In 1 Samuel, we learn that even Yahweh’s chosen spokesperson, the prophet Samuel, fails to understand what God is up to with the people of Israel. When tasked with anointing the next King of Israel, Samuel hesitates and then fails to select the candidate Yahweh desires. It isn’t until after Yahweh rejects 7 of Jesse’s sons, that Samuel finally asks Jesse to retrieve his youngest son from the fields, and David is anointed as the next king. The reason for this protracted and almost comical process? Yahweh tells Samuel, that humans see qualities that do not factor into Yahweh’s decision about leaders. Yahweh sees the qualities in the heart of a person.

In John’s Gospel we encounter other examples of misguided ideas about God from some of the Pharisees and the disciples. In this case, the writer pulls no punches about describing their lack of vision. Which is even more poignant because their failures are embedded in a story about a man born blind who regains his sight.

The mistakes start with the disciples. After Jesus and the disciples encounter the man born blind begging, the disciples begin wondering and questioning Jesus about who should be blamed for his blindness; whose sins caused his condition. Not only does this reveal what we know today to be all kinds of wrong thinking about disabilities, as well as bad theology, the disciples also miss the point that Jesus seeks to make. It turns out Jesus, doesn’t focus on blame or sins, but rather states that his blindness will serve to help reveal God’s work in the world.

Jesus proceeds to heal the man, who then goes on to endure a series of questions from neighbors and then religious authorities, to which he responds directly – I don’t know much about who or where he is, all I know is that I was blind and now I see.

After a second round of interrogations from the pharisees, the man repeats his story, and long after my patience would have worn thin, he says, ‘why do you keep asking me? I’ve already told you and you will not listen.’ He then demonstrates how and why his healing points to Jesus’ gifts and suggests perhaps they want to be his disciples. This response is shocking and offensive to the pharisees and results in the man being run out of town.

In a rather tender turn of events, Jesus who has not been present since the application of mud, hears about what has happened to the man and finds him. Interestingly and importantly, the Greek word used for “find” here is the same word used for the calling of disciples. It becomes clear that his physical healing is also a spiritual awakening. This man’s recognition and awareness of God in his midst offers a bold witness and serves as a foil for the blindness of the pharisees who cling to old ideas and misguided accusations.

Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann writes, “The man born blind … is a model for life radically reorganized around new possibilities that are given in Jesus. Nothing here about sin and guilt. Nothing here about morality or orthodoxy. The Jesus of the Fourth Gospel is about receiving a new world of possibility wrought by the power of God, a new world which shatters all old blindnesses, all old fears, all old orthodoxies, all old deathly explanations and controls.”  The collected Sermons of Walter Brueggemann, p. 2111.

As we listen to these stories today, they invite us to consider how well we recognize God in our midst, and how we follow the way of Jesus rather than shape – or allow ourselves to be shaped by – a world view based on wrong-sighted leadership that does not recognize God’s vision for God’s children and creation.

We know something about the distortion of God’s vision in the public realm these days, don’t we? We are bombarded by a constant flow of misinformation concerning all manner of things. We are inundated with displays of wrong sightedness, particularly when the language of Christianity and the interpretation of Scripture are employed to justify cruelty and violence.

I must confess here, that I sometimes find myself paralyzed by overwhelm in the face of such blatant manipulation of the very faith upon which we come here seeking to build our lives.  This past week, in the category of ‘just when I thought it couldn’t get worse’, a friend, who is a retired military chaplain, shared an email written by an active-duty service member. Here is an excerpt: “This morning our commander … urged us to tell our troops that this (war) was “all part of God’s divine plan” and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ. He said that “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.” 

Where is the God of love in the midst of all of this, where is the prince of peace? When will we see the bend that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of when he famously said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

I don’t have answers to all this madness. Honestly? I wish Jesus left behind an instruction manual with detailed directions so we wouldn’t find experience so many divisive interpretations. Perhaps we find a way forward as we consider what Martin Luther King Jr.  said after that famous statement: that this pursuit of justice and love will require “active, collective, and personal effort.” That perspective is also reflected in what the Center for Action and Contemplation founded by Father Richard Rohr uses as one of its core principles: “the best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.”  

