Spring
Reporter 2004
(540k. Click here to access color, illustrated version in PDF file
format)
Old South Church
Boston MA 02116
http://www.oldsouth.org
What's inside our special Stewardship Theme Issue?
A guest speaker at the annual meeting of a church choose to base his remarks, the Four Keys to Success, on the four letters of Yale:
Y - For Youth;
A - For Ambition;
L - For Loyalty;
E - For Enthusiasm.
Afterwards when everyone had left, a man sat alone in the back of the room. The speaker said, “I see you were deeply moved by my remarks.”
To the contrary, the man said, “I was simply thanking God that you didn't graduate from the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY!”
In the past years, I have learned the beatitude: Blessed are the Brief, for they might be invited to speak again.
The Old South Annual Report for 2003 stands as a written record of what was accomplished this past year. In the area of Christian Stewardship, with the help of Stewardship Committee and its fine leadership, we tweaked the culture of this place a little bit, with encouraging results.
Much remains to be done. There will have to be a significant change in the culture if there is to be continued growth in this crucial area of church life.
We have little control over the stock market and the way it influences the endowment. Growth in our giving is one of the key areas in which we can help ourselves move forward.
Under fine leadership, the Deacons’ Membership Committee has found new
energy and direction. The members of this committee are now ready to share
with our boards and committees a little exercise entitled: "How to Share
Your Faith Without Losing Your Friends."
Does Old South Really Want to Grow?
I want to say this very gently and tentatively, for I am not certain about it: I wonder sometimes if you really want to grow?
Growth means change.
Growth carries a price tag, not only in dollars, but in the changes in church culture which growth requires.
To be sure, growth costs money, sometimes a lot of money -- but at the end of day, this is not the challenge. For if you want to grow, then the money will not be the problem -- especially in this congregation.
Among the changes necessary for growth are . . .
• a staff oriented more toward growth;
• an alternative worship service;
• an expanded choir program for children and young people;
• a more intentional outreach to the people in the area surrounding the church;
• a more intentional ministry to twenties and thirties and college young people;
• an expanding ministry, a net of small groups -- appealing to a wide variety of interests; and
• a greater use of this building in outreach to the community.
Those changes are just some of the "for instances."
Yet the question remains. Do you want to grow? How do you as a congregation discern God's call? Is God calling you to grow? What is God calling you to be and do here at this mission outpost in Copley Square?
I wish there could be some greater clarity around this question before the arrival of your new Senior Minister.
The key is yourselves. Churches grow because people, in response to the call of God and the working of the spirit in their midst, want to grow.
There is a saying in church growth that the size of the fishbowl determines the size of the fish.
In the church I served prior to being with you, we expanded the size of the fish tank three times to accommodate the growth.
Here you have a large fish tank, plenty of room to grow, but is there a felt need to grow?
There may be no standing still.
As the Red Queen said to Alice in Through the Looking Glass, "Here you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as face as that."
I believe God is calling you to move forward with conviction and faith.
There's a bit of verse that goes like this:
As some church grow older
Their blood will run colder.
But that's not the worst thing to dread.
With blood running colder,
They are no longer bolder.
And their eyes turn around on their head.
So in each major decision they cease to have vision
And start looking backward instead.
Remember, Faith Always Faces Forward. As scripture says, "where there is no vision, the people perish." Faith Faces Forward.
Knowing no more Spanish than I had learned watching Sesame Street as a child and never having witnessed daily life in the developing world, I left Boston on January 2nd for three and a half weeks in Central America. Believe it or not, my intention was not to escape a Boston January (which what would turn out to be the coldest since 1888) for days filled with sunscreen bug spray and bare feet. The purpose of the voyage was a mission trip and class through Andover Newton Theological School, where I am a Masters of Divinity student. Entitled Border Crossings: A Transformative Journey through Nicaragua and El Salvador, the aim of the course was to experience another side of Christianity and challenge our own beliefs through work projects, study and building relationships with communities.
