By the Rev. Canon Blair Pogue

Mustard Seed Update

Faithful Innovation
Mustard Seed Retreat Mustard Seed Retreat

Mustard Seed Update

The most recent Mustard Seed retreat took place at St. Edward’s, Wayzata on Saturday, May 23.

After a time of dwelling in Acts 10:1-23, Minister for Innovation Jen Asp did a short teaching. The group responded with further insights into this powerful passage of Peter receiving a dream inviting him to move past his long-held understanding of who was “clean” and “unclean,” and to be in relationship with people he formerly considered exempt from God’s blessing (Gentiles, including the Centurion Cornelius).

High school student Annabelle Hooge (Messiah, St. Paul), Jamie Simpson (Christ Church, Woodbury), and Aron Kramer (St. Edward’s, Wayzata) all shared updates about their New Christian Communities including what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how things have changed over time. The Holy Spirit has worked in some amazing ways: Annabelle’s Bible Club is focusing on prayer, Jamie Simpson’s Spiritual Practices in Nature Group asked to meet again (“we miss our gatherings”!) after going on hiatus during the ICE surge, and Aron Kramer and his congregation (St. Edward’s, Wayzata) are partnering with the Boy Scouts to lay down the pathways to their Rainbow Bridge to remember deceased pets, and thinking about how to make their property a place of rest and refreshment for their neighbors.

Participants then divided up depending on where they were and wanted to go on the Missional Journey (Listen-Love-Community -Share Jesus- Church). We also had a table for people who wanted to learn more about Mustard Seed and what it would mean and involve joining neighbors where they, live, work and play, and to learn more about what the Holy Spirit is up to in their lives.

After lunch retreatants were given time to think about the following questions before sharing their responses with a partner:

  • Why are you a Chrisitan?
  • Who is Jesus?
  • Why is being part of a faith community important? Can’t you be spiritual by yourself?

After processing what it was like to share and hear responses to these questions, participants had quiet time to reflect on another set of questions, followed by the question, “Where did you see God at work today?”

The Mustard Seed community is open to anyone interested in learning how to join up with neighbors (both the church’s neighbors and their own) where they live, work, and play, and how to identify and support those who are spiritually curious. The next Mustard Seed gathering is Saturday, October 10 from 10 am to 2 pm. For more information contact Minister for Innovation Jen Asp at jen.a@episcopalmn.org