[Editorial for the Chicago Seminarian this week]
As I write this, I am in the midst of the 5th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, held October 28-30 downtown at the Chicago Cultural Center. I am positively, delightfully, overwhelmed.
I am overwhelmed that the first conference had 30 participants, and this year’s conference has 550. I think I talked to about a hundred new people in one afternoon, and when that got to be too much, I looked for old friends in the crowd. Or, I could’ve ducked into the quiet meditation room near the entry if I needed to get away for a little while longer.
So far I’ve been to workshops that are imminently practical, like ‘Fundraising 101,’ ‘Youth Leadership in the Interfaith Movement,’ and ‘The 6 Best Practices in Interfaith Organizing.’ Also available were service projects, sessions to meet one another directly in dialogue, and a neat idea called ‘speedfaithing’-like speed-dating, a quick but intensive introduction to a religious tradition, presented by a practitioner in that tradition, without having to spend a semester in class.
One of the most helpful things I’ve found at this conference, in addition to meeting 550 new friends and colleagues, and getting practical skills for organizing, is the emphasis on sustainability. Is campus organizing just something you do while you’re in school? Will it simply have to die when you graduate? Or can you take the steps to ensure that others will benefit from your work after you move on?
In starting this newspaper and SeminaryAction last year, I was having fun, but it was a shock to me when most of my original cohort graduated last spring--I was the junior member of our group. I also found out that there was a curiosity among a wider population, and not too many other folks doing what we were doing. It’s been a steep learning curve, trying to create something bigger that can do more good. And there hasn’t been much sleep lately. But I am encouraged by events and support like this. Hope you will find that encouragement too. Check it out: http://www.ifyc.org/.
--Le Anne
Monday, October 29, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Seminarians Prepare for SOA
An inter-seminary coalition is currently making plans to attend the annual vigil at Ft. Benning, GA (WHINSEC/SOA) to protest the on-going training of Latin American military and police units that have been tied to widespread human rights abuses. If you have interest in attending this year's vigil, which will be held on November 15-18 of this year, please contact me as soon as possible so we can make the necessary arrangements for travel and lodging.* There may be funds available through your student government or other organization to help finance the costs.
Students that have gone in the past have found this to be a very meaningful experience and an important part of their educational experience, so I hope that you will consider making the effort to go. If you are unfamiliar with this issues surrounding WHINSEC, please visit the SOA Watch website at www.soaw.org or contact me at 773-908-7262.
*Those with interest in going, please reply to this message and indicate your commitment level at this point in time. I would like to know by the beginning of reading week approximately how many people are thinking about going so we can book the appropriate number of motel rooms. Again, with any questions, please contact me.
Nathan Soule, McCormick Theological Seminary
Nsoule@mccormick.edu
Students that have gone in the past have found this to be a very meaningful experience and an important part of their educational experience, so I hope that you will consider making the effort to go. If you are unfamiliar with this issues surrounding WHINSEC, please visit the SOA Watch website at www.soaw.org or contact me at 773-908-7262.
*Those with interest in going, please reply to this message and indicate your commitment level at this point in time. I would like to know by the beginning of reading week approximately how many people are thinking about going so we can book the appropriate number of motel rooms. Again, with any questions, please contact me.
Nathan Soule, McCormick Theological Seminary
Nsoule@mccormick.edu
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Questioning Authority
[Editorial for this week's Chicago Seminarian]
Who do we allow to tell us what to think, and what to do? This is a question timely for seminary students in particular. Some would answer ‘God,’ or ‘the Bible;’ others might do or think mostly only what their church body tells them to, no matter what the politics are of the denomination--after all, keeping your head down and asking no questions is a good way to cruise through unhassled in life. We all know this. Still, others may find the desire to question what we’re told on any given topic...worth a little hassle. Hopefully not too much, though, right? After all, we all know it, those who ask too many questions often get into trouble like they never imagined. And it hurts.
