My Journal - Agatha Nolen

In our Spiritual Formation class for first-year M.Div. students we are reading, So Much Better: How Thousands of Pastors Help Each Other Thrive (The SPE Peer Learning Project) (2013). The early chapters of the book talk about forming peer groups of ministers and pastors who, “(1) gather around their calling; (2) make an intentional covenant for spiritual support, theological challenge and mutual a...

Last week was “intensive week” at Duke Divinity School. Yes, I’ve enrolled in the 4-year M.Div.-Hybrid program where I’ll be on campus in Durham, NC three weeks each year (August, January, May) and then have synchronous on-line classes for the remainder of the semesters. I won’t be in an ordination track but instead hope to be a better disciple and devote more time and attention to serving as a la...

Using prayer beads is an ancient monastic tradition. This new book uses the Gospel and Letters of John to inspire us to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the verses using Anglican Prayer Beads.

In Ephesians Chapters 4-5, Paul provides us with practical advice on how to best live in our neighborhood. In addition to “putting away falsehood”, Paul tells us to be “kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.” These words echo hollowly in my head when I scroll through my Facebook feed, or glance at the evening news. Most posts appear to be anything but kind. Paul talks about spe...

Only in John’s Gospel do we read the story of Jesus healing the paralytic at the Bethesda Pool by the Sheep’s Gate in Jerusalem. Tradition held that the first person immersed in the water would be completely healed. When Jesus encounters a man outside the pool and learns he has been an invalid for 38 years he asks him if he wants to get well (John 5:6). The man really doesn’t answer Jesus’ questio...

Two years ago I started planning for my retirement from full-time employment in healthcare and I also started an informal process of “discernment” about what I would be doing with all the “extra time”. In my denomination, Episcopal, there is a formal process for those seeking ordination to the clergy or diaconate. I’ve served on a handful of those committees and as part of the process asked myself...

Much of art depicts the struggle of man against man in the spiritual quest for meaning. Picasso was renowned in Cubism in being able to take a familiar object, dismantle it and then re-assemble it. It is still recognizable, but in a distinctly new form.  I had the privilege of revisiting a favorite artwork: Man on Fire , the mural by José Clemente Orozco in the cupola of the Hospicio Cabañas,...

My parents instilled in me that decisions have consequences. It was unfortunate that Jon Rahm had to withdraw from the Memorial Golf Tournament this weekend for a positive COVID-19 test after taking a 6-shot lead on Saturday. Jon missed out on winning the tournament and also the $1.675 million top prize. Rahm has made over $3.8 million on the Tour this year with a current ranking of #12 of money-e...

Cheekwood, Nashville, TN, 2021 Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday where the Christian denominations celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples as detailed in the Book of Acts, chapter 2. Matthias had replaced Judas and we read that all the disciples were together in one place where they experienced a violent wind and saw tongues of fire while they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The st...

The Prodigal Son, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1669, The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia I’ve enjoyed photography ever since I received my first Kodak camera when I was ten years old. Photos hold memories of travels and people and the experiences we’ve shared. They also have allowed me to dwell in God’s creation like birds at the zoo, or a mountain range at dawn, when a moment is captured foreve...

SSJE, Cambridge, MA I participated in a live-stream on May 1, 2021 of the Holy Eucharist celebrating the Feast of St. John the Evangelist with the Brothers of the Episcopal Monastery in Cambridge, MA. Ordinarily, as members of the Fellowship of St. John the Evangelist, we would participate in-person, but the guesthouse and chapel continue to be closed to visitors due to the pandemic. In addition t...

The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem, 2011 It was more than a week ago that we re-enacted the Passion of Christ on Good Friday. As we bask in the glory of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday we often forget the instruction of the thieves that were crucified with Jesus. Each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Luke and Mark) recounts the thieves joining with the chief priests, teachers and elders in hurling...

Akko, Israel, Nov 2011 One of my daily meditations this week was Romans 11:29- “for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Most commentaries remark that this short verse contains God’s promises to us that through His covenants He will never forsake us. His gifts to us are those of pardon, peace, joy, sanctification, and eternal life. The same commentators remark that the “calling of God” denot...

Sunrise, Sea of Galilee, November 2011 I’ve been a morning person most of life with a hospital career that often started at 6AM or earlier. I took up photography later in life and learned that the “magic hours” for outdoor photographs are either first thing in the morning (right before sunrise until 30-40 minutes after the sun has risen), or right before the setting sun. During this time, the sun...

Growing up Roman Catholic in a small town in Upstate NY, confession with a priest was a weekly ritual. In the 1960’s, you couldn’t go to communion unless you had confessed and said your “penance” of Our Fathers and Hail Marys. Times have changed and now that I am an Episcopalian, it appears that in most congregations a public confession is more of an annual and optional custom during Lent, even am...

My Facebook News Feed is filled with anxious friends trying to get an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine. I was lucky to start the Moderna vaccine last Friday when I located a small independent pharmacy with an available appointment for group 1a2. Since each county is moving through the Tennessee algorithm at a different rate, and the rate of vaccine refusals varies, there is a mad dash to regis...

The Woman from Samaria at the Well, James Tissot, 1886-1894, Image courtesy Brooklyn Museum of Art In my career, I had lots of training in management and leadership and ‘how to be a good boss’. There were some variations, but the core element of all the training programs was that in order to be a good boss, you had to be a good listener. I hope that I got better at this over time, but I had to con...

What is the unforgivable sin?

Proverbs 6 (ESV) 16  There are six things that the Lord hates,     seven that are an abomination to him: 17  haughty eyes, a lying tongue,     and hands that shed innocent blood, 18  a heart that devises wicked plans,     feet that make haste to run to evil, 19  a false witness who breathe...

The opening of the Holy Door at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on December 31 shows us what 2021 has for us.

Photo courtesy of Mission San José , San Antonio For decades my holiday tradition has been to attend a Christmas Eve church service that ends after midnight. I would rush home with the glow of Christmas carols sung in community and then open Christmas presents, since it was actually Christmas morning! I’d sleep late and then take a hike (or at least a long walk) by myself contemplating the year an...

Today is my birthday!  As of 4:05 AM (EST), I am 66 years old (according to my baby book). I have never feared getting older knowing that longevity comes with wisdom. This year saw many changes for our world as well as me personally. I retired from full-time employment in August and wanted to carefully discern how I would be spending the rest of my time on earth. As I heard Tom Hanks say in a...

Puente de San Xoan de Furelos: Palas de Rei to Arzua on the Camino de Santiago, Spain Due to the pandemic and my retirement in August, I’ve had more time on my hands than ever before. One thing I’ve engaged in is to take virtual Spanish lessons through the University of Tennessee. I started the third and last course in the series this week and it appears to be engaging but challenging. To increase...

As this election season comes to a close, I am thankful for the extra time I will have when the winners is declared. Between, emails, texts, television ads and social media, it has been impossible to escape the barrage of truths, half-truths, and no-truths to which we have been subjected. Hopefully we can get back to a civil running of the country and focus on more important things, like ME. &nbsp...

Novenas are ancient public or private prayers that are repeated for nine days or weeks. In this election season, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church has called on everyone to gather and together pray for our nation and the election. The Rev. Jay Sidebotham speaks on the initiative:   “In this election season, we carry out an important ministry with our prayers, making the c...