20archive/archive/87266_epis_diocese

Pilgrim or tourist?

Transformation or

“Kodak moments”?

A fellow traveler

reflects on the

journey.

4

The mystery we call

God

Spiritual direction is an

ancient tradition, with

bibilical and historical

roots. Are you ready for

a journey that will take

you “home at last”?

6

Travels with Paul

Two seminarians

follow Paul on his

second missionary

journey.

14

www.edusc.org

insideside

Visit our diocese onlineVisit our diocese online

CrosswalkThe official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South CarolinaThe official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

Epiphany 2006

SPIRITUAL JOURNEYSPIRITUAL JOURNEY

““The Road to Bethlehem”

By Robin Smith

This view of the ancient road

believed to be the one the

wise men traveled to meet the

Christ child calls us to journey,

mindful of the question, “What

star do I follow?” Read the

photographer’s reflections on

page 19.

onthe the covercover

87266_coverR1.qxp 2/2/2006 3:47 PM Page 2

Epiphany 2006 Crosswalk

CrosswalkOfficial Publication of the

Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

1115 Marion Street Columbia,South Carolina 29201

803.771.7800/800.889.6961803.799.5119 fax

[email protected]

Crosswalk E-mail [email protected]

Bishop The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr.

Executive Assistant to BishopHenderson

Jane B. [email protected]

Canon to the OrdinaryThe Rev. Mark Clevenger

[email protected]

Assistant to the Canon to theOrdinary

The Rev’d d’Rue [email protected]

Assistant for AdministrationRoslyn Hook

[email protected]

Canon for Finance andAdministration

Julie Price [email protected]

Director of Finance and InsuranceCynthia Hendrix

[email protected]

Canon for Communications, Editor of Crosswalk

Peggy Van Antwerp [email protected]

Canon for Youth Ministry The Rev. L. Sue von Rautenkranz

[email protected]

Assistant for Communications and Youth Ministry

Bethany [email protected]

Archdeacon and Senior PastoralAssistant to the Bishop

The Ven. Frederick C. [email protected]

Assistant to Archdeacon ByrdBonnie Blackberg

[email protected]

Visit us on the Web at:www.edusc.org

Epiphany 2006

“[S]pirituality is not a retreat or escape into

an inner world, for spirit is precisely the

capacity to go out, and the truly spiritual

person is the one who is able to go out or to

exist in the full dynamic sense.”

—John Macquarrie

Sisters and Brothers, dearly Beloved:

On the floor of the entrance to the Alexander Diocesan House one findsthese words, spelled out in tile: Ora et Labora. That is a summary descriptionof the Rule of St. Benedict. The English translation is Prayer and Work—andthe rule is designed to provide order and balance to otherwise hectic lives.Originally intended for the monks who surrounded St. Benedict in the sixthcentury in order to emulate his spirituality, it has become the rule of life forcountless lay people in our own day.

This issue of Crosswalk addresses the matter of Christian spirituality, withattention on the Christian spiritual journey. “The word ‘spirituality,’” writesJohn Macquarrie in his Principles of Christian Theology, “is commonly used forthe process of learning by which the disciple becomes more proficient in theChristian life and advances along the way of sanctification.1 But . . .spirituality is not a retreat or escape into an inner world, for spirit is preciselythe capacity to go out, and the truly spiritual person is the one who is able togo out or to exist in the full dynamic sense. Furthermore . . . the disciple is notaiming directly at sanctification . . . He (sic.) is learning to look consistentlybeyond himself, even to forget himself. Only a perverted spirituality isconcerned with one’s own condition, and true sanctification comes as a gift tothose who have been reaching out to God and their neighbors”.

The Rule of St. Benedict is my personal choice, for two reasons. My initialministry as an ordained person was in a parish under the patronage of St.Benedict, and parochial life was formed around the Rule. Historically,Benedictine monks were primarily responsible for the spread of Christianitythroughout the British Isles; thus the Rule became the spiritual “backbone” ofAnglicanism, and the model of spirituality which has shaped every version ofThe Book of Common Prayer, including the present one.

And it works for me. But each of us is a unique creation, and there aremany patterns of spirituality to suit various needs and temperaments.2 SomeChristians are committed exclusively to prayer; others, so-called activists, seetheir prayer in service to neighbor. The majority, however, live in alternationbetween prayer and action—mindful nevertheless that they are notseparated—that prayer supports all of life, and action is suffused with prayer.

The aim of the spiritual life is the vision of God and communion withGod or, as Macquarrie writes, “an ever-deepening vision and communion, for. . . the Christian pilgrimage does not come to an end but always keeps itsdynamic character.” God is, after all, inexhaustible, and we cannot know Godfully, at least not until we are in God’s nearer presence.

1. For the difference between “sanctification” and “justification,” read Romans andthe Corinthians.

2. On Benedictine spirituality, see, for example, Brian C. Taylor, Spirituality forEveryday Living: An Adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict, and /or the works by JoanChittister and Esther de Wahl. Some may wish to become associates or oblates ofreligious orders; that is, while living “in the world,” follow the rule of a particularorder. The Society of St. Francis has its “Third Order” (or “Tertiaries”), for example;and the Sisters of the Holy Nativity its “Associates.” Houses of these orders provideplaces for retreats and the monks, lay or ordained, are often gifted to provide spiritualdirection.

—continued on page 17

2

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address corrections, deletions or

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FROM THE newsB R E A K I N GBishop’s deskBishop’s desk

Canon Purser called to new ministryThe Rev. J. Philip Purser, who has served as

diocesan canon for Christian formation since 2003,began a new ministry as rector of St. Francis of Assisi,Chapin, on January 1. In announcing Canon Purser’sdeparture from Diocesan House, Bishop Hendersonsaid: “It is with mixed emotions—joy and a sense ofpersonal loss, that I announce that the Rev. CanonPhil Purser has accepted a new call. My joy is that thepeople of St. Francis have the gifted priest they needfor their mission, life, and ministry. My sense ofpersonal loss is that he will no longer share regularspace in the Diocesan House. He will continue to be aprimary source of counsel to me in the areas of hisexpertise—and a trusted advisor in other aspects ofour life as the Body of Christ.” Christian educationwill now be the purview of the Commission on theMinistry of the Baptized, currently in formation (seebelow, on diocesan restructuring).

Coordinating commissions restructuredDiocesan Executive Council (DEC) has voted to

change the structure of the diocese from fivecoordinating commissions, under which we have beenoperating (Mission, Ministry, Christian Formation,Finance, and Administration), to six groups designedto “maximize mission effectiveness” and “fulfill thepromise of the diocesan long-range plan.” The newentities are Commission on the Ministry of theBaptized; Commission on Congregations;Commission on Convocations; Commission on theDiocese; Commission on Provincial and NationalChurch Concerns; and Commission on InternationalConcerns and the Anglican Communion.

The 2007 Statement of Mission (SOM) process ischanging as well, to square with the new structure andto continue progress toward the diocesan goal ofbuilding the budget from the pew up. According tothe new process, convocations accept fundingrequests, and formulate a convocation block grantrequest for review by the Commission on the Dioceseand approval by DEC and ultimately DiocesanConvention. Read lots more about our new structurein the next issue of Crosswalk!


Save the date:

Diocesan Leadership

Conference

Part I of Diocesan ConventionMay 20, 2006 @ Advent, Spartanburg

87266_crosswalk_cs.qxp 1/31/2006 8:55 AM Page 3

TThhee RRtt.. RReevv.. WWiilllliiaamm AA.. BBeecckkhhaamm

SSiixxtthh BBiisshhoopp ooff UUppppeerr SSoouutthh CCaarroolliinnaa

April 29, 1927–December 24, 2005

Eulogy delivered by the Rev. Canon Robert Riegel

Trinity Cathedral, December 28, 2005

In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory (Isa. 61:3).

Our purpose in this Eucharist and sermon is to give thanks for the life of our friend and our bishop for many years. A bishop belongs to a whole diocese,so any of you, my brothers and sisters, any of you could stand in this pulpit and tell of the ways you saw Bill Beckham as God’s planting; the ways that yousaw Bill in his life display the glory of God, and you could give many reasons why we give thanks to God today. And it would be well done. However, themorning of his death Bill called me to the hospital and, perhaps assisted by morphine, asked me to preach today. He was clear in saying that he wanted to liveand that being attached to tubes and in pain was not living. He understood the possibility for healing and he understood that death was the final healing,leading into the fullness of eternal life. He said he was ready to go either way. But he wanted to live. And, thanks be to God, Bill is gloriously alive today, inthe company of the saints. I believe that the love he had for his family and for the people and congregations of this diocese is not ended by his death but willcontinue to inspire and lead us to Jesus and to salvation.

“His life encouraged and inspired so many of us. Like a sacrament, his life was a visible sign

that communicated to many the glory of God.”

“Earthy” Some weeks ago at a burial I had an occasion to quote a former dean of the seminary at Sewanee, Terry Holmes, who offered these wise words. He said:

“It is not possible to be really spiritual unless you are really earthy.” To be spiritual requires that you be earthy. Bill was one of those wonderful earthy people.He was happy to live in the country; he took great joy in riding his tractor; he could take apart a car engine and rebuild it.

He was earthy in other ways, too, and I told his wife Harriet that I always enjoyed seeing her somewhat disapproving look and her delight in Bill at thesame time. Someone suggested that, while Harriet was like pure refined white sugar, Bill was more like course brown sugar. He could attend a dinner withArchbishop Runcie at Lambeth Palace and roll up his sleeve to show the guests his tattoo. He could sneak away from a boring Lambeth dinner, and with Mrs.Runcie check out the wine cellar. He was much beloved by the Runcies and contributed to and blessed a garden at the palace. My children remember, and Iwager that many of you remember, Bishop Beckham teaching children to hang spoons from their noses. He was often on the edge, as when someone talkedabout kissing his ring and he would take it off and hold it in his lips.

A special knackHe loved humor and at times was the victim of it. His son Bill told me of hot summers in Greenwood when there was no air-conditioning. Bill, then rector

of Church of the Resurrection, would put on his vestments and then take off his pants and hang them up. One Sunday the acolytes stole his pants and he hadto drive home in his vestments. Youth loved Bill, and he once treated them by inviting The Swinging Medallions to a youth event. He supported youth inmany ways, especially at Camp Gravatt.

At a diocesan convention I supported a motion to relocate the conference center. Bill announced that he had 500 men ready each to give one thousanddollars to rebuild Gravatt. My motion lost, and two minutes later Bill came up to me and said, “I want the first thousand from you.” And he got it. Bill wasnot big on authority but did have a knack for getting his way. At a diocesan dinner he pointed to a lovely woman at another table and said, “Bob, you oughtto marry that woman.” He got his way, he even bragged about it from this pulpit, and Keren and I always have always been thankful for his direction.

A life changed Bill began life as a Baptist. When he was a gob in the navy his first sailing was from Puget Sound on the great battleship Iowa. The captain asked the

chaplain for prayer as they set out. The water was glassy smooth but the chaplain threw up in the middle of the prayer. He then managed to continue. Thatreally impressed Bill and he spent many hours talking to this Episcopal chaplain, and his life was changed. Some years later this chaplain was the first deanof Trinity Cathedral—Jim Stirling.


