The Memorial Church—Education and Fellowship




			Previous Faith & Life Forum Events: "Prescription for Aging: Preparation" Ildiko Szabo Director of Community Life, Youville House Assisted Living Sunday, May 31, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church For our final Faith & Life Forum of the Term, we welcome our dear friend Ildiko Szabo to the podium, with a program of keen interest to those among us who have elderly family members, or who may be asking the question “what next” for themselves or a spouse. Ildiko’s interest shifted from children to elders as birthdays in her life returned more and more frequently. Whether working with children or the elder population, building community has always been her major interest. At Youville House Assisted Living Residence, community was built through staff retention and training, and compassion and respect for residents, their families and one another. What are important elements necessary for successful aging, first in the home and perhaps later in senior housing? How does community play a role in quality of life? What do we fear and what should we consider as we continue heading toward the autumn of our lives? Fear not, exploring these topics may bring reassurance and even enthusiasm as the largest population in history begins its journey into "retirement." Let us begin by addressing some of these questions within our own community at the Faith & Life Forum and consider what we will need for this part of our journey. [top] "Iraq: Did the Surge Really Work? And When Will We Leave?" Seth W. Moulton Sunday, May 17, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church President Obama has promised a swift withdrawal from Iraq, but is his plan realistic and what does the future hold? Was the Surge really all that it was cracked up to be? What was it like to work for General Petraeus? These are questions that Seth Moulton, Harvard College '01 and veteran of the Iraq War, will try to answer at this week's Faith & Life Forum. Seth returned last summer from his fourth tour of duty in Iraq, most recently working as a Special Assistant to General David Petraeus. Seth is the former Head Verger of The Memorial Church and has remained a regular in the pews between tours. He promises to offer a candid, first-hand assessment of where Iraq is today and where it's headed. After growing up in Marblehead and attending Phillips Academy Andover, Seth Moulton graduated from Harvard College with a degree in physics in 2001, and gave the undergraduate address at Commencement. He did two tours in Iraq as a Marine platoon commander, in the invasion and in the 2004 Battle of Najaf, and also worked with the independent Iraqi media. In 2005 he served as a liaison to senior Iraqi military and political leaders south of Baghdad for General Petraeus. After leaving active duty in 2006, he was accepted into a joint degree program at Harvard’s Business and Kennedy Schools, and then deployed to Iraq in 2007 to serve again as a Special Assistant to General Petraeus, doing counter-insurgency advising through the summer of 2008. He returned to Harvard last fall and is a Resident Tutor in Quincy House while pursuing his two graduate degrees. [top] "A Contemplative Way of Life: Beyond Integration" Kyoon Dokuro, Osho Harvard Buddhist Chaplain Sunday, May 10, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church This Sunday the Faith & Life Forum welcomes Kyoon Dokuro, who serves as one of the Buddhist Chaplains at Harvard. His topic for the morning is “A Contemplative Way of Life: Beyond Integration” and Dokuro will discuss the important issue of compartmentalization of public, private, and spiritual life. From the point of view of Buddhist practice, Dokuro will address the need to overcome and dissolve these boundaries, and will speak about the value of arriving at a full life that unites all parts rather than integrating distinct entities. Dokuro is the Spiritual Director at the Cambridge Buddhist Association and Abbot of the Zen Temple Houn-an, and has been studying Buddhism since age 20. He is a Zen Teacher in the lineage of Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, Roshi, who at age 102 is still committed to a full teaching schedule. [top] "Threats that Surprise Us" Lee D. Vincent Sunday, May 3, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church Shocking news appears. People are frightened, and fears spread. Experts and officials contradict each other’s ideas. Official appraisals of danger change rapidly. Suddenly, all of life seems dominated by uncertainty, or worse. This week’s news about the spread of the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) offers us an opportunity to think and act as a group of friends within a larger community that is a world center of science and philosophy. We will consider the following: •What should be the reaction of educated, intelligent or religious people? •What, then, should be our response to a perceived threat that is invisible? •How are fear and prejudice promoted by the merely accidental or ignorant naming of a thing? •Is this a great teachable moment in which to "think globally; act locally?" Lee