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What Will the New Year Bring? January 2, 2012

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Books Worth Reading, Faith & Culture, Resources, Spirituality, Tolerance, Uncategorized.
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I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions.

Partly because I’m not very good at following through with them. Yes, I always say I will lose weight, exercise more or keep up with the laundry and cleaning better. Today I’ve noticed an extra number of joggers on the roads and many folks posting what their resolutions are going to be on Facebook. And I’ve learned there is a App to make sure you stay on track with your resolution.

I’m wondering if I should resolve to post more regularly here. That’s a tough one; I already blog daily at Building Faith and weekly at The Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education. With editing manuscripts and writing educational program materials, that’s a lot of writing. So, I’ll probably pass on this as a resolution.

However, this afternoon I cleaned up my office. AKA moving around file folders, straightening up books-to-be-read stacks, and filing receipts and clips I’ve torn out of magazines for some future reference. I rediscovered a number of books that I’ve picked up on my travels. I’m a sucker for book stores at conferences. I’ve started a few, but got sidetracked with other reading material. And my Kindle often takes precedence if I’m traveling (or looking for mindless entertainment).

In looking back at 2011, I’ve read plenty of books. Lots are work-related (I wrote the study guide for several*, so I really did read these) and definitely have a theme to them.

  • Love Wins: A Book About Heaven and Hell by Rob Bell
  • Christian Formation 2020 by John Roberto
  • Formational Children’s Ministry by Ivy Beckwith
  • Child by Child: Supporting Children with Learning Differences and Their Families by Susan Richardson (as editor)
  • Conversations with Scripture: Daniel by Edmund Desueza and Judith Jones*
  • Conversations with Scripture: Judges by Roy Heller*
  • Tweet if you ♥Jesus: Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation by Elizabeth Drescher
  • What Episcopalians Believe: An Introduction by Samuel Wells*
And some (fewer than I’d wish) were for pleasure:

So what’s on the list for 2012? Guess I should tackle that stack in my office:

Hmmmm . . . I sense a theme. Could 2012 be telling me something? What book would you recommend I add to my list?

Literally “Tapping” into Creativity January 28, 2011

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Adult Formation, Children's Ministries, Faith & Culture, Storytelling, Teacher Training, Thoughts & Ramblings, Youth Ministry.
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Anyone who is on Facebook has probably seen this YouTube video (The Dreaded Stairs) popping up on people’s pages. I didn’t pay much attention until a fellow Christian educator (thank you Donald Schell) shared it on the NAECED list-serve with the comment, “Engineers offering a startlingly non-verbal invitation to fun, creativity, and play and produce a startlingly large result for behavior change that looks like it may also have provoked an enhanced sense of community and consciousness as well.  After I watched it, I was thinking of some the ‘shoulds’ the engineers didn’t touch.  ’It would be better for people and for society if more people used the stairs.’  ’We should encourage everyone to use the stairs if they can.’  ’I'm making a new year’s resolution to use the stairs.’  etc.”

Donald concludes, “What chances are we missing to lead change without any ‘should’ at all?”

So I wonder, how do we engage children, youth, AND adults in engaging with the Biblical story and building a stronger relationship to God? Are there ways we can encourage others to try a new set of stairs instead of the easy-way-out of not exerting any energy by taken the escalator?

Words Matter January 16, 2011

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Children's Ministries, Discipleship, Faith & Culture, Resources, Thoughts & Ramblings, Tolerance, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry.
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A huge snowstorm struck New England this past week, dumping 18″ of snow on the already 2 feet we already had on the ground. My brother, Dave, was visiting from California and arrived Tuesday evening, just before the flurries started to fly. He had come for a couple of days to visit with my parents who live about 3 miles from us. Of course, he got snowed it with us, so their visit was delayed by a day. The night he arrived, the two of us did stop at my parents, where he picked up their car, knowing mine would not be good in the snow and drove back to our house.

We finally got plowed out on Wednesday night, so the plan was to pick them up on Thursday morning to go out to breakfast. However, along the way Dave got delayed en route. As he left our house in my dad’s 1990 Buick, he came upon a car that had spun out, struck an underpass and with steam pouring from the engine lay in the middle of the road. A woman was standing stunned next to the car – in the middle of the road. Dave pulled over and encouraged her to step off the road. She was shaken, but okay, and had called the police. Dave said he’d wait with her until the police came. He called my dad telling him he was going to be late . . . “There was a car accident. I’m waiting for the police to come. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Simple words. For those on the scene, it would make perfect sense. But for my 86-year-old father, whose son from Berkeley, California was driving his car on snowy streets, those words meant something very different. Dave was in a car accident. Was he okay?  His car was totaled. He couldn’t afford repairs. Now what? He sat for an hour in a panic, not knowing what to do or what to think except imagine the unimaginable.

