chipotle Chilies in adobo sauce 10 14 1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes 4 50-ounce cans black beans, well drained 1 50 ounce can of White Hominy Vegetable broth 2 Tbsp dark brown Sugar 3 Tbsp cocoa powder 2 cups chopped fresh Cilantro
Cooking Instructions: Heat the oil in soup pot. Add onions and saute till translucent, then add bell peppers and garlic and saute until browned and caramelized. Add the cumin and chili powder saute until the scent is releasted (2 minutes). Add Chipotle Sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes (if using whole chiles, wait). Add the tomatoes (reserving 3 cups for blending) and bring to a simmer. Add the beans (reserving 3 cups for blending) and continue to simmer. Before you pour everything in, fill up a blender with a can of the black beans and some of the diced tomatoes. Add the pureed mix to the pot. Add everything else and simmer until cooked. Turn off burner and and allow to cease simmering. Invite the neighborhood over! Note: Try this recipe with fresh ingredients; it makes a big difference in flavor. One thing we tried was smoking (see next page) fresh tomatoes and chilies from our garden. Oh my gosh it was the best chili ever! This, like most of our recipes, is very adaptable and depends less on percision and more on personal taste. Hope you enjoy!
This is a fun and simple project that only took one night to put together but has provided many hours of experimentation. All the materials are easy to find at local hardware and garden stores or maybe you already have everything in the garage. The ceramic pots can be any size however if it gets too big or small the temp is harder to control. This design is inspired by Al-
ton Brown’s version. There are good instructions on this site: http://www. squidoo.com/DIYsmokers. The temp control knob on the base has an automatic shut off that prevents the chamber from getting hot enough. Separating the heating element from the base of the hot plate solves that problem but requires more monitoring. The list of smokeables is endless! Don’t limit yourself to meat only!!
Howard Zinn
History professor, peace and labor activist and author Howard Zinn died January 27th at age 87. Howard Zinn was born into the working class and worked in ship wards where he became a labor organizer at a young age. Unusually politically aware, he joined the air force during WWII to stand up against fascism. After leaving the military, he married and had a family while going to school. He was disappointed in his higher education that he didn't learn any of the labor history he had grown up learning his whole life. He found that grad school history classes taught the same myths that junior high classes taught. Howard Zinn got one of his first jobs at the Spelman College, a southern black college where he was the head of the history department. Through social justice clubs and classes, Zinn encouraged his students to organize and participate in sit-ins and protests when the civil rights movement was in its infancy. After leaving Spelman, Zinn taught at Boston University where he became one of the early leaders of the peace movement. Zinn wrote and spoke prolifically to defend civil disobedience, the civil rights movement and to oppose war. In high school, I was privileged enough to read parts of Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States" for my American History class. As I read I felt Zinn's passion for justice, and his moral outrage at the sins of America's ruling elite. I felt his longing for the truth to be told and for the lies and myths that pose for American history to be uncovered. I was intrigued. As a 16 year-old, I had never pondered issued of justice deeply, or thought that perhaps the things that were being taught to me came from privileged perspectives and were laced with privileged agendas. I fell in love with history. Not with facts and figures, but with the idea that history is a
powerful tool that can either be used to liberate or to oppress. A shared identity for a group of dispowered people that comes from holding a shared story can be a powerful thing. History can be used for understanding our story from the right perspective, one focused on exposing the truth and seeking justice rather than on justification of the past wrongs that shape the present. For example, if we see Columbus as a brave explorer and hero, we can give him a holiday and feel comfortable with the events that have transpired due to his "discovery". If it is exposed that he was a tyrant, mass murderer and thief, then we are forced to question the result of the "achievements" we enjoy from his work and we do some (but not enough) justice to the people he wronged. An honest look at American history should make us aware of the social sins that hold up our society, and serve as a call to repentance. To those of you who haven't read any of Zinn's books, please do. As Howard Zinn taught and as he demonstrated with his life, you can't be neutral on a moving train. Unless we are resisting the sins of our times, war, racism, poverty, exploitation, slavery, we are complacent with the way things are going. By not doing anything, we give our quiet and implicit approval. By continuing to benefit from the sins of our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents without exposing them and working to correct them, we are saying that things that happened were ok. During lent, many of us who are Christian reflect on our personal sins and enter into a posture of repentance that is often accompanied by giving up something for the duration of the season leading up to Easter. For those of you who are Christians, I would suggest that you spend this Lenten season repenting not only of your personal sins but that you meditate on, ask forgiveness for and repent of social sins as well. We will miss you Howard. ~
