Third Way Cafe (Third Way Media)

Like Grandmother Go the Generations - Another Way

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Happily, I introduced my adult daughter to my indoor walking track at my alma mater, Eastern Mennonite University. She has decided she needs to walk more and in the winter it is hard to make yourself go out in wind and cold and sleet and snow.

I show her where to park, where to hang her coat, where the locker rooms for the general public are. It is a great free resource that I would suspect is also available in many other college communities—in our case funded by a loyal donor who appreciated the benefits of regular exercise. As I leave my daughter to drive to work after our quick one-mile walk, I feel exhilarated, fantastic. Not quite a runner’s high, but like blood is pulsing through all parts of my body and I am ready to face my work day.

I think back to when I first started trying to walk for 20 minutes three to four times a week on a regular basis. (I know, it is not much, certainly not worth bragging about, but like they say, it is better than nothing.) It was after a church small group retreat where we focused on how we wanted to make our lives better and also get more spiritually in touch with God. I enjoyed walking at the retreat and decided to make that something I would carry on—also thinking of my mother who took up a regimen of walking four to five days a week for 20 minutes when she was diagnosed with high cholesterol in her early 60s.

My mother is very religious about her walking regimen. I don’t think there have been many weeks in the last 20 years when she has not done her walking, except for when she was sick or recovering from surgery or other minor ailments. Now 87, she walks through cold and wind, but now that she lives in a retirement complex, does her laps inside the apartment building when it is too snowy or rainy. I greatly admire her dedication and it has inspired me to get out there and walk on days when I feel lazy, too busy, or too tired. I always feel rewarded.

My other daughters have already incorporated regular walking/running into their lives and I think that is great. While as parents we certainly can’t ensure that our children maintain healthy lifestyles, the one thing we can do is try to set an example ourselves. My husband is not big on walking for exercise because he walks all day long at his job in a warehouse—but we do enjoy walking on Sundays or taking occasional hikes together. And while we both struggle with our weight, we try to be reasonable about eating to excess and splurges.

We could be worse. Looking at our light-weight daughters, one might say the parents should follow the kids’ example. One of my daughters is married to a guy who is very into fitness and exercises a great deal, so that example propels her to action also. The next daughter has a big dog who needs walking twice a day and that keeps her going.

But my mother has been my biggest influence in this regard. What a wonderful tradition and legacy she has passed on. The spiritual/mental benefits go beyond the physical: for me, walking is a great opportunity to pray, meditate, and just free my mind to explore new thoughts, ideas, and brainstorms. Doing laps at the indoor track, I have spent many hours focusing in prayer on the specific needs of my family, friends, and colleagues. I personally would never want to walk while listening to music or otherwise have “plugs” in my ears, but I can appreciate that some find that a wonderful way to exercise as well. To each their own.

I know that my mother, through the years—especially when she lived in the country with a nearby woods—carried her many burdens as a mom and grandmother out there to the woods to pray over them, cry out to God at times, and feel much better when she returned to her house and her work. While they lived near that woods, the favorite excursion of the whole family after a big holiday meal was to “walk to the woods.” Sometimes my father, who at that stage could no longer walk such a distance, would fire up his lawnmower and attach a little wagon and take along the grandbabies who were too small to walk that far either.

As the weeks for my daughter’s new walking regimen go on, I find that she is prodding me to be more regular in my walks: an exercise companion can do that for some. The influence goes both ways.

Comments? I’d love to have you post them on my Facebook page for Another Way, or send to melodied@mennomedia.org ">melodied@mennomedia.org or post at the website, www.ThirdWay.com/aw

Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis

Melodie Davis, staff writer and producer for Third Way Media, is married and the mother of three children. She is the author of Whatever Happened to Dinner? and eight other books. Her column, "Another Way", also appears in newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

Are you suffering from "indecisionitis"? - Today's Stress Tip from Another Way

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Do you reach a point where you have so many things to do you can't do anything at all? Are you pulled in so many different directions you're virtually paralyzed? Do you dawdle aimlessly and become deflated because you're afraid that committing yourself to one project means neglecting another equally important one? Then you have indecisionitis. A common affliction of the stressed and overscheduled. When it happens, your inaction can feed on itself and lead to an increasingly upsetting crisis. Realize this: doing something, anything, is better than nothing at all. So force yourself to get started on a project just to break the logjam, to ease the pressure on yourself. Accept that you're only human, only one person, and at such times something's got to give.
Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis

Take a warm, relaxing bath. - Today's Stress Tip from Another Way

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

How long has it been? Have you forgotten that bathtubs aren't just places to stand while you're taking a shower? Or how soothing and restorative a good soak can be? Tonight, draw yourself a nice toasty bath. Add beads, bubbles and toys as needed. Allow your body to relax and your mind to drift. This is a stress remedy that has worked like a charm for thousands of years! And about the only downside is having to get out. Got stress? Jump in the tub.
Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis

Pump some iron. - Today's Stress Tip from Another Way

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Not necessarily in a body building way, but in a muscle stretching, circulation boosting, stress reducing way. Most occupations today leave our bodies limp and flaccid. To remain the physically robust, sharp-thinking beings we were created to be, we have to frequently work out. Best to use the weight-adjustable exercise machines and circuits found at health clubs, gyms and hotels. Or try free weights at home. Start with safer, lighter weights and work your way up over time. (There's no point in pushing it.) And try to exercise all the muscle groups. You'll not only feel great, you'll find that stress has little place to hide in a healthy body. Take it from Arnold. Lose those jelly bellies. Firm up the thighs.

Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
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February 2012 - Links @ MennoMedia from Third Way Media

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Links@MennoMedia
Your link to media ideas, activities, and resources

February 2012

To download a PDF of this newsletter, click here.

Groups use Waging Peace Screening to Assist Muslim/Christian Dialogue

Leon Kehl of Floradale Mennonite Church in Waterloo, Ontario, has set up screenings for Waging Peace: Muslim and Christian Alternatives documentary the second week of Feb. 2012 in the Kitchener/Waterloo area. Sheri Hartzler, executive producer of the film and director of electronic media for MennoMedia, will be present, as well as representatives of Christian and Muslim faiths for dialogue after the one-hour film. The Floradale church and Rockway Mennonite Collegiate were both featured in the program.

