Derived from Sharon Daloz Parks, Big Questions, Worthy Dreams (Pages 34-35)
Reflecting on the political cynicism of American society and the ironic detachment that characterizes many in his generation, twenty-four-year-old Jedediah Purdy writes: “We doubt the possibility of being at home in the world, yet we desire that home above all else.” Continue reading
Materials:
Using Greek terms “protagonist” and “antagonist,” Forum Theatre seeks to show a person (the protagonist) who is trying to deal with an oppression and failing because of the resistance of one or more obstacles (the antagonists). This exercise is to explore what are the barriers keeping people oppressed in their places.
Ask one person to embody an oppression (they can choose anything). Other participants are asked to make a physical barrier by naming what keeps the person oppressed. When they name a barrier they stand in front of the person, blocking them. After several have formed a wall blocking the person who is oppressed, the remaining participants are asked to break down the barrier. Invite them to suggest solutions to break down the barriers of oppression.
Fr. Memo: “Spirituality is a place. It is a place of connection. It is a place of who we are and who we are to become. From a theological perspective, that ‘place’ is the where the spirit is.”
Ronald Rolheiser: “Whatever the expression, everyone is ultimately talking about the same thing – an unquenchable fire, a restlessness, a longing, a disquiet, a hunger, a loneliness, a gnawing nostalgia, a wildness that cannot be tamed, a congenital all-embracing ache that lies at the center of human experience and is the ultimate force that drives everything else. This dis-ease is universal. Desire gives no exemptions.” Continue reading
Guillermo Campuzano, CM. Winter Quarter 2009
We all know that the main element of Vincentian spirituality is shaped by the direct encounter with the poor. Essentially, what should happen for this encounter to be transformative for people who are engaged in direct-service? The answer is simple: a conversation, a dialogue. Continue reading
Story based on a book by Sheila Zubrigg
This is an exercise to practice asking “why” questions. Listen to this story. Take a few minutes to journal or think about it, and then discuss. Continue reading
“If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.” –Turkish proverb
Listening is a magnetic and creative force.
When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.
When we are listened to, ideas begin to grow within us and come to life.
People are more happy and free when they are listened to. Continue reading
“In short, praxis is the process by which people reach deep understandings of themselves and their world by cultivating a conscious, active, and purposeful engagement with that world. Praxis also emphasizes that how an individual is positioned relative to systems of power strongly influences how the individual understands those systems of power.
This is an activity best done in pairs.
Complete each of the following sentences and discuss with your partner:
Purpose: The purpose of post-service reflection is to gather together and listen closely for the CALL of your experience. Through reflection, we remember, celebrate, integrate, and honor what we have experienced. What are you pushed and pulled to do in your personal life and in the larger community?
Check-in: This is critical to get a pulse on how people are returning from their experience. How have you shared your story, or how will you share it? Are there parts that you have not shared with anyone? Has it been difficult to come back? What concerns do you have about keeping the experience alive?
Hands reflection: How are you holding your experience?: Close your eyes. Open your hands in front of you. Notice how they feel. Now clench your fists tightly. Pay attention to how it feels. Open your hands again, notice any difference. Clench them one more time. Open your eyes. What did you notice about how it felt to open or clench your fist? Continue reading