The Vicar Moves to Mitford

In Honor of a Remarkable Woman

shepherdgirl — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:18:35 +0000

In memory of a friend and colleague, I offer you this litany from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals.

A Litany to Honor Women

We walk in the company of the women who have gone before, mothers of the faith both named and unnamed,

testifying with ferocity and faith to the Spirit of wisdom and healing.

They are the judges, the prophets, the martyrs, the warriors, poets, lovers, and saints

who are near to us in the shadow of awareness, in the crevices of memory, in the landscape of our dreams.

We walk in the company of Deborah,

who judged the Israelites with authority and strength.

We walk in the company of Esther,

who used her position as queen to ensure the welfare of her people.

We walk in the company of you whose names have been lost and silenced,

who kept and cradled the wisdom of the ages.

We walk in the company of the woman with the flow of blood,

who audaciously sought her healing and release.

We walk in the company of Mary Magdalene,

who wept at the empty tomb until the risen Christ appeared.

We walk in the company of Phoebe,

who led an early church in the empire of Rome.

We walk in the company of Perpetua of Carthage,

whose witness in the third century led to her martyrdom.

We walk in the company of St. Christina the Astonishing,

who resisted death with persistence and wonder.

We walk in the company of Julian of Norwich,

who wed imagination and theology, proclaiming, “All shall be well.”

We walk in the company of Sojourner Truth,

who stood against oppression, righteously declaring in 1852, “Ain’t I a woman!”

We walk in the company of the Argentine mothers of the Plaza de Mayo,

who turned their grief to strength, standing together to remember “the disappeared” children of war with a holy indignation.

We walk in the company of Alice Walker,

who named the lavender hue of womanish strength.

We walk in the company of you mothers of the faith,

who teach us to resist evil with boldness, to lead with wisdom, and to heal.

Amen.

(Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. Claiborne, Shane. Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan. Okoro, Enuma. Zondervan. 2010. p. 562-563)

We walk in the company of a remarkable woman, a faithful follower of Jesus and servant of the body of Christ, who lived life in the mystery: strength/humility, leadership/hospitality, conviction/compassion. I thank God for her life, and her faithful witness to the power of the resurrection.

Adoption Update part II

shepherdgirl — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:34:16 +0000

Thanks to so many of you who wrote back with kind words, and who were willing to take a look at the petition regarding Ethiopian adoptions. A glimmer of good news on the horizon: yesterday, I wrote my agency and simply asked if this was still a viable program. I received an immediate response from my case worker who said they have it on good authority that the limits imposed by MOWA are already being reversed. She said she would still highly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in international adoption.

With her encouraging words, I am hopeful that this situation will soon resolve. She also reassured me that my own process is proceeding normally.

Thanks for your continued prayers. I look forward to the day when we can rejoice in how the timing, child, and situation all came together at just the right time.

With gratitude,

Heather

An Invitation to Action and Prayer

shepherdgirl — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:27:25 +0000

Dear friends & family,

As you may have heard, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Ethiopia (MOWA) – the agency that manages all adoptions from the country – has recently passed legislation that has the potential to almost halt the adoption process. I currently haven’t received any personal communication from my agency about how this will impact my own personal journey of adoption, and I am hoping to have a better understanding soon of the options before me.

On a more global scale, there are differing reports about whether this decision will stand or be rescinded. One would hope this decision was made in the best interest of the country and the children, but there is evidence being cited by several international agencies that this is not the case. While there are reasons to be hopeful that a more moderate solution to the problem may be in the works, there is also action that can be taken to ask MOWA to amend this decision. If you are willing, please take a look at this petition which the Joint Council on International Children’s Services is sponsoring in the hopes of impacting the decision made by MOWA. Your voice would be a help – to the children of Ethiopia, and to families like mine who are waiting to provide a loving and nurturing home to a child in need.

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html

Thanks so much for walking with grace in our world,

Heather

Here is some additional information about the statement if you are interested:

(From National Council for Adoption) NCFA Issues Statement Regarding Ethiopia Adoptions

At the end of February 2011, the Ethiopian Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs (MOWA) issued an unexpected directive indicating a dramatic reduction in the number of inter country adoption cases to be processed by the Ministry. This directive is scheduled to go into effect by Thursday, March 10, 2011.

