Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

A recent experience being pulpit preacher gave me new insights into being a member of the family of preachers.    I had been invited as a MOSES leader to preach about risk at a Unitarian worship service. As preachers, we are part of a team.   Shown in the picture accompanying this post was the visible part of the team.   Fellow MOSES member, worship coordinator and yours truly.   I don’t usually smile well for pictures, but the camera caught me as I was recognizing a person I had recently met at a MOSES meeting. We had shared our passion for MOSES, (Madison Organizing in Strength, Equality and Solidarity.)   We work on prison reform. Her presence was a team moment for me. I spoke of risk for the biblical MOSES, Jesus the new Moses, Harriet Tubman the Moses of her people, and MOSES congregations. Members risk speaking up about injustice.   I enjoyed having a day in the pulpit, but the real preaching came from the people.   “I have fo...

Megan is here!  A Sinsinawa Dominican Candidate shares life at Monona House before going to her next assignment.  What a whirlwind of blessings! It is also the last days for us to live at Monona House where we began a house with a mission 4 years ago.  Sisters and associates easily live with a strong sense of mission, but having a house with a mission may be unique.  We named it Monona House.  We live in  Monona, WI,  and the literal name, "Monona" says "beautiful."   We sought to be aware of the beauty of each person who entered Beautiful House whether to visit, to live, to meet or to perform maintenance tasks.  Four years later we experience the fruits of beautiful as we look through  Megan's eyes. The dining room table is where many beautiful people share bread and life stories. Many come to share while Megan is here. We share   Navajo wisdom with friend, Omie pictured here.   But others come by as well, our 80...

An email picture -- associates and me at a conference-- reminded me of an article sent by Sinsinawa's Relation For Mission team --"Concentration on Connections Will Keep Religious Life Alive." I am connected to Faith Communities of Madison through an organization called MOSES (Madison Organizing in Strength Equality and Solidarity.)     I am the leader of its religious leader caucus.   I bring the clergy and other spiritual leaders of our 20 some organizations together to strengthen the spiritual bonds of individual communities that are helping bring an end to mass incarceration. In order to build relationships with the leaders and people of the various faith communities, I take time each week to attend special events and/or Sunday services with Lutheran, African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Congregational, Unitarian, Unity or Friends communities. Last Saturday I joined James Reeb Unitarian community   as they ordained their new minister.   I neve...