While there may not be a blueprint or instruction manual for what these best practices are, we do have an invitation to listen closely to the gospel and shine the light of Christ in places of cruelty. The reading from Ephesians this morning sets that before us with a series of imperatives and promise of grace. It says: “Live as children of light—Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but instead expose them. Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”  There is no paralyzing overwhelm in these sentiments, it is a call to action, because Christ shines on us, not so that Christ’s light will shine on us. It is a given. It is a grace. Our place is to share that light.

What will this look like? Most likely our actions won’t grab any headlines or go viral, but they may consist of times when in the movements of our daily lives we choose to practice a loving response to the challenges we encounter. Recently historian Diana Butler Bass used a compelling phrase that challenges followers to consider “normalcy as resilience.” She shared that she realized “how everyday life, lived with intention and attention, informed by but not afraid of the news, grounded in gratitude, faith, and love, is our strongest force for goodness against authoritarianism.” The Cottage, 3/14/26 Newsletter

In addition to Dr. Butler Bass’ suggestion, there are many approaches to resilience and resistance. Some of us may feel called to move in the direction of grand gestures of resistance, some of us will protest, some of us write letters, some will deliver food, some will sing songs of hope, some will blow whistles of warning to protect the vulnerable. Through our daily actions we will as St. Francis says, be people who “preach the gospel at all times; use words when necessary.”

As we round the Lenten corner toward Jerusalem; as we open our eyes and hearts and wake up to the love that was and is so freely given by this Jesus; we have the opportunity to sharpen our vision and our resolve for what a time such as this demands. So, let us listen carefully for what is ours to do and boldly respond to the call to see with eyes of love and mirror God’s divine compassion; a gift which God shares generously and graciously with us – the least of us, those of us who feel lost, paralyzed by overwhelm, begging by the side of the road. May our eyes and our hearts be opened as we humbly practice the better. May it be so, with God’s grace and God’s help.

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Step Into the Magic!

Are you ready for an afternoon bursting with wonder, adventure, and unforgettable stories and songs? Join our community for an inspiring gathering of storytellers, musicians, and singers—an event where the power of words and music truly comes alive.

From heart-pounding journeys to faraway places, to laugh-out-loud moments, soulful tales and music that touch your heart, our performers will take you on an unforgettable ride.

This isn’t just a performance, it’s an experience. One that brings people together, celebrates creativity, and weaves a kind of magic that sparks your imagination and strengthens our sense of community.

Come for the music and stories… stay for the magic!

Schedule

1:30 pm – Doors open
2:00 pm – Monastic Monologues begins
3:30 pm – Reception and “After Glow”

Storytellers, Musicians & Emcee

Jane Barnard is a Madison-based writer, visual artist and watercolor teacher. She’s reading from her memoir-in-progress, entitled ” Poetry as Pain Relief,” about her spiritual journey of surviving dark times with beauty, with humor and grace. She celebrates the artists who have seeped into her bones, to soothe her loneliness and bring her joy.

You can learn more about Jane at her website.

Ann Baltes (right) and Bill Rosholt (left) are members of Sunday Assembly and have cherished being
connected to this beloved community of communities over many years, musically and
otherwise. They also consider it an extraordinary gift to have raised their daughter,
Grace, at Holy Wisdom as an ecumenical Benedictine. Ann has a background serving in
parishes and other settings in the areas of pastoral care, adult and youth faith formation,
liturgical music, and retreat facilitation. Bill works as a Systems Development Test
Engineer for Exact Sciences in Madison. Ann and Bill met as undergrads studying voice
and singing in choirs at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. They are both choral music
enthusiasts having sung continuously since high school students in various choirs in
Iowa, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Wisconsin. They have sung regularly in Madison and
surrounding areas as both choral artists and soloists with the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble,
Wisconsin Chamber Choir, Madison Choral Project, Cheers Madison, and Madison
Savoyards

Jean Feraca’s favorite 2024 Christmas gift is a coffee cup from an anonymous donor that reads, “I am Kind of a Big Deal in Wisconsin.” Famous as a talk show host on Wisconsin Public Radio, Jean was a writer before she became a broadcaster. The award-winning author of three books of poetry and the memoir, I Hear Voices: a Memoir of Love, Death, and the Radio, Jean teaches in UW-Odyssey, the humanities program she co-founded, and in Wisconsin prisons with the Prison Ministry Project.