With hopes of improving my knowledge of Spanish, I left a week early to attend a language immersion program in Granada, Nicaragua. The remainder of the Andover Newton group arrived ten days into my stay. During our first week we stayed in the Seeds of Learning (SOL) center in the Matagalpa region of northern Nicaragua. While in Nicaragua we spent the mornings working on building projects at various school sites overseen by SOL. We built a brick wall meant to enlarge a schoolroom, helped build a latrine and painted walls. During breaks, we got to play with the kids of the community. We did art projects with kids and played baseball, kickball and even a little soccer. I may still be on the local most wanted list for getting glitter all over a bunch of kids one afternoon. We would fall into bed at night physically exhausted, yet with minds still buzzing with the activities of the day.
SOL is an educational non-profit organization headquartered in California that serves communities in rural Nicaragua and El Salvador to bring a variety of educational resources to often neglected areas. (For more information check out their website at <www.seedsoflearning.org>.) In the center where we stayed in Ciudad Dario, they offer tutoring, educational programs, music lessons, sewing lessons and computer classes. It is also the headquarters for their scholarship programs for high school classes. (Roughly half of all school age children in Nicaragua do not attend school because they do not have a school in the community, or cannot make the trip to a school nearby, or need to help support the family, or cannot afford the high school tuition.) Perhaps the highlight of our accommodations, which were basic dorm type rooms, is the outdoor showers. Imagine taking a shower outside under stars brighter and clearer than you have ever seen because of an unpolluted sky after a long day of hauling bricks.
Once we got to El Salvador, halfway through the trip after a hair-raising twelve-hour bus ride through the mountains of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, the tenor of the trip changed slightly. Instead of physical labor being the focus we spent our days straining our mental muscles. We visited local aid organizations such as Equipo Maiz. We met local officials, such as the former mayor of Chaletenango. We spent an evening with Fernando Cardenal, a Jesuit priest, political activist and brother of Ernesto Cardenal. One of the most meaningful and heart wrenching experiences was our visit to the Museum of the Martyrs honoring the six priests that were murdered as well as the four American nuns who were also kidnapped and murdered. The undercurrent that made its way into all of the activities of the second week for me was the ministry and prophecy of Oscar Romero, archbishop of San Salvador in the late 1970s. Romero’s call to discipleship was his ministry to the poor and forgotten among the catastrophes of civil war. His martyrdom in 1980 took on a Christ-like role – his spirit still being very present in the Salvadoran people. (For more on Romero, see Fall Reporter 1999.)
Some may ask what makes mission trips different than simple work camps. Yes, we did ministry through manual labor. We also framed our work with study of numerous theologians and biblical study. We made it a goal to learn from our hosts about their own faith. What is faith like in countries that struggle for basic needs and have endured periods of civil war over the last hundred years? People are hopeful. People seem happy to have the lives they do. They celebrate relationships with their families. They are generous in their hospitality. They are patient with foreign guests. They seem to embrace life as they have it. Faith is at the center of their lives. It is the substance of things hoped for, the promise of things not seen.
How did it effect my own faith? This experience has increased sense
of my call to Christian discipleship. It even made me wrestle with the
question, why is it that I am a Christian? Before I left, a friend of mine
asked if I was going to convert people or to be converted myself. I answered
that the mission was to build relationships to enable more informed discussion
and decision-making on many fronts in our own communities. That said, I
found that I had several conversion experiences throughout the three weeks.
They were mostly conversions in my own understanding of my faith and the
strengthening of my conviction. It has almost been two months since I returned.
The images are still very present in my mind. The sounds of the streets
and the warmth of the air still run through my senses. Despite the language
barriers and cultural differences, I feel a great affinity for the people
of Nicaragua and El Salvador. Mission and outreach work are not simply
meant to take over a situation but to work in true Christian solidarity
with communities in need. What a privilege and a treat when that happens!
Here is a suggested list of resources among those we read for the
class, which I found to be particularly meaningful.
