All Shall Be Well: An Approach to Wellness

by William S. Craddock Jr. (Editor), Katharine Jefferts Schori (Foreword by)

Overview

This substantive book addresses the CREDO approach to wellness. Chapters explore the theology of wellness and identity, core values, creativity and passion, renewal, emotional health, spiritual practices, balance, transformation, and fitness. It features a foreword by the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Models, perspectives, theories, and stories are provided by contributors who are involved with CREDO as faculty, researchers, or participants.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780819227263
Publisher:	Morehouse Publishing
Publication date:	08/01/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	193
File size:	456 KB

About the Author

William S. Craddock Jr. is a business executive who worked with Trinity Church, Wall Street, in the development and management of The Clergy Leadership Project from 1991 until 1995. He also served as Director of The Cornerstone Project, a ministry of the Episcopal Church Foundation. He served as the Managing Director of CREDO Institute, Inc. from 2001 until 2012 and then served as Senior Vice President of the Church Pension Group, overseeing Education and Wellness programs. He retired in 2015 and is now serving as Chair of the Board of Directors for St. Vincent's Centre for Children with Disabilities and also co-founder of Give Back Memphis, a pro bono consulting resource for non-profit organizations.

Katharine Jefferts Schori was the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada and the former Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of the United States. She lives in Nevada and is the author of A Wing and a Prayer: A Message of Faith and Hope and The Heartbeat of God: Finding the Sacred in the Middle of Everything.

Read an Excerpt

All Shall Be Well

An Approach to Wellness

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By William S. Craddock Jr.

Church Publishing Incorporated

Copyright © 2009 The Church Pension Fund
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8192-2726-3

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Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

IDENTITY

Who Am I?

Life is to be lived forward but it is understood backward.

—Søren Kierkegaard

Identity is an umbrella term usually used to describe an individual's comprehension of self as a discrete, separate entity. Identity is, simply, a sense of self that remains constant and identifiable across a variety of situations and circumstances. The essays in this chapter introduce a more relational understanding of identity—connecting and balancing the concept of the individual with others and with God. This broader perspective of identity may lead us to a richer sense of wellness, wholeness, and holiness in our lives.

Based on their work for the CREDO "Borders and Bridges" research project, Drs. Kreiner, Hollensbe, and Sheep introduce practical social science concepts about identity in their essay, "Balancing the 'Me' and the 'We.'" They suggest that the tension between the need to be unique and the need to belong is a life-long balancing act along the path to wellness.

In "Toward a Theology of Wellness," the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Lee ties the concept of wellness with identity. He shares a personal glimpse of his relationship with his son to convey the essence of loving and being loved by God.

In "Values to Live By," the Rev. Dr. Robert R. Hansel explores identity through a foundational awareness of our core values. Robert refers to values as standards, used as a compass, helping people steer a life-course that is responsible and meaningful. He suggests a set of Christian core values that underlie and sustain us in our lives.

The Very Rev. Canon Michael J. Battle, Ph.D. addresses the murky waters of identity with Ubuntu, an African spirituality that begins with community and moves to individuality. In his essay, "Toward a Theology of Identity," Michael invites us to rethink our modern, isolated, Cartesian sense of identity and begin to understand a more relational ontology, an identity interdependent with others as expressed in the powerful aphorism: "I am because we are."

Dr. Mathew L. Sheep, a researcher and assistant professor at Illinois State University, examines the relationship of identity to wellness along three dimensions: multiplicity, different levels, and change. Throughout his essay, "The Relationships of Identity to wellness," Mathew emphasizes ways that individuals, as people of God, can more clearly know themselves, their connections with others, and the critical role of health and wellness in navigating change and serving others.

Balancing the "Me" and the "We"

Identity Work as a Path toward Wellness

Glen E. Kreiner Elaine C. Hollensbe Mathew L. Sheep

I think a lot of clergy take themselves way too seriously. My metaphor is that they need to buy a collar that is one-half inch bigger because the one they are wearing is way too tight, and cuts off oxygen to their brain.

