Monday, July 13, 2009

Article For The Newsletter At Convention

The greatest gifts God has given me are a voice and an opinion (and for better or worse, I am very blessed). Over the last three years I have used these gifts to advocate for a group that I think has been let down by the church for generations. Before that I was a cradle Episcopalian who was very active as a youth in the church but had not seriously been to church in about eight years for a myriad of reasons. Most importantly, I think that I had convinced myself that there was no place for me in the church anymore. I used the years after high school making mistake after mistake and “proving” that God and the Episcopal Church had left me far behind. The most important thing I can tell you about my time away was that the longer I stayed away, the more disenchanted I became with the church and the harder it was for me to go back.

When I finally had the courage to come back to the church I began to remember a language that had been forgotten by me long ago. I could once again explain where my heart and my mind intersected and people actually understood what I was talking about. It was such an amazing feeling. As the Diocesan Coordinator for Young Adult Ministries in the Diocese of Atlanta, I have been able to use that language to advocate for a group that I think is largely forgotten and misunderstood in the church world. As youth we are put out in the spotlight and then just expected to quietly integrate into becoming an “adult” member of the parish as soon as we turn eighteen. I think that this is one of the biggest mistakes the church is currently making. In a majority of cases we are not given the skills or support to accomplish this goal and then people wonder why we aren’t filling the pews every Sunday. If we want to be honest, most of us are leaving the Episcopal Church for other denominations or non-denominational churches because it seems like they are the only ones equipping people in their twenties to become vital parts of the church body. I don’t think we are there because we like the theology or the fact that in most cases there is no liturgy, I think we are there because they are the only ones that are giving us community and making us a priority.

So what can we do about that Lauren? Well, I am glad you asked. I think we can start by educating people as to what defines a young adult. And how do we do that Lauren? We give them the opportunity to be in front of people the way the youth are. We are often lumped in with youth in ways that make it hard to define our identity. Our parents aren’t driving us to church on Sunday. We are not living in a school environment that gives us loads of time to spend cultivating our relationship with God. We are out in the real world trying to decide how we will actually survive the next eighty something years without failing and ending up broke and alone. This is something we will struggle with for only you know how many years, because you have been there. Remember?

Do us a favor, let us stand up and tell you who we are. Put us on the pedestal next to youth and allow us to tell you how we are different and why we can’t be lumped together. Let us tell you why we are lost and why we need you to mentor us in the ways of being an adult. It might seem scary, but it isn’t hard. All you do is approach a young adult and say hello and how are you, we will do the rest. We are ready to speak, but unsure of how to ask for that right because we are out of the spotlight. Please don’t forget us…..again.

Day 2 of the Young Adult Festival in Anahiem, CA

Today was a much more interesting day here at Convention. My roommate and I stayed up until like 2 am talking, which is 5 am in Atlanta, so I tried to sleep in to keep myself from dragging all day. I woke up and got ready and went downstairs to catch the 9:20 shuttle, but found out that the times were wrong and that the shuttle came to the hotel on the hour and to the convention center on the 20. So I decided to walk the 2 ½ miles to the convention center. I got about halfway there when I realized that my shoes were killing my feet and I had blisters everywhere. I am not happy about that, because now my feet are going to hurt all week. Luckily, I came across a Target and went in to buy a new pair of shoes that didn’t hurt.

When I finally got to the center, I walked in to find people milling around everywhere. I tried to call my friend Rachel Swan to see where she was, but she was off working with the Integrity group on the Eucharist they were having later that night. I went in to the hall of deputies and listened to people talk about resolution B033, which is the resolution passed on 2006 that put a moratorium on electing openly gay bishops. Two members of our Diocese spoke. I should probably take a minute to explain how the governing body works. There are two houses, the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. They each hear legislation and “arguments” on different topics and then vote. A resolution can only pass if both houses vote it in. B033 seems to be the big elephant in the room at this convention. I think people are ready to make a decision about it and it seems as though they are leaning towards revoking it in some fashion. This is a huge hot button issue, because the Anglican Communion has specifically asked us to wait for more discussion before we take any more steps on this issue. I think if it is removed, we will have an even more difficult time ahead of us.

The hardest part of listening to these people speak for me was one specific man. He got up to the microphone and said that he and his wife have a daughter who is gay. The thing that struck me about this statement is that he followed it by saying “do we like that she is gay? No, but we love her anyway”. He wanted us to wait on revoking this piece of legislation until we have further support from the Communion. It was very hard for me to hear a man speak of his daughter in such a callous way. I am sure he did not mean it, but it sounded like he was embarrassed of her and that he wanted to act like that part of her life was just a phase. I feel bad for the large number of GLBT people who get this reaction from their loved ones. It must hurt a lot to have someone who has loved you unconditionally for so long find out that you are gay and then seem as if they are turning their back to you with disgust. I hope that the people in that community can find unity and peace with each other.

After I listened in, I went over to the Great Hall to check out the booths for all the different ministries. I only got through one row before Rick Calloway called to let me know where they were sitting at the Eucharist and I went to look for them. I never found them, but I did end up sitting with Bishop Alexander and Janet who is the woman who puts our Diocesan Convention together. The altar was enormous and was overflowing with baskets of bread and jars of wine. It is really neat to watch 3,000 people receive the Eucharist together.

