A Chapel Talk given to the students of St. Mary's Episcopal School
What a joy and privilege it is to be here in chapel at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. When I worked at the church here, joining you all for chapel once a month was one of the highlights of my work. So it is great to be back. I’ve missed y’all St. Mary’s. And I would like to share with you a story of what is taking place in the faith community that I am privileged to serve. I think this story is important because I hope it will encourage you to do three things, and while you are receiving a world-class education, I am going to make this incredibly easy for you all and go ahead and tell you what those three points are:
1) Step out of your comfort zone, try something that frightens you.
2) Look for what are perceived weaknesses or burdens in your life, as unique opportunities and gifts.
3) Think sustainable and lasting verse short-term and immediate.
1. When I was in high school, one of my favorite movies was Tommy Boy. Tommy Boy is classic Chris Farley. He is the misfit son who know when his father dies, everyone believes he will run the business into the ground. He is pretty goofy. And there is the scene when Tommy and his friend are driving, a cop pulls up behind them and they don’t want to get pulled over, so Tommy starts swerving the car all over the place and then pulls into a field, gets out the car and is running around swatting his body and yelling, “Bees, bees, killer bees.” And it works, and the police officer keeps his distance, he wants nothing to do with the bees.
And I get it. No one wants to be stung by a bee. Can you imagine being surrounded by thousands of them, tens of thousands? So a year ago, when my friend David asked me if I wanted to go out to a bee farm and put on a big suit and look at thousands of bees, I responded, “Are you crazy? Have you not seen Tommy Boy?” But David kept pushing, and wanting to make a good impression hesitantly agreed. And to my surprise, holding a frame with thousands of bees on it, moving around, thousands of stingers that have scared me my whole life, was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed, holding in my hand this live giving process, an entire colony surviving off the creative power of one queen bee. Here at the tip of my fingers, I had the opportunity to experience the entire life process taking place. It was extraordinary.
2. After spending my Fridays with St. Mary’s, I went to seminary to become an Episcopal priest. I wanted to work in a church, lead people in worship, and all that jazz. The church where I was lucky to end up serving is in Cordova. While the church is pretty small by attendance measures, yet we have a ton of land, 12 acres, which I think is a whole lot. It used to be farm land, and then wetland, and most recently, it has been perceived as land in need of maintenance. Running a church is not all about worship and all that jazz. It is also about keeping the lights on, making sure you have insurance, raising money, and keeping the lawn cut.
Our budget was pretty slim and we realized we couldn’t afford to keep mowing the 3 acres that are an open field. Members of the congregation had kept the yard cut before, but the task which required five hours a week was too much. In many ways, this beautiful property had begun to be viewed as a cash drain and burden to many members of the community. We considered ways we could get rid of it, sell it, or at least get someone else to take care of it.
And then something happened. The conversation changed. Maybe it was reading Malcom Gladwell’s David and Goliath, but the conversation changed. We began asking, what does it mean to be stewards of this land, want can it offer us, how can we use it what we thought was a burden to improve the quality of life for the people in Cordova, the people of Memphis. We have 12 acres, in a busy metropolitan area. In just a few square miles, 85,000 people call Cordova home and we have 12 acres. How can it be a gift? The emphasis changed. What if we had a dog park, or a farm or garden, or hiking trails, or …. Bee hives. Wait, haven’t you seen “Tommy Boy?”
3. A friend of mine, Eyleen, at Calvary Episcopal Church downtown had been thinking about how to create business for women who are trying to break out of the cycle of sex trafficking and prostitution. Some women in Memphis had built a house, and Eyleen wondered if it would be possible to create a business to eventually be able to offer these women jobs. Specifically, she saw this business with herbs and beauty products. Calvary had some grant money, we had some land, and both Eyleen and I were excited to be part of two communities that had a bunch of people interested in improving the quality of life of others.
We started dreaming and a few months later, together we planted 10 raised beds and put in two bee hives. The idea is that next year, we will plant three acres of herbs to create products such as teas or spice rubs or lip balms that will raise money and tell the story of some women in Memphis that need their story told to break out of a vicious cycle of violence and repression. Instead of giving money, we dream of creating job opportunities, of creating avenues to raise awareness, of products for people to purchase that cause people to be socially responsible in how they spend their money.