Violence of Love by Oscar Romero
We Drink from Our Own Wells by Gustavo Gutierrez,
The Weight of All Things by Sandro Benitez;
The Powers That Be by Walter Wink
Our Seminarians*
by Ian Holland
When Jim Crawford retired from Old South, three things came to my mind: First, how could he do this? How could he do this to me? For the first time in my life, I was hearing a message of faith and belief that I understood and believed in and that was relevant to my life. Now, what was I going to do?
Second, change and uncertainty can be fun; opportunities for growth. The juices began to flow and I began to distinguish between the message and the messenger.
My third thought was: boy, it is going to be hard to find the right person -- someone compatible, someone in synch with the soul of Old South Church, and yet someone that is different enough to take us to places unexpected. But I thought there would be a fine selection of candidates in the available pool.
I realize now that I was taking a lot for granted that there would be
plenty of candidates.
I assumed that it was simply a matter of a bit of work to sift through
the selection. But what if there was a shortage of UCC ministers? What
if there were very few available candidates for senior ministers? What
about our other staff positions? How easy will it be to fill them going
forward?
Old South Church has been blessed so many times by gifts from God in the form of Jim, Carl, Jennifer, Leal, Guy and now Patrice, that it is easy to be complacent and to think that it will simply continue.
Are other congregations as blessed as we are? Where do ordained UCC ministers come from anyway? Sure, we have poached some fine ones from the Presbyterians over the years; Jim for example. And some ministers never quite retire (Carl), easing the pressure a bit. Where do ordained UCC ministers come from? And what is our responsibility, as a member church in the UCC, in the process of encouraging, developing, supporting and ordaining ministers, great ministers of the future, for Old South Church and the greater community of the UCC.
As the subject is our Seminarians, let’s talk about the last of these questions.
First let me identify the Old South members recently or currently on
the road to ordained ministry.
Suzanne Woolston Bossert was ordained Associate Minister of the United
Parish of Brookline last April,
Patrice Ficken after serving as Interim Assistant here, has been called to Sanbornton UCC in Sanbornton, NH and will be ordained here in May.
Jonathan Hauze is in his 3rd and final yearat Harvard Divinity School.
Marraine Kettel just began her second year at Andover Newton and has recently returned from a three week mission to Nicaragua. (See Page 2.)
Steve Silver is currently in his first year of study at Harvard, and is parish intern at the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord.
Last,but certainly not least, Lorrie Herzberg is also in her first year of study at Andover Newton and is parish intern at The First Congregational Church in Billerica.
So, one member recently ordained, another about to be, and four others working through Divinity School. We have members at every stage of the process. Wow, we are blessed indeed! And as a congregation, we support others by actively having ministerial Interns such as Guy Pealer on our church staff.
I can only imagine the challenges involved and faced by these special people as they consider the material, spiritual, educational and personal aspects of the path to parish ministry; not only for themselves but for their partners and families.
Pray for them. Lift them up and give thanks for them, today and each day you have a thought about a minister or a great sermon or the church itself.
So, how does it start?
Dan Schutte's beautiful hymn sheds some light.
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
This hymn calls us all to the service of the church: as members, as members of the choir, ushers, deacons, outreach, fellowship groups and so on. In these different roles, we are all called to be ministers to each other.
But there are a few people among us that are called to follow the road less traveled -- called to be ordained parish ministers, called to be special people that hold our baptized babies at the beginning of life, hold our hands at life's end, hold our attention at Sunday Service and hold us all in their hearts.
When a member is called to follow the path to ordained ministry in the UCC, they must be accepted "in care" at their church. This usually happens at the time they begin their studies at the seminary. This congregation, through the Board of Ministers and Deacons, must vote and agree that the member is on the right path for them and the church.
The congregation must support the member as they apply to the MBA to be accepted and held in care by the UCC. We are partners with the Metropolitan Boston Association in the care and the support of the member as they progress down the path. There is an ongoing relationship between the seminarian and the MBA and with the Board of Ministers and Deacons of Old South. Last year the Board established a specific subgroup called the "Seminarian In Care Committee" to provide some additional focus to this relationship.
