The work of the Shea Seminar continues to yield insights and profundities

Three important contributions from yesterday:

I welcome Feddie's contribution to the ongoing process of discernment by which the community of the PeopleBlog (the preferred term used by those who have claimed their right to be heard and to exercise their authority as equals and bloggers, thus replacing the monolithic, monocultural, ossified authoritarianism inherent in the First World-oriented, narrowly sectarian, emotionally prescriptive, Romanocentric "Catholic and Enjoying It!" attribution) refine the traditions of the past and, whilst cherishing their historic value, do not make idols and shibboleths of them but with due consideration set aside those which have served a purpose in the past but which no longer speak to the needs of our modern, post-Galileo, neo-Darwinian, 21st century (in the usage of the Common Era; those who do not hew to this usage please adjust the chronology to the timeframe of their choice) world.

The personal relationship with Mark Shea - in whatever manner we choose to grant understanding of that concept - is indeed paramount. However, I must gently demur that it is necessary to, as Feddie puts it, 'walk with him daily'. There are those of us who are differently abled in the podal extremities; we may not all be in a position to claim our legitimate aspirations to ambulation. There are those of us who may, at the time we are participating in the activities of PeopleBlog, be doing so at night.

It would be a crime at this stage to confine ourselves to a narrow, literal, legalistic interpretation of Mark Shea - he is way, he is process, he is event. But there are other blogs and other bloggers who may also be understood to represent way, process and event. We may legitimately acknowledge that indeed we have derived much that evolved from pre-Sheavian sources. This is not a reproach or a denial. This is the glory and the opportunity of PeopleBlog and the Cosmic Shea.

I rejoice that I can affirm that Mark Shea is way – that’s certainly what it means to be on a journey through the comboxes - is truth in the sense of what does it mean to be wholly and fully and completely a blogging being and again, is life - both as bringer of abundant life but also as exemplar. What does it mean to be both fully Mark and fully Shea? So I’m impatient with the narrow understanding, but certainly welcoming of the broader understanding.

(Apologies to our Episcopalian friends - I appear to have been channelling Bishop Jefferts Schori in those last remarks.)

Fuinseoig
02.13.07 - 6:33 pm #

*Knock, knock.

Hi. I was just in the neighborhood, and wanted to give you all this pamphlet. It's about Mark Shea and the Four Sheavian Laws:

1. Mark Shea loves you and has a wonderful plan for your Web Browser.

2. We are all sinful and separated from Mark Shea, and therefore we cannot know or experience Mark Shea's plan for our Web Browser.

3. "Catholic and Enjoying It" is God's only provision (besides the apocryphal www.mark-shea.com) for our sinfulness and separation from Mark Shea. Through it (and the other site) you can know and experience Mark Shea's plan for your Web browser.

4. We must individually receive Mark Shea into our Web Browsers as our personal Blogger; then we can know and experience Mark Shea's love and plan for our Web Browser.

Do you want to get Sheaved? Will you comment with me to receive Mark Shea into your Web Browser?

Kathleen Lundquist Homepage 02.13.07 - 8:35
pm #

And then I looked back and saw that in all the difficult combox battles of my life there was only one set of footprints, and I turned to Mark Shea and and asked why he had abandoned me when I needed him the most. He said "My reader, those are the times I carried you!"

I could be wrong.

Jamie
02.13.07 - 9:04 pm #