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Tag: reflection

Optimistic Realism

Sun, August 29, 2021 Published by

I find that to be a worthy challenge to be an optimist AND a realist. To learn to hold those two opposing but equally true things at once. We can grieve all that we’ve been through and also find the strength to deal with the ongoing reality. We can grieve those we’ve lost. We can lament, and fight and struggle with our pandemic fatigue while also finding hope in today, in the reality here and now as we seek to live each day to the fullest.

Rev. Dr. Culver H. “Bill’ Nelson

Sun, April 28, 2019 Published by

This past Tuesday, the Beatitudes Church and Campus communities, along with families and friends, gathered to celebrate the life of our founder, Rev. Dr. Culver H. “Bill’ Nelson. It was a deeply moving service where we heard of his four great passions- Music, Community, Preaching and Denomination Leadership. Each person shared stories and his role in their own leadership development. The Rev. Dr. Dosia Carlson remarked on his love of song and music; The Rev. Dave Hunting on his profound presence at the pulpit and the reflections and actions he left congregants; The Rev. Dr. William “Bill” Lyons on his leadership in the growth of both the United Church of Christ and Southwest Conference, and Peggy Mullan, my predecessor, on his involvement in not only the Campus Church communities, but the Phoenix community as a whole.

With her permission, below are excerpts from her piece.

Bill always believed that the secular community, our civic lives, should not be separate from the spiritual community. A man of action always, he lived that belief. He was a founding member of the Phoenix Forty, a group of forty businessmen brought together by Eugene Pulliam to envision the Phoenix of the future way back in 1975. Much of what we enjoy today in urban Phoenix came out of their dreaming and designing. Bill was active in the formative years of Valley Leadership; he served as chaplain frequently at our state legislature and worked diligently on too many boards and commissions throughout the state of Arizona to enumerate. Among his many joys were the interfaith relationships he fostered with clerics from every faith community imaginable. He enjoyed a particularly close relationship with the esteemed and beloved Rabbi Al Plotkin, another giant from the spiritual community of his generation.

It’s impossible to talk about Bill without speaking of his beloved wife and partner in everything important – Dee. He loved her passionately and unabashedly. When Dee suffered a massive stroke and then through the years several others, Bill rose to the occasion in a way that honestly surprised us all. She had been the wind beneath Bill’s wings…we feared he would not know what to do. How very wrong we were.

It will always be a point of pride for me and every other employee of the Campus that we were part of Bill and Dee’s lives as they grew older.

I’d like to close my comments today by presuming to speak for someone who is not able to be at this lectern today—Bill’s good friend and my predecessor that I mentioned earlier, Rev. Dr. Ken Buckwald. When Ken would give a eulogy for someone he particularly loved and admired, he always closed with these words from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25, verse 23.  I’ll speak them now in tribute to the friendship that the two men shared as they worked together over fifty plus years: “Well done, good and faithful servant…now enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

Amen

I hope you can join us at Wednesday’s Town Hall meeting where we will begin with a special time of remembrance honoring our Founder, The Rev. Dr. Culver H. “Bill” Nelson.

Happy Spring

Sun, April 14, 2019 Published by

The month of April concludes with special activities around Earth Day with the Protect March on Friday, April 26th.  Worship on Sunday, April 28th at 3:00PM in the Life Center will highlight the Beatitudes Campus Choir singing and Chaplain Andrew preaching!  Happy Spring!

How I talk to God : How God talks to me.

Sun, March 31, 2019 Published by

This year, as well as fasting from my favorite treats, I have also been accompanied on my Lenten pilgrimage by the poet Malcolm Guite’s book Word in the Wilderness; A Poem a Day for Lent and Easter. Poems are an ideal companion for the season of Lent as we seek to reorient ourselves to God, with poetry often providing a call for us to ponder the wonders of the world around us while looking and listening for God at work in us.

One of the poems included in Guite’s collection is entitled How I talk to God, by Kelly Belemonte.

