I鈥檓 one of the many that became fascinated by the podcast after a friend recommended it. Then, when listening to Episode 5 (鈥淭he Things We Do to Women鈥�), I was surprised to hear a familiar voice: my colleague Dr. Rose Madrid-Swetman. Dr. Madrid-Swetman, the Northwest Regional Leader of the denomination and an adjunct faculty member at 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology, shared about her experience providing pastoral care for people who had left Mars Hill.

Listening to The Rise and Fall podcast brought to mind so many of the concepts that Dr. Rose Madrid-Swetman teaches in our shared project, Certificate in Resilient Service at 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology. As the researcher for this program, I wanted to hear more about her experience about what hurts and helps Christian leaders who are trying to avoid the pitfalls of abusive leadership and structures.

Andrea: When Mike Cosper called and asked to interview you for this podcast, what compelled you to say yes?

Dr. Madrid-Swetman: I thought it was important to tell the story. As a female pastor in the city of Seattle, I was constantly hearing the stories of women being traumatized by the toxic theology and culture of Mars Hill Church. My hope is the church universal can listen to the people that have been harmed and learn from stories like that of Mars Hill. If we are willing to hear, there is so much to learn.

Andrea: Clearly, Mars Hill is a visible example of church dysfunction, but it鈥檚 far from the only church to struggle like this. How have you seen similar dynamics play out in other churches with other leaders?

Dr. Madrid-Swetman: This is true. Mark is not an anomaly. What happened at Mars Hill has played out over and over again in both small and large churches. The West鈥檚 industrial religious complex is designed to produce and reward leaders who misuse their power like this. As I was teaching leadership classes at 天美视频, I would tell my students that Mars Hill is an excellent case study in this kind of abuse of power that is enabled by some churches.

Andrea: Part of what drew my compassion in this podcast was the hurt experienced by other leaders at Mars Hill as they were drawn in by Driscoll. Cosper concludes that many of these leaders (who were almost exclusively men) were drawn to Driscoll due to experiences way back in their childhoods. What would you tell a leader who wants to be aware of their vulnerabilities to manipulation from those who lead them and those who they lead?

Dr. Madrid-Swetman: I would say you have to know your story, you have to do a deep dive into the impact of your early years and understand how you were formed in your family. That process brings a self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses鈥攁nd also an awareness of how you repeat, in the present, patterns of relating that you learned in your family. By understanding and working through how you were formed in your family, you learn how you could be vulnerable to manipulation or how you are set up to lead from your weaknesses, often causing harm.

Andrea: Another Mars Hill dynamic that Cosper draws out is the echo chamber it created for leaders. It struck me how much the leaders around Driscoll would have been helped by receiving more outside perspectives. Leadership in the church is often isolating, so how can leaders find that kind of perspective and support?

Dr. Madrid-Swetman: This is important. I think all leaders need a community of people outside of their church who they get input from鈥攑eople they can be completely real with. That could be peers from other denominations, a therapist, a spiritual director or a mentor that you trust. Leaders need safe spaces to reflect vulnerably. Mars Hill had a closed system, theologically and socially. When you are in a closed system, vulnerability is too risky. I think leaders begin to internalize so many emotions that they cannot name. I have seen this in leaders who are struggling, feeling like they are not enough, and also with leaders like Mark who seem to have it all. I was part of a group that met with Mark in 2006 to discuss his public vitriolic speech about women; in talking with us, his defense about why he did not have mentors was that every person who he went to for mentoring ended up being jealous of him. I suggested he see a Roman Catholic priest for spiritual direction. I told him I guaranteed a priest would not be jealous of him.

Andrea: A lot of your work with Certificate in Resilient Service (CRS), which you helped design and currently teach in, is focused on creating healthy, sustainable lives for leaders. How is your work with CRS informed by your experiences with churches like Mars Hill?

Dr. Madrid-Swetman: I would say my work is informed by churches like Mars Hill and also by my own experience of leading a congregation. Leading a congregation can be one of the most isolating of vocations. It is so challenging to navigate all that comes with it, including the expectations you put on yourself and the expectations others have. I have seen so many leaders crash and burn. Many of them I know did not have the tools or the people in their lives to create a safe environment for vulnerability. Seeing this process play out over and over again in the lives of leaders, dear people with good intentions, made me even more committed to create safe spaces for leaders and advocate for sustainable ministry.

Andrea: What are the practices you recommend for Christian leaders who are seeking to be emotionally healthy?

Dr. Madrid-Swetman: I have so many thoughts on this. I think the practices of curiosity and reflection–about the leader鈥檚 life and the life of others鈥攊s key. Paying attention to what is happening in the world is also important. Right now that means engaging the question 鈥淗ow do we think theologically in a time of great upheaval and change?鈥� Also, I would say it is imperative for a leader to commit to practices that keep them connected to God, the practices that ground you in the love of God,

Andrea: Seeing the narcissism of Driscoll increase as his power increased was not a surprise to me鈥攔esearch has shown that not only does ministry make those inclined to narcissism worse, but also that the pressures of ministry can actually induce narcissism in pastors who may not have otherwise been disposed to it. What counsel do you have for church leaders who want to create healthy conditions for their pastors to work in?

