Like my husband, Wendell Berry grew up a son of tobacco farmers in Kentucky. Unlike my husband, who says “I got out of there as soon as I could,” Berry stayed to get a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Kentucky. For the past forty years, Berry has lived and worked on a 125- acre homestead near Port Royal, a town on the banks of the Kentucky river in the northwest part of the state. He farms there, but more importantly, he is the author of more than thirty books of poetry, short stories, essays, and novels. My college English professor introduced me to Mr. Berry’s writings, but I had forgotten about them until my younger brother Paul requested a few Wendell Berry books for Christmas some years back. My brother and his family live on Black Sheep Farm, 15 acres in Vermont, where they  are trying to live out the values that are a theme throughout Wendell Berry’s work.

from Wikipedia .. “ According to Berry, the good life includes sustainable agriculture, appropriate technologies , healthy rural communities , connection to place, the pleasures of good food, husbandry , good work, local economics , the miracle of life, fidelity, frugality , reverence , and the interconnectedness of life.”

For today, this verse from Wendell Berry...

“ So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. “

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" from The Country of Marriage, copyright © 1973 by Wendell Berry, reprinted by permission of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.

Last week we celebrated my twins’ twenty-third birthday. Finding out who they really are and what they feel called to do with their lives is foremost in the minds of my young adult son and daughter right now. As they test their own limits and set off into unfamiliar territory, they are getting nostalgic and seeking comfort in family and childhood pleasures. So although they often go for a month without talking to each other, my children spent a significant part of their birthday side by side -- swinging their arms in the air as they played golf and tennis on the Nintendo Wii. It was heartwarming to hear their celebratory whoops and laughter as they reverted to a childhood pastime – even if it was a video game!

Before the birthday dinner at a restaurant, our family went to see the Dreamworks film, Shrek the Third. The movie concluded with a song performed by Eddie Murphy, Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself Again. Donkey and Puss-in-Boots dance joyfully around the film credits as they sing the song. As I listened to it, I wondered about how easy it seems for young children to “be themselves.” Very young children seem to naturally connect with the joy and wonder in the world around them. Their true selves seem unaffected by the attitudes and opinions of others. They will laugh and play and ask for what they want without worrying about the impression they make. As children get older, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to “be themselves.” Peer pressure and parental expectations increase for them as they make their way in the world. Then the expectations of bosses and coworkers get added to the mix. When my children were younger, I turned to Wayne Dyer’s book What Do You Really Want for Your Child? to help me remember to value my children’s attempts to be true to themselves.

Right now, as my own children struggle to make meaning in their lives, I am recommending a book that might help them: Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. This small volume, written by a famous Quaker educator, makes a good graduation gift. But is also good for those of us at any age looking for ways to be ourselves again. The 109 pages of text are full of personal stories, humor, and a few provocative questions – all of which have helped me remain determined to keep trudging on the path toward personal fulfillment as I look for ways to serve others who might benefit from my gifts. Because I think people can be themselves again when they are living into their true vocation. At its best, it is a joyful process.

Yes, you’ve heard that analogy for information overload applied to everything from getting an education from MIT to navigating the internet. It certainly applies to attending a good professional conference. Most recently for me, it was the Kanuga Lifelong Christian Learning Conference I mentioned in an earlier entry. The deluge of useful information and inspiring ideas for setting up a nursery that promotes growth, working toward the Millennium Development Goals, for large group ice breakers, activities and worship – and for education and formation programs for children, youth, and adults was so utterly overwhelming it left me unable to decide what to try to use first.

The week was divided into two parts -- with a focus on adult formation at the beginning of the week followed by workshops about serving children and youth starting on Wednesday. This format will be followed at the conference again next year. Check Kanuga’s web site as well as my own archives for photos of this year’s conference. And don’t miss it next year! It is difficult to get my job and personal life in enough order be able to get away for a week. But the pay off is enormous. There is the obvious joy that comes from having Kanuga’s staff cook, serve, and clean for you, and the beauty of sitting in rocking chairs overlooking a lake in the hills of scenic North Carolina...and the camaraderie that develops from spending time with people who share your passion for teaching and learning... and the peaceful feeling of creating lovely music with others around you (Both Paul Fromberg of St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco and Fran McKendree used music from many cultures and had us chanting and singing like angels!)

There are many professional conferences you can attend. It can be difficult to find the money and the time, but it can make the difference between feeling burned out or getting a shot of adrenaline that will help you flourish in your work for months and years to come. Check the pages of this site for some of the ideas I gathered at the Kanuga conference. And please write back and share your wisdom and experience. Together we can grab something new and change lives.

Christian education used to be the name of my area of expertise. Then many of us who work in the field found that for a lot of people, the word "education" brought to mind sitting up straight in desks and absorbing information from teachers who had definitive answers to give us about what the Bible means and how church traditions should be practiced in our daily lives.  As we looked around and saw fewer and fewer adults engaged in education hour on Sunday mornings -both as Sunday school teachers and adult learners - we realized that too many people did not understand how lively and engaging growing in our faith can be. So the term "Christian formation" came into practice. It brings to mind a sloppier image -- maybe working with clay -- that better portrays what happens when a group of Christians get together to study our faith. We listen and question and argue and reflect. We share stories. We learn from each other, not only from the "experts."  Godly Play and Journey to Adulthood are two approaches to Christian formation for young people that reflect the shift in attitude away from learning facts about the Bible toward making meaning in our lives through learning the faith stories of the people of God.

Now, I've seen an even newer term emerge: Lifelong Christian Learning.  It is in the job title of Amy Richter, our diocesan staff person in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.  And now, it appears in the title of a conference I am about to participate in at Kanuga, the national Episcopal retreat center in the mountains of North Carolina. I will present two workshops at the Week of Lifelong Learning: Making Disciples, Healing the World.  From what I know about the keynote speakers and other workshop presenters, this looks to be an amazing formation experience for everyone who attends.  And the title conveys my deepest hope for the children and youth I work with.  This generation of children and youth seem focused on healing the world -- they are acutely aware of both ecology and justice issues. But they feel overwhelmed and want guidance about how to change the world.  No matter how much my title evolves, I believe that "making disciples" is the best way to make the changes we all yearn for.  I want to help the children learn all the amazing ways Jesus showed us --through his life and example -- how to heal the world.