Jean is a Sunday Assembly member, Benedictine Oblate since 2016, and one of the Monastic Monologues presenters. Jean’s a beloved voice of Wisconsin Public Radio and a true original. For 28 years, Jean was the host and producer on WPR’s Ideas Network, best known for the award-winning program Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders. Her work has beautifully blended humanities, poetry, curiosity, and community, making her one of the most respected and recognizable figures in public radio. She joined WPR in 1983 as a humanities producer and went on to host some of the network’s most memorable shows. Jean’s award-winning series, “Women of Spirit” was developed with the help of the Benedictine Sisters here at Holy Wisdom.

But what really makes Jean shine is her warmth, wit, and ability to laugh at herself. When asked about her funniest moments on air, she didn’t hesitate to share a few gems from her broadcasting life. There was the day she opened her own show with, “Good morning, I’m Jean Ferrara,” accidentally mispronouncing her own name. Or the time she invited her big brother on as a guest—“big mistake,” she laughs—only to have him greet her on air with, “You already made a mistake!” And then there’s the moment she’ll never quite live down: introducing “Wisconsin’s most famous baseball player… Brett Favre!”

Join us for a performance by Jean Feraca during Monastic Monologues and enjoy stories, humor, and insight from a master storyteller whose voice—and laughter—have been part of Wisconsin’s cultural fabric for decades.

Bill Frederick is the Director of Worship and Music at Holy Wisdom Monastery. He studied voice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville while earning a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Gerald Darrow. He has been leading music and liturgy in various Churches full-time over the past 40 years. 33 years ago, Bill and Steve Johnson founded “Enter the Season With Song,” a group of musicians who gather for Christmas and summer concerts. The group has recorded three CDs and has given every dollar raised from every concert, a total exceeding $250,000, to various charities.

Max Harris earned his B.A. in English from Cambridge University and went on to complete a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. Over the years, he’s taught in a range of fields—from Latin American Studies to Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, and Religion and Literature at Yale Divinity School. He’s also written six books, including Carnival and Other Christian Festivals (University of Texas Press) and Sacred Folly: A New History of the Feast of Fools (Cornell University Press).

Beyond academia, Max has pastored Presbyterian churches in England, Virginia, Maryland, and Wisconsin. But if you ask him what really matters, he’ll tell you it’s not the titles or the books—it’s his 52-year (and counting!) marriage to Ann, and the gracious, saving work of the Holy Spirit that continues to shape their life together.

Steve Johnson is the Director of Music Ministry at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Madison. He has worked for the past 30+ years in various churches as Director of Liturgy and Music. Steve studied voice and piano at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while earning a degree in k-12 music education.

Terry Larson is a previous Protestant pastor who prefers poetry, pollinator plants, preaching, progressive people, polite politicians, pithy plots, pleasing prairies, plentiful portions of produce and…alliteration.

Janet Neurauter’s first time on stage was as a reindeer in her 2nd-grade holiday pageant and was actively involved in theater throughout school and with the Nicolet Players in Rhinelander, WI. She enjoys writing short stories and monologues and is working on her second play.

Originally from Michigan, Bill Santer II has called Wisconsin home since 1987. With a background in marketing, education and the arts, he now enjoys helping people find their perfect home as a realtor. At Sunday Assembly, Bill feels fortunate to be part of a welcoming, earth-conscious community that celebrates kindness, open-minded conversation and shared purpose. Whether he’s helping someone settle into a new home, concert-going, telling stories or connecting with his community, Bill brings a genuine spirit of curiosity, care and joy to everything he does.

