#  CSWR Goes to Church  

 





October 02, 2015

 

 

CSWR goes to Church—that is, to [Memorial Church](http://memorialchurch.harvard.edu/), in the Yard and at the heart of the University. I could not help but notice that in a single week (September 28-October 2) three of [our Center residents](/residence) were the speakers at Morning Prayers in the Appleton Chapel.

While many of our residents have spoken at Memorial Church over the years, three in one week merits special notice.

On Monday, September 28, Danny Ballon, an MDiv candidate focusing on contemporary Christianity at the intersection of religion, ethics, and politics, delivered the talk "Strength to Do What? The Apostle Paul's Secret to Happiness." With our hectic, achievement-oriented lives, many of us grapple with how to maintain a sense of peace and happiness in the midst of the chaos. The Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 4:10-13 provide a clue.

## Listen:



 

 

 

 Harvard University · Danny Ballon MDiv II — Monday, September 28, 2015 

 



 

 

 

On Wednesday, September 30, Khytie Brown, a PhD candidate in the [Department of African and African American Studies](http://aaas.fas.harvard.edu/), gave the talk "Abiding in the Space of the Wordless Groan." Drawing on inspiration from the Biblical scripture which reads "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Romans 8:26), the remarks addressed the tripartite entity of fear, anxiety, the desire for control, and asked "what can you do when faith is lost and prayer is no longer possible?" Envisioning Spirit capaciously, abiding in the space of the wordless groan is for Khytie to see herself woven into the fabric of the universe, unfolding through genealogies and multiple iterations of the ones who came before, the ones who currently stand with her in the visible and the invisible realms and the ones who are not as yet but to whom she has a responsibility; this helps to allay fears supplanting them with courage and love.



 

 Harvard University · Khytie Brown — Wednesday, September 30, 2015 | Morning Prayers 

 



 

 

 

On Friday, October 2, Abhishek Raman, an MDiv candidate focusing on business ethics, delivered the talk "The Appropriateness of our Attention to Wealth: Bhagavad Gita 12:6-8 and the Gospel of Matthew 6:24 and 33." In the past few weeks with the inaugural visit of Pope Francis to America, there has been a renewed focus on income inequality in this country and the world. Everyone from politicians to spiritual pundits have something to say about what is wrong with the current economic system, and according to them, the chief culprits that make the system nonviable for the masses are business enterprises. But through experience we learn that business enterprise can be a catalyst for social change, provided that our attention is focused not on the accumulation of wealth, but rather on generating wealth and investing sustainably in order to meet humanity's genuine needs.



 

 Harvard University · Abhishek Raman MDiv III — Saturday, October 3, 2015 | Morning Prayers 

 



 

 

 

Three distinctive and interesting reflections, all timely and engaging, surely to the appreciation and benefit of all in Appleton Chapel at the three services—but also a great testimony to the rich insights and wisdom of our residential community. It is wonderful to have such insightful young scholars and speakers living at the Center this year.

*—by Francis X. Clooney, S.J., director of the Center for the Study of World Religions, Parkman Professor of Divinity, Professor of Comparative Theology*



 

 



 

 See also:- [ Center for the Study of World Religions ](/media-topic/center-study-world-religions)
- [ CSWR ](/media-topic/cswr)