Digging Deeper: Finding new voices to teach us about congregational systems
In my last blog, I outlined the historical and somewhat current application of family systems in the church setting. This application has served us well and has continued to center patriarchal white voices. Yet, there are so many others from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. These voices are emerging, shifting, and creative. Margaret Wheatly, an organization and leadership consultant, researcher and writer looks at organizational systems through the eyes of nature and science. Her understanding of these systems brings a new lens to understanding how the people who make up congregations interact with… Read More
Going Beyond Family Systems Theory in the Interim Process
Interim ministers and religious educators are transitional specialists who commonly work with a congregation for a short period of time as the congregation navigates the complicated network of transition between clergy and professional lay leadership. Interim ministry is built on the common understanding that church communities are complicated systems of people with different ideas, thoughts, and emotions. It may seem like the departure of one religious leader and the entrance of another should be a simple process; but the multiple layers of human experience and emotion response make this process more complicated. … Read More
The Sense of Taste
The sixth sense: TASTE August 30, 2021 by Amy Huntereece The sense of taste is the second of the middle senses, classified as the threshold between the inward and the outward senses of feeling. Taste is another sense that is usually and widely accepted as a normal sense. The middle senses are all related to feeling. This does not mean specifically, the act of feeling something with your skin. That is the sense of touch which is the very first sense and is categorized as a lower sense. This is because touching is an… Read More
The Sense of Sight
June 17, 2021 by Amy Huntereece The sense of sight is the third of the middle senses, classified as outward and senses of feeling. These senses are helpful with interpreting the external world. Van Gelder says, “Your eyes are your most important sensory organ. They are the only organs located visibly on your body’s surface. ‘Seeing’ is often used synonymously for ‘observing’ or ‘understanding’. Yet in actual fact, your eyes only see colours and light and dark. You can see shapes, motion and proportions because your eyes move and work together with the senses… Read More
The Sense of Smell
So far we have looked at the first four senses, the lower senses that are related to the will. They all pertain specifically to one’s own body. This month we move outward and begin to explore senses that relate to the outside world. These are the middle senses and are all related to feeling. This does not mean specifically, the act of feeling something with your skin, that is the sense of touch which is the very first sense and is categorized as a lower sense. This is because touching is an… Read More
The Sense of Touch
Touch is the fourth sense among the twelve that Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf Education, developed and introduced about 100 years ago. The sense of touch is a lower sense, classified as physical, inner, or a sense of the will. We are affected inwardly by touching outwardly. This begins with birth and continues through our whole lives. We can help our children develop this sense with awareness of what they touch. Providing a variety of experiences including temperature, texture, and location will strengthen this sense. A strong sense of touch as a child will give way to… Read More
Support Brings Release
That phrase is one I heard many times from a friend and yoga instructor. In the body it relates to the muscles, ligaments, bones and even the mind. I have come to think of it as a holistic approach to the way I work. While doing certain poses and with the support of props; such as rolled blankets, pillows and blocks, we can settle into our bodies in ways that are supporting for the body to release and relax bringing a deeper awareness of inner peace. I have felt this in my life when… Read More
In Search of Meaning
As humans, we feel a need to make meaning from our experiences. Because of this, I imagine ritual has been a part of human existence since the beginning of time. I am drawn to using ritual as a spiritual practice and creating a container for life’s moments, whether they be challenges, celebrations, or simply to mark a meaningful experience. As I began working with congregations in transition, I brought this practice into my work as an interim director of faith formation. If this past year taught me anything, it is that life is… Read More
The Sense of Balance
Balance is the third sense among the twelve that Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf Education, developed and introduced about 100 years ago. On his website, van Gelder indicated Balance was the fourth sense, but Steiner identified it as the third sense in his book, Spiritual Science as a Foundation for Social Forms. The sense of balance is the third of the lower senses, classified as physical, inner, or a sense of the will. These senses are helpful with perception of one’s own body. This is your proprioceptive system at work! The sense of balance begins… Read More
Actions Have Consequences
February 12, 2021By Deborah Weiner, GIRE Transitions Consultant “Actions have consequences,” my spouse would say to our children as they were growing up. They were – as is the case with so may children and youth – focused on experimenting, gaining independence, and being ‘their own people.’ Sometimes the experiments worked. Sometimes – not so much. The stealing of a street sign one night was an example of an impulse that didn’t work out well…our daughter had to hear from us about why that was not a good idea, and was mortified… Read More