Monks in Burma (also known as Myanmar) are asking questions these days. And they are getting killed. Those images and radio reports are haunting me the most this week. Their pictures remind me of pictures I saw in the Chicago Historical Society two summers ago, of seminarians and clergy marching in the streets to support the cause of human rights. Where are we called to march today?
In a few months, seminarians and clergy will march to protest the U.S. Army School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, GA. Some will be arrested and imprisoned.
Other seminarians are traveling to the border, to the Middle East, to Africa, to Colombia; some are traveling to the neighborhoods we so rarely go in our own city, each asking questions--each deciding to find out for her or himself what is happening and what must be done to heal our world. Some are asking questions on their own campuses. When we question what we’ve been told, it is wise to go together and draw on each other’s strength and support. Let us do likewise.
-Le Anne
Who do we allow to tell us what to think, and what to do? This is a question timely for seminary students in particular. Some would answer ‘God,’ or ‘the Bible;’ others might do or think mostly only what their church body tells them to, no matter what the politics are of the denomination--after all, keeping your head down and asking no questions is a good way to cruise through unhassled in life. We all know this. Still, others may find the desire to question what we’re told on any given topic...worth a little hassle. Hopefully not too much, though, right? After all, we all know it, those who ask too many questions often get into trouble like they never imagined. And it hurts.
Monks in Burma (also known as Myanmar) are asking questions these days. And they are getting killed. Those images and radio reports are haunting me the most this week. Their pictures remind me of pictures I saw in the Chicago Historical Society two summers ago, of seminarians and clergy marching in the streets to support the cause of human rights. Where are we called to march today?
In a few months, seminarians and clergy will march to protest the U.S. Army School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, GA. Some will be arrested and imprisoned.
Other seminarians are traveling to the border, to the Middle East, to Africa, to Colombia; some are traveling to the neighborhoods we so rarely go in our own city, each asking questions--each deciding to find out for her or himself what is happening and what must be done to heal our world. Some are asking questions on their own campuses. When we question what we’ve been told, it is wise to go together and draw on each other’s strength and support. Let us do likewise.
-Le Anne
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Notes from the Seminary Front
This past Friday, Sept. 21, some thirty students from seminaries all over Chicago gathered here in Hyde Park to begin a new era of inter-campus and inter-religious cooperation. Student government leaders and newspaper editors; eco-justice and worker justice and LGBTQ and anti-oppression networks formed to brainstorm ways of working together to address the issues they cared so deeply about. We also gathered to meet organization leaders from around the city who offer the ministry training opportunities that can’t happen solely inside our classrooms: Interfaith Worker Justice, Urban CPE Consortium, Inc., and Interfaith Youth Core were among the speakers. We left with new friendships and new excitement over possibilities for the future months. Check out some of the ads in this week’s issue of the Chicago Seminarian to see some of the ideas raised. If we find enough interest to form groups around a topic, we’ll do it.
Also, we began the process of writing two collaborative books to be published at a future by SeminaryAction: What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Seminary, the first book of its kind to include multiple denominations, genders, ages, ethnic backgrounds, orientations, etc; and The Seminary Student Activist’s Handbook, a guide for campus organizing tailored to the needs of seminarians--including working with administrations and Boards, advocating for denominational policy changes, raising funds, recruiting volunteers, and planning for service trips and major events (such as a March on Washington or participation in national conferences).
Would you like to join us? It’s not too late. Just send a note to info@seminaryaction.org with your contact details and a little about your interest areas. We’ll connect you with the folks who share your passions. Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled for our posters, e-mail announcements, and newspaper ads in upcoming editions of the Seminarian.
Peace,
Le Anne
Also, we began the process of writing two collaborative books to be published at a future by SeminaryAction: What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Seminary, the first book of its kind to include multiple denominations, genders, ages, ethnic backgrounds, orientations, etc; and The Seminary Student Activist’s Handbook, a guide for campus organizing tailored to the needs of seminarians--including working with administrations and Boards, advocating for denominational policy changes, raising funds, recruiting volunteers, and planning for service trips and major events (such as a March on Washington or participation in national conferences).