Next was lunch followed by a few workshops. I went to one on what young adults are looking for in the church and the other was on the different service corps opportunities for young people. We have year long domestic and international programs and then one 8 week domestic program. I thought both were very interesting but mostly things I had heard before. I really wish I had known about the mission work when I was younger. I am not sure if I would have gone then but I am very jealous now that I am too old. I spoke with some people from Boston about a new servant leadership type program they are starting there that sounds very intriguing. I hope to meet with them again later in the weekend to discuss it further.

After workshops I came back to the hotel to change my shirt, because it had ripped early in the day and I was embarrassed that I was walking around all day with it like that. Carlton, Brian, Amelia, Lucy, and I went to grab a bite to eat, and then Brian, Amelia, and I went back to the Hilton for the Integrity Eucharist. I saw Rachel for a brief moment and then said hello to her wife who I hadn’t seen in a while. The Eucharist was amazing. Gene Robinson was the celebrant and there was a wonderful sermon about respecting the integrity of all human beings. Rebecca ? spoke about the interesting dynamic of ordaining GLBT people to the Deaconate if we are then going to say that they can’t be Bishops. She went on to talk about why we even baptism them at all if we are just going to treat them like second class citizens who are not worthy of the same rights. She was very engaging and funny, so it was a great sermon. Everyone kept speaking to the passage in the book of Acts that talk about the story of Cornelius and his call from God to find Peter and be baptized alongside many different types of people. The scripture goes on to say that there will be no outcasts and that all are welcome.

The service was very powerful. There was beautiful African, Hispanic, and Hymnal music throughout the service and a wonderful choir from All Saint’s LA. I was really happy to see the number of GLBT clergy and advocates there are in the church as a whole. Afterwards, Brian and I went to meet with the other people from Atlanta and hear their debrief. It was nice to see everyone and we got to share some of what we have been doing over here. Everyone seemed really excited to see me, which made me feel really at home. I really do love my job and the people I work with. I am so blessed to be cared for by some many WONDERFUL human beings that are on a whole other playing field than I am.

Well, I am off to sleep and exhausted. I will see you tomorrow. Night

Friday, July 10, 2009

Day 1 of the Young Adult Festival in Anaheim, CA

Brian Freese and I were lucky enough to get to participate in the Young Adult Festival at General Convention this year. Brian met me at my house at 7:45 and we left about 8 am. Pat drove us to the airport and we were really early. We ended up running in to Heather Mills who I know from the Vocare community. We talked with her before getting on the plane. The ride was pretty smooth, but long. I slept about the first 40 minutes, and then woke up to a crying baby who stayed that way for the next 4 hours. It was not a lot of fun, but the baby came up by me a couple of times and I played and made faces at him to get him to be quiet a couple of times.

When we got to John Wayne Airport, we caught our shuttle to the hotel. In the van we met a girl from Oregon who was not Episcopalian, but was going to meet her mom at the Marriott. Her mom is a deputy and she and her sister were coming down to keep her company. She works for Nike as a forecaster which of course I found very interesting given my background. I am always fascinated at how small the Episcopal community is. It seems like it would be such a small place, but it is very incestuous.

We got to the hotel and checked in. My roommate is on the planning team and I really like her. I got up to the room and started ironing my plethora of clothing for the week. I did notice when I checked in that I didn't know very many people here. I really miss some of my friends like Stephen, Will, and Rachel. I am very happy that Rachel is at convention though. I hope to see her tomorrow.

Brian and I went and got some food at the AWESOME Mexican fast food type place. It is better than Willy's which is a great honor for me to bestow. I wish we had one in Atlanta. I had a burrito, black beans, and a Dr. Pepper. We walked back to the hotel and Brian went to take a nap. I went upstairs and showered before heading downstairs for the meet and greet.

When I got downstairs, I ran in to Matt Scully, who is was a great friend of mine from Kanuga. We have not seen each other in at least 12 years, so it was super cool to see him again and meet his wife. We are Facebook friends, but that isn't nearly as great as catching up in person. I met a bunch of new people and said hello to some old acquaintances: Randall and Molly from Arkansas, David Sibley from Upper SC, Ewart from Texas, Carlton from Cali, Patricia from Kentucky, and few others.

We had a wonderful Compline with James and Kevin who are from the Diocese of Texas, and are wonderful musicians. They play the guitar and a bunch of types of drums. I am a huge fan of precussion so I really enjoy it when they do the music. After Compline, Mary Getz from the EPPN came in to debrief us on how convention is going so far and what is coming up tomorrow. Apparently she will be doing that every night which is super cool. There are some young adults from the Episcopal Church of Scotland that I have yet to talk to, but would love to make pen pals with.

After the debrief, Ewart, Patricia, Lem and I went to grab a beer. I ended up spending the whole time talking about our Diocese and some of the struggles I have with my job. It was really embarrassing that I monopolized the conversation so much, that when we left, I came straight to the room and let them get away from me. When I got back the room was empty, but eventually Wendy came back and we talked for an hour and a half about gangs, the over sexualization of women, the nature of women to hurt each other, cultural differences, and how she became a member of the Episcopal Church. She lives is Houston and is a first generation Mexican in her family along with her three older brothers. I like her a lot. We have a lot in common.