Crosswalk Epiphany 2006

3

The journey continues . . .

Remembering



4

We find ourselves in the midst of the season ofEpiphany, finishing up that initial part of what

the liturgical year’s cycle invites us—once again—todiscover: namely, “Emmanuel: God with us.” And withthis entrance into what Advent, Christmas, and nowthe season of Epiphany reveal, we find ourselves on ajourney—a journey on which we continue to meet theChrist in transforming ways.

Of course, to speak of a “journey” or “journeying”risks uttering hackneyed sounds, especially for the likesof most Episcopalian sensitivities. For we can be quitefond of waxing quasi-profoundly about our life as“journey,” to the extent that we are sorely tempted tospeak about the metaphor as if this exempts us fromhaving to live it. The too-frequent (and destructive)result is that we confuse “journeying” with taking a tripand being a pilgrim with being a tourist.

The question at handWith the impact of the first part of the liturgical

season calling us to awareness in Advent, presence atChristmas, and manifestation in Epiphany, thequestion at hand is this: Are we pilgrims on a journeyor are we tourists taking a trip? A pilgrim’s journey leadsone’s heart to God and to transformation; a tourist’strip bolsters one’s collection of “Kodak moments.”

Like you, I have taken many trips in my life, and theyhave played an important role in shaping who I am.Most of the trips entailed achieving some goal, eithergetting somewhere to see someone or arriving in orderto do something. So, like you, I have traveled frompoint A to point B in order to present myself and insome cases to be with those whom I love dearly. In thisvein, trips are very common, a means to a moreimportant end, requiring planning, skill, and no smallamount of flexibility. Yet, trips can also be a way of life,by which we actually do no more than wander fromone point to another, getting from one place toanother, worryingabout being late,and gathering notmuch more than“frequent flyermiles.” Oh sure,taking a trip canbe good for thesoul—clearly, it isgood to be able toget away to seemarvelous things and to meet new and interestingpeople—but taking trips also tends to reinforce thenotion of being spectators to the experience.

Substitutes for wonderFor instance, how many times have we fallen into the

trap of trying to capture the wonder of a trip’s momenton film or video and have this become more importantthan—and even a substitute for—just being present tothe experience? Howmany brides andgrooms rely on theirvideographer to remindthem of what theirwedding was likebecause they were notwilling to disciplinethemselves to bepresent at the actualmoment? Life lived as a tourist is one thing, but it is afar cry from the life of a pilgrim who is not justperipatetically covering miles to build up a travelogue.Journeying as a pilgrim is quantifiably different, and itis to this difference that the entire liturgical traditionand experience of the Church point.

I learned of this difference poignantly when I took athree-month sabbatical in 1994. I was afforded whatturned out to be a life-changing experience of travel,exploration, and refreshing opportunity. Yet, the meansby which this sabbatical “trip” became a “pilgrim’sjourney” came as a humbling surprise, one thatarticulated for me the difference between traveling andjourneying, of being a tourist and a pilgrim.

Stepping beyond the edgeI had the privileged opportunity to travel extensively

on my sabbatical. It began with a visit with to myparents (without family), then a trip to St. Petersburg,Russia, then on to Wales, then to Canterbury, then toScotland, and then home. Obviously, a great deal ofplanning had to go into such a venture, and in additionto wanting all this moving around to go smoothly, I

also wanted the experiences tobe meaningful, restorative, andedifying. So, I meticulouslywent about tending to all thenecessary details, checking andrechecking schedules andreservations. And all of this wasabsolutely necessary because Ineeded the requirements of the“trip” to get to that point whereI could become—contrary to

my plans and much to my surprise—a “pilgrim.” AndMother Russia—as many westerners have discovered—provided the irresistible tipping point.

Sparing you the details, as soon as I arrived in St.Petersburg, I realized that all my planning was notenough and that I had a choice. I could grunt andgrowl over the loss of any semblance of control; or Icould (as we so easily say) “let go.” By some grace not

native to my nature, Ireadily “let go” and foundmyself in the wonderfulchaos of pilgrimage andjourney. I had gottenmyself to the edge ofthings, to the wilderness,as it were; and thank Godthat I was enabled to stepover the boundary of theplanned “trip” to find

myself “journeying” according to another agenda.A pilgrim’s journey is not a trip in that carefully laid

plans do not define experience. Rather, a pilgrim’sjourney starts at the trip’s edge; and if one dares to stepbeyond the edge and enter the journey, no camera iscapable of recording the transforming results. For theimprint is all inside.

Seeking EmmanuelAs Christians—as Episcopalians in Upper South

Carolina—are we tourists, or are we pilgrims? Are weon a “trip” to get somewhere (heaven?); or are wedesirous of stepping over the boundary of precision andplanning and into the transforming kingdom of God?More specifically, are we simply going through themotions of another go-round in the liturgical cycle ofthings? (“Gee, is it spring break or Easter?”) Or are weseeking “Emmanuel: God with us”—in new and life-giving ways”?

Advent’s call to awareness, Christmas’s gift ofpresence, Epiphany’s manifestation: Is this a journey forus or is it just another trip? Are we using this sacredtime to move continually toward God and the HolyOne’s Christ? Or is it “just church” for us, one morething to do in a life already too full of options? Andwhat do we have to show the world of our “trip,” our“pilgrimage”? Souvenir pictures; or a new heart?

I know that the yearning in my own heart and in thehearts of those around me never gets touched just bytraveling and moving around. Only in pilgrimage, onlyin following in trust, is the heart enabled to meet theOne who saves and to soar with the joy of purposefuland lasting life.

The Rev. Michael Bullock is rector of

St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields,Columbia.

Pilgr im or touri s t ?Reflections on faith’s journey

By the Rev. Michael Bullock

A pilgrim’s journey leads one’s heart

to God and to transformation; a

tourist’s trip bolsters one’s collection

of “Kodak moments.”

“A pilgrim’s journey is not a trip in

that carefully laid plans do not define

experience. Rather, a pilgrim’s

journey starts at the trip’s edge. . . .”

Photo © istockphoto.com/Pavil Patricki


5


By the Rev. Janet Tarbox

The art of keeping a journal is as individual as theperson doing the writing. The particular ways

journals can be kept are as many as there are childrenof God. There is nothing to fear. Journal-keepingcannot possibly be done wrong. That initialreassurance offered, however, why keep a journal at all?

Journals undoubtedly are almost as old as writingitself. Human beings are the only part of the createdorder with the ability and the drive to seek meaning.That drive is a powerful gift given to each of us. Ajournal, as a spiritual discipline, is a way of tracking ourown story as it unfolds, a way of reviewing where we’vebeen, a way of capturing meaning. The writing we doin a journal can be thought of as prayer, every penned(or typed) word an expression of relationship,relationship between the writer and God. The writtendetails are details of the writer’s life—personalexperiences, point of view, hopes and dreams, bumpsin the road. The journal, though, is not only a recordof day-in-day-out life. It’s also an ongoing effort tomake sense of life and to find God in that life.

A journal, as a spiritual discipline,

is a way of tracking our own story

as it unfolds, a way of reviewing

where we’ve been, a way of

capturing meaning.

God, the reader Given the intimate nature of journals, it’s rare that

a journal is written for publication. There areexceptions, of course. My own writing began after Iread Anne Lindburgh’s diaries and letters. And, giventhat introduction, it took me some time to conclude Ididn’t have to think about a reader as I wrote the storyof my own days. God is the reader. Complete sentencesaren’t necessary; phrases work, as do pictures cut fromcatalogues and magazines, and quotations, biblical andotherwise, to which we want to give some attention.Whatever it takes to express the inner workings of a lifeand to save it for thinking about again is journalmaterial.

Remember this. Keeping a journal is a tool, not ajob. I go for days without writing. In fact, for a timemy journal was missing altogether, left between thedriver’s seat and the console of the car I drive. (Frank’sCar Wash to the rescue!) Then there are periods of timewhen the writing is the very thing that holds me firmwhile navigating hard times. The point is not writingevery day or keeping the journal at hand at all times.The point is looking at life and gleaning insight intohow we live it, how we have—and will—conductourselves.

Remember this. Keeping a journal

is a tool, not a job.

Practical mattersNow for some practicalities. What we write on or in

matters not at all. Those specially produced books withacid-free pages available in every bookstore work quitewell. Sometimes, though, I suspect they’re simply toopretty to mess up with our deepest, most honestthoughts. Personally, I like those composition booksavailable in every grocery and every dollar store, thosebooks with the marbled cardboard covers that I canspill coffee on and wrinkle the lined pages when I usetoo much of that wonderful bottled white glue. Findsomething you like, something you will enjoy using.Otherwise the purchase price is money wasted.

We’re living in the 21st century and trying to duckthat truth is pointless. The question of pen and papervs. fingers and keyboard is real. But there is no reasonto think keeping a journal on computer is not as goodas the old-fashioned way. Both are as private as we wantthem to be, both can receive our longings andconclusions. My tendency is to type when I need towrite quickly, when there is much to say, when I simplyoverflow with anger or sadness or joy. But I find thefeel of a pen in my hand, watching ink flowing ontothe page, starting a fresh page and coming to thebottom of that page, flipping back through the pageswhen I lack for words a great comfort. In terms of Weblogs, however, remember that they are part of thepublic sphere. Many bloggers are quite self-revealing,but for someone working out her or his faith andgrappling with living that faith, I would advise savingthe blog for other sorts of writing, for writing thatinvites interaction.

Keeping a lifeTwo parting words about time. The times about

which we write are crucial. What we’re drawn to writeabout tends to be what we remember and are certainlythe things on which we want to spend reflective time.Don’t be tempted, however, to overlook the routine asworthy of attention. God is no less present in thewashing of dishes than in the automobile accident.Another important time—an equally important time,in fact—for the writer is the time set aside for re-reading what has been written. In my experience mostjournal writers who review their own writing fromtime-to-time gather additional valuable insights intheir looking back. Patterns emerge. We learn howoften we revisit the same issues, how often we respondto events in a particular way. Reviewing can be done ata variety of intervals—following a particularly difficulttime, at the end of each month, seasonally. Schedule orno schedule, going back over what has been written istime well spent.

Keeping a journal is a way of

keeping a life. Keeping a journal is

a way of paying attention to the

journey and of deliberately

involving God.

Keeping a journal is a way of keeping a life. While itis not a required activity by any means, it is an art, aprivilege even. Keeping a journal is a way of payingattention to the journey and of deliberately involvingGod.

Happy writing.

The Rev. Janet Tarbox is vicar of the Church of theRidge (Trinity, Edgefield; Our Savior,Trenton; Grace,Ridge Spring).

Journal ing as spiritual disciplineJournal ing as spiritual discipline

Capturing meaning...Capturing meaning...

Photo on this page: “Morning Journaling” by NatalieRoberts. Visit her Web site, “Surreal muse ponders life

and art,” www.surrealmuse.com.



