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Holiness in our Midst: Session 134

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SESSION CXXXIV: ON RENEWAL

Story Circle Prompt: How do you find renewal in times of crisis?

I find renewal in contemplation and silence. I am always reconnected to my gifts and to others when I enter meditative time to draw closer to the Living Christ. I have had the privilege of getting to know my spiritual mentor in this practice, Father Bob Dufford, internationally known Jesuit priest and songwriter. I wrote this poem after spending time with this gentle soul whose songs, such as, “Be Not Afraid,” and other lifework embody oneness with Christ:

God is Not a Spigot

God’s generosity and favor is not a spigot,

To be turned off and on

By whether you are

Saying the right words,

Holding the correct beliefs,

Doing all manner of well-intentioned good deeds,

Or even fulfilling your artistic gifts.

No,

God is a Self, desiring closeness with Your Self,

That you might work through your life plans and challenges,

In intimate relationship with the Being,

Who created the vast Universe,

With You in mind, From the beginning of Time.

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

  1. Read the above reflection. In your journal, answer the question: When was the last time you truly went on a vacation? Where did you go? Who were you with?

FOR GROUP STUDY: 

 1.   Read aloud Session CXXXIV.

  2.   Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Prompt.

Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Hannah Button-Harrison at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com

District News & Announcements – October 2023

District News & Announcements

October 2023

 “District News and Announcements” is a monthly e-newsletter for members and friends of the Church of the Brethren in the Northern Plains District.  District Leaders, Commissions, Committees, and those doing special ministries share information on programs and activities.  Local churches share news and invitations. 

 Send submissions by October 25th for inclusion in next month’s newsletter to:
Hannah Button-Harrison, Director of Communications
communications@nplains.org

In this issue

Quick info

Banner photo: A panorama of the sanctuary at Ivester Church of the Brethren during Betsy Kuecker’s installation service. Photo by K.D. Burkett.  Send in your photos for future newsletters!  Email communications@nplains.org.

Holiness in our Midst: Session 133

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SESSION CXXXIII: ON LIGHT

Story Circle Prompt: Share a reflection/meditation/poem/photograph or piece of art related to the meaning of the word light in your life.

This month’s prompt is a variation of one from Messenger, the Church of the Brethren magazine, issued as an invitation to readers in the summer of 2022. Meditations, poems, and photographs related to light were printed in the January/February 2023 issue. My response was printed in the online version of that issue at:  https://www.brethren.org/messenger/reflections/on-light/  

The meditation follows:

A Morning Meditation: Where the Light Falls

That cloud-enshrouded morning in September, I meditated in the magnificent glass-walled chapel overlooking deep woods at the Creighton University Retreat Center in Griswold, IA. A single leaf suddenly shone brightly. The sun shifted to a cluster of leaves, then to a stand of trees. The thought came softly: What particulars should I focus on in my life today? Next, the light fell on the bronze statue of a woman (the Virgin Mary?) bent double over a child (the Baby Jesus?) called “Maternal Bond” by acclaimed sculptor Timothy Schmalz. A question came to mind:  Where does the light of my devotion fall today? Suddenly, the light filtered directly on me, asking: Where can I be light today? Time came to return to my lovely group of fellow spiritual seekers back at the lodge. The retreat leader instructed us: “Meditate on the light outside the window: what is being illumined in your life today?” In the silence, there appeared in my mind’s eye an image of Jesus with a yellow Highlighter pen studying my schedule for the day. So many thoughts to ponder! I took home the good questions to also shine light on more ordinary days.

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

  1. Read the above reflection. In your journal, answer the question: Who/what lights up your life? Why? How?

FOR GROUP STUDY: 

  1.  Read aloud Session CXXXIII.
  2.  Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Prompt.

Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Hannah Button-Harrison at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com

District News & Announcements – September 2023

District News & Announcements

September 2023

 “District News and Announcements” is a monthly e-newsletter for members and friends of the Church of the Brethren in the Northern Plains District.  District Leaders, Commissions, Committees, and those doing special ministries share information on programs and activities.  Local churches share news and invitations. 

 Send submissions by September 24th for inclusion in next month’s newsletter to:
Hannah Button-Harrison, Director of Communications
communications@nplains.org

In this issue

Quick info

Banner photo: On August 19, attendees of Open Circle and Common Spirit came together to begin their joint Jesus in the Neighborhood project: an edible garden of berries, herbs and fruit trees for the neighborhood surrounding Open Circle Church in Burnsville. Because the two congregations applied together for a District Jesus in the Neighborhood grant, they received a total of $1,000 for the project.  Photo by Jess Hoffert.  Send in your photos for future newsletters!  Email communications@nplains.org.

