Sign of the Dove

 

"Sign of the Dove"

I am a country chapel girl sitting in a magnificent cathedral

Waiting for a friend’s glorious ordination in which

By some extraordinary grace, I am reading a lectionary Scripture.

The service begins with pomp and pageantry all around:

Pipe organ and choir, vestments and chalices.

It seems so formal that I hope I don’t make a mistake

When I ascend to the lectern at my appointed time.

Then I see, at the front of the grand processional

A sign of divine grace that makes my heart leap:

A man in a robe swirling a beribboned pole  

With a white fabric dove swooping and bobbing 

Fluttering along wherever it will.

That dove is the sign of the Holy Spirit

Who is not at all tethered to a pole with a silken cord.

I instantly know in my own spirit that

The Holy Spirit moves where the Holy Spirit wants to move.

The Holy Spirit does what the Holy Spirit wants to do.

The Holy Spirit is not bound by human plans.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty!

The Holy Spirit sets me free to worship and love and serve

So I am filled to the fullness – alleluia!

I ascend to the lectern with confidence

To speak forth the Word of the Lord (Thanks be to God!)

With exuberance and joy among his holy saints

Knowing that the Holy Spirit who has led us all to this place

Is the Holy Spirit who still moves all around the world

Doing the mighty work of the Lord far beyond

All we could ask or even imagine – alleluia!

~~~~

This is a video of the dove on the pole during the recessional after the ordination. 

In my last poem, Echo of the Sacred Story,  I reflected on an Advent sermon by my dear friend Patricia Orlando. This newest poem is inspired by her ordination on May 22, 2022, at the same place, The Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando.

(In this photo, the people I recognize are Bishop Greg Brewer who is seated, Patricia in the white robe, and her husband Michael in the black suit.)

I was absolutely thrilled when Patricia asked me to read a lectionary passage at the service. She knows how much I love to do this at our "country chapel" which is actually at a retreat center overlooking a lake. Beyond that, though, it is just such huge honor for me to be chosen out of all of the people she could have picked. The Old Testament passage was read so marvelously by Dr. Jeff Frymire, professor of preaching at our own Asbury Theological Seminary. I was assigned to 1 Peter 5:1-11, which is about the responsibility of a pastor to serve a congregation with humility and grace. 

But I did feel nervous! I practiced before the service at the lectern and tried to listen carefully as they gave me liturgical instructions such as, "Bow to the verger before you start reading." Of course, I forgot that entirely once I got up there to do my thing. My mind was only on the Word, my friend, and the rest of the precious saints in the beautiful building. The video below begins when I start my reading.

So it was the dove on the pole -- and the glorious liberty of the Holy Spirit -- which set my mind at ease and reminded me why we were all really there: to worship and glorify the Lord, who is Spirit.

Apparently, the dove on the pole is often used during the season of Pentecost (which marks the descent of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2) in liturgical churches. This service was just before Pentecost, so I guess they broke theirs out early at the cathedral. The video above is from the recessional. Our small Episcopal chapel (below) had a dove on a much shorter pole on actual Pentecost Sunday.

A word about alleluia in my poem: I wrote this in there first because it seemed so fitting in worship, but then I realized that it's also an inside joke. In our liturgy, we don't say the usual alleluias during the season of Lent, saving it for Easter. But I'm a bit of a rebel, so most weeks I would still whisper it loudly at the regular spots, and Patricia would nudge me and whisper it back to me.

So, ALLELUIA! And congratulations, Mother Patricia!

Echo of the Sacred Story

In the resounding Echo of the Grandest Narrative,
Hear your own invitation to the Sacred Story.
Say along with the saints:
“Be it done to me according to your Word!”
Imagine and realize what this means:
What wonder and honor
To be an ambassador of grace and mercy
On a mission of redemption in this world!
Then be filled with joy in your eager heart,
For in this moment,
The God of Glory becomes bigger than the world around you
You will find your purpose or, shall we say, 

Your Purpose will find you
As you listen within the quiet and within the noise.
Listen for that echo!
Enter his Mansion of Joy:
Explore each doorway, gaze out each window,
Dwell in each new place you find,
And feast at each table, sharing the riches of the Word
Singing a Magnificat of praises with thanksgiving
And inviting others into the Sacred Story
Welcome home!

~~

I wrote this poem as a reflection of a sermon by Rev. Patricia Orlando, my dear friend and mentor. A transitional deacon awaiting her ordination as an Episcopal priest this spring, she is on the pastoral staff at the Cathedral of St. Luke in downtown Orlando. I visited there the Sunday before Christmas 2021 when she was preaching this message on the ministry and Magnificat of Mary. 

In some ways, this is a "found poem" since I wove in the words from the notes I scribbled on an offering envelope.

  

I usually write an Advent poem each year. This one would have been perfect for 2021, but I didn't write it until earlier this month. 