When the member completes their studies, the church once again is responsible for having a formal vote of support and for providing the documentation of that support to the MBA. We must say strongly and proudly, this person is one of ours and we thank God for the gift of their call to ministry; we support them and recommend them for ordination.
Our last responsibility to the UCC and to the seminarian is to host the ordination service itself. When a congregation calls our member to be their minister, a beautiful and symbolic service will take place in this wonderful sanctuary. It is as if this congregation is handing off, "giving away" this special person to the other congregation. Creating another link in the chain of faith communities joined together by common beliefs and values.
So, we have a role and a responsibility to nurture and support the seminarians; to partner with the MBA in their development. And please watch out for opportunities to celebrate and support our seminarians.
Blessed Lord,
We lift up Guy, Patrice, Jonathan, Marraine, Steve and Lorrie to
your care. They have heard you calling, lead them and hold them in your
heart as they follow the path to ordained ministry. Fill them with the
Holy Spirit so that they will be faithful chalices of the healing, counseling
and forgiving power of your saving grace. We pray for the other seminarians
of the UCC. Provide strength to them all as they face the challenges of
faith, study and life. Finally, we pray for the ministers of Old South
Church, the ordained ministers that are members and we pray for this congregation.
Help us hear the call to your service and the service of your people. Lead
us, and we will follow. Amen
* From a Moment for Mission speech, delivered January 11, 2004.
City Reach
by Ali Corman-Vogan and Rolanda Ward
On January 16, 2004, the Old South Church Youth Group, Youth Group leader Rolanda Ward, and Church School teacher Adrienne Kisner, temporarily left our comfortable urban/suburban lives to learn about homelessness in Boston. After unloading our sleeping bags, backpacks, and Old South's donations at Saint Paul's Cathedral in downtown Boston, we went downstairs to mingle with nearly 100 other youth and mentors attending City Reach. After fun and games, we all sat in a circle and listened to the stories of men and women who used to be or who are currently homeless. We were not merely made aware of their difficulty of living on the stree, but also of the immeasurable value of the understanding, compassion, and love they received from Ecclesia's staff and the Common Cathedral. The stories became vivid when homeless members of Ecclesia took us out in to the night's bitter cold to experience the daily struggle of those that call no place home.
We heard about the challenge of making a living waiting for passerbys to drop a few coins in an old Wendy's cup outside the local CVS. We saw the cubbyholes, secret places, and locked ATM corridors used to escape harsh winds, driving rains and extreme temperatures encountered by the perpetual wanderer. Most notably, we heard the stories gone unreported by local news anchors: 24 year old dies of exposure in Boston Common; 100 bed spaces cut from Pine Street Inn; Medicare, dental and eye benefits indefinitely removed as line items from the state budget. Although our tour left us physically cold and ready to escape our temporary experience, our hearts were warmed by the life, determination, and faith of Ecclesia's giving members.
After sleeping in Saint Paul's sanctuary, we arose to the reason we were there: to offer hospitality to Boston's homeless. We split into groups to prepare sandwiches, and to sort and give out clothing, toiletries, and bags. When we had taken all of the donations out of their bags and boxes and sorted them, the quantity and variety of items amazed us. Although the cold kept many away, more than forty men, women and children came inside to receive survival clothing. Even after each person had about four turns to pick out stuff for themselves, we had an overwhelming surplus. Teens took to the streets with backpacks filled with hats, scarves, mittens and food to minister to those who prefer to stay outside on the Common. After all was said and done, more than 100 garbage bags full of donations were given to other local homeless shelters and clothing centers.
Our experience was new but yet old: new to us as individuals living in heated and well-kept homes, yet old as we commonly encounter homelessness in our busy daily journeys. We are thankful to our church for taking the time to assist us in gathering survival clothing and to the Outreach Committee for granting us monies to purchase new socks and underwear. Through this experience, our understanding of Christ's ministry is made livable and our growth as young Christians is made visible.
Part of This Family*
By Evan H. Shu
I would like to tell you why my family and I pledge to Old South Church. And, just as importantly, why we give of our time, and talents as well.
