What are the major differences between your lifeas an academic and your new life in the church?
As an academic, you are trying to understand things and their roots. In religious life, it feels more like jumping off a cliff because I don’t know what the world or my congregation will look like in 30 years. For me the journey of religious life is about putting all my faith in God. If he’s truly calling me to this life, then he believes I can have an effect on bringing this congregation into the future—and he can bring us all closer to the kingdom of God.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
It’s almost impossible to say where I’m going to be in 20 years because I don’t know what opportunities will be open to me. But I want to create a space where if an opportunity in a completely different area opens up, I am able to say yes.

What would you tell someone considering a religious vocation but unsure whether it’s the right path for them? 
I keep returning to what the Mother Superior character said in “The Sound of Music”: “Our abbey is not to be used as an escape.” Some people might join to avoid their own disappointments, to escape, but it’s not about that. It’s about becoming available to the people of God and continually pondering in our hearts. If you are anxious about your choice, just breathe. When you are ready, you will know and will find peace in that moment.

What is your favorite bible verse?
Well, my favorite parable is the ten virgins. I ran across it in college, and I really appreciated the imagery of how the bridegroom comes at the darkest moment of the night and that image of when people have given up, that is when God appears.