It is around 1 am here now, which is 4 am in Atlanta. I am getting up in about 5 hours to go to the convention floor and am really nervous about what I will find. I think that this experience will be very eye opening for me. I am nervous that the Episcopal Church will let me down when I really see how we work together. I am afraid that it will effect my relationship with this wonderful passion I have for advocating our place in the Christian world. I am hopeful that I will come away from this experience with a better understanding of the Communion and why it is necessary in the web of the Episcopate. I hope that I will better understand our future and who we think we are in the now.

Hopefully talk to you tomorrow,
Lauren

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

How I and others began a young adults ministry.

After I found my new home in Christ at Emmanuel Parish, I began to sense a need for a more proactive way of reaching out to the young adults in my parish. At the same time I wondered about those like me who may be seeking a place to connect or reconnect with your faith in God. I also felt moved to explore how these two thoughts might be the start of something to offer young adults an opportunity for knowing one another, for support each other and for building a sense of community. This, I found after discussion with Emmanuel Parish's associate rector Fr. Edwin, is very much what a young adults ministry would be for the parish.

So I began to work on the idea in earnest using the Internet for information and resources. I continued my conversations with Fr. Edwin. I reached out to the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, and I came to know Lauren, their coordinator for young adult ministries. The process of starting a ministry for young adults in the greater Athens area has begun!

The process of starting this new ministry for young adults wasn't easy. The first step was prayer. Lots of prayer seeking direction and purpose for this new effort. It seemed upon reflection that Fr. Edwin and I were both equally enthusiastic about the prospect, and our combined gifts would make for a good start in the effort.

We organized a planning meeting with Lauren to brainstorm and discuss the type, time and location of our initial activities. This discussion continued for a few months until we believed a good decision was reached: we'd meet monthly for a casual social event in order to introduce the new ministry to young adults within and outside of the parish. The monthly event was to be called a “Meet and Greet” and would be held at a local restaurant downtown close to the University of Georgia campus. We decided upon a name: Emmanuel Episcopal Young Adults, which goes by the acronym E2YA.

The first “Meet and Greet” had more than twenty young adults! We met at a local pizza pub, and everyone appeared to enjoy their time together. In the months that have followed, we've continued this event and attendance varies according to the academic calendar at the University of Georgia and the season of the year.

In recent months, we've introduced a Sunday gathering following the 10:30 Eucharistic Service. This is a casual brunch at a restaurant downtown immediately after the service. It's a great way for our young adults to gather after worship and share with one another.

Soon, Fr. Edwin wishes to introduce an additional worship opportunity for our young adults that offers a departure from the traditional Daily Office services. This effort, like our other efforts, is being planned carefully and explored with our young adults to make sure we're meeting their needs for community and a greater spiritual life.

If someone asked me what exactly did you do to start a young adults ministry in your parish, I'd offer the following steps:
1. Pray about beginning the ministry for young adults. Open your heart and empty yourself to be receptive to what God is calling you to do.
2. Obtain the permission, input and support of your clergy. Make sure they're involved in every facet of the ministry so that you can benefit from their expertise and experience.
3. Determine the demographics of your parish and the larger community you wish to reach.
4. Consider fact finding, casual questioning, or a formal survey to gage what young adults in yoru parish may wish to experience in their faith journey.
5. Develop a contact list of those who may be interested in participating. Keep them informed of what's going on and where it's happening. If there are opportunities beyond your local ministry, be sure to share that information, too.
6. Gather and do so often! Build your sense of community. Engage those who attend your events. Encourage them to come again and share their needs with you.
7. Consider additional activities to meet the needs expressed.

Above all remember that a young adults ministry is about offering opportunities for knowing one another, for supporting each other and for building a sense of community in your parish and beyond.

Thanks be to God!

How I became an Episcopalian.

There is a time in a person’s journey through life that what matters most becomes clear. Some may call this an epiphany or a moment of great revelation. Others experience this clarity in a subtle, almost unperceived way through evolution of thought. For some, this may never happen. For me, this understanding began with the passing of my mother after a three year battle with cancer. All the challenges, hardships and trails of my journey through life were made trivial as I cared for and watched my mother slowly succumb to cancer.

Here my story of renewed faith begins.

Some years ago in my early twenties, an elder in the congregational church where I attended services preached a message of hate and intolerance. His message didn’t seem very Christ-like to me, and the elder ended with an admonition for those who disagreed with him to leave the church. I was dumbfounded at his message, and I couldn’t reconcile it with what I knew of scripture. That is when I stopped attending church services, and I began to question my religion.

At the same time, my professional life began to accelerate, and I was working long hours often six days a week. My Sundays became for me a day for catching up on household tasks, running errands, and otherwise occupying myself with life’s chores.

Just before Christmas in 2001 I received a phone call from my mother. Through her tears and mine we talked about her diagnosis of cancer. We talked about treatment options. We discussed the plan to attack the cancer and how it could save her life. She was too young to die. We prayed for a miracle.

My mother did well enough for nearly three years as the treatment weakened her body, but fought back the cancer. Then she became quiet. Her body was drained of fight, and she knew her time was short. She silently prayed for peace. Although she was baptized, she still feared death. We cried together, and her reassurance was reading the Word and listening to hymns of praise.

My mother died.

