Tag Archive | Conversations

January 9 – Conversations in the Commons

Jan3

COMING: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 @6:30-8pm
Conversations in the Commons with David Weiss

NOTE: This announces a local (St. Paul) in-person event, so it won’t be accessible to many of my readers. But I want you to know that it’s happening. As I’m able, I hope to offer similar opportunities in a Zoom format … if you’d be excited for a Zoom option in the future, please comment or message me.

I am pleased to announce my FIFTH “Conversations in the Commons” around my work “Writing into the Whirlwind” coming up on Tuesday, January 9, 6:30-8pm

HEATED: The Climate of Politics in a Collapsing World

In my recent blog post, “Slippery When Wet,” I reflect upon my unexpected tears in response to my Nicaraguan son-in-law’s U.S. citizenship ceremony. They were NOT tears of joy but rather profound anguish over the tenuous politics of his new country. Divisions in our nation run deep these days and the rhetoric (especially on the Right) is fringed with fear and barely hidden hate. We’re far from the only country rocked by a resurgent Right, but this is our country, and it’s impossible to not feel a personal sense of anguish and threat in such an uncertain moment. Still, understanding some of the tectonic plates that shake the ground beneath our feet might also ground us as we meet this moment as best we can. I believe the climate crisis and the prospect of societal collapse are clear (though largely unrecognized) drivers of the current political climate. In this month’s Second Tuesday conversation we’ll ask what it means for our politics to be so … HEATED.

Please read “Slippery When Wet” in advance of Tuesday’s conversation. And look for one more new blog (which will be titled, “HEATED”) that I hope to post in the next couple of days. Of course, you don’t need to read the essays in advance, but the conversation will be richer if you do! Bring your comments and questions; I’ll bring mine.

If you plan to come, please RSVP by email (drw59mn@gmail.com) or on the FB event. This isn’t “required,” but it helps me make sure the room is set up appropriately.

Key details:

  • Location: Zion Lutheran Church, 1697 LaFond Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104. No parking lot, but plenty of street parking right near the intersection. Unfortunately, Zion’s building is not (yet) accessible; an elevator is coming in the next year!
  • Entrance: You can now use the courtyard entrance at the right/east end of the building on Lafond. It’s the most direct way to the Conference Room. Or you can still use the door along Aldine Street near the alley (especially if you come early for the meal). Plenty of signs (maybe even a smiling person) will guide you to the Conference Room.
  • These evenings are no cost to you. I set out a donation basket if you feel moved to put a couple dollars to benefit some aspect of Zion’s ministry or a cause dear to me. But all that I truly ask is your presence and participation!
  • The second Tuesday of each month Zion hosts a gluten-free, nut-free, vegan community meal. You’re welcome to come early for this pay-as-you-can meal served in the church basement. But you do need to RSVP separately by 8am Monday for this. Find important details about the meal below.

I hope you can join me for “HEATED: The Climate of Politics in a Collapsing World” on January 9!

ABOUT these Conversations in the Commons: In a creative collaboration with Zion Lutheran Church and their commitment to serve as a “community commons” in their neighborhood, I host “Conversations in the Commons” around my “Writing into the Whirlwind” every Second Tuesday—from 6:30-8pm. These evenings are a chance for me to share some of my recent work (or some of my favorite writing) and then open things up for conversation. I’ll typically identify the blog post(s) we’ll be discussing at least a week in advance so you can read them ahead of time and come ready to engage! Each evening, I’ll offer a few opening reflections, and then invite you into conversation. My work has always been enriched by conversation, and that’s more important than ever today.

OUR next conversation is on Tuesday, February 13, 2023. Topic to be announced closer to that date. (I had announced one topic for January; then illness, holidays, and other events conspired to change those plans. From now on, because “the Whirlwind” can easily shift, I’ll be announcing next topics closer to the actual dates.)

The 2nd TUESDAY COMMUNITY MEAL AT ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH

These full meals (served all day, from 11am to 7pm) are prepared by chef Colin Anderson of Eureka Compass Vegan Foods as part of his passion for food solidarity. Each Community Dinner at Zion benefits their Food Justice programs and Thursday food shelf program. You can read more about them here: https://eurekacompassveganfood.com/community-dinner.

Here are the important details:

Make Colin’s life easier by pre-ordering your Community Dinner meals no later than 8am on Monday. That’s his shopping day. Here are the preordering instructions:

  1. Email eurekacompassveganfood@gmail.com to let Colin know HOW MANY meals you need and WHEN you’re coming. (If you’re coming for my 6:30p “Conversations in the Commons,” you’ll want to arrive 5:45-6p and dine in. We WON’T be meeting in the dining area, so you’ll want to finish your meal there and then head to the Conference Room at 6:25p.)
  2. NO PAYMENT IS NECESSARY, but cash contributions are accepted the day of the dinner. If you’d like to contribute with a credit card, indicate how much you wish to contribute when you email your pre-order. You’ll receive an invoice by email that you can pay electronically via a prompt on the invoice.
  3. Show up on the day of the dinner at your designated time, and we’ll have your meals ready for you! If you have any questions, just send us an email! We’re happy to connect!

Each meal is gluten free, nut free, and vegan to make it accessible to as many in the community as possible. Other allergens such as corn and soy are rarely used. These meals are always offered “Pay what you want/can.” No one is turned away for lack of funds. Each Community Dinner has a philanthropic partner and half of all contributions at Tuesday dinners benefit Zion Lutheran’s Food Justice programs and Thursday food shelf program.

