Marsh Vocation

By aclauhs

Guess where I will be this Valentine’s Day? Not in the arms of a significant other, if that’s what you were thinking. No, I’ll be busy being swept away by, well, the Windy City.

Yes, I’ll be in Chicago! I was (along with my fellow Interfaith Council Leadership Board member, Naziyya) lucky enough to nominated for the University of Chicago’s Coming Together 6 interfaith student leadership conference! Here’s the adorable banner they designed for it (complete with some UChicago gargoyles):

Aaaaaand…here is the schedule:

Thursday February 14, 2013

• 12 noon – 6:30 pm Registration
• 2 – 6 pm Yoga, Carillon Lessons, Campus Tours, & more!
• 6:30 pm Welcome dinner
• 8 pm Speedfaithing
• 8:30 pm Dessert Reception at the Oriental Institute Museum Friday

February 15, 2013

• 8 am Meditation: 20 Minutes Still
• 8:30 am Breakfast
• 9:30 am University Welcome with the Provost
• 9:50 am Joint Session with Teresa Hord Owens
• 10:20 am Breakout I: Identities
• 11:30 am Fishbowl Conversation: Sex in Paradise (and Here)
• 12:15 pm Jumu’ah prayers
• 12:30 pm Lunch
• 1 pm Jumu’ah prayers
• 1:35 pm Joint Session with Julian DeShazier
• 2 pm Breakout II: Self
• 3 pm Breakout III: Story
• 3:45 pm Free Time [fun & social activities!]
• 4:45 pm Shabbat
• 6:30 pm Interfaith Shabbat Dinner
• 8 pm Yuval Ron Ensemble concert [open to the public, free – please invite Chicago friends!]

Saturday February 16, 2013

• 7 am University of Chicago Tradition Kuvia: Yoga at the Point
• 8 am Meditation: 20 Minutes Still
• 8:30 am Breakfast
• 9:30 am Yuval Ron workshops
• 11:30 am Something Not Boring!
• 12:30 pm Lunch
• 1:35 pm Breakout IV: Mind
• 2:45 pm Joint Session with Dr. Rami Nashashibi
• 3:20 pm Breakout V: Practice
• 4:15 pm Free Time [fun & social activities!]
• 6:30 pm Closing Dinner & Jazz Reception at Rockefeller Chapel

Sunday February 17, 2013

• 8 am Chanting
• 8:30 am Breakfast
• 9:30 am Optional: Chicago Excursions
• Optional: Sunday Morning Services in Hyde Park

Need I tell you that I am excited? We will be getting to meet all sorts of students involved in interfaith work from around the country (and from Canada), and it will also give me a chance to get a feel  for UChicago, which is one of the places I am considering for graduate school.

No worries–you can be assured that my next blog post when I return from the conference will fill you in on everything that happened!

posted in Abigail on 02.10.2013 at 11:27 pm

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By Emma

We are writing a sermon.

Some four months ago, when Soren and Jen mentioned casually in passing that Marsh Associates would be preaching at some point during the year, I felt somewhat paralyzed.  People spend years in school learning how to do that well, and I’ve got absolutely zero training in that department.

But I’m starting to get really excited for Ash Wednesday.  During our weekly preaching workshop this afternoon, I felt like DJ, Abigail and I–with Soren and Jen guiding us, were able to wrestle with the outline of our sermon, thinking about how to fit in the biblical exegesis we worked on last week, the stories that we think make the matter more relatable, the theology that ties together our understanding of the scripture.

I’m still nervous as all get out about preaching–don’t get me wrong.  I feel like it’s an amount of authority that I don’t deserve, and a platform from which many incredible men and women have spoken.  I’m not sure how it will feel to talk about such personal theological experiences and thoughts with my peers, and others in the BU community.

But I’m starting to feel ready for it, and very excited.  I’m connecting with the scripture, and with my co-preachers.  I’m eager to get a chance to practice my public speaking outside of my usual Admissions context.  And I’m sensing that this will be a deeply spiritual experience for me, which I’m really starting to look forward to as it begins to unfold.

posted in Emma on 02.3.2013 at 5:24 pm

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By aclauhs

God is Not Great. The End of Faith. The Godless Constitution. The Portable Atheist. They are stacked up on my desk in my apartment, their abrasive titles piled one atop the other. Christopher Hitchens abounds.

