Watch the Faith, Work & Law conversation with Frank S. Alexander!
We were so honored to host Frank S. Alexander, emeritus professor of Law and founding director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University for our last Faith & Work forum. He is also the founder and Executive Director of Vulnerable Communities whose mission is listening to, learning from, working with, and serving vulnerable communities. Its focus is on communities with historical racial, economic, and ethnic vulnerability and simultaneously with vulnerability to multiple climate change effects, including inland flooding, sea level rise, and storm surge. He was interviewed by Horizons Fellow, Nick Cummings ‘23.
Karen Marsh's new book, Wake Up To Wonder: now on preorder!
We could not be more **delighted** to announce Karen Wright Marsh’s new book with Brazos Press, now available for preorder! Karen reflects, “Writing this ‘how to’ book has transformed me in wonderful ways (though I'm still working on following my own advice to take a nap!). With the poet, I say, ‘A miracle, just take a look around: the world is everywhere.’ (Wislawa Szymorska)” All of us at Theological Horizons invite you to get in line for your own copy and then share this book far and wide! On Amazon and elsewhere…
About “Wake Up To Wonder”:
In her quest to live a vibrant spiritual life, Karen Wright Marsh had a revelation: she didn't need to find and follow the perfect plan; she needed people she could follow.
In Wake Up to Wonder, Marsh introduces us to those people--faithful yet oh-so-human Christians from across centuries and cultures. Inspired by their example, she offers playful, simple practices that bring deeper meaning and purpose to everyday life.
In the company of diverse spiritual companions--from Dorothy Day, Francis of Assisi, and Fannie Lou Hamer to Patrick of Ireland, Wangari Maathai, and Henri Nouwen--readers journey through physical health, prayer, activism, Scripture reading, creativity, and beyond. Each chapter includes hands-on invitations such as writing prompts, space for personal reflection, and "Try This," a collage of spiritual and personal experiments anyone can do. As readers wake up to wonder, they'll discover what these 22 historical figures already knew: that a life of spiritual depth, amazement, and connection is within reach--today and every day.
Announcing our 2023 Scoper Lecturer | Bryan Stevenson
OUR 2023 SCOPER LECTURE
“Act Justly, Love Mercy: Exploring the Heart of Equal Justice”
featuring Bryan Stevenson
in conversation with UVA President Jim Ryan
7:00pm | March 28, 2023
John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, Virginia
Save the date! Meet renowned attorney Bryan Stevenson, named “the most inspiring and influential crusader for justice alive today.” Stevenson will speak from his personal experience on the spiritual sources that empower his lifelong commitment to transformative acts of just mercy.
Following his Scoper Lecture in Christian Thought, Bryan Stevenson will be joined by President Jim Ryan for an onstage conversation.
This will be a “live only” in-person and digitally streamed event.
Follow along here for updates about tickets, co-sponsors and local grassroots partners!
The Scoper Lecture in Christian Thought is an annual series building off the Capps Lectures that brings eminent speakers to the university to deliver public lectures exploring the breadth of Christian expression in the arenas of scholarship, science and medicine, the arts, and culture. The series is generously funded by Nancy and Stephen Scoper, M.D., through their gift to the University of Virginia, designated to Theological Horizons.
This year’s focus on the law illuminates the prayer that “love is the motive but justice is the instrument.” (Reinhold Niebuhr)
Watch “True Justice,” below, the Emmy award winning documentary that follows Bryan Stevenson and his Equal Justice Initiative’s struggle to create greater fairness in the criminal justice system.
November Prayers | Feasting
DEAR FRIENDS,
This is the month of feasting. Our year has been long, our year has been tense. And yet… God calls us to practice the supper of the lamb each week in the Eucharist and each time we break bread with our families, our friends and most especially the stranger. The good folks at the Edible Theology Project “believe the rest and connection you are looking for will take place at the table.” They “create resources for churches, families, and individuals that help you and yours connect the meal shared at the Communion table to Tuesday night’s leftovers. “ Whether we eat a quiet lunch alone or when we gather around tables this holiday season, let us remember the sacredness of this holy activity.
