In this Issue:

Can you Catch the Spirit off the Beaten Path?

Bridge-Building, in the spirit of John Paul II

People, Parishes, and Pictures across the Diocese

From the Bishop: Breaking Barriers

St. Stephen's Covington: Faithful ot the Kingdom

For Kentucky's Junior Miss, Allison Asay, faith matters every day

A tainted Easter message

Questionable decision

Peace for Teri Schiavo

Navajoland Bishop Stephen Plummer dies at 60

Reflection: Time-out

X-ercizing: Burgers, forgiveness, and alleluia

Pope John Paull II dies at 84: A message form the Presiding Bishop

Archbishop - Pope's last days a 'lived sermon'

Resources

Diocesan Calendar

Advocate Information

Past Issues

For Kentucky’s Junior Miss, Allison Asay, faith matters everyday

By Kay Collier McLaughlin

Allison Asay’s favorite photos of herself have nothing to do with pageant gowns and crowns.
Bending over sheets of photographs, she points to her blue-jeaned image: “I’m talking with Canon Ross about plans for the Eucharist in this one. This one is from Reading Camp; I’d gone to get a Band-Aid for one of my campers.”

Asay, recently crowned Kentucky’s Junior Miss, will graduate from Lafayette High School/SCAPA (School for the Performing and Creative Arts) in May. In June, she will travel to Mobile, Alabama, for the national competition to be America’s Junior Miss. She describes herself as having “so many loves” that it will be hard to decide on just one focus in the next chapters of her life. One of those passions is the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington’s Reading Camp for children reading below grade level. The fact that Reading Camp and one of the foundation stones of her spirituality — The Cathedral Domain — go hand in hand adds a special intensity to her commitment to serve as a counselor for another group of third and fourth grade girls — this time at the Pine Mountain Reading Camp. This summer’s campers, like their predecessors, will offer life-changing relationships to her life.

Irish dancing. The teaching of this art from her Irish lineage. Choral performance. Preparation for her senior piano recital. Religion and philosophy. Favorite books. (Life of Pi). Liberal arts studies at a soon-to-be-decided college. Vocational possibilities — from certification in Irish dance instruction to the priesthood. Serving her church — as acolyte, youth leader, elected alternate deputy to the 2006 (national) General Convention of the Episcopal Church. “I want to serve others in some capacity. Whatever God wills...” Allison Asay is on a journey, which continues to be marked by life-changing events. Allison, the contemplative, knows that a necessary component of her busy, extroverted life is down time in which she can reflect on all she is experiencing, in order to integrate it into who she is and all she does. “It is important to me that everything I am involved in means something,” she stresses. “I won’t become involved in something just to put it on my resume.” For Allison, her faith matters — every day.

Participation in the Junior Miss Program was encouraged by teachers at SCAPA who have long been involved in the scholarship-focused event. “I wanted not to lose who I am, not hide who I am in order to make an impression,” Asay says. Moving from the local Fayette County pageant to the state pageant, she learned to refine her statements of belief; to articulate in a way that was true to herself without being “preachy.” She sometimes finds herself in a minority among girls whose beliefs are based upon “what someone told them.” Having been raised to “think, question, research, learn and grow,” she has worked hard to listen with respect to the beliefs held dear by others, especially when they are different from her own. The experience has made her “very thankful for my spiritual background -- clear back to my Godly Play classes. I hope that I have helped others think more, too,” she says.

When asked by Junior Miss judging panel to discuss some issue of personal, local or national concern and its importance to her, Asay responded:

The issue that is closest to my heart is my church and the controversies within it. The Episcopal Church made headlines after the General Convention in summer 2003, when the House of Bishops approved V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay man in a committed same-sex relationship for the office of Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. The events of that convention were still a hot issue at the Diocese of Lexington’s 101st convention this past February, which I had the privilege of attending as an alternate delegate. I learned an important lesson at that convention; issues such as homosexuality are always going to be heated topics, and in discussion of such matters, everyone deserves an audience and respect for their opinions. The experience strengthened my contention that, although Christians hold diverse beliefs, we must realize that we are all the Body of Christ, and differences of opinion cannot blind us to that truth.

