Braving The Waters

The weeks are running together because of the timing of when retreats start and end. I began my “3 weeks” on a Tuesday but my 6 day retreat began on a Thursday…When I posted last Saturday I was almost 2 days into my retreat. Now, as I sit here typing this reflection, I am 2 days out of my retreat back into to volunteering (believe or not I am washing dishes and cleaning bathrooms again). The 6 day retreat was a wonderful experience. It was time spent deepening my understanding and belief that all things are part of God’s creation.   We were silent, except for the hour we met in the morning after breakfast, during signing in morning mas, and the hour we met in the evening. You think being quiet and being silent are the same thing until you experience it for yourself. There were a great number of extremely loud silent people on retreat with me. While they weren’t talking, they were stomping through the hallways, shutting doors loudly…I am sure to other I was a very loud quiet ...

Thursday ended my first 10 days of volunteering at St. Mary. After a short trip to town to walk around the mall, a quick load of laundry and a new set of sheets I was ready for the evening supper bell to ring and for my retreat to begin. I posted on Facebook that I would be reflecting on my week of volunteering a friend and colleague wondered how theologically deep one could reflect on cleaning bathrooms and washing dishes…well Jim here we go! Just for clarity, dish washing has never been an enjoyable house hold chore for me.  Another point of clarity, I do my own dishes but I have one of those “fancy automatic washers”, as my grandma would have said so it isn't that terrible. I don't know if it is because I never worked in food service as a teenager, maybe it is some underlying desire to work in food services, I don’t know, it could possibly be a slight undiagnosed case of OCD. Whatever it is, industrial dishwashers have recently started to intrigue me. Their sheer si...

I arrived at St. Mary Tuesday afternoon after an uneventful adventure on the train and overnight stay in Atlantic City. I was greeted by Sister Pat, she helped me figure out what room I had been assigned, got me my linens, and apologized several times that the elevator was out of service. Luckily for me, I brought my camping backpack and it was only two flights of stairs. My room is on the East(ocean) side of the house. Nice breeze, beautiful view of the statue of Mary from my window and from the porch the ocean. My room for the next 3 weeks Welcome Sign From the porch From my bedroom window I had some time to settle in and walk around the point before the volunteer meeting. Because my family has spent many summers at this beach it feels in a way like coming home. I don’t feel anxious about meeting the other volunteers or Sisters. We opened our meeting with prayer and laughter, as you know those are two of my favorite things. I knew from that moment this was goin...

As the first week of sabbatical ends I reflect on my time. I spent it with family and friends, sharing in laughter and hugs, food and festivities, and unforgettable memory making! I’ve prayed, read, and sat in the beauty of God’s creation. I caught up on TV shows I hadn’t watched in a while and saw an incredible play (staring one of my most favorite people in the world). It is hard to believe the first week is over but the adventure is just beginning! Week Two (8/8-8/15) Hope for the week: I hope as I leave for 3 weeks at St Mary By the Sea, I continue to remain open to God’s voice in my life. Is there an Answer (last week’s question): Where will I see God unexpectedly this week? God showed up unexpectedly in a conversation with one of the sisters I ate lunch with at St. Joseph Convent/Retreat Center. It was the anniversary of the day she took her vows to become a nun. It was inspiring, reassuring, and most definitely God-filled.   Question of the Week: How wi...

Today began my 2 month sabbatical. A time of reflection, relaxation, study, discernment, rest, renewal...I will explain more as the weeks pass by. It is a time to disconnect from "my world" and reconnect to God and my calling as a minister within the Body of Christ. However, it is unrealistic for me to totally stay away from social media and technology because well…if you’ve met me you know the answer to that. However I will be significantly limiting my use of all things electronic over the next 2 months. I will not be responding to emails, I will not(unless you have been otherwise notified) be answering phone calls or text messages, and I will not be spending much time on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram except to post the occasional picture, blog post, or significant update. I hope that limiting my time with these avenues of communication will allow me to truly be in the moment!  I have many hopes for this sabbatical and I want to share them with you as I go along...