Stuff that Makes Hearts Sing

I've been in ministry for over 36 years--having graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in the Spring of 1984--however, this past summer was my first official and all-expense paid Summer Sabbatical.

It started two years ago when folks from Rio Grande Presbyterian Church and I decided to dedicate some of our time and energy to develop a shared vision and submit a grant to the Lilly Foundation and Endowment answering its question: "What Makes Your Hearts Sing?"

"Clergy Renewal Grants" are designed to refresh congregations and their pastors, and the Lilly Endowment has been blessing congregations of all shapes and sizes and denominations with their generosity in supporting the work of Christ in congregations, seminaries, universities and programs meant to be a blessing to others.

We started work on this grant in September 2020, and submitted it in April of 2021  By August we learned that our grant was accepted, and received funding for our shared vision in October. I mention all this because 1)it takes a long time to develop a shared vision and 2) time to put the vision on paper (in our case it took 10 months);  and 3)more time--another 10 months!-- to share the vision with others, and recruit/invite them to get involved!

The Lilly Foundation, which receives "Clergy Renewal Grants" every April, looks for congregations that are supportive of their pastor and willing to partner in a shared vision that, with God's help and theirs, will come to fruition as they work together.  

Our work together involved coming up with two themes namely "Exploring the Roots of Our Faith as   it Relates to Churches in New Mexico" and "The Roots of Our Faith and Origins as a Family."  The congregation chose the former and I chose the latter themes.  All of us chose to explore our faith in relation to learning from people of other cultures, races, perspectives and worldviews.

My portion of the grant allowed me to share what I believe are extra-ordinary places of faith with my family who, up until now, had never experienced them with me.

A grant from the Lilly Endowment gave us time and funds to attend a retreat at Laity Lodge, along the Frio River in Leakey, TX (a great place for rest and renewal!); The Glen Arts and Faith Workshop held, for the first time, at the University of North Carolina in Asheville--bringing  artists, musicians and writers together from around the world (my workshop was with Richard Chess an outstanding Jewish poet/writer/UNCA professor of 30 years); and Koinonia Farm, an intentional Christian community founded by the Rev. Clarence Jordan whose commitment to Christ's love and inter-racial justice has been blossoming for over 75 years in the pecan orchards they annually harvest.

Millard Fuller met Clarence back in the 50's and, together, they founded Habitat for Humanity.  An exceptional  man of faith, Clarence routinely held off the Ku Klux Klan, as well as others, threatening to close the farm and throw them out of southern Georgia. 

Traveling to Koinonia Farm brought me full-circle. Although I never met Clarence, I'd preached plenty of sermons about him; and a few years after meeting Millard Fuller, I founded Habitat Campus Chapters at Vanderbilt and Princeton Universities where I served in campus ministry.

This summer I got to visit Clarence and Millard's graves. They're buried next to one another on "Picnic Hill",  a ridge above Koinonia Farm. Steven, a member there, drove my family and I up to their graves where we planted a small rose bush in their honor, one below the tree where Millard Fuller's hammer is still stuck there, in the trunk, his only memorial plaque 

This summer was, also, the passing of my beloved childhood pastor, The Reverend Dr. David Poling. He was the one after all who brought Millard Fuller to downtown Frist Presbyterian Church to speak one summer afternoon. I was 17-years-old, and resonated, even then, with Millard's story. Between David Poling's invitation and Millard Fuller's talk, something in the trajectory of my life changed--as God's grace is wrought to do.

A Lilly Endowment grant--given 46 years later--refreshed me and the congregation I've served the past sixteen years.

All of this just to say "Thank You".

Thank you to God's grace, God's people, and a very generous grant from the Lilly Endowment that, I believe, did refresh our hearts, 'make them sing', and maybe even changed a few life trajectories? 



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