Dr. Madrid-Swetman: The system has to be one that will support leaders. Pastors cannot be endlessly giving care; they also need to receive care. That may mean the board allocates money and time for pastors to receive care. Congregations need to create an environment where leaders do not have to hide, but can be honest and ask for help. Too many pastors and leaders have to hide their struggles for fear of losing their jobs, their source of income. That requires that black and white thinking is challenged and people learn to hold dynamic tension. And, related to what happened at Mars Hill, I recommend that churches look at their own bylaws and see who holds the power if the church goes into crisis.

Andrea: Rose, you have been such a source of blessing in my own life. Can you leave us with a blessing for leaders–your hopes and prayers for those seeking to serve with humility and integrity?

Dr. Madrid-Swetman: I pray for leaders, that they would find safe spaces to be honest about their struggles. Places they can be honest with themselves and others. I pray they would seek out people who can come alongside them to remind them of who they are and who they are becoming. I pray they will resist the temptations that Henry Nouwen so timely named in Life of the Beloved, the temptations to be relevant, spectacular and powerful. I bless them to lead with humility, compassion and creativity. And, I pray that they may do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord. Amen.

If you are interested in hearing more from Rose about her experience providing pastoral care to people wounded by their experience with Mars Hill Church, listen to her on the podcast , featured in episodes 鈥淭he Things We Do to Women鈥� and 鈥淭he Bobby Knight Problem.鈥�

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As we begin each academic year at 天美视频, we practice a number of communal rituals and rhythms that help us to prepare the relational spaces in which we will learn and grow together. Some of these rhythms are playful and fun while others invite deeper contemplation and engagement. Our own unique experiences and pathways will vary: some of us will be learning entirely on campus, while others will predominantly learn in online classrooms with seasonal campus visits. Meanwhile, from season to season and year to year, we will cultivate shared rhythms that grow our sense of connection to and belonging with one another as one learning community.

This week, Paul Steinke, who shepherds the student body along with the Office of Students & Alumni team, will send you an email inviting you to several events: (Re)Orientation, Community Dinners & Fall Vespers, and Convocation & Community Cookout. These community rhythms鈥攕hared by students, staff, faculty, alumni, and our families鈥攚ill be opportunities for us to pause, reflect, orient, and transition into the year together. Convocation & Community Cookout is a ritual by which we officially welcome incoming students into the fold of this learning community. See Paul鈥檚 email for more about these community-wide events, and RSVP for (Re)Orientation on the event page.

New Student Orientation for both low residency and on campus students will overlap with these wider community rhythms, and will provide distinct opportunities for you to arrive and orient together as new students within this learning community.

A reminder of all important dates, with Community Rhythms in bold:

August 25, 2021: Frameworks & Intersections online course begins – All members of the 2021 cohort

September 14, 2021: On campus orientation – 2021 on campus MACP cohort

September 15, 2021: (Re)Orientation – All students

September 29-October 2: Fall Residency – 2021 low-residency cohorts

September 30, 2021: Community Dinners & Fall Vespers – All students

October 2, 2021: Convocation & Community Cookout – All community

Looking forward to sharing these community rhythms and rituals with you!

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So it’s no surprise that many of us enjoy listening to podcasts, whether for educational purposes or for sheer enjoyment of a particular show. It鈥檚 an opportunity, in one sense, to take education outside of the classroom and workspace and engage themes from a fresh, often humorous perspective.

Shows we find ourselves listening to while working and learning from home are those that are more relationally-oriented, probably because they align so well with the school鈥檚 core themes and mission. From the banter of the co-hosts to the topics they cover, here鈥檚 a list of some of our favorite podcast shows this summer:

Krista Tippet & Co.

Krista Tippet and Company are guided by 鈥渄eep thinking and social courage, moral imagination and joy.鈥� That mission alone puts words to what we hope for society. We appreciate their breadth of guests and the learning that emerges from curiosity and deep listening.

Stephen Roach

Connected to The Breath & the Clay Creative Arts Movement, this podcast is 鈥渇or the art-driven, spiritually adventurous seekers of truth and lovers of life.鈥� In one episode, Stephen interviews John Eldredge about his latest book, about the need to slow down and take time to rediscover beauty in everyday practices.

Hillary McBride

You may recognize her voice from the ever popular Liturgists podcast as host Hillary McBride shares client鈥檚 therapy sessions with anyone who wants an inside look into a therapist’s office.