Everything else that seemed to matter to me – career, income, objects – now seemed so trivial. All the challenges, hardships and trials of my journey were nothing compared to the anguish that my mother had faced. In my quiet moments, I found myself praying for her. I found myself praying for me. My comfort was once again found in Christ, and I realized how my soul ached for a reconnection with worship. My soul felt like a cracked, barren desert devoid of life and thirsty for drink.

As I was driving home one day I passed an old stone church. It wasn’t like the congregational church I’d attended years ago. Rather than being austere and somber, it had beautiful stained glass windows and gardens for meditation. It was Emmanuel Episcopal Church. I emailed and then talked with the pastor, who I found was a priest. Robert is his name. He offered a kind voice and encouragement to me. He invited me to visit the church and enjoy the love of Christ once again. It was the invitation for worship I had longed for these many years.

Nervous as I was because Episcopal worship was so unfamiliar to me, I went to the service that Sunday. I was welcomed by two people who greeted me with smiles and shared some basic hints about the way of worship. It was so different from the congregational church I had attended in my youth. It was a beautiful place surrounded by scenes of holy events embodied in stained glass. There was an altar and an organ. Candles glowed and the choir sang. And for the first time in my life I actually felt the Divine Presence during worship. My heart swelled in my chest, and as I left after the service Robert hugged me. He was glad I was there, and he hoped I would come back.

I found a new home in the body of Christ that day.

In the months that followed, my soul felt renewed like a lush, green field refreshed by cool rain and sowed with the seeds of life. There was Inquirer’s class I attended followed by a Confirmation class. Then there was Confirmation.

The Holy Spirit came to me in my life's journey.

I went with friends to the Episcopal Cathedral in Atlanta. I’d never been to a church that large, that grand and that awesome. It was most exciting, and I felt the energy and enthusiasm of those with me from my parish. As I knelt at the altar and Bishop Neil laid his hands upon my head, my mind emptied of all thought and was silent. His voice echoed in my mind as Bishop Neil spoke, and I felt the very real presence of the Holy Spirit come upon me through the laying of his hands upon my head and the echoing of his words in my mind. For the first time in my life, I was fully present and fully aware of a moment in time and in doing so opened myself to God's love.

My journey continues, and my faith has been renewed. My spiritual life has been reinvigorated. The Holy Spirit moves me in my life towards opportunities for service to the church and beyond. The glorious gift of God’s grace reassures my soul.

With each day, I pray for my mother. I thank her for helping me understand that all the challenges, hardships and trails of my journey through life are in fact trivial when compared with the opportunity of everlasting life through Christ.

When I talk with friends about life, sometimes we find the chance to talk about faith, worship and religion. I ask them if they’ve had a bad experience in a church or if they’ve found worship titular and empty. I ask them if they live a high pressure life that begs for Sunday morning in bed. I ask them if they feel uneasy walking into a building and sitting in a crowd of people where you don't know a soul and don't know when to stand, sit, kneel, or sing.

Then I share my story and an invitation. Thanks be to God for Emmanuel and for Robert's invitation to me.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Day 5-NYC-Wednesday

Today was so much fun. We got up and I led morning prayer before we headed off to the train. We got on the 1 going north for once and were taking it all the way to the Cloisters which is kind of far out of town. Apparently my map and google maps imagined the stop we wanted and before we knew it we were in the Bronx. It was a great adventure!!! We ended up riding the train to the end of the line and then switched trains to come back up to the Cloisters. When we got on the new south bound train, someone had thrown up on the floor. It was really gross and not my favorite memory about being here so far. When we finally figured out how to get out of the subway station, we walked through a beautiful park and ended up asking for directions to the museum.

I was very surprised when we arrived that they had trouble with our tickets. The Met and the Cloisters are a suggested donation. I paid the full amount online ahead of time so that we wouldnt have to wait in line. I think that if you have the money you should pay the full amount. Plus I don't think that $27 for two museums and two audio tours is a bad price, but apparently people were really surprised that we had paid the full amount.

I thought the Cloisters were so neat and beautiful. I have never been to a monastery, so learning about the architecture and the lives of the monks was really cool to me. I loved all the chanting music they had in the background of the audio guide. Alayna had asked that we write down something that stood out to us on a note card for debrief later and my first thing was in the Cloisters. They had a replica of a chapter room where the monks would sit each night and hear a chapter from their rule book. I dont know why I liked the idea of that so much, but I think it had a lot to do with the discipline and patience it must have taken to be a part of a community like that. I have always wished that I had that type of discipline.

Next we got back on the train and went to St Mary's Times Square for Eucharist. That church is lovingly called Smokey Mary's because the incense runs freely all over the beautiful sanctuary. We all really loved the service, and afterward the verger gave us a tour of the church. I have been so surprised and happy with how hospitable this Diocese is. It is so wonderful to be in a place where people seem genuinely happy to see us. A woman named Gypsy decided to stay and eat lunch with us which was really cool.

We left the church and went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I love museums and that is one I could get lost in forever. There was an exhibit on fashion that I found absolutely fascinating. It showed clothing and models from every decade since the 60's. It was cool for me, having a degree in fashion, to see the way clothing and modeling has changed over the last 5 decades. Little Beth and I also went to see some paintings by a few FAMOUS artists before heading over to an exhibit on the way New England homes have changed over the last few hundred years. It was very interesting to see the changes in architect, design, and decoration. Each room had a computer where you could look up the family who owned the house, the style of the house, and then each individual piece in the room by a touch screen. It was so cool. I would love to have one of those at every museum I go to.

