The ARK volume 22, edition 12; December 2011

14 Pages·2011·0.69 MB·English

by  Mary Jane Glauber

K International Standard Serial Number: ISSN 1943-6467 (print)
http : / /w w w .i n t e r c h u r c h f a m i l ie s . o r g / ISSN 2160-682X (online)
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R Scroll down to find: THE ARK
A
DECEMBER
2011
VOLUME 22
EDITION 12

e
h
Interchurch Families: Christian Unity
T Made Visible in our Households

The ARK, a Publication of the American Association of Interchurch Families
Christmas
“Outliers, the story of
greetings ~
Success” by Malcom Gladwell;
Back Bay Books - Little Brown
Hope came to
and Company; New York,
us in the form
Boston, and London; 2008
Love is an
of a child
action
“Sometimes God has a kid’s
face” by Sister Mary Rose verb:
McGeady; Covenant House, Compassion
2010
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another,
Make plans now to attend the next
for love is from God, and whoever loves has
AAIF Biennial Conference
been born of God and knows God.
to be held in 2012 - July 13-15 in Collegeville, MN
2011
Please see www.aifusa.org for on-going updates
AAIF IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA
The ARK December 2011 page 1 Volume 22 Edition 12
Compassion: Love is an action verb
Contact Information
for AAIF
Are you interested in
meeting and talking to
other interchurch
families in your city
between AAIF Biennial
Conferences?
mjg ©
PLEASE SEE Hope came
WWW.AIFUSA.ORG
to us in the
For membership
form of a
information
child~ Merry
Dave and Carol Natella
Christmas
are serving as the Co-
Chairs for AAIF
~ for information about
Christmas Gift Giving = Love in action
how to form a City
chapter in your area or _____________
how to find the AAIF