Yes, I am taking a class on atheism. And agnosticism, to be exact. In US history. With the amazing Stephen Prothero (yes, he’s that BU Religion professor who was on the Colbert Report). And, not surprisingly, I’ve already found it troubling–but not for the reasons you might think.

The first book that we read for the class was called Without God, Without Creed: The Origins of Unbelief in America. Its author, James Turner, aims to traces how the assumption that God did exist disappeared. In other words, how unbelief became possible. And he places the blame for unbelief squarely on the believers.

Yes, I’m sure you’re aghast at this. But his argument is twofold: that by claiming that God could be proven through science (through the discipline of natural theology) and by making God more humanitarian, believers actually pushed people toward unbelief.

The science part came about with the discovery of Newton’s laws of nature, when there seemed to be a demonstrated need for a divine Lawmaker. Then theologians of the 19th century latched onto William Paley‘s idea that the exquisite design of nature proved the existence of God. Turner claims that this was a mistake because by limiting God to scientific proof, it cut out the whole mystical, transcending-the-laws-of-nature aspect of God.

I can buy that.

But then there’s the other part of the argument. Turner talks about the humanitarian causes that arose in the 19th century–such as those aimed at helping the poor–and how the religious people who carried out these humanitarian missions ascribed them to the will of God. Basically, they claimed that God was a moral being with humanitarian interests at heart. And Turner thinks this is a problem, because he says that by making God human-like, people lost the mysterious and unknowable side of God–and without that, why believe in a God that is just basically a good person?

It’s a sticky place for me. Because I believe that old cliche that God is love. I believe what Martin Luther King, Jr. once professed when he said, “God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty. God intends for all of his children to have the basic necessities of life, and he has left in this universe ‘enough and to spare’ for that purpose.”

I believe in a God of love.

But also believe in a God who is too incredible and immense for us to understand his workings. I believe in a divine power too great for any of us to fathom, too large to fit in any human box of morality. A power terrible to behold, vast beyond our imaginings, both immanent and transcendent.

So I’ve been struggling with the question of whether I’ve made God too moral–whether we’ve made God too moral. And this is the thought I’ve reached–God created us as part of this interconnected universe, and purposefully gave us minds capable of conceiving of morals. They are not spelled out for us in words, but across creation.  We must understand our place in this world, and take our guides to living from the interdependence we see therein. From that will come treating our neighbors as ourselves. From that will come honoring life. From that will come, as King once said, the discovery that “love is most durable power in the world, and that it is at bottom the heartbeat of the moral cosmos.”

posted in Abigail on 01.31.2013 at 6:44 pm

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By djwalker

Recently, I was introduced to the Baha’i faith by one of the professors at Boston University. She told me about their idea of progressive revelation, meaning their faith honored many of the world religious traditions in sequence. (Please forgive me for this rather crude understanding of this complex religion) They believe that many of the great world religions; Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism etc, spoke truths to their time and place and must be understood in that context. The religion’s followers also believe in the oneness of all things and highly value the individual search for truth through universal education.

Recently, I was invited by this professor to a salon, or fireside chat (they couldn’t decide on a name) at the house of a Harvard professor who was also a practicing Bahai. The conversation started off with a word of prayer and then a reading from their prophet  Bahá’u'lláh’s Book of Revelations. Afterward they began a conversation about the concept of oneness. What ensued was one of the most pleasant moments of my life. Professors of every strip, artist, students, writers, all were engaged in a genuine struggle to make sense of this word, they struggled to figure out what others meant by it and they struggled to figure out what truths resided in their own hearts.

Recently, I found myself in the shower pondering some of the ideas of the Bahai faith and asked myself if they could be reconciled with the Christian faith. But in order to do this I first had to clearly articulate for myself what it meant to be a Christian. Usually, when people asked me about my religious faith I would always say, “I call myself a Christian, though others might disagree.” This clever turn of phrase was designed to create the facade of a man of deep spirituality who also valued sober reflection, I now realize that it had the inward motive of evading a question I had long been afraid to truly answer, fearing that any real reflection on my faith would lead me to abandon it at once. But on this occasion, standing there completely disrobed of my facade, I was forced to answer the question, what did it mean to be a Christian. When I finally got to the point of very clearly articulating that question which I had worked so hard to evade, at once a flood of ideas rushed into the the forefront of my being, for a moment it was as if they occupied their own space. As I stood their no longer thinking, but knowing, I understood that I was in the presence of truth. What happened next, I do not have the vocabulary or authroity to describe but I cannot help but note the divine irony of setting.