By Amy Sander Montanez

For a few years in a row during holiday season therewas a display at the mall of a variety of posters.

Each poster was covered in an overall intricate pattern,something like an M. C. Escher design. If you stoodexactly the right distance away and stared in a verydistinct way, sort of cross-eyed, the poster wouldmagically transform into an identifiable picture, likedolphins swimming or birds flying or a beautifulflower. People would stand around and stare and youcould always hear someone saying with joy, “I see it! Isee it!” and someone else squinting in frustrationsaying, “I can’t get it. How do you do this?”

I was one who could never see it. My daughter,about eight years old then, could see all of them, almostinstantly. She would take me from poster to postersaying things like, “Mama, stare right in the middleand don’t blink,” or “Mama, you’re trying too hard.Just relax and it will happen,” or “Maybe if you moveup . . . or back . . . you’ll get it, don’t give up,” or, myvery favorite, “Don’t worry about it, Mom, it doesn’tmean there’s anything wrong with you.”

Mystagogues & mystagogyPerhaps this may seem like a bizarre analogy for

spiritual direction. Maybe not, though. I was searching,searching for something mysterious. I was trying veryhard to see something/find something that seemedimportant. Others saw it. I saw their excitement. Iwanted it. I had a guide who listened to mecompassionately, accepted me right where I was, andseemed further along on the journey than I was. Iwanted to quit. She encouraged me.

The term spiritual direction is suspect at best. Whatis being directed? Where? Who is the director? Is thisdesignation even in the Bible? Throughout the agesthose who accompany others on faith journeys havebeen called by a variety of names: teacher, guide, guru,counselor, mentor, father, mother, or friend. One of mymentors, Shaun McCarty, refers to spiritual directors asmystagogues, teachers of mystery. Personally, I like this.It keeps me from trying to tame God, fromdomesticating the Holy. It keeps me in awe of theMystery that we call God, in awe of the amazing waysGod works in people’s lives. It keeps me alert, vigilantfor the myriad of ways God might be working in mylife and in the lives of those I am honored toaccompany. It helps me help others try to see their lifethrough God’s eyes. It reminds me that discernment iscrucial.

A long traditionOne need not worry that spiritual direction is a new

fad. Spiritual direction has many biblical roots as wellas historic roots for those of us in the Judeo-Christiantradition. In the Old Testament there are numerousstories involving the discernment of spirits anddiscernment of God’s will. The story of Samuel is butone example often used to examine a model ofdiscernment. Samuel is called by the Lord but hedoesn’t recognize God’s voice, and assumes, instead,that it is the voice of his master, Eli. Three times thishappens, and Eli finally realizes that the Lord is callingSamuel but Samuel is mistaking God’s voice for hisown. Eli tells Samuel that it is the Lord who is callinghim and that he should listen to him. In the endSamuel goes on to prophesy to Saul himself.

In the New Testament, Mark 10:17–22 is anexample of a person seeking spiritual direction and abeautiful model in how Jesus responds. The rich youngman goes to Jesus and asks the most importantquestion, “Good teacher, what must I do to inheriteternal life?” A question is asked. Jesus responds withno coercion or manipulation. He respects the man’sfreedom of choice. A very direct challenge is offered. Itis a fundamental challenge about the will of God,about living one’s priorities. Jesus seems to touch thetrue yearning, the heart’s desire of this man. Heresponds to the context of his life and to the specificissues this man faces. All of this is what we aspire to asspiritual directors.

The Western origins of spiritual direction can betraced back to the desert mothers and fathers of thethird and fourth centuries. During this time religiousorders were beginning to form. Monks, hermits, andanchorites were going into the desert as a location ofholy struggle. They went to confront temptations andto wrestle with the negative forces in their lives. In thedesert they hoped to find the living God. Spiritualmothers and fathers served as mentors, confessors, andspiritual guides, instructing the monk or nun in theways of discernment. The mother or father wasassumed to be a person of wisdom, guided and inspiredby the Holy Spirit.

Listening, silence, and prayerAlthough I believe I have had many informal and

unofficial spiritual directors in my life, my first formalexperience in spiritual direction came at the urging ofmy then rector and friend. I was in a huge transition inmy life, personally and professionally. I knew God wasleading me; however, I couldn’t always slow downenough or clear my vision enough to really discernthat. I chose a director a few hours away with the ideathat once a month I would take a day off, drive, havetime with my director, and have plenty of time tothink and pray on my way home. I didn’t know whatto expect and I was scared. What happened was that Iwas very carefully listened to, there was silence, therewas prayer, more listening, maybe a psalm or poemand more sharing. It was a special time for me. I couldstop and look more carefully at God’s hand on my life.I was challenged, sometimes in difficult ways. I wasencouraged and cared for. I went for about a year.Since then I have had three other directors. Each oneis different and uses a different model. But each onehas given me the gift of sacred space and time, listeningears, a discerning heart, acceptance, andencouragement for my journey. I have most oftenthought of my directors as midwives of my soul.

TTHEHE MYSTERYMYSTERY WEWE CALLCALL GGODOD......

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

“The spiritual director is a midwife

of the soul, present and attentive as

a new life emerges. The spiritual

director offers hospitality, in the

holy tradition of Abraham

entertaining the angels. The

spiritual director is a teacher, after

the model of Jesus, who was called

‘Teacher’ by those who loved him.

But whether we call that trusted

person teacher, midwife, or host,

the spiritual director is always and

above all a holy listener.”—Margaret Guenther, Holy Listening

Spiritual direction . . . the gift of

sacred space and time, listening

ears, a discerning heart, acceptance,

and encouragement for the journey.

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7


Joy, pain, and privilegeI am a psychotherapist and a spiritual director. Many people come to me for

psychotherapy. Some come solely for spiritual direction. It is difficult to put intowords the absolute honor and privilege it is to accompany another person on theirsoul’s journey. Almost always I am in a heightened state of awareness, eager to see howGod’s presence is being manifested in another’s life. I always pray to be a channel forGod’s words and will and a container that can hold the expression of the directee’ssoul. It can be joyful. It can be truly painful. Sitting with another during periods ofgreat sorrow and grief is as much an honor as hearing joys. Holding the containerwhen there are dark nights of the soul, deserts in the relationship with God, isdifficult. It is also amazing.

The cliché “God works in mysterious ways” was never truer for me than in thisexample. I had been off on a week-long contemplative retreat. When I returnedhome, my daughter was waiting for me on the front steps with a book in her hand.She ran out to the car, waving this book and begging me to take a look. The book,called Magic Eye, was page after page of the pictures/posters I described at thebeginning of this article.

I groaned, but couldn’t resist entering into the game with her of looking, staring,and wondering what would happen. Almost immediately I could see the first pictureappear. Page after page I could discern the hidden pictures. It felt like a miracle. Whathad changed in me? I only know that on the retreat I had spent a lot of time inmeditation and had been graced with moments of contemplation. Perhaps I hadbecome more like a child, able to be with God without all of my own obstacles anddetractors. When Jesus said we are to become like children, perhaps this was at leasta small piece of what he meant. And perhaps, spiritual direction can help us all finda way to discern and act upon the mystery we call God.

Spiritual director Amy Sander Montanez is a member of St. Mary’s, Columbia.

AND JOURNEY

If you’re interested in finding out more about spiritual direction. . .

Tilden Edwards, Spiritual Friend: Reclaiming the Gift ofSpiritual Direction. New York: Paulist Press, 1980.

Kathleen Fisher, Women at the Well: Feminist Perspectives onSpiritual Direction. New York: Paulist Press, 1988.

Margaret Guenther, Holy Listening: The Art of SpiritualDirection. Cambridge: Cowley Publications, 1992.

Thomas Hart, The Art of Christian Listening. New York:Paulist Press, 1980.

Gerald May, Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: A PsychiatristExplores Spiritual Direction. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.

Marjorie Thompson, Soul Feast: An Invitation to the ChristianSpiritual Life. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995.

Spiritual Direction Training Programs

Sursum Corda, a two-year, residency-based ecumenicalprogram headquartered in Mt. Pleasant (843.884.7733,[email protected]).

The Institute for Spirituality at Palmetto Health Baptist,Columbia (Institute manager, Dr. Keith Barron,803.296.5879, [email protected]).

IN SWEET COMPANY

We sit together and I tell you things,Silent, unborn, naked thingsThat only my God has heard me say.You do not cluck your tongue at meOr roll your eyesOr split my heart into a thousand thousand piecesWith words that have little to do with me.You do not turn away because you cannot bear to seeYour own unclaimed light shining in my eyes.You stay with me in the dark.You urge me into being.You make room in your heart for my voice.You rejoice in my joy.And through it all, you stand unboundBy everything but the still, small Voice within you.I see my future Self in youJust enough to riskMoving beyond the familiar,Just enough to leaveThe familiar in the past where it belongs.I breathe you in and I breathe you outIn one luxurious and contented sigh.In sweet companyI am home at last.

—Margaret Wolff

Reprinted with permission. Margaret Wolff is the author of InSweet Company: Conversations with Extraordinary Womenabout Living a Spiritual Life. She leads spiritual retreats andworkshops for women based on her book throughout the U.S. Foradditional information about her work, please visitwww.InSweetCompany.com.


The gift of restBy Ann Garvin

Atreasure is tucked away in the charming town ofSaluda, North Carolina. It is called The Snail’s Pace.

Connie Furrer and Frances Dudley founded it in 1969.They were brought together by a mutual acquaintance, andeach felt a call fromGod to start a retreatcenter. They had nomoney, but they had atremendous amount offaith and courage. ByGod’s grace and thegenerosity of a friendwho gave them a no-interest loan, theypurchased a house,affectionately nowcalled “The LittleHouse,” and they begantheir ministry. Itflourished as manypeople came for rest,healing, and renewal.

The retreat center now has three houses and a studio.Susan Stanley and Linda Welch, Snail’s Pace staff, providewarm and loving hospitality to those who come. Thefeeling of the presence of God is tangible to those who areseeking Him. It is a place to pray, enjoy the beauty of God’screation, rest, study, create or just “be.” Spiritual guidanceis offered as well as personal guided retreats and personal orgroup silent retreats. Individuals may come for structuredor unstructured time. It is an ideal place for small groups tomeet. A time for Scripture meditation and sharing isoffered twice a week. Warm hospitality permeates theatmosphere.

Restoring the selfThe Snail’s Pace offers a setting and atmosphere in which toexperience the presence of God. I have been going there fornearly 20 years. The first few times I went for a specificprogram and always with a friend. Then one day I called tomake a date to go there by myself. I was working througha very distressing and painful event. I needed to get away. I

feel certain I was guided by the Holy Spirit to go to TheSnail’s Pace. They cared for me, listened to me, and lovedme. Since then I have tried to go at least three or four timesa year. I am safe. I am nurtured. I am restored. I am home.