Of course, that was not the story. And Dave showed up with the Buick about an hour later without a scratch to find a very upset and shaken man. How words are used to convey a story matter. It’s important that the speaker is clear to the listener. And with an older person, talking slow, allowing for questions, and full explanations with as many details as needed are important.

In our national news this week we also heard about how words matter. Terms such as ‘civility’, ‘discourse’, ‘tone’, and ‘rhetoric’ have been all over the internet, talk shows, and radio following the horrific shoots in Tucson, Arizona. Conversations, whether it be a simple phone call about a car accident or discussing our views on health care or immigration, need to be spoken with the listener in mind. And when opinions differ, we need to respect the thoughts of the other person. We CAN agree to disagree.

Teaching Tolerance, an arm of the Southern Poverty Law Center, posted connections to their lesson plans for helping teach children and youth how to respect and listen to one another.

Even Jon Stewart, one who often seems to bait conversations and poke fun at others, used his platform and audience to tone things down. President Obama said as much in his speech at the Arizona memorial service, offering us some avenues to follow.

Share his speech with your youth, in print and on video. Talk with them about the crucial role that free and reasoned speech plays in self-government, and in helping us to bridge the barriers between us.  From Teaching Tolerance, here’s one idea about how to proceed. Take this excerpt from the speech:

“But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized—at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do—it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.”

Words can heal or wound, Obama said. Words can shed light or generate heat. (Remember the car accident and my dad?) We can think of other comparisons—do we speak to convince others or to understand them? Do we want speeches that inspire hope or fear? When we are speaking to others, what are our words REALLY saying?

Ask your students to work together to come up with different pairs of contrasting outcomes. They can use any of these prompts.

  • Words can . . . or . . .
  • We speak to others to . . . or . . .
  • We can hear . . . or . . .

In what other ways could you use this speech in your congregation or Christian education program? And can you plan to encourage a conversation about civil discourse?

You and the Alien Shall Be Alike Before the Lord September 25, 2010

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Faith & Culture, Mission, Prose & Poetry, The Church, Tolerance.
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We are all immigrants

There shall be for you and the resident alien a single statute, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you and the alien shall be alike before the Lord. You and the alien who resides with you shall have the same law and the same ordinance (Numbers 15:15-16).

The Episcopal House of Bishops met last week in the Diocese of Arizona. Before their scheduled meeting, many of them arrived early to learn (and experience) the issues of immigration facing our country. At the end of their time together, they issued this Pastoral Letter along with a Theological Resource: “The Nation and the Common Good: Reflections on Immigration Reform.” It includes links to resources that may be helpful for congregational study. The Thoughtful Christian also two studies: The Immigration Debate and Give Me Your Tired and Your Poor.

On Controlling Our Borders

by Walter Brueggemann in Prayers for a Privileged People (2008: Abingdon)

Jesus – crucified and risen – draws us into his presence again, the one who had nowhere to lay his head, no safe place, no secure home, no passport or visa, no certified citizenship.

We gather around him in our safety, security, and well-being, and fret about “illegal immigrants.” We fret because they are not like us and refuse our language. We worry that there are so many of them and their crossings do not stop. We are unsettled because it is our tax dollars that sustain them and provide services. We feel the hype about closing borders and heavy fines, because we imagine that our life is under threat.

And yet, as you know very well, we, all of us – early or late – are immigrants from elsewhere; we are glad for cheap labor and seasonal workers who do tomatoes and apples and oranges to our savoring delight. And beyond that, even while we are beset by fears and aware of pragmatic costs, we know very well that you are the God who welcomes strangers, who loves aliens and protects sojourners.

As always, we feel the tension and the slippage between the deep truth of our faith and the easier settlements of our society.

We do not ask for an easy way out, but for courage and honesty and faithfulness. Give us ease in the presence of those unlike us; give us generosity amid demands of those in need, help us to honor those who trespass as you forgive our trespasses.

You are the God of all forgiveness. By your gracious forgiveness transpose us into agents of your will, that our habits and inclinations may more closely follow your majestic lead, that our lives may joyously conform to your vision of a new world.

We pray in the name of you holy Son, even Jesus.

