Frederick Douglass: Now More Than Ever!

I was delighted to sit down at Matins today and find that the Episcopal Church is remembering F
Frederick Douglass.  Then I was even more delighted when I went to the monastery for Eucharist and found that they have included him in their calendar.

It would be important to remember Douglass at any time.  His fight for freedom and dignity, his challenge to the churches that did not disavow slavery, inspires me - I hope inspires all of us - to stand against contemporary slavery and oppression.

Oh yes, slavery is alive and well.  It's thriving all over the world, including the United States.  We sometimes call it human trafficking now, but it's the same phenomenon.  Women, men, children either outright abducted, seduced, or misled into positions of helplessness, often under threat to themselves or those they love, locked in and sometimes chained; millions of people are enslaved today.  They work in so many of our booming industries, legal and illegal.  Labor sectors such as domestic service and migrant labor operate with virtually no legal protection, and slavery thrives there.  Our prisons have become mass slave plantations.  Life-long citizens and immigrants are all potential victims.

The Church of England has launched the Clewer Initiative to challenge and eradicate modern slavery.  I'm pleased to say that the Community of St. John Baptist in New Jersey has joined this initiative.  If you want to learn more, start here: https://www.theclewerinitiative.org.

In the U.S. many groups are engaged in this work.  Start with the Polaris Project:
https://polarisproject.org.

As the tide of racism and nationalism rises in the U.S. and around the world, the memory of those who have fought before becomes every more precious.

Almighty God, we bless your Name for the witness of Frederick Douglass, whose impassioned and reasonable speech moved the hearts of people to a deeper obedience to Christ: Strengthen us also to speak on behalf of those in captivity and tribulation, continuing in the way of Jesus Christ our Liberator; who with you and the Holy Spirit dwells in glory everlasting.  Amen.

Your Life as Story

I went to an amazing workshop this weekend.  For years people have said I should write a memoir, and I've tried, then stopped.  This year it finally felt like time - but I don't know anything about creative writing, I'm afraid of being a boring writer, blah blah.  But I decided to commit.  I told my family, and my brother and his wife offered space for me to write next fall.  Then I saw that Beverly D'Onofrio was leading a workshop on memoir writing at Holy Cross.  I held my breath, cancelled two commitments (huge for me), and signed up.

I was terrified.  We had some powerful writers in there, with wonderful rich stories.  I made the cardinal mistake of comparing my writing to theirs, and became convinced again I couldn't do it.  I ran to my room and texted Elizabeth, then I went to lunch.  I told another participant my fear, and she shared hers, and I found my footing again.  I not only had a desire to write, I had a community of writers.

Now I desperately want to write.  I'm looking for the slot in my schedule that will let this become a habit.  I'm pondering setting it up as a separate blog, so I share some of it (assuaging my guilt for not writing here more often).  I have other writing commitments for a while, but I need to start.  15 minutes a day becomes a habit.

Our teacher told us that writing actually heals memories, moving them from the right side of the brain to the left, like EMDR.  That's fascinating, and attractive.  I want to see what happens as I write.

I believe God is in this.  My whole life story is about God finding me and dragging me toward the light.  I believe I have a story that can help others.  But I also know I can slide away from this task simply by not making a new habit.  So I ask your prayers for me to build these muscles and reflexes, to need to write.  And know that I am praying for all of us to find our voices and let God's love flow through us.

God bless you and keep you, and God give you the courage to see and share your story.

Ministry

This is less a reflection than an update, for those of you who follow the Companions.  The forms of my reflection lately have been geared to present ministry.  Sermons, retreat preparation, meetings have been the product of my creative juices.

So: Since I last wrote I've been to San Francisco for the annual board meeting of the Mastery Foundation, a wonderful group dedicated to strengthening the ministry of those who serve others and to working with leaders in places where religion is a source of division.  It's a long way to go to be with people for two days, but it's so enlivening just to be with them that I go.

We spent most of January serving the people of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in New Paltz.  Their new priest arrives this week, and we are very excited for them.  In the meantime, we've been taking turns supplying there.

Then, last weekend Elizabeth went to an advanced training for Respectful Confrontation, a group dedicated to giving people skills to talk honestly and deeply.  As I've learned, confrontation isn't just about conflict; it is just as confronting to honor and acknowledge people.  (For some of us it's harder to hear praise than criticism or complaint!). That same weekend I went to my diocesan convention in Newark NJ.

But wait, there's more!  This weekend I go to a retreat on memoir writing, beginning a process I'm committed to but terrified about.  I come home, and 3 hours later Elizabeth leaves for two weeks in Israel as the chaplain to a women's pilgrimage.  Then I go off to lead a retreat for the junior class at Berkeley Divinity School.  Thank God for our friends who love to stay here with Shadow!  Thank God for our Coffee Table Companions, who continue to meet whether we are here or not.

Sometimes when we go through these busy periods our friends get worried.  And I don't want to be this busy all the time.  But right now I have a strong feeling that we are being used, and that we are developing skills that will serve us and the Companions in the future.  I hope my writing will inspire others.  I see the results of Elizabeth's confrontation work, as our communication gets stronger and easier.  I love sharing the tools of Mastery with others.  It's all an expression of the Companions charism.

Please pray for us during this busy time.  Pray especially for Elizabeth and her companions, and for the students I will be meeting with.  We are always in the presence of the Holy One, but we need to take time to notice that and to encourage one another.

Thank you for following us, and praying for us.  Thank you for all the ways you serve others.  May you be blessed with ease and flow in all you do today.  Amen.