Would you like to join us? It’s not too late. Just send a note to info@seminaryaction.org with your contact details and a little about your interest areas. We’ll connect you with the folks who share your passions. Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled for our posters, e-mail announcements, and newspaper ads in upcoming editions of the Seminarian.
Peace,
Le Anne
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Whew! What a Month!
Greetings everyone,
It's been a while since we've written an update, mostly because we opened the new GlobalServe Co-op, and were waiting for internet to get connected. As of tonight, we're back on line and time to catch up.
The Tribune and Hyde Park Herald articles went over extremely well and have generated a lot of excitement about our project to purchase the monastery. We're starting a letter-writing campaign locally to raise the down payment, and the North American Students of Cooperation www.nasco.org is going to help us arrange the financing for a major portion of it. So, things are getting pretty exciting...
In other news, our FaithAlive interfaith visiting program is up and running with the efforts of Heather Remaly and Rachel Minnaar, and our first congregational visit is this weekend. Some professors are offering credit to students for participating--exactly the kind of cooperation we're hoping for. If you'd like to know more, you can contact the coordinators at faithalive@seminaryaction.org.
This weekend we're having our Seminary Student Leadership Event, which will bring together a few dozen students from seminaries in Chicago to network and prepare for the year ahead. Lots of last-minute registrations, but actually this is pretty exciting. We have speakers coming from Interfaith Youth Core, Interfaith Worker Justice, Urban CPE, Inc., SCUPE, and the LGBTQ studies center.
The last update is regarding GlobalServe, which we started as a 'practice project,' an interfaith cooperative community where members commit to volunteer service as part of their student or working lives. Well, we filled one house, and now two, and are trying to handle the logistics for perhaps four more apartments! The interest has been incredible, and rather than turning some 20 people away, it made sense to at least try to expand, and to create it in such a way that each apartment could operate on its own within a larger network.
It's been a while since we've written an update, mostly because we opened the new GlobalServe Co-op, and were waiting for internet to get connected. As of tonight, we're back on line and time to catch up.
The Tribune and Hyde Park Herald articles went over extremely well and have generated a lot of excitement about our project to purchase the monastery. We're starting a letter-writing campaign locally to raise the down payment, and the North American Students of Cooperation www.nasco.org is going to help us arrange the financing for a major portion of it. So, things are getting pretty exciting...
In other news, our FaithAlive interfaith visiting program is up and running with the efforts of Heather Remaly and Rachel Minnaar, and our first congregational visit is this weekend. Some professors are offering credit to students for participating--exactly the kind of cooperation we're hoping for. If you'd like to know more, you can contact the coordinators at faithalive@seminaryaction.org.
This weekend we're having our Seminary Student Leadership Event, which will bring together a few dozen students from seminaries in Chicago to network and prepare for the year ahead. Lots of last-minute registrations, but actually this is pretty exciting. We have speakers coming from Interfaith Youth Core, Interfaith Worker Justice, Urban CPE, Inc., SCUPE, and the LGBTQ studies center.
The last update is regarding GlobalServe, which we started as a 'practice project,' an interfaith cooperative community where members commit to volunteer service as part of their student or working lives. Well, we filled one house, and now two, and are trying to handle the logistics for perhaps four more apartments! The interest has been incredible, and rather than turning some 20 people away, it made sense to at least try to expand, and to create it in such a way that each apartment could operate on its own within a larger network.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
We've Joined the BP Boycott!
SeminaryAction has joined the boycott of BP! No more toxic sludge in Lake Michigan! Hyde Park seminary students care about their lake shore. If you don't have a car, say no to their air pump and snack station also. Encourage your friends to do the same. And sign the no-dumping petition at: www.environmentmichigan.org.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Announcing the new GlobalServe Co-op
SeminaryAction has started its first co-op! GlobalServe Co-op is a six-person community located at 54th and Lake Park Ave. here in Hyde Park, Chicago. We have both U.S.-born and international students, (half are theology students, half from the university) and will move in at the end of August. Folks in the house come from a variety of faith backgrounds, and will devote time each month to a community service project as well as their shared household duties. We're grateful also for the help we've received from Seth and the staff at MAC apartments, who have shown us gracious hospitality as we've been getting organized, and we look forward to a great cooperative relationship with them in the future.
