As I write the “President’s Letter” for the fall 2016 edition of our New Life News, many of us on the east coast are recovering from Hurricane Matthew. Our town had significant damage, but much of it was caused literally in the last hour or so of the storm by mid-level winds. The ground was soaked by many inches of rainfall. The trees came out of the too wet ground and fell on homes and power lines. We were six days without power. I am sure there are more than enough metaphors about life and biblical lessons here. I am a fan of Oswald Chambers and share from his April 19 devotional:

“Unguarded strength is actually a double weakness, because that is where the least likely temptations will be effective in sapping strength. The Bible characters stumbled over their strong points, never their weak ones.”

We do not know when or from what direction the winds of life will blow. Like many of these mighty trees that I now drive past resting on the ground, their strength to stand even mid-level winds had been undone by twenty-four hours of rain. We expect vulnerabilities where we are weak, but can be blindsided when are strengths are eroded. The DOC, with our heritage, our retreats, our writings, offers a refuge to those who want to go deeper in their spiritual journey with Jesus.

We also are living with the loss of our friend, Dr. Robert Moore. I met Bob at my first retreat in 1987. I served on the National and

Dear Members and Friends of the DOC

Southeastern boards under him during his tenures as President of each. He and Tillie have been 40+ year DOC leaders and servants. We express gratitude for our times with him and his teaching in New Testament at Asbury College, and we pray for Tillie and their family in each day ahead.

Our National Board met in July to continue the work to advance the inspiration brought by each member of the Order. We have provided funding to each of the three regions to support retention and growth for retreats. Please give your regional leaders ideas as to how we spread the word and draw more to join with us. If you have not attended a DOC retreat or day apart ever or in recent years, I encourage you to go to our website for information on an event: http://dochr.org/category/regional-news/. We are working on an online We have prepared an online survey to gain insights into what is valuable about the Order and what and where you would like us to go and meet. Please click on to the link below to begin the survey. [And please forward to other active DOC members that you think might not have been included here.]

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dochr Note that the survey is set up to allow one survey per device so if you are a couple, you may have to complete on separate devices.

Our Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/dochrorg/ or search for @dochrorg. While I am

FALL/WINTER 2016 Volume 57, Issue 2 Special points of

interest:

President’s Message

The New Jerusalem

Attitude

Events!

Retreat Summaries

Psalms, Prose & Prayers

Inside this issue:

President’s

Message and

Events Calendar

1

“Pray for the

Peace of the New

Jerusalem” Part 2

2-3

“Just the facts,

ma’am”

4

“Bogey and Me” 5

SE 2016 Retreat;

“The Christmas

Cross” poem

6

“JUDE” poem;

Member News;

Subscriptions

7

“God You Are…”

poem

8

DOC 2017Events The Southeast Region DOC Annual Retreat is July 12-16 and will be held at Caraway

Conference Center, Sophia NC. The speakers for the retreat are Delron & Peggy Shirley of Teach All Nations with Music Worship services by Chris Douglas.

If you have an event to publish, please submit it to nln@dochr.org.or dochrist7@gmail.com

not an active poster on Facebook, I realize that it can be a tool to quickly get information out and make it available to a large audience. Please do “like” the page so that you will receive notices when we post. While not the most “tech-savvy” of groups, please help us to get there!

We also earnestly desire to have contributions from you for the New Life News which we publish. While it is a great way for us to communicate, it is also an opportunity for you to share with others. If you are a regular reader, you will know that we include retreat recaps, Christian poetry, and Christian book reviews. Please send items to Pete Nehnevajsa at nln@dochr.org .

Normally I would close with an ask for your financial support, but we have been blessed this year with a bequest from a long time member who named us in his estate planning. So this year, my ask is primarily for your prayer support. I would also ask you to consider naming DOC in your estate planning. Many of us are indebted to those who went before us like Bob Moore, so think about how you can provide for those who come after.

