Seminar update

So I apologize for going off the grid for a few days. We went to the Asian Rural Institute about 3 hrs outside of Tokyo so we didn't have Internet. I don't have much time to update, but I'll give a quick overview of what I've been up to.

At the Asian Rural Institute we learned about organic farming. ARI is a place that is actually supported by the United Methodist Church through The Advance. At this learning center people from all over the world come to learn about effective organic farming so they can bring that knowledge back to their own communities. While we were there we got to help sort soy beans, replant onions, feed and clean the pigs, collect chicken eggs, and other farm work that they call "food life work" (representing the interconnectedness of food and life).

When we came back from ARI we met with different people who shared stories of the disaster at Fukushima in 2011 (an earthquake that led to tsunamis and the nuclear power plant accident). It was really powerful to hear the personal stories and to hear about how the Japanese government is still keeping quiet about the horrible effects of radiation on communities.

We also learned about alternative sources of energy and discussed ways our own communities could adapt safer and greener energy. Today we will be learning about different cultural practices and creating action plans for when we get home.

I have been so blessed to meet the people I have met and hear their stories. It was wonderful to get dirty at the farm and use my hands to serve a community. I hope to learn even more in our final day of the seminar. Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

Lenten Journey: Day 5 (Tokyo)

Today was a very busy day and the official start of our seminar on Climate Justice in Tokyo. We started this morning by going to the Tokyo Union Church and having worship there. The interesting thing about Tokyo and Japan is that there are not really specified denominations within Protestant Christianity here. There might be churches founded by Methodist missionaries or other denominations, but the churches are just general Christian services. The service was in English and it was a very diverse congregation. I even met someone from Massachusetts again!

After church my fellow vegetarian, Melissa, and I found an organic peace co-op to eat lunch at called the Crayonhouse. It reminded me a little of Evo in Worcester back at home. They had many vegetarian options and all of it was organic. There was also a little store attached.

We then headed back to the Wesley Center to meet the other participants who had arrived from Japan, China, and Korea. We went over some basics of the Climate Justice Seminar, played some get-to-know-you games, and made some guidelines for our community.

After a delicious meal homemade by some women's organizations in Japan, we settled down for a more serious time of sharing about ourselves. We were asked to bring something (an item or a picture) that represented home to us. Then we answered the questions: what is unique/special about where you live and what makes it home for you? I brought a seashell from Rocky Neck State Park where my family goes camping in Connecticut along with a picture of myself with my siblings. As I began to share what I love about my home I became very emotional. I had not reflected on the idea of home for awhile since moving away from it to go to seminary in Chicago. It really feels like I have two separate lives sometimes because my family and friends from Massachusetts do not intersect or interact with my new friends or boyfriend from Chicago. It's a very strange dynamic and so it was almost awkward talking about home. I know it's cliche to say home is where the heart is, but I honestly feel that way. My heart is with John in Chicago and also with my family and friends in Massachusetts. It was easy to share why my home was Massachusetts and what was special (family, the beach, mountains, camping). It was really interesting, though, that when I though about what made Chicago home it honestly was John (my significant other). Hearing from others about their home was not only interesting because of the diverse places, but also because almost everyone else lived away from home.

We closed our evening with a lovely song about who we are because of home and family. I didn't really feel like going to bed after that even though I was tired so I started talking with Hikari, one of the women working at the Wesley Center in Tokyo. Small world again as I found out she is a pastor from the New England conference! She even knew many of my fellow delegates (We and Sandra) as well as my own pastor!

Today's God moments have truly been seen through other people. Building community is very important to me and it has been wonderful getting to know people and finding glimpses of home in them. I am excited to see what tomorrow brings as we start learning more about the environment and each other.

Lenten Journey: Day 4 (Tokyo)

What a busy day in Tokyo! I am definitely jet-lagged, but that did not stop me from exploring the city today with my fellow seminar friends. The first time we set out we were nervous about getting lost so we did not travel too far. We stopped in various convenience stores and looked at all of the interesting things you could buy. Around lunch time we stumbled upon a farmer's market which was right up my alley! We found a vegetarian/vegan/organic food truck with delicious things to eat. I talked to one of the men running an apple stand at the farmer's market and found out that his daughter went to school in Worcester, MA...what a small world!


Later we got a bit more adventurous after getting directions from one of the women in the Wesley Center here in Tokyo. We found a Bazaar and did some souvenir shopping. I picked up a nice set of chopsticks and even found some light saber ones to bring home to John (my nerdy significant other). For dinner we found a sushi place that had a conveyor belt of plates of sushi. You looked at all of the options and then took a plate right off of the conveyor belt if it looked appetizing to you. Only one of the other girls at the seminar was adventurous with me and tried a lot of different kinds (my favorite was definitely the eel).







After a long day we headed back to the Wesley Center and even though it is only 8pm I will probably sleep very well! Tomorrow we are headed off to church and then registration begins for the seminar. We will be moving to a new apartment so I am not sure how frequently I will be able to update my blog as we will not have wi-fi there.

At the end of the day I feel very blessed to have this opportunity and wonderful people to share it with. It is a truly humbling experience to be in a brand new country with a completely different culture and to try to communicate and explore it well. I hope to continue to learn new things and meet new people.

