As we sat around the table last week at our community's pre-holiday Thanksgiving meal, I was surprised by the variety of responses to the question of what we are thankful for right now. Most of all I was surprised at what I'm really thankful for at this point in my life. One lesson I've been learning through my community is the value of humor and balance. The security of our community allows for almost everything to be taken in its proper proportion. Insecurity often leads to wise-cracking, humor as a barrier, and insensitivity to true depth. Somehow we've collectively created a community that can hold things in proper respect while always being open to the joy of humor and the ability to not take ourselves too seriously. What a blessing for me! I can be uptight and goal-oriented and solution-focused. And secondly, I feel more comfortable being who I am because I know that there is a balance and I am part of that balance. I hold up my side of the bargain and someone else adds their contribution to the collective personality. When we're all free to be ourselves we create the truest kind of community that uses everyone's strengths how they are best gifted. I'm learning the gift of finding balance with humor and also the ability to not feel responsible for things that are not my part, to just be me.
On a more practical note, I woke up this morning to an awful phone call. I was sleeping late in our hotel suite and awoke to hear my parents answer a call from Jonas. Jonas and his family have become especially connected to my parents through activities at Grace Place which have made us aware of their particular family difficulties and needs. My dad is a special mentor to Jonas' son "Little James" and we've all been involved in helping their family out with one thing or another. This year their family moved into a Habitat for Humanity house and out of the Grace Place neighborhood. On Thanksgiving morning Jonas was calling us, to ask about anywhere that offers food on Thanksgiving. The only solution that my dad could come up with is the single homeless shelter in Naples, St. Matthew's House, but even they are not serving an open meal. There are no options. They are not homeless. They have jobs. But they don't have any food on Thanksgiving, of all days. It's easy to wake up and celebrate a wonderful day of thanks with my family and food and health and warmth and great weather...if I'm not aware, or try to ignore for those 24 hours what else is happening outside my bubble. It's true what Shane Claiborne says that we will only be compelled to tackle poverty if we actually get to know the poor and what poverty looks like. I know Jonas and Little James and his siblings Jason and Crystelle. And yet I still feel at a loss as to how to change the injustices of the world.
After a day of football and horseshoes and conversation and eventually food, food, and more food, we rolled upstairs to watch "Transformers." In the oh-so-clever battle scene diaglogue (sarcasm) between Megatron and Optimus Prime, Megatron berates Prime's defense of humans because they do not deserve to live. Optimus Prime responds, "They have the right to choose." As cheesey as the movie is, the ethical truth of the autobots rings true in our hearts. And it makes me ask, does everyone really have the right to choose to live? Because Jonas doesn't have food for his family on Thanksgiving, does that mean he made that choice? Or are other systemic factors forcing it on him? I don't even know what do with these same questions that have been bouncing around in my head for so long. The only answer I can find is to focus on making the microcosm of my life and my commmunity into a slice of the equal, just, diverse in-breaking kingdom of God. Beyond that, I'm really at a loss.
I tried not to let this color my day. And overall it was one of the better Thanksgivings I can remember. I felt particularly relaxed and engaged and comfortable with my family. I really enjoyed being with all 17 of us today. I thank God for all these things, even and especially the questions that challenge me and let me know that there is still blood coursing in my veins and pumping my heart, physically and spiritually.
To end with a glimmer of hope... maybe if I could only just get that Transformers' soundtrack as the background music to my life, then I can make some epic changes in the world.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Bind Us Together
A common benediction in the CoS churches is the song "Bind Us Together":
Bind us together, Lord
Bind us together
with chords that cannot be broken
Bind us together, Lord
Bind us together, Lord
Bind us together in love
There is only one God
There is only one King
There is only one Body
That is why we sing
It's painful, yet true, that tragedy often binds people together more than anything else. This week we've experienced one of those tragic glue situations. I don't want to be exploiting the circumstances, so please read this as a prayer request/update.
On Sunday afternoon Chris' mom, Rebecca, got hit by a car while crossing the street in downtown DC. Chris was not with her and his step-dad because they had been in town visiting his step-sister and we were invited to church and lunch by Seekers CoS community. Rebecca was rushed to the hospital with head trauma and a broken pelvis and shattered hip. We all rushed to the hopsital for several hours of waiting for a diagnosis. Fortunately, she's alive without severe brain damage. Unfortunately, she has bleeding and swelling around her brain, of which the effects cannot be determined yet. She also has a broken pelvis and her hip has been replaced in surgery today.