District News & Announcements – August 2023

District News & Announcements

August 2023

 “District News and Announcements” is a monthly e-newsletter for members and friends of the Church of the Brethren in the Northern Plains District.  District Leaders, Commissions, Committees, and those doing special ministries share information on programs and activities.  Local churches share news and invitations. 

 Send submissions by August 25th for inclusion in next month’s newsletter to:
Hannah Button-Harrison, Director of Communications 
communications@nplains.org

In this issue

Quick info

Banner photo: Sunday, July 9, 2023 – Baptism of Samuel Maggert, Simon Maggert, and Rachel Maggert from Sheldon COB at Okoboji.  Photo by David Loveall.  Send in your photos for future newsletters!  Email communications@nplains.org.

Holiness in our Midst: Session 132

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SESSION CXXXII: ON ‘OHANA

‘Story Circle Prompt: Who/what/where is your ‘ohana? What can you do to nourish it?

As I sat down to ponder the concept of ‘ohana today (Aug. 28, 2023), there happened to be a front-page article about it in The Des Moines Register. The topic was top of mind, of course because of the recent wildfires in Maui, leaving more than a hundred persons killed and undetermined numbers missing. In cable news interviews after the fires, I heard both Native Islanders and frequent tourists reverently refer to the historic city of Lahaina and its neighborhoods as their “‘ohana.” Rooted in the Hawaiian term for “family,” “’ohana,” goes beyond biological relatives and refers to extended family and community members.

The Register article (by Bobby Calna Calvan, Joe C. Hong and Mike Householder) noted that after the tragedy “… the Hawaiian spirit known as ‘ohana endures.” The writers continued: “In the Hawaiian lexicon, ‘ohana is a sensibility, a way of thinking that means family, belonging, community and so much more – solace in a time of calamity It is a unifying principle in an increasingly fragmented world. And, in recent weeks, amid misfortune, the word has taken on profound importance in a place appealing for help.”

The tragic events in the Pacific prompted me to think about whether I have an ‘ohana now that most of my family have passed away or live in other states. My conclusion is that my ‘ohana for many years was centered in the Iowa small towns (Maxwell, State Center, and Nevada) where my maternal grandparents had created strong family-like community connections. In the present, though, I have focused on nurturing several mini-‘ohanas that serve me well: my tight-knit spiritual formation group called Prairiefire, through which I am studying to become a spiritual director; my circle of long-time friends; and my First Christian Church community in Ames, where I not only count on support for my social justice endeavors, but also where I have been tended to emotionally and even physically (during my time with cancer).

The recent news revealed the longstanding spirit of ‘ohana that shines through a people connected to one another and the land they share. When such bonds are established with love over generations, we see that they exemplify strength powerful enough to survive tragedy.

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

  1. Read the above reflection. In your journal, answer the question: Do you have an extended family circle/community that is your ‘ohana? Is it attached to a geographical location or an organization or group? Who has been there for you in hard times?

FOR GROUP STUDY: 

  1.  Read aloud Session CXXXII.
  2.  Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Prompt.

Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Hannah Button-Harrison at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com

Holiness in our Midst: Session 131

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SESSION CXXXI: ON ‘MY TOUCHSTONE PLACE’

Story Circle Prompt: Do you have a “Touchstone Place?”

In her book, Keeping a Nature Journal, Clare Walker Leslie uses the phrase “My Touchstone Place” about her “sanctuary in every season,” Mount Auburn Cemetery and Arboretum near Cambridge, MA. She writes that it is “America’s first landscaped cemetery, encompassing 175 acres of dells, glades, woods, and ponds.”* It has been the source of many drawings in her beautifully illustrated journals.

My “Touchstone Place” is a swinging gate I call “My Measuring Post,” which guards the lane on the west side of my grandparents’ farm near State Center, IA. Perhaps you have chosen such a reference place as a reminder of what is most important to you. Mine exists as a relatively permanent “fixed point” to go back to, a place where I can review whether I am living up to the benchmarks I set for myself. I have stood at my gate to evaluate the pros and cons of every major decision, since I was a child: How do I solve this life issue? Where should I go to college? Should I marry ____? Should I take this job opportunity? Though Grandpa and Grandma Albright have been gone for many years, I still drive past “their” gate whenever I am at a crossroads in my life. Sometimes I open the gate and literally walk down the lane and do a whole life overview with God: Have I made good decisions? Have I done and am I doing God’s will? What changes do I need to make? It is comforting to have found a place to measure spiritual growth.

