I’d resisted attending previous Minister’s Retreats, as I heard you spend the weekend working with your ministerial blessing and finding your ministry within it. Well, I couldn’t imagine a weekend of processes involving my ministerial blessing: it was lame. I’d been ordained eight years prior and to say I had never connected with my blessing would be a big understatement. However, I didn’t find this a problem until my husband was ordained and received an amazing blessing. Some couples have strife over finances and work loads, but my marital strife was over his-blessing-is-better-than-my-blessing. Time for a fix.

So I headed off to join 21 other ministers at serene Camp Ronora in Watervliet Michigan for “The Blessings of Your Ministry” retreat May 2-4, 2003. My game plan was to make peace with my blessing or see if it was kosher to adopt another minister’s blessing or even my husbands’. After all, we were sharing karma, weren’t we?

After a weekend of renewing friendships with ministers from St. Louis, Philly, Michigan, Chicago area and Indiana, eating incredible food prepared by the loving Camp Renora staff (using the new MSIA no garlic, onion, pork Cookbook!), hiking incredible trails alive with Spring flora, and, yes, reluctantly participating in processes involving my ministry and blessing, I am happy to report that I have a great blessing. It’s just perfect for me and it’s very powerful. I have a new direction I wish to travel with my ministry. And no, it’s not my husband’s, it’s not from the Blessings of Light book that lists a number of ministerial blessings. Guess again! It’s my own blessing! My own blessing has now come alive with the Traveler’s love and the retreat energy.

A big thanks to Deborah Martinez (the NDH webmaster!) for stepping out behind her bank of computers to facilitate the retreat and a warm thanks to Callie Coburn, John Mikel and their team for manifesting such a sweet and blessed event.