This has been a very scary time for Chris and his family. Please pray for Rebecca's healing and for the spiritual/emotional stability of Chris and his family. On a good note, Chris' brother Will flew in from California and he's been wonderful to have around for Chris and great to meet him for the rest of us.
The week before the accident, we had actually spent a lot of time just hanging around together. With the weather getting chilly and rainy, we spent some evening curled up on the couch under blankets just "snuggling" in a lumpy group or watching movies. It felt like a really lazy week, but it was so good to have that comfortable bond in order to comfort and sustain in difficult times that we had no idea were coming.
And this is the most amazing feeling of all: We're sitting around doing our "Nuts & Bolts" talking about mundane things like grocery shopping and chores and schedule and I look around the dinning room table and can't help but grin and think "I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!" That kind of feeling is totally expected when you're laughing, singing, praying or doing anything that would appear on a sit-com montage. Intentional community is the real thing and it's rocking my world.
Tonight we celebrated Thanksgiving as our DY family. Life isn't perfect, and not always even enjoyable, but I am so profoundly grateful to be here and experience it with this community.
Bind us together, Lord
Bind us together
with chords that cannot be broken
Bind us together, Lord
Bind us together, Lord
Bind us together in love
There is only one God
There is only one King
There is only one Body
That is why we sing
It's painful, yet true, that tragedy often binds people together more than anything else. This week we've experienced one of those tragic glue situations. I don't want to be exploiting the circumstances, so please read this as a prayer request/update.
On Sunday afternoon Chris' mom, Rebecca, got hit by a car while crossing the street in downtown DC. Chris was not with her and his step-dad because they had been in town visiting his step-sister and we were invited to church and lunch by Seekers CoS community. Rebecca was rushed to the hospital with head trauma and a broken pelvis and shattered hip. We all rushed to the hopsital for several hours of waiting for a diagnosis. Fortunately, she's alive without severe brain damage. Unfortunately, she has bleeding and swelling around her brain, of which the effects cannot be determined yet. She also has a broken pelvis and her hip has been replaced in surgery today.
This has been a very scary time for Chris and his family. Please pray for Rebecca's healing and for the spiritual/emotional stability of Chris and his family. On a good note, Chris' brother Will flew in from California and he's been wonderful to have around for Chris and great to meet him for the rest of us.
The week before the accident, we had actually spent a lot of time just hanging around together. With the weather getting chilly and rainy, we spent some evening curled up on the couch under blankets just "snuggling" in a lumpy group or watching movies. It felt like a really lazy week, but it was so good to have that comfortable bond in order to comfort and sustain in difficult times that we had no idea were coming.
And this is the most amazing feeling of all: We're sitting around doing our "Nuts & Bolts" talking about mundane things like grocery shopping and chores and schedule and I look around the dinning room table and can't help but grin and think "I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!" That kind of feeling is totally expected when you're laughing, singing, praying or doing anything that would appear on a sit-com montage. Intentional community is the real thing and it's rocking my world.
Tonight we celebrated Thanksgiving as our DY family. Life isn't perfect, and not always even enjoyable, but I am so profoundly grateful to be here and experience it with this community.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
My Job...in a Nutshell
Here's the update/info/clarification now that I actually know what the heck I'm doing. If you don't want to know the detail, you can skip this. I won't be offended. If you do like to know what's really going on, this is it.
I work at Sitar Art Center. Our mission is to serve low-income residents of our DC neighborhood with quality art classes including private music lessons, group music ensembles, visual arts, drama, dance, and creative writing. We have 300 students per semester and are hoping to grow to 500 per semester in our current space. Our goal is that 80% of our students would be from low-income families and pay very little for their classes. That usually equals about $15-30/family/semester/as many classes as they'd like to take. We define low-income as 60% of the area median income. We are funded my major donors and grants.
Our facility contains 2 art studios, 10 individual practice rooms, 2 ensemble practice rooms, 2 dance studios (one ballet and one wood-floor), a computer lab, an arts library, a gallery space, and a 85 seat intimate theater.
Our music classes include private lessons in piano, guitar, voice, cello, flute, violin, drums, electric guitar and bass, banjo, harp, clarinet, and saxophone. There is also currently a band called the Saints Band that incorporates a lot of these instruments and a percussion ensemble. All private lesson students must take music theory tutoring to learn to read and understand the basics of music. Students can also take computer-based music production classes.