Nora McInerney

A refreshingly honest show, Nora McInerney isn鈥檛 afraid to tell the truth about what she鈥檚 feeling and invites guests who tell their stories with the same level of openness. We recommend starting with the episode 鈥溾�� to get a feel for what to expect from her show. Another recent favorite is “” featuring Dr. Edith Eger.

Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow

Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow are whip smart, voracious readers, and civically engaged. They have stretched our thinking, cracked us up, and challenged us to show up in the world differently. We鈥檝e learned so much from these friends.

John Totten and Mason Neely

Two psychotherapists, one native to Seattle, host a weekly podcast where they 鈥渆xplore what is happening between therapists and patients鈥攆rom both sides of the relationship.鈥�

A special thank you to the Marketing and Communications team for their contributions to this list.

The post What We鈥檝e Been Listening To this Summer: Podcast Roundup appeared first on 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology.

As I sat down to write a Harry Potter fanfiction for class this past term, I drew both on my experiences reading the seven canonical novels as well as my engagement with the best fanfiction that I鈥檝e read. I was reminded of how developed my own imagination was at 12 when I started reading fanfiction and writing some of my own; this began right after the book series ended, when I feared a loss of mystery and discovery in the secondary world that helped me make sense of my own experiences more than any other fiction work had before. In the hundreds of new stories that I devoured then, these writers suggested that the discovery journey was just beginning.

The onset of my fanfiction engagement coincided with great turmoil in key relationships. For a number of reasons, I became disenchanted with my own life and felt more like a stranger in many of the circles I occupied. Here, fanfiction in the Wizarding World was a healing balm for me. In a beautiful reversal, the stage became my life, and I could act out my adolescent frustrations and fears. Before I had the language to detail the grief and disorientation of personal trauma, I could lead the wizards and witches in my story to engage pain on my behalf.

Seeing their ability to persist in the face of mortal peril and acknowledging that their success was at my demand as their creator, I learned to consider my own power to do the same in my own life. Harry Potter offers a unique sense of agency here. The richness of its world makes the story as accessible for a young child as it is for any adult. The characters of Harry Potter are people to meet and know well, and fanfiction in the world of Harry Potter allows a writer to be themselves alongside original inhabitants, just transported to a new magical country. I didn鈥檛 naively assume that my influence stretched very far past the page; I was still 12 and still unsure of my place in the world. Rather, I noticed that my ability to hope and imagine could endure in the face of a world that seemed to indicate that the exact opposite was true. Not only that, but I could also create hope in another, even if that other was a fiction from my own head. I credit the nameless authors whose work inspired me to become a co-creator in my own life story. I consider them collaborators in my personal world as much as that of the Wizarding World.

Fanfiction can even synthesize micro-zeitgeists that those close to a secondary world share deeply. For those who want to imagine redemption for evil, there are stories detailing Voldemort鈥檚 ownership of his wrongdoing and subsequent penance, while others allow Draco Malfoy to overcome his cowardice to become the man that we all hoped he could be. For those who are used to being relegated to the background of their own lives, Colin Creevey tales represent a centering of any unexpected and unnoticed voice. Indeed, fanfiction can enable representation in areas where it is currently missing.

As beloved as J.K. Rowling鈥檚 created world is, it is often lambasted for its lack of effective diversity of characters. Everyone, primary to tertiary, is a straight, cisgender, White person, with the occasional, heavy-handedly written BIPOC. Even in these few instances of representation, we see nothing meaningful in Cho Chang鈥檚 Asian heritage or Dean Thomas鈥� Blackness. Our only known queer characters were identified after the series鈥� publication and still remain defined only by the tragedy in their stories. They all read as stand-ins to satisfy a white gaze, or to comfort heteronormativity without disrupting the typical world order. Fanfiction reimagines stories like these through subversion, where Hermione isn鈥檛 white, Ron isn鈥檛 straight, and our Wizarding community migrates from the mountains of Scotland. Imagination here becomes a recursive phenomenon; as new ideas are generated, they encourage and produce other novel stories, which invite more readers to create their own as well, all in the same shared secondary world. This is the 鈥渇irst fruits鈥� of any liberative work, where people need to see themselves living rich and full lives before creating them; they can rehearse fostering hope in the safety of a fictional secondary world before returning to our primary world to put it to practice.

Far from being the immature musings of uninspired fans, fanfiction invites readers to consider themselves as co-creators in their spiritual stories rather than consumers or spectators. For children and adults alike, it offers a chance to create a world within a world, to break and make rules of engagement, and to prepare the courage they need to confront despair and anguish in their own lives. A rich tool for capturing goodness and injecting often anemic hope with vitality, fanfiction asks us to hope that our primary world, the personal and the communal, might one day be just as magical.

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Matt Inman is a psychotherapist in private practice and a second-year student of the RFPT program. In an in-depth interview, Matt provides insight into his participation as a student in the program and the ways in which the experiential learning process and tight-knit community of clinicians has revitalized his practice and relationships.