Susan Santner is a passionate and versatile storyteller who loves to bring stories to life. She’s shared her tales at festivals, schools, libraries and community events across the region, captivating audiences of all ages. With experience as an actress, theatre director, puppeteer and library director, Susan’s creativity shines through in every performance. Her storytelling is lively, imaginative and full of heart, inviting listeners to step right into the world of her stories.

George Teague is a Madison-based cellist and teacher. He maintains an active studio at home and at UW-Steven’s Point. George received his performance degrees from Northern Arizona University and the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

Eivind Hansen Photography

Patrick Terry was born and raised in Janesville, WI, and has been heard on operatic stages across the world. Career highlights include singing Eustazio at the Glyndebourne Festival, Rinaldo with the Minnesota Opera, Rosencratz with the Bayerische Staatsoper and premiering Brett Dean’s ‘In this brief moment’ with the Elbphilharmonie. He earned his degrees from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, The Royal Academy of Music in London and was the first countertenor to join the Jette Parker Young Artist program at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

Cost and Registration

There is no cost to register, but we ask that guests register so we may plan accordingly. We also ask that guests consider a goodwill donation to help support the monastery. There will be a physical donation box at the event for anyone who wants to donate in-person or you may make an online donation when you register with the button below.

The post Monastic Monologues: Sharing Joy appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

For more than 30 years, the Luke House Community Meal Program has brought Dane County church groups and other faith-based communities together to help feed local people who are in need. 

Faith is what motivates the volunteers who prepare and serve food, and then eat with guests. The Community Meal Program is an important and practical way of being united together as one with other faith organizations. On the second Tuesday of each month, members of Holy Wisdom Monastery participate in preparing, serving and sharing a meal at Luke House.

For more information on volunteering sign-up and COVID safety precautions, contact Mary Hoddy, 608-217-6664, mary.hoddy@wisc.edu.

Join us in celebrating the 17 generous 2021 & 2022 Luke House donors who have contributed a combined $5,545, in support the Holy Wisdom Luke House social justice initiative, as of August 16, 2022.

1. Anonymous
2. Barb & Dan Abbott
3. Sandy Adams
4. Shawn Ahern-Djamali
5. Mary Alberts and Don Spencer
6. Abbie Loomis
7. Michel & Patrick McGettigan
8. Alison & David McKee
9. Jane Oberle & Dan Roelke
10. Amy L. Ryan
11. Neal & Diane Smith
12. Aggie Steichen
13. Michael & Therese Stevens
14. Maureen Van Dinter
15. Sandy Wojtal-Weber
16. Kathy Woytych
17. Steve Zwettler & Barbara Brummer

If you’d prefer to offer a financial gift, we invite you to share a one-time or monthly reoccurring gift. 

The post Luke House Community Meal Program – feeding people in Dane County appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

The sisters and Holy Wisdom Monastery community are saddened by the sudden death of Dick Wagner on Dec. 13, 2021. He was a community servant and gay rights leader for decades in Madison and beyond. Click here to read his obituary.

At the monastery, Dick was a long-time member of Sunday Assembly. He championed LGBTQ+ rights and introduced many people to the monastery. He was involved in the monastery’s fundraising efforts and was a regular sponsor for many events. He wrote the case statement for the campaign to raise the money to purchase the 55 acres which is now Wisdom Prairie. After his first book, We’ve Been Here All Along Wisconsin’s Early Gay History (2019) came out, he gave a presentation to the Holy Wisdom community on Wisconsin’s gay history. He was a humble leader and a good friend to so many. Click here to read more about Dick Wagner

Click below to listen to radio interviews by Stu Levitan on WORT radio with Dick about each of his books.

December 20 – Madison Book Beat

December 27 – Madison Book Beat

A celebration of Dick’s life will take place at Holy Wisdom Monastery in the future when it is safe to gather.

