To artists… and ministers?
“Today, as yesterday, the Church needs you and turns to you. She tells you through our
voice: Do not allow an alliance as fruitful as this to be broken. Do not refuse to put your talents at the service of divine
truth. Do not close your mind to the breath of the Holy Spirit.”
This message, offered by Paul VI to artists at the closing of the Second Vatican Council, was brought to my attention recently by Michael Stancil, my Supervised Practice of Ministry professor, and it seems to me to be a great place to start my reflection on the beginning of another exciting semester. Yes, school is back in session now and that means another round of papers, tests, reading and the like. Of course, the reward for all of that hard work is a growth in faith and knowledge and understanding, etc., so it’s worth it in the end. But, it’s nice to remember that there is life beyond the academics, and that’s exactly what school is ironically promising to teach me this semester through Supervised Practice of Ministry. For those who are unfamiliar with Supervised Practice of Ministry, SPM for short, it is sort of an internship in a particular ministry, but it also involves some classroom time and outside reading which help those who undertake it to “make sense of it all” or perhaps to grow through the mystery of not being able to make sense of it all. That is, students in the class not only do ministry with supervision, but they also reflect on that ministry experience theologically, bringing the truths of the faith into dialog with personal experience and the social context of ministry.
What excites me the most about starting SPM this semester is that it will give me a chance to take what I have been learning as well as my God-given gifts and apply them to real people in real life situations. I will be able to put my “talents at the service of divine truth.” I will be able to (God-willingly) allow the Spirit to speak to me and to speak through me to those in need. I see myself as not only the artist, but more importantly, as a tool in the hand of God, the instrument with which God can do good and bring forth beauty in the world. What a privileged position to be in! What an honor to be at the service of God and his people in such a way!
I ask for your prayers this semester as I take the next step in my educational and formative journey.