Benjamin Pratt: The Brass Communion Rail

Ale and evangelism!
For millions of Christians, they go together like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. After all, Lewis and Tolkien were ringleaders of the Inklings, who famously haunted the Eagle and Child (the pub in Oxford shown in today’s two photos) along with Charles Williams, Hugo Dyson and sometimes other writers and scholars. Eventually, the friends were gathering to read aloud and discuss their works most Mondays and Tuesdays in a room of the pub still known as the Rabbit Room.

Not long ago, we passed the 30th anniversary of Theology on Tap—the very popular American Catholic version of pairing pints with preaching. That particular American format has flowed back across the oceans East and West to a dozen other countries’ public houses. Countless Catholics have partaken since the early 1980s in conversations led by priests—as well as some of the church’s leading lights. The late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin enjoyed Theology on Tap. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington D.C. since 2006, once showed up to try his first evening teaching at a pub and received a huge round of applause.
“That’s the warmest welcome I’ve ever received in a pub,” Wuerl told the patrons. Then he smiled, and added, “That’s the first welcome I’ve ever received in a pub!”

Dr. Benjamin Pratt, author of Guide for Caregivers and the James Bond Bible-study book called Ian Fleming’s Seven Deadlier Sins reports that he is not personally a regular at brass rails. However, he does occasionally enjoy a good pint, and he recognizes the long-standing tensions between secular and sacred communion rails in many communities around the world. For those bridging the gap in the rails, he offers this prose-poem—a prayerful meditation he invites you to reflect upon and share with friends.

He calls it simply:

The Brass Communion Rail

By the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Pratt

Ever present Lord,
I was sitting on a bar stool
At the local Sports Bar,
My feet on the brass rail,
Having a Guinness and a burger.
Keeping an eye on the game,
I opened my laptop,
Taking notes for an upcoming sermon.

Three young men approached—
Teased me about drinking black, bitter mud.
I said, “Guinness is Gaelic for ‘genius’!
I’m hoping to be one
Since I’m trying to write a sermon.”
We laughed.

They teased me some more:
“Your team’s losing Pastor!”

I loved those guys right away.

They kept me laughing and finally said,
“Maybe we’ll see you Sunday, Pastor!
Hope the Guinness works,
But if it doesn’t—
A fiver says your Heart and Faith will!”
They were off, their laughter ringing.

Back at my pint and portable,
Sipping and tapping notes,
I noticed a man a few stools over—arise.
He shuffled my way,
“Excuse me, did I hear those guys call you Pastor?”

“You did!”

“I’m surprised to meet a Pastor drinking in a Sports Bar,
But maybe things have changed!
I haven’t been in a church since …
Well, the truth is: I left! They made me so mad!
I couldn’t or wouldn’t ever live up to their standards of perfection.
Hypocrites! They didn’t live up to them either.
I knew what they did when they weren’t at church.”

“You still have a lot of sadness about that,” I said.

“I thought I was only angry, but—
Maybe I am sad about how it all worked out.”

“You wouldn’t have spoken to me if you were only angry.”

“Where’s your church, Pastor?”

“Lots of places. Sunday mornings on Elm Street.
More often in hospital rooms, funeral parlors, gardens, offices, the jail,
Or at this Brass Communion Rail.
Looks to me like you’ve already joined us.
Welcome!”

He sat again.
This time on the stool next to me.

My silent prayer:
Ever-present Lord,
Bless us to know that our
Brass Communion Rail
Is where we join You in tending bar,
Bringing grace to anyone in need.

Amen

CARE FOR MORE FROM BENJAMIN PRATT?

There are links to Dr. Pratt’s two books, above. If you’re looking for fresh ideas to use in your congregation, we can report: A growing number of congregations nationwide are forming small groups to discuss the spiritual support of America’s 65 million caregivers. Ben’s book is a great guide in that process. Plus, this autumn is the 50th anniversary of James Bond movies—so Ben’s Bond Bible study book is a timely choice for a fall series. This meditation, The Brass Communion Rail, is posted jointly into ReadTheSpirit and the website for Day1, the nationwide radio network. If you are active in your congregation, click on that Day1 link and bookmark Ben’s section of that website. Each month, Ben posts another resource you’ll enjoy—and want to share with friends. He welcomes you to share these words.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

Beauty of Ramadan, the fasting month for 1 billion

Ramadan lights going up in the Muslim section of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Click the cover to learn more about this book.Ramadan Mubarak!
That’s the phrase to greet Muslim neighbors and colleagues. The word Mubarak (the same as the name of Egypt’s former president) means “Blessed,” so the greeting “Ramadan Mubarak” conveys the wish, “Have a Blessed Ramadan!”
Ramadan 2012 is different!

That’s largely due to the Olympic games coinciding for the first time with Ramadan. Because more than 1 billion people around the world are Muslim, that means many athletes traveling to London will have to adapt for the fasting month. Ramadan rarely plays a positive role in global headline news distributed in non-Muslim countries. This year, it will, thanks to the Olympics.
Today, ReadTheSpirit recommends that readers consider ordering a copy of “The Beauty of Ramadan,” by Najah Bazzy, a nationally known cross-cultural nurse and human-rights activist. Najah’s book is packed with fascinating information about the religious and also the health concerns surrounding Ramadan. Even if you are not a Muslim, this information is vital to educators, public-safety professionals, medical personnel and community leaders.