Lenten Journey: Day 2 and 3 (Trip to Tokyo)

Hello from Tokyo!
Days 2 and 3 (I'm now 15 hours ahead of Chicago) were a blur as I spent most of them traveling. However, I did get to enjoy a lovely Valentine's Day dinner with my valentine before I left. The flight to Tokyo was nonstop and 13 hours long, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. My favorite part and probably where I saw God the most (besides feeling thankful that my flight went well and I arrived safely) was when I opened my airplane window and saw the beautiful snowy mountains at the northwest corner of Canada.

Getting into Tokyo was a little challenging as it took me awhile to find my group. I had traveled to Spain before, but this was definitely more of a culture shock as I do not know Japanese whatsoever. At least in Spain I could get by on my 3 years of high school Spanish. Unfortunately and fortunately I was "that girl" who they called on the intercom because I was completely lost. Once I found my tour guide things went much better and we had a wonderful conversation about God and life as we rode the 2 hours to the Wesley Center in Tokyo.

So here I am. In a beautiful apartment in the city. It's 9:45pm but feels like 6:45am and I cant decide if I should go to sleep or wait up a little longer. Everyone seems really nice, but it is hard to be my outgoing energetic self when I haven't slept in a couple days and the last real meal I had was dinner on Wednesday (I forgot to check off a vegetarian meal option for the plane). The great thing is that even though I'm tired and hungry it doesn't matter because I am in a wonderful place with seemingly wonderful people and I am SO thankful for this amazing opportunity. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings...I hope to post pictures as well :)

A Lenten Journey: Day 1

Well it seems as if I have neglected to keep up with my blog among the business of seminary, work, and spending time with wonderful people. I really want to keep up with it as I know many of you are wondering what I have been up to. It is difficult be intentional about connecting with each and every one of my friends and family member while keeping up with my studies, but I have decided that during this Lenten season I will take time to write in my blog every day. I want to keep the people who read this updated, but I also hope to use blogging as a spiritual discipline; to reflect on my day and be intentional about finding God in moments I may not have noticed God during the day.

So my first semester of seminary was challenging, but rewarding. I learned so much and built wonderful relationships. I was then able to return to Massachusetts and see my family for a couple of weeks, but it was strange going back to school and not knowing when I would be back in New England again. When I came back to Evanston, I worked full time at the bakery for a month and then began my second semester. I'm taking New Testament, Church History 2, Intro to Theology, and Church Planning and Planting this semester and so far all of the classes seem wonderful!

I also had the opportunity to attend the Northeastern Jurisdiction Vision Table meeting and was then elected to the Executive Committee. I was pleasantly surprised that Young Adults/Youth had a line item on the agenda where we intentional discussed how to foster relationships with young people in our congregations. Even more wonderful was when it came time for nominations for the Exec Committee, 2 out of 3 spots were filled by myself (a young adult) and a youth. I hope this means we are truly moving forward and taking action about our concerns about young people in church within the NEJ.

Now that you are somewhat caught up, I will begin my reflection for today. Today I woke up a little stressed out because I am leaving for Tokyo, Japan tomorrow morning for the UMW Climate Justice Seminar. My apartment was a mess and I had a million things to do in order to get ready. I had neglected that part of my life since work was crazy (Fat Tuesday at a bakery is insane!), I had just returned from DC (where the NEJ conference was), and school work had piled up. As I began to get more overwhelmed I took a step back and prayed (which I realized I had not done in awhile). I took some deep breaths and realized that among the craziness I had seen glimpses of God supporting me. Afterall, I had just had an amazing opportunity to work on the vision table, I was learning wonderful things in my theology class, I had an amazing boyfriend who came over and helped me with my homework after I had just worked for 10 hours, and I had amazing friends who encouraged me along the way. I truly find God in my relationships (maybe that's just me being a hardcore extrovert) and I have been blessed to have so many wonderful ones. Suddenly preparing for Tokyo did not seem as hard and instead of being stressed I was once again able to feel excited and blessed for this opportunity to go.

This reflection today was a chance for me to catch up with my own life, catch you up with it, and kind of get everything out so I could see God amidst my busy life. I hope that as I continue to reflect during this Lenten season that I will be able to build a stronger relationship with God and deepen my faith among academics, work, and other things that come my way.

I pray that this Lenten season also brings you closer to God and see God in ways you may not have noticed God before.

#DreamUMC Social Justice Project

Since participating as a delegate to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church this past spring, I have become interested and invested in the idea of inclusiveness in the UMC. After the conclusion of General Conference, a group of people, including myself, started a movement on Twitter called DreamUMC. The mission of DreamUMC is to connect United Methodists via social media in order to create change in the UMC. DreamUMC encourages all voices to speak up and be heard. In order to do this, DreamUMC has “tweet-chats” two Mondays per month on Twitter to discuss various issues of concern within the UMC. There is a facilitator who prompts conversation with different discussion questions and the conversations move from there. Previous conversations have addressed inclusivity, social justice, mission, polity, discipleship, global issues, and much more. Once the tweet-chat is over, people are encouraged to continue discussion and the summary of the night’s conversation is posted on DreamUMC’s website.

