Over the past months, I began to discern it was time for a vocational shift. So with the blessing and support of Music that Makes Community’s Board of Trustees, I conclude my service on December 1. My amazing colleague and friend Conie Borchardt will step into leadership and I’m excited for all that’s ahead for Music that Makes Community.
Read MoreWhile I've been traveling a lot over the past years, it's been some time since I've been on a pilgrimage. For me, pilgrimage has something to do with discovery, with spiritual quest or awakening. Bringing only the essentials along, it's a time to step into the provision of God, as well as the abundance discovered in the people and places we meet along the way. It's a space for listening and discernment, as we uproot from usual routines and give ourselves over to the journey.
"Anytime life ousts us from our places of security,
we are called upon to bring ourselves fully present to our experience."
– John Valters Paintner, The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within
The past year has provided many invitations to practice how to be fully present in the midst of change. A little over a year ago I imagined I was leaving full-time music ministry to embark on a new vocation in the non-profit world. I said goodbye to Park Avenue Christian Church and dove into a new position at the Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, assisting two of the most seasoned and dedicated individuals in the classical music business. The experience was invaluable and I am grateful for the way it has shaped me as a person and as a leader.
But rather than feel my interest in the church wane, time away reminded me of what I missed. Weekends off and time with family during the holidays were a gift, something I hadn’t experienced in almost 20 years. But as colleagues and friends invited me to offer leadership in their congregations as a guest organist, choir director or song leader, my heart continued to tell me that my deepest calling is to ministry.
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