Scarritt Bennett Center Blog

Silhouette of a person staring up, in wonder, at a starry sky
Instructions for Living a Life

The poetry of Mary Oliver speaks volumes to my soul. One of her short pieces provides a motto by which I try to live. Short, simple and to the point: Instructions for living a life.Pay attention.Be astonished.Tell about it. Pay Attention. How often I go through my...

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Two women embrace while draped in the American flag
A Prayer for Freedom

This weekend we celebrate the Fourth of July.  There will be picnics, parades, and lots (and lots) of fireworks. As I reflect on the history of the 4th and of our country, I am led to wonder how we define freedom. Per Websters Dictionary, freedom is...

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Juneteenth
A Prayer for Juneteenth

Last week marked a historic event known as Juneteenth.  It has now become a Federal holiday marking "freedom" for African Americans that is long overdue.   I invite you to read more about the history of this Juneteenth "freedom" and reflect on it as we approach the...

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Photo of a bus station at night
Receiving Angels Unawares

Receiving Angels Unawares: Meeting Asylum Seekers at Nashville’s Greyhound Bus Station “Ustedes son unos angeles!” (Y’all are angels) responded the smiling woman to my “Welcome to Nashville” greeting (which left me speechless, not expecting this). She was traveling with her 10-year-old son and had a stop-over...

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Field of flowers
The Place Where We Are Right

I was recently on a zoom Lectio Divina with friends in Colorado, Kansas, and Oregon (gotta love the expansiveness of Zoom!) The poem for reflection led to a fruitful discussion of those places in which we feel we are right. "The Place Where We Are Right"...

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Crowded dining table
There’s Room at the Table for Everyone

Several years ago, while listening to NPR, I heard an interview with singer/songwriter, Carrie Newcomer. She has since become one of my favorite artists for her insightful words and music. https://www.carrienewcomer.com/  In addition, Carrie is working with Quaker theologian and Educator Parker Palmer for concerts and...

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Let’s Celebrate #Pride

June is Pride Month. As with many groups for whom we dedicate a month, or a day, the celebrations were borne out of a history of injustice and the need for education and awareness among the broader public....

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Photo of the American Flag
Memorial Day Reflection

Since this is Memorial Day weekend, I’d like to offer a bit of history for reflection. The significance of Memorial Day goes back two centuries and brings us the sober reminder that life is a precious gift we sometimes take for granted. Memorial Day was born out...

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Guest house in the woods
Your Guest House Can Get Crowded at Times

One of my favorite poems to use for the meditation practice of lectio divina ("sacred reading") is “The Guest House” by Rumi, as translated by Coleman Barks: The Guest HouseThis being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness,Some momentary...

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Mental Health
May is Mental Health Month

What do Isaac Newton, Ludwig van Beethoven, Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Gogh, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Diana, Princess of Wales, Carrie Fisher, Mariah Carey, Jane Pauley, Parker Palmer, and 1 in 5 Americans have in common? All have all have made contributions to...

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