Pastoral overload and CE21

I don't know how everyone else is doing, but between the economy, sickness, and death, it's been a rough end of 2008 and little has improved in 2009. The level of stress we're experiencing now feels to me greater than anytime in the past. It gets a little scary when you feel so overloaded that you can't even use your normal re-chargers - no time to exercise and too tired to read for myself.

In larger measure that why I'm enjoying our workshops and sessions so far for CE21 (Congregational Education in the 21st Century.) Kehilat Shalom is part of 8 congregations in the DC area working with the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning to create new models of Jewish learning for all ages. Thinking about where we are in learning for all ages, figuring out what's not working, what is successful & inspiring, and then bringing all ages and constituencies into the conversation about what do we do to engage and energize learners is pretty exciting! It's time to dialogue and then think outside the box. When I think back at my experiences through the years: Junior Congregation, Camp Ramah, studies and travels in Israel, sublime moments in nature and in worship - I think these are the kinds of learning experiences which last a life-time and which we need to create consistently. This is my light for now in the middle of the dark spirituality of this year's winter months.

Kol tuv,
Rabbi Mark R. Raphael