First, I have a confession: I was a toe-dipper! That's what our former Senior Minister, Jim Crawford, called me when he found out that I had been coming to Old South for ten years by slipping in on Sunday mornings a little before 11 and sitting way in the back section of pews. I would enjoy the incredible architecture of this magnificent sanctuary, drink in the beautiful music, be inspired by the challenging sermons -- and thus, spiritually refreshed, I would throw a few bucks into the offering plate, and as soon as the benediction was over, zip, I would lickety-split out of church, feeling lucky if I didn't have to say more than one or two words to anyone in the place.
Then came a time in my life, when I felt I needed more and decided to give Old South Church a chance. I joined the church as a member, then the choir and starting attending Young Adult events. I even tickled an urge to try my hand at drama and auditioned for some of the TAOS productions. I quickly met what have become for me, lifelong friends, and yes, here is where I met my wife, Annamarie. Before long, I found I went from being a toe-dipper to someone completely in over his head as I was invited to join -- oh my gosh -- church government(!), serving first with the Deacons and then at Council. Through it all, you, the people of Old South Church, have become my extended family:
• When Annamarie and I fell in love, you were there, supporting our
relationship;
• When we got engaged, you threw us a shower;
• When we got married, it was by Old South minister, Marcus Walker;
• When we bought our house in Melrose, you helped us bless and warm
it;
• When we struggled to start a family, you provided much-needed support;
• When we announced we were expecting triplets, you exulted over the
expected boost in Old South membership . . . and showered us with gifts;
• When those triplets were born 4 months early, weighing a little over
a pound each, you prayed for us -- oh, how you prayed;
• When first Noah, then Melanie succumbed to their prematurity, you
mourned with us;
• As we held our daily hospital vigil for those long months, you propped
us up, so we could stand it;
• When after 4 1/2 months, Amanda came home finally at a little over
5 pounds, you rejoiced with us;
• When she was baptized before you at 8 months, you celebrated the
miracle with us;
• When her brother Nate came along as a welcome surprise a year and
a half later (a mere 5 weeks premature), you baptized and welcomed him
too with open arms;
• And now, as our Amanda (6) and Nate (5) have gone from Blue room
to Green Room to Red, to zipping around Coffee Hour between your legs,
you have watched over our children with us like the proud guardian angels
that you are.
So, when someone asks me, why do you give of your money, time and talents to Old South Church? I say it's as natural as being part of a family.
Why do we volunteer as church school parents, help edit the Calendar, put out the Reporter, design logos, flyers and bookplates, and write for the Literary Journal? Why did we provide pro bono architectural services for the Christiansen house, donate clothes, or work at the Food bank? Why do we run the Old South e-mail forum and keep the Old South web page updated? Why do we make our pledge to Old South as much as we can afford?
It is only natural -- natural as mowing the lawn, cooking dinner, putting the kids to bed, helping them with schoolwork, and contributing to their college fund, natural as helping your family in every way that you can.
So, no matter if you are a toe-dipper, or ankle-swisher, or knee-wader, or a hip-hugger -- try taking another step deeper into the life of this church. I think you will find like I did, the feeling is natural and these living waters fine. Thank you & God bless you, my family at Old South Church!
* From a Moment for Mission speech, delivered at Old South Church on October 19, 2003
Author’s Note: In January, the Monday evening Theological Book Group focused on Just Wives? by K. D. Sakenfeld, a study of Old Testament women. Through Sarah, Hagar, Ruth, Esther and others, we saw the complexities of women's lives as they functioned within the cultural constrictions of their day. One, in the humblest of circumstances, struggled toward economic survival. Another, encaged in royal splendor, struggled to save the very lives of her people outside the palace gates. All the stories raised related contemporary issues of meaning and justice for both women and men in the group. The following meditation was written to begin an evening’s discussion of Vashti and Esther.
What if the Bible were a serial book, one volume produced every thousand years or so? . . . . a record of God's dealings with God's people into modern times, a glimpse of God's will for humankind?