Visual arts classes include watercolor, multimedia, pottery, collage, graphic design, web design, jewelry making, quilting, sewing & fashion design.
Dance classes include ballet (levels for children and adults), tap, African dance, capoeira (Brazilian martial arts/dance), and belly dancing. Yoga classes for children and adults are also available.
Drama classes include levels of acting, music theater, and stage combat. Each summer all the disciplines work together to put on a musical. The 2007 musical was You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. (I'll get to be around for the 2008 musical next summer.)
Creative writing classes include poetry, play writing, and short story writing.
We also have Early Childhood Music classes for parents and children together. These classes really stimulate early learning and cognitive skills. This is great for families where parents may have limited education themselves and may not know how help their students start succeeding in academics from the beginning.
This is just an overview of the classes that we're offering this semester. And I'm sure I'm forgetting some. The classes change each semester because all of our teachers are volunteers. (Perfect segue to the next section...)
Our 100+ volunteer teachers are mostly professionals in their fields. We have several amazing partnerships: Corcoran Gallery of Art's Artreach program, Washington Ballet, National Symphony Orchestra, Arena Stage theater group, the National Opera, to name the ones off the top of my head.
I am the Programs Intern. Lorriane, the Director of Programs, coordinates all the classes and volunteers, so I work under her mostly. I spend most of my day doing administrative work with processing volunteer information. It's nothing really interesting to write about here. What is interesting though, is participating in the meetings and discussions that evaluate the service we're giving to the community and how to run the organization better to better serve the community. My job may be un-revolutionary, but it is part of the structure that is making an impact. I'm learning a lot about working with a staff, management, synthesizing ideas, and cooperating effiently towards a common good.
I do get to work with the students some. On Wednesdays I do music theory tutoring for kids age 7-teens. On Thursdays I assist the intro-level art class for ages 6-8.
Please feel free to email me any questions you have about things I left out or didn't clarify.
[Coming Soon: a wrap-up on my Servant Leadership School classes for the 9 week fall semester]
I work at Sitar Art Center. Our mission is to serve low-income residents of our DC neighborhood with quality art classes including private music lessons, group music ensembles, visual arts, drama, dance, and creative writing. We have 300 students per semester and are hoping to grow to 500 per semester in our current space. Our goal is that 80% of our students would be from low-income families and pay very little for their classes. That usually equals about $15-30/family/semester/as many classes as they'd like to take. We define low-income as 60% of the area median income. We are funded my major donors and grants.
Our facility contains 2 art studios, 10 individual practice rooms, 2 ensemble practice rooms, 2 dance studios (one ballet and one wood-floor), a computer lab, an arts library, a gallery space, and a 85 seat intimate theater.
Our music classes include private lessons in piano, guitar, voice, cello, flute, violin, drums, electric guitar and bass, banjo, harp, clarinet, and saxophone. There is also currently a band called the Saints Band that incorporates a lot of these instruments and a percussion ensemble. All private lesson students must take music theory tutoring to learn to read and understand the basics of music. Students can also take computer-based music production classes.
Visual arts classes include watercolor, multimedia, pottery, collage, graphic design, web design, jewelry making, quilting, sewing & fashion design.
Dance classes include ballet (levels for children and adults), tap, African dance, capoeira (Brazilian martial arts/dance), and belly dancing. Yoga classes for children and adults are also available.
Drama classes include levels of acting, music theater, and stage combat. Each summer all the disciplines work together to put on a musical. The 2007 musical was You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. (I'll get to be around for the 2008 musical next summer.)
Creative writing classes include poetry, play writing, and short story writing.
We also have Early Childhood Music classes for parents and children together. These classes really stimulate early learning and cognitive skills. This is great for families where parents may have limited education themselves and may not know how help their students start succeeding in academics from the beginning.
This is just an overview of the classes that we're offering this semester. And I'm sure I'm forgetting some. The classes change each semester because all of our teachers are volunteers. (Perfect segue to the next section...)
Our 100+ volunteer teachers are mostly professionals in their fields. We have several amazing partnerships: Corcoran Gallery of Art's Artreach program, Washington Ballet, National Symphony Orchestra, Arena Stage theater group, the National Opera, to name the ones off the top of my head.
