personal: Retreat Update

My wife and I are at a retreat center this week in Wisconsin. There are about 12 people here, all in full-time ministry, but from very different denominational backgrounds . . . far more liberal than mine.

Today, Lisa and I visited Nashotah seminary and bookstore. Nashotah is famous for being one of the most extremely high church branches of the Episcopal Church. Men in black robes (sometimes with white overlays) pray in toned chant in English (with British accents) juggling three different liturgical books over their 25-minute prayer time.

Their bookstore was quite an experience as well. I am quite a bibliophile, especially Christian books. To walk into a Christian seminary bookstore and be ENTIRELY unfamiliar with 90% of their stock was astounding. Perhaps the biggest surprise was finding “On Bein’ Green” by Jim Henson in their Christian life section. Their entire church music (my forte – pun intended) section was a riddle to me, but I was glad to be able to find my way through their Commentary section without too many headscratches.