The audience was a group of 20 plus students from Breck School that, in a couple of weeks, I will have the blessing of accompanying to Cuba.  This is the Bato Bato marimba group that we had the pleasure of listening to at our last Convention.

The purpose of the trip is three fold:

1. to experience the Cuban culture – including the religious component,
2. to  learn from and play with local musicians, and
3. to give back something for the opportunity to be there.

As such, their bags will be packed with clothing, toiletries and even musical instruments that they plan on giving to the Cuban people. My sense is that this expression of sharing will not only assist the Cubans but also help our young people experience sacrificial giving.

As we begin our Lenten journey this Ash Wednesday it may  be a good time for us to look and see what is in our bags.

What is it we are willing to not only let go of, but also what we might have to  share with another? 

Hear it described beautifully, poetically, in the words from the song Circle of Love by Fran McKendree:

Food for the soul, shoes for the feet,
a coat for the driving rain;
these things we need and not much more,
maybe a place to unload some pain.

When the storm blows over and you’re digging out,
pick carefully among the remains;
untangled within, now the journey begins,
calling you to start, from a place of the heart… 

Calling you to take what’s inside, carry it outside this circle of love,
Calling you to take what’s inside, carry it outside this circle of love.

It’s that way at the beginning of the bike ride, the run, the swim, the road trip or anything else – you just can’t wait to get moving.  And thus were the first two years of my episcopate amongst you.

As such, let us take a moment – a water break if you will –   as we begin the third lap together and have a look over the landscape we have covered.

Under the sign marked MISSION there is an ever-expanding group of Commissioners for Mission trained and poised to walk with our faith communities to greater growth and engagement of God’s mission. These are faith communities which encompass congregations as well as Breck,  Shattuck- St. Mary’s, Episcopal Homes, Episcopal House of Prayer, ECS, Sheltering Arms and our Episcopal Campus Ministries.  Next to them is a cadre of deacons and others holding a banner marked ‘Mission Project 2012′ partnering with ECS and others to feed the hungry, house the homeless, and provide for folks’ basic needs. On the other side are a host of groups  meeting together as Mission Areas to share resources, collaborate on such things such as  Episcobuilders, Youth Blast or a community garden. Dispersed throughout all the groups are a number of flat screen TV’s connecting faith communities to each other, to the Episcopal Story Project, to all the Internet has to offer.

Just down the road is a sign that reads MINISTRY where there is a flurry of activity.  There are numerous small groups made up of laity, priests, deacons,  and spiritual directors huddled together in deep conversation helping to discern the gifts God has given us for ministry.  Directly next to them is a neon sign that flashes ‘School For Formation Now Open’, providing for individuals and faith communities to come together online and in person to learn about everything from ‘Theology Where We Live’ to ‘The Church’s Bible’. And just to the right there are countless faith  communities of all sizes and shapes and ministry models – total, shared, mutual, Indigenous, multi-cultural, conventional.  They are discerning, equipping  empowering all the baptized to use their gifts for ministry.

A little further down the road there is one last sign that reads MANAGEMENT.  Bustling around underneath the sign is a group of people organizing and planning gatherings  from Convention to Meetings of Elected Bodies.  Still others answer a bank of phones assisting faith communities with a variety of questions.  Near them are a group of folks with measuring tapes and architectural drawings and maps of communities all working on property related matters.  And just to their left is another group with calculators, slide rulers, stock reports and bank statements feverishly monitoring and managing resources entrusted to good stewardship for the engagement of God’s mission.

A sense of amazement and humility fills me for the blessing of the journey thus far.  For things accomplished by so many, but even more so for the opportunity to share the journey with such incredible people in the incredible faith communities that make up the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.

But alas,  I’m  burning daylight.  And that which lies ahead calls us forth with a strong sense of graced confidence, with Jesus as companion, the Holy Spirit empowering, and God ever-present as we engage mission across all that is the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.

