1. The Youth & Young Adult Climate Summit
On July 7, after MennoCon, youth and young adults had the opportunity to explore ways to put their faith to work to address this crisis. Participants confronted the situation through worship, speakers, breakout sessions and more led by experts in climate change, spiritual activism and social justice. How can those of us who were unable to attend the summit (whether because of age or other barriers to attendance) take the initiative to learn more about this and engage with youth and young adults who care deeply about this issue?
2. Books to Read
As a librarian, my “to-read” list is always longer than is physically possible to complete in my lifetime, but there are books that definitely rise to the top. Right now that includes In Deep Waters: Spiritual Care for Young People in a Climate Crisis by Talitha Amadea Aho (keynote speaker at the climate summit last week) as well as The Healing Church: What Churches Get Wrong about Pornography and How to Fix It by Sam Black.
3. Change
We constantly experience change in our lives. Difficult changes like loss of a loved one, needing to let go of dreams for the future, loss of friends who move and changes in leadership at work and church. There are good changes like leaving an unhealthy relationship, starting a new job that requires use of God-given gifts and new beginnings like at the beginning of a new school year. Whether positive or negative, changes are stressful and require a little extra grace, both of ourselves and others. Be more attentive this week to those experiencing change around you (perhaps within you); how can you offer a bit more grace and love in a turbulent time?
4. Believing and Belonging.
Recently the Anabaptist Disabilities
5. Stewardship of Time
On Tuesday evening, a women’s group I’m a part of shared goals for this coming week (called our “courageous commitments to change”). The three of us who shared had very similar goals that involved sticking to a more regular schedule for waking and sleeping. It is so easy for us to forget and move away from the rhythms that provide rest and time for God, structures with which we were designed to function best. Maybe more of us need to consider how changing our schedules (or even set one) might help us live more within the boundaries of our created selves so that we can live more wholly.
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