And then a few months ago in one of those freaky moments when you are sort of reaffirmed that you are doing the right stuff, they found two beehives in the bell tower of Calvary and last week people moved those two hives out to Cordova. What could possibly have been the chance that in the midst of this project, bees at one of the sites would need a new home?
And then on Saturday, I suited up in my bee suit, put on a big gas powered leaf blower, I looked like one of the characters from Ghostbusters and worked to extract our first bit of honey. This enormous burden of land that some saw as a whole lot of work without a lot of benefit, through a lot of hard conversation, and an openness to try something new by a lot of people, that land has now become a place where bees are at work, making honey, and carrying for gardens in a two square mile radius. It is a land where herbs are grown and people dream. And In a few weeks we will sell our first 33 ½ pints of honey all of the proceeds will go this small Community, the Community of Terese of Lisieux. A small first step will be taken. Today it is a small yield. But next year the bees will make more honey, a little investment and a lot of love will go to continue to make a difference.
This story is not about bees. And it is not about a garden, or land, or creating a business. It is much simpler. It is about taking a risk. It is about seeing your burdens as gifts. And it is about thinking long term sustainability in our problem solving. I doubt that many of you will become beekeepers, or even priests, although there are a few every years (Kate, Hester, Laura), but you will be called into the hard work of making this world a more viable place, to share the values that are instilled as a St. Mary’s girl. The world needs each of you to respond to what is taking place locally, nationally, and globally. Whether it is responding to unfathomable ecological crisis taking place in our world, the existence of enormous income inequality that is exacerbated by our own perceptions of prejudice and race, or the many problems that we face as a local community, as a nation, and as a world, is it possible that the long term sustainable solutions might be found in our perceived burdens and weaknesses and in our response by taking risks that force us out of our comfort zones?
I am not here to tell you what those solutions are, but I am grateful for the opportunity to share a story with the brightest young minds in our city. And if anyone could make those connections of risk, burdens, and sustainability to make our world a better place, it you girls.
What a joy and privilege it is to be here in chapel at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. When I worked at the church here, joining you all for chapel once a month was one of the highlights of my work. So it is great to be back. I’ve missed y’all St. Mary’s. And I would like to share with you a story of what is taking place in the faith community that I am privileged to serve. I think this story is important because I hope it will encourage you to do three things, and while you are receiving a world-class education, I am going to make this incredibly easy for you all and go ahead and tell you what those three points are:
1) Step out of your comfort zone, try something that frightens you.
2) Look for what are perceived weaknesses or burdens in your life, as unique opportunities and gifts.
3) Think sustainable and lasting verse short-term and immediate.
1. When I was in high school, one of my favorite movies was Tommy Boy. Tommy Boy is classic Chris Farley. He is the misfit son who know when his father dies, everyone believes he will run the business into the ground. He is pretty goofy. And there is the scene when Tommy and his friend are driving, a cop pulls up behind them and they don’t want to get pulled over, so Tommy starts swerving the car all over the place and then pulls into a field, gets out the car and is running around swatting his body and yelling, “Bees, bees, killer bees.” And it works, and the police officer keeps his distance, he wants nothing to do with the bees.
And I get it. No one wants to be stung by a bee. Can you imagine being surrounded by thousands of them, tens of thousands? So a year ago, when my friend David asked me if I wanted to go out to a bee farm and put on a big suit and look at thousands of bees, I responded, “Are you crazy? Have you not seen Tommy Boy?” But David kept pushing, and wanting to make a good impression hesitantly agreed. And to my surprise, holding a frame with thousands of bees on it, moving around, thousands of stingers that have scared me my whole life, was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed, holding in my hand this live giving process, an entire colony surviving off the creative power of one queen bee. Here at the tip of my fingers, I had the opportunity to experience the entire life process taking place. It was extraordinary.