*Leslie, Clare Walker. Keeping a Nature Journal (North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2021), 13.

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

  1. Read the above reflection. Clare Walker Leslie, author of Keeping a Nature Journal, coined the phrase Daily Exceptional Images (DEI), which she describes as “some gem from the outdoors that I can latch onto when feeling distracted, dulled by routine, or deeply worried.” Examples she gave were: “Jeweled raindrops hanging upside down from a pine” and “Waxing summer moon rises to east over highway.”* In your journal, answer the following: What are today’s exceptional images from your unique vantage point on the world?

    *Leslie, Clare Walker. Keeping a Nature Journal (North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2021), 82, 83.

FOR GROUP STUDY: 

  1.  Read aloud Session CXXXI.
  2.  Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Prompt.

Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Hannah Button-Harrison at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com

District News & Announcements – July 2023

District News & Announcements

July 2023

 “District News and Announcements” is a monthly e-newsletter for members and friends of the Church of the Brethren in the Northern Plains District.  District Leaders, Commissions, Committees, and those doing special ministries share information on programs and activities.  Local churches share news and invitations. 

 Send submissions by July 25th for inclusion in next month’s newsletter to:
Hannah Button-Harrison, Director of Communications 
communications@nplains.org

In this issue

Quick info

Banner photo: 14 youth and 3 adult advisors from across the district traveled from Camp Pine Lake to Roanoke, VA for the Jr. High FaithX trip this June.  Photo by Betsy Kuecker.  Send in your photos for future newsletters!  Email communications@nplains.org.

Holiness in our Midst: Session 130

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SESSION CXXX: ON ‘A COMMITTEE OF ONE’

Story Circle Prompt: When did you take action as a “committee of one?”

The phrase “committee of one” came from Opal Lee, 96, often referred to as “the Grandmother of Juneteenth,” as she was being interviewed by CNN on June 19 of this year. She was calling attention to the power of a single voice when a cause seems daunting. Lee herself captured the world’s attention by a series of walks from Fort Worth, TX to the U.S. capital, beginning in 2016, to advocate for the national holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. Influenced in part by her efforts, President Joe Biden signed a bill declaring June 19 a federal holiday in 2021. 

My lifelong passionate interest in the cause of homelessness began when I was a “committee of one.” In the mid-eighties, when I lived in downtown Chicago, the city’s estimated 25,000 homeless were increasingly visible. It became the daily norm to see street people sifting through trash barrels for edible waste. My first, unreflected reaction was anger: Couldn’t these people help themselves? And, what about the authorities, weren’t they going to do something? When I realized the answer to both questions was no, I began a personal “policy” to deal with daily requests for money:

  • I would always carry extra bills in my pocket and give at least a dollar to any person who asked for help.
  • I would always look the homeless in the eye and smile.
  • I would always treat the homeless with the dignity and kindness I afford to family.

Once it was forged, I followed my three-point “policy” while I lived in Chicago.

One homeless man caught on fast to my altruism. George, an African American man in his early thirties, positioned himself along my path. I found myself aiding him almost daily for a year and a half. The written and spoken account of our unlikely friendship, called “George of the Streets,” has impacted homelessness awareness in communities in Illinois and Iowa. George taught me many life lessons as he managed, at least for a while, to live a satisfying daily life against enormous odds. His story still propels me to action; today I am on the community board  of Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance, a non-profit offering emergency rent, utility, gas and food assistance in my county.

Have you championed an idea or cause by yourself, at least at first?

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

  1. Read the above reflection. In your journal, answer the following: When did you take action simply because you believed in a cause or an idea? What happened next?

FOR GROUP STUDY: 

  1.  Read aloud Session CXXX.
  2.  Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Prompt.

Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Hannah Button-Harrison at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com

District News & Announcements – June 2023

District News & Announcements

June 2023

 “District News and Announcements” is a monthly e-newsletter for members and friends of the Church of the Brethren in the Northern Plains District.  District Leaders, Commissions, Committees, and those doing special ministries share information on programs and activities.  Local churches share news and invitations. 

 Send submissions by June 24th for inclusion in next month’s newsletter to:
Hannah Button-Harrison, Director of Communications 
communications@nplains.org

In this issue

Quick info

Banner photo: Hard-working volunteers hang out while building the new deck at Camp Pine Lake.  Photo by Betsy Kuecker.  Send in your photos for future newsletters!  Email communications@nplains.org.