'We are not afraid': the Holy Spirit and the Life of Pete Seeger

For those of us of a certain age and advocacy, Pete Seeger and his music has loomed large in our life. Every movement needs its music and Peter Seeger was a dominating figure linking the music before our time such as that of Woody Guthrie to what came after such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.  His and theirs was music of moral standing: for justice, against war, involving community, searching for equality.  Thank you, Susan, for giving such a contributing life a theology.

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Rev. Dr. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite

Professor of Theology, Chicago Theological Seminary

The post below was written for HuffPost Religion.  

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'We Are Not Afraid': 

The Holy Spirit 

and the Life of Pete Seeger

Posted: 01/28/2014 9:28 am

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Spiritual Development, Vietnam, #Occupy, Pete Seeger, Pete Seeger: The Power Of Song,Civil Rights Movement, Justice, Occupy Movement, Peace, Religion News

One of the reasons I believe a better world is possible is because I can hear the voice of Pete Seeger in my head, singing We Shall Overcome. "We are not afraid," sang Seeger, and credited the young leaders of the Civil Rights movement for teaching that. "Perfect love casts out fear," scripture teaches (1 John 4:18).

One of the greatest obstacles to people coming together, despite their differences, to make a better world, is fear.

Pete Seeger, 94, folk singer and peace and justice advocate has died, but the spirit of what his life and his music meant lives on. Americans have been less afraid of each other, and of speaking the truth to power, because he lived and sang and marched.

One of the possible translations of the Greek word for Holy Spirit is "advocate." When we advocate for God's reign of justice and peace, and join together in that effort, it is my personal experience that the presence of the Spirit can be felt.

Pete Seeger helped teach that to my generation, and generations that followed, because he taught us to sing while we resisted war and advocated for racial and gender justice. He taught us in our schools and on our campuses because he had been blacklisted for refusing to yield to the fear-mongering House Un-American Activities committee. His promising television career was curtailed by the blacklisting.

The story of how Seeger finally got to sing on television again is itself a story of struggle against censorship, as his return to television via the Smothers Brothers program involved advocacy by the two young "comedians." "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" a song clearly about the Vietnam war and President Lyndon Johnson (though it does not name either one) finally was heard by millions of Americans. But that didn't end the war by itself. Seeger observes, "Did the song do any good? No one can prove a damned thing. It took tens of millions of people speaking out, before the Vietnam War was over. A defeat for the Pentagon, but a victory for the American people."

The documentary on Seeger's career, The Power of Song, provides a fully rounded portrait of the singer, including the so-called "lost years" when, because of the blacklisting, Seeger sang to school children and to those of us on college campuses lucky enough to hear him. The songs which Seeger wrote (like "Turn, Turn, Turn...to Everything there is a Season" and "Where are All the Flowers Gone") or made famous (like "We Shall Overcome") are the voice of resistance to war and advocacy for peace.

Is that not the mystery of how goodness is made, little by little, and person by person? In 2011 Seeger walked with an Occupy Wall Street protest, and later told the Associate Press, "Be wary of great leaders... Hope that there are many, many small leaders."

Instead, what we need is many, many Americans coming together and not being afraid of each other. That is the way forward, and Pete Seeger not only taught that, he modeled it in his life and commitments to the very end.

Rest in peace, good and faithful servant. I am grateful beyond words for your life and work.

Follow Rev. Dr. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite on Twitter:www.twitter.com/sbthistle

Creative Ministries Network and Antony McMullen, its new Director

Re-posted from Crosslight

Working creatively

BY DEB.BENNETT ⋅ SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 ⋅ POST A COMMENT

To say Antony McMullen, newly appointed director of Creative Ministries Network (CMN), is passionate about justice in the workplace would be something of an understatement. As a social justice officer with the synod’s Justice and International Mission (JIM) unit, his work often covered areas such as workplace reform for those in some of society’s most undervalued occupations, such as cleaners.

“Work takes up such a large part of our lives and sometimes things can go terribly wrong,” Mr McMullen said.

“It’s not always a matter of pointing the finger; that’s what excites me about the restorative justice approach of CMN. We can see when relationships break down that focussing on people’s faults and solely dealing with things through formal systems may not always be the best way forward; although sometimes it is unavoidable.”

Mr McMullen said he will draw heavily on lessons learnt during his five years with the JIM unit, particularly when he was tasked with examining the criminal justice system.

Please go here to read more

You can follow Antony on Twitter at @antonymcmullen

Progressive Christians and Common Dreams

A big thank you to Elizabeth of the Ballarat Interfaith Network for providing this information.  Beside the Creek hopes more people can provide information from their traditions which will be of general interest to all of us.

Professor Marcus Borg

Picture from here

Common Dreams is an alliance of Australian and New Zealand kindred organisations which promote the study, discussion and implementation of Progressive Christian and other progressive religious streams of thought and action. Its principal method of pursuing these objectives is through its major “Common Dreams” conferences which are held each three years plus the promotion of visits by leading international scholars and the sale and distribution of the materials that result from these activities.

Professor Marcus Borg, pictured above, is the keynote speaker at the triennial Common Dreams Conference which will be held this month from 19 to 22 September in Canberra. Professor Borg is the Canon Theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, USA.  

Other speakers include: Rev Bruce Sanguin, Rev David Felten, Dr Val Webb, Dr Margaret Mayman, Dr Greg Jenks, Dr Nigel Leaves, Dr Lorraine Parkinson and Rabbi Aviva Kipen.

Dick Carter who is President of the Progressive Christian Network of Victoria says that the conference will host an impressive list of local and internal speakers, writers and researchers covering various progressive religious issues.

The theme, Mr Carter said, 'midwives of change' in terms of how progressives can support a new movement or change, not only in Christianity, but in other religions as well.  Progressive Christianity seeks to understand Christian beliefs and doctrines in the light of modern biblical historical scholarship and current scientific knowledge. It values inquiry and intellectual integrity and rejects biblical literalism and inerrancy - it's open to diversity of opinion.

For more information on the conference

please go here