WHEN DOES RAMADAN BEGIN IN 2012?

Fast begins in daylight hours, Friday July 20 or Saturday July 21.
The actual beginning of the fast depends on many factors: Does one follow the lunar cycles with scientific instruments? Or does one start the fast only with eye-sight confirmation of the moon? What do leading imams in your region decide for the larger community? Is there an official schedule for your nation? News media reports across the Middle East and Asia are pointing toward July 21 for some regions, based on reporting by the Islamic Crescents’ Observation Project. (On the Project’s website, you can find elaborate astronomical charts.)

Across most of the U.S., the first fast is set for July 20: The Fiqh Council of North America is led by Muslim authorities across the U.S. from a wide range of ethnic groups and both the Sunni and Shi’a sects. The Council accepts calculation of the new crescent moon, marking Ramadan, by using scientific instruments. So, the Fiqh Council declares for the U.S.: “The first day of Ramadan is Friday, July 20, insha’Allah.” (That final phrase means, “God willing.”) Then, the fasting month ends with a huge celebration (the “Eid u-Fitr”), marked by a new lunar crescent that starts a new month. The Fiqh Council declares: “Eid ul-Fitr is Sunday, August 19, insha’Allah.”

MYTH: DURING RAMADAN, MUSLIMS EAT LESS

The world’s billion-plus Muslims certainly eat and drink less during daylight hours, but during the evenings—and, in some cultures and communities, all night long—Muslims enjoy a festive Thanksgiving-like relationship with their food and drink. This is a time of family gatherings; friends spend time together at mosques and in cafes; family matriarchs pull out all the stops in making favorite dishes.

How much extra food? The oldest English-language newspaper in the Middle East, the Egyptian Gazatte, reports that Egyptians are anxious about food prices as each Ramadan rolls around. A July 4 Gazette report explained to readers: People eat 70 per cent more during Ramadan, according to a study conducted by the Chamber of Foodstuffs. Consumption of sugar and pastry increases even by 100 per cent, meat and poultry by 50 per cent and diary products by 60 per cent. The consumption of rice and wheat increases only by 25 per cent.”

Price gouging and price supports? In such a month, price gouging can be a problem and one UAE news publication reports: Ministry of Economy’s office in the Emirates has intensified price checks to ensure that all outlets, including super markets, groceries, salons and maintenance service shops, are not increasing prices.” Recognizing the huge importance of Ramadan, the government of Pakistan actually provides national subsidies to needy families through thousands of regional food stores. The program provides bundles of typical foods families need to provide night-time meals, bought in mass quantities by the government, bundled into “Ramadan Packs,” then sold at a deep discount to low-income families.

RAMADAN AND THE OLYMPICS: POSITIVE NEWS FROM THE UK

The Muslim calendar is based on lunar cycles. So, observances like Ramadan “move forward” through the world’s standard calendar. In 2011, Ramadan was entirely in August. In 2012, the start of fasting moves into mid-July and that’s a crisis for Muslim athletes competing in the 2012 Olympics.

In their Ramadan reporting, the Times of India and Reuters are citing a university study that, in a typical summer soccer match, an athlete loses 2 liters of body fluids. Fasting under such conditions seems impossible—but Islam traditionally exempts travelers from fasting as well as anyone for whom fasting poses a health risk. Olympic competitors might claim either exemption; and Muslim scholars are suggesting a range of other ideas from “making up” the fast later to donating funds for feeding hungry families.

Across the UK, non-Muslims are suddenly well aware of Ramadan in a positive way. Muslim athletes suddenly are talking about the depth of their faith—and their commitment to peacemaking and helping the poor during Ramadan. And there’s more! Muslim organizations in areas around the Olympic venues are welcoming both Muslim and non-Muslim visitors for Iftars (breaking-the-fast dinners after the sun sets). The UK grocery giant Tesco has set up a Ramadan portal within its website, already declaring: “Ramadan Mubarak.” Among the featured Tesco items are dates, traditionally the first bite each night as the fast is broken.

Also: Read the News Release on Ramadan posted within the official 2012 London Olympics website.

And: There is more about the Olympics debate in Stephanie Fenton’s Holiday column on Ramadan.

RAMADAN: A GREAT TIME FOR VISITING

Red-Carpet Hospitality in the UK: Given the global focus on London during Ramadan, various UK nonprofits and religious groups have established Iftar 2012, a program to organize and publicize a wide array of welcoming events. The information is centered on the Iftar 2012 website, a colorful collection of newsy posts and information.

Iftar 2012 describes its mission this way: “The British Muslim community invites you and your Olympic team to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join them in a Ramadan fast-breaking meal during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Never before has the Olympics in the modern era coincided with the Islamic calendar month of Ramadan. Iftar 2012 is hoping to deliver the Ramadan experience with the help and support of Mosques, Islamic centers, community groups during the 2012 Olympics.” In many places on the website, the organization emphasizes that this is open to “Muslims and non-Muslims, people of all colors and races, people of faith and no faith.”