Sincerely in Christ,

John Bankson, National President

The Road to the New Jerusalem Attitude and Beyond: The Seed of God’s Future

Part Two John Lurvey

The formation of the nation of Israel set off a

fury of End-Time expectations among American evangelicals. Israel, no longer content with a Palestinian homeland for Jewish refugees, gained U.S. and U. N. support to declare national independence in 1948. It then seized land from Palestinian Muslims and Christians and continued to expand by wars and then by extending settlements into traditional Palestinian territory.

By itself, unbalanced with the second story, the first story creates frenzied beliefs that justify unjust actions because of the soon and sudden End-Time. Christian Zionists believe that Israel’s rebirth as a nation-state has fulfilled the biblical prophecy of the Last Days just before Christ’s Second Coming. They believe God favors militant Israeli expansionists. They hope America will also enjoy God’s favor as Israel’s protector as it rebuilds old Jerusalem and attempts to form a version of ancient Israel. . Some religious Zionists seek to destroy the major Muslim shrine called the Noble Sanctuary in order to rebuild a new temple. That will ignite a religious world war. (See the Harmageddon battle in Revelation 16:12-16 and 19:11-21 reflecting the earlier Zechariah 14 vision.) Christian Zionist leaders like Mike Evans recount

how they felt led by God to travel by faith to spread Judeo-Christian Zionism to a new generation of Israeli leaders like the young Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s territorial expansion agenda was favored by Bible prophecy, they told Netanyahu. Religious convictions intensified Israeli political policy.

Christian Zionists do well to defend the Jewish people’s quest for a secure homeland. Too many times, the church encouraged the persecution and killing of Jews over the centuries. Yet, in spite of good will toward Jews and good intentions, Judeo-Christian Zionists in Israel push a national policy

that invites greater violence and increases the cruel land seizures and persecution of Palestinian Christians and Muslims.

Apocalyptic religious Zionism also provokes Islamic apocalyptic theology as well. The Islamic State’s leaders such as Abu Bakr al Baghdadi pursue a violent, cruel End Time prophecy of their own.

Modern secular Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith communities feel confused about the apocalyptic scriptures and therefore helpless in this conflict. Lacking clear vision and holy boldness, they cannot stand against fierce religious Zionist theological politics.

The New Jerusalem Attitude represents a third way of faith that faces religious apocalyptic fervor and modern confusion with the calming. yet firm convictions that God is always already acting today. The Lamb-City Marriage offers them the blueprint for the eyes of faith to detect the hand of God hidden in plain sight within the sometimes frightening and confusing currents and counter currents of public and private life. Sustained in their faith by “The Captivating Presence” of the New Jerusalem, the soul with New Jerusalem the Attitude surfs on the transforming waves of the Creator’s Word and Spirit. The path unfolds in the pattern of the New Jerusalem’s creative marriage of holy love and the best of human creativity, truth, beauty and goodness wherever it may be found whether within or beyond religion.

In response to the religious Zionist zeal to rebuild the temple the New Jerualem Attitude stands strong on biblical evidence that God is everywhere, for everyone. God does not need to rebuild the old Jerusalem’s temple to fulfill the divine purpose in history. In the New Jerusalem there is no temple because God’s Light and Presence are everywhere. (Rev 21:22-24). The New Jerusalem Attitude sees all ground as holy and all people are now chosen, like our Jewish sisters and brothers in the biblical faith.

The faith-planted seed of the New Jerusalem Attitude gestates in the sacred womb of each soul

Pray for the Peace of the New Jerusalem by John Lurvey

Page 2 New Life News

Pray for the Peace of the New Jerusalem (cont’d)

Page 3 Volume 57, Issue 2

and spills over into societies everywhere. It is a Living Word entered by the exercise of holy imagination and contemplation. Contemplating ourselves being within the City, allows the City to grow within us and changes us, and through us changes our world.

The New Jerusalem’s features also correspond to the character of spiritual maturity as taught by Albert Edward Day and other giants of spiritual formation. Many sacred traditions seek to inspire people to lives that mirror some or all of the New Jerusalem’s major features:

1. The New Jerusalem vision started by leading John the author, to climb and take an upward-looking perspective as should we.

