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Autumn Greetings

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I remember some years back, driving my yellow Beetle in some quickly falling snow from my office at St. Thomas More, Lynnwood, to nearby Trinity Lutheran. I had some flyers to deliver for a joint event we were hosting with Trinity, Maplewood Presbyterian, and Good Shepherd American Baptist. It was growing dark and I seemed to be the only car on the road in the gathering twilight. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw the zig-zag pattern left by my tires in the new-fallen snow. It was one of those God Moments for me.

 "Look!" I said aloud in delight to nobody there, "I am stitching the churches together!" The snow, I knew, would melt, but what I had done, I trusted, would remain.  

That image is still, for me, a symbol of what I strive for my ministry to be, a service of love, stitching God's people together. Today's newsletter is that kind of criss-cross offering which pleases me to no end. I delight in introducing folks to some of the wisdom from other Christian traditions, a rich and blessed exchange. 

I first met Elisa Morgan some years ago when she spoke at Advent Lutheran, Mill Creek, WA and I was asked to create a prayer service to introduce her topic and the title of the book she'd recently released, THE BEAUTY OF BROKEN. She was a dynamite speaker, we connected, have stayed in touch, and I have followed her weekly blog ever since. I am so pleased and honored to be the guest writer this week for,Really, Elisa's blog.

met Elisa Morgan

You may recognize my theme from WHY THESE WOMEN,"What Does it Take?" To take a look at what I wrote:

 click here for Kathleen's guest blog

If you are interested in learning more about Elisa and her ministry, click here: Elisa

Mark Your Calendar, December 2-3 Holy Questions to Prepare Our Hearts: An Advent Retreat

So happy to be partnering once again with St. Placid's Priory, Lacey WA for an Advent Retreat, Friday eve, Dec. 2nd and Saturday, Dec. 3rd. St. Placid's is now open for in-person retreatants. Thanks to their new Hybrid Zoom technology, folks may participate from anywhere via Zoom or those in the Seattle/Portland area may experience the full getaway of a weekend retreat in the peaceful setting of The Priory. Weekend retreatants will join the rest of us via Zoom on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday evening and have the remainder of their weekend for quiet, contemplation, and prayer with the sisters of the Benedictine Community.

Together we will prepare our hearts for Advent using my book, WHY THESE WOMEN: Four Stories You Need to Read Before You Read the Story of Jesus.  

WHY THESE WOMEN grew out of that first year of the pandemic when we were confronted with the question of how will Christmas happen? Will Christmas happen? There was a heightened sense that this year was different from all other years, that we must do something in order for Christmas to come. 

Every Advent should begin with such awareness and urgency!

"For the purpose of Advent is not that we await the coming of Christ; it is that Christ waits upon our awaiting. In the mystery of God's great longing for us, Christ does not, cannot come without the beckoning of our need and deep desire. Lest our hearts become the manger, where will He be received?" (WTW, pp. 10-11).

Join me as together we revisit and explore the pages of WHY THESE WOMEN for the Advent wisdom they contain.  Cost of the retreat includes a free copy of WHY THESE WOMEN.  If you already own a copy, $15 will be deducted from your fee or you may designate another person to receive your free copy.

An Advent Retreat

Details of the retreat will be included in my next newsletter or you may visit St Placid website in the interim where they will be posting details as soon as they are available.

Plus, more good news, we hope this partnering will be followed in the new year by more hybrid Zoom sessions as St. Placid hosts a 4-part series, one session on each of the four women in WHY THESE WOMEN.  Details coming soon!

Just too happy not to share the good news that at last I am able to lead an in-person retreat. It will be for the women of All Saints Episcopal Church, Bentonville, AR, on Saturday, December 10th. Our theme is inspired by the joyous news of Mary's response to Gabriel:

"She said Yes!"

Drawing upon the materials from past Advent retreats, this new retreat offers a fresh look at that pivotal moment that changed all of human history, the moment when angels awaited and a young girl said, "Yes!"

There is still some time and a few dates available. If you, too, are looking at what to do for Advent--or after, please contact me: Interested in a retreat.

Mural at All Saints

Mural at All Saints / Todo Los Santos, Bentonville, AR

One more before I sign off.  Many of my readers are well aware of the death last month of Frederick Buechner, 1926-2022. He was a Presbyterian minister and one of the most widely read spiritual writers of his generation. He may not, however, be known to those of you with different backgrounds. I looked through my book shelves and measure more inches given over to his books than any other author. (Madeline L'Engle and Thomas Merton are tied for second). Here's an excerpt from one of his memoirs, NOW AND THEN:

Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and the pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is a grace. 

Frederick Buechner

I am, at last, ready to embrace Fall! It does, among other things, turn our thoughts to "what next?" I hope you have found a couple answers to that in today's newsletter. 

LOVE hearing from you. Feel free to once again, share with me your thoughts or questions at Contact Kathleen

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