Our recruiting call generated particularly good interest from students at the University of Chicago, several of whom have spent significant time volunteering or studying overseas and are excited to work with our newly-arriving international students.
*We are also now accepting donations of gently used furniture and kitchen supplies, since some of our students are arriving with their suitcases only.
Our recruiting call generated particularly good interest from students at the University of Chicago, several of whom have spent significant time volunteering or studying overseas and are excited to work with our newly-arriving international students.
*We are also now accepting donations of gently used furniture and kitchen supplies, since some of our students are arriving with their suitcases only.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Students Organize to Save Monastery from Condo Developers
August 8, 2007
HYDE PARK, CHICAGO--Students from several Hyde Park seminaries have organized to save a local monastery from being turned into condominiums, hoping to turn it into a center for interreligious peacemaking and volunteer community service.
SeminaryAction is an organization developed by students from Catholic Theological Union, Chicago Theological Seminary, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, McCormick Theological Seminary, Meadville-Lombard Theological School, and the University of Chicago Divinity School. Just over a year old, the group sponsors rapidly expanding programs in interfaith dialogue, direct action campaigns, and community outreach.
"We're ready to enter a multi-year lease of the facility now, but the order has made the decision to sell the property," said SeminaryAction director Le Anne Clausen. "We're trying to raise donations to purchase it, or find a 'custodian' to purchase the property who will cooperate with us for a multi-year lease for our organization." Clausen is an M.Div. student at Chicago Theological Seminary.
The order was in talks with a for-profit corporation that had planned to purchase the building, but the talks fell through in early August, creating the possibility for the students to act. The order had earlier tried to find another non-profit or religious organization to purchase the building, but were unable to do so. "This is a beautiful spiritual space in our neighborhood, that has a history shared by several religious traditions who have used it," Clausen said. "We want to honor the tradition of this place. We also want to provide affordable housing and an important learning experience for our students. We don't need more high-priced condos in Hyde Park."
The building was home to Hyde Park's Church of Latter Day Saints before the order purchased and remodeled it to house its students attending CTU. The monastery's chapel features stained-glass windows depicting the pain of war. "These are reminders of what has been done in the name of religious intolerance. We need a place for creating peace among religions," Clausen said. "We want to get students who will become leaders in their faith traditions to live and work together and be active in the community. This would go a long way toward that goal."
The proposed center would provide housing for 10-12 ministry students from differing faith tradtions. They would share household tasks and volunteer in the Hyde Park/Kenwood/Woodlawn neighborhoods on a regular basis. The center would also house a volunteer outreach center, a 'Peacemaker's Library,' a space for counselors and spiritual directors to meet with clients, and a small non-profit guest house.
Time is short, Clausen added, but the students are hopeful. "It's possible we could make this happen before September 1st, when most classes begin, she said. "But we're going to keep trying for this as long as there's hope of it happening."
More than a thousand seminary students study in the Hyde Park neighborhood. "Most of these students don't have a good way to connect with the churches, organizations, and residents of our community," Clausen said. "Students come here wanting to be immersed in Chicago as a ministry classroom, but too often they end up withdrawing into the walls of their campuses. Very few even get to know students from other church denominations and faith backgrounds while they're here. We want to change that."
Clausen developed her passion for interreligious peacemaking while serving as a human rights worker in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, through the Chicago-based organizations Christian Peacemaker Teams and Voices for Creative Nonviolence /Voices in the Wilderness. Additionally, local organizations such as Interfaith Youth Core and Interfaith Worker Justice have been supportive of the new group's efforts.
