Dr. B and the Spirituality of Borders
Back in March, I was tasked with welcoming a pastor who had just moved to the area on behalf of the Presbytery. Before making the call I did a quick Google search of her name in order to find out where she had moved from and what kind of ministry she had done, just so I had some talking points for the call.
I was not prepared for what I read online about Helen Boursier. She was not the average clergy person. First of all, this is a woman who has written a few books—14 to be exact. Some of her titles are about evangelism, some about photography and art, and, most recently, a few about immigration. She was the organizing evangelist of a new worshiping community in Texas, an artist and photographer, a volunteer chaplain working with asylum seekers, a professor and more. “Wow,” I thought, “this woman is busy!”
And then I called her.
Even over the phone her energy was contagious. I tend to use the word “brilliant” to describe people who open up a new perspective on the world—people who look at what is broken and see hope and possibility. That word describes Helen. She is full of energy. She loves God and people. She is practical, smart, insistent on making an impact, and committed to what is right. My first thought was “I’ve got to get her to come to St. Andrew’s.”
Mission accomplished! On October 5th Helen will present on the topic of the “Spirituality of Borders.” In one of our calls she explained that her talk won’t simply cover her experience as a chaplain working with families seeking asylum. It’s about how we all can find ourselves straddling borders—periods of unemployment, times of illness, moves to new cities to start new careers, the entry into parenthood, even the transition out of this life. These periods of uncertainty and disruption are often times of intense growth in our faith lives.
So mark your calendars: Saturday, October 5th from 10 am to 3 pm. Come and find renewal, enthusiasm, and hope. Be prepared to see the world with an expanded vision of what is possible!
Blessings,
Pastor Jen
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