Dignity Declaration
In November of 2010 I attended a conference on Dignity led by Dr. Donna Hicks. The following Dignity Declaration is a distillation of some of her thoughts. This Declaration has been used at Vestry meetings and other gatherings as a touchstone for conversations about relationships, personal growth, and the Episcopal Baptismal Covenant. Feel free to copy it and use it in any way you see fit.
A Declaration of Dignity
Almighty and Everliving God, by your creation and redemption you declare how deeply you value us, make us worthy of honor, and give us power to uphold the dignity of others.
Grant us grace to make a conscious choice today to honor our own dignity and the dignity of every person we meet.
Before every conversation let us ask, ‘What is my intention?’
During every conversation let us ask, ‘How am I communicating that I value them?’
Following every conversation let us ask, ‘Did I honor their dignity and mine?’
Burn into our hearts the assumption that everyone we meet today needs to be reminded that they matter and are worthy of being treated well.
Help us to validate and uphold the dignity of others by paying attention; and by recognizing talents, hard work, and thoughtfulness.
Make us conscious of our default instinct to quickly judge and stereotype others. Give us grace and patience to approach all people as neither inferior nor superior. Leave it to every person to tell us and to show us who they are.
Grant us humility to admit our deeply flawed and limited human understanding, and help us to acknowledge that we don’t know what we don’t know.
Remind us that we have blind spots others can see, but we cannot. Give us the grace and vulnerability to ask others for feedback and correction. Grant us forgiveness for the ways we unknowingly violate the dignity of others.
And Lord, make us aware of your presence that surrounds us. Remind us that before each day begins, you know its end; that we are all deeply and mysteriously bound to one another; and that every relationship, word, and action matters.
A Daily Dignity Declaration is an adaptation of the work of Dr. Donna Hicks (used with permission)
December, 2010 (1.3)
Renewing the Church
Some of my friends say the problem with North American Christianity is that we don’t know Jesus. But the problem, more accurately, is that we don’t know what to do with Jesus.
When surveys are passed out, the vast majority of us check the box marked ‘Christian.’ 91% of our households have a Bible - the average has four. However the faith of North Americans, while broad, is not deep. Biblical literacy is at an all time low. Christian bookstores have more books on self-help than theology. Surveys show 10% of us think that Joan of Arc is Noah's wife.
Yes, the Church is in transition. We are insular and inward focused, repelling change more than rolling with it. 4 out of 5 churches are not growing. 6 churches close every day.
This isn't just sad news for Christians, it's sad news for the world. Major social, environmental, and political problems surround us. There are vast and growing inequities between the haves and the have nots. The Church, created to be an extension of the love, compassion, could be doing much more to help battle the world's ills.
That's why renewal is so important. There are more than 300,000 churches in North America, and 25-40% of us in church on Sundays (depending on which survey you read). We may be knocked down, but we haven't been knocked out. We still have tremendous potential to do more - to be more. So our challenge is not only for Christians to develop and renew our personal faith, but also to develop and renew our faith communities.
The Disturbing Assumption that 'God helps those who help themselves.'
Of course, this is not found in the Bible - it was Ben Franklin. But too many people, myself included, fall prey to the pervasive false assumption that Christianity is about works, not grace. For God helps those who cannot help themselves. Satirist Stephen Colbert says it well:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Jesus Is a Liberal Democrat | ||||
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The Story of Stuff
It's been said that we moderns use the planet like a hotel room, relying on someone else to clean it up. Thankfully we're learning more about our fragile, island home - including ways to care for it. The admirable passion behind the makers of this series is an inspiration. For the whole series go the Story of Stuff website.