SeminaryAction's previous projects include an inter-campus independent student newspaper, interreligious student forums on topics such as 'Seminarians with Disabilities' and 'LGBTQ Seminarians Speak,' as well as joining forces among student groups on each campus which focus on as Eco-Justice, human rights, immigration, and the war in Iraq. During the summer, SeminaryAction fostered an intentional community of international and U.S.-born students from seminaries and universities in Chicago, which will also do community service projects on a regular basis.
About 300 students have already participated in the organization's programs since its inception. Further details about their projects can be found on their website, www.seminaryaction.org <http://www.seminaryaction.org/> .
HYDE PARK, CHICAGO--Students from several Hyde Park seminaries have organized to save a local monastery from being turned into condominiums, hoping to turn it into a center for interreligious peacemaking and volunteer community service.
SeminaryAction is an organization developed by students from Catholic Theological Union, Chicago Theological Seminary, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, McCormick Theological Seminary, Meadville-Lombard Theological School, and the University of Chicago Divinity School. Just over a year old, the group sponsors rapidly expanding programs in interfaith dialogue, direct action campaigns, and community outreach.
"We're ready to enter a multi-year lease of the facility now, but the order has made the decision to sell the property," said SeminaryAction director Le Anne Clausen. "We're trying to raise donations to purchase it, or find a 'custodian' to purchase the property who will cooperate with us for a multi-year lease for our organization." Clausen is an M.Div. student at Chicago Theological Seminary.
The order was in talks with a for-profit corporation that had planned to purchase the building, but the talks fell through in early August, creating the possibility for the students to act. The order had earlier tried to find another non-profit or religious organization to purchase the building, but were unable to do so. "This is a beautiful spiritual space in our neighborhood, that has a history shared by several religious traditions who have used it," Clausen said. "We want to honor the tradition of this place. We also want to provide affordable housing and an important learning experience for our students. We don't need more high-priced condos in Hyde Park."
The building was home to Hyde Park's Church of Latter Day Saints before the order purchased and remodeled it to house its students attending CTU. The monastery's chapel features stained-glass windows depicting the pain of war. "These are reminders of what has been done in the name of religious intolerance. We need a place for creating peace among religions," Clausen said. "We want to get students who will become leaders in their faith traditions to live and work together and be active in the community. This would go a long way toward that goal."
The proposed center would provide housing for 10-12 ministry students from differing faith tradtions. They would share household tasks and volunteer in the Hyde Park/Kenwood/Woodlawn neighborhoods on a regular basis. The center would also house a volunteer outreach center, a 'Peacemaker's Library,' a space for counselors and spiritual directors to meet with clients, and a small non-profit guest house.
Time is short, Clausen added, but the students are hopeful. "It's possible we could make this happen before September 1st, when most classes begin, she said. "But we're going to keep trying for this as long as there's hope of it happening."
More than a thousand seminary students study in the Hyde Park neighborhood. "Most of these students don't have a good way to connect with the churches, organizations, and residents of our community," Clausen said. "Students come here wanting to be immersed in Chicago as a ministry classroom, but too often they end up withdrawing into the walls of their campuses. Very few even get to know students from other church denominations and faith backgrounds while they're here. We want to change that."
Clausen developed her passion for interreligious peacemaking while serving as a human rights worker in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, through the Chicago-based organizations Christian Peacemaker Teams and Voices for Creative Nonviolence /Voices in the Wilderness. Additionally, local organizations such as Interfaith Youth Core and Interfaith Worker Justice have been supportive of the new group's efforts.
SeminaryAction's previous projects include an inter-campus independent student newspaper, interreligious student forums on topics such as 'Seminarians with Disabilities' and 'LGBTQ Seminarians Speak,' as well as joining forces among student groups on each campus which focus on as Eco-Justice, human rights, immigration, and the war in Iraq. During the summer, SeminaryAction fostered an intentional community of international and U.S.-born students from seminaries and universities in Chicago, which will also do community service projects on a regular basis.
About 300 students have already participated in the organization's programs since its inception. Further details about their projects can be found on their website, www.seminaryaction.org <http://www.seminaryaction.org/> .
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