Hello, !
It has been a good and beautiful week in Collegeville. The leaves are falling. A few
creatures are still stirring as they prepare for colder days. My book is up on the shelves in a visual/mind-map format. I can really see the gaps and fissures, the places that still need work! My research on the State of Clergy
Report is starting to ramp up, too.
Benedictine hospitality has carried me on its wings this week. I've had meals and worship, silence and
conversation, laughter and prayer in three different communities here in the Collegeville region, all shaped by the Rule of St. Benedict directly or indirectly. The statue above is on the St. Ben's College campus. The flaming orange leaves offer their own invitation to stop and notice the stunning beauty of creation.
The dragonfly, caught with my phone-camera, landed in my path on a Sunday afternoon walk. Dragonflies are a sign of change and
transformation in my life. It was a grace to see one so late in the autumn on a windy day. A sign of hope, really.
As we come toward the end of a
month focused on Clergy Appreciation, we are happy to share a guest blog by Dr. Richard Olson. He has released a new book, Rowing Together Through the Rapids, and in today's post he shares stories about young ministers he interviewed. And he also shares ideas
for listening and offering support for ministers. His post is a good conclusion to this month of thinking about how we give authentic gratitude, as Sarah Shelton called it, to ministers, pastors, chaplains, and church
leaders.