To uplift Dick Wagner’s legacy, Holy Wisdom Monastery has set up a designated fund through the Benedictine Life Foundation, the Dick Wagner Memorial Fund for Justice. 

Donations will foster efforts in equity, inclusion and social justice initiatives that Dick would have been proud to support. 

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The relationship began during a time when our son Ian was travelling in India for language and cultural studies; it was the 2005 to 2006 academic year. Soon after he arrived there, he was walking the streets of Delhi and saw a young boy with a cleft palate who seemed to be quite timid in comparison to the other kids his age on the streets. Ian took the boy, whose name was Akshay, to a hospital nearby and asked what it would cost to have the cleft repaired. He was told it would be about $450. He emailed me and asked if I could raise that amount. I told him I would try. We raised the funds and also connected Ian with Smile Train, an organization that is dedicated to providing cleft palate repair in underdeveloped countries.

The Delhi branch of organization arranged for the surgery for Akshay. Since he had no family in Delhi, Ian stayed with him during the hospitalization and recovery. Ian then placed Akshay in an ashram on the outskirts of Delhi, where the residents said they would care for him. Ian stayed in touch until he returned to the U.S. at the end of the 12-month period.

In 2007, Ian returned to Delhi for a six-week course in Urdu. When he went to check on Akshay, he was told that Akshay had run away. One of the other children at the ashram told Ian that Akshay said he was from Patna in Bihar province and that was where Akshay said he was planning to go.

Ian travelled to Patna to check on Akshay and found that he had been held in a government detention house for street boys and that he had then been transferred to Sarthi, an organization that specialized in placing young boys in a small hostel so that they are better cared for and enrolled in a school. Ian got to know Tarkeshwar the director of the program.

Ian remained in touch with Tarkeshwar after he returned to Madison. Soon thereafter Ian started raising funds to help support a couple of the boys at Sarthi. Some of his friends contributed and we joined them.

After we became members of Sunday Assembly and my relationship with Holy Wisdom and with Sisters Joanne Kollasch and Mary David Walgenbach was deepening, I asked Sister Mary David whether it would be possible for us to transfer the funds to Sarthi through Holy Wisdom, so that contributors could claim their donations as charitable contributions. The Board of the Benedictine Life Foundation considered the matter and agreed to allow this. I believe soon thereafter, they decided to adopt Sarthi as one of the social justice ministries of the Monastery.

Chickee and I committed to supporting one of the boys there. It was about $480 per year according to Tarkeshwar. The young boy was named Kallu. In the photo above, you can see him at age 12 years old compared to when he was five. It is gratifying to see how he is developing.

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Because we have always been a small community and because we value collaboration and community building, we have consulted with and involved others in our ministry and decision-making through the years. In the early 90s the sisters brought together a group of people to help them vision for the future. The result of that process was that the sisters’ community decided to explore becoming ecumenical.

In 1998, Sister Mary David Walgenbach, sensing the interest in Benedictine spirituality among people who came to the monastery, called together Father Ken Smits, OFM Cap who was serving us in liturgy and spirituality, Jody Crowley Beers, the director of spirituality at the monastery, and a group of people who wanted to develop Benedictine spirituality in their lives. After a year of meeting together, the oblate community was born as the first class made their promises as oblates. In 2019, the oblates will celebrate their 20th anniversary as a community.

Sunday Assembly grew out of the people who came to the monastery beginning in the 70s to celebrate the Eucharist with the sisters. When we were in the process of becoming ecumenical 30 years later, the sisters held listening sessions after the Eucharist to hear how the people wanted to go into the future as we became ecumenical. They told us they wanted to continue worshiping at the monastery because of the open and welcoming community and the inclusive language used in the service.

More recently, Friends of Wisdom Prairie was born from the growing desire of many people to be involved in and support caring for the earth at the monastery. With the establishment of the Ecumenical Center for Clergy Spiritual Renewal, another community of people will be added to those who journey with us.

At the end of my presentation to the Servant Leadership class, Carolyn, a member of the class, commented that this was an evolutionary way of moving into the future. Indeed, it is. The Benedictine values of prayer, listening, humility, seeing Christ in the other, collaboration, openness to change and community building are the guiding practices that will continue to lead us as we evolve.