These words encourage me today as I contemplate where I fit in with the Grand Narrative, what my specific ministry is as I move forward. Echoing my poem, I know I am "an ambassador of grace and mercy on a mission of redemption in this world." I have always said that God leads me in unusual ways, with unexpected twists and turns. I continue to wait, work, and pray as he shows me what is next in my life. As this stained glass window reminds me, the Lord is my Shepherd and he leads me on the path. 

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles

You may also like to read some of my more recent Advent poems. 

• Dear Bezalel (An Advent Poem for Artists) - 2019
• We Can Rise - 2018
• God of Joy, I See Thee - 2017
• Bring Me - 2015
• Pure Devotion - 2014

At Church of the Incarnation (where I attend), we are studying the book Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love on Wednesday evenings. (We eat soup together first!) I read this poem during our breakout group at the last meeting. I wrote it many years ago, but it seems to fit not only with that study but with this current poem. Here's the link: Bella Sophia (Lady Wisdom Sets Her Table).

Virginia's Life: Summer 2021 Update!

Dear friends,

It's been over a year since I've written here on this blog, except for the poem and road trip photo journal I just posted today. I thought I'd give you an update!

Asbury Seminary

The biggest thing that has happened in the last year is that I graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Ministry on May 15 at the Orlando campus ceremony! I wish we could have had our guests come in person but at least they could watch the live stream. Seminary took me just three years since this degree is only 48 credits. Since I didn't have to take Greek or Hebrew or any of the other most difficult classes, I managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA. 

I have always said, and still say with all my heart, "Asbury gave me my life back!" I met amazing people, learned so much about theology and ministry, raised abuse advocacy awareness among students and faculty, and gained confidence in my calling. 

I also had the wonderful opportunity to work for two of my professors for two semesters. I was a Practical Theology course assistant, which meant grading papers, interacting on the discussion boards, teaching a Zoom session on research methodology, and coaching students on their writing projects. For the other professor, I evaluated doctoral ministry student term papers. 

I flew up to the Wilmore, Kentucky campus this spring for my Transformative Teaching class. This dear professor, Dr. Beverly Johnson-Miller, taught my Practical Theology class last spring and had hired me as her course assistant in the fall. She pulled me aside after class to commend and commission me for my ministry, especially with empowering those in crisis situations. Her words were priceless. I wish I had a recording of them. I am so blessed.

What's Next?

Many people have asked what I will do with my seminary degree. I was tempted at first to try to find some big new thing, like church employment or training in spiritual direction. However, the more I contemplated this, the more I realized that right now I just need to quietly focus on what is already in front of me, which is more than enough. I'd rather go deep and do it well than spread myself too thin. In a few years (when my youngest graduates from high school) I will be able to reassess my direction and pursue more "ministry" opportunities.

So here is what I am doing for now:

• I am almost done writing another book, Burned: Rising from the Ashes of Spiritual Crisis. It's filled with restorative spiritual practices, mainly for people who have been burned up or burned out with their religious experiences but really for anyone who wants a closer connection with God. I started writing it last summer after hearing, "It's time to write another book!" while I was praying. This was a surprise to me. People have been telling me I should, but I kept answering, "I just don't have time right now!" But I took it as a word from the Lord and started writing. I knew it was going to take an awful lot of careful preparation, so I only took one class that fall semester: an independent research course on crisis and spirituality. I read about 2,200 pages and wrote half the book. I also attended the Florida Christian Writer's Conference as my "field trip" for the class. In the spring semester, in addition to the two other classes I needed to graduate, I did a second independent research course and continued to read (another 2,200 pages!) and write. Now I've got about four chapters and an extensive appendix left to write. Please check out the website and hit the subscribe button! If this book launches well, I will continue to write other books.

• I am active in my own congregation with the Scripture, prayer, and greeting ministries. I also teach Transplanted, a women's Bible study on the Psalms, every other week on Zoom.

• I still work part-time from home for the United Way 211 crisis and referral helpline, which also serves the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in our area. I've been there for three years and recently passed my AIRS certification.

• Next month I start teaching middle school and high school language arts in a local homeschool program one day per week. I love teaching this subject at these grade levels, and I am so grateful for the extra income. It's been several years since I taught in the classroom, so I'm also glad I took a Transformative Teaching class in my last semester of seminary.

• I am still homeschooling my youngest daughter for the rest of high school, which is another three years. I think this makes about 30 years of homeschooling so far if you count preschool with my oldest.