Asay likens her own family to the church, and feels there is a strong parallel to be drawn with all families. “In my own family, I observe that we are all so different. Yet all of these different people have to function as one cohesive unit. My brother and I have had different encounters in our lives that have made us very different people. Yet we are still family, and we have to live with each other and love each other as family. This dictates the way I look at church life. I don’t think that my family situation is that rare; I am sure that others have differences within their family units, and are always learning new things that upset the current family understanding.” She relates a family story of uncles returning from college with new insights that challenged family norms. “Nothing is constant. We are always evolving. Things have to change because people change. If we can do it in our families, why can’t the whole church do it, too? It just seems so rational to me, such sound reasoning to approach it this way.” Crediting the “Anglican way of thinking” as formative in her life and ability to reason, and respect others, she is “very sad” over the ongoing dispute in her church. “Adults that I would expect to understand this do not seem to. I do not believe this lack of acceptance and love is what God intended at all. It saddens me that we have given this dispute so much time when there are so many other things to be concerned about — like mission!”

The Cathedral Domain is a spiritual touchstone for Asay -- and in particular, the experience of God’s presence at the healing service of a Junior Conference several years ago. “It was a major shaper of my faith,” she says. “The Domain is a place to go back to every year and reflect on what I’ve experienced that year — how I’ve grown.” With Connor Egan, she was co-rector of Happening #37. In their talk to Happeners, they emphasized their personal interpretation that Jesus did not call them to preach just through words and unchanging dogma, but to show faith through action and relationships. “They will know that we are Christians by our love, as the hymn says.”

Irish dancing and music are major threads in the tapestry that is Allison’s life. She has danced most of her life — seriously from the age of 10 — and now serves as a coach and instructor for students ages 5-20. She enjoys honing her skills to be proficient at something physical — laughing that she was not considered athletic as a child. “My mother tells funny stories of me on the soccer field, distracted by the daisies!” “Music is universal,” she says today. “The heart, pulse and rhythm of Irish music are compelling to people everywhere, even if they can’t dance.” Choreography is a special love — “creating something worthwhile” — as is “bringing something enjoyable to an audience; educating them about another culture.”

Tomas Mauricio, “an absolutely outstanding teacher,” has been a powerful influence in her life, both as her piano teacher, and one whose broad understandings brought excitement and challenge to an arts and humanities classroom. “It was a big demarcation line, reading Aristotle, Aquinas, Plato — things that required a new way of approaching learning.” Under Mauricio, preparation goes forward for her senior recital in May. She will play representative selections from Bach, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Chopin and a 20th century Spanish work. “I want to reach beyond the technical and try to say something with my music. To honor the composers, to make what I play relevant and important to my life. It is a big challenge, to lay yourself out — hold nothing back emotionally — and let art speak for itself while subjecting yourself to scrutiny and judgment.”

Dr. John Cummins and the choirs of Christ Church Cathedral have inspired her to seek further opportunities for choral performance. “The Cathedral music program is so remarkable — that children and teenagers have the opportunity to sing such major repertoire! Dr. Cummins is amazing!” Reflecting on those who have had such influence on her life, she adds, “Hopefully I will be able to make an impact on others through dance and the performance of music — cause others to contemplate.”

The opportunity to serve as an alternate deputy to the 2006 national convention of the Episcopal Church is “very exciting. I must be weird. I love listening to debates on resolutions and the budget discussions. I can’t wait!” A major part of her excitement goes beyond the personal. “I think it says a great deal about our diocese that two teenagers (Asay and Rob Coulston) and a young adult (Katharine Piaskowy) were elected as alternates. I am not just personally gratified to have such trust put in me -- I am extremely proud to be an Anglican and very, very proud of our Diocese.”

For this junior miss, it’s all a part of the larger journey of becoming “who God intends me to be.” The journey to Mobile is another gateway on this path. As she journeys, she’ll be carrying with her some of the favorite quotes which sustain her, and which she likes to share with others.

From Life of Pi:

Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love — but sometimes it was so hard to love. Despair was a heavy blackness that let no light in or out. I thank God that it always passed. The blackness would stir and eventually go away, and God would remain, a shining point of light in my heart. I would go on loving.”

From Herman Hesse, Demian, 1919

“If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn’t part of ourselves doesn’t disturb us.”

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© 2005 The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington

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