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Aug 29, 2013 | Luke Blount

Kathy H. Culmer Writes January 2014 Meditations for Day by Day Booklet

staff-kathy2
Kathy Culmer is a member
of St. James, Houston

Kathy Culmer is an author, storyteller and speaker, but mostly, she considers herself a teacher. These qualities made her a perfect fit to provide daily meditations for Forward Movement’s Day by Day booklet, an inspirational resource distributed worldwide. Recognizing Culmer’s special way with words, Forward Movement asked her to write a meditation for every day of the January 2014 liturgical calendar.

 

Culmer, the mission funding coordinator for the Diocese of Texas, received the request in January of this year just as she began doctoral classes at United Theological Seminary. The thought of writing 31 meditations along with completing her required coursework was daunting, but Culmer was up to the task. Though the process was admittedly difficult and inspiration sometimes seemed to wain, Culmer realized that the process was actually a priceless introduction into the research of her doctorate of ministry.

 

“My doctoral work is looking at how biblical storytelling – interacting with it, listening to it – can make the message of the Gospel more relevant to people across all ages and ethnicities, as well as people who are coming into the Episcopal Church from different traditions, even if that tradition is a tradition of non-faith,” Culmer said. “When I think about it, the opportunity to write these meditations was practice for me in communicating the messages of scripture by use of stories. They were more connected than I realized. It was really practice for me really early on.”

 

For Culmer, one of the biggest struggles was limiting her thoughts on each reading to a pocket-sized page, about 200 words. “I’m not short on words. I tell everything the long way,” she laughed.

 

Throughout the process, Culmer sought help from a few trusted friends to review her work and offer feedback. “Even though it made sense in my head, it was more important that it made sense to other people,” she explained. In the end, Culmer was just hoping to provide, “a bit of encouragement, a bit of inspiration. Something that makes God and scripture more accessible.”

 

And that simple notion is all that she seeks for herself in her own morning meditation routine. “I’m just trying to make some connection in the morning and trying to get some kind of jump start to my day and checking in with God,” she said.

 

If her meditations are anything like her storytelling, there’s no doubt January will be filled with inspiration for those who read Forward Day by Day.

 

- Forward Day by Day was first published in 1935 and is read by more than half million readers every year. The booklet of daily inspirational meditations, reflects a Bible passage, chosen from the daily lectionary readings as listed in the Revised Common Lectionary or the Daily Office from the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer. Each month's meditation is written by a different author; find out more in the Forward Day By Day Readers' Guide.