 |
| [1940-2016] |
Scott
taught me more about spirituality than any person I have known. I learned from him as a colleague in ministry
(we spent several years on the same church staff together), as one of his
spiritual directees, and as we worked together leading Men’s Spirituality
Retreats (some 7 or 8 in total). Even
after his death I am learning from him, as I read his writings.
One
learned as much, if not more, about spirituality from observing and knowing
Scott as a person, as from his teachings and writings.
He
exuded pure grace and acceptance for all people. He was filled with compassion and love. He was warm, gentle, non-judgmental, with a
wonderful sense of humor. This is why he
was probably the finest retreat leader I have ever known.
I still
recall the first men’s retreat we led together, on the Parable of the Prodigal
Son. My task was to organize the retreat
and lead worship. Scott would facilitate
all of the organized discussions. When
the sign-up list was complete, I looked it over, and the retreaters included
about 6 or 7 men who are very strong-willed and opinionated, varying politically
and theologically from the far left to the far right. I went to Scott and said, “I am sure glad you
are leading the discussions. I wouldn’t
know how to go about it with this particular group of guys."
Well,
Scott, in his unique and unassuming way, led profound discussions in which
these men really opened up, sharing their pain and joys without a single moment
of conflict or arguing. I stood amazed
at how Scott was able to do this.
Scott
liked to talk about spirituality as taking seriously what Jesus took
seriously. And he did try to take Jesus
seriously, exemplifying in his daily life the genuine love and compassion Jesus
had for all people.
I love
so many of Scott’s stories. One of them
was about a position for which he was interviewing. Apparently he received a call from the
interview team just as he was waking up from a nap. They asked him something about Jesus, and in
his semi-dreamlike state he replied, “I
am a big fan of Jesus.” Well, apparently
things went downhill from there, and he didn’t get the job. Frankly, Scott was not only a big fan of
Jesus, but one who also tried to live out the love of Jesus in the most practical of ways.
Scott
had a special concern for clergy, and many of his spiritual directees were clergy. During the time I was seeing Scott I was
going through the experience of my son and daughter growing up, needing me
less, and preparing to go off to college.
I still remember something Scott told me: “When our children turn 16, they decide we don’t know anything. When
they turn 26, they can’t get enough of us.” My son
is 30 and my daughter is 26, and Scott was entirely correct. He
helped me trust that the spiritual wilderness we enter as our kids need us less
will one day give way to an even deeper connection if we can be patient and
wait for them to return on their own terms.
Scott
was way ahead of time in recognizing the ways that the church and religion are
on the decline in our culture, and he understood clearly the reasons why. He challenged people to move from belief as
an intellectual exercise to faith as a journey or pilgrimage in which we
attempt to become awake to what God is calling us to be and do in the here and
now. This takes great courage as we set
out on our own, unique, spiritual journey, unafraid to let go of the trappings
of the past that might be holding us back.
Let me
end with one of Scott’s own descriptions of this journey: “The purpose of spiritual direction . . . is
to assist the person to do a spiritual analysis, to bring spirit to bear upon
the soul, ultimately to listen to what God yearns for in their lives and how
that shapes their next steps. One begins
spiritual direction by not knowing where one needs to go or what one needs to
be, but by consciously listening to what God is up to, new insights
emerge. Since one can only know the will
of God after it happens, this process begins with no diagnosis and treatment
plan but rather with a process of engagement that leads to new surprises. One begins by discerning the pieces and parts
of one’s spirituality, then listening to what God wants, and then doing the
final tasks of blending all of these realities.”
Thanks,
Scott, for being such an important part of my spiritual journey, and for
continuing to guide me.