-Christy Yates, Associate Director
“Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.””
O Lord, refresh our sensibilities.
Give us this day our daily taste.
Restore to us soups that spoons will not sink in, and sauces which are never the same twice.
Raise up among us stews with more gravy than we have bread to blot it with, and casseroles that put starch and substance in our limp modernity. Take away our fear of fat and make us glad of the oil which ran upon Aaron's beard.
Give us pasta with a hundred fillings, and rice in a thousand variations. Above all, give us grace to live as true men - to fast till we come to a refreshed sense of what we have and then to dine gratefully on all that comes to hand.
Drive far from us, O Most Bountiful, all creatures of air and darkness; cast out the demons that possess us; deliver us from the fear of calories and the bondage of nutrition; and set us free once more in our own land, where we shall serve Thee as Thou hast blessed us - with the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.
Amen.
― Robert Farrar Capon, The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection
“[The] dinner party is a true proclamation of the abundance of being -- a rebuke to the thrifty little idolatries by which we lose sight of the lavish hand that made us. It is precisely because no one needs soup fish, meat, salad, cheese, and dessert at one meal that we so badly need to sit down to them from time to time. It was largesse that made us all; we were not created to fast forever. The unnecessary is the taproot of our being and the last key to the door of delight. Enter here, therefore, as a sovereign remedy for the narrowness of our minds and the stinginess of our souls, the formal dinner...the true convivium -- the long Session that brings us nearly home.”
― Robert Farrar Capon, The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection
The Welcoming Table: Thanks to Jan Karon for sponsoring a Vintage Lunch!
Theological Horizons warmly welcomes you to set the welcoming table for hungry students! Sponsor an entire Vintage Lunch or donate what you can! By giving, you're providing not only nourishment, but also true community and connection.
Thank you to author JAN KARON, our latest Vintage lunch sponsor!
How our students describe Vintage:
warm, welcoming, nourishing, fulfilling, harvest, plenty, restful
HOW TO SPONSOR?
Select “Vintage Lunch” as your gift’s designation. We’ll customize your donation and follow up on your generosity to our TH community. Your gift will fund a weekly meal for 40-60 college students from one of our favorite Charlottesville eateries.
October Prayers | When Breath becomes Prayer
“Again, Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
Dear friends.
Breath prayer, as author Cole Arthur Riley (of Black Liturgies) describes it, “is an ancient practice that connects short, memorable phrases with deep breathing. I’ve found this practice to be restorative as it grounds me in my body and reintegrates my flesh, mind and soul daily. “ As the winds pick up this month, both literally and figuratively, let’s take some moments to simply breathe and know that God is present.
- Christy
Sit and be still
until the time
of no rain you hear
beneath the dry wind’s
commotion in the trees
the sound of flowing
water among the rocks,
a stream unheard before,
and you are where
breathing is prayer.-Wendell Berry
INHALE:
“I am free to pause.”
EXHALE:
“I can rest in the silence.”
Cole Arthur Riley
Thanks to Vintage Lunch Sponsor, Travis Rabb
This fall, we’re asking our community to consider sponsoring a Vintage Lunch. Each lunch is catered by a local Charlottesville eatery and helps feed 40-50 students who come hungry for food and community and spiritual nourishment.
Thank you, Travis Rabb, dad to first year, Peyton Rabb, for being a Vintage Lunch sponsor!
1. Why did you choose to sponsor a Vintage lunch? How are you connected with Theological Horizons?
Much like tithing, I try to support those organizations, clubs and ministries that pour into myself, my family and my kids. Peyton (my first year) has enjoyed TH and it's provided a place for her to receive support and meet new friends.
