[Oe List ...] Mathews Symposium Reflection

[Adam Thomson]

Also pictures - that would be really nice...

Love, Adam Thomson

END OF MESSAGE

At 14:04 28/12/2009, you wrote:
> From Janice Ulangca.  I'm smiling at the very memory of the event, 
> and putting my name at the beginning, as the source of these very 
> personal observations about both people and presentations.  I know 
> several interested people who could not get to the symposium, and 
> this report is especially for them.  If you were one of the 
> Symposiuneers, what struck you about the event?  (Thanks Marshall 
> for your insightful kickoff to these reflections.)   I'd love to 
> hear favorite quotes/impressions  from workshop tracks I could not 
> be in (you had to choose).
>
>The Mathews brothers were well-honored, with a balance of 
>interesting history and timely implications for present and future. 
>Bishop Felton May called them "the John and Charles Wesley of the 
>20th century."  Bishop Jim looked good, and only suggested his 90+ 
>years when he moved at a stately pace.  The presentations to the 
>whole group ranged from very good to over the moon.  If you could 
>not get there, you may want to get the document - when it's 
>available - that will contain the presentations and the list of all 
>who attended.
>
>Sights you could see most of the way through the event :  A 
>perplexed expression (who IS that vaguely familiar person?), 
>followed by delighted recognition, then by exuberant catching up 
>conversation.  And hugging, lots of hugging.  Each of us must have 
>our own list of people it was terrific to see for the first time in 
>a long time.  Mine includes Jane Stallman,  Joe and Marilyn 
>Crocker,  Margaret Aiseayew, George and Elise Packard,  Jeanette 
>Stanfield, Mary D'Souza, George Ensinger,  Bain Davis,  Randy 
>Williams, Priscilla Wilson,  Marie Sharp, Jack and Judy Gilles, Jan 
>Sanders, Marshall Jones, Jean Watts, Gene Marshall, Donna 
>Ziegenhorn,  Susan and Forrest Craver.  George and Carol Walters 
>look much the same as I remember them from the 1980s.
>
>Doug Druckenmiller, ICA-USA board president, was smiling,  after 
>what he acknowledged has been "a very tough year", with the board 
>now rebuilt after being down to two people at one point.  Terry 
>Bergdall, the new CEO of ICA-USA, was full of plans, and up for 
>suggestions. Huge relief was generally felt that he is now in that 
>position.  Karen Sims is the one person on staff now fulltime (other 
>functions, such as finances, are being contracted out as needed - a 
>big personnel savings).  After  many conference calls,  I was glad 
>to meet Karen in person.  Nan (don't have the last name), the new 
>Executive Director of ICA Canada was there, and you could observe 
>her with Karen drinking in EI/ICA history and culture.
>
>Though I had seen these folks more recently,  for me it's always 
>good to be with Nelson Stover,  John and Lynda Cock, Martha Shepp, 
>Bob and Sandra True, John and Ann Epps, Bill and Nan Grow, and Marge 
>Philbrook, who does not seem to change a bit, and just twinkles with 
>wisdom.  I was addressed by, and am now on hugging terms with, three 
>members of the Fifth City delegation, who were in my Urban Mission 
>workshop track.   Verdell Trice,  Lily Fox, and Marie, the Executive 
>Director of the 5th City Corporation,  made sure that the seminary 
>professors and seminary students who reported on their community 
>research,  stayed grounded in  inner city reality.  The seminary 
>folks saw the value of their experience.  George Holcombe guided our 
>workshop group expertly - with folks from the west coast, the east 
>coast, and the heartland.  The workshop guides had an exhilarating 
>time, with constant schedule changes due to the weather - and oh yes 
>- that power outage even before the snowstorm hit.  The power went 
>out, conveniently at the end of the opening plenary when the speaker 
>system was needed.  The workshop groups were due to convene in rooms 
>with window light but up dark stairs and down a dark hallway.  No 
>problem - in a few minutes Dr. Maynard Moore managed to get lots of 
>flashlights for the stairs and hall.  He was a genius at handling, 
>and clearly communicating, all the necessary changes.  The 
>flashlights were only the beginning!  We did, by the way, have 
>electricity and therefore heat, after maybe an hour and a half?, and 
>thankfully the rest of the time.
>
>Then there were the presenters.  The seminary folks were all good - 
>and their insights and context  were encouraging to me,  as I have 
>wondered about what some pastors had been exposed to in 
>seminary.  But I'll mention three particular presentations.
>
>Bishop Felton May challenged us to know the current realities of 
>inner city poor - a MESS - standing for Misery & Evil Side by Side. 
>"All the poor need is an enabling environment... The poor are forced 
>into the drug business to survive."
>
>Larry Ward  led us  on a journey, laced with humorous 
>observations,  toward a new understanding of how we create our own 
>identity.  It was an exhilarating mashup of  what I think of as EI 
>theology with his experiences with Buddhism in several parts of the 
>world.  "Kierkegaard:  'The self is a self created by itself.'  This 
>scares established institutions!  Our created identity is important 
>- we're coded to do it.  It becomes harmful when we refuse to 
>recognize that it's created - worship it - die for it - kill for 
>it... We must figure out how to understand the construction of our 
>own identity - and realize that this is a PLAY that we have 
>created.  So we don't need to hurt anyone that threatens our 
>identity (personal, group, national) ... Thich Nhat Hanh: 'The 
>Kingdom of God is always available.  The question is,  are YOU available?' "
>
>I don't recall being in an ICA gathering where the location was the 
>headline story in the national news for several days.  There were 
>rumors that the Foundational Power of the universe had dumped on 
>D.C. to keep the U.S. Senate in session until they acted on health 
>care.  But to me the extra time being snowed in at the hotel had a 
>special power of its own.  I was fortunate to be among folks over 
>Sunday breakfast who had a chance to hear Cyprian D'Souza's talk on 
>Kanbay.  He had given it to the Corporate Social Responsibility 
>workshop track, and this encore was by popular demand.  Kanbay was 
>formed in 1989  with social responsibility built into its DNA - not 
>an afterthought of giving after profits are taken.  It was acquired 
>in 2007 by a much larger company, Capgemini, which was interested in 
>the unique culture of Kanbay, and has kept Kanbay as a distinct unit 
>with their own building in the large company complex in France,  so 
>that they can learn from Kanbay's approaches.  I began spinning with 
>hopeful possibilities for corporations as Cyprian described the 
>practical organizational steps for translating values into behavior 
>in a corporate setting, with cultural dynamics at the center.  I 
>thought of the church at every level when he said, "Culture is what 
>you do - not what you say."   And when he described the company's 
>careful steps in dealing with nations  with difficult human rights 
>situations, I thought, "Some of these insights would be great for Afghanistan."
>
>This Symposium exceeded my hopes,  and I am very grateful to those 
>who dreamed it, and  worked beyond hard to make it happen.  I agree 
>with Doug Druckenmiller's  statement in the closing plenary.  Doug 
>said,  "I think this has been another Great Turn - a turn to the 
>center."   The term "Great Turn" evokes the "turn to the world" when 
>ICA was formed.  As with that major turn, it hardly means the work 
>is finished!  So there are exciting future directions to be pursued.
>
>A blest and fruitful New Year to all on this list serv, and also to 
>the folks you've built good working relationships with, in your own 
>geography.  Namaste.
>
>Janice
>
>
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