In 2010, more than 2,500 Ethiopian children were adopted by American families. Should MOWA implement the recent directive as indicated, the number of adoptions from Ethiopia could fall as much as 90%, although the full impact of MOWA’s decision is unknown and cannot be predicted at this time.

This ruling follows a year of significant progress in improving and increasing transparency in the Ethiopian adoption process. Following several safeguards enacted last year, NCFA’s confidence in the Ethiopian adoption system has grown significantly. Additional protective measures may still be necessary, however, to increase global confidence in the process. MOWA’s recent decision appears to have surprised many Ethiopian government officials, as well as the Central Adoption Authorities in the U.S., Italy, and Spain. Many within the adoption community, including the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), members of Congress, child welfare officials in many countries, and the National Council For Adoption (NCFA), have criticized the MOWA directive as unfair, unnecessary, and harmful to children in Ethiopian orphanages who await permanent families.

NCFA is grateful for the swift action taken by the U.S. Department of State, led by Special Advisor Ambassador Susan Jacobs, to communicate with Ethiopian adoption officials in an effort to reach a favorable resolution that will serve the best interests of abandoned and orphaned children in Ethiopia.

“We are encouraged by the advocacy taking place behind the scenes and hopeful that these collective efforts will bring clarity and an immediate adjustment to this unjust and unnecessary ruling, which has the potential to negatively impact so many vulnerable children,” said NCFA president and CEO Chuck Johnson.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that personnel changes within MOWA have resulted from the rogue handling of this decision, and because of this, NCFA is hopeful that new leadership will offer opportunities for better communication and a swift resolution to this looming crisis. NCFA respectfully calls on MOWA to amend its recent harmful directive and ensure that subsequent reforms reflect a comprehensive child welfare policy that retains the option of inter country adoption for Ethiopian orphans while ensuring policies and procedures that serve the best interests of children.

In Perfect Time

shepherdgirl — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 03:21:48 +0000

At our women’s Bible study this afternoon, we were talking about the stories in scripture where people cry out “How long, O Lord?” Like the men and women who have gone before us, we often pray a similar prayer. Certainly over the past year in this adoption process, “How long, O Lord” has been occasionally the cry of my heart. And not a week goes by when someone doesn’t turn it around and ask me “How long?”

The only answer is that things will begin to move in perfect time. In God’s time. In the right time. There isn’t any other answer available. And truthfully, there is no other answer that would satisfy.

I read account after account of people who enter into this process and wait. and wait. and wait. There is no way to move human will or the governmental machine. Yet at the end of the day, the time waiting bears fruit. I am confident that the end result will be far better coming “in perfect time” than in my time.

Keep asking! Keep praying with me! I am so humbled and touched by the love of my community and your willingness to wait with me. I look forward to bringing you news of movement and travel one day soon.

Until then, if you are at all interested in Ethiopia, the children of Africa, and the issues related to AIDS orphans, I’d encourage you to read There Is No Me Without You (by Melissa Fay Greene). The book chronicles one woman’s journey into becoming a caregiver for scores of orphaned children in Ethiopia. The author has woven together the engaging stories of the people involved with well researched data about the medical, ethical, and politcal issues related to HIV/AIDS. If you know an adult or child from Ethiopia (and someday soon you will…) I highly encourage you to read this story. And to pray for the children of our world.

Thanks for walking with me on the journey!

Happy New Year!

shepherdgirl — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 04:24:24 +0000

For more adoption news, follow this link:

http://shepherdgirl.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/beginning-this-new-journey/

Beginning This New Journey

shepherdgirl — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 04:06:33 +0000

The following are two updates given to my congregation at the point when I felt ready to start letting people know where I was at in the process. As you will read below, I began my exploration of adoption with a program in Haiti immediately following the January 2010 earthquake that devastated that country. (Help is still needed for the people of Haiti. If you are interested in being a part of redevelopment, I would point you toward www.apparentproject.org or www.worldvision.org.)

These stories come after my home study was approved, and my paperwork was essentially complete. As of today, my dossier is in Ethiopia, and I am in the waiting season. The next step will be a contact from my agency who will have a child referral.

But for those of you interested in the back story…. here you go!

