The View from Bolton Street
The View from Bolton Street
Isaiah 50:4
The Lord God has given me
the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.
For the last week or so I have spent most of my evenings texting back and forth with old and new friends in Afghanistan, trying to keep their spirits up until they find a safe way out of the country. I’m not alone in this, of course. There are thousands of Americans and Afghans already in the U.S. and around the world doing the same thing. At first the messages were the same. “Where are you, are you safe, what do you need?”
But we all quickly realized that on some level, those questions don’t matter. You can’t send money because the banks aren’t open, the borders are closed, and the airports are shut down. Movement is risky because nobody quite knows what the Taliban is doing with respect to former Afghan Gov. employees, including the Taliban. The more we talked. The more weary we all got.
So now we share stories. Photos. One friend sent me a photo of ice cream, I responded with some photos of our puppy. We swapped sunset photos this morning from around the world, and shared memories of happier times in Afghanistan and our dreams for what the future will look like. We even share prayers across traditions and languages. Did it help? Did it make the Taliban disappear? Or open the borders? No, certainly not.
But does it sustain the weary? That is my hope and prayer. It certainly sustains those of us on this side of the border. I hope it does for those on the other side as well.
This past Monday was Labor Day. As we all took a collective day off, it was not lost on me that there are thousands and thousands of Afghans who risked their lives for us, with no days off, trying desperately to get to safety. They continue to labor, alone and in silence. A more cynical person than myself would suggest that the U.S. Government and the Taliban are hoping that the rest of us will just forget. We will get weary of hearing about the plight of poor people speaking a language we don’t understand in a land we cannot find on a map. Our weariness is their strength.
I don’t presume to say what gifts God has given to whom, but we all have the ability to sustain the weary with a word. By sharing some joy, offering a comforting ear, something to laugh about, even sharing pictures of home.
You may have some people in your own life who are weary. What can you share with them to lighten their load? Photos? Silly stories? Hopes? Dreams?
Now Hiring! - Kindred Coaches Interim Project Manager
Seeking A Kindred Coaches Interim Project Manager
The Project Manager is charged with helping to take an all-volunteer organization to the next level. The Project Manager is responsible for overseeing programs and contributing to the strategic plan of the Kindred Coaches organization. Other key duties include marketing, community outreach, fundraising, client and coach recruitment and matching. The position reports directly to a Board of Directors and the Rector of Memorial Episcopal Church. This is a 6 month consultancy with the possibility of future full-time employment.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
1) Works with Board, Rector, and Program Directors to fulfill the organization mission.
● Responsible for leading Kindred Coaches programs and volunteers in a manner that supports and guides the organization’s mission and vision.
● Responsible for communicating effectively with the Board and Rector providing, in a timely and accurate manner, all information necessary for the Board and Rector to function properly and to make informed decisions.
● Responsible for Kindred Coaches training program in partnership with the Program Directors. 2) Supports the financial health of the organization.
● Responsible for fundraising, grant writing, and developing other revenues necessary to support the organization's mission.
● Responsible for the fiscal integrity of Kindred Coaches, to include creating of a proposed annual budget and tracking the program's finances, which accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization.
● Responsible for fiscal management that generally anticipates operating within the approved budget.
3) Works with the Board to ensure that the mission is fulfilled through programs, strategic planning, and community outreach.
● Responsible for developing a roadmap for working with the community to identify needs which the Kindred Coaches can meet.
● Responsible for the enhancement of Kindred Coaches’ image by being active and visible in the community and by working closely with other professional, civic and private organizations and partners.
Job Responsibilities
1. Organize and implement Kindred Coach training in partnership with Wellcoaches faculty and other expert resources.
2. Match trained Kindred Coaches with community members and/or community organizations.
3. Oversee evaluation of training and coaching relationships.
4. Report to and work closely with the Board of Directors and Rector regarding policy decisions, fundraising, grant writing and to increase the overall visibility of the organization.
5. Collaborate with the Board of Directors and Rector for strategic planning and implementation.
6. Manage within the annual budget.
7. Establish and maintain relationships with various organizations and utilize those relationships to strategically enhance Kindred Coaches’ Mission.