“Coffee in one hand leaning in to share – How I talk to God. ‘Momma, you’re special’, three-year-old touches my cheek – How God talks to me. While driving I make lists: done, do, hope, love, hate, try – How I talk to God. Above the highway hawk: high, alone, free, focused – How God talks to me. Rash, impetuous chatter, followed by silence – How I talk to God. First, second, third, fourth chance to hear, then another – How God talks to me. Fetal position under flannel sheets, weeping – How I talk to God. Moonlight on pillow tending to my open wounds – How God talks to me. Pulling from my heap of words, the ones that mean yes – How I talk to God. Infinite connects with finite, without words – How God talks to me.”

This beautiful work causes us to ask ‘What is prayer?’, and reminds us that a life of prayer is both speaking to God, but also listening, in turn.

In his reflection, Malcolm Guite says this;

“Saint Paul calls on us to pray without ceasing, leading some contemplatives have interpreted that as a call to leave the world with its business and distractions and seek long swathes of uninterrupted time devoted to prayer and prayer alone. Others have seen it as a call to have a continual hidden mantra, wheeling and cycling beneath all we do, providing an undercurrent or ground note of prayer beneath all our daily activities.”

In different ways for different people, both of these approaches are valid and neither exclusive of the other. Perhaps the greatest gift of Belemonte’s poem is to remind us, once again, that each day we find ourselves in conversation with God within the ordinariness of our lives.

May we all spend this season of Lent attuned to that conversation, to both speaking and listening, so that that the very rhythms of our everyday lives are opened up to God, and offered up as our unceasing prayer.*

Diversity and Inclusion Day: What a Celebration!

Sun, January 27, 2019 Published by

We hope you made it over to the Life Center last Monday for our inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Day! Over 150 residents and staff members participated in this happy event. CEO Michelle Just and President of Beatitudes, proclaimed January 21, 2019 as Beatitudes Campus Diversity and Inclusion Day. Thank you, Michelle! Here is a segment from that proclamation:

“Now, therefore, I, Michelle L. Just, President and CEO of Beatitudes Campus, with a continued commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality, proclaim January 21st, 2019, (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day),  Beatitudes Campus’ Diversity and Inclusion Day, and we resolve to stand together with all people of good faith in our community recognizing we have the power to change our attitudes, to overcome our ignorance and fears, and ability to influence our peers and neighbors to embrace and build together a more loving, caring community, open and affirming of all.”

On large maps of the world and USA, participants were invited to mark their places of origin and cultural heritage. Attendees also explored exhibits and gathered information about Black History, the LGBTQ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning), the personal and cultural meaning of Dia de los Muertos, and they were able to see and handle cultural heritage artifacts from Indonesia and Ukraine. The Success Matters team gave attendees the opportunity to experience age-related changes such as losses in their vision or hearing. The differences in how folks responded when they actually experienced those losses surely represent another, very personal kind of diversity. Participants were invited to write out answers to the question “What does Diversity mean to you and what makes you unique? How would you answer?

The celebration continued with staff members dancing, singing, and playing music at the event. Resident, Barbara Levy, read a very moving poem she had written in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr, and his call for a more just and inclusive world. In keeping with the spirit of the celebration, there was delicious food from around the world. Throughout the event, one video offered Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, another moving video entitled “The Real Thing” explored how to support transgender community, while another video focused on exploring the meaning of diversity. Most importantly, and enjoyably, there was time just to talk with each other. Residents and staff shared stories about many topics, including service in the Peace Corps, participation in civil rights demonstrations, and the many personal moments where there were deep vows to raise children and grandchildren in a more just world guided by values and faith.

So why was the event held? The Diversity and Inclusion Action Council, made up of staff and residents, organized and planned the event. The Council has been meeting since last April to further explore and focus our attention on diversity and inclusion, and we decided to highlight diversity and inclusion through this event! Our Beatitudes Campus Promise statement moves us to “value the diversity of all” and that promise was surely kept in this celebration. This event was an addition, not a replacement to the long-standing campus traditions of honoring Black History, Veterans, LGBT community, and older adults.

