Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1525586
70 maconmagazine.com | August/September 2024 C U P S A N D W A T E R Becoming armor-free In a city with houses of faith on nearly every corner, Rev. Dr. Erin Robinson Hall's column explores the interconnectedness of Macon's faith communities and the diverse ways Maconites nourish their spiritual health and the wellbeing of those around them, inspired by "On Being" podcast host Krista Tippet's idea that "religion is as cup; spirituality is as water." STORY BY ERIN ROBINSON HALL HEADSHOT BY JESSICA WHITLEY Daring to be vulnerable in spiritual leadership M y friend Julie wears a clerical collar as she holds "offi ce hours" at a cafe table. As a pastor, she gets a tea and a book, then sets a sign on her table that reads "Free Prayer." Surely, most prayers cost zero dollars, but this pastor holds space at her table for anyone who might stop by, chat, and begin a conversation about spiritual matters. I think her sign names it correctly. This spiritual practice has little to do with cost and everything to do with being unbound by location, walls, or traditions. Spiritual leaders will tell you that getting people in the doors is a hurdle most of them face. Letting go of an attachment to a building, an agenda, or your own tradition is a vulnerable act. In Macon, several groups are taking spiritual matters beyond the sanctuary walls, whether that means founding an interfaith kid's camp, group meditation in public settings, gathering at local businesses for fellowship, or off ering prayer to passersby. How are these sacred gatherings off ering a model of vulnerability? The Book of Common Prayer (a Christian prayer book fi rst printed in 1549) challenges us to love with our whole hearts. Maybe wholeheartedness is a buzzword, but it truly describes the kind of experience available to us when we are open to discomfort, displacement, and connection. The best leaders embrace it. The bene ts outweigh the judgment At Oh Honey Baking Co. in Ingleside, the green velvet sofa was full of people with their eyes closed, some sitting silently on the fl oor, too. This meditation group met A meditation group meeting this spring at Oh Honey Baking Co. in Ingleside. Photo courtesy of McInnis.