Adoption News

5 September 2010

It’s been an exciting week – full of ups and downs. I was contacted Monday, 8/30, and given the news that adoptions in Haiti are pretty much stalled out – they expect it to be years (two or more) before matching begins to happen. I had been watching the news all summer and getting reports, and it was hard to figure out the truth of what was going on. I was glad to finally get a straight answer and direction.

In addition, Haiti’s government is considering the passage of a law that would make it illegal for single parents to adopt unless they were widowed or divorced. That counts me out! And my agency didn’t want me to linger in the system, only to find out that I would be ineligible a year or two from now.

That was the down part of the week. But the upswing happened immediately. The agency I work with has a vibrant and well established program for adoptions in Ethiopia (with the beautiful country flag above). They asked me to consider moving into that program because there are children waiting for placement.

I took some time to think and pray through the decision, but really found it quite an easy one to make. I have three friends who all have adopted from Ethiopia. One of my dearest friends is a Kenyan woman living in Nairobi. My travels have taken me to Africa, and I’m already participating in community development work there. Within hours, I felt like I had ‘come home’ to this opportunity and was finally in the right program.

So, I am now waiting for a baby girl from Ethiopia.

This process promises to move MUCH quicker, and we are trusting in God’s perfect timing to match me with the girl who is meant to be a part of my family and a part of our community.

Many of you have asked me “Why adopt from overseas? Why not here at home?” I want to take this opportunity to answer that question. The first and most important reason is that throughout my life, God has called me into building bridges between cultures and countries. I shared with you when I first arrived at Westminster that I believe a part of my call is to collect stories of God at work here and other places, and share those stories as encouragement with those who need to hear. Adopting from overseas is simply an extension of that call.

The secondary reason is that the adoption system in the US in this day and age is complex and geared towards the financially advantaged two-parent family. A large sector involves marketing and lawyers and is controlled by a system that needs reform. The other option is Foster-to-Adopt, but that program comes with a large chance that the child you have bonded with will be returned to their family. Neither of these options suit my particular situation.

So, I follow the call God has put on my life to build bridges and have hope for communities in crisis. And I hope to introduce you to my daughter sometime within the next year. God willing!

Thank you for your prayers,

Pastor Heather

Adoption News

24 October 2010

Thank you so much for your prayers as I have been walking through the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia. Things are moving along, and I wanted to give you an update on the process.

For the past month, I have been compiling a 35+page collection of documents called a Dossier that includes all the relevant personal information, financial information, and recommendations that are needed to support my request to adopt. I also applied for clearance from Homeland Security to bring an infant into the country and allow her to immigrate. Seeking this clearance involves going to a Homeland Security office and being fingerprinted. It was humbling to find myself in a stream of people wanting to seek a new home in our country. I was filled with a variety of emotions, and found myself reflecting on the many privileges I have as a citizen born in the USA.

At this time, I am simply waiting for the final approval from our government. When that comes, it will be sent with my dossier to Ethiopia. And then I begin waiting for a referral.

I would so value your prayers for this process. First, for the paperwork to be successfully compiled and transferred. And then for wisdom and discernment in the process of making a referral. I’m not sure how you would enter this part of the journey without a sense of faith that God’s hand is involved – I can not imagine looking at the picture of a child and simply from my own desires answering the question of “yes” or “no”.

And so, I invite you to pray for the officials from my agency and from Ethiopia who will be determining the best child to come and live with me. And I ask your prayers for that moment, hopefully in the next few months, when I will begin to receive packets of information and will be asked to discern if they have truly chosen the child meant to become my family.

I’m so thankful that our good and gracious God has us all in His loving hands.

Thank you for your prayers,

Pastor Heather

Green is for Growing

shepherdgirl — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:56:00 +0000

This is the peaceful front of our santuary. For this green season of growth, we added the tree to remind us that growth is an active process, not a passive one.

Truly, growth has been an active process in the past year and a half. My intention was to write posts regularly. And then we entered a challenging time — one where I felt unable to post without revealing too much or impacting the people I have come to love dearly. My own learning curve took a dramatic turn. And I found myself often sitting on the floor in the front of the sanctuary, drinking in God’s peace, and praying for that peace to reign.

It’s nice to now be in a season of summer — both as an earthly season and as a spiritual state. We’ve weathered the storm, and are enjoying the rest, re-creation, and laughter of the warm summer days.

