STEWARDING THE STORY:STEWARDING THE STORY:

A SpiritualityA Spirituality

forfor

ArchivistsArchivists

Spirituality:Spirituality:anything that anything that reminds us reminds us that we are that we are always in always in the presence the presence of God.of God.

God is here….

God is here….

A way of perceiving the gift of A way of perceiving the gift of God’s love amidst the mundane, the God’s love amidst the mundane, the ordinary, the routine ordinary, the routine

A way of A way of recognizing that recognizing that all is gift to be all is gift to be receivedreceived

IMAGES of your ministry as archivistsIMAGES of your ministry as archivists

The deep STORY that you serveThe deep STORY that you serve

Some PRACTICES to remind you Some PRACTICES to remind you

that “God is here” that “God is here”

I. WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?I. WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

- Custodian?Custodian?- Keeper, Keeper,

collector, collector, guardian?guardian?

- Cataloguer, Cataloguer, organizer?organizer?

StewardSteward

Every scribe who Every scribe who

has been trained has been trained

for the kingdom of for the kingdom of heaven heaven

is like the head is like the head

of a household of a household

who brings out who brings out

of the storehouse of the storehouse

both the new both the new

and the old.and the old.

((Matt. 13:52)Matt. 13:52)

BridgeBridge

…between past and present

…a taste for memory

…an appetite for connections

…a taste for memory

…an appetite for connections

Storyteller

Stewards of the “deep story”Stewards of the “deep story”

2. THE WIDER STORY2. THE WIDER STORY

God’s dream for the worldGod’s dream for the world

Told in the stories of Jesus’ parablesTold in the stories of Jesus’ parables

Mirror

reflecting

what God

has done

in & through you

Your story – God’s storyYour story – God’s story

not static but growingnot static but growing not hidden and secret, but meant to not hidden and secret, but meant to

be seen and heard be seen and heard not great in the eyes of the world, not great in the eyes of the world,

but far-reachingbut far-reaching not limited and uniform, but not limited and uniform, but

multifacetedmultifaceted with a value that is worth digging forwith a value that is worth digging for

Keep the fire –

the story –

burning

Your story

as part of God’s

unfolding

story of

creation….

HowHow do you tell the story do you tell the story -- --

for purposes of for purposes of power?power?

or in a spirit of or in a spirit of reverence, respect, reverence, respect, honor, gratitude?honor, gratitude?

……a continual re-imagining of the a continual re-imagining of the future and re-interpretation of the future and re-interpretation of the past to give meaning to the present. past to give meaning to the present. (Mary Catherine Bateson)(Mary Catherine Bateson)

INTERPRETATION is key.INTERPRETATION is key.

The story calls for…

St. Paul’s Chapel, NYC

Reinterpreting the past to give meaning to the present…

Saint John’s Bible

www.saintjohnsbible.org

How might you…How might you…

bring forth treasures new and old to bring forth treasures new and old to uncover the meaning of the present?uncover the meaning of the present?

draw from the Spirit-energies that draw from the Spirit-energies that gave birth to your congregation?gave birth to your congregation?

set a context that “reminds us that set a context that “reminds us that we are always in the presence of we are always in the presence of God”? God”?

““These forty years your God has These forty years your God has been with you; you have not been with you; you have not lacked a thing.” (Deut. 2:7)lacked a thing.” (Deut. 2:7)

““I have been with you wherever I have been with you wherever

you went.” (2 Sam. 7:9). you went.” (2 Sam. 7:9).

To whomTo whom do we tell the story? do we tell the story?

To those who seek to “integrate the To those who seek to “integrate the history of women religious into the history of women religious into the larger contexts of Catholic history, larger contexts of Catholic history, religious history, women’s history, religious history, women’s history, and American history.” and American history.” (Carol Coburn)(Carol Coburn)

…into the larger

contexts…

Life opens to more possibilities through new patterns of connection.

(Margaret Wheatley)

Stewardly PracticesStewardly Practices

Keep the Keep the bridge openbridge open

Stewardly PracticesStewardly Practices

Stay in touch with yourself.Stay in touch with yourself.

Support or teach others as often as Support or teach others as often as you can.you can.

Nurture your ties to your tribe.Nurture your ties to your tribe.

- Dr. Andrew Weil- Dr. Andrew Weil

Stewardly PracticesStewardly Practices

Keep the Keep the mirror mirror

cleanclean

Days pass when I forget the mystery. Days pass when I forget the mystery. Problems insoluble and problems Problems insoluble and problems offering their own ignored solutions offering their own ignored solutions jostle for my attention; they crowd its jostle for my attention; they crowd its antechamber, antechamber,

along with a host of diversions, along with a host of diversions,

my courtiers, wearing their colored my courtiers, wearing their colored clothes; clothes;

cap and bells…cap and bells…

- Denise Levertov, “Primary Wonder”- Denise Levertov, “Primary Wonder”

Stewardly PracticesStewardly Practices

Know your Know your

place place

Stewardly PracticesStewardly Practices

Be open to Be open to surprisesurprise

You have a MESSAGE to tell

in COMMUNITY with others

in SERVICE of a larger story, a larger mission –

the mission of Jesus and the ever-

surprising Spirit

Spirituality:

a web of relationships

There is no greater error than to There is no greater error than to imagine that the very imagine that the very employments God gives us shall employments God gives us shall force us to forget Him while we force us to forget Him while we are engaged in them!….He is are engaged in them!….He is more within us than we are more within us than we are ourselves. ourselves. (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)(St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)

Lose

the

lists!

……All lists All lists start where start where they halt, in they halt, in intention.intention.Only the Only the love that is love that is work work completes completes them. them. (Marge (Marge Piercy,“The Piercy,“The Listmaker”)Listmaker”)

“The love that is work” --

reminds you that

God

is

always

present.