My Experience at EfM's 50th Celebration

Ruth Winkler | Mentor, former Coordinator, Disciples of Christ, Watauga, Texas

Reflection writer Ruth Winkler, center, poses with Sister Hannah Winkler, Prioress, The Community of St. Mary, Southern Province and The Reverend Hilary Bogert-Winkler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Liturgy for the School of Theology. Sister Hannah and the Rev. Hilary presented "The History and Practice of the Daily Office." The Daily Office has long been at the heart of Anglican life, both for personal devotion and public worship. This plenary examined how the Daily Office came to be and how it has changed over time. The Daily Office has been the heart of monastic life as well, especially for Benedictines, whose day-to-day life is centered around the Opus Dei, the Divine Office. This session also explored how the rhythm of prayer set forth in the Daily Office continues to guide the Church's prayer life.

I’ve been to many 50th Anniversary Celebrations in my life, but this one was different from all of those. This celebration wasn’t just for a few people. This event celebrated everyone who attended, all EfM participants past, present, and future! From the moment I arrived, I was greeted by friends, started meeting new friends, and was made to feel at home.

The staff and all who planned the event did a superb job! The Sched App made registering and keeping track of my schedule easy and quick.

Opening Eucharist.

I was honored to be asked to read the New Testament in the opening worship. When we rehearsed, Kevin also asked me to be a chalice bearer. Being a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) minister, I was not accustomed to how things are done in Episcopalian worship, but I said “yes” and was blessed to be a part of the Eucharist. Those were Holy moments!

It was a joy to hear Stephanie Spellers speak to us. Her love of God and the Church bubbles over as she shares her God given message. I believe she inspired everyone in the room. The theological reflection from the scriptures she gave us was a time for me to participate with so many others and hear thoughtful, deep sharing.

The Reverend Canon Stephanie Spellers presented the celebration’s keynote on how we can form Jesus-centered beloved communities that spread from EfM seminars to our congregations to the wider world.

I did not know what to expect at Lilli Lewis's concert. I was not familiar with her music. She was delightful! The songs she wrote speak truth to our world today. The duets with Lilli and Elizabeth Hogan showed both of them to be wonderful musicians. I especially liked the t-shirts at her sales table: “Practice Radical Decency,” also perfect in today’s world!

Lilli Lewis presented the celebration’s 50th Anniversary Concert.

There were two Plenary sessions that I found especially interesting. First, “The Daily Office in History and Practice.” The two Winkler speakers gave an informative presentation. I admit that, being a non-Episcopalian, I have been quite confused trying to use the Daily Office. I took pictures of all the slides so I can go back and review them from time to time. After their presentation, I was able to visit with them (and take a picture with them as the third Winkler!) and shared with them that their presentation was helpful. Their advice was to keep doing what I’m doing that is working. The point is to keep reading the Word of God.

The second exceptional Plenary was Sunday morning—"Discernment and Your Call to Ministry” presented by Rev. Sara Ardey-Graves. Discernment is difficult for me and for many participants who have been in my EfM groups. I’ll be sharing the things I learned with my EfM group that meets on Tuesday evenings. New to me is the helpfulness of forming a Clearness Committee, involving the community in to the discernment process. The steps given for listening to the Holy Spirit using the Ignatian Method and discerning the voice of one’s heart is an ongoing practice. The idea of discernment as a practice of stewardship is giving me much to consider.

The Rev. Sara Ardrey-Graves, Associate Dean for Community Life, presented the final plenary of the conference. "Discernement and your call to Ministry" focused on the spiritual practice as a way to listen and hear life’s calling.

Beth Cavey’s Focus on Mentor Empowerment using a game of Jeopardy was a fun approach to learning more about the curriculum revision using Pathright. We were given the answer and had to come up with the question for the answer. Having been in one of the Pilot groups, I was pleased that I knew most of the questions for the answers!

5th Curriculum Revision Jeopardy!

Participating in theological reflections with other mentors and trainers is always a learning experience for me. I benefit from hearing others' thoughts and being a part of those conversations, which helps me be a better mentor to my groups.

The part of the weekend I enjoyed most was reconnecting with friends from EfM. It was wonderful to see the EfM staff and thank them for the wonderful hospitality and planning. Spending time with friends from my EfM Monday morning group and with the many trainers that I’ve learned from in these past years was a highlight for me. I made new friends too. The day I wore my “I Survived MacCullough” t-shirt several people asked to take a picture of my shirt. I guess I’ll be remembered from my backside!

Lilli Lewis concert t-shirts.

I’m excited about this 5th curriculum revision. I showed the video to my EfM class this week. They had some questions about how Wide Angle will fit in with EfM Classic, so I was able to share with them what I have learned about it from being in the pilot group. I think they saw my excitement about the new year coming.

I appreciate the end of the video, when the question “What is EfM to me?” is asked. To me, EfM is a lifeline, a community of friends committed to learning and growing together, a breath of fresh air. EfM grounds me, makes me a better person, and keeps me seeking to know God more. I love EfM!