Leaving Room for Unexpected Blessings

When I planned my professional development leave I envisioned this period at Virginia Seminary as a time of reading and study in connection with my Doctor of Ministry program at Hartford Seminary. While that is still central to this time, I have been reminded -- yet once again -- that God often has other plans for us. Yesterday -- when I did NO study -- was a good example.
Worship. Virginia Seminary's chapel offers worship opportunities morning, noon and evening. Yesterday I attended a traditional morning prayer service, the Holy Eucharist (Rite II and Enriching our Worship) at noon, and in the evening a contemporary Evensong with guitars and a bongo drum. All three were opportunities to experience God's presence with this community in different ways -- on a day when the community was mourning the lay off of several beloved staff members.
Ecumenical Relations. Last evening Ian Markham (formerly of Trinity and Dean of Hartford Seminary, now President and Dean of VTS) invited me to participate in a dinner meeting involving local ecumenical leaders as they explored the development of a course through the Washington Theological Consortium that would focus on a shared ecumenical experience. Ian's model, of course, was the tremendously successful Building Abrahamic Partnerships course at Hartford Seminary, in which Trinity participates twice a year as a host parish. It was a lively discussion to which, surprisingly to me, I was able to contribute. The seeds for the discussion had been sown over months of luncheon meetings and more casual conversations; the fruit of those more informal times was a productive gathering in which a new course was developed for Fall 2009. It was a reminder of how the nurturing of relationships over time is so important to building the level of trust that allows people and groups of differing backgrounds to engage joint ventures to the glory of God.
Re-creation. Although I hesitate to call it this, yes, I did stay up past 1:30 a.m. to watch UConn ultimately lose to Syracuse. Painful . . .
Today, I am at an all-day seminary as part of VTS's "Fridays at the Seminary" program. Today's topic is "Living with Fear and Good News in a Time of Crisis." Approximately 35 Christian leaders from the Washington area have signed up to hear presentations and engage in discussion about how the church can and should respond in this time of economic crisis. And then, yes, I am meeting with Professor Rich Jones, professor of Mission here at VTS, to discuss that reading I am going to get to . . .
More to come tomorrow. Have a blessed day! Your brother in Christ, Don+