What initially drew you to the Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (RFPT) post-graduate certificate?

It鈥檚 difficult for me to talk about the program in general without connecting it first to my attraction to it. The short answer is that I found myself 10 years removed from formal training and I was knee-deep in building a private practice and raising a young family. While I needed more training, I knew time was precious for me with little ones and I knew I wasn鈥檛 willing to throw $65,000 at a PhD or analytic certificate. RFPT checked that box of excellent depth work in a context that fit my world in Austin, Texas.

But there is always more to the story. I have always admired Dr. Roy Barsness. He brings his whole self to an analytic world that often wants to stay in the theoretical playgrounds of the mind. I found him each year to be a source of refreshment, bringing spontaneity and honesty when the moment called for it. It was all the stuff that my heart longed for in therapy as well as within family and friendships. And while I could find that on my own from time to time, I knew that my ego and the expectations of others often detracted from a truer way of being.

When we met up for coffee at a conference a few years back, Roy told me about the RFPT program and invited me to join. I knew instantaneously that I would join but I kept my cool for a bit longer. What truly got me was that he said the program was designed for seasoned therapists in private practice who both desire more training and need respite from the rigours of the therapeutic work.

Oh. My. Dear. Lord.

I can suppress with the best of them, shoving my true experience down to my ankles. But when I heard those particular words put together in just the right way, those words became hands that reached down and grabbed my heart. For the last twelve years I had done addiction work in Dallas, church planting in Hollywood, started a counseling center, a podcast, a magazine, and a private practice in Austin alongside starting a family. I was exhausted. And I was exhausted from contorting my life and schedule every which way to stave off the reality of exhaustion. Denial can get us pretty far down the road of burnout.

It was only in the quiet moments that I could admit that I was growing tired of contorting my life every which way to keep going. I had a deep desire to live vibrantly, both personally and professionally, and yet I was growing distant from myself and my patients. This all took the shape of boredom, rumination, untimely moments of anger with my kids, and a hopelessness so faint it was unnameable.

So you can imagine that I was all ears when Roy said that if we are exhausted, we are most likely doing the work wrong. Not wrong like we aren鈥檛 helping but wrong in the way that we aren鈥檛 really in the room ourselves. I didn鈥檛 go into the program expecting a miracle, but rather to come back into contact with myself and the work that had felt like a stranger for far too long.

What have you been surprised by in this relationally focused program?

I have really experienced a deepening of what I would have called depth. Haha! The floor really dropped out from under me in the first few case studies we processed in our small group cohort. There was so much more to what I was calling 鈥渃onnective鈥� in the past. What I thought to be theoretically interesting or a possible re-enactment between myself and my patient was only the surface, and with the help of the instructors and group members, we almost certainly would find dynamics deeper and closer to me than I鈥檇 care to admit. It can be a bit disorienting鈥攖he unconscious, the growing awareness, the interplay between two people.

As I have sat week in and week out doing the work with fellow clinicians, I have not only grown to love and care for them but also to love and care for myself and my patients in new ways. My work has become much more engaging, I am more present with myself, and I can hold what I am experiencing confidently and with a loose grip.

The first year I saw myself become more enlivened at home and in my work. I still find myself exhausted, which is what I am working on as a second year student. I am finding that the more I am showing up, the more I am better able to set boundaries and work through conflict. RFPT is, in some ways, a conflict model that encourages you to not sit back and nod with 鈥渒ind regards鈥� but to locate yourself, show up and work through what is emerging precisely because you have taken up space. For someone fighting through self-doubt and people pleasing, you can imagine my struggle with such a process. But you can probably sit with it for a few more moments and anticipate my delight and earned resilience that comes from not only owning my own experience but truly walking with my patients through old haunts and new connections forged through authenticity.

How does the RFPT program compare to other continuing education opportunities you’ve been a part of as a therapist?

I have attended some really great workshops but most tend to engage the mind primarily. RFPT is the first continuing education program that reverses the order typical to learning models. Instead of learning the theory and then trying to experience it in case studies or role play, RFPT goes straight into consultations where the theory is played out and felt at visceral levels. It is only after we have felt it, experienced it that we begin to talk about it in any kind of theory or technique.

This is big for me because I can attend an all-day RFPT event and leave feeling like my brain doesn鈥檛 hurt. Rather, when I need to go for a walk it’s because I need to process my feelings and what the hell just happened! To me, this feels much more aligned with the relational work we all do in psychotherapy or any other helping profession.

Besides the training aspect, how has the program helped give some respite in the private practice world, particularly going through it during the pandemic?

