What does Rev. Deacon Pam Haynes spiritual practices look like? It has evolved, and she has a rule of life. She started with the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer and now continues to have daily conversations with God. Her prayer life has expanded into a list around people as well as projects tied to the chuch. Her favorite time is late at night, looking at the moon.

Walking in the door to St. Andrew's gives Rev. Pam joy and takes her mind off knee pain and other challenges. She reflects on her first visit to the church, where she listened to a fantastic solo. She responded at the end with a loud Amen, and the priest reassured her, "You be you." She has lived by that motto in her continued discernment to serve.

Rev. Pam continues her core minstry around taking people experiencing homelessness to housing. The church started a Daughters of the King chapter, of which she was a part. The church supports twelve non-profit organizations, serving as a central hub for them. Rev. Pam reminds us that, like all deacons, she is the bridge from the church to the world.

A gift to start this Deacon series with the Rev. Pam Haynes serving at St. Andrews in Greensboro, NC. Pam grew up in Washington, D.C., and had a community of family and friends who looked after one another. As an only child and quiet, her parents instilled in her the value of education, and she was not always the outspoken individual she is today, but a more introverted soul.

She shares a rich story about how death in an individual was a place where a mother who had passed cared for the child in the form of nature. Touching one person is the work of God.

Growing up in a church of fire and brimstone in the Baptist faith, as well as in the love of Jesus in the United Methodist faith, she was able to pivot in and out of both and sing in both choirs of each denomination. Rev. Pam grew up in the height of the civil rights and activism era in the epicenter of D.C., and the impactful dynamic of education. The majority of the time, teachers lived in her neighborhood. Jewish vendors also allowed the black community to buy goods during this troubling time.

Pam leaves us with the powerful message to continue moving forward with the power of loving Jesus with all our heart and soul. If we can accomplish this, hate can be eradicated. We must sit in the uncomfortable.

Working with Bishop Shaw and Bishop Allen Gates, it showed him how to give them options and holy choices and invite them to decide navigating. Theological decisions that may not always come to light in the present but come to fruition, such as the Gospel stories from Easter. We don't always know the impact we are having until we are long gone.

The story of one person who inspired Billy Graham's revival and how that changed his direction to become a great evangelist. Bp. Sam now considers himself a North Carolinian, his New England self has given way to his experiences here in NC. He trends toward Eastern NC, BBQ, and loves all the excellent food the local parishes offer and those fabulous deviled eggs.

The new look of the American pope and the formation of his Holy Order is similar to that of Francis.  He is very respectful of the traditions and theology.  He seamlessly blends the traditions in a challenging time.

We want to thank Bishop Sam for this rich time and the NC Diocese for supporting the Seekin' Deacon.

Exploring the "self" and silence, going back to God's biblical stories, and the call of Samuel and how he learns to listen  He drives a lot around the diocese, and the time to turn off the radio and step away from phone calls to take in the scenery of North Carolina and the solitude of God.

The impact of COVID was very disruptive. Amid this reality, God did provide some forms of redemptive energy from something awful. Communication and online worship built a bridge, and folks were introduced and joined the community, highlighting the ability to adapt even in such dismal times.  

We are not alone, even when we feel isolated; the presence of God continues to guide us in our discovery.

Creating and weaving the stories together through God's fingerprints on them. He expresses the gifts if the body of the collective community.

I am honored and priveledged to have spent some time with North Carolina Diocese Bishop Sam Rodman. We discuss his memory of being baptized as a child at four years old with his two sisters, being the middle child. This serves not only as vivid memory of the church but the community that was present in Blanford.

He shares a recent baptism story and how the child began to cry, but then grabbed the cross, which calmed her down.  It is the small things that move us during such a celebration. When Bp. Sam was eight years old he visited his grandparents and they took the Sunday of from Church, he decided and insisted to invite the family to his own service with make shift vestments that resulted in good family humor.

Rich experiences came from All Saints, Hadley and the Bible Study at a pizza parlor in town. He has been blessed to learn from or be part of a team that offers Bible studies that nourish him. His mom would share in a moring devtion similar to Forward Movment call Our Daily Bread.  Bp. Sam shares his cadence around prayer and other practices.

The Rev. Liam Barr shares his practices of trying to step away from tension and how it has taken over our world. He makes us ponder how we can step away and empty our mind and soul and center. This will result in a release. He asks: How do we limit our access to social media? We lose ourselves when we fall into a space of reaction—the art of slowing down and processing the evocative things that show up through God.  

We would like to extend our gratitude to the Rev. Liam Barr for this episode and wish him continued success at the New Hope Project, as well as in his service at Holy Innocents in Henderson, NC.

Growing up in a programmatic church, Rev. Liam Barr gained a different view of church in Costa Rica. The church has depth and meaning related to "who" as a human he is, and possibly trying to dissolve the limitations we have placed on God. The term Pura Vida was adopted by a famous Costa Rican character in a film, which ultimately means pure living/pure life, and was embraced by the culture. The deep relationships built in Costa Rica translate to the deep spirituality in how to live fully and "in the moment". We must ask ourselves: Are we happy and living a full life with God? How do we live in the fullness of life?

Rev. Liam also speaks to his rich service with the Latino community at Holy Innocents, a historically grounded Episcopal Church dating back to 1842, in Henderson, North Carolina.

We join the Rev. Liam Barr, Curate serving at Holy Innocents in Henderson, North Carolina. Liam shares that the world is a disorienting place as he questions who he is and how he can do the work and serve. He is five months into being an ordained Priest and is loving the job he is doing in both the Latino community and the "Project Hope" initiative through the NC Episcopal Diocese, at the campus of St. Mark's in Raleigh. He explained his journey has been one more of Peter than Paul, and not so direct in growing up in Greenville, South Carolina.  He caught the church "bug" at Christ Church in Greenville from the youth group activities and the space that everyone belongs to. Christ church has always been a place that can hold him in whatever is placed before him in life.

His home church has held a strong relationship with Costa Rica. He has entrenched himself in this meaningful and fruitful work, and has a special love for the country.

Ekklesia Church in Raleigh holds a common ground and welcomes the LGBTQ community, and a love of teaching. A person who was LGBTQ shared with Curtis early on in a moment of humility that they did not want to be a burden to the church. At that moment, he decided the church was "all in" on whatever support they could and did give. 

Curtis speaks to the rhythm and cadence of spiritual practices and how they change with the season. He points out to his parishioners not to feel obligated to practice them all because we are all wired different. He loves reading liturgies and fishing in nature as spiritual practices that add to his life. He points out we need to be mindful of the nuances of the Bible and be careful that "the Bible says this" so we are free of causing trauma. His Co-Pastor CJ and himself make sure to show that that text has multiple thoughts and we should not be addicted to certainty.

Curtis discusses how he and his co-pastor, CJ, approach scripture differently. Curtis looks at it from a more musical and artistic view, while CJ, who played quarterback at UNC, views it in a more didactic manner. He goes on to explain how no single person can give a single voice to the Gospel. The church features guest speakers who represent different viewpoints. This former St. Mark's campus is now part of a new initiative launched by the North Carolina Episcopal Diocese, called the New Hope Collaborative. It represents multiple non-profit organizations. Curtis points out that the history of the Ekklesia of Raleigh began in a high school and remained there for fourteen years. When the opportunity presented itself to worship at this new location, they continued to stay connected to the original community at large.