This is Episode number 6, titled: “Living Intentionally”.  This is the final episode of our first series of this podcast, concluding our study on the book “Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self, While Caring for Others” by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky.  Today’s episode covers Chapter 12: The Fifth Direction — A Daily Practice of Centering Ourselves and the book’s Conclusion.  Our guest host is Dr. Mark Warner, the retired Senior Vice President of Student Affairs at James Madison University, and a Muhlenberg member.  The conclusion of this book draws us to a place where we can find our center, understand ourselves, and remember that this self-work is not selfish. As we each strive to bring compassion to our daily lives, whether that is vocationally or in simple moments each day, we are meant to live intentionally with a clear and consistent sense of who we are. Mark discusses the development of a personal mission statement, and we conclude with a reflection on Luke 4:16-30, where Jesus lays out his own mission statement for life and ministry, but is quickly misunderstood by those in his hometown.  In this, we see that living intentionally and centering ourselves on our values and calling is a faithful and self-full way of life that makes us fertile ground for growth, and a wellspring of grace for all in need.

This week's reflection is to try writing your own Personal Mission Statement by following Mark's steps: 1- Clarify your values, prioritize a top 10 2- Reflect on ways you concretely live out your values 3- Audit your calendar to see how you spend your time 4- Frame your reflection with the question "Who do I want to be?" 5- Make it personal, and let it be imperfect (wordsmith later)

Let us know in the comments how this process goes for you! We’d like to encourage you to discuss this process with a conversation partner, and whatever you’re comfortable sharing, you’re invited to share your reflections in the comments section of our Muhlenberg Lutheran Facebook page, Instagram @MuhlenbergLC, or on YouTube. Thank you, for gathering with us today around the Wellspring, we’re looking forward to another episode next week! Learn more about our congregation online, or by joining us for worship each Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00am Eastern Standard Time, with the 11:00 service streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. Your financial support of the ministry of Muhlenberg makes the many ministries, including digital ones like this, possible for our community. You can make your gifts online at www.muhlenberglutheran.org/give

This is Episode number 5, titled: “The Way is Wide” discussing chapters 8 through 11 of “Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others” by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky. Our guest host Karen Barnes offers reflections on her long career in various fields of caregiving and discusses 4 of the 5 directions that the book offers for Finding Your Way to Trauma Stewardship. “Creating Space for Inquiry, Choosing our Focus, Building Compassion and Community, and Finding Balance” are all directions in the wide way that each of us can follow. Through our discussion, we find ways of understanding the things that might burden us and hinder us from seeing these directions, and even reconcile the difference between a direction and a path. Paired with a study of Mark 6:7-13, when Jesus commissions his disciples two by two, we see that the way of compassion is wide, and we never walk alone.

This week's reflection questions are the "Try This" prompts at the end of each directional chapter. Let us know which ones you tried!

We’d like to encourage you to discuss these questions with a conversation partner, whatever you’re comfortable sharing, you’re invited to share your reflections in the comments section of our Muhlenberg Lutheran Facebook page, Instagram @MuhlenbergLC, or on YouTube. Thank you, for gathering with us today around the Wellspring, we’re looking forward to another episode next week! Learn more about our congregation online, or by joining us for worship each Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00am Eastern Standard Time, with the 11:00 service streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. Your financial support of the ministry of Muhlenberg makes the many ministries, including digital ones like this, possible for our community. You can make your gifts online at www.muhlenberglutheran.org/give

This is Episode number 4, titled: “Inside Out” discussing Chapters 5 and 6 of the book “Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self, While Caring for Others” by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky. Our guest host is Pastor Micah Krey, who brings his pastoral experience, as well as his personal experience of addiction recovery, to a conversation about “Creating Change from the Inside Out”. This focus on the work of self, particularly for those who do work in helping others, may tend to feel “selfish”. But this is not selfish, or really self-help, it’s about working on transformation from the inside out, finding an authentic connection to both the reality of joy and pain in our world in a healthier way. Pastor Micah reminds us of the importance of embracing our feelings of compassion for the world and for ourselves, before over-intellectualizing our problems. Paired with a conversation on John 3, and Nicodemus’ visit to Jesus in the night, we’ll see the ways that this type of self-work is its own form of being born anew, and seeking an inside-out way to eternal life, we’ll find the promise of gift that is already within us.

Questions for Reflection: Take a fearless moral inventory, beginning with what resentments you're carrying. What things, like Nicodemus are you overthinking in the night? What are three ways you can practice compassion for yourself and others this week?

We’d like to encourage you to discuss these questions with a conversation partner, whatever you’re comfortable sharing, you’re invited to share your reflections in the comments section of our Muhlenberg Lutheran Facebook page, Instagram @MuhlenbergLC, or on YouTube. Thank you, for gathering with us today around the Wellspring, we’re looking forward to another episode next week! Learn more about our congregation online, or by joining us for worship each Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00am Eastern Standard Time, with the 11:00 service streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. Your financial support of the ministry of Muhlenberg makes the many ministries, including digital ones like this, possible for our community. You can make your gifts online at www.muhlenberglutheran.org/give