Today's Daily Chautauquan featured a story about the New Clergy Program and the current class of fellows. Not a bad looking group of suffering servants (if I may say so myself). Check out the article here.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
The day's harvest
From a day filled with lectures, worship, conversations, food and fellowship, here are a few pearls. These are not quotes but my recollection of the speaker's ideas. I am not sure any of them are true, but they made for good thinking. You can, of course, download any of these sermons or lectures from Chautauqua's on line library: http://www.thegreatlecturelibrary.com/ (I think I get a free Chautauqua Bell Tower tote bag if you tell them I sent you).
From Prof. James Heckman: the attributes that used to be lumped together and called “character” (i.e. ability to finish a job once started, ability to delay gratification, hard work, focus, respect for rules, et al.) turn out to be vital for long term success in life as measured by certain economic – though not necessarily financial - parameters. We should therefore shift our policies and invest in programs that cultivate “good character” in children from a very early age instead of focusing on testing and remediation.
From Rev. John Buchanan’s sermon: a recent Pew Trust survey shows that people who go regularly to church are more likely than atheists to believe that torture is acceptable. From his lunchtime talk: You are not called to be successful you are called to be faithful.
From Prof. Elaine Pagels: The Gospel of John is, at least in part, a polemic against the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas. References to Thomas, especially the “doubting Thomas” episode, are not really about the apostle character, Thomas, but about the Gospel written in his name. John presents a theology whereby Jesus is absolutely unique – above and unlike humans. Thomas, according to Pagels, sees the light of divinity in all humanity. The “light” in Jesus is equally in all people and all living things. [note: some of my pastor colleagues here did not agree with Pagels’ interpretation.]
From Garrison Keillor: All good stories are about people’s mistakes. You should serve your family homemade potato salad on the Fourth of July because that is how “cautious” “unexpressive” people show their love. It's also an honest way to keep faith with Thomas Jefferson.
From Prof. James Heckman: the attributes that used to be lumped together and called “character” (i.e. ability to finish a job once started, ability to delay gratification, hard work, focus, respect for rules, et al.) turn out to be vital for long term success in life as measured by certain economic – though not necessarily financial - parameters. We should therefore shift our policies and invest in programs that cultivate “good character” in children from a very early age instead of focusing on testing and remediation.
From Rev. John Buchanan’s sermon: a recent Pew Trust survey shows that people who go regularly to church are more likely than atheists to believe that torture is acceptable. From his lunchtime talk: You are not called to be successful you are called to be faithful.
From Prof. Elaine Pagels: The Gospel of John is, at least in part, a polemic against the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas. References to Thomas, especially the “doubting Thomas” episode, are not really about the apostle character, Thomas, but about the Gospel written in his name. John presents a theology whereby Jesus is absolutely unique – above and unlike humans. Thomas, according to Pagels, sees the light of divinity in all humanity. The “light” in Jesus is equally in all people and all living things. [note: some of my pastor colleagues here did not agree with Pagels’ interpretation.]
From Garrison Keillor: All good stories are about people’s mistakes. You should serve your family homemade potato salad on the Fourth of July because that is how “cautious” “unexpressive” people show their love. It's also an honest way to keep faith with Thomas Jefferson.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Chautauqua Day 2 - Monday
Here's Monday's schedule, typical of the week to come:
8 AM breakfast
9:15 Worship in the 5,000 seat amphitheater, Rev. Dr. John Buchanan, senior pastor Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago and Publisher of Christian Century Magazine is preaching.
10:15 Coffee and discussion of the service and sermon at United Church of Christ Guest House.
10:45 Morning Lecture - Prof. James Heckman, Nobel Prize Economist
12:15 Luncheon and discussion with Rev. Wendy Heinz, "Pastoral Care of a Congregation"
1:30 Break
2:00 Religion Dept. Lecture - Dr. Elain Pagels, author, "The Gnostic Gospels"
4:00 Session - A conversation with Rev. Dr. John Buchanan
5:30 Break
6:00 Fellowship (I think that's like an oneg)
6:15 Dinner followed by review of the day with faculty and other fellows
8:15 "An Evening with Garrison Keillor" in the amphitheater.
A day that only a clergyman could love.
8 AM breakfast
9:15 Worship in the 5,000 seat amphitheater, Rev. Dr. John Buchanan, senior pastor Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago and Publisher of Christian Century Magazine is preaching.
10:15 Coffee and discussion of the service and sermon at United Church of Christ Guest House.