ABC-TV Ends Successful Run of Waging Peace

Over 130 ABC-TV stations in the U.S. used Waging Peace at various times during the Oct. 23-Dec. 18 airing window. Comments include:

“I saw bits and pieces of the program and want to explore doing a PhD on the topic of Muslim/Christian peacemaking. I worry about what the church is communicating to the world with some of the hurtful images and stories out there.”—Leroy
“Waging Peace is a highly effective effort at peacemaking. I believe that with God’s help it is possible for Christians, Jews, and Muslims to usher in a new millennium-type renaissance similar to Spain during the 8th to 15th centuries.”—Andreas
“I’m sharing this page. I hardly ever watch TV but caught this on ABC and it’s wonderful!! I was very impressed by the Mennonites’ attitude of love. We need more of this.”—Lisa
“Wow! Just a little what we’ve created in my home. I am Christian and my husband is Muslim. We respect one another because of our love for one another and God!”—Triola

A DVD is now available from MennoMedia store for $24.95 USD/$27.95 CAD, and a free study guide is online or downloadable as a PDF. You can use Waging Peace for any public screening or event as long as you don’t charge admission.

Waging Peace premiere screening. Filmmaker Burton Buller greets guests at the premiere of Waging Peace: Muslim and Christian Alternatives in Harrisonburg, Va. Over 100 people came to see the documentary about mistrust, hatred, and violence and stayed for a panel discussion. The event was sponsored by MennoMedia, the producer of Waging Peace, the Islamic Association of the Shenandoah Valley, and the Center for Interfaith Engagement at Eastern Mennonite University.

Links is a quarterly newsletter highlighting new and current media resources from MennoMedia including books, DVDS/videos, curricula, music CDs, a family radio program and more. Links includes short customer reviews, stories of users to give you creative ideas on how to use products, and news and events from MennoMedia. We never sell this mailing list but hope you will find resources to use and recommend in your own ministries.

Conserve paper. Links is available by email by subscribing here or view each issue online at ThirdWayMedia.org; click on Newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe to the mailing list for the paper version, send your name and mailing address to:MennoMedia.org ');

HERALD PRESS

New Herald Press books this winter

Order at www.MennoMedia.org/store or call 800-245-7894 (U.S.) or 800-631-6535 (Canada).

Go to Church, Change the World: Christian Community as Calling by Gerald Mast. This is a bold call to consider how participation in the life of the church shapes our daily witness and how “going to church” transforms “going to work.”

Reading the Bible after Christendom by Lloyd Pietersen. In a postmodern, post-Christian society, the author suggests that the church needs to look at Scripture with a fresh new Jesus-centered focus.

Anabautismo al Desnudo: Convicciones Basicas de una Fe Radical by Stuart Murray, translated by Mauricio Chenlo. This popular 2010 book about the bare essentials of the Anabaptist faith—with over 10,000 sold—is now available in Spanish.

Believers Church Bible Commentary series. For over 20 years, MennoMedia (and its predecessor agencies) has been producing a Bible commentary series for a consortium of six Anabaptist/Mennonite denominations. This year two volumes will be added to the Believers Church Bible Commentary series: Joshua this spring and John in the fall. Herald Press Editorial Director Amy Gingerich met with writers and publishers of other similar resources at the annual Society of Biblical Literature conference in San Francisco in November 2011.

On the Road with New Book

Joanna Shenk, editor of Widening the Circle: Experiments in Christian Discipleship, hit the road in December to promote her newly-released book. Her stops included New York City and Washington, D.C. She also spoke in chapel at Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite High School and visited the offices of MennoMedia in Harrisonburg, Va., where she was interviewed for a video promotion of the book. See also Joanna’s Facebook page.

British Author in North America

Stuart Murray, the British author of The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith, is speaking in North America this winter:

February 22–24, Waterloo, Ontario. School for Ministers, Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada.
March 2, Abbotsford, B.C. Mennonite Faith and Learning Society.
March 2–3, Abbotsford, B.C. Mennonite Conference of British Columbia.
March 5, Fresno, Calif. North Fresno Mennonite Brethren Church.
March 5–9, Fresno, Calif. Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary.

The Naked Anabaptist (2010) is a best-seller for Herald Press. A Spanish-language version was released in January 2012 (see separate listing at left).

More Resources on Islam and Muslim/Christian Dialogue

Three Herald Press books are now available as a special series on the timely topic of “Christians Meeting Muslims.” Individually each book is $14.99 USD and $17.25 CAD. As a set, the price is $37.99 USD and $43.69 CAD.

Titles include:

A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue by Badru D. Kateregga and David W. Shenk.

Teatime in Mogadishu: My Journey as a Peace Ambassador in the World of Islam by Ahmed Ali Haile, as told to David W. Shenk.

Journeys of the Muslim Nation and the Christian Church: Exploring the Mission of Two Communities by David W. Shenk.

Also available is Understanding Islam by Calvin Shenk, a “Christian reflection on the faith of our Muslim neighbors.” $3.95.

FAITH & LIFE RESOURCES

Water-themed VBS

Many groups and congregations look forward to summer Bible school programs as a special time of outreach to children. MennoMedia’s 2012 VBS curriculum, Take Me to the Water: God’s Love Flows, will help kids age four through grade eight dive into stories from the Bible that use water to show God’s gift of life and blessing. Children will explore the use of water in Bible times, as well as water issues around the world today. Includes materials for worship, music, Bible memory, and creative response activities, organized as a five-day or a twelve-week program. New this year: an online video clip (at bottom of page under “Videos”) is available for use during daily “gathering” time. The clip incorporates music and the Bible verse for that session. More details and sample sessions at www.MennoMedia.org/vbs.

"Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity"

Gather ’Round, the Bible curriculum for children, youth, and families produced jointly by MennoMedia and Brethren Press, is a sponsor for Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity Conference in May 2012. It will be held in Washington, D.C., highlighting the spiritual formation of children and youth in the “emergent” or “missional” church with presenters including Brian McClaren, Shane Claiborne, Joyce Ann Mercer, Jim Wallis, and some MennoMedia staff/editors.

Teen pregnancy and more. Two upcoming titles in the Close to Home pamphlet series, “Dealing with Teenage Pregnancy” and “Dealing with Self-Harm,” will help Christian caregivers support those dealing with difficult issues. Free study guides for group use are also available.

