 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR LEADING CONGREGATIONS |
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Theologians have always wrestled with questions about suffering: Why do we suffer? Where is God in the suffering? Does God allow suffering? Does God will suffering? But new research into trauma "pushes them to the extreme," said theologian Shelly Rambo. "I think what's different is the way that trauma exposes the extreme vulnerability of human persons in relationship to larger historical forces," Rambo said. She became interested in the field of trauma studies while at Yale University in the 1990s, where researchers were studying the effect of the Holocaust on survivors. She has continued to explore the theological issues of suffering and witness with military chaplains and others who have experienced trauma. An associate professor of theology at the Boston University School of Theology, Rambo is the author of Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining, in which she rejects a triumphalistic theology of resurrection and develops a theology of Holy Saturday.
Professor Rambo joined our colleagues at Faith & Leadership for a conversation while she was on the campus of Duke University in 2014.
Read the interview with Shelly Rambo » |
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| IDEAS THAT IMPACT: HOLY WEEK & EASTER
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Foot washing sometimes feels like a clichéd metaphor for humble leadership. And yet, Jesus' intimate moment with his disciples calls us to leadership that manifests and concretizes love.
Read more from Alaina Kleinbeck » |
On this darkest of days, we hold close this miracle of God with us. As darkness falls and all is lost, as our souls crumble and our hearts break, we are handed the memory of a Savior who leaned over into the void of the darkness and refused to give in to despair, writes the pastor of Riverside Church in New York.
Read more from Amy Butler » |
Some stories need to be told again and again. So it is with the story of Easter, a story that reminds us that we belong to God and that Jesus is out ahead of us, calling us to God's future, writes the managing director of Alban.
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| | CONTINUE YOUR LEARNING: THE CHURCH & MENTAL HEALTH |
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Do you feel called to work for the health and wellness of your community? Does your church have health ministries in place, but long to do more? Does your church want to work with other congregations and organizations to develop theologically-based wellness programs in your community?
The Reimagining Health Collaborative invites churches and Christian communities to engage more fully in God's healing and restoring work through innovative and faithful practices of health and health care. This year's cohort will focus on the church and mental health.
Approximately 45% of Americans will develop some form of mental illness - especially depression, anxiety, and substance use. Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents and adults. Living with mental illness, particularly serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is filled with both challenges and opportunities. The church must be equipped and energized to respond faithfully.
Your congregation is a great fit for RHC 2017: The Church and Mental Health if: - Your congregation feels called to learn from and to walk faithfully with persons with mental illness in your congregation and community.
- Your congregation wants to explore and discover new models of ministry, and develop a lasting relationship with another organization within your community.
- You believe God is at work healing and restoring the world in Jesus Christ, and want to participate in this healing work.
To learn more, please see the program page. Applications must be submitted to DukeTMC@div.duke.edu by April 28, 2017. |
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by Marlea Gilbert, Christopher Grundy, Eric T. Myers, and Stephanie Perdew
Worship is the work of the people of God. Patterns of worship shape how we pray and how we live. Despite its centrality to church life, worship is too often taken for granted as something a congregation experiences rather than collectively creates.
The Work of the People simply and clearly explains the structure of worship, the actions and words we use in liturgy, the environment in which it all happens--in other words, what we are doing and why. This book will guide congregations in worshiping in a way that encourages participants' spiritual growth, welcomes new participants into faith, and sends people out as the body of Christ to transform the world. Respectful of local custom and the traditions and practices of the Church as a whole, The Work of the People will help worship leaders make the best use of their congregation's resources and clarify their choices about how they will worship together.
Built around a basic service--gathering, service of the Word, Eucharist, and sending--this book is both theological and practical, and encourages all worshipers' active participation in Spirit-led worship of the God of all Creation.
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