A Way Through the Wilderness…

Introducing Connection Messenger: The Very Rev. Alexander D. MacPhail

Life does seem like a wilderness sometimes, doesn’t it? We’re blown by winds that are beyond our control. We’re scratched and bloody from making our way through thorny issues and prickly people. Sometimes we hear siren songs. Sometimes we hear banshees. When we’re genuinely seeking God, why can it feel as though we’re in the center of an empty echo chamber?

How can we integrate things as elusive as Faith and God into the woof and warp of our ordinary, everyday lives? I find comfort and inspiration from men and women of faith who are honest about their own spiritual journey and can offer encouragement and guidance. One such Connection Messenger is the Very Rev. Alexander D. MacPhail. Alexander is the Rector of Beckford Parish, which consists of two Episcopal congregations in the Shenandoah Valley. My husband and I are among his loyal congregants. I commend to you Alexander’s blog, A Way Through the Wilderness.  Insightful, spiritually authentic and articulate, this blog is a well for drawing cool, clear inspiration that is written for real people with real lives. He shares his weekly sermons on this blog, along with other reflections on the intersection between real Life and real Spirit.

“I’m that priest you hear about who is half monk, half scholar, and half regular feller. At least two halves are always present.” Alexander’s post called “The Mystery of Surrender” speaks to the human need for connection: “Your life has dignity and meaning and value. Choose to love and to be kind. Surrender to that. Trust in God for everything else.”

Surrender…Let go…Trust in God…all worthy goals that I will continue to keep before me. Oh, but they chafe against my nature to do…and accomplish…and understand!