8. Oversee marketing and other communications efforts.
Kindred Coaches Mission Statement
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____
Kindred Coaches is a diverse and inclusive volunteer community of translators, justice warriors, guides, and guardian angels. Kindred Coaches are trained peer coaches who engage the Baltimore and surrounding area communities in ‘courageous conversations’ to uncover YOUR personal potential. You CAN outperform your personal health history and family’s health legacy. This means less depression, less stress, better and sustained control of blood pressure and diabetes. It means better overall wellness, more emotional and spiritual self-care.
The work of Kindred Coaches is designed to achieve health equity and reduce health care disparities.
Kindred Coaches support the development of mindsets and tools which inspire, enable, and entitle individuals to expand their thinking and skills to have a more active role in overall well-being. The goal is to discover and live your best life through managing personal mental and physical health and the health of your family through self-reflection and hard/courageous conversations with yourself, your family/community, and your health care provider.
The View from Bolton Street
Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Mark 7:24
For much of this week I and many others have been watching in horror as the Taliban has taken back full control of Afghanistan. We hear reports of them going door to door looking for collaborators, we hear stories from people we know, trust, and love, who are running and hiding.
It certainly brings a different feeling to Mark's statement about Jesus "and he did not want anyone to know he was there."
There are few things more intimidating than entering a strange home in a strange land, particularly one where you are a minority, and a persecuted minority at that. That was Jesus' situation as he enters the home of this woman in Tyre, and it is the situation that many, many Afghans find themselves in today - either seeking shelter in strangers' homes in Afghanistan, in an airplane hangar in Qatar or Dubai, or on a U.S. Military base somewhere in Europe.
However Jesus, like any of us, could not hide in a stranger's home for long. Often we think about Jesus' rude reaction to the request of the Syrophoenician woman, but rarely do we talk about the hospitality she shows. She invites Jesus to share his best. She does not coddle him, or talk down to him, or hide him in a corner, but invited him to share his gifts with the room. "Heal my daughter."
For once it is Jesus' who is caught off guard! "uh, I'm not supposed to do that." But the woman remains gracious, reminds him of his power and his call, and the daughter is healed.
It is quite likely that shortly, either at Memorial or elsewhere in the Diocese, we will welcome into our midst refugees from Afghanistan. They may want to melt into the wall, and we may feel uncomfortable, confused, even scared.
Let us remember instead to celebrate the arrival of new voices into our midst, with new gifts and new challenges. To acknowledge our differences but to remember that what unites us is much bigger and is an opportunity for healing - not just for us but for the whole world.
Volunteer Positions - Remote Hosts
Memorial Episcopal Church
Volunteer Position Description
Remote Zoom Host
Why we need you:
To guide those who are joining us online for worship in accessing the service, participating fully, and sharing their prayers, needs and hopes with the community.
Why you need this:
If you are feeling disconnected from the community and are looking for a way to strengthen your connection to Memorial and your fellow parishioners this is a good opportunity for you.
What you will do:
Log in to zoom from your home 20 minutes prior to the service, set up the waiting room, and check the audio and video of all of the remote participants.
Load the powerpoint for the service and ensure that your own audio and video is working to share the music.
During the service you will mute and unmute service participants online, as well as organize the peace and coffee hour breakout rooms as necessary.
Who can do this:
Anyone reasonably comfortable with technology, and willing to learn.
How often will I do this:
Assuming a strong cohort of volunteers, no more than once a month.
How long is the commitment:
We ask that you commit to this from September to December. You will, of course, be invited to continue volunteering in the spring if you love it as much as we think you will.
Volunteer Positions - Sound and Video Engineers
Memorial Episcopal Church
Volunteer Position Description
Video and Sound Engineer
Why we need you:
To ensure that audio and video are seamlessly integrated into our Sunday morning worship in person and on zoom.
Why you need this:
If you are looking for a new way to be present in the service, to connect with the liturgy, or to listen to that still small voice of the spirit, this may be a good opportunity for you.
What you will do:
Arrive 30 minutes early, set up microphones, cameras, a laptop and two tablets to control audio and video, and connect the sanctuary computer to the zoom service.
During the service you will mute and unmute service participants in the sanctuary as well as ensure that the camera is focused on the right locations.
Following the service you will ensure everything is securely stored in the sacristy and that the batteries and camera are charging.
Who can do this:
Anyone reasonably comfortable with technology, and willing to learn.