I initially saw them as very separate things, the training and the respite. But it鈥檚 all about what Roy calls 鈥渓ocating yourself鈥� and being able to 鈥渞eceive yourself鈥� along the way. Receiving myself doesn鈥檛 mean I like all of me or that I am even ahead of my patients in every way but it does mean that I am able to see and am willing to work what is within me rather than live in a numbed state of denial. The more we deepened into the training program, the more I had to encounter my exhaustion, my aversion to setting boundaries for myself in fear of being 鈥渢oo rigid鈥�, etc. And to do all of this with fellow clinicians who are doing the very same work becomes a salve to a profession that can make all of us more isolated and guarded than we鈥檇 care to admit.

It has been sad to not be able to meet in person like we did the first quarter of the process. We met off Bainbridge Island, a magical place I knew nothing about beforehand. We are dead set on meeting up in person before our program comes to an end in large part because our bonds have grown very close during the pandemic. It has kept me feeling connected to myself and the group during this complex time in which I feel a general malaise covering all my overwhelmed feelings.

This program has helped me come home to myself in new ways. When I find myself bored, distracted, or going down well-worn paths of fear, I have a better mind around what I may be experiencing and how to cue back in to the 鈥榟ere and now鈥� emerging right before me. It reminds me of a David Whyte line (Seattle folks should like that!), 鈥淵ou know that the antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest?鈥� The antidote to exhaustion is wholeheartedness.鈥�

What might you tell a curious therapist about why they should consider RFPT?

I will shoot you straight. If any of my words have landed and you have felt their weight and impact, I strongly urge you to consider and talk with someone from the program. It is a rare thing to find a program out there that is both affordable and creates change that you鈥檇 expect from traditional graduate programs. Psychotherapy has the potential of bringing you closer to yourself or further away from yourself, and most of us need community and guidance to ensure the former.

If you are looking to grow as a clinician and don鈥檛 need more letters after your name, I can鈥檛 think of a better program. It fits into my busy schedule of 30+ patients a week and I鈥檝e never doubted its worth monetarily. If you are wanting to extend your skill, hone your intuition, and be a part of a meaningful community, this is the program for you.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your experiences?

Wherever and however you come into this interview, I鈥檇 like to share a blessing by John O鈥橠onohue that encapsulates my experience of therapeutic work that the RFPT program has helped re-energize. I hope these words can be true for me and you today.

A Blessing For Work by John O鈥橠onohue

鈥淢ay the light of your soul bless your work
With love and warmth of heart.

May you see in what you do the beauty of your soul.

May the sacredness of your work bring light and renewal
To those who work with you
And to those who see and receive your work.

May your work never exhaust you.

May it release wellsprings of refreshment,
Inspiration, and excitement.

May you never become lost in bland absences.

May the day never burden.

May dawn find hope in your heart,
Approaching your new day with dreams,
Possibilities, and promises.

May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.

May you go into the night blessed,
Sheltered, and protected.

May your soul calm, console, and renew you.鈥�

Learn more about the Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy post-graduate certificate.

Matt Inman is a psychotherapist in private practice in Austin, Texas. He is also a second-year student of the Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy post-graduate certificate. He is the host of Inefficiency Podcast, a show focused on going out of our way for that which we love the most. He also publishes e, a journal that helps support the reflection, curiosity, and wisdom found in psychotherapy.

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The program is funded through Lilly Endowment鈥檚 Thriving Congregations Initiative. The aim of the national initiative is to strengthen Christian congregations so they can help people deepen their relationships with God, build strong relationships with each other, and contribute to the flourishing of local communities and the world.

Lilly Endowment is funding nearly $93 million in grants through the initiative. The grants will support organizations as they work directly with congregations and help them gain clarity about their values and missions, explore and understand better the communities in which they serve, and draw upon their theological traditions as they adapt ministries to meet changing needs.

The funds from this grant will allow the school to expand the work of Resilient Leaders Project to develop a program for congregational development. This program will forge partnerships with and further equip congregational leadership teams to adapt to changing contexts and invest in neighborhood communities in order to mutually thrive. This program aims to equip teams with a defined, replicable process that will align their identity, belonging, and mission in response to ongoing changes in their neighborhood, especially amidst and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Aspects of the program will include hands-on, experiential training through conferences as well as shared learnings through writings, guidebooks, webinars, and instructional videos.

鈥淚 hope that the work we develop through Thriving Congregations will be timely support for congregations looking to respond to the tectonic shifts of our time,鈥� said , Director of Resilient Leaders Project. 鈥淚 hope that through our work together, the school and congregations are transformed in sight and service, seeing one another as a beloved community 鈥� even across difference 鈥� and becoming a people who mend the fragmentation and isolation in our city.鈥�

天美视频 is one of 92 organizations taking part in the initiative. They represent and serve churches in a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, including Anabaptist, Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Reformed, Restoration, Roman Catholic and Orthodox, as well as congregations that describe themselves as nondenominational and evangelical. Several organizations serve congregations in Black, Hispanic and Asian-American traditions.