My job is stressful so I am usually exhausted when Iarrive. A nap is the perfect way to begin my stay. Or I maysit on the lovely screen porch overlooking beautiful trees

and an abundanceof birds. The air isclear. Often thesky is a beautiful,clear blue withwhite puffyclouds movingquickly in thebreeze. I don’thave to doanything. I canjust be in God’spresence and feelhis love andacceptance of mejust as I am. Ioften see tangiblesigns of his love

through images in the clouds or the trees or in photographsthat have become icons as I pray. I love to read. I love towalk through the town or in the woods. I have plenty ofalone time to restore my introverted self, but I also enjoythe company of interesting people at meals and worship. Imeet with one of the staff for spiritual guidance.

Abiding in loveThe way we can be fruitful is by abiding in God’s love. Bycontinually developing a relationship with him, we can beempowered to do his work in the world. But we also haveto have times of rest and re-creation. We need a time forpruning and preparation before going out again. In myopinion The Snail’s Pace is the perfect place to abide withour Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to do the transformingwork in us.

Ann Garvin is a member of St. Thaddeus, Aiken.

8


The Snail’s PaceCompiled and edited by Felicia Smith

St. Simon & St. Jude, Irmo

The Snail’s Pace can be reached by calling 828.749.3851;

e-mailing [email protected];

or visiting www.thesnailspace.org.

“A warm embrace and hours of grace”

Safe at home . . . By Betsy Biega

Retreat … what does that word

mean, really? Webster’s says it is

“a period of group withdrawal for

prayer, meditation, study and

instruction under a director,” “a

place of privacy or safety,” “an act

or process of withdrawing.”

I have withdrawn/retreated to a place ofpeace and comfort; a space that feels likecoming home. This place is The Snail’s Pace.

Safe houseThe setting is a surprise, nestled on a

curving mountain road in a quietneighborhood. The big house looks like anyhouse in the suburbs and is the center ofactivity. It is truly a home to many spiritualtravelers, seekers, brothers and sisters in theLord. Holy Eucharist is celebrated in theliving area; wonderful healthy meals areserved around the corner in the dining room,which sits up high overlooking the backyard.Spiritual direction is offered, and there aregreat books available to peruse and use. WhenI hear the words safe house, I think of Snail’sPace. Its walls shield you from the outsideand provide a sanctuary in which to recreateand rejuvenate. If you wish to venture out,the backyard leads down to steps that will takeyou to the pond, or you might wish to hikeinto downtown Saluda.


“The Little House” at The Snail’s Pace. Photo: Barry Welch

ulze


9


By Duncan C. Ely

Not all who wander are lost.

—J. R. R. Tolkien

God wanders with us

Sometimes when I wander, I have to make a point of trying tofeel God’s presence and recognize the Holy Spirit at workaround me. This is an easy task when we are having funwandering. But when we are in a dark pit traveling “through thevalley of the shadow of death” we have to work harder atremembering, knowing, sensing that God is ever-present,whether we think about God or not.

The Israelites wondered as they wandered. “Thanks for savingus, God,” they grumbled, “but why did you leave us in thisforsaken wilderness?” God, of course, did not leave them in anywilderness. God led them to it, and through it, and was withthem every second.

As we live our lives as Christians in today’s world, isn’t it easy toexist comfortably when everything is all right? But whensomething goes wrong, we run to God. I think we need to runto God during our good times, too. That’s when we need tothank God for our blessings and share our joys with others.Then, during difficult times, we need to continue that samerelationship.

When I was a junior in college, I felt pretty independent.Although I had a close relationship with my family, I was busyand communicated with them less often than I had previously.When I needed money, or help with a crisis, though, I was quickto turn home for help. Well, I grew up a lot during that junioryear. And part of what I came to realize was that I needed anongoing, loving, sharing communication with my family. Myrelatives wanted to hear from me and learn about my triumphs,loves, laughs, joys, and all of my ups, as well as all that I wasstruggling with during the tough times.

The Israelites learned this too, but then they forgot it. Theywould relearn it, then forget it again. We follow the Israelitemodel well. We need prophets in our lives to bring us up shortand remind us that God is always there. It is we who keep goingaway and coming back. Remembering this as we wander is thekey to productive wandering; remembering this may even be asurvival tool.

Loving God, thank you for being here as we wander . . . Please

remind us that it is we who are wandering following your

lead, and that you are ever-present, with us. Amen.

Wa n d e r i n

g sA small litany of spiritual journey

By Felicia W. Smith

All-loving light, unfolding revelation, behold and bless this halting journey, full of stops andstarts, darkness and light, stagnation and growth, despair and hope, loneliness and union. In

spite of the bumps and jerks, help me see and sustain the holy path, possible only throughyour patience, nurture, and grace.

Awesome Lord, to me present; holy, simple, to me pleasant.

I thank you for a woods to explore at seven, eight, and nine and ten, where you first let mefeel your presence in and around me through the gift of your spirit.


I thank you for my childhood church, teaching me the traditions, liturgy, music, and symbolsof faith, embedded with Trinitarian mystery, glimpsed and pondered.


I thank you for emerging adult energy and personality, inspired purpose, efforts at Christ-centered decision-making, the desire to go and do and be and fly.


And then, my Lord, I thank you, for twenty years of increasing darkness, isolation from theBody of Christ, back-burner faith sustained in the solitude and creativity of the studio, in

spite of childrearing, many moves, diminishing hopes of relationship.


I thank you for the unexpected joy at fifty, the bubbling up of the long-dormant words of theGeneral Thanksgiving, the powerful urge to cross myself after decades, and for the loud and

clear message: return to the Church.


I thank you for the unexpected gift of cancer, the opportunity to put the fear of death behindme, the experience of catastrophic illness to share with those on the journey and those who

have survived.


I thank you for the exultation of unfolding faith, for mystical mentors past and present, forthe mixture of excitement, terror, and joy, for the possibility (recognition?) that you call me to

solitude and will ever sustain and support me on the journey.

Awesome Lord, to me present, holy, simple, to me pleasant.

All-loving Light, thank you for the joy and gratitude that overflows within me. Thank youfor helping me finally see and know that all I have ever been and experienced makes me who

I am, prepares me for what lies ahead. Thank you for the journey that will continue tounfold and for the assurance that You will ever sustain and support me. Amen, Hallelujah!

© Felicia W. Smith, 2004

Felicia W. Smith is a member of St. Simon & St. Jude, Irmo. The author of “A Collectionof

Small Litanies,” she offers a one-day program entitled “Writing Litanies as a Spiritual Tool.”

She also works with anyone wishing to compose a litany for a special occasion or personal concern,

and writes commissioned litanies tailored to special requests. Contact her at 803.798.6498,

[email protected].


10


By Duncan C. Ely

Gravatt is on a journey—one that began as early as1947. Camp alumnus and staffer Rob Alexander

thinks of Gravatt as “Rooted in the Past—Reaching forthe Future”—implyingan institution on ajourney changing thelives of a people on ajourney.

Gravatt is manythings to many people.It is a camp whoseplace and programshave changed the livesof thousands ofalumni/ae. It is aconference center thathas had an impact onmembers of countlessdiocesan and othergroups throughconferences, formationactivities, retreats,

workshops, renewal events, and worship. It is anAdventure & Discovery Center whose leadershipdevelopment programs and ropes courses haveinfluenced thousands of individuals and theircommunities. And it is a unique ecological environmentof nearly 300 acres with two lakes and four ponds, variedwildlife, and two endangered ecosystems—LongleafPine uplands and Atlantic White Cedar bogs. Peoplewho have had life-changing experiences at Gravatt call itholy ground or sacred space and say that Gravatt is oneplace where they have found God.

What was . . .

The journey of a thousand miles begins

with one step.

—Lao TzuDreams are powerful, and the dreams of two men—

St. Julian Cullum and the Rt. Rev. John J. Gravatt,Second Bishop of Upper South Carolina—culminatedin 1949 with Gravatt’s birth as a camp and conference

center for, Bishop Gravatt said, “the enriching andstrengthening of the life of our whole diocese.” Over theyears the diocese added to, and developed, the propertyinto a thriving summer camp, a year-round conferencecenter, and one of the first outdoor learning centers inthis part of the country with several model ropescourses. The concept early on was simple: Gravatt wouldbe the hub for diocesan efforts to change lives.

Gravatt experienced lean times and fat times. Thelean times generally were catalysts for special task forcesand surveys to discern Gravatt’s future by consideringoptions such as closing and selling it, keeping it thesame, moving it to a different part of the diocese, andfurther expanding it and developing it. In 1953 a“Special Committee” charged to “evaluate and study”Gravatt recommended that the diocese “repair, improveand develop” it. Outside consultants conducted surveysand produced reports for a “Gravatt Commission” in1976 and a “Gravatt Department” in 1981. The latterresulted in a capital campaign that expanded andremodeled Cullum and Stewart Halls and built ColeLodge. And in 1999 University of South Carolinaconsultants reported to a “Gravatt Task Force” surveyresults that indicated diocesan need for, and support of,Gravatt at its present location.

What is . . .Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

—Robert Frost

In spite of diocesan recommitment as a result of the1999 survey results, Gravatt suffered from a lack ofdirection. In early 2005, the board of directors workedwith consultants to change management, rearticulateGravatt’s mission, andreformulate, and focuson, a realistic vision. Laterin the year the board andthe interim executivedirector thoroughlyconsidered sevenpossibilities for Gravatt(including closing it andmoving it), andrecommitted themselvesto building it up at itspresent location as thehub for equipping saintsfor ministry in UpperSouth Carolina. They alsobegan a new initiative—the Adventure & Discovery Center—to bring tostudents year-round environmental and othereducational programs using Gravatt’s outdoor settingand facilities.

During the past six months, staff and volunteers havebeen busy in three areas. The Camp is moving in apositive direction under the guidance of a new directorand advisory board: old buildings are getting facelifts,and new buildings are going up; recruitment forsummer staff and campers is well under way; and newprogram ideas are taking shape. The Conference Center,with the help of staff and its advisory board, is alsomoving ahead: an architect is working on plans for anew meeting space and a dormitory area for youth andyoung adults; extensive grounds cleanup is ongoing;staff and volunteers are planning the refurbishing ofcottage and lodge rooms; and usage is up over last yeardue to a concerted marketing effort. The Adventure &Discovery Center—a cutting-edge concept—is off andrunning with its staff and advisory board; staff andvolunteers are cleaning, repairing and adding to fourseparate ropes courses; and ongoing marketing isbringing back former clients as well as attracting newones.

WH A T I S . . .WH A T W A S. . .WH A T I S T O C O M E. . .

Gravatt’s Journey

Gravatt’s Journey

Adventure & Discovery atGravatt: The ropes courseAdventure & Discovery atGravatt: The ropes course

—continued at top of next page

1960s: Campers enjoy “roughing it” in a covered wagon.


11


BODY P • A • R • T • S

Parish Profile

By Lizann Lutz

Who: Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, 144 Caldwell Street, Rock Hill, SC 29730803.327.1131; Day School, 803.328.9624; www.oursaviourrockhill.org.

Services Sunday – Holy Eucharist, 8 &10:30 a.m.,Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.; Wednesday —Healing Service, 10:30 a.m.

Day School, ages 2–4.

Where: Downtown Rock Hill, just off Main Street.

