Mississippi Cuisine

September 30, 2011
Hi, all!

I'm spending this week at an Episcopal conference center near Jackson, Mississippi. It's located in rural Mississippi surrounded by oak and pine forests and lush meadows. And yes, it's hot and muggy in the daytime -- although I have to admit the evenings have been quite pleasant.

The cooks at the conference center have served up some real southern cookin'. We've had grits, red beans and rice, turnip greens, gumbo, and fried catfish. Delicious, every bit.

The conference has focused on clergy well-being and renewal. The staff is a team of clergy and lay professionals including a financial planner, a spiritual director, a psychologist, and a career planner. The twenty five clergy attending the conference are from all over the country and all kinds of parishes. It's a pleasure to be with them.

We've had presentations on subjects like relationships, discernment, visioning, forgiveness, clergy identity and vocation. It's a little like going back to seminary for a week, but more practical. We've met in small groups where we've been able to share more personally, and we've been able to meet one on one with the staff members for consultations.

We've gathered daily for worship that has included morning prayer, Eucharist and a healing service. I was somewhat surprised to find that about half the participants gather before breakfast for a half hour of centering prayer and silence. Contemplative spirituality is now practiced by clergy throughout the church.

Best of all for me have been casual conversations and small group sessions where we've shared our experience as people of faith with a common calling. I've found these clergy to be healthy and lively people with wonderful gifts for ministry. It's a privilege to be here.

We've done a lot of personal reflection, and we're encouraged to make a CREDO plan that sets forth our plans for our personal and professional growth. I think I'll be a better priest for this experience, and I'm grateful for this time for reflection.

I'm looking forward to coming back and being with you in our life together, a life I love and value deeply.

Bill

Wholeness

Hi, all!

Last week I enjoyed a week of vacation in Bend, Oregon, with my family. We returned home Saturday and since Sunday was still a vacation day, Katy and I attended Grace Episcopal Church in Bainbridge Island for Holy Eucharist.

It's rare for me to be able to attend church and receive Communion, because I'm usually the one up front, leading worship, preaching, and celebrating the Eucharist, all of which I love to do. But sometimes it's good for me to be a receiver instead of a giver. It's good for me to sit in the pews, listen, pray, and to go to Communion and receive the bread and wine.

I find these times especially renewing, because I can soak it all up and simply be fed. But last Sunday was even more special for me because Katy was with me. There's something about sitting together in church that just feels right. There's a sense of wholeness for me. I'm in God's place and the most important person in my life is with me.

Katy and I rarely get to sit together, so this was special for us. I realize many people attend church without their spouse, for many different reasons, and I always appreciate the faithfulness of those who attend alone. But there's a wholeness about being together when you can.

When Katy and I took Communion, standing in the circle in the center of the church, I felt her presence next to me and realized what a big part of my life she is. I remembered how God has joined us together and made us one. It was a good feeling, a feeling of wholeness.

I hope you'll have that sense also, that the Eucharist is the place where God makes us whole again.

Bill  

The mind of a child

Hi, all!

This week I'm leading the music at Vacation Bible School with my guitar. We're singing fun songs about being thankful, praising God, and the joy of God's creation. It's so much fun to see the children sing out and dance to the music.

Last Saturday at the Barnival I provided face painting for the little kids that came. They chose a design and sat quietly while I carefully dabbed paint on their soft cheeks. So simple, and yet so much fun!

It's been a long time since my sons were little children, and I'd almost forgotten the wonder and joy of children. When children are in a safe atmosphere, surrounded by love, they blossom like flowers. Children remind me how simple and good life is.

We've got a wonderful group of children at Vacation Bible School. As I wander around watching them at games, crafts, and lessons, I see them soaking up the message of God's love. Our teachers and leaders surround them with care and good things, and they respond with joy.

It renews my faith and makes me remember that we are all children of God. If we human beings could only treat each other like the children of God we are, what a better world it would be!

With the wonder of a child, 

Bill   

Norway's tragic loss

July 23, 2011

To my friends,

Today the whole world is grieving with Norway as they deal with the shock from an explosion and many shooting deaths. Apparently one man set off powerful explosives near the Prime Minister's office and then shot dozens of young people who were camping on an island in a lake.