—Episcopal priest

Have you ever felt like your job, your family, or some other obligation is completely defining you? Have you ever wondered where the unique "you" disappeared amidst all the demands on your time, talent, and energies? You're not alone. In addition to your own experiences, you can probably pretty easily think of a friend, a family member, or a neighbor who seems to be working too hard, losing themselves to work or social obligations, or just generally too spent for healthy living. Why is this happening? And what can we do about it—for ourselves and for those around us?

This chapter is about the search for "optimal balance"—the "just right" equilibrium between being ourselves and being what other people want us to be. In the chapter, we share some insights as to why this might be happening. We hope that we can provide a language for understanding some of these challenges, with the hope that the language can give you power over the problem.

Let's start with what research has shown to be a universal challenge—that every individual lives in a constant tension between two aspects of self—the social identity, which comes from group memberships such as roles, occupation, or church, and the personal identity, which represents the aspects of self that are unique to each person, areas such as personal history or personality profile. When we rely too much on the social aspects of identity (our jobs or social connections), we lose our sense of self as a unique human being. The "me" gets lost in the "we." On the other hand, when we rely too much on the personal aspects of identity, we are cut off from others. The "me" loses a healthy connection to the "we." We find that, perhaps paradoxically, by acknowledging our limits as human beings, we empower ourselves to be better instruments for good. In fact, Jesus found it necessary to withdraw from others at times—to seek solitude and achieve balance by being alone in prayer—perhaps to renew a clear sense of his identity and mission: "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:15–16)

Of course, each of us differs in our approaches to balancing the "we" and the "me." Research has demonstrated that individuals vary in how much they want to manifest their unique identities as opposed to defining themselves in terms of a collective. It is worthwhile to pause and ask yourself the following questions:

What parts of me are defined by the groups to which I belong?

Am I satisfied with how and how much they define me?

Do I need more individuality in the way I see myself, or do I need more of a sense of belonging?

As we ponder these questions, we help ourselves to recognize the need for change. We call moving toward this change "identity work."

Identity Work

Identity work is what people can do to create and sustain a healthy sense of self. Individuals engage in identity work as they struggle to find and maintain the optimal balance between the "me" and the "we." In our work with Episcopal clergy, we found three major ways that individuals can undertake identity work: through segmenting tactics, integrating tactics, and dual-role or neutral tactics.

Segmenting Tactics

People can use segmenting tactics in identity work to differentiate their personal identity (me) from their social identity (we). We documented several ways people can segment, limit, prioritize, and relegate social identities to carve out space for personal identity. This process helps crystallize the "me" among the demands of the "we."

Separating Role from Identity

With this tactic, an individual is able to separate the "what I do" from the "who I am." Distinguishing between doing and being helps to gain control over identity-shaping processes instead of being consumed by them. One cleric described the priesthood in this way:

I feel like it is all of my being. I can't just discard it. It's [like] a cloth that has been soaked with a stain that is through and through—and yet I am constantly aware of [other] roles. So, when I'm here at work, I am 100% conscious that I am a priest and I'm acting as a priest. When I am home, I am constantly shifting gears and saying, "Now I'm a wife and a mother." Although the priest part of me pops up every now and then, and I'm aware of it. When I'm with friends or whatever, I have to consciously tell myself, "You are being a friend." ... I see myself as 24/7 and thoroughly soaked with my priestly call and identity and all that [but] I'm also conscious of when I'm operating in which role.

As this statement demonstrates, the effort to separate identity ("Who am I?") from the various roles in which one engages ("What do I do?") can be quite intentional. Another segmentation tactic is to set limits on how much we allow social identities to consume us.

Setting Limits

Sometimes, demands from home or work infringe on us to such a degree that we begin to feel that our boundaries have collapsed. Yet, by acknowledging our limits as human beings, we empower ourselves. First, we recognize the temporal and physical restraints upon ourselves, particularly in identity-demanding occupations such as the priesthood. Second, we can set more realistic expectations about who we are and what is within the scope of our responsibilities and abilities. The adage "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" can be applied to our own follies in pursuing perfection—such quests are not only unrealistic, they can tear down our self-concept and take our eyes off the target of continuous improvement.

Creating an Identity Hierarchy

Of course, not every demand in our lives gets the same amount of attention. Individuals can create a hierarchy—a pecking order of sorts—among their identity demands. Creating a hierarchy empowers the individual by creating order out of perceived chaos, and provides a rubric for in-the-moment decision making. Also, creating the hierarchy helps to clarify roles as separate from our core selves, further separating the "me" and "we." Several of the identity aspects in our research include: priest, child of God, parent, spouse, community activist, and Christian. We also noted that placing something other than the priesthood first further aided in creating a differentiation between self and vocation. As one priest explained, "I think that becoming a mother, that is what my identity is. Even more strongly so than being a priest." As we improve our ability to prioritize identity demands, we not only empower ourselves, but we also can obtain a healthier overall self-concept.

Enacting Ephemeral Roles

Another way to differentiate self from a strong social identity is to take a break from that identity and immerse yourself in a temporary or ephemeral role. This could be a one-time experiment or an ongoing escape that allows you to leave the social identity behind (either fully or partially) and enter into a very different role. For example, one priest said, "You need places where you can step out of that role as a priest." We found a wide range of ephemeral roles, including athlete (joining a kayaking club, bicycling), musician (composing music, joining bands), artist (painting, writing), and social group member (joining environmentalist groups, creating informal clubs) ones. These pursuits allow us to remove ourselves from the customary demands and see ourselves in new ways.

Integrating Tactics

Individuals can also engage in identity work to integrate their personal and social identities, merging the "me" and "we." For individuals using these tactics, segmentation between personal and social identities becomes less of a concern because overlap of identities is seen as acceptable and even desirable. Examples of such tactics include "merging role with identity," "infusing self- aspects into tasks," and "casting self as emblem." These tactics are explained in the following sections.

Merging Role with Identity

Above, we explained the tactic of separating role (what you do) from identity (who you are) as a segmentation tactic. We also found the reverse process being used in order to more fully integrate oneself with the role. This tactic involves treating the social identity and the role as the same. In terms of the priesthood, this often stemmed from a belief that the priesthood changes your very essence (ontological change). Seeing role and identity as the same allows for a greater integration of that role into your life. As one priest put it:

It's just part and parcel of every cell in my body. I'm a dad. I'm a husband. I'm an outdoorsman. I'm a priest. It's just a character issue, identity issue. It all goes together. I can't imagine not being one.... You are a priest whether you have your collar on or not. You are a priest while you are being a dad. You are a priest while you are being a husband. You are a priest. So, integrate. Learn how to do all that, together.

Infusing Self-Aspects into Tasks

Rather than totally merging role and identity, some individuals strategically integrate particular aspects of their own personal identity into the priesthood role. This often involves a person identifying his or her unique strengths, abilities, and personality dimensions and deciding how to put those dimensions to work in the role. As one clergy member put it, "How I live out the vocation emerges out of who I am.... For the most part I feel I bring myself to the task. So how I am a priest emerges out of who I am." Several clergy whom we interviewed in our research gave examples of life experiences (divorce, abuse, past jobs, marital problems, etc.) that they would import into their approach of being a priest (generally) and/or into their relationships with parishioners or other clergy (specifically). This tactic allows for personalization of the role, bringing more of the self into work.

Casting Self as Emblem

The third way individuals integrate social and personal identities is by casting themselves as an emblem (representation) or role model of the identity. This involves framing oneself not as a mere member of the group, but as the very embodiment of it. As one priest told us:

I'm bringing people something that is so much larger than me, than I am. I'm bringing them all the two thousand years of Christian tradition and the comfort of the church and the sacraments and Holy Scripture ... How I feel about it is completely irrelevant. Yeah, I do think I disappear, but in a kind of paradoxical way, I become more fully authentic. So it is very much who I am, but I just don't matter anymore.

Dual-role/Neutral Tactics

The third categorization of tactics can serve to either integrate or segment the "me" and "we," depending on the needs of the individual. These tactics include seeking refreshment, involving other people, and tapping spiritual resources.

Seeking Refreshment

This tactic involves recharging one's identity batteries by removing oneself from the daily demands of the role. A recurring theme in our interviews was the usefulness of some time away. This can range from longer-term and highly structured forms of refreshment (such as a sabbatical) to shorter-term and/or spontaneous forms of rejuvenation (such as finding a quiet place for meditation). For example, the CREDO conferences offered by CREDO Institute offer clergy and lay leaders an opportunity to detach from their regular commitments for several days, reflect on their lives, and rejuvenate themselves. Many of the clergy we interviewed also pointed to the principle of the Sabbath as a guide; as one put it:

Keep a day off. God took a day off once a week. I've heard clergy say things like, "When I work on my day off, I'm giving God two gifts: I'm giving him my work plus my day off...." It makes me sick. I tell them that. I warn young clergy that you know there is a commandment, keep the Sabbath day holy. It is a commandment; it's not a suggestion....

In terms of keeping the Sabbath holy, it's not just going to church on Sunday, it's taking a twenty-four hour period to rest.... [Clergy need] to have in their lives as a habit a near sacrosanct day of the week that everybody knows. It's not like, "Oh, poor guy needs a rest." It's more like, "This is part of my worship. This is the way I serve God and you can and should, too."

Involving Other People

Clearly, identity demands are driven in large part by the pressures and expectations put on us by other people. The inherently relational nature of identity can be used to our advantage as well. We noted how some clergy were able to involve other people strategically to help with their identity work. One way to do this is by surrounding oneself with supportive people—staff members, friends, colleagues—who help create ideal conditions for doing identity work as well as engaging in identity work themselves. Another way of involving other people is to target specific individuals or groups who can help. In our research, this included family members (e.g., a spouse being a good check against workaholism), support groups (e.g., "colleague groups" composed of other clergy), and finding friends who were completely disassociated from the church and/or parish (in order to have friendships not tied to the priesthood).

Tapping Spiritual Resources

Perhaps ironically for a study of clergy, several noted that they had to work particularly hard to maintain their own spirituality, and that it could easily go undeveloped. One told us, "Some clergy don't rely on God. They try to rely on their own inner resources. You can get burned out there. You need to care for your own spiritual life." Clergy we interviewed mentioned several specific spiritual practices that were linked to their identity work, including prayer, meditation, reading scripture, formal worship services, and guided spiritual direction. Consider how you might pursue issues of identity development as a spiritual path—how might spirit and identity be linked for you and those around you?

Conclusions

All individuals have challenges stemming from the tension between the need to be unique and the need to belong. This is a lifelong balancing act along the path to wellness. As you reflect upon your own current situation, where are you in the balance? Consider how the identity work tactics outlined above might be applied in your own life to your advantage. How might you employ some of these tactics to develop a greater sense of the "me" while still being a viable and vibrant part of the "we?" How might you utilize the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and human resources available to you on your path to wellness? And how might you help those around you—congregational members, family members, others—as you travel on this path together?

In conjunction with the CREDO Institute, we are on an ongoing journey to better understand how people can negotiate the pressures of identity more effectively. We continue to develop ideas and training materials that can help people better negotiate these demands at work, at home, and at church. We'd love to hear your success stories and suggestions for others, and any other general comments at [e-mail]. Drop us a note!
(Continues...)

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Excerpted from All Shall Be Well by William S. Craddock Jr.. Copyright © 2009 by The Church Pension Fund. Excerpted by permission of Church Publishing Incorporated.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments          

Contributors          

Foreword Katharine Jefferts Schori          

Introduction William S. Craddock, Jr.          

I. Identity          

II. Discernment          

III. Practice          

IV. Transformation          

Editorial Reviews

"This book serves as both a refresher on the process of change and a foretaste of what may come from exploring the cycle of identity, discernment, practice, and transformation. No matter where one begins the walk, All Shall Be Well is the journal of that journey, toward wellness."
—Episcopal Life

From the Publisher