10:45 Morning Lecture - Prof. James Heckman, Nobel Prize Economist
12:15 Luncheon and discussion with Rev. Wendy Heinz, "Pastoral Care of a Congregation"
1:30 Break
2:00 Religion Dept. Lecture - Dr. Elain Pagels, author, "The Gnostic Gospels"
4:00 Session - A conversation with Rev. Dr. John Buchanan
5:30 Break
6:00 Fellowship (I think that's like an oneg)
6:15 Dinner followed by review of the day with faculty and other fellows
8:15 "An Evening with Garrison Keillor" in the amphitheater.
A day that only a clergyman could love.
Three Taps and a Little Hebrew
The Chatauqua Institution opened its 136th season this morning as Institution President Tom Becker delivered the ceremonial three taps of the gavel. I helped open the interfaith service with a Hebrew recitation of the first day of creation from Genesis. It was, they tell me, a "first." My week-long tenure at Chautauqua will be a series of "firsts." I am staying at the just-finished Everett Jewish Life Center on the Institution's grounds. This apparently makes me the first guest in the house (yes, we had the obligatory 'shehechiyanu' moment).
I am here as a participant in the New Clergy Fellows Program, a interfaith gathering of clergy who have been ordained for seven years or less. We started last night with a tour, introduction, dinner and social hour. This morning, like all Sundays at Chautauqua, was even more religious than most. Every denomination held its own worship services before the community wide service for 3,500 people in the Amphitheater. The New Fellows were assigned to divide and visit - each of us to a different worship service. I attended the Catholic mass, my first since sleeping over Chris Callanan's house in the seventh grade. I'm off to Vespers with Reverend John Buchanan and later I will do my best to sing the hymns at the sacred song service. This will be, as I'm sure you could guess, my first vespers service. What a week of firsts it will be!
I am here as a participant in the New Clergy Fellows Program, a interfaith gathering of clergy who have been ordained for seven years or less. We started last night with a tour, introduction, dinner and social hour. This morning, like all Sundays at Chautauqua, was even more religious than most. Every denomination held its own worship services before the community wide service for 3,500 people in the Amphitheater. The New Fellows were assigned to divide and visit - each of us to a different worship service. I attended the Catholic mass, my first since sleeping over Chris Callanan's house in the seventh grade. I'm off to Vespers with Reverend John Buchanan and later I will do my best to sing the hymns at the sacred song service. This will be, as I'm sure you could guess, my first vespers service. What a week of firsts it will be!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Three Faiths Event
Yesterday's Three Faiths Day of Cooperation and Trust was great. I was honored that the Jewish Federation turned to MRT and me to help organize this event. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (shown left with me at the temple) was the visionary behind this and other "three faiths" events in our district. Everyone's hard work paid off. Here's the description from Asbury Park Press writer, Christina Vega (article in today's paper):
To spark up a conversation with strangers, Suzie Mitwally said the best way for her to break the ice is to make a joke about the headscarf that she wears on a daily basis.
"I wasn't always covered," said the 50-year-old Marlboro resident who wore a light blue headscarf, or hijab in Arabic. "I think we're more approachable when we're covered. People cross the gap of communication when they understand."
A member of the Islam Center of Monmouth County in Middletown, Mitwally was
one of almost 200 people who attended on Sunday afternoon a Three Faiths Event: A Day of Cooperation and Trust. The event, initiated by Rep. Rush D. Holt, D-N.J., and spearheaded by the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County, aimed to show the solidarity and cooperation that is possible between religions, even in time of strife.
"We saw the event as a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the similarities of Abrahamic faiths and to gain respect for one another as we recognize our differences," said Jill Briggles, director of the Federation's Community Relations Committee.
The event included an interfaith educational exchange with information about the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths and a tour of three houses of worship: the Islam Center of Monmouth County, the Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls and the United Methodist Church in Red Bank.
"This is the building of a harmonious society derived from understanding and love," said Amro Mosaad, who spoke on behalf of the Islam Center. "The event is very uplifting, very promising and rewarding to the individual people and extraordinarily beneficial to our community." Inside the mosque, members of the congregation spoke about the mihrab, made of Turkish tiles, which represents the direction of prayer toward Mecca and demonstrated the midday prayer. "It's important in general for the religious communities to know each other and for people to meet real Muslims and see what goes on inside," Mosaad said.
Rabbi Jonathan Roos, who spoke at the Monmouth Reform Temple, gave a presentation to familiarize guests with the symbolism in the synagogue. Roos explained the menorah, the different denominations of dress, the Torah and the
overall belief of the Jewish religion. "In the world of ritual theology, there are differences between all of our religions, but the core shares a commitment that we are here to help the needy," Roos said. "That which causes damage to the world, we should not do."