My Kids

• My almost 16 year old daughter will be in my language arts class, as well as a studio art class in the homeschool program. She has done an amazing job getting her bedroom in order this past year with mega-organizing. Her dad came over to help her paint, and she's redone all of her decorating as well. I am so proud of her!

• My 18 year old son graduated from public high school in May and is joining the Navy. He leaves for boot camp in Illinois at the end of this month and then will train in aircraft mechanics in northwest Florida. I'm going to miss him so much! Wahhhh! Though raised in our Protestant home, he was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic church at Easter. He now has quite a collection of icons, rosaries, crucifixes, and beautiful things which reflect his faith. We have the loveliest conversations.

• My 20 year old daughter is a college student and a customer service manager. She has taken a lot of very hard science courses but hasn't yet decided on her major. She is very active in student leadership on her campus and enjoys frequent trips to the beach. She still lives at home.

• My 22 year old son, who joined the Navy last year, finished his course at the Defense Language Institute in California last month and is awaiting orders for his next assignment. He continues to compose amazing music.

• My 24 year old son works full-time and lives nearby; he had COVID last year and was out of work for a month but has made a full recovery. He is an excellent chef. I think he should open a catering business someday.

• My 26 year old daughter is a ceramics artist and restaurant server. She and her husband are building a house near St. Augustine and will be reclaiming her dog Persephone who has been living with me for several years.

• My 28 year old daughter, a licensed marriage and family therapist just started in private practice specializing in religious trauma. She and her husband live in Melbourne, Florida. 

• My 30 year old daughter is a hospital RN and lives nearby. I was hospitalized for a few days last year and was lucky enough to get a bed in her cardiovascular progressive care unit. She took some time off and monitored my care from my room. She loves to travel with her next younger sister. They went for a western national parks adventure this past year. She lives with her kitty and housemates.

• My 32 year old daughter has been managing a legal office but has reduced her hours. She and her husband have two children and three cats and live nearby. They frequently also visit his family's cabin in North Carolina. I love that she is well connected with great friends. 

• My 34 year old daughter started her own business from home with public relations, writing, editing, and web design. She and her husband both homeschool their four children. They all live nearby with their dog.

Travel

• My two youngest children and I took a road trip last month to Maryland and back. You can see my photo journal of that here: Road Trip 2021!

• My youngest daughter and I also took a trip to St. Petersburg, Florida for two days to see art museums. We especially loved the Imagine and Chihuly glass art museums.

Right now I am scrambling to get as many house projects done as I can before school starts in just a few weeks!

One last thing: I just posted a poem about a mourning dove on this blog today. It's in honor of my mother, who passed away eight years ago today. You can find it here: What Do I Know?

That's all for now folks!

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles

Road Trip 2021!

Road Trip 2021!

Last month, my youngest daughter and I embarked on 15 day road trip to Maryland to see my dad and my sister. We drove three days to get there, visiting family and friends and cool stuff along the way. My youngest son flew up halfway through our trip and spent a few days with us in Maryland. Then the three of us spent three days driving home, visiting even more family and fascinating sights. This is my photo journal of the trip which includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland -- and back through the same states again. 

On the Road

Our first stop, St. Augustine, is only 100 miles from home. My fifth daughter lives there with her husband. I'm not sure why we didn't get any pictures of them, but I did snap one of the spicy potato tacos they made for us!

Side Trip to Greenville, South Carolina!

We spent the night in Orangeburg, South Carolina so we could make it to Greensville by lunchtime. About a week before we left, I commented on a random Facebook post about survivor advocacy.

Kristi (on the right), was intrigued by what I wrote and invited me to lunch if I was ever in Greensville, South Carolina. As it turned out,
we'd be driving within a few hours of there on our road trip -- so we took a detour! We were joined by our mutual friend Rebecca, an author whose books I love. These two women are the force behind the survivor advocacy group BJU Grace. I am so grateful for our time talking about our work and lives.

Durham, NC

We drove from Greenville to Durham, North Carolina to meet up with my second cousin Jean for pizza. Jean has been my dear friend for the past fifteen years since we reconnected at a family reunion. I appreciate her emotional support during some of my tumultuous times since then!

We spent the night in Durham and then visited the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in the morning. It was hot so we only stayed about two or three hours. 