2. Symmetrical balance defines both City and mature souls and societies.

3. Jesus as the Lamb of God’s self-giving, forgiving love centers the City, soul and society.

4. The New Jerusalem economy and life-style shines in transparency. This contrasts with the deliberate deceptions that hide the destruction wrought by corporate consumerism in the global economy.

5. Contemplating the City’s security within the walls of God’s Presence soothes our insecurity and fears. “Mature love overcomes fear.”

6. The City’s gates and our souls should be always open to the fullest reach of God’s grace.

7. The City rests upon 12 diverse bejeweled foundation stones and thus validates diversity.

8. Active contemplation of the Tree and River of Life nurtures and heals both the City and souls.

9. The inauthentic, the deluded, and the ruthlessly self-willed turn away from the the City’s light and seek the shadowy outer darkness.

10. Already now, our imaginative contemplation and reflection enable our participation in the New Jerusalem’s holy elegance and blessing.

The New Jerusalem Attitude feels drawn to the New Creation also known as the Kingdom/Realm of God. God’s kingdom or the New Creation comes organically, like Jesus image of vine and branches in John 15. The New Creation Kingdom is birthed within our souls as in Luke 17:20-21, John 3 and Paul in Romans 5:1-5, 12:1-2 and 14:17-19. It reaches outward like the great fishing nets and seed-flinging farmers in Jesus fish and planting parables in Matthew, 13, 20, 21; Mark 4, 12; Luke 13. 20, 21; John 15. Their mission: to catch people and communities and plant seeds from which the New Creation grows.

Every major religion, though resisting Christianity’s religious forms and culture, includes voices and movements that show signs of the New Creation and share some of the New Jerusalem Attitude. God’s redemptive Presence and the New Creation appear in acts self-giving love, forgiveness for the guilty, acceptance for the shamed, comfort for the suffering, assurance for the anxious and unexpected signs of God’s grace that change lives and build hope.

Within Buddhism, the Bodhi-satva tradition of self-sacrificing salvation to help others illustrates this. The Shakti movement in the Indian sacred traditions, the Sufis among Muslims and the Hasidic Jews also focus on the love and mercy of God. Paula D’Arcy’s workshops and retreats illustrate how even the secular-minded people seek and encounter the Power of Love’s Presence in ways that reflect the New Jerusalem Attitude. As the Lamb-City Marriage imparts itself in our souls the New Creation grows as we live the New Jerusalem Attitude.

Note: These remarks spoken at the National Retreat, appear here in written form as requested by several participants at the 2015 DOC National Retreat.

There is a strong belief that the phrase “Just the facts, ma’am” originated on a radio then television program called “Dragnet.” The program was authored and starred Jack Webb and though the quote sounds to be something his “Joe Friday” character would espouse, it is actually not from the show. The phrases used in the show were “All we want are the facts, ma'am" and at times "All we know are the facts ma'am" but the phrase raises a very salient point: how we sometimes construe something as fact when it may be an opinion, a “fill-in-the-gap” idea or hypothesis (perhaps we editorialize the facts so that it feels like we’ve gotten the entire story).

(details: http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/dragnet.asp)

Okay, if you do not remember or can not relate to a 1950-60’s TV show perhaps the following ancient story can show you how we “fill-in-the-gaps” or jump to conclusions when “All we want are the facts, ma’am” does not satisfy:

The Old Man and his Horse

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before — such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.

People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This horse is not a horse to me,” he would tell them. “It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend.” The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in his stable. All the village came to see him. “You old fool,” they scoffed, “we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.”

The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?”

The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great

philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse.”

The old man spoke again. “All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?”

The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn’t, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, and old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.

After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn’t been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again, the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. “Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.”

The man responded, “Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don’t judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of one phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?”

“Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is one fragment! Don’t say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don’t.”

“Maybe the old man is right,” they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned. With a little work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.

The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments.

“You were right,” they said. “You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken both his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are

“Just the facts, ma’am” by P. Nehnevajsa

Page 4 New Life News

poorer than ever.”

