Submitted from Nancy Enderle, director, Center for Clergy Renewal
As part of their experience with the Center for Clergy Renewal (CCR), pastors submit written assessments about their spiritual renewal and how their time at Holy Wisdom helps them thrive in ministry. After their summer immersion, pastors reflect on the following questions:
- What are you noticing about your spiritual life (both your individual spirit and your spiritual practices) in the time since you applied to be in the cohort?
- What actions/behaviors or contemplative practices are you choosing and why?
- What sense do you have at this point about how the changes in your spiritual life might affect your ministry and other areas of your life?
After their second immersion in the winter, pastors are invited to respond to the prompt:
- Being bold about the good things happening in you, what story can you tell that reflects positive growth or renewal within you now or that you believe is beginning to take place?
These assessments create opportunities for pastors to reflect deeply on their lives and share those thoughts with me (Nancy Enderle). I meet with each pastor individually to provide feedback and support as they think about their immersion experience and how it has impacted them personally and professionally. Some of the inspiring observations that pastors have shared include:
“I am noticing my spiritual life is deeper than I can ever recall. Having been given the tools of contemplative listening and prayer, the chance to practice them, and now after the winter retreat with a chance to tune those skills as well as write a rule of life, I feel as though for the first time, I have a spiritual life.”
“I’ve noticed two things about my spiritual life and spiritual practices. The first is how necessary these practices are for the flourishing of my spirit. I feel and am so much more whole when I take the time to regularly and consistently engage in spiritual practices. And, I’ve also noticed, that life is crazy and so full. There are still some days when, despite my commitment and the fact that I know spiritual practices is necessary and good for me, I still run out of time, energy, etc. and don’t practice them. One of my colleagues made the profound statement that every day we can always begin again, and that’s my current commitment to spiritual practice. Rather than getting hung up on the ways I‘ve fallen short in my practice, I simply do it. When I do it, it’s a good day.”
“I feel renewed energy in leading worship and, for the first time in a very long time, feel like I am in the place I am supposed to be in. I have so much gratitude for that feeling. I have had several tricky situations in the past month, and instead of spiraling into doubt and despair, I feel I am better able to claim what is mine, to draw the boundaries that are healthy and good, and know that, in it all, I am a person worthy of respect and care and even kindness.”
Thank you for keeping the pastors of CCR and all pastors in your prayers. Thank you for sharing the gifts of Holy Wisdom so generously.