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My Journal - Agatha Nolen

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 if I was feeling a calling to become clergy. In all cases, the answer has returned as a “no.”

I knew I wanted to spend time in service to God, but what does that look like as a layperson? I asked a few close friends to help with the process by listening to me and probing me with questions when I was gravitating toward one area or another.

Over the past two years they’ve asked insightful questions:

“What have you done that has brought you joy?”

“What are the ministries that you are passionate about in serving the Lord?”

“Is there a person, place or activity that consistently centers your spirit, that reconfirms your person?”

I didn’t always have the direct answer to the questions, but they made me think.

I knew the next chapter would be focused on growing in my faith as a disciple of Jesus.

The Way of Love is a way of life in the Episcopal church. I’ve been studying the seven elements since attending an Episcopal Revival in Honduras in 2018: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest.

After three years of prayerful thought, I retired in August 2020. I will be focusing on “Learn” for the next few years as I’ll be enrolling as a Hybrid Master of Divinity student at Duke Divinity School this Fall. I’ll be able to continue to live in Nashville traveling to Durham, NC for three residency weeks each year and then synchronous on-line classes for the remainder of the semester. This will allow me to continue to serve in my current ministries in Nashville, and even explore new ones as I journey through the program. I’m excited to be studying Old Testament in my first semester.

The thought of meeting new students and professors and engaging in religious discussions brings me great joy! I hope to learn how to help people see their own lives in Scripture.

Please add me to your prayer list for this new adventure. I pray also that you will find what brings you joy and centers your being, and that you will pursue it for the glory of God.

Blessings, my friend,
Agatha