Read the entire issue here. Now the green blade riseth Easter is one of my favorite seasons each year, filled with beautiful hymns, meaningful liturgy, and most of all, hope. Hope that love does triumph in the end, that death is not the end of the story. We’ve launched our newest series, #magnifyhope, and thanks…
Read the full issue here. #Magnifying Hope Last fall the GOL Board of Directors approved an open inquiry process for leaders across the church to learn more about GOL and inquire to join the network. For the last 16 years GOL has only received new persons via nomination from current participants. Relationships, peer-learning, and…
A time to stretch As many of you may already know, the name of the season of Lent derives from the Old English word ‘lencten’, a word related to our own English word of ‘lengthen.’ Whether this is to note that for many of us the days are beginning to grow longer, with a just…
GOL in the New Reality Our theme for this year’s Gatherings is “Mission in the New Reality” and just like life in the church, life at GOL continues to be flexible and nimble. The concept of dynamic stability came up at this past week’s Annual Board Meeting and I haven’t been able to get it…
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior in November of 1975, amid a stormy gale, and all souls on board were lost. Here in the mid-west we refer to these as the Gales of November, a heavy wind that whips up the Great Lakes. But I’ve been working to reimagine what else fresh winds…
The Seasons Turn After a long and busy summer for our family, I’m hoping to sort of slow down and breathe as we approach the season of Autumn. We live in West Michigan, and the days here are starting to cool from summer highs. The nights are downright chilly, and the leaves on the trees…
David Hoover attended our Lay Gathering Chicago in the Spring of 2023 and offers this excellent reflection on his experience: A priest friend invited me. I had never heard of the Gathering of Leaders. She said this was something that I would love and was eligible for since lay people were now also gathering. I…
The Privilege of Responsibility I’ve been stumped on what to write for this letter, not because there is nothing to say, but because there is so much taking place within and through GOL that I don’t know where to focus. The Presiding Bishop attended his first Clergy Gathering last April, our ECF Partnership continues to…
Canon Katie Clark offers this insightful reflection after attending the Chicago Lay Leader Gathering. “How did you get invited into the secret society?” This question came from a clergy colleague who has always wanted to attend Gathering of Leaders. While we both had a great laugh about her question, I had to admit that I…
The Rev. Jen Fulton offers this essay on her experience at the 2023 Kanuga Clergy Gathering: A wise woman once said to me, “I love Jesus, but I don’t always care for His fan club.” It is probably not very priestly to admit this, but I completely empathize with this sentiment. I don’t care for…