When: The church was established by South Carolinastatesman Cadwallader Jones and his wife Anna at theirplantation home in the Mount Gallant area of what isnow Rock Hill. Services in their living room were firstfor family and later other nearby families joined in also.A parish with vestry was organized on Easter 1870 andaccepted into the diocese at the Diocesan Conventionheld in May 1870.

During the period from 1870 to 1872, land indowntown Rock Hill was purchased and the first

structure, a Gothic design, was built. With interioropen beams, the wooden-sided building was paintedblue and could seat up to 200 persons. Among thesimple furnishings was a hand-carved credence table,still in use today. The first worship service in the newbuilding was held July 14, 1872.

In 1908 the church was remodeled and enlargedwith transepts, chancel, and tower, and the framing wasenclosed in brick. The first stained-glass window,celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany, was installed overthe altar during this time. The parish hall was added 14years later, the site of many youth basketball games,hugely popular with area young people for decades.

How: A new Christianeducation building was erectedand the building is rarely idle.A weekday school forpreschoolers is very popular asare active and varied smallgroups and ministries teams.Care teams always have an earfor the needs of the parish andalways find ways to meet thoseneeds. Also, the church haspurchased the building acrossthe street and offers numerous12-step, self-help programs atvarious times. Basketballcontinues to be big draw for

entire families. Last year the 5- and 6-year old girls wonfirst place in their recreational competition. A veryactive, energetic youth group is busy planningnumerous fund-raising events to finance a mission tripto Brazil.Why: The Church of Our Saviour sees its location indowntown Rock Hill as an advantage to meet needs andoffer services.

Quote: Our Saviour’s rector the Rev. Dr. Charles Fossshares the church’s mission statement: “Celebrate ourfaith, plus Share Christ, plus Serve Christ.”

Lizann Lutz is a member of St. Paul’s, Fort Mill.

Church of Our Saviour, Rock Hill

Gravatt’s Journey

What is to come . . .

We are overwhelmed by insurmountable

opportunities.

—Pogo

The next few years will be exciting ones as Gravattjourneys through several different phases. Phase One,now under way, will see the actual construction of themeeting facility and dormitory housing for youthgroups and young adults, the addition of twelve newcamp cabins, the renovation of two waterfront areas,and the upgrading of Conference Center lodging. Whatis making possible a lot of this activity is Gravatt’sAdopt-A-Space, whereby individuals and groups areadopting specific areas of the Camp, ConferenceCenter and Adventure & Discovery Center for $25 andup. St. Bartholomew’s, North Augusta—the first parishto adopt a space, provided money to refurbish and addseating to the Camp’s campfire circle. St. Christopher’s,Spartanburg, gave money to upgrade another buildingfor camp staff. Several congregations have adoptedcamp cabins, and will provide money for lumber and

Habitat crews for construction. PhaseTwo will include a capital campaign tofinance a conference center, chapel, andadditional lodging. And Phase Three willfulfill the master plan by adding lodgingand other facilities.

We are a people on a journey in

a world that is filled with

ambiguity, pain, separation,

and joy, and we have faith that

God is with us in the midst of

our journey together.

—Diocesan Web site

Gravatt’s mission is equipping saintsfor ministry. Be part of that mission—bepart of Gravatt’s journey. Come toGravatt as a guest or as a volunteer tochange lives. Discover God in the midstof us on our journey together.

Duncan C. Ely, interim executive director

at Gravatt, is a member of St. Philip’s,

Greenville.

Be part of Gravatt’s

journey by volunteering,

adopting a space

or booking your

congregation or group!

803.648.1817

[email protected]

www.BishopGravatt.orgDuncan C. Ely Interim Executive Director

Thomas K. Coleman Director of Adventure & Discovery Center

Candace A. Madden Director of Guest Services & Camp Registrar

A. Fletcher Spigner, IV Director of Camp Gravatt

Lillie J. Stewart Director of Food Service & Hospitality

Roy F. Stewart Director of Buildings & Grounds


12


By the Rev. Eric SchnauferMarcus Borg in the preface of his book The Heart of Christianity, writes: “What is

the heart of Christianity? What does it mean to be Christian today? In this book, Idescribe two quite different answers to this question. The first is an earlier vision ofChristianity; the second, an emerging vision. Both are present in the churches ofNorth America today, deeply dividing Christians. We live in a time of conflict andchange in the church.”

As Borg, among others, illustrates, there is a major paradigmshift occurring not only in Christianity but also in the culture’sway of thinking, a change not unlike the shift from the medievalworld to the beginning of the modern world with the 18th-centuryEnlightenment. The current shift from modernity to apostmodern world is forcing Christians once more to attempt todetermine what is truly at the heart of Christianity and Christianlife, and how Christianity’s life-transforming realities can beunderstood and transmitted in today’s changing world. It is thisunnerving paradigm shift that is fueling much of Christianity’scurrent wars over the “purity” of the Church and what is orthodox.

The new paradigmIn The Heart of Christianity Borg does a good job in plain

language of describing both the shift under way and his ownrethinking of Christian fundamentals. For me personally, readingBorg’s book was a return to the theological training I received inseminary, where the emphasis was on “doing theology” rather thansimply pointing to the theologies of others, significant though theymight be.

The way in which Borg and other observers have explained the conflict betweenthe paradigm of modernity and that of the postmodern world has helped me see that,in the 36 years of my ordained ministry, the inner conflict I have often felt betweenmy personal faith and the faith I was called upon to preach and teach was due in largemeasure to the realization that I was, from the very beginning, an unconsciousforerunner of the emerging postmodernism. The writers who have reflected on theparadigm shift have helped me lay down some of my personal guilt over my views andonce more find real excitement seeking and rethinking Christianity.

Unfinished ChristiansI have discovered that the books to which I am naturally drawn are those by men

and women struggling to rethink Christianity in our drastically changing world. BrianMcLaren in his series of polemic novels—A New Kind of Christian, The Story We FindOurselves In, The Last Word and the Word After That— chronicles the development ofpostmodern Christianity by recounting the journey of discovery of a pastor strugglingto be faithful in changing situations.

McLaren afterwards published a nonfictional biographical apologia entitled AGenerous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post / Protestant, Liberal /Conservative, Mystical /Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic / Contemplative, Fundamentalist /Calvinist, Anabaptist / Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN, a work that has been called a“manifesto” of the emerging church conversation.

McLaren is founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church, a nondenomi-national church in the Baltimore-Washington area. One of our own, Alan Jones, deanof Grace Episcopal Cathedral in San Francisco, has written about his own personalrethinking of Christianity in Reimagining Christianity: Reconnect Your Spirit WithoutDisconnecting Your Mind (reviewed in the Pentecost I 2005 issue of Crosswalk).

Fresh thinking, “saving work”In my journey one particular book, Roberta C. Bondi’s Memories of God, affected

me greatly, especially her vision of the role of theology: “Theology, I would now say,is about saving lives, and the work of theology . . . is saving work. First, it involveslearning to see the ways in which false images of God, ourselves, and the world have

bound us and taken away the life God intends for us. Second,it involves learning to know God as God is, as a healing God,and learning to know ourselves, individually and communally,as people who correspond with that God in whose image weare made. Third, it involves imagining a future that isconsistent with the God we come to know.”

Interesting enough, much of the fresh thinking aboutChristian fundamentals is coming from Roman Catholicwriters, albeit those who may not be favorites of the Vatican.Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I., does an excellent job of looking atChristian spiritual fundamentals in The Holy Longing: TheSearch for a Christian Spirituality, “a book for those searchingto understand what Christian spirituality means and how toapply it to their own lives.” His other books, including SeekingSpirituality, The Shattered Lantern, and The Restless Heart, areworth reading as well, along with the newspaper columns thatappear on his Web site (www.ronrolheiser.com).

The Franciscan Richard Rohr, author of EverythingBelongs, Near Occasions of Grace, Hope Against Darkness, andothers, has been a resource and guide for many seeking tonavigate our new world. The Benedictine Joan Chittister is anoutstanding translator of Christianity into today’s everyday

life. Her In Search of Belief, on the Apostles’ Creed, is a classic; her Wisdom Distilledfrom the Daily is a compelling exposition of the wisdom that the sixth-century Rule ofSt. Benedict can offer to spiritual seekers today. A little more on the esoteric side isDiarmuid O’Murchu’s Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics,which discusses quantum theory and the bearing it seems to have on profoundtheological questions.

Life-changing relationshipsIt is my sense that many of the people I find these days who are attracted to the

parish I serve, whether they be visitors, youth and adults in confirmation classes, ormembers of the settled congregation, are not really that interested in the EpiscopalChurch as a denomination; they are not just interested in learning a lot of biblical orhistorical facts. They are interested in discovering a relationship with God and howthat can and will change their lives.

They are interested in how Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience can worktogether to help them move forward on their journey of discovery. They are interestedin finding real meaning for themselves, their lives, and the lives of their families.

Many of these people did not grow up in a church, or if they did, they did so in achurch where faith consisted of mandatory, literal believing in the “facts.” Thus it isthat such writers as Marcus Borg, Roberta Bondi, Brian McLaren, Ron Rolheiser,Richard Rohr, Joan Chittister, Diaruid O’Murchu, and others have not only helpedme refresh my personal faith but also are helping me meet my people where they are,and together to make our journey into God.

The Rev. Eric Schnaufer is rector of St. Peter’s, Greenville.

Books for the journey . . .OOnnee rreeaaddeerr’’ss lliiffee--cchhaannggiinngg ffaavvoorriitteess

Book Reviews


13


From Literal to Literary:The Essential ReferenceBook for BiblicalMetaphors, by James

Rowe Adams. Scotts

Valley, Calif.: Rising

Star Press, 2005.

Reviewed by the Rev. Susan B. HeathMany of us who trade in words share James

Adams’s childhood experience of a dinner table as aptto hold a dictionary as a butter dish or salt and peppershakers. Like Adams, I credit the beginnings of mylove of how words work and play to my father whofanned that flame in me. Of the stories Daddy told,my favorite is one about the delight he took in themock boredom with which I asked, at about age sevenor eight, “Why does everything hard come from twoGreek words?” He was yet again decoding some wordfor my sisters and me. Knowing the origins of wordsand reveling in the complexity of how they areemployed continue to thrill me.

Adams’s latest book, From Literal to Literary: TheEssential Reference Book of Biblical Metaphors, is a treatfor anyone who is curious about language, specifically,

of course, biblical language. Except for those with acomplete mastery of Hebrew and Greek, this bookoffers an invaluable tool for any who would study theBible.

Adams’s thesis is this: people who share a delight inthe power of metaphorical language and what he callsthe extended metaphor (that is, art, drama, music,dance, and poetry) are blocked from full participationin worship by the insistence of those who require alltalk about God be literal.

Adams contributes greatly to the recovery of anunderstanding of the place of metaphor in openbiblical dialogue. His book takes many of the keywords used to discuss God, faith, and theology andtraces their etymology as well as their occurrence inScripture. This exercise reveals how much of whatsome folks read as literal actually has a metaphor orfigure of speech as its origin. The result is a book withpotential to stimulate meaty conversation. Reflectionon such conversation prompts response and action—hallmarks of the Christian life.

