Laura Esposito on Vocare
January Enewsletter
Happy New Year everyone!
When I was asked about nine months ago to be the lay rector of Vocare #3, it seemed as though 2008 would never come. Now, Vocare #3 is less than a month away, and I, along with the rest of my team are very excited. For those of you that don’t know, Vocare is a retreat geared specifically for young adults in the church. The ages of 19-29 are a period of great transition within our lives. We are discovering new experiences, moving, starting new jobs, relationships, schools, etc. Sometimes throughout this hustle and bustle of the twenty-somethings, God and our Christian lives may get pushed onto a backburner. When we do go back to the church, where we established our Christian identities as children and teenagers, it can be overwhelming. As adults in the church, we may ask, “How do we fit in?”
Vocare is a tool to help us answer the question of what part we play in the church and in the community at large. The weekend focuses around twelve talks, which some say can be considered one talk in twelve parts. These talks weave together our identities as Christians and people, our relationship to Christ, the sacraments of marriage and ordination, our place within the greater community, and opportunities to share what is learned at Vocare. After most of the talks, there is time to discuss what was learned and what questions you may have within a group. This is not a group therapy. This is a chance to discuss what the focus of the talks mean to you in an open, honest environment.
Some of you may have heard that Vocare is like an older version of Happening, or a younger version of Cursillo, and though it has come out of the same movement as those two, it is not the same experience you would receive at either retreat. Through a series of talks, group discussions, and worship, Vocare aids in the discovery of our position as adults and leaders within our Christian community. Vocare’s meaning is “to call,” and that is what it does. It calls us to drop our busy lives back home and enjoy in God and each other’s company. Once we have quieted the noise around us, we may finally be able to hear the small still voice within us.
I hope that some of you may choose to join us at Vocare #3. It will be rocking I assure you! You can find the applications online at the DAYA homepage, or you can email me at Lae1984@gmail.com, for an application. The weekend starts at about 6pm February 1st, and ends around 4 pm February 3rd. This year it is up at Camp Mikell in Toccoa.
Pax,
Laura Esposito
Lay Rector, Vocare #3
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