It started raining as we got on the bus home, and so we split up to get dinner. WE came back and Alayna led the discussion and Compline. It was her first time doing compline, and I thought that she did a fantastic job. Tomorrow is mostly a free day!!!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A blog entry from Tiffany Hatfield

Wow! I can hardly believe that I am blogging in New York City... I'm so hip and urban now. ;)

Okay, so far this pilgrimage has been really interesting. Yesterday (Monday) perhaps was the most moving day so far, and I imagine for the whole trip. It gave me a unique perspective on what it means to be an American, to be a Christian, to be an Episcopalian. To see the Statue of Liberty from a boat like immigrants to this country would have seen was the start, and then to go to Ellis Island where you can feel the people and hear voices of those who passed through both rooted us in the feeling of arrival that comes on pilgrimage.

To have that feeling combined with the emotions that came earlier that day from walking around Ground Zero was even more intense. Everything about that walk around Ground Zero was surreal. Listening to survivors and rescue workers recounting their tales through my headphones while watching people pass by in the hustle and bustle of city life- seemingly oblivious to their surroundings- gave me a powerful image of what that area was like at 8:30 on September 11. People were just walking along, listening to iPods, talking with their friends, reading briefs for work-- it was so totally normal. Then to think that at 8:46 the whole world changed, and it is likely that some of those people who were hustling along- just like the people I was watching- were gone or about to be. Surreal really doesn't even begin to describe it.

Today was a different experience entirely. It was equally as moving, but for far different reasons and in far different ways. We were welcomed with open arms and hearts to the headquarters of the Episcopal Church by people with an intense passion for the work that they were doing. We talked, shared, and laughed together. I think many of us also allowed ourselves to stand in awe of the great church of which we are a part. These individuals form a tremendous patchwork quilt of ministry that gives the Episcopal Church its own particular flair, and it was a privilege to hear about their ministries and share our passion for our own (young adult ministries). It was also striking how supportive each of these individuals were of each other. You could tell that they enjoyed not only telling about their work but hearing about the others' work as well.

There is so much more to say about this experience, and I am sure that in time I will come back to blog more. For now, let me end by quoting a line from a song in the soundtrack of my favorite movie (You've Got Mail), which has been running through my head all week, "I guess the Lord must be in New York City." Indeed He is.

Blessings and peace!
Tiffany

Day 4-NYC-Tuesday

Today we woke up really early in order to get to 815 by 9am. David lead the reading of the Litany for our morning prayer time. I thought it was really nice way to start the day and was new to me so I learned something also. We hopped on the express train to get down to Gran Central which was interesting. It was the first time we have gotten on a train during rush hour, so it was really packed and kind of hard to keep everyone together.

We met first with Nicole Seiforth from the YAMN. She took time off of work to come speak to us which I thought was really cool. I got a chance to talk to her about some of my frustrations with the way they have handled supporting our group. I think she really heard my concerns and will go back to the commission with some good feedback. Next was the PB, she seems really nice and really shy. She stayed with us for about an hour as we talked about what kind of work each of us is doing in the church. Toby and Amanda showed up just as she got in the room. We gave her a bunch of gifts and spent some good time hearing about the upcoming General Convention and her work. Next was Robert from the ERD. He showed a great power point and I think we were all surprised to hear all the great work they are doing.

We went to Eucharist at noon in the chapel and got a quick lunch. The PB was having a book signing that afternoon, so everyone went down and ordered an advanced copy. Then we had a number of people come talk to us during the next hour John from Episcopal Migration Ministries, Chris and Margaret from Advocacy, Toni from Partnerships, and David Copley from Mission. They all had some great things to say about the work they are doing and we remarked later on how passionate they are and how much they seem to enjoy working together. Last we went and saw Bob who is the temporary head of Evangelism, but does Church Vitality when he isnt doing Evangelism stuff. It was neat to hear him give his prospective on the ways we need to judge the success of a parish. I think the whole office was very happy to have us there and really wanted us to know about the work they are doing. I really appreciated the fact that they took time out of their day to meet with us so close to General Convention.

Afterwards, Amanda and Toby debriefed us and we went down to the book signing. We all kind of came home in small groups and Little Beth and I walked to Riverside Park and Grant's Tomb. We took a bunch of silly pictures all over the place. When we got back Tiffany and Bill joined us for dinner and then I lead Compline before I started blogging so that we could catch up. Hopefully we will slow down enough for the next few days so that I can blog every night.

Day 3-NYC-Monday

Today was a long day. Tiffany led morning prayer. Today was the feast of St. Alban and she did a wonderful job of incorporating that in to our morning prayer. I implemented my new approach to working the schedule and I think it was very successful. Today was much more relaxed for the most part and I think everyone enjoyed knowing a little more about their day. I think I am learning a lot about how to lead a group. I am glad everyone is letting work out my growing edges here.

