[Apologies from the MSN communications team for the late posting of this article. We’ve been a little swamped with all the goings-on!]

This past Saturday, January 31st, three of us from the MSN Leadership team made our way “up North” to Trinity Church, Park Rapids where we were hospitably received as part of Region One’s quarterly meeting. We were pleased to meet representatives of many of the 18 congregations in the Region for fellowship, spiritual reflection and prayer as well as have the opportunity to engage those present in the work of the MSN. Central to this work is being in conversation with fellow Episcopalians around the Four Goals.* Speaking personally about the conversation over Goal 4—“Develop Effective Stewardship of Financial Resources”—I found a spirit of freshness and openness. The “fresh” aspect of the conversation had to do with simply putting financial information from the respective congregations on the table so understanding could be enhanced. Not so “fresh” was the congenital complaint about the Diocese: “We pay them but what do they do for us?” Happily a little probing about this question unearthed recognition of value: “They give us our building and our name.” And the Canon Missioner. And the Liturgy. And the Anglican tradition.

My sense is that the leaders of the other conversational groups—Anne Miner-Pearson, Goal 1, Jim Huber, Goal 2, Sandi Holmberg, Goal 3—had important conversations, although I don’t have the details. People seemed glad for the opportunity to engage in the work and appeared to have hope in the results of our common effort.

Somewhere down the road on the other side of Wadena I began to notice huge stands of poplar trees planted in their nascent life in straight arrow rows and now in their later life holding promise for paper making and bringing order to the horizon. In contrast, the country roads along the way were wonderfully curved and countless stands of uncultured pine dotted the landscape. Both brought delight to the eye. Our “blessed rage for order” modulated by the giveness of God’s creation.

Daniel Pearson, MSN Co-Chair