Cherokee Deluge Traditions
A missionary named Daniel S. Butrick recorded some oral traditions prior to the Trail of Tears of the Cherokee Nation during the mid 1830’s in Georgia. The informants who provided these stories believed that they where faithful renderings of their past. These Cherokee Christians took to heart the missionary teachings and reincorporated them into a framework that demonstrated their newfound faith as well as their perceptions of the Americans taking possession of their continent. Noah’s Flood by Raven The people increased in the land and became very wicked, so God sent a messenger to a particular Cherokee elder, directing him to go to a large town, and warn the people to turn from their sins, or he would bring a flood of water and destroy them all. The man obeyed but his warning had no effect. The messenger was sent again with the same message but again the warning was ignored. So also the third time, the messenger was then sent to direct the man to build a house that would float on
the water, and go into it with his family, the animals followed and entered the house with him, and then the doors of the house were shut and the rain fell. The people tried to save themselves on hills but were all drowned. After some time the man opened a place and sent out a raven to look for dry land, but finding none he returned to the house. After sometime again he sent out a turtle dove. This bird returned with mud in its claws, which showed that the earth began to appear. . Noah’s Flood by Yu wi yo Therefore he must make a raft of twelve planks, and take his family and the dog onto it that they might be preserved. He did so, and at the set time the water gushed out of the ground, and bore the family up above all the hills and trees. But nothing else, not a log, nor anything swam, but every thing is just as it was, so that the people could by no means save themselves from drowning. On the seventh sun after the flood came, the waters dried away. This man then went out, with his family, the dog and fire, then God told him them that the world should not be again destroyed by water, but by fire. Sometime after the flood, people came to this man demanding his fire, they spoke different languages; the man remembered how the world would be destroyed by fire and went away from that place to a land where all they spoke was the Cherokee tongue. ~
‘Three Lexicons’ anathema breaches curious delirium effectively fanaticizing God’s helical insight: jazzy, kosher lamentations misinterpreted nightly over pork qualms: repeating surrealistically teaches unanimous verities with xylophone-like, Yidish zeal apprehensive battalions contemplate decisive euthenasia fallout girding hemispheres instinctively juxtaposed kerosene lampstands measure nervous overtures prepared quietly: relevant savants tabulate universally vast wonders xeroxing young Zionists alphabetical banter canonizes dictionary euphemisms formally generating haphazard idioms: jealously killing living monuments, never observed, (proton quarks): relaying scientifically tested urban verbs with-holding x-ray Yankee zoology -Karl E.J. Hokanson
About Us...
The Happy Hawthorn is a pubilcation from Missio Dei based loosely on a liturgical calander filled with fun and challenging content, plus news updates and prayers for the season. Also online www.missio-dei.com/zine Email us! zine@missio-dei.com Missio Dei is an urban intentional community that includes residential members (in three houses) and members who live nearby. We are committed to following Jesus’ way of simplicity (seeking a sustainable life with a proper relationship to possessions), hospitality (inviting friends and strangers to share our life together), prayer (being rooted in life-giving spiritual rhythms), and peacemaking (breaking our addiction to power as we get in the way of violence and injustice). We are rooted in the West Bank area of Minneapolis, committed to Anabaptist beliefs, and seek to embody the radical love of Christ in the shadow of Empire.
What What We’re Listening to: “Birding by Ear” Peterson Field Guide Series “Armchair Apochrypha” Andrew Bird “Nighthawks at the Diner” Tom Waits “Byrdmaniax” The Byrds “Birds Flying Away” Mason Jennings “Voices in the Stone” Leon Joseph Littlebird “Smile” The Jayhawks Young Frankenstein- The Musical
Upcoming...
Jesus Radicals Conference The 8th annual anarchism and Christianity conference will be heading to Portland, Ore. on August 6th and 7th. Details to come soon. www.jesusradicals.com Interested in living in community? Missio Dei has openings in our houses. To make an inquery email (info@missio-dei.com), send a letter, or visit us to get an application, also see our website for the latest information.
Visit us... Sunday evenings at 5pm, we gather to eat together, pray, engage scripture, discuss, and sing. We meet at Clare House (2717 8th Street S in Minneapolis). Monday is a day when we open up our houses for people to come pray with us. Clare House hosts Lauds at 9am and Sattler House hosts Vespers at 10pm. Wednesday nights at 6:30pm we have an open meal. That night we make a large meal and welcome everyone to dinner. We’ve had anything from 4 to 26 people join us for dinner. We share our lives and struggles over dinner and then spend time praying afterward for those who are able to stick around. Our Wednesday night meal is at Sattler House (3312 31st Ave S in Minneapolis). www.missio-dei.com 3312 31st Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55406
Missio Dei 3312 31st Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55406