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THE PRODIGAL SUN The Newsletter of Prodigals Community Spring 2002

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Old Becomes New

Moravian Community serves as model for New Salem

 

by Neil Maxey, Staff

The Moravian community of Salem, with its emphasis on communal living, education, craftsmanship, spiritual growth and strict accountability, serves as the key model for the New Salem program. Other models are contemporary therapeutic communities and the Twelve-Step Program. Prodigals Community is an intentional Christian community. Just as accountability, worship, prayer, and sharing were aspects of daily life for the Moravians, residents in the New Salem program also experience these as part of their everyday life.

Residents begin each day with a time of devotions and share prayer concerns. Every meal and every group begins with prayer. The ecumenical worship service held each Monday night is an uplifting experience as visitors and residents join together in celebrating the renewal taking place in their lives. Each Sunday morning and Monday night, residents have the option of attending Bible study groups currently being led by Mark and Elaine Craddock and Susan Maxey. During orientation, each resident attends a spiritual disciplines class introducing them to forms of prayer and meditation. At the weekly "rap" group residents discuss how they did or did not apply spiritual principles in their daily life during the past week.

The sense of family that results from living in community is having a great effect on residents. In one resident’s words, "It is helping me trust people. People understand me and I understand people more."

Prodigals Rings In Easter

Annual Resurrection service attracts many worshippers

 

by Neil Maxey, Staff

 

"Rejoice, Christ is Risen Indeed" proclaimed the text on the gala balloons that decorated the Prodigals Community Sanctuary for the annual Resurrection service. Resurrection spirit filled the air as worshippers gathered to give thanks for Christ’s Resurrection and for what that means for each of us every day.

 

The service began as usual with a time for gratitude but it was quickly evident through the testimonies of resurrected lives that Christ is alive. Ginger Salmons enhanced the worship with special music. One of the solos she sang, "Learning to Lean", was written by a Prodigals Community graduate.

Rev. Kelly Carpenter, pastor of Green Street United Methodist Church, preached a sermon that was encouraging and challenging. Rev. Carpenter explained the origin of the centuries-old phrase "saved by the bell" and used this ancient method of determining whether a person was dead or alive to give worshippers an opportunity to celebrate the Resurrection. Each person present was given a small bell and, as Rev. Carpenter’s hand slowly swept across the congregation, the joyous sound of ringing bells proclaiming Christ’s Resurrection filled the room. "Christ is Risen Indeed."

 

Gratitude

 

Valerie von Isenburg, Interim Co-Director

It’s easy to take life for granted. But life is a gift. It is a gift given by God and free for us to enjoy. When we remember those things for which we are grateful, we find our lives fuller and our burdens lighter.

For those in recovery, gratitude is often given for freedom from the pain addiction has caused, for a spiritual awakening and having hope restored or having hope for the first time.

A key time in Prodigal’s Monday night worship service is "gratitude time". This is a time during which all are invited to share. The advice "If you don’t share it, you’ll lose it" is frequently heard.

I think about that phrase often and recently asked Grant, a New Salem graduate and fellow staff member, what it means to him. He told me it tells him to share with others what’s been so freely given to him. He continued, explaining that if he doesn’t share his thanks to God for where his life is now, he might forget where he came from.

Residents come to New Salem to recover from their addictions. They spend a large part of their time in structured spiritual development—journaling, writing an autobiography, and engaging in other spiritual disciplines. When they complete New Salem they find they have accomplished much more than what they sought to—they have been transformed spiritually. What a wonderful gift for which to be grateful!

As for me, I have gratitude for being part of this God-filled community. For witnessing men and women working courageously on their recovery with the support of their brothers and sisters here at Prodigals.

I give thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;before the Gods I sing thy praise;"   (Psalm 138:1)

NEW SALEM CAMPUS RECEIVES MAKEOVER
Grants and Donations Pave the Way for Improvements

Thanks to donations from several different foundations, church organizations, businesses, and agencies, the New Salem campus has a new roof on the men’s dormitory and a paved parking area to replace what once became a pond during heavy rains. And, that’s not all you’ll notice when you visit the New Salem Campus. An attractive fence now surrounds the campus giving it a sense of cohesiveness. Moneys from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the Cannon Foundation, the Warner Foundation, and the Board of Christian Education of the Moravian Church, Southern Province, made these improvements possible.

In our computer lab, recent donations of used computers from Sara Lee and the Northwest North Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross are enabling us to upgrade the computers for our residents. Marlin Yoder is assisting with the installation of the computers.

And, if you have attended Monday Night Worship recently at Prodigals Community you have heard the great sounds of the new Roland keyboard purchased with donations from the choir concert held in August.

Prodigals Community is grateful for all the support it receives from churches, businesses, individuals, civic groups, and foundations. We invite you to visit us and see the transformation taking place not only to our physical facilities, but in the lives of our residents

Gardening and Spiritual Growth

 

by Barbara Lawrence

Everyone knows the importance of roots, but gardeners and farmers know it in such a way that they can feel it with their hands, and see it with their eyes. What I pictured was how tedious and difficult it had been to dig out a dozen huge old shrubs in front of my house. Their roots were a mirror image of the above ground parts. It took muscle power to convince them they had to go, like the effort it takes to root out bad habits. A very different gardening job is growing plants from seed. Young plants have to be handled gently, as their roots can’t handle much stress of sun and wind. When you want roots to grow, you need knowledge, regular watering, and patience, not force.

I began to think about working with Prodigals residents on a garden. Together we could nurture something beautiful, eat some wonderful fresh produce, and maybe use the garden to help think about life. In September some residents and I cleared a sunny patch, four by eight feet, and planted collards. That humble little garden produced an impressive harvest over the winter months, and now we are ready to double the space and plant summer favorites.