Carolyn also noted that what we offer at the monastery is the wholeness that so many people are seeking in their divided and fragmented lives. As we offer the opportunity for integration through Benedictine practices, people will continue to be drawn to participate in the life of the monastery.

Years ago when I was talking with Sister Joanne Kollasch about the uncertainty of the future, she said to me, “We don’t have to know what we are going to do in the future. The important thing is to know who we are with.” I take comfort and hope in those words. We sisters are with wonderful people: our coworkers, oblates, Sunday Assembly members, Friends of Wisdom Prairie members, retreatants, guests, friends and other seekers.

As we stay faithful to Christ and the Benedictine values that guide us, we will be led step by step into the future. During this month of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the people with whom we journey.

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The sisters had discussed this matter for several years with our Ecumenical board. We laid several options on the table. Each sister could go to her own denominational church. We could go as a group to churches of various denominations as an ecumenical presence. We could have worship at the monastery according to different Christian traditions on a rotating basis. We could have the service of the word without Eucharist, or we could have an ecumenical Eucharistic service. Through discussion, we sisters had eliminated some of those options for ourselves. We wanted to hear what people in Sunday Assembly desired. Did you want to stay together or go back to your parishes? Did you want to go back to the Roman Catholic mass “by the book?” Would you be willing to move toward an ecumenical Eucharist without a Roman Catholic priest?

On three Sundays in October 2005, we allotted as much time as was needed to hear everyone from Sunday Assembly who wanted to speak. A total of 46 people spoke during those listening sessions and more sent their thoughts in writing. The overwhelming desire was to continue using inclusive language and to allow women and men to offer the homilies, to continue to welcome LGBT folks. Again and again people spoke about how much it meant to them to feel included and to include all God’s people. You wanted to continue being active participants in the liturgy.  You wanted worship where the place of women was honored. You wanted worship that inspired you in your work for social justice. So many of you told us you could not go back to the parish–of whatever denomination. I was moved to hear what Sunday Assembly meant to you. I couldn’t go back either.

In February 2006, Sisters Mary David and Joanne visited Nathan Mitchell, former Benedictine monk and then liturgy professor at Notre Dame, to discuss the various options for the liturgy at the monastery. One of the things he told them was “Don’t abandon liturgical prayer or the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist of the Benedictine community.” He also said, “Don’t abandon the Sunday Assembly you have built up.” After worshiping with you for eight years and hearing your expressions of commitment and gratitude, I knew I could not abandon you. I could not abandon anyone who wanted to come to the monastery to worship. All of us sisters felt the same way. We all were committed to work out what that would look like as we became an ecumenical community.

I’ll share one more experience I had soon after we moved into this building. One Sunday as the presider raised the bread during the Eucharistic prayer, I caught sight of the bread and the people across the Assembly room at the same time. I thought, “Here is the Body of Christ – in communion, in the Word, in the assembly.” We are the Body of Christ committed to going into the future together to love and serve our God and one another. For this I give thanks to God.

Sister Lynne Smith presented these stories at the 65th anniversary photo art exhibit on March 6, 2018.

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Joyce Wodka, Sunday Assembly Council chair

One of the duties of the Sunday Assembly Council is to oversee and participate in the work of the committees that carry out the mission, vision and aims of Sunday Assembly.  At the winter general meeting that was open to all participants of Sunday Assembly, the Council shared information on some of the great programs that are happening at the monastery.  Through these informational meetings, the Council was not only able to present information and recruit volunteers to help in some of the new ministries, but to also brainstorm with some of the new and long standing members about their ideas and interests.  Here are some of the things that have been going on in Committees with the help of the Sunday Assembly Council:

• Children’s Liturgy of the Word is being held two weeks out of every month.  Colleen Hartung has done a great job of organizing volunteers to participate in this very important ministry for our younger children.  Many of the teen-aged children have also participated regularly. The training process has been so well done that those participating find it easy to follow, and classes are easily managed by volunteers.