City Chapter closest to
you, please contact
"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do...
the Natellas.
but how much love we put in that action"
g
~ Mother Teresa
Dues are due
“The love of God is creative to infinity.”
Please See www.aifusa.org
for membership information - - St. Vincent de Paul
The fiscal year runs from
“I bound myself by oath, I made a covenant with you... and you
June 30 - July 1
became mine.” Ezekiel 16:8
“The only way love can last a lifetime is if it's
mjg ©
unconditional. The truth is this: love is not determined
by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to
love.” - Stephen Kendrick, The Love Dare
“This is the secret of life: the self lives only by dying, finds its
identity (and its happiness) only by self-forgetfulness, self-giving,
self-sacrifice, and agape love.” - Peter Kreeft, Jesus-Shock
"Spread the love of God through your life but only
use words when necessary." ~ Mother Teresa
The ARK December 2011 page 2 Volume 22 Edition 12
Compassion: Love is an action verb
Hope in the face of
adversity; effort is
needed: Malcolm
Gladwell gives
some insight
As Interchurch Families and
as ecumenists in search for
Christian Unity, it may be well
worth our time to consider the
ways that the family and
community may help to foster
success or accidentally
Hope came to us in
prevent success.
the form of a child
In his book, The Outliers, mjg ©
~ Merry Christmas
Malcolm Gladwell describes
the success, and often times
great success of some people,
secret patterns behind math, and asks what factors
by delving into their culture and everyday phenomena..... contributed to longevity in one
family. The ways that families Gladwell tears down the myth community and the top ranking
encourage success may be far of individual merit to explore hockey players in another
more by their own lived community. Gladwell digs
how culture, circumstances,
circumstances and how they deeper and goes beyond a
timing, birth and luck account
“made do” over the years that cursory glance to see the
for great success.” John
contributes to the outstanding factors that contribute to
Raskin in the San Francisco
success (and failure.)
achievement and success of
Chronicle explained that he
certain individuals. Malcolm
had found Gladwell’s book to
Caldwell believes that be “Unabashedly inspiring...A “Malcolm Gladwell is an outlier
outstanding examples of provocative and practical book - someone whose
success relies on about the landscape of achievements fall outside the
circumstances within the success.” boundaries of the norm...He is
community, the family and, of an extraordinarily successful
course, a certain amount of author and public speaker who
shear luck or happenstance. The Economist points out that has made a name for himself
the book, Outliers; the Story of
by making people think about
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book, Success, is a “compelling read
the world a little differently with
Outliers; the Story of Success, with an important message: by
Gladwell’s insights,
(Back Bay Books, Little Brown understanding better what
unconventional,
and Company, New York, makes people successful we
counterintuitive takes on
Boston and London, 2008) should be able to produce
research in the social
more successful (and happy)
delves into the factors that help
sciences.”
people.”
to promote and to discourage
success of which we may not Reading his ideas, considering
Gladwell talks about longevity,
consciously be aware. his insights, observing his
highly successful hockey
Gladwell’s book “illuminates counterintuitive thoughts about
players, students who excel in
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Compassion: Love is an action verb
years. How many
teenagers in the world
Hope came to us in the
had the kind of
form of a child ~ Merry
experience Gates had?"
Christmas
So our early experiences
matter.
Malcolm Gladwell has
been criticized for
perhaps being to
simplistic or crude in the
way that he approaches
the topic of Success in
North America. In an
interview, Malcolm
Gladwell explains,”What
I came to realize in
mjg © writing Outliers, though,
is that we've been far too
focused on the individual
—on describing the
what brings about success in sense of hope in the face of characteristics and habits and
general may help all readers to adversity. personality traits of those who
consider how they/we go about get furthest ahead in the world.
The Winnipeg Free Press brings
viewing the world around us. And that's the problem, because
to our attention, The Beatles
Being exposed to ways that are in order to understand “the
success as it was explained in
unconventional and outlier” I think you have to look
“Outliers,” by Malcolm Gladwell:
counterintuitive, but which bring around them—at their culture
"And what was so special about
about success may help to allow and community and family and
Hamburg? It wasn't that it paid
us to consider other options for generation. We've been looking
well. It didn't. Or that the
finding solutions to problematic at tall trees, and I think we
acoustics were fantastic. They
situations. should have been looking at the
weren't. Or that the audiences
forest,” Gladwell explained. A
were savvy and appreciative.
lot of the book is an attempt to
I am recommending Malcolm They were anything but. It was
describe the lives of successful
Gladwell’s book: The Outliers to the sheer amount of time the
people, but to tell their stories in
interchurch families and to band was forced to play."
a different way than we're used
ecumenists because he shows
to perceiving the factors that
On Bill Gates: The Winnipeg
us examples of how people
bring about solutions and
Free Press notes that Gladwell
have achieved success from a
contribute to success.
had observed, "By the time
different perspective.
Gates dropped out of Harvard
Christmas is a time of great
Gladwell’s section on the after his sophomore year to try
hope; this season gives us a
causes of plane crashes, of his hand at his own software
chance for renewal. Reading
course, exposes us to some company, he'd been
Gladwell’s book: The Outliers, A
difficult and sad experiences; programming practically non-
Story of Success was a
however, he leaves us with a stop for seven consecutive
pleasant experience; I found
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Compassion: Love is an action verb
great hope for the world In her book, “Sometimes God You may be asking yourselves
through his observations and has a kid’s face,“ Sister Mary if this pertains to American
insight. Rose McGeady notes that Interchurch Families
“literally a million innocent, exclusively. The answer is
homeless American kids are definitively, “NO!” American
 
