Pay Attention: Living in the Present Tense

Steagald, Thomas R., The Christian Century

WHEN OUR United Methodist Annual Conference urged pastors to create covenant peer groups as a way to maintain connection, seven of my colleagues and I agreed to meet every other week for a few hours of prayer and conversation, mutual accountability and "resourcing." It seemed appropriate when one of our meetings was scheduled for the Feast of St. Benedict; after all, what we are doing feels a little bit monastic. It seemed inappropriate, however, when in the middle of our religious conversation a pastor pulled out a BlackBerry and checked for messages.

I was angry and thought back to a similar interruption a few evenings earlier. My wife was planning to leave town for several days and suggested that we meet for dinner before she left. I canceled a meeting and drove some distance to meet her at the only time she was available. We had been at the restaurant …

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Publication information: Article title: Pay Attention: Living in the Present Tense. Contributors: Steagald, Thomas R. - Author. Magazine title: The Christian Century. Volume: 127. Issue: 12 Publication date: June 15, 2010. Page number: 12+. © 2009 The Christian Century Foundation. COPYRIGHT 2010 Gale Group.

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