Ordination – September 2007
I live in northern Michigan—a place of exquisite natural beauty, magical summers, and endless winters, where the pace of life is still relaxed. While apparently leading a “normal” life, I’ve been on a retreat of sorts in my own home for years now. My entire being has been going through a slow and arduous process of reconstellating itself.
Intuitively, I knew that this was just where I needed to be. But the process seemed endless. So I was heartened to read Carolyn Myss’ observation: We are unaccustomed to giving value to what we cannot see… Thus, those whose work is “waiting and becoming” can often appear useless. But “waiting and becoming” is the symbolic meaning of being “called to ordination” … allowing the Divine to awaken part of your spirit that contains the essence of what you are capable of contributing to others, as well as yourself.
It’s probably no accident that my coaching practice is called "Identity Matters." I’m fascinated by the way we craft and re-craft identities for ourselves as we inevitably outgrow them.
What does it mean in midlife to leave careers to others, while continuing to wrestle with the deeper intimacy of vocation? It is only when I put my life in a larger context that it starts to make some sense.
Jean Shinoda Bolen described three distinct chapters in the story of how we women have been redefining ourselves and reclaiming our power as full partners with our men. The first chapter was political—the cause was suffrage, the right to vote. The second was economic —the right to work outside the home. The third is happening now, and is wildly exciting. It is our right as women to claim our full spiritual authority.
And so, it seems, many of us—not only here, but really all over the world—are being been tickled by a larger wave. Probably none of us will know the impact this will have in our lifetime.
So here I am answering the call with a “Sure, OK.” I’m still not entirely sure what I’m saying, “yes” to. But I’m ready and eager to embark on this adventure. I am, mercifully, home at last in this emerging reality known as interfaith—knowing that the heart is the one true religion.