Recently, I found myself having a conversation with my boss during the 10pm-2am shift in the Mugar Memorial Library Print Center. He asked me about a recent news story regarding a mega pastor in my hometown of Atlanta, Ga. The pastor, Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, had been accused of molesting young men. Three accusers came forward claiming that during their time in New Birth’s youth outreach program the pastor developed an inappropriate sexual relationship with them. To substantiate their case, they released suggestive pictures of the bishop posing in the mirror that he allegedly sent to them. The pastor initially denied the charges but later had to temporarily step down from his position and settle with his accusers out of court.

My boss brought this story to my attention knowing that I am currently wrestling with a call to ministry. He asked, “Are you going to be like Eddie Long?” I indignantly responded with a, “Hell no.” Apart from the obvious, I explained that 1) did not wish to be a mega preacher, self-gratifyingly uttering words about Jesus and a camel and 2) I asserted that I did not wish to be disgraced like Bishop Long. My boss then asked, “Disgraced in whose eyes?”  Seeing his smirk I understood that I just walked into the theological trap my boss, a former pastor himself, set for me. He then at 1am in the print center at Mugar Memorial Library delivered the most intimate sermon I have ever witnessed. My boss explained to me how though he had erred and lost his way Bishop Long, like all of God’s people, deserved forgiveness and love. He had simply lost his way and needed to be humbled. My boss then explained what he saw to be the difference between Christians, real Christians, and the rest of God’s people.  After his talk I felt ashamed at the harsh judgment I previously leveled at the man, I felt ashamed that I had forgotten Love and Compassion, Divine Justice and Redemption. However at this moment I recalled the wise words I received from a student I met at BU’s phenomenal School of Theology. She told me, “It is important to be self-critical and to measure oneself continually by the Christ standard, but at the end don’t forget to give yourself grace.”

And so I shall give myself grace. In this journey I am embarking on I know that at times I will fail at being my best self, I will fail and being truly Christ-like. I will fail at times at truly loving and being compassionate to others. I will at times fail and honestly seeking truth and not being distracted by false idols and ideologies. I know that at times I will fail to stand on the side of Justice and fight for the oppressed and the disadvantaged. This is the struggle I commit myself to and I know at times I will fail, but I will remember to learn from the divine and give myself grace. To be fair to myself I’ve only truly discovered that I am a Christian, just recently.

~Demarius J. Walker

posted in Uncategorized on 01.27.2013 at 7:49 pm

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By aclauhs

So, being a major religion dork, I did not, needless to say, spend my winter break reading this:

Nope. Instead, I could be found reading this:

It is a beautiful book called The Cathedral of the World on Unitarian Universalist theology, written by Forrest Church, an inspiring Unitarian Universalist minister and theologian who struggled through a long battle with terminal cancer. The title of the book reflects the metaphor that Church used for Unitarian Universalism: that this world is a “cathedral” with people looking through many different windows (which symbolize different religions and worldviews)–but that the light coming in those windows is the same (the light being God, or the Divine). In fewer words: “many windows, one light.”

Church drew a parallel between that idea and our former national motto (until the Red Scare of 1950s caused it to be changed to “In God We Trust”) of “E pluribus unum”–out of many, one. He finds power in our differences and diversity, religious and otherwise.

Church dedicates a large part of the book to what he calls the American Creed, which is expressed in the Declaration of Independence with the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

He argues that is this creed–not our military victories nor the riches of capitalism–that make America great. It is not what we have done that makes us strong; it is what we strive to do. Church points out that we are far from flawless–inequities from slavery to tribal sovereignty to segregation and more have stained the fabric of our history. But, at our best, we fight for the realization of that creed–equality and freedom and the possibility of having a fulfilling life for us all.

For Church (and for me), this American Creed is highly religious. It is inextricably tied to our understanding that we are all God’s creations and therefore interdependent and intertwined. To honor God is to bring these rights to all people.