2. What blessing, quote, or advice would you like to share with a UVa student?
Get connected. Find one or two clubs or groups and get involved. Friendships are critical, in my opinion, to success in college and in life.
Back to the Beach: How I found grace on MTV | Erin Verham
The article is re-posted from Mockingbird online.
One of my greatest fears has always been that others would become privy to my worst failures and flaws, and judge me accordingly. This plays itself out in nasty ways on my psyche. Even years after a conflict with a loved one, I still believe that the bad thing I did or said to them is all they can see. When I worked as a teacher, I was constantly terrified to check my email for fear of what nasty message awaited me because I’d failed a student or said the wrong thing, or just needed to do — be — better. In times of idleness or silence, my brain mixes all of these thoughts together into a cursed montage of scenes featuring my life’s biggest mistakes and regrets. I call it “Erin’s Greatest Hits.” It’s brutal, and it plays on a perpetual loop.
Somewhere along the line in my early spiritual formation, I developed the belief that at the end of days, I would stand alone at the foot of God’s throne while God played a video of my entire life for everyone throughout history to watch. I imagined sitting at the feet of the Creator of the Universe, watching a tape of my life, from my good deeds that earned jewels for my crown to my sins that built cement walls between myself and God. Ultimately, God would let me into heaven, but not until everyone got to see the raw footage of all I’d ever done.
Cut to Laguna Beach, California, and a group of chill teens whose great and terrible moments actually did air for the world to see on MTV’s Laguna Beach, a reality show that premiered in 2004 and made its way into my house by way of a cool babysitter who let my sisters and I rent the DVDs from Blockbuster. I was mesmerized by these kids who acted like such adults and did things that were so utterly foreign to me: they went surfing, got their nails done, had fake IDs, drank beer at house parties, went to prom in limos, and danced on the bar during spring break.
The show focused heavily on the love triangle between Kristin Cavallari, the spunky, outspoken flirt, and the life of the party, Stephen Colletti, a cute senior who surfed and golfed, and Lauren Conrad, the “girl next door” and Stephen’s lifelong best friend. Together, they navigate their senior year in a slew of fashion shows, bonfires, hotel parties, and dinner dates, all culminating in a graduation ceremony with a montage of everyone wearing leis and walking arm in arm to “Graduation (Friends Forever)” by Vitamin C.
One of the most notable moments from the first season happened during spring break in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, when an explosive, tequila-fueled fight erupted between Kristin and Stephen at a tiki bar. They were “on a break” from their on-again-off-again relationship, and Kristin was flirting with a cute guy named Sam and dancing on the bar with a friend. Stephen went into a jealous rage and went off on Kristin, shouting and calling her a choice word that I won’t mention here, before storming out of the bar. The two ultimately ended up rekindling their love, only to eventually break up again when Stephen went off to college in San Francisco.
Throughout the show, MTV gives us a glimpse into these teens’ lives, as they partied, fell in love, broke up, got back together, and just lived. To a young, sheltered Erin who went to church twice a week and didn’t have cable TV, these beach kids were otherworldly icons and nothing short of completely captivating.
To this day, I’m a huge reality TV fan, so I was thrilled to hear that Kristin and Stephen started a Laguna Beach recap podcast called Back to the Beach. 18 years later, they watch the show for the first time since it came out and break it down, one episode at a time. Kristin and Stephen are living out my biggest fear: watching and reliving the best and worst moments of their lives, for all the world to witness. And I cannot believe how casually they go about it.
Though Kristin and Stephen are no longer dating, they surprisingly share a sweet camaraderie and express strong respect and support for one another — the grace shown by two exes with such a tumultuous past now being friendly and easygoing is not lost on me. They made some pretty colossal missteps on the show, but they are able to address each other’s mistakes so nonchalantly. In episode 105, “‘What Happens in Cabo’ Part 2,” Stephen takes full accountability for his infamous outburst, calling the incident one of the worst moments in his life and sincerely apologizing to Kristin for the harm it caused her. Kristin’s response: “That wasn’t you, at all. In a lot of ways, it was almost relatable, because I feel like we’ve all experienced that really deep jealous feeling before, and it sucks. Was it your best moment? No, but that wasn’t who you are.” They fully embrace and address the pain, and then they skip right along, laughing about their “cringeworthy” moments in the next scene, as if nothing ever happened.
