The Sustainist

Sustaining the Saints

Guest post by Ray Hess

All Saints Sunday is the day at the parish I serve when we offer our financial pledges for next year.  We do this on All Saints Sunday because it is a major feast day and it is at a good time in the fall season to make pledges.  This year, All Saints Sunday has additional special meaning.  It is on November 4^th, two days before the presidential election.  For me and many others, this election day holds a lot of hopes and fears about how our nation will respond.  In California, we have several important state propositions, including one to end the death penalty.  The outcome for this and other issues and races is up in the air. I feel a strong personal stake in the outcome and wonder how God is at work in all this.  I also have high concern about how our pledging will come out in an important year for our parish, since I am retiring from full-time ministry at the end of this year.

As saints of God, how do we sustain our lives in the midst of situations where we cannot control the outcome?  I find that it is easy to become anxious and distracted by worries and fears.

Recently, I met with my spiritual director, and we talked about trust.  In thinking about the election, about the future of St. Mary’s, about my own future as I near retirement, my spiritual director encouraged me to “do what you can and then trust in God.”  This sounds simple and maybe obvious, but is so crucial for me and most of us. 

The scripture readings for All Saints Day point to God’s presence which brings comfort and new life.  The readings use intimate metaphors of our lives being in God’s hands, of God wiping away our tears, of seeing God’s face, of God unbinding us and setting us free.  For me, all these metaphors describe trust in God.  This trust is the foundation of my relationship with my personal family, my church community, and the larger community around me.  As I do what I can in these aspects of my life, I am sustained by my underlying trust in God.  Especially in uncertain times, God’s saints are sustained by trust in the good will and care of God.

ACTIVITY All Saints Day 2012 Ask the group to reflect silently about situations in their personal lives, congregations, or national life where they are anxious about outcomes.  Then ask that each participant write down one situation that they might share with the group.  By mutual invitation in sub-groups of 4-5, share as much as they would like about this situation. Read Wisdom 3:1-9 to the group, and ask each participant to reflect silently about the image of being in God’s hands.  Then ask each participant to describe in writing an experience of being upheld by God in difficult circumstances.  By mutual invitation in sub-groups of 4-5, share as much as they would like about this experience. In the whole group, have time for general discussion about trust.  What kinds of things make us anxious?  How can we build trust in God’s presence and love?  How does this trust sustain us in difficult circumstances? Conclude with a prayer circle, doing one sentence prayers of thanksgiving or petition (“Thank you, God, for ….” or “God, I pray for ….).  The leader begins, and then squeezes the hand of the person on their right when finished.  Anyone can pass by squeezing the person’s hand on their right.

Reflection Questions for All Saints Day Wisdom 3:1-9    How do you experience your life being in God’s hands? Isaiah 25:6-9 (alternative Old Testament reading)   In what ways has God wiped away your tears or the tears of those you love? Psalm 24   What does it mean to you to see God’s face? Revelation 21:1-6a   In what ways have you experienced God being with you and wiping away your tears? John 11:32-44   How has God unbound you and given you new life?

Ray Hess is Rector (senior pastor) of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Elk Grove, California, a large suburb of Sacramento.  He has served in ordained parish ministry in the Episcopal Church for almost 38 years and has done extensive study in congregational development.  Ray has started the process to become an Associate of the Kaleidoscope Institute and looks forward to doing consulting and teaching after retiring from full-time ministry at the end of 2012.

On Humility, Empathy, and Understanding in a Digitally Networked World

Guest post by John Deuel

Before he went on his sabbatical, The Sustainist was taking advantage of our election-soaked context to invite us into conversations about parts of our national identity. He wrote about the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Gettysburg Address, Brown v. Board of Education and others. In each posting, he gave readers a dialog process to use with others on aspects of these documents.

If you did launch conversations with people along the lines of Eric’s recent suggestions, perhaps you were exposed to points of view very different from your own. While the KI dialog process is open and welcoming, at a national level our current dialog is particularly polarized and feels, to me anyway, as if it is filled with much more talking than listening. This seems especially true online. 

