Katherine "Kat" Janet Gara born 7/21/08....8 lbs 6 oz, 19.5 inches....all doing well!
Thanks for your prayers!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tinkering...
While I await the arrival of "the child," I've been reading Robert Wuthnow's book, After the Baby Boomers. (Thanks Lovett, for the suggestion.) The book is about what Wuthnow refers to as "younger adults," a group he defines as persons from 18-45 years of age. (nice large group!) As a sociologist, Wuthnow looks at a variety of issues that he thinks are helpful to understanding this group of people in US America-- and how it affects this generation's practice of religion/spirituality.
In the beginning of the book, Wuthnow introduces a variety of topics he believes makes a difference to younger adults and how they live their lives and see the world. The one that caught my attention is something Wuthnow calls, "tinkering." He describes the younger generations as a group of tinkerers....
Wuthnow says, "a tinkerer puts together life from whatever skills, ideas, and resources that are readily at hand. In a culture like ours, higher education and professional training are valued tinkering may have negative connotations. But it should not. Tinkerers are the most resourceful people in any era. If specialized skills are required, they have them. When they need help from experts, they seek it. But they do not rely on only one way of doing things. Their approach to life is practical. They get things done, and usualy this happens by improvising, by piecing together an idea from here, a skill from there, and a contact from somewhere else." (pp. 13-14)
Tinkerers are able to live without having all the answers, can deal with uncertainty, and rely on resources outside themselves to solve problems. It also means that tinkerers are not going to make a sure and fast decision about things...they are going to talk about it, explore other options, see if they can pull a MacGiver kind of move and using a piece of gum and a fast food receipt, make something useful.
Tinkerers and spirituality, then, translate into a generation of seekers-- who will look to having conversation with others, creating new kinds of social networks, and being okay with not having everything right. Church communities, then, with too much structure, not enough room for creativity and expression, places where connection and relationships are not central-- will not be attractive to tinkerers. Tinkerers need spiritual places to be open and welcoming to a new and different way of approaching faith-- one that takes time and care.
What's clear to me is that the kind of church a tinkerer would be attracted to seems a lot like the kind of vision Jesus had for the kingdom of God!
In the beginning of the book, Wuthnow introduces a variety of topics he believes makes a difference to younger adults and how they live their lives and see the world. The one that caught my attention is something Wuthnow calls, "tinkering." He describes the younger generations as a group of tinkerers....
Wuthnow says, "a tinkerer puts together life from whatever skills, ideas, and resources that are readily at hand. In a culture like ours, higher education and professional training are valued tinkering may have negative connotations. But it should not. Tinkerers are the most resourceful people in any era. If specialized skills are required, they have them. When they need help from experts, they seek it. But they do not rely on only one way of doing things. Their approach to life is practical. They get things done, and usualy this happens by improvising, by piecing together an idea from here, a skill from there, and a contact from somewhere else." (pp. 13-14)
Tinkerers are able to live without having all the answers, can deal with uncertainty, and rely on resources outside themselves to solve problems. It also means that tinkerers are not going to make a sure and fast decision about things...they are going to talk about it, explore other options, see if they can pull a MacGiver kind of move and using a piece of gum and a fast food receipt, make something useful.
Tinkerers and spirituality, then, translate into a generation of seekers-- who will look to having conversation with others, creating new kinds of social networks, and being okay with not having everything right. Church communities, then, with too much structure, not enough room for creativity and expression, places where connection and relationships are not central-- will not be attractive to tinkerers. Tinkerers need spiritual places to be open and welcoming to a new and different way of approaching faith-- one that takes time and care.
What's clear to me is that the kind of church a tinkerer would be attracted to seems a lot like the kind of vision Jesus had for the kingdom of God!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Exciting Announcement (not about a baby yet!)
Thanks to my friend JT (who is in Boston with his daughter at the Boston University Orientation!), I received word that Mary Elizabeth Moore has been named as the new Dean of the School of Theology (my alma mater!). You can read about the appointment here.
Mary Elizabeth is a creative and kind soul-- I'm excited to see where she takes the school. She is also an ordained Deacon in the UMC (I think the first Deacon in the new orders era to be named to this kind of post!)I'm also excited to see STH appoint the first woman to the post!
Congratulations to Mary Elizabeth!
Mary Elizabeth is a creative and kind soul-- I'm excited to see where she takes the school. She is also an ordained Deacon in the UMC (I think the first Deacon in the new orders era to be named to this kind of post!)I'm also excited to see STH appoint the first woman to the post!
Congratulations to Mary Elizabeth!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Just about to begin leave...
Well, it is the beginning of July...and I am about to begin Maternity leave of Monday. My office computer is still down but might be saved by a computer engineer in the congregation who thinks he can save the data files. A miracle that would be, for sure!
Everything is pretty well set, and I've had to go into that all important "trust the process" mode. (No, not a clue that I'm into process theology....rather, a phrase that Joel's mom, who was also a pastor before she passed away a few years back, used to use all the time....)
As Joel and I are in the "hurry up and wait" mode, I have mixed feelings about going on leave. I know I need to do it, but really enjoy the work I'm doing at the church.
I hope you'll hold us in your prayers as we await this exciting and scary new chapter of life! I'll do my best to keep you updated!
Everything is pretty well set, and I've had to go into that all important "trust the process" mode. (No, not a clue that I'm into process theology....rather, a phrase that Joel's mom, who was also a pastor before she passed away a few years back, used to use all the time....)
As Joel and I are in the "hurry up and wait" mode, I have mixed feelings about going on leave. I know I need to do it, but really enjoy the work I'm doing at the church.
I hope you'll hold us in your prayers as we await this exciting and scary new chapter of life! I'll do my best to keep you updated!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
