In this post, learn more about Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown's perspectives on poetry, scripture, and community that are evident in the two Facilitator Guides to accompany and enhance the poetry of Joe Davis.
Sparkhouse: Last year you created the Facilitator Guide for Remind Me Again: Poems and Practices for Remembering Who We Are, a collection of 41 poems by Joe Davis. Combined with the 21 sessions from Unearthing Us, leaders now have more than 60 poem-based sessions to use in their ministries. (They can also reference the 16 poems Joe Davis wrote for We Rise Higher: Poems and Prayers for Graduates.) What can happen when faith communities use poetry as a basis for faith formation time instead of other approaches?
Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown: So many faith communities rely only on pre-written liturgy, questions that already have answers, and objectively-based frameworks that offer little to no room for individual interpretations or expressions.
Poetry is a form of art that provides the unstructured and liberating invitation for self-interpretation. When engaged fully, both poet and reader are united to create a beautiful duet that provides a fresh interpretation and unique experience of the poem. Rather than being a witness to what is happening around them, readers become participants whose voice contributes to the flow and flux of the journey, promoting exploration and conversation at every interaction. In this format, participants learn skills to navigate the unexpected, to engage and respect differing perspectives, and to find value in it all.
Sparkhouse: For each session you write, you choose a scripture passage. What is your process like to select these verses?
Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown: I believe that scripture selection is a sacred process. I consider not only the content, but the emotion and the spiritual wrestling that might accompany the topics we are exploring. Living word is unique in not only providing guidance and encouragement for specific scenarios, but also for the rippling effects, the rising emotions, and all of the branching thoughts in between. We may not all be able to relate to an experience of misogyny, for example, but we can all identify with feelings associated with not being embraced for who we are. We are all connected in this way. Scripture unites us in this way. Finding meaningful verses of scripture that bridge those perceived gaps brings us together to experience the Triune God in new ways, while engaging diverse perspectives and different conversations than those to which we have grown accustomed.
Sparkhouse: Another distinct part of your pedagogical structure of these sessions is to look for connections to community. Why has that been an essential part of the sessions you design? How would you respond to a group that is accustomed to gathering in a meeting room and staying focused on their group at that place in time?
Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown: Traditionally, learning remains in our heads and in our classrooms. Students are left to their own devices in discovering if/how to mobilize that education for real transformative change. Because praxis is not an active and consistent part of our society’s educational process, many have no idea how to apply what they are learning in life and community. I incorporate this element into reflection questions, guiding prompts, and tangible invitations in order to bridge that gap and help readers learn how to use that muscle. If we continue to rely on the outdated frameworks—and traditional learning methodologies and environments—the outcome will predictably be as it always is: outdated, traditional, and thus ineffective. I often refer to Einstein’s quote about the definition of insanity; repeated actions with an expectation of different results is unrealistic. Unless we truly want to produce more of the same leaders and leadership, we must try new things and new approaches in new spaces.
Check back for Part 3 of this Sparkhouse blog feature about the Unearthing Us Facilitator Guide.