A REQUEST FROM JAY

On March 1st I will begin a 60 day sabbatical from my work as Diocesan Youth Missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of WNY. The subject of my sabbatical is "Personal Piety in an Episcopal Context in the 21st Century". It's a subject that I've become very interested in over the last decade. As Episcopalians (and Anglicans in general) are very much a people defined by our corporate worship I think there's a real gap when it comes to helping our members develop a personal piety.

My favor is this: I'm asking a variety of bloggers for a moment with their audiences. I'd like to have this appeal put on your blog and ask all your readers (Anglican/Episcopal and not) to answer two simple questions:

1: What does the phrase "Personal Piety" mean to you?
2: Outside of corporate worship settings what do you do in the way of personal piety?

The answers can be sent to a seperate email I've established for this project - personalpiety at gmail.com. (obviously they should remove the "at" and replace it with an @) I do not need their names unless they are willing to share. It would be useful if they could indicate if they are Anglican or not. Input from non-Anglicans is very welcome as either a simple comparison group but also as a resource for ideas that would be consistent with our "context".

I will be doing a lot of the "work" of the sabbatical "in the open" as it were, using my blog "The View From the Phlipside" for blogging and videos and whatever else pops into my head during the sabbatical. My intent is to explore the subject in greater detail there. I would certainly invite anyone to look in and comment as they feel called.

This is a presumptuous request I know. But I think I may be better served in my journey if I can hear from more voices than just those close by.

I understand completely if you choose not to do this. But as a teacher of mine taught me years ago, "You don't know if you don't ask".

Peace
Jay Phillippi
Diocese of WNY

My response to Jay:

Hi Jay,

Your request is not presumptuous at all. I'd be pleased to cooperate.... Yours sounds like an interesting project. I'm wondering what my response would be. All over the place, I'm thinking.

Blessings,

June

To which Jay responded:

And yes, I'm expecting, hoping even, that the response will be all over the place!

If you are so inclined, please help Jay with his sabbatical project. I'm intrigued, and I'll try to gather my thoughts and share my answers with Jay. Be sure to give yourself permission to go all over the place!