Christian Science @ Burning Man metaphysical support

[Grant Larsen]

Hey crew,

Somethin' powerful is happening this week, and your willingness to support it is a big part of it.  Thanks for pitching in!

Susanna Meyer and I thought it'd be good to have a call to give folks an opportunity to hear about the basics of challenges and opportunities our friends will be meeting at Burning Man, to ask any questions, or to share any insights.

Let's have a chat tomorrow afternoon at 2:15 Pacific time.  We have a conference call line at (619) 326-2772; the access code is 1246521.  If you have any trouble connecting, email me at this address.  And if you can't make it, that's totally okay -- there's one Mind and you can't help but be on the right page.  (But feel free to reply with any questions you may have!)

For reference, here's the Doodle poll for signing up to the prayer watch, and the rough schedule on the playa (all times Pacific Daylight).

Praise God,

Grant Larsen

PS: I don't have contact info for Joan McCormick, R.M., Wren Price, Friends at Fern Lodge, Patti Bourne, Jen Fairbanks, Connie Williams, or Melissa Sublette; if any of you are in touch with any of them, please forward this to them.

[Grant Larsen]

It would also appear my email address for Jenny Wiersba is out of date, so if anybody could loop her in too, it'd be appreciated.

Remember, you're blessed.

[Grant Larsen]

Hey all.  A not-so-quick summary of the call is below.  Maybe use your skimming skills to pick out what's important to you to work with!

Readings: selections from John 13, first pages of Christian Science Practice chapter, and exposition on Rev. 12:15-26

Some opportunities and challenges to confront:

• Jesus was incredible at meeting people right where they are; to practice the Christ I think it fits to see how in tune with the ideas of Burning Man our camp is.  As such, I'm thinking about:
• Our gifts of footwashing and uplifted thought are thoroughly Christian (see John 13 or first pages of Christian Science Practice chapter), and are also incredibly pragmatic for the playa
• Burning Man has 10 core principles that jibe remarkably well with living a Christian life:
1. radical inclusion: accepting everyone else for who they actually are (SH476:32-4), judging not
   
2. radical self-expression: being who you honestly are, especially in ways you previously haven't let yourself.  these two principles are synergistic, symbiotic, since it is in fact natural to include and accept and not judge.
   
3. gifting: nobody sells, barters, or even does good with expectation of reward - good is done for its own sake, and all needs end up being met!  (2 Cor. 9:8)
   
4. decommodification: ie getting rid of the idea of commodities.  no brand names, no factory products -- gifting is really not an exchange of things, but a loving interaction b/w two people
   
5. communal activity: often, to really express ourselves, we work or play together to do something grand or to express love and harmony
   
6. civic responsibility: when doing something with many people, take responsibility -- there's nowhere for the buck to go
   
7. leave no trace: being responsible, specifically with regard to not damaging the beautiful setting
   
8. radical self-reliance: learning that you have incredible inner resources; also being responsible and not taking the (abundant) generosity of BRC for granted
   
9. participation: to be yourself, radically, might involve trying new things -- fie on any hesitance to do so -- you came here for this, do stuff
   
10. immediacy: be present -- life isn't hypothetical; life is here and now (see eg. Matt. 4:17).  The BMan website says this is the most important one.
    