Bible studies. “With the Word,” a new Bible study and devotional series for adults, explores specific books of the Bible from an Anabaptist perspective. Each session takes groups or individuals through study, discussion, and reflection before ending with seven short devotionals. Also included are leader suggestions for groups. Look for a 10-session study on Psalms and an eight-session study on Luke.

Also coming soon: Kids Can Live Upside-Down and Kids Can Get it Right, to help kids learn basic Christian truths and values. Each study includes a leader’s guide for ten sessions.

THIRD WAY MEDIA

Shaping Families Radio Outreach

Elaine Kauffman, pastor of First Mennonite Church in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, tells why their church began sponsoring Shaping Families weekly radio program from MennoMedia on their local station, KDOM, Windom: “From my childhood I remember the Mennonite Hour radio program and records. I have sponsored Christmas radio programs ‘Some Children See Him’ and ‘Jesus the Man’ (two half hour programs) as my Christmas gift to the congregation and the congregation itself has sponsored ‘The Greatest Week in History’ during Holy Week. KDOM commented to me about the good quality of these programs. So it was a short leap for First Mennonite to take on the Shaping Families program (for which our station charges $20 a week). After the first month or two, Bethel Mennonite, our sister congregation just down the street, joined with us which divides the cost between the two congregations. KDOM even recorded intro/exit segments in the voices of the two pastors.

“One of the first programs aired included an interview with volunteers in a church service program. A couple who was interested in similar volunteer work stopped me on the street to say they’d heard the program and had to ‘stop what we were doing to just listen.’ Another man identified with a program on mental illness. Just recently, a clerk in a drugstore, who knows who I am, said, ‘I’ve been meaning to tell you I really appreciate the Shaping Families program. The topics are so timely. I also visit the website and it’s very good.’ The program opens doors to sharing, makes it feel safer to be vulnerable.” See samples at www.ShapingFamilies.com .

Shaping Families—upcoming topics and resources)

Shaping Families podcasts, transcripts, and study guides on the following topics are available online on the date indicated and heard on 18 radio stations (topics subject to change):

Feb. 4 Enjoying Leisure: Evan Oswald, from Glencroft Retirement Community, Ariz.
Feb. 11 Teens and Substance Abuse: Brian Kelley, Bridgewater College researcher
Feb. 18 Curbing Underage Drinking: Brian Kelley, Bridgewater College researcher
Feb. 25 Stay-at-Home Mom: Jennifer Murch, mommy blogger “Mama’s Minutia”
Mar. 3 Working Parents: Gloria Rhodes, mother and associate professor of peace building/conflict
Mar. 10 Volunteering: Stephen Kiernan, speaker and author of Authentic Patriotism
Mar. 17 Surviving Brain Aneurysm: Ruth Ann Wittrig, Goshen, Ind.
Mar. 24 Grace and Grief: Edith Kuhns and Rose Shenk, mother and daughter walk through grief
Mar. 31 Alzheimer’s: Duane Sider

SPECIAL MEGABARGAINS

Childrens picture books and DVD especially for Links readers

Order a picture book or DVD for your children or grandchildren at rock bottom prices.

Julia’s Words by Judith L. Roth; illustrated by Brooke Rothshank. Christina meets Julia, who is deaf, at a coastal campground. As the two girls spend time together, Christina glimpses what it might be like to be deaf. She finds out there’s more than one way to communicate—and that friendship is deeper than sound. $1.00 USD/$1.15 CAD

The Family Song (CD included) by Jane Hoober Peifer; illustrated by Ingrid Hess. Every day, the friendly Stranowsky family sings their favorite song to help them remember all of God’s joyous blessings. When things go haywire one afternoon, it takes a crying baby, an overflowing toilet, a harried policeman, five kittens, the new neighbors, and The Family Song to remind them of God’s presence. $1.00 USD/$1.15 CAD

Rhythms of Peace DVD, produced by Jerry L. Holsopple. Memorable stories, music, and rhythms from around the world helping kids make peace. $5 USD/$5.50 CAD

Cups Held Out by Judith L. Roth; illustrated by Brooke Rothshank. A young girl and her father cross the border into Mexico, where the child encounters poverty for the first time. Together, she and her dad ponder the question, “What can we do about poor people?” Should they put money into every outstretched cup? Will buying a blanket make a difference? What about that shiny bike back home? $1.00 USD/$1.15 CAD

Also for children—new in 2011

Quills, written and illustrated by Aaron Ratzlaff. Through the story of a porcupine who loses her quills, children learn about loss, grief, and unconditional love. $13.99 USD/$16 CAD.

To order special megabargain items, call 800-245-7894 (U.S.) or 800-631-6535 (Canada) and mention Links or order at www.MennoMedia.org/store and put Links in the Order Comment field. This offer ends March 30, 2012.

If you purchase any item, you will be kept on this mailing list as a current customer! If you wish to be kept on the mailing list but don’t wish to buy anything at this time, just let us know by phone, email, or letter, and we will keep you on the list.

Find us on Facebook! MennoMedia

Links@MennoMedia is published by MennoMedia. Subscriptions are free. Visit www.ThirdWay.com/subscriptions to sign up. Melodie M. Davis, editor. Printed in the U.S.A.

Mission

MennoMedia was formed from a 2011 merger of Mennonite Publishing Network and Third Way Media and is made up of three main brands: Herald Press, Faith & Life Resources, and Third Way Media. We create media resources that “change lives for the better forever.” We invite you to help us in that mission by sharing this newsletter, purchasing and recommending resources, or outright donations. You can give online or by mailing your donation to MennoMedia, 1251 Virginia Avenue, Harrisonburg, VA 22802.