My favorite aspect of the garden is talking and working with the gardeners. I feel privileged to work alongside people undertaking the daunting effort of recovery from addiction. I learn from them, and we all learn about God’s nature and human nature. The small world of a garden can get us thinking about many things. Here are some:

Getting along with people: It may seem odd, but working with plants can help us deal with people better. The great value in working with plants is that they don’t react to our moods, our looks, our past—they just do what plants do, in ways that can be known and understood. We learn the specific needs of our plants, and provide them with those conditions which help them to grow well. Or, we examine our struggling or dying plants, and try to figure out what they may need. We don’t blame a plant for its problems, but try to understand the problems. People are infinitely more complex, but we can all learn more about getting along.

Being prepared: A good gardener knows that gardening doesn’t begin in May; if the garden hasn’t been well prepared, growth won’t be as great and weeds might grow rapidly too.

Patience and faith: Sometimes gratification is instant: preparing a garden bed, pruning a bush, and, of course, harvesting fruit or vegetables from one’s garden. It takes a little longer, but not much, to follow the miracle of a seed’s growth into a plant. All that is needed is the tiny seed, and the ready soil. God does the rest!

Our capabilities: Sometimes, gardeners fall into self-pity over not being able to afford some nifty piece of equipment. The condition can be debilitating because it can keep the gardener from using whatever equipment is available. In reality, whatever we already have to work with is enough, because what is really needed is our attention and faithfulness. There is an ancient Chinese saying that says "the footprints of the farmer are the best fertilizer."

Our mistakes: Compost is a natural fertilizer and soil improver that the gardener can produce. Although made from stuff nobody wants, compost is the best substance possible to add to garden soil, helping plants grow well and resist disease. In the same way, we can recycle our past, letting even our mistakes turn into valuable lessons that help us grow.

Chemicals: When you walk through any garden center, highly poisonous smells from fertilizer, insecticides, and herbicides assault your nose. Why powerful chemicals when God’s creation includes a rich world below the soil surface perfectly suited for the healthy growth of plant roots? Because of modern human insistence that we grow the biggest possible plants, eliminating competition from weeds (other plants) and insects in the quickest and easiest way. Long-term consequences don’t figure in, because now is all we can count on.

Here is an analogy with addictive chemicals taken by people: we want the desirable plants (happiness or something that looks like it) so badly, and have no tolerance for weeds or insects (negative emotions, difficult experiences). Chemicals seem to produce more of the plants we want and to effectively destroy the weeds and insects we dislike. But soon, it is hard to get by without those chemicals, because we’ve forgotten how to nour-ish the plants in any other way (learning, good relationships, productive work). Meanwhile, the soil (our soul) becomes increasingly sterile and is just broken-down rock without anything living in it. How do we heal from such a condition? Think about the garden....

Volunteer Barbara Lawrence has devoted many hours to gardening with Prodigals residents. If you would like to help with this rewarding project, please call 785-0770.

Staff News

Grant Vinson is our newest staff member. His responsibilities include assisting with intakes of new residents, supervision of residents on-site and assisting with purchasing.

Spotlight on Volunteers

Prodigals Community is very grateful to the many individuals who volunteer their time to help our residents. Volunteers help in several areas. Tutoring residents or helping with the Wednesday and/or Friday evening education program is one of the ways many choose to help. We are grateful to Susan McClung (GED teacher), Sandy Jolly (computer teacher), George Griswold (career development), and tutors Susan Eubank, Dick Hartz, Belle Kay, Jan Scales, and, from Wake Forest, Bryn Mumma and Annalisa Anders. Friday nights are designated for "flex ed" and some weeks, instead of working on academic work, the residents benefit from doing yoga with Corinne Cooper or pottery with Mary Beth Blackwell-Chapman.

Volunteers help in many other ways as well. We are very grateful to Mark Shaver, a Winston-Salem architect, for the excellent drawings he prepared for the garage to be built for Prodigals Property Services, and to Barbara Lawrence for starting a vegetable garden with our residents and continuing to work with them on it. We are excited about these additions to our campus.

Final thanks and gratitude go to the wonderful choirs that participated in the benefit concert to raise money for our much-needed keyboard: Trinity Moravian, Emmanuel Baptist, Shiloh Baptist, "Shiloh" from Redeemer Presbyterian, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Eddie and Friends and soloist Roger Hayes. Special thanks to Chris Burton, volunteer director of Prodigals Community Gospel Choir who put the whole evening together. It was a spirit-filled evening for the 200+ people who attended.

A big thank you to all our volunteers! Without your dedication and support we would not be able to provide our residents the services they so desperately need.

For information on volunteering, please call Prodigals Community at 785-0770.

Alumni/ae News

Congratulations and best wishes to Len S. on his marriage in March! Grant V. has joined the staff of Prodigals Community as Intern Office Assistant. Deborah M. works for In-Home Healthcare and recently purchased a new home. The Alumni Fundraiser held in March was a great success with participation from many alumni. In November, Fred S. completed the GED he began at New Salem. All of Prodigals Community turned out for his graduation at Wait Chapel. Chuck M., Wanda P., and Harriet R. all celebrate 8 years clean!!! John S. celebrates 6 years clean! Chris B. celebrates 4 years clean!

All Invited to Step-Up

Please join us for the Spring Step-Up service on Monday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m. in the Prodigals’ Sanctuary. We will celebrate and honor Grant V. who recently completed the 15-month residential New Salem program. Chaplain Rodney Stillwell of the Forsyth Prison Chaplaincy will give the keynote address and the Prodigals Community Gospel Choir will provide special music. Love’s United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church will host a reception following the service.