Holiness Is Everywhere

Dear St. John’s,

During my time living at Richmond Hill, I had the honor of befriending several ministers who were on the fringe of their religious traditions. It made sense—they were living in a monastery, after all. One of my friends eventually moved to the West Coast, but we stayed in touch. I even preached at her church installation, a position she retired from a few years later.

A while back, during a catch-up call, I asked how her spiritual life was going. She replied, “It’s going great! I haven’t been to church in months.”

Although she comes from a different mainline Protestant denomination than Episcopalianism, many ministers would appreciate her tongue-in-cheek comment. After years of service, many clergy need a break not just from active ministry, but from the institution itself. Being only in my third year of ordained ministry, I can’t fully relate yet, but I imagine after 15 or 20 years, I might feel the same way.

Nowadays, my friend finds spiritual nourishment in nature, through programs at a local convent, and by reading the works of Ilia Delio—a Franciscan sister and former Villanova professor who writes and lectures on neuroscience and faith. Every now and then, she’ll also drop by a worship service, often outside the denomination where she served. She is discovering God in places she hadn't looked before.

We were due for a catch-up, so we texted the other day to set a date. After setting a time, she shared a song, that I in turn would like to pass along to you:

It’s called “Holy Now” by Peter Mayer. Click here to listen.

In Christ,

Anthony+

p.s. Thanks for the prayers, Hans is doing much better!