“Keep your language. Love its sounds, its modulation, its rhythm. But try to march together with men and women of different languages, remote from your own, who dream like you for a more just and humane world.”
― Hélder Câmara
Meditation
The key to wisdom is this - constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth. --Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
Week of April 15, 2018
Dear Friends,
I've been thinking about hope lately--Mostly because my independent study for my Post-Master's Certificate program at the New School is on the role of hope in change leadership. I always loved the idea of hope.
What I didn't realized is that there are official definitions of hope from a social psychology point of view. Researcher C R Snyder talks about hope being an element of willpower and an element of waypower--namely hope both manifests as a sense of agency or self-efficacy, and manifests as a sense of pathmaking or direction.
All this makes me read a lot of these resurrection stories in a new way. Jesus keeps reminding us "you are witnesses," which is a way of saying "you've got this, people!" And Jesus also gives plenty of way advice--including things like " go make disciples, " or "I am the way" or "wherever two or three are gathered in my name I am with you."
In the end, hope is the church. Hope is the practice of seeing the story of new beginnings, and the community that holds and weaves hope when we as individuals cannot.
So in some sense, the mystery of resurrection is all about hope.
Hope to see you soon!
Blessings,
Susan
Week of April 8, 2018
Dear Friends:
You all looked pretty darn perfect last Sunday in your "Sunday-go-to-Meeting" best Easter dress!
So I was watching an episode of Kimmy Schmidt last night (Season 3 episode 9, Kimmy Goes to Church) which was a good sendup of church--but with a soft heart. It reminded me of the old wisdom that "Church is not a Museum for the saints but a hospital for the sinners." (Morton Kelsey) At best, church enables us to face our true and unfinished selves. That honesty allows us to have support while we do the work of becoming something a little more blessed and a little better. That honesty allows us to make real and meaningful connections with other people based on trust and integrity. And finally, in the wisdom of the church we learn that we aren't meant to be perfect in the first place: we are meant to be imperfect so that we can learn to depend on others and lean on God. As Leonard Cohen put it-- the cracks are how the light gets in.
You all looked pretty darn perfect last Sunday, and I know we aren't perfect. Except in God's design, when we reach out to one another and are open to the Spirit's nurturance, we get pretty close!
Blessings. Susan
Meditation
The key to wisdom is this - constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.
--Peter Abelard (1079-1142)