The Sustainist

Week 17 Drawing on Holy Currencies

Turn! Turn! Turn!

This is a musical week.  As part of the meditation on the currency of time, please listen to the different versions of Pete Seeger’s song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” 

You can hear The Byrds’ version at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T51nmyCODHQ.

I recommend the duet by Judy Collins and Pete Seeger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qURAnrk30ng

Check out an amazing version sung by Nina Simone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZv-RNdmY0I

Listen to a different version of the song each day. Keep the book with you this week and fill in the different things that you do throughout the week and categorize them into the 6 Holy Currencies:  place, gracious leadership, relationship, truth, wellness and money. (I color-coded the different currencies.)

Do the best you can at the end of the week to discern how much time you spent on each holy currency. You can find short definitions of these currencies in Chapter 1 of Holy Currencies.

It is hard for me to do this exercise because I have such an irregular schedule – every week is different.  However, I did it anyway and here is some of my learning: 

• I was surprised that I did so well with wellness. This currency had been a challenge for me in the past.  Since 2018, I have limited my travel to one major trip outside of southern California per month resulting in staying home more. Therefore, I am seeing good results in my wellness assessment this past week.  Naturally, the time of wellness also helps me with my relationships which is also my strength.
• However, I discovered that I have weaknesses in my currency of place. I did not pay attention to taking care of the places where I work and live.  I am looking at my bedroom (which is also my home office) right now, and it is way too messy and dusty.  I realized that the currency of place has never been high in my priority, since most of it was taken care of by my spouse and other office workers.  In the coming weeks, I will set aside time to increase my currency of place.
• I am also disappointed at how little time I spend on the currency of truth besides watching the news and reading the newspaper each day. With the present political climate, I found myself frustrated and paralyzed by how truth was distorted and fear was used constantly to block us from discerning the truth.  My plan for the coming week is to spend more time to break out of the blockage of fear and map out time to take action in response to the truth amidst all the distractions.

What are your strengths, weaknesses and challenges as you fill in your weekly calendar?  Are there surprises?  Affirmations?  What is your plan in the coming weeks to create a more balanced living in the way you use your time? Remember to share your drawings on social media using #holycurrencies. 

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

Week 16 Drawing on Holy Currencies

Drawing on Holy Currencies Week 16

Pledge Card for Gracious Leadership

Welcome to the first pledge card of Drawing on Holy Currencies. Answer the questions on the first page and you will have a better idea of how to complete the pledge card.

• List the knowledge and abilities that you have: (This can be anything that you are good at.)
• Name some of the ministries in your church that could benefit from your abilities.
• Name a person or a group in church who might benefit from learning the skills that you have:
• Name a person or group outside of church who might benefit from learning the skills that you have:
• What additional leadership skills (especially gracious leadership skills) would you like to acquire?
• Do some research to find out what leadership training programs in your area of interest are available through your church or in the community.

Color the pledge card and you will find the completion date that you need to fill in.

Find an Accountable Person for this pledge card. This person can be the same AP you have been reporting to but can be someone else. It would be fun to explain to the new AP what you are doing.

Make the pledge card unique and beautiful. Take a photo and send it to the person who oversees stewardship ministry in your community. If this person doesn’t know what it is, you will have the opportunity to explain what you (and your group) are doing.

For small groups: Gather your group and work on the pledge cards together. That should be fun to find out what skills and tools the others are willing to share. Remember to practice presenting the Respectful Communication Guidelines and use Mutual Invitation.

Don't forget to share your experiences on social media using #holycurrencies

Week 15 Drawing on Holy Currencies

Passing on the Tools

As you color this comic strip on Week 15, follow how the hammer was being passed along to different characters and how they co-create something that brings the community together.

Being an amazing steward requires us to know the gifts, skills and tools that we have and, more importantly, consciously pass them on to others for the purpose of creating sustainable community. In the last 2 weeks, I have shared two gracious leadership tools – Respectful Communication Guidelines and Mutual Invitation.  These two skills have been part of my tool kit for building inclusive communication for over 30 years.  They form the foundation for building trusting relationships, inclusion of everyone and providing space and time for people to share their truth. 

Over the years, I have observed communities come alive when these tools are used regularly and have become integral to everything the communities do.  So, share them generously every chance you get in your families, work, schools, and ministries.  Of course, there are other tools that can also strengthen communities that you might have and that you can share as well.  What might they be?  They don’t have to be something like the Respectful Communication Guidelines and Mutual Invitation; these are my skills to share.  The skills and tools you might share can be how to bake amazing cookies, how to play the guitar, how to sing, how to pray, how to listen compassionately to others, how to play a game, how to clear a home, how to tidy up, how to drive a car, how to cook, how to make tea, how to do stuff with your phone, how to take an amazing photo, how to draw cartoon, . . . . etc. 

Post your colored picture with #holycurrencies and name the tools and skills that you will be passing on.  To whom?  What blessing will passing on this tool provide?

Week 14 Drawing on Holy Currencies

Mutual Invitation

"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."  Matthew 20:16

When people are a circle, there is no first or last. Everyone is equal. Everyone can see everyone else.  Everyone has equal access to whatever is in the middle of the circle.  Even in a circle, there are still inequalities in the way people communicate.  Some are taught to volunteer to speak whenever they feel like it; they are always the first to talk in a group. Some are taught to wait for their turns and may need to be invited in order to enter the conversation.  They are the ones who are often last to speak if they speak at all. Mutual Invitation is one of the well-tested processes that will guarantee inclusion of everyone in a small group of 5-12 people. This act of invitation is essential for building inclusive community.

What does including everyone in a small group have to do with being an amazing steward?  When we guarantee that each person in the group will have time to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences, this is being a good steward of the currency of time and truth.  When each person is listened to by the others, we are building the currency of relationship. 

Try Mutual Invitation with a small group following the instructions on Week 14 of Drawing on Holy Currencies.  Invite participants to share the topics listed using Mutual Invitation.  Or you can use Mutual Invitation to invite each person to share their reflections from each week’s drawing.  Tips: details are important in your instruction. I recommend you READ the instructions and do a short demonstration like inviting people to share their favorite ice cream before you use the process to engage in dialogue about their reflections. 

You can read more about Mutual Invitation in Chapter 9 of The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb.

Remember to share your colored picture using #holycurrencies