For those who struggle with belief or unbelief thiswork is a welcome tool. Adams draws from his years asa priest teaching and preaching among people wholong to bring their minds as well as their hearts toworship and the practice of faith. The bookincorporates the scholarship and the wisdom of histenure. A close reading bears witness to the healthydialogue of those grappling with belief that is behindthis book.

Because I was a seminarian in the church Adams

led years ago, I learned the back story on many crucialwords like sin and Lord from him. Every baptism andconfirmation class I teach benefits from my exposureto Jim Adams’s word studies. (Look up these twoyourself in his new book; you will be enlightened.)

The Rev. James Rowe Adams iscoming to Columbia, February 24-25,to speak on From Literal to Literaryand to offer a workshop. See page 19for details.

The book explores numbers of other words withlike importance to the understanding of who God is.Plumbing meanings and evolution, Adams brings aprecision to the exploration of word study thatinforms the novice as well as the scholar. Best of all, hisexercise calls others to precision and engagement inthe ever important study of biblical texts. Those whomake use of this resource will deepen theirunderstanding of Scripture. More importantly, folkswho make use of this resource will come away with arenewed or perhaps newfound love of Scripture.Adams has written a book that underscores theessential place of metaphor in biblical language. Hisinsights offer vitality to any serious student of God’sword.

—The Rev. Susan B Heath is former canontheologian, Trinity Cathedral, Columbia.

ggy,

Book Reviews

Life Lessons: From Alpha to Omega (Seabury Books, www.churchpublishing.org/seabury/); and Praises, Prayers and Curses: Conversations withthe Psalms (Forward Movement Publications, www.forwardmovement.org),both by the Rev. Dr. Richard H. Schmidt.

Reviewed by Nancy R. DuvallWhen the Rev. Dr. Richard Schmidt was the rector of

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Daphne, Alabama, justoutside Mobile, there were many people who paid ayearly fee to subscribe to that parish’s newsletter. Thoselucky enough to be members were able to read DickSchmidt’s monthly columns without paying, but so manyothers wanted copies that the parish was forced to chargein order to pay for the extra printing.

I was one who paid. Gladly paid. Each month broughtpithy, honest, timely, and insightful writing that made you think more carefullyabout your faith and life around you.

Since then, Schmidt has retired from the parish ministry after a 30-year stint,and turned to writing full time. In the last few years he has produced three booksand recently was named editor and director of Forward Movement Publications.He is also a former managing editor of the The Episcopalian.

The latest two books this prolific writer has produced are very different fromone another, and very much alike. Both are easy to read and contain those “Aha!”moments when the reader understands exactly what the writer is saying becausehe or she has had similar feelings or experiences. One, Life Lessons, is a collectionof important things learned, both as a parish priest and as a Christian in ourmodern world. The second contains a meditation for each of the 150 psalms,those “Praises, Prayers and Curses” (as the title would have it) sent up to a lovingGod. It is designed for daily meditation or might be used as a study in small-grouplife. In fact, the author recommends reading and studying the psalms in a smallgroup.


The PPOOWWEERR of MMEETTAAPPHHOORR

Get ready for some

A H A ! moments...Books offer new insights, much delight


14


By Furman Buchanan and Patty WillettIn June 2005 Patty Willett and Furman Buchanan, candidates for Holy

Orders from the Diocese of Upper South Carolina and students at the School ofTheology in Sewanee, Tennessee, participated in a course through St. George’s

College, Jerusalem, entitled “St. Paul’s Second Missionary Journey.” They traveled alongPaul’s route through Macedonia and Achaia (modern Greece) and studied the historicalcontext into which Christianity was introduced in Europe. This photo essay offers some ofthe highlights of Paul’s travels and theirs.

It has been said that if it werenot for Paul and a few others

Christianity would haveremained a small unknownbranch of Judaism. Paul, theleading missionary to theGentiles, had as his goalspreading the gospel across thewhole of the Roman Empire.

In his lifetime Paulundertook three missionaryjourneys which, together withthe letters he wrote, succeeded inmaking Christianity a universalreligion, geographically as well astheologically.

The second missionaryjourney, narrated in Acts of theApostles 15:40–18:23a, beganca. 50 A.D. in Syria. Paul’straveling companion from thebeginning was Silas. Togetherthey crossed Asia, acquiringanother companion, Timothy,along the way, and arrivingeventually at the Aegean port cityTroas.

The second missionary journey

Travels with Paul...

We set sail from Troas and took a straightcourse to Samothrace, the following day toNeapolis and from there to Philippi, whichis a leading city of the district of Macedoniaand a Roman Colony.

Acts 16:11–12In Troas Paul had a vision of a Macedonianman who called out: “Come over to Macedoniaand help us.” This vision marked the beginningof the Christianization of Europe.

The Egnatian Way,which connected Romeand the East Paul traveled this majoreast/west artery, busywith governmentofficials, traders, pilgrims,the sick, letter carriers,sightseers, runaway slaves,fugitives, prisoners,athletes, artisans,teachers, and students.He probably walked closeto 15 or 20 miles a day.

When [Lydia] and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying,“If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” Acts 16:15

Paul meets Lydia and a group of God-fearing women outside the city limitsof Philippi. It is the Sabbath, and the gathering is located in a “place ofprayer,” beside a small river. Paul speaks to these Gentile seekers and Lydia’sheart is opened. She and her household are baptized—the first EuropeanChristians—and she urges Paul and his followers to stay in her home.

There is an important connection between Lydia’s hospitality and heropenness to the good news of Christ. Her responsiveness leads to a Christiancommunity at Philippi, of which her home becomes the spiritual center.

Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that thefoundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately allthe doors were opened. . . . Acts 16:26

—continuedon next page


15


In Philippi Paul and Silas are thrown into prison as a result of Paul’s exorcism of a spiritfrom a slave girl who prophesies for pay throughout the cities of Macedonia. Unlikethe welcoming and open Lydia, the slave girl’s handlers reject the apostles, draggingthem to the authorities because Paul has stripped the owners of their ability to makemoney. It is the earthquake described in Acts 16 that sets them free.

Paul’s exorcism demonstrates God’s authority over the pagan gods that the Philippiansworshipped and Paul’s prophetic gospel authority, which results in the conversion andbaptism of their jailer and his household (Acts 16:33).

From Philippi Paul traveled to Thessalonica (above), a city founded byKing Cassander in 315 B.C. and named for his wife, who was the sister ofAlexander the Great. The city was of great strategic importance, at the apexof the Thermaic Gulf and near the midpoint of the Egnatian Way. Picturedhere is an archealogical site from the early Christian era.

The Romans realized the importance of the city and so designated it thecapital of the Macedonian Province in 146 B.C. As a result of its centrallocation, Thessalonica became a prosperous commercial and culturalcenter, one of the two most important trading centers in Roman Greece,the other being Corinth.

Pursued by angry Thessalonian Jews, Paul set sail for Athens. Actsindicates that while Paul was in Athens he argued in the synagogue andin the city square with passersby (Acts 17). This photograph shows theancient agora (marketplace) of Athens in the foreground. This is likelyone place where Paul debated with passersby, as well as with Epicureanand Stoic philosophers.

St. Luke’s account alludes to Paul’s speech at the Areopagus, an ancientcourt believed to have been located on the hill in the upper-right cornerof this photograph, just below the Acropolis, at upper left.

“Athenians, I seehow extremelyreligious you arein every way. . . .The god whomade the worldand everythingin it, he who isLord of heavenand earth, doesnot live inshrines made byhuman hands.”

Acts 17:22–24

Acts, like this mosaic, depicts Paul speaking mainly in public or in quasi-public places andimpressing masses of people, both positively and negatively, by miracles and rhetoric.

Paul traveled from Athens to Corinth. According to the Acts of theApostles, he lived there for a year and a half.

This photograph shows the ancient Temple of Apollo built in mid-sixth century B.C. This was a prominent cultic site near the center ofthe city. Perhaps Paul was remembering this site as he later wrote to theCorinthians, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and thatGod’s spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16).

During Paul’s visit in mid-first centuryA.D, there was reconstruction stillgoing on in Corinth. The city hadbeen completely demolished (exceptfor the Temple of Apollo, and a fewother sites) by the Romans in 146 B.C.The significant construction worktaking place might explain Paul’s useof some of the metaphorical languagein his first letter to the Corinthians.He wrote, “According to the grace ofGod given to me, like a skilled masterbuilder I laid a foundation andsomeone else is building on it. Eachbuilder must choose with care how tobuild on it. For on one can lay anyfoundation other than the one thathas been laid; that foundation is JesusChrist.” (1 Cor. 3:10 - 11)

The earthquake —continued from previous page


By the Rev. Timothy Dombek

Since the earliest days of Christianity, pilgrimage has been a part of the devotionand sacrifice made in the practice and discipline of one’s faith. The act of pilgrimagedidn’t start with Christianity, but Christianity took it to a new level, making it almostan art form.

Christians began making pilgrimages to Jerusalem very soon after the RomanEmpire made Christianity the “legal” religion of the realm. The three oldest and mostvenerated places for pilgrimage for Christianshave been Jerusalem, followed by Rome, andSantiago de Compostela in Spain. Obvious arethe reasons for travel to Rome and Jerusalem,but what brings one to Santiago de Compostela,in the northwestern corner of Spain? Thecathedral there is the legendary final restingplace of St. James the apostle, one of the innercircle of Jesus’ disciples.

Centennial journeyThe year 2005 marked the centennial year

for St. James, Greenville, and one way in whichthe church celebrated that special event was tomake a journey to the shrine of our belovednamesake disciple in Spain. Our host and guidewas the Rev. Dennis Dewey, a nationallyrenowned biblical storyteller who shared with usthe stories of James from Scripture as we made our ten-day pilgrimage last June.

Rather than follow only one of the ancient routes to Santiago, coming from Franceor Italy, we chose to make our way across Spain while directing our journey towardthe famous pilgrim city. Our pilgrimage began in Barcelona, where we toured the oldand new sections of the city and visited the church of La Sagrada Familia, the mostfamous building created by architect Antoni Gaudí, still under construction aftermore than 100 years. For many of us visiting this ornate, “warped Gothic” churchwith its colorful sculptures and rippling contours was the perfect beginning to thisjourney across Spain.

From Barcelona we visited the Shrine of the Black Madonna at Montserrat, amonastery carved out a mountainside near the western edge of the Catalan district.From there we moved on to Zaragoza, an ancient Roman city where large pieces of aRoman wall still stand. Zaragoza is home to the Basílica de Pilar, one of the mostprominent shrines to the Virgin Mary in Europe. Every evening we reflected on ourday and heard another story about James from our biblical storyteller.

From Zaragoza we traveled to Madrid, our base for visits to El Escorial, the palace-monastery-mausoleum where Philip II of Spain ruled and where, in the Crypt of theKings, nearly every Spanish monarch, beginning with Charles V (1516–1556), isburied, and to Toledo, one of the most important medieval and historical cities inEurope.

