Formation cannot happen in a vacuum. In order
for formation to happen, community needs to happen. Relationships need to
happen. The willingness to learn something new... to take risks... being
willing to fail can all happen. Mentors are those guides, those wise and
experienced individuals, those who have been around the block, perhaps
participated some in the “school of hard knocks” to accompany us on
fascinating, adventure filled, joyful, sorrowful journeys. It can take just one
person to plant a seed. It can take just one person to water a seedling. It can
take just one person to nurture a plant. Learning and growing is a rich
experience in community; learning from the diversity of members of the body of
Christ can enrich our faith lives and faith journeys in such amazing (and
challenging) ways.
The Forum for Theological Exploration is
inviting people to share their stories of mentors. Having one mentor is
life-giving; I don’t know what to call it if you have three. I am extremely
fortunate to have three mentors who have accompanied me in my faith journey.
One of the biggest aspects of mentorship in my life was that they were able to
see something in me that I couldn’t, or that I was just discovering. These
mentors accompanied me in this journey of exploration that led to a baptismal
font, and ultimately, as an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
At some critical point, I have written letters
to these three people. In the links below, I share those letters here and a brief story of how
these mentors have accompanied me to the place I find myself today. I am sad at
the brevity of the stories, though; writing the entirety of the journey would
take days and months.
The Reverend Chris Heavner
The Reverend Marcus Hess
The Reverend Ross Merkel
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1 comment:
What an honor! Even better to have had the opportunity to watch as God was at work in the life of Tuhina.
Chris
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