Part of what makes the College such a rich experience is how multi-layered the learning is. An example. Last evening’s small group exercise was examining a case study using a family systems approach. That in itself was pretty interesting. In addition, all of our exercises are ‘self-facilitated,’ so we choose a facilitator from the group at the beginning and that person is responsible for managing the process. At the end of the exercise, we then help the facilitator reflect on their experience, recognizing that giving feedback usually (always?) is more about the person giving the feedback then about the person receiving it. Finally, we’re periodically called to step back and reflect on the dynamics in our group, how our individual and group needs and the world’s needs are inter-related. I generally don’t love small group work, but this group is awesome. I have a sense of us being unique and authentic individuals who are freely offering what we have to the group, and giving each other space and grace in a way that seems natural. I don’t know whether it is all of the Appreciative Mindset exercises and talking about group dynamics that has led to this, or whether we all just rock stars. Maybe both.
It’s finally raining. I say that because everyone always thinks of Seattle being cloudy and rainy all the time, although the locals point out that the average rainfall here is the same as New York City and it’s been beautiful and sunny all week. This morning at breakfast you could see clouds and mist and showers out over Puget Sound, always changing and shifting. There are big crows around the conference center, and they have a lot to say at various times of the day. At low tide they fly down to the beach, pick up clams, fly back up and drop them on the parking lot to break them open. Sarah saw a bald eagle from up close the other day; I’ve seen them from a distance, huge birds.
In walking and driving around and talking to locals, I’m reminded again of how lucky we are in Rochester. Seattle is breathtakingly gorgeous, no question, but it is also fantastically expensive (the median price for a house in the neighborhood of one of the churches here is $1 million). The fantastic views of mountains and water everywhere come at another price: traffic is horrendous because it gets snarled up by the geography and bridges (and unfortunately Seattle, like most American cities, was late to the game in building light rail systems). One of the teams here is from a parish that is 75 miles away as the crow flies, but it takes them three-plus hours to get here because they have to drive around the coast. The housing in the communities where people can afford to live is small, even cramped looking, by Rochester standards. And I don’t know if George Lake is reading this blog, but winters are very mild and they don’t even get snow (although they have coffee in abundance).
A fun game to play at the College: guess who is clergy. No one is wearing collars, of course, and the nametags don’t identify titles. Another fun game: degrees of separation in the Episcopal church. Our small group facilitator works for Bishop Lattime in Alaska (who was elected from Rochester). Everyone on the team here from Alaska knows Michael Burke, who was the rector of St. George’s in the late 90’s. Dahn Gandell preached at the ordination of another priest who is attending. It’s a small church.
Hope everyone back home is well, miss you all!
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