At the end of each podcast episode, Kristin and Stephen each rate their performance in the show episode and state one thing they wish they could do over. They give their own performances F’s almost every time; the only time so far that they’ve rated themselves at a B or an A has been in an episode that didn’t heavily feature their storylines.
I wish my brain allowed me to address my moments of failure with the same levity as Kristin and Stephen seem to be able to do for themselves and one another. I wish I could watch the video of my life and be so gracious.
In his book Kingdom, Grace, and Judgment, Robert Farrar Capon talks about the final judgment day and God’s wrathful fire, but not as a means of condemning sinners. Instead, God’s fire burns away the evil in the world that plagued people and robbed them of life. In this way, God’s burning fire saves us, bringing us life, unfettered by the pain we suffered here on earth. We may not get to heaven without our sins, but they won’t matter when we get there.
Hilary Duff, an early aughts teen pop icon, echoes Capon’s sentiments in the chorus of her classic hit “Come Clean” — the theme song for both Laguna Beach the podcast and the show:
Let the rain fall down
And wake my dreams
Let it wash away
My sanity
‘Cause I wanna feel the thunder
I wanna scream
Let the rain fall down
I’m coming clean
Robert Capon’s redemptive fire and Hilary Duff’s cleansing water meet my montage of guilt and regret with grace and restoration. The God I have come to know looks at the reel of my life with love and compassion. This God doesn’t force us to play our Laguna Beach humiliations and regrets on repeat, imagining how we could have and should have done better. I now think that God sees us as we are, coming to us as cleansing fire and water and lifting us out of shame and into new life, where we are simply, purely, utterly loved.
Welcome Horizons Fellows class of '23!
Introducing the Horizons Fellows, 2022-2023!
We are thrilled to welcome our new class of Horizons Fellows!
Horizons Fellows explore vocational discernment through relational discipleship, guided by mentors from varied careers, with a focus on developing a theologically rich understanding of personal calling to be pursued in all arenas of work and life. Through a fall retreat, monthly discussions as a cohort of Fellows, individual meetings with mentors, and large group lectures and workshops, we guide them to sense the horizon where the limitless sky and the concrete earth meet.
Thanks to Vintage Lunch Sponsor, Mary Chris & Phil McQuitty
This fall, we’re asking our community to consider sponsoring a Vintage Lunch. Each lunch is catered by a local Charlottesville eatery and helps feed 40-50 students who come hungry for food and community and spiritual nourishment.
Thank you, Mary Chris & Phil McQuitty, parents to alumna, Anna McQuitty, for being a Vintage Lunch sponsor!
1. Why did you choose to sponsor a Vintage lunch? How are you connected with Theological Horizons?
We chose to sponsor a Vintage lunch because Theological Horizons became a haven to my daughter while she was at school. The Vintage luncheons allowed her fellowship with students seeking a place for spiritual growth. Mostly, these luncheons brought her to a place of comfort. Meeting in this peaceful home and receiving a big hug every week from Karen Marsh provided our daughter a mental boost every week!
2. What blessing, quote, or advice would you like to share with a UVa student?
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
We are all given the privilege of the Lord's love and grace. Everyday is a fresh start! Begin again everyday with Him.
Thanks to Vintage Lunch Sponsor, Townsend McNitt
This fall, we’re asking our community to consider sponsoring a Vintage Lunch. Each lunch is catered by a local Charlottesville eatery and helps feed 40-50 students who come hungry for food and community and spiritual nourishment.
Townsend McNitt is mom to Perkins Fellow & Vintage Lunch Intern, Baillie McNitt ‘24.
