Last week we gathered
As United Methodists,
As Episcopalians,
As clergy and lay,
As people with different opinions
On the politics of the day,
And we considered "God's welcome."
We listened and laughed,
Prayed and praised,
Wondered and worshiped,
Sat in silence together.
We welcomed guests
From Bolivia.
Our words translated
From English to Spanish,
From Spanish to English.
We communicated with smiles,
With gestures,
With love.
We broke bread together
Around tables in the dining hall
And in the beauty of St. Francis Chapel.
One loaf, one cup, one body of Christ.
We talked and listened and wrestled
About difficult things.About topics
That often leave us divided, broken.
Yet we remained one people
Even in diversity.
Willing to admit
"I might be wrong."
"You might be right."
"It's ok to think or believe differently."
We are still one body,
Welcomed with love
Into the heart of God.
Reflections on a rich week at a 5-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation. The topic, "God's Welcome." The location, Camp McDowell, the camp of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. The Faculty: Amy Oden and Kee Sloan. We gathered and were richly blessed.
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