Nouwen Blog

Journey of the Heart - the life of Henri Nouwen will air on many PBS stations over the coming weeks and months.  Journey of the Heart, produced by Windborne Productions, is an interesting, rich and inspiring biography of one of the most significant spiritual thinkers of our time.  If you have seen this film, tell us what you think about it.  What resonated with you? What surprised you, inspired you? If you enjoyed seeing the film on PBS, we invite you to call the station to let them know and to encourage them to air it again, during prime time.

 If you haven’t seen the film, check our station finder for broadcast times.  Journey of the Heart can also be purchased from our shopcart.

In the spring 2006 issue of Harvard Divinity Today six of Henri’s graduate assistants who worked with him at Harvard in 1985 reflect on how he influenced their lives. Peter Weiskel, recalling when he first encountered Henri in 1973 writes, “Henri reflected on themes of solitude, compassion, and community. (The sermons were later published as the book Out of Solitude.) The style was intense and personal, the message grounded in the gospel texts, and the effect on the congregation was electric. . . . I sensed that we were hearing a word that was both traditional and contemporary, very old and yet completely fresh. . . . For me what was most important was his practice of deep ecumenism of the heart that seeks unity beyond conventional social and religious boundaries.”

How were you introduced to Henri Nouwen’s writing? Have his writings influenced your life in some way? If so, could you tell us about that? What does (or doesn’t) resonate with you? If you met him or heard him speak, we invite you to share your experience. What, for you, is Henri Nouwen’s legacy?

On May 18-20, 2006, two-hundred and fifty people gathered in Toronto, Canada on the campus of the University of St. Michael’s College to reflect on the legacy of Henri Nouwen. The conference, organized and hosted by The Henri J.M. Nouwen Archives to mark the 10th anniversary of Nouwen’s death, brought together people from across the spectrum of the Christian faith and from three continents. Powerful presentations were made by seven keynote speakers including Mary Jo Leddy, Michael Higgins, Laurent Nouwen, Carol Berry, Sue Mosteller, Gord Henry and John Mogabgab. More than forty-three people presented papers and workshops on topics that preoccupied Nouwen in his lifetime, and still have particular relevance for us today. Music, morning prayer, talking circles and artistic renderings of the symbol of the wheel provided continuity and invoked a spirit of enquiry, reflection, and community. A biographers’ panel stimulated lively discussion and challenged many to consider the relevance of the personal life of a man who for many is one of the great spiritual teachers of the late 20th century.

We invite participants of the conference to share thoughts, experiences, questions or comments about the conference, in general or very specific terms. It is hoped that this can be a space where conversations started can be resumed, where questions pondered can be asked, and challenges or disappointments can be voiced. It may also be a place where the community that took root in our three days together can continue to grow and flourish. Your ideas on how to harness the energy and spirit of our time together are especially welcome. Many of us felt commissioned by Laurent Nouwen to befriend our “Adam” and by Sue Mosteller who said in her concluding remarks: “We are beloved daughters and sons of a living God and called to become more and more beloved mothers and fathers, loving others and taking responsibility to be compassionate and forgiving of all. We were not here as consumers of a nice gathering and nice speeches. We are beloved and called to share this good news with others.” Consider sharing the ways you have (or have not) incorporated this call into your lives.

Our thanks to Henry Freeman and Frances Saus for moderating the Spirituality of Fund-Raising blog and thanks to all those who participated. Watch for our next blog - to be launched soon.

In his little book, The Spirituality of Fund-Raising,Henri Nouwen lifts up and presents many insightful thoughts about money, ourselves, and the role of “giving” our financial resources as it relates to our spiritual life.

What are your thoughts about Henri’s book? What words of wisdom do you find within its pages? Are there parts of the book–and Henri’s approach to fund-raising–that trouble you………..or which you find to be simplistic and lacking substance?

What thoughts do you have to share?

As a fundraising consultant I often find that people have a very difficult time asking people for financial support regardless of the “worthiness” of the cause or organization. Indeed, most people find it easier to “give” than to “ask”.

Specifically, the “act” of asking people for a financial commitment (in fundraising terms “the ask”) often causes discomfort even among the most confident and “self-assured” people. (Ironically, people have far less problem asking another person to “volunteer”–ie give of their time–that they do asking for a financial investment in the same cause or organization.)

Is this an accurate statement and, if so, why is “asking people for money” so difficult?

Sometimes our concern for the poor may carry with it a prejudice against the rich

As Jim Wallis of Sojourners has pointed out in many of his books, the Bible is filled with passages about God’s preference for the poor. We, however, live in a world that often idolizes the rich. In this context, Henri expresses the view that, as Christians, we may at times address this tension through developing a prejudice against those who have material resources far greater than our own.

Is this an accurate perception on Henri’s part? What is your experience in your personal relationship with others? Does someone’s financial status in life impact upon your relationship with them?

As Henri so clearly states “The question is not how to get money. Rather, the question is about our relationship with money.”

Deeply embedded in the fundraising process–and all interactions between people–are those attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions that we each “bring to the table”. What is our attitude toward money? How does our view of money influence the fundraising process? What is its impact on how we relate to others who we perceive to have financial gifts far beyond our own?