It's hard to comprehend such violence. How could any human being do these things? The trauma is enormous and the loss is extremely painful. We lift up the victims and their families and the whole nation of Norway, asking for God's mercy and healing.

We pray for those who died, that God will receive them into his arms of mercy, and we pray for those who have been injured, asking God for physical healing but also for healing from the mental scarring which will last for many years. And we pray for the families and friends of the victims, as they cope with their shock and loss. 

We remember Jesus' death on a cross, which God redeemed and made into a sign of forgiveness and salvation for all people. Christ died in solidarity with the victims of this tragedy in Norway, and Christ was present with them even in their terror. Christ never leaves us.

I ask your prayers for a world where every human being can live in freedom and peace, and where God's children are secure and protected.

Bill   

Backpacking and God

July 16, 2011

Hi, all! 

On Thursday night, my son, Guy, and I went backpacking in the Olympic Mountains. We hiked a few miles up the lower Quilcene River trail and camped at Bark Shanty camp. It was a short overnight trip, but refreshing to the soul and body. We got tired, sweaty and smoky and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

There's something about hiking in the mountains that renews me. Maybe it's the grandeur of the outdoors, or the challenge of living simply, or communing with one's body. But somehow for me it's a religious experience, too. Being in the mountains makes me feel closer to God.

Many of the stories in the Bible that feature appearances of God are in the wilderness: Moses on the mountain, Elijah in the desert, Jesus in the wilderness. Maybe it's because we're more vulnerable and open to God when we're on our own and stripped of our usual insulation.

Tomorrow's Old Testament lesson is about Jacob's experience of falling asleep exhausted in the desert as he fled from his brother's wrath. He dreamed of a ladder between heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending, and he heard God's voice promising protection.

We live surrounded by awesome natural beauty. I'm making a special attempt to get out and experience God's presence this summer. I hope you will, too.

Surrounded by beauty ,

Bill   

Candor, grace, and charm

Hi, all! 

I was struck by the news that former first lady Betty Ford died yesterday at the age of 93. She's remembered fondly for her candor and honesty, especially during times of difficulty. 

When she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy, she allowed herself to be photographed in her robe at the hospital. Her candor and openness helped bring breast cancer out into the open and encouraged millions of women to get breast exams.

After she and President Ford left the White House, she entered treatment for her addictions to alcohol and painkillers. She went public about her addictions with her book, "A Glad Awakening." She faced reality with candor, charm, and grace, and helped bring addiction out of the closet.

I admire Betty Ford for her forthrightness, honesty and courage. Those are spiritual qualities, and I would like to live with that kind of character also. I think it's hard to be candid about our lives, especially our challenges and setbacks. Like many people, I tend to keep a "bright shield" up -- a facade of cheerfulness and normality. Betty Ford is an inspiration to me to live with candor and grace.

Peace and all good,

Bill   

This beautiful land

Hi, all! 

On Thursday night my son, Guy, and I kayaked to Blake Island and camped overnight. We launched our kayaks right next to the Southworth ferry terminal, just at high tide. There was a light wind and a brisk chop as we paddled across the bay, about two miles, to Blake Island. It gave my shoulders a good workout. 

We arrived to find a beautiful grassy campsite right on the beach with views of the Kitsap Peninsula and the Olympic Mountains across the water to the west. We set up our tent and basked in the view as we ate supper with the sun going down. We had the place to ourselves. What a gift! 

Blake Island is a state park that sits serenely in the middle of Puget Sound between the Kitsap Peninsula and Seattle. The only way to get there is by boat, and there are no roads or vehicles. It's a forested green gem set in watery blue surroundings.

It reminds me what a beautiful place we live in. At our doorsteps we have tremendous towering forests, snowy peaks, flashing seas, grassy meadows, and flowing rivers. What an abundance of nature's beauty! 

The Prayer Book offers this prayer: "Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory."  

As we celebrate the Fourth of July weekend, I hope we'll all enjoy this beautiful country we've been given, and give thanks to God for the beauty and abundance of our land. 

With gratitude,

Bill