St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Awarded a Lilly Endowment Grant
“Lilly Endowment, an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation, seeks to strengthen Christian congregations by providing an opportunity for pastors to step away briefly from the persistent obligations of daily parish life and to engage in a period of renewal and reflection. Renewal periods are not vacations, but times for intentional exploration and reflection, for drinking again from God's life-giving waters, for regaining enthusiasm and creativity for ministry.http://www.clergyrenewal.org/”
About a year ago, Hilary began talking with the vestry about applying for a Lilly Grant to fund a sabbatical for her and to provide funds for a parish renewal project. The Diocese recommends that parish clergy take a sabbatical every five to seven years, and provides guidelines for such sabbaticals. Clergy take sabbaticals that typically last three to six months. Hilary has served with SPOTH for seven years, and will be taking a three month sabbatical from June 7th to September 6th.
The Lilly grant program for clergy renewal is a national program that is highly competitive and open to all ordained Christian ministers who serve churches. Because we have received this grant, in the amount of $28,000, we have funds to pay our supply clergy and money to build a Labyrinth on the church grounds, as well as fund the sabbatical. The theme of the grant application was “deepening connection with God through spiritual practices.” Labyrinths allow for a type of walking meditation. The path of a Labyrinth weaves back and forth but takes the walker deeper until one reaches the center. A Labyrinth is not a maze; one cannot get lost. Labyrinths also symbolize our spiritual journey: life takes many twists and turns but we are always moving toward God. In the fullness of time, God will never forsake us or allow us to be lost. The grant will also pay for the Rev. Catherine Hicks to provide some education for us about Labyrinths; Catherine will visit us twice during Hilary’s sabbatical. The Rev. Dr. Ellen Richardson will provide most of the clergy coverage during the sabbatical. It is a huge honor to receive a Lilly Endowment Grant and speaks to the strength of our shared ministry with Hilary. Of the funds awarded, $15,000 comes directly to the church for clergy coverage and the Labyrinth Project.
During the sabbatical, Hilary will be “deepening her connection with God” by attending several retreats. At the start of the sabbatical, she will attend a Ten-Day-Intensive Centering Prayer retreat in Snowmass Colorado, run by the Contemplative Outreach group of Colorado. For all of July, Hilary will be doing the 30-Day Exercises of St. Ignatius at the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. In August, she will go to New Mexico to spend time with family and take part of the programs of the Ghost Ranch Retreat Center in Abiquiu NM. The last two weeks of the sabbatical will be spent at the Richmond Hill Retreat Center, in Richmond.
Our church will benefit from this sabbatical time in a number of ways. The building of the Labyrinth has the potential to be a true spiritual exercise for our church. Once built, the Labyrinth will be a visible symbol of our church’s commitment to prayer and spiritual growth. Many may visit our church because we have a Labyrinth, and it will be a gift to the wider-community—a gift of peace and a place to center oneself. When Hilary returns from sabbatical, she will bring with her the spiritual energy of the time and the ability to lead members of our church in Centering Prayer and Ignatian Prayer experiences.
Much more can be said about this time of renewal for Hilary and SPOTH. Look for more articles in future newsletters. If you would like to be on the Labyrinth Project Committee, please let Hilary know of your interest.
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