鈥淚n the midst of a rapidly changing world, Christian congregations are grappling with how they can best carry forward their ministries,鈥� said Christopher Coble, Lilly Endowment鈥檚 Vice President for Religion. 鈥淭hese grants will help congregations assess their ministries and draw on practices in their theological traditions to address new challenges and better nurture the spiritual vitality of the people they serve.鈥�

Lilly Endowment launched the Thriving Congregations Initiative in 2019 as part of its commitment to support efforts that enhance the vitality of Christian congregations.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders鈥� wishes, the Endowment exists to support the causes of religion, education and community development. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment鈥檚 grantmaking in religion is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen their pastoral and lay leadership.

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Let the sun wake you up. Grind the beans, heat the water,
and make your cup of coffee. Enjoy it. Drink it slowly. Notice how your
pour-over tastes much better than the drip brew at work.

Don鈥檛 make the news your lectionary. Give
thanks. Meditate. Pray. Pause before you
open your device. Listen to the birds outside
of your window.

Work hard, but take breaks. Pay attention to your body. Get
out of the stiff kitchen chair at your makeshift desk. Stretch.
Breathe. Make a cup of tea. Go on a long walk in the middle
of the day.

Let your son distract you. Let your dog rest her head on your
lap. Pressing send one more time will not change the world.
Replacing your anxiety with presence just may though.

Breath in,
鈥淭his is not…,鈥�
Breath out,
鈥渁ll up to me.鈥�

Breathe in the air shared by every other human on this earth.
You are not alone in this wildness.

Stop working and disconnect. Dig your hands into the soil. Call that
person you kept telling, 鈥渨e should get lunch sometime,鈥� But never did
because you were too busy 鈥� or too terrified they would rather not.
Let yourself feel the weight of the world in your hands.
Run your fingers across the ocean. Hear the trees breathe
in renewed air.

Clasp your loved one鈥檚 hand from far away. Grieve with them that
they couldn鈥檛 walk at graduation. Or that she labored alone for two
hours while waiting for a room.

Hold the earth just long enough to recognize it is far too heavy to
place on your back. Set it down. Watch the sunset and hold onto
gratitude for this single day.

Sacred Space is curating a virtual gallery to offer space to communally share how we are processing in this season. We would love to be witnesses to the ways you have been showing up with yourself to grieve and lament. to submit a photo of your art, a written piece, a recording of you playing music, or any other form of processing. In the coming weeks, you can visit the Intersections blog to see artists highlighted.

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鈥淗ow are you grieving? In what creative and available ways have you found for your body to express its pain?鈥� Melissa Deeken, MATC and MACP student

Sacred Space is curating a virtual gallery to offer space to communally share how we are processing in this season. They would love to be witnesses to the ways our students have been showing up with themselves to grieve and lament. to submit artwork, a written piece, a musical recording, or any other form of processing.

鈥� reflects what this time has allowed/required me to do鈥攕low down. Amidst that slowness, I’ve been surprised to receive guidance, support and blessings from the plant allies that are providing food, medicine, and keeping our ecosystems in balance at all times and especially now amidst pandemic.鈥�

Kate Fontana’s patronus is a peregrine falcon. She thrives on ambiguity, karaoke, and the worlds of youth fantasy fiction. She struggles with single-use plastics, small-talk, and to get anywhere on time. She is a Sagittarius, an auntie, and a third-year MDiv student. You can visit her blog at .

鈥淎fter an initial five weeks of enjoying the slowing down that the quarantine provided, during the fifth week I began to feel a building anxiety and a feeling of overwhelm. My process of grounding myself started with yoga, tapping exercises, and meditation. Yet while it aided in reconnecting to myself, it wasn’t until I started mixing colors on my palette and putting some force into my brush strokes that I began to feel the transfer of my emotions onto the canvas, and an eventual emotional release. There is something cathartic about mapping a color to an emotion and assembling them together into a mosaic. The process helped me identify areas where my body was holding emotional tension and where I needed to tend to myself the most.鈥�

Yuliya is a Seattle-based photographer, writer and grad student of Counseling Psychology, playing in the intersecting spaces of trauma and creativity. You can see Yuliya鈥檚 photography at .

鈥淔rida was a woman who bore her discomfort and worked through adversity. These are times of adversity and she inspires me.鈥�

Danielle is a mother of four (ages 14, 12, 10 and 8), wife of one awesome guy, and graduating with a Masters in Counseling Psychology from 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology. She is honored to be a regular contributor to and her and . She plans to open a private practice. Her loves are my four children and husband. You can find the #supersixcastillejos reading Mo Willems and other various books, hiking, creating spaces for art, and adventuring together. Her heart is to bear witness to the stories untold by the marginalized, silenced, and bodies seeking healing. As a survivor herself, she fights together with clients for love, justice, truth, and honor. Learn more about Danielle by following .

鈥淥ne of the ideas I’m trying on in solitude is: soft is good. Soft words, soft thoughts, soft body. This does not come naturally to me.