Living Stones is a partnership of dioceses and communities of faith engaged in Christian mission, committed to the ministry of all baptized  - The Living Stones Partnership

This week I have had the blessing of gathering with small groups from around the Episcopal Church to share and strategize about particular missional engagements  in each of our own contexts and cultures.

Presented as case studies it was a great opportunity to reflect on a specific issue or project with groups from other parts of the country. And in turn to listen, discuss, engage in deep theological thinking, and then offer our own perspective to colleagues from another neighborhood of God’s kingdom.

The attendees represent all orders of the church – laity, bishops, priests, and deacons. The focus is to assist in discerning, equipping and empowering all the baptized so that they may use their gifts for ministry.  Many, but not all, come from places with a significant number of faith communities  that are engaged in total/shared/mutual/baptismal ministries.  A fair number have a large rural population but there are also major urban areas represented as well.  Then to round out the partnership there are a numbers of our Episcopal seminaries represented.

Sandi Holmberg, our Missioner for Total and Shared Ministry, and Gretchen Pickeral, one of our Total Ministry mentors,  were present, and took the lead in preparing our presentation on moving to Mission Areas.  Sandi’s years of experience in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota and Gretchen’s “on-the-ground” perspective painted a great picture of some of our Living Stones.

God is unquestionably building us into a spiritual house. It is great to have partners and collaborators to lend a hand and to do likewise for them.

Recently I participated in gatherings around visioning and long range planning for both Shattuck-St Mary’s and Breck . Already in many respects on the leading edge of education, both of our schools continue to amaze me with their deep commitment to nurturing the mind, body and soul of young people.

Two weekends ago I was fortunate to be a part of Youth Blast at St Mark’s Cathedral. This fun filled Sunday afternoon brought together a number of young people who also had the chance to hear our story as a people of faith in Minnesota. It was very apparent that our young people were both engaged and interested in their history as Episcopalians in Minnesota.

Last week I attended the annual lunch for grantees of Sheltering Arms. Story after story was told of the incredible work being done for young people in challenging situations across the state. Lives of children and youth are changed in real ways in our communities and our faith communities ever day because of the good work of Sheltering Arms.

Over the weekend I spent a part of Saturday at Breck for the Poly Special Olympics. Wall to wall young people – some participating some volunteering – all using their gifts for ministry. From there it was off to St Stephen’s, Edina and a room full of middle school students representing most of the faith communities in the metro at Winterfest where their energy was truly infectious.

Saturday evening after a very inspiring worship service with the east metro faith communities I was fortunate to hang out with and listen to live music performed by some of our young people. Both the conversations and the music was great. Many of those same young people spent the earlier part of their day collecting and putting together items for ECS as a part of Mission Project 2012.

What a blessing our young people are. These recent travels have once again convinced me that both the present and the future of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota is very bright!

Lucia Smith

What pursued was a lengthy theological discussion filled with stories about her childhood, meeting the love of her life at the Baptist university she attended, and how deeply she was committed to both her faith and her faith community.

What was absent in the conversation was any judgement, disrespect, or air of superiority.  In fact, the more we talked the more I personally felt connected with her and had an ever increasing admiration for her.

When she posed the question about sin it was done so sincerely. We had attended an Episcopal service earlier in the day and she was truly curious about our understanding of sin and why, from her perspective, it had a place of prominence in the liturgy.

Through the years she and I had numerous other discussions, all filled with her love of story telling with a dramatic flare, lots of humor and always a reflection of her love of the Lord.

I was the first to marry one of her grandchildren. Like those who had gone before me who had married her children I was not only  immediately accepted, but was undeniably a full member of the family. A family that she humbly, yet clearly loved over as the matriarch of four children, 13 grandchildren, 13 grandchildren’s spouses and 26 great-grandchildren (and counting).

A family which all gathered in the Baptist Church where she so freely shared her gifts for ministry for 63 years this Monday to give thanks for 98 years of a full faithful life.  Family – some biological, some by marriage, some by faith community –  all the family of God celebrating the blessing of sharing the journey with such a wonderful woman.