How often will I do this:
Assuming a strong cohort of volunteers, no more than once a month.
How long is the commitment:
We ask that you commit to this from September to December. You will, of course, be invited to continue volunteering in the spring if you love it as much as we think you will.
Hurricane Ida Relief Efforts - Episcopal Relief and Development
On Sunday, August 29, sixteen years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Ida made landfall in the same region. This Category 4 storm brought flooding and damaging winds that caused a loss of water to hundreds of thousands and a loss of electricity to over 1 million people. Episcopal Relief & Development is working closely with the Diocese of Louisiana and other regional partners in what will be a long-term response. Your generous gift will help alleviate suffering for the most vulnerable residents impacted by Hurricane Ida. Please visit episcopalrelief.org/hurricane-relief to make a gift today.
Back to School Event
Volunteers needed for Saturday’s back to school event!
We need four people to help set up (9:30 am) four to help clean up ( 2:00 pm )
Kindred Coaches is also looking for people to staff a resource table during the event.
Please contact Rev Grey if you are available to help.
If you would like to contribute to support backpacks or food for the event - please select “COVID relief” on the Fund line on our donate link
Justice and Reparations Bookshelf
Are you looking for some resources to learn more about justice and reparations work? Here are some reading recommendations for some of our favorite books on the subject:
emergent strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown
Collected Essays by James Baldwin
Holding Change by Adrienne Maree Brown
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair by Duke L. Kwon
Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul by Jesse McCarthy
Preaching Black Lives (Matter) edited by Gayle Fisher-Stewart
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique W. Morris
The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America by Dr. Lawrence T. Brown
Questions? Comments? Have a suggestion? Leave a comment!
The View from Bolton Street
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
James 1:22-24
I found this shirt on our summer vacation. It was on the clearance rack at MassMoCa - a contemporary art museum in North Adams, MA because apparently this shirt is about as popular as the letter of James. Martin Luther referred to it as a 'right strawy epistle' which means that it was light on content and meaning. Certainly in the world of theology a letter dedicated primarily to doing work in the world could be looked down upon.
Consider how we view laborers in this economy. Expendable, replaceable, a necessary evil. We seek to boil every task to its most mundane components, train individuals to do the bare minimum and look at them with contempt when things go awry.
This past week we had a tradesman come to the house to help us repair a step in our entryway. As you are I'm sure aware, any home built in the 1800s is going to have its share of challenges, and some require an expert to repair. It is still labor, but it also requires thought, training, preparation, focus, skill and humility.
What if we saw laboring for Jesus the same way? We often try to fit in our work for the Lord between other busy tasks. Stopping to pick up some canned food for the food drive or a present for the Christmas drive, responding to a nameless or faceless request for assistance. We aren't sure where it goes but the ability to do something makes us feel marginally better for a moment, even in the face of terrible inequality at home and violence abroad.
What if we believed that we could labor for the Lord with the kind of love, care, attention, focus and passion that a mason brings to a stone building, or a marble stair? That an artist brings to a canvas, or a seamstress brings to a gown?
The book of James talks about going out to meet the people of God and discovering how we can serve them not with our words first, but with our actions. Instead of collecting items, what about knocking on doors to make connections, assess needs, and respond. Our actions can cause trouble! But it is good trouble. The trouble of new relationships, new priorities, new challenges to power, and new ways of seeing the world. So let's give James' call to action a chance.
The last line of the scripture above talks about a man walking away and forgetting what they look like. When we read, or think, or contemplate an idea it is easy to forget. Just ask someone who tried to remember the dream they had last night after they had two cups of coffee. But action builds muscle memory. If we live out what we say we are about with our hands and feet, then we know who we are, with or without the words. More importantly everyone else does too.
I hope this weekend you will be able to come out and join us for the Back to School Party. And get your hands dirty.
Choral Retreat - Saturday September 11
**NEW DATE AND TIME** On Saturday, September 11 from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm, the Memorial Episcopal Choir will be hosting its first choral retreat (outdoors, location TBD.) This is open to the community and is a great way for our parishioners and community members to spend a morning in song. Join us for vocal warm-ups, old favorites, and new repertoire. Boxed lunch is included. Please fill out this Google form to register and secure your spot.
Please fill out this Google form to register and secure your spot.
Questions may be directed to Justine at music@memorialepiscopal.org.