As Christians we believe that God engages with us still, nudging us toward justice, inclusiveness and compassion through the voices of many; clergy, legislators, writers, humanitarians, our neighbor and the person in the street. Some rich, powerful and known. Some obscure and nameless who none the less bear candles whose lights flicker for just a moment but ignite in us forever the desire to light candles of our own. Though our stories may never be recorded for posterity, I believe God speaks to us still, even through the insights shared in this room.
And were the Bible an ongoing book, this book Just Wives? has made me wonder who, in my lifetime, might have her story told.
I've been thinking of Eleanor Roosevelt who ministered to the world both as one of the great -- she was, after all, a person of wealth and privilege who became a very prominent first lady -- and as one of the very humble. She fired a torch that cast a golden glow globally for human rights through her work for the United Nations. She lit tiny, birthday-cake, size candles of fairness and caring for friends, coworkers and family.
Mrs. Roosevelt came to mind in connection to Esther's story. Esther, one of the many women who came to the royal court through no choice of her own, became queen, and from that position, indeed using that position plus her beauty and feminine wiles, risked her life to come before the king uninvited. Given that audience, she set in motion events which enabled her to successfully lobby for the lives of her people which were marked for slaughter.
We know Eleanor because, like Esther, she was linked to a prominent, powerful man, one who led his country out of a massive depression and steadied its course through the world's most comprehensive war. Franklin, in so many ways a wise man, however, betrayed his marriage via infidelities. That changed the character of Eleanor and Franklin's marriage forever.
Eleanor bore the pain of betrayal in silence. She maintained her marriage, in name only, a connection she allowed at great cost to herself emotionally in order to meet familial and societal expectations in which she had become ensnared. While fulfilling her obligations to the country as first lady, she used her position to influence Franklin to legislate in favor of the poor.
Not graced with the physical comeliness or charisma of an Esther, Eleanor nevertheless claimed her position, becoming Franklin's conscience. She advocated ceaselessly, sometimes shamelessly, even goading him during his "Happy Hours" with his friends and associates -- many of whom were world leaders -- to frame the necessary changes that would lift the lives of the poor and minorities to greater economic opportunities. As Franklin's legal wife she used her access to him to realize her goals for the downtrodden, well before she made her worldwide contribution standing on her own.
Were the Bible a continuing contemporary book, might Eleanor's story be there?
As a humble, everyday sort of woman, Eleanor developed a habit that witnessed to her everyday companions -- friends, family, domestic and office helpers and others -- that endears her to me and speaks to me still. She carried little slips of paper in her purse, in the glove compartment of her car, in her pockets -- slips of paper on which she'd copied by hand short inspiring messages. On these slips were such things as a verse from Scripture, a line from a poem, a quote from literature -- anything that inspired her and guided her life.
At her death, those little handwritten slips of paper were found everywhere: in the pocket of her robe, in an evening bag, under her pillow, attached to a "to do" list, as a bookmark.
Eleanor could have inspired a compelling Bible story, as one of the great, as one of the truly humble, who worked within the system in loyalty and integrity striving for the dignity and well-being of all.
One pocket-slip quote of inspiration that reminds me of Eleanor goes like this:
In the twilight of life
God will not judge us on our
Earthly possessions
And human successes
But on how well we have loved.
-- St. John of the Cross
Vignettes of Family Life:
Easter Hats
by Liza Roman
Soon it will be Easter -- time to shop for Easter clothes: new suits and hats for the boys, making them look like mini-men, and new spring coats for the girls, complete with patent leather shoes and Easter hats, straw hats with black hat bands and fake spring flowers of yellow, pink, and blue.
Also it will be time for our annual rituals of the joyous events celebrating
the Resurrection and the coming
of spring when all the earth comes alive: the carpet of grass turns
bright green after the dull green-brown colors of winter, bright yellow
spring daffodils work their way to the surface of the earth. Rituals about
the rebirth of the earth have been observed by ancient societies and still
bring joy to people throughout the world.