D. Vincent, a resident of Mystic, Connecticut, has been a member of the Faith & Life Forum for more than ten years and now serves as our assistant convener. Following a long career in Federal labor relations, he now works in municipal management near his home. He is the Vice-Chair of the Connecticut Statewide E-911 Commission and Chair of a shellfish task force working on watershed mapping. Lee has BS and MBA degrees from the University of Maryland (with economics at Harvard Summer School) and a Diploma in Theological Studies from the Lay School of Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal). Lee and his wife Susan have previously spoken to the Forum about spirituality in illness and wellness. [top] "Qur'anic Reflections on Faith and Life" Fatimah Iliasu Sunday, April 26, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church This week the Faith & Life Forum welcomes Fatimah Iliasu, an attorney and former Muslim Chaplain at Wellesley College and graduate school adviser to the Harvard Islamic Society. Fatimah’s topic will be “Qur’anic Reflections on Faith and Life,” and she will speak to us about the Qur’anic verses on the attributes of Allah, and on the verses where Allah addresses mankind on topics including why we were created and what is our mission in life. Fatimah Iliasu, (LL.M & SJD Harvard Law School) is an attorney and former Muslim Chaplain at Wellesley College, and a former graduate adviser to the Harvard Islamic Society. [top] "The Charter for Compassion" Karen Armstrong Author Sunday, April 19, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church It is a great pleasure to welcome religious historian Karen Armstrong back among us at the Forum. We rely on her for news about religion and politics from abroad, but this week Karen will be talking about her most recent project, the Charter for Compassion. You’ll recognize some of the names involved in the Charter, such as Ali Asani, Joan Brown Campbell, Jean Zaru and Julia Neuberger, and the following is a bit about the Charter’s mission, taken from their website: “The Charter for Compassion is a collaborative effort to build a peaceful and harmonious global community. Bringing together the voices of people from all religions, the Charter seeks to remind the world that while all faiths are not the same, they all share the core principle of compassion and the Golden Rule. The Charter will change the tenor of the conversation around religion. It will be a clarion call to the world.” For more information, and to see a video of Karen talking about the Charter, please visit the website, http://charterforcompassion.com. The author of some twenty books, including the best-selling A History of God and The Battle for God, Karen Armstrong is best known for her ideas about what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and what unites the three great monotheist faiths. She points out that each shares the image of a single Supreme Being who was revealed to the Prophet Abraham, each is historically linked to Jerusalem, and each, during the last few years, has seen the rise of a rigid and conservative group within their faith that has formed in reaction to the changing modern world. Karen is well known to The Memorial Church as the William Belden Noble lecturer as well as our Peabody lecturer. [top] "Hosanna, Crucifixion, and Then What? God’s Regenerating in the 'Space in Between'" The Reverend Professor James Meredith Day Université catholique de Louvain Palm Sunday, April 5, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church This Sunday, we are delighted to welcome back Professor James Meredith Day to the Faith & Life Forum to offer a Palm Sunday meditation on what faith can mean for those who live “after” the hegemony of religious meta-narratives and their deconstruction in social science. Drawing upon the Palm Sunday passages in holy scripture, empirical evidence in the psychology of human development, and the psychology of religion, as well as from clinical vignettes in psychotherapy and pastoral work, James proposes that the end of religious “certitude” has not meant the end of religious experience, and provides many with the possibility for renewal in the domain of religious imagination and faith commitment, offering fresh ground for discovery not only within religious traditions, but across them, in inter-religious sharing and dialogue. James Meredith Day is Professor in the Human Development Laboratory and Psychology of Religion Research Center at the Université catholique de Louvain, in Belgium. James is a Priest ordained in the Church of England, Anglican Communion, and serves as Honorary Assistant Chaplain in The Pro-Cathedral of The Holy Trinity, Brussels, and is a consulting developmental and clinical psychologist at PsyGroup, Brussels. He is Co-Editor of The Archive of the Psychology of Religion: The Journal of the International Association for the Psychology of Religion, and serves on the boards and scientific committees of many scholarly societies and reviews, including The European Journal of Developmental Psychology, where he is organizing a special issue on advances in the psychology of religious and spiritual