Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

You’re not surprised that I consider writing a vital spiritual practice.

It’s not the only one, of course. It doesn’t take the place of prayer and worship, of engaging the scriptures and taking part in the sacraments of the church.

But over the past month, I’ve become ever more convinced that writing our stories is a vital practice.

A small group from our congregation has been working its way through a new book, When Two or Three are Gathered: Spiritual Stories by Contemporary Episcopalians. Published by Forward Movement and edited by Episcopal priests Danielle Tumminio and Kate Malin, the book offers 20+ vignettes about how God touches and changes lives. The stories are framed by the five baptismal vows, and at the end of each chapter, there are questions and story prompts. 

Let me set the context a bit for you before we proceed: I haven’t taught or facilitated a small group in my church before. Sure, I’ve helped with Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, but I haven’t felt qualified enough to lead an adult class. I can’t pinpoint a scripture or put a parable into historical context. I don’t know Greek or Hebrew. And because my husband is the priest, I (rightly or wrongly) think people expect me to know all of that stuff. And my pride doesn’t want me to let people know that I don’t. 

So it was kind of a big deal for me to offer to lead this series of workshops. 

Each week the group of eight to twelve gathers and prays. We do a quick writing exercise to juice our creativity. We might read together one of the stories. And individuals share their written stories. 

I’ve learned more about the people in this group over the course of four one-hour classes than I have in 18 months at the parish. And it’s not just me who is experiencing the transforming power of the written word. One of the attendees is an introvert who, in the past, has been very uncomfortable speaking or sharing in a group. She wrote and read a beautiful story about how singing in the choir brings her closer to God. Another woman has been grappling with aging, wanting to share some life lessons with her great-grandchildren. Since the start of our classes, she’s been writing every day and remembering the lives and lessons of her mother and grandmother. 

A former Navy Seal wrote of his deep struggle with war and faith. A high school writing teacher, who spends all her time teaching, is writing for herself. And she even shared with her students her difficult story about growing up in a fundamentalist home. 

The class isn’t about the writing—although we talk about techniques, offer suggestions for improvements, and highlight powerful phrases. The class is about sharing our faith stories, about spending time reflecting upon how God is moving in our lives and how we are changed and transformed by faith. 

That is a vital practice.