Ministry Monday

As Kate Basi discussed in last week’s episode, 2020 has cracked open our world and the things we expect within it. But is there a small sliver of positivity in the midst of this waiting? Can we use this time as space to truly center ourselves this Advent?

Today on the podcast we feature a replay from Dr. Tony Alonso. Tony’s Key Change from the 2019 focuses on finding stillness and silence in our world as Catholics, and we believe it is a perfect way to begin the Advent season filled with waiting in our world.

As we start Thanksgiving week in the United States, we ask:

Is there space for gratitude, in the midst of division, chaos, and overcrowded hospitals? How can we pause for Thanksgiving when so many lives are at stake?

The truth is, we can’t. At least, we cannot to the fullest expression of Thanksgiving that many of us are used to. And yet, in the midst of the chaos, the uncertainty, and the awful virus that plagues our country, there might be a way to express gratitude. There might just be a silver lining.

NPM has been changing greatly in the last 18 months. Many members are familiar with the phrase “NPM 2.0”, an initiative to examine NPM at its core so we can best serve the members and vision it seeks to serve. I’m glad to say that this episode is a major update to our listeners as to how the process has developed.

Today on the episode I feature Valerie Lee-Jeter and Bob McCarty.

Valerie is the Music Director at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Philadelphia with an MA in Liturgical Studies, and is a member of the NPM Board of Directors.

Bob McCarty is NPM’s interim Executive Director, having served in leadership and guidance roles in NPM regarding the NPM 2.0 initiative.

Valerie, Bob and I sit down and discuss: what has changed? When will it go into effect? And when will we retire the use of the phrase, “NPM 2.0”?

Today’s episode features Sister Thea Bowman as she addressed the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1989, less than one year from her death due to breast cancer. Sister Thea’s powerful word and song echoed in the minds of those who were gathered that day, and those who still listen, as she asks: “What does it mean to be black in the Church and in society today?”

As pastoral musicians who spend countless hours in God’s house, facilitating prayer for others, how can we deepen our prayer experience? How do we discern the time needed for our own prayer practice, apart from the ministry we offer to others?

Today on the podcast we discuss the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic Adoration, two experiences of prayer that help us to encounter Christ in deeper ways.

Today I have the privilege to speak to two pastoral musicians who also compose music for the Church. They both share stories of the Spirit guiding their compositions and their time in ministry, especially through the lens of motherhood and women working for the Church. But the message ahead is clear: we, as women, use our unique experiences to support the Church and allow the guide the Spirit to flow through us. But I hope that we can honor the uniqueness we offer without putting our service in a category of “female musician”. Or “women in music.”

Previous Ministry Monday episodes featuring the “Black Lives Matter” sessions, along with other topics celebrating the Black Catholic community, can be found in the “Series and Themes” area on our website at ministrymonday.org/series.

For more information on projection and technology, thanks to WorshipNOW, along with a bonus video tour of Craig’s church, visit the show notes of this episode at ministrymonday.org.

After we finished recording Pam shared with me that her son ran in the Boston Marathon this year, which was held virtually. He ran the 26.2-mile race by circling their 2.62 mile lake, ten times. Pam used some of her banners to indicate when he would finish a lap. I dare say that they are the most beautiful race banners ever used! For photos of Pam’s banners, including photos of the virtual Boston Marathon, visit the show notes of this episode on ministrymonday.org.