Other rituals are observed by children today: straw Easter baskets filled with candy, making and searching for Easter eggs with spring colored-decorations, and yes, even a peanut hunt. My parents hid unshelled peanuts all over the dining room and living room for me and my brother to find before church on Easter morning.
We kids knew the Easter story but really didn't understand it. If Jesus rose from the dead, why didn't my beloved grandfather come back to life? I never got an answer to that question. Someone living in your heart and memories isn't quite as good as having them with you in the flesh. Having my own garden taught me a great deal about life, death, and letting go. Some plants live longer than others, and they all eventually die no matter what you do to keep them alive.
Over the years, the pain of losing my grandfather was gradually eased
as I came to understand how we are all plants in God’s garden. And I have
come to embrace Easter again with all of its rituals, both religious and
secular.
A Hesitant Reply
by Tom Keydel
A poem will never feed anyone
Unless by "feed" you mean: nourish one's spirit.
A song will never clothe anyone
Unless by "clothe" you mean: adorn one's skin with sound.
Not even the greatest or grandest of paintings will produce shelter
Unless by "shelter" you mean: taking one's refuge in beauty.
Monkey Mind blabs:
"Yes, but none of these endeavors can succeed.
That's not how the world works.
Writing, painting, singing --
They don't solve problems, address needs, ease suffering, or rid the
world of
anything. So, don't be so stupid."
Battling the way back,
Re-claiming some resolve -- I hold tight this thought:
What art can do is elevate us, or broaden us, or so confuse us
that we might just see what God intends
--With our lives,
--With our hearts
--With what we choose to offer out others.
No story, or novella, or tall-taled yarn can ever "bathe" us,
No, not even the smallest creature could it cleanse
Unless by "bathe" you mean: washing the word over us
so that all of us can be big,
so that all of us can know beauty,
so that all of us can have truth
Without our poems, our songs, our paintings, and our stories --
no building could be built, no person could be born, no memory could
be made.
For these are the gifts we offer one another,
Our deepest prayer for peace
God be in my eyes, and in my looking
God be in my ears, and in my hearing
God be in my words, and in my speaking
Be brave. Say what you always thought could be true.
"I am a writer." "I am a painter." "I am a musician."
Be generous with your mind, offer it up to the enlightenment of grace.
For when God asks, "Who shall I send? Who is willing to partake in
the journey?"
It is the artist who replies, "Here I am, send me."
Editor’s Note: Thomas Keydel’s new book, Poems
Book I,
is now available from the Old South website
with 20% of the proceeds being donated to Old South Church.
Have you've ever read anything in the Reporter and wanted to ask a question or make a comment on it? Or do you just have general thoughts or inquiries about our articles, past and present? We want to hear about it! We invite your feedback and commentary about this publication, and we hope to print summary comments and answers in future issues of the Reporter.
Please feel free to drop a line to:
Old South Church
REPORTER Letters (Communications)
645 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
or better yet, send them via e-mail to m.fiorentino@worldnet.att.net
and please ensure “REPORTER Letters” appears in the Subject line. We look
forward to hearing from you!
Old South Reporter
OSC Reporter, a voice for the extended community of the Old South
Church, explores the mission of the church and aspects of the Christian
life through news, stories, poetry, essays, and commentaries
Communications Committee:
Evan H. Shu, Lois Harvey, Steve Silver, Linda Jenkins, Henry Crawford,
Janet Eldred, Elizabeth England, Eleanor Jensen, Elisa Blanchard, Helen
McCrady, Carl F. Schultz, Jr., Michael Fiorentino.
Deadline for next issue: March 28, 2004
Old South Church in Boston(Click to Return to Home Page)
Gathered 1669
A congregation of the United Church of Christ
645 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617)536-1970
(617)536-8061 Fax
http://www.oldsouth.org
Carl F. Schultz, Jr. Interim Senior Minister
Lael P. Murphy, Associate Minister
Jennifer Mills-Knutsen, Assistant Minister
Gregory M. Peterson, Director of Music