Our campus is a special place where we come together to create a community of welcoming for all– regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, marital status, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and age. As you know, we welcome all faiths and those choosing not to identify with a faith. Beyond welcoming, our activities and day-to-day interactions and life on the campus illustrate our commitment to learning from one another and always expanding our beliefs and worlds. We also bring our commitment to diversity to off-campus community involvement through volunteering at schools, participating in neighborhood organizations and so much more.

Our Diversity Day highlights our rich past and guides us to future actions about diversity on campus. What are some of your reflections about diversity on campus? What would you like others to know about you or your heritage? Let’s keep the dialogue going! The Diversity and Inclusion Action Committee is looking for others who are passionate about this work so if you would like to join the Council or would like more information, please call Linda Travis, at X16365, or Chaplain Peggy Roberts at X16109 *

Finding Healing in Our Scars

Sun, November 25, 2018 Published by

This past week the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, celebrated his 70th birthday. I was reading an interview with The Prince which quoted him as saying that his birthday had brought him to the realization that he had reached a Biblical threshold, referring to the 90th Psalm: “The days of our age are threescore years and ten”. In reflecting on his own aging, Prince Charles described himself as having being prompted to examine “the scars’ of life which in different ways we all bear”. Those scars are perhaps the memories of things we wish we hadn’t done but can’t now do much about. Perhaps they are thoughts of things which we now wish we had done, apologies that we wish we had made, things left unsaid.

Many of Charles’ scars have been born under public scrutiny, and although the same cannot be said for most of us, none of us are impervious to picking up a few scars and scrapes along the way.

Reflecting on a similar theme, columnist Alexandra Heather Foss, wrote recently “I struggle because huge chunks of my life have not been beautiful. They have been ugly, marred by trauma, with pain, and anger… however I see beauty in the grace point between what hurts and what heals, between the shadow of tragedy and the light of joy. That way I find beauty and healing in my scars. We all have scars, inside and out. We have freckles from sun exposure, emotional trigger points, broken bones, and broken hearts. We have lived, and have the marks to prove it.”

Prince Charles was clearly mindful of a similar sentiment as he celebrated his threescore years and ten, but the ninetieth psalm which he quoted goes on to include a prayer following that reflection; ‘So teach us to number our days: that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom’.

As we all continue on our journey of life and take our own next steps in the pilgrimage of aging, let us all join in that prayer. As we number our days may we be mindful of our scars and discern in them opportunities for healing and growth as we reflect on how to apply our hearts unto wisdom.*

The Quiet Place

Sun, November 18, 2018 Published by

The Spiritual Life Department invites you to come and discover our new room that is dedicated to meditation and reflection.  As resident Irene Cool shares, “It is for those who need a few minutes to be alone with whomever they believe to be their Supreme Being…..or to just be alone for that matter.  It is for the ones who take care of others until sometimes they feel tired and overwhelmed.  It is for you and me to simply have a placebo reflect on the presence of the Holy Spirit with quiet concentration. It is for those who ask for divine inspiration and guidance on how to provide for others in their different stages of need and only have a few minutes to do that.  It is a praying place.”  It is a place which will engage your senses or allow you time to enjoy the silence. It is a place to escape from or escape to.

You ask, “Where is this place?”  It may take a little intention to find it but once you find the Life Center you are very close.  You can get to it from within the Life Center and there is also an outside entrance. Once you are in the Life Center you will see double doors up front on the left and the Quiet Place is through those doors.  For now it will be open 8:30AM to 2:30PM but we are working on making it available for more hours.  Come find Chaplain Andrew, me, or our Admin.Assistant, Kimberly, whose office is across from The Quiet Place and we will be happy to help you find it.  Resident shave been asking for this kind of space for quiet and reflection for a longtime and we are happy to have it available now. *

Come Away and Rest a While

Sun, July 22, 2018 Published by

The writings of the New Testament remind us, in several places, of how as well as traveling and teaching, healing and preaching, Jesus set aside a time and a space for rest and rejuvenation.

We read how Jesus ‘would withdraw to deserted places for prayer,’ and the frequency of these periods of rest speak to their importance both for Jesus, and for us.

