Seeking Authentic Voice

God our Mother birthing new life through chaos God our Father building hope from the dark night God our Sister comfort us in times of sorrow God our Brother guide us through the storms, calm water God of the Night brighten our darkdays, with Your warm light God of the Day show us the way, to love as you God, mystery One in Three and Three in One Parent, child, friend Comforter, Grace Spirit, Love Lover, One, All Infinite One Compassion Sun, Moon, and Stars Earth, Wind, and Fire Water, Life. In Your Image Abide in us We in You In your Image In Your image Mystery. Amen. Poem prayer and photo by Terri C. Pilarski Crossposted on  RevGalBlodPals Tuesday Prayer

Breathe on me breath of God Fill me with life anew that I may love  what you do love and do what you would do.  This hymn has been my earworm for Pentecost A time of ordinations of life transitions of challenges  and hope. Help me, Oh God to live as the person you call  me to be -  a choice  I make every day with my words my mind  and my heart. May I live and love as you would have me do. Amen. Prayer poem by Terri Pilarski, photo by Nick Bell

I am prone to waking up with ear worms. Sometimes I have no idea where the song has come from. But lately, because I have a two year old grand daughter, I wake up with songs like “Elmo’s World” or “When you learn something you new you do the happy dance.” But this morning I work with a song in my head and I knew exactly why it was there - it’s the ever of Pentecost and we’ve come here today to witness and celebrate the ordination of Anthony and Mitch: Breathe on me breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what thou does love, and do what thou wouldst do.  Like everyone who is ordained, these two have travelled a long journey. In this diocese that means going  through EYSJ, parish discernment, seminary, field education, and more, which has culminated in this day.  So now Anthony and Mitch have completed seminary and are ready for this big day. if their seminary formation was anything like mine, they learned a whole new language, church language of theolo

There are words inside of me, challenging, difficult words emotional, reactive words words that reveal my fear words that rise up again because I am confronted with old emotions, long resolved -  or so I thought -  which need to be worked through again. What do I do with these words? If I keep them inside will they fester? If I say them out loud will they  be heard as a hope to deepen understanding and not just complaining or whining or being the kind of person who keeps bleeding out words of pain - you know that kind of pain,  over and over until we all  wonder when that person  will grow up and gain insight  and maturity and maybe some reconciliation. Yeah. Those words. And those feelings.  Sure. I can hand the words  over to God.  I can do my part to be fully aware of their impact on me, the way that the words are honest and real. And the way that words are reactive and immature and reveal work still to b

Now eighteen months of  prayer, discerning, searching, wondering...  after reviewing, considering, interviewing,  listening, wondering, praying.   Now, this day,  the day of an election  who will be elected Bishop?   Will the Holy Spirit prevail?  Will the course be set,   a prophetic course, or  one that holds the course,  the status quo,  the comfortable and safe?   Who knows?   Only time will tell.   But out of all who   made themselves vulnerable -   willing to stand  and reveal and  try to be authentic -  these four nominated  have given their all.   I pray for each of them.  One will be elected,  thrilled, humbled, honored.  Three will be broken hearted   and the loss great  and for them my prayers are   deeper, longer, grateful.   There is no saying that one  is actually better than the others.   Only that one was elected,  Bishop.   Pray this day as we vote.  Pray this day for the on