We hoped on the train and headed down to Trinity Wall St. That church is super cool. I really enjoyed walking around their graveyard in the middle of the city. The windows were beautiful and the organist was playing while we were there, so that was neat. Then we headed over to St. Paul's Chapel for our walking tour of Ground Zero. There was an interesting museum there, but I really enjoyed the walking tour. A lot of the landscape has changed, but there was enough still there to really enjoy the voices that were explaining what happened that day and all the days after. I was kind of annoyed at the people rushing past me and kind of pushing me out of the way while I was standing on that holy ground, but I guess they have moved on for the most part, which is a good thing for the health of the city. Unfortunately I did not give us enough time to finish the tour before we had to rush to the ferry for the Statue of Liberty.

Everyone went ahead to the island while I waited for poor Sharon to get there. Her plane landed around 10 am, and her shuttle did not drop her off until after 1 pm at the dock. I can't imagine how horrible that ride was. :) She and I headed over and did a condensed version of the audio tour so that we could head over to Ellis Island and catch up with the rest of the group. But, in order to even get in the statue and walk to the top of the base, we had to wait in line for 30 minutes to be violated by some air quality screening machine in security. you walked in to this chamber, and it blew air on you from the floor and then tested the air air for bomb materials and such. It was really weird.

Tiffany met up with us and then the three of us headed to Ellis Island. I really enjoyed that museum. It opened just after my last sight seeing trip to New York when I was in the 6th grade. Learning all about the things that went on there was really interesting. The things these people went through to enter our country was amazing. Doctor's examined their eyes with button hooks and judged them on their physical and mental health in a matter of minutes letting those deemed healthy go in one line and the others had to be detained for further research. The reasons people were denied entry were astonishing in some cases. If you were denied, you were sent immediately to a boat and back to your country of origin. Families were often split up, some staying and some being forced to leave. It was hard to hear some of the stories from the people who were just children when they went through the process.

As one would assume, women were treated much differently. They were not allowed to leave the island without a male escort that had to be part of her family. It was crazy to see how immigration has changed in the last 60 years and how much better some of the policies were then. The most shocking part to me was the first time they were judged by the doctors. Once they entered the building, they dropped off their luggage and had to climb a huge staircase up to get their physical exam. Doctors would stand at the top of the stairs judging their ability to walk up them and sometimes deciding right then if they could stay. I can't imagine how tired, hungry, and stiff some of these people were after their long journeys and then having to be judged immediately on your physical fitness. It was really sad to think about. It reminded me of the way society is now. We often judge people from the moment we see them and either embrace or shun them without even taking the opportunity to hear one word out of their mouth.

Afterwards, tired and hungry, we went to Little Italy to meet up with a few of Sharon's friends, Remington and David Sibley. It was great, we all had pasta and some drinks and then went to pastry shop for some dessert. When we got home, Sharon debrief us on our day and helped us prepare for meeting the PB the next day and then we all went to sleep, which was much needed.

Day 2-NYC-Sunday

We got up today and went to church at St. John's in the Village. We got lost a few times but finally arrived at the church. The service was very interesting. It was sung with very interesting vestments and different traditions than I think any of us were used to. Afterwards there was a lunch for one of the parishioners, so we said hello to the parishioners for a minute and then moved on to the Cornelia Street Cafe for lunch.

Lunch was ok, but not my favorite. I had some weird salad/egg/bacon/potatoes all together dish. The cafe is apparently frequented by artists and politicians. Many famous people have performed in one of the two shows they have nightly. Afterwards, we headed down to see the Lion King. I got us really lost because I had gotten directions to the wrong address. It was a little chaotic and we all had to take taxis and rush to get there, but we were on time. Bill decided to go home to see his family for Father's Day, so I sold his ticket to a nice gentleman named Bruce. His wife and granddaughter were seeing Billy Elliott, so he was looking for a show to go to.

The Lion King WAS AMAZING. We all were astonished at how amazing it was. I can't even do it justice by trying to explain it, but if you ever get a chance to see DO!!! We all agree that if their set designer would design an Episcopal service, the number of people would triple. :)

Tiffany did our Compline and debrief. We talked about our day and then she taught us a way to sing some of Compline, so that was really cool. Today was kind of rough in terms of getting to know the group. We were a little disorganized and I think people were frustrated with the way I was leading people. I think I am going to try a new approach tomorrow. We all went to dinner kind of separately. Little Beth and I had pizza, and it was a huge slice and delicious. When we got home, Little Beth, David, Tiffany and I played Skip-Bo. David won. Silly newbie. :)

Day 1-NYC-Saturday

Tiffany, Little Beth and I were driven to the airport by Pat. He dropped us off and we did a curbside check in, which I have never done before. It was exceptionally fast so that might be my new form of airport check in!! We met Alayna at the gate and took off on time. Tiffany and Alayna had their own row, but Elizabeth and I sat next to a guy who was on his two week furlough from Iraq. It was nice talking to him, but kind of hard listening to how much his time there has affected his mental state. I dont even know him, but I could tell by the way he was talking that he was not himself.

When we got to LaGuardia, we got our luggage and found our driver. It was raining, so we got wet waiting on the curb for him to get there. It was about a 30 minute car ride to our convent. Most of the nuns were out for the weekend, so we haven't really met any of them yet. Apparently they are silent most of every day so I don't think we will be having much interaction with them. Our rooms are very small but nice. We have the whole fourth floor to ourselves. There is a chapel on the third floor that is beautiful. We are sharing two bathrooms between the six of us, so that should be interesting. :)

David met us at the convent after his cabbie hit another car and he got out and walked a few blocks. We walked over to the train station to get our metro passes and then we rode all the way down to Penn Station just so Alayna could mail a letter. I thought it was really fun.