Don't be a short order cook. - Today's Stress Tip from Another Way

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

How much of your time, energy and composure is squandered every night making multiple meals for your family? Trying to cater to every taste by preparing different dishes is okay if you're a restaurant, but a needless burden otherwise. Unless someone has a food allergy or intolerance, adopt a policy of one meal for the entire family. And stick to it. Make a master list of all the foods everyone likes. If you aren't sure, ask. Let good nutrition rule. Encourage finicky eaters to try new things by not spoiling them with alternatives. Or prepare foods in ways more palatable to them (like pouring melted cheese over broccoli). Experiment with new recipes and note what works. A little reconnaissance up front can pay off in fewer culinary squabbles and less stressful evenings down the line. One family, one meal.
Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis

Don't give out knee-jerk invitations. - Today's Stress Tip from Another Way

Sun, 5 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

For instance, those insincere, spur-of-the-moment utterances like "I'd really like to have you over sometime." The ones that may serve the moment, and you think sound magnanimous, but you have little intention of following up on soon. They're usually met with skepticism and make the other person feel awkward, since how is one supposed to respond to such ingenuous ambiguity? Besides, the unfulfilled promises you make just add to the uneasiness and stress in your life. Another empty offer: "Next time you're in the neighborhood, stop by." Few today are going to take that risk. Either call people up and invite them over with a specific date, time and purpose in mind...or don't say anything at all.
Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis

Look beyond appearances to find the good in people. - Today's Stress Tip from Another Way

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

How callously we judge others based solely on superficial qualities. What someone wears, how they talk, where they live, or what they drive has little to do with their underlying goodness and the emotions they feel. But in our rushed and impatient dealings -- to our detriment -- we hastily slot people into categories and judge them accordingly. Think of all the people you're intimate with today you first estimated unfairly, maybe even joked about, based on outward appearances. Imagine what you'd have lost...and lose every day...when you can't get beyond stereotyping. The easiest way to accept others is to know them, to discover the person inside. You'll find that inwardly most people share similar beliefs and aspirations. You want others to understand who YOU are. At least afford them the same courtesy.
Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Movies from Weekly Reviews

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Several weeks ago, most Media Matters reviewers published a list of their top ten films of 2011. Were I to resubmit that list today, after seeing Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, I would choose it as the best film of the year. Indeed, the Academy of Motion Pictures has included it on their list of nine nominees for Best Picture.

But the film’s best performance may have come from newcomer Thomas Horn who plays Oskar Schell, a precocious boy who probably has Asperger’s syndrome.

Tom Hanks, who plays the avuncular father of nine-year-old Oskar, can always be counted on to deliver an exceptional performance. The same is true of Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis. Add John Goodman and Max von Sydow to the mix and you have an outstanding cast. As a matter of fact, Sydow was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. But the film’s best performance may have come from newcomer Thomas Horn who plays Oskar Schell, a precocious boy who probably has Asperger’s syndrome. The film, based on the 2005 novel by Jonathan S. Foer, is set in Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11.

In the opening scene we see a man’s body eerily falling from the sky, reminiscent of the horrible scenes rebroadcast over and over on news channels depicting the unspeakable horror of the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers. We soon learn Oskar’s father Tom died in that tragedy.

Oskar was very close to his father. They were best friends. Thomas understood his son’s struggle in relating with others and designed elaborate expeditions in Central Park which forced Oskar to interact with a wide range of people. The father had a calling card printed to help Oskar introduce himself to strangers. On the card he listed Oskar’s occupations as an “amateur: inventor, Francophile, and pacifist.” In flashbacks we see the remarkable bond between this man and his son as they wrestle, verbally jostle by firing oxymorons at each other, and plan excursions to look for evidence of Manhattan’s lost sixth borough.

Understandably, the boy is having difficulty coping with the loss of his Dad and best friend. It severely strains his relationship with his mother (Sandra Bullock). Oskar refuses to participate in his father’s funeral which involves an empty casket, since Tom’s body was never recovered. Oskar chastises his mother saying, “It’s like a pretend funeral for a goldfish!” At another point he mercilessly tell her, “I wish it was you, not him.” Oskar becomes obsessed with death. He postulates, if the sun were to explode we wouldn’t know it for a full eight minutes, since it takes that long for the sun’s light to reach the earth. He holds onto his father’s memory, trying to prolong the eight minutes until he must acknowledge the reality of his death.

As the boy struggles with his grief, we too wrestle with the national tragedy of 9/11. I know of no film like this, which helps us as Americans to effectively grieve our common loss. It took ten years after the event for the film to be made. Perhaps it is only now that we are ready to deal with our emotions. Prior to this they were too raw to be handled.

Similarly, after one year Oskar is ready to reenter his father’s bedroom. There, in the closet, he finds a mysterious key at the bottom of a blue vase, enclosed in a small manila envelope marked with the word “BLACK.” He deduces this is a person’s name and determines to find Mr. or Mrs. Black and determine what the key opens, thus unlocking this last link to his deceased father. Every weekend he treks off through Manhattan visiting families with the surname Black. Along the way he picks up an accomplice, the silent renter who occupies a room in Grandma’s tenement. During his visits he elicits sympathy from even the most hardened New Yorkers and grows in his social graces.

The film is touching at a deep level and cathartic for our wounded national psyche. Beyond 9/11, anyone who has ever experienced a loss (and who of us hasn’t?) will be emotionally drawn into the story. There are some light moments, too. I particularly enjoyed an interchange between John Goodman’s character Stan the Doorman, who stands as a sentinel in Oskar’s apartment building, and the young boy as he is sneaking out during the middle of the week to discover the object of his key. “Shouldn’t you be in school?” asks Stan. Oskar flippantly replies, “They said I know too much already.”

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is very entertaining, even as it provides emotional release. It runs 129 minutes and is rated PG-13 for disturbing images, intense emotional scenes, and some crude language.

Steve Carpenter
Independent
Other posts by Steve Carpenter

Steve Carpenter is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Tulane University, the Coast Guard Academy, and a member of a Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Va.

Enjoying Leisure - This Week's Program from Shaping Families (Site)

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

“Leisure time is that which is left over after work, after school, after taking care of the maintenances of life. If we don’t use it, we lose it.” – Evan Oswald

Evan Oswald believes passionately that most people in North American culture do not take enough time to relax, unwind, or engage in true leisure or recreation. Even when people retire and “slow down” they volunteer voraciously and “work out” when they recreate. Not that those aren’t good things, too but many of us would do well to take a look at how we can re-create ourselves and our families through leisure.

Dr. Oswald has published a book called Christians and Postmodern Leisure: What We All Have, But Know Little About. Earlier he completed his doctorate looking at the topic of leisure, and taught for many years at Hesston College, Kansas. There he also helped build a physical education and athletic program from the ground up, where a baseball field is now named in his honor. Later he spent ten years as director of activities at Glencroft Retirement Community in Glendale, Arizona, where he is now retired.