Why did you choose to sponsor a Vintage lunch? How are you connected with Theological Horizons?
I first learned about TH when I read Karen’s book, Vintage Saints and Sinners. Baillie was a high school sophomore at the time but I remember telling her about Vintage Lunches and the work of TH and saying how wonderful it would be if she went to UVA and attended Vintage Lunches! And here we are, 5 years later, and Baillie is a Perkins Fellow and helping with Vintage Lunches. The Lord was clearly at work in all of this.
My husband and I are thrilled to support Vintage Lunches where students have a place to gather and grow in their faith while enjoying a good lunch! I love how TH is meeting students’ spiritual, mental and physical needs in such a simple, yet beautiful way.
What blessing, quote, or advice would you like to share with a UVa student?
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
"We pray, God of grace and eternal life, that you may increase in us and strengthen in us your hope. Let us always have a longing for you who are the fulfillment of our lives, let us always count on you and your faithfulness, let us always unflinchingly hold onto your power. Then we can tackle the task of our lives with courage, then there will live in us the joyous confidence of not laboring in vain, then we will do our work knowing that you, the Almighty One, are at work in us and through us. Strengthen in us your hope.”
It is a joy to play a very small part in the work of Theological Horizons. May God richly bless you and all the students and staff who gather!
Welcome Perkins Fellows class of '23!
Introducing the Perkins Fellows, 2022-2023
We are thrilled to welcome our new class of Perkins Fellows! Perkins Fellows explore vocation through weekly community engagement. Named after the great Christian community development leader John M. & Vera Mae Perkins, this program builds bridges between the University and the community through mutually-beneficial partnerships. Perkins Fellows are placed with a community partner to connect their learning through service and theological reflection. Fellows receive mentoring and training in cross-cultural engagement and community development, with an eye towards vocational discernment in these fields of work.
Ashley Prillerman
Ashley is a third year from Southern California, born and raised. She double majors in Anthropology with a Concentration in Medical Anthropology and Archaeology. She participates in some clubs and organizations called Chi Alpha, BRIDGE -- Bringing Race into Dialogue through Group Engagement, and OAAA Peer Advisor. In her free time, you can probably find her napping, but if not she likes to hike, crotchet, cook, and read. She gets the wonderful opportunity to serve with Kindness Cafe. Kindness Cafe is a cafe located in the YMCA that hires and supports adults with cognitive disabilities. She is super excited to serve with a staff whose main focus is to love and support others and to get to know and love the staff members she will be working with.
Grace Jackson
Grace is a second year from Falls Church, Virginia hoping to major in Global Studies, Batten, and/or a social science. She loves to be outside, be creative, and have good conversations. She is learning what it means to love "the least of these" like Jesus did and will be serving with Abundant Life Ministries.
Porter Brown
Porter is a 3rd year from Greenville, South Carolina majoring in Architectural History and Spanish. He loves anything outdoors, especially skiing and fly fishing whenever he gets the chance! His community partner is Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/ Albemarle (LVCA). He has worked with LVCA in the past, and is excited to continue English and citizenship tutoring this year. He decided to work with LVCA to use his Spanish ability to assist others working towards English proficiency, which has also allowed him to practice my Spanish along the way!
Megnot Abebe
Megnot is a second year from Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. She’s planning to major in Commerce and Global Studies and enjoys having long conversations with people, spending time with friends and painting. She will be working with Abundant Life, who she chose to partner with “because of their holistic approach to serving community. They do not only offer opportunities of support, but engage community members by becoming one of them.”
Ava Flory
Ava is a second year at UVA planning to major in Commerce with a minor in Studio Art. She is from Falls Church, VA where she lived with her loving family and fluffy dog. When she’s not planning game nights or redesigning her room, you can find her sketching on the lawn, trying new foods, or exploring Charlottesville with friends. She has always been interested in how art can be coupled with business to enhance communities. Ava was very excited when she discovered IX Art Park and how they empower community through creativity. She looks forward to her year of volunteering with them and how she can grow through the process.
