Rector's Ramblings

Rector’s Ramblings

August 2025

The Rev. Jim Stewart

     God feeds us in our silence.  We can be given a blessing by putting ourselves out there to hear what God wants us to hear and what He wants us to see.  As people we are sometimes hesitant to do things we are not accustom to doing.  

     As a priest I am trying all kinds of different projects I have not tried in the past or it has been a long time since I have tried them.  I was asked to play a part in a play put on by the Wedding of the Waters.  The only catch to this play is it is from some of the Shoshoni’s point of view.  I will be playing the part of The Rev. John Roberts.  I have not been on a stage since my youth.  This was very nerve racking for me.

     I said earlier that God feeds us in our silence.  I have been going to rehearsals on the reservation with the other people playing the parts.  They are mainly Shoshoni and I try just to listen and be open to their experiences.  To speak only when necessary.  During my time with them they are starting to trust me and have shared many experiences with me about their lives.  It is wonderful to hear about the past and from another point of view.  Sometimes we bury our heads in the sand and do not here the stories from both sides.  

     God is leading me to be more compassionate towards all people and teaching me to try to get the whole story before I comment.  This has caused me to spend a lot more time reading articles and going through books.  Finding out what the real truth is.

     This has brought me to the conclusion that sometimes this is all God is asking of us.  To read the Words of the bible, see the beauty of the world and see if that is where our truth is.  He remains silent at times and lets us discover who and what He is as we look for the real truth.  God sometimes is in the silence, but when we realize who He is we can feel Him in the love and joy He has given us.

     I am playing a part of a lovely person named John Roberts but I am now seeing why he traveled from Wales to Oxford on to another mission before fulfilling his one goal of being on the Wind River Indian Reservation bringing God to all he came in contact with.