Gather the Wisdom, Weave a Dream (eBook)

Endorsements

The title of Ted Dunn’s new book, “Gather the Wisdom, Weave the Dream,” is both a personal voyage of discovery and one focused on others, particularly on faith based communities. Years of journeying with congregations of religious – listening to their experiences, reflections and discernments – have been distilled into a creative and practical visioning guide for leaders. Ted Dunn’s words and insights can lead the reader to new levels of discovery and insight which call for personal and communal conversion and transformation. Ted has lived these pathways and accompanied others on the way; therefore we sense the authenticity of these chapters. We are reminded that even when things we cherished seem to be ending, when future possibilities seem to be limited, or when we feel that things are no longer within our control, that it is here, at this very place of vulnerability, that the new breaks forth when we allow God’s Spirit to lead the way.

Within each of our religious congregations we have women and men who hold treasured memories, insights, dreams and visions no matter what their age, culture or experience. Let us use Ted’s guide to draw forth their insights and dreams for the sake of the Church and the sake of the world. They will know how to respond to the invitation: let it go, let it be, let it come. As we stand at the crossroads of Synod and Jubilee, which call for signs of hope in a tormented and divided world, for more participative, transformative and discerning ways, for deep listening and contemplation, let us proceed with courage. We know that Gather the Wisdom, Weave the Dream will serve as a trusted guide and companion for the way ahead. Sr. Patricia Murray ibvm, Executive Secretary, International Union of Superiors General (UISG)

In Gather the Wisdom, Weave a Dream, Ted Dunn returns to his central theme of transformation: personal, communal, organisational and social; in it he distils and refines the thinking of his earlier books. Gather the Wisdom, Weave a Dream represents the culmination of his work and wisdom garnered from many years of supporting religious communities through periods of transition.

He proposes ‘Transformative Visioning’ as a leitmotiv, a recurring theme that holds together the key elements for bringing about change: an awareness of a deeper consciousness, getting in touch with our inner voice, conversion and reconciliation, and experimentation and learning. It is a dynamic process of crafting a shared vision of the future that will guide the journey of deep change and transformation towards new life.

Leadership teams in religious life and faith-based organisations seeking to lead change will not be disappointed. What Ted achieves in his new book, is to offer deeply insightful and practical approaches to transformation; believing that God calls us all to better ways of living and working. It is a book that allows us to breathe new life and new energy into the struggle to change ourselves and to transform our fractious world. David Rose, Secretary General, The Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland

For a religious community, or anyone, who has ever felt stuck, fearful or perplexed by the life they are living and wondering how to move forward, Gather the Wisdom, Weave a Dream offers a wealth of insight and tools to enable individuals and communities to grow and thrive, rather than simply ‘survive’ the complexities and suffering of their history. With a focus on the dynamics of Transformative Visioning, Dunn unpacks a process of reflection and communal engagement that challenges default patterns of thinking and behaviour, and awakens the capacity to nurture the buds of life in a newly emerging story. A welcome read for all those looking at change in a way that is fresh and encouraging. This is a visionary, practical and, above all, hope-filled book. Anne Walker, National Executive Director, Catholic Religious Australia

Ted Dunn’s latest book comes from years of experience with many religious congregations including my own. It is inspirational, and a rich and challenging resource guide to assist leadership teams and planners to facilitate and discern a way forward that is built on facing the reality, context, and culture of one’s congregation. The kernel of this planning is tending to the interior journey of one’s community—its relationships, its essence, its heart. When the heart work of the community is woven into the path of planning, transformation is possible, and a community begins to see a new story for a new time.

For several years now, Ted Dunn has facilitated Religious Congregations (Faith Communities) facing the challenges of decline and diminution, while seeking to keep alive a sense of meaning and hope. This task he aptly describes as “transformation at the crossroads,” devoted to a process of visioning for these turbulent and vulnerable times. The present work is an important resource to assist and encourage members of faith communities who are choosing to transform their lives, to let go, and give birth to new life. Diarmuid O’Murchu, MSC, Internationally renowned author and lecturer, Dublin, Ireland

When Jesus started his public ministry, he called for metanoia (conversion) and said: Follow me (Mk 1:15-17). He opened up before us an everlasting Transformative Visioning and an ever-new road of life. Today, Consecrated Life members are to hear Jesus’ calling and follow him as individuals in community, aware that Consecrated Life can no longer be what it was, although we do not yet know what it will be.

Ted Dunn in this book helps us skillfully to deepen our calling, draw from our faith foundations, listen to the movements of the Spirit within us and our congregations, gather the wisdom of each of our members and together embrace with realism and delicacy the challenge of growing into the new future that God is creating, never without our help: “Look, I am doing something new, now it emerges; can you not see it?” (Is 49:13).

Led by the Spirit, that never fails, we are certain that grace will guide us into the unknown for us, but well known for God, if we dare to Gather the Wisdom and Weave a Dream, walking through the insights written here. Sr. Paula Noronha Jordão, fmvd, Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity; Formation Programmes Coordinator, International Union Superiors General (UISG)

When some people have problems, they go into “solution-seeking” mode. How can the situation be remedied as quickly as possible? Others, faced with a problematic situation, seek to identify the causes, clarify the path that led to the emergence of a particular difficulty, and question whether it is temporary or recurrent. The dynamic is then transformed: it’s entering into a much deeper process of transformation with a view to adapting to the real situation.

Rethinking the governance in terms of transformation means agreeing to commit oneself to a demanding process that will enable them to identify the present situation, foresee its evolution, pinpoint its causes and, in a perspective of attention and openness to the reality of our rapidly changing world, define the model or models that will foster a governance adapted to the lives of women and men religious.

This is exactly the path that Ted Dunn takes us on even deeper into in his book “Gather the Wisdom, Weave a Dream”. Once again, Ted allows us to see transformation as a process that calls for the recognition of vulnerability, a renewed fidelity that commits us to the future. Alain Ambeault, CSV, Executive Director of Canadian Religious Conference (CRC)

Through his work with Religious congregations and other faith communities, Dr. Dunn draws upon the rich terrain of lived experiences, coupled with an imaginative and evolutionary sense of how to move forward in the rapidly changing terrain of our existence. Dr. Dunn invites the reader to an authentic journey of the soul where the inner work of transformation and the outer work of change come together at the crossroads of our lives. Through insights, evolutionary consciousness, and probing questions for reflection, the author gently guides us to the sacred space where God’s grace both informs and engages us on our journey to new life. Sr Jayne Helmlinger, CSJ, Former President of LCWR, Former General Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.

Although this resource has many practical suggestions, it is not a business plan or a program. However, it can be a way to uncover and deepen what is most important for the very life of a community as it negotiates endings, and plants new seeds for a future that may not be theirs. This book is a great resource for leaders as they tend to the on-going formation and meaning making of members, in the midst of major changes, letting go, and re-imagining the future. Mary Jo Nelson, OLVM, Past President, Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters

The National Religious Vocation Conference Board and staff intentionally discerned to become pioneers in embarking on a collaborative, circular team leadership model, stepping away from a top-down executive director model in 2019. This book resonates with our leaderful experiences of an evergreen learning community, deeper invitations, and emerging agendas with abundant hope, shared power, and mutual accountability. While Ted Dunn freely admits his book is not a prescription for guaranteed success, he...