At a Glance
Theme:
Life in the Spirit: Heeding the Spirit’s Prompting
Faculty Speaker:
Dr. Lauren Winner, Assistant Professor of Christian Spirituality
Lectionary Texts:
Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 104[1a;24-35]; Romans 8:14-27; Acts 2:1-14a,22-47
Caroline Thompson offers
a dance during
evening worship. |
David Horton and Artist Tracy Radosevic interact during a Storytelling workshop
in the Arts Village. |
Kit DiSalvo and Dr. Lauren Winner interact during morning plenary lecture. |
Reflections on the Lecture
After reading excerpts of Dr. Winner’s Mudhouse Sabbath, students came to plenary this morning eager to explore the relationship between the life of the spirit and our own spiritual practices. Dr. Winner introduced how Acts and other biblical narratives are saturated with stories that show Christian spiritual practice that draw us closer to the life of God. She invited students to brainstorm ways in which they participate in the life of God.
How does the Acts narrative show us what it means to be the “new” church in the world? How do we learn to practice spiritual disciplines in ways that help us to more critically engage with the world?
Quotable Quotes
“Try fasting from criticism for a week.”
— Dr. Winner on unconventional ways that we can use traditional practices to shape our spiritual lives
“Positives? Fellowship. Human connectivity. The occasional receiving of prayers. These are good things that can come through technology. Drawbacks? I think in general we can say that these technologies disorder, or have had a negative impact, on our embodied life.”
— On how technology affects the ways we interact with one another
“So the mad dash with coffee [to class] erodes your relationship with Christ.”
— Dr. Lauren Winner remarking on a student’s thoughts on how her daily routine affects her Christian life
“You don’t see God in French fries.”
— Student Williams Lennon-Scott on whether he saw God in his lunch
“Your name is Julian? My name is Julian. But I’m older than you, so I had it first.”
— Student Julian Pridgen, Jr. remarking to a startled young Duke camper in the breakfast line
Other Activities
On Wednesday, students who visited Anathoth Community Garden helped to harvest leeks, which then were used to prepare a leek and potato soup for our dinner tonight. It was a beautiful connection for the DYA community between the source of our food and what we eat when we sit down for table fellowship. DYA students led a service which drew on sacred dance, monastic chants, and a multi-lingual reading of the Acts 2 Pentecost narrative. Rev. Donna Battle, a chaplain at Shaw University, preached on knowing and becoming intimate with the Spirit.
What’s Ahead...
On our final full day together, Dr. Amy Laura Hall will lecture on “Living into God’s Call.” Students will explore their Christian identity in light of their vocation and calling. After reflecting on their experiences leading worship this week, students will have an opportunity for free time to pack, spend time in community, and celebrate our final worship service led by the DYA staff.
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