Hospitality across the United States: While Iftar 2012 in the UK already had generated a lot of news coverage, the same hospitality is shown by Muslim communities across the U.S. Generally, non-Muslims are welcome to visit mosques on most nights of Ramadan. It’s best to visit with a Muslim friend or to call ahead to ensure that someone from the mosque will orient you to the evening’s program. Most American Muslim centers do not provide nightly Iftar meals; that’s not typically a part of the evening gatherings for prayer and inspirational talks. However, most American Muslim communities do host occasional Iftars for friends and visitors. Call a local mosque or Muslim center and ask about local plans in your part of the U.S.

SERMON WELCOMING RAMADAN BY PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)

The Prophet’s sermon on Ramadan is one of the world’s most famous Muslim texts. Countless versions rendered in English are floating around the Internet, some of them more difficult to understand than others. For her book, The Beauty of Ramdan, Najah Bazzy consulted Muslim scholars and, then, gives readers this formal and yet accurate paraphrase in English. Note on parenthetical terms: The letters PBUH are a way for Muslim writers to show respect for the Prophets in their religious tradition, including Moses and Jesus. They stand for “Peace Be Upon Him.” In most English translations of Muslim texts in Arabic, parentheses are used to indicate words that go further than translation to add clarity to the otherwise unwritten context of a line.

Muslims enjoy the Quran inside the huge mosque in central Jakarta, Indonesia. Another popular form of worship is to recite the various Arabic “names” or attributions of God, often using a string of beads that sometimes are described, in English, as a rosary.O People! The month of God (Ramadan) has approached you with His mercy and blessings. This is the month that is the best of all months in the estimation of God. Its days are the best among the days; its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours.

This is a month in which He has invited you. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honors of God, the Merciful. In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the heavenly reward of the praise of God on rosary beads (tasbeeh), and your sleep has the reward of worship.

Your good deeds are accepted in this month. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord, in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils, that God may bless you. Observe fast, in this month, and recite the Holy Quran.

Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of God in this month must be very unfortunate having an end as bad (in the Hereafter). While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow in eternity. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respect to your elders.

Have pity on those younger than you and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.

Be kind to orphans so that if your children become orphans they also may be treated with kindness. Do invoke God that He may forgive your sins. do raise your hands at the time of Salat (Prayers), as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him; when we call Him, He responds; and when we ask for anything, it is accepted by Him.

O People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires; make it free by invoking Him for repentance and forgiveness. Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate before Him for long inervals and lighten your load.

Do understand fully well that God has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honor that He wil lnot take to task such people who fast and offer prayers in this month and perform prostration, and will guard their bodies against the punishment on the Day of Judgment.

O People! If anybody amongst you arranges for the Iftar (food for the ending of the fast) of any believer, then God will give you a reward as if you have set free a slave. He will forgive your minor sins.

Then the companions of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “But everybody amongst us does not have the means to do so?”

Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told them: Keep yourself away form God’s wrath, by inviting for Iftar, though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else. O People! Anybody who may cultivate good manners in this month wil walk over the bridge to the next life with ease, though his feet may be shaking.

Anybody who in this month may take light work from his servants (male or female), God will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.

Anybody who covers the faults of other sin this month, God will cover his faults in this life and in eternity. Anybody who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, God shall look at him with dignity in the Hereafter. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, God will bestow His mercy on him, while anybody who mistreats his kinsmen in this month, God will keep him away from His mercy.

Whoever offers a recommended prayer in this month, God will give him freedom from Hell. Whosoever offers one obligatory prayer in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers, which were offered by him in any other month.

Whosoever recites repeatedly Peace and blessings upon me, God will keep the scales of his good deeds heavy, (promising heaven).

READ MORE ABOUT MUSLIM LIFE AND RAMADAN

More about Ramadan in our Holidays column. Writer Stephanie Fenton follows Holidays and Festivals around the world. Her column already has additional details about the start of Ramadan. You may also want to bookmark the URL to her column https://readthespirit.com/religious-holidays-festivals/ so that you can follow upcoming stories about individual holidays that are marked within the month of Ramadan—whch will be published as Stephanie files those stories.

Read an interview with Dr. John Esposito, widely regarded as a top English-language scholar on Islam. ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm conducted this interview with Esposito a couple of years ago, but most of the scholar’s conclusions are relevant to this day.

Athlete’s point of view: Female Tae Kwan Do instructor Fidaa Bazzi talks about the difficult challenge of following the Ramadan fast as an athlete and college student in the U.S.

Mom’s point of view: Cooking during Ramadan is quite an effort, explains Zahia Hassen.

Hearing the Quran recited during Ramadan is one of the most beautiful and memorable experiences for Muslims around the world. Radwan Almadrahi talks about this experience.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ‘THE BEAUTY OF RAMADAN,’ a complete book about this season by cross-cultural nurse Najah Bazzy. This book not only explains the month of fasting in detail, but also contains information that is helpful to educators, health care professionals and community leaders.

Please help us to reach a wider audience

We welcome your Emails at [email protected]
We’re also reachable on Twitter, Facebook, AmazonHuffington PostYouTube and other social-networking sites. 
You also can Subscribe to our articles via Email or RSS feed.
Plus, there’s a free Monday morning Planner newsletter you may enjoy.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

Hospitality: You don’t need to be wealthy—to be truly rich

Benjamin Pratt, at left, enjoys the hospitality of new friends, including Noreen and her mother Barbara (smiling at Noreen).In the midst of global fears about nuclear weapons, terrorists, economic collapse—and a host of other anxieties—a small but growing number of religious voices are calling for the revival of a timeless spiritual truth: Hospitality. In the ancient world from Rome and Greece to Asia, the code of hospitality was so sacred that Hindus described it from the Upanishads as Atithi Devo Bhavah, which means “the guest is God.” Hospitality became a core of Abrahamic religions as well.

