MSI Press Blog

  From: An Afternoon's Dictation: Inclusive Revelation for the 21st Century (Greenebaum) As An Afternoon’s Dictation is published, however deep the hole in which we find ourselves, we face a basic truth. We can accept living in that deep hole or not. And if we reject living in this emotional and spiritual hole, we are going to need each other to climb out. However difficult and long that climb, I believe we owe the effort to our children and to children yet to come. And as we make that climb, may we free our souls of the fear of “them” that has so crippled our efforts to this moment.  Book Description In 1999 Steven Greenebaum felt he'd hit the wall. Fifty years old, he could not make sense of his life or the world around him. For several months he angrily demanded answers from God, if God were there. One afternoon, an inner voice told him to get a pen and paper and write. Steven then took dictation - three pages, not of commandments but guidance for leading a meaningful lif...

  From: An Afternoon's Dictation: Inclusive Revelation for the 21st Century (Greenebaum) It is one thing t o demand answers but quite another to actually get them!  Book Description In 1999 Steven Greenebaum felt he'd hit the wall. Fifty years old, he could not make sense of his life or the world around him. For several months he angrily demanded answers from God, if God were there. One afternoon, an inner voice told him to get a pen and paper and write. Steven then took dictation - three pages, not of commandments but guidance for leading a meaningful life.   An Afternoon's Dictation grapples with, organizes, and deeply explores the revelations Steven received and then studied for over ten years. His sharing is NOT offered as the only possible way to understand it the dictation. It is offered, rather, as a start. The book's sections include deep explorations into "The Call to Interfaith," "The Call to Love One Another," "The Call to Justice,...

  From: An Afternoon's Dictation: Inclusive Revelation for the 21st Century (Greenebaum) I deeply believe that if we are to find our way out of the darkness we will need to come together. We will need to find and cleave to what can unite us. We will need, if you will, a positive, hopeful, action-based spiritual renewal.  Book Description In 1999 Steven Greenebaum felt he'd hit the wall. Fifty years old, he could not make sense of his life or the world around him. For several months he angrily demanded answers from God, if God were there. One afternoon, an inner voice told him to get a pen and paper and write. Steven then took dictation - three pages, not of commandments but guidance for leading a meaningful life.   An Afternoon's Dictation grapples with, organizes, and deeply explores the revelations Steven received and then studied for over ten years. His sharing is NOT offered as the only possible way to understand it the dictation. It is offered, rather, as a start. ...

  Families rarely fracture in a single moment. They unravel slowly, thread by thread, until the fabric that once felt indestructible begins to thin. The causes look different on the surface — politics, money, geography, pride — but underneath, they share a common root: disconnection of meaning . 1. Competing Narratives Every family carries a shared story — who we are, what we value, how we treat one another. When members begin to live by different stories, the bond weakens. One sibling sees independence as success; another sees loyalty as success. One generation prizes freedom; another prizes duty. When the family narrative splinters, belonging starts to feel conditional. 2. Unrepaired Wounds Conflict itself doesn’t destroy families; silence does. Arguments can be healed, but avoidance calcifies. The wound becomes identity: I’m the one who was betrayed. I’m the one who wasn’t heard. Without repair, love turns into distance disguised as civility. 3. The Economics of Care Money d...

  From: An Afternoon's Dictation: Inclusive Revelation for the 21st Century (Greenebaum) In the face of this darkness [of today's world], why write a book? Particularly with my health so “iffy,” why spend what energy remains to me writing? For me, the answer is hope. Yet, hope without action becomes merely a dream that disappears with the morning. So, I write. Book Description In 1999 Steven Greenebaum felt he'd hit the wall. Fifty years old, he could not make sense of his life or the world around him. For several months he angrily demanded answers from God, if God were there. One afternoon, an inner voice told him to get a pen and paper and write. Steven then took dictation - three pages, not of commandments but guidance for leading a meaningful life.   An Afternoon's Dictation grapples with, organizes, and deeply explores the revelations Steven received and then studied for over ten years. His sharing is NOT offered as the only possible way to understand it the dict...