A shuttle transported the guests to each destination, including the United Methodist Church, where the Rev. Myrna Bethke spoke about Christian beliefs. The tour came to an end at Monmouth University, where guests were treated to a multicultural festival of food, music, dance and film. Rep. Holt honored special guest Pastor Joshua Dubois of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Mitwally said although passersby see her headscarf and might think she's an immigrant who doesn't speak English, she has a comedic side and likes to lighten up the mood. "We're the same people. We're your neighbors. Our children go to the same schools and play on the same teams. We're no different except for how we practice our beliefs," Mitwally said.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Gan Mazon, Day 3: Reap What You Sow
Gan Mazon, MRT's Garden of Plenty, is now fully planted! Mazel Tov to everyone who was involved, especially to Josh Gilstein & Howard Bodner, who led this project from idea to reality. Today saw a whole new crop of temple volunteers join us: Jo, Peg, Alyssa, Alex, Jill, Gayle, Carly, Ilana, Cheryl, Kenny, Nadine, Kyle, Gunnar, Brook, Jeremy, and Helene. Most of our veterans returned. We also had a handful of new Boy Scouts, parents, and friends at work in Gan Mazon. God willing it will produce lots of vegetables to feed the hungry. But regardless of its yield, Gan Mazon has already produced success.
Please come see the garden and sign up to help, but remember the following: Gan Mazon is organic (pesticide free), for the benefit of local food banks, and all work should be organized through Josh Gilstein or MRT's Program Coordinator, Helene Messer.
In one week, we went from this:
To this:
To this:
Please come see the garden and sign up to help, but remember the following: Gan Mazon is organic (pesticide free), for the benefit of local food banks, and all work should be organized through Josh Gilstein or MRT's Program Coordinator, Helene Messer.
In one week, we went from this:
 |
| From Gan Mazon - MRT's Garden of Plenty |
 |
| From Gan Mazon - MRT's Garden of Plenty |
 |
| From Gan Mazon - MRT's Garden of Plenty |
If you have an idea for a project like this - bring it to our attention. We would love to help you make it a reality!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Gan Mazon and the case for "Ready, Fire, Aim!"
After a second day of work:
Gan Mazon is ready for planting. This project came about quickly but shows that we can succeed with ambitious plans even on short notice. There were several "built-in" time limits that forced us to move quickly: planting had to be done by the first week of June, our monthly board meeting schedule dictated that the proposal go the board before it had a full committee "hearing," and Josh's Eagle Scout proposal needed to be completed within a few weeks.
The two days of ground breaking and garden set up included a few factors worth pointing out:
* Community Building: Several temple members who had not previously met each other came together to work on the garden.
* Personal Contribution: Temple members were able to utilize their professional skills and personal interests to advance a good cause (Elmo and Howard on the garden, Josh with the Scouts, Gene with gate, Kennedys with the irrigation, etc.)
* Reaching Out: Volunteers came from outside the temple to support this project as well. Three different Boy Scout Troops were represented (Holmdel, Ft. Monmouth, & Little Silver) along with their parents, the Monmouth County Master Gardeners, and Plant A Row.
* Fulfilling Our Mission: MRT's revitalized social action program has - again - cranked out another great program. Judy Raybon's "ground-up / let-the-people-lead-us" philosophy is working wonders.
My colleague, Rabbi Rick Jacobs at Westchester Reform, has written and taught that "Read, Fire, Aim" - though counter-intuitive - can be a productive and efficient process for synagogues to follow in their programming. Gan Mazon is a case in point.
Gan Mazon is ready for planting. This project came about quickly but shows that we can succeed with ambitious plans even on short notice. There were several "built-in" time limits that forced us to move quickly: planting had to be done by the first week of June, our monthly board meeting schedule dictated that the proposal go the board before it had a full committee "hearing," and Josh's Eagle Scout proposal needed to be completed within a few weeks.
The two days of ground breaking and garden set up included a few factors worth pointing out:
* Community Building: Several temple members who had not previously met each other came together to work on the garden.
* Personal Contribution: Temple members were able to utilize their professional skills and personal interests to advance a good cause (Elmo and Howard on the garden, Josh with the Scouts, Gene with gate, Kennedys with the irrigation, etc.)
* Reaching Out: Volunteers came from outside the temple to support this project as well. Three different Boy Scout Troops were represented (Holmdel, Ft. Monmouth, & Little Silver) along with their parents, the Monmouth County Master Gardeners, and Plant A Row.
* Fulfilling Our Mission: MRT's revitalized social action program has - again - cranked out another great program. Judy Raybon's "ground-up / let-the-people-lead-us" philosophy is working wonders.
My colleague, Rabbi Rick Jacobs at Westchester Reform, has written and taught that "Read, Fire, Aim" - though counter-intuitive - can be a productive and efficient process for synagogues to follow in their programming. Gan Mazon is a case in point.
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