Men and women are stirring the grassroots, right now, to fan a revival of hospitality. In Michigan, several professors from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit already have created an interreligious network exploring this idea, partly through a fledgling website called Essential Core. The seminary’s Professor of Biblical Studies Charles Mabee says that hospitality is powerful partly because it counters our culture’s obsession with competition. Even though hospitality pushes us to humble ourselves and serve our guests, Mabee points out that “we actually become greater through acts of hospitality; by them, we expand what is humanly possible.”

Starting today, ReadTheSpirit will publish an occasional series of articles from men and women fanning the sparks of this revival. Our first story comes from author Benjamin Pratt …

Serving Hospitality on Paper Plates

By Benjamin Pratt

Simply made yet gorgeous desserts were a highlight of our meal.The current Washington Post Magazine features two articles with dazzling pictures of extravagant Washington dinner parties brokered by and with the “in” people of money and power. Sally Quinn reports that at the Correspondents’ Association dinner she found herself sandwiched between the Kardashians and Newt and Callista Gingrich. In the midst of shoving and shouting throngs, she said, “I was shoved up against Callista’s hair and nearly broke my nose. It was scary.” Ouch, that’s not what I call hospitality.

Saturday, my wife Judith and I enjoyed a traditional summer neighborhood cookout—hotdogs, hamburgers, baked beans, watermelon, homemade desserts and lots of warm hospitality. Music, inviting smiles and laughter were abundant, making the gracious home around the corner from ours a welcoming place. But the setting, with an access ramp at the front of this residential house, is not a typical home.

I won’t forget eating a delicious trifle as I turn to the woman next to me to say, “This is really delicious. How long did it take you to make it?”

“Not very long, it is very simple to make,” she says quietly with a shy smile.

“I like it very much, Noreen. I like being here with you in your home,” I respond. She smiles a little broader but does not look into my eyes.

Noreen is one of five residents who live in this group home for persons with intellectual and/or physical disabilities provided by Fairfax County Community Services Board. Noreen does have a job. She travels by bus to the Commerce Department in Washington, DC, each work day to deliver mail to the offices within the building. She cannot read letters but can read numbers and is a welcome member of that work community.

Noreen’s mother, Barbara, has come for the party. Before she sits down, she caresses her daughter’s face which folds into her mother’s cradling arms and they radiate delight as their heads touch. Soon, Kenny, another resident, glides by walking backward while holding the hands of Kathy, as he leads her to a seat at the table. She is followed by Anissa, a staff member who supports Kathy because her disability prevents independent walking. Anissa is one of the staff caregivers who convey love, patience and respect for each of the residents. Eventually, Kenny treated us to his beautiful singing voice as he portrayed Bruce Springsteen singing “Atlantic City.” I think Kenny knows the words of every Springsteen song.

Community Service Boards serve many functions throughout our nation. Among these functions are meeting the residential, outpatient, and day-support needs of citizens with mental illness as well as offering opportunities for occupational and residential independence for citizens with physical and mental disabilities. Increasingly, these boards not only support the care of elderly citizens with mental disabilities and their families, but they directly assist families in caring for members with mental illness, mental disabilities and substance use disorders.

Judith and I are grateful for the trust and hospitality extended us at this lovely home. This gathering of residents, staff, family and neighbors was refreshingly devoid of preoccupations with power, money, class or intellectual acumen that characterized the glamorous soiree Sally Quinn wrote about. Instead, we met in the simple trust that each person would bring honesty, respect and generosity to the moment. And that was refreshing.

Hospitality means having enough love to welcome a friend or stranger, and to be more interested in that person than in one’s self and one’s own agenda. Hospitality and trust make space to truly listen to the other’s story. I am so pleased I was not at the Correspondents’ Association dinner. I am humbled and delighted that I was included at our Group Home’s neighborhood cookout.

Dr. Benjamin Pratt lives in the Washington D.C. area, where he has written two books that are widely used by individuals and groups: Ian Fleming’s Seven Deadlier Sins & 007’s Moral Compass, a Bible study with James Bond and—now finding its way into many congregations and secular groups nationwide—the new Guide for Caregivers, Keeping Your Spirit Healthy When Your Caregiver Duties and Responsibilities Are Dragging You Down.

Please help us to reach a wider audience

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Plus, there’s a free Monday morning Planner newsletter you may enjoy.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

Discovering Amish culture, grace and good food

Click on the book cover to visit the Amazon page.Saloma Furlong is traveling the country, talking to groups in schools, libraries and churches about one of the most popular topics in American culture these days: the Amish and the nature of Amish reconciliation. One measure of the buzz is the fact that barnstorming evangelist Shane Claiborne talks about the Amish wherever he goes. ReadTheSpirit just published a three-part series with Shane. If you do watch his Jesus for President DVD, you will find an Amish story retold at a crucial point in Shane’s stump speech calling for a new approach to politics in America. Shane is bearded and lives in an intentional community, but he is not Amish.

