Winter R&R
Reading: This winter, I've read and re-read Salk's and Salk's (2018) A New Reality
I'm savoring – a page or two a day – Scott Cairn's (2020) Love's Immensity.
I've enjoyed the Netflix show Shtisel. It covers many of the challenges of defining oneself in one's family.
Research: I've been working on survey research on living systems constructs in congregations. If you are an ordained or lay leader in your congregation, you can contribute to the research by taking the survey here. Some background: To test whether concepts rooted in a family systems-based assessment accurately map to congregational life, Jake Morrill, MDiv, faculty at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, along with Joseph Stewart-Sicking, faculty at Loyola University, MD, and I have developed a questionnaire approved for research purposes. Results will be used to explore a framework for congregational functioning, useful for leaders facing the challenging years ahead. To assure the anonymity of respondents and congregations, no identifying information will be collected in the survey process. If you're interested in learning more about the research findings, please email smcasurvey@gmail.com to be added to the invitation list for a presentation in late March.
Reflection: from Cairn (p. 16), in a line about apprehending scripture, what is required is an honest life, a limpid soul, and... Just a note that I had to look up limpid. Which in itself gave me a lot to think about!