development. During his Harvard visit, he is working with Professor Michael Lamport Commons as part of a collaborative venture using the Model of Hierarchical Complexity to enhance understanding as to how religious elements function in the making of moral decisions. [top] "Symbiotic Relationship: How an Emerging Church and the Homeless Rely on Each Other for Life" The Reverend Rob Mark McDonald Fellow in The Memorial Church Sunday, March 29, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church This week at the Faith & Life Forum we welcome The Memorial Church’s McDonald Fellow, the Rev. Rob Mark, for a presentation and discussion about his home parish, the First Presbyterian Church of Waltham. At First Presbyterian, Rob directs a unique program focused on community service and outreach to Waltham’s homeless population. Following his presentation, Rob will lead a discussion about "how to do church" through building a relevant ecclesiology and theology of outreach. To learn more about the mission of the First Presbyterian Church and Rob’s work there, please visit the blog www.watershedwaltham.blogspot.com. As McDonald Fellow in The Memorial Church, Rob works primarily with graduate students; before his arrival here, he was executive director of the Community Day Center of Waltham, a day center for the homeless and low-income community. [top] "The Weight of Paul's Simple Exhortation" Timothy A. Pantoja MDiv ’09 Sunday, March 15, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church In keeping with the theme of this year's Lent at The Memorial Church, we will take a look into the writings of Saint Paul. While in prison, Paul wrote what would be his most joyful letter to the assembly in Phillipi. This Sunday at the Faith & Life Forum, we will look at Paul's epistle to the Philippians, specifically his simple yet challenging exhortation, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I say again rejoice." (4:4) Together, we will discuss the nature of joy: its relationship to suffering, to happiness, to contentment, and perhaps to forgetting. What does it mean to rejoice? Is this expression viable? Was Paul serious, or perhaps naive? This will be a chance to engage with some of the thoughts of this highly influential and enigmatic individual. Timothy Pantoja is a seminarian at The Memorial Church and an MDiv student at Harvard Divinity School. A native New Yorker, he has spent his time at HDS inquiring into the role aesthetics plays in religious and political rhetoric. He is also a member of The Memorial Church’s Grants Committee. [top] "Faith, Hospitality, and Human Rights" Professor George Newlands Sunday, March 8, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church On Sunday, March 8th, the Forum will welcome George Newlands, Professor Emeritus of Divinity from Glasgow University. Dr. Newland’s discussion will focus on the role of Christ as an advocate for human rights even as Christian doctrine and the activities of the church are associated with practices that run counter to accepted ideas about equal treatment of human beings. These practices have included witch-burning, slavery, intellectual repression, sexism and homophobia. Dr. Newlands will talk about how a connection may be formed between Christian doctrine and the protection of human rights by placing an emphasis on Christian values, such as compassion and persistence, and how this might act as a bridge between the theological and the political. [top] "Voices of Women of Faith: Hildegard of Bingen" Christine Whiteside and Lena Petri Sunday, March 1, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church The season of Lent is traditionally a time of commitment to renewed vigor in our spiritual practice, and an emphasis on study and reflection has long been a vital part of keeping a good Lent. This year Christine Whiteside is taking time to study and reflect on “Voices of Women of Faith” – women from Medieval times to the present whose lives and work speak of how faith may work in our own lives. On Sunday, March 1, Christine will share with the Faith & Life Forum what she’s learned about Hildegard of Bingen, the visionary 11th century abbess, through an exploration of Hildegard’s music, writing and painting. With slides, readings and a performance by former Choral Fellow Lena Petri, we’ll listen to what the voice of Hildegard has to teach us in this year’s Lenten journey. Christine Whiteside came to The Memorial Church in 2003 from a background of many years’ work with not-for-profit organizations, including a museum, a journal of progressive politics, a children’s media center and a residential elder care facility. She has also followed her passionate interests in liturgy, the arts and Christian education through a variety of lay parish ministries. Lena Petri is a third year student at Harvard Law School and a former Choral Fellow in the Harvard University Choir. Her undergraduate work encompassed a minor in history with honors, and she maintains an ongoing fascination with the Medieval era. [top] "A Self-Examined Lent: Its History, Structure, and Meaning for You" The Reverend Jonathan C. Page Sunday, February 22, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church In anticipation of Lent, The Memorial Church’s Epps Fellow, Rev. Jonathan Page, will join the Faith and Life Forum this Sunday as we take a look at Lent and this Lenten season. Beginning with a historical overview, we’ll ask the questions, where did Lent begin? Why? How did it develop? And then we’ll then turn our attention to Lent today. Why does it matter? How can we keep a good Lent? We promise you an open and lively discussion about the meaning of Lent — come join us! The Reverend Jonathan Page is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Divinity School. A former Annenberg Fellow at Eton College, Jonathan is the author of "Ringing the Gotchnag: Two American Missionary Families in Turkey, 1855–1922" (Boston: NEHGS, 2009). Jonathan has served as Epps Fellow in The Memorial Church since September 2007 and is a Proctor for Canaday Hall. [top] "A Warning from an 'Unclean Spirit': The Risks of Exorcising the Demons from our Progressive Religion(s)" Timothy A. Pantoja MDiv ’09 Sunday, February 15, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church With a look at a Mark 1:21–28, this Faith and Life Forum will re-focus on the issue of exorcisms, unclean spirits, and other confrontations with the Divine. In terms of our faith and life, is there something to be learned from those we perceive as “unclean spirits”? What is the risk of viewing a tight correlation between our experiences of the Divine and the Beautiful? What is the risk of removing or ignoring the disturbing passages of Scripture from our traditions? Together, we will sort out these and other speculations of a bewildered seminarian. Timothy Pantoja is a seminarian at The Memorial Church and an M. Div student at Harvard Divinity School. A native New Yorker, he has spent his time at HDS inquiring into the role aesthetics plays in religious and political rhetoric. He is also a member of The Memorial Church’s Grants Committee. [top] "St. Catherine’s Monastery and the Burning Bush: Inspiration for Our Time" Professor David Gordon Mitten Sunday, February 8, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church St. Catherine’s Monastery, under the mountain of Moses on the rocky southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, is the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastic establishment in the world. Built by the Emperor Justinian in the mid-6th century AD, the monastery and its basilica contain unique, priceless icons and some of the earliest biblical manuscripts in existence. The monastery is also a site of pilgrimage and now, mass tourism. We shall look at the monastery to appreciate its role as a unique aesthetic and spiritual resource, and a treasure for our time. Just three weeks ago, Professor Mitten visited the monastery and he will bring slides so that we may enjoy some highlights from the magnificent collection of icons now on display. David Gordon Mitten is the James Loeb Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology, Emeritus, at Harvard University, and a longtime member of the Forum and Morning Prayers community at The Memorial Church. He is on the Faculty Board of the Harvard Foundation and is also the Faculty Advisor of the Harvard Islamic Society. [top] "Transitions to Transformations" Professor David Gordon Mitten Sunday, February 1, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church How can we use the opportunities for spiritual and emotional growth and renewal that this new year gives us? How does the great change in our government and national mood affect us as individuals and in our families and work? How can we be more pro-active in reaching out to others in prayer, contact, and service? How can we dare to take more time for ourselves? We’ll enjoy learning from each other in considering these important possibilities as we begin the Spring Term of our weekly Forum gatherings. David Gordon Mitten is the James Loeb Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology, Emeritus, at Harvard University, and a longtime member of the Forum and Morning Prayers community at The Memorial Church. He is on the Faculty Board of the Harvard Foundation and is also the Faculty Advisor of the Harvard Islamic Society. [top] The Advent Journey "Dying to Live" The Reverend Dr. Dorothy A. Austin Sunday, December 14, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church "…Just the worst time of the year for a Journey… Were we led all that way for Birth or Death?" The lines are from T. S. Eliot’s poem, The Journey of the Magi. For many in the Christmas season, this time of year is a hard journey, especially for those who mourn the loss of loved ones. Dr. Austin is our speaker for the Third Sunday in Advent. Dorothy A. Austin is Associate Minister in The Memorial Church at Harvard University and Chaplain to the University. She is a Lecturer in Psychology and Religion at Harvard Divinity School and is Co-Master of Lowell House. Before returning to Harvard, she was Associate Professor in Religion and Psychology at Drew University and Drew Theological School. Dr. Austin has taught on the Harvard faculties of Divinity and Medicine, and