Saloma Furlong is a rare and important new author, because she isn’t an outsider looking into Amish life. She comes from generations of Amish and tells her story in a memoir, Why I Left the Amish (now available in paperback and Kindle versions). With our story, today, you’ll find a delicious Amish recipe (below) that her family has prepared for centuries.

Thanks to a recent PBS documentary, The Amish, which we covered in ReadTheSpirit, Americans now know that Saloma left her family’s home as a young adult. She left partly because she wanted to pursue higher education, which was barred by Amish rules, and also because her household was unable to control a couple of abusive figures. Leaving her Amish community opened new horizons for Saloma, as well as safely removing her from the grasp of predators. Today, years later, her real-life stories of Amish life, history and culture are fascinating educational experiences. Her work is praised by Dr. Donald Kraybill, the most esteemed scholar of Amish culture in the U.S. today. Groups often invite Saloma to give talks providing an educational overview of the Amish. Sometimes, she is invited to tell her own inspiring story of reconciliation—and many are moved by her courageous and grace-filled journey to peace with her family. (You can read more about her life in her book by clicking on the cover with today’s story—and in our interview later this week.)

Also Read: Our ReadTheSpirit author interview with Saloma Furlong.
TODAY:
We’ve got a rich array of resources to let you dig deeper into Amish culture (below).
And, because life is short, we will start with dessert …

SALOMA FURLONG’S TIPS ON DAMPFNUDEL DESSERT

Photo by Oliver S, released via Wikimedia Commons.In Saloma’s home, they pronounced the name Dampfnip but her research indicates that the basic recipe her mother prepared came directly from their German ancestors and is most commonly known today as Dampfnudel. “In my academic work, I am very interested in doing research into the Amish communities as they once were in Europe,” Saloma says. “A lot of scholars have documented Amish life in America, but there is not as much historical research into the Amish in Europe and how they vanished from their homeland. Studying my own family, I have traced my genealogy back 14 generations in the U.S. Then, once, when I was visiting the University of Hamburg, I discovered the same dessert that my mother made at home. This original German recipe had survived unchanged through 14 generations in America.”

Today, home cooks have made lots of adaptations to what Saloma describes as “basically a risen bread dough that is fried in a covered pan and then there is a sauce put over it.” Wikipedia has a brief overview article on Dampfnudel. Searching around the Internet for a recipe close to her mother’s, Saloma recommends a version on Tastebook, which offers several options in a single recipe.

SALOMA FURLONG’S STORY IN PBS’S THE AMISH

Millions of Americans saw a short version of Saloma Furlong’s story in the landmark broadcast of the two-hour American Experience documentary, The Amish. In our review of the film, ReadTheSpirit calls it the best documentary on the Amish we’ve ever seen.

To begin to understand Saloma’s dramatic life story, let’s start today with what she told the world on PBS …
Early in the film, she explains the strict nature of Amish living. At one point, she says:
“Men were supposed to have hats with at least so many inches of brim on the hat. They were supposed to wear vests when they were out visiting. … And the women had to wear coverings. … Dresses should be at least halfway between the knees and the ankles. They shouldn’t wear colors that were not allowed in the community. Pink or red, or any of those really bright colors, were not allowed. The Amish go over those rules, over and over again … It’s a way of maintaining the religion. And it keeps people thinking the Amish way.”

Later in the documentary, Saloma explains that she began questioning things from childhood: “I was always asking, ‘Why can we hire taxi drivers to take us to Middlefield to buy our groceries, but I’m not allowed to have a bicycle that would pedal me there to get my own groceries on my own?’ My mother would say to me, ‘Oh Saloma, you would just be so much better off, if you didn’t ask these questions.’ So there would be no answer.”

Then, in an extended sequence within the film, Saloma tells some of her story about leaving her Amish home and community. She begins by explaining how much she loved school, as a little girl: “I was in my element in school. My desk was my little domain. At home there was not even one private space. Not a drawer, not anything. School was absolutely my best time. And it opened up a whole new world and a whole new way of thinking. When I was going into eighth grade, I knew that this was going to be my last year. And I didn’t really allow myself to think about it until it was over.

“When it really hit me was the first day of the school term when my younger sisters and my younger brother started going to school. I remember going upstairs to my room, and I remember sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down at the woven rug at my feet and saying, ‘Now what? You know, I used to be able to get away from all of this.’ And I just saw my future as pretty much a long stretch of boredom. And then I heard my mother calling me, ‘Where are you? Wu bist du?

“I wanted to just yell back, ‘Where do you think I am?’

“Mom said, ‘Come on down. You need to help with the dishes.’ And so I made my bed and I went down. Picked up the towel off the counter and started drying dishes, and it was just one of those moments where I felt like: If I could change this, I would. And I couldn’t at that moment, but I did later.

“I was 20 years old when I finally decided: This is it, I need to leave. Once I was in Burlington, Vermont, I just remember the feeling I had when I woke up in my own little bed, in my own little room, that first morning. I felt like I was a whole new person. Like I could be anybody I wanted to be, and that I was no longer Amish. Not inside and not out. I got my dream job, as a waitress at Pizza Hut. And then I started dating.”