Evan and his first wife, Martha, along with daughter Sylvia, enjoyed camping and hiking in many locations especially in the western U.S. and Canada. After Martha died, he married Eileen who assisted Evan (who is hard of hearing) in hearing the questions asked by Shaping Families producer Melodie Davis as she interviewed Evan over the phone at his retirement home in Arizona.

Enjoying Leisure - Transcripts from Shaping Families (Site)

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

EVAN: People that really care about working and helping other people have the most problem with burnout. When I began, I worked eight days a week, and 26 hours a day. I couldn’t get away from it. There was so much to do.

BURTON: Hi, I’m Burton Buller and this is Shaping Families. You’re hearing from our guest today, Evan Oswald, who may have been exaggerating just a bit. But he’s now retired in Arizona, truly enjoying himself, and he’s here today to help us focus on leisure time in families.

MELODIE: And I’m Melodie Davis. Evan has published a book called Christians and Postmodern Leisure: What We All Have, But Know Little About. I’m as guilty of neglect on that topic as anyone—how can we slow down and truly enjoy the leisure we do have?

BURTON: Dr. Oswald, who completed his doctorate looking at the topic of leisure, taught at Hesston College, Kansas. There he helped build a physical education and athletic program from the ground up so he knows about hard work and long days. Later he spent ten years as director of activities at Glencroft Retirement Community in Glendale, Arizona, where he has now retired.

MELODIE: Currently 85, Evan has spent a lifetime enjoying as much recreation and leisure as possible, and encourages families to put an emphasis on taking time to have lots of fun together.

BURTON: So what is leisure?

EVAN: It’s time left over after work, after school, after maintenances of life. And if we don’t use it, we lose it.

BURTON: What are some of the values of leisure?

EVAN: The first one is family activity. Almost all family activity is done in leisure time. I was privileged to hear a college president of a four-year church college get up before a group of students and say—and he was a very strong church man, he’s on many boards—he got up before us and he said if he had to do it all over again, he would give a lot less time to the college and a lot less time to the church, because what happened in his family situation was he was away from home so much he lost almost all his family to the church because he did not have a family structure and togetherness.

BURTON: Evan says a second value of leisure is how it offers time to participate in and enjoy art.

EVAN: The creative things—art, music, creative pursuits like quilting and sewing and all those types of pursuits—that comes in leisure time. And if you don’t have leisure time, many of those things are cut out.

BURTON: A third part of leisure is how it enhances our religious life or faith.

EVAN: Leisure brings in time for worship. Sunday is a day of worship and change and rest, but it’s a leisure time. It’s after work.

BURTON: Another aspect of leisure is recreation and exercise.

EVAN: In the good old days of farming, in the good old days of heavy survival type of work outside, in the outdoors they got their exercise through their work. But in today’s world, where we’re sitting behind desks and we’re doing a lot of non-exercise types of activity for our work, we need to have time to exercise and to stay healthy.

BURTON: Evan notes that many of us associate leisure time with volunteering—and that’s not limited to retired folks. A lot of high schools and colleges emphasize and sometimes give credit for volunteer activities in the community.

EVAN: Leisure then in our culture where we press and we’re under a lot of stress and a lot of our work opportunities, leisure helps us balance life.

BURTON: I’m hearing that leisure is more than just recreation.

EVAN: Recreation is one way we use leisure. All batteries need to be recharged. Physically we need to be recharged. Spiritually we need recharging. Psychologically and sociologically, we need recharging; we need to relate to people. And so recreation is one of those things that helps do that. The dad that works 70 hours a week, does he have time for the family? Seventy hours a week also has a tendency to push people to burnout in their inner selves and their psychology and the way they relate to people. Then you have all kinds of things happen in the family.

BURTON: Evan recognized the burnout factor in his own life when he and his first wife, now deceased, were raising their family. He was deeply involved in work in those years.

EVAN: One of the things that I began to say was that I’ve got to give time to my family. And so in my situation where I was so occupied in the college program, that when summer came, we headed out for the mountains. We took trips, we camped, we went to the national parks, we did a lot of exploring. In doing that, it gave me a chance to give full time to my family. That was full time. When you’re living outdoors, you’re full time together. And it became a healing thing for us. One day—I marvel at this when I think about this—one day we took an 8-hour hike up into the glaciers, back in the Alpine meadows with those wonderful flowers growing, way back into the valley and then back again. Eight hours of hiking. Wonderful! One of the great experiences of our life.

BURTON: Evan learned firsthand why it is so important to pay attention to potential burnout. During World War II, he did alternative service, called Civilian Public Service, at a mental hospital with 5,000 patients.

EVAN: They were doctors, they were lawyers, they were clergy, they were CEOs. Authorities who have studied this problem, now say this: that doctors, lawyers, and clergy have the most problems with drug abuse, alcoholism, and suicide. Why? Because the people who have the most interest in helping others, there’s no end to that help. They work and they work and they overdo and they worry about these responsibilities that they have. People that really care about working and helping other people, have the most problem with burnout.

BURTON: Evan cautions that service or volunteer work can also be approached in an unhealthy fashion.

EVAN: Here in Phoenix, at our church, we have what we call SOOP (Service Opportunities for Older People). The idea about SOOP is that the people come here on a vacation, and about half the time’s to be spent on vacation, and the other half on service. And so in the program of SOOP, you offer them many good service opportunities here in town, and it’s been a very good experience. But we had a medical doctor and his wife come here—and they’re very nice people—but probably he spent 120% of his time working, serving. He served, served, served! And there’s no time that you can take for yourself, like to go out and go to the Grand Canyon and go to Sedona, that is a wonderful place, and the many wonderful things you can do in in leisure time. I’m real concerned about our pastors and their burnouts. They’re the church leaders, but they need to take time to recharge their batteries too. We want to have vacations, so we can regroup ourselves and refresh ourselves. We want that. We should want that for our church leaders also. And so our church leaders need to take that and they need to be exemplary and they need to promote the idea to study this whole problem of leisure.

BURTON: Thanks, Evan, for sharing from your life’s experiences. You will find information about Evan Oswald’s book on leisure at the Shaping Families website, ShapingFamilies.com. And now we’ll hear from Sam Heatwole thinking about leisure in Frog Hollow.

