Tabor Trumpet

New Ministry and the Stewardship of Legacy

The Samaritan, the Levite and the Innkeeper

Three Approaches to the Ethics of Philanthropy 

2026 Thomas H. Lake Lecture with Meghan Sullivan, PhD, professor of Philosophy at Notre Dame

Link to video lecture (approx 1.5 hours)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c2F3cTKeO4&t=12s

Below is an excerpt from the introduction to the Sullivan YouTube video lecture, posted 9-22-26 by David P. King, PhD, Karen Lake Buttrey Director and Associate Professor, Philanthropic Studies of Sullivan's Lake Institute on Faith and Giving lecture:

Dr King states: Sullivan proposes what she calls “effective altruism” that prioritizes the connection, vulnerability, and attention she developed in the love ethic of the Samaritan. While impact is important, she highlights practical wisdom over optimization, particularity and a connection with the recipient over detachment. As a virtue, philanthropy driven by love is not simply good for others, it is also deepened, developed, and beneficial for the giver as well. As we so often teach at Lake Institute, generosity is a learned character trait, a moral virtue, that must be regularly practiced. Generosity is not just for the few of us blessed with abundant resources, it’s a virtue that all of us can practice. Just as all of us are recipients of gifts, so too can we be philanthropists. And often the relationships and connections we develop as we give and receive is where that love ethic is sharpened.  

Finally, Sullivan offered us encouragement by celebrating the innkeepers in our midst. For so many of us who have given much of our lives working for congregations, nonprofits, and civic organizations, Sullivan’s attention to the necessary role that innkeepers play was a welcome word. To be clear, Sullivan is not naïve to what she is calling us toward. This love ethic, this way of living generously, is not easy. To make space for the attention and support necessary to attend and connect with others amidst the harried nature of our lives with our personal goals and with society often incentivizing different ends, we need institutions, leaders, and communities of support. We need guides, models, and places of empowerment where there is built-in and well-earned trust when we get it wrong or we need additional help.  

Comments on Tabor's Ministry of Place:
I just love the image that Dr Sullivan evokes first with the title that includes "Innkeeper". Deepening the meaning of what-can-we-do, where-are-we-going, and how-might-we-get there. As New Ministry teams, we've investigated and talked about ways Mount Tabor can expand on a ministry of place and more fully use our sacred space for good. We haven't used the word "Innkeeper". But what a word to hang onto: loaded with Christ's birth and His humble beginning into this physical world, caring for the most needy and vulnerable, and providing unequivocal space for all.

Now we are on the cusp of investigating the meaning of providing a place for innkeeping in a new way and exploring what that takes building Mount Tabor's legacy, defined as: Long-Term Impact: The lasting result of past actions, choices, or events. Our current actions this year have been the writing and submitting two grants (in June with ELCA and August with Rocky Mountain Synod) and the very exciting collaboration with the University of Utah College of Architecture. The U Architecture collaboration started on August 26th with Dan Wall and several other Tabor congregation members leading two studio sections of 30 students and their professors with an introduction of Mount Tabor and its ministries and history, a Q&A, and on a in-context tour of Mount Tabor's facilities. The goal of the students' work is to reimagine our building and land parcel to provide for all our current ministries and the opportunity to expand as "innkeepers" to provide low-income housing, and to house homeless families as we imagined in our Circle of Hope delayed project. As the questions were asked about limitations, Dan was adamant with his answer: "no limits, all can be in play". 

The students' work will culminate in December with their ideas presented to us and our consideration of what is possible and could mean. We envision 2027 as a time for our congregation to gather for choices. Where do we see ourselves intersecting with their ideas and our ministry and vision? What is God calling us to be and look like? How might we define legacy as those in the 1960's moved Tabor from 1st Avenue and E Street to 7th East and 2nd South? In the '60's they expanded to accommodate a larger congregation. Our considerations for expansion in the 2020's is to create the inn and make it wider.

As for events - to be determined. We start with gathering, education to include lots of prayer and discernment. This is the time to move from Transition, as we've been in for the past several years, to Transformation. Hop on - the motor is running.

Blessings,

Deb Elstad
New Ministry Chair