Who, me?

Continuing working through Weaving: A Just Future for Children, an Advocacy Guide by Diane C. Olson and Laura Dean F. Friedrich, I was reminded of a childhood song -

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?  (repeat)
(John Doe) stole the cookies from the cookie jar!
Who me?  Yes, you!  Not me!  Then who?

Responsibility.  Accountability.
Definitely difficult concepts, especially if we as Americans must choose to change something we love.

In review - Olson and Friedrich on the subject of child advocacy:
Framework is important!!
Metaphor is a loom, which requires a frame, made up of:
1 - Theology
2 - Scripture
3 - A Safe Environment (Chapter 3)
Then comes the weft: (strings going vertical)
*Child Advocates

A huge part of advocacy is making the choice to do something.  They turn the frame into something - without them it is just an empty loom.  While advocating for children can be a one time act of mercy or compassion, more often it comes a continual process of justice.

Olson and Friedrich give an great discussion on types of advocacy.  Here is the list -
* Education
* Service
* Public Policy
* Coalition Building (partnering)

Some of which are much easier, or more comfortable for churches however as Christians I firmly believe we are called as the body of Christ to each one of these.  As leaders I think it is crucial to focus on making connections and building relationships to encourage each of these types of advocacy roles within the gifts of a congregation - including children!

On a related topic, I am often asked (as a UM Deacon Candidate) what a Deacon does?  The best thing is a deacon can do ministry in so many places!  Deacons can serve in hospitals, schools, community organizations, or even churches.  A great metaphor for a deacon is a bridge builder.  I understand my calling as a deacon as one who helps to encourage and facilitate the connections between churches and those who are in the church with the needs of the world.   Many of us are called to acts of compassion and mercy - such as giving change or a granola bar to someone begging in the street, yet others are called to justice work - such as advocacy as described as a process, creating relationships and asking/addressing the question of why is this person here?

How do you respond to the concept of advocacy?
Do you feel called to any particular type of advocacy, whether towards a particular group or using the categories listed above?
How does advocacy fit within your calling?

Peace,
Erin

Chicago life update

I can't believe I've been living here for just over 4 months now.  I never thought I would enjoy the city...

Major updates...
I am now a full time student at Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary.
working on my Masters in Divinity
Certified Deacon Candidate in Wisconsin (in the United Methodist Church)
doing my field ed (internship) at United Church of Rogers Park where I help run the after school program and children's chapel
I am awesome at public transportation
and I rank #2 for world's best theologically trained musical nannies (after Julie Andrews...)

Life is good.

My roommate and her family are good.

School is hard.

So why back to the blog?
1 - I miss it....
2 - I have to "blog" for my january class - children and christian faith, so I thought I'd put them up here too!
3 - it's a good outlet... and heaven knows I could use more of those (especially if I will then talk less...)

God bless you in 2013 and beyond.

Peace and joy,
your sister in Christ~Erin Michelle

Rhythm of Life

For one of my classes we were assigned to construct a "Rule of Life".  Our group threw out the idea of a rhythm of life a little better than a rule... but anyway.  The idea comes from the Rule of St. Benedict, but many traditions follow this practice.  It's a way of committing to yourself and others you choose to help you be accountable a pattern of spiritual practices (disciplines) you feel called/drawn to during this season of your life.  They are often patterned off a scripture passage as well...

Here's mine! 

Rhythm of Life  

Season: Spring 2012

Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ecclesiastes 4: 1-3

At this time in my life I am being called and guided by God to GROW.  To honestly put more work into adding more structure (roots) to my life, my every day.  I recognize that in several different areas: 

Walking with God: 

-      * to walk with God, to be in relationship with God requires immersion in scripture, something my life has been lacking lately.  I would like to make a goal to read scripture (not for class) 5 days a week, particularly in the morning. 

-    *to focus on and purse my calling, recognizing and accepting it fully as where I need to be right now and dedicating the time necessary to work towards the steps of my education and ordination. (weekly) 

With humility, gentleness, and patience:

-      * by immersing myself daily in scripture I hope to reduce my personal stress and put more effort into bearing these fruits, and grow in humility through reflection and journaling each evening to process through the choices I made each day.

-      * by meditating at least 3 times a week to rest and be patient.

Love and Unity: 

-       *I will strive to be a connection and to share the love of God to everyone I have the opportunity to meet.  Specifically I want to be present in each conversation routine and meaningful, as well as mundane or new.  Each evening I will daily pray for others in my life. 

-      * I feel called to live simply, so that others may simply live.  To love my neighbors in such a way that I am an educated consumer and am tuned in to the hurting world around me and across the globe.

Wish me luck!  

your sister in Christ,
Erin 

Always learning, always growing, always challenged

Oh summer camp, how you consume my life for months and allow me to both be myself and stretch me in every way possible!  Oh God how you have given me this incredible blessing of summer camp, yet challenge me to never be still and comfortable!  Anyway - I'm hoping to share more here again on a regular basis now that it's almost September. 

Yet, I am turning to a new chapter in my life as well.  Since last January when I began working full time at camp, I have fully settled in here and LOVE my job.  This summer I had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of young people on staff and support them/challenge them/and see them grow.  I loved every minute of it (even if I didn't think so at the time) and I only hope that God continues to bless our camps and myself with many more years of summer camp!

