Today I presented and defended (to a very generous crowd) my project, Building Benedict—Benedict Builds: Benedictine Wisdom in Building Leaders who Build Communities in a Seismic Age. My mentors, including Winn Collier, Mandy Smith, and Trygve Johnson granted their approval!
I made sure to wear my Theta Community t-shirt under my very professional sweater, as they have been the people where all this teaching first got particularized, concrete, and tangible.
Every other presentation has elevated the work we have all done, as they have, with affectionate and arduous engagement, offered their “unique and substantial contribution to the Church.” Imagine having devoted and deeply thoughtful and prayerful mentors, and also having classmates who you would want to be your retreat leader (prayerful life) or conference speaker (insightful content), and most importantly, your pastor.
There is so much more to say, but that is enough for now. Here is a copy of my acknowledgments page:
● Joy and family: My first and most important community. You put the ‘mission’ in permission. Thank you for helping me reflect more deeply.
● The Theta Community: This project would be abstract and theoretical if it were not for you. You made it real. You convince me that Jesus walks among us day after day in our community.
● Trinity Lutheran Church, elders, leadership team, and all the faithful--a parish that is a laboratory for the Spirit: Creative. Generative. Fruitful. Gifted. Thank you for making space and embracing a greenhouse in the city.
● Winn, Mandy, and Trygve, and the whole Eugene Peterson Center at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. I knew I needed something. God knew I needed you.
● Collegeville Institute, The Alcuin Library and staff, the Monks at St. Johns and the Nuns at St. Bens. Especially Sister Katherine Kraft.
● Greenhouse Collective including: Faith Greenhouse, The Awaken Project (Mount Carmel), Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute, and the Discipleship House at the World Mission Prayer League, confrères with us in a community-commitment to a rhythm and rule. Thanks to WMPL for generously lending me the Camry for my month-long Fellowship at the Collegeville Institute.
● Pastoral Leadership Seminar, fellow servants exploring the pastoral vocation, and final editors who helped shape this writing to be more readable and understandable.
● To Tiffany Anderson for head smart and heart wise editing, Laken for adding to the beauty, and Morgan Binfet for lots of find and replace.
● Arne and Deb Christenson, Gospel patrons.
● Sts. Benedict and Scholastica. Twin parents who bless their spiritual children’s way. It isn’t my habit to intercede to saints, but if it was, I would pray the following prayer found at the shrine of Benedict at Fleury, St. Benoît sur Loire, France which is loosely translated from French by Esther de Waal:
“Today I find that I am the person who has left home and has lost the key to get myself back there. Benedict, your message is an invitation to interiority. Your experience is that of the person who regains their sense of themselves. Benedict, teach us the return to the heart.”[1]
[1] Esther de Waal, A Life-Giving Way: A Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict. (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1995), xi.
Hallelujah !!!
Hurrah, H u r r a h, H U R R A H -!!
And I am certain that somewhere in Justus' spirit, there is a boisterous,
"Praise the Lord and Hallelujah-!!!"
Congratulations!, Jayn