Dear Beloved of Trinity,
I just had the joy of being on retreat at the Washington National Cathedral with my dear friend and first boss at Christ Cathedral in Louisville, Fr. Keith Marsh, our own beloved Rev. Joanne Epply-Schmitt, and 30 other beautiful children of God. We were guided by the wisdom of John Philip Newell—spiritual teacher, speaker, and author rooted in the Celtic tradition, and former warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland.
Together, we entered a sacred time of prayer, reflection, sharing, and healing, centered on his powerful work Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World. John Philip’s teaching was a clarion call to awaken—from the slumber of disengagement and disillusionment, from the false gods of greed and power—and to be grounded again in the truth of God’s love revealed in Christ which is deep in our hearts and the truth of our identity.
He reminded us that we, as children of the Living God, are beautifully and wonderfully made. And as we live within the painful reality of a broken world, our faith is not an escape hatch; it is a sacred pathway that allows us to live as people of light and love in the midst of pain, division, and strife.
We are pilgrims on this earth—not knowing where the journey will lead, yet “seeking one’s place of resurrection, setting sail into the unknown in search of new beginnings.” (p. 222) As Newell writes, “Each one of us is a voyager. This is what the universe invites us to be in our lives and relationships, because the universe keeps changing, unfolding, evolving. Anything that resists new beginnings and new ways is finished.” (p. 248)
In this sacred time together, we received an invitation to “voyage faithfully” — even through the darkness — always looking for God’s light, always watching for “the coming of a new dawn.” (p. 248)
As we continue to live in this Easter season, may we open our hearts and souls to destinations yet unknown. For God who is faithful and loving—will surely lead us. And we, beloved voyagers, will indeed find our way home and to the coming of a new dawn.
Easter Blessings,
Paul