Our online social lives have a great amount of openness, sharing and community. But electronic communications inherently possess a distance or separation. Not just physically, but there is frequently an empathic distance. We find ourselves being misunderstood as we dialog with others online. We have a tougher time understanding others’ intentions. This presents a challenge to building sustainable communities.

I humbly submit that the readings from this coming Sunday share a theme that can help us with this challenge. In Job, God asks, "where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” Hebrews speaks of Jesus' own obedience to his father and of the fact that priestly leaders have weaknesses just like their flock. Finally, in the gospel, Jesus says “whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant.”

Each of these readings carries a lesson in humility. If we can hold humbleness in our hearts as we dialog with others in our networked world, perhaps we can hear them more genuinely. We can remind ourselves that we were not there when God formed the universe, that we have our own brokenness just like our fellow humans, and that we are called to serve rather than be served. We can live this openness in our hearts with joy, encouraging others to do the same through our humble example.

Dialogue Process with reflection questions for Proper 24: Choose one of the scripture passages for Proper 24: Job 38:1-7, (34-41); Psalm 104:1-9,25,37b; Hebrews 5:1-10; or Mark 10:35-45. Form small groups of no more than 6-8 people per group. Inform participants that the chosen passage will be read three times. After each reading, participants will be invited to share their reflections using the Mutual Invitation process. (See 8/13/2012 post for a description of Mutual Invitation.) Invite participants to capture a word, a phrase or image that stood out for them from the document while the text is read out loud the first time.  Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her word, phrase or image briefly Invite participants to consider the reflection question for the chosen passage as it is read a second time: Job – What does it mean to you when scripture says God “laid the foundation of the earth”? Psalm – How does this Psalm speak to you now that we regularly “make the clouds our chariot”, the “winds our messengers” and the “flames of fire our servants”? Hebrews – How does the word “obedience” speak to you in this passage? Mark – What do you hear when Jesus says “whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all”? Invite someone to read the passage a second time. Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her reflection on the question. Invite participants to consider the following question while listening to the text again: As a result of studying this passage, what are you being called to be, do or change today? Invite someone to read the passage a third time and, using mutual invitation, invite each person share his or her reflection on the final question. Conclude the reflection and dialog with a Circle Prayer: a. Join hands. Invite participants to pray aloud, one at a time: “I thank God today....” and “I ask God today…" The facilitator starts then squeezes the hand of the person next to them. When the pulse returns to the facilitator, everyone recites together the Lord’s Prayer in whatever language or version each person feels most comfortable.

Professionally, John Deuel is an IT Director.  Personally he is an EfM mentor & graduate who tries to be a good friend, husband, and caregiver while blogging occasionally at http://cheztudor.blogspot.com.

In Search of a Sustaining Rhythm of Life

Guest post by Bill Cruse

We are in a diverse changing world that seems to move faster and faster every year. I hear myself and others say things like, “wow, it’s summer already? Where did the spring go?” We have a sense that time is passing more quickly. We rush from one meeting to the next, and from worship service to the next activity without much time for reflection on what has happened.

I entered seminary six weeks ago. I’ve been forced to stop rushing by the intentional pattern of life established in this community. I might feel pressed to get the next chapter read or the paper written, but this community provides an opportunity for the sustaining of my wellness. Even though I have deadlines at school, a flight to catch for weekend work or family visits, I am able to do all this in a new way, with a spirituality that sustains me. I’m not drained of energy; instead I feel more alive and connected.

Something has changed for me. I have a new sense of wellness and sustaining rhythm in my life. And if I think back to an earlier Sustainist blog post, my wellness will affect those who are in my spheres of influence. Through email, text messages, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter I have been sharing my experiences. My friends are learning of the new patterns and rhythm my life has acquired. I have adopted a new ordo – a word that implies a methodical series or arrangement (and is used in the church to describe liturgical order). I use the word intentionally. It is unusual, set apart from daily life, and not part of our common parlance. What’s happened for me is that I have adopted an intentional ordo that invites me to slow down, connect with people and my thoughts, and with my Creator. I take time to sustain all of my holy currencies: relationship, wellness, time and place, money, leadership, and truth.