I like rough edges and abrasive things like critiques and analyses and freezing cold water and hard, unsquashable objects like river rocks and steel, like concrete buildings that cut the light into clean lines. Soft makes me suspicious.

A long time ago in school critiques, one of my art professors would always take my hands. Cracked, stained, maybe bleeding, they bore the brunt of whatever work had just been finished. These? He would say, ignoring whatever sculpture I had hurled my body at for the past two weeks. These hands are the piece.

And this need for steel and concrete, this need to hurl myself against unyielding impenetrable boundedness is not because tough calls out to tough like deep to deep. The craving to feel cool unyielding solidity outside comes from somewhere deep within where, in a really terrifying sense, I’m soft too.

As my own boundedness grows new and fragile in some places, calloused in others, I feel the gentle but reliable edges of my own skin from the inside out. There is soft and steel in here, too. As smooth and cool as a river stone and as easily squashed as a freshly baked roll all at once.

And still: how scary to be soft. How terrifying to let the concrete be out there and grow a skeleton inside, to touch surfaces that might collapse. How strange but strong to feel the texture of my internal world softening and hardening at once, like new skin growing under a scab.鈥�

Ellen Cline is a MACP student interested in body as an instrument of research, art, and healing. She is committed to growing out her hair during this time of isolation. She will not buzz her head. You are all witnesses. To view more of Ellen鈥檚 work, visit .

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These words of the prophet Jeremiah situate themselves in a devastating part of Judah鈥檚 history鈥攖he destruction of Jerusalem. As it lay in ruins, Jeremiah speaks of what the community is collectively grieving in the death of their beloved city and the thrust into exile for the third time.聽 They are a people desperate for hope. For restoration. For shalom. says that, 鈥淪halom requires lament鈥� because its very nature is to 鈥渆mbrace the suffering other.鈥�¹ In a time when we as God’s people yearn for a collective shalom, we are reminded that we must first enter into a collective lament.

On April 8, 天美视频鈥檚 Sacred Space group hosted a virtual lament service to create a space for individual and collective mourning over the losses of what we knew as life. Faculty, staff and students gathered to see the faces of the suffering other and to collectively lament鈥攊n song, word, and prayer. We ended our time by praying through a poem by Christine Valters Painter, pausing at each stanza to write the names of those heavy on our hearts, to write our laments, our pain, our grave sense of scattered losses. It was a raw and beautiful time to pour our hearts out like water in the presence of the Lord.

During the service, artist and alumnus Kate Creech ² acted as a witness to our community lament and created this piece of art to hold our feelings of confusion, anger, and grief. As she scrolled through the suffering faces and words of those in attendance, her brushstrokes acted as 鈥渆xpressions of what was both spoken and unspoken.鈥� We are grateful for her witness and illustration of this sacred evening.聽

Artwork by Kate Creech

While the service is over, our lament is not. Grief will continue to come in waves as we endure the changes we have been forced to adapt to and as we long for the presence of the ones we live life with the most.聽聽

How are you grieving? In what creative and available ways have you found for your bodies to express its pain?聽 Kate reminds us that artistic expressions can act as a mouthpiece for our souls鈥� greatest afflictions, containers for our unspeakable laments. We stand suspended in a time that knows not its return to life as we knew it. As you hold these tensions and uncertainties, know that our is necessary to see our shalom.聽聽聽

Sacred Space is curating a virtual gallery to offer space to communally share how we are processing in this season. We would love to be witnesses to the ways you have been showing up with yourself to grieve and lament.聽 to submit a photo of your art, a written piece, a recording of you playing music, or any other form of processing. In the coming weeks you can visit the Intersections blog to see artists highlighted.

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What brought you to 天美视频?

Back in 1999, I went to a . I can remember sitting in this living room with nine other terrified women and I can remember talking about the story of the prodigal son. Hearing this story about this God who would defy cultural norms, lift up his gown, who would bear shame in order to pursue me鈥擨 just couldn’t imagine there could be a God so good. I was a new Christian at that time and so during that Recovery Week, there was some talk about this school Dan was building. It seemed like an impossibility for me because I didn鈥檛 finish my bachelor鈥檚 degree and we lived in Washington DC and we had four sons. But in 2003, I went back to school and completed a degree with a focus on resilience and at the same time, I applied to become a non-matriculated student at 天美视频 (which was then Mars Hill Graduate School). In 2007, I had completed my undergrad and by then had gotten accepted at MHGS as a student. We sold the family homestead in Washington DC, bought an RV, traveled across the country, and entered the school.

When you came to 天美视频, why did you decide to go through both the Master of Arts in Christian Studies and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology programs?

Because I came in as a non-matriculated student, I had already taken some theology classes. So I already had some credit hours when I was coming in and I knew yes, I鈥檓 interested in the mind and in psychology, but I鈥檓 fervent with faith. Faith is a big thing for me. I didn鈥檛 become a believer until I was 37. I鈥檇 had a smattering of church experiences as a kid: Catholic, synagogue, unitarianism, and the Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church. I really had no clue. I knew the name 鈥楪od,鈥� but didn鈥檛 have any other awareness until I became a believer So, coming into the school I still had that hunger. I wanted to know more.