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New Ten Commandments September 11, 2010

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Bible, Discipleship, Faith & Culture.
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Rembrandt, 1659

Ten Commandments for the 21st Century

  1. Treat others as you would have them treat you.
  2. Take responsibility for your actions.
  3. Do not kill.
  4. Be honest.
  5. Do not steal.
  6. Protect and nurture children.
  7. Protect the environment.
  8. Look after the vulnerable.
  9. Never be violent.
  10. Protect your family.

Based on a poll by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and shared by Peter K. Stevenson & Stephen I. Wright in Preaching the Atonement (Westminster John Knox).

What commandments would you think God would give us today?

Changing Times – a Future Trend? September 1, 2010

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Children's Ministries, Christianity, Faith & Culture, Parenting, The Church, Worship.
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For my parent’s generation, Sunday was the day to go to church and visit family.

Blue Laws were in existence – stores were closed and folks basically took the day off. It was a day families headed to church together for worship, education, fellowship, youth group and the Sunday night potluck supper.

Times have changed. There are lots of choices. And time is a commodity not to be wasted. There is much to do on that “free day” of the week that has now taken precedence over what  Ozzie & Harriet and the kids would do on Sunday.

In today’s world, many of us work at home, at the office, at the store on Sunday. Or, shopping at the Mall, and sports – attending and participating in Soccer, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Cheerleading, and yes, even Marching Band is a sport.  And don’t forget those who just want to sleep in – it’s been an exhausting week.

So what’s a church to do? How can we provide Christian education classes when those who do come are only willing to give 60 minutes (2 hours tops) to the Sunday morning ritual.

Worship is important and is at the heart of Christian formation. So providing opportunities for families to worship together should be a priority. After all, education is formation and “praying shapes believing.” Lex orandi, lex credendi (Latin loosely translatable as the law of prayer is the law of belief).

I’ve noticed a new trend (which may be not-so-new in the South). Having education for all ages during the week! What a radical idea! This one just came through the news service: Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, Florida bridges the gap between Sunday services and teaching youth that faith fellowship should be constant. In many communities I visit (again, in the South and Midwest – i.e. the Bible Belt), Wednesday nights are traditionally saved for church events. Schools and sports are not scheduled on these nights.

Here are some examples:

  • First United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas A Wednesday evening program providing food for the body and soul, Mid-Week Manna is an all-church Christian education program which meets September through December and January through April. F.R.O.G. and Tadpole, children’s activities, and meal service begin at 5:00 pm. Adult Christian education classes start at 6:00. Classes offering and instructors vary by semester. Many of the music groups are scheduled to rehearse on Wednesday evenings as well. Come find your place! For more information contact any clergy or ministry director.
  • Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Elwood, Nebraska. Midweek Christian Education meets Wednesday of every week from 6:30-8:00pm. Children ages 3 through high school are welcome to attend!
  • First Presbyterian Church in Pensacola, Florida has Wednesday Evening Fellowship that begins with a congregational dinner at 5:30pm. At 6:30pm, Ages 4 – 5th grade gather for a variety of activities centered around faith in practice, Youth Fellowship meets and a Bible Study is held for adults. Once a month, all gather for Pot-Luck and Praise in which all gather together for singing.
  • Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Saint Charles, Illinois offers a special mid-week program for children in grades K through 5 called Adventure Club which works in close cooperation with the children’s choirs and follows a rotational format that explores a Bible lesson through drama, arts & crafts, study and games. This program is growing into an alternative to regular Sunday School classes for families with busy schedules and as an enrichment opportunity for students enrolled in Sunday School. It also features low cost healthy meals for children and families and after the meal time an opportunity for prayer, meditation and worship under candlelight in the sanctuary.
  • St. John’s Episcopal Church in Columbia, South Carolina offers Wednesday Night Suppers and Formation. The evening begins with a 4:30pm Holy Eucharist and children’s music and rhythm classes, followed by Christian formation classes for all ages. A family supper begins at 6:00pm, with additional adult formation and youth bible study at 6:30pm. Choir practice is a 7:pm.

How might these ideas prompt you to change your church’s pattern of offering education?

Bullies and Intolerance August 30, 2010

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Adult Formation, Discipleship, Faith & Culture, Tolerance.
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August 2010 may go down in history as one of the hottest summers in our lifetime.

It may also be remembered as when American society ratcheted up the rhetoric, intolerance, and hatred. Many have predicted polarizing extremes as being a driving force in the future. The Institute for the Future is one, and we can see how what were once “fringe” groups and opinions have now taken front-and-center. According to IFTF, “strong opinions will meet strong social networks to create intense feedback loops. We can already find, connect with, and collaborate with anyone who shares your beliefs – no matter how extreme you are. Dark innovation will thrive.”

