Ministry as Vocation Conference

This last October I was invited to join the Admissions staff at the Pacific School of Religion to spend a weekend staying on campus, learning about their programs, and sitting in a sacred space of discernment.  The admissions office was so interested in having me come find out if PSR was a good fit for me that they gave me free room and board for the weekend and even helped pay part of my airfare from New York.


What I discovered when I got there was that in addition to all of the academic and university focused discussions and informational sessions, the staff, teachers, and students were all extremely present.  They offered time to consider God's plans for our lives and honored the different spiritual paths that people were coming in with.  Despite the overwhelming Christian identity, they talked about the Goddess and the All in unison with their discussions of God.  The inclusivity and awareness to make space for difference was almost overwhelming.

The weekend changed me.  I sat in a pew and sang songs from my childhood in church.  I opened part of myself that I haven't opened since I was a young girl and my family was all still alive.  It was challenging and I felt extremely vulnerable.

Coming out of there, I knew I would attend PSR.  I still had to finish my application, but I knew I belonged there and they proved to me that they genuinely wanted me to become part of their community.  These people, regardless of the name they give their spiritual path, have an incredible amount to teach me about faith, ministry, and agape.