Baillie McNitt
Baillie is a third year studying Public Policy and Leadership and History. She hails from Annapolis, MD on the Chesapeake Bay, but loves her second home in Charlottesville. Although she loves VA hiking, her favorite place is the beach where she likes to surf and sail as well as enjoy a lovely beach read. She’ll be serving with The Haven, a day shelter serving folks struggling with homelessness.
September Prayers | Walking your prayers
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”
Dear friends.
This summer, I had the chance to walk a prayer labyrinth at a retreat center I had visited 20 years previous. It’s called Rivendell and it fits its Narnian-name - nestled high on a little mountain, overlooking Snug Harbor cove, on a small island just north of Vancouver where my husband and I attended seminary. Prayer walking and labyrinths are ancient expressions of embodied prayer that help take us out of our heads and into our lived experience. Perhaps you can find one this month or create your own meditative route.
- Christy
Labyrinth; A Poem
I walk the labyrinth to you.
Catching sight of your smile,
as though across a room.
I make my way but
my feet are slow,
tied to the ground.
While you are there, I realise I am far,
and the labyrinth that I walk
turns me away,
that I must cast
a look behind,
to see your face.
And I must go back
to where I begin,
again.
But you’re still there,
your gaze a beacon of light
in which I’m held.
And as I walk,
I realise both in shadow
and in sun,
this path is a spiral
leading on,
though I might appear to retrace my route.
And my heart all the while
is safe in yours,
in this grace which surrounds.
And I see how
this centre I’m seeking,
this face I love
is my own looking back
in the bosom
of your love.
-Ana Lisa de Jong
How does Gen Z use faith to cope with anxiety?
How does Gen Z use faith to cope with anxiety?
Reposted from: Springtide July 11, 2022
It’s no secret that everyone deals with stress, yet Gen Zers may be especially susceptible to stress and the anxiety and uncertainty that comes along with it. Data gathered in our report Belonging: Reconnecting America’s Loneliest Generation, show more than half the young people we surveyed experience multiple stressors. Two-thirds of young people feel like they don’t have enough time to get everything done, and 56 percent say they have a hard time relaxing.
Yet, for some young people, engaging with religion and spirituality helps them soothe the stresses of life. Hear from young people who have shared their experiences as part of our research efforts about how religious and spiritual beliefs and practices can turn anxiety into peace and calm.
Just having it as something that I can talk to or pray to and know that there's something bigger than what's going on in my life. And just knowing that there's a plan for me and just kind of trusting and whatever's happening is happening for a reason. And just having that play in to my mental health being like, if I'm not doing the best and I go and talk to someone, I can also have my faith to talk to and rely on and like pray to, to kind of figure out what's going on.
—Lana, 22
Back then, since I really didn't have spirituality to lean on, it kind of made every situation worse for me, but now that I have that to lean on I still experience anxiety, but it doesn't necessarily make me feel as worried or as anxious if I were to go through something because I have something else to rely on, which is spirituality. And so, it's like knowing I have crystals in my pocket any time or go meditate any time. Knowing that I can do that and do those things, it really gives me like a sense of security if I were to go through something traumatic because I know I'll get through it because I've already gone through so much, but this time I have like a side kick, like the universe has my back and my spirituality is like my sidekick. So like, I'm like, yeah, we can, we can get through it.
—Parker, 21
When I used to be a Christian, I viewed everything that happened to me was because of God's ordination. Like every single thing, every single person that you meet, every, basically every single thing that happens around you, it has a purpose. And it's a good idea to just rely on God and to trust God, to trust his plan and what he has prepared for you every day. So even if negative things happen, like I would view it as like a lesson to be learned or perhaps like, it's like a message.
