Alex Swain
Salutations everyone!
In today’s Gospel reading, we find Jesus in the midst of calling his beloved Apostles to Himself. He approaches Philip and says, “Follow me” and Phillip does, presumably with haste and great joy! We also find in the Epistle to the Hebrews, a reminder that when we hear God’s voice, to not harden our hearts. Indeed, each day when we pray the Venite, we recite a portion of Psalm 95. If we kept reading, it would continue with the cry, “O that today you would hearken to his voice! Harden not your hearts…” (Psalm 95:7-8).
As I reflect, today’s injunctions bring to mind how easy it is to harden oneself to God’s voice. His gentle spirit tugs at our heartstrings quietly (often, but not always – sometimes God moves us quite loudly!). But frequently, I believe, the Holy Spirit moves us with a whisper and a gentle re-orientation. These nudges of God take some practice, patience, reflection, and quiet to discern where the Lord moves each of us (for He does indeed move each of us ever more toward Him and simultaneously toward our true selves, if we would listen!).
Several years ago (2019-2020) I was a part of the Beloved in the Desert Episcopal Service Corps program here in Tucson. I, and many of my fellow corps members, flocked to the program in order to serve, to live in community, to grow, and to pray. As I look back on the year, and where each of us are now, I see the Holy Spirit’s movement in bringing us all together.
As I yet write… I think that I may reword the above sentence as, “I, and my fellow corps members, flocked to the program such that through service, community, patient growth, and prayer, we might learn how to discern and respond God’s call upon each of our very lives.”
Discerning and responding to God’s call!
We each have our individual lifetimes to respond to God’s call, our vocation. Beloved in the Desert, and the Episcopal Service Corps more broadly, has been a great gift to myself (and many of us who have participated), in learning to hear God’s call and respond – rather than harden and hide ourselves away.
In gratitude to our God,
Alex Swain
Alex Swain was a Beloved in the Desert Episcopal Service Corps member from 2019-2020. He now works at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona (where he served during his service year) and is a Postulant for Holy Orders in the Diocese of Arizona. He also serves as the Assistant for Community Life for the Beloved program, helping to support it.
Beloved in the Desert is an intentional community for young adult that fosters beloved Christian disciples through service, study, and prayer in the Tucson borderlands. Learn more here, and contribute to this ministry here. Do you know a young adult eager to grow through service, prayer and community? Applications for 2022-2023 are open now!