What did you hope you would be able to do following graduation?

Throughout the program, I felt I was growing. I really couldn鈥檛 understand or grasp what was after. It was almost like coming to MHGS was a dream come true. So, I couldn鈥檛 really make the shift to after. Where I started was square one of moving towards licensure. Did I have in mind to have a practice of my own, which I did for a short time, did I have anywhere in my mind working with women who were recovering from sexual trafficking? No. I don鈥檛 want it to sound cliche but it was a lot of prayer and staying connected to mentors and professors who had really impacted my life.

Tell us about the context where you serve now.

My main role is at The Well House where I am Director of Trauma Therapy and most recently a director of a trauma center we just created. The women come in or are recovered from referrals, from homeland security, local law enforcement, the streets, some are referred from other programs in the country, and some have come outside of the country. There鈥檚 no cookie-cutter way or here鈥檚 how you do this. I sit I listen to stories like Criminal Minds and Law & Order SVU鈥攖hey鈥檝e survived torture, not just trauma.

The work is really attuning with the women when they come in. When they come in they are highly traumatized and don鈥檛 trust anyone. Things like attunement, affect regulation, slowing down our words, our movements, explaining what we鈥檙e doing. The trauma center can hold two residents right now and I don鈥檛 believe there is another residential program in the country that has this high level of care for when they first arrive.

The most amazing thing we鈥檙e beginning to see is they鈥檙e staying longer. The women are terrified, so getting them to stay in one place 鈥攊t鈥檚 a hurdle to try and get them to stay. Now we鈥檙e finding that they鈥檙e staying. They can stay in the Trauma Center for two weeks and my vision is to build a foundation for them that helps them get back into their bodies. Help them to feel more stable. It鈥檚 all about choice, all about empowering them so they can see they have a choice. Then they move to an immediate shelter from the trauma center and that鈥檚 where I鈥檓 seeing they鈥檙e wanting to read, they鈥檙e reading Walter Bruggeman, John Elderidge, and . Quite a few of them now have read through the Healing Path and been moved by that. They鈥檙e going back into some of their earlier memories, so it鈥檚 not just what happened with my pimp, but earlier trauma. They鈥檙e able to get there and they鈥檙e not running! For me, for our staff, it鈥檚 like a taste of eternity, getting to sit and watch this transformation happen.

What does flourishing and service to God and neighbor look like in your life?

is not a word I鈥檝e thought a lot about. I鈥檝e used the word thrive, so flourish I think is similar where it鈥檚 not just healing. I think the ladies come in and I tell them you鈥檙e learning how to walk. In my mind, though, walking is not good. My bar is higher鈥擨 want to see them soar. It鈥檚 with these women, and it鈥檚 also with the staff. I鈥檓 working with staff at a nonprofit organization and we鈥檙e doing hard work. There鈥檚 secondary PTSD, burnout, and compassion fatigue. What does that look like to offer some inviting words of kindness and helps them to flourish as well?

Who are the people that support your flourishing, and what practices do you engage that help you flourish?

One of my residents a couple of years ago said to me, 鈥淪o Ms. Corinne, I’ve heard that a lot of therapists have their own therapists. Do you have your own?鈥� And it stopped me. I said, 鈥淯h-huh, I do.鈥� At the time I felt a little awkward, but now I鈥檝e gotten more comfortable to say a good therapist has her own therapist, engages in consultation, and is doing good training and finding places to continue to grow. People that have spoken into my life are and a number of other colleagues I consult with in Seattle.

Before coming to the school, I learned about control, and by God, I was going to be in control and make sure things went ok. That was one part of me. The other part was always living with dread. Getting counseling, good therapy, the Recovery week, and getting to work with Dan helped. Going through 天美视频 stretched me. It was hard work going through this school, but I don鈥檛 regret a moment of it. We鈥檙e doing something different here.

It wasn鈥檛 until I started doing the work with these women that I鈥檝e felt that this is my fit. Often the women will say, 鈥淐orinne why are you doing this work?鈥� My response to them is 鈥淲ell, I have a story too.鈥� I don鈥檛 go any further and they don鈥檛 ask. But these are words that I鈥檝e been thinking a lot about recently: I know what it鈥檚 like to be bought. I experienced that as a kid and as a young 20-something. I do know enough, so I鈥檓 doing this work and it鈥檚 such a fit. This is where I need to be for now. I鈥檓 growing into my sense of who I am. I continue my own therapy. And my faith continues to grow deeper into who this God is. So that prodigal son story, I can share that with the residents. I can pass it on and pay it forward, the gift that I received at that Recovery Week in 1999.

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