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.
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