The news services and blogosphere are full of stories of such polarities. And they are bringing out the worst in people:

  • The building of an Islamic Center in New York City (Not a mosque, and not at Ground Zero, but in the vicinity). Bishop Mark Sisk of New York shares his thoughts.
  • Court ruling on whether same gendered couples may marry (All are equal and loved in God’s eyes)
  • President Obama is a Muslim (False)
  • Illegal immigration and whether everyone born in the United States has the rights to be a US citizen (Isn’t that what the 14th Amendment of the Constitution states?)

What is the root of all this? I believe it is the increase of the Rich/Poor Gap as well as the growing diversity of our country. This gap has always been with us, but we are able to see images of each other and the issues that affect us more visibly due to technology and 24/7 news feeds. While new media provides new opportunities to organize for giving (such as the grassroots responses to recent natural disasters), new media also publicize economic differences vividly.  This triggers violence – not only physically, but verbally. And that’s what I believe we are experiencing this summer.

Those who have “power” and were once the dominant force in politics, religion and business (aka – Anglo-European Protestant men) are now seeing themselves as a “minority” which is threatening to their underlying assumptions that God is on their side. I believe it comes down to that – power and authority. Making the other seem less than human, so that one’s self-identity remains intact and in control.

I don’t listen to Glenn Beck, Fox News, or Sarah Palin. And I don’t follow the other extreme on the ‘left.’ I’m an adult – I can weed out the fiction from fact if I do some research. But what about our children? Bullying is at an all-time high in our society – could it be children are learning from our “national leaders”? What kind of role models do they find in sports, entertainment, political and religious leaders today?

Enough of a rant. My body temperature is rising. I’m going to get an iced tea and read Isaiah 1:17: “Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” and my Baptismal Covenant: “Seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself” and “Striving for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.”

Here are some articles and resources to help put things in perspective:

Lastly, resources ADULTS need to pay attention to from Teaching Tolerance:

Jesus & Harry Potter August 15, 2010

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Books Worth Reading, Children's Ministries, Christianity, Curriculum, Discipleship, Faith & Culture.
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Wizards, Wonders, and Discipleship

Using the stories of Harry Potter in church settings with children has again raised some eyebrows. This is not a new phenomena, as the fundamental Christians and biblical literalists are always getting their surplices and cottas (or academic robes) in a twist when it comes to being creative with children.

A congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa recently concluded a successful Vacation Bible School with 30+ children in which they used the themes of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series using a program called Wizards & Wonders. The local Iowa City newspaper picked up on the event and shared a news story which hit the news services, and in turn, showed up on the blogosphere.

The comparisons of Harry Potter (and all the books) to themes of Christianity is not new. Even the author’s own acknowledgement says “Harry Potter” deals extensively with Christian themes. Myriads of books and curriculum have been written comparing the themes of good vs. evil, sacrificial giving, loyalty & friendship, spirituality, self-awareness, and call – to name just a few. An article in Christianity Today from November 2005 (Redeeming Harry Potter) compares this series to C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia and the Star Wars trilogy. All literary devices where good overcomes evil through the passion of faithful characters who rise above adversity.

I just finished reading The Life, Death and Resurrection of Harry Potter by John Killinger (2009: Mercer University Press) for a book review. He compares why religious conservatives dislike Harry to the Pharisees  who “cleanse the outside of the cup and leave the inside untouched, or strain at gnats and end by swallowing camels.” Killinger believes they also “forget what it is like to be a child  and fend for oneself in a complex world of competing loyalties, baffling hormonal development, and sometimes faithless friends.”

Killinger makes many comparisons and observations of Rowling’s storytelling (and he believes she gives an overt Christian message). A few are a bit far-fetched for me, but some examples:

  • “There was a scarlet oval over his [Harry's] heart where the locket had burned him.” A scarlet oval over Harry’s heart recalls the Sacred Heart of Jesus, one of the most revered signs in Christian history.
  • Dumbledore as a God-Father figure with characteristics of loving kindness, forgiveness and inclusiveness.
  • There is an eschatological moment at the death of Voldemort and the triumph of Harry Potter (the Boy Who Lived). The witnesses scream and roar in excitement, and at that moment “the fierce new sun dazzled the windows.” Could it be Easter morning at Hogwarts?
  • As the three friends (Ron, Hermione, Harry) eat supper, Ron prods at the “lumps of charred gray fish on his plate” and reminisces about the way his mother can “make good food appear out of thin air.” Supper on the beach?

