Being Priest to One Another

I have a book called: "Being Priest to One Another" by Michael Dwinell (1993). Probably bought it when it was new, it's been on my shelf and I pick it up every five years or so. :-) I have been reading it before I sleep for the past few nights.

Michael Dwinell is (or at least was) an Episcopal priest and pastoral psychotherapist. I can't find anything on the Internet that points to what he did after this book was published. But the book is awesome. It is all Jesus'y -but it has the Jesus that I loved from when I was a kid, the compassionate and passionate Jesus of the "Lighthouse" and warm cinnamon raisin bagels (Word of God, Ann Arbor). "Being Priest to One Another" is written with deep compassion, insight, love, and humanity. And come on, the title is a zinger.

To Michael Dwinell priest is hero. Reading this book, I get it, I could even believe it. It is an attempt at explaining priest with all the flaws, with awesome humanity, and none of the priestly BS we saw in LCHS priests. It's oddly non confrontational, it is more about compassion and humanity than anything else.

The book captures the compassion of Jesus that I remember from my childhood and that I identify with from my mom. It is Love, Joy and Grace. I miss it even though it is not gone by any stretch. In the past it all had a name, concept and an altar. Now it is faceless and nebulous and I have no sacrament or celebrant. I don't miss the formality or the Roman Catholic Church, I miss the parables and the music performed by the "Lighthouse" and cinnamon raisin bagels.