The old man spoke again. “You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”

It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.

“You were right, old man,” They wept. “God knows you were right. This proves it. Your son’s accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever.”

The old man spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this. Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows.” (source: story credits vary from Lao Tzu to Max Lucado)

So what is the point? At times we assign “hypothesized

facts” to situations where simple observance is all that

is necessary or needed. Yes, there are moral

imperatives that will make us choose right/wrong or

good/bad but not all situations require us to guess the

outcome or assign “good luck/bad luck” to it. We forget

that “all we want are the facts” and begin placing

“good,” “bad” or other labels on an event, place,

situation or, heaven forbid, a person. This in turn will

color seeing God’s presence and grace, put blinders on

our observations and give our “guess” power over our

lives.

As the author of the story writes, with our myopic view

of the world, we see and read “only one word or

phrase” at a time and perhaps “filling-in-the-gaps” is

not helpful, necessary or kind. “All we want {need} are

the facts.” Let us truly trust and accept God as the

intermediary, judge and arbitrator, because “Only God

knows” what is in store for us.

This morning as I was cleaning the kitchen and beginning to meditate, like Father Andrew among his pots and pans. I am blest. With me, as usual, was Bogey, supervising everything, as like good dogs do. Bogey is a 10 pound, nine- year- old canine who shares my life and my board. Clifford, my youngest son, whose generosity tenders my heart, gave Bogey to me. In giving him, he knew that Bogey would be cared for and loved; that Bogey with his Alpha personality would be vigilant and care for me. Cliff gets the benefit of his affection when he comes to see us. So, he has not completely lost his dog.

Bogey barks loudly, as though he is fierce. I had rather his fierceness remain untested. He might go off with a burglar and attempt to kiss him to death for having come to visit, for Bogey loves company.

Well, I had prepared the green beans and them on the stove for a quick cook. I stopped at the piano, but did not even sit down. The song book, new to me, with many gospel songs I do not know, was there in front of me. So, I played a couple before one with the title: It Could Happen in a Moment, 1975 copyright by Zondervan Fiesta Corporation by Joe Parks, caught my eye. I played through the hymn to become familiar with the tune and began to sing: “It could happen in a moment, Jesus Christ could come again.”

When I turned from the piano, I found Bogey was perched on the back of the recliner, attentive. Perhaps he was listening. Anyone living with a dog know they are good listeners, or that we owners give them the benefit of any doubt we have.

“Bogey,” I said, “Jesus is coming again. He’s coming again!”

Bogey got excited. He jumped down from the chair, onto the sofa, up on the back of the sofa, parted the curtains, while barking excitedly. He expected Jesus to be in the driveway, to get out of a car, and to come into the house to visit.

Do dogs know that Jesus is coming? Bogey does, because I told him. He’s ready!

“Just the facts, ma’am” (continued)

Page 5 Volume 57, Issue 2

“Bogey and Me” by Sybil Austin Skakle

The 2016 Southeastern Region retreat was held at Camp Caraway in Asheboro in mid-July. Kevin Kinghorn was the speaker for seven sessions. Kevin is a Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Asbury Theological Seminary. His background in philosophy provided the context for his talks titled, "Walking Daily in the Kingdom." Kevin's talks were complete with retreatant participation.

The worship leaders, Jim and Sheila Todd and Constance Douglas, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, led us past scenes of wonder and into planes of glory. Jim Wagner led an afternoon workshop on Forgiveness the Jesus Way. The Youth sessions were led by Latasha Little assisted by Christen and Christopher Green.

Linda Riggins presented the Order on Friday morning in rousing fashion, and the entire board of directors wanted to join again on the spot. Prayer groups, morning watch, C. S. Lewis discussion session, swimming, and hiking not to mention plenty to eat completed the retreat.

The forty adults and twenty plus youth who attended were ready to share many joys on the Sunday morning session prior to departure.

SE Region Retreat topics:

What IS the ‘Kingdom of God’? - Jesus’s teaching ministry focused heavily on explaining aspects of the Kingdom of God.

Daily Life Within the Trinity - Walking in the Kingdom takes us, quite literally, into the ongoing life of God.

The Great Paradox of the Kingdom - Jesus indicated that only when we ‘lose’ our life will we actually ‘gain’ it.

The Kingdom and Our Call to Work - How our commitment to God should inform our understanding of our work; seeing our work as ministry, allowing God’s Kingdom to come to the spheres in which we work.

The Kingdom and Moral Imagination - Jesus often appealed to our imagination in helping us understand aspects of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom and Divine Hiddenness - A look at how discernment and fellowship can function in the midst of divine hiddenness, as well as steps Jesus offered to overcome the worry of uncertainty.

The Kingdom and the Reality of Suffering - Exploring further the ‘not yet’ aspect of the Kingdom of God; how we as Christians can find comfort in the midst of trying circumstances.

Study notes available at https://dochrorg.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/the-kingdom-of-god-2016-se-region-kinghorn-

That is the message." *

God loves you. Trust Him.

He will go ahead of you

To prepare for your arrival

At places and situations

You naturally dread.

Go with expectancy.

All is well!

A small cross of smooth wood

Represents a promise and a hope.

Christ died on a rough one

Left empty and he arose from death.

An angel told those looking for him

At the empty tomb:

"He is going ahead of you to Galilee.

You will see him there.

DOC SE Regional Summer Retreat 2016

The Christmas Cross by Sybil Skakle

Page 6 New Life News

There once was a brother of James

Who warned of eternity’s flames--

Of reefs that are hidden

At love feasts, unbidden,

And he wasn’t ashamed to name names!

“JUDE -- A summary in verse” by Julia Tressel

For

Aspiring

New

Life

News

Authors

Page 7 Volume 57, Issue 2

New Life News Article Submission Guidelines

Guidelines for submission:

Full name of author

Title and date of the submission

Any copyright/print permissions (yours to print/edit the article; others for any referenced material )

Please keep articles to less than 500 words .

If you have a book review, article, poem, psalm, prayer, event, retreat summary or other item that would be of interest to DOC members, please submit them to the New Life News email address (nln@dochr.org or dochrist7@gmail.com). They will be reviewed by the National Board members and included as soon as possible in the New Life News newsletter.

In Memory & Thanksgiving of Life

Robert “Bob” Moore, husband of Tillie Moore, passed away on September 28, 2016. Bob was a member of SE Region and had served through the years as President of National and SE Region. (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/leadertimes/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=181748904 and http://www.bettsandwestfuneralhome.com/cgi-bin/CompanyInternal?stdout+115+bettsandwestfuneralhome.com+2608+4+9103:Lcgi_html/)

Fay Botten, a member of North Central Region, passed away on May 30, 2016. (http://www.brownfhonline.com/notices/RevFay-Botten )

John H. Gebhart, who served as Treasurer and Director Emeritus, passed away on May 29, 2016. (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tennessean/obituary.aspx?pid=180174221 and http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=John-Gebhart&lc=2338&pid=180159690&mid=6949006)

Frances Genung passed away on May 18, 2016 (notice posted in the Pilgrim Place News (http://www.pilgrimplace.org/documents/JUNENEWS.pdf)

Member News

New Life News (NLN) is published twice yearly: Spring and Fall. To continue mailing this newsletter, we need your prayers, donations and article ideas. Please send any donations to: Disciplined Order of Christ, Attn: New Life News, PO Box 3681, Florence, SC 29502.

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“God, You Are…” By Sybil Austin Skakle

Strong Defender

Counselor, Friend.

Truth, The Way.

Thank you, Lord,

for grain and bread,

for water and wine

for praises that well

up in my heart.

You are the Vine.

I am the branch

I am the drinker

You are the wine

You are the bell

I’m the clapper

I pray. You answer

I wait. You act.

I falter. You lead.

You are the

Beginning

And the end.

You are the door,

Welcoming me home.

~July 3, 1991 .

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