The lessons have been rich. Sometimes difficult. Sometimes beautiful. And in the midst of it all, our relationships have deepened, and I have found myself relishing the fellowship of this congregation. It’s has been, and still is, a season of growth. We are growing up. Growing in. Growing out. Thankfully we are deeply rooted, and enjoying the blessing of living water and the light of life. It is good. Truly good.

Chasing the Light

shepherdgirl — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:27:46 +0000

This weekend, I went out and bought a bouquet of beautiful burgundy Alstroemeria. I brought them home and put them in my living room. And now, I have spent a few days moving them from surface to surface in order to chase the light as it comes in various windows. They look so lovely with the light shining through them, and it seems so little effort for such a large payoff to move them to where they are the most showy.

After realizing what I was doing, I began to wonder if there isn’t something important about this small action. Many are facing hardship in this new year. Decisions to be made, issues to resolve, losses to face. Some have joys to celebrate and successes to remember. But in all these things, I find myself more and more drawn to the listing of the fruit of the Spirit in scripture – those signposts of a life lived in obedience to Christ – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. Whether we are celebrating the joys or trying to stay the course through the challenges, these are the characteristics we are called to strive for – the fruit of a life impacted by the deep love of God.

It seems to me that striving to bear good fruit in our lives as a response to God’s deep love is a little like chasing the light. That through the light shining on and through us, we become a little more transparent and far more beautiful. And our being becomes simply an avenue by which the Light is made more glorious. I think it’s worth the effort.

Advent Thoughts

shepherdgirl — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:38:24 +0000

This season, I’ve been using an advent reader as a part of my daily prayer - Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas (Orbis Books, 2001). In this morning’s reflection, this passage sprung from the page:

What is it that delivers Christ into the world – preaching, art, writing, scholarship, social justice? Those are all gifts well worth sharing. But preachers lose their charisma, scholarship grows pedantic, social justice alone cannot save us. In the end, when all other human gifts have met their inevitable limitation, it is the recollected one, the bold virgin with a heart in love with God who makes a sanctuary of her life, who delivers Christ who then delivers us. (p. 99)

In this new role as solo pastor/preacher, I sometimes have days of feeling solely responsible for being brilliant, being creative, being perfect. Days when I feel the weight of being the one who is supposed to be ‘hearing from God’ about how we work through community issues, what we study during this season, and what word God wants the congregation to hear each week. And yet, I am fully aware that only God is God, and while I might bring gifts to this community that are God-given for his use at this time, I also bring my humanity, my frailty, and my moments of staring at the sermon page as though I am staring into the void waiting for ANY spark of light to take the edge off the darkness.

And then I consider Mary, who with only her youth and innocence to recommend her, was willing to empty her life to say Yes to God. To let go of reputation, and to embrace scorn. To know that all she had to offer was time to stare into the void and wait for light to dawn. To be willing to give thanks to God, even while she waited.

I am reminded that one of the truths of the Christmas season is God embracing humanity to bring about his will. It is a great paradox of Christian faith that God is at work delivering us from brokenness, and yet he uses our brokenness to accomplish exactly that. In whatever way we are able during this season, may love for the God who saves us cause us to make a sanctuary of our life. To allow space for the presence of Christ to be felt.

taking the show on the road

shepherdgirl — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:32:44 +0000

My very first post on this blog was about having communion in the elder-care room of an older parishioner. At 101, this same woman has been unable to join us in church for several months. So just recently, in a swell of enthusiasm resulting from a conversation with our deacons, we took church to her. With 20 worshipers, a guitar, a room reservation, and even one crying baby, we took our worship service to her home and had an amazing experience. There was a Sweet, Sweet Spirit in the place as we remembered that God’s Faithfulness is Great. We read from Psalm 145 about how one generation will proclaim His good works to another, and then our sermon was a time of sharing about where we have recently seen God at work. We sang about how He walks with us, and He talks with us, and then we celebrated His Amazing Grace. It was a wonderful experience.

And being there, in that stark room, with those warm people, I was reminded again that while our language confuses church (the building) and church (the people), there is no confusion about where the true heart of the church is found. The church is truly the body of Christ and it lives and breathes and celebrates and mourns. It worships and sings and prays and shares. Interconnected, and intertwined, we are the Church. And the Church is us. Blessed Be that Tie that Binds.