lost and alone and sometimes Interchurch Families stay
dying on America’s streets.” connected to their
Faith into action: The Kevin Ryan says that “For denominational faith based
purpose of the Covenant thirteen years, while much of communities and are nurtured
House Faith Community America was either unaware or by that connectedness. We are
unconcerned that homeless further nurtured by our
“To Leave Our children were dying on our membership in the American
streets, Sister Mary Rose Association of Interchurch
Kids’ World, worked diligently at a crisis Families.
center for homeless and
and All of Our runaway kids.” They came to On the other hand, as
her shelter “in droves,” Ryan Interchurch Families, we live in
Worlds, A noted. a greater community that is
suffering. We also note that for
Better Place Kevin Ryan reminds us of whatever reasons church
Jesus’ directive to us: “What membership and attendance
Than We you do to the least of My have decreased in our greater
children, you do to Me.” culture according to Pew
Found It” research and studies. As
interchurch families, we note
that one option some potential
interchurch families
face is to become
non-church
members, removed
from any and all
denominations.
Among ourselves, we
may ask for the many
causal factors for this
drop in church
membership and for
the observable break
down in the American
family.
mjg © This is not a time to
say that one religion
is better than another
because this kind of
thinking doesn’t
promote seeking the
necessary solutions
Hope came to us at Christmas in the form of
that are needed.
a child ~ Merry Christmas
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Compassion: Love is an action verb
Finger pointing and pushing in their kids than any other best inculcated in an
blame around wastes precious factor.” environment of love and
human energy and time without acceptance.”
being able to study the Then she asks, “How can each
situation in an unbiased way to of us make a difference in “Always take time to sit
be able to find a way to resolve repairing the American family? (listen) and talk to your kids.
problems. This kind of Don’t be afraid to say what you
behavior, finger pointing, ... “The time for rescuing feel ( but don’t ever be too
pushing blame around, or a endangered families and closed to listen to what your
form of triumphalism keeps rescuing their children is not
kids think.)”
people stuck in a non-problem after they have fallen apart!”
solving mode. Sister Mary Rose clarifies. “Always strive to teach
your kids to love and respect
There is great potential within Sister Mary Rose lists “some themselves as children of
the painfulness of this situation simple, and very important,
God.
for the creation of unity, if we things we should all
are able to work together remember about values, and A healthy love and respect for
toward finding solutions for passing them along:” themselves is incredibly
America’s real social problems
important for any kid. It’s also
as a united effort and a united “Kids get their sense of
the first essential step in
community of Christians. what’s right and wrong from
helping a kid also learn a love
people they love and
and respect for those around
respect. No one has more
Sister Mary Rose included a him/her, and God.”
influence over teaching values
“Family Survival than you do. Your input can “Nobody has said it better than
Guide; Reflections make all the difference!” Jesus.
on Raising Kids “Actions always speak
“Love
Those three words,
louder than words when it
Today - And we must Thy Neighbor....”

comes to teaching values.
each of us do what
which is an important message
Kids today have a “show me”
we can to repair it. for every kid!”
mentality. They need to see the
Now!
values lived out by you.
As Christian Communities, how
The question is Respect for life, respect for
do we seek to nurture this kind
how?” other people, honesty, of support for family units?
integrity... Kids get those from
Sister Mary Rose’s journal is
Sister Mary Rose McGeady watching you. The old saw has
filled with practical advice for
begins by discussing “Values - never been more true: children
anyone who is raising a
Teaching Them in Today’s do learn what they live!”
teenager or who will be.
World” where she indicates that

