Theology Day 2025: Ancient Christian Practices to Sustain Community
Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
Understanding differences matters when creating structures that people can step into and be a part of. It is all too easy for a person to feel squeezed out of a community. We cannot be indifferent to the wear and tear that exhaustion and uncaring brings to community life. Belonging is important. When we understand the differences between ourselves and others, we can better empathize with their experiences, challenges, and perspectives. Empathy is a bridge between the emotional and the cognitive—our heads and hearts— that shoulders the fruit of the spirit—kindness, peace, joy, self-control and love. Our ancient Christian practices matter. When fully engaged, we cannot let the hard moments of life go unattended, unthought out. Time given over to spiritual practices and engaging differences both benefits the individual and grounds one for engagement in life together.
Barbara Sutton received her D.Min. from Saint Paul Seminary and School of Divinity (2010). She teaches on subjects including Ministry in the Church, Leadership Development, and Sacraments and Formation at Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary. She has also authored several programming materials and books like Sustaining a Healthy Ministerial Workplace, Paulist Press (2024).
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Sutton, Barbara L., "Theology Day 2025: Ancient Christian Practices to Sustain Community" (2025). Theology Day Lectures. 6.
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/sot_theology_day/6