We had four women attend the first clergywomen's support group, and four who want to attend but were unavailable that day. Each of us had a chance to tell about our journey into ministry, our sense of call, and what we are doing presently in ministry. Of the four of us, I was the only one in active parish ministry, though others had experienced parish ministry on their own or with a spouse.
We agreed that this group is something we want to continue and set a June date for our next meeting.
I am looking forward to our growing into a group of friends, as well as a support system for each other. It was interesting to hear each person's story and to find points of contact within each story.
For example, I realized that one woman was the spouse of a local Quaker man who had asked me if I knew a former colleague of his, a man I'd gone to Linfield College with, in the 60's. I knew the man well, we'd been in the a cappella choir together, and I knew his life had changed dramatically since college days. It was great to talk with her and learn how much she and her husband liked my old friend.
Two other women and I know folks in common from former Colorado days. As one woman said, there are fewer than six degrees of separation here!
3 comments:
When I was reading back through your blog, in one of your earliest posts you talked about what God is to you. I really enjoyed that post. I've spent a great deal of time pondering that as well and posted my own response to that question in my blog a while back. I feel that the most obvious ways to experience God is in "relationship". Sounds to me like you've found yet another way to experience that with your clergywoman's support group.
My impression is that in our society, women in general are more effective in bonding in such relations than men. I suspect that reflects other aspects of women's
social role, rather than something that goes with hormones, but do not know of any concrete indications about it, which may well exist.
LinguistFriend
Thanks, Sara and LF. It's interesting to me that not too many years ago I was completely uninterested in having close women friends. Having male friends was more important to me at that stage in my life, perhaps because I was trying to prove that I was a desirable female.
When I discovered the joy of women friends, it was quite a revelation! Since then I have been pleased to be part of women's groups.
As a minister, I am careful about how I relate to women parishioners, so belonging to a group of clergywomen will be especially sweet, as I can be more revealing to them than I would be able to be with parishioners.
Not that I have any huge secrets to conceal, but because of the "minister" role.
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