SAM: Frog Hollow would be a lot bigger if it was ironed out flat. Texans brag about big. But our neighbors in the hollows of the Appalachians swear there’s more land in the mountains of the Virginias than a crow can fly over in Texas.

Mountain bikes iron it out a little. We acquired a pair of 15-speed bicycles, although most pedaling in our area is uphill, so we use only the lowest gears, with an occasional modest incline to remind us what flatlands could be like.

Shep likes to go with us. Bring out the bikes and he skitters around like a pup, his tail going around in circles. Norma is first after Shep down the lane and Shep shoots out onto the road at the bottom of our lane, heading up past Ivy Moyer’s toward the Brethren Church. Like any sensible dog, he heads uphill while he’s fresh. Still coming down the lane, I follow in third place, ducking the quail that Shep stirs up in his race to get the first half mile behind us so we won’t change our minds.

This morning it’s good he hustles on ahead. Norma stops at the culvert carrying the spring branch under our lane. She has a finger to her lips. A muskrat is cooling himself, legs astraddle the damp mud. Shep would be embarrassed if we told him he’d missed the muskrat, so we don’t mention it. He chases one of Ivy’s guinea hens under the fence; it’s safe there with Ivy’s pet turkey. Nothing on feet frightens that bird, as he’s all too willing to prove; the thing’s a menace.

Up on the hill by the Brethren Church we hit hard top. The little white clapboard building commands a view of the valley as far as the Massanutten Mountain on the horizon. It’s worth a stop today, a quiet moment with morning mists making islands of hills and meadows and fields. The red ball rising over the Massanutten ridge will burn away much of the mist, but now the serenity of this familiar scene fills me with its enduring peace.

Cycling lets us share the life around us. Birds can cope with our sedate pace; there are no reckless attempts by a robin to fly through a windshield. We can hear the warblers if we can’t see them, and be moved by the cathedral-echo song of the veery in the deep woods as we pedal silently by.

I’ve often wondered what the old timers think of us as we cycle past, going nowhere in particular. As Norma and I pump our way in low gear up beside Willard Shiflett’s garden, the sun-dried old man leans on his hoe to watch us.

“Nice morning for a little exercise,” I offer, feeling guilty cause I’m not on my way to work.

But Willard isn’t going to bail me out and agree with me. He waves his hoe at the rows of old vegetation he is clearing out for next year’s planting. “This is exercise,” he says. His nod takes in our slow moving efforts to climb his hill. “But that looks like a lot of work for nothing to me.”

Lilies of the field, Willard, I mutter. Lilies of the field.

BURTON: I’ll remind listeners that Frog Hollow is a real place, near our studios in Harrisonburg and I always appreciate a journey down Frog Hollow Lane with Sam Heatwole. There are links to the book, Frog Hollow Journal on our website, written by Sam’s father- in-law, Jim Fairfield.

MELODIE: For our free offer this week we have a simple little booklet called Work Therapy by Daniel Grippo. It is easy to read with illustrations and pithy lines about work, such as, “Even God took a day off.” It is free and we’d love to send you one. Just click on the Current Offer button at our website, ShapingFamilies.com .

BURTON: The title again is Work Therapy. Write and request it from Shaping Families, Box 22, Harrisonburg, VA 22803. That’s Shaping Families, Box 22, Harrisonburg, VA 22803.

MELODIE: We appreciate your gifts, comments and prayers. One woman wrote recently at our website regarding caring for aging parents: “It is such a hard process to watch. I’ve been watching my parents go through this with my grandmother and it’s been challenging for everyone involved.” We love hearing from you, so I hope you’ll be in touch. Until next week when we’ll look at the topic of Teens and Substance Abuse, this is Melodie Davis …

BURTON: … and Burton Buller, reminding you to spend a few leisure moments each day—and breathe a prayer of gratefulness to God. Shaping Families is a production of the Mennonite churches.

Frog Hollow - My Turn from Shaping Families (Site)

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Frog Hollow would be a lot bigger if it was ironed out flat. Texans brag about big. But our neighbors in the hollows of the Appalachians swear there’s more land in the mountains of the Virginias than a crow can fly over in Texas.

“Nice morning for a little exercise,” I offer, feeling guilty cause I’m not on my way to work.

“Lilies of the field, Willard,” I mutter. “Lilies of the field.”

Booklet: Work Therapy - Current Offer from Shaping Families (Site)

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Work Therapy by Daniel Grippo is a small, easy to read booklet from Abbey Press with illustrations. It contains thoughtful insights and pithy lines about work (and taking leisure), such as, “Even God took a day off.”

Request this item by filling out the form below or send your request by regular mail addressed to Shaping Families, Box 22, Harrisonburg, VA 22803. One copy is free; quantities available at regular price. Call 800-245-7894 for cost and to order additional copies.

How Many Slaves Work for You? - Washington Comment from Wider View

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

A friend recently posted a link on her Facebook feed that read, “How many slaves work for you?” The Slavery Footprint survey simply asked me to quantify my consumption of clothes, electronics, household items, appliances, food, and other tangibles.

Since all human beings are made in God’s divine image, we as Christians are called to follow the words of the prophets and care for the oppressed and vulnerable.

How many slaves work for me? 40! Even with a lower number than the average 20-something in America, how could a socially conscious person, who tries to live simply, rely on 40 slaves for the things I use every day?

Created by the nonprofit Call + Response and in partnership with the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, the Slavery Footprint “represents the number of forced laborers that were likely to be involved in creating and manufacturing the products you buy.” The algorithm determines a product’s use of bonded labor, both in the gathering and processing of raw materials, as well as in the manufacturing chain, with detailed data from companies and countries. The survey is meant to bring people’s attention to their consumer choices and encourage them to hold their favorite companies accountable through direct contact.

Traffickers utilize extensive networks of communities, governments, and corporations that transcend all international borders, to force people into bonded labor or the commercial sex industry. According to one report, 27 million people are currently enslaved around the world.

Since all human beings are made in God’s divine image (Gen 1:26-31), we as Christians are called to follow the words of the prophets and care for the oppressed and vulnerable. Likewise, as the Mennonite USA Statement Against Human Trafficking reads, “God invites us to join in this creative work and follow Jesus in carrying out his mission to bring good news to the poor, release the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and freedom to those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).

