Endings that bring New beginnings

With 4 days remaing in my semester in Chicago, it is hard to believe that it is almost over. It really is true that time flies when you are having fun. A quick re-cap of the past couple of weeks

Two weekends ago, a couple of my co-workers(Hind, Julie and Erin) took me on a tour of Chicago. I got to go the zoo, the Lincoln Park botanical gardens, the beach at the lake, Wrigley-ville, drive up the North shore to see all the fancy-shcmacy houses, a forest preserve and finally back to my place for supper. On top of all that excitment, I got to hang out with some really great people!

Sunday of that weekend, we went to the Hull House, where social work started-kind of a must do for a house of social workers.

This past weekend I went to hang out with Julie and her youth group at Tower Hill in Sawyer MI. It was a good to get out of the city and do stuff while doing absolutely nothing. The kids where really great and it was a good time for reflection on the past semester and the end of my time in Chicago.

In exciting news for the summer, I just accepted a position working at Chautauqua Institute in New York as the Christian Coordinator for their Abrahamic Program for Young Adults (APYA). I will be working with three other coordinators- two Muslims (one male, one female) and one male Jewish- to plan programming for 16-22 year olds. While part of my position will be programming, a large part of it is also presence based, around being available for conversation.

I will leave for New York on June 20th. June 19th is Takin it to the Streets, IMAN's big summer festival-with Mos Def and Brother Ali headlining. There will also be several events happening surrounding One Chicago, One Nation that week. So I will be spending that week in Chicago, getting to do some of the touristy stuff I didn't get done now and hanging out and after Streets I will fly to New York until sometime in August.

As I look forward to this summer, it makes leaving Chicago a little easier. I have loved my time in Chicago and the people I have been able to meet and call friends. It has been an incredible growing experience. While I am excited to return home to see my family and my Luther family, I do not yet feel ready to leave this place.

WWJD

WWJD.

It is a phrase many of us are familiar with-Christians wear it on bracelets, asked it when approaching difficult situations and remind of it by bumper stickers and billboards all asking the question: What would Jesus do?

However, this semester as I encounter the challenges of a new experience and a new city my mom encouraged me to find a new meaning to it. Where Would Joy Develop?

Let me share a couple of my answers:

*Joy develops when I look at our 108 Community Ambassadors. They range in age from 17 to 80, are from 9 faith & philosophical backgrounds, speak 20 languages, and live in all sorts of neighborhoods in Chicago and the suburbs. And they are ready to make Chicago a greater city

*Joy develops in getting to know one of the woman who is going to be a Community Ambassadors. 80 years old, got her doctorate at the age of 70, spends every Sunday in the KAM Isaiah Israel garden, and volunteer with several other projects working to make Chicago a better place.

*Joy develops in being welcomed and feeling a sense of belonging.

*Joy develops in amazing Saturday’s spent exploring the city with co-workers

*Joy develops in the building of new relationships and strengthening of old relationships.

*Joy develops in good food, good friends and good conversations.

*Joy develops in new possibilities and new opportunities

*Joy develops in the new life of spring that covers the city.

*Joy develops in being able to wear my sandals again.

*Joy develops in the challenges that make you stronger.

*Joy develops in running the lakefront.

*Joy develops in the smiles on the faces of children.

*Joy develops in discovering that I could maybe be a city girl for a little while longer.

*Joy develops in the feeling of grass between your toes.

*Joy develops in the ability to stand up for what I believe in

*Joy develops in hearing the stories of others.

So-that is where joy is developing in my life.

Now, it is your turn: WWJD??

Also: To see some of where joy has developed for me this semester check out the following Facebook albums:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059479&id=59203733&l=f48fda1427

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061164&id=59203733&l=b6283b1ce1

Easter Weekend

Overall, it was a pretty non-traditional Easter but a pretty exciting weekend overall My family came to town on Friday afternoon, when they arrived they came to the office to pick me up which meant they got to meet many of the people I work with. Friday night we hung out around Hyde Park for a while before they returned to their hotel. Saturday we went to the Field Musuem, got to see Sue(the T-rex) and the Mammoth exhibit-impressive. We spent the afternoon doing some shopping and enjoying the sunshine. While Mom and Grace stayed at the hotel for the night, Dad and I got to see a concert at House of Blues-AMAZING.

Perhaps one of my favorite things about the House of Blues was the ornamentation above the stage. In the middle of the arch above the stage was three sayings-“Unity in Diversity”, “Who do you love?” and “All are one” spreading out from this point were symbols representing several religions of which I could only identify Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism but several others were also included. The power of the ideas of Blues music being a commonality for these religions was an incredibly visual.

Sunday morning we returned back to the House of Blues for Gospel Sunday Brunch (for Lutherites-Peace Brunch and Gospel Sunday on steroids). We ate a lot of good food and listened to some great Gospel music. Overall it was a really great experience but weird to never proclaim on Easter Sunday-“CHRIST HAS RISEN, HE HAS RISEN INDEED!”

My family left directly from House of Blues and I headed home for the rest of my Easter Sunday plans. Once I got home, I changed clothes and headed to KAM Isaiah Israel-the Jewish Synagogue down the street from me-to hang out in their new urban garden. I was invited to become a part of this congregation’s garden by a woman, Gloria, I meet at the Shared Earth conference at Lutheran School of Theology Chicago. When I arrived I was warmly welcomed by those already present and immediately got to join in the turning and tilling of the Earth. Working together in the garden gave me a chance to interact with people and learn about Judaism in a way I would not have otherwise. Once the produce is harvested they are hoping to donate it to a food pantry that will take fresh produce.

As we finished up our work, Gloria showed me around so I got a chance to see the inside of the sanctuaries(I believe that is the correct term). They have a large sanctuary that they use for special occasion which was magnificent. Entirely made of stone and beautiful-words cannot describe the beauty of the place, nor the humility I felt standing inside. I can only imagine what it must be like to worship in the space. Then I got to see the small sanctuary-which was more simple but still very elegant.

Being in a garden on Easter Sunday was very symbolic. It was in a garden that Jesus was first seen after his Resurrection and upon seeing him Mary first thought Jesus was a gardener. Beyond that, to be working in the dirt helping to transform a dead garden of weeds and dead roots into a place that would be a place of birth and new life.