I am the Programs Intern. Lorriane, the Director of Programs, coordinates all the classes and volunteers, so I work under her mostly. I spend most of my day doing administrative work with processing volunteer information. It's nothing really interesting to write about here. What is interesting though, is participating in the meetings and discussions that evaluate the service we're giving to the community and how to run the organization better to better serve the community. My job may be un-revolutionary, but it is part of the structure that is making an impact. I'm learning a lot about working with a staff, management, synthesizing ideas, and cooperating effiently towards a common good.
I do get to work with the students some. On Wednesdays I do music theory tutoring for kids age 7-teens. On Thursdays I assist the intro-level art class for ages 6-8.
Please feel free to email me any questions you have about things I left out or didn't clarify.
[Coming Soon: a wrap-up on my Servant Leadership School classes for the 9 week fall semester]
Clarification
Soooo, I have neglected to explain the other agencies where my housemates are serving. Sorry about that. Also, this will better help explain who my (awesome, lovely, wonderful, hilarious, insightful) housemates are:
(Alphabetically...)
Chris - just graduated from college in WV this past spring; background in the Episcopal and Mennonite denominations; huge advocate of all kinds of justice causes - peace, anti-racism, anti-consumerism, environmentalism; works for Jubilee Housing in the Resident Services and Youth Afterschool Program of this affordable housing ministry of CoS.
Clay - from NJ, but graduated from college in Kenya in 2006 - he went to school there because he wanted to be immersed in Kenyan culture; from a Presbyterian background; plays awesome fiddle and has started a band with some other volunteers from other programs; works for Christian Community Group Homes which advocates for low-income seniors to stay in their homes or move into group homes rather than ending up homeless on the streets.
Emily - graduated from Messiah College in PA in 2006, but originally from California; pk of Brethren of Christ pastor; enjoys playing worship songs on the piano and generaly causing a ruckus in the house with her hilarious antics and infectious laughter; works for Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns that advocates for humanitarian policy chance around the world.
Isa - from El Salvador (came here expressly for the DY program); Catholic; out of college a few years; enjoys eating meat and cheese and dancing; works for the Family Place which is a literacy and family support ministry for low-income Latino moms and pre-school age children.
Katy - graduated from Wheaton this past spring; grew up in a moderate-to-conservative United Methodist church; compassionate and care-giving, likes to make collages; works at Joseph's House, a hospice for otherwise homeless AIDS and cancer patients.
Paige - graduated from Messiah College this past spring; also grew up in a moderate-to-conservative United Methodist church; enjoys the outdoors and experiencing all the cultural things of the city, very conscientious of others; works for EvenStart, a literacy program for Latinos, at Mary's Center a medical and social support agency for low-income Latino families.
Next up, I'll tell you more about my job...
(Alphabetically...)
Chris - just graduated from college in WV this past spring; background in the Episcopal and Mennonite denominations; huge advocate of all kinds of justice causes - peace, anti-racism, anti-consumerism, environmentalism; works for Jubilee Housing in the Resident Services and Youth Afterschool Program of this affordable housing ministry of CoS.
Clay - from NJ, but graduated from college in Kenya in 2006 - he went to school there because he wanted to be immersed in Kenyan culture; from a Presbyterian background; plays awesome fiddle and has started a band with some other volunteers from other programs; works for Christian Community Group Homes which advocates for low-income seniors to stay in their homes or move into group homes rather than ending up homeless on the streets.
Emily - graduated from Messiah College in PA in 2006, but originally from California; pk of Brethren of Christ pastor; enjoys playing worship songs on the piano and generaly causing a ruckus in the house with her hilarious antics and infectious laughter; works for Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns that advocates for humanitarian policy chance around the world.
Isa - from El Salvador (came here expressly for the DY program); Catholic; out of college a few years; enjoys eating meat and cheese and dancing; works for the Family Place which is a literacy and family support ministry for low-income Latino moms and pre-school age children.
Katy - graduated from Wheaton this past spring; grew up in a moderate-to-conservative United Methodist church; compassionate and care-giving, likes to make collages; works at Joseph's House, a hospice for otherwise homeless AIDS and cancer patients.
Paige - graduated from Messiah College this past spring; also grew up in a moderate-to-conservative United Methodist church; enjoys the outdoors and experiencing all the cultural things of the city, very conscientious of others; works for EvenStart, a literacy program for Latinos, at Mary's Center a medical and social support agency for low-income Latino families.
Next up, I'll tell you more about my job...
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