I love cathedrals and had been wanting to visit Duke Chapel. Unfortunately, it is closed to visitors right now so we had to be content with driving by. 

Long Road, Tired Mama!

By this time, after our long hot walk in the gardens, exhaustion started to set in. I realized as we were driving through Virginia that I needed to recharge. We stopped at a rest area where I took a short nap. The traffic was so bad when we finally got to I-95 that we had to skip a planned visit to see my friend Karen that evening. 

Maryland at Last!

Of our 15 day trip, we spent nine days in Maryland, mainly visiting with my Dad and his wife Anny, as well as my sister Barb and her family. Our visits to my sister's house included a lot of kitty cuddling for my daughter.

I am so happy that I got to visit with my friend Sharon just north of Baltimore. We hadn't seen each other since our sophomore year in high school!

We also had a belated Father's Day dinner at Bob Evans the day my son flew up to join us.

Anny (at left in the photo above) feeds the deer in the backyard every day!

We visited a park at the Patuxent Branch for a short walk.

I brought home the family Bible that belonged to my great-grandparents, Lily and William Brazier. It's got all sorts of goodies tucked in, many in Lily's handwriting.

Another religious artifact from my dad's house, a little more modern, is the Jesus poster I gave to my late mother when I was a teenager. I brought it home, of course.

While we were in Maryland, my kids went down to Washington, D.C. with my nephew and his girlfriend. They visited the museum at Ford's Theatre (where Lincoln was assassinated), the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the Lincoln Memorial. The museums both require timed entry tickets reserved in advance.

A Little Mishap While Loading the Van!

While I loaded the van for our trip home the next morning, I accidentally stepped on a bottle of motor oil which slid out from under the seat. It spilled all over the place. We (mainly my son) spent hours cleaning it up using baking soda to soak up the oil. Lots of scooping and scraping, then layering plastic bags and luggage over it to cover the residual stickiness and smell on the way home! I still need to take it to be professionally cleaned. 

Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park

Finally on the road back home! We had big plans for the day but didn't get to do everything since we got a late start. The first item on the agenda was to drive 30 miles of Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. The speed limit is 35 miles an hour, but we went much slower since we stopped at most of the overlooks!

But before we even got to the park, we stopped at the Apple House for souvenirs and yummy apple donuts.

Be Strong and Courageous!

Natural Chimneys in Virginia

Our next stop was Natural Chimneys Regional Park in Mt. Solon, Virginia -- a bit off the main highway but worth the trip!

Oops! Another Van Mishap!

On our way back to the main highway, my son was having an allergy attack. I pulled over into a parking lot to find the medicine in my supply kit. I just didn't realize I parked too close to the concrete base of the sign for the country store. As soon as I started to pull out, it tore a long slice into my tire. Fortunately, three men came over pretty quickly, and two of them changed it out with my spare. My son drove us carefully into Staunton, where we arrived at the Walmart Auto Center just half an hour before closing. I tell you, if you have to have a tire blow, this is the best you can expect! Plus, I found a Virginia hat at Walmart. 

Natural Bridge State Park in Virginia

Surprisingly, even after our flat tire, we still had just enough time to visit Natural Bridge State Park. No, we hadn't had enough geological formations for the day! Though we were there less than an hour and the sun was setting, the three of us agreed it was worth the $9 each to get in. Believe it or not, this is really a bridge. There is a highway that runs along the top of it!

North Carolina

After spending the night in Virginia, we headed toward Greensboro, North Carolina to have lunch with my second cousin Margaret (the sister of Jean, whom we visited on our way up). 

I always love talking to Margaret. Not only is she incredibly sweet, she also is a wealth of knowledge about history, including our shared ancestry. She recommended that we route our map app through a town called Cheraw to stay away from highway traffic. We stopped in Cheraw to photograph the building of St. Peter's Church. My son, who is a devout Catholic, had been visiting churches in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. as much as he could on our trip. 

We spent that night in Walterboro, South Carolina. We arrived at our hotel, where we had confirmed reservations, and they had no record of us whatsoever. I'm glad we found another room just down the street. Of course, we had our traditional last day of vacation breakfast at Cracker Barrel!

Savannah, Georgia

In Savannah, we visited two places: the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist and the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

We would have loved to see more in historic Savannah, but we were tired and still had several hours of driving to get home. It's a good thing we didn't leave any later because we hit heavy rain on the way home and were completely worn out when we finally pulled into our driveway.

I'll end this photo journal with a sign I saw at the Apple House in Virginia. I take it as a reminder that even though I didn't get to do and see all that I wanted, I am so grateful for the experiences we did enjoy!

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles