A Positively Poetic Priest

the dry erase board was covered in notes marketing ways of labeling others ways of separating, dividing, and creating fear are we all just soup cans lined up on a grocery shelf segregated by our outward devices lacking what is seen by the heart? please let me lose my paper label torn with relief from my sides pour me out and let me splatter see the colors born inside

Did you know that our Episcopal Church is made up of dioceses in 18 different countries? I hadn't. This is just one bit of information I learned this month while at General Convention. As a first time delegate to General Convention, I was amazed and overwhelmed and inspired by the breadth and depth and diversity of the Episcopal Church at General Convention. Granted, the Episcopal Church is not perfect, and there were some long dry meetings. However I learned so much about how the church works on the international level and about good work going on throughout the Church. Every three years, delegates, bishops, youth, alternates, vendors, and more gather together at General Convention to help guide and govern the Church for the next three years. We lift each other up in prayer, celebrate good work, mourn losses and injustices, and work together to move forward along the way Jesus calls us. This year at General Convention, some big news headlines were about revision of ...

"So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." (Acts 1:6-9) Jesus tells his disciples that they are going to be his witnesses, to the ends of the earth. We have talked about being a witness this year. Being a witness requires seeing and sharing. The disciples had seen a lot of things when it came to Jesus and his ministry. They had seen God very handily at work in the world and now was the time for them to go out and share their stories with others. Being a witness means not only talking about Jesus, but sharing, through words and...

"Jesus was never a lone ranger." (p. 149 Spiritual Disciplines Handbook) Nope, Jesus wasn't a lone ranger. One of the first things he does in his ministry is chose twelve disciples to walk with him and to be with. He spends hours with his disciples, teaching them, talking with them, eating with them. Jesus has a small group in which to process and work towards his goals and to support him when the going gets tough. (Though in his case, he was usually supporting them...) The best small groups have an intentional purpose and agreement, they have a structure which everyone supports and have leaders who keep the group on track. Otherwise, small groups come in many many many different kinds of groups. Bible study, book study, prayer, action, games, hobbies, support, ministry, training, coaching... all sorts of small groups exist in the world. Small groups help us understand our lives by experiencing the ways others' understand their lives. Small groups give us connect...

"Spiritual direction is a relationship that allows one to assist another in discerning God's activity and presence in his or her life. This relationship assumes that we all need help to listen to God and live out his call." (p. 116 Spiritual Disciplines Handbook) Many people experience spiritual direction for the first time at a retreat. They are scheduled time with a priest, monk, nun, or other spiritual director where they are to talk about where God is in their life at that time during the retreat. Spiritual direction is a God centered relationship requiring trust and maturity. The spiritual director gives a new perspective to the life story of the directee by helping them see God at work through conversation, reflection, and exercises. Find a spiritual director with whom you can have a good relationship some times takes a while. Many retreat centers, diocesan centers, and some churches have lists of trained spiritual directors, however, as a relationship, it is i...