Having participated in many tweet-chats I became interested in what these ideas actually looked like, visually. Because we use Twitter as a mechanism for conversation, our thoughts are limited to 140 characters of text per tweet. I wanted to know more about what people thought of, visually, when they thought of the words, “an inclusive United Methodist Church.” Therefore, I plan to create a collage encompassing what an inclusive UMC looks like to these “DreamUMC-ers.” I will host a tweet-chat of my own where I will ask people to tweet a picture of what an inclusive church looks like to them. After the tweet chat I will print out various tweets with their accompanying pictures and make a collage of these visual dreams. As a visual learner, I believe this will help me, as well as others get a better picture of what our goal is in terms of an inclusive United Methodist Church.

This artwork will be displayed at an event I am co-hosting with another student and the pastor of a local church. We are in the midst of planning a live “tweet-up” of those who participate (or are interested in) DreamUMC in the Chicago area. It will be held this coming spring in the heart of Chicago in order to give people a chance to meet in person and take action on the ideas discussed during DreamUMC’s tweet-chats. I am hoping that my artwork will help people see what our goal could look like and inspire action within the movement.

Christian as Citizen: Class #1

                Yesterday afternoon I made my way down to the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple for a class offered by Garrett Seminary called “Christian as Citizen.” This class is taught by the president of our seminary, Dr. Phil Amerson and asks the question, “What is the role of a Christian as citizen?” This class is not only offered to Garrett students, but also those who attend First UMC. Throughout the course we will be following different news sources, the presidential election, and different political and social movements to look for what it means to be a citizen and what it means to be a Christian citizen. We will have guest speakers (which I have posted below) each week that are citizens of the Chicago area and who are involved in politics, advocacy, etc.

                Over the three hours of the course we discussed many interesting and important questions that come up for us as citizens of the U.S.A., specifically as Christian citizens. We started off talking about how we, as people, have become a commodity. In the 1970s, the service industry made up about 25% of our workforce while the manufacturing industry (physical goods, farming, etc.) made up about 75%. Today, the service industry makes up more than 90% of our work force, while the manufacturing industry has been reduced to less than 10%. What does this mean for us as citizens? If most of our workforce is devoted to service, what is the actual product that is coming out of that? The answer is we are the product. We are reduced from living, breathing, human beings to a client; to a commodity. The important question to think about now is, “When did it all go wrong?” A member of our class pointed out that we can usually find the answer to that question by tracing the money.

                We then moved this discussion to think about citizenship in the context of the Bible. Where in scripture do we find the topic of citizenship and what does this mean for us? Many people recalled the many times Paul discusses what citizenship should/should not look like in his letters to various peoples. An interesting thing to note is that when Paul writes about citizenship, he is looking at citizenship through the lens of being a Roman citizen. Another instance of citizenship in the Bible is addressed when Samuel is wondering if he should anoint Saul as a king. Samuel warns the people about becoming a state. After discussing many other instances, we realized that our Christian heritage is full of questions about citizenship. This lead to the question, “Is democracy the ideal state for Christians?”

                If we think back to the early church, there was no Christian state. Christians were the oppressed and the marginalized. They were persecuted by the Roman Empire and had no form of government of their own. When thinking about Christians living in a democracy today, the term “liberty” is often used. We hear it in our own U.S.A. constitution, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and because it is very close to the word “God,” we assume that this was meant to support Christianity as an institution. If we really look into where those words came from however, they were written by deists and many politicians today use them to support the oppressive institution of Christianity by not separating church and state. When we think about the term “liberty,” it is usually used to promote individualism (we have the right to freedom and we do not have to listen to anyone else; we can do things how we as individuals want to). This is not actually the Christian way, however, because Christianity is focused on community, not individuals. Maybe a democracy would work for the Christian citizen if he or she actually acted like a Christian.

                One of the books we are focusing on in this course is called, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt. One of the troubling and thought-provoking messages that Haidt mentions in his book concerns the many spheres of morality (care/harm, fairness/cheating, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, sanctity/degradation, liberty/oppression) and how politicians address them. Being a very liberal person, it was difficult for me to hear (which Dr. Amerson also mentioned about himself) that Democrats tend to only address three (care/harm, liberty/oppression, fairness/cheating) out of the six aspects of morality, while Republicans usually address all six. Haidt argues that this is why Republicans appeal to a wider audience: they know how to address all areas of concern when it comes to morality. It will be interesting to see how many spheres of morality both Obama and Romney address in the upcoming presidential debates.

                At the conclusion of this first class meeting, I was left with many questions. Why, as people, did we let ourselves become a commodity? Do Democrats stand a chance in this upcoming election if they confine themselves to only discussing three spheres of morality? How did the foundations and understanding of Christianity come to be skewed by politics and the government? What is the ideal form of government for us as Christians? Although I hope to find some answers to these questions throughout the semester, I have a feeling that my question list will only get longer. However, I feel blessed to have finally found a place to openly discuss these important issues and be in dialogue with people who have different views from me. It is in places like these that we can truly have “holy conversation” around controversial issues.