February 17, 2023

I am writing to you from the Brainerd Lakes area, where I am attending the annual ECMN clergy conference. Though only a few hours north, the weather here is quite different from what I left at home. More in line with the true Minnesota mid-February weather that we normally get "down in the Cities", as they say. Brrr! But the conference center is warm, and the company even warmer. 

This year, the title and theme of this gathering is The Hope That is in Us: Finding Jesus in the Heart of Our Story. Bishop Loya has intentionally shifted the language around this annual event from clergy conference to clergy retreat. His hope is that this can be a time to share stories and experiences, and a time to refresh both our spirits and our connections with one another. His hope is that this can be a time to remind ourselves of the why and sense of joy behind the work we do. 

At Saint Anne's annual Vestry retreat, which will take place the first weekend in March, we will be asking ourselves the same questions: Why church? Why Saint Anne's? Where is Jesus in the heart of our story as a community? I encourage all of us to consider these questions. What answers come easily? What questions linger in your mind and in your heart? Feel free to share with me, or with any Vestry member, or simply continue to ponder. There are no right or wrong answers! 

My prayer for you this week is for you to sense the why at the heart of your story. And may you find, in that sense of why, refreshment, connection, and joy.