Roberta Lewis-Barton

All humanity is a mirror of divinity, called to walk on the path of justice and to sing justice into the hearts of men and women. - Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard has taught me many things, or rather helped me remember those truths lodged deep in each of our souls which the day-to-day struggles of our lives have made us forget.
We are co-creators with God, a microcosm of the universe – just as God fills the universe, so God fills us and urges us to participate in the birthing and the completing of the universe’s task….we all have wings to fly [and are called] to shout with joy simply because we are created.- Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard’s visions, and Vox Angelica’s beautiful and amazing interpretation and proclamation of them, have the ability to transport us to our former state of incarnation “provided we have the ears to hear and the heart to listen openly.” I am honored and humbled to be part of this group, and on many occasions understand completely Hildegard’s fear of “not being educated enough to do justice to these visions.”
However, also like Hildegard, I know I am called to help others live out our collective divine calling here on earth and walk with them – regardless of the difficulty -- on the path of justice. This knowledge helps me overcome any fear.
“Peace has to be fought for with difficulty in a changeable world and can be preserved only with difficulty.” Hildegard of Bingen

Roberta Lewis-Barton was born & raised in Pontiac, Michigan, and moved to Grand Rapids where she graduated from Aquinas College with degrees in Communication Arts and Business Administration. She spent 13 years working in various non-profit organizations doing marketing and fundraising, including 4 years at The Nature Conservancy. During this period, she married Larry in 1988, and became a caregiver for her mother in 1993 until her death from Alzheimer’s Disease in November 2005. In August 2003, she changed focus, quit her “day” job and paid bills by selling possessions on eBay and being a musician for hire with churches and choirs throughout Western Michigan, including the Edelweiss (German) Choir of Grand Rapids.

She embarked on a renewed spiritual journey, leading to her graduation in May 2006 from the Spiritual Formation program through the Dominican Center at Marywood (www.dominicancenter.com). As part of this program, Roberta studied Hildegard of Bingen and her other favorite German mystic and guide, Meister Eckhart.

Roberta is now a full-time Pastoral Associate at St. Mary’s Church in Grand Rapids (www.stmarygr.org), an ecumenical Spiritual Director, a liturgical musician, a member and past board member of the Grand Rapids Chapter of the Association of National Pastoral Musicians (NPM), a Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master/Practitioner, a hospice volunteer, and sometimes a Benedictine Nun from the 12th Century (when performing with the medieval chant group Vox Angelica).