On the way back, we headed to Manhattanville to meet up with the young adult interns at St. Mary's. I surprised everyone with this outing as my Compline for my night of Compline and debrief. The Rev. Earl Kooperkamp and two interns, Brian and Alyssa, we there. Father Kooperkamp told us all about the history of the church. It dates back to the early 1800's and has had black members since around that time which I thought was really cool considering what was going on in that period of time. He talked for about an hour about the church, and then we heard from the young adults about the work they do. We did Compline and Father Kooperkamp tried to teach us a round as part of the service. It did NOT go well. :) Apparently we are not good singers at the spur of the moment.

After Compline, we helped him pack 36 lunches to take to his homeless ministry church the next morning. His wife was going to make us pesto pasta, but we were tired, so we just went home. We were told that we were going to really be missing out, so that was kind of sad.

When we got home, Bill was waiting on us. We did a really fun debrief that had everyone laughing and really getting in to the fun. It was really cool. I will try to post some pictures later.

New York, New York

Well, I know I told everyone that we would be blogging, but we have had some late nights so far this week!! I am happy to say that we are all happy even though we have been having some long days so far. I am going to try to write a separate blog for each day, so that the entries are not too long.

A few notes I jotted down before we left:

I am so excited about our schedule. Tiffany, Elizabeth, Alayna, Toby, and Amanda have all never been to NYC before, so I can't wait to see how they react to the city. I think the activities we have planned will be a perfect way to introduce people to the city and kind of how it works. We have each agreed to do a debrief and Compline one night of the trip, so I will let you know who has what day when I blog about it. Here is a short schedule of our trip.

Saturday: Fly up, get some lunch, go to the convent where we are staying, get to know the neighborhood by walking around a little, then I am surprising the group by taking them to St. Mary's in Manhattanville for Compline with a group of Young Adult Interns that are working there.

Sunday: Church at St. John's in the Village, lunch at Cornelia Street Cafe, trip to Times Square, and the Lion King on Broadway.

Monday: Trinity Wall St., St. Paul's Chapel, audio tour of Ground Zero by Courtney Cowart, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, dinner in Little Italy with some of our New York friends

Tuesday: Meetings all day at 815 with different ministries and the Presiding Bishop

Wednesday: The Cloisters, Lunch and Eucharist at Smokey Mary's, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Thursday: Freetime all day, tour of General Seminary, play at the Episcopal Actor's Guild

Friday: Work at the Momentum Project all day

Saturday: Medieval Tour of St. John the Divine, Spire tour, Eucharist, and hopefully someone coming in to play the organ, and travel home.

I think it is a great schedule and I am excited to see what everyone else thinks.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Home Sweet Home!

I'm home!  I got back to Carrollton last night around 9:45, so it wasn't too bad.  Saturday was more workshops and the conclusion of the General Assembly meeting.  A new steering committee was voted in, and there are two people from the Diocese of Atlanta on the Vocare International Steering Committee!  Fr. Dann Brown is the Province IV chaplain and Sarah Blizzard is one of the Lay At Large.  Yay!!  I feel like I learned some new things that we can definitely implement with our ministry that will make it even better. :)  

We got to go down to the beach Saturday night, so yeah for that!!  We had Eucharist with the Bishop and some of the Vocare community at Church of the Annunciation, which was just so much fun.  We had a music duo that was definitely tons of fun, too!  Overall the night of awesome food and a great service and fun music was a great way to top off the weekend.

I know this isn't as detailed as the last one, but hopefully still as enjoyable to read. :)  I'm working on a video of the weekend, so I'll definitely have that available soon!

Peace & Love!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Learning Time!

I must admit, today was pretty freaking fun.  Today started with the morning service at the outside chapel, which was just beautiful.  It was just a gorgeous sight. (I'll try to post a picture or two later.)  We had two workshop sessions before lunch - Connie and I attended Evolution of Leadership: Past, Present, and Future and then Sarah and I went to Teambuilding and Games.  The first workshop integrated ideas of how to publicize and get the word out on Vocare, how to deal with burn out, the importance of evaluations, and communication between other diocesan programs.  The second workshop was all fun and games - literally. We got to learn new teambuilding games, and that was pretty awesome. :)  

The afternoon session consisted of the General Assembly meeting, which is where we went over the business side of Vocare.  It was interesting to hear about what was going on nationally and to hear all the reports from the active Vocare dioceses.  There was also discussion that Vocare International was going to have a booth at General Convention this year, which definitely makes me want to go to convention even more.  So we'll see how that works out. ;)  We broke into our provincial groups to see who would be interested in filling open positions on the Vocare International Steering Committee.  Tomorrow we will meet again and make the decision on who best to fill those positions and bring it before the General Assembly.  

The last workshop of the day was Creating a Healthy Vocare Body.  This included different ideas for responses to talks, what you can and cannot do at a weekend, and other activities that can be added in if necessary.  It was cool to hear what other dioceses do and to get suggestions that sounded like pretty awesome ideas.  After dinner we had a handy dandy music/worship session, which was fun.  I'm continually learning new songs, so of course that makes me happy. :)

Anyway, I know this is pretty long, but I'm really enjoying it and learning a lot.  I love the fact that I've gotten to meet people from all around and hear about their experiences.  

