A large part of my Call to clergy, and my vocation, is focused on caring for others. I have felt myself drawn to this kind of work across the story of my life. Growing up, all the way through high school and college, I was often the confidant for friends going through a hard time. In my first profession teaching high school, that vocation of caring for others dovetailed with my other primary vocation of teaching & mentoring others. Then, while working on my Initiate work, the Call to priesthood hit me like a freight train, and I came to understand that I could blend those vocations, caring and mentoring and teaching, together in my priest work. I continue to lean into that blend in my current occupation and education as a chaplain working towards board certification.
Continue reading ““When Caring for Others is a Calling””clergy
The Gift of Obligation
During the Charging of the Stole at Rev. Oleg’s ordination, I reflected to those gathered about the role of ADF priests, and the way that role relates to the Gods, the Folk, and the Land. In light of those outward, ceremonial reflection, I have also spent some time processing my own experience through this lens.
Continue reading “The Gift of Obligation”Annual Clergy Report for 2024
This report is designed to illustrate how each individual priest has chosen to fulfill their oath to love the land, honor the deities, serve the folk, and continue in their studies as best suits their individual vocations.
Time covered: January 1 2024 – December 31, 2024
Continue reading “Annual Clergy Report for 2024”Beltane Behind Bars
Yesterday was amazing. I had coordinated to bring three of my Grovemates, Joe, Jeff, and Mike to ORW as volunteers for Beltane. I wanted to make it kind of like a mini-festival day for the inmates. So we had a morning of workshops and then an afternoon ritual.
Continue reading “Beltane Behind Bars”Annual Clergy Report for 2023
I’ve gotten away from posting these on a monthly basis, but we’re still required by ADF to compile our report for the year, and I shockingly find it fulfilling.
I tend to suffer from imposter syndrome, and one of the best ways I’ve found for me to fight that is to list out all the things I’ve done and reflect on them. So, this report, in the way that I fill it out, helps me combat the feeling that I don’t know what I’m doing. So, without further ado, here’s how I fulfilled my oath last year:
Continue reading “Annual Clergy Report for 2023”“Reflections on Prison Chaplaincy”
It’s amazing how serendipitous life changes can really affect your spirituality and the ways that you interact with the world. Since becoming ordained in 2015 I’ve had an interest in pursuing professional chaplaincy, but as a minority religion there are even more barriers in place that there would be otherwise. Even then, I thought I’d like higher education or hospital chaplaincy, and was pretty sure that prison chaplaincy was not for me. But then this opportunity to work at the local women’s state prison fell into my lap, and I have found myself spirituality reinvigorated and deeply humbled in this work.
Continue reading ““Reflections on Prison Chaplaincy””The Value in Recognizing the Work of Others
The beginning of the year is a time in ADF when a lot of the administrative tasks happen. While we have quarterly reports that are filed on a more frequent basis, by February we’re also ramping up to the compiling of the ADF Annual Report, Priests are filing their annual reports, and organizational elections are in full swing.
One of the really cool things I’ve been able to do this year as Vice Arch Druid is read a whole bunch of the reports that people have sent in. Everything from SIG, Guild, and Kin reports, to Grove and Regional Druid reports, to Priest reports. Now, I know what you might be thinking: “Reading administrative paperwork? Ew!” But honestly it has been really fulfilling and has helped me feel more deeply connected to the membership as a whole, as well as to my peers in leadership.
Continue reading “The Value in Recognizing the Work of Others”2022 In Review – Clergy Council Priestwork Report
Clergy Council Member Annual Report Form
Priest Name: Rev. Jan Avende
Time covered: January 1 2022 – January 1 2023
This report is designed to illustrate how each individual priest has chosen to fulfill their oath to love the land, honor the deities, serve the folk, and continue in their studies as best suits their individual vocations.
Continue reading “2022 In Review – Clergy Council Priestwork Report”Juggling Roles – Priest at a Moment’s Notice
This month is Pride Month, which means I’ve spent a lot of time at various Pride events. This is my first year where I’ve really felt deeply embedded into the community.
Continue reading “Juggling Roles – Priest at a Moment’s Notice”Reflection on leading a UU Service
I had the honor of being asked to lead a service for the Delaware Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which was extremely fulfilling and very affirming to my vocation.
Mist to Open. Mists to Bind. 