Back to the VBS controversy. Don’t we want children to experience the Christian message in a language and mileau they are familiar with and engaged to learn more? Didn’t Jesus use stories to explain the Kingdom of God? Wasn’t Jesus consider a “magician” in his time? Children are pretty sophisticated today; they know the world has temptations. And they are quickly losing their imaginations by the hard and unforgiving world that we live in. Why not engage their wonder with seeking God in all shapes and forms?

Kudos to Meg Wagner and her volunteers for making their church a hospitable, fun and inviting place for children this summer. They could have been home playing video games or reading comic books. Instead they learned about friendship and cooperation. And maybe they’ll come back on Sunday for worship – and bring their parents with them!

October 8, 2010: Harry Potter, Christian Hallows & C.S. Lewis – A book review for “One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter” by Greg Garrett

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Stumbling, Tweeting, Blogging – oh my! July 16, 2010

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Faith & Culture, Social Media, The Church.
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“Lions, tigers and bears – oh my!”

That used to be the line when starting along the wilderness path toward the unknown. For many, using social media is that same murky and dark forest. And it seems I have entered the woods in recent months!

As a Christian educator who prides herself on being able to communicate and share ideas and discoveries with others, the use of webinars, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, You Tube and Stumble Upon has opened a whole new world. But what does that have to do with Christian formation, teaching and spreading the Gospel?

Technology and digital media are transforming the ways we live. We are a global society. While there is still nothing like face-to-face community and relationships, utilizing web-based technologies and digital media to provide faith formation in virtual spaces (online) and being able to extend and deepen faith formation that takes place in physical places is a growing field. By providing online content (print, audio, video), interactive experiences, and connecting individuals with people from around the world (and in your backyard) learning and sharing God’s Word can be transformative in a whole new way.

I continue to believe that Christian formation is still about forming relationships at its core. It’s meeting face-to-face and sharing one’s faith questions, hopes & dreams, and encounters with the Holy One. But using social media can help spread the Word, the resources, the ideas and the learnings to so many more. The forest (or world wide web) doesn’t have to be that scary place that one enters with her lion, tin man or scarecrow anymore!

Getting Rid of the Junk June 24, 2010

Posted by Sharon Ely Pearson in Faith & Culture, Thoughts & Ramblings.
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Yes, we’re having a Tag Sale.

It’s been 30+ years in the making – 2 children out of the nest, 2 sets of parents’ homes that were downsized, and stuff we had before we decided we needed an upgrade or a remodel. For the past several weeks we’ve been gathering random items and cleaning the basement, attic and storage unit (and it would seem other people’s storage space too). Why did we need all this stuff? Did we ever really “need” it? By saving it, we’ve only accumulated dust, rust, chips and cracks.

Some were kept for sentimental reasons. My grandmother’s rose-colored glass lamps (John always hated them, so we never used them). Wooden dollhouses from John’s mom that I always wanted to decorate (never happened). Then there’s the accumulated stuff. How many placemats does one need? No, my kids don’t want my first set of stoneware. Remember when trolls were all the rage?

Of course, we are hoping to make some money by selling all this stuff. My parents could use the extra income. My daughter could too. And oh yeah, we’ve got this wedding to plan (and pay for)!

Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or – worse! – stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Matthew 6:19-21) The Message

This particular passage is heard every Ash Wednesday in the lectionary. Its context is Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Matt Skinner, Associate Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota shares “The true value of monetary wealth, therefore, lies not in its power to accumulate possessions in pursuit of power and comfort. Wealth enables generosity, and a generous heart has its sights set on God. Jesus’ statement in verse 21 works in two ways. First, our use of wealth displays where our hearts reside. The uses to which we put money identify what our innermost selves care for most deeply. Second, our hearts can be made to follow where our treasure goes. When we invest in certain charitable causes and people, our hearts will expand to care for them more deeply. This means that a person need not wait until she or he can muster enough heartfelt concern for the needy before writing a check. Giving a gift, putting money toward uses that promote God’s vision of righteousness, may help a heart receive a taste of what God desires for the world.”

John and I are committed to living more simply. Not accumulating stuff. Practicing what we preach – or at least try harder. One great resource for guiding such a lifestyle is Alternatives for Simpler Living. We’ve followed their suggestions at Christmas and I think our daughter’s upcoming nuptials will glean ideas too.

God asks us to give up all our junk and to focus on a life center in the Way of Christ. Doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly. (Micah 6:8). I hope our tag sale helps us get rid of more than the stuff now tagged and waiting in my garage for the 7AM rush.

I’m sure we’ll be giving away lots of this stuff. It is said that one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Let’s hope so. And let’s focus on God’s treasure above all else.

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