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ACPE's Monday Briefing is a weekly digest from ACPE Executive Director Trace Haythorn.
Each week you will receive related articles and updates on ACPE transitions. Also included are helpful links to keep you connected, better informed, and well-resourced for the week ahead.
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My heart still aches every time I type September 11. In the wake of Irma and Harvey, my prayers are different but the ache is much the same. May God be with those throughout the world facing natural disasters, warfare, and violence in ways that transform not only what they experience but how we live in their aftermath.
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Completion of Units in Progress in Areas Impacted by Natural Disasters
In light of the impact of the recent hurricane in Houston and the potential impact of Hurricane Irma in Florida, we share the following with you in response to inquiries received by the national office about the completion of units in progress.
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It's About Professional Well-Being, Not Just Communities of Practice
In our ongoing series of articles and reflections about where the ACPE is headed, Barbara Bullock and David Hutchinson, chair and chair-elect of the Professional Well-Being, offer the following article for your thoughts and reflection. While many have worried about how the communities of practice will be formed and what administrative structures will oversee them, Barbara and David want to communicate something different. The work of this committee is about community, professional development, shared support and life-long learning together.
Click here to see their thoughts.
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Watch Your Email this Week
Our three Directors of Community, Practice and Membership Development will send out introductions of themselves this week. You should receive notice from either Katherine Higgins, Steve Ivy or Wayne Menking as your director, which means they are there to support your work. Some of you have already been contacted by them, but we want to formalize this communication to make sure everyone knows who is supporting whom. If you don't get the email this week, please let us know and we'll send it again.
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A Poem for Reflection
It is, once again, 9/11. Harvey's devastation is still so widespread, and Irma's wreckage is still happening. There is Bangladesh, Mumbai, Nigeria, Pakistan, western England, all ravaged by flooding. We are, as the old spiritual says, "standing in the need of prayer"-which reminded me of this poem:
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"All the Steps" by John Taggart
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Those who hear the train they had better worry worry
those who hear they had better worry worry.
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No disgrace to worry to have the worried life blues
might do some good to be worried in the hour of our need.
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Run run run away going to run run run away
there are those who think they're going to run away.
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To hear and to be facing and to be facing what is heard
to hear and to be face to face with what is heard.
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Run run run away they're going to run run run away
there are those who think they're going to run away from the train.
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Fort built to protect the community from desert raiders
community thought to protect itself from raiders.
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Those who hear the train they had better worry worry
better worry worry about a gift of tears.
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Those who are gathered in the fort had better learn
they had better learn how to cure their wounds.
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The train with its poison and its tongue
the lurking train with its poison and its tongue.
10
Those who are gathered better learn to be insensitive
learn how to put on a show of being insensitive.
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Danger of its poison and of its tongue
danger of its poison and of its tongue against our teeth.
12
Had better break the habit the habit of prayer
better let the jokes come back to us when we're at prayer.
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What really kills me is standing in the need of prayer
standing in a gathering in the need of prayer.
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Don't if we don't if we don't break the habit
we will be made to climb all the steps of the ladder.
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Brood over someone else's dream: three-story red tower
beneath the tower the train is always departing.
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Danger of its tongue for those gathered like a group
gathered like a group of all virgins with their downcast eyes.
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There is this problem with cutting off the prayer hand
there is this problem with the other hand.
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How insensitive is how those who hear better be
how insensitive how unmoved and cold they had better be.
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You can call him you can call him up and ask him
if we had only asked for "Sleep Walk by Santo & Johnny.
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Red tower green sky three-story tower against green sky
beneath the tower the train is always departing.
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Don't break it be made to climb all the steps
we don't break it we'll be made to climb all the steps.
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Ant on the floor the small ant on the kitchen floor
the small ant anticipates by sound or shadow.
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Light turns out in the kitchen when somebody pulls on the string
those gathered not able to anticipate the danger.
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If we had only stayed in the school of the prophets
in the school of the prophets who catch thoughts from words.
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Ant on the floor the small ant on the kitchen floor
those gathered not able to anticipate the danger.
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Those who are gathered are fondled and taken by the hand
taken by the hand and made to climb all the steps.
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Perfectly built fort bound to make the community unhappy
bound to make those in the community unhappy.
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What really kills me is standing in the need of prayer
I'm standing in the need of jokes that come back.
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Standing in the need of prayer in a perfectly built fort
bound to make you unhappy bound to make me unhappy.
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Not broken the habit of prayer not been broken
those who are gathered better learn how to cure their wounds.
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Something Extra
I saw this recently and wondered what the implications are for ACPE's work in the digital arena. If nothing else, it raises good questions: Susan Pinker, The Secret to Living Longer."
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Something Else Extra
Sometimes, we hear concerns in the national office that the certification process is focused too much on the negative, that anger and pain are valued much more than joy and delight. So, here's a short video to invite some conversation about that.
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This Week on the Calendar
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Monday, September 11
*Ethiopian New Year - Rastafari
A sacred day for Rastafarians because they consider Ethiopia to be their spiritual homeland, to which they aspire to return.
Tuesday, September 12
*Ghambar Paitishahem - Zoroastrianism [through Saturday, September 16]
This festival celebrates the creation of the earth and the summer harvest.
Thursday, September 14
*Elevation or Exultation of the Holy Cross - Christianity
This day recognizes the Cross as a symbol of Christ's love for humankind and God's victory over death. It also marks the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helen after it had been stolen in the 7th century C.E. Orthodox churches begin their commemoration at sundown on the preceding day. In the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, this day is known as Meskel and is marked on September 27th.
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