Dear Grace Community,
I have been so grateful for your hospitality to me as a student. As a teaching congregation, you get it! You welcomed me so graciously even in this weird space of the pandemic. Through the questions that you asked and interest that you gave me, it was clear that you understand that you are helping future church leaders to learn and grow. That is a rare and precious gift that you give the larger Christian community!
In some congregations, they look at a student for what can they bring to the community. While that is true that each student and all of us bring to the community our gifts and talents, as teaching parish, the focus is on what the student needs to learn. Pastor Sarah reminded me consistently when I asked, “How can I be helpful?”. She would ask me, “What do you need to learn and how can we help?”
Hampered by the pandemic, my only regret is that just as I am starting to get to know you that my official time with Grace will be done soon. I start CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at Banner University on June 1. CPE is a structured program to teach seminarians by experiential learning and reflecting in a hospital, a parish or a facility.
People of Grace, you are an amazing Christian community who is intentionally asking, “What is God doing in our community and how can we join in?” It is exciting to see the ways in which you serve and adapt especially in these unprecedented times. I am so excited to hear that the prayer retreat went well and that you will be going to go on retreat more often. Perhaps I will get to join you again!
Again, thank you so much for this opportunity to be with you. I know that I will see you again even if it is in a different capacity. Blessings as you live into your call. Thank you for helping me to live into mine. We never know what door God will open but we know that God will walk with us through it regardless. We are not alone.
With respect and appreciation,
Deaconess Judi Tyler, first year seminarian student
These are pictures outside of my Dad’s apartment. As I write this, I am hearing the morning birds sing.