“Communicating your values “Families are still the Sister Mary Rose
has never been more important best vehicle for raising encourages us to “Tolerate
than it is today.” She notes that differences.” She adds that
children. A loving, nurturing
we must, “View our/your
“the good news is, that it all
family unit, of whatever form, teenager as an individual
begins and ends with
creates the kind of environment distinct from you.” Then she
you...Parents have far more
kids need to learn what’s right adds that “This doesn’t mean
influence over instilling values
and wrong... and how to love you can’t state your opinion if
themselves too. Values are you disagree.”
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Compassion: Love is an action verb
“Respect your adds that “teens are sensitive Then she adds, “Teach
teenager’s privacy,“ Sister about being judged, positively your teen to make sensible
Mary Rose notes and then as well as negatively.” decisions and choices by
adds, “If a behavior is worrying encouraging independence
you, speak up.”
Sister Mary Rose suggests and letting your teenager
that in dealing with teenagers, make mistakes. Don’t step in
Sister Mary Rose adds,
“Be generous with praise. unless you have to.”
“Let your teens sort things
Praise your child’s efforts,
out themselves. Never say This reminds me a lot of how
you know how your teen feels. not just accomplishments.”
God’s allows us to make
They believe their feeling, so She clarifies by stating, “And
choices; not all of them are
new and so personal, are don’t comment on the person
wise choices, but God also
unique. They’ll learn otherwise when we give praise. ‘You’re a
allows us to correct our
without our help. And never great artist is hard to live up to.
mistakes and to learn from
imply that their feelings don’t ‘I loved that drawing’ is a fact
them. As a community and a
matter or will change. Because and it comes from the heart.
family we are simply putting
teens live in the present, it
doesn’t matter that they’ll soon Sister Mary Rose advices God’s love into action, following
feel differently.” us to “Set reasonable limits. God’s example.
Teens need them. Your rules
Following the examples that
Sister Mary Rose explains, should be consistently
God provided us, may we find
“Don’t Judge. State facts
applied, and rooted in your
instead of opinions when the courage and strength to
deepest beliefs and values.”
you praise or criticize. Stating seek Christian Unity among our
This may require us to reflect
facts like, ‘Your poem made me diversity.
seriously on our values and
smile,‘ or “This report card is all
what we are modeling for Sister Mary Rose invites us to
C’s and D’s leaves it up to your
teen to draw the appropriate future generations. “Think solution, not victory.”
conclusions.” Sister Mary Rose She advises, “Don’t try to
win arguments.”
She is talking about
how we should
approach our own
teenage children, but
the basic concept of
“Think solution, not
mjg ©
victory” would
dramatically improve life
in our country at this
time. Any time, we may
have encountered
someone who simply
wants to argue, and this
happens for some
reason at the present
time. Perhaps we have
Hope came to us at Christmas in the form of
watched far too many
a child ~ Merry Christmas TV talk shows or far too
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Compassion: Love is an action verb
much “reality TV” recently so historical event. “Stick to the real task that we have before
that we have forgotten that present incident,” advice from us, as parents, as Interchurch
arguments tend not to be Sister Mary Rose will work in Families, or citizens in general
resolved by shouting matches. any dialogue we are about to to create Christian Unity. This
This is all we seem to see on engage in. If we begin to try to fear of the stranger,
television unless we fight old battles, that prevents xenophobia, prevents us from
consciously tune in to view us from seeking common meeting the individual person
something else, and make an ground for the current situation. who may be before us. This
effort to seek alternatives. We can’t change historical prevents us from looking for
events, but we can work on that of God in everyone we
None the less, we will still be
what happens now. We must meet which is our major task in
faced with TV programming
live and act in this time period. life.
that sensationalizes life and
events in many formats since it I am not saying that history Our teenage children may
has a shock value that shouldn’t be studied. Quite the seem like total strangers to us
amounts to that old saying, “If it contrary, we should be studying at times too. We must reach
bleeds, it leads” in our media historical events presented out to them in love. However,
so that they can sell their from many diverse viewpoints. we are called to reach out to
product. Then we can begin our real the global community with
dialogue from a perspective Christ’s love as our inspiration
Sister Mary Rose cautions us
that is genuinely educated. and guiding principles as
to “Stick to the present
examples for them of the
incident. Fighting old battles I have heard parents complain
“Golden Rule.”
will only aggravate a that “World Religions” were
situation.” That does make being studied at their child’s We have examples in the Bible
sense for dealing with a Christian based school. They of how Christ interacted at the
teenage child. We are living only wanted their child to be well with a stranger, a woman
now and can only act in the exposed to their own faith from Samaria. Acting contrary
present. tradition. I believe that this was to accepted practices, Christ
based on a fear that their child drinks from the same vessel of
Perhaps we should also apply
might see a religion out there water from which the
it to those dialogues in which
that they liked better. Fear can Samaritan woman has drunk.