What can we do to combat human trafficking?

Educate yourself about your consumer choices and consciously cut down on your Slavery Footprint.
Keep your favorite brands and companies accountable and demand transparency in their supply chain. Inform others if you discover a brand’s connection to slavery.
Call on our legislators to pass and strengthen the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 (HR 2830, S1301). The original bill, passed in 2000, is the main anti-trafficking law that outlines enforcement, victim support, prosecution, and sentencing provisions in the U.S. The law also mandates the U.S. government to support anti-trafficking efforts in other nations.
Utilize Mennonite Women USA’s online resources to identify and support victims of human trafficking in your community.

Other human tracking resources:

Slavery Footprint
Trafficking in Persons Report 2011, U.S. State Department
MCC U.S. Washington Office Human trafficking resources

Interested in more analysis from the MCC Washington Office? Sign up to receive our free quarterly newsletter, the Washington Memo, as well as our monthly electronic newsletter, the E-Memo.

Emily Wilson-Hauger
Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office
Other posts by Emily Wilson-Hauger

Emily is a public policy intern in the MCC Washington Office, and will graduate in May with an M.A. in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

So Little Time for Leisure - Burton's Blog from Shaping Families (Site)

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

I knocked on an Amish family's door this afternoon at 3 o'clock. Mother, father, and the three boys were all inside. The boys had just arrived home from school.

What are the chances of that happening? It would almost surely have not happened in our household. It reminded me of my youth.

I grew up on a farm. Before big tractors and irrigation the pace of life was certainly slower. Every Friday evening and nearly every Sunday afternoon was devoted to visiting. Many Saturday nights also were devoted to leisure activities. When irrigation arrived on the scene leisure time took a big hit. Rather than visiting on Friday evening, we irrigated until dark.

Initially the irrigation wells were turned off but that did not last long. To maximize the investment made in irrigation equipment, Sundays were soon included in the irrigation schedule. That meant Sunday afternoons were devoted to work rather than visitation. To make ends meet financially, acreage's soon increased. This required even more hours of farm work.

In the community where I grew up, formal visiting doesn't happen much except within families any more.

True, leisure is defined differently today than it once was. Television has taken the place of activities such as visiting. So has browsing the Internet and Facebook activities. But there is no doubt that the time given to leisure activities has dipped precipitously.

When our family assembles the times remembered most affectionately are clearly linked to leisure activities. These were the times we were able to give our children our complete attention. It's unfortunate that our contemporary lives have so little time for leisure activities.

Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls - Favorite Family Recipes from Shaping Families (Site)

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

This is a recipe Lois Priest got from a weekly newssheet her son brought home from school his kindergarten year. These are soft and not sticky like popcorn balls made from corn syrup. Lois says, "We love them! They make a great lunchbox or after-school treat."

½ cup honey

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup peanut butter

1 bag microwave popcorn, popped and “old maids” removed

In a saucepan, mix honey, brown sugar, and peanut butter and heat to boiling point (but do NOT boil). Remove from heat and pour over popcorn, stirring to coat well. Shape into balls and enjoy. (I like to leave in clusters, not shape into balls, also.)

* * *

This recipe can be found in the book, Whatever Happened to Dinner? by Melodie Davis, with Carmen Wyse and Jodi Nisly Hertzler.

Don't tolerate being shouted at. - Today's Stress Tip from Another Way

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

As if you haven't noticed, the world has become a more shrill, loud and aggressive place. Everyone wants your attention, money or aid, and they aren't concerned about disrupting your peace and harmony to get it. Don't allow them. When a news reporter delivers a story with blaring sensationalism...switch channels. When radio and TV ads assault you with boisterous insensitivity...tune them out. When family members or coworkers voice their wants with inconsiderate loudness, turn a deaf ear until they can address you with civility. Points can be argued, wishes conveyed, products sold, and news reported...without having to subject you to stressful shouting. Demand better.
Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis

My Sister's Keeper - Stories from Peace Blend

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

By Lynne Hybels

We met with children who had watched their parents die and were now so traumatized that they sat in their schools all day and just chewed their fingernails.

I went to college to be a social worker and in the early 90s had a very pivotal experience that took all of that initial passion to a deeper level. I had the opportunity to travel with a humanitarian organization to Croatia and Bosnia twice during the war there. We met with women who had been widowed, who had lost everything. We met with refugees who had lost their country, their families, everything they had. We met with children who had watched their parents die and were now so traumatized that they sat in their schools all day and just chewed their fingernails. It was the first time I had seen war up close and it was devastating.

My last day in Bosnia I was alone and went up on a hillside overlooking the country. I just cried and prayed for the people that I had met. While I was sitting there, the question going through my mind from the Old Testament was, am I my brother’s keeper? Am I my sister’s keeper?

The answer that kept coming to me was yes, you are your brother’s keeper, and you are your sister’s keeper. And so I said okay, God, who is my brother? Who is my sister? The impression that I got was God saying to me, they are all your brothers. They are all your sisters, the Croatian Catholics, the Serbian Orthodox, the Bosnian Muslims, they are all your brothers and all your sisters, because they are all my children that I created, even if they don’t know that. They’re my children and I love them. And that was very pivotal for me, because from that time on, I realized that I will never meet another man or another woman anywhere in the world who is not my brother and my sister, who is not radically loved by God, who is not part of my family.

In 2008, just from listening to the news, I became haunted by this thought that Christians, Muslims, and Jews are gonna blow up the world. As a follower of Jesus, as the Prince of Peace, I thought how can we just sit back and not try to do something about that. I certainly didn’t know what to do, but I remember thinking at that point, if there were a conversation between Christians and Muslims and Jews that wasn’t filled with hatred, I wish I could be part of it. And several months later I had the opportunity to go to Imam, Jordan, and attend a conference that was taught entirely by Arab Christians. That ended up being the first of six or seven trips during the next 18 months to the Middle East to listen and to learn from the Arab world.

What I’d like to see is Christians and Muslims and people of all faiths in relationship: just getting to know one another, getting beyond the differences of culture and religion and race. Let’s try to understand each other. I would like to see a commitment to a culture of listening. Everything would change if we would just learn to be better listeners and start there. I would love to see Christians getting to know people from all over the world, so that they can know Jesus in a different way. I would like to see Christians not be afraid to take Jesus into unfamiliar situations, and see what it’s like to walk with Jesus into that situation.