Interesting–and important!–questions. What are your thoughts?

“As a form of ministry, fund-raising is as spiritual as giving a sermon, entering a time of prayer, visiting the sick, or feeding the hungry.” (The Spirituality of Fund-Raising, page 4)

For those of us in the fund-raising profession could there ever be a stronger statement of affirmation for our work and ministry? In the above statement, Henri gently nurtures us to see fund-raising for what “at its best” it can be……namely a profession that is embedded in the art of inviting people to join into partnership (and into community) to, in some way, “make the world” (or a portion of it) a better place through our financial gifts.

But do we believe Henri’s statement? Does it ring true in our lives…………or do we find ourselves “weighted down” by the image of a the fundraiser as someone who is skilled at persuasively taking people’s money?

Your thoughts? Any examples of “fundraising as ministry” that will enlighten our discussion?

In order to participate in the blog, please go to the sidebar and (under “Register”) follow the instruction for getting a password. As a next step please read the section “About the Moderators” (to learn a bit about us) and briefly share (under “Tell Us About You”) something about yourself and what brings you to this collective table on spirituality and fund-raising.

Thank you for joining us!
About the moderators of the “Spirituality of Fund-Raising” blog:
Henry Freeman:
Perhaps the best and most appropriate description of myself and my career is to say that I am a fundraising consultant who “came to the fundraising profession” through Henri Nouwen. Indeed, my career began more than 30 years ago when Henri slipped $135 under my apartment door while I was a student at Yale Divinity School. He also kept me in school (and his pastoral counseling class) through “a talk with the dean” that enabled me to get credit for my efforts to establish The Student Fund for Vietnamese Children—the brainchild of an idealistic young man who “had no idea” how to raise money but knew he was called to do so. (I should mention that I set a goal of $500,000 and, to the best of my recollection, fell short by $480,000. Fortunately, my ability to meet campaign goals has improved markedly over the past 32 years.)

The $135 Henri slipped under my door in the spring of 1973 was one of Henri’s “little gestures” that he had forgotten when twenty years later when I introduced him for an honorary doctorate at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. From the podium I shared with the more than 1,000 people present the story of Henri’s gift and the impact this humble man had on my life. I went on to share our conversation from the day before—a conversation in which I had asked Henri about his middle initials “J.M.”. (His humorous and sheepish response? “J.M. stand for Just Me.”)

In subsequent years Henri’s influence has continued. Through his books I was often called to new places and new people. Perhaps most dramatic among these callings was the decision in 1992 to leave my position as vice president at Earlham College for a year of living with 76 orphaned children in war-torn El Salvador. Subsequently, Henri’s influence is obvious in the work of H. Freeman Associates—a consulting firm established more than ten years ago that serves faith-based and social justice organizations ranging from Sojourners and Upper Room Ministries to the American Friends Service Committee.

When approached by the Henri Nouwen Society to “do a blog” on The Spirituality of Fund-Raising, I gladly accepted. My reasons were two-fold. First, my deep respect for Henri (and the impact he has had on my life) and, second, the jewels of wisdom found in this little book.

My only hesitation has been the simple fact that I know virtually nothing about “blogs” and have had little interest in learning about them. Please, therefore, bear with me (and offer any technical words of wisdom that come to mind) on what for me is a long and challenging technological journey.

Frances Saus – Director of Development, Upper Room Ministries

After a career of 20+ years in student affairs in colleges and universities, I returned to my alma mater, Berry College in Rome, GA, as director of alumni affairs. Under the umbrella of the development office, this was my first opportunity to interface with people and opportunities who sought to provide financial support to the college, providing opportunities for students, faculty and staff and helping to ensure the future of an institution that was – and is – so near and dear to my heart.

When our vice-president for advancement asked me to consider moving into development, my first thought was, “No way! Development is too ‘vulturesque’ for me!” (For those who are confused, “vulturesque” is a derivative from “like a vulture.”) However, as I looked more closely and had frank conversations with colleagues, mentors and friends, I came to realize that development was truly an opportunity to bring together those who want to make a difference with needs of current and future students. It was my privilege and joy to join the development staff, helping create opportunities for our alumni and friends to deepen their involvement in a community they cherished by providing scholarship opportunities for students and undergirding the financial base of the college. Watching a community comprised of students, faculty and donors expand and strengthen, I had the opportunity to witness community-development in the truest sense of the word – a community that cared, beckoned others to involvement, and a passing of legacy from one generation to another. Without question, I came to see our work as ministry, even if I were unable to articulate it as such at the time.

During my 12 years in fundraising and related activities, my understanding of and appreciation for the multi-faceted ministry of fundraising has deepened with regard to donors, fundraisers (including boards/committees that lead development and fundraising activities), and the organization (church, school, or otherwise), acknowledging that stewardship and fundraising meld together needs, gifts and callings. At its best, I believe that fundraising forms and sustains people in community as they are engaged in responding to the call to love others and helps guide the organization and its people toward a deeper communion with God and others.

Although I did not have the privilege of knowing Henri Nouwen personally, I am deeply appreciative of his giving voice to development and fundraising as ministry and for his articulation of the true raison d’etre and fundraising fundamentals in such a simple, yet profound way, characteristic of his perspective and writings.