Conversations in the Commons – Oct. 10

Sep29

Conversations in the Commons – October 10: Grief-stricken—and Graced
David R. Weiss – September 29, 2023

NOTE: This announces a local (St. Paul) in-person event, so it won’t be accessible to many of my readers. But I want you to know that it’s happening. As I’m able, I hope to offer similar opportunities in a Zoom format … if you’d be excited for a Zoom option in the future, please comment or message me.

I am pleased to announce my SECOND “Conversations in the Commons” around my work “Writing into the Whirlwind” on Tuesday, October 10! NOTE: All four readings for this conversation are collected into a single 8-page PDF right here.

Through a creative collaboration with Zion Lutheran Church as part of their commitment to serve as a “community commons” in their neighborhood, I’ll be hosting “Conversations in the Commons” around my “Writing into the Whirlwind” every second Tuesday of the month—

from 6:30-8pm. (NOTE: this is 30 minutes earlier than the September conversation.)

The dates for the rest of 2023 are October 10, November 14, and December 12.

These evenings are an opportunity for me to share some of my recent work (or some of my favorite) and then open things up for conversation. I’ll typically identify the blog posts we’ll be discussing at least a week in advance so you can read them ahead of time and come ready to engage! Each evening, I’ll offer a few opening reflections, and then invite conversation, which might simply be in response to my reflections and selected writings or in response to some posed questions. My work has always been enriched by conversation, and that’s more important than ever today. You’ll find topics for the next two upcoming conversations, as well as key details for all these events on the backside.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023: Grief-stricken—and Graced

I suspect one of the most discomforting theme (for others) in my writing around climate has been my relentless call to grieve. No one is eager to sign up for sadness. And we live in a society that encourages us to banish whatever gloom finds its way into our lives as quickly as possible. Even when the news about climate is so disheartening, the conventional wisdom tells us, “Sure, it’s tough, but don’t get hung up on grief because you have to act to make a difference.” Conventional wisdom is almost always half-true. Yes, we must act. But what if grieving is the first act to which we must fully and irrevocably commit ourselves if we hope to be grounded and empowered for ALL the hard work ahead? What if—apart from deep grief—all our other efforts, in fact, betoken despair? And what if, to be grief-stricken is also to be graced?

For Tuesday, October 10, please read/review these four blog posts. All are short, about 2 pages each: Extinguishing the Alphabet (February 15, 2019);When the Gospel Comes as Grief (May 14, 2019);Meet Me in the River (May 2, 2023); and For Crying out Loud (July 15, 2023). All four readings are collected into a single 8-page PDF right here. Also, check my blog around October 3-4. I’ll hope to post something short and new under the title “Grief-stricken—and Graced.”

Of course, you don’t need to read all the pieces in advance, but the conversation will be far richer if you do! Bring your comments and questions; I’ll bring mine.

If you plan to come, please RSVP by email (drw59mn@gmail.com) or on the FB event. This isn’t “required,” but it helps me make sure the room is set up appropriately.

Other key details:

  • Location: Zion Lutheran Church, 1697 LaFond Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104. No parking lot, but plenty of street parking right near the intersection. Unfortunately, Zion’s building is not (yet) accessible; an elevator is coming in the next year!
  • Entrance: Use the door along Aldine Street near the alley. There will be plenty of signs (maybe even a smiling person) to guide you to the Conference Room.
  • These evenings are no cost to you. I will usually set out a donation basket if you feel moved to put a couple dollars to benefit some aspect of Zion’s ministry or a cause dear to me. But all that I truly ask is your presence and participation!

UPCOMING CONVERSATION TOPICS:

Tuesday, November 14, 2023: The Roots of Our Ruin: We Fell Apart

There is a lie at the very heart of our Western cosmology. Whether religious or secular we imagine ourselves somehow other than the world in which we live and move and have our being. That sense of human separation is perhaps the most primal seed of our current crises. Plural, because “crisis” doesn’t begin to name the depth of our entangled dilemma(s). Understanding—and undoing—this lie is the only “green” path forward. From how we consume resources to how we grow the economy, from how we dispose of waste to how we bury our dead, we have been enchanted by an otherness that is fundamentally untrue. Coming to terms with how we fell apart—and how we might come back together—is the work of communities that might bring us home.

Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023: Christmas Pageant Pandemonium: Untangling & Untaming Christmas.

Shepherds and Magi often traipse nearly side-by-side down church aisles in Christmas pageant cuteness. Some wee kids become angels underneath shiny halos while another child gets to be “the” glittery Christmas Star. But Matthew and Luke, whose images we blend together in our Christmas pageants, each offer their own distinctive Christmas story. And by untangling these yuletide tales, we also untame them—releasing their imaginative foreshadowing of the world-challenging power of God experienced in Jesus. If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s more to the Christmas stories than wondrous tales and a cute baby, this evening will give you plenty to ponder. This is Christmas wonder made most real. I can pretty much guarantee you’ll learn a few new things—and that you’ll never think about Christmas in quite the same way again.

PLEASE NOTE: Most months Zion hosts a pay-what-you-can community meal on the Second Tuesday. But Colin, the chef who fixes these meals, is traveling this month. So—NO COMMUNITY MEAL IN OCTOBER.

I hope you can join me for conversation around “Grief-stricken—and Graced” on October 10!

* * *

David Weiss is a theologian, writer, poet and hymnist, “writing into the whirlwind” of contemporary challenges, joys, and sorrows around climate crisis, sexuality, justice, peace, and family. Reach him at drw59mn@gmail.com. Read more at www.davidrweiss.com where he blogs under the theme, “Full Frontal Faith: Erring on the Edge of Honest.” Support him in Writing into the Whirlwind at www.patreon.com/fullfrontalfaith.