• Burning Man has an annual art theme: this year, it's caravansary.  I... haven't thought this one through yet, tbh... (but mentioned was the neighborly samaritan and giving a cup of cold water to those athirst in the desert)
• Receptivity to the Christ-message --- I don't know if thought is more open anywhere than at BMan, but always an idea worth supporting: man is naturally drawn to saving Truth
• We are not going there to hawk/sell/preach Christian Science.  We are going there to celebrate the healing that's happening there as people witness Truth (a natural consequence of being God's image, but helped along by the 10 principles being put in practice).  We are going there cherishing CS, and being willing to make it available to those ready for it. (SH 570:14)
• Our crew's ability to listen for direction on how to meet very diverse needs --- I don't know if there's a better group of folks on the planet for this job, but still, worth supporting
• The idea that CS is just another of a plethora of spiritual-ish ideas on the playa needs to be struck down.  Similarly with the conception that burners flit from one "spiritual" teaching to another just saying "yeah man right on".  Truth is naturally attractive, so a lot of people have found glimmers of it in a lot of different cultures, but divine Science is the ultimate.  Christian Scientists aren't better than anyone else, but Christian Science is a uniquely valuable gift to give.
• Weather.  The desert claims to be a crazy place on this front: heat, wind, dryness, dust, and unpredictable storms.
• Water.  It's a desert.
• Health.  We've never had a problem with it, and we never need to.  So let's stay on our toes here.
• Malpractice - one or more unidentified person(s) did post on our site that they'd be praying against us.  That kind of prayer has no basis to draw strength from, but neither does any other mortal claim, and they all need to be countered when presented.
• Sensualism: Burning Man is not about hedonism; it's about self-expression.  But whatever people want, the playa will provide: therefore sex and drugs are present for now.  God doesn't lead us into temptation; we don't enter such an atmosphere except to uplift it.
• B/c Burning Man works so hard at eliminating barriers to expression, expectation very directly influences experience.  Thus we can ensure good by realizing how natural it is for folks to expect (and therefore experience) good, because that is the outcome the Principle that is Love.
• Outside perception of the event: it's not about drugs and sex; it's about the principles above.  christian scientists are going not b/c of weird justifications or pagan/spiritualist confusion about CS, and not to preach and throw pearls to swine, but to celebrate the good embodied in those 10 principles among the burners, and to make available healing truth to hungry hearts (SH 570:14).
• Balance: Christianity, CS, JC, and MBE all deserve glory.  We must be honest about who we are, what we stand for, and what we bring.  We must meet people where they are, and many of them have reasonable objections to organized religion.  We must respect the specific needs of individuals.  We must not outline others' salvation.  We mustn't preach; we mustn't advocate dogma.  None of these demands are contradictory.  But sometimes grace is required to see that.  This is helped by acknowledging that we are not going there to force S&H into people's hands, but to celebrate/witness the healing already present, and to meet people where they are, generously.  (Often a spiritual discussion is a natural outcome of that intention, but we never outline.)  Anyway, we can metaphysically support the grace of our campers.
• Unity: our participants are very, very different (as are the burners they'll be encountering).  This has sometimes presented a challenge of "incompatibility" or "opinions".  But these challenges have been consistently met with prayer, and have born the fruit of a more perfect expression by the group, a whole community.  One Mind, Soul, with infinite expression, harmonious.  It's been really cool to see these Sunday School-y words really be put to impressive demonstration by this diverse group.  Nevertheless, personality is an ongoing claim in human experience that can always use more countering.  (SH469:30-5)
• Natural disaster: last year there were fires in California; this year a huge earthquake -- God's not in them, but in the still small voice of Truth
• Direction: This is a God-directed activity.  'Nough said.
• Lack of communication: our team is out in the desert.  No contact with us the whole time.  If we need to know to pray about a particular issue or circumstance, we will not hear about it from a phone call.  No crutches; the communication is from Mind to man.
• A participant has shared some of what he plans to pray with this week, about prophet-dom.

For more info, check spiritualplaya.org or email me or Susanna!

Thank you so much!

-Grant

On Sat, Aug 23, 2014 at 5:28 PM, Grant Larsen <lars...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Carrie Curlee]

Thank you Grant and all for an amazing call. I was so impressed with the ideas shared. It certainly gave me deep appreciation for all of the invaluable spiritual support that is being given to this event. Someone once asked me why we were at Burning Man...my response? Why wouldn't we be there!

What an epic moment to be right "there in the midst of them" with the understanding and strength of divine Science. Knowing that Love is motivating every activity and Principle is the law driving the experience.

SH 258:13

"God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis."


always Love, Carrie Curlee, C.S.

Make this a teachable moment!

[Nina deCordova]

Thanks so much Grant for this thorough breakdown of the challenges.  This will really be helpful on prayer watch.  

I should also say it will be helpful to me every day.  I'm always trying to share . . . and often putting my foot in it because my words to others aren't sufficiently grounded in revelation.  Here's s fave podcast of mine on this subject (5 min).  Hope it's helpful to others too.

Much love!  N

[Grant Larsen]

FYI, prayer team: Black Rock Desert got hit with a freak rainstorm this morning.  There's standing water, which actually tears up the playa, rendering vehicular traffic in the desert impossible for a day or so.  Since the last stretch of the route to the festival has no actual road, this means that thousands of burners on their way today will be unable to get to the event for awhile.  Most will have sufficient supplies to subsist outside of the event, and it is hoped and expected that anyone unprepared will be able to find hospitality among their neighbors, as the road to the gate is often a challenge and folks know it.  No way to know how this affects our team (although some arrived a couple days ago and we expected the rest to have arrived last night), but it's good to keep the challenges the community is facing in thought, too.

from the Burning Man facebook page:

RAINSTORMS CLOSE BURNING MAN UNTIL TUESDAY

Black Rock City, August 25, 2014 — Organizers of the annual Burning Man event are asking any participants traveling to the event now to postpone their arrival until at least Tuesday morning. Black Rock City has shut down following rainstorms that left standing water on the playa, leaving it un-drivable.

At the request of Burning Man organizers, Nevada Highway Patrol will be directing traffic away from Highway 447 at Wadsworth. Also at the request of organizers, local law enforcement have also begun turning around traffic at the event entrance on Highway 34 northeast of Gerlach. Drivers are being instructed to find a safe location to park until the expected re-opening of the event on Tuesday.

Organizers expect the rain to dissipate and the playa surface to dry out by midday Tuesday and participants will be allowed to enter the event again.

There are literally hundreds of comments on the post of Renoites offering hospitality to the stranded, but it is unlikely that many stranded would-be burners have facebook access at the moment.

Looks like they expect it all to be cleared up by tomorrow, and there are always challenges where neighbors have an opportunity to be neighborly, but I thought our team would like to be aware of this specific opportunity for healing.

Thank you all so much for keeping Principle in thought.  I'm sure Love is being manifested in all kinds of ways out in that wet desert (and everywhere else love-filled thought rests).

On Mon, Aug 25, 2014 at 10:53 AM, Amanda Kiser <amandad...@gmail.com> wrote:

Super super helpful Grant, thank you! LOVED the podcast, Nina.

Gratitude all around. This is sure to be a week full of blessings! <3 

-A

--

Amanda Kiser

(707) 225-2487

[Sandi Justad]

Thank you Grant; on it!

Sandi Justad
708-422-7877
www.justadcs.com

[Grant Larsen]

I like that Burning Man coincides with the Lesson on Christ Jesus.  And on the morning of the first day of studying this Lesson, we had the event described above.  Hm.  Listen to Eugene Peterson's take on Section 2:

"Thunder in the desert!
  'Prepare for God's arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
  a highway fit for our God.
...
Then God's bright glory will shine
  and everyone will see it.
  Yes. Just as God has said.'"

Hm.  Hm hm hm.  Hm.

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[Sandi Justad]

Thank you Grant for that great kick-off!  After Isaiah’s thunder in the desert in Section 2, comes John’s identifying the Lamb of God, Christ, the spiritual idea of divine Love.

The desert at BM is filled with lambs, Love’s spiritual ideas.  It is the Shepherd who is calling his lambs to your tent, his sons from far, and his daughters from the ends of the earth.  And the Shepherd leads and guides every one.  My prayers this morning are to support the CS staff as doorkeepers in the house of the Lord, admitting only spiritual innocence and purity and washing away whatever is un-Lamb-like.

Sandi Justad
708-422-7877
www.justadcs.com

On Aug 26, 2014, at 5:41 AM, amandad...@gmail.com wrote:

I smiled really big when I found this in the Bible lesson last night during my prayer watch. Love this translation too...WOW! What a PERFECT lesson. :)

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

---

From: Grant Larsen <lars...@gmail.com>

Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 02:05:36 -0500

To: Sandi Justad<blueb...@gmail.com>

Cc: roy gessford<rmges...@gmail.com>; <alan.w...@oracle.com>; Amanda Dunlap<amandad...@gmail.com>; soarandsing49<soaran...@gmail.com>; kpsublette<kpsub...@gmail.com>; rachelannamcclintick<rachelanna...@gmail.com>; Christa Seid-Graham<seidg...@gmail.com>; Jenny<jenn...@yahoo.com>; Donna Fletcher<do...@albertbakerfund.org>; Nathan Frederick<travels...@gmail.com>; Michael Morgan<michaellaw...@gmail.com>; sjbates880<sjbat...@sbcglobal.net>; kim korinek<kimck...@yahoo.com>; Genevieve Sublette<gsub...@gmail.com>; Julie Morfee<jmo...@gmail.com>; lmeissne<lmei...@yahoo.com>; Nina deCordova<nina.de...@gmail.com>; Anna Lisa Kronman<annalis...@gmail.com>; alan. wiersba<alan.w...@gmail.com>; <CSatB...@googlegroups.com>; Susanna Meyer<sjoy...@gmail.com>; churchalivecarrie<churchal...@gmail.com>; <ginnyn...@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: Christian Science @ Burning Man metaphysical support

[Nancy Earl Harrison, C.S.]

Grant and all - I believe I can speak for the whole on-playa team when I say we cannot thank you enough. We look forward to sharing with you. We'll set up a time to do so and post the info to spiritualplaya.org as well as share it out by email.

Much love & gratitude!!

Nancy Earl Harrison