It can be much more focused on specific spiritual practices, and mine has changed over time. But this is what we've settled on, and it's just right.

David, I tried to dm you but can't. Please consider reposting this without the ableist slur. Thank you.

I will add that we've gone through times when it might look like we're not even talking about God. It might be about travel or family annoyances or illness or boredom. But God is present in every human experience, and we are being formed even there.

Sometimes, I'm not sure anything has happened. But over the last ten years, she has held my story and held faith for me when I really couldn't locate my own.

That kind of spiritual companionship can be formalized, but it doesn't have to be. And it might not be for you. But the practice holds me.

And together, we seek signs of God's activity or invitation there. Sometimes, I leave the session with gratitude or a renewed hope for the hard thing. Other times, I leave having experienced Spirit in my director's accompaniment through deep valleys.

You've gotten so many wise and varied replies! I can't add a lot more except to say that for me, having a spiritual director with whom I meet monthly is key. SD takes many forms, but ours is very simple. I bring a discrete instance or situation that feels full of God or devoid of God,

Experiencing companionship at these major life events would be huge and it's kind of what our cultures expect (and promise?). Doing them alone is tough. 💜

All so very relatable! Pastoral transitions can interrupt formal discernment processes, but it sounds like he's game to help you keep exploring. You're in my prayers

I'm glad you're on this side of that meeting and that he's up for meeting. How do you feel about it?

Yes, it took me until this evening to realize that I probably haven't earned the right to correct Pope Leo's word choices.

Blame it on exhaustion or distraction, not disrespect🤪

I'd say siblings, but yes.

The Peoples’ Sermon - Working Preacher from Luther Seminary What are your strategies for getting unstuck? Working Preacher Books authors weigh in with ideas for times when sermon writing is difficult.

Shauna Hannan has a whole book on this: www.workingpreacher.org/sermon-devel...

She urges preachers to bring your listeners in to your sermon prep, not just for your benefit but to help them enter the sermon moment more fully, too. This whole series from working preacher books is great.

This is similar to Tom Long's (?) questions of function and focus-- what will this sermon do? What will it say? Each of these should be answerable in a simple sentence.

Wow, wow, wow; look at you! I'm excited to read it and share it with people. Congrats!

You worried me for a minute, since I was out on vacation today. But then I remembered that our supply priest lives walking distance from the church.

Glad you got beautiful spring weather this weekend!

“To make our news reporting timely, we need to embrace sexist, regressive clickbait from sources speaking dramatically outside of their field of expertise” is that kinda how it went??

An ICIRR alert warning people to stay vigilant amid an uptick of ICE activity in Chicagoland communities. Full release: https://www.instagram.com/icirr_il/p/DW7bZOblH_Y/?img_index=2

An ICIRR alert warning people to stay vigilant amid an uptick of ICE activity in Chicagoland communities. Full release: https://www.instagram.com/icirr_il/p/DW7bZOblH_Y/?img_index=2

An ICIRR alert warning people to stay vigilant amid an uptick of ICE activity in Chicagoland communities. Full release: https://www.instagram.com/icirr_il/p/DW7bZOblH_Y/?img_index=2

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights is reporting an uptick in ICE activity across the Chicago area over the last week, incl. reported abductions at Cook County courthouses and immigration check ins.

Chicago neighborhoods of reported activity include Rogers Park, Austin and Pilsen.

Yep. Every year, I say something about it in a sermon or a newsletter article because it has a supercessionist odor about it.

I'm sorry. It sounds like you were open, hospitable and she came in ready to do verbal and psychological violence. There's no excuse for that.

Later, I felt so ashamed I hadn't told him to stop. (But I know that shame is one of patriarchy's tools and I don't have to hold it.)

The other day, a male acquaintance standing behind me put his hands on my shoulders and moved me forcibly to the side in order to improve the group photo pose. He did not ask me, didn't apologize, didn't say anything to me; I was just suddenly being pushed.

I disassociated.

Thanks. I actually have other preachers in this parish-- the first time I haven't had to write five sermons for the week! And we have several lay-led services, so that'll be really cool. I learn so much from these people.

Yes, your point about the ministry of all the baptized is so key. I can imagine that finding one's place there might be kinda awkward sometimes. But what a gift you'll bring, too.
May you have a blessed Holy Week

Sounds like it!

Oh wow, your first as retired clergy! That's gotta be a shift.

I have been blessed to land in congregations where people are willing to ask questions and really think about the changes I suggest. And this group takes language and history seriously. So it's a real gift.

I'm so glad! The awkwardness of these early weeks and months require a gentle sense of humor and so much grace. You're all figuring out who you are and how you will be church together.

⚓️🙄

I am not interested in arguing the necessity or good of such changes here. But I do want to say that when we invite people in to understand why we do what we do, space opens up for reflection in community about our faith, our stories, and our world. (2/2)

I love this work!

With the bishop's blessing, I introduced a revised Palm Sunday liturgy aimed at countering some of the historic antisemitic ideas Holy Week texts have fed.
I wrote about it in this week's e-news, and coffee hour was full of theological convos about what can happen when liturgy becomes rote. (1/2)

Oh, no. I hope you're getting the support you need and that he was sent elsewhere.

I'm sorry you've been experiencing that.