Greeting, Denison Community. I am so excited to join the community on the hill and start building relationships with students, faculty and staff. Please know that authenticity is important to me and I value dialogue. While I live out of a Christian Protestant tradition, I appreciate the breadth of religious and spiritual traditions that are present on campus and want to resource any student in their own journey.
American religion has changed so much over the last decades, but spirituality, in all its many forms, has changed little over the centuries. Brenee Brown writes:
“Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.”
Spirituality focuses on taking the time to ponder that which is larger than yourself and reflecting on connections to our world and one another. Here is a blessing as you ponder your own spiritual center:
Blessing for the Spiritual Seeker Source of Wisdom, may we seek not only the “what”
The data, the research, the dates and facts.
But also “why”
The connections, the relationships, the intersections.
May we reflect on the common good, not just what is good for me and mine,
But also what and how our life affects others.
May we experience our interconnectedness as trust and compassion rather than weakness and fear.
May we engage questions and sit with the mystery.
Blessings for your spiritual journey wherever you are wandering and seeking.
Stephanie McLemore is an ordained pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has over a decade of experience as a University Chaplain. She attended Kalamazoo College and the University of Chicago Divinity School for her formal education and has worked in local churches and as an Associate Regional Minister in Virginia. She is coming to us from the University of Lynchburg where she has served as Associate Dean of Wellness and University Chaplain. Stephanie finds her call in working with students to develop their spiritual path…along whatever path a student is walking. Inclusivity and Welcome are central to her work and she has experience working with a wide range of religious and secular traditions. She has expertise in mental health work, grief work, and working with students who have experienced trauma. Stephanie moved to Granville with her mother and two daughters.