The final legFrom Madrid we turned toward Santiago, stopping by Avila to visit the walled

medieval city and see the places associated with Santa Teresa, the famous 16th-centurymystic. We traveled to Salamanca, home of the oldest university in Spain, as well asone of the oldest in the world. Salamanca also has two cathedrals side by side, the oldone begun in 1140 and the “new” one, begun in1513 and taking 200 years tocomplete.

After spending the night in Salamanca, we started on our final leg to Santiago. The

drive was long and winding as we entered the region of the country where some ofSpain’s finest wines are produced. The weather became misty and rainy at times, ourbeing so close to the Atlantic Ocean as we traveled along Spain’s northwest coast. Oursense of anticipation and excitement heightened as we approached the town, trying toimagine what pilgrims over the centuries must have felt as they finally closed in, withthe Cathedral of Santiago in sight.

Although much of the area around the cathedral is dedicated to the fine art ofseparating your tourist dollar from your tourist wallet, it is still not hard to feel the

presence of the Spirit in such a holy and sacredspace. At the entry to the cathedral stands apillar that hundreds of thousands of pilgrimshave touched to mark the end of their journey;there is a handprint worn into the marble base.The knowledge that hundreds of thousands ofpilgrim hands have rested on this spot makesone aware of a profound connection with thestream of the faithful who over the centuries ofhave come to Santiago with a prayer or petitionespecially meaningful to them in heart andmind. The prayers seem almost palpable; thescope of the journey, the sense of communionare nearly overwhelming.

Inside the cathedral we enjoyed the rareprivilege of seeing the botafumeiro, or censer,swung. Santiago’s censer has to been the largestin the world, standing about a meter high. At

the end of the Mass, two men carry it to the cathedral crossing and attach it to a long,thick rope that dangles from the vaulted ceiling high above the floor. About eight menthen begin to pull on the rope, creating a sweeping swinging motion that propels thebotafumeiro across the front of the altar, going deep and high into each transept. Backand forth it swings, engulfing the transepts and front of the cathedral in a cloud ofsweet-smelling incense. It is only a few times during a month that the botafumeiro isused, so we felt very blessed to see it that day.

The destinationNot all pilgrimages have to be to such exotic places as Santiago de Compostela or

Canterbury Cathedral or Jerusalem or Rome. One can make a pilgrimage to anyplace that holds special spiritual significance—a physical place or a place within, amarker on one’s own very personal spiritual journey.

At St. James, Greenville, it is easy to view our preparations for Sunday worship andour journey to church week by week as an ongoing mini-pilgrimage. The church sitsatop Greenville’s Piney Mountain and affords a lovely view east toward Taylors andGreer, and none of our members actually lives in the vicinity of the church. All mustmake the pilgrimage up the mountain to encounter God in our gatheredcommunity—which helps us remember that life itself is a pilgrimage whose finaldestination is meeting God face to face.

The Rev. Timothy Dombek is rector of St. James, Greenville.

16


P I L G R I M A G E SGREAT & small

[Upon arrival at Santiago], the prayers seem almost

palpable; the scope of the journey, the sense of

communion are nearly overwhelming.

P I L G R I M A G E SGREAT & small

TThhee TThhee botafumeirbotafumeiroo ,, oorr cceennsseerr,, aatt tthhee CCaatthheeddrraall ooff,, oorr cceennsseerr,, aatt tthhee CCaatthheeddrraall ooff SStt.. JJaammeessSStt.. JJaammeess


17


—continued f rom page 2

A definitive rule of life as an effective, if not essential, way to live intothe process of sanctification—that is, by the grace of God to grow inholiness. Christ gives meaning to our lives; a rule gives direction to our lives.To live a disciplined rule of life is to live a committed life. It means that wehave a daily duty, an obligation to do a sacred and good thing, to continue,with intentionality, our spiritual journey.

In these pages one may tools for continuing the journey that is ourspiritual life:

1. Obtaining a spiritual director—one who helps us to be honest withand about ourselves and our relationship with God and neighbor. Yourpriest can help you choose an appropriate director. First guideline: aspiritual director should himself / herself also be under spiritualdirection.

2. Developing a rule of life (preferably with the aid of a spiritual director)which (a) meets your needs; (b) is designed to nurture spiritual health,physical health—and a sense of humor about it all; (c) provide balance tolife (which means to find freedom from the pressures of personal, family,and professional life which would prevent our heart and mind frombeing focused on the Lord); and, (d) to grow in the knowledge andpractice of the love of God and of neighbor. A rule of life may include,in varying forms, any or all of the spiritual enterprises addressed in thisissue. It should also include liturgical worship (sacramental and othercorporate worship), biblical and other spiritual reading, personal prayer(in all its forms) and meditation, self-examination and confession,physical exercise, recreation, and entertainment.

At first blush this may seem to make life harder and more demanding. Itis important to realize that a rule of life is to be devised not in addition toyour present schedule, not on top of present demands and commitments,but rather it is a different way of living—it brings a balance to life that helpsus respond to God’s call to holiness and to set and meet other calls withbalance—which improves health in body, mind, and spirit.

Nor should we forget that sanctification is not a human work orachievement. Our “new and unending life” is God’s gift to us, which we donot, cannot, earn for ourselves. “And it is by God’s will that we have beensanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”(Heb. 10:10). Let us give thanks to God for that immeasurable gift, even aswe strive to grow in holiness through balance.

Faithfully yours in our Lord,

Upper South Carolina VII

Bishop’s deskFROM THE

A reader responds to

Crosswalk for Pentecost II

Stewardship and “eatingsustainable”

Dear Editor:

Thank you for the wonderful serviceyou give to our diocese as editor ofCrosswalk. The Pentecost I issueaddressing Christian stewardship frommultiple perspectives was particularlymoving and thought-provoking. Thebeautiful cover picture by Suzanne Zoolereflected the compelling article on being asteward of God’s creation. However, I didsee a striking omission from the list ofactions Christians can pledge to take asfaithful stewards of the earth.

Agribusiness is the largest polluter ofour world’s clean water supply, and factory

farms, places where animals are housed for meat, dairy, and egg production, are theworst offenders in the agribusiness industry. The much-publicized 1989 ExxonValdez oil spill in Alaska dumped 12 million gallons of oil into Prince WilliamSound. But the relatively unknown 1995 New River spill in North Carolina released25 million gallons of hog waste, killing an estimated 10 to 14 million fish andclosing 364,000 acres of coastal shell-fishing beds.

Scholarly research shows consistently that it takes more than 2,000 gallons ofwater to produce a pound of beef from birth of the calf to processing the meat. Tosustain a dairy cow for one day in an industrialized dairy requires 160 gallons ofwater. In addition to engaging in this extravagance, factory farms send noxious gasesinto the air and force millions of farm animals to live their lives in horrificconditions.

In the Crosswalk article we are called us to rethink our own daily lives—includingwhat we eat. No matter what your personal dietary choices are, we can all bestewards by buying meat, dairy, eggs, and produce from small, sustainable farms. Onthese farms vegetables and fruits are truly organically grown. Animals, showncompassionate care throughout their lifetimes, are raised free of harmful hormonesand antibiotics. The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association is an organization ofmore than 750 farmers, processors, gardeners, businesses, and individuals in Northand South Carolina committed to sustainable agriculture and the development oflocally based, organic food systems. You can go to their Web site (www.carolinafarm-stewards.org) and find a listing of farms in your area. There you will also find linksto farms that sell online. These products can also be purchased at local markets,produce stands, and health food stores.

The national Church’s Catechism of Creation, as well as General Convention’sResolution D016 (The Protection of Animals from Cruel Treatment) andResolution D070 (Water Policy), calls us as Episcopalians to abstain from meat,dairy, and eggs produced in factory farms and to eat plant foods that are grownorganically. These foods are usually more expensive than industrialized meat andproduce, but bearing the cost of “doing good” is what Christian stewardship is allabout. If we choose to “eat sustainable,” Christians can make a major and significantimpact in the stewardship of God’s creation.

In God’s peace and love,Karen HarmonGood Shepherd, Columbia

opinion



18

Snail’s Pacecontinued from page 8

“Be still and know . . .”I have walked the narrow lanes breathing the fresh mountain air. I have

meditated in the backyard listening to the birds, and I have spent time enclosed inthe solitude of my room. This haven offers me the opportunity to be good to me,be still, and listen for God’s voice. I am inspired by the folks I meet there andalways come away prepared to seek new ways of being God’s hand in the world.

Treat yourself to one of the best-kept secrets in the Carolinas, just this side ofHendersonville . . . or, as some might say, just this side of heaven.

Betsy Biega is a member of All Souls, Columbia

Miracles and holy groundBy Ned McMillan

I don’t expect “neon signs” every time I visit The Snail’s Pace, although I haveexperienced dramatic epiphanies there. But I do expect to be grateful every timeI’m there for what God has done for me since I started retreating to this specialplace located on holy ground.

My first visit in 1989 was the result of numerous suggestions from mycounselor, a Presbyterian minister who persistently encouraged me to do somethingabout my drivenness. I will never forget the peace I felt the first time I arrived atthe Snail’s Pace, because it’s the same peace I feel every time I go there. Andalthough I am still a recovering type A, at least I’m an A minus, thanks to God, TheSnail’s Pace staff who have provided me with spiritual direction, and a parcel of landthat is so holy that it affects me emotionally.

So, if you are interested in God, miracles, or living longer, I recommend TheSnail’s Pace.

Ned McMillan is a member of Jamestown Presbyterian in Jamestown, North Carolina.

OO GGoodd ooff ppeeaaccee,, wwhhoo hhaass ttaauugghhtt uuss tthhaatt iinn rreettuurrnniinngg aanndd OO GGoodd ooff ppeeaaccee,, wwhhoo hhaass ttaauugghhtt uuss tthhaatt iinn rreettuurrnniinngg aanndd rreesstt wwee sshhaallll bbee ssaavveedd,, iinn qquuiieettnneessss aanndd iinn ccoonnffiiddeennccee rreesstt wwee sshhaallll bbee ssaavveedd,, iinn qquuiieettnneessss aanndd iinn ccoonnffiiddeennccee

sshhaallll bbee oouurr ssttrreennggtthh:: BByy tthhee mmiigghhtt ooff yyoouurr SSppiirriitt lliifftt uuss,, sshhaallll bbee oouurr ssttrreennggtthh:: BByy tthhee mmiigghhtt ooff yyoouurr SSppiirriitt lliifftt uuss,, wwee pprraayy yyoouu,, ttoo yyoouurr pprreesseennccee,, wwhheerree wwee mmaayy bbee ssttiillll aanndd wwee pprraayy yyoouu,, ttoo yyoouurr pprreesseennccee,, wwhheerree wwee mmaayy bbee ssttiillll aanndd kknnooww tthhaatt yyoouu aarree GGoodd;; tthhrroouugghh JJeessuuss CChhrriisstt oouurr LLoorrdd.. kknnooww tthhaatt yyoouu aarree GGoodd;; tthhrroouugghh JJeessuuss CChhrriisstt oouurr LLoorrdd..

AAmmeenn..AAmmeenn..