The man who later became her husband, David Furlong, then appears in the documentary and says: “She was more direct in a lot of ways. She was clearer in what she wanted to do. She was also a very good cook. And believe me that counted for something. And I think, you know, I was also experiencing her sense of freedom. And that’s kind of an attractive thing.”

Saloma adds: “I knew, sooner or later, Mom would call. And she did. She called one night to say, ‘We’re on our way to come and get you.’ She started speaking in the Amish language. She knew what she was doing. She was pulling me, right back into the world I’d left. Something changed in me, where I couldn’t say no. The Amish life is not about saying no. It’s about going along.”

David Furlong: “I got a phone call from her. It was a different person that I was talking to than I had known. She had switched off some part of herself.”

Saloma: (After returning to the Amish), “I was there for two years and eight months. And it was a very long two years and eight months. And then I realized, that no matter how hard I tried, this Amish life just doesn’t fit me. I wanted freedom. I wanted to make my own choices about education, about my spirituality, about my relationships. David and I got married a year and a half later. Though I sent them invitations, nobody from my home community came—and none of my family. The life I knew was ending. I was letting people down. Especially my mother. She wrote to me, and said, ‘Well, today you were put from the church,’ meaning you are now shunned.”

You’ll Also Want to Read: Our ReadTheSpirit interview with Saloma Furlong about her life and book.

WATCH THE OPENING PORTION OF THE AMISH FILM

Read our earlier coverage of this documentary to learn more about the scope and value of this feature-length film. Click on the video screen below to watch the first 10 minutes of the film, courtesy of PBS American Experience. If you don’t see a video screen in your version of this story, click here to reload it in your browser and the screen should appear. (NOTE: Saloma does not appear in the first 10 minutes, but this clip provides a fascinating introduction to the Amish and to the movie.)

Care to watch all of the film? So far, PBS has made the entire documentary available online. (Word of warning: This full version could be taken down in the future.) In spring 2012, click here to visit the American Experience website and choose the link “Watch Oline.

You’re also welcome to visit Saloma Furlong’s two websites:
SALOMA’s main website: You’ll find various helpful pages here, including Saloma Furlong’s speaking schedule and several of her favorite recipes.
SALOMA’s “About Amish” blog: On this website, Saloma Furlong occasionally posts stories and photos about her own experiences and the Amish in general.

Please help us to reach a wider audience

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Plus, there’s a free Monday morning Planner newsletter you may enjoy.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

Calling all Moms (and Dads): Consider TEOTWAWKI

Click the cover to jump to the book’s Amazon page.Writer Jane Wells is an expert on spiritual connections in the Twilight novels and, recently, she has written about Hunger Games, as well. Jane is a Mom herself and reviews Lisa Bedford’s new book.

TEOTWAWKI,
Survival Mom
& the rest of us

By JANE WELLS

It may have been a mistake to read Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios so hard on the heels of watching The Hunger Games twice.

After writing about The Hunger Games I found myself wondering whether I could feed my family if the economy collapsed, and if I would have the resources to defend them in a kill-or-be-killed situation. Lisa Bedford in Survival Mom says there’s no “could” or “would.” It is a matter of mental peace to know that, if you must, you can.

She starts fairly simply. Keep your gas tank half full—at least—at all times. That way you can get where you need to go.

Yikes!

At $4-per-gallon that seems awfully demanding—until you remember that in the case of a massive power outage or natural disaster it will cost a lot more than that.

Then there’s the water issue. Ugh! I am supposed to keep how many gallons in my tiny house!?!

The whole concept would be completely overwhelming if it weren’t for Lisa’s personable and encouraging voice. For example, each chapter has a mini-glossary. The first chapter includes TEOTWAWKI and Bug Out Bag. TEOTWAWKI is not a Native American word. It is her shorthand for The End Of The World As We Know It. Here is how she defines Bug Out Bag, “everything you need for basic survival packed in the container of your choice: Army duffel bag, plastic bin, Coach backpack—you name it.” If the thought of fleeing from a zombie apocalypse with a Coach bag doesn’t tickle your ironic bone, then maybe you should be eaten.

She takes great care to emphasize that this is not the time to panic. Take your time. Be intentional. Include your kids, but don’t scare them. Lisa recommends reading the biblical story of Joseph to your children and discussing how Joseph’s foresight saved not only the nation of Egypt, but many other people as well.

Over all, I highly recommend Survival Mom.

My husband and I have begun discussing what steps we should take.

Just in case.

Want more from Jane Wells on Twilight?

Jane is the author of Glitter in the Sun, a Bible-study based on connections between Christianity and themes in the Twilight novels. She has found many connections, but according to Jane, the single biggest connection is: Love. For all of its supernatural trappings, the series has sold well over 100 million copies worldwide because of the compelling quality of the immortal love story at its heart. At the heart of Christian conversion is the search for God’s eternal love, Jane writes. Also, you can meet Jane in our author interview and learn more about this lively form of Bible study.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

Explore the world of parenting with Mei-Ling Hopgood

FROM THE TOP: Mei-Ling Hopgood’s new book; Inuit Moms with a baby (Mom on left wears traditional sealskin and Mom on right wears caribou); a fish head delicacy for dinner in Asia; a huge dragon-shaped kite; boys playing marbles in Vietnam; and Ache children in the rainforest of Paraguay. Photos from Wikimedia Commons.You’ll Have Fun with Mei-Ling
as Your Global Guide

Mei-Ling Hopgood is a top journalist who now teaches at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. That means she’s a lifelong storyteller, which you’ll discover when you dip into this book of stories circling the globe.

