Episode 265: Let Your Life Speak | A Conversation with Jenny Richards
Vocation at its deepest level is “something I can’t not do, for reasons I’m unable to explain to anyone else and don’t fully understand myself, but are nonetheless compelling.” This description from Parker Palmer frames the journey of chaplain Jenny Richards. She says, “If there is an openness to life, then I think vocation is where we meet our desires and our love of God. They meet, and if I think it’s something I can’t not do, that’s very compelling. And it’s terrifying.” In Episode 265, Jenny joins Cynthia and Susan for a conversation about the remarkable path she’s walking, and how she came to be on it.
Notes & Quotes:
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in Utah: https://www.ecsutah.org/aboutcpe
Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, by Anne Lamott
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation, by Parker J. Palmer
This is Why I Find Pema Chodron So Essential, Pema Chodron with Ezra Klein, The Ezra Klein Show
Women’s Uncommon Prayers: Our Lives Revealed, Nurtured, Celebrated, by Elizabeth Geitz
"My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads, round and green, these places summoned and then held me up while I grew. Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land, and in this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear.” —Anne Lamott
“Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.” —Parker Palmer
Vocation at its deepest level is, "This is something I can't not do, for reasons I'm unable to explain to anyone else and don't fully understand myself but that are nonetheless compelling.” —Parker Palmer
Power
“When she learned that she
Didn’t have to plug into
Someone or something
Like a toaster into a wall
When she learned that she
Was a windmill and had only
To raise her arms
To catch the universal whisper
And turn
turn
turn
She moved.
Oh, she moved.
And her dance was a marvel.”
—Carol Lynn Pearson
For Women
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Source of all that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven: Awaken us with your Holy Spirit,
and preserve us from the temptation to stay comfortably asleep;
encourage us to proclaim our authenticity,
and preserve us from a false accommodation to the world;
breathe into us your breath of life, stir us up into activity,
and preserve us from the inertia that leads to complicity in our own
oppression;
open our eyes to the promises in creation, open our hearts to the love and example of Jesus, open our ears to the persistent whisperings of the Holy Spirit, and preserve us from a sense-deadened existence;
give us the confidence to engage technology
and preserve us from regarding it with fear or with too much trust;
remind us that we are made in your image, that we, too, are creators, lovers, decision makers;
instill in us the pride of our heritage,
and preserve us from excessive, crippling humility.
Above all, gracious God,
give us the grace to hear your word to us and the courage to claim and act on that inner authority; preserve us from the tyranny of the external authority that comes from the world.
Amen.
—The Reverend Margaret Cunningham (from A New Zealand prayer book)
This was an amazing episode. I listened twice, which rarely happens for me. So many gold nuggets.
It's 2 am and I just listened to this episode as I drove home from the Seattle Airport. There is no way I can express how this conversation with Jenny has stirred my soul in a 90 second voicemail. How I wish a Conference talk would do likewise. 1. Her comments on Saint Clare and Saint Francis brought back memories of being a senior in high school taking early morning seminary (because there was no way I was going to miss taking another class due to seminary). I had the same VERY orthodox seminary teacher for all three years in Ogden Utah (50 years ago... wow). We often clashed. The Priesthood Ban was a major issue. When I saw that the "great and abominable Church" was going to be in the next lesson plan, I thought to study all about Saint Francis and his goodness. That led me to discover Saint Clare. When he did as I expected and brought up the Catholic Church as that "great and abominable", I shared with my class what I had learned about these saints. The year before last I also visited Assisi and will never forget the testimony of goodness shared by our tour guide. 2. Jenny, I so appreciate what you said about your husband. When my wife answered her personal call to go back to school for her Masters and then PhD, I questioned it at first. But I came around, and have seen the countless blessings it has brought my daughters and now our grandchildren... plus dozens of preschoolers and their families that she has taught and nurtured. I got so tired of those questions in Church by "well meaning" members and leaders (both women and men) about "how do you really feel about her going back to school?" or in one case with a Stake Leader, "Why are you allowing her to do this?" Every husband should hear what Jenny had to say about hers. I long to be that husband. 3. In 1978 while serving in the Copenhagen Mission Office, I was asked if I would lead two seminars in the Theology department at the University, specifically addressing American Religions. When I asked and learned that more than half the students didn't believe in God, I changed my tact to speak to the good in each of these different religions as it relates to how a Priest could perform both civil service and religious . ministry. I was asked to come back for a final discussion specifically on the Mormon Church and how it is structured. Someone called the Mission Office and left a message that a particular Priest was going to attend that last session. One of the very first female Priests, she was constantly in the news, very outspoken, and frankly intimidating. My Mission President saw the message on my desk that she would be attending. He felt that he should be there if she going to be there. My attempts to dissuade him from going failed. I delivered my remarks on family focus, members serving members, home and visiting teaching, and the callings that everyday members hold in the Church and ideas that can crossover between religions. This female Priest then asked my thoughts on the Priesthood Ban (this was prior to the Revelation), the absence of ordained women, and the Church's stance on homosexuality. I told her that I disagreed with the Church on all of these points. At which point my Mission President got into the conversation.. When she challenged the translation of the Book of Mormon by the use of a seer stone in a hat, he really lost it. He told old her she was spreading lies of the Devil. You get the point. Two and half wonderful sessions came to horrible ending. And on the way back to the office, he dressed me down for agreeing with her and asked me how in the world could I believe that Joseph used a seer stone. He even later dug up a quote by Joseph Fielding Smith stating that he has never seen any evidence that was the case. About six weeks later, this Priest called me at the Mission Office and invited me to attend a sermon she was giving the following Sunday. I accepted and attended. I will never forget that sermon as she wove into her remarks what each Priest, member and family should be doing to minister to each other. There were a number of other Priests in attendance. She even used a couple of quotes from my seminar Afterwards we met, and she questioned the reactions of my Mission President and inquired if I was OK? She wanted me to know that she appreciated what I had discussed in the seminars. She said it was obvious that I understood that the role of Priest in the State Sponsored Church is both a civil servant role and a religious one. And that members should be doing more. I read in 2021 that more than 50% of the Priests in Denmark are now women. I was fascinated by how I was both inspired by her and intimidated by her. 4. About a year ago, I was asked by our new Bishop, "What would it take for the Church to do to get you to come back?" I served in three Bishoprics, and walked away from all leadership when asked to be a Bishop in 2015. I could not see myself sitting on the other side of that desk given my disagreements on LGBTQ doctrine, the Patriarchy, lack of transparency, obstruction, and more. When the Exclusion Policy was announced 10 days later, it was a confirmation to me of my response. In response to my new Bishop's question (he iis now our Stake President and wants to have an annual conversation), I replayed for him a recent dream. I was in a normal ward council meeting. The Bishop was a women I respected greatly. I was her 1st Counselor. The 2nd Counselor was a Gay man I knew very well. His husband was the Executive Secretary. What I told my Bishop is that what struck me after recalling the dream was how normal it all was. It was just another Sunday, dealing with matters of the Ward, with women and men doing their best to minister. It seemed so normal and right. That's what I long for. That's what I see missing. That's what inspired me about this Episode. A Stake Chaplain. What a great idea. I know I filled that role in some previous situations. 5. I leaned a long time ago that sitting in your/their silence is powerful, inspirational, and healing. I avoid being the one to break the silence. Uncomfortable yes, but such great counsel from Jenny. Thanks for the episode.