As Jesus put it to his disciples, ‘Come apart to a deserted place by yourself and rest a while.’ We may not always be able to literally wander out to some deserted place, but we can make a decision to purposely disconnect our minds and lives of distraction and worry while we make our retreat away from the worries of the world. Maya Angelou puts it like this; “Every person needs to take one day away.  A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future.  Jobs, family, employers and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence.  Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.  Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”

It is for those reasons, as well as wanting to provide a time of worship and learning, that the Spiritual Life Department has scheduled a day of retreat on Saturday, September 15, 10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. in the Life Center. To help us in our reflection we will be using some of the time to look at the works of Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, collectively known as some of the greatest Christian mystics.

Materials for study and lunch are included. Space is limited, and so reservations are required. To reserve your space, please RSVP to Kimberly Bravo x18465 by September 1.*

6 Ways to Feel Happier Instantly

Thu, July 5, 2018 Published by

Don’t wait for a bad mood to pass. Lift yourself up with these strategies.

  1. Step Outside

Enjoying nature is a great way to put some pep back in your step. Living near green spaces is associated with better mental health. Even just looking at images of nature scenes can reduce anger, fear, and stress and stimulate the parts of your brain associated with happiness, positivity, and emotional stability.

Spending time in the great outdoors also exposes you to sunlight, which can help your body produce vitamin D. Low levels of the nutrient have been linked to depression, but soaking up even 15 minutes of sun per day can lift your spirits in the present and over the long term.

  1. Have an Attitude of Gratitude

Think about or write down what you’re thankful for. Even if there’s not time to write down everything, simply expressing gratitude creates an instant mood boost.

For a longer-term lift, Gielan suggests a 21-day gratitude challenge: Try to make thank-you emails, handwritten notes, or genuine compliments a practice for three weeks straight. “Your brain quickly starts to recognize how much social support you have in your life,” she says. And social support is the best proven predictor of happiness.

  1. Pass on Some Wisdom

“As we age, giving back one’s knowledge, wisdom, and experience is a great source of joy,” says Prudence Hall, M.D., founder of The Hall Center in Santa Monica, California. “Whether it’s sharing with grandchildren or the world at large, giving back and being in service is a natural evolution of who we are and brings almost instant belonging and happiness.”

If you’re a lawyer, for example, look for pro bono opportunities in your community. A therapist? See if there’s a health or community center that might need counseling services. Share a physical feat like taking a dance class with a friend, or spend time teaching your grandchildren to read, Dr. Hall suggests. “Become a person who is respectful, awe-inspiring, and loving. What returns to you is respect, inspiration, and love.”

  1. Think and Act Creatively

Negative thoughts have a way of spiraling, leading you to contemplate all of the ways a setback is going to bring you down. This detrimental practice is called brooding, and according to a Georgia Institute of Technology study, it sends you into a black hole of negativity.

The better option: self-reflection, or pondering an issue and taking positive steps to address it. This not only leads to feeling empowered, but it also sparks creativity. Why is that a good thing? When researchers at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro contacted people throughout the week, those engaging in creative activities—crafting recipes, making art, or writing—were much more likely to report being happy.

  1. Do Something Nice for Someone

The fastest way to find happiness yourself? “Create it in others,” Gielan says. Being kind rewards the human brain with a release of feel-good hormones like oxytocin. Her challenge: “Do one small meaningful act for someone else each week to brighten their day.”

Surprise your spouse with a cup of coffee in the morning, hold the door for the person behind you, or find a book a friend might enjoy. Any small action counts—and comes with big mood-boosting rewards.

  1. Focus on the Here and Now

Studies find the best way to stay cheerful is to stay centered in the present—even when it’s not all that pleasant. In contrast, a wandering mind and daydreaming can bring people down.

The best way to re-center? Sit quietly for a few minutes, and try some deep, calming breaths. Focus on your breath moving in and out of your body, and gently guide attention back if your mind starts to wander.*

Time to Think

Sun, June 10, 2018 Published by

“I hate my mom’s phone and I wish she never had one.”