During one of my trips to the Middle East about two years ago I was in Egypt and had another one of those pivotal experiences where I really sensed that God is whispering something to my spirit. And I sensed God saying, “I am calling you to be an advocate to Americans on behalf of the Arab world, on behalf of Arabic speaking people.” And I was totally shocked by that. I did not expect that. I didn’t know what to do with that. But it just hit me with the weight of very profound gravity that I have to pay attention to that.

So when I came home, I just began doing what I always do when I don’t really know what God’s asking me to do, I start praying, saying please, God, give me guidance. Help me to know what you want me to do. And then I said okay, God, I’m just gonna open myself up relationally and see who you bring across my path. And so if I would be sitting next to someone on a plane or my taxi driver as I was going to the airport, or someone standing in my line, I would just say, where are you from? That’s such a small thing, but many Americans have never talked one-on-one to a Muslim. That was true for me and many Muslims have never had the opportunity to talk with another Christian because they’re afraid to, or they haven’t been approached. And so just something simple like that began to have a tremendous impact on me.

What has impacted me most and gripped my mind and my heart in terms of peacemaking is Jesus’ command to love your enemy. That’s the most radical thing we could possibly read, love our enemy. It doesn’t say try to be nice to your enemy. It says love your enemy. There are many other passages and concepts behind peace and Jesus as the Prince of Peace but I don’t think you really have to really go behind beyond that.

One thing that keeps good-hearted, peaceloving people from being vocal about their commitment to peacemaking or to multi-faith relationships is they know that if they venture out into that area, they are probably gonna get very severely criticized by other members of the Christian community who feel differently. So we tend to be silent. I think we need to speak up.

Lynne Hybels is an author, speaker, and activist who is part of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago and in recent years has become very concerned about critical needs around the world. She appeared in the Mennonite-produced documentary which premiered on ABC-TV, Oct. 2011 called Waging Peace: Muslim and Christian Alternatives. This interview traces some of her development and thinking regarding being an active peacemaker.

During February 2012, the executive producer of Waging Peace, Sheri Hartzler will be touring for eight days of screenings of the documentary in the Waterloo and Toronto, Canada areas. More information on the tour is here.

Work Stoppage - Another Way

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 07:00:00 EST

Walter Brueggemann came to speak in our town at my alma mater recently. Like someone said on their Facebook page about this event, you are either saying “Wow!” or “Who on earth is that?”

I wonder how God “rested” on the seventh day. Brueggemann says, “God got refreshed.” Psalm 23 describes rest as restoring your soul. It is that vital to our existence.

If you went to a Christian high school or college like I did you likely would have heard your Bible or theology professors sounding highfalutin quoting him. Maybe your minister drops his name now and then. I hope you don’t think I was just name dropping. Dr. Brueggemann, author of 58 books including Bible commentaries, was truly worth digging out of my cozy home on a rainy January night to hear.

Why? Because he encouraged his audience to quit the pervasive drive in our culture to accumulate more and more. He acknowledged that this is a deep and difficult chasm to get across. This is achieved by nourishing more feelings of gratitude for our abundance. And then allowing ourselves—nay eking out of our busy schedules time to check out, take a nap, do nothing.

With slightly fuzzy white hair and beard framing a fairly bald head, the 78-yar-old Brueggemann lived up to his billing. Brueggemann is like the stereotype of a favorite and beloved, slightly “mad” professor/preacher come to life. (Check out YouTube videos of him lecturing to enjoy his style.)

Brueggemann had a very simple definition of Sabbath: work stoppage.

I’m hearing this message from a lot of other sources these days. My church has used Wayne Mueller’s popular book Sabbath Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives (Bantam, 2000) for a retreat and study book this year. Mueller uses the term “Sabbath” in the broad definition of rest and not so much solely in the Jewish or Christian sense of the word, but yet tapping into both those traditions as well as other world religions. Mueller says our culture has lost this essential rhythm which supposes that doing something—anything—is better than doing nothing. “Because of our desire to succeed, to meet these ever growing expectations, we do not rest. Because we do not rest, we lose our way.”

In spite of hearing and reading all these wonderful permissions to chill, I’m having a hard time with it. Our pastor emeritus talks about how he gets up an hour early before any of the day’s obligations start so that he can just sit on his deck or in his den, drink coffee, and enjoy being with God. What a gift. He says he did this even in the days he had four daughters at home and a busy pastor’s schedule.

I do get up early and I love the early morning, but my problem is I naturally gravitate toward an activity that is also on my to-do list: writing, checking email, checking Facebook, exercising, reading. I can rarely just lay or sit there and do nothing.

I wonder how God “rested” on the seventh day. Brueggemann says, “God got refreshed.” Psalm 23 describes rest as restoring your soul. It is that vital to our existence.

Another powerful thought from Brueggemann is “A society that does not practice Sabbath is a society of depleted selves. And the less self I have, the more I want to surround myself with signs and symbols of value to keep persuading myself that there is something good going on in my life even if it is relatively empty at the center.”

So, cyclically, Sabbath is one way to move from accumulation to abundance. “Sabbath is a deliberate, disciplined pause in the narrative of accumulation,” said Brueggemann. “We are most imitating God when we trust creation enough to rest.”

And maybe that’s enough of Brueggemann, God and Mueller for one column. I think I’ll just go spend an hour in rest. Think I can do it?

For more on leisure and our need for it, listen to the Shaping Families radio program for an interview with Evan Oswald on “Enjoying Leisure” online at www.ShapingFamilies.com after Feb. 3.

Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis

Work at what you love. - Today's Stress Tip from Another Way

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

You'll never work more willingly, passionately and tirelessly than when you work at something you love. Don't deny yourself this ultimate satisfaction -- even if you have to start in your spare time, even if you're not at first making money at it. The enthusiasm and energy you bring to a favorite endeavor might all but ensure its success, and in time it may even become your primary occupation. Or, you may decide that a reduced income is more than compensated by the happiness it brings to your life. At the very least, try to get past the thinking stages and start putting your dreams into action. Anything is possible.
Melodie Davis
Third Way Media
Other posts by Melodie Davis