we seek to lay the ground work
be counterproductive if it isn’t Christ’s lived example of
for Christian Unity. If we cite an
fully recognized as such and greeting the stranger and of
incident from history as a
examined. welcoming the stranger as he
criticism of the other side in a
would one of his own people is
dialogue, the dialogue is over. The USCCB has developed
given to us as an example for
That person lives in this time strategies for “Welcoming the
how we should act in John 4.
and place, and is as much Stranger Among Us: Unity in
subject to historical events as Diversity;” please go to the In Matthew 25:35 it states:
the next person. However, one following link for further
“For I was hungry and you
person’s past history may have information http://
gave me food, I was thirsty
put their antecedents on the www.usccb.org/mrs/
and you gave me drink,
side where benefits were welcome.shtml
I was a stranger and you
gained and the other person in
welcomed me,”
Encouraging our society to
the potential dialogue may
have a heightened “Fear of the
have had ancestors who
That stranger was
stranger” is a mistake for the
suffered as a result of the same
Jesus; welcoming the
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Compassion: Love is an action verb
stranger has
the potential to
allow us to see
that of God in
others and to
find that of God
when we least
expect it.
Whereas in our
ordinary existence
and daily life, we
may find it difficult
to encounter
“others” who we
may perceive as
strangers among
us. Whether it is
caused by fear or a
lack of opportunity
due to our personal
experiences or life
style that prevents us from robbed on his way to Jericho. to finding God in our ordinary
encountering the strangers or In Luke 10:36-37 we read, daily lived experiences. Be
others from whom we have the “Which of these three do you hopeful as you follow Christ’s
potential to gain great think was a neighbor to the example.
man who fell into the hands
insights,we must seek out such
of robbers?” 37 The expert in
opportunities so we can grow.
the law replied, “The one Summary Commentary:
Make good use of any
who had mercy on him.”
advantage coming your way Jesus told him, “Go and do Two Books, one by Malcolm
that may allow you the likewise.” Gladwell: The Outliers, A Story
opportunity to reach out to the of Success and the other:
stranger. Repeatedly, in the Bible we find “Sometimes God has a kid’s
“Do not be afraid.” John 6:20;
face,“ by Sister Mary Rose
In Luke 10:27 , we are told Proverbs 3:25-26; Proverbs
McGeady and Kevin Ryan.
that it is right to “ ‘Love the 3:27- 28; Proverbs 3:29-31;
Lord your God with all your Proverbs 3:31; Proverbs Gladwell points out that our
heart and with all your soul 3:13-24; Matthew 17:7;Acts misconception may be that “We
and with all your strength 18:10; Isaiah 41:10; Psalms sometimes think of being good
and with all your mind’; and, 23; Deuteromy 31:6; Joshua in mathematics as an innate
‘Love your neighbor as 1:9; 1 Chronicles 22:13; 1 ability. You either have “it” or
yourself.’ “ Peter 3:14; Mark 6:51; Ezekiah you don’t. Schoenfeld
22:14; Proverbs 18:10; Psalm discovered that “It’s not so
However, in Luke 10:29
18:32-26; much ability as attitude. You
we read the question “And
master mathematics if you are
who is my neighbor?” If we
We are never alone, God is
willing to try.”...”Success is the
read all of Luke 10, we find the
with us, but we must be open
function of persistence and
parable of the man who was
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Compassion: Love is an action verb
doggedness and the willingness
to work at something long after
the average person would have
given up.”
Gladwell draws a correlation
between meaningful work and a
cultural bias toward the
relationship of hard work and
success. Gladwell is asking us
as readers to look a little
differently at what creates
success and our role in being
able to accomplish that.
In the book, “Sometimes God
Has a Kid’s Face,” we are being The
asked to look for solutions to an
American problem. Will we be
Angels Among
able able to look at this problem
in a way that produces real
solutions? Will we be able to
Us
find new approaches to
problems so that they can be
remedied and the quality of life
improved for all of us? “We are Think about looking for that of God in the face of the people you
asked to think solution, not may meet on any given day during the up-coming year.
victory.” We are cautioned, Have a very healthy and happy new year!!!
“Don’t try to win arguments.”
How do we put our Love into Family
As a Christian action in the world around us so
Relationships, as
community, we may also that we can make a difference
be called upon to give and do something that is good shown to us in
insight for what we in the sight of God, our creator? Wendell Berry’s
understand to be true.
"Hear, O LORD, and be merciful book, “Hannah
Our friends may ask for to me; O LORD, be my help. Coulter, a novel”
You turned my wailing into
help in finding clearness
dancing; you removed my
in their life choices. This
sackcloth and clothed me with
concept has great ...”while the rest of us women
joy, that my heart may sing to
potential within it for us began to clear the table and
you and not be silent. O LORD
to work across traditional wash the dishes and set things
my God, I will give you thanks
back to rights. For me this was
denominational lines in
forever." maybe the best part of all. We
our efforts to find
Psalm 30:10-12 had the quiet then of women
solutions, real solutions,
working together, making order
on our path toward Book Reviews and an an application again after the commotion and
Christian Unity, Peace for Interchurch Families and hurry of the meal. I have always
and Prosperity for all. Ecumenists - by M.J. Glauber loved the easy conversation of
The ARK December 2011 page 10 Volume 22 Edition 12