—Darren, 19
If I'm really sad, sometimes I’ll just like sit and pray and then it almost like makes me feel better ‘cause I know if I'm not ready to talk to like a person in real life about my problems, I can just like explain them to God for me personally. And that's almost like a weight off my shoulders. And then even if I just go to church typically in church, I'm not thinking about my other problems. And so it's almost just like an hour of escape for your mind, to me.
—Misty, 17
A Blessing for a New Position - John O'Donohue
As we welcome our new colleague Erin Verham, and as so many of you begin new jobs, receive this blessing from the wise poet, John O’Donohue:
“Blessings for a New Position,” To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings
May your new work excite your heart,
Kindle in your mind creativity
To journey beyond the old limits
Of all that has become wearisome.May this work challenge you toward
New frontiers that will emerge
As you begin to approach them,
Calling forth from you the full force
And depth of your undiscovered gifts.May the work fit the rhythms of your soul,
Enabling you to draw from the invisible
New ideas and a vision that will inspire.Remember to be kind
To those who work for you,
Endeavor to remain aware
Of the quiet world
That lives behind each face.Be fair in your expectations,
Compassionate in your criticism.
May you have the grace of encouragement
To awaken the gift in the other’s heart,
Building in them the confidence
To follow the call of the gift.May you come to know that work
Which emerges from the mind of love
Will have beauty and form.May this new work be worthy
Of the energy of your heart
And the light of your thought.May your work assume
A proper space in your life;
Instead of owning or using you,
May it challenge and refine you,
Bringing you every day further
Into the wonder of your heart.- John O’Donohue, “Blessings for a New Position,” To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings (2008)
Meet our New Engagement & Communications Manager
We are thrilled to welcome Erin Haas Verham (UVa ‘16 & ‘17) to join us in a new, full time role to champion, organize and communicate the expanding work of Theological Horizons. Meet Erin!
Tell us a bit about your background.
I’m from Chesterfield, Virginia. I majored in Spanish Literature and Culture and got my Master’s in Teaching at UVa. I have family from Charlottesville, and we’d come to town for holidays, birthday parties, and sleepovers with my cousins. Charlottesville has always felt like a second hometown, so when I graduated, I decided to stick around. I’ve lived here for ten years now, and I love it!
What drew you to Theological Horizons?
Before TH, I hadn’t had much exposure to Christianity beyond the denomination of my upbringing, so I loved that TH introduced me to so many different strains of Christian thought and practice. At Vintage lunches, Karen read stories about people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Henri Nouwen, and John Perkins, among others, which left a lasting impression on me as I sought to understand how a good God could be present in such an unjust world. The Bonhoeffer House was a safe environment for asking difficult questions alongside others who welcomed the discourse, and this was very meaningful to me as a student.
I went straight into teaching after college, and five years later, I found myself burned out and hopeful for a change. When I saw the job listing for this position, I jumped at the chance to transition careers, especially with an organization that I held so dear. One thing led to another, and here I am!
What's your role at TH, and what are some hopes you have within it?
My title is the Engagement and Communications manager. I’ll have a role in a little bit of everything, keeping tabs on everyone so that things run smoothly. I’ll oversee the financials, tracking donations and managing the budget, in addition to filling some HR functions and coordinating staff and board meetings. I’m excited to get to know students at Vintage and through our intern partnerships. I hope to see ways in which my background in education will lend itself to my new responsibilities here.
What was the best class you took at UVa?
Definitely Introduction to Theater. We learned about different genres of theater and our assignments were performing our own interpretations of famous plays for the class. Our final exam was to create an original play from start to finish and then perform it for the class. The class gave me the opportunity to attend some really unforgettable plays and take an improv workshop taught by a troupe of clowns!