Those are the bitter words of a seven year old girl whose teacher had asked her to name an item she wished had never been invented. Like many of her classmates, she chose the cell phone. It appears as though that girl is jealous because her mother appears so bound up in tweeting and texting and emailing that she has no time left for her, and last week her poignant reflection boomed around the internet, read no doubt by most people on their phones.

The problem is the pressure that so many of us place on time. It is too easy to view time as a commodity that needs to be exploited to the full. We can end up cramming every single second with activity so there is no space left in our lives at all. Pope Francis has invented a word for this tendency ever to increase the pace of life. He calls it rapidification. A faster pace of life means an ever greater consumption of the world’s finite resources, and so Pope Francis suggests that the pressure we are putting on time has become a critical issue for the future of the planet.

It may be that an eighth century Saint can pour some wisdom into this very contemporary conundrum. Bede was a monk who lived in the North of England around 672/3 – 735. Bede had a fascination with time. He monitored the tides, he watched the movements of the moon and stars, but Bede had a very different understanding of the purpose of time. For him time was not a commodity to fill up but a means of marking out the spaces where he could meet with God. It was a way of ensuring that life was fitted around a daily pattern of prayer and an annual calendar of seasons and festivals that told the story of Jesus. The purpose of time was to encounter the timelessness of God and, in so doing, to discover human identity.

Maybe there is something in Bede’s thinking that can help us all. Rather than seeing time as something we have to fill up and exploit to the maximum, perhaps we might begin  to see it as the space in which relationships can be fed and human purpose explored. Empty time is good time. Being with those who are close to us is time well spent. Why not lose the phone, slow down and ‘waste’ some time with the people you love.*

Love Showed Up

Mon, August 21, 2017 Published by

How could I believe my eyes?  Men and women- many of them young adults -embroiled in violence – state troopers behind armor- pictures of swastika emblazed-confederate flags- wherever I turned on TV – internet -airwaves- the same scene bombarded me.  Is this the democracy, land of the free and home of the brave, where I grew up singing about our “sweet land of liberty”?

A kaleidoscope of emotions engulfed me: anger, agony, fear, aching for the victims.  I yearned to share my feelings.  On the internet, I read that many communities were already planning prayer vigils, most to be Sunday evening, August 12.  Late Saturday night I decided to email a few resident friends who hold concerns similar to mine about shifting values and priorities for our nation. I invited then to join me Sunday evening at 6:00 for a time of reflection and prayer. Sunday morning I notified our Spiritual Life staff about my intentions, and Chaplain Andrew Moore announced the vigil at our Campus Vesper Service. During that service Chaplain Andrew used this prayer, which speaks of our desire to overcome evil with love.

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us

through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole

human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which

infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;

unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and

confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in

your good time, all nations and races may serve you in

harmony around your heavenly throne. Amen.

At 6:00PM on that Sunday evening, nine residents gathered to share reactions and seek guidance in responding thoughtfully to the terror in Charlottesville. Barbara Glenn read to us a message just received from Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray. She was the minister of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Phoenix until her election in June as national president of this denomination. Here is a portion of that email entitled “Love Showed Up Today in Charlottesville.”

‘Today was a tragic day. We came to Charlottesville to bear peaceful witness but were met with hate and racist violence. My heart has been broken, and I am deeply troubled by what is happening in this community and cross this country. This morning faith leaders went to Emancipation  Park to block the entrance and prevent the Unite the Right rally from taking place. The message was clear – to stand with the community to say that hate has no place here.  The white nationalist protesters we faced chanted Nazi slogans between sexist and homophobic slurs. And they had automatic weapons, paramilitary uniforms, and clubs….They had their guns and shields.  We had our songs, our faith, our love. And we had each other.’

And here on this campus we have each other. Our reactions to changes in this nation will vary.  As we respond to the steady stream of “breaking news,”  may we seek to understand divergent views.  May our love for justice and peace leave no room for hate.

 

Guest Author this week is Rev. Dosia Carlson, Beatitudes Campus Resident
Liaison is Rev. Andrew Moore, Associate Chaplain of Spiritual Life

Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops It

Mon, July 18, 2016 Published by

Each Monday afternoon when the campus leadership team gathers for our weekly meeting, we start our time together with a reflection. This past Monday, it was Chaplain Peggy Roberts who shared a story on resilience.