served as Director of the Erik H. and Joan M. Erikson Center, dedicated to interdisciplinary and intergenerational work in psychology, arts, and humanities. She is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church, active in the dialogue between psychoanalysis and meditation, and an experienced meditator and psychotherapist. [top] "Advent May Be Contagious!" The Reverend Dr. Dorothy A. Austin Sunday, December 7, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church A recent research study at Harvard Medical School confirms that social networks have a positive and contagious effect on friends and acquaintances, in the office, in church, among co-workers and friends. The season of Advent invites us to explore St. Paul's admonition to "encourage each other" and "build up each other, as indeed you are doing." Come join us at the Faith & Life Forum this week and catch the positive effects of Advent! Dorothy A. Austin is Associate Minister in The Memorial Church at Harvard University and Chaplain to the University. She is a Lecturer in Psychology and Religion at Harvard Divinity School and is Co-Master of Lowell House. Before returning to Harvard, she was Associate Professor in Religion and Psychology at Drew University and Drew Theological School. Dr. Austin has taught on the Harvard faculties of Divinity and Medicine, and served as Director of the Erik H. and Joan M. Erikson Center, dedicated to interdisciplinary and intergenerational work in psychology, arts, and humanities. She is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church, active in the dialogue between psychoanalysis and meditation, and an experienced meditator and psychotherapist. [top] "Guided Relaxation for Holiday Stress Reduction" Meg Tocantins Sunday, November 30, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church Stress is ever more abundant at holiday time. Why? Humans and all animals were programmed to respond to stress by running or fighting: the heart rate goes up, adrenaline courses through the body, blood goes to the extremities and away from the core, and awareness is focused. It’s the fight or flight response. While there are only a few wild animals prowling the shopping malls today, still the human body responds to holiday stress the same way as if it were in the wild. Modern humans have learned to respond to in-laws, traffic, deadlines, job stress and the nightly news in the same way that we were programmed to respond to an attack by a saber-tooth tiger. The good news is — what can be learned, can also be unlearned. In her talk, certified therapist Meg Tocantins will show us how stress reduction using guided relaxation is a simple, but profoundly effective, way to change the mind, and she will lead us in some simple exercises that you can use to get yourself tranquilly through the holidays. Meg Tocantins has been helping people using guided relaxation and hypnosis since 1993 from her offices in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut. She has an impressive success rate for smoking cessation, and clients have come to her from around the country for help with sleep problems, symptoms related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, pain management, surgery preparation, and weight loss. She is an expert on stress management, and has spoken to audiences on stress and disease at dental association meetings, medical and dental offices, and professional organizations. In her practice, she works closely with New York and Connecticut physicians, chiropractors, dentists, and psychologists who refer their patients to her. She holds a Complementary Medical Hypnotism certificate from the National Guild of Hypnotists, and has advanced training with stress, cancer, pain management, diabetes, surgery preparation, stroke, and childbirth preparation. Meg also leads relaxation workshops for actors and musicians preparing for auditions in New York City, Boston and Seattle. So take a deep breath, and come join us to learn more at the Faith & Life Forum on Sunday, November 30! [top] "The Transformative Nature of Deep Listening" Gail Gilmore, EdD Sunday, November 23, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church When we are deeply listened to, we are understood; and when we are understood, we are known. This kind of deep listening is a gift that can be transformative; it can change our relationship with ourselves, our relationships with others, and sometimes it can even save our lives. But in the chaos of our busy day-to-day lives, this kind of listening can be difficult both to find and to offer to others. How can we, as members of a community of faith, be this source of deep listening for one another? Why is it often so difficult to listen without judgment, and with charity and acceptance? Why do we sometimes find the silent spaces that deep listening requires somewhat uncomfortable? Please join us this Sunday as Gail Gilmore, Assistant Director for Careers in Arts, Public Service and General Counseling at the FAS Office of Career Services, leads us in a discussion of the transformative nature of deep listening. [top] "Serve the Faith: St. Nicolas and the Faith of a Composer" Christopher