I often tried to incorporate what I learned from this class into my teaching; I loved using backdrops, costumes, props, sound effects, and actors to bring Spanish literature alive for my students. I’m also obsessed with Bravo reality shows, especially Real Housewives of New York and New Jersey, so for my 27th birthday, I wrote a Real Housewives-inspired play that I made my friends all dress up and perform together. I made a theme song complete with our faces morphed onto real video footage from the show, photoshopped my friends and I onto Housewives’ cast photos, created virtual backdrops with scenes from cast members’ real homes, etc. My friends even put together a Housewives-themed menu… we all went totally overboard, and it was the best. I loved the drama of it all. So of all the great classes I got to take at UVa, I’d say Intro to Theater has had the most lasting impact, hands down.
Join us for the Deeper Dialogues Facilitator Training!
Join us for the Deeper Dialogues Facilitator Training on August 27th from 10am-4:30pm. See our flyer here!
A Prayer of Peace and Strength
Saturate me in your presence,
safe from the lies of the enemy.
Saturate me in your Spirit,
casting all fear, anxiety, and doubt from my heart and mind.
Saturate me in your love, Lord God,
And keep me as the apple of your eye.
When I am tempted to fear, give me strength.
When I am tempted to anxious thoughts, give me peace.
When I am tempted to doubt, strengthen my faith with your very own.
- Kari Kristina Reeves
July Prayers | Look up!
Wherever you are, take a moment to look up and breath deeply God’s creational glory.
GREETINGS, FRIENDS.
July hopefully finds you with lingering moments to enjoy this breathtakingly beautiful world we indwell, in solitude or surrounded by people you love. Wherever you are, take a moment to look up and breath deeply God’s creational glory. Seventeenth-century rabbi, Yechiel Michel Halevi Epstein, recommended we gaze up at the sky daily to remind ourselves of the sacredness of all Creation. He wrote:
“When you get up, look out your window at the sky and the earth and recall the verse, 'Lift up your eyes on high and see -- who created all this?' (Isaiah 40:26). And think, 'How many are your works, YHVH, with wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creations' (Psalm 104:24). Think of how wonderful Creation is, the sky and the earth and all that is in them — plants, animals, humans, creatures great and wonderful.”
Please savor selections from Psalm 104 below as well as a poem by Luci Shaw written amidst the pandemic, inviting us to “look up” and be reminded of the loving kindness of the Lord.
-Christy Yates, Associate Director
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved…
How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—
he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.-selections from Psalm 104, NIV
How? - Poem by Luci Shaw
How shall we sing the Lord’s songs
in a strange land? The old rhythms,
the melodies of praise, strangle
in our throats and the words
fall to the ground like leaves in autumn.
The air thickens with suspicion and doubt
and who’s to say anymore, what
is true enough to last, to prevail?
Isolation feels like a punishment
for offenses we never performed.
Let us trust, now, the ground under
our feet—that which has proven steady
for generations. Look up. The heavens
are still there, unclouded, beatific.
We breathe, even though masks clothe
our faces. Prayer surrounds us, close
as our skin, weaving for us garments of
trust and solace. Even in our isolation
we are joined in love, never alone.
photo credit: Ashley Brooks, Essex, MA
Join us for the PhotoVoice Dialogue Series!
We at Theological Horizons are seeking 6 people to participate in a virtual 6 week dialogue series called PhotoVoice, an arts-based approach to interpersonal understanding that has participant photography at its core. PhotoVoice is a fresh expression of dialogue that goes beyond words to engage the very images that make up our lives.
Our friends and mentors at Essential Partners have selected Theological Horizons to pilot their new innovative project, which is an iteration of the powerful Reflective Structured Dialogue technique we’ve used to guide our recent Deeper Dialogues @ UVA.
We warmly invite YOU to join the first PhotoVoice cohort, made up of adults of varied ages and stages who will share photographs based on community-oriented prompts.
There is no cost for this six week summer series.
No photography skills or special equipment are needed, beyond a simple method for taking photos (smart phone or camera) and the capacity to join a virtual gathering.
INTERESTED? Email mary-dryden@theologicalhorizons.org by July 7, 2022.