Great Conversations Over Pie in Northwest Minnesota: An Interview with Rev. Beth Rose

I had an opportunity to interview Rev. Beth Rose and learn about different gatherings happening in Northwest Minnesota. She told me how people’s hunger for God, conversation about weighty topics, and pie are bringing communities together. Our conversation is edited for brevity.

Jen: Beth, tell me about Pie and Prayer in Wadena and Brainerd?

Beth: These gatherings were first started by Rev. Coke Smith as a book study, and when I was ordained, people asked me to bring them back. We meet quarterly in Brainerd and Wadena and enjoy pie and, sometimes, Costco chocolate cake together! I develop thematic units about challenging topics and we read and discuss the topic in conversation with the lectionary readings and the Book of Common Prayer. This spring we discussed vengeance and forgiveness in the context of murder. Interestingly, in one group, nearly every person there had been affected by murder in some way. In another group, no one had been affected by murder. We heard a story about forgiveness for the murder of a woman’s son and wondered together how we might forgive others like she had.

The lay people were very surprised that clergy do not just forgive people for horrendous actions without some step toward justice to show true repentance and accountability. They were appreciative that accountability was a component to that, and they were surprised to learn the Episcopal church offers confession. We also verified with them that we are mandated reporters. This is a huge thing for lay people to know that priests can not simply cover up.  

Jen: How have these groups experienced the transforming work of the Holy Spirit?

Beth: It is amazing the depth of how the Holy Spirit works in our lives today. In our readings and conversation, those gathered learn something about their own denomination or how the prayer book is being used, but they also see forgiveness is possible for something so egregious as murder. We are asking ourselves: Where is that kind of forgiveness in my life? The Holy Spirit works with that.

Jen: What encouragement or advice would you offer others who want to try Pie and Prayer?

Beth: 

*Consistency is key even when people are not coming. Do it even if it’s for one or two people. 

*Don’t lecture them. You are not there to lecture but to present ideas and let them talk about it. The expert stifles the conversation. 

*Ask hard questions. Begin your conversations with a spiritual base, a biblical base. Bring in the prayer book and demonstrate how it works in our Episcopal background. 

*Get away from the constantly peppered themes. Talk about something that is fresh (vengeance vs. justice and forgiveness). Looking past normal conversations helps get to more universal themes that everyone has to deal with.

*Give people a chance to “feel the edges” of an issue. Build discipleship and friendship. Conversations like these mean working on a relationship with God, and a God relationship starts to feel more natural. Talking to each other with open hearts does wondrous things for people. It is growing congregations.