October 2005

Dear Friends, Welcome to the first edition The Beatitudes Society newsletter! First of all, we thank you - our readers and members - for your practical and prayerful support, suggestions, and belief in an idea that has become a reality. Furthermore, we are so grateful for our gifted and prophetic board members. Professor David Batstone, the Rev. Anne Howard, and Van Jones, Esq., give witness to a Beatitudes world through their life work and bless us with their participation in shaping this mustard-seed of an organization. (They are also lots of fun!) Speaking of participation, we issue an invitation to all of you to recommend resources and conferences for us to add to our website. We will always welcome your thoughts and suggestions about how we might move forward together. Our mission is already underway as we have officially launched five charter chapters in four seminaries and one college, with more to come. We also sent six student chapter conveners to a national conference in Washington, D.C. called Values, Vision, and the via media: A Path to Action. This first issue concentrates on our valuable experience at the conference as Beatitudes members. Here is some of what we gained.

1. It is the right time for The Beatitudes Society. Our students - who were able to get papers done, child care set up, and commitments changed - were deeply appreciated. Over and over, keynoters, panelists and participants expressed the need for a movement which includes and involves a new generation of Christian leaders who are youthful, energized, equipped and active. Our row of students looked at each other often and smiled proudly. Sustaining and developing young leaders is what we want to do.
2. The palpable sense of urgency must not cause us to panic and reach for the weapons used by the Right like hatred, pride and cynicism. We have much to do and our witness is past due. However, we must commit ourselves to waging reconciliation which means becoming witnesses to God's creative, challenging and boundless love. Turning the world upside down is what we want to do.
3. We need each other. How important it is for names to have faces and ideas to be shared. Now e-mails can continue where conversations have begun. Some of the best moments of the conference had to do with getting to know people and introducing people to each other. Building community and creating a network is what we want to do.
4. We have an immediate responsibility and opportunity to stand together against the poverty and racism revealed by the storms of Katrina. At the conference, we were introduced to valuable resources and opportunities in which to participate: from CrossLeft's online forum to Episcopal Public Policy Network's calls to action; from Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation's Millennium development goals to Visions Inc.'s training and consultancy in multiculturalism. Communicating effectively and acting concretely is what we want to do.
5. We need to keep returning to the animating, life-changing, challenging spirit of Jesus. George Lakoff says we need to frame our message. Jesus already has eloquently framed our message - in the Beatitudes.

As I write, we have chapters in various stages of formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, Graduate Theological Union, Episcopal Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary and Westmont College. If you are at a seminary or college and are interested in forming your own chapter of The Beatitudes Society, please let us hear from you. To contact us, e-mail or call 650-289-9555. Remember to peruse our website for event and conference announcements, as well as a recommended reading list. To automatically receive an electronic version of The Society's Newsletter in your email inbox, please sign up to the left.
The Beatitudes Society newsletter is free and publishes about once a month. The newsletter is intended to keep students, faculty and friends up to date on new conferences, chapters, and recommended readings and other matters as they arise. Members of chapters can expect to receive additional communications separate from the newsletter. We encourage members and friends to alert us to important events, conferences, articles and books that we can share with others through the newsletter.

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