Terrapin Station

Who Knows?

Later this month, Ken and I will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. That, in context with the previous post here, have me thinking how mysterious this life really is; how we never can really know what's coming down the road, and how we grow as we go along.

15 years ago, I was a different person, but still me. How does that work? Who knows?

I couldn't have known how my relationships with my kids (who are mine courtesy of Ken) could have grown and changed me. How time would gift me with two great people and their partners (and a baby granddaughter!)

How could I have known how greatly my understanding of God and God's role in my life would change? that associating with a group of women clergy and supporting them would become a major passion of my life?

Recently I took one of those Facebook quizzes that tells you what flower you are, who your evil twin is, etc. This one was about "which denomination should you be in?" and the answer I got was "Unitarian Universalist." It didn't surprise me...I once had a counseor, raised Episcopalian and worshipping Unitarian, say, "You sound awfully Unitarian to me." I'm not particularly orthodox. Looking at my beliefs in EFM has helped me to see that I believe a lot of church doctrine, but I would not fight for it. The virgin birth, for instance. I believe that God is totally capable of doing that, if God wants to. And if that were not to be the truth, it would not upset me at all.

How could I have guessed it would go that way? How could it be predicted? It couldn't. That's what makes life interesting, I guess.

Tonight I made mushroom stroganoff and walked the dogs and did laundry. Things are good. Life is good.

 

Education for Ministry

The name of the class is a bit deceptive: Education for Ministry makes it sound like we are heading toward ordination. That is NOT the purpose of EFM.

EFM is a program offered through the divinity school at the University of the South (called Sewanee). The purpose is to educate people to carry out their own ministries in the world, providing biblical and theological education. During the four-year program, we read the Bible, church history, and material about "big questions."

But the most important part of EFM is the opportunity to be in a covenant group with my classmates and to do theological reflection with them. Part of every seminar discussion covers the reading we have done to prepare, and part is a theological reflection on something...anything. The point is that theological reflection encourages us to think about the world, the culture, the church, and everything else in our lives through the lens of TR and to ask, "what can I learn from this? how can I grow closer to what Jesus would have me do?" It seeps into your daily life as well. It's transformative.

I've longed for this type of connection for a long time. Short-term Sunday school classes have been good, but people come and go. This class requires a substantial commitment of time and finances, and therefore a level of trust builds. We are learning to know each other in a way that is unusual in today's world. We share hard questions and large truths, things we might not talk about with others in our lives. We wonder. We express doubt and anger. We laugh a lot, and have snacks. It is holy ground.

I realized last night that, doing our lesson and TR, I felt fully myself. That's a big statement, but it's true. I am grateful.

 

Getting my pencils sharpened...to start Education for Ministry

No, I'm not going to seminary. I'm getting ready to start Education for Ministry.

And, what's the difference?

The difference is that all of us are called to ministry. Some are called to ordained ministries; in my tradition, these are deacon, priest, and bishop. But every single layperson is also called to ministry, whether it's teaching Sunday school, serving at the altar, or (outside the church walls) living as a Christian in a way that causes others to seek us out because they see the light of Christ in us. Talking to a lonely person in the grocery store checkout line. Volunteering in our communities. Being on the board of RevGalBlogPals.

I firmly believe that everything we do is ministry to some degree, and that the degree largely counts on the intention we put into it. For many years I've worked in university administration, which doesn't sound like ministry, except that the care and concern I bring to the people  I work with and serve makes it so. It's the way I make a difference in the world.

"The Education for Ministry program was designed in 1975 by the University of the South, Sewannee,  to equip laypersons for their ministries in the church and the world." So, there, that sounds just right! Here is more detail on the study undertaken. And here's an article in my parish blog with some videos.

EFM is a four-year program, to which we commit one year at a time. Groups of six to twelve participants prepare in advance through reading and prayer and meet weekly to share prayer, study and theological reflection.  I have wanted to do this for many years, but it has not been offered in a place where I lived until now.

The mentor for our group will be the initmitable Rev. Judy Upham, a RevGal, and I'm delighted about that. I've been hungry for an opportunity to study and reflect with a committed group. We are set to start on September 25. Please keep me and my group in your prayers as we start the journey.