August Newsletter Article

Dear Friends in Christ,

While away on vacation, Cyndi has offered me yet another wonderful internship experience by allowing me to contribute to this month’s newsletter. I’d like to start by saying THANK YOU for being so welcoming and kind. If any parish knows how to welcome with arms and hearts wide open, it has been you. Discernment is a wonderful experience, but it can also be a vulnerable one. You have been supportive, making this internship feel comfortable and safe. Just last Sunday, I was able to preach my first sermon (since a Youth Sunday sermon my junior year of high school) with a calm heart, surprisingly anxiety free, because I knew that your smiling faces were in front of me.

Last Saturday, I sent off our J2A pilgrims and their leaders into the beautiful and deeply sacred scenery of the southwest. What a treat to be able to participate in such a service - a spiritual focusing, a blessing, and a gentle reminder to keep God in the forefront of their minds throughout their journey. I made a pilgrimage, of sorts, with my mom while in college and it was an unforgettable experience. We spent about three weeks in January driving from Georgia to California in her little Mazda Miata. To give a purpose to our road trip, I earned school credit by performing an independent study on Native American spirituality and religion. We made very few concrete plans before we hit the road and just enjoyed a meandering exploration of our country. The parts of that trip that I remember the most are the times when we were practically struck dumb by the sheer presence of the sacred in the desert. Whether looking out at the snow covered mesas,or hiking on a trail surrounded by old petroglyphs scratched into stone, God was there.

There are so many distractions in life and I sometimes forget just how good it feels when I consistently tend to my relationship with God and remain aware of His presence in the world. When I manage to keep a grasp on the presence of the Holy Spirit, it is supremely rewarding. Those memories I cherish most tend to be enhanced by my memory of God’s presence. I can’t think of them without a smile. I want those warm, spiritual memories for our pilgrims this week and they will remain in my prayers.

As I locked up the chapel and watched our pilgrims drive away to the airport - and again as I sit here on the deck surrounded by mountains, the valleys and blue sky - I’m reminded of a song we used to sing during Compline at summer camp. Here is the refrain, written by Lanny Wolfe, that is playing on loop in my head:

Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty
power and His grace
I can hear the brush of
angels’ wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place

I hope that as life settles into it’s fall routine, we all carve out some time to sit and witness God’s creation and all of it’s glory. The beauty of this world is a great gift, let’s enjoy it.

Love in Christ,
Anne Clark