To sustain our wellbeing, our communities, our relationships, and our world, we need to re-establish a World Ordo, each of us, alone and in community. I’m in residence at seminary where developing a pattern and rhythm is hard to avoid. I am blessed with time intentionally set apart in community with daily prayer, and twice weekly mid-day Eucharist, times to give thanks. But also in the hearing of the Word (classes) and beginning to put the Word into action. I offer myself, my soul, my body through my assignments as a thanksgiving for all I have and continue to receive. I am sent forth each day, and am preparing to be sent forth in a new and unique way when I complete this formational process.

Invite members of your community to gather and explore ways to create intentional time that sustains wellness and relationship: Give everyone a piece of paper that will be the dialogue worksheet. Invite participants to spend a moment to identify the current rhythm or pattern of their daily life. Invite them to make a list or draw a picture. Invite participants to describe how the parts of their daily life sustain (or don’t) their spiritual wellness and relationships with family, friends and the community. Form small groups and invite participants to use Mutual Invitation to share as much as they would like from their dialogue worksheet.  As a large group, close the dialogue time by inviting participants to reflect and share. What’s the pattern and rhythm of being in community you can establish that will be transformational for you and the wellbeing of your relationships and communities? Where can you find your rhythm, your ordo, both individually and in community? What will become your ordo in order to be a sustainist, contributing to your own well-being, the wellbeing of your relationships and the wellbeing of your communities?

Reflection Questions for Proper 23 (Year B) Job 23:1-9, 16-1    What sustains your relationship with God when you think God is not there? Psalm 22:1-15   In what ways does God respond to your cries? Hebrews 4:12-16   In times of need how do you hold fast to your confession and approach with boldness? Mark 10:17-31   Why is it hard to enter the kingdom of God?

Bill Cruse is the East Coast Program Coordinator and an Associate with the Kaleidoscope Institute. He is an intercultural competency coach and a licensed Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory®. Bill is a postulant in the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire and pursuing the Master of Divinity degree at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. He will be co-facilitating the Multicultural Conference “Creating a Church for All People” at Lake Junaluska November 29 – December 1.  Bill can be reached via email at [email protected]

Sabbatical

As many of you know, I am going on sabbatical starting October 1, for 3 months.  This is a sorely needed time for me to rebuild my “currency of wellness.”  Sabbatical is a time for me to step out of my roles and routines and reconnect/re-encounter with myself, others, communities and the earth on human-human, human-creation and human-divine levels.  As part of this sabbatical effort, I will take a break from being The Sustainist for three months.  The side benefits of a sabbatical are:

1. I know I am not indispensible.  The world and all of these things that go on will continue when I stop doing what I usually do.
2. Other people get to do what I usualy do so that their voices and gifts can be shared.  My taking a sabbatical means I can get out of the way for others to share their gifts.

For the next 3 months, I have invited guest bloggers to write for The Sustainist.  You will get to read about my friend’s ideas and thoughts on Spirituality for a Sustainable Community in a Networked World.

On another matter, many of you also know that I have completed my new book: Holy Currencies this summer – another reason for my sabbatical since I had expended so much of my energy finishing the book.   The book is due to be in print January , 2013.  Meanwhile, if any of you want to get a preview of the book as well as help the Kaleidsocope Institute out financially, here what you can do: 

As part of our fundraising effort, we are offering donors a first look at material from Holy Currencies.  Here is how it works:  If you donate $75 or more to the Kaleidoscope Institute, you will receive a preview chapter of your choice.  Also, you will receive a signed copy of the book as soon as it is in print.  You can go to the Kaleidoscope Institute's website and click “DONATE”, which will take you to the donation page.  Type in the amount of your contribution in the “General Donations” box and write “Holy Currencies” in the box next to it.  You can follow instructions to finish the process.   Here is the contents of the book:

Holy Currencies

Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter One: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Chapter Two: Do More with Less
Chapter Three: Currency of Relationship
Chapter Four: Boundless Compassion
Chapter Five: Currency of Truth
Chapter Six: Feeding of the Multitudes
Chapter Seven: Currency of Wellness
Chapter Eight: Reach for Wellness
Chapter Nine: Currency of Gracious Leadership
Chapter Ten: Road to Emmaus
Chapter Eleven: Currency of Time and Place
Chapter Twelve: GracEconomics
Chapter Thirteen: Currency of Money
Chapter Fourteen: Living the Cycle of Blessings
Appendix A Currencies Inventory of Your Church
Appendix B How Are the Currencies Flowing in Your Ministry?

Thank you all for being faithful readers of The Sustainist. I pray that you will continue to read The Sustainist while I am gone. I will be back in Janaury.

Eric

Justice and Justices

In 1951, a class action suit was filed against the Board of Education of the City of Topeka, Kansas in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The plaintiffs were thirteen Topeka parents on behalf of their twenty children.

The suit called for the school district to reverse its policy of racial segregation. Separate elementary schools were operated by the Topeka Board of Education under an 1879 Kansas law, which permitted (but did not require) districts to maintain separate elementary school facilities for black and white students in twelve communities with populations over 15,000.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court overturning its earlier ruling, declaring the establishment of separate public schools for black and white students inherently unequal.  The decision of the Supreme Court was unanimous, which meant that all 9 justices agreed.

Brown did not, however, result in the immediate desegregation of America's public schools, nor did it mandate desegregation of public accommodations, such as restaurants or bathrooms that were owned by private parties, which would not be accomplished until the passage of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, it was a giant step forward for the civil rights movement, placing the weight of the Federal Judiciary squarely behind the forces of desegregation.

As the people of the United States move toward the November election, one of the things that voters need to consider in the Presidential election is:  who will this president appoint when a Supreme Court Justice retires in the next four years?  Brown v. Board of Education demonstrated the power of the Supreme Court to undo injustice and steer the country toward greater sustainability for future generations.  The choice of president will impact the makeup of the future Supreme Court.  As you study excerpts from the ruling on the Brown v. Board Education, consider which presidential candidate will have the capacity to appoint future justices who will make the kind of decisions that the Supreme Court made unanimously in 1954?

EXCERPT FROM THE UNANIMOUS SUPREME COURT DECISION ON THE CASE: BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCTION DELIVERED BY CHIEF JUSTICE WARREN ON MAY 17, 1954.

Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.

We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other "tangible" factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does. . . .

Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children. The impact is greater when it has the sanction of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the negro group. . . .

We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment./em>

Dialogue Process: Inform participants that portions of the excerpt from the Supreme Court decision on the Brown vs. Board of Education will be read three times. After each reading, participants will be invited to share their reflections using the Mutual Invitation process. (See 8/13/2012 post for description of Mutual Invitation.) Invite participants to capture a word, a phrase or image that stood out for them from the document while the text is read out loud the first time. Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her word, phrase or image briefly. Invite participants to consider the following question as the text is read a second time: What did you learn from this document about the role of the Supreme Court and the wellbeing of the people of the Untied States?  Invite someone to read the document a second time. Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her reflection the questions. Invite participants to consider the following question while listening to the text again: As a result of studying this text, what are you being called to do or change (as a person living in the United States) today? Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her reflection.

Reflection Questions for Proper 22(Year B) Job 1:1; 2:1-10    What did you learn from this story about faithfulness? Psalm 26   What does it mean to live with integrity? Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12   What for it mean to be a brother or sister of Jesus? Mark 10:2-16   How does this passage inform about Jesus’ attitude toward women and children?

Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org

2013 Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist: April 15-19 Missional Ministry in the Grace Margin and Holy Currencies Orientation Los Angeles, CA July 15-19 Holy Currencies: Beyond Time, Talent and Treasure Los Angeles, CA August 19-23 Fundamental Skills for Building Inclusive Community and Holy Currencies Orientation Rainbow Lodge Retreat Center, North Bend (near Seattle), WA Register at:  www.kscopeinstitute.org