Being Present

We are in the second to last quarter of classwork for our cohort. There are fourteen of us in this higher education executive doctoral cohort (wow, that makes us sound super important) and we are all kind of ready to be done. The classes are interesting, the conversations with colleagues are great, the classroom content is relevant. But we've been in class every other weekend since January 2010. Long time.

Sometimes I get too focused on the end result, the push towards the end, that I tend to not enjoy the journey. Or, I am too concerned with getting to the goal and I don't give myself permission to sit and be present with the actual event, or what we're working towards.

In the past couple of weeks, there has been an explosion of projects, visioning projects, inquiries at the school, prospective student visits...some of these programs and tasks were expected, and some were not. But even in the midst of meetings and conversations, I feel as if I am being told to be present. Not slow down or to cut out, but to be present. Be open to what's going on in that time and that place, and be open to the common threads and themes across these conversations, meetings and visions.

I think that today I am also thankful for relationships with colleagues across the connection. A simple email connection, Facebook post or Twitter conversation can make distance feel like a non-issue. But I also value the face to face connection. This week's meetings included face to face conversations with close friends and colleagues. I was astonished at how life restoring that was (...says the introvert). I feel as though I am being reminded to continue to nurture these relationships, too. 

Finally...it's fall! While the rain makes the world a little dark and wet, the rain is adding a level of freshness. The leaves are turning, there are pumpkins and gourds available for sale on roadside stands, and the air smells of wood burning stoves. I love this season.

Photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt on Flickr - Creative Commons License

Good Dog.

Today was a good day.

This morning began at the conference office, meeting with other West Ohio deacons and talking about community, vision, reaching out to those still in the candidacy and ordination process, and articulating what it means to build community when colleagues are spread out over the conference. Then I popped by to say hello to a couple of friends in their cubicles. Good times.

After our meeting, I headed up to the school. I had about a million things on my mind, and I was not feeling very thankful about the lovely weather or the traffic-free drive up 23 to campus. So I parked and was schlepping (yes, I think that is a word?) the laptop bag, purse, coffee (decaf because I am twitchy) and water bottle (you'd think I was moving in with all of this stuff) up the steps to the front doors of the main building. And what do I see?

A very relaxed, giant golden dog. He was laying on the steps, and his (I was guessing it was a he) leash was loosely tied to the bannister outside of the front doors. I walked slowly towards him - I mean, you're not supposed to interact with strange dogs, right? But this was a dog who was just chillin' and looked as if he belonged there, greeting visitors. I said hi to him, his tail started to wag, and I leaned over to say hello and pet him.

He started licking my hand. He was a good boy who just wanted to say hi. I found out that he belonged to a student; I saw the dog and the student a little while later, strolling up the hill on our campus. It was a restful image.

Sometimes it's the simple things. Sometimes we just need a big ol' dog to greet us and slow us down as we try to rush into our next set of tasks.

Today was a very full day. There was work that needed to be done, and there is homework and other tasks that need to be completed tonight. This fall has been a very full season - travel, meetings, conversations, visioning, tasking, preparing, ending old projects to make way for new ideas. But today I met a good dog who just wanted to say hi.

Passion and Possibility: Exploration 2011

Exploration 2011 is a discernment event for 18 to 26 year olds thinking about ordained ministry within The United Methodist Church. The event takes place Friday, November 11 through Sunday, November 13 at the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Attending Exploration is one of the best places to go to (spiritually and physically!) to be present with God and with community as you discern how to authentically respond to the call God has placed upon your life. 

A lot of “nuts and bolts” resources will be at Exploration, which is great for “Type A” people who like to know what will be available. At the event, you’ll be able to:

• Visit the seminary fair, where all thirteen United Methodist seminaries and theological schools will have tables and admissions staff available to answer your question
• Engage with your peers in a small group led by a current seminarian 
• Attend workshops on the topics that interest you: ordination options, understanding the differences between deacon and elder, being a young adult in ministerial leadership, ministering to youth, funding your theological education, endorsement, chaplaincy, ministry in the local church, cross-cultural and cross-racial ministry, and more
• Attend worship, where you will have the opportunity to think, listen to God, and mull over what it is that God is asking of you
• Be in fellowship with hundreds of other United Methodist young adults who are grappling with the same questions you are

I serve at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, one of the thirteen United Methodist seminaries. As the Director of Admissions, I have the privilege of hearing many, many stories from people about what they feel called to be and to do. As an ordained deacon, I feel privileged to be present with people as they discern what their vocation – or vocations – may be in the next stage of their lives. 

If you are thinking about ordained ministry (or thinking of a life of vocation as an intentional layperson) and you are between the ages of 18 to 26, we’d love to see you at Exploration. I have heard from previous attendees that it is a formational event, and one that shaped their self-understanding and opened their eyes to ministry options they never even could have imagined before attending.

Want to read more first-person accounts about Exploration? Here are posts by some of my friends and colleagues from across the connection:

Anastasia Kidd – Exploring Your Calling…via The Scientific Method

Anna Guillozet – Passion and Possibility in St. Louis

Ashlee Allee – Praying for Exploration 2011
Daniel K. Dawson - Day of Prayer and Blogging (talks about extension ministry! woo!) 

Juan Huertas – Passion and Possibility: Exploration 2011

Melissa Meyers – Passion and Possibility

Jeremy Smith – Passion, Possibility and Shoeless People