• A Wisdom Read program has begun during Lent.  Mike Crawford and a committee of multi-aged volunteers chose the book, Wonder, and purchased 35 copies for distribution among interested Sunday Assembly members.  Together we will read this book and discuss it with our children and see how it fits with the Benedictine values.

• Sister Lynne introduced us to two new presiders:  Paul Knitter from the Catholic tradition and Sue Larson from the Lutheran tradition. It was great to hear how the individual life journeys of each of these people brought them full circle to be able to minister to the Sunday Assembly at Holy Wisdom Monastery.

• A new member orientation group formed, and social gatherings for new and old members to discuss Benedictine values are being held in February and March.

The Sunday bulletin contains many more opportunities for involvement at Holy Wisdom Monastery both social and spiritual.  This community of communities where all are welcome has something for everyone.  Please feel free to explore our offerings and be involved at Holy Wisdom Monastery.

The post New opportunities in Sunday Assembly appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Sister Joanne introduces retreatant to prayer books used for daily prayer

Having lived this life for over sixty years, Joanne embodies the Benedictine values of the monastery in her unique way. Joanne is passionate about passing on the Benedictine way of life to everyone with whom she comes into contact. You have probably experienced the values of hospitality, respect, simplicity and beauty through Joanne. She embodies Benedictine values in the way she greets guests, in her formation work with our Benedictine Sojourners, Denise and Paz, in the way she decorates spaces in the monastery and through her conversations with guests, friends, coworkers, volunteers and community members.

Those of you who have been around the monastery for a while embody Benedictine values in your lives. Benedictine spirituality comes alive in you as you offer hospitality to guests, work for human rights, walk with ex-offenders, or care for your children.

One of the pillars of Benedictine life is common dialogue. The primary way we sisters pass on our mission, vision and values is face to face through conversation and dialogue. This kind of conversation happens informally before or after Sunday Assembly, at the social time during an oblate retreat, working on the prairie with Friends of Wisdom Prairie or around the dining table with retreatants. It happens more formally when we lead an oblate retreat as we will do in February or when we lead a retreat or offer input at a Sunday Assembly meeting.

This year, we are beginning a new initiative to be intentional about providing formation in Benedictine values for the communities and people associated with the monastery. The question we want to address is: “How can we live more faithfully the spirit and values of the Rule of Benedict in our prayer and work? We seek to stimulate all of us involved at the monastery to think, speak and act with a greater awareness of the Benedictine spiritual foundation that supports what we do. This foundation is expressed in our statement of the mission, vision and values of the monastery. Upcoming opportunities already planned include the following:

• Lenten Lunches, Wednesdays, February 17 – March 16, 2016, will be an exploration of forgiveness in the context of relationships informed by Benedictine values. Forgiveness is God’s gift to us, yet we often find it difficult to forgive ourselves and to extend God’s forgiveness to others. Coming to forgiveness is a transformative process arrived at over time. Benedict’s call for stability, respect for others, conversion of life and humility can help us in building relationships and coming to forgiveness and a Christ-consciousness in our lives. Oblate Claudia Greco and I will offer input, discussion and interactive experiences at the lunches. This is an opportunity to explore Benedictine values.

• Mike Crawford from Sunday Assembly is coordinating a Wisdom Read for families in Sunday Assembly. He and the people working with him hope it will spark conversations between parents and children around the value of hospitality.

• At the Sunday Assembly meeting on February 21, 2016 we will hold a brief conversation on hospitality. The Sunday Assembly new member orientation committee will also propose opportunities for conversation around Benedictine values during Lent.

• Oblate Carole Kretschman and I are working on a program related to Benedictine values to be offered later this spring for Sunday Assembly members and others.

People at the monastery often express the desire for input from the sisters. Joanne, Mary David and I will lead the February oblate retreat on the theme: “A Call to Justice: Benedictine Perspectives on Listening, Right Relationships, and Public Witness.” Rosy and I share insights and reflections on living this Benedictine life in our monthly blog posts, Letters Home and Building Community.

