Meet The Pastor
Pastor Shari Mason
My Calling + At age 30, I heard a voice call to me, “Shari, you should be a pastor.” Ten years later, I attended my first class at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. What began as a classroom journey has become an inner journey.
In Let Your Life Speak, Parker J. Palmer writes, “Go far enough on the inner journey, they all tell us – go past ego toward true self – and you end up not lost in narcissism but returning to the world, bearing more gracefully the responsibilities that come with being human.”
From 2007-2009, the inner journey brought me to the Spiritual Formation Program at Grace Institute in Dubuque, IA. From 2010-2013, the inner journey brought me to the Spiritual Direction Preparation Program at Franciscan Spirituality Center in LaCrosse, WI.
In 2012, I came to First Congregational UCC. As the pastor here, I am called to preach and teach. I'm also called to practice holy listening to God and others. My calling has evolved from the classroom to spiritual companion. May we gracefully journey together, sharing the responsibilities that come with being human.
My husband, Steve, and I are nearly lifelong residents of the Austin, MN, area. Together, we have two grown children and one grandchild.
Yoga Fit Instructor
Part of the Yoga Fit Training philosophy is community service initiatives. Instructors are encouraged to share what they have learned with others. Being trained through Yoga Fit is one reason I offer yoga at First Congregational. Another reason is the mind, body, spirit connection. After every practice, my mind is cleared, and my heart is opened – a gift for myself and others!
In 2015 I completed 200 hours of yoga teacher training at HeartWork Yoga Studio. Namaste