You can imagine my goosebumps, then, when President Obama took the podium at the inauguration ceremony this Monday and said:

We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.

It sounded like someone had been reading Forrest Church. And I liked it. Normally, I’m quite cynical about politics and usually ready to point out problematic policies. But this part of Obama’s speech was something that transcended politics. It was universalist theology. And by that I don’t mean that it was only meant for Universalists.

No, it was a universal message. And I believe that despite our political and/or religious affiliations, it is a creed we can all strive toward together.

posted in Abigail on 01.24.2013 at 7:55 pm

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By lucchesi

A blog post or two ago, I wrote about OUTLook’s upcoming lecture series, and now, here I stand, on the other side. The experience built character, to say the least.

But first, let’s focus on the positives: I learned a lot about two fascinating topics: laws relating to discrimination and the history of HIV/AIDS in America (I was not able to attend the lecture on Evolutionary Biology, but I heard it was fantastic). I got the experience of contacting speakers and following through with getting them to speak.

So then why am I disappointed? I am going to try to parse out some of my complicated feelings about the lecture series. One of my main concerns is that all three lectures had very few attendees, with the middle one having the most attendees only because the professor invited her class to see the event. I thought that I put a lot of effort into inviting people on facebook and reminding them via facebook statuses and posts, and I now realize that the problem was not how much work I put in, but where I directed my efforts. I put most of my eggs in the facebook basket, without putting a ton of attention to flyering and making personal appearances at different group events to advertise.

I feel like I will take this main lesson into planning next year’s programming, but advertising is just the external symptom for a much larger problem. OUTLook was really small this year. From talking to Liz Douglass, the main OUTLook contact, I understand that there have been many more people contacting the chapel for personal meetings to discuss GLBTQ issues and spirituality, but fewer people have been coming to meetings. I have really been thinking about why this might be, and I have come to two conclusions: 1) like the lecture series, better, more directed advertising will help more people know that we exist, or 2) this is just a phase that the group is going through. Civilizations rise and fall, and student groups do so as well.

This led me to realize, though, that I was defining success very narrowly, just in numbers attending the lecture series. Going forth to next year, I really need to try to redefine my notion of what successful planning of the semester and year will look like. On my part, I need to be better at communicating my goals and actually following through with following the appropriate steps to achieve them. I am excited for next year’s OUTLook because I really do think it is time for us to take our rightful place as a much more visible and active part of Religious Life on campus.

posted in Robby, Uncategorized on 12.6.2012 at 1:26 am

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By aclauhs

This Friday evening, I will be breaking bread with the Jewish students on campus. In Judaism, the Jewish Sabbath (or Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until Saturday night. In observation of this, at BU Hillel there are services and a Shabbat dinner every Friday night.

This Friday’s Shabbat is a special one–Interfaith Shabbat! Interfaith Shabbat is one of my favorite Interfaith Council events of the year. It gives students of many religious and non-religious traditions a chance to explore inside the Hillel House (a beautiful building that few non-Jewish students enter or know much about), to learn more about Jewish religious traditions (all students are invited to attend the Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox services at 5:30 pm), and–of course–to have some delicious kosher food (can you say challah?!).

There are so many important concepts intertwined in Shabbat–the importance of eating together (to use a scholarly religion major term, “shared commensality”); the setting aside of a day of rest (important for any busy college student, especially so close to finals!); the interfaith discussion that follows the dinner. This year we are lucky to have as a keynote speaker Dean Moore from BU’s School of Theology. She will speak after the meal, then group discussions about interfaith issues will be led by various university chaplains and ministers.

I am very excited about the event, and I welcome you to come. All Interfaith Council members can get their meal free! Sign up here, and check out the Facebook event page here. Join us. Eat some challah. Listen to the beauty of a Hebrew prayer. I promise you won’t regret it.

posted in Abigail on 12.6.2012 at 12:24 am

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By Emma

Early on in the semester during one of our weekly ministry team meetings, Brother Larry led a meditative reflection of what each of us envisions the chapel to be in the near–or distant–future.  It was an awesome exercise, but as school and work and other activities encroached on what’s really present in my consciousness, I kind of forgot about it.

