It feels an age since I blogged and indeed it is. Apologies.
I've had an exciting and demanding few weeks with various folk on retreat, a Summer School with the Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopal Church at the monastery in Kinnoull, Perth and some time to reflect on possible futures for and in community.
All good, necessary and exciting.
There are periods when so much of what I do is confidential, that at the end of the day, when I might naturally blog, if I were to start, by necessity I would end up discussing things which are less than authentic to the moment or the experience at that time. It's moments like this I wish I was a bird watcher or could get excited about tales of dog walks! I guess I'm saying that I am pretty lousy at small talk - sadly - it seems even small talk with a computer. How tragic is that?
We are continuing to work on the where and how of creating community.
I had a terrific conversation the other day with a friend who likened the process of finding places and possibilities to stumbling upon the clues in a Treasure Hunt. You are never sure whether the latest development is 'the one' that is the treasure or just another clue along the way. It is all a matter of heart, intuition and discernment.
In that sense there are tremendous similarities between the search for a home for community and the process of working alongside students preparing for authorised Christian ministry. Ultimately whatever is presented, the process of discernment as to whether a vocation is just that, is legitimised by discernment - by the individual, by those who facilitate his learning and by the Church as a whole. In the case of ministry - does this person bring life to others? Would they be a valued and trustworthy colleague? Will they be faithful and responsible in the service of God or will they struggle with the demands made upon them in ways which will not bear 'spiritual fruit' and might even hurt or damage them and/or others? These are tough calls - in every sense imaginable.
Summer School went well and reminded me of many summer programmes in the past. The mix of students getting to know each other well with a challenging programme of speakers and activities, encouraged considerable reflection and thought. This isn't an easy process, but as a staff member I was genuinely thrilled to see students making connections and risking thinking in new ways. These are the moments teachers live for and priests even more so. Like all good courses, the staff were challenged too and it was incredibly valuable to have a Bishop in residence with us all week who is a consumate theological educator in his own right. We were able to dream dreams about the future of theological education in Scotland. A pretty perfect week from my perspective. Now we need to make dreams happen... something I love doing.
Whilst discerning a base and context for community, the questions are much the same as those articulated for human vocations. Will this place be a place people will come to and will it be a place which brings healing and life? What about those, who we increasingly specialise in offering space to, who need utmost privacy and freedom to make their own journeys uninterupted by social interaction or expectation? What about those who feel stifled and at odds with the Church and much of what it conventionally stands for? Will the place provide an environment where each member committed to community can evolve their vocation and challenge, stimulate and be a witness to the Church and Society?
The questions are relatively easy to identify. It's always the answers that take time.
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