Peace & Love!

Russell the Pirate didn't make it, but we are having a great time at Vocare International Conference!

We are winding down day two of Vocare International Conference 2009 at Day Spring Conference Center in Parrish, Florida. This is only my second weekend at a flat, beach-like camp (and in the same month!). I grew up in the mountains of east Tennessee and have spent time at Episcopal camps in the mountains, or at least hilly areas, of north Alabama and north Georgia, so Honeycreek near Brunswick (site of Vocare #18) and Day Spring are a new experience for me, but a good one.

Even though Russell the Pirate is not here with me, I brought some of his sense of adventure. This morning I adventured on my own for a sunrise jog around the camp, which was a nice way to start the day. Since the good beginning things have continued to go well. I have met a lot of great fellow Vocati from across the country - California, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Florida (of course), and surely some others I am forgetting.

It is great to learn more about the Vocare traditions in other dioceses and make new Episcopals. This evening at dinner I think I finally found the right table mix, because we all shared jokes! I don't know if every Diocese of Georgia and Diocese of Atlanta Vocati loves to tell and hear jokes like I do, but I consider it a bit of a tradition in our Vocare and was excited to extend it here. I was most happy to learn a new pirate joke - What are a pirates favorite cookies? Chips-a-hoooooooooy (with the pirate accent of course) - so awesome!

More stories and pictures from the conference to come, so stay posted all you fans of our amazing blog!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

It's Been a Long Day

So we, (myself, Fr. Dann, and Sarah B), picked up Connie Cote from Valdosta around lunch time today and then continued on to the Daysprings Episcopal Conference Center in Parrish, FL right outside of Tampa.  We made pretty good time, so that was a bonus.  The evening started off with a pretty good dinner and then we had the Rector's Address.  Cori Phillips from Michigan is the current president of Vocare International and she let us know that we'll be doing some voting on the next steering committee members as well as workshops throughout the weekend.  Oh - before Cori started talking we did a couple of songs that were new to me (I liked them), and a couple of icebreakers.  We ended up the evening with an ice cream social (yummy!) and now we're all just hanging out for a bit before crashing into bed.

I like Daysprings a lot so far - it's really pretty and the weather's been pretty nice up to this point.  I'm really excited about the workshops and all the learning opportunities I'll get to have and then to be able to take it back to our Vocare ministry.  But overall, I'm just really freaking excited about being here - woot woot!

Peace & Love!

It's really early.....

Morning!

Well, I thought I'd give a handy dandy little hello before we all got on the road. Today is FINALLY here! Sarah Blizzard, Fr. Dann Brown, and myself are all leaving this morning for the Vocare International Conference. It's down near Tampa, hence the really early post. I didn't get a lot of sleep due to major allergies and my puppies being VERY excited to see me (they've been at my mom's in Atlanta since last week), but I'm thinking a good dose of Starbucks and excitement will keep me going all day. :)

Hopefully I'll be able to update at some point while I'm down there, but I really freaking excited!!

Peace & Love -
Liz W

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Where is Russell the Pirate?

About this time last year Lauren and I thought it would be super sweet to send some bobble-head dolls around the world with young adults. I was in possession of Russell the Pirate for a couple of months and we were lucky enough to visit Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone last March and April. Russell is the adventurous sort, as you would guess most pirates arrgghh.
Thinking about Russell and all that he has seen, I am reminded that I was not meant to watch life from the sidelines - I was meant to be a part of it. In the Pslams we are told there is a time and season for everything - a time to rest, a time to sow, a time to reap, a time to dance, time to mourn, etc. I am ready to dance and reap the harvest. Anyone with me?
On the left you can see Russeell with Damaka, our wonderful CARE driver in Ethiopia. It wasn't easy to take photos inconspicuously of a plastic bobble-head in communist village in rural Ethiopia, but somehow I managed. There are many more adventures Russell would like to share, but those will have to come later.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Rector? Damn near killed her!

So this past weekend (Feb 27-March 1) was Vocare #18 for which I was the Rector.  Now being the Rector is kind of what you would imagine; you're the guy (or girl, but in my case guy) in charge, the decisions run through you.  I loved being Rector, truely loved it and whats more it was an honor.   One of the challenges I faced on the weekend was somewhat unexpected though.  On past Vocares that I have been on staff for, I was a Family Group Leader.  Family group leader really suits me.  It is right in my wheelhouse.  I was able to really get to know the participants on the weekend, make strong connections.

The challenge I ran into as the weekend went on was that I was somewhat disconnected from the experiances the pilgrims were having.  I mean, I was there but I wasn't at the same time. My job was to ensure that things went smoothly, or as smoothly as possible.  My job wasn't to be a Family Group Leader.  As I said before I loved being Rector.  I want to make that clear.  It is an experiance I will take with me always.  But part of the job of being Rector and being on staff for Vocare in general is to give up what you want, for the sake of the participants.  The weekend wasn't about me.  It was about them.  As I said at closing, if it seemed like I was stressed and running around like crazy trying to get things taken care of it was only because I wanted their Vocare experiance to be as special as mine was.  I hope that it was.

Matt