She is famous in her own right. Born in Taiwan and adopted by an American family at an early age, the bittersweet story of her reunion with her Taiwanese family as an adult appears in her earlier book, Lucky Girl. For most of her early life, Mei-Ling was a typical American: She grew up as a smart, enthusiastic Midwest school kid and even got a spot on her high school pom pom squad. When she became a journalist, her award-winning work appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide. Before moving with her husband and children to the Chicago area recently, they lived for years in Buenos Aires. Given her global wealth of family experiences, Mei-Ling was fascinated by the vast differences in parenting choices as she circled the planet.

As she was completing her new book, How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting (from Argentina to Tanzania and everywhere in between), two other controversial best sellers in this niche began making headlines and burning up websites: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting.
Given Mei-Ling’s background as a journalist, always seeking accuracy and balance, it’s not surprising that Mei-Ling’s book on global parenting now is widely compared by reviewers to Tiger and Bebe as the kinder, gentler book in this trio. Or, as Mei-Ling herself puts it in the conclusion of her book:

“I’ve reached a pretty optimistic conclusion after observing the adaptability and resilience of families in many circumstances and environments. Despite vast differences in beliefs, religion and culture, moms, dads and caregivers in most societies share a common desire: to raise children who can thrive in the reality in which they live. While no culture can claim to be the best at any one given aspect of parenting, each has its own gems of wisdom to add to the discussion.”

If you’ve read Tiger or Bebe, then you know that viewpoint marks Mei-Ling’s book as a distinctively different voice. As a parent myself and as editor of ReadTheSpirit, I was struck by how much fun I had flipping the pages of her new book. Among her journalistic talents, Mei-Ling has an eye for overall pacing, which means delivering those special gems that she promises at regular intervals to keep readers flipping page after page. Among those gems are little sections between chapters that are packed with fun facts. If you’re drawn to this book, it’s because you want to discover a whole Noah’s ark of fascinating stories about families. Mei-Ling understands that desire and delivers lots of gee-whiz stories.

We are publishing our coverage of Mei-Ling’s new book—this opening overview and, later this week, an author interview with Mei-Ling—in the same week that globally celebrated marketing guru Seth Godin has dropped his own new bombshell book about revolutionizing education. Seth’s book is more about rethinking our public schools, but it’s also really a book about parenting—how to raise kids who know more than a collection of facts, how to spark creative thinking in our children and how to make the world a more adaptable and compassionate place for future generations. In her book, Mei-Ling really is doing the same thing from a parent’s point of view.

What’s fascinating in comparing the two new books is that there are many converging conclusions. One of them is Mei-Ling’s and Seth’s recommendation that parents go back to some tried-and-true conclusions in global parenting. We’ll write about one of Seth’s conclusions—about toys and the nature of play—in a separate story today. But here are a few gems from Mei-Ling’s book …

KIDS TRULY WILL EAT ANYTHING
(AND THAT’S NOT A BAD THING)

American parents lose sleep over kids’ picky eating habits, but that’s something they’ve picked up from our culture. In fact, kids around the world eat nearly anything. Mei-Ling gives these examples:

IN THE ARCTIC: Aboriginal children in the Arctic traditionally start at a young age eating the raw meat and blood of deer, seal and other animals their parents kill. On frigid nights, when food supply and preparation is limited, families eat their kill as is in order to survive; raw meat has more vitamins than cooked meat. Anthropologist Nelson Graburn observed the efforts of Inuit parents, who now go to the grocery store as often as they hunt, as they tried to introduce children to niqituinak, an Inuit diet, which includes maktak (whale skin and blubber), qisaruaq (chewed cud in a caribou’s stomach), and foods fermented in oil or served raw. “Inuit uniformly reported that if you do not get a child to eat raw meat by the age of three, they never learn to like it,” he wrote.

IN TAIWAN: Friends and family from my birthplace recall some childhood favorites: fish eyes, salted watermelon seeds, dried cuttlefish, fried anchovies, wasabi peas, bean pops, lotus seeds, jellyfish, sea cucumber and eel.

AROUND THE WORLD, THE OLD TOYS ARE THE BEST TOYS

Seth Godin and Mei-Ling both put in a plug for toys that have circled the globe for thousands of years. One reason, Seth points out, is that these toys are far less structured than the step-by-step games and kits American children often receive from parents today. Mei Ling reports on several toys, including:

KITES: The exact origin of the kite is unknown, but some legends say that a Chinese farmer tied string to his hat to keep it from being blown by the wind. Around 200 BCE, General Han Hsin of the Han Dynasty flew a kite over the walls of a city he was attacking, according to the American Kitefliers Association. The kite, which has been used by adults for everything ranging from carrying bait out to sea in Micronesia to flying military banners and studying weather, remains a popular toy in many countries and cultures today.

MARBLES: Historians believe that this toy dates back to the Harappan civilization in the western part of South Asia (which flourished around 2500 BCE and is one of the earliest-known civilizations); stone marbles were found in an excavation site near Mohenjo-Daro. In ancient Greece and Rome, children played games with round nuts, and Jewish children played games with filberts at Passover, according to iMarbles.com.