She started by telling the story of a golf course in India. Apparently, once the English had colonized the country and established their businesses, they longed for recreation and decided to build a golf course. Golf in Calcutta presented a unique obstacle. Monkeys would drop out of the trees, scurry across the course and take the golf balls. They would play with the balls tossing them here and there. At first the golfers tried to control the monkeys. Their first strategy was to build high fences around the fairways and greens. Although this approach seemed to be a good idea, it was no problem for the monkeys. The golfers found that the fence is no challenge to an ambitious monkey. Next the golfers tried luring the monkeys away from the course, but the monkeys found nothing as amusing as watching humans go wild whenever their little white balls were disturbed. In desperation, the British began trapping the monkeys, but for every monkey they carted off, another would appear. Finally, the golfers gave in to reality and developed a new ground rule: Play the ball where the monkey drops it.

We found ourselves discussing this concept in the context of the sad events and turmoil that have happened recently in our nation. How do we learn to be resilient and play the ball where the monkey drops it? How do we refuse to lose heart and hold onto hope when terrible things are happening in society or…even in our own personal lives?

The good news is that we are wired with the ability to be resilient. Life entails so many stresses and changes, from loss and aging, to job changes and health challenges. Positive events can even place stresses on us. If we weren’t able to manage the stresses of life, we wouldn’t be able to make it through a day without giving up and losing all hope. We all have some resilience but we can learn to cultivate resilience so that when that monkey drops the ball again, we can hold on, survive and even thrive.

Cultivating resilience in communities is just as important as it is in individuals. Look at the cities of Orlando, Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, and Dallas. These cities are pulling together to support the families of the lost. Resiliency isn’t about toughing it out on your own. Togetherness brings resiliency.

As Chaplain Peggy’s reflection closed, she reminded us that resiliency at its core is about love. It is about cultivating what God has given us—that spirit of love, power and a sound mind. It is about how we can help each other grow and survive even the deepest wounds, the darkest griefs, and to love, even if our hearts have been broken. ★

Be Still…

Mon, July 6, 2015 Published by

We all have a history and a story

I hope you all enjoyed the 4th of July celebrations? Commemorative and celebratory events like those which so many people have taken part in during the last few days are a wonderful way of reminding ourselves of our past, and they also help us to consider how we are living our lives now. The celebrations around Independence Day, with the words of the founding fathers echoing down to us through the centuries, provide a fixed point in the life of the nation to stop for a moment, to remember the virtues upon which its foundation is based, and in considering this, to reflect upon how well we are living up to that heritage in our own time.

Reflecting-Beauty-teddybear64-20015615-400-276The same can be said in our own lives as well, where there are certain days of the year which cause us to pause for a moment and re-evaluate ourselves. Perhaps for you that day might be your birthday or wedding anniversary. Perhaps it is Christmas, Easter or New Year’s. Whatever the day, and whatever that day’s significance to you, it is a good thing every now and again to pause and reflect.

We all have a history and a story. One of the most interesting aspects of my role here at the Campus is being able to listen as people tell me how the roads they have taken in their life have lead them, often in a very interesting way, to this place which they now call home. Just as our nation has done this weekend, it is good for each of each of us to reflect upon our own lives. Sometimes we can lose track of what is truly important to us as we get caught up in the bustle of our daily lives. Psalm 46 gives us some good advice- ‘be still’. Be still and know who you are. Be still and know that God loves you. Be still and reflect. Be still and remember all that you have accomplished. Be still and consider what makes you happy, and then think about whether you are doing that in your life today. Be still and pray for those you love, and those who love you. Be still and pray for yourself and your own needs.

The wonderful truth about our nation and our Campus is that each of our stories is so very different, with them all blending together to make for a vibrant and varied community. Sometimes in the midst of that we would all benefit from taking a moment of rest and reflection. Be still.
It is almost a year since I began working here at the Campus, and so I myself have been looking back and reflecting over the past year. I consider myself so privileged to walk alongside this community in its life and look forward to doing so in the years to come.