Steve @rantingsteve@interfaith.masto.host

And I'm not even that active here. This is one of my alt accounts.

Now that I'm maintaining this instance, I should probably keep an eye on the fediblock tag, although it seems like I'm the only active user here.

NASA apparently hired 24 theologians to study how humanity would react to alien life and I'm wondering how does one actually get that sort of gig.

Also, if there's any news source on this story that isn't a tabloid?

Rest in Power, Archbishop Tutu

Merry Christmas!

I think this is going to be one of those years that the Yule trees stay up until Imbolc.

I've been listening to Bill Moyer's interview of Joseph Campbell (the Power of Myth) for the first time in probably about 20 years. I'm not sure exactly how long it's been, but I used to have it on audio cassette back in the day.

It has been like consciously reconnecting with a part of myself that's too easily lost in the day-to-day. Very different experience listening to it in my teens and twenties, and listening to it again in my forties.

Been thinking about faith and identity, and why most labels make me uncomfortable, including (perhaps I should say especially) "Christian."

Happy Winter Solstice!

Meditating using the mantram "Ess Tee Eff Ewe" until my brain takes the hint.

Ordered a copy of Be Here Now, but it's not arriving until tomorrow! What a rip off!

Yeah, I'm keeping it at 14-10 until I'm back in Pittsburgh.

Yep, definitely a Tower day.

Also, fuck fasting. Today is a 14-10 day, because I say so.

Tower again. Whee!

Oh, my bad! I was using this deck. 😆

The number of times the Tower has come up with this career change decision may be unnerving for some (including me), but it's also very apropos for a career transition. I can't become a new person unless I'm willing to overcome (destroy) past limitations and beliefs of who I thought I was and what I was capable of.

Or perhaps I'm stubbornly clinging to the path I believe I'm supposed to be on and heading straight to ruin.

Nah!

I've often described myself as a spiritual nomad. Which is complicated when you're trying to be an active member of religious communities, because some times I need to explore other paths and so I go MIA for a bit.

I expect I'll be away from church and sangha for the rest of the year (probably go to church for Christmas though).

Sunday is typically church or sangha. Everything is zoom or hybrid now. Some Sundays I just can't bring myself to zoom any more. So I do introvert "church" for one at home.

Reading a book this morning by someone I went to seminary with, who is now one of the ministers of the church I belonged to in NYC. I feel like I should reach out to him.

Kind of missing NYC this morning, which is a strange feeling.

Shrove Tuesday at seminary we would hold a drag themed chapel service.

My final year I had the privilege of preaching at that service. Here's the sermon I gave. I found myself thinking about this again, because sometimes I feel like all of me is just "too much" for most people. So I have to filter, context-switch, and put on different masks. There's only one living person right now I feel I can trust with all of me. Hopefully one day I'll find a few more.

http://www.newbeingministry.org/sermons/drag.pdf