TALENTS OF TOTS AROUND THE WORLD WILL SURPRISE YOU

Both Seth and Mei-Ling argue that kids can do far more than parents allow them to do in typical American households and schools. Mei-Ling has a section of her book, called “Talents of Tots,” which includes these examples:

Ache children by the age of eight can find their way in the seemingly impenetrable (to outsiders) trails (consisting of “bent leaves, twigs and shrubs”) in the rain forests of Paraguay. They also get their first bow and arrow at the age of two, though they won’t master the hunt until around ten years old.

Zapotec kids in Oaxaca, Mexico, can name many of the hundreds of local flora as well as some seasoned ethnobotanists.

In the grasslands of Tibet, kids as young as six tend to herds of dzo (a type of cattle), yaks sheep, and other animals.

Read Part 2 of our coverage: our author interview with Mei-Ling Hopgood.

Remember: How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting (from Argentina to Tanzania and everywhere in between) is on sale now at Amazon.

You’ll also want a free copy of Seth Godin’s new book about revolutionizing education.

Care to read more about worldwide peacemakers?

ReadTheSpirit publishes   ‘Blessed Are the Peacemakers’ by Daniel Buttry, a collection of real-life stories about the men, women and children who are taking great risks around the world to counter violence with efforts to promote healthier, peaceful, diverse communities.

Please help us to reach a wider audience

We welcome your Emails at [email protected]
We’re also reachable on Twitter, Facebook, AmazonHuffington PostYouTube and other social-networking sites. 
You also can Subscribe to our articles via Email or RSS feed.
Plus, there’s a free Monday morning Planner newsletter you may enjoy.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

Lenten Voices: Heather Jose on Why I’m Not Fasting

A table set for a meal evokes many spiritual associations. This is a Shaker table, still set in a visitor’s center. Photo by David Crumm.Lenten Voices is an occasional series of stories by men and women reflecting on their Lenten journey. Beth Miller’s story was our first. Also today, read Benjamin Pratt’s story.

Why We Need
Meals Together
This Year

By HEATHER JOSE

Ahhhh, here it is again—the time for me to feel guilty because I don’t follow through. In other words: It’s Lent.

In my defense, I wasn’t raised participating in Lent. My Baptist church was much more focused on the fact that Jesus was going to rise again than any ritual of deprivation. However, over time and a few different congregations that we have called home, I am much more familiar with the Lenten season. This year, my church began a bit early. In February we were asked to consider one day of fasting  and prayer each week. For a mere 24 hours could we (if we were healthy enough to do so) refrain from solid food and consider the needs of our church, our community and our world in prayer.

Yes, I thought, I am in! I can’t wait! This will be so good for me. When Wednesday rolled around I was ready. I ate breakfast and admittedly, an early lunch, since the fast was to start at noon. I rolled through the day feeling good about myself. I pulled up the Bible on my iPad and spent some time reading and reflecting that night. By the time noon came on Thursday, I decided that was so easy that I would continue to add items to fast from as the month progressed. Maybe next week it would be TV, and after that computers as well. In fact if I kept it up I would be living a perfectly monkish life by Easter.

Then it happened. My mother-in-law passed away that Friday after a short illness. We were in the midst of grief and tears. Over the course of the next week, we were amazed by the kindness of so many people as they reached out to our family. We spent more time together as an extended family than we had in years. We planned the funeral, spent time looking at pictures, took care of the little things that still had to be done, and finally made it through the visitation and funeral.

By the time we returned home to our house late Tuesday night we were exhausted. We wanted nothing more than to sleep in our own beds and find our routine again. As I turned down the lights and passed through the kitchen I opened the refrigerator door. There on the middle shelf sat a beautifully made lasagna, a loaf of rustic bread, and a note that read: “350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.”

The next morning, as I left for work, I psyched myself up for fasting. I was prepared to do it. However, as the day went on I found that all I could think about was making that lasagna for dinner. By the end of the day I called my husband and said, “I’m making dinner tonight.”

I needed that dinner. I needed to sit at my table with my family. To hold hands and pray before eating and to hear the incidentals of the day. By the time dinner was over it felt as though things might be okay.

I haven’t fasted since. I am not opposed to the idea, I just haven’t gotten back there yet. I have seen and felt God in a million other ways through others. I think He would be okay with that this Lenten season.

And there’s always next year.

Care to read more from Heather Jose?

Heather Jose is the author of the book Letters to Sydney: Every Day I am Killing Cancer, co-author of The Healing Agreement—and a contributing writer for the Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine, Coping Magazine and Thrive. Not long ago, she wrote a week-long series about the challenges of caregiving in America. This link takes you to the first of her five stories in that series.

Want more inspirational reading for Lent?

Lent is booming across the U.S. as a spiritual practice.
Learn what’s happening and consider getting a copy of the new 2nd Edition of Our Lent: Things We Carry.

Please help us at ReadTheSpirit
to reach a wider audience

We welcome your Emails at [email protected]
We’re also reachable on 
Twitter, Facebook, AmazonHuffington PostYouTube and other social-networking sites. You also can Subscribe to our articles via Email or RSS feed.
Plus, there’s a free Monday morning Planner newsletter you may enjoy.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.