However, now I will attempt work at camp (full time) with seminary (part time, and as much online as possible).  Yes friends.  I am starting.  Who knows how long it will take me to finish this way - but I love my job in ministry here and I don't want to quit to go to school to do what I'm already doing here!!!  I feel called to serve.  I have a heart for the church, yes I know that she has her flaws - but that's mostly because the church just like the world is full of people, and we are all flawed!  We hold grudges, we like our routines, we struggle with change, we judge each other, and we fail to reach out.  But I still love the church.  (And people in general).  Even after lots of reflection, I honestly don't think that my love of people solely rests upon my intense optimism, it rests upon my Lord and God.  It hasn't always been there.  Many people in my life have hurt me and I have been wounded in ways that don't tend to heal easily.  Yet behold the amazing power and love of God!  He can fill us all with his love for creation and his people.  There are so many others out there still hurting and struggling to simply provide for their families and live life.  Church - lets go to them and help!  In every way possible - from sharing our food to sharing our hearts and welcoming others into our places and spaces, making a home together. 

Never easy, this I know.  But church, I'm not backing down.  I love camp - but I love camp not just for the obvious beauty, but for the fact that camp is such an amazing place to embrace the wounded and nurture them until they are ready to go back out and into the world.  We all need to go.  Jesus makes that clear - "go out and make disciples".  No matter how much we love our churches, our families, and yes even camp - we need to go out into the world and share the love and light of God. 

So I'm going out to seminary.  To learn more to in turn teach more.  I'm ridiculously nervous about it and excited all at the same time.  A deacon.  Sigh.  Someday.  That is my calling, to the best of my understanding.  A deacon working at camp.  ?  Or at least a deacon working in the world. 

Prayers for the world,
prayers for our leaders,
prayers for new students.
Peace,
your sister in Christ ~Erin

God is not a vending Machine

A very wise friend of mine told me one night -
"Erin, I have realized many things people try to make God into that he's not.  For example, God is not a vending machine.  People put in their good deeds and their righteous lives and expect blessings to follow in exactly their way.  But it doesn't work that way.  God is not a vending machine."  (paraphrased.... )

Very sound theological advice actually.  In my devo for the day I was reading from Psalm 79.  The past few days have been from Jeremiah.  Sigh... Jeremiah.  My favorite prophet.  Gosh I can't imagine being him.  Trying to tell the hebrew people that they weren't doing what they should and that they would fail.

I love watching the kids I have taught go through teambuilding games.  One of my favorite things for them to realize is that they don't like to be told what to do, so maybe... just maybe... they shouldn't tell others what to do.  I can't imagine what Jeremiah ran up against.  I'm sure the Hebrew people didn't appreciate him telling them what to do, or worse, that they would fail.

Then he lived through the Babylonian exile.  Being a prophet is hard enough, but to predict bad things and then see them happen?  I understand the words of the psalmist, how long will you let us suffer?  I feel like our society is fairly used to suffering.  We hear often of single parents struggling, unemployment, homelessness... but we also hear stories of people overcoming.  We life those stories up and say look - you can do it!

But it's not that simple.  (sorry... )  Every time we lift up someone who has made it, despite difficult times and situations; those of us who do have enough, who are food secure, who even have extra (like multiple cars and multiple TV's, and stocks, and... the list goes on) say to ourselves - "self, I don't have to give of my excess because I worked for it.  That person made it, so can others".  Sigh... that's not what its about.

We want God to give all of us our happily ever afters.  Yes, we expect struggle and difficult times - for what would any story be like without that.  We all have something we're up against.  - I love that quote from The Freedom Writers.  But like any good movie, we expect somehow for things to resolve and work their way out.  If we pray enough.  If we have enough faith.  If we are generous and loving.

That's not what God is about.  God is about love.  Forgiving us for our sin and saving us.  That doesn't mean our lives will end like a disney movie.  It's not a simple introduction - building tension - climax - resolution story we all want so bad.  Sometimes we just have to accept the cards we have been dealt and make the best lemonade with them.

My favorite prayer (Francis of Assisi)
"Lord, give me the serenity to accept the things I can not change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."

Yes, I hope for my happily ever after.  Find love, serve the world, make a difference, raise some loving kids.  But I try to keep in mind that my God is not a vending machine and accept all the burdens he blesses me with as well as the treasures.

In peace,
your sister in Christ~Erin

Underdogs

Many of us feel our heart strings tugged a little bit when we hear the story of an "underdog".  There is just something hopeful and encouraging to hear that against many odds someone can come out on top.

Well, like many American's today, I was watching the SuperBowl this evening with friends and I was cheering for the New Orleans Saints.  Honestly... because I thought that the Colts have been to plenty of SuperBowls lately and have won some - it's somebody elses turn.  And needless to say I felt good when the Saints won!

Granted that opinion has nothing really to do with who plays the best, practiced the hardest, or at all really deserves it.  But many times and places in life, skill isn't everything.  There is a piece of us, of our humanity, that knows heart is important.  We don't like to see a movie if the hero dies in the middle or if the girl doesn't end up with the "good" guy.  Look at Adam Sandler's "The Water Boy", or "Forest Gump", or a classic - "Cinderella" would that story be known for over a hundred years if she didn't rise above all odds and end up with the prince?

Christians in the early church were underdogs and the church never grew as fast as when she was under persecution.  The heart of an underdog grabs our attention and makes us interested to hear the story.  Why would a person give up their life for their religion?  Who was this Jesus?  How does this community of fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, foreigners, widows, and clergy live together in love? Despite the threat of death, what gives these "Christians" the strength (or stupidity from others perspective) to hold on to their faith?

People are attracted by honorable people fighting for what's right because it is good.  They want to be a part of that.  As Christians we are a light and we must shine that light bright out into the darkness.  Not being afraid to really live our faith in every aspect of our lives.  To continually seek out what it means to be a disciple and what God has called us to do with our lives.

Live in the world, my brothers and sisters, cheer for your favorite football team for whatever reason, but do not live of the world.  Remember your calling as a child of God and give God praise and thanks for all the Lord has blessed you with.

In peace with love,
your sister in Christ~Erin