Renewal & Gratitude
Thirteen years ago I was fortunate to attend a conference called CREDO, a week of renewal and discernment that’s part of the ongoing development of Episcopal priests. It was a kind of structured sabbath, where rest and prayer was integrated into formation around healthy practices – from exercise and diet, to emotional wellbeing, to financial security – and vocational discernment. I met colleagues who are still my friends today and set some life goals for the next decade or so.
And what were those goals, way back when? Given my station in life, they had much to do with learning how to be an effective rector and parent. I had been ordained for about 5 years, had been a rector for about a year, and had only one 2-year-old child. So much life has happened since that time: our son was born, we navigated the preschool years, learned how to support a church returning to vitality, discerned a call to Trinity Cathedral and Cleveland Ohio (and then learned how to be a Dean!), experienced the loss of a close family member, got through a pandemic…and so much more.
Through these years, the practices I learned at CREDO have sustained me and, I believe, have strengthened my ministry, helping me to better care for the people of St. Andrew’s, Greensboro and Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland. They have grounded me in the “why” of ministry, while also helping to make sure that my family has been able to thrive in whatever setting. It has allowed me to stay focused on the primary task of ministry – the care of souls entrusted to me – even amid the urgencies of church life.
After 13 years, I’ve been invited to attend CREDO for a second time in early May on the coast of North Carolina. In this new stage of life and ministry, I am grateful for the chance to return to the conference (at minimal cost to Trinity) and set new goals for the next chapter. I am grateful this chapter includes Trinity Cathedral and I find myself deeply thankful for the work that I get to do, and for the colleagues, friends, and family who are a part of my life.
I will hold you in prayer, and hope you will continue to join me in discernment of Trinity’s ministry in the seasons to come!
Faithfully,
The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens
Dean