Many of you know that for the past year I have been in a season of discernment. I began looking at the possibility of ordination as a priest in the Episcopal Church. That’s not something that I ever really thought about until about a year and a half ago. So, I began the process of finding out.
I spent 6 months meeting with a Discernment Committee. I got to sit with five other people whose purpose was to question me about a lot of things. Mostly, though, it was about that calling that I had. At the end of the 6 months I attended a weekend retreat where I was interviewed by 4 other people. Again, they questioned me about how I perceived this call. Finally, today I met with the Bishop of our diocese to discuss all that has happened on this journey.
Bottom line those on the retreat committee and the Bishop felt that ordination was not a good fit for me. I’m good with that. That’s what this entire process has been about. To discern this call. Frankly, I’m glad that it’s over. Not knowing what my life would look like has been hard. Now, I know. Praise God!
The Bishop asked me if I would be willing to work with the Canon for Leadership Development in working on new ways of Spiritual Formation within the diocese. This is really right in my wheelhouse. I am a freak when it comes to this. The Church at large is sorely lacking in knowing who we are and why we are. We get caught up in the myriad issues that press us in the world. Racism, poverty, war, inequity, and many, many more. These are all great things. They are also things that secular organizations can do and do better than the Church. The Church should continue to work in all of these areas. Messiah Jesus was our example and the Scriptures are replete with other examples. So, I have nothing negative to say about current Church efforts to relieve fear and suffering in the world.
However, the Church is primarily a religious and spiritual body. We proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of God. The Savior. The redeemer. Our entire raison d’être is in this proclamation. We accept the reality of God’s Presence in the World through the active Presence of God the Holy Spirit. It is this connection that encourages us to do the works that I mentioned above. It is also the connection that enables us to believe in and love God.
That said I decided to overhaul this blog thing. It is no longer about Breaking the Chains That Bind. It is about me, the Layperson who Ate the Church. As a layperson I have freedom to say and pursue avenues that an ordained person does not have. I can offer critiques that may cause a priest to be called in on the carpet in the bishop’s office. I have no such restrictions. And I intend to use this freedom to call to the Church, not just the Episcopal church, but the Church at large.
Look at the world we live in. The world needs the Church to step up and do its job.
We need the strength and presence of God to do it.
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