AMENIA — Rather than be consumed by the fear brought on by recent headlines, The Freya Project offered the community an evening to reflect on happier moments at its Readings for Joy event held at Troutbeck in Amenia on Friday, May 6.
According to its website, www.freyaproject.com, The Freya Project stands as “an organization that uses storytelling to inspire community-based activism.”
As part of its mission, The Freya Project invites women and non-binary people — including authors, actors, teachers, doctors and activists — to read at its events; all proceeds raised go toward supporting small nonprofits working in their location communities.
Its recent reading raised funds to support the Roe Fund, which, according to the fund’s website at www.abortionfunds.org, annually provides direct financial help to Oklahoma women seeking family planning services who could otherwise not have afforded them.
With a light spring rainfall trickling down outside, the Troutbeck ballroom provided a nice, cozy space for the readings. By 5:30 p.m., there were more than a dozen people in the ballroom with more arriving as the evening progressed.
Although The Freya Project Co-Founder Nonie Brzyski was unable to attend the event, her sister Kate White shared how thrilled they were to hold it at Troutbeck. White gave an overview of how The Freya Project got started and of its overall mission.
In talking about the Roe Fund, White explained the project is funded entirely by donations. After a draft Supreme Court opinion leaked last week that could reverse the Roe v. Wade decision that has protected a woman’s right to safe and legal abortions, putting in jeopardy the future of women’s ability to access the procedure, she said the timing to gather in support of the Roe Fund couldn’t have been better.
White said the four presenters at Troutbeck were asked to describe a day in which they felt joy. Halimah Marcus was the first reader.
With a microphone in hand and words splayed on the podium, Marcus read an original piece she written for the occasion about a moment inspired by a trip to Coney Island. The audience let the words wash over them, laughing at Marcus’ gentle sense of humor.
The laughter continued throughout the night, though the delivery changed from prose to poetry to essays.
Though admitting her poetry tends to gravitate toward sadness, poet Rage Hezekiah selected a few poems that captured joy.
“Thank you all for showing up for a very good cause at a very important time,” said author Marcia DeSanctis before reading aloud “Seven Drafts of Coffee,” an essay from her book “A Hard Place to Leave,” which captured the seven-stage cycle she’s experienced between leaving and returning home from assignments.
While she acknowledged the writing was about a day when she felt joy, Leigh Newman, the final author that evening, said she feels joy every day. She chose to write about “joy and terror,” a nickname given to her by her agent.
Newman interlaced hilarity and relatability as she read about the subtle joys of home life and the terrors that have “burrowed like a tick” into every joy she’s experienced.
Thanking all the readers for filling the room with joy, White invited attendees to consider buying the signed books and make a donation to the Roe Fund.
Attendees of The Freya Project’s Readings for Joy lent author Marcia DeSanctis their undivided attention as she read aloud her essay at Troutbeck. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle
Turning to her first poetry collection, poet Rage Hezekiah read aloud a selection of poems that captured joy at The Freya Project’s Readings for Joy on Friday night, May 6. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle
Turning to her first poetry collection, poet Rage Hezekiah read aloud a selection of poems that captured joy at The Freya Project’s Readings for Joy on Friday night, May 6. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle
"They had this in mind from last year," girls varsity head coach Les Funk of Pine Plains said. Funk said the young team wanted the sectional title and "never gave up," until they won it Wednesday, March 5, at Mount Saint Mary College.Photo by Nathan Miller
Naveah Rennie, no 34 of Pine Plains, was the Bombers' dominant scorer, racking up 20 points by the end of the matchup against S.S. Seward Institute during the Section IX Class C finals at Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday, March 5.Photo by Nathan Miller
Lent: Time to consider social gospel movement
We are entering the annual Christian season of Lent this week.With its 40 days of contemplation and “little Easter” Sundays, it is a time to remember the healing ministry and the sacrifice of Jesus.During this season, we are invited to think deeply about our role as agents of grace and love in our hurting world.
There is a long history of making sacrifices and commitments for Lent, modeling our discipleship and hopes for a more heavenly world. It is through this lens that I invite you to join us in considering what gifts and services the community needs that we can commit to bringing forth in the weeks leading up to Easter.While many lean into solitary introspection during Lent, it may be particularly advantageous to use our meditations and sacrifices for the greater good this year.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, advised his followers centuries ago that “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and depth and breadth and height of Christian perfection.”These words are connected to the firm belief of Wesley that a Methodist was fundamentally one who loved God with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul, along with loving one’s neighbor as oneself.He believed that being in love with God naturally also required loving other people, as every person was a beloved soul coming from the same source of life that we are.
Consequently, Wesley stood against slavery long before it was a popular view, prioritized caring for those who were poor and imprisoned, and made a point to do good to as many as he could for as long as he was physically able.
Indeed, the Methodists are not the only Christians who believe such things.These thoughts are primary messages of the Christian faith.In more recent history, we can note that during the time of the Golden Age, at the end of the late 19th century, the Christians mobilized to counteract the abject poverty, child labor, dangerous working conditions, and lack of education of the time.Famous theologians such as Washington Gladden, Walter Rauschenbusch, and W.E.B. DuBois began the Social Gospel movement, enacting with new verve the passion of Christ that empowers the community toward building the Kingdom of God.As Christians, they believed in uplifting the downtrodden and creating a community where all had a chance to thrive.Child labor laws were enacted, better working conditions were secured, Sunday School helped provide education, settlement houses were created, and the Salvation Army was born.
The social gospel movement continued in another wave of reforms and empowerment through the Civil Rights era.Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his intellect, energy, and life to help secure the reforms that enabled persons of color to vote, go to non-segregated schools, and have the right to share public spaces without discrimination.Like Christ, he paid the ultimate price for his prophetic vision.However, his impact on our society was formidable, lasting far beyond his short lifetime.
As Christians, it is very clear what to do in times of hardship, crisis, or challenge.Throughout the centuries, our call has been to help heal the world, doing whatever we can to uplift and transform loneliness into community, reminding each one how precious they are and how important it is to unite for the sake of the whole.Individually, the challenges can be overwhelming, even too much to bear.Collectively, we can do all things through the One who strengthens us.As they say, “We have the receipts!” We can do it again.
This Lent, let us give up our pessimism and fear, replacing it with a commitment to community and hope.Yes, things can seem dreadful, but our souls are not served by allowing ourselves to descend into the dark.We are keepers of the light.Let us do all within our power to create brightness so that its warmth may strengthen all as we live into the Social Gospel movement for our time.Chin up, friends, we can do this.We simply must be willing to get serious about doing it together.
Rev. Dr. Anna Crews Camphouse is pastor of Canaan, Lakeville, Millerton, and Sharon United Methodist Churches
Lead Pastor of the Northwestern Hills Cooperative
Parish UMC