Last night in our meeting, Larry brought us back to that exercise.  He reminded us all of the words that we had used to describe our vision of the chapel, and asked us to take a few of these words and develop a programming idea for next semester that would help fulfill our vision.  The three Marsh Associates–Abigail, Robby, and myself–worked with Soren to come up with an idea, and within thirty minutes we had a solid idea of what this event would look like.  Brother Larry then surprised us a little bit by asking for each group to spend the week developing a blurb for each of our programs which will go into the termbook for next semester.

As undergraduates, I think that the three of us are acutely aware of how Marsh could continue to work on ways to reach out to and integrate the undergraduate population into our midst.  So the words around which we constructed this new idea included open doors, open table, accessibility, breaking down barriers, and demography, among others.  We put tother an idea to take the ministry of Marsh Chapel outside of the chapel itself, in an effort to engage undergrads in discussion with the ministry team.  I won’t go into details about the idea for the program, since it’s not even a day old.  But my point is that I felt very alive and active brainstorming this idea with my two amazing co-interns.  It reminded me of how very amazing Marsh is, but also where it can still be even better.  And I’m excited about the prospect of taking real action to fulfill our vision of Marsh Chapel’s future.

posted in Uncategorized on 12.4.2012 at 1:58 pm

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By Emma

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks have always been the most difficult for me during the school year.  Professors seem to suddenly decide that they need to cram in as many assignments as possible, not to mention finals looming just before the finish line.  While I do believe that I thrive under pressure, there’s a limit to that, and finals always seems to push me to the point of immense stress, which I really don’t enjoy.  I’ve also been a bit of a cynic about Christmas in the last new years.  I love the holiday–don’t get me wrong.  But sometimes the outrageous consumerism that this country displays during the beautiful period of Advent is just too much.  I feel like the Christmas I was taught to embrace and celebrate–the birth of Christ–is obscured by Americans’ preoccupation with trees and gifts and movies and silly hats and such.

But this year I find myself genuinely excited for the Christmas season.  I’m already bouncing back and forth between two Pandora Christmas stations–Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ and early music for the holiday.  I’m searching for a great Advent calendar.  I’m actually planning my study schedule for finals, so it feels a lot less stressful.

Another big part of what’s helping me to anticipate this season with joy is being immersed in the Marsh community.  Choir rehearsals for lessons and carols–my favorite part of the holiday season–are already well underway.  (And if you’re not planning on it yet, plan on coming to Lessons and Carols at Marsh on Friday the 7th at 6 pm or Sunday the 16th during our regular service at 11 am.)  In this time of transition from Thanksgiving to the anticipation of Christmas, I find myself incredibly thankful to be a part of the Marsh community, where I feel that the Christmas season is celebrated to the fullest, and where I feel that anticipation of Christ’s birth does not have to revolve around buying presents and decorating trees.  I want to spend this season in a state of mind where I’m able to try to further understand the meaning of Christmas, and what it means for my own spiritual life.  Being in a community where I feel more inclined to be conscientious about my exam preparation puts me in a place to be more organized, allowing me to focus on this wonderful season, and the parts of it that I feel are the most important to me as a Christian.

posted in Emma on 11.27.2012 at 11:31 am

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By lucchesi

So as obvious as this post might be for this time of year, I really do think it is necessary for me to word vomit all the things that I am thankful for, especially as they relate to Marsh Chapel. This internship has changed my life, and I think taking inventory of all the small things helps the larger picture come into focus.

I am thankful for:

-attending worship with phenomenal music

-being a part of a worship community that embraces other faith traditions

-the ministry staff who put up with the occasional pun war via facebook

-the graduate interns, who show me that there is indeed life after (this round of) college

-the professional staff, who help me discern my next path

-the Gloria Patri that regularly gets stuck in my head

-my fellow undergrad interns for being the most fun people ever]

-for a brilliant weekly monologue (I believe you church people call them sermons) that gives me a fresh perspective

-the beautiful space I have the privilege to worship in every week

-an affirming faith community that lets me fully participate in the parish activities

-anyone out there who reads this blog

-knowing that I will be fed on Sundays and Mondays

So thank you guys so much. Advent approaches (my favorite time of year!) and I hope to continue to take stock of all God has blessed me with this year.

And finally, I leave you with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSBq8geuJk0

Thanks, y’all!

posted in Robby on 11.24.2012 at 8:06 pm

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