2. After spending my Fridays with St. Mary’s, I went to seminary to become an Episcopal priest. I wanted to work in a church, lead people in worship, and all that jazz. The church where I was lucky to end up serving is in Cordova. While the church is pretty small by attendance measures, yet we have a ton of land, 12 acres, which I think is a whole lot. It used to be farm land, and then wetland, and most recently, it has been perceived as land in need of maintenance. Running a church is not all about worship and all that jazz. It is also about keeping the lights on, making sure you have insurance, raising money, and keeping the lawn cut.
Our budget was pretty slim and we realized we couldn’t afford to keep mowing the 3 acres that are an open field. Members of the congregation had kept the yard cut before, but the task which required five hours a week was too much. In many ways, this beautiful property had begun to be viewed as a cash drain and burden to many members of the community. We considered ways we could get rid of it, sell it, or at least get someone else to take care of it.
And then something happened. The conversation changed. Maybe it was reading Malcom Gladwell’s David and Goliath, but the conversation changed. We began asking, what does it mean to be stewards of this land, want can it offer us, how can we use it what we thought was a burden to improve the quality of life for the people in Cordova, the people of Memphis. We have 12 acres, in a busy metropolitan area. In just a few square miles, 85,000 people call Cordova home and we have 12 acres. How can it be a gift? The emphasis changed. What if we had a dog park, or a farm or garden, or hiking trails, or …. Bee hives. Wait, haven’t you seen “Tommy Boy?”
3. A friend of mine, Eyleen, at Calvary Episcopal Church downtown had been thinking about how to create business for women who are trying to break out of the cycle of sex trafficking and prostitution. Some women in Memphis had built a house, and Eyleen wondered if it would be possible to create a business to eventually be able to offer these women jobs. Specifically, she saw this business with herbs and beauty products. Calvary had some grant money, we had some land, and both Eyleen and I were excited to be part of two communities that had a bunch of people interested in improving the quality of life of others.
We started dreaming and a few months later, together we planted 10 raised beds and put in two bee hives. The idea is that next year, we will plant three acres of herbs to create products such as teas or spice rubs or lip balms that will raise money and tell the story of some women in Memphis that need their story told to break out of a vicious cycle of violence and repression. Instead of giving money, we dream of creating job opportunities, of creating avenues to raise awareness, of products for people to purchase that cause people to be socially responsible in how they spend their money.
And then a few months ago in one of those freaky moments when you are sort of reaffirmed that you are doing the right stuff, they found two beehives in the bell tower of Calvary and last week people moved those two hives out to Cordova. What could possibly have been the chance that in the midst of this project, bees at one of the sites would need a new home?
And then on Saturday, I suited up in my bee suit, put on a big gas powered leaf blower, I looked like one of the characters from Ghostbusters and worked to extract our first bit of honey. This enormous burden of land that some saw as a whole lot of work without a lot of benefit, through a lot of hard conversation, and an openness to try something new by a lot of people, that land has now become a place where bees are at work, making honey, and carrying for gardens in a two square mile radius. It is a land where herbs are grown and people dream. And In a few weeks we will sell our first 33 ½ pints of honey all of the proceeds will go this small Community, the Community of Terese of Lisieux. A small first step will be taken. Today it is a small yield. But next year the bees will make more honey, a little investment and a lot of love will go to continue to make a difference.
This story is not about bees. And it is not about a garden, or land, or creating a business. It is much simpler. It is about taking a risk. It is about seeing your burdens as gifts. And it is about thinking long term sustainability in our problem solving. I doubt that many of you will become beekeepers, or even priests, although there are a few every years (Kate, Hester, Laura), but you will be called into the hard work of making this world a more viable place, to share the values that are instilled as a St. Mary’s girl. The world needs each of you to respond to what is taking place locally, nationally, and globally. Whether it is responding to unfathomable ecological crisis taking place in our world, the existence of enormous income inequality that is exacerbated by our own perceptions of prejudice and race, or the many problems that we face as a local community, as a nation, and as a world, is it possible that the long term sustainable solutions might be found in our perceived burdens and weaknesses and in our response by taking risks that force us out of our comfort zones?
I am not here to tell you what those solutions are, but I am grateful for the opportunity to share a story with the brightest young minds in our city. And if anyone could make those connections of risk, burdens, and sustainability to make our world a better place, it you girls.