Chowrimootoo Sunday, November 16, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church In advance of this Sunday’s University Choir performance of Benjamin Britten’s 1948 cantata St. Nicolas, we’ve invited Britten scholar Christopher Chowrimootoo to be our guest at the Faith & Life Forum. We’ll get a preview of the concert, which portrays the life and legacy of St. Nicolas, the fourth-century Bishop of Myra, and we’ll learn more about the faith and life of Britten – a central composer of sacred music in the twentieth century. Originating in the aftermath of World War II, many of Britten’s early operas present a deeply cynical and pessimistic view of humanity; this is a perception of the composer that has stuck with particular tenacity, leading many to doubt the sincerity of his religious beliefs. Yet despite this one-sided image, Britten was not totally devoid of faith; on the contrary, his sacred works reflect a very different side of his personality, testifying to his profound, albeit conflicted, religious and humanistic faith. During his talk, Chris will discuss the cantata, and explore how Britten’s complicated faith may be heard in St. Nicolas’s words and music. After completing studies at the University of Oxford, Christopher Chowrimootoo is now a PhD candidate in Historical Musicology at Harvard University. His research ranges widely on issues surrounding opera in post-war Britain with particular focus on the reception of Benjamin Britten’s life and works. Chris is the scholar who wrote the program notes for the concert, so we will have a wonderful opportunity to speak directly with the expert. And remember to return to the Church on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 to hear the concert live. Well-known Boston tenor Frank Kelley will join the University Choir for the performance; tickets will be available at the door. [top] "Afghanistan: Life, Death, and Hope in the Shadow of the West" Gary Moorehead Field Director and Program Advocate, The Marigold Fund Sunday, November 9, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church This week, the Faith & Life Forum welcomes Gary Moorehead, who before September 11, 2001, was a homebuilder, seminarian, and part-time case manager for asylum-seeking refugees in the Boston area. After the attack, he moved to Takhar Province in northeastern Afghanistan, and for the past five years he has been working as a program manager on projects funded by the US State Department and other donors, building schools and homes for returning refugees. Most recently he has become the Field Director and Program Advocate for the Marigold Fund, a New England based, non-profit, humanitarian aid mission invested in the recovery and development of individuals, families, and communities in post-war Afghanistan. The Marigold Fund serves in the Social Service, Medical and Education sectors, working in partnership with Afghans on capacity-building projects such as continuing education and training for midwives, construction of a provincial TB clinic, village-based literacy and Afghan Sign Language programs for deaf children and their families, and vocational education for carpenters and craftspeople. Come hear more from Gary this Sunday, and visit the Fund website at www.marigoldfund.org for more information. [top] "The Catholic Case for Obama" Patrick Whelan MD, PhD Founder of Catholic Democrats Sunday, November 2, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church This week, Dr. Patrick Whelan returns to the Faith & Life Forum to speak about his new book, The Catholic Case for Obama, which tells the story of Barack Obama’s early work in Catholic churches, and compares the contours of his public life with the Catholic social tradition. Historically, conservatives have used a handful of social issues to pit Catholics against one another; Senator Obama has made bringing Americans together to solve common problems the central theme of his campaign, along with restoring pride in America’s role as a global moral leader. For his book, Patrick interviewed many of the priests and other Catholics who helped Senator Obama at the beginning of his career. As you may know, when he was a recent college grad, Senator Obama worked for a group of eight Catholic churches in Chicago as a community organizer. With funding from the Catholic Bishops, he worked for three years from an office in a Catholic church rectory, helping to empower Chicagoans who were suffering through difficult economic times, similar to those we are facing today. With only days left before the election, this is a Forum you will not want to miss! A member of the Harvard Pediatrics Faculty, Patrick Whelan has written widely on the medical ethics issues at the intersection between religion and politics. Victoria Reggie Kennedy writes in her preface that his book "explores the reasons why many Catholics will be enthusiastically voting in 2008 to elect Barack Obama as the next president." For more information about The Catholic Case for Obama, come join us at the Forum this Sunday, and visit the book’s website: www.catholicdemocrats.org/cfo/the_catholic_case_for_obama.php [top] "The Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy: Putting Our Faith to Work" The Reverend Robert K. Bronkema Sunday, October 26, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church In the midst of one of Europe’s busiest and wealthiest cities, a portion of the citizenry has been left behind by the economic boom that has defined the rest of Russia in the twenty-first century. Along with the rise of ultra-nationalism in Russia, each day more people are shut out of that country’s fragile social service system. In an effort to reach out to those too poor and powerless to profit from the new order, The Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy is at work providing food and services, and upholding the tenets of their faith. An internationally-based effort with ties to the UN High Commission on Refugees, the Chaplaincy maintains an active task force against racial attack and harassment; runs two soup kitchens feeding three hundred people a day; and delivers more than four hundred monthly grocery bags to clients in need, including refugees, students, and bi-racial children. The Chaplaincy also provides shelter and education in its Parish Center, where it teaches English, Russian, and computer technology. Actively involved in the work to resettle refugees and those displaced by conflict and economics, The Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy is on the frontline of social and spiritual change as Russia transforms itself in the twenty-first century. Come join us at the Faith & Life Forum on Sunday, October 26th, to learn more about the Chaplaincy’s work and meet its pastor, Robert Bronkema. To read more, please visit their website at www.moscowprotestantchaplaincy.org. The Reverend Robert K. Bronkema was born to missionary parents in Lisbon, Portugal. He received his undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College and then went on to get his Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary. After ordination into the Presbyterian Church (USA) he and his wife, Stacy (also an ordained PC (USA) minister) moved to Italy and served with the Waldensian Church for four years. When that term ended the Bronkemas moved to Palatka, Florida, where Robert served as senior pastor to a Presbyterian Church for eight years. They have been in Moscow since 2006 and have three daughters: Rachel, Naomi, and Bethany. [top] "The Healing Art of Music Program — Part II" Lisa M. Wong MD Sunday, October 19, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church In this sequel to her spring talk about the Longwood Symphony Orchestra’s “Healing Art of Music Program,” Lisa Wong will share the stories and images that she has brought back from the LSO’s recent tour to London. “Bridging the Atlantic: Artful Innovations in Cancer Care” was a unique blend of musical performances, medical conferences, and visits to London’s hospices and hospitals. Throughout her life, faith has guided Dr. Lisa Wong '79, pediatrician, violinist, and President of the Longwood Symphony Orchestra. She has combined her work as a physician with her passion as a musician and arts education advocate to support the medically underserved of Boston. Most of the Longwood Symphony Orchestra’s 120 musicians are also members of Boston’s medical community, ranging from medical students to nurses to researchers and physicians. Together, they share a commitment to music, medicine, and compassionate community service. Come join the Faith & Life Forum on Sunday, October 19th, and hear more about the Longwood Symphony Orchestra’s mission and its innovative approach to healing. [top] "The Return of the Russian Bells" Diana L. Eck Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies Fredric Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society Sunday, October 12, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church Diana Eck and Dorothy Austin, Masters of Lowell House, will talk about the final chapters of the five-year project to return the historic Russian bells that have been in Lowell House since its opening in 1930 to their original home in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow. They were in Moscow in early September as the bells were received in the monastery after nearly 80 years. Come hear their story! [top] "Autumn In-Gathering" The Reverend Dr. Dorothy Austin Sunday, October 5, 9:30 a.m. Pusey Room, The Memorial Church Welcome back to Faith Life! This Sunday, October 5th, the Reverend Dr. Dorothy Austin will lead the Forum in its annual in-gathering, a time to catch up with old friends, meet some new ones, and hear about upcoming fall programming at the Forum. Here's a sneak preview: we've invited Dr. Lisa Wong, pediatrician, musician and president of the Longwood Symphony to return with more news about her work healing with music; we'll host a visiting pastor from the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy to discuss his work among the needy in the "new" Russia; and, just in time for the holidays, we've arranged a visit from a teacher of deep relaxation and stress reduction to lead a Forum before we all race off to the mall. [top]

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