Ann Arbor Chapter – Recent Program Themes and Highlights
Chapter meetings are a key part of the Companion experience. Each chapter plans its own programs, which offer opportunities to learn and share ideas. See below for information about the Ann Arbor Chapter’s fascinating programs. The SCHC welcomes women who wish to learn more about the Companions to chapter meetings.
Ann Arbor Chapter – Recent Program Themes and Highlights
By Anne Campbell, Ann Arbor Chapter
Each year as the Ann Arbor SCHC Chapter does its program planning, we seek to have a variety of offerings that are connected by a common thread. For the last couple of years, we have explored various aspects of Indigenous People. Last year, the Society offered a virtual program that focused on Bishop Steven Charleston’s book, We Survived the End of the World, which culminated with an interview with the author. As a chapter, we studied and discussed Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a beautiful reminder of our delicate and essential connection to nature. We watched the documentary “100 Years,” the shocking and inspiring true story of one Native American woman’s fight to hold the U.S. government accountable for a century of injustice against the land rights of Native people. This year our chapter decided to kick-off our 2024-25 year with a field trip to the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA). This museum is a bit of a hidden gem, but so worth discovering! TMA was hosting a visiting exhibit called “Ethiopia at the Crossroads,” which promised not only beautiful art, but an incredible history lesson.
On this docent-guided tour, we experienced 225 cultural artifacts from 1,750 years of art history. We learned that this East African country was at the center (or crossroads) of the known world. It was an area where trade and cultural exchange brought about not just shared artistic practices but also shared religious beliefs. These beliefs included various forms of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. It was a region rich in diversity where people with extreme differences lived together. This exhibit provided evidence of the extraordinary beauty that was derived from centuries of commingling. Our docent knew that we were interested in religious history and expertly wove Biblical stories into the descriptions of the artifacts on display.
Crossroads heavily influence the outcomes of our lives. Our discussion was rich and continued over lunch. What crossroads do we have in our lives today? Are there right and wrong roads, or simply different roads? When we are faced with difficult decisions, how do we discern which road will be best for us? And how do our decisions impact others? In hindsight, we know that there are always unintended consequences with each decision we make.
For the remainder of the program year we will further explore crossroads, our faith, Indigenous People, and unintended consequences. The Society is currently wrapping up another virtual book study on The Land is Not Empty by Sarah Augustine, a deep dive into how the Doctrine of Discovery has shaped the world. Our chapter will be hosting a very special speaker in January, The Rev. Canon Cornelia Eaton, from the Episcopal Church in Navajoland. In February, we will do our own book study of Steven Charleston’s Ladder to the Light, and in May we will further examine the Doctrine of Discovery with a focus on how Native American communities in our area were impacted.
Programs are an important part of an SCHC chapter’s life. Thoughtful planning takes time, but we reap the benefits in so many ways. Our dialogue is guided by questions raised from what we learn. Deeper knowledge leads us to a richer prayer life. And our Companionship stays strong as we pray, explore, study, and learn together.