I feel excited and energized to be working with so many of you who are living the Benedictine values in your unique ways. I look forward to many rich conversations over the course of the winter and spring. I hope you will enter the dialogue.

__________________________

Follow this link to read additional blog posts from Lynne in the series titled Building Community.

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Sunday Assembly has a number of gay and lesbian members. Jim Green and Bill Diederich have been worshipping and attending retreats with the sisters since the early 1970s. Bill and Jim recently celebrated their 40th anniversary together with affirmation from the Sunday Assembly community. Jim also initiated Solidarity Sunday in the early 2000s to coincide with the national program through Dignity USA that honors National Coming Out Day in October. Jim and Bill are two significant supporters of the Sunday Assembly community, inviting and welcoming everyone they meet who is looking for a spiritual home.

“Hospitality is on the top rung of all outreach for the sisters,” Jim said. “It’s been a journey for the sisters and they have learned a lot about sexual orientation and gender identity over the years [since I first started coming out here in the early 1970s].”

The Sunday Assembly community recently welcomed Phil Schleicher to its membership. Phil and his longtime partner of 22 years, Steve Schumacher, are planning a wedding ceremony here in October. Phil first heard about Holy Wisdom Monastery through Steve, who did a pro-bono video project on the development of the prairie in the late 1990s. Phil eventually got connected to worship at Holy Wisdom Monastery through Jim and Bill. He maintains a duel membership in a Roman Catholic church in Madison, but it doesn’t meet all his needs. He knows that they would never do a commitment ceremony for a gay couple at the Catholic church, which makes him feel that “the Church has left me,” as opposed to feeling like he has left the church. “The Roman Catholic Church used to be about peace and justice,” says Phil. “Holy Wisdom Monastery reminds me of this. There is a strong sense of community there.”

Holy Wisdom Monastery has also been the spiritual home for some who are experiencing transitions in gender identity. Heather Field began coming to Holy Wisdom Monastery for retreats and Sunday Assembly worship in 2005. She converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1998 and fell in love with the rituals of the church, such as blessing with holy water and celebrating the Eucharist. In 2004 she came out as not fully male and began transitioning toward her gender identity as a female. It was during this transition that she lost her marriage, her house, her family, and her faith. After moving to Madison in 2005, she called the Diocese of Madison to find out options for ministry with transgendered people, and had no luck. She called the campus church, St. Paul’s, and again was met with no answers. She saw options for welcoming communities in the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), but the rituals during worship were foreign to her. She met Jim Green and he told her to check out Holy Wisdom Monastery. She came out here in 2005, sat in the old sanctuary at Benedict House, and immediately felt at home.

At Holy Wisdom Monastery, she feels welcomed. “I wanted to be accepted, not just tolerated,” she said. She likes the gender-neutral, inclusive language used at the liturgy. Lately, she has been learning to incorporate the teachings of St. Benedict into her own spiritual life. She sees Holy Wisdom Monastery as taking a proactive approach to sexuality and gender issues, and hospitality is key to this. “All of us are charged with the responsibility of hospitality,” she said.

The call of hospitality to the GLBTQ community goes beyond Sunday Assembly. Domestic partners as well as heterosexual spouses of co-workers at the monastery are offered full health and dental benefits.

As part of the sisters’ ministry of hospitality at the monastery, space is offered for celebrations and ceremonies. More couples, including gay and lesbian couples, are seeking out Holy Wisdom Monastery as a site for their wedding, ceremony and reception. All couples arrange for an officiant for their ceremony.

The monastery is hosting a retreat here on August 27, 2011 called An LGBT Spirituality Retreat, which is being facilitated by Craig Mueller, an openly gay pastor from Chicago’s Holy Trinity Church (for more information on this retreat or to sign up, you can contact Jerrianne at (608) 831-9306). And of course, you are always welcome to attend Sunday Assembly Eucharist at 9 am to see this call to hospitality taking place.

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