Photo: Larry Newton

Aha! Moments continued from page 13

As program chair for the Episcopal Church Women’s chapter at St. John’s,Columbia, I used the chapter on anger from Life Lessons along with a chapter fromKathleen Norris’s Amazing Grace for a program. Theyfit well together and allowed us to discuss our usualreactions when we are angry and the ways God reacts.I can think of many other chapters which could beused in conjunction with other study guides or bythemselves. The book begins with the topic of aging,which the author is highly in favor of, recommendingthat we cherish and enjoy the process. His chapter onsilence is evocative and insightful. Silence can be a wayto listen to God, or it can be an uncomfortable timefilled with anxiety. Money is another topic Schmidtinvestigates as either a positive or divisive part of our

lives. Zingers are the lastthing upon which hecomments. These zingers,or tart comments, which we sometimes don’t want tohear or should not be saying to others, can be helpful,even when they hurt—especially if we are able to be ashonest with ourselves as Schmidt is in his discussion ofthe ones that have brought him up short. This is a bookto which one can return again and again with its easy toread comments on a wide variety of emotions andsituations we all encounter.

Praises, Prayers and Curses: Conversations with thePsalms is also a book which can be used helpfully for

study. If the psalms are read in five groups, as this book presents them, an adultSunday School class might cover a section in six weeks or use a whole year to absorbthem all. One of the points Schmidt makes is the necessity of reading the psalmsslowly—very slowly. As a parish priest he and his vestry began each meeting with thereading and discussion of a psalm, with each person commenting on what theythought the psalmist was saying and what it meant to him or her. This exercise mightwell set a tone for the rest of the meeting which centers the group on what God wouldhave them do, or it might help remind individual members that God is in charge. Ihighly recommend this book as a tool for individual or group mediation.

Dick Schmidt also is the author of GloriousCompanions: Five Centuries of Anglican Spirituality. Ihope that someday he will be able also to publish a bookwith commentary on the collects in our Prayer Book. Iwas privileged to be asked to read a manuscript inprogress on this topic a number of years ago. One of thecomments I frequently wrote in the margins was, “Dick,this is so powerful I am crying again.”

You may cry reading one of the two books reviewedabove, but more likely you will laugh out loud, orrecognize something that you, too, have experienced.They are a delight to read, always practical and honest,filled with insights that are generally helpful andcertainly thought provoking.

Nancy R. Duvall attends St. John’s, Columbia, but visits throughout the diocese with herhusband, the Rt. Rev. Charles Duvall, retired bishop of Central Gulf Coast, who assistsBishop Henderson in Upper South Carolina.


19


Bishop Beckham—contineud from page 3

A mighty forceBill took apostolic ministry very seriously. He led this diocese to Taiwan, where we built St. John’s School,now also the resting place of Bishop Wong. Then there were mission efforts in Guam. But this was justpractice for his most extensive and successful mission effort in Cange, Haiti. Those of you who have visitedthere or seen pictures know the dramatic change that is still going on: a church and schools and a watersystem, better housing, clinics and a hospital, and now a program known worldwide for successfultreatment of AIDS and new-strain TB. God brought together a mighty force. The Lafontants, theEpiscopal priest at Cange and his wife; Paul Farmer, the gifted doctor and founder of Partners in Health;and Bill Beckham, who kept challenging us to give and to visit and to pray for our brothers and sisters inHaiti. I am thankful that the church bell given in honor of Bill and Harriet Beckham rings out over Cangeand to nearby villages.

Wanting the bestI’ve never known how Bill got involved with the Church Pension Fund. I know that he enjoyed messingwith figures and no proposed diocesan budget reached the floor without his nonautocratic but successfulmassaging. I also know that he loved his fellow clergy and wanted the best for them. So the countrySouthern boy got on the plane to New York and met with all those financial wizards and church leaders.They were not satisfied just to have him on the board, but made him the chair for a number of years. TheEpiscopal Church Pension Fund is clearly the leader among all churches and all secular pensions. Bill knewand was delighted that, in addition to the usual thirteenth extra payment at Christmas this year, there willbe a fourteenth extra payment made in February. Not to worry, you not-yet-retired: this is a paymentrequired by law because of excess profits.

An oak planted by GodBill to many of us was like an oak tree planted by God and a gift to all of us. He had deep roots reachinginto the being of God. He endured much suffering: the death of many family members, the sadness abouthis son, his own physical problems. Bill was at times treated unfairly and was abused by principalities andpowers. And not everyone in the Church embraced his faith or enjoyed his humor. But he lived and I thinkreally believed that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.He was steady. He was forgiving. He was loving. His life encouraged and inspired so many of us. Like asacrament, his life was a visible sign that communicated to many the glory of God.

The loss of his leg was a special hardship for him. There was a lot of pain, difficulty in getting around, andno more jitterbugging with Harriet. And they were good. Bill and I had a professor in seminary, Dr.Gibson. He was elderly but had a great love of life and enjoyed nature and long walks in the woods. Buthe had fallen arches and was somewhat crippled. In a lecture on the resurrection he said to us, “Gentlemen,I am looking forward to God giving me a body with no flat feet.” As Bill participates in the resurrectionhe will be given a spiritual body. I’m not sure what that is, but he will be able to walk in the presence ofthe Lord, he will be without pain, he will be able to dance again with great joy, and he will sing the praisesof God.

With all the company of heavenI always look forward to that moment in the Great Thanksgiving when we join with all the company ofheaven—we join with our Bishop Bill in singing Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earthare full of thy glory. Listen today and you may hear him singing along with us, his beloved family, his clergyand his people. Thanks be to God, thanks be to God, for Bishop Bill Beckham.

The Rev. Robert Riegel is canon associate for pastoral care at Trinity Cathedral, Columbia.

—continued from page 2

Upper SC preacher to be

featured on national radio

The Rev. Mary Moore Roberson,associate rector of St. John’s, Columbia,will be the featured preacher on the

renowned radio program, The Protestant

Hour / Day One, on Sunday, February 5,2006. Roberson was selected by adistinguished Advisory Board headed bythe Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long, Professorof Preaching at Candler School ofTheology, Emory University. Radiostations in South Carolina that carry theDay One program include: WBAW,99.1FM, Barnwell (1:00 p.m.); WJBS,1440AM, Holly Hill (TBA); WKDK,1240AM, Newberry (8:30 a.m.); WISW,1320AM, West Columbia (6:00 a.m.). Be sure to tune in!

The Rev. James Adams tospeak in Columbia

On February 24 and 25 the Rev. JamesAdams, Episcopal priest, author, andfounder of the Center for ProgressiveChristianity, will offer a presentation andworkshop at Gambrell Hall on the campusof USC-Columbia. Both events aresponsored by CADRE (Columbia AreaDialogue on Religious Exploration) andthe USC Department of Religious Studies.

The February 24 presentation, which isfree and open to the public and begins at

7:30 p.m., is based on Adams’s most recentbook, From Literal to Literary: The EssentialReference Book for Biblical Metaphors. (Seepage 13 of this Crosswalk for a review ofAdams’s book.)

On February 25, from 9:30 a.m. to12:30 p.m., Adams will lead a practicalworkshop, based on his 30 years ofexperience as rector of St. Mark’s, CapitolHill, in Washington, DC, entitled “Toolsof the Trade.” Registration information isavailable at www.ecsssj.org/CADRE.htmor by contacting Ann Bright,803.781.6390.

newsB R E A K I N G

ON THE FRONT COVER

Photographer’s notes

“The Road toBethlehem”

By Robin SmithPerhaps one of the most

moving photographs I have everhad the opportunity to make isthe one I call “The Road toBethlehem.” As we were traveling from Jerusalem toJericho while on assignment in Israel, our guide, thendean of St. George’s College, pointed out an ancient roadin the desert that is believed to be the road the wise mentraveled on the way to Bethlehem to meet the Christchild. Whether or not it is the exact road is not the pointof the photograph. What is relevant is what thephotograph evokes— all the Epiphany stories that itbrings to mind—the hymns, Scripture, children’s Feast ofLights services, and sermons that flood our memories.

What makes a photograph like this one come to life isthe viewer’s pausing to consider “What star am Ifollowing?”—what exactly are my responsibilities in viewof this revelation? This is a great opportunity to reach intoone’s soul, find out what is really important, prioritize,and share some part of one’s life that can make adifference to all those with whom we come in contact.

One interesting observation a propos of thisphotograph is that those who view the image from aChristian point of view find it a very moving; those whoview it from a non-Christian perspective see just a big pileof sand.

What is involved in making a photograph like this?First, you must see the image, then stop long enough tomake the photograph. It does not matter what kind ofcamera you are using if you know what the camera is ableto do and how to use the instrument to its full potential.Then let your inner soul guide you to the image you wishto make. Shutter speed, f-stops, and lighting are tools ofthe trade, and the knowledge of how to use these tools isimportant. However, the main point is to share your soulusing the medium of photography.

Artist and photographer Robin Smith is owner ofPhotoVision in Columbia and a member of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields. Contact him by phone at 803.738.2121, orby e-mail to [email protected].

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April

2 Bishop’s visitation, St. Mark’s, Chester

8 DYLC Meeting, Newberry

10 Renewal of ordination vows, Trinity Cathedral

14,17 Diocesan House closed

23 Bishop’s visitation, St. John’s, Columbia

25 - 27 Province IV Bishops, Kanuga

26 - 29 Province IV Synod 2006, Kanuga

28 - 30 Junior High Spring Retreat, Gravatt

29 School For Ministry Session Three begins

30 Bishop’s visitation, Christ Church, Lancaster

Mar

1 Ash Wednesday

6 Bishop's visitation to St. John's, Congaree

6 - 8 Transitional Deacons’ Retreat/Examining Chaplains,

Bishop Gravatt Center

12 Bishop's visitation to St. Simon and St. Jude, Irmo

17 - 22 House of Bishops, Kanuga

24 - 26 Happening #55, Gravatt

26 Bishop’s visitation to St. Paul’s, Batesburg

29 - 31 North Convocation Residency

Feb

5 Bishop's visitation to Calvary, Glenn Springs, and

Epiphany, Spartanburg

8-10 East Convocation Residency

10-12 Youth Ski Trip Weekend; Winterplace, WV

11 ECW Convention, St. John’s, Columbia

12 Bishop's visitation to St. Luke’s, Newberry

16-19 Cursillo #104, Gravatt

19 Bishop’s visitation to St. Augustine of Canterbury, Aiken

20-22 Clergy Pre-Lenten Retreat, Gravatt

26 Bishop’s visitation to Nativity, Union

DEADLINE for next issue of Crosswalk: March 15.

Send submissions to [email protected].

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Epiphany 2006

CrosswalkThe official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

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“Pilgrim, you do not walk thepath, the path is YOU . . .”

—From a sign on the pilgrim road to Santiago, Spain

“Pilgrim, you do not walk the“Pilgrim, you do not walk thepath, the path is YOU . . .”path, the path is YOU . . .”

—From a sign on the pilgrim road to Santiago, Spain—From a sign on the pilgrim road to Santiago, Spain

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